2 sketches for you #30

I got to make a card last night from the sketch off of this weeks 2sketches for you blog. This is Laura's sketch.



















I really want to try to do these every week. My hello and birthday cards stash are mighty low. I just don't make as many cards as I like to send. I also need an excuse to use my girlie stuff like this BG paper. I don't do much girlie type stuff.

The cupcake stamp on this card is Stampin up. I had the kit forever and have barely used it. Now I've used it twice in 3 days. Go figure. The popcorn stamp from the last thing I made is also from the same kit.

Well I'm off to do household duties. I'm officially registered for school this August. I'm taking Intro to computers and technology and Intro to paralegal studies. Yeah! I can't imagine the computers class will be too difficult, but I have to take it. I also feel better taking these instead of jumping right into the real law classes! I'm excited. I'm excited to do adult grown up things again and use my brain. I like the feeling art gives me that I'm doing something to enrich my brain and getting out my creative flow, but it'll be nice to have something else in my life other than that, that is non mommyish.

Totally thrilled

You know how we all leave comments on blogs here and there for give aways? A stamp set there, a kit or class on someone's blog. Well I never EVER win. Ever. I am okay with that. Truly. I like being given the opportunity and just for a second I think wouldn't it be cool if I did win?

Well yesterday it happened! My first blog giveway win. I'm very grateful. I won a spot in the online class "Still more mad digi skills" by Pattie Knox on get it scrapped website. Doesnt' that just sound like me??? I'm so happy. Yesterday the first class started. It is very cool. I learned something new to do which is always nice. Especially since I'm not able to spend money on cool online classes I'd like to take. I also really like the website and the other classes offered.

I won the class from Dina's blog. She was giving the spot in the class away. Thanks again Dina if you are reading!

Happy Wednesday! Sorry no eye candy today!

Gift giving

Well since I have little money lately to buy gifts with I decided to make my college roommate's birthday gift I usually send her yearly. Her birthday is Friday. I'm a little late in sending it out. ha!
I saw this packaging in the new paper craft gift mag. I thought it was so cute. Her favorite candy is Jelly belly popcorn flavored jelly beans. So I made this up for her. The popcorn stamp on it is from Stampin' Up.

Its almost impossible to get a really good picture of it.



































I also made this card. The whale on the card is colored with copics and is my design and hand carved stamp I made. I've been dying to use this Basic Grey paper up forever and a day. I've literally had it for YEARS. How sad is that? I know that many of us do this though. Especially when we know eventually it won't be easy to get more of it.






























































So I made her these and I'm hoping to get a cute wallet from Steinmart to go with it or a Starbucks gift card and call it a day. Luckily she doesn't read my blog or she'd see what she was getting! I wanted to make her a small album for her daughters pictures, but I'm having serious mini album blockage. I haven't been able to complete a mini album in AGES. I start them and then feel blocked. Its crazy. I used to love them. I was a mini album making fool. I don't know how that happened.

I guess like I've said before its a stages thing. A slight ADD of crafting taking over. Right now I'm feeling doing cards and art journal pages. I like digital layouts too.

I also came across a very cool free class via video on two peas. Its how to use distress inks and other ink products. Its a nine week class. Jennifer McGuire has all these tutorials on thinking inks free video classes on two peas. The videos are awesome. I'm really loving this. Makes me want to actually use all the ranger products I have collecting dust! No seriously I use the heck out of my distressed inks, but wow theres so much more you can do with them!

Well tomorrow, I plan on trying again to sign up for college classes tomorrow. I was shot down last week. Wish me luck tomorrow.

Weekend CEC style

Here's one of my newest digital layouts. God knows when I'm ever going to print these all out. I surely don't have the money for it anytime soon! lol. But as you can see on my layout these are my daily loves. I've always wanted to do a layout like this and the sketch from pagemaps made it pop in my head. I don't know if you notice, but there are 3 different types of lotions on my layout. Lol. I'm a slathering fool. I'm 31 now. I live in the bright sunny south. I've realized if I don't take care of my skin and pronto... I'm might look a little like tanned handbag way before I need to. Also I use the belly butter for left over stretch marks from pregnancy with Leo. Though he's almost two in a couple months(november) I still have the "indentions" in my belly. eh.. I'm hoping with time they'll go away completely?? haha I can dream. Slather me up!

I will soon be moving my crafting area over to a different part of my bedroom. I'm very excited. I'll have alot more area.

Off to Chuck E cheese today. Have a great weekend.

copic finally!

I finally have gotten around to taking some pictures of my copic stuff. I LOVE the markers just like everyone else that I've read. They are truly cool and it stinks I'm not spending money and can't buy more! I got the ones I have from Hobby Lobby a few weeks back when visiting my friend in Alabama. They were 30% off and still expensive! lol

Here's the ones I got.






















I watched a few you tube tutorials on how to use them and what the codes on the top of them mean. This really helped me pick out the right colors I wanted to start with. I like this video and this video.

Here's my first card I made with my copic markers stamped image. The papers are SEI, the stamped elephants are CTMH.



































This is also a picture of an image I colored on my art journal page. I'm not posting the page, cause its kinda personal. I wish I had gotten a better pic of the image. I might change with picture out with a better one soon. But still you can see how cool the markers work. I do truly have a love affair with them. I feel like I need at least a dozen more easily. I need to win the
lotto!






















Today I have to go to the gym and stop by the grocery store. I need ice cream and breakfest bars. Nothing grand. Last night, we received the roku thing my husband ordered a few weeks ago. You hook it up to your tv and you can watch your instant netflix movies on your tv. Its pretty neat. Logan is happy. I got rid of cable a week ago to save money. (hubby had already ordered this new gadget) So it works out. I pay 8 dollars a month for Netflix and they have all the kids shows and movies on instant watch. I still have to pay for roadrunner internet unfortuately. It ain't cheap either. Bah.. Oh well.. I have to have internet for school and I'd die with out reading my blogs I love. Isn't that sad? lol Its my free online inspirations.

Well off to get ready for the gym. Thanks for viewing!

altered photos showcase

I did a little digital scrapbooking last night and made this. The challenge was to use a picture with a large amount of sunshine in it. Very cool. I had never done this before in photoshop. Here's the before picture...



























Here's the after:

























All you do is go into photoshop layers, then find lens flare. You can choose what type of sunshine light you want and how bright. I also changed the saturation and coloring of the photo. Very cool. OH how I love photoshop.

Well I am going to my local college today to sign up for this fall! I'm so excited. I'm on my journey to become a paralegal. Yeah! Very very excited. I hope that since I have all my transcripts that things go smoothly. *fingers crossed* I also hope they have all the law classes I need to take at a local campus at night! I need night classes badly.

I'll keep ya posted!

Thanks for stopping by.

Scrapbooking for only happy people?

1. Bats amongst the Clouds (Blessings from Heaven) - design for main panels of travelling robe (chien yi)., 2. In Full Sail, 3. Zhan Tongxuan - Zoo park, 4. artist prayer flags, 5. Bookmark, 6. WIP - Love Bird Quilt, 7. caardvarks don't quote me, 8. Her memories, 9. POD-congratulations-e

I felt lazy and added a mosaic of my favs from flickr.


I'm lazy on this blog post. STILL haven't taken pics of my copic stuff. Its been raining up a storm here lately and well.. I've had stuff going on. I feel like I want to scrapbook actual 12x12 pages, but even when it comes to digital I feel blocked. I'm not in that happy lets celebrate and memorialize this specific period in time. Sometimes I feel journaling is so forced anyway to sound "cheery". Not just by me. I've read other people's journaling and been like eh.. Some people are really good at it. Sometimes I am. Just not at the moment.

So I've been thinking and planning on doing more art journal pages. Good therapy with paints and paper. I am thinking of starting some home decor type items with my stash. My big thing is I'm low on money right now. So I'm going to have to use what I have and dig deep. So thats the plan.

Today I have to go to the gym like usual. I realized my new gym does not have the kid's area open on Sunday. Bummer. I'd like to do a swim class this morning, but its going to be Leo's first day in the kids area by himself (Logan will be with dad), I'm worried he'll be a freakin'. I don't want to have to get him all wet and soggy. So I'll just stick with a machine to get my cardio today.

Ooh I also finally came up with a pretty cool idea how to decorate the bedroom. The vaulted ceilings are high and I can't paint them myself. Its expensive to hire someone to do that. So I'm going to do a half paint with a painted border and or molding. Not sure. Still thinking about it.

Busy weekend ahead.

Thanks for stopping by.

Life moves to fast for me.

I'm really lately in a horrible place. I don't know how I'm going to move into something good from here, but it is what it is. If some of my usual cheery stuff gets a bit dark... well... it is what it is. On a total random note. Here's a bunch of photos I wanted to share. Just things from the past month.

My front door finished paper mosaic to keep solicitor eyes from viewing in.




































My fav new pic of Leo. Haha he's hilarious with water. He loves it. This is at our local aquarium.



































One of my fav pics from the Birmingham Zoo I took. I just like everything about this pic. Off to get Leo up. Thanks for viewing!