Back-to-School Layout

I am trying to get back into the "scrapbooking" mode. It is so hard to switch between making cards and layouts. But, I really need to make the switch, because I am behind in my scrapbooking. Since Lexi started school last week, I figured this would be a good place to start. The memories are fresh. For this layout I used Close to My Heart's Route 66 paper pack and the stickers are also from CTMH and are called School Zone. I turned the stickers into die cuts by removing the sticky backing by dipping them in cornstarch. I then attached them with pop dots. The ribbon is CTMH Cranberry ribbon, the buttons are CTMH Summer Buttons.

Perfect Day Layouts

I am so excited to be able to share these layouts with you. They are made from Close to My Heart's new paper pack "Perfect Day." Don't you just love the colors? I also love the stickers. I turned them into die cuts by rubbing the sticky part in corn starch. Then I put them on pop dots. The buttons are also from CTMH. They are called "Holiday Buttons". I can't wait to share these layouts with my workshop group. Have a great day.

Hugs,

Lori

BSC43 Bella Sketch Challenge

My good friend Jackie just got her new Bellas in the mail and stamped this image of Witchybella for me. Hard to believe that I don't own her. I was so excited to color her that I actually brought my Premier Colored Pencils to work yesterday and colored her on my lunch break!!! Am I nuts or what? But I just couldn't wait. I even brought my Odorless Tourpentine and a blending stub to go over the colored image. When I got home I finished the card. I had some scraps from an old CTMH pack of paper and some halloween ribbon that I bought last year at Michaels. This is Jamie's sketch from Split coast Stampers.

Lexi's First Day of Pre-K

Lexi started her second year at preschool on Tuesday. She was so ready to go back to school and see all of her friends. I just love the little outfit that Jennifer picked out for her "first day" at school. When I was a little girl, my mom used to put my hair up in pony tails just like that. Jennifer has never fixed Lexi's hair like that. So I was surprised when I saw her. I love it.

Bella Madness!!!!

I am in desperate need of some organization. I just got a new order of Bella's, tiddlyinks, sentiments, etc. in the mail today and I got another one two weeks ago. My binder is full and these are going to get stuffed in a drawer. I need to come up with a method. I know that I need another binder and will eventually get another one. But for now, I need to do something. My sister-in-law,Vicki, who is my partner in crime when it comes to ordering Bellas has a pretty good system of organization. I just have to sit down and do it. She has all of her Bellas listed on a spreadsheet and has them numbered. Each Bella in her binder coordinates with the number on the spreadsheet. All that she has to do when she wants a bella is to go down her list, get the number and go to her binder. Easy. But it sounds like so much work to get started, but then again it's a lot of work trying to figure out what I have, especially when it comes to the sentiments. If you have a method of organization, I would sure like to know. Please drop me a line. I am drowning in Bella's. Help.

Blog Award

I have received this blog award from Kelly, Kim and Bere at http://craftingcreatively.blogspot.com/
http://craftsbykim.blogspot.com/
http://berrybitchprincess.blogspot.com/

Please stop by their awesome blogs and take a look. Thank you so much Kelly, Kim and Bere for nominating me. Now to pass this along....so many great blogs out there.

Cards I have been working on this week

Okay. I am sooooo late in posting my cards for the week. So here they are :)

This is "Alexis Bad Hair Day" Don't you just lover her? She is colored with Copic Markers. The paper is from DCWV and the sketch is Bella Sketch Challenge #41.

This is "Cuppacakeabella". She, too, is colored with Copic Markers. Her cupcake is paper pieced. The paper is from CTMH.

This one is "Bee Sweet" She is a retired stamp from Penny Black. I just got her from Dick over at HM Stamps. You can check out his collection in the link on the right where I love to shop. He is a great guy. He is so funny and is quick at shipping orders...and his prices are very reasonable. I colored her with Premier Colored Pencils. Then blended the colors with Odorless Turpenoid. The paper is from K&Company. The sketch is from "Friday Sketchers". You can see the link under "other blogs".

This is a "Sara Kay" stamp. Isn't she so sweet? I got her from Korin over at "Sweet and Sassy". You can see her link on the right under places I shop. I colored her with Copic Markers. The paper is Nana's Nursery from DCWV.

And lastly, is "By the Sea" Tilda. I got her from Diana Crick. I will add her email address to my links. She will send you her online catalog. These Magnolia stamps come from Europe. So it is nice to get them from Diana and not have to pay that extra shipping. I used my Nestabilities to cut the ovals. She is cut out and raised on a pop dot. The ribbon is weaved through the card. I used a Fiscars Border Punch to make the slots. And, the paper is from DCWV. Thanks for looking and have a great day :)

Ryan's Graduation

Ryan graduated from the California Culinary Academy last Saturday. It was a bitter sweet ending for him. He should have graduated last December with his class and girlfriend, but wasn't able to do so. The program is 15 months long. He enjoyed the classes and did very well. Towards the end of the program is the externship where they work in a restaurant kitchen. Unfortunately, he had a very bad experience. The restaurant that he was at was having him work long hours without a break. That combined with working a regular job was more than Ryan could handle. Ryan didn't let us know about this until it was too late. He dropped out of the program. We were shocked and very upset, as was he. Fortunately the school was able to work with him and get him into another restaurant. But, he wouldn't be able to graduate until this was completed and the next graduation wasn't until August. He had a very positive experience with this other restaurant. We are just proud of him for sticking with it and graduating.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Masonic Temple in San Francisco. Look at all that white. All future Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Restaurant Managers. A lot of the students are from outside the country. In fact Ryan met his girlfriend at the school and she was from Bogata, Columbia. The acedemy is the 2nd top school in the Country. It is the Le Cordon Blue Program.

Here is Ryan. Doesn't he look so handsome in his Chef uniform?

And the Proud Parents.

After the ceremony we went to the school campus. They had a feast prepared for us!!! All the classrooms had food stations. There were appetizers, seafood, carved roast beef, Dim Sum and dessert...just to name a few.



And the best part...dessert. Here is Banana's Foster and a sampling of desserts.

Our Date Day

Jennifer, Ryan and Lexi have gone camping for the weekend. So, Bill wanted to have a "date day". That means a day with "no scrapbooking or card making". He wanted me to himself. It's hard for me to go through a Saturday without doing something creative. So, I got up early, before Bill was up, and was able to make some cards. When he got up, we went to the gym and worked out. Then we went over to the Red Tractor and had a delicious brunch. I had eggs over easy, with home style potatoes, bacon and a biscuit with jelly. It was delicious. Then we went to the movies and saw "Vicky, Cristina Barcelona". The movie had Scarlett Johannson, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem in it. It was filmed in Spain and was very funny. I would definitely recommend it. After the movie we came home and floated in the pool and I read my new Making Memories magazine. While in the pool, I could hear the quail coming into the yard to eat. Here is a picture of them on the fence. I also took a picture of the redwoods growing on the hill above the pool. We put them in 10 years ago and look at how big they have grown. I also love the color of the Japanese Maple growing over the waterfall. Yes, there is a waterfall under it. I should probably trim the bushes back, but I love all the color.

Bill is still in the pool floating around and reading. I just had to drop in and show you the quail. Tonight he is going to BBQ some steaks and then we will probably watch something on tv. I think he will let me craft while watching TV with me. LOL.

Gifts from my Bella Sistah Sandi

My Bella Sistah, Sandi, is so sweet and thoughtful. Look at all of the things that she sent to me!!!

In my package are: Chipboard letters that spell Lori, Layered flowers, buttons, Kittycat Bella, Kitty Cat and Alley Cat clear stamps, Kitty Tags, Alphabet and Number stamps, Patterned Paper, Zig Markers, Brushable Markers, two adorable Bella cards, sparkles and some very special Christian Fish and Dove punches. THANK YOU SANDI :)

My weekend with Vicki

I am sorry that I am so behind in my posting. I will try and do some catch up. This past weekend, my wonderful sister-in-law Vicky and her family came out for a visit from Boston. We had so much fun. Our time together was just what I had hoped it would be. We spent our time shopping, making Bella cards, laughing, having margaritas and even pedicures. I was so sad to see them leave.

Vicki and Me

Vicki's daughter Brittany and grand daughter Emma

Brittany & Emma and Jennifer & Lexi We took the girls to the park to run around. They had so much fun on the swings and slides. The girls loved spending time together. Lexi even taught Emma how to make a scrapbook layout.

The best part of our time together was getting pedicures. I was so relaxed that I fell asleep.

And here we are at my favorite restaurant Casa Orozco having a Cadillac Margarita. Yum!!!

Tilda, Layouts and More

This has been a wonderful weekend for me. Today Bill and I are sitting in front of the TV watching the Olympics. And, I am scrapbooking. What an incredible Opening Ceremony they had the other day...2008 drummers, the lights and fireworks. My eyes were wide open and my mouth dropped as each display was unveiled.

I keep seeing these adorable "Tilda" cards from Magnolia stamps on SCS's, so I had to get some. I ordered 4 stamps and they came yesterday. Here are two cards that I have made so far. I had stamped the one on the left and was getting ready to color her when Lexi came over and said "let me help you" and drew a mouth and nose on her!!! I guess to Lexi, she just wasn't complete without a smile. I used my package of DCWV papers for them.

I have had these layouts from my Silhouette Worshop a few months ago. Can you believe that I didn't like this paper and couldn't imagine having a use for it? I must be nuts. I hadn't scrapbooked Lexi's recital pictures and was thinking of doing it when I came across these layouts. I layed the pictures on them and couldn't believe how gorgeous the pages looked. The roses provide such a nice contrast and most everyone is wearing black. I can't wait to show Jennifer.

Yesterday was my Whoops-A-Daisy Workshop. Jackie and Amber came over. Amber brought her daughter Alexis and it was perfect. We had Lexi today because Jennifer had to work and Lexi's dad was sick. She and Lexi made Bella's Chichiboulie cards all day.

What a fun, but exhausting day!!!

Today was a fun day. But, boy am I exhausted. Michelle (who I work with) had her niece Annee for the week . Today they came over when I got off work at 12:00 for lunch and to play. We were busy all day with the girls. The girls went swimming, played ball, played in the playhouse, blew bubbles, dressed up in princess dresses and even scrapbooked. I was hoping to make this a memorable day for Annee. I know it will be, because she didn't want to leave.