Vacation Pics and Goodbye Grandmother

So I wasn't sure where to fit this all in since I already have several blog posts scheduled, but I just decided to do another post for today, a late post.

Sooo...we just returned from vacation.   First, I thought I'd share some pictures from our trip:

While we were on vacation, we got word that my grandmother passed away.  So we returned home and are leaving out again for the funeral.

I have great memories of my grandma.
But they are all old memories, because she hasn't been herself for quite a while.

She had Alzheimer's.

It is a very sad, detrimental disease.
And it can be very hard on a family too.

So I am choosing to remember my grandmother like this:

(This is in my first ever scrapbook!)

or this:

She was full of life.
She hated snakes!   We'd tease her and throw rubber snakes around to freak her out.
She liked nice things, and was always scared that us kids would ruin them.
She was always up for an adventure and enjoyed traveling in the motor home with grandpa.
She loved QVC.  :)
She enjoyed playing games with family.
She did not understand why people would eat cheese pizza (it was missing all the good stuff...those other toppings).
She would make bacon and eggs for breakfast when we would visit.
She'd encourage us to play with the neighbor kids.
She was proud of her kids and her grandkids.

Grandma, you will be missed.

Keep us all in your prayers as we travel to California for the funeral.
I do have several blog posts scheduled, so keep checking in.

Have a wonderful day!!

Card Challenges

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping in!  Today I am sharing a new sketch on the BasicGrey blog.  You'll want to play along for sure.  :)

Here's the card sketch:

And here's my card:

 I loved the sketch so much that I really didn't change it up at all!

It uses the wonderful What's Up? collection from BasicGrey.

And Skipping Stones Design has a new card challenge up today too!  It's based on an inspiration photo:

I will be sharing the card I made for this challenge tomorrow during a special blog hop.  So I hope you stop back in!  You can play along with SSD's challenge here.  

Hope you have time to play along with the challenges this week!  

Have a wonderful day!

Making Laundry Easier (and Prettier)

Hi everyone!  I've got a fun project to share with you today that has a purpose.  We are trying to get the kids more involved in the chores around the house.  Previously they had been just piling all the laundry on the floor in the laundry room and leaving me to deal with it.  Well I have told them now that they need to sort it out.  I made some signs using the Half Bracket Chipboard Banners from Fancy Pants Designs to hang on the baskets so the kids know what goes where.  

I used the fabulous Time For Spring collection from Fancy Pants for my laundry banners.  

Here's how I did it:

1.  First I covered my chipboard banners with some of my favorite pieces of paper, and cut them out.  

2.  I painted on some gesso in the center of my banner pieces, and added some splatters as well.  You can use white paint instead of gesso.

3.  I glued some burlap to the back of my pieces.

4.  I took the letter stickers and added the labels (colors, whites, delicates, towels) that we use to each piece.

5.  I then added a crackle texture technique from Helmar.  It is painted over the whole piece including the letters.  It helps keep everything securely on (so no missing letters later) but it's also just a cool look!  I added a bit of pink ink to the cracks.  

6.  Then I decorated each banner piece using strips of papers, flowers, stitching and ribbon.  

7.  Then I added them with ribbon to my baskets.  :)  

And here's a tip for you.  These banners came with a bit of ribbon but it didn't have enough for this particular project.  I looked for ribbon that I had that was similar in color, but I didn't have any.  But I did have some fabric (it was actually canvas fabric), so I just cut a strip and used it as ribbon.  You can do this with any fabric.  :)  

Of course, you can make this a quicker, simpler project by skipping some of my steps, but anybody can do this fun project!  I am thinking of doing more projects for my laundry now with the collection to match these.  :)

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!!  Have a wonderful day!

Lots of Flowers

Hi everyone!  I'm stopping in today to share yet another layout with you.  :)  It uses the fabulous PB&J collection from BasicGrey.  I actually made it for a post about using flowers for the BasicGrey blog, they never used it but that's ok because I am totally going to share it with you guys. :)  I do really like how it turned out.

Here's the layout:

It must be garden week on my blog, well not really but I started with a layout that felt like a garden, and I am ending with this layout which also feels like a fun garden to me.  :)

Here are the close up's:

And totally unrelated, in case you missed it, I just want to share with you that The ScrapCake has shared their new releases on their blog.  I am totally digging them!  Check them out here.  (You can also win them, so do check it out!)  Here are some sneaks of the new collections:

Have a fantastic day!!!!  

Cute with a Capital C

Hello!!!  :)

Well I already shared one project with you all using the new Time For Spring collection from Fancy Pants Designs.  Today I am sharing a layout done with their new Country Boutique collection.  I love this collection, so versatile!

Here's my layout:

I love those fantastic banner die cuts, made this layout super simple!

Here are some close up's:

I love this picture because it wasn't staged in the slightest...it was a rare moment I captured when they weren't even looking!  :)  Love it when that happens!

Well thanks so much for stopping in today!  Hope you have a wonderful day!

Just Enjoying Summer

Hi all!  We've had a busy summer so far, with lots of swimming, birthday celebrations, and fun!  Basically, we've just done a lot of playing.  :)  And we are getting ready to go on another road trip soon too.  It's been nice.  

I do want to share a layout I made with you.

I've had beautiful gardens on the mind lately and I think it may have influenced this next layout:

I used the wonderful My Private Happiness collection from The ScrapCake.

Here are some close up's:

I used a foam stamp and paint for that tree...it's my most used foam stamp and has certainly got a lot of use (from Prima).  I added some simple gems to the tree instead of flowers or anything else.

Oh and I didn't get my card done for the Skipping Stones Design challenge 134, but you can check it out and play along here!  :)

Well I hope you are having a fantastic summer!!!!  Thanks for stopping in!

She's So Cute!

Well I told you all that I had already had the chance to play with the new lines from Fancy Pants, and today I am sharing one of those layouts.  :)  It uses the beautiful Time For Spring collection.

I thought it's be fun to highlight some of the hexagons by adding stitching around them.  The rest is pretty much a bunch of die cuts.  :)

Here are some close up's:

I really like this collection and I can't wait to share more of what I have done with you!  :)

Thanks for stopping in!