Sharing "Connection", FINALLY!!

So, it's November.  Normally this is not a good thing, lol.  Not only does November signify the end of my favorite month of the year, but the slow decent into winter BOOOOO.  November has a silver lining this year and it's the "Connection" kit from Scrapbooking From The Inside Out. This kit has been my favorite! Not just the physical product but the theme as well.  I have to warn you that my layouts this month are pretty heavy, you may need a symbalta and a nap lol.  I have made some of favorite layouts with this kit and I usually share my favorite first but it was hard to pick one.  I finally decided to go with this one

I pinned this feather tutorial a while back never really knowing what I would use it for, but when I saw the Amy Tangerine feather paper I knew.  The changes I made when making my feathers were to use copy paper as the backing and floral wire for my spines.  I want to make about a million of those feathers and paper my walls with them.  This layout is about how isolating it can be to be a SAHM, and how it has added to the difficulty of finding real and lasting friendships. 
November also means it's December Daily time! This is my first year and Im going to be doing a December daily ish album lol.  I have finished my album and Im starting on making my page protectors.  Here is the album which is a 9x6.5 chipboard album with 3 rings and a 2 inch spine.  I think it was from creative imaginations, but I'm not sure.  I covered the outside with Cosmo Cricket fabric, the inside it craft

Thanks for looking a have a great day!

Sketch #82

Hello all! Today Im sharing for card for the Twisted Sketches sketch #82, and the twist was orange so I of course made a Halloween card.

Halloween is my very favorite holiday, and orange is my least favorite color so if you say orange Im thinking Halloween lol.  The cat is paprika stickles on felt I cut out on the sizzix.  Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Play and win

 Today I have another layout to share from the Scrapbooking From The Inside Out October "Achievement" kit.  I decided to turn my blog your heart post into a layout

I love having his actual handwriting on the page! The big grey frame came with kit and I liked it so much I decided to build off of it.  All the other frames are cut from the "elegant edges" cricut cartridge, it is my all time favorite cricut cartridge.  I also cut one of the extra frames on the diagonal to make my corners. 

I have started making sketches and I really like it! Today I'm going to share one of my sketches, and if you make a layout (or anything else) from the sketch I will send you a little token of appreciation.  Just post a link in the comments and then send me your address to joshnwillsma@gmail.com.  Also if there is a scrapbooking product you just don't care for include that too, I would hate to send you something you didn't even like.  Here is the sketch

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Random things that make me happy!

1. Scrapbooking From The Inside Out has a post up on the Basic Grey blog today!  Head on over and leave a comment for your chance to win a kit!

2. I don't listen to alot of new music, but this band and this song in particular is my new favorite.  Maybe I should listen to new music more often.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ

3. and then this
http://pinterest.com/gashlycrumb/my-little-ponies-grown-up/
and here is a taste of what you will get from that link

I was looking for Jack Skellington images on pinterest to use to make my son's birthday cake, and I was like "um is that a my little pony painted to look like Jack Skellington?" Why yes, yes it is! Then I saw that there were others.  I don't know if the pinner is the person who made these or not, but I want to be best friends with who ever did.  It's like a less messy, non murderous form of taxidermy.

and thats it! Thanks for looking and have a great day.

A challenge and a shout out

So challenges are starting for October at Scrapbooking From The Inside Out and I was totally insipired by #1
Fulfillment: What makes you feel fulfilled in your life? Do you create goals to achieve that are different in your personal life and your life outside the home? Do the two conflict with each other or are they symbiotic? Are you someone who longs for something different than what you already have? Does fulfillment in your life depend on acquiring something or someone, or are you at peace with what you have?

For our first challenge -

Please create a LO about your level of fulfillment. Are you in possession of that which you need to be fulfilled, or is it far from you?

For the design twist, please surround yourself with your fulfillment or separate yourself from it.
I knew right away that my element that makes me feel fullfilled would love, and what better excuse to cover a page with hearts? I do love hearts. 

I used some stencils I found at Walmart for $2 to mist those hearts!  Hearts are probably the easiest shape to hand cut, just fold your paper in half and cut a heart.  I did add the wooden hearts from the stash just so you dont expect them in your kit. 
There is also a SFTIO shout out on Donna Downey's blog, which also has some great coupon codes today. Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Still Standing

Today I have another layout from the October "Achievement" kit from Scrapbooking From The Inside Out.  It was the morning of September 11, 2011 and I was out for my morning run when I saw this

I was totally overwhelmed by my emotions, which is not a common thing for me.  Those butterflies were made with a punch by marvy uchida, then I tore those beads off of some prima flowers and stitched them on the spines.  Also if you are journaling directly on your page take your time! Write it down somewhere else first and then copy it slowly and carefully lol.  I used my signo uniball white pen which is AWESOME!!!!!  Thanks for looking and have a great day.

sketch #80

Hello all! Today I have card for the Twisted Sketches #80

Yes, I know, more pink and  brown lol.  It's a problem, I really cannot help myself.  The twist for this sketch is Happy, so I used my Bobunny sentiment sticker.  I thought I would do a different take on a wedding card, I am really just not a black, white and lace kind of girl lol.  Thanks for looking and have a great day!

My Greatest Achievement

Keeping  my little family happy, healthy and together is my greatest achievement.  I was trying to think of exactly what I thought my greatest achievement was when I got the October "Achievement" kit from Scrapbooking From The Inside Out , and then I came across this family photo and I knew.  Being a family in the world we live in today can sometimes feel like war, or at least like being under attack.  When I was looking at the argyle paper I kept seeing the diamonds and I thought I would cut them out and use them to make a flower, but then when I was laying them next to each other I noticed they were making a chevron pattern and my heart skipped lol.  I used the diamonds I cut out of the argyle paper as a pattern to trace and cut the other papers.  Thanks for looking and have a great day!

October, at last

So October is my very favorite month of all.  Me and my two son's have our birthdays, Halloween is my very favorite holiday, oh and my #1 favorite part THE WEATHER.  A new month means... a NEW kit! The Scrapbooking From The Inside Out October kit is "Achievement".  As usual I'm going to share my favorite layout first.

Polka dot heaven, no? I love bright, bold, geometric patterns and this kit was full of them.  This is the absolute best pair of running shoes ever, and since they are on their last leg I thought they should be documented.  Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than wearing out a pair of running shoes from actual running.  Everything you see is from the kit except the sticks I used to make pennants.  Those thickers are actually brown, but I used an American Crafts metallic marker to color them and it was AWESOME! The marker comes with the kit btw, and if your a fan of metallics I suggest getting your hands on some.  Thanks for looking and have a great day!