a biker LO

Here comes a little of my yin/yang. I just did a layout about a motorcycle trip. So yes, the biker bitch scrapbooks. After years of doing both, I STILL think it's funny! Ok, so I'm easily amused. Guess I'm tired too... blathering on... and on... lol

I started this LO thinking I would create something I could use for class. But then I got going and I liked my direction so much that I didn't know how to change it or what to add to make it fit one of our class themes. But when I was just about done, I decided subtlety could work.

So THIS bike gang layout has glitter. Now if THAT isn't funny.... roflmao


oh, and sorry about the nasty flash, indoor lighting sux for photographing LOs.

scrappin' about scrappin'

lol Sounds funny!

I put together a layout yesterday about a weekend retreat that we "girls" did last year in the Dells. Somehow, with a large group of scrappers, there were very few pictures. I (shame on me) did not take ANY pics!! :-o

Anyway, this layout was somewhat inspired by the online class I'm taking. The current theme is stickers. wow - that is tough for me cuz I really don't use much for stickers except alphas for titles. But in this LO I used 15, count 'em, fifteen stickers!! I cut them, inked them, doodled on them, layered them, and even used a couple as a photo mat. hmmm.... I may have to use stickers more often!

fun pics from ScrapFest

the obligatory group shot - frog and all...


At the Rain Forest Cafe, I was fascinated by the guy who was making balloon shapes. So Bobi had him come over and make one for me. :-)


The 4 foot eel at the Rain Forest - thanks to the really nice staff guy, we saw this eel do his nightly 2 laps around the tank. Very cool!


this new ride is awesome - you go straight up - IN BETWEEN THE CEILING BEAMS - then straight down... plus the usual rollercoaster curves. woohoo!!


Saturday night crop - none of us accomplished much that night. lol

late night fun

I was up way late last night, as in 3:30am.... I cleaned my studio, put lots of stuff away, woohoo! And then, (drumroll please), I did a layout. I'm such a freak, I just can't scrapbook in a messy area.

I created the layout based on ideas from week 2 of an online class I'm taking: Product Playground 2 from Big Picture. Week 2 is all about the Softer Side - stuff like felt, flocking, fiber, fabric and floss. So my big idea was to use a felt frame - my first try at using felt anything! Well, I love how it turned out!! Not only did I use the reverse of a black felt frame (the outside part that was meant to be thrown away), I also used foam alphas for the title, and (not relevant to class) I painted the paper to create my photo mat - first time for that! Ain't this just SWEET??!! lol


As a side note, the purple and green layout I posted Sept 8 was also for this class. Week 1 focused on edges - meaning papers with decorative edges, lace or cutout paper, decorative edge scissors, etc. So I cut the beautiful floral paper to have scalloped edges and I used my very old scallop edge deco scissors to trim my journaling box.

pics of ScrapFest projects

Here is the cool project I made in Tim Holtz's class, this'll fit oh so well into the downstairs when I redecorate:


Here are the cards, mini books, candy bar wrap, and layout I made at the Make n Take booths:



I almost always use patterned paper in my layouts... so this is a great reminder how nice solid cardstock can look! (fyi- the green sheet will be used to mat a photo, and will get cut to the right size then.)

fun times

at MOA. yep, fun times indeed. Scrapfest is so much fun.

This year Bobi, Dawn and I did some Make n Takes on Friday while Carrie was in class. I usually don't do MnTs (small free projects where we play with vendor products and tools) because the lines are always so long at each and every vendor booth... but it was nice and relaxing and fun, hanging with the girls, chatting - it didn't even seem like we were waiting to do something. We made numerous cards, a couple mini books and a full size layout. As usual, I gawked at Tim Holtz for while - I adore watching him while he does show and tell - the man is so super talented - it seems like total second nature for him to create beautiful cool items.

I had three classes on Saturday - so it was another leisurely day. I've been too pressed for time at previous Scrapfests, so I opted to slow it down this year. The only class project I finished (being slow with my finger injuries) was my Tim Holtz class - a cool framed mirror that we decorated as travel themed. My other two classes are super cute projects that I just couldn't keep up with. One class was with Me And My Big Ideas - omg, MAMBI was so very generous with product!! And that is very smart for a vendor, because scrapbookers love to play, and if we love what we play with we buy more. And of course we tell our scrapper friends about the cool product we played with, and how generous xyz company is, and then they go buy from that vendor. So it is a total win-win for vendors to be generous with their product giveaways.

We four girls opted to only attend one evening crop this year, so we... um... had a few beverages Thursday and Friday nights at the Cantina. hehehe 'Twas fun, even tho the music sucked. We enjoyed a fab dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. And then after we finished dining, one of the workers told us about the eel in one of the fish tanks. Whoa - this was cool. He told us that the eel comes out of his hiding spot only once a day, at 9pm, and he does two laps around the tank and goes back into hiding. It was 8:52, so we decided to wait. At 8:58, the FOUR FOOT eel came out and did his two laps. Cool - talk about creatures of habit! lol So we thanked the worker guy for the info, and he talked to us at length about some of the fish and the tanks and stuff... very neat and very interesting!!

So then on Saturday night we went to a crop sponsored by Little Yellow Bicycle at the Roseville Archivers. LYB gave us each a packet of stuff to make 3 cute projects - it was their brand new Christmas line - sweet! Then they gave us each a cool rockin' tote bag with more Christmas stuff, plus their new Halloween line and a little of one of their current lines. And they had lots of prize giveaways too! We were super pleased with the quality and quantity of their freebies - LOVE IT! :-) And then the Roseville Archivers was generous too - everyone received a bag of goodies, some older stuff, some more current stuff, but definitely good overall packages. Plus they had a grand prize giveaway at the end - and CARRIE won it! woohoo! We think we definitely got our money's worth from going to that crop - always a good feeling. And I am now totally in love with LYB product - I can't wait to see their next lines - hoping they are more generic in the future, as I don't generally scrap holidays.

So now hopefully in the next couple days I'll take and post pictures of my MnTs and finished class project... and also soon finish up the two other class projects!

scrapfest '08

yay - by this time tomorrow I'll be in the Twin Cities for Scrapfest '08! Most of the event is held at the Mall of America, including classes and Make n Takes (mini free projects). It's sponsored by Archivers and has been fun in years past - this will be my third annual.

I have taken lots of classes in previous years, and not left myself with enough time to enjoy my friends and the MOA. So this year I only have 3 classes. I should have plenty of time for R&R, chatting, window shopping, etc.

hmmm... it was pointed out

that I hadn't updated my blog re: my work status.

As usual, things have changed. I will not be returning to my last client. :-(

Instead, I'm staying on this team project longer than originally expected. :-)

another quick pic

Tonight I finally finished a layout I've been working on this week. yay!


I have to apologize - all my LO pics have been a bit blurry, some worse than others. I'm looking forward to getting another "good" digital camera to replace the one damaged in our accident. The old camera seems to be having problems...

... cuz you know it can't be operator error. roflmao! (rolling on floor laughing my a** off)

way fun

Last weekend, as in the weekend before Labor Day weekend, I had a super fun time with "the girls." We rented a retreat house for scrapping - it's a fabulous place called Bridge Creek near Eau Claire. I didn't expect to get a lot done, since I still don't use my left fingers... but wow! I proved myself wrong. I finished 12, count 'em, TWELVE layouts! woohoo!!! I almost ran out of stuff to do, and that would have been a first! lol

Without further ado, here are snaps of the LOs I did: