So excited to share...

That I am being featured today on the Come On Get Crafty blog.

 Come On get Crafty is a new online store that is owned by Nicole Sower. She has been busy stocking the shop and it looks like there is so much more awesomeness coming this month, including the new Webster's Pages Sweet Notes line by Allison Kreft (my new must have!), Basic Grey's Mint julep line and Lilly Bee's Sweet Shoppe. There is also a five dollar shipping code ( 5SHIP ) now through April 12th. Oh,and her creative team is amazing! I think you will recognize three very familiar and friendly faces. ;)  Love those girls, so much talent there.  I can't wait to see what fun they have in store.

I am so honored that Nicole wanted to feature some of my work.
She asked me what my favorite creation was and for me that is always the page that I just finished. lol!
So here is that one:

The photo is of my mom when she was either 1 or 2? I absolutely love the Maggie Holmes flower paper and I thought it was just perfect for this photo and check out that little bow. It is so pretty and so dainty. It  is also part of the Maggie Holmes line for Crate Paper. I won the package of bows by leaving a comment on the Come On Get Crafty blog when they were having a giveaway. Thanks Nicole!
I also used some of Glitz Design's Love You Madly for this layout and used my cameo to cut the feathers and words from vellum. Finally if you look closely you can see the sweet little flowers that I stitched around the edge of the 8x8 paper.

This next page is also one of my faves. ;)

This page is made using mostly Glitz Design's Uncharted Waters and a few pieces from the Maggie Holmes line. The letters of the "hello" are AC remarks by Amy Tangerine and the thickers are called
Kitten. The ribbon is also from Amy Tangerine and the stamps and geo tag are from Studio Calico.

Here is one last page:

This one is going in my "this is me" album and is a photo of Kim Walker. She is my favorite singing artist on my playlist right now. So I took a screen shot of the album playing and enlarged it. I  am pretty happy with the way the page turned out.
I used quilting thread to stitch the triangle border and most of the layout is made using a kit from Studio Calico.

I'll post more pages soon...

Nicole, thank you so much for featuring my work today!

Happy weekend everybody.

N*5 CHANEL...

is my latest page for my "this is me" album:

I have loved this perfume for as long as I can remember. I guess you could say it is my signature scent. But I also love Coco by Chanel and my newest fave is Coco Noir. I already have the other two but I am going to have to wait until Mother's Day to add the Noir to my collection.

Speaking of "this is me", there are two pretty exciting things that I have to share. The first is Studio Calico's April class is going to be... you guessed it. A "This is Me" class taught by the fun, quirky and very talented Lexi Bridges ( I hope you don't mind me calling you quirky, Lexi. It is meant as a total compliment).

What perfect timing because it will go right along with what I am already working on and it will give me more ideas to add to my album. How cool is that!

Next my "this is me" page:

was chosen as the winner for the "All About You" challenge over at the fun new SWAT challenge site. I was so thrilled and honored to find out that they chose that page! Thanks so much SWAT Team!

Ok, that is enough "me's" to last "me" a lifetime! ;)
What about you? Do you think your fam would appreciate a book that is all about you? I know I would be thrilled to have such a book about my mom (who passed away when I was just a young child).
Just something to think about...

oxox
julie

well hello there neglected blog...

I think I have missed you and I know that you need a whole new look. Must work on that very soon. But for now I'll just post a few pages to ease me back into the blogging world.

 The above  page is for a few challenges. The first challenge was over at Shanna Noel's blog. If you have never visited her blog, you really should and prepare to be inspired! Shanna has been blessed with incredible creativity and her work blows me away! The other challenge is the  first challenge over at SWAT, a new site that looks like it will be very fun! Go and check it out here. The challenge is called "All About You" and since I am starting an album called "this is me", this challenge was perfect. This layout is going to be the title page for my album.

Hope you enjoyed  looking  and thanks so very much for stopping by!
oxox
julie

we will never forget!

Breathtaking Sand Art - Never Forget 9/11 from one-sweet-day on GodTube.

Remembering those lost on 9/11.

two pages

just wanted to share my latest 2 pages:

happy wednesday!
julie

Oh Snap, Shut the Front Door, my boy is finally home!...

is my latest page.

 Jake came home for a visit july 21st and it could not have been a better weekend! love my boy!! so that is where the title came from. the "my boy is finally home" you can see on the tab in the 2nd photo. i may change that  so it can be seen better but i just didn't feel like i had any place to put it in a bigger size that would look right.
i would love to hear your suggestions!!! 

 the banner was made using  freckled fawn washi tape. except for the yellow chevron tape at the bottom. it is from bella blvd.

 this page is for two challenges. first is justg's LOAW challenge at studio calico. the challenge is to use the brides list:  something old: my bam pop stamps,  something new: elmwood park and SCs heyday paper,  something borrowed: i borrowed the cross pendant from a chain that jake has.  something blue: blue ink and the blue sparkly.  really fun challenge! thanks justg. 

the second challenge is ursula's challenge posted on the freckled fawn blog, to use washi tapes to make a banner(s) for a scrapbook page. thanks ursula.  great challenge!

happy tuesday!

so honored...

that my "bikes on the beach" layout was featured on the paper issues blog here. how exciting. thank you so much cassie! you made my day!!

bikes on the beach... now and then

we have been going to hilton head for vacation for many years now and one of the things i love about going there is riding bikes on the beach. so many of my summer scrapbook pages have been about our time spent on the island. so it was so fun to find the first layout i did about "bikes on the beach". not a whole lot has changed  except that i like to use pattern papers more now than then.

the first page is one that i just made and the second is a layout i did after our 2008 trip.

i love all of the big photo LOs that i've been seeing in the galleries. so i thought i might try one myself and in the process i think i found a new fave thing.... washi tape pendants. i used a freckled fawn washi for the bird pendant and the freckled fawn tape that came with the SC july add on, twisty slide for the second flag, i am definitely going to make a bunch more of them with different tapes and in different styles styles.
oh, and the pretty tab just under the pendants is from ursula's etsy's.

i also found a few other older pages. it is so cool to see todays trends in these older pages. ( sequins, arrows and using large photos)

 

                                                                                                                                                                               

 

happy wednesday!!

pages...

two new pages to share using the So Cal and 35mm Studio Calico kits.

happy friday!

i've been instagrammed...

and i'm in love with it! such a fun way to share photos and keep up with friends. so i thought i might share a few of my instagrams here on the blog. but first i'll share the last couple of pages that i've made, since it's been over a month since i've shared anything. :(

   i have had this page in my mind for a while because i have always loved sterling silver bangles and have been collecting them  since my college days. i think it is so cool that they are back in style in a big way.

             i used the may studio calico kit and some beloved fabrics from my stash for this layout.





and i love when i get to do a girly page! the photo on this one is blurry. but i loved it so much that i used it anyway. glossy accents were used to stiffened the tissue paper dresses and the journaling is printed on vellum and then cut into strips. 
      this one was made using the april studio calico kit. have i said how much i love subbing at SC! ;)


and then here are the instagram photos i promised. 


last sunday was such a gorgeous day. so jd and i took a drive out to a beautiful place in the country where he could fish and i could take some photos.


Sunday Afternoon in the Country

                   

Fishing

Captured then Released

Dragonfly




Beauty

 Amazing

i love all of the different frames and effects you can choose using instagram!


these last two photos were taken in missouri when we visited jake in march.

                                    as i look at them, i am reminded of psalm 23. the verse that says:

                                                          He leads me beside quiet waters...

happy friday!

which one are you??

i am so right brain. i wish i were a little more left. i've been accused of brains without common sense.   spacey at times. who am i kidding. ha! spacey most of the time. but that is what my hubby is for. he is sooo left brain. we make a perfect couple because we balance one another out. 

jd, i am so blessed to have you in my life! you are the  "bona fide" to my " justified"

 ( inside joke, has anyone seen "O Brother Where Art Thou") 

together we = bona fide and justified! ;)

p.s. i am very comfortable with who i am. God made me this way.

are you comfortable with who you are? just something to think about...

happy monday and thanks so much for stopping by.

julie

credit: i found the original photo here.

sure wish...

y'all would not be so serious is the name of my latest page. the photo is of my mom, aunt and grandparents and it makes me laugh. so silly!!

there are so many studio calico goodies on this page and most of it is from their winter 2012 cha release. and of course i can barely do a page without using something from my beloved jbs. ;)

i  made my page for a studio calico mb challenge. the challenge was to lift the person above you and i chose to lift kelly vandermolen's page. ( see below)

 i was inspired by so many elements on kelly's page, like the large wood veneer letters, the stamp and the scalloped borders. instead of scalloped borders i used the jbs ticket punch and the journaling box below the photos is what inspired the 3 word bubbles on my page. 
thanks kelly for the wonderful inspiration! 


thanks so much for stopping by,
happy sunday and have a great week!
julie

three pages...

to send to jake this week. one new and two old:

i tried my hand at some painting for this one. here is my inspiration piece. it is a painting i saw in an anthro magazine:

and then here are two that i did in 2008:

this  one cracks me up. he definitely didn't want his picture taken any more! lol!

and i love this photo of jake...

hope you have a great weekend!

happy friday.

Leibster Blog Award

wow, i have been given the Liebster Blog Award by two very inspiring people and i am so touched!! 

caz and danielle, thank you all SO much for giving me this awesome award!!

 first of all i have to say how much i love caz handcock. she welcomed me into the Studio Calico community from the very start and made me feel like i had found my scrappy home. caz, you are such a beautiful and gracious person.

 and danielle you are so kind and always so friendly. i visit your blog often and i am always so inspired!

i could not be more honored that these two ladies chose to give me this wonderful award!

The Liebster Blog Award is awarded to show appreciation of smaller blogs (under 200 followers) and to help with readership. As part of the tradition, the award is to be passed along to five other blogs that have motivated and inspired me. To accept the Award you must:
1. Thank your Leibster Award sender on your Blog;
2. Link back to your sender on your Blog;
 3. Copy and paste your Leibster onto your Blog;
 4. Present the Leibster Award to 5 other Blogs with 200 or less Followers that you feel deserves some attention and recognition for awesome stuff;
 5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving them a comment on their Blog.

 ok so here are my five choices in no particular order:
 1. patricia - What an incredible scrapper!! i have known patricia for a while and even got to hang out with her irl. her creativity always inspires me! love you,girl!!
2. diane - she most likely has more than 200 followers but wow, i love everything she does! i first saw diane's work when she was guest designer for jenni bowlin. i have been a huge fan ever since. i follow her blog religiously!
3. jenny - oh my goodness, is her blog ever filled with inspiration. her pages always blow me away! i love her style!
 4. jennie - love her "boy" pages! every time i see one of her pages in the studio calico gallery it " calls me to click on it so that i can check it out further!
5. smitha - i love her pages!! they are always so full of family and are incredibly beautiful! they draw me in every single time!

 have fun checking out all of the links and prepare to be inspired!!
happy tuesday!

back from hiatus

i guess i kind of took an unplanned hiatus from blogging. march just seemed to slip away from me. so this post may be a bit photo heavy. but i wanted to post some of my latest pages and i'll start with the most recent and work my way back.

i love the photo on this page of jake and me. it was taken 2 weeks ago. as some of you know, jake is in a 15 month program for troubled teens called Teen Challenge in Branson Missouri. he has been there since last july and is doing absolutely awesome!!! his freshman year he became extremely rebellious and would not obey ANY rules. (many more details but it doesn't matter any more). after MUCH prayer and seeking we made the heart wrenching decision to send him to Teen Challenge. After just one week he was a changed person. he said that "the peer pressure was just too hard to break away from when you are right in the middle of it" and he thanked us for sending him there. my boy is becoming even more amazing than he was before he started rebelling. he is growing and maturing in the LORD and his dad and i could not be more proud of him. we only get to see him every 2 months so we cherish our time with him!! i think this photo captures the sparkle in jake's personality and that is why i love it so much!

the photo on this page is of jake, jd (my husband)and jd's father taken in 2010. i was waiting for just the right paper to come along to scrap it. when i saw the map paper in the march studio calico add on i knew it was perfect for this photo. i love the new Crate Paper Story Teller line and the Studio Calico March Kit was full of it. here are the last pages i sent to jake. the first two i used the SC March kit and the last is a page i did in 2007.

i usually do a few pages to send to jake and then a few to give to my mom for the scrapbook i am making her. this one is of her father who was an awesome photographer. the photo was taken in the 1940's and the the SC march kit could not have been more perfect for this page.

happy wednesday! and i'll be back soon.

that sure is a lot of white space...

on my scrap table that is.

i guess it is time to mess it up again. ;) i plan on scrapping most of the day today and i'll post what i make later. but in the mean time here are a few of my latest pages.

this page i made using the february studio calico kit plus stuff from my stash. i love the photo. it is of my mom and her cousin and it reminded me of the old tv show "The Little Rascals". hence the title.

i also used the february SC kit for this layout of jd and me.

and then for this page i used the februray jbs kit.

studio calico + jenni bowlin studios = a scrapbookers heaven (at least to me)

happy tuesday!!

stay tuned next post = calvinball at jbs