Handmade Bird Nest Necklaces

I recently got several fellow preschool moms together to make some bird nest necklaces to give to the teachers, as a show of appreciation for all the work they do.  I got the idea from a tutorial by Sarah Ortega. Would you like to see the necklaces we made?  They were easy and fun to make.

I was even able to make a couple for myself, and here was my favorite.  I put it on a chain I already had.  After finishing it, I wore it for several days straight.  I just couldn't be parted from it.  And I felt like a million bucks wearing it.  I felt like a one-of-a-kind, just like my necklace.

I think I want to go put it on right now.  I love this necklace. 

This post was inspired by Modern June: Project Love Thyself and represents a chance at winning $50 to her shop.  Woo Hoo! Here's hoping I'll be the lucky one:)

Retiring producs at Weeds & Wildflowers

I've been blessed to be on the creative team at Weeds & Wildflowers since the fall of 2009.  It was my very first creative team, so of course it holds a special place in my heart.  Gina, Pat and Heidi are retiring a TON of stuff over there ... from the looks of it, they are basically retiring everything that was released prior to 2010.  And that includes the amazing Life365 collection (from 2009), which goes back to my first digital scrapbooking project, and what basically got me into the habit of uploading pages online and buying products and .... well, the beginning of this addiction.

The retiring products are in the $1 DEALS category of the store.  I just wanted to point out a couple of products that have been absolute favorites of mine, that you might want to grab.

First, this amazing set of painted alphas.  The detail in these is amazing.  They have variations to the color (as if your paint brush had picked up some stray paint on your palette), and the texture of the brush work makes them so realistic.  And they come in a clean version and a faded/distressed version.  It's 18 high quality alphas for $1!!

And the other product I wanted to share was this set of cardstock.  It was my first set of cardstock, and taking a peek in my cardstock folder ... I now have about 20 sets.  What can I say -  I dig solid colored and textured paper.  I've probably used the solid white cardstock in this set by Gina in at least 20 layouts.

If you're craving color like I am right now, go check out the Life365 stuff - the pics above show the color palette.  ALL of it is on sale for $1 each and will be retired some time soon. I can't explain how excited I was to see all of the Life365 products as $1 DEALS ... I got butterflies and wanted to buy it all ... but then I remembered that I actually have all of them already ... which was almost a let down.  I did say addiction, right?

A little catching up???

I've been in a creative slump.  Well, it feels like that.  I've been scrapping, but I still have the 2011 books hanging over my head.  I haven't finished them, so if I contemplate scrapping new stuff, apprehension builds up inside.  I wish I could just put those those albums aside and not worry about them for a while.

It's not just scrapbooking that is overwhelming right now.  Simply getting the dishes done every night has been a losing battle.  I've managed to get caught up a few times, but that only lasts for a portion of a day ... until the next dinner basically.

Maybe part of my problems is that the other preschool moms got me hooked on these TV shows called Mad Men and Downton Abbey.  And I signed myself up for a free Netflix trial so I can watch them all.  So that has taken up some of my time.  It's actually the first time I've really watched television (other than Curious George and Sesame Street) in the last four years.  It's been a nice change of pace!

Since I haven't posted here on the blog recently, I never announced that I landed a guest CT spot with Secret Stash Designs.  I'm one month in now, and I get to stay for the rest of March.  That has been fun.  It was nice to actually get accepted to a call.  My confidence was so bolstered that I also applied to the Captivated Visions guest call, but that one resulted in rejection.  Oh well.  I have long coveted the CT spots all around me in digi land, but I have to admit that I do not scrap well under a deadline.  I like to have more breathing room to fiddle and get things just how I like them.  The guest spots that I have had are really more suited to me.  My permanent teams are fabulous because on none of them do I have any monthly quota of layouts that I must deliver.  While some people might say, "I'm on 7 teams and have to create 20+ layouts per month," I get to say, "I'm on a few teams, but I don't have to create any layouts at all if I'm not feeling it."  So my creativity can take a hike and not get me in trouble, and I can stay up 'til midnight and watch multiple episodes of Mad Men every day.

Here are some of my favorite layouts from the last month or so.  Several are 2-pagers, like this first one.  I's probably my most favorite right now.  I just love all the layering and mix of photo sizes.

These pictures date back to May - hey, this is proof I'm getting caught up on 2011, right?!  This was a play date with my mom's group that I actually organized and hosted.

And this one documents our Elf on the Shelf, which I only knew about because other digi scrappers clued me.

Ah, here are some 2012 pics.  I got Miller to make some faces for me.  Do you like his mad face (the third from the left)?  It's only a slight exaggeration of his actual mad face. Don't his teeth look sharp?

Well, I think that's it for now. If I can get Miller ready for bed quickly, I can probably fit in two episodes of Mad Men ... or I could get the dishes done ... hmmmm, which will it be?

Rumble - last vote!

It's the final phase of the competition - Round 4 is complete, and the final voting is taking place.  Our last challenge was the word "four," to be interpreted in any way we wanted.  We created a four-leaf clover design and we used the four words that the clover leaves represent:  love, faith, luck and hope.

This was my part:

Recyclables IV by Scrapping with Liz; Lullaby Lane by SuzyQ Scraps; The Sun Will Come by SuzyQ Scraps
Serendipity Add On by SuzyQ Scraps; Farmyard Fun by SuzyQ Scraps; My Project Vol. 3 by Captivated Visions

In all of our entries, we strove for each layout to feel whole and complete by itself, as well as contributing to a combined image.  Our composite images were made simply from tiling the individual layouts side by side.  We did not have any "finishing touches" added on top to make the combined image seamless.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this competition and getting to know my teammates better.  I'm sad that I won't be going to Digiscrap*Apalooza to see them all in person.  The rest of my team will be there, and I know they will have a great time.

Please vote for our effort here - we're the SupercalafragaLIZtics.  We'd really appreciate it.

PopLiz!

The SupercalafragaLIZtics have submitted our third round entry to Rumble in the Orchard.  Our challenge was to interview our team leader (Liz of Scrapping with Liz).  We asked our questions, she answered, and we "blogged" our layouts.

Blogwear Templates I and Simple & Sweet Album Templates II by Scrapping with Liz
Love in Bloom, Beauty In The World & Walking on Sunshine by Tracie Stroud
Fonts: Traveling Typewriter, SNF Journaling Bold, Georgia, Darcy Baldwin's Sissy

This was a fun challenge, and we got to know Liz a little better.  We'd really appreciate your vote!
Vote Here

Yin Yang

Yep, "Yin Yang"  - that was the second challenge for Rumble in the Orchard.  Just those words, for us to interpret in any way we wanted.  And, of course, all four teammates' layouts had to come together in some fashion.  Here is our entry. (click image for a larger view)

We went with a renewal/seasons theme from the Yin Yang prompt.  I think it's even better than our first entry.  Here is each one individually.

By Kimberley

By Jenn

Simple and Sweet Album Templates by Scrapping with Liz; Well Documented Kit and Paper Pack, My Project Vol 3,
I Should Have Told You by Captivated Visions; Beauty In The World by Tracie Stroud;  leaves photo by
Horia Varlan, mushroom photo by Fokko Muller; Lyrics from Every Season by Nichole Nordeman

By Tracy

And the Round 2 polls are now OPEN!  We'd really appreciate your vote.  Polls open until 1/31/2012.

RUMBLE!

I'm in a memory keeping rut right now.  I'm in some kind of panicked standstill, wanting to finish my books for 2011, but feeling fatigued, and with a blurb coupon code that expires at the end of the month.  I have been scrapping but feel so unsatisfied that I haven't uploaded most of them.

Except for this ...

Cut Out Alpha Templates by Scrapping with Liz;
My Project Vol 3, Year in Review and Trashed Cardstock by Captivated Visions; 

Despite my scrapping slump, I am participating in the Scrap Orchard Creative Team Rumble competition.  I'm on Scrapping with Liz's team with Jenn, Tracy and Kimberley.  We're called the SupercalafragaLIZtics.  The first challenge was called The Sum of Its Parts, and instructed each member to create a layout featuring one word that best describes her, and all of the four layouts had to come together to make something bigger.  Here is our team effort:

You can help us win the competition by voting for the SupercalafragaLIZtics here at this poll.  The poll will stay open for a day or two longer.  There will be three more rounds to go through as well.  I hope we win!

I have more news, too.  I've been accepted on another creative team - ETC by Danyale.  I discovered her when I was on the site team at The Digichick, and I love her warm and inviting designs.  I've used several for my Project: Love, Me pages.  In my scrapping slump I haven't been able to make many pages yet for Danyale, but here is one that worries over the weather and documents my current infatuation with digital plastic pocket protectors at the same time.

my heArt and Flea Market Finds by Etc. by Danyale; The Daily Details, Around the World, & Emporium
Digichick Collabs; Snapshots by Karen Lewis; Thrifty Finds Alpha by Mari Koegelenberg;
Stormy Skies by Robyn Meierotto

Here's hoping for some kind of breakthrough that will get all my pages scrapped and uploaded to Blurb by the 31st ... or maybe I should hope for another coupon code that expires at the end of February ... or March.