Oh My Goodness!

If you don't want to listen to me (I get a bit 'soppy' by the end of this post) then stop here - otherwise read on.........

I knew I was gettin a package of some yummy dyed binding ribbon cos I was picked to win this blog candy recently but OMG!  I don't know which excites me more!!!  The fabby ribbon or the 'Sherry Eckblad Original' handmade card that accompanied it!  It is simply beautiful - see for yourself why don't ya.


Here's the yummy ribbon.  NOT one or maybe two colours like I expected but I counted SEVEN delicious colours!  Oh I sooooo love gettin packages - it's one of my most favourite things in the whole world.  It's like gettin a little bit of love through your letter box.  (Mom you have some love comin to your mailbox - oh and that reel of seam ribbon is not it - that's MINE but I might share some so email me before you send it will ya?)

I wish you could see how stunningly beautiful this ribbon is up close and for real.  Sherry I'm sorry - you may have to wait a while to see me use it.  I'm gonna look at it a while first, then I might just take it out of the bag at some point and 'feel' it a while, then I will probably set it out somewhere that I can look at it some more, maybe even on a pretty dish to display it a while more and THEN I might play with it some LOL!  Do I sound really sad?

And here is Sherry's beautiful card - aren't I lucky to get this?  Do you know what I plan to do with this Sherry?  I am gonna find a suitable frame and put it up somewhere in my craft room so I can look at it often - those pretty butterflies are adorable!  I soooooo cannot believe you are not working for some big craft company making a ton of money creating beautiful works of art like this!  Everyone out there just go check out Sherry's blog to see what I mean.  She does some amazing stuff (things I can't do like CAS) and I truly admire her work.

One of the joys of my life this year has been to have been chosen to work on design teams.  I know I've mentioned it before but it's worth saying again because I never knew exactly what it would mean to me.  It started out as wantin to be picked, to be good enough to make the cut but it has turned out to be something completely different.

There is some amazing talent out there and yes I am a very small part of some of that - I have grown so much being part of a DT - but I'm also learning I do have talent - that's not being big headed - most of us think we don't and I was no different.  There are also so many different styles out there, so much uniqueness (is that a word?) and creativity and I am genuinely learning to appreciate it all. 

I have also become close to a couple of the gals (you know who you are) and this is a blessing I didn't expect to get.  True we may only have 'internet' relationships but we can still laugh, share, talk and even pray with and for one another.  We care about one another and have become good friends and some day when the DT work is done and one or the other of us moves on I hope to hang on to these friendships.  Girls I love you all and in case I don't say it often enough - THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH - all of you! And thanx Sherry - I got the package!

OXOXOXO  Suezie

My NEW Store is OFB!

That stands for 'open for business' to you and me!  I am still wading my way through adding stuff to the store so it may be a bit ON and OFF throughout today and tomorrow - apologies if you hit an off 'blip'.  It takes a surprising amount of time between photographing, editing, uploading, typing etc.

I would soooooo appreciate feedback on how you think it looks, whether it's easy to find/read, first thoughts that kind of thing so to make it a bit more exciting  I've decided to offer a 'mystery gift' (cos I haven't made up my mind what to offer yet) to be given to one lucky person.  To be in with a chance to win you have to

1. check out my new store
2. post a comment (on this post) with your feedback

Good or bad feedback - it all counts.  I will randomly choose a winner when I come back from camp in August.  Oh, oh, oh I just thought of what I might offer and it's soooo cute -  I'm not tellin though cos I might change my mind by then - I'm so fickle aren't I?

Lasting Memories Stamped Layout

Hey there!

Well another DT project has rolled around and this time it's a scrapbooking one from Lasting Memories. We were challenged to create a page using stamps in any way shape or form. I absolutely LOVE using stamps on my layouts - whether it's to add pretty swirls and subtle details, create embellishments and backgrounds, dress up designer paper even more or just plain and simple stamped lettering or text! It's ALL good :-)

I was so inspired by the Waltzing Mouse sketch that I posted earlier here that I just HAD to do a page and I just HAD to use WM stamps. Since I had used the sketch I entered it into the challenge but quickly realised that would mean posting it here on my blog too early for Lasting Memories. I decided I would just have to do another page for LM - gee what a shame. LOL! I have done more pages since joining Lasting Memories design team than I did the entire last 6 months - I am lovin that!

Here is my finished page. It's so bright just popping out from the black but it's a different kind of bright than I'm used to (it's NOT pink) so I already enjoy looking at it.

I loved the element of 3 in the WM sketch and I loved how I had used it to arrange my photos on my earlier page so I was pleased to use it again. While I was sorting through photos I ran across these of my grandson Kaleb that were taken on a family day out last summer. I have pages of the other grandkids up in my craft room right now but strangely none of this little guy. Well I fixed that right away!

I always think my pages are busy and to me that's how they seem. It's a style I lean towards and I guess it must be pleasing to my eye cos I keep doin it - even though I admire CAS scrappers a great deal. Despite that I still like my photos to be central and to stand out from all the busy-ness of my pages.

I don't use any fancy kind of camera - I just 'fill the frame' when I take my shots (unless of course I actually want a ton of background). For me the trick to taking half way decent photos is to first 'see what your camera sees' and NOT what you see and then move it around until what you 'both see is just what you want to see' - if that makes sense. Or did that just sound like gobbledy-gook? Sorry! I'm no photographer so it's hard to expain I guess.  I actually don't know what half the buttons on my camera do so maybe you don't need to be an expert!

Our challenge was to use stamps and I wanted to know if I could use these same WM stamps on a masculine page. I had used them to make pretty scallops and flowers for Maddy's page and they worked a treat but could they still work for a boy - hhhmmmmm?

I went looking for papers to compliment my photos and came up with these yummy ones from October Afternoon called 'hometown'. I just love the green, blue, yellow colour combo and when stamped on yellow this circle stamp made me think of 'sunshine'. NOT flowers at all! I debated about whether or not I could get away with a stamped scallop on this page but once I started mixing up the papers and adding extra stamping it became less and less obvious so I think it works.

In the end I stamped the row of small circles (blue dog-tooth paper) top and large circles (yellow floral paper) bottom from WM 'rescue remedies' set and the word 'enjoy' from the co-ordinating set. I stamped the words 'YUM' from an old alphabet set I have (would've used the WM alphabets but wouldn't ya know it I DIDN'T BUY THAT ONE - aaarrrggghhhhhhh!! happens to me every time!!) . I stamped the basket weave border stamp from WM 'pic-nic patterns' onto the bright yellow and also used straight and zigzag stitch stamps - one from PTI 'faux ribbons' set and the other I have permanently out so I can no longer remember who it's by?

I stamped up some extra bits as embellishments, cut just the ONE flower from my DP - but even then I added a small stamped circle to the centre to tie it in - what can I say I love to co-ordinate everything! And finally I created a chipboard sun using a positively ancient Sizzix die which I covered with DP and then added a bunch of black buttons and gems all over the place. I seriously cannot be parted from these black gems for very long LOL!

Oh and if you think this one is crooked - it is. I arranged my strips of paper at slight angles cos I didn't trim one of em up too neat - so this is how I chose to fix it! Take that as a 'top tip' why don't ya? Now get scrappin' and get stampin' and go load up your page over on Lasting Memories.

 

Happy stampin'