LOTS of fun over at Paper Popsicles!!!

Paper Popsicles is BURSTING with LOTS of fun things right now!!!! First off you still have time to participate in the Cosmo Cricket Challenge! By the end of the month you need to make something using 90% Cosmo Cricket and become a follower of their blog and you could win some YUMMY Cosmo Cricket stuff! Here is my LO I made for the challenge using the new Snorkel line! I even used some Cosmo Cricket blackboard pieces and letters in this LO! Check out their blog http://www.paperpopsicles.blogspot.com

Next up the Easter bunny has joined the message board over at paper Popsicles and you never know when that bunny might drop something out of its basket!

And finally Paper Popsicles is having a Design Team call right now as well! Here are the details:
Want to be on our Design Team ?

We are looking for fun, enthusiastic, and creative paper crafters to join our Design Team. Our design team motivates, inspires, and supports our online community. We are looking for paper crafters of all skill levels, with or without design team experience. Paper Popsicles kits and store products appeal to a wide audience, so we're looking for all type of scrappers... from traditional to chic. We are accepting applicants from the U.S. & Canada. this time.

Deadline for Design Team submissions will be Thursday, April 30, 2009. To apply, please send the following items to paperpopsicles@gmail.com.


Full contact information (Name, Address, Phone Number, Email Address, and message board user ID).
3 layouts (1 layout must be 2 pages with multi-photos), 1 altered project and 1 card - these can be previously published items - we just want to see your best work!. Links of your blog, online galleries, or other places where your work can be seen. Please include any user IDs necessary..
Register for our message board and get to know the members of our community and allow us to get to know you a little better..
A short resume of your paper crafting experience, including any current or prior design teams..
A short bio about yourself; including what you consider your scrapping style to be and why you want to be part of the Paper Popsicles Design Team

Design Team Requirements:

Our designers rotate between the main kit and mini-kit assignments. Main kit assignments consist of 4-6 projects using the supplied kit contents. Projects should be a variety of layouts and cards; 3-4 layouts (a multi-photo two page layout is required each month) and a card set (2 or more cards) per kit. All projects should be made with at least 90% kit contents or store product. All items to be submitted prior to the monthly deadline..

Every other month, choose a project you have recently created using store products and provide written directions and photos for an online workshop. Directions should focus on specific steps needed to recreate your project, including techniques used, measurements for cutting, and include sketches as needed. These may be published on the blog as well as the how-to forum..

Each design team member is expected to participate actively on the message board, gallery and contribute content to the Paper Popsicles blog. Activity includes starting new threads, posting questions, tips, responding to threads, and leaving gallery praise..

Every designer is assigned a week each month to post the question of the day on the board.. Participate in any online events that are held during term.. Participate in Design Team discussions.

Commitment to a 4 month contract term May 2009 - August 2009 with the possibility of an additional 2 months or until October 2009.

Design Team Compensation:

Receive a discount on purchases from Paper Popsicles.. Receive monthly Design Team kits as assigned to be used in creating monthly projects. Free shipping on orders shipped with Design Team kits. Other store merchandise as creative work is needed.

Watch the Paper Popsicles blog on May 2, 2009 for the exciting announcement of our new design team!!!
And on the subject of Design teams Dixie Pieces Design team call ends today! Wish me luck!!! : )

Well its lunch time here!
TFL!!!

Valerie

Scrapping Questions

So over at the Paperpopsicles blog today they have this questionnaire to answer. Here are my favorites:

How long have you been scrapping? Since 1994
What is your fav adhesive? Herma dotto removable
Cardstock you can't live without? Bazzill
Do you prefer acrylic or rubber stamps? rubber
Pigment or dye ink? not sure
Patterned paper preferences? bright colors
Fav paper manufacturer? Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, My Mind's Eye, October Afternoon
What style scrapper are you? hmmmm...
How often do you craft? I try to daily
Do you make cards? I have begun making cards just recently
Do you send the cards you make? I haven't yet
Snack while you scrap? Usually not unless I am out cropping somewhere
Scrap with your stash? I try to, but I have a shopping problem!! LOL!!
Do you just have to have the current releases? YES!!!
Are addicted to scrapping? YES!!! And I DON'T want a 12 step program!!
Fav rubber stamp manufacturer? Hero Arts
Do you have a stamp you always use? Not yet just starting building my collection!
Flowers for embellishments? Prima
WHY do you scrapbook? It is relaxation for me and a way to preserve memories for my children
fav tool? My Cricut Expression and Xyron sticker maker
Least fav tool? Paper tagger

Now its your turn copy the questions and share your answers on your blog!

TFS!
Valerie

I know, I know...

I have been a bad girl and neglecting my blog AGAIN!!! Life has been busy and well I just haven't felt inspired to blog! But I am back in the blogging mood so watch out!! LOL!!

In the scrapping world I have a few exciting things I am working on and hopefully I will have some exciting news to share soon! I have a couple LO's I can share, but most of what I have right now can't be shown yet. I went with my friend Robin to Craft Fancy and did a little scrappy shopping while there, oh and did I forget to mention her parents were SOOO NICE and kept our boys so we could shop without children!!! : ) Yeah they ROCK!!! It was SOOO nice to shop without the boys!! I have been working on cards lately and REALLY like the look of cards that are stamped and colored in with Copic markers or watercolor pencils, so I bought a stamp yesterday and I am planning another trip to get some watercolor pencils and maybe a couple more stamps! There are some really STINKIN CUTE stamps and GREAT ideas of ways to use them! It looks like I may have another addiction!! LOL!!! So here are a couple LO's I did for the Dixie Pieces crop at the begining of the month.




So in other news I just got done having 2 birthday parties for the boys this past weekend!! I still can't believe I was crazy enough to have one party right after the other!! But the boys had a GREAT time! I CAN'T believe that they are 4 already!!! Time really flies!! Here are a couple pics from the birthday celebrations. One thing I don't like about their birthday parties is I am always busy and I don't have the opportunity to take my own pictures so I have to rely on someone else to use my camera and take pics for me! I am GRATEFUL for great friends to take pics for me, but I am sad I don't have the chance to take my own pics! Oh well!


Joseph trying to find some more candy left in the pinata!


And what does the garbage look like after 2 parties????

And that wasn't ALL the garbage!!! LOL!!!

Well we had a couple REALLY warm days here lately so the boys and I went with Robin and her son to the zoo and had a BLAST together!! Here are a few pics form our trip. We also got to hear the lion roar several times!! It was SOO exciting!! I LOVE the zoo!


This guy found a sippy cup that was dropped in their display and was walking around with it! He was even running around with the sippy cup hanging from his mouth! I informed a zoo worker so I hope they were able to get it away from him amd the baboon was OK!

This is Josh and Joseph!

Well I better feed the boys their lunch and get on with my day! And NO I STILL can't get my blog all pretty looking!!! ARGH!!! I will have to sit down again and try it one more time!!
TFL!!

Valerie

Crop anyone???

Its that time!!! Head over to Dixie Pieces starting tomorrow and join in the fun and prizes!!!

I'm Back!!

The last month and a half has just been an out of control roller coaster ride! I'll give a quick long story short. My grandfather was admitting to the hospital on January 12th and after a L O N G roller coaster ride it was discovered that my grandfather has an EXTREMELY rare form of cancer and most cases aren't discovered till post mortem! It is VERY aggressive and quick moving so he was started on an a VERY aggressive form of chemo and after some ups and downs came home last week! Yesterday started round 2 of chemo and so far he is doing good! I'm SOOO relieved to think he may actually be OK and beat this! His strength is INCREDIBLE and SOOO inspiring! So I have just been an emotional wreck and at the hospital a lot!

I finally started to get my creative groove back 2 weekends ago I participated in an online crop and it really helped motivate me to create! I had a LOT of fun and its a great new hang out I have, so you should stop by and check out Paper Popsicles! I won the Sunday prize from them which was an awesome prize pack shown below! I also won a contest they had on their blog and I just got this kit from them today!


And at my other scrappy hang out Dixie Pieces they are going to be having another online crop February 27th- March 1st!! So make sure you come and join in on all the fun there! And their kit this month is just SOOOO AWESOME I could not wait to get my hands on it!! It is SOOO awesome for all of you needing stuff for boy LO's!! Here is the picture, which by the way does NOT do it justice at all!! It is SOOO YUMMY in real life!!

So let's see I need to show some of my latest creations! I'll start with the 110 candy bars I made for my step dad's surprise 50th birthday party!


Yes I know there's a typo on the back that got past 2 sets of eyes! LOL!! I MUST remember to use spell check even though I have had it proof read! LOL!!

Next I made him a scrapbook of his life over the years and then we had another book that people could write their favorite memory, funny story or something else special that they would like to share about him! And YES I did have him crying like a baby with these items!


OK and for the Paper Popsicles crop I made the following LO's and the last is a door hanger heart that there was a tutorial on how to do. SUPER easy and VERY fun to make!




So I think I am FINALLY going to be able to make the changes I have been wanting to do to my blog for a WHILE now! So if it looks different you know I succeeded if not well I just can't figure it out! LOL!!

I will be spending a nice L O N G day at Hannah's on Saturday scrapping my little heart out! I can NOT wait!! Sick or not I will be there!! (Yes our house has been attacked with this NASTY virus that is going around and it has made its way to me now too!) And one of the BEST parts is hubby gave me money to spend there as my Valentine's Day gift! : ) And speaking of Valentine's Day look at these YUMMY cupcakes the boys and I made!



Well I think this post has become LONG enough! I am off to try and make the blog pretty now! Wish me luck!

TFL!
Valerie

Winter CHA '09!

I'm sad I am not able to go to Winter CHA, but I have found that Making Memories is letting you share in the excitement via their blog!!! So make sure to go to their blog and sign up for a chance to win some AWESOME goodies!!!

http://makingmemories.typepad.com/makingmemories/

Good Luck!
Valerie

H O L Y COW!!!!

I can't believe how L O N G it has been since I have last updated!!!! YIKES!!! But that also goes with the fact that I was crazy busy this holiday season! I made 2 calendars for Christmas gifts, I framed a LO for a gift, altered a soap pump and bathroom cup, made an online photo book, and some ornaments! And I am SOOOO disappointed in myself for not taking pictures of the things I made.

This is the soap pump and cup I altered and the "sprigs" in the cup didn't quite turn out the way I wanted- I needed more I think.

OK now I started this on the 9th and never finished, so here I am on the 22nd and I WILL get this posted!!! After I began this I added another set of projects to my then empty list! I have been making 110 wrapped candy bars and then I am working on an "old school" digital scrapbook for a gift and my deadline is SATURDAY!!! Am I near done-NO! I would say I am 75%, but ummm yeah today is Thursday!! YIKES!!! So I gonna keep this kind of short and sweet and get back to my work! I will post a pic of the candy bars next week as I'm not finished with the back yet!

So a quick update on life I am busy with the projects I mentioned above, I am EMBARRASSED to say I STILL haven't had the time or energy to finish taking down my Christmas tree (hangs head in shame!), I need to get down to my scrap space and clean that up and use all my new organization stuff, my new Cricut Expression broke, but never fear a replacement is here!! : ) Last Monday my grandfather was taken into the hospital and is still in and they don't know what is wrong with him-what a roller coaster ride! He had emergency surgery on my birthday Tuesday-he came out of that OK, but still isn't doing good and they don't know what it is still! I did do some AWESOME shopping though! I made out at Kohl's and got a dress that was $60.00 for $10.00, jammie pants for $2.90, jammie top for $6.00, and night gown for $3.60!! Then I went to Carter's and the most expensive thing I bought was $3.59!!!! I went to Osh Kosh and got Christmas sweaters and shirts for the boys for next year and paid $5.00 a piece! And then the MOST AWESOME of deals was Children's Place I got 50% off of clearance prices + another 15% off and then save another $10.00 off of my purchase! So for $76.00 I got 2 winter coats, 2 sweaters, 2 turtlenecks, 2 pairs of jammies, 2 fleece pants, 2 fleece tops, 2 hats, 2 long sleeve shirts and a pair of corduroys!! I just have to share some of my goodies!!




We are still buried in LOTS of snow here! I wish winter was over, but it has just begun! I MISS summer!!! Its been another ROUGH winter! I have to show our last snow storm created a drift that hangs over my front porch and the winter sun shines right on it causing the melt/freeze process so the first picture is the first death icicle that formed and then there's the avalanche that happened followed by a picture just now of the MANY icicles hanging and melting today! I warn everyone to stay away from my front porch as it is a death trap! LOL!



Well the pics are ALL out of order I don't know why its happening, but you get the picture! LOL!

Well back to work for me time's a ticking and I've got to get finished!
TFL!
Valerie