I first heard about Project 12 from the girls at Little Red Scrapbook. Davinie from Scrapbooks & Cards today dreamed up a compromise to the challenge of taking 365 photos. So Project 12 was launched. Each month we get a fabulous sketch from Becky Fleck to work with and who doesn't love the chance to win a prize to. The rules are really flexible and you can read all about it here.

So I decided to take on the challenge of scrapping two page layouts, something I never do. I'm glad I did because it's been fun. Here's my January and February takes...

January Project 12



February Project 12

I can already feel that the scrapbook these are going into will be fun to reflect back on. If you're doing project 12 be sure to link up your takes so I can come by and take a peek. There's also a thread for January in the Two Peas message board here.
Thanks for stopping by!

Get Sketchy #27

Hello friends! It's a new sketch and a new prize this week at Get Sketchy. Our sponsor this week is

The winner of this week's challenge will be getting:
A $15 Gift Certificate


Here's our Sketch




And my card this week



I used the new Cosmo Cricket mini deck Material Girl and the coordinating buttons from the line along with some Martha Stewart twine.

So if you're like to play along with this week's sketch and win a prize link up your card to Mr. Linky by next Thursday at midnight.

Get Sketchy is also look for a few new Designers! Check out our site for more info and good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

My happy place and some Moxie card creations

I never really thought about my happy place until I was doing my online training for SDU and there was a layout the instructor created titled "my happy place" It got me thinking and really my happy place is Manahattan Beach.

{I am so pleased with how this picture that I took turned out after playing with it in Picnik}

It's 10 mins from my home and we try to get there as many Sunday evenings as possible to walk with the kids. It's just so beautiful. Of course my happy place at home is my scrappy area, it may be small but crafting really fulfills something inside of me. This last year I have made so many new friends and strengthened relationships with others and I'm really thankful for them all. I just love the sisterhood of this hobby!

Speaking of my hobby, here's a few cards I made for the Moxie fab Olympics of Stamping. First up is my entry for the birthday themed card...

I am in love with my new Hero Arts large Chandelier stamp. It's wood mounted and big! Love this large image! I added some silver Stickles to make it bling and the silver embellies at the base are Hero too. I'd love to submit this to the Stamping Royalty Contest but instead it's going in the mail to my longtime friend Kim, who's birthday is today! Happy Birthday friend!!

Next is my Love entry

For this card I used 7Gypsies paper {yummy}, kraft from Paper Tray inks, a Maya Road craft tag, Kisses stickers for Adorn it, Japanese masking tapes (3 styles) from Love My Tapes and some silver Stickles.
Be sure and check out the Moxie Fab blog for some amazing giveaways! You'v still got a chance to enter!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

It's Tuesday and time fora new challenge at Jacksonbelle! This week the challenge is to use flowers…Primas, floral ribbon, flowery designer paper, flower stamps…ANYTHING WITH FLOWERS! We’d love for you to play along with us! If you do, please use keyword JBE094 when uploading to SCS or PCP or leave a link to your project in the comments section of this post!
Here's my take using Lucy Bird from Imaginisce.

I just love how girly this collection is. Now be sure and check out the Design Team's blogs to see what they created for this week's challenge.

Dawn Lusk

Julie Lacey

Heather Pulvirenti

Windy Robinson

Stephanie Severin

Amy Tsuruta

Pam Varnell

Lynda Benden

Tobi Crawford

Jill Dunn

Heather Lee-Reppen

Lindsey Botkin

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Happy Monday and some news

I love Mondays...it's a fresh start every week. A day full of optimism and planning for the week ahead.
We're all feeling better here at the Smith home and I feel like I got so much done this weekend. I have some fantastic news to share.

I'm an SDU Instructor! What's SDU you ask? Well it stands for Scrapbook Design and You.
Scrapbook Design & You® teaches beginner through advanced scrapbookers the essential scrapbook theories and principles of design. SDU will dramatically enhance the skills of any scrapbooker to create dynamic scrapbook pages. I am so excited to be part of the EK Success team!
Today was one of those days where everything just fell into place easily. I got my work done for Paper Posies, Jacksonbelle and Love My Tapes and had time to spend with the kids having fun. Lily loves this show called Oobi..I personally find it a bit strange but her favorite episode is called "Make Art!" She asks for this episode every night. So today we made some art of our own on the coffee table with some packaging paper I have on a roll and I secured it with some of the Love My Tapes decorative tape.

Lily's favorite color is "Yellow!" as she proclaims

I already know Cayden likes to color since he shows up covered in marker on his hands and legs...we keep him to just crayons here and I keep a close eye on him although he did try to beautify the coffee table instead of the paper...LOL
Here's a sneak peek at some of my Paper Posies projects

I hope you to had an amazing Mondaytoo! Here's what I've been crafting to tonight! I just love the video. Unfortunately it's blocked from me adding it to my Blogger page but check out the link here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oomhQpeyB0Q

Invaded by the cold bug again...

Yes sadly we have been bitten by the cold bug again in the Smith house. I am sorry for neglecting my blog but when Mom got it Sunday evening then daughter got it Monday eve and brother by Tuesday... well you can image where my time is devoted to right now. Ugh! We are tired of the sickies over here.
So I have a couple of fun things to share. First here are some cards I made for a call I thought was still open. I think they turned out cute. The first one I cut the bunny with my new Slice
and the Farm Time cartridge I won from Two Peas. I totally love the shadowing technique they added to the cartridges. I used some yummy new Anna Griffin paper to make these little cuties for Easter.

I just love this ribbon I picked up from Michaels. I really do have a ribbon obsession.

Now a little business for my Imaginisce fans! The sketch challenge is still open til Feb 25th so please submit your take on February's sketch and link it up to the post here for a chance win your choice of the i-top Tool package or a $75 prize package!!
And for even more fun! Take a pic of you and your itop tool and post it to our Facebook fan page here.
I gotta run and make hubby some soup but I'll be back bloggin again real soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Or "I love you day" as we call it. We got up and took Mat's mom out to breakfast at Dinah's.

A local hot spot here in L.A. and home to the famous apple pancake. I had no idea what that was til I met Mat.

It is absolutely delicious!! So we dined with Mombo and then went to Staples because I was out of ink. When I got back in the car I got this in my seat.

A husband after my own heart...I just got a Slice before Christmas and barely have any cartridges so this was big. I know jewelry is the big thing to get from your Valentine and hubby was going to purchase something for me at Tiffany's this year as a surprise. Of course I caught on and asked him not to...I am going to redecorate my craft space with our tax refund and I am just so excited. That really is enough for me. So I love that he listens to my craft wish lists I spout off at random and purchased a great backup gift...

After a few errands Lily was ready for a nap so we came home to relax a bit and recharge. She is so sweet when she is sleeping. She slept til after 4!

We finally got motivated to go out for our family I love you evening and as we hit the light on Vista Del mar I barely caught the sunset before it sunk into the sea...we went Pssssss! for Lily and she cracked up!

We parked the car and got out to take Lily down to watch the waves. She was so into the crashing of the waves and the sound it made.

Here's a shot of Daddy and Lily

I love living 10 mins from this...it's so beautiful.

After we headed to our favorite date spot, The Kettle. Mat used to take me here for breakfast and dinner while we were dating. I just love this little spot on the corner of Downtown Manhattan Beach. We had a yummy dinner with Lily and enjoyed just being out. Surprisingly it wasn't too crowded.

And finally a trip to Blockbuster to rent a movie to snuggle up to and watch once we put Lily to bed. It was a really nice Valentine's Day and I am so thankful for such a wonderful husband. Babe you make life so sweet! Thanks for your constant love and support!
I hope you all had a very special I love you day. It's been a tough month with some peeps I care for losing their loved ones and sweethearts. I hope that they will feel the love of those they lost on this sweet day since love truly is never ending and can be felt even when we are gone.
Thanks for stopping by!

Ella's Sketch and other creations...

Have you visited Ella Publishing? It's a great online publishing company that has ezines loaded with fabulous tips and techniques. Right now they have a fun little contest going on their blog here.

So unfortunately I haven't been able to play til this week but the sketch was an easy one to play with and of course I love incorporating Imaginisce products into the challenges I participate in. So here's my take with Imaginisce's Scooter's vacation line

I used some Washi masking tape from Love My Tapes to journal on. You can use the Sakura white gel pens on these easily and they dry well and don't smear after they are dry.

Here's a card I made this week for the Jacksonbelle Embellishments blog Zva creative feature using this week's Card Patterns sketch #50. I noticed this sketch over at my scrappy friend Amy Tsuruta's blog. Thnx for posting that friend! I also used paper from the new Cosmo Cricket 8x8 paper pad called Garden Variety. The stamped image is Basic Grey also available in the Jacksonbelle store.
Thanks for stopping by today!

Valentine decor & Imaginisce tutorial

Hi friends! Today I want to share a fun and easy Valentine Home Decor project I made with a re-purposed hot chocolate tin from the holidays and Imaginisce's Sweet Cheri Line.

This festive Valentine home decor was easy and quick to create with just a few supplies

Here's a close up of my glitter hearts

And the Candy Kisses tag I created with an Imaginisce rub-on and some Martha Stewart micro beads. For the canister I just covered in with patterned paper and cut appropriately. I added a strip of scallop edge punched paper with a Imaginisce Sweet Cheri border rub on for decoration.

To create the hearts here's your supplies needed all of which you can pick up at your local craft and hobby store. I used a coupon to purchase the Martha Stewart glitter pack and saved a few bucks. The foam hearts are 2 per pack and 1.99 each. I had the sticks and adhesive on hand already.

First insert the long lollipop stems into your foam heart carefully, then pull them out and add a small amount of hot glue and re-insert the sticks to secure them in the foam heart.

Then just spray the liquid adhesive all over the heart and sprinkle the glitter generously. I used a piece of vellum under to catch the glitter as it slides easily back in to the bottle.
Designer tip: When you use newspaper under the glitter it catches on the paper and doesn't slide as easily back into the bottle which is why I suggest vellum.

Repeat the step to create 3 hearts. Tie bows and the bottom of the hearts and then place brads in the center of the flowers and place in the center of the bow. I attached them with Glue Dots. For one of the front heart I used my Slice to cut two different sized hearts and layered them with pop dots to add dimension.

To finish the project off I purchased some floral foam and placed it inside the canister and slide the lollipop sticks into place and then pulled them out and added hot glue to secure them in. I then used hot glue around on the base and topped some crinkled paper strips to cover the foam.
Start to finish this project took me about 40 mins. I hope you'll try some fun home decor with these ideas!

For more ideas and tips from the Imaginisce Design Team visit our blog. Thanks for stopping by today!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday

Hi friends! It's Tuesday and time for another great challenge from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. Since Sunday is Valentine's day we're celebrating Love this week . We'd like to challenge you to make a project that represents love to you! Here's is my take on the challenge. I love the heart brad in the center of my felt die cut. It's my heart and it belongs to my sweet hubby.

Supplies: Basic Grey Sugar Rush,
Love My Tapes Japanese masking tapes, Delta stamp series by Basic Grey, Sugar rush brads, Misc twine, felt die cut, Prima flower, Love My Tapes Adhesive runner and decorative safety pin.

We’d love for you to play along with us! If you do, please use keyword JBE092 when uploading to SCS or PCP or leave a link to your project in the comments section of this post!
Now check out what our design team created for today's challenge

Dawn Lusk

Julie Lacey

Heather Pulvirenti

Windy Robinson

Stephanie Severin

Amy Tsuruta

Pam Varnell

Lynda Benden

Tobi Crawford

Jill Dunn

Heather Lee-Reppen

Carly Robertson

Lindsey Botkin

Thanks for stopping by today!! Have a happy Tuesday wherever you live. It may rain again here in CA but I feel bad for those back East in the snow storms so bundle up and stay warm. :)

Ack! I'm so excited!!!!

Hello friends! I've got some big news to share today :) I'm officially the director of online/social media and designer for Love My Tapes! I am so excited to be taking this new direction in my crafting career. Whew did I just say career? You mean I can stay home with my kids and have a job doing what makes me happy? Yes I can! I love my hobby, it really fullfills me and yet gives me an identity other than mommy and I am so thankful to all my supportive friends who have been there for me and share in my excitement.
When I had the opportunity to attend CHA last year with Unity Stamp Company I had a conversation with Angela about how I wanted to find a way to be able to do what I love and still be home with my kids. She gave me some amazing advice and I really took her words to heart. I love that she is so easy to talk to and a really genuine person. It's been a great journey the past year so far, achieving a goal of mine and becoming a member of the Imaginisce Design Team as well as designing for Paper Posies, Jacksonbelle Embellishments and Get Sketchy.
And now becoming a part of the Love My Tapes team. I have Bree to thank for that connection. I guess the 130.00 phone call was worth it huh girl!
So I officially launched the Love My Tapes blog today and the Facebook fan page. Be sure and stop by to enter our drawing! You could win some of our fabulous double sided adhesive!

Now for something scrappy, here's a layout I scrapped for this month's sketch challenge at Paper Secrets. It's base on a sketch from the super talented Becky Fleck and I used the new Pink Paislee Queen Bee line I got a sample of from CHA. I covered the Pink Paislee booth and new releases at Winter CHA on my Examiner page today. If you want to win some new Pink Paislee then hop on over to my column here.

Other supplies: Prima flowers and say it in crystals, Heidi Swapp clock mask, Pink Paislee chipboard and rub on.

Rub-on reads: The future belongs those who believe in the beauty of their dreams-Eleanor Roosevelt.

And a little close up of my journaling.
I am buying this entire collection and the Artisan collection when I can get my hot little hands on it!! I've never been a fan of yellow but I am now...giggle.
And as if things couldn't get any better...



I could hardly believe my name was posted there! Thanks so much to the amazing designers and team at 2Sketches4You!

Well friends I think I've bent your ears enough for one day, see you tmr with a new challenge from Jacksonbelle! Thanks for stopping by!

Winner Winner...

Hello friends! Whoa! I am so excited to share a couple of fun things with you this drizzly Saturday in Los Angeles. I got an email that I won the prize for January at Paper Secrets! I can hardly wait since I don't have any 7 Gypsies in my stash and the RAK is wonderful! You've got to check out this fun community here. There are several great challenges each month and you are entered to win every time you participate. Fun stuff so be sure and check it out!

Next I got an email from Jen about Crop night at 2Peas yesterday and was able to play along with the challenges but since hubby was on the computer I only got one challenge posted. Here's my take on the 14 hearts challenge. We had to create a card with at least 14 hearts so I stamped mine on a Kraft paper heart I cut with my Slice and stamped with a Basic Grey stamp set.

I used Jen's Feb kit from 2Peas and a fun metal clock face from Making Memories to create my take on the challenge. I also used this fantastic gingham ribbon that I love so much I have 3 spools on hand in my stash.
I had fun with the crop and at the end found out that I won the 9pm 14 hearts challenge! Too cool!! So far I've had a lucky weekend! Hope yours is going great too!
Here's what my kiddos are up to tonight. Scott is teaching his lil sis how to play her Leapster2. She's got food all over her face and got ketchup in his shirt too. I'm not gonna tell him just yet...

Thanks for stopping by!