FRIDAY FAVES - New scrapbooking releases!

The Craft & Hobby show was held last month where tons of new goodies were released. Needless to say I want way more than my budget allows for. A girl can dream though, and I'm pretty darn good at that!

I'm totally into these vintage looking lines right now.

Kaisercraft Devonshire

This collection is being released about the time this post goes live. LOVE these soft looking embellishments!!

The Girls Paperie - Paper Girl Collection
For more visit: The Girls Paperie
or see this CHA review with more images.

American Crafts Dear Lizzy
For more visit: American Crafts
or see this CHA review for more images.









You have to check out this blog review of Technique Tuesday's new products. Pure eye candy!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Winter Blues, Go Away!

I can't believe this is the last week of February. I also can't believe that we've had snow on the ground for about 11 solid weeks now. Even in Wisconsin it is unusual for us not to have several thaws throughout the winter. I am so ready for spring!

Remember way back when I mentioned wanting to do a weekly Wednesday Words blog post where I will share some of my recent writing? Well, I am happy to report that I've been writing! I know...shocking! Right now I've switched back to an as-yet-untitled book about a couple named Richard and Callie. I had some thoughts that fit in well with where I want to go with this story so it is what I'm working on. I anticipate switching back to Alex (whom I've shared previously) and her story but we'll see where the writing takes me. Next week look for the Wednesday Words posts to start. The writing will be first draft and may suck, but you'll get a taste of the story and where I'm headed with it.

This week my daughter has been a real sweetie helping one of her classmates get around in a wheelchair after she broke her leg. I thought it was so loving of her to willingly give up her free time for a friend in need. She's a big nurturer. With the way she babies our cat, Clair, I can see her being one of those cat ladies when she's older. Whether it's a husband, kid or pet I see her doing a lot of mothering and nurturing in her lifetime.

This week we also bought a new computer as our other one went to CPU heaven. This one has a gigantic 23" monitor which is awesome! I took a few minutes to play Bejeweled 2 on it, but that is all so far.

I think that's about it for now besides work being crazy busy still and me trying not to get sick with 1,000 other people coughing and sneezing around me. I think nearly everyone in the office has been out sick with this nasty cold within the past two-three weeks. Today my throat feels very scratchy so I hope it didn't find me. I thought I'd found a pretty good hiding spot.

I have been feeling quite low this week and have been trying to understand why. I have found a lot of comfort in listening to the Black Eyed Peas / The END over the past couple of days. The first time I listened to it (when it first came out) I was not that thrilled, but the more I listen to it the more I like it. I've really found the words and beat uplifting. Nice to have a healthy place to turn to when I don't know what else to do.

Thanks for stopping by!

FOUR EYES DESIGNS - Shop Update

Update....SORRY, U Rock has been sold.

Here are a couple of recent additions to the shop. You can click on the card name to go check them out in greater detail.

U Rock:

Celebrate:

USE YOUR STASH - Vellum, Metal and Slide Mounts

This one has to win an award for creativity. I pulled out some seriously old stuff...the slide mounts, vellum and silver heart clips and nailhead brads and put them all together into one happy layout. Oh yeah, see that sweet striped ribbon? That actually came from the American Crafts booth at the Craft & Hobby show a few years ago where they were giving away lanyards made with their ribbon. Sa-weet!

Title: Cribbage

This is a pic of my dad, younger brother and my little guy doing their guy thing on Thanksgiving Day...playing Cribbage!

Products Used:
Cardstock (Bazzill)
Patterned Paper (Crate)
Rub Ons (Daisy D's)
Alphas (American Crafts, Scrap Within Reach, Heidi Swapp)
Ribbon (American Crafts)
Punch (Stampin Up)
Other: brad, vellum, silver pieces, slide (unknown)

Journaling:
Cribbage seems to be a game passed down from one male to another. My Dad used to play with his Dad and now he plays with my brothers. I wonder if it will continue into the next generation. 11/09

FRIDAY FAVES - Color Burst!

Isn't this just absolutely gorgeous???
Grabbed from this post on Design*Sponge.

I am also totally loving the light fixture and ones similar to that. Adding those to my lust list.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - We've Been Bitten!

This past weekend was a three day weekend for me. So nice and so well needed. I know I've said how busy work has been for me the past 6 months or so but lately it's sooo bad. I have had to apply so much critical thinking to so many daily decisions I feel like I have mind melt by the end of most days. It also seems like everyone knows my name and they all call me with questions. Nothing seems to be routine either....we're dealing with huge cases, issues I've never been faced with and having to come up with solutions while juggling 30 other things. There is a lot of weight on my shoulders. Through this all I've been pretty headache and anxiety free which makes me feel awesome. I see glimpses of my old, confident self again. :o)

Valentine's Day was pretty low key for us. Hubby gave me a box of David Bocco chocolates. They are all heart shaped and dusted with color and sparkly powder. With flavors like Chai Ganache, Aphrodisiac for Him, Aphrodisiac for Her, Raspberry Chipolte, Vanilla Creme Brulee and Mojito they are by far the fanciest and most delicious chocolates I've ever had. He also bought Mayan drinking chocolate. We had steak and baked potatoes for dinner and some sparkling wine to celebrate.

A few days prior my son and Hubby were putting together Legos when I got home from work. My son was so excited! I'm not sure what took him so long to get bitten, perhaps it was just the fact that his Dad was playing on the floor right along side him. When I put him to bed that night he asked if I could set his alarm for 6 AM so that he could get up and play with Legos before going to school!! Right now his Lego ships are lined up on his dresser for display.

My daughter has been obsessed with the Twilight books that have been all the rage. She is talking about Edward this and Bella that. She wants me to read them too, but it will be awhile before I get to them. She fell asleep reading New Moon and held the book in her hand the entire night. I found her the next morning like this:
Cute huh?

This week has been semi-warm in the low 30's. I know, crazy, but in Wisconsin it is starting to feel like spring with the birds singing and the sun shining. Once it warms up to the 40's and 50's we see people wearing shorts...seriously.

Till next week...

USE YOUR STASH - Flowers, Patterned Paper, Stickers

This was just a fun one I did for a challenge over as Serendipity Scrapbooks. I managed to use up some old patterned paper (blue and white polka dot), flowers and stickers. The stickers are from Chatterbox and are probably 3-4 years old.

The striped patterned paper is new BasicGrey Porcelain Collection which I absolutely LOVE! I still have a tiny piece of it to use, I think.

Title: Family

Products Used:
Cardstock (Prism)
Patterned Paper (BasicGrey, My Mind's Eye)
Digital Photo Background (Karla Dudley)
Flowers (Prima)
Buttons (Studio Calico)
Journaling Block (Teresa Collins)
Rub Ons (Making Memories)
Alpha (American Crafts)
Stickers (Chatterbox)
Other: eyelet lace, ribbon, pink flower (source unknown)

Journaling:
I have special memories of growing up with you. Now I get to see that relationship between my own kids. '09

FRIDAY FAVES - Real Life Fairy Tale

If I could share my vision of what a romantic love story would look like, this would be it.

The dress.
The flowers.
The bride.
The food.
The love.

It's all just pure magic. I think I've fallen into dreamland...*sigh* and isn't the bride so stinkin' cute??

STUDIO CALICO GOODNESS - Baker's Dozen

Close Up:

Here are a couple more layouts using their Baker's Dozen kit. You can see more about these in the Studio Calico gallery. (Link to site on my favorites list.)

It's a GORGEOUS kit and I'm seriously addicted to these colors! They just remind me of candy!

PS - Working on some new mixed media for my Four Eyes Designs shop. Hopefully I can debut some more crafty goodness soon!

FOUR EYES DESIGNS - Shop Update

I just uploaded this beauty into my shop. Believe it or not the flower was created from a lace border stamp that I stamped several of, cut them out and then layered them around each other to create this look. Addicting!! You can check it out in more detail by clicking on the Four Eyes Designs logo to the right of this post.



Stay tuned for more Studio Calico yummy-ness too...after I watch the Charlie Brown Valentine show.

USE YOUR STASH - Frame, Flower & Chalk

This layout is made almost entirely of old product. The cardstock is a couple of years old, the die cut butterfly a year old, but the rest is a good 3-5 years old!

Title: Blessed

Products Used:
Cardstock (Prism)
Patterned Paper (Scenic Route)
Scallop Border Sticker (Creative Imaginations)
Die Cut Tag (Chatterbox)
Stamp (Stampin Up)
Ink (Ranger)
Flower (Prima)
Die Cut Butterfly (K&Company)
Velvet Brad, Paint (Making Memories)
Other: frame, chalk, button

Journaling:
It is amazing to look back at this picture taken over 5 years ago. Katie and Korbin have grown so much. Kevin and I both look a little older too. I'd also like to think we have grown a little closer and a little smarter along the way. It is what family means to me, growing old together and loving one another more every day.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Giggles and Craftiness

I'm having a serious love/hate relationship with the computer lately. I am on it CONSTANTLY it seems but never can get all done that I want to do. I haven't had the time to do my Thursday Thoughts for a few weeks and even longer to respond to some of my personal emails. *sigh* Work has been sucking out my life energy the past couple of months. I have so much to share though so here I am, a few days after Thursday, but better late than never. ;o)

About a week ago I got my first hot stone massage. Hubby just completed schooling for that style of massage and is near being able to offer it as a service to his clients. I was his guinea pig. The massage is "sacred stone" and it focuses on energy and mental clarity as well as massage. The rocks are placed head to toe, but also crystals for energy work. I don't know how that stuff works but in the middle of the massage I burst out giggling and I COULDN'T STOP. Seriously...I had tears streaming down my face and laughing at my own laughter. This kind of laughter is rare for me, unfortunately, and certainly not one that would normally occur during a massage. Something did it's work on me and I felt WONDERFUL. I hadn't felt that happy in a long, long, long time. It lasted a good 5 days of pure happiness. In fact, I even woke up from a dream giggling during that period! I normally don't even have funny dreams like this. Very strange, but dude, this stuff really works. That's all I've got to say!

So today, the kids have been playing "store" and "restaurant" almost all afternoon. These kinds of moments are pretty rare now. It seems they fight more than they enjoy each other most times. It was pretty amazing to listen to as I worked away on my newest Studio Calico goodness. I got two layouts done this afternoon. Here's one of them that I am going to enter into a sketch challenge at the Scrap and Stamp blog.

Title: hb

I just found out last week that my favorite cardstock manufacturer is going out of business. I am so sad. Prism was hard to come by over the years and I would have loved to see it in the forefront of cardstocks. It is that good. I am planning on placing a large cardstock order at MemoryVilla to grab all of my favorite colors. I know that the big cardstock manufacturer, Bazzill, will be acquiring all of my favorite colors from Prism so that's cool, but it's just not Prism anymore.

I will try to post again with more updates soon!

FRIDAY FAVES - White Accents

I'm really loving white accents right now. It is so crisp and elegant! Check these out from Pottery Barn:

Candles

White Vases

Lights and I really love that floral arrangement..so beautiful!

USE YOUR STASH - Chipboard, Paper Strips

I originally created this page using one of Becky Fleck's page map sketches. I had been eager to use these Jenni Bowlin papers...love them!!

This page features chipboard from Jenni Bowlin (button) and American Crafts (flower and scalloped frame). I also used bits of paper from two different colors and patterns. A great way to get a lot out of your cherished patterned papers.

Title: In the Country

Products Used:
Cardstock (Bazzill)
Patterned Paper (Jenni Bowlin)
Stickers (BasicGrey, Creative Imaginations)
Chipboard (Jenni Bowlin, American Crafts)
Punch (Stampin Up)
Marker (Zig)
Adhesive (Ad Tech)
Just the Edge Cardstock (Bazzill)

Journaling:
We visited the Skalitzky's in Summer, 2008. You always had fun visiting their various animals (here with Cherry, the cow.) I guess this is what fascinates a kid who grows up in the city.