looking at old photos...

I think I have always had a camera in my hand. My SLR was purchased 2 years ago and I think I have flurished on the photography skills. I am no pro at it, but I enjoy capturing those great moments.

heat embossed covered mini album-finished

I really enjoyed doing this album, creating it took me out of my elements... well kinda... I have never embossed on anything to do with scrapbooking and absolutelty fell in love with it again. This Maya Road 4 x 4 mini album is one of my favorites and explains alot about me... so I know that it will be treasured by my children.

I choose to use Basic Grey and Hambly Studios Patterened Paper as well as Hambly Studios Tansperancies. I also added a little bit of Tinkering Ink Patterened Paper torn and adhered to the edge of the transperancy.

This is our 2007 Family Photo...

I had some Making Memories definition sticker in by stack of stuff and finally had a change to use them, I also used a digital journaling piece that was printed and journaled on.

In the hospital minuites after CT was born.

As for journaling topics, I decided to explain when I became who I was... for example, "3 years ago"- my name becane mommy.

I love this photo...

7 years ago...

I became Ruth Rebecca Harper

I was able to fit 10 photos in the 8 page mini album... all pages are back with chipboard and inked around the edges...

I will be teaching this class at Califonia Stampin' in July- information is not yet up to date, but I will post it when it does... hope you can join me.

Come and play with me!

MDW Design Team Challenge

Check it out and don't forget to post...

project #1 reuse

step 1: What kind of stuff is around me that I tend to overlook?

Packaging...

I bought new shelving units for the kids' room at The Container Store and two great boxes came in the packaging (one one each end to protect the shelf). They also happen to have four slender sheets of cardboard inside.

step 2: How can I reuse it?

Brainstorming...

I decided to make a mini book, but include the box as the enclosure.

step 3: What kind of supplies do I need?

Preparing...

For this project I covered the cardboard completely with an acrylic gesso in order for the white acrylic paint to tuely be white. Next I mixed white acrylic paint with a glossy gel medium so that the paint would dry shinny.

Step 4: How do I put it together?

Designing...
To bind this book together I just punch two holes at the end for the loose rings I had left over from another project. 4 x 6 size photos worked really well with this project.

step 5: What is the purpose of this mini album?

Journaling..

Once I captured the essence of this album " ME", the journaling came easy. I decided to explain in short journaling strips what is important to "ME", what is "MY" passion, who is "MINE" and what "MAKES" me happy...

Step 6: Oh, that's right use the shelving unit....

project reuse.... is done....

reduce reuse recycle

Today is the last day of sustainability month... and I can not help but pay attention to all the "green" friendly ads, products and information that has popped up over the last month. Last week, SJSU had a week long celebration of sustainability which ended with our 1st annual Spartan Triathlon at the Aquatic Center We had 100 participants and 30 + volunteers. This event was earth friendly by using 100% recyclable corn oil cups and using sidewalk paint to number events and areas in place of paper...

We all have kids....

You know that time is passing by to quickly when a bunch of your old friends from college get together and there are now kids running around.

We all met up at Elisa's house to enjoy Christy's visit to California from New York. Elisa, Christy and I were roomates in college and played water polo for SJSU. Julie came into the picture a year later and we all keep in touch. We all love to scrapbook too so that keeps us connected also.

From left to right

Christy's boy: Quint or... Baxter Key Richardson V is in the blue stripped shirt. Next is Isabella who belongs to Julie and she is holding CT. Savana is next to Isabella and Shelby, who is Elisa's is below Savana. Luke, is Julie's second child and he is at the end.

CT finally had enough and came crying to mommy.

weekend fun

So I had the whole weekend planned and well... it didn't go the way I had thought it would, but it was a weekend to remember. Savana and I started off with a great Friday at work, while dad was in charge of bubba, we enjoyed bagels from the local bagel shop and Savana made all the customers happy as they passed by my office. She continued to entertain herself while I worked for a couple of hours, then she got restless as I assured her we would go swimming and the hours kept passing. So I put my suit on and none the less, Savana's new suit from Old Navy... she looked too cute. We jumped in and enjoyed the sunshine for about 20 minutes. Well, Savana did not leave off from last summer, but she'll get back into being comfortble in the water... I just know it.

We got home and CT had a great day...(not often with a mama's boy). But I soon discovered that his head was shaved... yup...Chad wanted his son to have some resemblance of him... not to mentioned CT has his eyes... he needed the same haircut too... I wasn't mad, just alittle shocked.

Saturday turned out pretty well, we went to Shelby's birthday party and spent the afternoon teaching Savana that all those presents belong to Shelby and not Savana... well Tia Elisa was kind enough to let Savana open the packages for Shelby...being one only means you can eat the package, not open them. Shelby enjoyed her cake eating and all those babies to rock-a bye.

RESURECTION SUNDAY...as we state in our house...was planned to be a fun-filled relaxing day, but it was only the end to a long weekend. Savana attended Sunday school and actually walked in the classroom without even crying... CT ended up falling asleep in the nursery, but the fun was about to begin as we headed to grandma's house.

The kids enjoyed the wonderful brunch and then we all headed out for the egg/gift hunt in the backyard.

After the egg hunt both kids got

restless/annouyed/frustrated/irritated and just plan crabby....

well and that made my afternoon and me

restless/annouyed/frustrated/irritated and just crabby...

then we took a nap...and had dinner...

We eventually all calmed down, but the whole process was a big lesson to learn...

DON'T SET EXPECTATIONS...

which I tell my self over and over agin, but just doen't seem to jog my mind to think overwise...

ohhh HappY Easter... Reserection Sunday!

8 x 8 mini circle album

Thanks to one of the most talented ladies I know... Casey who is an accomplished and published artist, she informed me about the Prima Hybrid contest. Well and encouraged me to enter. So, I put together this 8 x 8 mini circle album from Rusty Pickle that has been laying in my supplies for a very long time.

First step was to create a template on my computer page that would be easily cut out in to the 8 x 8 circle. Then I played with tht digital elements from Katie and Designer Digitals

Next, I enlarged the photos to fit the same 8 x8 circle and added text that would wrap around the circle. I love how this came out.

After printing the final versions (more times than one), I cut the circles out and added some tradtional element.

I mainly used Hambly papers, well because I love their sharp colors and well to get me outside my box of patterened paper always having to match. Then I added the colorful ric rak on each page.

The most difficult part was the actual digital elements, after they were printed this project took less than one hour to complete.

VIVA PRIMA!