Happy Sunday everyone! How is your weekend going so far? Good here, just nice and quiet. Josh's party on Friday was fun! We ate lots of food, laughed and talked, the guys played video games for a bit, and we watched Andy Roddick's tennis match. Most people left before it was over, but I watched the entire match....and watched him come back and win!! Yes!! He is my fave tennis player, and he has struggled a lot lately. So, watching him come back was awesome!

Yesterday was a lazy day, and we watched college football ALL DAY LONG! Okay, that is a lie...we did watch a movie, "Mr. Brooks", during a period where the games were pretty lame. (Crazy movie...a bit demented. But, it was pretty good.) We did finally get up and moving, and went to church at 7pm. And then came home and watched more football and tennis. Hee hee!

I thought I would share my Chatterbox submission today. I was part of the DT callback, but did not make the actual team. Which is fine- I feel like my submission was lacking a bit. But, to give me a little bit of credit...I had to do my submission while in Utah at the SOY thing and CKU, so I wasn't creating in the comforts of my scrapbook room. I do much better work there! :)

This was the layout that was the required assignment. I REALLY wish I would have had access to my Cricut...because I have the cutest strawberry cut-out on the Indie Arts cartridge that would have been a cute part of the accent. Oh well...I did what I could with what I had access to.

This is the cover of an album that I did for my desk at work. It isn't quite finished yet, but basically the inside is just going to be filled with my favorite photos. As time goes on, I can change the photos out with more current favorite photos. I am excited to put it on my desk!

And of course, I had to do some cards for the submission. Considering that is a large part of what I love to do craft-wise...I thought it was an important part to share. The other two cards I did were picked up for publication, but here are two of them that I can share.


So, that's it. I did what I could with what I had access to...and I am proud that I actually got it done during the hoopla of SOY/CKU week!

Well, I think I am in the mood to scrap now! So, I am going to eat some lunch and then hunker down at my scrap desk and get some stuff done. Have a wonderful Sunday!

5 more days til Panther football,
~Lea

Okay, I seriously can't believe it is Thursday already!! This week has flown by!! Ack! We are having a party tomorrow for Josh's birthday (which was yesterday), and I have SO much to do tonight to get ready for it! I really shouldn't have put it off this long. Oh well...I will get it all done...I always do!

I have a couple cards to show today. First up is the card I gave a peek of in my last post. This is my card for this week's sketch, #79, at CPS. This is the new "Sanoma" line by Scenic Route...SO pretty! I love it!
And I did this card for this week's sketch at the 2 Sketches 4 U blog. This is a new paper line by Little Yellow Bicycle called "Love Letters". It isn't out in stores yet, but will be soon! The entire collection is really beautiful with lots of flocking, shaped papers, great cardstock stickers....and I really love the colors. It is a deep red that sometimes almost looks maroon with black and grey. There are lots of patterns that can be used for non-love themed projects. I actually look forward to taking some photos at a Griz football game this year, because the colors match perfectly!

So, Josh's 29th birthday was yesterday! We are celebrating more tomorrow with a party, but I did give him his gift and we went to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I got him an IPOD Touch for his birthday. He was pretty excited when he opened it, considering he though I was getting him a video game?! The software did give him a large amount of frustration on our computer though....it is for the most part cleared up now. Although...it did something weird to my photo loading software, and now I have to load photos in completely different than I used to. We have put a service ticket in with Nikon, so hopefully they can help us work through the issue. The important part is I can still get photos to my computer...so that is good! And it made me backup all my photos last night as well...which is even better. I hadn't backed up photos since last winter. Yikes!

My dad called last night to let us know that Casey and his team had their first practice under the lights! What fun! We have been having late fall temperatures the past few days though, so it was like 30 degrees in Sheridan last night! He said it was COLD! That never phases the football players though, and my dad said they look so good this year. His coach came over to my dad and said, "I have two things to say. One, I feel bad for the kid who has to touch Josh. And two, I feel really bad for the kids who have to try to catch Casey." Josh is a defensive end who has gotten really big this year, and is just hitting like a mac truck. And I have already told you about Casey's velocity training in past posts, and the training has really paid off. It is going to be even more fun to watch him this year! I just hope he isn't a blur in all my photos...tee hee!

Well, that is all for me today. I hope that you have had a wonderful week!

Only 8 days until Panther football!!
~Lea

Happy Sunday all!! Did you have a nice weekend? Mine was perfectly laid back, and I loved it!! I got some scrapping done, the laundry (well, I am still finishing it up right now), and some cleaning done. Exactly what I wanted to do for the weekend. Also- you will have to excuse my post. It is super image heavy....so if you make it to the end, you are my hero! :)

I got this layout done of my cousin's daughter, Kyla, yesterday afternoon. I LOVE to photograph this little girl, and add her to my scrapbooks so they will have some kids in them! :) I used a lot of KI Memories "Bloom" collection on this, and my favorite diecut butterfly from the Indie Arts cartridge for my Cricut. You can't really tell in the photo, but the bottom layer of the butterfly is all glittery...love it! (Click on the image to see more detail!)
Do you want to know my secret about not getting (as much) glitter all over the place when I am using it? I don't SAVE it. I glitter my project, shake off all the excess...and the scrap paper that I used as my glittering surface gets put into the garbage with all excess glitter. Seriously...glitter is CHEAP! No need to get it all over and have to clean up to save a pennies worth of glitter. Try it....you will want to use glitter more after you free yourself from trying to save it! Tee hee!

I am also a little late at posting this, but the beginning of August means I can upload my cards from the June issue of Cards Magazine. Here is what I had in the magazine that month!





And this is what my little brother was up to this weekend, besides football practice. Yep- he dyed his hair hot pink. Silly boy...but he thinks its cool. It is one of those wash out dyes, so his hair won't be pink for long...but the pads on the inside of his football helmet are all a lovely shade of pink. I bet his coach is THRILLED with that. Hopefully it washes out of padding as well as hair! (And seriously...what is up with teenagers sticking their tongues out in photos? They all do it, and I so don't get it.)
And last but not least, I haven't done this in awhile...so I thought it would be fun. Here is a little peek at my CPS card this week. It will be posted on the blog later this week, and I will post the full card on mine after that! Be on the lookout...I really love my card this week. I used some of the new Scenic Route "Sonoma" papers....they are utterly gorgeous!
Well, that is all I've got for now. I have some other projects to share later on in the week, so be sure to check back! Have a great Sunday evening!

Less than two weeks until Panther football kicks of the season,
~Lea

I have had this layout idea in my head since the first time I saw this cute line called "My Dearest" by Sassafras. Well, it finally came to fruition last night, when it just struck my fancy to get it done! I have a zillion nature and animals shots that I will never get completely scrapbooked, and that is okay. But, these are some of my favorite wildlife shots that HAD to get scrapped. (Click on the layout to view it larger!)



And this is my card for this week's sketch, sketch 78 at the CPS Blog, featuring more of the same line from Sassafras. I believe the new lines are going to be in stores soon...and I want ALL of them. So, I am trying to use up my existing stash of Sass to make room for the new stuff!

Any great plans for the weekend? Josh has to work a lot this weekend, so I am going to just lay low. Get some scrapping in, church on Saturday night, and clean the house up. It is a bit of a wreck from the past few weeks. We have gotten a lot done over this week, but I need to do the not fun things like dust, mop the floors, clean bathrooms, etc. Yuck...but it's got to get done!

The countdown is now to 14 days until Casey's first football game! I get more excited by the minute! Who knew I would end up with a "star" quarterback for a little brother? Tee hee!

Well, that is all I have for now! I hope that everyone has a very happy Friday!

~Lea

I LOVE this little sketch blog, but the busyness of the two weeks hasn't allowed me to participate! So, I got the three sketches that I missed done over the past couple of evenings and am ready to share them! First up, this is my card for the current sketch, Kazan's Sketch 7. It also features some new Scenic Route papers called Appleton.

One little lone card to share with you today! This is my card for sketch 77 at CPS, sponsored by Inque Boutique.

Card info: Cardstock (Bazzill), Paper (KI Memories), Stickers (Making Memories), Ribbon (Michael's brand), Rhinestones (Glitz Designs & Westrim Crafts), Stamps (Inque Boutique), Ink (StazOn & Clearsnap), and Border Punch (Fiskars).

So, I had to use a ruler, pencil lines, and scissors to complete this card! I went to start it on Wednesday night...and when I went to use my trimmer....it ripped up the peice of paper I was trying to cut. Looking closer at the trimmer (I have the MM Precision Trimmer), the blade had been pushed out of the correct cutting position, and would not go back. Something must have fallen on it pretty hard during the car ride home this weekend. It was fairly late on Wednesday night, so there was no way to get a trimmer...so I had to go old school. I know you are probably thinking...why the heck did she not use a metal ruler and an exacto knife?! Trust me when I say....I can't cut a straight line to save my life with those two tools. So- time to go get a new trimmer. Hopefully there will be a coupon on Sunday for M's! :)

So, that is all I have done this week...other than putting things away, trying to find room for all the stuff I came home with...etc. I needed a bit of a break this week, so I watched the Olympics instead of scrapping. I love the Olympics...but boy are they exhausting me! Going until midnight or later this week...but I don't want to miss a thing, so I stay up and watch! I have to give a big WHOO HOOO for Nastia and Shawn for USA Women's gymnastics last night for taking Gold and Silver...and for competing HONESTLY. There is no way those girls from China are the age of 16 like they are supposed to be. Did you notice in the team event that quite a few of them are still losing teeth and growing in permanent teeth? Pretty sure I had all my permanent teeth AND braces off by the age of 16. I find that so irritating, and I really hope the IOC looks into it once the games are over and all atheletes are safe at home.

Have a happy weekend!

~Lea

...and was not announced as SOY 2008. Congrats to Mandy Douglass, who was named the winner. Now it is time to get up, dust myself off...and move on! I do want to share my time in photos with you though...so here we go.

It all started on Tuesday when this arrived at my workplace:
My wonderful inlaws sent this basket of goodies to me as a "we are proud of you" gift! Such a sweet gesture...and we are still snacking on all the fruits and CHOCOLATE! Yum!

I left Missoula EARLY on Wednesday morning, and arrived at 9am. Josh picked me up at the airport and we headed straight to the CK offices. They gave me a tour of the building, and then let me set up for my video segments. That was the project this year. We had to plan out two 2-3 minute video segments (projects, etc...) based on 3 subjects they gave us. I did my video segments (kind-of scary) and then they revealed I had one more segment to do with Lori Fairbanks. That one was a piece of cake, because by then I was a pro. ;)

After that I called Josh, and he came and picked me up. We drove down to Provo, got checked in, and just relaxed for a bit. One of the finalists, Shelly, had some major flight delays. So, the 4 of us met with each other for a bit, and then met with some editorial staff as well.

Then it was time to go get ready for the banquet. Josh came down early with me, and took this really great photo for me.
I have to say...Josh was my saving grace all this week. He was so supportive of everything. Dealt with not seeing me much, but whisked me away from it all when I needed it. I don't think I could have gotten through it without him.

Here I am getting some goodies from two of the major sponsors, Wausau Paper and Sizzix. I have so much cardstock now it is crazy, and a Sizzix Big Shot. Do you think I am set on die cut machines yet? Tee hee...I am very grateful for it all, and will definitely be using them! So, thank you to the sponsors for all the great goodies!
After this they announced the winner, which wasn't me. Then came the obligatory photos and everything...and my husband, and our friends that came down from Salt Lake (Dave, Stephanie & Timothy) waited for me. Once that was finished...we went on to dinner at the hotel's restaurant. Not the greatest service...but it was food. And food was needed...we were all starving.

The next day started our time at CKU- Provo. These ladies sought me out right off the bat, as they were from Montana too!! Gotta love meeting fellow Montana scrappers! They were super sweet...I am so glad I met them.
This is Brittany Beattie, who is an editor for CK. She is really, really sweet...I am so glad I finally got to meet her face to face.
This is Leisl Russell, who also works for CK. I just adore this girl...her and Joannie McBride (also from CK, but not pictured) just made my trip for me. Thank you girls!
Here are all of the five finalists with the obligatory photo with Tim Holtz. Seriously...you can't take a class with him without a photo, can you?
This is Deena Wuest, one of the finalists, and her sweet little girl! Isn't she just precious! I just kept taking photographs of her...she was so darling!
This is Sue, my DT coordinator for Provo Craft...and this is her office!!!! I can officially say that I am jealous of her job!! This is just one small part of her area...she has an entire section of a warehouse devoted to her project area. Seriously...I am totally jealous now that I have seen it. She gave me a tour of Provo Craft, and then took me to dinner on Thursday night. That was very sweet, and I really enjoyed meeting her. Thanks so much Sue!
This is another Montana girl, right from my area named Carrie! I knew her before coming to CKU, but it was fun to meet up!! Isn't she adorable! We need to get together soon Carrie...email me!!
And to the CKU kick-off bash on Thursday night. Pure craziness. People dressed up, crazy table centerpeices, screaming, dancing, singing...performances all about scrapbooking. It was a tad overwhelming, but fun to watch!
Everything done for the bee theme was completely hand-made. They really went all out!!

And this little song was really cute...they incorporated all of the teachers, etc...into it, all to the Grinch song. Very sweet!

And then here are Shelly and I with our finished creations from Tim's class on Friday. Notice we are showing off our inked up fingers...that is probably the only time you will see that on me! I really enjoyed his class though...and learning how to use his product. I am not much of a technique-y girl, unless it is clean and graphic looking...but I do love the project that I finished in class. I am going to add some of my own touches to it, and hang it in my scrap room.
I will be honest and say I was photo'd out on Saturday, and didn't take out my camera much. I was in Ali's album track all day that day, so I will photograph that project once it is finished. I REALLY enjoyed her class, and I am using it for my cheerleading album. ALL of my years of cheerleading...and I like how it has come together so far. I have the first section done, which is of my time cheering for Pop Warner Football/Cheer. I still need to finish the high school section, and the college section..and it will be finished! I hope to get that done in the next few weeks.

All in all...I had a great time. Do I wish I had won...of course. I had some great uses for that $10,000! But, life went on right after the announcement was made, and so did I. I am proud of how far I did make it in the contest, and the most important part...I LOVE each and every layout that I completed for my SOY portfolio. They are treasures in my scrapbook albums, and that is what it is all about.

Well, that is all from me for now! I hope you enjoyed my little trip through photos...thanks for all the sweet comments and emails over this past week, it really brightened my days!

HUGS,
~Lea

Well, I got my box of Chatterbox goodies on my doorstep the other day. After sketching and making the kits for my DT callback projects that I am going to finish while at CKU...I had some leftovers to play with. So, I whipped up a couple cards last night...before packing all my scrappy tools up. First up...some Artsylicious Bloom. I LOVE this line. I love the textures on the paper, I love all the glittery and blingy goodness of the embellishments...and the ribbon ties perfectly into a bow. That is how I know if I like a ribbon or not...if the bow looks pretty without a lot of work! This one passed the test! I used my Cricut Expression and the Indie Arts cartridge for the butterfly. The shifted image is the wings seperated...so I cut those out at 2.5 inches and covered in glitter. Then I cut out the full image of the butterfly at 2 inches and layered them all together on the card. This is also my card for CPS Sketch 76. It isn't posted on the blog yet...so you are getting an early look at it! I won't be posting much this week after today...so I wanted to get it uploaded.
Next up is the Happy Day collection by Chatterbox. I love the citrusy fresh colors of this line...and the super cute patterns they used on the papers and embellishments! The sentiment might seem kind-of odd...but I have a specific person in mind for this card. They have been going through a rough patch...but things are looking up. I think the sentiment is fitting! I also used last weeks' sketch at 2 Sketches 4 U for this card!Well, Josh is off and on his way to Utah. He has to make a detour to Billings for a work related issue, so that is why he left today. He will be in Salt Lake tomorrow night, and will pick me up at the airport on Wednesday morning....and then this SOY journey is almost finished. We finish up our projects on Wednesday at the magazine offices in Salt Lake, and then head down to Provo for the rest of the week. We have a photo shoot before the reception, and then the SOY reception is from 730-9p, when we find out the winner. It is a very exciting and crazy time right now!

The rest of the week we are students at CKU-Provo, which I am excited about! I think it will be fun to do all the classes, and the crop time. I mostly brought stuff to do cards during the crop times, except for my Chatterbox projects. Those have to get done first thing on Thursday evening!

My DT coordinator from Provo Craft, Sue, is going to give me a tour of of PC and then take me to dinner on Thursday during the free time away from CKU. I am very excited about meeting her and whoever else we might run into. It is always nice to finally place names with faces!

I am so thankful that Josh is going to be there, and how supportive he has been through all of this. He has decided to get in a lot of pool time while I am doing my scrappy thing! :) He is such a wonderful husband...I love him! (Good thing, huh?)

Well, I am going to close up for now. There is a 20% chance that the next time I post an entry, I could be doing it as the 2008 SOY winner...tee hee! Have a great Monday!

~Lea

We sing THIS song at church a lot, and tonight it really hit home. (That link is just a clip of the song...I couldn't find a whole version of it.) I mean really...what sacrifice is it to give your life completely to God. He has your best interest at heart...He wants better things for you than you want for yourself...He has BIGGER dreams for you than you could even imagine. God wants you to be amazing. That was our message at church tonight. Let God do amazing things through you. Sounds awesome, huh?

A little while ago, Marci asked me to be a guest designer for the kit called Dixie Pieces. It worked out that August would be the best month for me to do it, and I am SO glad! I just love this kit! Teal is one of my fave latest colors...and this kit was full of it. Be sure to check out the site and the kit....lots of gorgeous Chatterbox Artylicious, Luxe & Little Yellow Bicycle papers...glitter thickers...ribbon...cardstock...Cosmo black chipboard. They are also having an online crop this weekend with lots of great challenges and prizes! Be sure to check it out! Loved working with the kit! Here are my projects! (Click on them to see them larger...better detail!)





Christine also tagged me. So here we go...BTW, if you haven't been to Christine's blog...GO! It is full of pure eye candy...she is such an amazing crafter!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who “tagged” you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is posted on your blog.

Here are my six random things:
1. I love to veg out and do nothing. I am busy enough, that I COULD be doing something all the time. But, I don't. I love sitting on the couch watching TV or movies by myself or with my husband.
2. I alluded to this in my last post, but I still buy CD's. I prefer them actually. And I don't have an Ipod...not really a necessity because I don't know when I would use it.
3. I love dancing to 80's music or cheesy current pop music while scrapbooking. It gets my creative juices flowing.
4. I really want to be a cheerleading coach someday.
5. I want to go to photography school.
6. I am really happy that my little brother's girlfriend is now his ex-girlfriend.

Okay- so here is who I am going to tag. You should check out their blogs too...because they have awesome eye candy as well...such talent in this crazy world of crafting!

Carla
Katie
Amie
Charity
Roree
Laura D.

Well, I have about a zillion projects to get done this weekend...and we really want to go to the lake tomorrow! So, I better get to it! Have a great rest of your Friday!

~Lea