Ice-Pop layout and FREE template

Remember that awesome Blog Train freebie kit from Sugar Hill Co? What a lot of goodies! And I created a layout using it ... my kids eating popsicles ... they call them 'ice-pops'. They love ice-pops and have one every time they're at Grandma's! Thank God for the sugar-free variety!


I used a template from the fabulous Katharyn Brine ... it is FREE over at Danielle Young Designs blog. SkrappyKathy is a fellow Creative Team member and is extroidinarily talented! I love her template and the layout she did with it. I hope you get a chance to download and use it too!

*~*~*

Sugar Hill Co. Blog Train! FREEBIES!

I just thought I'd pass on the wonderful opportunity to hop on board the Sugar Hill Co. Blog Train!

14 talented designers are giving away freebies on their blogs in order to give you this:

You can start here at the the SHCO blog.

Enjoy!

*~*~*

Party Princess

Danielle Young has a new kit, Party Princess, available at Oscraps!

When I saw it, I of course thought of my daughter ... she is my little princess :) Even though pink is her favorite color, the purple accents her ballerina dress perfectly. I have so many cute pictures of her dancing that I'm so glad to be able to do a layout:

Isn't she the cutest thing?! I just loved watching her prance around ... my little princess :)

And ... if you act now, all three coordinating Party Princess items are on sale individually and together! Woohoo!

I hope you like it!

*~*~*

Little Shop of Sketches - Sketch #70

Hello everyone! I hope you were able to pick up some fabulous cards on Sue Cumming's Blog Train ... I know I did :)

Today it's time for a sketch from Little Shop of Sketches!
Tanya lives in New Zealand and has been hit hard by earthquakes and aftershocks. She and her boys are just fine, but please pray for them as they go through this hard time.

Here is Sketch #70:

And here is my take on it:

I used the new Oscrabs collab (so many talented designers got together to create this) RetrO ...

And, in honor of the 'retro' theme, I chose photos from before the kids and even before the wedding ... the summer my honey and I were engaged. Back then, we had a digital camera, but it wasn't that good, so these photos are super low resolution, but they work :)

I hope you like it!

*~*~*

Blog Train!!! Free Card Download!

Did you know that the Oscraps Designer Spotlight this week (September 1-7th)
is featuring Designs by Sue Cummings!!!

She has a fabulous challenge to create a digital or hybrid greeting card!
If you enter the challenge...you could win a shoppings spree at her shop!
Click here to go to the challenge

And guess what!
I am so excited to share the greeting card I designed with you!
Credits: Sketchbook Artistry No. 1 by Sue Cummings

Download LINK for My Card

But wait!!!! My Friends and I created more cards to share with
you. Visit OUR BLOG PARTY today and you can download more FREE
cards that were all created using Sue's Products!

Here's the list of who is having a BLOG PARTY today!
http://mychalkboard.typepad.com/designsbysuecummings/
http://val-unepausecafe.blogspot.com/
http://creatiesbyveer.blogspot.com/
http://alookintonanasworld.blogspot.com/
http://www.falstaff-folly.blogspot.com/
http://craftiejessie.blogspot.com/
http://lifewith4cats.blogspot.com/
http://nadiasfotoblog.blogspot.com/
http://elina-designs.blogspot.com/
http://busybostyn.blogspot.com/
http://beszteri.blogspot.com/
http://zizazzi.fr/?p=3625
http://blog.through-my-eyes.org/
http://suddenlyartistic.blogspot.com/
http://lauriewe.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/sue-is-in-the-…he-party-begin/
http://traderfam.blogspot.com/

*TOU's: All card designs are copyrighted and cannot be redistributed without permission.
Note: Feel free to post the links to these greeting cards on your blog...but do not
share the actual downloads. Kindly send them to the blogs of my friends and please
leave comments along the way.

We would love to hear how you are going
to use these cards. Thanks for stopping by for the blog party!

*~*~*

Beach Fun

It's a record! We went to the beach TWICE this year! Sure, we go to local lakes and visit Maine once or twice ... but this was the actual, coastal beach with waves! Woohoo! The kids loved showing Daddy how good they were at body surfind and Samantha took on the waves like a champ! The girl is fearless!

I used Danielle Young's Top Reef mini kit (paper, frames, seaweed, fish, yellow splat, bubbles) available at Sugar Hill and her High Tide kit (starfish, alpha) and Back-To-School letters (from School Chips quickpage. They were numbers and I erased the number and put my own letters) available at Oscraps.

I hope you like it! Go out and enjoy the rest of your summer!

*~*~*

Little Shop of Sketches - Sketch #69

Time for another awesome sketch from Little Shop of Sketches!

Here is sketch #69:

And here is my take on it:

Credits:
Danielle Young - Bubble Frames, Blessed Blooms (paper, stitches, not currently available), Alley-Oop (ribbon, paint, metal frame) available at Oscraps.
Danielle Young - Chalkboard#1 ('August 2010') available at Sugar Hill.
Sue Cummings - Bits & Pieces #6 (summer word art) available at Oscraps.

Softball has been a big part of our lives for years ... my husband has played since before the kids were born and even though he took a military break for a year (being overseas kind of cramps the softball style), he played up until the day he left and then 3 days after he came back. The kids love to watch him play. It just wouldn't be summer without softball!

I hope you like it!

*~*~*

So ... head on over to Little Shop of Sketches and check out the fabulous layouts done by the gals! The inspiration will hit you!

*~*~*

And ... two other wonderful bits of info:

Little Shop of Sketches will be giving away monthly prizes starting in September! To enter, just submit a layout from one of the sketches that month. I believe that each layout will give you one chance, so if you use a sketch twice, or do a layout from each sketch or do multiple layouts, you'll get entered once for each layout for tons of chances to win! So use the sketches for inspiration and start creating!

And ... Here's a great opportunity for all of you wonderful crafters out there - Little Shop of Sketches will be expanding the design team and is accepting application starting NOW! So, head on over to Little Shop of Sketches for details ... I'd love to see you on the team!

*~*~*

52 Inspirations Video!

Hello All!

You may not be able to tell because I'm not very good about keeping up with it, but I subscribe to the 52 Inspirations kit at Oscraps. It's a wonderful little thing ... the gift that keeps on giving! You sign up once and then you get a mini-kit every week! 52 weeks in a year, 52 kits overall, plus bonuses!!! That's HUGE!!!

Every week is a different challenge, a different inspiration. This week, Sue Cummings brings us not only a fabulous kit for Week 34, but two FREE quickpages if you are a subscriber ($1.95 otherwise) AND a Youtube instructional video!!!



So ... I highly encourage you to check it out, get some inspiration and start scrapping!!!

*~*~*

Little Shop of Sketches - Sketch #68

It's time for Little Shop of Sketches!!!

(Yes, yours truly did the re-designed blog banner and blinkie)

This time we have a wonderful sketch from Tanya done with a digital scrapping kit:

And here's my take on it:

It's a layout from when my parents took the kids and I to Mystic Aquarium. It was a wonderful time of discovery and exploration and I think we all loved the adventure.

I used Sue Cummings NEW kit, Sail Away, for everything except for Danielle Young's Sea Glass Alpha.

This layout stayed true to the sketch with the circular element, but I also tried out a sail boat and I liked the look of that:

Credits remain the same.

I hope you like them!

*~*~*

We have two new designers at Little Shop of Sketches, so be sure to head on over to the blog to check out their beautiful layouts!!!

In September, we will start giving out a prize to one person who does a layout using the sketch! Be sure to keep checking back and start using these fabulous sketches for inspiration!!!

*~*~*

SALE!!!

Oh! Did I mention? Everything in Danielle Young's NEW Sugar Hill Co. store is on SALE!!!

Not just this page kit, but EVERYTHING!!! Check it out :)

*~*~*

Danielle Young at Sugar Hill Co.

Hello everybody! Is your summer just flying by? Mine is ... but it's a good one!!!

My husband has recently returned from his deployment overseas and we are just thrilled to have him home!!! The kids are practically jumping up and down!

*~*~*

Even with all of the the excitement around here, there are lots of other fun things happening ... especially in the world of digital scrapbooking! Oscraps has recovered from their server problems and their gallery is finally back up! They didn't lose any of mine ... so I'm happy :)

*~*~*

In non-Oscraps news ... Danielle Young (who has a fabulous shop at Oscraps) has opened up a new shop at an up and coming little place called SugarHillCo.com. Her products there are all new and exclusive! Check them out:

*~*~*

Such great stuff!

Here's a layout I did using the Metro Chic papers and the Lipstick Letters:

I also used elements (ribbon, ric-rac, swirl, buttons, flowers) from Danielle Young's Game of Love kit at Oscraps.

This was made for a speed-scrap challenge, so it's not quite as finished or as polished as I'd normally like, but no matter what, I'm happy to have another page scrapped!

So ... head on over to Danielle's new store!

I hope you like it!

*~*~*

Hello Summer challenge - extended

Hello everyone! How is your summer going?

Sue Cummings has extended her Hello Summer challenge originally scheduled to close on July 16th to July 26th! Yay! That's six more days (from now) to enter to win $100!!!

Wow!

For details about the challenge, see my previous blog entry HERE, go to Sue's blog HERE or go to the challenge at Oscraps HERE (yes, Oscraps is partially back up. The store and forum are open, but the gallery is still under construction)

I seem to be constantly having computer problems. If my PC isn't breaking down, it's my laptop. When either one works, my software is having problems ... and in the midst of all of this, life goes on and keeps me constantly busy. Oh, so busy!

Anyway ... I've finally completed my first layout for the challenge. I've been working on it for two weeks:
It's a layout of our first (and hopefully not last) trip to the beach this year. The kids all had a BLAST! It was wonderful ... and totally worth the $20 parking charge :)

I used both of Sue Cummings' new releases: Little Bits and Pieces No. 5 and From My Notebook {Summertime} for the frames, mask, paint stroke and wordart. The bubbles and starfish are from Danielle Young's kit, High Tide, the round alpha is Danielle Young's Sea Glass Alpha and the acrylic diamond mat is from Paislee Press' kit, Photogenic - all purchased at Oscraps.com.

I hope you like it! Now go out and create one of your own!!!

~Jessica

"HELLO" Summer Challenge: Win $100!

The amazing Sue Cummings is hosting a challenge! Go to the challenge thread HERE for details.

There are two challenges, actually.

Part One: You remember the FREE quick page (see previous posts for details)? All you have to do is create a layout with it and post the layout to any gallery and then post the link in THIS thread. You will be entered to win $100! Post in another gallery, post the link and you're entered again! Wow!

Part Two: Create a layout using her new Bits & Pieces kit (see previous post)! Same thing. Post in gallery, post link, you're entered! Wow!

You can enter both and as many times as you'd like. It's an amazing opportunity! Woohoo! I'm off to create ...

Contest ends on July 16th, so get going!

*~*~*

Summertime Sale!

Sue Cummings has just released TWO new kits!



And they're on sale right now (until June 14th) for 50% off!

These kits are perfect for the summer season! So simple, so fun ... I just can't wait to use them!

*~*~*

June Copycat Challenge

You remember that I was featured for the Oscraps Copycat challenge in June? Well, I meant to post this before the end of June, but forgot ... I guess we've all been a little busy :)

For the original post and details, go to THIS post.

I love summer! I really do. I love spending time outdoors and playing in the sun and in the water and enjoying God's magnificent creation ... but it means less time sitting at your computer and it also means an earlier bed time!

Here is my copy of myself :) I was so happy to be featured, so of course I had to participate!



I switched it around a little and I'm really happy with the results! I used the 52 Inspirations kit Week 23 from Vicki Stegall, stitches and wordart from Sue Cummings and the white epoxy alpha from MMD.

I hope you like it!!!

*~*~*

Sue Cummings New Release

Sue Cummings has a wonderful new kit coming to Oscraps!!!

Here is a quickpage using the kit:

It's free with the purchase of the kit and also free to newsletter subscribers. Isn't it cute? I just love the flowers :)

Here's what I did with it:

I love summer activities ... except for the really hot and humid weather. But, without that weather, there wouldn't be the need to cool off!

So, head on over to Oscraps and check it out. Also, be sure to stop by Sue's blog and sign up for her newsletter!

I hope you like it!

*~*~*

You make my Heart Flutter

My brother just recently married his sweetheart :) It was a beautiful wedding and they are a beautiful couple. Here they are last January:
She lived many states away and so the courtship and engagement was very long distance. This is her first visit to our lovely state. I think they wore matching shirts on purpose!

I used many, many Danielle Young kits ... so many. It's really a mish-mosh, hodge-podge ... but I like it :) I hope you do!

*~*~*

Little Shop of Sketches - Sketch #65

It's time for another wonderful sketch from the lovely Tanya Leigh at Little Shop of Sketches!

Here is Sketch #65:

And here is my layout:

I used Danielle Young's latest kit, Funky Fourth. With such a wonderful, patriotic kit, I decided to finally scrap about my husband's deployment. Here are photos from the sendoff where he and his battalion actually left. We miss him.

I hope you like it!

*~*~*

Oscraps' June Copycat Challenge - featuring ME!!!

Woohoo! Guess what? I'm featured at Oscraps this month!!! Woohoo! The June copycat challenge features my Sweet and Simple layout:

And the wonderful Wendy, who runs the challenge, developed a FREE template for you to use!!!

So, go over to Oscraps and download it! And then create something wonderful :) Be sure to post once you do so you can be entered in the drawing!!!

*~*~*

Little Shop of Sketches is BACK!!!

Woohoo! Little Shop of Sketches is BACK!!!

Tanya, the founder of the sketch blog, needed to take a break for personal reasons, but we're back!!! I'm so excited. It was so great to have inspiration and motivation to scrapbook. We all need a little help and little push sometimes :)

So ... without further ado ... here's Sketch #63:

And here's my layout:I had a million different ideas, but these two photos of my youngest really stuck out at me. He's quite the little monkey boy and that smile just melts my heart!

I used a kit from deep in my stash - KAagard who used to be with Oscraps. I love the red alpha :)

You can head over to the Little Shop of Sketches blog and see what the other marvelous and talented ladies have done with the sketch :)

I hope you like it!

*~*~*