LIVE SIMPLY - SCRAPLIFTED LAYOUT

I simply love everything Monique Griffith! I've been collecting the pieces to make this layout and although I didn't have the reddish Bazzill paper, I used my imagine to try and replicate it and the paper for the leaves.

I admit that I scraplifted every single piece of this layout. There were very few deviations from the original layout on www.monkeydoodlecricut.blogspot.com. But I loved this layout so much that I just had to try and reproduce it down to the last detail.

It took me 5 hours just to make the color combinations I needed for the paper and then cut each die cut for this layout but it was so worth the effort.

I used a different ribbon than Monique did. I pop dotted the ladybugs and I gave my little skunk a green eye, but those were my only creative elements to the layout. I'll admit that I have no imagination or creativity of my own so I must create based on someone elses talent.

I hope that Monique at www.monkeydoodlecricut.blogspot.com will know that my scraplifting was because of her wonderful talent and creativity and my grand-daughters photos will be absolutely beautiful on here.

On a personal note to Monique, I hope your surgery this week has gone well. I appreciate your work even more during the struggles you've gone through this summer. You are in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you a speedy recovery.

OCTOBER MAGGIE VALLEY SWARM

This weekend was our last swarm for 2010....we won't be having another one until the early spring of 2011. What a great time we had again this month.

Originally there were only 3 people in the group coming so I brought my hubby to cook for us! The food was wonderful and the company was fabulous. Below is a photo of me and my husband (pardon my bad hair, this photo was taken around 10pm!).

On Friday night we had a pasta dish my husband made in his pressure cooker! It was fabulous. On Saturday morning we had waffles and a breakfast casserole. And Saturday night we had Roast with potatoes and carrots, again made in my husbands pressure cooker! There was lots of candy, cupcakes and homemade bread too.


This is a group photo of everyone that came. From left to right is Brenda, Trish, me, Laura & Shyra. Brenda also brought her mom but she was already in bed and didn't come down for the photo. My husband took the picture for us. It is a little bit blurry, sorry!

This is a photo of the main room with the fireplace and tables. I had just received my new Imagine the day before I came and I didn't even open the box until I got to the cabin on Friday! I haven't attempted the upgrade yet but will work on that when I'm confident the bugs are out.

There was another table upstairs in the loft and even though we can't all see each other we can talk to anyone that may be in the loft area still. It has been a wonderful place to get together and oh so relaxing!

This will be our last swarm until the spring because the weather up here is too unpredictable and with the holidays coming we decided to wait until March for our next swarm. So if any of you are interested in joining our group, there is room to spare, so come join us! The fee includes room and board. You can email me at coggie4556@bellsouth.net if you are interested.

HALLOWEEN GOODY TABLE

This is the candy bar that we created for my grand-daughters 3rd birthday party. I made the "BOO" banner to put on the front of the table and then decorated the table with a black candelabra, little black coffins and tootsie roll pops covered to look like pumpkin faced ghosts. The childrend loved it and had a great time filling their bags with candy, plastic vampire teeth, spider rings and halloween themed pencils.

This is the candelabra I got at Michaels for $14.99.

This is another photo of the table with all the goodies and the banner. I made the banner with my Imagine. It was very easy and I used 2 different halloween packs I bought at Michaels.

This is a spider tee light holder I got at Michaels as well with a fake tee light in it.

These are the pumpkin face ghost suckers I made. At the Maggie Valley Swarm in September, the hostess, Laura showed me how to make these. They were a huge hit with the kids and extremely easy to make. You use a coffee filter, a stamp for the face and twine to tie it on.

MY WEEKEND RETREAT

I went to a weekend retreat in Maggie Valley, NC this weekend. I didn't know any of the women there but boy did we make friends fast! We had a wonderful time. Laura is the organizer, she is in the front row. Brenda is just behind her and Shyra is behind Brenda on your right and I'm on the left and at the top of the stairs is Judy!

I cannot tell you how fortunate I feel to have found this little group. The cabin is absolutely beautiful and it was only about an hour and 45 minutes away from where I live.

Of course I packed too much but I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

This is a photo of the workspace that Laura created. She moved the sofa and chairs against the wall and put the wooden coffee table on the covered porch. She put 4 tables together to create a large workspace for each of us. There was a 5th table in front of the stairs.

I debated all week, prior to my trip, whether to risk taking my Imagine. I decided to wrap it in bubble wrap and buckle it into the seat and it worked extremely well. I took a picture for inspiration for others. When I got to the cabin and set the machine up I was fully prepared to recalibrate but it was not necessary.

I worked on 2 double layouts and I made a lovely party banner for my sweet 3 year old grand-daughters birthday in a couple of weeks.

Laura made sure there was plenty of food, drinks and snacks. She cooked a home made lasagna that we baked Friday night, a breakfast caserole Saturday morning and chilli in the crockpot Saturday night.

There will be another retreat in October (I can't wait) and then there won't be another one until March, 2011. If any of you live near Maggie Valley, NC and are interested in attending this swarm, you can find details at www.borntoscrapbook.blogspot.com.

LITTLE STINKER

This is my first card with my Imagine! I like the card and I still have a lot to learn with the Imagine but I can see 2 tiny little imperfections in this card and it is driving me crazy!!!! Can you see them?

I know you can't tell it in the card, but on the wording "Little Stinker" I used POP Dots to make it 3 dimensional.

The background is from Nursery Tails as well as the light green backing of my little skunk. The skunk of course if from Create a Critter.

I loved using the color fill. That is really great.

I'm also using Recollections paper which is about 65 lb paper and I think I am going to get some Bazzill paper at my LSS or some Georgia Pacific from Walmart. When I checked the other day the Georgia Pacific paper is 110 lb and I think that would work better for cards.



P.S. My 2 imperfections......my little skunk man is CROOKED!!! and my background paper is just slightly crooked. Overall, I'm happy with the look and it didn't take me 2 hours to make it. LOL.

CRAFTROOM UPDATE 9/19/10

This is an update to my craft room. I have a very small space and I have soooo much stuff to store in it being an embroiderer, sewer and scrapbooker! I have tons of stuff under my work tables so I have been looking for fabric to match the colors in my room (green, black and white) and yesterday I hit pay dirt! I paid a little more than I wanted to for the fabric but I couldn't be happier with the way it looks.

The photo below are the 2 tables where I embroider, sew and scrap. You can see my new Cricut Imagine on the left of the photo. It is one heavy piece of equipment! I hope to make a card or start a layout this afternoon!

I hate to mess up the room but it is so small that it is easy to clean but it is certainly nice to sit up here and work while it is nice. Maybe I will try to clean as I go! LOL, we all know how that goes.

This is my before photo with my serger and sewing machine! You can also see the canvases that were still on the wall from my when this room was my granddaughters nursery. My serger is now under the table hidden away and I will pull it out when I need it.

This is another before photo, showing the right side of the 2 table areas. This is showing my embroidery machine.

This is my cutting and ironing table area. I cut fabric and paper here. On the right side of the photo, I have a built in bookcase and I have covered it with a curtain to hide the clutter in there.

Below are the before photos, showing the cutting/ironing table and the bookcase and of course the clutter!

THE CRICUT IMAGINE

I didn't think that I would be interested in the Cricut Imagine, but after watching videos of the machine in action I decided that this would be a great tool for me. My husband is such an enabler for me and was all for my ordering it. I actually ordered mine several hours before the actual launch online at midnight.

I struggle so much when choosing paper combinations. It litterally takes me hours to pick out paper and I think that the Imagine will really help in that area.

I also thought that it would be a great value to go with the HSN bundle because 1.) I wouldn't have to pre-order. 2.) 3 cartrdiges are in the bundle instead of 1. 3.) Free shipping and no tax for ordering online. 4.) 30 day money back guarantee.

My machine is scheduled to arrive on the 23rd. I go to a scrapbook retreat on the 24th in Maggie Valley, NC and I can't decide if I should take it with me or leave it at home. I'm seriously considering leaving it packaged for the short trip to Maggie Valley, open it at the retreat and test it out for 2 full days. I will take my bubble wrap with me to make sure it is secure for the ride home.

I'm so excited that I can hardly sleep.