Sketchy Template Tuesday 2, Lemonade, and Dee...

So much to catch up on! I have a new scrapbook sketch to share, an award to accept, and some stories to share. Got your coffee? Fudcicle? Me too! Let's get started, shall we?

First, let me share this little template I created. It is for a 2-page layout. I initially created this for an 8x8 album, but just up the picture sizes and it works for a 12x12 too! Don't forget the ricrac layered over the strips of background paper...



I also woke up to a nice little surprise from Janny, over at My Little pieces of Art. She awarded me this sweet little lemonade stand award...

The award is for "Great Attitude and Gratitude". It works like this: After accepting this award ("I'd like to thank my husband, my kids, and all the academy..." Oops! Off track again...) I then award it to 5-10 others bloggers who make me smile with their great attitudes and sweetness. Then they pass it on, and those who receive it, they pass it on... I love spreading smiles and sweet lemonade! So, it is with great honor that I pass this award on to these wonderful ladies:

Andrea at http://andreaspaperboutique.blogspot.com/

Saucy at http://bloggedy-blog-blog-saucy.blogspot.com/

Rebecca at http://shopbyhand.blogspot.com/

Twyla at http://twocrazycrafters.blogspot.com/

Suzi at http://suziart.blogspot.com/

Speaking of lemonade stands, this past weekend my sister and I had a Craft Sale/Antique Sale at our house, and I helped the neighbor girls run a lemonade stand in my yard (seriously, how ironic and coincidental is that? Lemonade stands! Life is funny and quirky). I have a fancy stand with an awning and everything, so I set the girls up with a pitcher of Country Time Lemonade. They supplied the cups as I never seem to have paper cups. I tried to get my twin almost-four-year-olds to help, but they just wanted to dump the lemonade... So Hannah and Katie did the honors (and collected a nice jar of quarters to boot!).

We sold antiques, vintage finds, and other fun funky treasures. The best treasure of all, however, was Dee. She came to our sale each day and sat to visit with us. We drank coffee, and then I brought out my collection of vintage pictures. We had such fun looking at these timeless treasures! On Sunday, Dee surprised me by bringing her collection of vintage Halloween postcards.

I. Was. In. Heaven.

It is so nice to meet people who "get" old stuff, who love chippy cupboards and fancy a morning looking at old photographs of strangers. Dee is a treasure herself, and I am soooo glad we met!

With all this talk about lemonade, I think I might go mix up a cold glass of sugary goodness. It is supposed to be a hot one today, so join me in a glass! And be sure to check out the Lemonade Stand Award Recipients above - their blogs will inspire you and give you a smile, too!

Anyone feel like going to the carnival?

I love carnivals! Especially the small hometown variety. There is something oddly, and terrifyingly, alluring about thrill rides that can be dismantled faster than a fake Christmas tree... I love the food (elephant ears are a personal favorite) the sounds (cranking gears mixed with cheesy organ music, a mingling of screams from the brave souls on the thrill rides) and the sights! The colors, the fanfare, the baubles... Little kids are perched on parent's shoulders, balloons and lights are festooned to every possible surface - I love it!



Carnivals, though, are kind of eerie. The good kind, of course. Darkness falls, the lights become stage lights for the participants of the carnival theatre, and magic abounds. Old couples holding hands, young men tossing baseballs to win stuffed toys, and little ones up waaay past their bedtime make an instant holiday, no matter what day of the month it is.



Check out the TREASURY I created on etsy. Inspired by thrills and wonder, popcorn and sodas, and fortune telling, I made a mosaic of mystery for you to enjoy. So come with me down the fairway and see what the carnival has to offer. Don't worry - there are no clowns at my carnival (they freak the bejezus out of me) just some popcorn, elephants, fabulous rides, and a slightly spooky fortune teller...

Sketchy Template Tuesday...

I love working with scrapbook sketches, whether ones I find online, in magazines, or ones I create from layouts I have made. I used to teach journalism and yearbook, and I loooooved making templates and mock layouts! And playing with fonts. Actually, it was my role as yearbook teacher that earned me the "Queen of...." nickname.

My yearbook staff, bless them, had a habit of, ummm, procrastinating just a smidge. Deadlines were always looming, and the pressure to create an outstanding yearbook, on time and within budget, was daunting. I had a group of about a dozen girls. Teenage girls. Girls with boyfriends and basketball practice and Homecoming dances and part-time jobs and daily drama. You know the kind. Julie flirted with Amy's boyfriend after basketball practice and is now going to homecoming so now I have to cover her shift at the movie theater.....

But back to layouts. And deadlines. The girls started to refer to me as the Deadline Nazi. I was fine with that, I guess - I just wanted to make deadline, and I guess I was a little... intense. Hey, I bought them pizza and let them watch Legally Blond while they worked after school. Not so Nazi-ish, says I. Well, I let them have their little joke. But then we acquired an exchange student. From Germany. And I felt a little uncomfortable with "Deadline Nazi." So the girls decide I could be the Deadline Queen.

Much better.

Soon we had a little monarchy. We had the Proofing Princess, the Duchess of Photography... we even had a Font Fairy. And so that is the origin of the "Queen" thing. The nostalgia part came about because I just love old, vintage, nostalgic goodness.

But I digress. My whole point was about making layouts and templates. So I am going to try (note the use of the word try. I have, obviously, a habit of getting sidetracked, so I will endeavor to stick to my new plan. Really!) to share a scrapbook sketch each week. I like the sounds of "Sketch Template Tuesday" so I am thinking look for a new template next Tuesday. And hey! If you make a layout with this template, I would love to see it!

You know summer is here when school is out. Johnny's preschool let out a week earlier than Mikey's, so the little stinker and I got a jump start on Popsicles and afternoon picnics. Last Friday, Johnny and I were having outdoor fun (him splashing, me running for cover) while Mikey had his last day at school, where I knew he was having a water play day too (where the kids were all splashing, and all those teachers were wishing they could run for cover) and celebrating all the summer birthdays (was I supposed to make cupcakes for that? Crap.) After school, Mikey had OT with Mr.B, then Steve and I took the kids to the Pizza Store (their name for our favorite pizza place) and then to the park. After climbing, sliding, running, and swinging in the sun, we rounded out the day by getting drive-thru ice-cream cones and MiracleShakes (that’s Johnny’s term for chocolate milk shakes). I was just excited to sit down a minute and lick my chocolate covered cone, even though I was making a mess out of the steering wheel.

Home again, my little ones were grubby, not to mention sticky, and were herded to the bath ("Don't touch anything!" I chanted as I chased them upstairs. They of course touched everything). Bath time pretty much involves a lot of splashing and fighting over who gets the biggest plastic dolphin and who has to have his hair washed first (neither seems to enjoy this part – Johnny often tries to persuade me that Mikey, and only Mikey, needs his hair washed). Johnny attempts to drink the soapy water and Mikey tries to swim, and I keep a safe distance with my Harry Potter book, amazed they have any energy after our busy day.

After I get them safely out of the tub (and soaking myself in the process) and get them into fresh jammies, (now I am in a sweat after chasing them around the bed as they bounce from one end to the other), I start to fold laundry, trying to make order out of the chaos that is my closet, when Johnny comes in the bedroom.

Hair still damp and smelling like baby powder, wearing a little blue shirt from our trip to Chicago last year and a pair of summer sleep shorts with little doggies on them, he looked cute as could be. Looking closer, I saw that his eyes were barely open, and he was shuffling like a robot with broken arms. A quiver of fear tickles my belly. Too much sun? Too much MiracleShake? Too much swinging?

“Johnny? Are you okay?” I try to keep the panic out of my voice. He sighs, and bends at the waist, limply holding himself up.

“Can you fix me, MomMon?” He asks, a small smile playing at his lips, his eyes closed. He swings his limp arms, sighing again. The smile gets bigger, and he closes his eyes tight.

“Fix you?” My anxiety now replaced by curiosity, I found myself starting to smile. “What’s broken?”

He straightens up, sighs dramatically, slyly opens one eye and shuffles to the edge of the bed; he carefully slumps himself against it. He closes both eyes, fakes a snore, and then says, “I think I need new batteries.”

My Friend Flickr... and a treasury :)

I have finally figured out flickr. Not that it was crazy hard (it is very user friendly) but I finally got around to giving it a go :) What a great format to create an online portfolio! I made a little button you can click to go visit my previous works (it is on the right, right over there...see? :) ) After browsing through my photos, I was reminded how much I love making paperbag albums. I think I am going to do another soon...

Oh, and I am so excited! I got up early this morning, grabbed a Fudgcicle (hey, you can have your Wheaties, I am a chocolate-in-the-morning kind of gal), and checked my Etsy and saw I was in a treasury! I feel so fancy! This treasury is curated by LilyMoon, a fantastic artist, and I feel so flattered! Be sure to check it out...

Well, I need to brew some coffee (to wash down that fabulous frozen Fudgcicle) and then get scrapping...

Etsy should contain a warning label...

... because it is so addictive! There are so many absolutely beautiful handmade and vintage treasures to be found. Vintage children's books, charms and pendants, collages and paintings, prints and digital downloads, stuffed plushies and pottery, flowery bobby hair pins... I don't even wear hair pins - but I might now! I am seriously and literally and totally awed by all the cool things I find here. At the bottom of my blog I have a little gallery of my most recent favorites. Check it out! I am sure you will find something amazing.

And I have found the fun of making treasuries! I feel like I win the lottery when I am able to curate a treasury. My heart gets to pumping, I race to make my final selections, think of a clever title... Putting it together is such a pleasure, like creating a collage of the prettiest pretties I can find. I have only created two, but I'll admit it - I love watching the magic number climb down to 332 and winning that Etsy lottery! Now all I need to do is win the lottery so that I can own some of these beautiful treasures.

Teddy Bear Princess

I had made this cutie little bear a while ago, and couldn't figure out what to do with her... then I dressed her like a princess and gave her a castle.

I want someone to dress me like a princess and give me a castle...

Ah, but that is the fun of creating. In my non-princess life I get to make lush landscapes and fierce dragons, tranquil twilights and sleepy teddy bears. I get to create stories, not just with words, but with paper and ink, ribbon and fabric. Pretty neat when you really stop and think about it...

This little cutie is on a layout I have listed on eBay.

A Winner!

After a very excited Johnny pulled out a scrap of paper, it was determined that the winner of my giveaway is....





Twyla and Lyndsey!

Wooo Hoooo! Thanks to the other posters :) I will plan another fun giveaway this week, so be sure to check in!

It's the Climb...

I am pretty jazzed about the layout I have listed on eBay. I have had that Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb", stuck in my head for about a week, and I finally decided to put my inner concert to good use. I made this pretty floral layout, and I have to say, I super wish my real own hair looked like this gal's...

...plus I have been loving making trees lately, so it was fun to make these sweet little groves of trees...

Speaking of trees, don't miss your chance to win my "pixie neighbors" set in my giveaway! See the post below this one to get the details :)

Celebrate!

Why, you ask? Is it because Friday is near? Because summer is almost here? Because I had my first sale since I returned to Etsy? Because the kids helped clean up their toys last night?


YES! To all those things!


Plus I like cake.


But let's face it. What is the best part of a party? Well, we have already covered cake... so what is the next best part of a party? Presents! Yay presents! I have decided to have a little giveaway present. All you have to do is leave a comment here to this post! You can sit and watch my slideshow up there and tell me what layout you like best, or click on my latest from Etsy offerings and leave a comment, or read prior posts and chit chat about those... Just make sure you leave a comment to THIS post so I know who is eligible to win :) To select a winner, I will take all the posts, put them in a blender, create a collage, blindfold myself and circle the first name at random, then mail the collage to myself in a nondescript mailer with inadequate postage so it gets returned to sender-

Just kidding. I'll just write down all the posters' names on scrap paper, put them in a bowl, and let Johnny pick one (Mikey will get to pick my next giveaway to be fair). June 7 , Sunday night, I will post the name of the winner! You will have to contact me with your address and such so I can mail you your pretty! And what is the pretty prize, you ask?

I'm so glad you asked!

The winner of this giveaway will get one of my "pixie neighbors" sets... two little pixie homes and a tree :) A paper piecing trio that you can use on scrapbook pages, ATCs, a collage... you could even just put them on pretty paper and mat them...

So good luck! I am off to bake a cake...

A cup of herbal tea is steaming in front of me, I have my well-worn CD of Mary Chapin Carpenter playing, and my studio desk is clean and waiting for me to start a new project -

"Mama! MOM! MOM MOM MOM MOM! Mikey ruined my PanCakems!"

... and that is the reality. My sweet, sleep deprived daydream is interrupted by my darling (yes, even though he is shrieking about his pancakes, he is still my darling. Really. I swear it!) darling sweetpea Johnny. Substitute the green tea with a mega can of Monster, the CD with the wavering tunes to the latest episode of Dora, and a studio desk full of paper, paints, clays, and a random stack of Legos and art stamps. That is the reality.

We took the boys to the bookstore today. By now our routine is set. I swing through magazines with Johnny and scoop up as many Somerset magazines as I can without actually stopping, then while Daddy chases Mikey to the children's books, Johnny and I head to the cafe. I order a coffee, and he gets his Cream. Yes, I let my child eat a little dixie cup of whipped cream. He is content for five minutes, I get to scan the pages of Somerset, and all is right with the world...

When the cup is empty and the whip cream is effectively all over his nose and chin, we clean up, get a sip of water from the pitcher set on the counter ("I want to do it. I can do it myself, seeee?) then clean the complimentary water stand and pick up the knocked over cups.... we make it back to the Thomas the Train display where Daddy and Brother are playing.

I have the latest copy of Artful Blogging in hand. Yum! Savory pictures, pretty prose, and page upon page of inspiration. I tell myself that I, too, can have an artful blog. And I will. At first intimidated by all those professional looking wwwPublications, I stop and think about how the majority of these blogStars are probably a lot like me.

Covered with sticky kisses.
Dreaming of nap time so I can create.
And itching to get crafty.

Hello Etsy!

After a short hiatus, I have returned to Etsy! I have found that while I love making complete page layouts (which will still be auctioned on eBay), I also love making unique piecings and scrapbook embellishments. I have so much fun making a little tree, or piecing together a little clapboard house... And I also wanted a venue to have custom pages available, and Etsy is a perfect place :) I love that artist community. There is so much talent there, I could sit and browse all day long....

... if only the twins would let me.

So be sure to find me on Etsy. You can find a link below...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5583375

Spring has sprung!

I know, a cliche, but it's true. My Korean Spice is sweetening my backyard, the lilacs are looking like they will bloom any second, and the grass is green and lush... I love spring! I was actually outside barefoot the other day, and there is nothing like having bare feet in cool grass, the sun filtering through the branches of a cherry blossom tree to make you feel like a seven-year-old again. Plus I had a fudgesicle in hand, so that helped the nostalgic feeling as well. I think I had about five of those delicious little frozen goodies yesterday.

With Mikey at preschool, I looked for four leaf clovers with his brother Johnny, and then we played circus in the yard. This involved a hula hoop and a variety of balls unearthed from under the deck. Not only was this entertaining (for the neighbors I am sure) but it also tired out the child. Johnny took a three-hour-nap. That's right - THREE hours! I was almost giddy to the point of feeling guilty. Almost.

Back to Basics...

Finally, I am getting a layout done for Ebay! I have been crazy busy working on Etsy with my sister (the Poet's Daughter) and doing local arts fairs, that I have been "going to make a layout" for ages. So here it is...

I love paper dolls, and this sweet little trio is just the right touch to this floral layout.

My sis and I are heading to the Farmer's Market in Flint, which was soooo much fun last week. I hope we have another gorgeous day!

Eight Days a Week...

The Beatles had it right - eight days a week would be lovely, if not only to love but to craft as well! Actually, I think I would like not only the extra day, but better yet more hours in that day. And tell the rest of the world to time out a minute so I can sneak a nap in there somewhere, so I can stay up later and get more done...

I know I can't be the only one who wants more time. More time to create, more time with the kids, more time to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer... but I digress. I wonder, though, if I had more time, would I use it wisely? It is my New Year's Resolution (I know, I know - it is almost May) to manage my time better. I just keep thinking I'll start managing my time better once I get "caught up."

I hear you snickering.

What I have come to realize is that even if I had 49 hours each day, I would still be "behind" only because I have 50 things I want to do each day. I get easily sidetracked, to put it mildly. I will start with thinking I want to work with paper, then make some flowers, then decide I should add a charm in the middle, then bust out my clay supplies, then want to go online to shop for a new mold, then stumble upon a blog with tips for clay that also has tips for soldering, then the next thing you know, I am on the hunt for microscope slides, then remember that I have some already in my Cupboard of Good Intentions where I then find those oversized playing cards I meant to make art dolls with.... so then I decide I need to clean my studio so I can find those metal shoe charms that would be perfect feet for the doll that is dancing in my head, but instead find some random paper on my worktable that would make a perfect skirt for that miniature dress form... But wait-

... that paper was supposed to be used for those paper flowers. Oops. Maybe I should just go shopping at the scrapbook store to get some more paper...

Is there a support group for this kind of crazy?