June Counterfeit Kit - Surprise!

Where have I been? Neglecting my blog while pampering my garden. Everything is growing by leaps and bounds. We are eating out of it every day now. 

Today the girls at Counterfeit Kit Challenge posted the kit to counterfeit for June. What a surprise! This is not a kit at all. Instead, we were asked to shop from our stash for the following supplies:

10 sheets patterned paper

8 sheets cardstock

2 alphabet sets

2 stamp sets

4 journaling spots

3 types of 'choose your own' embellishments

1 roll washi tape

1 'old' embellishment

1 messy item

1 other item of your choice

Here is my kit (ignore the glare, it can't be helped):

I have a stash of leftovers of old kits in a rolling organizer, so I rolled it over to my table and pulled out the first eight pieces of patterned paper that I thought would work together. These are from various manufacturers and I saw lots of orange and green in the mix. Next I chose cardstock to match the colors in the papers. 

Two alpha sets - one teal and one multi-colored with fun designs. Not sure how I'm going to use this, but I'll try.

My two stamp sets are from a fairly recent Stampin' Up! purchase. Nothing old here.

Journaling spots - easy, I have a drawer full. 

Three types of embellies - I chose a ribbon pack from SU, layered flowers from Sassafras and a fun mix of brads.

Washi tape. I have some, but I don't know where I put it. Having just reorganized my scrappy space, that's embarrassing to admit. I remember as I was putting things away that I wasn't sure how to store it. My guess is that I organized it by color. As it turns out, that wasn't very smart because I can't remember what colors I have. Luckily, I picked up a pack last night at Target. One of the rolls will work nicely with this kit.

My old embellishment is a paper doll. I have a drawer full of these. I'm such a girlie girl; when these were popular I bought quite a stash. Naturally, I haven't used them like I thought I would.

For my messy item, I chose a metallic avocado mist from Maya Road. Definitely messy.

Lastly, I added some Studio Calico fab-rips. 

What I loved about this month's challenge is that I did not go overboard on adding embellishments to my kit. 

Hoping to use it up this month!

Thanks for looking and leaving a comment.

April Counterfeit Kit - Spring Song

The April Counterfeit Kit is from Kits de Somni. I chose the first option which includes papers from Pink Paislee Jubilee and Amy Tangerine Sketchbook.

The colors seem perfect for scrapping spring photos, and the design and feeling seemed somehow familiar. They reminded me of my latest Stampin' Up! purchase from the Occasions Mini. I believe the entire collection was called Apothecary Art. Some papers are from previous SU selections, along with a piece from Sassafrass Lass and two from Echo Park. The original kit did not include cardstock, but I can't scrap without it so I added colors that I thought enhanced the papers.

In another life I will create a small kit. But until then, this is my embellishment pack:

I have included ribbons and baker's twine from SU, rosette trim from Prima, flowers from Prima, American Crafts, and some I made myself. The original kit had a lot of tags, so I included a variety in my own kit. Hoping to make a dent in my stash, I added some journaling stickers, journaling note papers, more stickers, rhinestones and pearls, and doilies. Finally, my kit has two sets of Thickers. I have gathered stamps and dies for making butterflies, bird cages, doilies and labels. Hopefully I will be able to show those to you as the month goes on.

Here's the big picture.

Thanks for looking! 

My word for 2012 - Share

A few weeks ago, as we distributed our last Bountiful Basket for 2011, a very special thing happened. One of our participants gave me some of her homemade bruschetta in a jar. I know it was a simple gesture - didn't even have a ribbon on it - but it had a big impact on me. She wanted to thank me for being there every week with a little something more than just kind words. Her words and small gift made my day.

 

Just last week, after our office temp had worked her last day, I found a pretty note card on my desk. She wanted to thank me for being nice to her and making her feel special.

I am reminded of the story of the ten lepers that Jesus healed and how only one returned to thank him for healing them. I say 'thank you' all the time, but I don't often go out of my way to show my thanks in a way that is meaningful. 

So, as I pondered on choosing a word for 2012, it occurred to me that I should be like these ladies and do more than just say kind words. My word for 2012 is Share. This word encompasses so much more than just expressing thanks to others. I can think of many applications for this word. I also believe in karma, so in a way, this is a sort of 'seed planting.'

Have you chosen a word for the year? If you do, and if you let it, it can change your life.

2011 December Daily - Part 2

And now, for December Daily part 2:

(Part 1 is here.)

Having kept a Smash book all summer, I know how fun this will be to fill up. These little books are glimpses into the hectic holiday season and how our lives and priorities evolve over time. They are a great place to keep memories of the big events, the simple traditions and the every day routine. 

Thanks for looking!

2011 December Daily - Part 1

I have been admiring the December Dailies made by my fellow scrappers for several years now. These little beauties are pre-made journals used to document your holiday and every day activities through the month of December. I dragged my feet for a while, but this year, I took the plunge and made one for myself. This journal was so much fun to put together. We were traveling for Thanksgiving and I was a little under the weather. So I planned to spend alone time in the hotel room. I packed two boxes of everything that looked remotely Christmasy. Since I've been following Counterfeit Kit Challenge, I have been working very hard to use up my stash. I confess, I did make a few purchases - but only things that were on sale, too cute not to own, and thrift store items. I will add the covers later.

Here it is, my first December Daily, part 1:

(Part 2 is here.)

Scrapping - with Fabric

I haven't been scrapping all summer and I've missed it. I especially miss scrapping with the girls at Counterfeit Kit Challenge. But I got a bee in my bonnet to make a scrappy quilt for my bed. I searched the Internet and found this design:

It's called Patches and Pinwheels. I like that it uses a large variety of scrap fabrics, yet has a definite pattern. Very random, very orderly. Also, very vintage looking and that appeals to me.

I started by gathering fabric from past projects. As long as it can be cut into 2" strips, it will work. Then I sorted everything into two piles: lights and darks. I had high hopes that everything really would work together in the end.

I cut my fabric into strips. Some 2" and some 3 1/2". These were then sewn together in pairs of light and dark. The small strips were cut into 2" strips and became the patches. The wider strips became the pinwheels.

All squares sewn together and squared up.

Making sure the pinwheels are all going in the right directions and the colors and patterns are random.

Getting the stamp of approval from Smudge.

I'm happy with how this is turning out - such a fun project. Now that the top is pieced, I have to choose some fabric for borders. Decisions, decisions. Then there's the back . . . 

On the Fly

I made a quick trip to Washington DC this week for a business conference. I was trying to pack light and didn't think I would have time for sight-seeing, so I didn't take my camera. Thank goodness for a cell phone! I stayed at this luxurious hotel:

Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on the Potomac in Maryland

So posh. This is a huge place. I actually heard some people complaining about how big it was. It took so long to walk from the convention center to the hotel rooms. Personally, I loved it. This is a hotel with door men, bell hops and a concierge. As I was leaving, the bell hop came to greet me and took my bag. I was early for my shuttle, so he stayed with me and kept me company while I waited. So impressive.

On my second night, I had time for a quick tour of the mall. I took the shuttle downtown and walked to as many places as I could. Everything is farther away than it looks; I logged a lot of miles on my running shoes! 

The White House from the south side. The family grows their own vegetables. I could not see the garden, but I did spot a beehive.

The White House from the north. I was a little stunned to see the guards with machine guns on the roof and on the lawn. I noticed a lot of commotion on the roof and think that I must have been watching the changing of the guard.

Washington Monument. Since the earthquake, this is as close as you are allowed to get. Still, it is spectacular.

World War II Memorial

Lincoln Memorial. I did pass by the Reflecting Pool on my way to see this, but it was under construction and all I could see were heavy equipment, porta-potties and mud.

Reagan National Airport. So elaborate and beautiful.

2012 Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic

We biked down to Ann Morrison Park this morning to watch the balloon launch. Today was chilly even with long pants and light jackets. This event is so beautiful. We were able to walk among the balloons and watch them being unfurled, inflated and sent skyward.

This one is almost ready to go. See the fire inside? It's warm when you are standing next to it!

View from directly below the balloon. Makes you dizzy getting a shot like this. These photos were taken by Terry.