Wedded Bliss...

When my sister got married a few years ago, she asked me if I would scrapbook her wedding. I of course told her I would and almost 3 years later I have started on this scrappy endeavor of preserving all the wonderful memories of that day through photographs and my creative muse.  This is just the beginning of this huge project with many more pages to come.

For the album I am using one of Basic Grey's older collections, Indian Summer. The colors in the papers coordinated perfectly with Renee's color scheme and it was released the year she got married. It was a match made in heaven. And with photographer Kris Gay's amazing images, I think that the album is stunning so far. I am using this collection throughout the album and it has been fun to challenge myself to use the patterns in new and creative ways. Also I haven't journaled on any of the pages....since I am making a copy for my sister and one for me, once the album is done we will each record our own memories of the day on these pages.

"Just Married"

I absolutely adore these photos of Renee and Zach exiting the church. The bubbles add so much fun here and I absolutely adore the picture of them walking off. I found the perfect sketch on Pinterest (my new addiction...more on that later) and used a gorgeous lace printed paper from SEI as well as several of the papers from th Indian Summer collection. I used my Silhouette to direct the word married and the cute hearts on here. A fun banner with the rest of the title finishes the page.

 

 

"The Processional"

This was the first page I created for the album.  I found this cute idea for a layout on Pinterest too and I fell in love with the heart border at the bottom. So I recreated the layout with my Fiskars punches and some of my favorite patterns from the collection. :) The title is cut with my Silhouette and is using the font I chose for this album "Great Vibes"...love how the letters connect and the elegant look for a wedding album.

 

 

 

"Beautiful Girls"

When I saw this amazing photograph that our photographer captured of my sister and her emotions on the day, I knew I had to make it the focal point of my layout. I paired it with other pictures of us girls getting ready and added some elegant embellishments to create this heartfelt page. Some pretty orange gems and butterflies from Prima finish off the page.

 

 

 

"Getting Ready"

One of the things we loved most about Renee's dress was the lacing going down the back of her bodice.  It was a process though getting it laced up and I ended up being the one who always did it for her.  So I love that the photographer captured these photos.  The large doily shape was cut on my Silhouette using the SEI paper and so was the pink mat. The flowers and pearls are from Prima and  lend a touch of elegance to the page.

 

 

"Memorable Moment"

Since we had to do most of our photos before the wedding, Zach didn't get to do the traditional first seeing Renee as she walked down the aisle. So they did a quiet meeting...it was so precious and the joyful expressions on their faces as they skipped down the aisle was priceless.  I found the perfect stamp from Technique Tuesday that says "saying hello" and I thought it was the perfect embellishment to this page as well. I completed this layout at a crop and I borrowed my friend Peggy's Sew Stamper to create the scalloped stamped/stitched lines.

 

Well there are many more pages to come. This is just the beginning but I am really loving the rich, vibrant colors of my supplies and the gorgeous photos I have to work with. :)

 

URGENT NEWS: Disease Targeting Scrappers

"To all of us who are currently dealing with MOE and the other diseases/conditions that affect our daily life - there is hope! Dr. Scrapman, founder of the first treatment center solely devoted to Scrapbook Disorders, contacted me last week and has graciously offered one lucky FOLLOWER a courtesy stay at The Patterned Paper Treatment Center.

I have summarized the following information from the stack of materials Dr. Scrapman sent me, but if you have questions please feel free to leave a comment and I promise to answer. EllenBee

Welcome to the Patterned Paper Treatment Center, where we combine talent, creativity and imagination to help women battling the debilitating effects of Scrapbook Overload.

Dr. J Scrapman, the founder of The Patterned Paper Treatment Center, recognizes that each woman brings a different skill level to the treatment process. The Patterned Paper Treatment Center’s goal is to create a personalized treatment program to address each women’s unique issues.

Some of the areas we specialize in include:

· Most Own Everything (MOE) – the compulsive need to own everything from a collection

· Distress Ink Delusion (DID) – the overwhelming desire to collect every color distress ink on the market

· Tiny Tag Syndrome (TTS) - the obsessive need to add hundreds of tiny tags to mini albums

· Mini Album Madness (MAM) – the urge to make mini albums from such obscure objects as toilet paper rolls, coffee sleeves and paint sticks

· Coupon Palsy (CP) – a serious disorder that causes the woman holding a 40% off coupon to feel short of breath and shake uncontrollably

· Wandering Washi Tape (WWT) – a new phenomenon that results in searching stores, Etsy and eBay to satisfy a longing for new Washi Tape

Our guests reside in beautifully decorated Shabby Chic suites featuring tea stained lace curtains, paper roses from Prima Marketing and white Jetmax cube furniture. Daily group therapy meetings will be taught by the staff, who are all graduates of Michael’s 4-part scrapbook course.

The Patterned Paper Treatment Center currently treats adult women of all ages from 18 to 70+. But, as these diseases appear to be spreading to the male population, we have plans in the near future to expand the program to include men.

We firmly believe that treatment should embrace not only the woman, but her family as well. We hold weekly family meetings at our LSS in their Crop Room, located just a few blocks from our luxurious campus.

We happily give tours of the facilities and would love to have you visit. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to bring cameras, scissors or adhesives onto the premises. "

I found this on a scrapbooking blog today (http://thewomenswaitingroom.blogspot.com/) and just had to share...I know that I for one am suffering from MOE and DID! LOL!!!

The End of an Era

I have truly loved making birthday cards for my church's card ministry over the past 2 years.  It has taught me how to make multiple cards effectively and also has helped me collect some really cute birthday stamps! :). Plus, I was able to use the gifts that God has given me to serve Him and fellow believers at Pathway Community Church.

But last week I found out that January would be the last month that the birthday card ministry would be ending. So I created my last set of 100 cards. A sweet simple design using a birthday stamp that I bought awhile ago. They came together quickly and easily with the help of my Copic markers and stickles.  :)

And in tribute to this wonderful ministry, I thought I would share some of my favorite cards from over the past 2 years.  Hopefully they will give you a bit of inspiration.  :)

More Copic colored goodness...and a bit of sparkle!

Simply stamping with a fun Hero Arts set and Distress inks. :)

A fabulous design using the Oliver line from Basic Grey and my favorite...kraft cardstock!

Stamping with paint...divine!

Quick and easy...love how the stamps coordinate with the patterned papers from KI Memories.

Love these monster stamps and the bright fun papers that I paired with it create a fun birthday greeting.

Classic and beautiful using one of my all-time favorite Hero Arts stamps...Silhouette Grass. :)

Another favorite...lots of fun Copic coloring on this one too! :)

Love this card for so many reasons...plus I got it back as my birthday card in 2010. My family and I had a chuckle about that one. :)

"Whoo" knew owls could be this cute...lots of great stamps come together to make this card awesome!

Love the simple elegance to this one with alcohol inks...definately need to make more of these!

I first came up with this design while making samples at Archiver's and I knew it would be perfect for birthday cards.

Classic, simple, sweet, easy...a classic lift from Jennifer McGuire...love!

This is also my 100th blog post...woo-hoo! I will hopefully be back tomorrow with my 2011 Christmas card shares...a bit late but better late than never! :)

Looking Back on 2011

One thing I love about New Year's is that it forces us to look back on the previous year and reflect on the changes that have happened in our lives. We also get to look forward to the year to come and plan, and look forward to the changes that God has for us.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? Went to Israel, floated in the Dead Sea, ate my birthday cake, went to Pensacola Beach, Florida, and many more little things that are escaping me at the moment.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn't make an resolutions last year.  I tend to be really bad at keeping them.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My friend Paula. She had her darling daughter on December 23rd and we are hopefully going to see her for the first time today.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No
5. What countries did you visit? Israel...and a view of the country of Jordan from across the Jordan River.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? A classroom teaching job and maybe a new car....or a boy. :) {Still working on this one...definately closer to the boy one than I was last year. ;) }
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I can't say that one particular date is etched in my memory...many of the days bring good memories, and a few not so happy memories as well. The highlights would be Israel, the beach with my family, and all the fun times I have had with my small group over the past few months.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Growing in my faith through many different events...Israel, my small group, teaching sunday school at church.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not trusting God's perfect plan in every area of my life. (Again this year, just like last year...this seems to be one of my biggest struggles.)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just the occasional cold...it was a very healthy year for me.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My trip to Israel...I wouldn't trade those 10 days for anything.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My sweet friend Debbie...she has been there for me through the ups and downs of this year and I have truly come to admire her faith and trust in Jesus. :)
13. What person most touched your life this past year? My small group...they are my perfect fit. They make me laugh, smile, and giggle, but they also are the people I can count on for anything!
14. Where did most of your money go? Scrapbooking supplies, of course. :)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? my church's young adult group, Threefold, on Thursday nights....it truly is the best part of my week. Also my bible study on Monday nights with Debbie, Matthew, Richey, Deborah, Alex and Lisa...we have so much fun together!
16. What song will always remind you of 2010? I See the Light from the Disney movie Tangled.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are: So ready for change!
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Spent more time in the Word, learning about Jesus. :)
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Worried about my future...it is so much more worthwhile to lay it in God's hands.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Surrounded by family to celebrate the birth of my Savior.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011? maybe.... :)
22. Best movie of 2011? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 2 - The end of a saga. I cried when it was over because we had reached the end.
23. What was your favorite TV program? Way too many to name....NCIS and NCIS:Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, Gray's Anatomy, and Hawaii 5-0. :)
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No
25. What was the best book you read? The Story...its the Bible in narrative form...we are going through it at church and I am loving seeing the story of Christ woven throughout the Scriptures
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Re-discovering the Newsboys...definately not the same without Peter Furler but still a fantastic group! :)
27. What did you want and get? My new Silhouette die-cutting machine... it was my Christmas present and I love it!!!
28. What did you want and not get? To go back to Disney for the holidays. I will get there eventually!
29. What was your favorite holiday? Christmas...lots of time with family and friends. :)
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29 and had an amazing dinner with my family at Halls' Gas House. :) I also had a birthday bonfire where my friends and I hung out...amazing memories!
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A full time teaching job so I didn't have to work weekends. :)
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Classic pieces with a few fun ones thrown in...
33. What kept you sane? My family and friends
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Not really any...I guess I don't follow celebs.
35. What political issue stirred you the most? Ummm...I can't say I really followed politics much.
36. Who did you miss? My sweet friend Rebekeh...
37. Who was the best new person you met? Matthew...he and I are so alike, especially in our love for all things Disney!
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011: Waiting on God's timing is hard work, but I can still serve Him and give Him the glory while I am waiting. :)

The Cracked Pot

I came across this fantastic little fable while I was cleaning off my desk today and I thought I would share it here with you, my blog friends in hopes that it will lift your spirits and make you smile.

"An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots. Each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.  For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.  Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.  "I am ashamed of mysel, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled and said "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always know about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the pat, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
                                                                               - Author Unknown

I love the story this teaches. I definately need to hear this at this point in my life and be reminded that God is in control and that He has a plan. Each of us has our own unique flaws. But its the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. It's what allows God to work in our lives and show the beauty that can come if we trust in Him and celebrate our flaws as God-given gifts and use them to help glorify Him.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas morning and as usual it is the one day a year where I willingly wake up early. In fact, I am usually the first one awake and this year is no exception. I spent some time in my Bible, reading the account of my Savior's birth in Matthew 2. I am so thankful for this amazing gift that God has given to me as well as anyone else who chooses to believe in Him and His incredible saving grace. My LORD and Savior chose to come to this Earth as a little baby because He loved me so much. He was born in a manger in a little town called Bethlehem. Shepherds who were told of His birth by angels on the hillside, came and worshipped Him because they heard the Good News and believed. It truly was a strange, yet amazingly beautiful way for my Savior to enter this world. :)

Now I am waiting for the rest of the family to wake up, so we can head downstairs and see what Santa has brought us. This is one of my favorite times of year....uninterrupted time spent with my family, all gathered together around the tree, laughing and sharing gifts and memories from Christmases past, watching as each of us take a turn opening our presents. Around and around we go, until all of the gifts has been opened. I love doing presents this way. It makes it last longer and we get to see who got everyone what and it makes the gift-giving even more special.

Well, it sounds like people are up and moving so I had better go. merry Cristmas everyone!

Remembering To Be Thankful

I guess my gratitude posts are turning into more of a weekly thing so here they are from the past week.  

Thursday, November 17th - I am so thankful that Dad has a job where he can occasionally meet me for lunch. I love our little tradition that we have established over the years and how I can talk to my dad about anything during these times. It is time set aside for us and he is constantly encouraging me and lifting me up.  I know that no matter where we end up, I have my dad there to lend a listening ear and uplifting words. 

Friday, November 18th - I am thankful for my sister Renee.  She is so amazing and she loves me for who I am. We have grown so much closer in the past few years and I love her so much. I am so thankful that God made us sisters and I know that there could be no one better than her. :)

Saturday, November 19th - I am so thankful for my friend Rosalie for so many reasons. She is an amazing friend and I love getting together with her to just catch up on life. She was my support system for me during that last year I worked at Arcola and she is the only good thing that came out of that year. And ever since then she has been such an encouragement to me as I struggle with finding a teaching job. She is truly amazing and I am so glad that God has put her in my life. 

Sunday, November 20th - I am so very thankful for quiet days at home where I can relax.  Whether it be spending time in my scrap room getting creative, watching a movie, or hanging out with my family, I love days when I don't have anywhere I need to be and my time is my own. Today was one of these days and I loved every minute of it. 

Monday, November 21st - I am so thankful that God gave me the desire, ability, and talent to be a teacher.  To be able to positively influence a child's life is the greatest privilege in the world. 

Tuesday, November 22nd - I know this sounds kind of lame, but I am thankful for television. The ability to know what is going on in the world around me is fantastic, and I also love that I can get totally lost in a good show and forget the cares of the world for awhile. 

Wednesday, November 23rd - I am thankful for traditions. I am the sort of girl who likes tradition. They are a way to connect with the past and they give is something to look forward to. They are familiar and comfortable. Just like our annual day before Thanksgiving shopping trips. They have become one of my favorite parts of this holiday because I just love spending time with my family.