~ super {hero} fun ~

I'm beginning to dread Mondays!  Even though I am not officially back to work for another few weeks we keep receiving bad news in our family!  Last Monday I received the news that my cousin and her husband lost their daughter in a four-wheeler accident.  It's actually my cousin's stepdaughter, but it doesn't matter.  Just over two years ago this same cousin lost her nineteen (almost twenty) year old daughter in a car accident (leaving a child motherless).  I don't even know Angela, I've never met her, but the news of her death, and my cousin's loss, hit me hard.

This week, I received news that a different cousin's thirty-three year old son had a heart attack and died!  He leaves a wife and four young children.  Their youngest was due only a week apart from me with the baby I miscarried, and was born the morning of Mikaela's visitation!

To all this I say, WHAT IS GOING ON???  (I'm editing my language, of course).  And it all brings back the losses that I've suffered more personally this past year, of course, not that it ever seems to go too far away.

We received the news just before supper, and there were phone calls to make and details to process.  So we just went out to eat.  When we got home, we spent some time outside, which led to impromptu sprinkler fun and a visit from super heroes.  I am so thankful for these times.  I took TONS of photos, pared it down to about 37 for Facebook.  I've done my best to pick only a few for the blog!  I know this story will be documented via scrapbook, I have no idea how I will choose photos!

They aren't sleeping, she is trying to convince him to have a picnic and sleep outside!

I leave you with a B. story:  She was playing by herself for quite a long time, and it was "that time" of day, so...
Me: B, are you pooping?
B: Don't check, OK?

~ makes me smile ~

Everyone says that you should write down the stories, so that later, when you scrap 'em, you remember them.  They also say that to do that you should have places to write it down available at all times.  I found this cute, striped, hard-cover, little notebook, added some washi and text and voila, I now have something to write down the stories that "make me smile".

Soon I will update you all on my park mini book progress.  I've sorta been at a stalemate because I've been trying to make a decision about just how to scrap the last time we took Mikaela to the park with us.  I made some decisions and progress over the last few days and hope to update soon.  I have family coming to town tomorrow and I've really been trying to spend as much quality time with B. as possible, so I've backed off a bit on the blog and the crafty projects!  If you recall, my mini book has mostly pink, green, a hint of blue, and orange (of course), with all orange stitching.  Well, one decision I made was that this page would have purple for Mikaela.  

Here are a few photos of my sweet B. over the last couple of days.  (I LOVE INSTAGRAM, BTW)!

~ wigglin' water sprinkler ~

First of all, I am a winner! In a previous post I shared a layout that I did for the June Sketch it Out Challenge over at Club CK.  Well...I won!  It's a random drawing, but still exciting and fun.  I would encourage anyone reading this to participate in the many creative challenges that Club CK offers. Plus I cannot go on without offering a CONGRATULATIONS to Ashly Horton for being selected as a 2012-2013 Club CK moderator! Congrats to her and the others chosen!  Club CK is a great community full of fun, creative, and caring people from all over the world.  And it's FREE. Did I mention that there are tons of creative challenges that push you to try and do new things?  Fun times!

Moving on....I based my most recent layout on another sketch by Ashley Horton, for the Club CK *July* Sketch It Out Challenge! It was so much fun the first time, why not do it again?  One of the 'issues' I often have with sketches, though...I LOVE TWO PAGE LAYOUTS and they are almost always a single page.  So...the main 'new thing' that I tried for this time around was to stretch the sketch (say that out loud, it rhymes) into a two pager.  Also, I have really been wanting to try an extra large photograph.  My last post had a rather large photo (6x6) but this one is even bigger.  Fun!  While there are several things about this one that I am not exactly satisfied with, and there are several mistakes, it was still fun and stretched my brain.  It is most certainly not to late to try this sketch out yourself!  Join us over at Club CK's *July* Sketch it Out Challenge!  We are fun people! 

For this layout I started with yellow card stock and the March Scrapbook Circle kit, Best.Day.Ever (it's sold out, but you can get other great kits there, so check it out).  I added several items from my stash (all linked below) and here you go (also I hope you can tell in these photos that I used orange (no red)):

Ok. Wanna help???  I was thinking I might put something like "fun" or "summer" or "June" after the word 'hello'. Maybe below, just to the right?  What do you think?  Should I leave it the same or add a word?

One last thing:  I love these photos I took this weekend!

And I love your comments!  :-)

..::non-manifesto progress::..

stamped on washi :: zig zag stitch in the middle of straight stitch :: circle stitch :: paint on a layout :: spray mist :: masking :: stretch a sketch ::

~ pink sand ~

I did this one for the June Color Challenge at Club CK!  As soon as I saw the challenge, I knew what photos I would use. Colors: Green, Pink and White -- perfect for a green turtle sandbox with pink sand!

B's favorite color has been pink since she could talk!  So when my mom saw the pink sand, she had to get it.  Gotta love Grandmas!

I used mostly the April Scrapbook Circle Kit :: Daydreamer.  Full list of supplies at the end of the post and I'll point out my "new stuff" (per my non-manifesto) as I go!

 {New stuff number 1: stitching in a circle}

 {New stuff number 2 & 3: using a mask, using spray mist}

I had so much fun making the little piece of the layout below!!  First I used my cricut to cut the letter B out (Plantin Schoolbook cartridge).  I used pink paint and painted the cut out B, but the leftover square was the fun part!  I used paint and alphastamps (linked below) and stamped uppercase and lowercase B's all over the square.  Then, I decided to mist that piece as well (it was just a bit too....boring without it).  FUN and unplanned, which is more fun.
{New stuff number 4: using paint on a layout}

Interesting fact: for the journaling block I actually used the piece of cardboard that the Amy Tan fabric stickers came on.  I loved the orange grid so I went with it! Speaking of Amy Tangerine, did you see her new release?  Delicious!

You may notice that I used quite a few buttons from my stash.  Well, this is what happens when you are focused on working, and not paying attention to your two-year-old play....

Those circles in the middle are the tops of the containers that the buttons were in, sorted by color.  Don't you bet she had fun?

Hope everyone has a fun, safe, 4th of July celebration!

..::non-manifesto progress::..

stamped on washi :: zig zag stitch in the middle of straight stitch :: circle stitch :: paint on a layout :: spray mist :: masking ::

Supplies: (also various buttons from my stash)

~ washi love ~

You've seen it.  You've probably used it.  It's all the rage.  Like many in the scrapbooking world, I have fallen in love with Washi Tape!

It's over-flowing.  I already need new Washi storage!

Stamping on Washi

Washi + label maker = organized Scrapbook Circle kits

In my park mini book, to attach Hambly overlay to paper

Also in my park mini book, folded over as "tabs"

Last, here's a little sneak of a layout I just finished -- look for it to show up here in a day or two!

How do you use Washi?

~ summertime with a mini ~

School's out (yay!), but I'm not (boo)!  When I moved from classroom teacher to title one reading teacher, to literacy coach I made a gradual shift to more leadership duties.  As literacy coach I have an extended contract (only a few days) and end up working most of June (and did I mention that I am also taking graduate classes this summer?).  However, it's some of my favorite work and it's much more flexible time-wise, for that I am grateful! This means I also have a bit of time to think about projects and even a little time to do them!  Right now I have several things going at once, but I'll stick with one for now.  I hope to be able to share more often now that summer is here!  And with July just around the corner, I am optimistic about getting more crafty funness into my life!

Since Mikaela's accident we haven't gone to the park as often.  I'm not really sure why, it's not like we took her with us all the time or something that would make it more difficult.  I suppose some of it is related to going with her that last time, but I'm not sure. I also think that much of it is because we have a beautiful oasis in our own back yard!!

 

The rush of park visits early in the season, however,  have been enough to keep me busy with my park mini book!  I think I've found a pattern to this mini book that I like! With the exception of the first page or two I think my mini will have mostly the same format: a full 6x6 photo and four photos in a grid pattern for each event (Apparently, I'm into grids lately -- see this post).  Sometimes I will throw in a bonus (smaller) insert between them, and I hope to do a full 12x6 spread now and again.  Here is my first progress report on this project, it's hard to believe that I haven't worked on this since April 21st!

It's getting a bit thicker and stuff is sticking out!  I love it when stuff sticks out!


And here are the new pages (with products linked below):

This straight, to zig zag, to straight stitch, made it to my non-manifesto!
For the above page, I journaled right in the patterned paper.

Thanks for stopping by!
..::non-manifesto progress::..
stamped on washi :: zig zag stitch in the middle of straight stitch ::

Products used:
(most of the Washi is Recollections from Michaels, but I couldn't find it online to link it up, and the pink "climber" letters are from eksuccess/sticko found at Target, but not found to link either)  UPDATE:  for some reason the inLinkz  links aren't working!  Elise's stamp is here.  October afternoon is here. Ormolu custom flair is here.