How about a challenge?

I am a design team member at a wonderful, fun forum called Creative Scrapbooking Divas..  For my challenge this month, I did Lovin' the Layers.  It is really a simple idea, you do it every time you scrap. 
     Just layer your page...7 or more layers to be exact.  and do some embossing somewhere on it. 

 

Here's my sample and a couple of close-ups of the details.  But to participate, go over to the forum, sign up (it's free, and there are lots of other challenges), and play to win.  Look around the site.  It's full of great ladies, good games, & layouts.  The gallery is amazing! 

See you at CSD

And keep dreamin'

Wave the Flag for Our Veterans!

 Another soap-box day in DreamersKlub!  I want to take a moment to thank all who have served to protect us.  Freedom is so important, and if not for our Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and all the reservists, we wouldn't have it.  The  proudest days of my life ( becoming Grandma ranks right up there also!) were when my daughter took her oath to join the Navy ...

  and graduated from boot camp..

So I'd like to thank my family and friends for stepping up when it counted.

Thank a veteran for the freedom to worship, the freedom from extreme fear, the freedom of speech...

God Bless You All.

A Plea for Help

Hey Dreamers.  I''m coming to you with a heavy heart today.  My daughter's friend (they were room mates when Tami was stationed in Sicily) had a fire in her home on Oct 30.  She and some friends had walked down the street to a  Halloween party, only to arrive home and find that her home was fully destroyed.  She lost it all...her car, her motorcycle, her Naval uniforms, her clothes, her electronics, pictures, EVERYTHING.

          Perhaps her greatest lost is her dog Luna.  Luna had loved her through some tough things in her life and this loss was as deep as losing a child 

        Another huge loss (disappointment really) is that the government that she has given her life to has turned their back on her...not offering any help in this awful time in her life! No rallying around to help her replace stuff, no emergency housing...oh wait, they offered her a low rate loan! Thanks Uncle Sam for nothing. (Excuse my bitterness, but that's how I feel. No holding back!)

 She has renter insurance, but it doesn't cover all she lost, or enough to get her going fully.  I am fully aware of how tight finances are for all of us (I'm making house payment in Chicago & Oklahoma).But in a couple of weeks we will all start shopping for our Christmas presents for our family.  And maybe we will stop at the Angel Tree and pick a child off the tree to purchase a gift for.  Well, I am presenting you my Christmas Angel this year...

Lea Ponder.

She is a bright, smiling sailor who lives life to her fullest.  Her heart is bigger than Texas.  When Tami wanted to drive to California, so her in-laws could see Ethan for Christmas, she was afraid to drive all that way with a 1 year old...in winter.  I was nervous about it also.  Lea offered to help her friend.  She flew from California to Oklahoma just to ride with Tami!  She stayed at our house before they left.  She is just an amazing young lady. 

So my daughter (another amazing young lady) has set up a registry for her through Target.  The basics, things she loves, and maybe a few things that are just to bring some enjoyment into her life are on the list.  I know my friends have hearts of gold and would love to help a young lady who has given herself to to protect us.  Just go to Target.com and find Lea Ponder on the list registry.  It will ship to the friend's house that is housing her right now.  You can put in the note you are a friend of Momma Funk, if you wish.

   As I am writing this, the song on my play list has turned to Amazing Grace and I am once again reminded of how much God has given me.  Home, family, friends..the things that make life on earth worth while.  And I again am reminded of Matthew 25: 34-46 that speaks of the day we will be gathered before Him, at His throne.  "Cone, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me  food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.  I was naked and you gave me clothing.  I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'" and 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who re members of m family, you did it to me."

   

   Allow God to bless you.

And help Lea keep dreamin'.

A Little Buggy!

Ok, nothing about scrapbooking, nothing philosophical, nothing life changing, just a sweet little visitor this morning.  I wanted to share him  (her?) with you.  I was watching Buddy run in the back yard this morning.  Steve brought all the plants in because of frost last night, and he wanted his peppers to grow a bit more. 

       Well, he had a hitchhiker on his plant.....



Pepper Picker

I love this second picture.  After I snapped the first, his head jerked toward the flash!   It was as if he is saying, "I got my eyes on you!"  And as I moved around the plant, he would pose for me, but never turned his eyes away. 

I know some people think bugs are

creepy, but I thought he was magnificent.  But, I did put the plant out as soon as it warmed up a bit, cause he is not cute enough to live with me all winter!

Hope you scrap this weekend or at least keep dreamin'!

Blog Candy and A Nerdy Bird

Good Monday Dreamers!
Some o you know I do blog hops from time to time.  Well I have found several great, and a few not so great blogs doing this.   I have to tell you all about this Blog Candy I found!  It is being offered over at Scrap with Stacy , on blogspot.  She is giving away..

All of this stuff -

1 pkg Grungeboard (plain elements 94 shapes)
1 pkg Grungeboard (alphas- 234 letters, 9 fonts)
1 pkg Ranger Enamel Accents (black & white)
1 pkg Fragments (48 pieces- rectangles & squares)
1 pkg Sprockets Gears (12 pieces)
1 pkg keyholes (5 keyholes, 10 fasteners)
1 pkg Word Keys (7 keys)
1 pkg Muse Tokens (12 tokens)
1 pkg Swivel Clasps (6 small, 6 large)
1 pkg Trinket Pins (15 pins)
3 Mini Masks- 1 Floret (7 pieces)
1 Compass (1 piece)
1 Regal (2 pieces)
1 Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy
3 Ranger Distress Ink Pads - Worn Lipstick, Spiced Marmalade & Wild Honey
 Hop over there and find out how you can win! 

I have been struggling to crop with the thumb splint on my right hand (looonnnnggg story!), so I would have something to blog.  A week ago Patty challenged us in our face book group to finish a project from any class we took at CKC.  I took a class from one of the 2 best teachers there, Darby, and love it.  We used Sassafras Lass paper kit Nerdy Bird and Nikki Sivils Tree chipboard album.  Wonderful products!  Her chipboard is somehow different, and doesn't puff up s much when you use wet adhesives.  And the edges don't fray as bad when you sand them! If you haven't seen her products you should visit them on her site, http://www.nikkisivils.com.

So I never do the original kit, don't follow instructions at all! Hers said, "I'm a nerdy bird"  and I have 2 nerdy birds so I changed it.  The ruffle around the edge is 24" of paper that we fan folded, then stretched around the edges, glued it, and held it in place.  With only 2 hands, mind you!  Challenging for me.  The little bird and books  were fussy cut from a piece of the patterned paper.  Oh, and the ruffle is "sandwiched" between the cover and a piece of oval chipboard.

 
 
 

Because the book was intended to be about a studious child and their school journey, I pretty much threw her directions aside and branched fully out on my own!  (Sorry the picture isn't very good, but it was taken at 1:30 am, with my left hand!)  The stickers in this set are very very strong.  I love it when I know they will hold up to handling. 
   My twin grandsons love to be silly in front of a camera.  So it was hard deciding which ones to put it.  These are the the only fully completed pages, as my hand started aching quickly, and without the use of the right apposable thumb, small pieces were almost impossible!    I hope you enjoyed the pages, and I promise to finish up the other 3 pages as quick as I can (going for the sympathy vote with a little wine!)
 
I'm dreaming of  a healthy thumb.  You keep dreamin' too

TGIF!

Am I the only one that has an annoyingly long week?!  I know Patty has, with her sinus infection...always fun!  Well, let me tell you...no, it's not about scrap booking...ok,  a short version!  I am DEADLY allergic to strawberries..Tuesday evening, I starting breaking out in hives..normal berry reaction.  Seems that at church Tuesday there was this conference, and they served Strawberry Lemonade.  When at singing practice at church, I touched the counter top in the cafe, where the drink had, I guess, spilled!  Touched the counter only, it wasn't sticky. they had cleaned it, didn't grab a deadly berry, just residue on the counter!  So Thursday I went to doctor for an EpiPen.  And to have them look at my hand, which is still sore from jamming it while trying to catch an elevator at Kansas City CKC!  Three weeks was long enough to be in pain.  Nothing broken (YEAH) but she is sending me to an orthopedic Dr to examine it.  Xray did show minor arthritis , so it that is a good thing to know for further reference.  So wearing this splint on my right hand may goof up some of mt crafting, but I'll find a way around it.
    So, between Dr's appointments and calls, pain in my right thumb, hand & wrist,  and sleeping WAY too much cause Benadryl knocks me totally out, I haven't down much crafting.  But I have a friend Luisa over at Creative Scrapbook Divas who it heading up a group about organizing your crop space.  (You should go here and see it all)  She posted about making kits to take to crop night.  It is almost exactly what I do, but since my wrist hurts, I am cutting and pasting it below. 
PAGE KITS
YOU WANT TO BE PRODUCTIVE AT CROPS AND AT HOME RIGHT? PLANNING IS THE KEY!!!     I have been practicing this for my last 3 years and it works (for me): PAGE KITS!
A Page Kit is an Envelope, Ziploc Bag, Planner Folder that contains the majority of stuff you need to create a layout.
Here are the steps to create your own page kits:
1) Gather your photos and sort them according to how you want to scrapbook them (1 or 2 pages layout).
2) Take a look at your stash of card stock and pick the color that match your photos.
3) Select pattern paper or theme paper you want to use with these layouts.
4) Add ribbon, buttons, paper clips, tags, stickers, die cuts, memorabilia and other embellishments you know you want to use with these pictures.
5) Store everything in a Page Planner Folder, Ziploc bag (or accordion file assigning one layout per slot). You can also use the Power Sort Box from CM or the CTMH My Legacy Pages-in-Progress Album.
 (Note from Pam:  I have a shoulder bag that I take to crops and I automatically put 2 or 3 into it, so I am packed and good to go on Friday night)
6) If you have a layout idea for these  pictures, for example a layout you saw in a magazine bring the magazine or tear the page and store it in  your page kit or if you design your layouts on your own, do a basic sketch in a piece of white paper or in your sketches notebook.

When packing for your crop, pack your tools, page kits and any stamps, ink pads, acrylic paints, stickles, you want to use for these specific layouts. You don’t need to take all your stamps if you are only going to do BD and Bridal pages! Take your BD and Bridal stamps and the inks that match your page kits… future layouts!!!

Don’t worry to pack everything If you don’t finish your layout because you didn’t bring the “whole kitchen Sink” to the crop, you can finish the details at home!!! Yes, this is an option! lol

With this pre-planning I have been able to do from 8 to 10, 2 page layouts in a 10-12 hours crop (discount the eating, chatting and going to the SB store time)

This works for me, hope you find these tips useful. Almost forgot.

IT WORKS FOR SCRAP BOOKING AT HOME TOO!!! Why?
Because whenever you have 30 minutes and want to create something you just need to grab a Page Kit from your stash of Page Kits and start creating. Isn’t this fun and easy?

Hope you enjoyed this.  I am going to try to do some scrapping tonight, if I can figure out how to it with this splint!  Well my dream for the weekend is to feel better and maybe scrap.  Hope you have a big dream for your weekend.

I WON!!!

I love to read blogs.  If I read less I would have time to do my own!!  Any way, that's enough guilt for one day!  I have some new friends at a forum site called Paper Secrets.  They hosted a Haunted Blog hop this weekend.  WHAT!! YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A BLOG HOP!!!  GET OUT! 
   Ok, here's what it is, for you blogging newbies.  The host sets up a list of different blogs who want to participate, complete with links and URLs.  Then you have a limited time (a weekend to a week usually) to visit each blog.  The blog owners following the theme, create projects, do a tutorial, create layouts or cards (they don't do all those, just their choice.  I don't want you to be expecting too much!).  Sometimes they offer you a challenge or a prize for signing up to follow their blog.  Leave a comment on all the blogs and then report back to the forum to tell them you visited them all!  Clear as mud?  Good.
   There were a total of 30 blogs and none were disappointing.   I got some really cute ideas to spook my neighbors and found some new places to go for challenges.  And even better...I WON A PRIZE (Blog Candy!)!  You read right.  And it is a nice prize from a very creative lady named Nancy.  Her blog is Dare to be Unique and she is.  Click on this link and go see her stuff.  Go on, I'll wait for you to come back  Welcome back.  Wasn't her Wonderland Box marvelous?!  If you read past her post, she got to go on the scrapbook cruise ship with Tim Holtz!!  SOOOO jealous.  Can't wait to read about her trip.

   Here's what I won . . . a Cosmo Cricket Haunted Paper Pack.  Isn't that scary?  No of course it isn't!  I have some little grand spooks that I will need to scrap. Thanks Nancy!

     I have a new toy...here's a hint...it cuts out paper, connects to my computer...oh, you'll just have to come back tomorrow!  Until then, I'll be playing with my toy and dreaming of the great things I can make.  Hope you keep dreamin' too.

Such a Bad Blogger

So why have I not posted in so long? I seem to do a good job for awhile, and then just disappear. August was full....although I have nothing to prove that. I walked the dog, sat in the sun, hmmm that's about it! Wait! No, I made an album. OK, almost made one! In the 70's I worked at Lutherhoma, a camp in NE Oklahoma. I had all those photos in an OLD album, and took them out (what few were still stuck) and started a proper album for them. Here are a few pages...

This is the 2nd page of a 2 page layout (I always do 2 page LO, I feel it makes my albums read like a book would...not fragmented) about Emerge-N-See, a Friday night staff talent show.  Friends of mine made a parody of the song "Why Me Lord" by Kenny Rogers to whine about how tired w were from all our camphand duties.  I had the original hand written (by my friend D'Anne) in my Bible..yes 37 years later!  It was too large for the page (and not acid free) so I scanned and shrunk it on acid free white paper.  Fussy cutting makes it look like the original. 

   My next layout is more of an example of what to do when there are no real pictures!  This story was so fun and worth retelling that I tried to make the journaling the main focus.  I know many don't agree but I feel that the story is what I am trying to capture most from this layout. And I have only cruddy 110 camera pictures!  I had a sheet of different sizes and shapes of arrows. 

The one I wanted was used already (don't remember where..hmm) but the negative of it was still on the page. I merely traced it onto the back of some patterned paper that fit with pg 1. Don't forget when to tracing to always trace on back of your paper. That way your pencil marks won't show. And remember to reverse your stencil.

 
 
Hope you enjoyed my scrap ramblings today.  I enjoy doing this (journaling thing) and still am not sure why I don't do it more often!?!   I love comments, so let me know what you thought. 
 Until next time...keep Dreamin'.

YIKES!

Ok, today's post has nothing to do with scrapbooking..or crafts for that fact.  It has to do with what I found hanging at eye level in my front tree (okay, our only hardwood tree).....

Yes, a hornet's nest, just like in the cartoons when the bees chase you in one big swarm!  In MY FRONT YARD!!  We found it Sunday after going to the White Sox game. I went online to see how to remove it, and after watching some greatly hilarious videos of removal, decided to call the exterminator!  Being the curious out-doors lady,  had to snap this pictures before he came.  I was about 5 feet away when I snapped these...

The hornets were magnificent, and I had NEVER seen a nest in person.   Well then Jason got there..and he freaked me out...cause he wouldn't even get within 15 yards of it!  He started by telling me, how aggressive the Bald-faced hornet (my new neighbors) were and that they didn't lose their stingers and could sting you over & over & over & over.  They have a pheromone that sends out distress signals to their buddies, which causes them to attack.  Hope you enjoy the pictures, cause I don't think I'll ever get that close again!the rest of these were taken through the window of the front door!

 So Jason suited up..and began his assault on the nest.

 while it just looks like a water hose, it was pressurized and had bug killer in it.  Note the spray can in his hand...when one came at him, he sprayed them with big time bug killer!  It went fairly fast,

the inside was made of paper nest..here he is holding 1/3 of it...look at the size in his hands..it was HUGE!!    Anyway, that was my excitement for the week!    Hope I didn't creep any one out too bad.  Till next time...dream sweet dreams, not hornet ones!

Getting Organized!

Now for those who know me...you can stop laughing any time now!  In our Creative Divas forum, Luisa has started an organization group.  I had to join...I am in great need of it!  She is even organized in what she wants us to accomplish in there, with lists and dates and all that stuff I lack!  So I wanted to share our homework for the weekend...yes, I completed it!
   The challenge was to organize one item, using something re purpose from around your house.  I love to use household things in my crop room...so the hunt was on.  And I found it.  A glass jug that I bought at an antique shop when Diane & I went to Swedish Day in Geneva.  I bought it thinking I would fill it full of buttons, freeing up an entire drawer in my cart.  But, I like having the buttons sorted out, by color and theme...so much easier to just reach in and grab the certain pack I want.  So the jug was just cute, on the floor of the living room (not in the middle, but at the edge of a planter. 

  So I gathered up all the ribbon in my room, quite a feat by itself!  And then sorted it - open spools on the right - new, unopened spools on the left.  The new ones went into the jug..added some ribbon on the handle and I had instant cutesy!

I took the remaining, open ribbon and worked at filling up my ribbon carrier, you know, the ones that were so popular a couple of years back.  Lot of people didn't like them, but I love mine. 

 I carry it to crops and retreats, so I never have to whine about not having ribbon! 

I counter or shelf space is precious in your space, here is another idea that I have used for almost 10 years..

wire hangers.

You read that right.  Snip one of  the ends open (I had Steve do it with the wire snips.  I probably could've done it myself, but on occasion they need to feel needed! Look marriage tips are bonus here!) Curl the end of the upper piece in a semi-circle, and TA DAA!! You have a ribbon holder that will hang in your closetIt works so well for me.  I just have too many spools and not enough closet space!

So, I want to give you a challenge...organize your ribbon.  Do you have a system that works well for you?  Send me a photo and a description of it, and I'll feature them on the blog. 

until tomorrow, I'm Dreamin of an organized space! 

I got to scrap with DEBBIE SCHUH!

OK, so many of you know how often I follow the blogs and web pages of the scrapbooking geniuses....for a few hours every day (before you gasp remember I only have 3 friends in Chicago-land and need to fill some time..).  So Debbie is one I follow ( some would call it stalking, I prefer the term "lurking" behind my keyboard! )  When I discovered that the ladies at Creative Cuts & Crafts  in Villa Park were bringing her in for THREE classes! you can just imagine my excitement.  (I also took a Suzy West class, but forgot to take my camera..duh! click on the link and see how fun her things are..she was a hoot.more in another blog)

We used the 7 Gypsies products, album covers, tags, papers, paper tape....it was all so yummy!  The pics aren't the best (sorry I didn't clean the table, my friend Lisa and I played Phase 10 & the cards didn't get put away..I don't have time to clean)  but you can see better ones at the store link.  I loved her total disregard to anything you thought you knew about scrapbooking!  We cut apart page protectors to make flaps on either side of a double-sided paper...it just flowed out!  And we cut protectors at a slit to make workable pockets..glued right on the outside of the protector. 

Butterflies (Jenni Bowlin)

Both sides of protector slit to make a tri-fold

I didn't want to add any more of her pages, cause she is still out there teaching this class. We also made a tag book that will hang on the other side, filled butterflies, ribbon, flowers....just adorable.  If she comes to a store near you, go take a class.

 She is a great teacher  and  a lover of Eugene....

Girls, hope your dreams start coming true......

A Creative Diva

Hello Dreamers,   I decided I probably should come back to see you again.  It has been quite a while..a whole month.  I want to tell you about an on-line forum that I not only belong to....but I have been chosen to be on the DESIGN TEAM!!  It is called Creative Scrapbooking Divas, and I have been a member there since it first formed, about a year now.  Luisa started it, as we branched off from another forum.  I don't like being in a forum where they always try to sell you something, and let me tell you it is not allowed there.  And other than respecting each other....there are no rules.
    What do you do in an online forum?  Glad you asked!  We have challenges, games, chats..you can make your own home page and load your layouts or albums or cards into your gallery.  There are about 10 different groups in the "room" that you can join.  Oh, I have won some sweet prizes from there also...and just for scrapbooking!  I tried to start one just for us dreamers, but it didn't fly.  Patty was the only one to go in on a regular basis...and now Ning charges to have a room.  So, it is gone.
   Everyone is welcome to come check us out..play with us, challenge with us, learn new techniques, show off your projects and have your peers "ooh" and "aww" over them.
   I have a project started, so will try to post it tomorrow.  Until then...keep dreamin'

Not too Blue

I have lots of things to share...just can't quit scrapping long enough to type!  I appreciate all those who blog every day..WOW!  Lot's of time involved.

  Back on task now...I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA AGAIN!!!  You may remember my daughter was so sick at Christmas with a tubal pregnancy/rupture?  Well, she is definitely fertile and is in her 6th week with a new blessing.  I decided I should celebrate by finally scrapping her 2 and a half year old son's birth.  Now I'm not a bad Grandma--I have scrapped him for her album, just hadn't gotten to mine yet

I goofed up by taking the photos of the layouts at different times of day, so the colors don't look the same...but I promise it is the same paper!He was born in Ellsworth, Maine, not far from the ocean.  The first half I focused on his birth, which was  a little rough...he was suctioned into the birth canal. When Tami checked in for her scheduled c-section, she was in labor and didn't know it!  (She carried a gun for the Navy..what I can say except she's tough!?!)  

          The bruise on his head is of the doctor's fingers, as she tried to un-suction him. His hands had no color, cause his cord was wrapped around his neck a few times.  Hence the bruises around his neck.   The photos on the following page are at the ocean below Eagle Bluff Inn outside Winter Harbor.  (Great b&b if you are up that way!)  He was a week old in these.  And could a mom & dad ever look happier? 

   I used paper from My Mind's Eye from the paper pack Twinkle little Boy.  I had one scalloped chipboard which matches the pattern on the star paper.  So I fussy-cut the flat piece on the first page.  My rick-rack was burnt orange and didn't quite fit..so I dirtied it up with Distress Ink. I added fuzzy star brads from Making Memories on either end to hold it down.  

And Distress Ink to the rescue again on page 2, where my 7 Gypsies tag was a little too manila.  I just changed it with a little ink and a squirt bottle!  A chipboard star covered in coordinating paper & a quote from DejaVu vellum page and !!! a great 2 page layout!  If I do say so myself!  And I have to, cause there is no one else here! 

   Hope you are all taking some time to enjoy your craft and keep dreamin'...

Very Creative Cuts & Crafts

I said a couple of days ago that I had been busy practicing craft, so I wanted to show you a little peek of a project.  I can't show all in case hubby reads my blog...it is a gift for him for his birthday. His Grandfather Lee had a large hand in raising Steve, and I am going to make it a tribute book.  He was a wonderful gift from God for Steve. It is called a man's book. 

 I took this class at Creative Cuts & Crafts in Villa Park last week with Linda, a co-owner teaching.  She does wonderful books.  And she's a great, patient teacher.  She need be with the thousands of questions I have and all the help I need!  These books are all handmade, completely. (OK we don't make the paper, but you get my drift!

 We made the cover from chipboard, did some construction on pages, sewed signatures, and bound the signatures together with leather straps.  In our kit there was a wooden frame in which to put a picture or title for your book.  It was a wonderful process....I LOVE IT!!   We used the wonderful Graphic 45 paper and lots of rich embellishments! 

If you can, get over to the store and sign up for a class.  All the teacher's are creative and fun.  And it's not big box store classes...these are true art classes.  They have a huge selection of stamps and card supplies, and even have a space for you to come in and do cards.  I sound like an advertisement, but really I just LOVE THIS PLACE!!

It's nice to find a place where they are living their dreams....they help me keep Dreamin'

Remembering those who serve

Happy Memorial Day!  This is such a special holiday for me...always has been.  We would load up in the car and drive from cemetery to cemetery, lovingly placing flowers on family graves.  Grandma Gash would talk about each person as we decorated their resting spots.  I feel like I know so many of my ancestors because of those outings.  We didn't have soldiers in our family...somewhere a great great uncle was in the Civil War, and momma had a couple of cousins in Korea...but none until my brother Ron joined the Air Force Band after high school.  My dad was sooo proud of him.  Dad wanted to be in the military, but he was rejected because of his feet.  After mom died, I found envelopes with his rejection letters from Army, Marine, and Navy!  It was really important for him. 

     I know he would've been proud of our Tami, who joined the Navy during high school.  I know I am.  While she never saw combat (thank you Lord!), while stationed in Cicely she checked for bombs under incoming cars on base.  Scary enough for this mom.  She completed her 5 years with honors and is still "in-active reserve".  Her husband David is a Master at Arms in the Navy, and is planning to be a "lifer".  He spent a year in Bahrain, on  shore patrol.  Thank God for his safe return.

    I have twin nephews that went to different branches.  Jeff did his time on a nuclear submarine.  Chris is Army and is stationed in Kandahar, very much in harms way.  Thank you for helping keep us free.

A few years ago, Steve and I went to Philadelphia...he for a conference and me for a history tour!  What a joy to walk in the same place as our forefathers. I did this page reflecting on the awe I felt while there (it's an older page and I was just starting to fall in love with distressing!  I used the Bazzill In-Stitches paper with a tiny blue dot ribbon threaded through it. )  My journaling sums up what I would like to share on this  holiday, in honor of our fallen soldiers.

The Birthplace of Freedom

Words can never completely express my feeling when I saw Independence Hall for the first time.  Here, in front of me, was the place where Jefferson, Washington, Franklin..heroes of my childhood had drawn up plans for a new United States.  As the sign states, they died in darkness.  I felt awe as I was walking the cobblestone streets (more like alleys)

 where they had strolled and talked of freedom from England. 

 To say I was overcome, is and understatement. 

On many occasions, I had tears.

 Thank You, that we can keep dreamin'

Too busy scrapping...

....to write in my blog!  Sorry gang!  I just get so wound up in the craft that I forget to publish.  I have had 2 great weekends in a row of scrapbook heaven!  

• Went to a fabulous Pink Crop to raise money for Susan G Kommen at Creative Cuts and Crafts in Villa Park.  Some kinda fun.  They had the best snacks ever at a weekend event, and we did challenges (you know I love that), and  laughed SOOO much!  I got some pages done and watched a demonstration of a stamping/inking technique.  Can't remember what it was called, but it was beautiful.  They are trying to get a class at the store, and I will totally take it.  I spent too much time laughing, that I forgot to take many pictures!  Here is Tony, Claudia, Alan, & Linda.  The girls own the store and the guys put on the crop.  Great time!  Can't believe I have to miss the next one in June.  If you are local..you have to go.

• I drove to Oklahoma to hold a Dreams & Memories Retreat this last weekend.  We had 7 of us, and it was too much fun.  I love getting together with the girls.We went to Camp Egan in Tahlequah.  What a beautiful facility.  They really take great care of it.  Can you just imagine yourself away from family, phones, tv, KIDS?  for 3 days?  It was heaven.  We chose to sleep 2 of the  bunkhouses there, cause we all know each other so well.  Next retreat, we will stay in the big lodge, which has hotel type rooms!  Can't wait till March.  Took this picture outside of the room we cropped in.  And Laurie did a layout of the weekend...so I thought I would share that also.

will post more later.  Mark your calendars for March 2011!  You won't want to miss the next retreat.
Keep dreamin
Pam

Scrap-n-Time a Success!

Good morning Dreamers!  I have to tell you about our first all day crop at my new church (new cause I moved to Chicago).  I met Diane at a Growth Group lunch (that's the Tuesday Bible Study) and knew we would be friends.  You know, sometimes you can just tell?  Well, as we talked a bit more over the weeks, we found out we were both scrapbookers.  She invited me to crop at her former church with her.  It was a good time (when is cropping not!), but a little awkward. I went a second time with her and then suggested that we start our own crop at Good Shepherd.  Well, Saturday was the first day!
    There were 6 of us last Saturday morning.  We had so much fun!!! We had a great lunch provided by Diane.  I even got 2 layouts done!  Ok, one I'm not real thrilled with, it's a challenge in Creative Scrapbooking Divas.  Pictures of activities during the preceeding month.  I think that is for people with children or active lives.  It snowed!  That and the dog are about all I have to take pictures of!  (I need to get a life, and then there would be more. . . putting that on my list of things to do)
    But the continuing trip to Maine and back (it's only been 2 1/2 years!) was on my radar.  I am determined to get it finished!  So I got a layout about Niagra Falls done.  It also was a challange in the Diva forum....NO PATTERN PAPER!  The thought almost made me explode!  I love strips, flowers, dots, SWIRLS!!!  I thought it was going to be impossible!  And you know, it can't be too simple or I can't wrap my mind around it.  But, I did it! 

It's a bit more exciting when you can touch it and realize that the word tiles are actually Tim Holtz fragments.  So they stand up 1/8 inch or so.  I used my handy ZipDry and glued the tiles to the dark blue Bazzill cardstock.  After they were dry, I took my constant companion, the exacto blade, and trimed the edges.  I edged the tiles with Timber Brown StazOn ink. I have a love-affair with rub-ons, so I used some to spell the words. And since I took the picture, I have added more bling and removed the corner transparencies from page one.  It was a good idea at the time, it was just too "muddy" on the layout. 

                         Oh, and the title block on page 2- - -I've decided that unless something spectacular has happened where my nature pics were taken, I wouldn't journal them.  We all know it was a trip home from Maine, cause it said so on the layout before, it's beautiful, magnificent, blah, blah, blah.  No need to repeat it until my Grandkids say "sheesh, Gramma, we get it..you like nature!"  So, I was going to write in about how high the falls are, water volume coming down the river, that the word Niagra is derived from the Iroquois Indian word "Onguiaahra" meaning "the strait, and exciting things like that!  BORING!!! But then my oldest, Patrick called.  I told him I was looking up Niagra Falls facts and his reply: "NIAGRA FALLS!  Slowly I turned, Step by Step, Inch by Inch..."  It is one of our favorite Three Stooges skits!  Typical stooge antics (watch it here), but one the kids watched over and over.  The clip I sent you too was for our soldiers at a USO show, but they actually did the bit in one of their movies. 

           So it was done!  I had to put that as my journaling....so what if 20 years from now, someone buys my book at a garage sale (my kids aren't keepers) for the pretty travel pictures?  Maybe they will look up the Stooge bit on U Tube and get a good chuckle from it.  Then my job on earth would be complete...giving joy to strangers.

    Pass on some joy today and Keep Dreamin'

Is she my daughter-in-law or my friend?

      That's the question most people want to know about my relationship with Krista. She IS married to my middle son...but when we scrapbook together, it is a friendship as deep as my other friends. And it confuses my daughter to be at a scrapbook event with us (Slick doesn't crop). No subjects are "sacred" when we are scrapping and we talk about it all. So glad that Mike chose someone I like.
So this summer when she, Patty & Miss Sally traveled to Bolingbrook to go to the scrapbook convention in St. Charles, I had an opportunity to take lots of pictures of her. Well, she was taking pics, but she wasn't in them! I've featured one of them in today's blog.
In the forum I frequent (though my DH would call it "stalking" cause I am on there so much. That's a harsh term..I don't mean any harm. I just can't get enough scrapbooking- - and he did move me away from my scrap friends- - so I have on-line friends. It could be soooo much worse!) As I was saying before I interrupted myself...in Creative Scrapbook Divas, I try to finish as many challenges as I can. This one was called 5 Color Copy Cat. All we had to do was copy (not crop lift, COPY) her layout, but change our 5 colors! Well, I woke up at 5:35 this morning with a need to create..and it was next on my list.
I started with a base sheet of Lily:Sweet Spring line from Fancy Pants. I have a coordinating sheet to do 2nd page with, will try to finish it tonight. I found the picture of Krista standing under a tunnel covered with Clematis vines at Fabyan Japanese Garden. I felt the doodled flowers on the paper reminded me of Clematis. I matted the pic with a yellow paper from Cosmo Cricket and an unknown brown. I really wanted to see the daintyness of the flowers...and always need an excuse to use my exacto blade. 

Some people have craft knives, but my exacto & I have history.  I got it back in high school when I started to do wood carvings and couldn't get my carvings exact with my pocketknife.  It has a plastic handle that fits me like an old pair of jeans.


 So out it came from my holder to trace partially around flowers petals so they would hug the photo.

It' not hard, don't be afraid, it's only paper!  I marked how far down I wanted the photo to go and just traced (we learned to do that in elementary, you know).  

And I finally got to use my new Postage Edge Sixxix Die from Tim Holtz. 

 It's only 5 1/2" long, so it required some repositioning to get it where I wanted it. I inked the edges lightly and glued it under the upper edge of the photo.  

 I needed some embellishments, I think she use brads on each side top left & bottom right.  But I chose to go with some transparency lady bugs from Heidi Grace.

 There was also a a circle transparency with a poem about friends that I backed with blue Daidy D's paper (yes I have had that awhile now...saving it!).  I cut a portion of it off to give the effect of being wrapped around the bottom.  I punched the lady bugs  out with 5/8" circle punch and mounted them on little scraps of leftover paper from mat paper and blue paper.  I popped them on foam dots before adding them in a row on the lower right side of photo.

I needed flowers for the left corner and none of mine seemed to work.  So I cut out some paper that the picture would cover over (remember I only had one pece of this).  A little adhesive magic, popdots, bling, lime green stickles on the large flower, name cut from my Cricut and......

I am very pleased with the result.  Now for those I constantly nag about journaling, I promise it will be on the second page (for you newbies, I almost always do 2 page layouts...just like the way they look when the page is open).  so my next challenge is to do a purple layout.  Mmmmm...Lisa likes purple, sounds like a layout about a BFF!  Some day I'll get around to scrapping about my kids...today I'm enjoying the challenge pages!

Hope you scrap what you enjoy....and keep dreamin'.