Scrap Yourself

...that has been my scrapping motto for a long time now. That was also one of the motivating forces behind my participation in the 52 Week Project--so I'd have updated pictures for the scrapbooking pages about me. I believe that it is equally important to document my story as it in my family's.

Having said that, I have a layout to share featuring one of the pictures that I took last month. I used a couple of Basically Bare pieces: canvas leaves from the Blossoms & Leaves set and the film strip border from the Paparazzi Set.

I cut the film strip into pieces in order to use a strip as a border on my layout. I set aside the rest to use on another project.

I added crackle accents to the border strip for added interest.

The chipboard "48" was originally black and glittered, but I peeled the top layer off and then embossed using WOW embossing Powder in earthtone honey from the Suzy West collection. I just love the deeply textured look!

I took 2 leaves from the package, folded them in half and stapled close to the fold. I then used WOW’s “Call Me” stamp set to stamp the leaves.

Here’s a close up of one of the canvas leaves and the scalloped border that I stamped and embossed with WOW embossing powder in earth tone honey.

Creating the border was really easy. I pressed the cap of the embossing powder jar into my embossing ink and then stamped on my page as I would using any regular stamp.


I poured earthtone honey over the stamped image, dumped off the excess and heat embossed until completely melted.

That's all for today!! I will have tons of CHA projects to share...soon enough! Have a great day!

52 Week Project - December Photos

Well...I did it!! I started this journey 52 weeks ago and I managed to see it all the way through. Granted some photos were taken a little late, a couple of photos are stuck on my cell phone, some I rushed through, and others I put a little more time and thought into, but I stuck with it and ended up with some pretty cool self portraits. Here' s the last of the bunch:

Week 48/52 taken 12.5.11 Shades of grey with a pop of color

Week 49/52 taken 12.10.11 A wise woman once said...

Week 50/52 taken 12.18.11 Decorating my Christmas tree in my pajamas and head scarf.

Week 51/52 taken 12.21.11 Last day of Autumn

Week 52/52 taken 12.31.11 I started started this 52 week journey with this photo captioned "feeling quite blah", but I'm finishing it with this photo of me with a big ole smile on my face because through it all, the good times and bad, I am still standing and feeling stronger than ever. I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a great year!!

See ya next year!!

52 Week Project - November Photos

One more month to go with the 52 Week Project. I didn't get that creative this month, but I've been a bit busy.

Week 45/52 taken 11.12.11 - The kids are in bed and now it's MY turn to hold the remote!



Week 46/52 taken 11.20.11 - I took my boys to see Phineas & Ferb's live show and captured this joyful look on my little one's face. The 3 of us loved every moment of the show!



Week 47/52 taken 11.28.11 Sooo not in the mood for photos, today!




5 more weeks to go!! Thanks for taking a peek!!

Featured on Scrapidees Blog

I am thrilled to announce that I am the Guest Blogger on Scrapidees blog (a French sketch blog). Here's the sketch that I created for the DT. You HAVE to visit the site and see what the ladies over there created...they rocked it out!

I had fun playing with products here! I used Authentique's Journey collection, lots of different Cheery Lynn Designs dies, and masking.

I even added a little freehand doodles!


How fabulous is that Basically Bare chipboard dress form? I cut strips of film ribbon and layered the along the bottom and then added a die cut flower and butterfly wings and some rhinestones.

here's a close-up of some of the die cut flowers...


As always, thank you for stopping by!! Have a great day!

52 Week Project - October Photos

Can you believe it? 44 weeks down...and only 8 more to go until the end of the year. I've stuck with the 52 Week Projects!! I've snapped some photos a little late...ran out of ideas...thought of some news ones...and found inspiration from other participants.

Here are the photos that I captured during the month of October.


Week 40/52 - taken 10.15.11 in my backyard before heading to Maryland to hang out with my girlfriends at a wine festival.

Week 41/52 - taken 10.16.11 I love a sexy pair of shoes and fishnet pantyhose!

Week 42/52 - taken 10.22.11 creating something beautiful in my messy scrap room...

Week 43/52 - taken 10.23.11 One beautiful autumn day at Parker Farms

Week 44/52 - 10.30.11 One of my 2 costumes this year

Love the photo, but hate the fact that the belt is not in place...guess I have to just embrace that imperfection.

I had fun dressing up with my boys for Halloween...as always!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

52 Week Project - September Photos

Can you believe that the year is 3/4 over? I am 9 months into the 52 Week Project and I'm still having a good time taking these photos! As a matter of fact, I think week 36 is my all time favorite.

Week 35/52 - taken 9.5.11 Happy Labor Day!! I am in no way a grill queen, but I know enough to make it happen. I *heart* grilled food! (took this week's photo a little late)

Week 36/52 - taken 9.9.11 Of the 43 pictures that I snapped for week 36, I liked this one best because of my smile. Played around with some lighting.

Week 37/52 - taken 9.11.11 It has been 10 years later, since the attack on the towers, but the memory of that day will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Original photo of the NY skyline was taken July 1999.

Look in the upper right hand corner...see the cross? That's not on the actual picture. Apparently the flash caught on the photo and formed a cross in the sky...eerie right?

Week 38/52 - taken 9.24.11 A jeans and sneakers type of day... heading out to visit my mother-in-law 2 days after her mother passed away.

Week 39/52 taken 9.25.11 I caught a reflection of myself in my front storm door, making one of those faces that I wish I didn't make, but I can't help it! LOL!! Not the best photo, but the face is priceless!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

52 Week Project - June Photos

OK, so I'll be the first to admit that I slacked off a little this month with taking my self portraits for the 52 Week Project. It's all good though, I'll get back on track this month.

Week 23/52 taken 6.4.11 This is my new favorite dress

Note to self: make sure strange piece of paper is not in the background before taking photo!

Week 24/52 taken 6.19.11 (late, but I got it in) Guest blogger challenge: capture a self portrait with a message.

Week 25/52 (photo not taken) Challenge: Self portrait with dad or something that reminds you of him.

I need more time for this one--I'll do it at some point.


Week 26/52 taken 6.28.11 I'll post it as soon as I can figure out how to get it off of my cell phone!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!!

52 Week Project - February Photos

So February is over, thank goodness! I am so not a winter person; the winter blues kick in and I want to do nothing but hibernate in the cold weather months. All of the snow and rain that we've had has kept me buried in the confines of my home...not to mention the fact that I've been bumming it. I'm so glad that Spring is on it's way!!

I'm still chugging along with the 52 Week Project. I'm not all that thrilled with my self-portraits this month. Like I said, I stayed in a lot which didn't allow for very much optimal light or creativity. But it's all good...it's all part of the process! The important thing is that I stuck with it. I have issued myself a challenge for the month of March. At least half of my photos have to be taken outside.

Here are my photos for weeks 5-8

Week 5-- 2/5/11 I like to call this one "...out, out, damned spot!"

I often find myself looking down at that hideous spot that decided to take up residence on my face last summer. I finally went to the dermatologist a few weeks ago to get it biopsied. It turns out that it's a pigmented solar keratosis--or pre-cancer as the Physician's Assistant explained to me.

The irony of this is I've always (since my early 20's) been a big sunscreen advocate. I slather myself and my kids and get on my husband for not wearing any, especially when we're going to be in the sun. I can't tell you how many times I told my friends and family "Black folks can get skin cancer, too. Don't be fooled by the melanin!" From what I've read it can be caused by overexposure to the sun from as far back as childhood.

Thankfully it's not harmful to me in any way since it was caught early. I just have to use a chemotherapy cream for a few weeks until it goes away.

Week 6-- 2/12/11 making shower favors for my friend's sister's baby shower-- I love being creative!

Week 7-- 2/18/11 This is how I spend most winter weekends...huge sweatshirt or sweater, flannel pajama pants, (ahem, hair undone) and connecting with my cyber friends on my laptop.

Week 8-- 2/25/11

Pink Paislee Featured Artist

I had the honor of being the Featured Designer over at Pink Paislee this month!! OK, so we all know how much I LOVE this company, so getting to be featured is a dream!! (you can see the post here)

I received a box of the sweetness collection along with some Parisian Anthology embellishments and this is what I came up with.

I created this first layout using self-portraits that I had taken just days before I gave birth to Xander, almost 3 years ago. This is the third time (1st and 2nd) that I've scrapped this photo...yeah, I guess you can say I kind of like it...LOL! Pregnancy has been on my brain recently because Donovan has been asking for a baby sister. It would be nice to have another female in the house to break up some of the testosterone, but I'm not beat for that. Xander is completely potty trained and I don't think I can go through with morning sickness again. Sorry Donovan!!

supplies: patterned paper, chipboard, rub-ons, stickers- Pink Paislee; luminarte paint, spritz- Creative Imaginations; doily die- Cheery Lynn Designs; ink- Clearsnap; pearls- Kaisercraft; kraft cardstock- Bazzill; thread

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This card was just pure fun to make. I mean who doesn't love pin wheels? I added texture to the polka dot paper by embossing it and layering 2 hand cut strips from patterned paper to create the lacy trim.

supplies: patterned paper, stickers, metal badge- Pink Paislee; ribbon- Making Memories, cardstock- Bazzill; brad- K&Co

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This next layout was created using self-portraits that I took on my 36th birthday. I incorporated lots of hand cut elements here.

The background was a blank piece of canvas that I painted and spritzed with Luminarte. I also broke in my music sheet stamp!! I used the Parisian Anthology chipboard elements to create the masking. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I hand stitched around the butterfly in the top left corner after I cut away the canvas and adhered a piece of patterned paper behind it.

I machine stitched around the canvas background and the frayed the edges. The foam alpha were originally white; I stitched them to the layout, colored them with a yellow pen and then added yellow stickles so they'd match the layout better. I created a visual triangle with words and numbers for "36".

supplies: patterned paper, chipboard, rub-ons, stickers, canvas borders- Pink Paislee; luminarte paint, spritz, canvas sheet- Creative Imaginations; ink- Clearsnap; flower- Prima, lace transparency- Hambly; thread

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I just HAD to create a love project, I mean this IS the Sweetness collection after all!

I used the clear cards in this collection for the front of the card and for the heart window on the treat container. I inked the white foam alpha and then coated them with silver stickles.

supplies: patterned paper, metal badge, clear cards, stickers- Pink Paislee; ink- Clearsnap; stickles-Ranger; die cut- Cheery Lynn Designs; border punch- Fiskars; ribbon

Thanks so much Pink Paislee for the feature!!! It's been so FUN creating with some of my favorite products!!