Ladystamper

I love to bake with my kids. In fact, if we are sitting around bored, that is usually the first thing I suggest. "wanna make cookies?" I don't know why...maybe good memories of baking with my mom? maybe.... Ben gets into baking. The hat, the apron, the whole package. I love it! For this page, I used a piece of Textures DSP from Stampin' Up! I love the border and pattern on it. You really don't need much more! I added "chocolate" on another piece of cardstock (don't tell, but I stamped it directly on the background and botched it, so I layered! Creative opportunity!) The scalloped piece is a chipboard cutout from Stampin' Up! with chocolate (of course) craft ink sponged on it. I added a few build a brads for fun and ... done!.....I'm hungry....where's Ben? LOL

For Sarah's birthday last year, she decided she didn't want a birthday cake. We really aren't too big on cake in our family. Unless there is ice cream in it, and then....we may leave the cake part anyway! We did a strawberry shortcake instead. I used my funky flower tart baking pan from Pampered chef to make the angel food cakes and then we stacked them up and put berries and cream all over them. It was...interesting! But, it totally went with this cute stamp! (I totally didn't plan that....) I went with the strawberry theme for this layout. Red and white polka dots and green polka dots. I added a bit of black for contrast and some metal edge tags for embellishments. Fun and easy! Just like the birthday party!

By now, we should have gotten all the way to Arizona, gotten the truck unloaded, and maybe, just maybe caught our breath. No guarantees on that one. I will be heading out to Utah to pick up Maegan. I can't wait to see her and to hear all about her adventures. I have always admired my daughter. She is so strong and intelligent. She is also oober creative (tho she won't admit it) and has the ability to see the good in everyone. I made this page simple and beautiful, just like her. The base is a sheet of patterned paper from Stampin' Up! It is one of the new textured sheets. I love it! I added some simple punched flowers from a punch....I think Kim has? Anyway, I had punched them out of white cardstock and then when I added the memory paint for the journaling, I realized it was cream paint. Shoot! Since I didn't actually have the flower punch, I just painted the flowers to match! The centers are build a brads from SU! with DSP behind them. I made the M from a coaster and D...

Here is another blast from the past page. Pictures that I found while packing and purging......will you look at that hair? Gotta love the 80's and the 'helmet head' syndrome! These pictures are of me and my roommate in 'college.' I say college very loosely as....I did go a bit, but mostly I was just working and playing. I do regret that now, but it was fun at the time! These pages are the last in the Lisa Bearnson kit. Fun colors and no stress layout. I tweeked it a bit by adding a nice large journaling box on the left instead of what she had. The flower brads are Stampin' Up! Ahh....memories....These pictures are from Mesa Az,.....and Here I am, moving back. Many years later. I feel like I've been gone a lifetime!

Christmas in June? Why not?! This page was a lot of fun to put together. I pulled out a Simply Scrappin kit from Stampin' up! to use. I love their rich colors and heavy duty cardstock! Even the patterned paper is nice and thick. The green 'wish' block and the fun tag are all self-adhesive-die-cuts from the kit. How much easier can it get? Seriously! I added some chocolate brads and white ribbon and popped everything up with dimensionals. For the word border along the bottom, I used the Peace&Joy&Love&Cheer border die with the Big Shot and some patterened paper. I love how it turned out! I admit I did run it through my Xyron machine to get adhesive all over the back. I didn't want it moving around. Here is a close up of the tag. I love what it says. What more could we ask for?!

We did a great page at my stamp a stack and scrap several months ago and I promised to share it. But...I just couldn't find the right pictures to put on it! I finally decided on these shots of Sarah and Ethan in a tree. I could make a whole album of my kids in trees. They are part monkey I believe. (on my side I have to admit!) This page was totally fun to put together! The birds and branch are chipboard from Stampin' Up! that I colored with craft ink. I love the little legs! Aren't they adorable?! The flowers are stamped with saffron craft ink, embossed with clear embossing powder and cut out and layered. I know, a lot of work, but they are shiney in person and look great! The patterned papers are from the Urban Garden collection and I love them! I added a bit of Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon and a wavy strip of cardstock for the date. Fun page!

Nothing ages you like your kids getting older and passing major milestones. When mae got her lisence last year...I started feeling old. sheesh....can I really have a kid that age? Then I remember...when my mother was my age, she was a grandma! Holy cow! I've always been glad my mom was so young. She is more of a sister to me at times. It is fun to have people say we look like sisters. Believe it or not, people say that about Mae and I sometimes. THAT makes me feel young! Keep those comments coming! This is another layout from the Lisa Bearnson kit. Very simple and...I didn't change it TOO much. Just the photo layout and the journaling blocks. I loved the funky colors and thought they went well with Mae and her day of increased freedom. I did add the ribbon to the button and stamped "sweet 16" at the bottom with memory paing and a Becky Higgins stamp. SUPER easy page! We're still on the road....having so much fun...

This is a super easy layout that can work for any occasion really. I tend to do a lot of 'film strip' like layouts because I have a lot of pictures. With six kids...how could I not? I love this series of pictures with Mae and Fantine. They are cute together. Fantine always looks so matronly in pictures...she is really a crazy pup, but puts on a good act for the camera. The patterned paper is from Stampin' Up!, of course...their paper is so yummy! I love this paisley print! I added some wide chocolate grosgrain, stamped "smooches" with the new alphabet set and swirl from a stamp by Becky Higgins. I should be picking up Mae in a week. I can't wait to see her! I have missed her sooo much! Today we start our long journey to Arizona....this should be fun. ;o)

Today is my last day in Florida. It is truly a bitter sweet day! I absolutely love it here. I have met so many wonderful people that have enriched my life. I will miss you all! Please stay in touch! I got an email from my friend Laurel P this morning with the following list. It just embodied how I feel about life so I thought I would share it with you all as my parting 'see you later.' Have no fear, my blog will continue! "Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written." My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. 5. Pay off...

I teach a lot of classes on scrapbooking and stamping and I almost always mention how therapeutic these creative ventures can be. I joke that it is cheaper to buy stamps than to pay for therapy. I always thought it was true, but never more than when I did these pages. My daughter Sarah wanted to scrap book so we were up in my craft room at 'the table' getting set up. I looked at pictures, moved stuff around,....but I just couldn't do a thing. I felt like a big wall was in front of me and I didn't have the energy to climb over it. I can't remember feeling quite that way before. A few days later, I received a package in the mail from Lisa Bearnson. No, we aren't friends or anything, it was her new scrapbooking kit that I had ordered. I opened it up and felt a surge of excitement! I finished what I was doing and then Sarah and I tried the scrappin again. It was so awesome to be able to sit down and have everything planned for me. The whole page was laid out, all ...

These pictures are from Ethan's last birthday and frankly, I'm feeling pretty good that I got them scrapped before his next birthday! Again...it seems like just last month that he turned 9. Where did this year go? This birthday was fun because Brad and I surprised Ethan with a new bike. We were doing presents and Brad asked Ethan to go out front and get something for him. He went out and saw the bike and asked who's bike it was. He was totally surprised when we said it was his! I love this picture of him so excited and smiling! He is just the sweetest boy! For the page, I kept it real simple and used patterned paper from Stampin' Up! from the hostess set this year. The paper is light, but if you look close you can see that it is lined like notebook paper. There is a little kite and string printed in the bottom right hand corner of both sheets. I covered the one on the left with a large patterned circle and the one on the right with a glittered cupcake I cut with the Big...

You may recognize this layout from yesterday. I used the same basic one on the pages with Sarah. These pictures are actually from the same day. Instead of combining the pictures of both kids on one layout, I decided to do two. I wanted to show the movement of thier 'trick' in the layout. If I had taken the pictures from the other side, they would have been perfect, as it is...they are moving backwards, kind of. Anyway, instead of the circles and butterflies, I went for a more 'manly' theme with Ethan's pages. Some bold stripes and a soft leaf print on either side of my film strip and some metal edge tags with leaves stamped on them were my base. I cut out ETHAN with my Big Shot letter dies and then added loads of colored brads to add to the movement feel of the page. I don't know why these pictures seem so fuzzy...it may have something to do with my new photo software. I am having a hard time figuring out how it works. Wish me luck!

May was national scrap booking month and I did make it a point to scrapbook. I just didn't get pictures of the pages posted in May. This page was inspired by a layout I saw in one of my many many scrapping magazines. I changed it quite a bit, but kept the circle on the left. LOL Funny how an inspiration morphs! These pictures are of my daughter Sarah on her birthday almost a year ago! It seems like only last week....this year has gone by amazingly fast. I can't even wrap my brain around it! I cut the big circle with the new Circle Scissor from Stampin' Up!. This isn't the old scissor...this one is new and improved and SO easy to use! The blade goes either way, a real improvement from the one we carried years ago. It is super easy to make circles of all sizes with it. I use the butterfly die to make the butterflies and also to make the soft background butterflies. You can barely see them here, but I used the negative left from when I cut out the butterfly and then spon...

This card was made by Paula Goff, a blogger friend. I love the simple elegance of it. It is obviously a sympathy card, but could easily be a wedding or anniversary card. It is just stunning in person. This second card is from Kim and Gayle...I think Kim made it but can't be sure. It is a mother-daughter combo here so.... I love the faux quilt look of the card. These patterned papers are some of my favorites!

Lisa Martz, Blogger challenge member, made this card. I love love love how she used the tag! Sometimes the simplest little things catch my eye. I just thought it was very clever. This is definitely a card I would demo at a workshop. You could even modify the layout for a 6 x 6 scrap book layout. Very cute! The packers should be done today...then the fun begins. A week without any of our stuff! Air mattresses, paper plates, and laundromat. It is a good thing we have cub scout camp all next week...we won't be home enough to notice the missing stuff!

Kelly Rae Cooper made this card. I have to say,I have admired her work for some time. She is a sideline member of my stampin family and I have seen lots of her swaps go by. I actually called her once to ask her about a card she did and she pointed me to Pat's Technique Junkie newsletter. Althought I think she does get some great ideas from pat, Kelly is oober creative all on her own! This technique is called Faux Seersucker I believe. The white focal area has been textured so that it really feels and looks like fabric! Very cool! Day 2 of the packers....will it ever end?

I admit it...I pre-scheduled a bunch of posts so that you all could hear/see from me while I was moving. For some reason, blogger has decided to post random posts early. hmmm...not sure what is up with that. So, if you get on here and see the date of my post and think you somehow missed a week of your life, sorry about that. I was just attempting to be organized and prepared. LOL Today, the packers are coming and well, golly, that is just going to be too much fun. sigh....I hate to move.....

From the moment I saw this tree set, I knew I had to have it! I actually was trying to come up with a logo for my scrapbooking company a few years ago (200Trees) and wanted a tree just like this! I tried to describe it to my various designer friends, but couldn't quite get it the way I wanted. This tree is perfect! This sweet card was made by Lisa Bohler, another Bloggers Challenge gal She does awesome stuff! I love the brown and blue together. And, polka dots are my favorite! Thanks Lisa! I love this tree so much that I actually put the decor elements tree on my living room wall a few months ago. You may think it is sad that now I am leaving it, but...It took me all of 20 minutes to put it up. I can just buy another one for my new house! If I had stenciled or painted it on...I would be really sad! You gotta love the Decor Elements! Today the Movers are scheduled to come and start packing. This should be fun.....

This card really caught my eye when I opened it. The colors really seem to pop off the page! Ashley is a stampin friend that lives just far enough away that we don't get to see each other very often. She is a demonstrator is Morriston, Fl. So, if you are in that area and need someone, give her a call! I love how the little butterfly just seems to be flitting about on here.

This card was made by Karen Giron. Many of you know her. She has a weekly challenge on Sunday on her blog here . She is a fun and creative person as well as a great mom. I love the colors she used here. The green with the cool blues. Very fun and funky without being over the top. This second card was sent by my friend Page. Page is someone I met through the local MOPS group right after I moved to Florida. She is a wonderful person that always seems to be doing something for someone else. She is either volunteering at the elementary school, doing something for MOPS, running in a race for charity or taking something to someone in need. I admire her for her great sense of compassion for others. I'm so glad I met her!

My dear friend, and fellow Twilight addict Lee sent this card. She is always saying how un creative she is....then she comes up with things like this! I love how she used the background under the words too. It totally ties it all together. I also love the way the flowers look stamped on the orange cardstock. Almost like a fabric print. Very cool.

Pat Huntoon sent me this card. If you know Pat at all, you know she is the most creative person around! She has a bi-monthly newsletter that she puts out that is full of fun new stamping techniques. It is called the "Technique Junkie" newsletter. You can find more information for it on her website at www.patstamps.com . Tell her I sent you! This card is full of great techniques from her newsletter. I can't share them here, for copyright sakes, so check out her site! She is amazing!

I have received so many sympathy cards from friends, family, and people I barely knew recently. It has been so wonderful to know that so many people have been thinking of me and my family. I have always said that stampers are the best people in the world, and I still think so! This card was sent to me by Nikki Bond, a very creative gal that I met through the Bloggers' challenge group. I thought it was so sweet of her to send me a card! Isn't the internet wonderful? We can make friends all across the world, with just a few clicks! I love it! This second card is another by my friend Shari. I love how beautifully she watercolored this flower. It is simple yet very pretty. Both of these cards also have great texture. I just love them!

This beautiful card was made by Michele Davis. I love the cool, calm colors she chose. I am going to miss this Kiwi Kiss paper and especially the ribbon! It is the best ribbon ever! If you want some before it is gone, be sure to call or email me with an order. It is even on sale til it runs out! Check my Stampin' Up ! website for the full list of retiring stamps and accessories. www.beckiecarlson.stampinup.net

One of the most rewarding things for me is to have a customer or stampin student send me a card that they have made. I absolutely LOVE it! it makes me feel like I accomplished something. I brought a bit of creative joy to someone else. It is why I do what I do. This sweet card was given to me by two of my favorite people Kim and Linnette, at my birthday party. I am not sure which one made it, but it is totally cute! I love the choice of colors and the awesome big bow! Yes, I taught them well....:o)

I 'wish' I could keep up with this blog better! I have been busy getting ready for our move. It is a good thing I don't have to pack it all, I don't know how I could possibly do it! All I have to do is get everything in order. Not that my house is "out of order" but...I am purging. Getting rid of all the stuff we have carried across the country with us that we really don't need. Mostly it comes down to paper. I think I have a full rainforest worth of paper in my house. It can be overwhelming to go through paper, as most everyone knows, so the way I do it is to put on a movie or show that I like and just sit and sort. I have a big trash can, a shredder, and scissors. If it has personal stuff on it, it gets shredded. If it is a keeper, I sort it into the pile it needs to be in to file it later. I have TONS of magazines! Mostly scrapbooking, home decor, and craft. I quickly leaf through each magazine and cut out the pages I want to keep. Out of about 50 mag...