scrap your summer

Hosting this week at write.click.scrapbook. is the delightful Moon Ko. So far this week she has shared scrapping inspiration for summer and beach photos along with two FREE downloads. I am secretly hoping that she will squeeze some photography tips in as well, she is an amazing photographer in addition to creative scrapbook artist!

Here are the two layouts I contributed for today's post. The first one is a compilation of all the "diving from the diving board on the 4th photos" we have. It's now a tradition and we are still taking photos of him doing the very same thing. This would be a great group of photos to make into a collage, now that I know how to do that. Interested? Go to Big Huge Labs to give it a try. It's FREE!

This second layout is for our two girls. Just looking at these (blurry) photos...taken with our old, slow point-and-shoot camera...makes me laugh. I can still remember how vigorously they were waving those flags on that day. We were afraid that they would hurt each other because they were so into the task!

Ah, look at those sweet little girls and their expressions.

These are pages that I created when I first began scrapping. I would probably do a few things differently today, but I still LOVE that hand-cut layered star on the first layout!

So, go check out what's happening all this week at write.click.scrapbook. And don't forget that  each Thursday is give.away.day.

just ask

A few readers have left comments on the blog and e-mailed me (there's a button on the sidebar) asking if I had plans to include in the shop the art poster that has made its appearance before here on the blog.

As of this moment, the poster {Family Rules} has made its way into inventory and is ready to ship, at your request. It warms my heart that you like this art poster. It took some time to design and get just right, but I was happy to be learning some new skills and pleased about the results.

This poster is displayed in our home atop a table, which happens to be at eye level for our two youngest kidlets. At this point, our middle child was in her room having some quiet time for bad behavior. So, our youngest walked up to the poster (she's not yet reading) and asked me which of the rules Sissy (calls her sister that almost as much as her given name) had broken. I just chuckled a bit on the outside, but inside I was laughing hysterically.

I didn't know that rules printed on a poster had such an impact. Who would have known?

let freedom ring

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.                     

-Erma Bombeck

our hometowns

The new monthly Gallery is up at write.click.scrapbook.  The theme for July is "Our Hometowns" and it took me a while to get through them all. I enjoyed reading the journaling so much and learning each design team members' perspectives on what "hometown" means to them. Very interesting and inspiring!

Here is my layout, just in case you're interested. Read the notes attached to the Gallery page...they explain why I chose each of the photos I used. The house in the lower left hand corner was made with a triangle piece of American Crafts chipboard and then I cut a square out of some scraps, punched a heart, covered them both in paper and assembled my version of a home.

    

And here is a link to the sketch I used for my layout. These are the first two sketches I have ever created, so I decided to use one of them. Several other design team members contributed sketches for this bonus feature during the write.click.scrapbook. anniversary week celebration. Go check it out.

glad you're here

Thank you all for your kind e-mails and comments, I appreciate you. Wow, I am still so thrilled that Ali Edwards featured my Summer mini album. I'll photograph the new pages I've completed and post them Monday.  I've finally added a link to my Etsy shop in the right sidebar for those of you that couldn't link from Ali's blog. 

And speaking of Etsy, here's a peek at two new items I listed today:

I designed the cover to coordinate with the {play laugh splash chill} tabs. Included in this listing is the grommeted cover, 4 tabs, 20 color-coordinated patterned papers, an envelope, timecard, label and bakers twine.

This cover is a more subdued color alternative and embellished with a felt flower with rhinestone center. Included in this listing is the grommeted cover, 4 tabs, 20 color-coordinated patterned papers, an envelope, timecard, label and bakers twine.