Live 2 CREATE!

Yeah!!! I am happy to report that I finally got all the retreat pictures in and I have uploaded them to my gallery {here}

Now I will say that there were about 800 total pictures I had to go through after getting them all in from the MVP’s, and I only posted about 220 of the best of them. I think there were about 450 really great ones so if you ordered the cd then you will be getting a lot more pics then what you see in the gallery!

* {Retreat CD’s will be mailed out this week!!!} If you still want one just email me and we can discuss the details.

Also, I am going to be contacting all those who had personal photo shoots via email. If you ordered a cd then your shots will be on it and if you did not then I will email your personal shots to you, however you will have to bear with me because we are taking a family trip this weekend to Texas so it will be next week before I can send out those emails.

* There is an entire an album in the gallery dedicated to all the retreat make & takes, classes, projects, etc… and if you attended the retreat and still have any questions about any of the projects we created just shoot me an email!

I hope everyone had a wonderful time – I know I did and I am just so grateful that we were all able to come together on the mountain and do nothing but relax and CREATE!

Peace, Love, & Happy Creating,
April

lol…well here’s the thing…it did not take me a long time to make this layout, however it took me a little longer than I expected and what I can honestly label as fast. So I am calling this a semi-fast layout! Really it’s not all that bad even though it looks detailed…I think it’s a little deceiving to the eye. Last week I directed you to a post by Rhonna Farrer where she provided you a link to download a cute free banner she had created digitally. I just wanted to encourage you to take the opportunity to download it, print it out, and use it…so here is an example of what I did with mine.

He’s Happy

* {Supplies}
- Core’dinations ColorCore Cardstock/core impressions Jillibean Soup Collection
- Hambly Screen Prints Overlay Climbing Vine
- Hambly Screen Prints Stitches Rub ons
- Rhonna Farrer “Happy” Junque Banner
- Sakura Gelly Roll Glitter Stardust Pen
- Prima Chipboard Letters
- Chatterbox Chipboard Sticker
- Making Memories Stickers
- Making Memories Sticker Product Packaging
- 7gypsy Metal Clip

* Instructions & Techniques Used:
- First off I have to tell you how awesome the Core’dinations ColorCore core impressions cardstock is!!! The pad I have coredinates with the Jilibean Soup Collection and it’s really cool stuff. All I did was sanded the surface a little and it made the little stars just pop right off the page!

- Next I simply laid a 12×12 “Climbing Vine” Hambly Overlay on top of the cardstock and put some adhesive down in between them where I knew my photo was going to be so it wouldn’t show through.

- I was out of pop dots so I cut a piece of cardboard and adhered it to the back of my photo to add dimension. – This was easy and cheap and I think I will be doing this for my big pics from now on! – not to mention it is a little easier to pick up and re-adjust if you need to…

- I printed out Rhonna’s banner, used my trimmer to cut it out in like less than a minute and then played around with it until I was happy with how it looked on the page. I used the backside of some of the green Core’dinations cardstock to mat the “H” flag and also the little circle’s from the banner print out. I cut the ends off of each of the flags, (with the exception of the “H”) and then placed them on the page as well.

- I used some leftover Making Memories product packaging – punched it with a border punch and then placed it at the bottom of my flags.

- Then I used some Hambly “Stitches” Rub ons along the bottoms and tops of my little flags – so cute!!

- To complete the layout, I added a title, a few stickers, some journaling, and outlined the flags using a pretty green glitter Sakura gelly roll pen.

* A friend of mine sent me some new tunes and here’s one I have been listening to all week that I really like!! Now I don’t know that the little video is all that, but just play it while you surf the internet!

Peace, Love, & Happy Creating,
April

So I know “Technique Tuesday” is a term frequently used everywhere, but for lack of a better way to say it…today is Tuesday and I’m showing some techniques…so “Technique Tuesday” it is!

The Haunted “Memphis” Mummy!

* {Supplies}:
- Hambly Screen Prints Overlay 3/4″ Graph
- Hambly Screen Prints Chic Circles Paper
- Hambly Screen Prints Spooky Halloween Rub Ons
- Bazzill Cardstock – White
- Jillibean Soup Corrugated Kraft Alphas
- Ranger’s Adirondack Alcohol Ink Mixatives in Silver
- Sakura Gelly Roll Glaze Pens & Metallic Pens
- Making Memories Stickers
- 7gypsies metal clips
- Advantus Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Tiny Attacher & mini staples
- Uni-ball Signo Pen

* Techniques:
- I poured some silver mixative alcohol ink into my mini mister and then sprayed it over my corrugated letter. I also spray misted my white cardstock in several places as well. The silver alcohol ink looked amazing and I’m just disappointed that it took me this long to try it like this! After the alcohol ink dried on the letter (which was like in two seconds!), I used an orange Sakura Gelly Roll Glaze pen to color in the valleys of the letter. Then I outlined the letter using a white Signo pen – which just gave it a little extra pop.

* More Techniques:
- I lightly misted the edges of my cardstock with water and then rolled the edges. After they dried, I used my finger to apply silver alcohol ink to the inside and outside edges. I also used my fingers to apply the alcohol ink around the edges of my Hambly Overlay and it looked like I had outlined it with a silver paint pen but had a more distressed feel which I thought was great!

* Extra Ideas to Note:
- This is how my package of Hambly rub ons came and you can easily see where I simply just cut out a section of them all together and adhered them to my page as is. This is something I love to do with rub ons! Don’t make it hard or over think it…sometimes rub on sheets already come in cool graphic designs and all you need to do is lay them down on the page. Also, note the small rub on in the upper middle of the sheet in the teal rectangle. This is a package decoration, but I cut it out and used it on my page as well – (I have it on the bottom right hand side of my page on the silver chic circles paper. I also plan on using the words “Rub Ons”, “Screen Prints”, and the other decorative corner image on future projects as well. So I’m just sayin…don’t dismiss all the possible goodness!

Peace, Love, & Happy Creating,
April

So this isn’t really new because I created this one right before the MemoryVilla Retreat, however I haven’t posted it on the blog yet so I thought I would share!

CJ at 9 Months!

* Let me start by addressing all the traditional scrapbookers out there -DON’T be afraid of Digital Elements. Let yourself be opened up to a new and exciting world where (as long as you have a decent printer) you can have a new scrapbook paper or embellishment in your hands in a matter of minutes …just with the click of a mouse!

For this layout, I simply downloaded this super cute spring banner from House of Three, printed it out on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of white cardstock, cut it out, matted it with kraft cardstock, and then used it as a page embellishment! For the pictures across the top, I added a cute digital distressed white frame around my photos (also from House of Three), and the printed them out, trimmed them, and adhered them to my layout. However you could just as easily put two horizontal 4×6 photos side by side across the top!

If you click {HERE} you can download a pretty vintage type banner by Rhonna Farrer for free and try it out yourself!

* I’m going to make up a layout using the free one sometime next week and will hopefully have it to show next friday. If you don’t want to use it on a layout use it for it’s intended purpose – A Banner!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Peace, Love, & Happy Creating,
April

33…hmmmmm I guess it’s not so bad. My stepfather called and asked if I felt like I was 33 and I didn’t even have to think about it before I answered – YES! lol Yes I do feel 33…but it’s all good!

My grandfather gave a sweet card this morning

and it actually made me stop and think about what my new motto for this year will be…

On the inside the card says,“Feel the Happiness Begin”! I am going to slightly alter it and say that for the upcoming year my new motto will be, “Let the Happiness Begin!”

With everything that has been going on in my life lately, my friends lives, the news, etc…there has been a lot of sadness & stress…but I always find a little bit of happiness in every day no matter what has happened. {And for me that is what I want to focus on – the Happiness! All of the things I have to be happy about and that make my life good…and that make turning 33 good!}

So I decided to make a list today of the good, the bad, and the Happiness that I am currently experiencing at the age of 33! (I am going to mix them all together though so that it all seems pleasantly balanced…lol)

My “33″ List:

* Everyday I experience and thrive on the Unconditional Love that my children send my way
* I am currently a red head!
* I am definitely not as thin as I would prefer to be…
* I finally like my freckles!
* I give and get at least 50 kisses a day from my sweet baby Castor! …and kisses make me happy!!
* I am constantly inspired and ready to create…
* I am constantly wishing I had time to create or do things with all my inspirations…
* I’m constantly exhausted…
* I have a very loving husband…granted he often drives me crazy…he loves me and still makes my heart flutter…
* I have really bad migraine headaches that keep me from being outside in the heat most of the time
* I just started a new medicine that I will take daily to try and help the migraines…however it has a horrible side effect – WEIGHT LOSS – oh my goodness that is just horrible isn’t it….(side note: please do not let me be the one exception who does not experience the horrible side effect!)
* This stuff brings a little happiness my way daily:

* I no longer have the amazing scrapbook studio my husband designed for me…but I have a table and a light and I guess in the end that’s all I need cause I still feel creative!
* I’m finding it pretty hard living without my husband and taking care of the three kids by myself…
* However, during this time of having to live apart I have also learned a lot about myself…for instance I am a lot stronger emotionally than I realized and capable of doing a lot more – meaning things my husband usually does but I now do…
* I have found that I actually enjoy having stairs to go up and down everyday..it’s like have to exercise…not a choice so you don’t really think about it…but I must go up and down them like 20 times a day!
* I found my signature scent {Persian Garden} and I’m sticking with it till I die – or until they stop making it!
* I am okay with the fact that I am not perfect
* Although I do wish that having three children had not wreaked the havoc that it did on my body!
* I am officially a morning person and I’m glad! It didn’t start out that way, but now I’m used to it and even though the clock may read 5am when I get up, it’s really hard not to be happy when I look over and see Castor’s little head peaking over the crib rail with a huge smile on his face and saying, “Momma!”
* I drink two cups of coffee each morning…
* I hated these when I was a kid but now they are my absolute fav: Dark Chocolate, Avacados, Artichokes, wine, well let me clarify…I did not really drink wine when I was a kid, but I’m just sayin at 33 I really enjoy a good glass of wine!
* I sport *{ROCK} a Mini-Van!
* I am constantly struggling to keep up with everything house cleaning & Laundry…
* I do not like to iron, or empty the dishwasher…don’t mind filling it though…
* I love to cook and I think I’m pretty good at it for the most part. I have to say it makes me feel pretty good to hear my husband say how much he misses my cooking during the week. Oh wait…he lives in a tent though so I don’t know if that’s saying much…
* When I can, I create art, scrapbook, photograph things, and occasionally I get lucky enough to teach classes on these…I am so thankful to have this creative outlet in my life.
* I am not afraid to voice my opinions – I still don’t like confrontation really…but I know what I want and usually what I have to do to make it happen.
* I get to play everyday…granted it may only be with a fisher price toy or some legos or a barbie…but it’s still play!
* I am not excited about our financial situation…that being said, I feel like I have come a long way, learned a lot, have the knowledge I need now to teach my kids and send them on a better path, and well…I have a beautiful family, a roof over my head, something to drive, and love…so I say it’s better to live in Happiness then to drown in sorrow.