Ch{all}enge Masters Layout Tag

I signed up to participate in the layout tag Ch{all}enge Masters held in June. Who knew it would last until almost the end of July. It is really cool to see where the layout started, how all the participants affected it and then how it turned out in the end. The funniest part is that about half way through the challenge, the layouts started to look more like the original, even though it had changed and no one but the second person had seen the original layout. By the end, it was a totally different looking product.

Here is my contribution:

To see how it all began and how it all ended,

http://www.challengemastersonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=482

While you are there, sign up for the next layout tag. Deadline for signup is this Friday, July 30,2010.

See ya there!!

Summer Camp for Scrappers

I have been a mad woman today trying to get some scrapping done. I entered myself in the CK Summer Camp 2010 series and forgot that it was this past week. So I logged on today to see if some of the activities were still active. I got lucky! While the camp ran until Friday, they happily gave us the weekend to earn some merit badges for our signatures if we had lost track of time. So after a trip to World Market for wine for later in the week, I hit the activities running.

First I earned the Fire Safety Badge for making an embossed card or layout.

Then I earned the Orienteering Badge for looking through the website and familiarizing myself with my surroundings.

Then I earned the Photography Badge for my photo of nature

By the way, I will be scrapping this photo in the future.

I just love it!!

I have about 2 1/2 hours left to earn more merit badges, but I am losing my gumption at this point. So I think I will be happy with the badges I have earned and the camp blinkie I get to add to my blog. Next summer I will have to add it to my calendar so I don't forget.

Blow Out Your Candles......WAIT!

Yes, it is 8 months after the event, but I am finally getting around to scrapping DD's 17th birthday. These shots were the best I could do. It seems that teenage girls love to have their photos taken by themselves, holding the camera at arms length and taking multiple shots to get just the right one. However, when her friends are present this is not the case. I squeezed in a couple of shots. However, we had candle/camera failure. After two attempts, she just posed near the cake. The layout however is priceless with the look of horror and the laughing photo.  Bless her little heart.

Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Dayz of Summer

After living in this home for over a year and a half, I have decided to try to make a creative wall display for our guest room/scrap room. Currently there is nothing on the largest wall in the room over the bed. And it is the focal point as you walk into the room. But nothing has struck my fancy that I would enjoy seeing there every day. I have an ornamental sunflower on our front porch that I have often thought I should move into the guest room, but I like it so much on the porch. So here is my alternative:

Challenge Masters is having a "contest" of sorts with a new leg of the challenge each week in July. The parameters for this week were to make a mosaic out of a photo, then add patterned paper, journaling, a title, embellies, and masking. I love the results and will be searching for a frame for it today when I go to work to get it up on the wall before our guests arrive next week.

My Michael Day

I had a busy day on Saturday, July 10, 2010. I spent the morning working at my job at Michael's Arts and Crafts putting out beads. I am not a jewelry maker. And the fun I encountered unwrapping individual strands of beads and decorative glass and charms will not win me over to the hobby anytime soon. But there were quite a few beading elements that would look great on a layout. So maybe it was worth it.........

After my shift ended, I hightailed it back home to shower and have dinner with my DD, named Michael, in case I had not mentioned it before. He cooked me dinner! He even went as far as to cook me my own dinner because he wanted spaghetti and I can't eat tomato sauce. He is such a sweety ((batting eyes lovingly)).

Then DD and I took off to attend the Michael Buble' concert at the Time Warner Arena in Charlotte, NC. The venue is really cool. I had not been there before. The building itself is such a photo op, both inside and out. It is located across the street from the train station downtown, which is a cool looking building too. I have got to get down there to take some photos one afternoon. Anyway, I digress.....

The concert started on time,which is always a plus. But it would not have matter cause I was on the edge of my seat ready to sing along as soon as we got there. Naturally 7 opened the show. We saw them the last time we attended a Buble' concert in 2008. They are great. They perform without musical accompaniment. They are by no means a regular A Cappella group. Look them up on line. They are very talented.

After a short while, actually an hour, but time was flowing fast for me, it was time for the big show!! The big orchestral sound of "Cry Me A River" started from behind the curtain. It was such a big opener. The concert went on with a mix of the older hits and all the new songs from the current release "Crazy Love" for about an hour and a half with one encore. Buble' was funny and charismatic. His singing was top notch, even performing part of the last song without a microphone to the crowd of 12,000. It was a great show.

My favorite part of the show was a surprise stroll he took through the audience with Naturally 7 to a platform riser in the middle of the floor. And I must admit, I was a total nerd about it. He was now going to be closer to our seats, which were excellent to begin with. As he moved through the audience, I spun around and told my DD "He's right there!! He's in the audience!!" not once, but twice!! And it's not like my DD did not notice himself since he was sitting right next to me and stands about 12 inches taller than me, but I did it again!! NERD!!!!! Anyway here is part of the video I taped from the center stage in my excitement. The shot is cool looking since they turned the house lights up when the audience sang their part.

(After hours of attempting to upload this video, I give up. Please enjoy this instead.)

I took about 100 photos, but I will be tossing about 85 of them as my camera has such a pause when adjusting to flashing lights and a moving subject. But some of the good ones will surely make it into a layout in the near future.

Well, I'm off to another day of work. Hope we did not get in any more beads...............

Ode to a paper cutter

Recently, I accepted the challenge to answer this question, 

"What is the one tool you own, that you must have to be able to scrapbook?"

 The result:

The journaling says:

Thank you cutter, so much,
For being here today.
So please get nice and comfy,
'Cause there's something I want to say.

Now I'm a crafty scrapper,
Yes, it is really true.
But I know I couldn't have done it,
Without the likes of you.

The paper you have measured,
The lines that you have scored,
You make all of my layouts
Straighter than before.

You make my projects so wonderful,
I say it 'cause it's true.
Don't know where I'd be
Without a cutter just like you.

Happy 4th To All!!

This evening I am working and unsure if I will be back on here anytime soon. But I wanted to be sure to pass along a Happy Fourth to everyone. Please stay safe and drive carefully if you are traveling.


My latest from Ch{all}enge Masters:

By the way: Hooray for ME!! I am Master of the Month on the site this month!!

And yes, it is Harry Potter fabric I pinned the tag to in this photo. I'm anxiously awaiting the new release!!