Back to School Night

I was so glad that I could join my grandsons on their Back to School Night. All three of them showed such excitement that I was glad to observe. All of my 30 years of teaching I experienced that same excitement about the beginning of a new school year. I hope and pray they keep that positive emotion as they go throughout the school year in each and every grade. I'm so glad my camera captured these special moments.

I loved the way I could sponge ink on the corrugated sides of the Milepost Shapes or I could stamp clearly on the smooth backs of the shapes. But all of my friends were most attracted to the canvas stickers that matched the Typeset paper pack. Here are the recipes:

Magic: Transfigurep. 112(top layout) and Hat Trick p. 54 (bottom layout also used A Typeface stamp set)

Stamps:D1481 Vintage Type, C1464 Blue Ribbon

Paper: X7139B Typeset Level2 Paper Packet, X5914 Light Yellow and Orange Shade Pack

Embellishments: X7139C Typeset Complements Canvas Shapes, Z1464 Milepost Shapes, Z282 Black Hemp

Inks: Z2165 Juniper Exclusive Inks Pad, Z2157 Vineyard Berry Exclusive Inks Pad, Z2105 Black Exclusive Inks Pad

Accessories: Z697 Sponge, Z341 Memory Book Glue Dots

Typeset Workshop

Just before school started I took my grandkids swimming several times. They got to come to our farm to spend the night. Then, Christian went with me by himself to Science City at Union Station because he'd gotten sick the day I took his brothers earlier in the year. He was the most attentive child I ever took on a field trip, and that's counting 30 years of teaching. He wanted to see everything, read everything, discuss everything, and try every hands-on experience. He has an insatiable appetite for learning. I made this layout about that fun day we had together. I loved the way I was able to cut out the background shapes and stars using my Cricut.  More about that later!

Christian also had an amazing summer playing baseball. The journaling on the next layout reads as follows:

This was Christian's first year to play t-ball the first half and machine pitch the last half. Despite his initial frustration with the switch, I saw him get a hit every time he was up to bat. He also runs like the wind! He's quite an athlete for a boy who just finished kindergarten!

This layout is the second of four layouts we're doing in the Typeset Workshops on the Go. Both layouts use pieces cut from the new Cricut cartridge "Art Philosophy" which coordinates with some of the stamped pieces. For me, this set is the best of both worlds. I love stamping so much and don't have to cut it out when the Cricut does it for me! I just cut then stamp. Perfect!

Catching up on Mojo Monday

Jen is so dear to me, always bringing new friends to our scrapbook club. She has a real passion for scrapbooking and celebrating the lives of her family and friends. I made this card for her anniversary this weekend. This pattern is Mojo 200. I used background patterned paper I received from a weekend crop at Scrapbook Generations in Springfield, MO. The cardstock, blue dotted paper, stamps (Bliss and retired daisy) and ink are CTMH. The gingham ribbon is also retired. The Sky, Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim, and Sunkiss Yellow colors look great together.

July was a busy month with family celebrations, taking grandkids swimming on hot days, and scrapbooking those memories (and forgetting to blog). However, there was one week in which four people I knew died. The funerals were celebrations of their lives, but I was hoping to send comfort to my friends and relations by giving them heartfelt messages in cards I made.

Here's one I made for Becky when her dad died.

I was glad to use the Hope stamp set as a reminder that we have this hope to see our loved ones again in eternity.  I used the MOJO 199 pattern from July to create the front. I also used Basic Grey paper and CTMH cardstock, stamps, and ink.

Studio J Adds Stitches

Studio J helped me scrapbook these photos of my grandson's Kindergarten Graduation in record time. I loved the school-themed papers and stickease. Then, to make it even better, yesterday I received a memo describing the new feature of stitching on layouts. I made the layout so quickly, I didn't dwell on the fine details of the stitching. I just did the obvious--changed thread color (60 different colors!), changed orientation, rotating them from vertical to horizontal, and moved them to different positions. There are also stitched shapes you can try out. This new feature will certainly tempt me to try Studio J layouts even more.

Father's Day 2011

How amazing it is to have a husband who loves to travel and to plan awesome photo trips suddenly decide he'd rather build an insulated pole barn this summer instead of traveling. This do-it-yourself guy just erected the poles and used the tractor to lift the 100 lb. trusses. In his mind I'm sure he's focusing on the end result- having a warm place in the winter to build his next car project - a T-Bucket street rod. In honor of this man and his car passion, I made this Father's Day card:

Close To My Heart materials used: Paper--Colonial White, Bamboo, Cocoa, Black, and Husk CS, Passages (map) BT; Inks--Desert Sand, Cocoa, Brown Bag, Black; Stamps--C1454 Horizons (car, suitcase, sentiment), D1468 On This Day (ticket), D1357 Post Card Travel Series (stamps, postal designs), Noted Backgrounds (script); Accessories--Z1146Pewter Designer Brads, basting string