American Crafts Valentine Projects


Can you believe that Valentine's Day is 15 days away? Crazy, right?!! I wanted to use some American Crafts Valentine and Memento products to create a card and a gift box for Valentine.


The card is somewhat traditional with the black, red, and kraft theme.



And the candy box is a more muted with creams, rusts, and peach.




I'm hoping to give these to some of my very awesome neighbors, and then my hubby and I are sneaking off for a date for his big 4-0 which is tomorrow. (More on that later.)
VIP Giveaway WINNER!!

Thank you everyone for playing along. So fun to see so many kind faces. :)


And the Continental US Prize Package goes to . . .



And the International 2Peas Gift Certificate goes to . . .
Please contact me at js_gallacher@hotmail.com within 7 DAYS to claim your prize.

Some Shares

First I wanted to share the "WOW: Work It Out Wednesday" tutorial from this week's Create Blog post. I wanted to share the fabulous new KI Memories pockets. Be sure to check out the instructions and the complete supply list here:




Be sure to watch the Create blog this week for some great giveaways sponsored by some fabulous companies!

And secondly, here is my latest 2Peas Garden Girl share. I just combined a bunch of products that caught my eye from my personal stash to create this layout. You can find all the supplies to make this layout here:

If you're free tomorrow, come and chat with me on the CHA Winter Message Board (which will be live tomorrow). I will be chatting for one hour at 11 a.m. CST. Look for challenges posted that last through the weekend. Join one and you could win a prize!
The Creative Child: Spotlight on James

I have three creative children. Today I'm posting about James. Jimmy joined me this weekend while I cranked out CHA projects. He wanted to make his own layout. The only thing I did on this layout was to print out the photo (not bad, right?):



He also creates "food art" and thus the toast moustache:


Funny kid!
V.I.P. Giveaway!!

A few months ago, I received a special invitation to attend a warehouse sale a little early. When I arrived, they greeted me with an extra bag of goodies. I felt so special and loved. And because I know we all deserve that same treatment, I wanted to pass along that same pampering to you.


So I'm giving away a goodie box to one Very Important Person . . . you!!


This is the stash you will be receiving. It includes several items from the new American Crafts Momento line, some albums from Little Yellow Bicycle, some stamps, and a few other goodies.




ONE winner will be randomly selected to receive this package. NOTE: Only those living in the Continental US can win this prize (see international prize below). For a chance to win this prize, simply leave a comment that states "Continental US Prize Please!" (prize will be shipped via Priority Flat Rate shipping)


International GIVEAWAY: Because of the cost of shipping, I will ALSO be giving away a $25 gift certificate to http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/ for one international reader. Simply leave a comment that states "International Giveaway please!" and you might be selected to win this prize.

All comments must be made by Sunday, January 30th at midnight MST to be entered into the drawing. Only one entry per person please! Winner will be announced on January 31st so check back then and be prepared to share your shipping information.

Good luck!
Introducing . . . "Stretch Your Sketch"

So I'm super excited about my new FREE 2Peas class which focuses on using a sketch to create a layout. This class will include a downloadable pdf, photos, and a helpful video. I'll also invite designers from 2Peas to create their own versions of the sketch so you can see how easy it is to reuse and stretch layout sketches.

Here is this month's completed layout:

If you'd like to download the class instructions, which includes the layout sketch then simply visit here.

If you'd like to participate in this FREE class, you could have the opportunity to win a 2Peas Gift Certificate. One winner that uploads their finished layout by the 19th of each month will be selected for this prize. Simply complete your own version of the sketch, and check the correct "challenge" box when uploading your completed project. That's all it takes. Super easy!

And here is the video of the process I took to create this layout:

Little Yellow Bicycle Spring Sneak Peeks

One of my favorite things about prepping for CHA (the Craft & Hobby Association) show is the opportunity to play with BRAND NEW scrapbooking products! And Little Yellow Bicycle's spring release is just fabulous.


The first release is "Twig" which you can see more of here. To show the earthy feel of this product line, I created a bulletin board using some of the papers and embellishments. Rather than fill in the center with a photo, I created a little scene:



The second spring release is "Elizabeth Park" which you can find here. This lovely line has line drawings, beautiful spring images, and amazing colors. I found a little watering can and chalkboard plant pick at my local JoAnn's and altered them with some of the papers and stickers found in this line:


If you'd like to see additional sneak peeks and projects be sure to visit the Little Yellow Bicycle blog here.


And keep watching for my 2Peas class, which will go live later this morning.
Digital Journaling Strips

For a tutorial on how I used a digital journaling strips kit to create this layout, be sure to read up on today's Create blog post!



And look for my NEW 2Peas class tomorrow here in this forum. While you're there, be sure to check out the other FREE monthly classes!
Welcome to the World of Technology

I don't know how to text. Yep. I said it. I still have a landline at home, which is where I work. And I have a "pay as you go" cell phone because I maybe use my cell three times a month. So I've never had any need to text. Just thought you'd like to know that bit of trivia.


Santa brought me an mp3 player for Christmas. I've been having fun downloading songs: a little Journey, some Demi Lavato, perhaps some One Republic. My music tastes tend towards the 80's type hits. But I'm enjoying having songs on my car radio that I actually like. Last night Jimmy told me to turn it to a "boy rock and roll song." Does "The Final Countdown" count?


I've been busy prepping stuff for CHA, meeting with the teacher for parent/teacher conferences, taking down the Christmas tree (finally), and spending some time with extended family. It's been a good weekend, although not super productive. Today I am back into the swing of things and couldn't sleep past 3 a.m. (which means I will probably crash at about 9 a.m.). Thankfully the kids are back in school today.


I think they are ready. I certainly am. I LOVE having them home, but when you have kids that actually enjoy the social and academic aspect of school it's good for them to go back.


I had my niece Friday and Saturday. I love this photo of my niece waking up my daughter (whom she loves dearly):


Want to join a challenge at 2Peas for a chance at a 2Peas Gift Certificate? Then check out the "Natural Frames" challenge this week:


And here's my latest 2Peas Gallery layout, which you can find the supply list for here:


Now I'm off to finish up some laundry and work on some Cricut projects.
Long Days

I can always tell it's CHA crunch time by the amount of floor visible in my scrapbook room. Currently there is a foot path and that is all. It drives me CRAZY to have the mess, but when I have deadline after deadline I can only devote so much time to my office and it's either design or clean.


Today, for example, I typed text for the magazine for about three hours. I ran into the office to pick up layouts for filming. Then I ran to the Silhouette office where I dropped off some projects and caught a glimpse of some EXCITING new things they have up their sleeve. Then I filmed with Kristine McKay for about an hour for Northridge Publishing. From there I ran to Echo Park where I worked on some cards for an upcoming kit with another AMAZING company. Then I drove home where I need to type up some more text, create a layout for an upcoming project, and figure out when I'm going to photograph step-outs for my Scrapbook Trends article. Whew! I'm tired just typing all of that.


I love what I do, and I'm grateful for it. I'm also packing things in because my kids have Friday through Monday off, and I try REALLY hard to take days off when they are off. I love being with the kiddos. I think Brett is taking Kate skiing on Mondy, while I hang out with my Mom and the boy.


I do have one share today. I created this layout to show one way to use up all those brads you currently have in your stash. And I KNOW you have some. ;) You can find the instructions, additional photos, and the complete supply list here on the Create blog.




And now . . . I need a nap!
What to Do in the Wintertime?
Yeah. I'm over it. Last year I thoroughly enjoyed the snow. This year? This year I'm dreaming of moving to a temperate climate. Although it's funny that Georgia got hammered with snow this week when we only had a few sprinklings when we lived there. I guess no one escapes bad weather.


I do have one share from my 2Peas Gallery celebrating winter two years ago. The snow has been mostly ice this season so we haven't yet gone sledding or built any snowmen. I want this icy snow to melt off and get a fluffy storm (on a day when I have no where to go). You can find the supplies and additional photos here at 2Peas:



What are you doing to keep yourself busy this winter?
Just a Note


Since nothing reallys stays a secret very long in my industry, I thought I would share two bits of information. One is that I am doing some freelance work for Echo Park Paper. I really enjoy writing so this makes me exceedingly happy. I'm very proud to work with a company who puts out such lovely products. And the people I get to work with are amazing: creative and kind! (Just wait until you see the new lines being introduced at CHA. I got a peek yesterday. You will LOVE them!)


The second bit of news is that I am working more closely with Northridge Publishing these days. I saw this yesterday, and it still seems like a dream:






This new job description simply means I will get to do more of what I love--work on the magazines (Create: Idea Books). Since I'm constantly inspired by the submissions I see and the people with whom I work, this is a dream job. I feel very blessed. I love seeing designer's work in print! There's nothing more fun than editing an article and knowing that readers will love the way so and so's title treatment shines, or the way I'm sure readers will be touched by someone's journaling, or be inspired to try a new technique by such and such designer. It really is amazing that someone can be creative and then put themselves out there and share their work with the world. I LOVE it!! I really hope you'll consider submitting!
Little Yellow Bicycle Sneak Peeks!!

Oooh. I love it when a company gives an early peek at their latest release. Little Yellow Bicycle has been giving sneak peeks on their blog in preparation for CHA later this month. They first introduce "Twig" which is an earthy blue, green, and brown line, which I happen to love. Check out these chipboard shapes:

Here's a card I created using this line:

They are also sharing a little bit of Elizabeth Park, which is a graphic, whimsical spring line. I recognize this card:



Keep watching for additional peeks! They have a summer line, a baby boy line, and a baby girl line and they are ALL fabulous.
Northridge Publishing

Are you receiving the Northridge Publishing newsletters? If not, make sure that you sign up to receive them! They include additional ideas and projects, coupons for subscriptions, notifications of prize giveaways, and words from our sponsors. This is a screen shot of one from a year ago:



Here's one from October:

And here's one from May:Hopefully you feel inspired and will want to receive these more often!

I also want to put in a plug for submissions. If you haven't ever submitted before, I hope you so do this year! I would love to see your work in print. It's really easier than you might imagine and so much fun! Here's the link to our latest calls. I plan on seeing your work soon. :)




Everything I Need to Know I Learned In . . .

I was thinking last night about some of the lessons I learned growing up that have helped shape my personality as a mother, my work ethic, my talents, and my opportunities. Here are a few of them . . .

10th Grade Business Type--This was a class in high school and probably influenced my current professional life more than I would have ever realized. In that class I gained a work release position as a receptionist at our city building which allowed me to interact with professionals and residents. I learned to type letters, do transcription, take meeting minutes, run a cash register, and behave professionally.

9th Grade English--I was assigned the TOUGHEST Honors English teacher the summer before school started. She required us to complete a HUGE packet of grammatical worksheets in order to study for a first-day-of-school test that determined if we could remain in the Honors class or not. I have remembered and used those rules in every writing position I have ever held. I'm so grateful for that evil packet!

Freshman Accounting--I actually failed this class. Yep. I did, which was funny since I received an A in this class in high school. Part of it was my inability to ask for help as I had been such a good student in high school. Part of it was a teacher who set us up to fail. He actually asked a test question worth several points from the publisher's note at the front of the book--the note no one actually ever reads. But I learned if I wanted something bad enough I had to ask for help, and I had to work harder, and it didn't matter if I had been successful before.

7th Grade PE--This was an embarrassing lesson. I wrote a note to one of my best friends telling her of my concern about another girl she was hanging out with--it might have contained the words "stuck up." Somehow that note got dropped on the locker room floor and the subject of the letter picked it up. She was not happy, and I was embarrassed and devastated. Since that time I've tried hard to not make a comment about a person that I wouldn't want them hearing. Not that I've been perfect, but it was a really good lesson to learn.

Isn't it interesting how one class can change your life so much? It fascinates me.

I have one little share today--a tutorial on the Create blog on coloring with Copic Markers. You can find the tutorial here with complete instructions and a supply list as well.

Now I'm off to do a little writing. :)

Faking Myself Out

Yeah. At least I'm trying to. I'm so tired of being sick. So although, my chest hurts, my nose is running like crazy, and I'm exhausted I pushed through today. Three loads of laundry completed. Check. Bedroom floor rediscovered. Check. Boys homework complete. Check. I think it might be working. I only just realized that I have a sinus headache, and I think I've had it for hours.


Does it ever freak you out when you look at your teenagers and realize they are turning into PEOPLE? I have a hard time letting this one leave the house (excuse the overexposed photo--I'm playing with aperture rather than using manual and I'm all about making mistakes--still I love the composition of this photo).



And what little man wouldn't want to read a book with chapters with titles like this:
Maybe he'll read me to sleep tonight instead.
Calling in a Sick Day!

This cold just keeps getting worse! Now I have a cough. I'm hoarse. And I've developed a runny nose. Thankfully I can take today off and rest up a bit. Yesterday when I pulled up my tights for church, I felt claustrophobic. I realized that my fever had spiked and every piece of clothing was making me feel like a walking sauna. I really want to feel better. I know it could be worse, but I'm not a patient patient. ;)


The little man got sick during church yesterday and the husband had to bring him home. I came home to find them doing this. Nice, right?

I didn't get to share some of my Disneyland photos so here's a few of my fav's.

Waiting for the bus to take us to the park. Sometimes it took 20 minutes to get there.

The boys in the family looked forward for weeks on the Disneyland Churros. At nearly $4 a pop, I shudder a little to think how many we consummed.

We've been to the park before for Halloween, but the Christmas decor was amazing:

Some of the rides were walk on, like the Bumper Cars in the Bug's Life area of Disney California:

I don't necessarily love Ferris Wheels but the kids rode nearly everything (much to my horror):

I love that every doll in the "It's a Small World" ride is decked out in holiday decor and how they play Christmas music throughout the park.

This ride is much more my pace:
I will try and post more pictures from our trip on another day. Right now I've got to get the kids off to school and then I'm going to rest for a bit.

One Goal: Better Photography

So I spent two hours rereading some of Karen's class text, and then I carried my camera around with me all day. Things I learned?


* I HATE my 28-80 mm lens. Can't get my f-stop low enough indoors to get decent lighting without a lot of digital noise when I up the ISO.

* I LOVE my 50 mm 1.8 lens. So much easier to figure out setting the aperture and ISO. I could see the results and fell in love with some of the photos I got.


Somebody likes their new watch:


This someone isn't feeling all that hot today (I guess it was her turn to get this dumb cold):

We decided to do a little of this today:
And I had to have some physical evidence of my Yahtzee. I mean this doesn't happen very often for me. (This is not a great photo, but it does show that I ROCKED this game today!)
You know what makes me happiest about these photos? They are all straight out of the camera. I've got a LOT to learn, but I'm happy with the results of today's practice.

Happy New Year!!
Does being awakened to fireworks, horns honking, and people laughing count as staying up to welcome the New Year? This cold is wiping me out. This morning I have the cough. It does seem like it moves quickly as the Little Man is already tons better. I've got to recover the house at least a little bit while I have people home to help (before they head back to work and school), but I'll bet I'm going to need a nap today. Had trouble sleeping last night--had this wide awake feeling but was exhausted. Weird!


So welcome 2011!! I'm ready for a better year. How about you? Any resolutions, goals, intentions for you this year?


I'm going to call this year, my "Why Not?" year as I want to give myself permission to try some new things. Anyone that knows me knows that I follow the rules and am not super adventurous. My goal is not to get crazy but to let go a little bit and if I feel the need to do something to do it. Kind of a relaxed approach to making changes.


One thing I'm seriously considering doing is this program by Cathy Zielskie called "Move More Eat Less." This is right up my alley and great way to track my getting healthy goals.



I don't think I have the energy for this, but I love the concept of it. I love the way Laura Vegas puts the kit together.



I want to revisit the photography class I took from Karen Russell because her Christmas photos rocked and mine, well, didn't. I love that I have a huge binder of reference material to reread well after taking the class. I'm going to make the time to practice this year!
So what are some of your scrappy and non-scrappy goals this year?
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