10 things 2 know about abigail

wow...i have been keeping sooo sooo sooo busy here lately.....i have been working on soooooooo many projects and still havent completed them all....but here is one finished one......its all about abigail....

she has got to be the most sweetest little girl in the whole wide world...such a very caring and thoughtful child...i always say that she is like a little mommy :) she has such wonderful and innocent honesty......

i choose to use a few of my signature gawdy techinques......hand made flowers and tulle...and ribbons...... and buttons (of course).....stick pins....and vintage touches too....a used belt with a fancy buckle that i picked up at a thrift store for 25 cents...yes-what a steal......and layer layer layer .....thank you amy for the making memories vintage collection thingies...they are sooooooooo my style.... and the great extra embellishments.....

i had a blast making this shadowbox to hang in her room....

she is a special little girl....and i think this adds the special touch to her room....

sports fan fe

well....i have alot of blog catching up to do......omg!!!!

the last few weeks have been so busy thats it is all a blurrrrr....

from setting up and organizing my moms's scrapbook studio.....to my 1o year old daughter's scrapbook slumber party.....to an awesome weekend getaway with my mom at amy's 365 faith crop......wow!!!!!! amazing !!!! and to redecorating my 7 year old son's bedroom into a new orleans saints paradise........i managed to have the time get in a little bit of scrapping here and there....

here is a layout that i did to place in a shadow box in my son's room....

he LOVES the saints!!!!! loves, loves, loves......the saints....so he wanted to transform his room into that of a n.o. saints theme!!!! and i have had such a blast decorating it.....BUT there is lots more to go.....so stay tuned for that......

back to my layout.....its centered around his love for football.....i absolutley LOVE this picture of him taken this past football season.....his first season playing....i used some of the invisible heidi swapp sheets and lots of old buttons (thank you amy;), tulle, milk caps (a new fav of mine:), pins, ribbons, and other odds and ends.....to add a special touch...the rusty looking button on the star is a button that he found for me one day when we were stopping my a shopping center.....and the little saints football came from a price tagged saints flag that is hanging in his room.....i had sooo much fun making this layout......(and i won first place at the faith crop event) :)

so enjoy ..... there are lots more goodies to come....

The Wizard of Oz

" .... we're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz....." another passing month,another design team layout.

this was a fun layout to do!!!! i love using the heidi swapp invisibles!!!! i was skeptical at first - but i was quickly convinced otherwise.....what an awesome product!!!!!its like magic how the colors appear and blend well together when adding a heap of different shades to make it the perfect medium........well, i chose a variety of different paper lines including one of my favorite lines out there right now - websters' pages. they are vey me!!!!! I used this line to make the house and some of the flowers....i also used the lime rickey to compliment "the emerald city". the doodlebug line was used to made the bricks of the yellow brick road. and i wrapped it all together with the crate paper and fancy pants collection summer soiree...for additonal touches, i used the prima fleurs and embroidered tabs.i used a rub on from glitz design for the tree branch,and crepe paper ribbon by jenni bowlin. tim holtz hardware help bring the tin man's heart to life. and paper house provided the die cuts and stickers...i distressed the pages with the versamagic inks and added sparkling red stickles coloring to dorothy's ruby slippers. one of the challenges was to curl, fold ,ink and distress paper - which i did....and made them into roses, like the one next to the tin man.

the photos of dorothy are from halloween 2000 when abby was 1 1/2 years old....i LOVE the wizard of oz and i could hardly wait to dress her up like dorothy.... to add my special sentimental touch, i chose the "oz" button flowers taken from a dress abby wore when she was little, as well as the patchwork slippers.

.....i cant wait to start the next assignment!!!!

i heart my card catalogs :)

well......i already knew that i had a wonderful husband...but just when i thought he couldnt be any more wonderful than he already is....he goes and surprises me again........

well........where some women want big diamonds and pearls.....i wanted a library card catalog for as long as i can remember. i love organization - and i love small drawers.....so when my husband happened upon a steal of a deal- he decided he couldnt pass it up!!!! and you know how they say - ask and you shall receive - well i asked-and received i did indeed! ! ! having only hoped for 1 unit of the catalog drawers, was i surprised when he came home with - not 1....not 2....but 8 card catalogs !!!! 465 tiny drawers!!!!! ha ha ha!!!! i was soooooooooooooooooo happy!!!!! it brought tears to my eyes!!!! not to mention that he (and his good friend) had to travel 10 hours each way- to and from- tennessee to pick them up!!! they were being auctioned from middle tennessee university ...... he is sooooooooooo AWESOME!!!!!! i love you johnny!!!!! :)

well i knew that i didnt have the space for all of them, but i was a bit greedy and decided to keep 3 of the 8. i also gave one to my mom because she deserves it for being such a wonderful mom!!!! so that leaves me with 4.......that need a good home!!!! any interested buyers? ? ? ?ha ha ha.....they are designed for organization!!!! i have stuffed them full-----with the exception of a few empty drawers... :) but dont worry.....i ll have them ALL filled up soon....i have all my ribbons in my small 45 drawer unit....and the other 2 identical 60 drawer units (just like the remaining 4 cabinets), house everything from scissors, ink pads, stamps and flowers to some of the original library cards. i have even seen the drawers creatively used to hold bottles of wine.

i cant THANK my husband enough!!!!!!

i think i have finally completed my scrapbook studio :) ... i dont want anything else...until of course i come across the next best thing that i HAVE to HAVE...ha ha ha!!!!

soooooo......i present to you - the best and most cherished gift i have ever received!!!.....my diamond surprise ;)

more of my card catalogs :) thank you johnny!!!!

May Crowning Memories

wow.....it has been a crazy few months...i have hardly had any time at all to post anything on here.....BUT i have made myself a promise that i will try to make at least one post a week.....we will see how this goes...ha ha ha!

anyways, speaking of how quickly time does fly by - in the month of may 2004 , abigail 's pre-k class participated in the may pole ceremony and the crowning of mary. this picture captures her crowning mary. she was 4 years old at the time,and my mother in law had asked for copies pictures taken.......here it is 5 years later, and i have finally gotten around to scrapbooking it in the form of a collage for her for mother's day! better late than never,right? oh my......well hopefully i get more free time soon to scrap more memories.....

Three Little Girls

Wow...another month has flown by and its time again for the return of the next Design Team assignment...... i was selected to create my project by using the Sassafras Lass line. i combined lots of the "Life is Beautiful" collection, using the Anthem, Vintage Yummy, and Woodland Whimsy. i tried to make it look a bit like a page right out of a children's story book. The collection set the perfect tone for the layout. i selected an old photo of myself pictured with 2 of my cousins. i can remember all the good times we shared together growing up....lots of great memories brought back to life....i am hooked on buttons and stick pins.....maybe just a phase i am going through.....ha ha ha......i love clutter, so that was an easy task to accomplish - lots of cluster embellishments. i also used the scalloped edge paper and even added my very own "reverse" scallop using half of a circle punch (on the left side of the photograph)...i went out on a limb and even attempted to make a journalling entry....ha ha ha.....i chose to transform the "tickets" into the hair roller pin girls dresses complete with a beaded tu-tu....i added lots and lots of gawdiness in the flower designs and the use of the prima flowers and the buzz and bloom crackle painted cardstock.... i LOVE bees and i was happy to get to include them on this layout,amongst all the other frillies.......adding the finishing touch of the bird's beaded flying path.......my design was accented by the distress technique using the versamagic chalk ink in the colors of jumbo java and wheat....all thrown together on the bazzil dotted swiss cardstock...... this was my favorite project thus far.....i love the look of old childhood memories brought to life through storybook paper....

40th Wedding Anniversary - March 8,2009

my parents celebrated their 40 wedding anniversary recently.as a gift to my mom, i made her this layout to be placed in a shadow box.

i love the antique look. i chose colors complimentary to the picture.i had such a great time making this.

Lucky :)

Well its time once again for yet another Design Team reveal :) this month's challenge featured one of my very favorite designer's line - none other than Jenni Bowlin ! ! ! i had the priviledge of meeting her and taking a class that was phenomenal ! ! ! ! Geaux jenni ! ! ! so this month's challenge proved to be a great success (i think so anyway :)....... we had to use only that designer's line of products. i used distress techniques and lots of ribbons and buttons to embellish the pages...i also accented some of the paper with an embossing gloss. i hand stitched a few loops and finished the layout off with crepe paper ribbon flowers...with a button on top:) i hope i made jenni proud.

Design Team Bio Q & A

okay :) here is a question and answer section....to get to know me and where my creativity comes from.....

1. Tell us about yourself. What would you like everyone to know about you?

all the questions that follow were much easier to answer than this one.... so even though it is the very first question...i saved it for last to answer....ha ha ha.... about me? hmmm.....well, im 33 years old, married to my lovely husband of 9 years. i am the mother to 2 special little ones- abigail delaine, 9 going on 25 and felix emile, 7 going on 45 :)... i am a daughter to the most awesome parents a girl could have, and the middle child - having an older brother and younger sister.... i live in abbeville, louisiana, where i spent my childhood and most of my adulthood.i am very very spoiled....i blame it partly on my dad....cause he still spoils me to this day :) and as they say, a girl tries to find a mate that mimmicks her father- so my lucky husband got me and has continued to spoil me very much - probably too much...ha ha ha !!!! im a bit of a perfectionist when i t comes to some things.....i CAN NOT cook whatsoever -and have given up on learning (...i think its safer that way :)....i am addicted to this hobby called scrapbooking ! ! ! - but im not complaining... i love spending time with my family. im very much a home body....really shy and quiet,until you get to know me:) and enjoy making memories come to life through my creativity....


2. What is your scrapbook style?

my scrapbook style is "Shabby Chic" - or in my own words - GAWDY...ha ha ha..... i love ribbons, embellishments, trinkets, tags and distressing.....lots of vintage nostalgia. im a perfectionist, so everything has to be fit exact...i pay alot of attention to detail.... and gawdy it up.....the more the better :) im a newbie to 12 x 12 layouts.....im a little book girl....i love making books.....from start to finish...top to bottom......


3. How long have you been scrapbooking?

i guess a couple of years now....that i really have gotten into it...and actually started making my little books......ive collected scrapbook items for many years...and have recently re-organized my scrapbook area - so lots of more projects are to come :)


4. Who do you scrapbook?

mainly my children, family, extended family and friends


5. Name your top 3 tools.

wow.....tough one.....
1) stampin up distressing tool
2) tim holtz scissors
3) ink pads?...do they count as a tool


6. How are you inspired to get started on a layout?

hmmm.....it depends.....i either start with pictures....and go from there....selecting papers to match. then i fill in the details and make it my own, always adding that special sentimental touch to every page... OR i find papers and embellishments that i love and put together a book...then add pictures later...... i usually have 2-3 projects going on at the same time.....i go from one to the next so that i can let the work i have done sink in or when i get stuck on ideas.....it gives me a break and allows me to switch gears and keep my creativity flowing....


7. Do you have any great tips to share?

Tips? make it your own....there are NO mistakes when it comes to scrapbooking..... you can never have too many embellishments. i find most of my treasures at thrift stores....i always look for unique buttons, lace, ribbons, material, belts, earrings - really all sorts of odds and ends ......you can find a lot of great finds......i gather these trinkets and pull them out to use in my designs where they most fit......i have some that i have held on to for years.....waiting for the right project to come along - then i am like- "YES" thats it! i always say to myself.... "i can use this for something...i dont know what right now....but i will find a special place for it" - i can thank my mother for that...she and i are alot alike in that regard.....


8. What are your favorite 3 embellishments?

oh my!!!! there are way too many to narrow down to three.... but if i must , they would be :

1) ribbons
2) tags
3) trinkets


9. What is your favorite paper line?

again....how can you have just one favorite paper line!!! thats impossible.... i mix so many lines together in my designs......at the moment - little yellow bicycle (....and sassafrass, jenni bowlin, cosmo cricket, rusty pickle, wild asparagus , and k & co. ) sorry - i dont have just one :)


10. What is your favorite way to journal?

i am NOT much of a journalist.....if im even a journalist at all...in fact journalling is my LEAST favorite thing to do.....putting down words on a layout (including coming up with a title) takes me forever.....ha ha ha!!!! to me, pictures say a thousands words......but any journal entries that i do make......add that special detail that recreates the moment....so if journalling is noted on any of my layouts - its usually on a tag...tucked away....i dont like my handwriting....ha ha !

I love me

.....so its FINALLY here - time for the great reveal !!!! the very first design team challenge ! the assigment was so much fun ! ! ! i had a great time with this project. i have never done a layout "all about me".....so it was a time of self discovery....

i started by picking out paper and embellishments that mimick my style.

little did i know that this was the easiest part of the assignment. the hard part was narrowing down all the things i wanted to put on the layout.......i choose to go with the theme of "i love me - self discovery ."

if you look closely at the tags on the right side of the layout, all the letters in brown, if read from top to bottom , spell out the words "self discovery". i listed things about me that make me, me..... :) i cut out large blossoms and used pop dots to make them stand out. i also used some of my favorite ribbons and flower embellishments along with the added touch of the key, crown and fleur de lis locket, being my signature mark. the finishing touch was the ivory tulle that accented the pages. the tulle, having a special meaning behind its usage, was the same tulle that i used on my wedding day.....

and there you have it.......

so to be a little more specific, the following items were used:

* paper *: Fancy Pants - Blossom; Crate Paper - Mia Collection; Bazzill Cardstock; Iron Orid Designs - Journal notebook; Making Memories - Passport Die-cut Stamp * inks *: Dew Drop - Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate; Tim Holtz - Distress Ink - Peeled Paint * stamps *: Background stamp by Anna Griffin; Stampin Up - "Be Happy" Collection * rub ons *: Making Memories; Sonnets; K & Company; Kaiser * tools *: Paige -lower case - Quickutz; Basic Grey - Precision File set * supplies * : Tacky tape; Zots; Inkssentials "Pop it" shapes * embellishments * : Maya Road - Velvet Pleated blossoms (pink and mauve); Spare Parts - Antique Flower Brads; Paperbilities - Tags; Assorted Ribbon