Fur Family *laughs*

Evening my scrappy friends, I just wanted to share a fun layout I did of my fur babies....I use the sketch from Scrapping Everyday Miracles....

Good times

Here is my layout for  Scrapping Everyday Miracles sketch challenge.....I spent this rainy afternoon going thru box's I hadn't bothered to open when we moved...its been at least three years LOL but they just had paper word and some photo's so it wasn't a biggie to unpack at the time...anyway I opened one of the box's and found so many pictures of My Samantha from when she was little....they just made me smile....she had the chubbiest cheeks and was always so very happy! I can't believe she's going to be 21 in just over a week!

 here is what I came up with ....I even added the twist of a home made flower!

Forever Love

Over at Scrapping everyday Miracles the challenge this month is to scrap about a husband and wife relationship and the love you see/experience because of it.  The scrap twist is that you can only use cardstock, NO PATTERNED PAPER! The couple you choose can be you and your spouse, your parents, grandparents, or any other couple whose love for one another inspires you.

So I choose my auntie Patty and uncle Butchy ,they maybe my aunt and uncle but they are more like my parents. I was the first of their children (there would be many after me,they became special needs foster parents and ended up adopting three) see they got me when I was thirteen and raise me the best they could....I won't get into the why's or hows....just that they were the best parents anyone could ask for...they showed me what love was and how it can last forever! They showed me how to love and be loved....respect....and dream...

 this was a lot harder to make without using pattern papers LOL

there is plenty of journaling but its really private so I put it on a hidden tag.

Oops I Blinked

I've been working off of a sketch from Scrapping Everyday Miracles ( did the twist of washi tape)for about a week now...I just couldn't get a flow going LOL I must have pulled out dozens of papers but none of them felt right...I just couldn't get it right so I kept putting it aside and doing something else....well this morning all the pieces just fell...I trashed  the whole thing the night before and put all my supplies away thinking a fresh start would help...

This morning I was looking for some sort of inspiration and found Color Me Scrappy and I just loved the colors...the only one I had was the orangish color but I figured it would work...haha and I got to use my brand new washi tape and feather I just won,even though I was so tempted just to hold on to them LOL
It just so happened that this also falls into the same category as the latest challenge at Lets Get Sketchy

 here is the Sketch from Scrapping Everyday Miracles

scrap twist use washi tape

 here is the color palette from Color me Scrappy

use 2 of the same photos and butterflies

 my subject is cutie the kitty we got him when my oldest was just three years old, he past away a couple years ago but we loved him dearly!

 thank you for coming to take a peek......

thank you card

This Month at Scrapping Everyday Miracles they are trying something new......

This month we're excited to be trying something new! We have TWO sketches...one LAYOUT SKETCH and one CARD SKETCH. Both sketches are from PageMaps. You may choose to do one or both sketches---you will get 1 entry in the PRIZE drawing for each sketch you complete!

The SCRAP TWIST that needs to be included on your project is to use a bit of  Washi Tape!
So I thought I would give the card a try...

I must be the only one who has only two rolls of washi tape LOL...this pink one and a a light blue triangles one.....I so need to get my hands on some nicer ones!

here is the sketch

Thank you so much for coming to check out my project!

A Dream Come True

Good Morning .....I wanted to share a layout I did for this months challenge at SEM, Challenge #27 All God's Creatures...they wanted you to do a layout inspired by our pets...I had a hard time because I know I had the perfect picture with three of them together but I just couldn't seem to find it!
So I did the next best thing I used my favorite picture of my sweet Nova ( you see her in almost all of my profile pictures LOL)
It started about 9 years ago....we already had a family dog Xena (his family) and a family cat Cutie(my family) we met fell in love then combined families...we weren't sure if they would like each other...but as it turns out they were close even slept together...Fast forward 7 years add one new kitty,a rough patch and the loss of cutie then a huge move many many states away....we talked again about getting a puppy ...better yet a small dog...that's what we agreed on a small dog..then a chance encounter lead us to a litter of pups just eight weeks old...that same day we brought home Nova a beautiful Black Lab (so much for  a small dog LOL) she has been such a blessing especially the last couple of month,she is my constant companion ...she does not judge... she is always there to comfort me!She makes me smile even when I feel like crying... I can't even put in to words what she means to me! She truly is something special!

now onto my layout....

I really did try to keep this short LOL...
I used the color palette from My Sweet Earth and the challenge requirement from scrap for help which was to use a book page.....this is what I came up with:
Scrap twist for Scrapping Everyday Miracles:USE AN ANIMAL RELATED QUOTE/SAYING OR EVEN A BIBLE VERSE ON YOUR PROJECT.
Here is my Quote: He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. -Unknown

 the page is from an old cook book....I washed it over with a bit of paint and water....in the light it has a light blue shimmer to it...

 Make sure you head over to Scrapping Everyday Miracles and enter into this months challenge All God's Creatures!

thank you so much for coming to take a peek at my page!

Spring inspiration

Hop into Spring Bloghop is live at SEM. Please head over to Scrapping Everyday Miracles for all the fun and prizes!!!!!That isnt all the fun we have for this weekend!!!! They have a CHALLENGE for their Chit Chat Group!!!! They would like you to create a project inspired by Spring or Easter that includes flowers on it! also Frosted Designs has a challenge (Make a card, layout or off the page project with scallops on it )

I really couldn't get into any of the holidays  they seem to be a bit difficult for me and my family, I even went so far as not to go into any stores except the grocery store after a small mishap....I was actually getting stuff for Stephanie's Easter basket,when it was brought to my attention what I was doing I had to leave....that lead to a couple of very hard days.It's really hard to believe that I will never see her beautiful smile or listen to her little sarcastic comments...I miss her everyday!
So I decided to make something special for myself....I made a cute little mini with all the colors inspired by spring. (sorry I took lots of pictures so bare with me)

 I had all of these little girl/baby embellishments and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them....so I made a baby book....I took all those off center odd pictures and used them to make something very special!

Look Scallops and flowers....

Stephanie with her big Sister Sam

one of my all time fav's but the picture was taken too far away

she was all smiles

such a cuddle bug

she looks a bit shocked LOL

Thank you for taking the time to come and look at my project!

My Hero

Hi All....I was digging around in my box of pictures and found one I didn't even realize I had....Its from this past summer ...Its a Picture of My wonderful Aunt Patty and her three kids,Maggie the oldest standing next to my Aunt,then Jaden standing next to her and finally Teagen sitting on the arm of the chair with my Grandmother.
I titled this page My hero because that's just what my Aunt is to me, she inspires me to be a better person...I have always looked up to her and she has been there for me through out my whole life!But that's not why shes my hero......She is one of the most selfless compassionate person I have had the pleasure of knowing!
My Aunt couldn't have kids of her own so she always took care of everyone else....when a family friend was in an accident she went and took special classes so she could foster him there is a special name for this since its not a normal foster home type thing but I can't remember what its called...lol Once she got involved there was no stopping her, she was asked if she ever thought about being a spacial needs ( autistic,drug addicted,aids) foster parent at the time there weren't many of those around and most times the babies had to stay in the hospital....Of course she said yes and her journey began...I remember each and everyone of her babies....My three cousins in this picture were a part of this process...she got them when they were all new born and she has adopted all three, I swear if she had her way she would of kept them all! My Aunt has the biggest heart and I love her so very much!

I used the new sketch from Scrapping Everyday Miracles

 I was sad, I ran out of brown distress ink...that's what I get for letting Sam use it..so I used just a bit of paint and water and just did a quick wash over it...

I am also linking this to Lasting Memories- you had to use numbers on your project!

thanks for coming to take a peek!

Where is your home?

Over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles the main challenge is to scrap where you feel most at home or what you consider home. I thought about this a whole lot and there is only one answer for me....See I've lived all over the place some example...I was born in Connecticut but was raised mostly in Montana ( lived lots of places in between I swear my mother was a gypsie  ....I went back to Ct when I was about 13 ( most of my family lives there..aunts uncles cousins and Grandmas) I decided to venture out on my own at the age of 16...lol young and stupid I guess but I never regretted it! Went from Ct to Virgina...Virginia to Massachusetts, I think at the time Mass was the longest I had ever lived anywhere in my whole life...it was good had a wonderful third floor apartment ( moved in 9 month pregnant with my oldest daughter Sam ) Had a wonderful job/career (worked there for ten years and to this day still miss that place) anyway I am getting off track here...the whole point is no matter where I was in the world my family was always home weather it be when I went to visit my grandmother for thanksgiving or when I had my wonderful children it was always home! it never mattered if we were in an apartment or a friends house...all that mattered was we were together...that's what makes it home to me!
I scrapped my two girls because they are and will always be my home even if Stephanie isn't with us anymore shes still in my heart and I feel her with us everyday!

scrap twist was to use a journal tag or block to write detail- mine is a hand made hidden tag the blueish green hexagon on the top right pulls out I wrote on both sides.

I used the sketch from lets get sketchy

I also decided to add this to the chic tags challenge....(challenge you to use 7 products or less. Card stock, adhesive and thread do not count.) I used Authentique - Dictation stickers, Thickers - letters, Echo Park- Everyday Eclectic lg hexagon paper, Studio G layers flowers-used two and took them a part and used the pieces, Liquid Perals-flower centers

 I cut individual hex's out and layered a couple to give just a bit of dimension then took apart the flowers and used each piece separately

 I have never used thickers before...I'm not crazy about the color but I love how they look!


thanks for coming to take a peek!

Glow bowling

Hi all, I'd like to address something...I received two separate emails....I know people are trying to help and I love getting tips and to learn new tricks But I thought I would say this here....I know some of my pictures,well most of my pictures are poor quality,small or have color issues and I would like nothing more then to have better ones but if you have read anything on my blog you know that most of the pages are of my youngest daughter Stephanie and these are the only pictures we have....there won't be any others....but I really wanted to remember those memories from the pictures I do have! I will keep and use your tips on other projects!thanks....

Okay now that that's out of the way I just did this page of Stephanie out with friends glow bowling....I used the sketch from Scrapping Everyday Miracles for their December challenge...

Here's the sketch:

and here is what I made with it with the twist...I used a circle punch and a flower punch!

 I am also putting this in challenges with frosted designs for their 12 days of Christmas...day 12 you have to use 12 brads and as you can see I have 12 itty bitty brads! this page was done for a mini album so the page is 8x8..

and I'm linking up with Creative craft World for their Mini challenge layout done is....

Thanks for taking a peek :o)

What brings me Joy....

This year the holidays are very hard for me and my family....we haven't even put up a tree...as most of you know I lost my youngest daughter Stephanie in September she was only 13 years old....Its been very hard on me and my oldest daughter Sam but we have been keeping busy and that's the main reason we started a scrapbook was to keep Stephanie's memory alive and relive all those happy memories....So I've been debating on weather or not to do a Christmas theme page.....Over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles they have their December Challenge #23 : Joy to the World! This month’s challenge theme is to scrap where you find joy in this holiday season.

What brings me Joy during the holiday season is watching my children unwrap their presents...that was always my favorite...just too watch their faces light up and the big bright smiles!

I used a picture of Stephanie from last year on Christmas 2011 at Grammie's house,she was opening her presents....can you tell what her new favorite was?

 I added these wonderful beads and paper I won from Scraps of  Elegance the paper is BoBunny beads are prima....I added a bit of glitter to the snowflakes.....

 I found this beautiful little poem that made me cry....It reads

Truly An Angel
An Angel is what she is to me
That's what she was truly meant to be
As her time on earth has past
Her memory will always last

She was put to the ultimate test
Now it's time for her to rest
So as she goes
Heaven only knows

That she was more
Than you or me
Because an Angel is what
She was truly meant to be

 I found these pretty flowers...I know the colors are off in the picture but I promise they look really nice in person! all the small gem like things in the snow flakes I made with glue and perfect pearls.....

I also added a hidden tag for journaling .....there you have my newest page...the reason I called it dream was because this is what I dream about every night this holiday season! thanks for taking a look and leaving comments!