I Got It!

Last week, I pronounced my new love affair with The Dares.  I stayed up late one night to complete one of their dare layouts to try to be one of the first 15 to post.  The first 15 were selected to receive a box-o-goodies to use in participation of the next dare.  I was one of them!  I sent them my address today and they're getting a fun box in the mail for me.  I'm so excited!

I also completed a layout today, using the Aug 29 Sunday Sketch from Studio Calico.  I love this page.  This is such a great picture and I'm so glad my family was able to capture it.  In the picture is (from left to right) my mother Emily, my grandmother Dorothy, my niece Emily (named after my mother) and my sister Ashley.  I think it's so great that they were able to get a picture of four generations of our family.  This was taken in 2005, right after my niece was born.  I made it for my mother to put in her family album that I gave her for Christmas a few years ago.  I left some blank spots in the album to be able to add to it.  This will be one of them!  Thanks for looking!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 12 and some Date Night Pics!

Here is my last page for the Sketchbook 2 class.  Of course, I love it.  I really loved this class.  It was very inspirational and pushed me out of my comfort zone, which I needed.  I feel that since I've been on Studio Calico, my scrapbooking has gotten better.  Everyone on there is so talented.  I've been pushing myself to be more creative with my products and I have loved every single page that I've made since starting this class.  Big thanks to Kelly Purkey for getting me on Studio Calico and giving me so much inspiration.  I'll definitely be signing up for her next class!

I hope that turned out ok, I'm using a different computer.  If not, here's the SC link so you can look at it more closly if you want: I Bub You.

On to date night:  Let's talk about this movie.  If you haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil anything.  But I didn't really like Eat, Pray, Love.  I felt the same way about the book.  I'm trying so hard to like it, but it's just not doing it for me.  I admire her and I think she's really brave, but I was bored.  Julia was great and the guy who played Giovanni...I could've listened to him talk all night with that Italian!  The Italy part was my favorite.  It was beautiful and the food looked amazing.  Made me want to go there even more than I already do!  So the movie was a little disappointing for me, but I've heard a lot of people really loved it.  Maybe it's just me?
Dinner was phenomenal!  We went to Ra Sushi, a place we've heard great things about.  We got there and ended up eating at a small table in the bar so we didn't have to wait for a table.  It was like a night club in there!  Definitely the hippest sushi place we've been to.  Where else will you hear Beyonce's Diva while eating sushi.  I was bouncing in my chair...just a little.  The sushi was amazing!  We split four different rolls and each was so good.  I didn't even use soy sauce!

After dinner, we went next door to Frost Gelato.  Oh. My. God.  This gelato is ridiculous.  It was so cold and creamy...wow!  I got chocolate hazelnut and my husband got a two-scoop of panne cotta and amaretto.  Wow!

So, date night was wonderful, despite the crazy lightening storms that seem to be pretty common in southern Arizona, at least this time of year.  I'm excited to start my mini book class tomorrow and will definitely be sharing my projects.  If you haven't already, please check out my Scrap Angel facebook page to see some more of my work, plus some ordering information if you want to order a custom scrapbook.  I'm dying to make some awesome projects for you!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Happy Saturday!

Happy Saturday everyone!  Thanks for stopping by again!  Last night was Studio Calico's reveal night.  It was worth all the hype!  I was on about an hour early and joined the live chat.  The only thing about that was there were so many people in the chat, that it was hard to keep up.  I kept getting lost in the conversations!  So right at 9:00, I switched over to order my kit.  Keep in mind, I was only buying the main kit!  No add-ons, no extras....I was going to stay strong!  Yeah, that didn't happen.  I got the main kit right away and went back "just to check the other stuff out."  Big mistake.  That Harvest Moon add-on went right into my cart.  Then, just one more looksy...the patterned paper add-on...in the cart as well.  Oh Lordy.  I did spend more than I planned, but I know it will be worth it when I get that goody box in the mail soon!  I may just be on my way to becoming a subscriber.

Tonight is Date Night!  I'm so excited!  I'll be taking some good pictures (as good as I can get with my iphone anyway) and I'll post them tomorrow.

Now that my Sketchbook class is over (will post my final page tomorrow), I have signed up for a mini book workshop taught by Elise Blaha.  This girl is so talented, especially her mini books.  I'm really looking forward to making some creative books and branching out from my normal 12x12 layouts (which I love dearly, but needing something different).  The class starts on Monday, so I've cleaned up my studio and I'm brainstorming some ideas for cool books to make.  Anyone made any cool minis lately?  I'd love some suggestions!

P.S.  I just realized that registration for her class is closed.  I feel bad for anyone who hasn't heard of it before and would have liked to take it.  Next time I'll be sure to post any info a little earlier!

Hello Weekend

The weekend is finally here.  I'm very excited for this particular weekend to come.  This is because my husband and I are FINALLY getting to go out on a date.  We moved to Tucson about 3 months ago and didn't know anyone who we were comfortable leaving our daughter with.  Recently, some friends of ours from Texas moved here as well.  They offered to take our angel for a night so we could go out.  Yay!  We're going to see Eat, Pray, Love (despite ho-hum reviews, I think I'll enjoy it) and then we're going to go eat some sushi at a place we've heard a lot about.  We really need this and I'm so excited, I even have butterflies!

Another exciting thing about this weekend actually happens tonight.  Studio Calico reveal night.  Now, I'm not a subscriber to Studio Calico, but I want to purchase the September kit.  For those of you not familiar, Studio Calico puts together monthly kits of scrapbooking products (some from their line and some from other lines, such as Jenni Bowlin and Tim Holtz, just to name a few).  It's all coordinating so very little to think about as far as putting products together on a page.  Every month subscribers receive the main kit and can purchase add-on kits if they wish.  I've been on Studio Calico as part of my Sketchbook class but didn't plan on subscribing at all.  Well, I'm starting to change my mind.  I haven't taken the plunge yet, but I am going to order the September kit to test it out and see if it's worth it (there is a SC ruler stamp that I'm practically drooling over).  Here's the thing...this site is competitive!  They only have a certain number of kits and add-on kits, so you have to be quick to get what you want.  Oh my gosh, it's cut-throat!  I feel like we're at a sample sale at Barney's or something!  I gotta get my inner Carrie Bradshaw ready.  I feel confident that I'll get the kit and I'm going to skip the add-ons right now (that's what usually goes quickly) since I'm just testing it out.  The kits go on sale at midnight (EST), so 9:00pm my time and I'll be on the site and ready to go.  I'm getting excited and all the lades at SC are so inspiring and friendly.  How often do you get to have a real conversation with the head of a scrapbooking company?  I've talked to April Foster a few times and she's amazing. 

Here are my weekend goals:
1. Do my final page for my Sketchbook class.
2. After that...clean up and organize my scrap desk.
3. Get ready for the mini book class starting Monday (more on that tomorrow).
4. Clean out my car - needs it desperately!
5. Tonight is pedicure night for me and my daughter.  Matching polish and all!
6. Finish my book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Can't put it down right now!  So good!
7. Watch my next West Wing DVD.  I'm halfway through the last season.

I'll be back tomorrow with an update on how SC Reveal Night goes and details on the mini book class I'm taking.  Have a great Friday night everyone!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 11

Whew, I had some fun on this page!  Two words: Glimmer Mist!  I took a stamp and used embossing ink on white cardstock to stamp the image.  I let it dry completely.  Then, I sprayed glimmer mist over the image until it showed up white.  That was fun!  I'll definitely do that on another page!  I normally don't make pages without photos, but this one was fun.  Caylan's first artwork paper has been sitting on my desk for almost a year, so I was very happy to get it down on a page.  When I saw the sketch, the big circle element scared me a bit, since I don't normally do circles.  But that's the beauty of this class.  It pushes me out of my comfort zone and gets me to try new things.  I absolutely adore it.

Only one more sketch left of this class.  I'll receive it tomorrow.  I'll be sad when it ends, but I have a great collection of sketches that are going in a binder to use for future pages.  There's been some talk of a Sketchbook 3 class, which I would sign up for in a heartbeat! 

My New Addiction

Hello.  My name is Sarah.  And I'm addicted to scrapbooking blogs.  Seriously!  I just discovered a new one (new to me anyway), called The Dares.  OMG.  I'm still trying to get the gist of it, but it seems that they post "Dares" for you to attempt on scrapbook pages.  I saw this one and I absolutely loved the idea!  The dare was to scrapbook these 11 things that are going on in your life right this moment.  I jumped right on it and created this page for it.  It says the first 15 people who post their results will receive a bunch of goodies to participate in the next dare.  I think I'm one of them!!!  I believe I will be stalking this blog.  If anything, I'm loving all the challenges I've been taking on.

P.S.  I apologize for the bad lighting.  I did the page at night and wanted to post it asap, so I took the picture at night.  Wow, what a difference!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 10 and some Potty-Training

Day 10 of Sketchbook 2.  Only two more sketches, one of which I got this morning.  I have so loved this class.  Just had another live chat with Kelly and some of the Studio Calico Design Team members, who are amazing.  I loved this sketch and I love the page that resulted from it:

I don't do many pages about myself or my thoughts, and I want to do more!  Love this one!

Ok, calling all Mommies!  My two-year-old little princess has officially started potty-training.  My husband and I were totally dreading this.  Worrying about the messes, about the frustration, just not looking forward to it at all.  We started yesterday and this little girl is a champ!  We decided to go cold turkey and just put her in some undies and deal with the messes until she got it.  Well, she got it!  We started by putting her on the toilet a couple of times, even though she didn't go.  She had one small accident and we calmly explained to her that she needs to use the potty when she has to go.  That resulted in three successful trips to the bathroom, and she even told me she had to go on the last visit!  Diaper went on over night of course, and this morning she went right into the bathroom and went!  This is too easy.  I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop...but we'll see how today goes.  So far, she's really doing well and making us very proud.

My Little Mini Monet!

On our most recent trip to our local scrapbook store, my daughter Caylan was with me.  I let her run around the store and marvel at all the fun stuff.  We hit a bin that had a bunch of mini chipboard albums in all sorts of fun shapes.  I thought it would be fun to let her do her own little scrapbook.  So I let her pick out any album that she wanted.  Today, I sat down to make some cards and I pulled her up a chair.  I gave her the album, some markers and some stickers and let her go to town!  At first, she just wanted to put the stickers on her arm, but she got the hang of it after a while.  I stamped a title on the front of the album and dated it.  The rest is all her!  She did a great job and made her own little scrapbook at age 2!

She did such a great job and I'm a proud scrapping Mama!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 9

I can't believe we're hitting our last week of the sketchbook class.  I'm a little sad.  I do have some great sketches to use in the future, but now I won't have anymore waiting for me in my inbox like a little ray of sunshine first thing in the morning.  Oh well, at least I got to experience the class and it was wonderful!  Here is my page for sketch 9:

On to the last week of the class...only three more sketches!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 7 & 8...plus a little catching up!

I hope you're sitting down...I have some catching up to do!
1. The most important thing to mention is that today is my husband's birthday.  He also answers to "Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me" and "The Best Husband in the World!"  "Baby" also does the trick.  My baby is 29 today...yes, he's 3 years younger than me.  I am a self-proclaimed cradle robber.  But that's ok, we're perfect together!  So, let me just say: Happy Birthday Josh!  I love you so much!

2.  I have finished the pages for Days 7 and 8 of my sketchbook class.  I absolutely love them!  Especially my travel one.  I think that might be my favorite one so far.  I love the passport page, that I took out of my actual passport (expired of course).  Those pages are perfect for travel pages!

3.  I've been scraplifted!!!!  But it's a good thing.  On the Studio Calico message boards, we were challenged to scraplift from the person above you in the thread.  I signed right up!  I made a page based on Kasie's layout, check it out here!  To see more of Kasie's work, check out her blog!  Here's my version.

I was also scraplifted!  Keshet lifted my "A Sign of You" page and made a great version of it.  Check out her blog to see her results!  She's so talented and it was an honor to be lifted by her.
4.  Let's talk books for a second.  I just finished the first in a vampire series.  Don't roll your eyes just yet...it was really good!  I know not everyone can handle so many vampire books, but I love them.  I don't go overboard, but the ones I'm reading, I really like.  This one is called the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  First book is called Dark Lover.  And I loved it!  Now, I'm on to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Everyone's told me that the first half is like mud, but to stick with it because the second half is amazing.  I'm about 20% into it, so says my trusty Kindle, and I'm really liking it.  The first couple of chapters were a little confusing, but I'm on board now and I'm into it.  I'll let you know how it all pans out. 

Thanks for sticking with me this long (if you have)!  I'll try not to get too far behind again.  Now I'm off to make a birthday cake give my husband his awesome birthday present:  Apple TV.....ok, I might be playing with it a little too. (shrug)

Sketchbook 2 - Day 6

I got my page for Day 6 finished this weekend.  Absolutely love it!  And, we had a live chat with the class as well.  Let me just tell you, I got to chat with Kelly Purkey.  And I was able to ask her questions.  I was seriously star struck through the computer!  She's one of my biggest scrapbooking inspirations and to be able to talk to her was thrilling!  By the way, she's extremely sweet and answered everyone's questions!

In other news, I'm getting a little frustrated.  I went out on a limb and tried to get a custom scrapbooking business going.  I had quite a few people suggest that I do it, and quite a few people say that they would buy some from me.  But since I started it in June, nothing.  I'm trying to be patient and let things happen, but it's getting a little discouraging.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up, just hoping that things will start flowing soon.  Ok, I'm done.  Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.  In spite of all the frustration, I am getting a lot of my personal pages done that I want to with this class.  So there's that at least.  Ok, seriously done!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 5 and a Freebie!

Ah, Friday the 13th....doesn't phase me one bit!  Probably because I've never seen the movies.  That's right, I've never seen a Friday the 13th  or a Nightmare on Elm Street movie.  I hate those things!  Scary, I can do.  But I hate the gore.  (Shivers)

Here is my page for the sixth day of my sketchbook class.  This one flowed very easily for me once I decided on the topic.  I recently went on a spending spree at my local scrapbook store and all the goodies I purchased are sitting on my desk just begging to be used.  I used some on this page!

I also received word that Simple Stories by Memory Works is giving away free downloads that complement their Ele.ment.ary line.  So cute!  I downloaded a bunch of them, so I'm excited to do some school themed albums.  If you or someone you know wants an album made for your child's school days (K-12), check out my page for details on how you can get one made by yours truly, The Scrap Angel.  They will be complete so all you have to do is add photos and journaling each year.  For all of you fellow scrappers who want to download this awesome freebie...here's the link: Simple Stories.

As always, here are my weekend goals:
1. Grocery shopping today...bleh, but has to get done.
2. Make my page for day six's sketch.
3. Watch my latest West Wing DVD (last one of season 6).
4. Take some awesome pictures of my family.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sketchbook - Day 4 and a Mini

I hit a creative slump this weekend.  A complete creative brain fart.  I sat down to work and....nothing!  It happens sometimes.  That's a sign to step away and prevent the over-thinking and pressure of putting together a page.  That's when I create pages that I'm not happy with.  So, I stepped away for a few days.  I'm glad I did, because when I got back to it, I was able to pull out a couple of things that I'm really proud of!  First, here is the fourth page for my sketchbook class.  I love it!

Second, I created a mini album that I've been wanting to do for a while.  It was a perfect project to do while my brain fart dissapated.  It's small, simple and easy.  All I had to do was get an alphabet file from the office supply store.  Then I punched holes in them and binded it with book rings.  Then I made a little cover with paper and an overlay.  What I love about this album is that I can add to it.  Whenever I have an extra ticket stub or flyer or even a cool picture that needs a home, it can go in here!  All I have to do is punch some holes in it and it's done.  It will live in my scrapbook room where I can see it all the time and flip through it as I wish.  One of my favorite albums right now.  This was inspired by Ali Edwards who did something similar and showcased it in her Life Artist book (one of my fave inspirations).

Now that my creative brain fart is gone, I'm looking forward to making some more great pages this week.  If you haven't already, be sure to check out my facebook page, where I have details on how I can do a custom scrapbook for you or someone you love: The Scrap Angel.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to work on sketch number 5!

Sketchbook 2 - Day 3 (and a little competition)

Here is the third page I've done for my Sketchbook 2 class I'm taking.  When I got the sketch this morning, I'll admit that I had no idea what I was going to do.  By the time I got to my scrap table, I still had no idea.  So I pulled out my little embellishment tin and went through it.  I saw that I already had a punched circle (kinda like a sun) and a huge pink flower.  Since the sketch called for circles, that's where the idea came from.  I knew I wanted to do a page of Caylan's favorite things right now so we could look back at what she enjoyed.  I absolutely love how this page turned out.  At the last minute I added the blue pieces to help break up the pink a little and I love how it turned out!

So, for the month of August, my husband and I have a friendly competition going.  We're competing to see who can lose the most weight.  The loser has bedtime duty for two weeks straight.  We're both trying to lose, so this will give us both a little push in the right direction.  I have joined a gym and I'm working with a personal trainer.  I'm proud to report that this week, I went to the gym 4 days and I walked at home 2 days!  That's the most active I've been in a while and I feel great!  I'm taking the weekend off (Saturday at least, I might still walk on Sunday) and can't wait to have another great week. Team Sarah!

My weekend goals are these:  1. Finish my book: Eat, Pray, Love (it's been easier to read and I'm almost done).  2. Watch my latest West Wing DVD (I'm on Season 6).  3. Probably do some more scrapping.  4. And of course, the ever-dreaded baskets of laundry must be done.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Back to School!

Well, it's back to school time.  Having a two-year-old, I can't really relate to this yet.  Therefore, I am living vicariously through my sister.  Her 5 year old just started kindergarten!  My little niece is growing up!  My sister asked me about doing a kindergarten scrapbook for her at the end of the year so my niece will have those memories of her first school year recorded.  What a great idea!  I gave her some pointers and I wanted to pass them on to you if you have school-aged children and wanted to do the same thing.

School Album Tips:
1. KEEP EVERYTHING!  Literally!  I suggest using a big storage box and throwing everything in there that they bring home.  You can go through it later and weed some stuff out, but you never know what will hold some sentimental value for you or for your kids.  Their handwriting and artwork will be great to use in a scrapbook.
2. Make sure you get those first day of school pictures.  The outfits, the bookbags, the bus stop...so much to take in!
3.  It's also fun to keep those school supply lists.  It will be fun to look back at it and see the difference over the years.
4.  Keep sports schedules, keep track of scores of their games, recital booklets, anything that they're involved in.  I wish I had kept more things from my high school years.
5.  Ask them about their favorite subjects, books, teachers, friends, lunches, anything about school.  It will be fun for them to look back on that.

Hope some of these tips helped.  If you want to get a scrapbook of your child's school year, please let me know and start collecting!

Sketchbook Class - Day Two

Here is the second page that I've completed for my online scrapbooking class.  Let me tell you, when I get those sketches in my inbox, it's like Christmas!  I get so excited when I see them and I want to open them and play with them right away!  This class is definitely getting my creative juices flowing along with helping me tackle some pages that have been on my "To Scrap" list for quite a while. 

I have also just been asked to make a WWII tribute album for my mother-in-law.  She has her father's WWII memorabilia and wants me to turn it into a scrapbook.  Can you imagine all of the cool stuff she must have?  I can't wait to get my hands on it and I'm so excited to have my first custom scrapbook customer (even if it is my lovely mother-in-law).  I get my next sketch for my class on Friday, so I predict some great scrapping in my weekend plans....along with dinner at BJ's which just opened up near us.  I can already taste those avocado eggrolls....

3 Card Challenge

I took the 3 Card Challenge put on by Studio Calico (www.studiocalico.blogspot.com).  The challenge was to create three cards for any occassion, using your "stash."  This was such a great excuse to get some beautiful and original cards to three friends who really need them.  The winner will be chosen at random and will win a $5 giftcard to the Studio Calico website.  Even if I don't win, I made some cards for some special friends and that makes me feel all bubbly inside.  They're going in the mail tomorrow!

Sketchbook 2 Class - Day One

Here is the first page I created for my online scrapbooking class that I'm taking this month.  It was a labor of love, let me tell you.  First, my sewing machine was acting up...bad machine!  Finally got that working, then I had to redo my journaling three times because I kept messing up....bad Sarah!  And finally my ink pad decided to dry up on me...bad ink!  But, I finished it and I love it.  Even with all the mistakes, it still turned out beautifully.  Today was just one of those days that my scrapbooking decided to keep me on my toes!

I also wanted to discuss the book I'm reading right now: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I started this book when it first came out and got as far as the eating.  I hit the pray part and got bored so I put it down.  Since the movie is coming out soon, I thought I'd give it another go.  I really want to see the movie!  But I have to be honest, she's losing me again, and I haven't even hit the pray part yet.  I'm determined to read the whole thing, but it's getting a little painful.  I may be the only person who isn't enjoying this book since everyone else I know has loved it.  I'm sticking with it though, who's with me?  I just hope this is one of the rare instances when the movie is better than the book.

Speaking of...

...scrapbooking.....starting tomorrow I'm taking a 4 week online class called Sketchbook 2, taught by Kelly Purkey.  Kelly is an incredible scrapbooker and a big inspiration to me.  I'll be posting my pages on here so you can see what I'm creating and maybe get your own creative juices flowing.  I can't wait!  Here's a link to Kelly's blog if you're interested:

kellypurkey.typepad.com

Here I Am!

Well, I've done it.  I've finally joined this decade and started a blog.  What's this blog all about anyway, you might ask?  This blog is going to be a mixture of a few different things.  Mainly, it will be about scrapbooking.  Scrapbooking is my passion.  I've been doing it since 2003 and I've loved every second of it.  Not to brag too much, but I've gotten many praises over my work and requests to make scrapbooks for my friends and family.  Therefore, I've recently decided to step (ok, jump) out on a limb and start my own custom scrapbooking business.  What's that?  Well, that is me making you a custom scrapbook.  Literally any theme and size that you'd like.  I'm now going to take a second and shamlessly plug my Scrap Angel Facebook page with all the details of my business for you to check out:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Scrap-Angel/133512453354457?ref=sgm

Ok, now that that's out of the way...what else will I be blogging about?  Lots of stuff!  I'm a wife and a mother and always have some interesting stories that I'm sure many of you will relate to.  My husband is a 2LT in the Air Force so we'll be traveling to different bases which I'd also like to talk about.  I'm a reader and I'll always be talking about what book I'm reading and what I think of it.  I never joke about books so I'll tell you the gosh darned truth about what I think.  I'll also post projects that I'm working on and occasionally some random stuff I'm thinking about.  So what's in this for you?  Hopefully, you will be entertained and inspired.  I know it's a lot to ask a slew of people to come on over and see what I'm up to.  I hope you will stay interested and please be patient with my page layout as I work on it....I'm new to this blogging thing!  I can't wait to start hear from you all!  Welcome and I hope you enjoy!