Photo Update

So check it out- my photo and name are in today's paper. The photo in the top right corner is mine. When I called to claim my prize today I was told that this photo will definitely be published in the book!!! Hooray!!! If any of the others I submitted will be published, then they will contact me, but I'm just so happy with this. It's much more than I imagined!

Contest News

There's a contest going on at My Acrylic Album's Blog!!!! Check it out here, you could win an acrylic album just for spreading the love!

I WON SOMETHING!!!

Sometime last month I had posted a link to vote for some of my photos...remember that? Well, one of my pictures received the highest amount of votes in the Friends and Family chapter for the month of August and as a result I won a $1,000 gift card to P.C. Richards Electronics and Appliance Store!!!! I am so excited, I had no idea I would win one of the prizes, I only had hopes of getting 1 of the 19 photos I submitted published in the book! I'm still waiting to hear about that, but right now, I'm doing the happy dance and trying to figure out what I'm going to buy. My sister gave me the idea of getting a dishwasher, so that's on my list and definitely a little treat for my camera...maybe a bigger camera bag.

So for my blog buddies that saw the photos and voted, the photo that I am talking about was the one where Donovan was squirting the water hose. THANK YOU so much for taking the time to vote!!! MWAH!

Wanna See Something Really Cool?

...I mean REALLY cool!!!

I came up with the idea for this acrylic album-- it's called Perfect Postage and can be purchased here!!!!! I presented the idea to Dee, owner of My Acrylic Album, and she made it happen--she's uber FAB like that! The album includes 6 pages (7.875 x 7.875) and 4 book rings.

My initial idea for this album was to come up with a creative vacation album, hence the stamp shape. Then it dawned on me that this album is very versatile--it can be used as a baby album, you know a "Heaven Sent" theme, or a Love album "sent to you with love" theme...Oh the possibilities are endless!

I'm so excited and can't wait to see it in real life!!!

TFL!

Paper Piercing Technique

My friend's son turned one this week and I decided to make his birthday card. She's one of those people who can appreciate the work that went into making the card. KWIM?

I came up with a pretty easy paper piercing technique to make this cute clown card and thought I'd share it with you! I found this clown in Microsoft clip art; I played around with the size to get it where I wanted and then printed it twice.

I then cut out certain elements from the first copy and taped them to selected pieces of patterned paper. (I used scotch tape because it won't tear the paper.) Once taped to the paper, I cut out each element inside the black outline.

I then adhered them to the second copy. By cutting inside the outline on the first copy, I was able to maintain the outline once adhered to the second copy.

Once all of the elements were adhered, I then cut out the 2nd copy of the clown.

I then adhered the clown to the card and applied the same technique to the juggling balls. Finally, I applied rub-ons to personalize the card.

This is the message I added to the inside of the card!

Thanks for looking!!

September at Savvynsassy.com

September Challenges

1. Shannon's "September Recipe" Challenge
   
2. Ann's "Make It A Circle" Challenge
   
3. Tanisha's "Altered Patterned Paper" Challenge
   
4. Dalis' September DIY Challenge
   
5. Ongoing Un-Used tool challenge....
   
   
   
   
   Wanna Win A SNS Ribbon Kit of Your Own?
   
   
   
   
   SNS September Ribbon Kit Contest
   
   
   
   
   OR
   
   
   
   
   Or Check out This SNS Blog Post!
   
   

Self Scraplift

A little something I created yesterday--it's a scraplift of my LO titled "6" as seen 2 posts ago. Basic Grey meets Sassafras Lass on this LO

journaling: you have the ability to brighten any room with your sweet demeanor and big beautiful brown eyes. You certainly brighten our lives as well! *heart* Mommy

I handstitched the title block and added a little bling to the title

I used Magistical Memories nested chipboard circles and handstitched "rays" to create the sun. The chipboard was covered with Sassafras patterned paper.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Dreamgirls Challenge #11

The new Dreamgirls challenge is up and I'll tell you, I had a blast with this one! The Dreamgirls are challenging YOU to create a layout using black and white photo(s), 3 different stamps and wings. Click here to see what the Dreamgirls and our September Guest Designer Michelle Strachan have come up with--don't forget to leave some love! We're gonna be on the lookout for our October Guest Designer, so show us what you've got!!!

This is what I came up with for the challenge. I wish you could see it in person, the photo doesn't really do it justice. I love this pic of my boys and wanted to keep the colors simple and classy and I can't get enough of all things clear! I cut the center from Jenni Bowlin die cut paper and mounted the outer edge on a 12x12 transparent overlay (which has been in my stash for about 3 years). I then trimmed the overlay excess. Next, I used stazon ink and stamped the french script several times on the transparency. (This is my absolute favorite stamp, it's by hero arts; I've used it on several projects over the past few years. Love it!!) In order for the script to stand out, I dry brushed cream acrylic paint on the back of the transparency.

I stamped this acrylic stamp made by Autumn leaves onto a transparency using stazon, cut it out and then adhered using Zip Dry Paper Glue which works well for adhering clear elements.

The edges of each butterfly was painted using Ranger's black paint dabber and the bodies finished off with Kaiser's black rhinestones.

I used Inque Boutique stamp for the line of small circles across the top. I just stamped it on paper and cut it out.

Another angle of one of the butterflies. I bent the wings and only adhered the bodies to the LO to add dimension.

I added some Prima bling to this corner to act as the butterfly's flight pattern. I think this corner is a little busy, maybe I should have dry brushed over the flowers on the Creative Imaginations paper, but oh well, maybe next time. LOL!

Thanks for allowing me to share this with you!

New DT Position

I've been asked to join the executive DT at scrap-diner.com! I love the diner, it's such a quaint site with lots of friendly ladies and tons of inspiration. If you've never visited this site, you must! There's so much going on over there this month; the diner is celebrating it's first birthday and there's a crop at the end on the month. More details here This is also a great place to shop, I swear Sher is the fastest shipper in the west!

Here are a few of the projects that I created with product from scrap-diner:

This photo is all 6 of my mom's grandchildren- we haven't seen my brothers son for 3 years (just about his entire life) and when we were finally able to do so I couldn't resist taking this picture!

I took the main color from me niece's shirt since she's the only girl in the picture. The journalling is very simple, 6 cousins all together...finally!

I painted the chipboard brown, then used a stylus to dot white paint, and finished it off with paper glaze for a smooth shiny look.

You might need your shades to view this LO- LOL! I used KI Memories lace cardstock as a mask for the background with I sprayed with 2 different colors of glimmer mist (gold and sandy beach). I drew the 2 flight patterns by hand, which puts me in the mind of 2 rambunctious little boys. I then sprayed the Tat chip dragon fly with sandy beach glimmer mist and added orange stickles to the embossed pattern. I then covered cardstock sticker dragonfly with stardust stickles.

I've wanted to scrap this picture of my mother in law since I took it a year ago. the journaling reads: Some women get "monster-in-laws" and I feel for them. I was lucky enough to get Renee. She has always treated me with respect and as if I were her own daughter. We can talk about anything and are a lot alike. She understands my moodiness- yeah, I'm lucky!

I sprayed sandy beach glimmer mist on the Creative Imaginations paper to add a little pattern to it and on the flower patterned piggy tales paper to mute the color.

I finally found a craft knife that agrees with me (the one by Heidi Swapp)! I used it to cut away the paper between the teal brackets, mounted it on the lime with white polka dots paper to add a little visual interest.

More glimmer mist and stickles here. I sprayed the Tat chip owl with gold glimmer mist and then added stickles to the embossed pattern.

TFL!

First Day Back

Well this is it, guess there's no turning back; it's just after 8 am and I am officially off of maternity leave. I decided to come back on the holiday because a.) I get paid OT and girlfriend is broker than a joke and needs some cash like NOW! and b.) Xander gets to spend his first day away from me at home with Daddy. Tomorrow will be his first day of daycare and Lord knows how he's going to behave, I mean he gives his father a hard time.

The day started like any other work day, except I actually got up on time. LOL! If you know like I know, when you hate your job, snoozing for 20 minutes is all too easy to do! Anywhoo...I fed Xander and was sad that I had to cut our cuddle time, but ya know... grabbed my work bag, stashed 2 scrap magazines in it because even when I'm at work, visions of layouts dance in my head, stocked my lunch bag with breakfast and lunch then printed some pictures of the boys. Can't return to work without updated pics because I would hear about it all day long! Anyway, I'm all dressed and ready to go, grab my stuff and head out the door, I get to the first traffic light and apply my MAC lipglass like always, hop on the Garden State Parkway in a good mood because I'm actually early and because it's a holiday so I won't have to deal with the mounds of workday traffic and stupid drivers. The radio is tuned into 106.7, yes I like Lite FM stations, thinking about blogging my first day back and then I yell "OH F*CK ME"!!!! I realized that I had forgotten my breast pump! Man! What the heck am I going to do? I can go 4 hours, 6 might be reeeeallly stretching it, but there's no way I can go 8 hours without pumping. The good thing is, and I know this may be TMI, that I don't leak. So at least I don't have to worry about a huge soppy soaking wet mess on the front of my stark white cotton shirt...the bad thing is I'm going to be ready to explode, literally- I can already imagine the stabbing back pains from the lack of release...OUCH!

Today is probably going to be a light day, especially for me because all I have to do is read and sign off on a ton of SOPs and run a competency test (to make sure I remember how to do my job after 5 months) so maybe I can cut out early, if not then I might have to bust a move to the local Walmart. UGH!