Your Future Is Loud & Clear

I am such a people person... I worked in retail for five years before teaching for eight. I am a talker... I can't stop singing. People would walk by my classroom before school would start and hear me praising God in song. I guess I didn't know that people could hear me... until that parent or teacher would comment on it later... ;)

When Ethan was born, it was a huge change for me. I was home alone, 45 minutes from town. Ethan had a difficult time nursing, I got very sick, and post-pardom depression was worse from the medication the lactation consultant gave me. I lost 35 pounds in a few weeks... I couldn't eat or get out of bed. My husband left work for a few days to help take care of me and Ethan because I couldn't.

I remember my best friend, Joanne, calling me and when I told her that I couldn't eat she put her two children in her car and drove half an hour to my house. She fed me ice cream and cheese. I love that beautiful woman! Becca also came over, she washed my dishes and cleaned my house while I slept. My brother-in-law, Josh, made this delicious chicken salad that is still my favorite today.

It is good to remember these things... it is good to remind yourself of what God has delivered you from. Being home has become the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

Created with Scrapblog

Who else would of been able to experience these things today...

1. You read the words "Key Bank" as we drove by the sign today. We don't even use that bank.

2. You wanted to play "Find the Numbers" at Wal-mart today.

3. You met a deaf woman today with a guide dog. She signed to us that we could touch Cinna-Bear and you laughed when the dog kissed you. We signed thank you together.

4. You wanted to dance with the other children in Story Time at the library.

5. You shared your sand toys with another little boy in the Discovery Room.

6. You surprised the volunteers when you found two number ones and put them together and yelled "11" and clapped for yourself.

7. You were a good sport when we drove to the park to play at the water fountain and it was closed because they were setting up a weekend event.

8. You sat well behaved for the entire drive into town singing "This is the Day" and "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of your lungs.

9. You drank and enjoyed your milk shake on the drive home.

10. You gave me kisses... and said, "Love you Mama."

Think Technique

My sister is so inspiring... once a month on Thinking Outside the Box, she will have a new technique to get yourself motivated to try something new. This week her Think Technique article is about the ever so popular spray paint.

I love this layout that she did. Last week she was over and asked if she could have the below vintage butterfly page. I looked at it and said, "Sure... Hey! Where did you find that?" She laughed, as if to say, "Finders keepers." I guess it was in my vintage dictionary.

Read the article for more layout inspiration and close up photos of her layout above.

Create Well: Just spray it!

Bloom Today

I am always convicted about how am I making a difference during my day. Am I making a difference with my son, my husband, the neighbor, an email I might send? It is easy to feel like you are lost without importance as a SAHM. I have to keep reminding myself that this job is more important than any other God may give me! I created this layout to remind me to "bloom" in all that I do...

Pink Paislee is so inspiring! I loved all the papers from both the Captivating & Fascinating lines. I have a large collection of sketches from the last few weeks and when I saw this paper, I knew I wanted to do this layout.

Supplies- Paper & Chipboard Elements: Pink Paislee “Fascinating” line; Alphas: Making Memories & American Crafts; Flower: Bazzill Basics; Ranger Inc.: Glossy Accents; Rhinestones: Kaisercraft; Other: acrylic, spray paint, and thread

Create Well: How are you making a difference today?

Which is Enough...

So, what do you do when there is a heat advisory and you have no air conditioning in your car? What do you do when you are bored out of your mind? You stay in your house clothes, make sure there are plenty of freezer pops, and create of course! If I am not in the art room, I am lounging around the house sketching. My son and I are also creating things to go into a package for my niece at war. Not sure what she will think getting a package of little things from a two year old... I am sure it will make her smile, which is enough.

Create Well: Bored out of your mind? Make someone else's day by sending them a care package.

(photo frame by Scrapblog)

Baby Doll

Sometimes I make myself laugh... yesterday, my package from Craft Warehouse came for our third assignment. When I saw the 12x12 canvas I wanted to jump up and down and scream with excitement. But, I didn't since it took Ethan a while to fall asleep for his nap. So, I danced around my husband instead. I knew I had a bit of a break during nap time and went upstairs and finished my canvas assignment.

This project was created with Pink Paislee's Captivating line. I figured that I could use this photo once more since Craft Warehouse would be getting the canvas... ;)

I created a "skirt" from the "Beautiful" paper. I added distress ink to create depth on the pleats.

I sewed the skirt and paper and then attached the paper to the canvas with gel medium.

I used a paper piercer to create the holes to add the thread. I have had this DMC thread since I was a child. Probably because it is such a unique color. I laughed when I pulled it out and it matched perfectly.

Supplies- Paper & Chipboard Elements: Pink Paislee's Captivating line; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Alphas: American Crafts; Ink & Distressing Tool: Ranger Inc. Tim Holtz; Other: notebook paper, thread, spray paint, & acrylic paint

Create Well: Create a skirt with paper by folding an accordion, opening it up, and stitching the top down. Add a paper to the top or ribbon as you would fabric.

Thinking Outside the Box Weekly Challenge

Becca's article this week is an emotional one. As she writes, "We all experience times of grief… loss… change… disappointment. That story can be a tough one to put down on paper, let alone, put into a family album. Yet, the process of scrapping can be very therapeutic. As we express our emotions, both in words and images, we begin to heal. And the pages we create can encourage others as well."

Check out the challenge this week and the very moving layouts featured here.

Crocodile Dock VBS

If it's been quiet on the home front, it's because I have been directing our church's Vacation Bible School this week. Our church has never done one this big and well... this much fun! We have 80 kids from our community and every day I get more and more blessed! Since I am directing, I am also taking the photos. When I looked at the pictures I found this quite lovely photo of me thrown in there. One of my staff members must of taken it. There was nothing I could do to save it in Photoshop... it's just exposed incorrectly. But, I realized that it was the only one.
Sometimes we only have that one photo of us at an event, if we remember to take any of us at all. Use it - even if it is awful! This photo helped remind me that I want to document this life changing event and I need to remember to have pictures of me taken. Good thing Dave will be there tonight! I will have him take a few good ones to share!

Create Well: Remember to get photos of yourself. Your children want to remember you as you are.

If I Could...

{If Ethan could, he would}

1. Write the entire alphabet in order.

2. Then write all the numbers he could think of - in order.

3. Write every color God created.

4. Write each of our names below where ever each of us might be sitting.

Supplies - Paper: Cosmo Cricket, 7 Gypsies, & Fancy Pants Designs; Stickers: K&Company; Alphas: Making Memories; Other: spray paint & thread

Create Well: Take a photograph from a different perspective and create a layout from a child's point of view.

Darling

My niece's daughter got to stay with us for five days last week! I was so blessed to have a little girl in the house. She is a little princess. Seriously... she pranced around the house all day long! While she was here, her mother gave me permission to take many photos of her. I am so excited to share with you a girls layout! It was fun to get my fabric out and do a bit of a quilted piece. I think I might be using her photos more so that I can play with pink... I love pink...

"It was good to have a princess around the house, even if it was only for 5 days."

Create Well: If you live in a household filled with boys, like I do, get a chance to feel like a girl again and use pink... even if you have to take pictures of someone else's kid to do it! ;)

Everyday & Thinking Outside the Box Challenge

American Sign Language has always had a special place in my heart. My mother took sign language courses when we were young and my sister, Deb, is fluent in ASL. Although I don’t have hearing impaired family or friends, I always loved the language and wanted to learn. A parent introduced me to Signing Time when they first began the series. I was able to learn 20-25 signs in half an hour, while watching the videos. When I taught preschool, I used ASL with everything! It was a hands-on way to teach children music, early reading, the Bible, and more! It was amazing how fast I caught on and so did the children.

So, when my son Ethan was born it was natural for me to begin signing to him. When he was a baby I would talk to him while also signing. I would watch the new Baby Signing Time surprised because I would see babies at six months old communicating to their parents and I wanted that. I am not sure if other mothers want their child to communicate to them at such an early age but I did! I wanted to hear his wants, needs, and know how to help him in every way I could. It did not take long. At four months, Ethan began to sign and by six months he could speak to me completely in ASL. We could seriously have full conversations! By eleven months old, he knew his entire alphabet. When he was twelve months old, he was speaking on his own and knew the phonic sounds of his letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. He is not yet two and a half and is reading at a kindergarten level! I truly believe ASL had a major part in his development.

Ethan was active from the moment he left the hospital. He never let me rock him to sleep, hold him tight, or cuddle him. He is awake the moment it is 7am and doesn’t stop moving for the rest of the day. At one time, in desperation to get him to sleep, I rocked him to “Show Me a Sign” by Rachel Coleman. He fell asleep and ever since the song has had a special place in my heart. It is the only song he will let me sing and rock him to.

For this week’s Thinking Outside the Box Weekly Challenge, Rebecca has us look to music for inspiration. I was inspired by the lyrics to “Show Me a Sign” and created this layout of my little man.

I took muslin and tore strips. I then used a dropper and added liquid watercolor to the muslin.

I added the lyrics as my journaling.

I cut my clouds out by hand and added flocker.

Paper: Fancy Pants Designs; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Alphas: American Crafts; Rhinestones: Kaisercrafts; Flocker: Stampendous; Font: Times New Roman; Other: muslin, thread, liquid watercolor

Make sure you go by Thinking Outside the Box today and check out the challenge and guest musician, our beautiful and talented friend Jae Richter.

Create Well: Use music to inspire you to create this week!

Photo of Jae Richter by Daveen Photography and used by permission.

To see other ways I use ASL in the home (or in the classroom) check out my other blog, Teach Well, Teach Often.

Thinking Outside the Box Weekly Challenge

Last week's Thinking Outside the Box Challenge had such positive feedback that Becca and I decided it should be a weekly article! In fact, Becca has created her own blog called Outside the Box! Every week it will have a weekly challenge to help papercrafters think outside the box. It will also feature scrapbook pages from artists all around the globe.

I love the quote she has on her site, "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams. This site will help inspire you to document your life story, not just the events that happen in it.

We are both very excited about this project and believe me you won't want to miss tomorrow's inspiration! So, grab Rebecca's button on the sidebar and join the challenge to think outside the box!

Create Well: Thinking outside the box requires willingness to... look at something with a new perspective; listen, respect, and learn from others; be open to do and try things in a creative way; and find value in seeking and acting on new ideas.

Look

My younger sister, Deb, has a birthday coming up. I wish I could spend it with her in California but alas, I won't be able to. Her and my brother-in-law are leaving in two weeks to go back to the mission field. I am proud to have them as family! They leave their family, everything they know to be comfortable and safe, to witness to others in a foreign land. I made this layout in mind of her vision. Where they live they can't openly tell others about their faith. They have to live among the people, get to know them, and when the people welcome them into their home and lives that's when they can witness to them. She is always looking for ways to help other women in her community. Shouldn't we be doing that too?

I love this fabric! It was a skirt that Becca gave me and it ripped. I was so disappointed until I realized that I could still use it. ;)

I hand made these flowers by cutting my own chipboard, adding the music script, and then adding the centers.

Supplies: Making Memories: sequins, tickets; Paper: Anna Griffin, Fancy Pants Designs, 7 Gypsies, & Basic Grey; Alphas: American Crafts; Ink: Staz-On & Ranger; Flower Center: Greenbrier International Inc.; Fabric: Kim & Cami; Other: thread, ribbon, vintage date stamp, & notebook paper

Create Well: Look to others to be inspired to create and live life well.

Guest Designer - Lisa Dickinson

This week's guest designer is the beautiful and ever so talented Lisa Dickinson. Not only does she design for Jenni Bowlin , JBS Mercantile, Write. Click. Scrapbook, and KI Memories, she keeps me laughing at her inspirational blog, Gettin' By. Here's what she said...

I am a 37 year-old wife and mama to two who's been scrapping for about 11 years. I have a degree in Advertising & Communications, and am currently working as a freelance graphic artist. I have a true love for art in all its forms. I love that scrapbooking combines my passion for photography and story-telling in one medium. Because most of my "real" work is on the computer, I really live for the projects that take me away from that technology.....like good ol' paper and glue! I love the tactile aspects of traditional scrapbook supplies (and mixing in a few non-traditional supplies as well!)

When I first started scrapbooking, I looked to scrap magazines and online galleries for design ideas. I often lifted pages I was drawn to, always trying to add something of my own to the design. Sometimes I would challenge myself to incorporate elements from various pages I admired onto one of my own pages. I think this process slowly helped me to define my own style. I would say it has taken my about 4 years to really come into my own "style" of scrapbooking and even so, I am always evolving and trying to improve!. While I don't love every early layout I did, I look at them as a stepping stone in the creative process. Without them, I wouldn't be creating pages that I love today!

I would describe my current style as casually simple and somewhat eclectic, using a variety of products and materials. I especially enjoy documenting the everyday things in our lives: funny things my kids say, a great meal we enjoyed, or a fun trip to the park. I love to be challenged to use a particular product or technique in a unique way. I almost always include stitching, alphabets, and a bit of ink or paint on my pages. Another signature of mine is photos with white borders (I like the crisp white to pop the photos off the background), tilted just a bit on the page (I'm not a linear gal at all!)

While I love to read scrapbook magazines and see the amazing work they include, I'm often inspired by art beyond scrapbooking. Some of my favorite sources of inspiration are children's books, album covers, home decor catalogs, and junk mail! I try to see the world around me as a idea book. I carry a small notebook with me and often will jot down ideas as they strike: color combos that I want to try, a font I want to download, a song lyric that would make a good quote on a page. Etsy.com and Goop.com are two websites I love to frequent to get fresh ideas. I always find things there that make me want to sit down and create!

Through my scrapbooking, I hope to document pieces of our lives that might otherwise be forgotten or lost. I hope to share a bit of myself and my loved ones with future generations, to help them see our similarities, even through generation gaps. Mostly, I hope to leave the impression that I enjoyed life and lived it with love, passion, and hope (and had a lot of fun doing it!).

Create Well: Create to leave an impression that you enjoyed life, lived it with love, passion, and hope.

One Bright Spot Update

The rings from this post had such good feedback that I decided to put some in the shop. The ones posted below were made from vintage dictionary script. Each are unique and not one are alike. It's like a little mini canvas on your finger! Most were made with Fancy Pants Designs paper and rubons & Tim Holtz's stamps and Distress ink. So much fun!

It's so funny... I have a jar in my bathroom filled with little rings and I can't decide which one to wear everyday.

Create Well: If you are an artist let it flow out into everything you do... and wear. ;)

Evans Photography - Rebecca Grinder Sneak Peek

Maybe you have noticed that I don't have any holiday pictures posted. Well, that would be because I left the camera at home! Can you believe it? The ironic thing is that I tried to use my sister's point and shoot on automatic! I have been trying to encourage my friends to use their cameras on manual and there I was trying to take photos on automatic! I must of looked a sight because I kept on trying to take the picture through the view finder wondering why I couldn't see anything! LOL!

I actually managed to take this new favorite photo of my son. I love the texture and color that the grass gave the photograph. It is even more beautiful in black and white.

I loved the look of this photo so much that when Becca invited us over for dinner tonight I had to bring my camera this time to try it again! The lighting was perfect and I got a few of Becca that I have been trying to get for some time now.

Create Well: Don't get discouraged by what camera you may have! Look around you and use nature as a texture that can add depth, color, and beauty to any photograph.

Triple the Sketch

I am really excited to announce that I am now on the Triple the Sketch Design Team! I have been following Patter's blog for a couple of years now. Who knew I would get an email from her asking me to join their team?! It is such an honor! I am looking forward to working with the other very talented artists on the team. My work will debut on their site sometime mid-August.

If you have never been over to this inspirational sketch blog, hop on over to see this week's new sketch! Every Friday there is a new sketch to inspire you just in time for the weekend!

Create Well: Stumped creatively? Be inspired by a sketch!

Think Outside The Box Challenge: Simple Summer Pleasures by Rebecca Grinder

Summer is a spectacular time of year! As a child, my summer days were filled with simple pleasures… long afternoons swimming at the pool… grasping tightly to my two quarters as I ran to meet the ice cream truck... playing hide and seek during warm summer evenings. Those everyday activities became some of my fondest memories! And today, I still look for ways to slow down my hectic schedule and enjoy the simple pleasures of summertime.

Savoring summer doesn’t have to take a lot of money, just a little imagination. Here’s a list of some of my favorite summer pastimes:

> Spread a blanket at the local park to read a book
> Go for a bike ride
> Check out a local music festival
> Chase butterflies and dragonflies
> Pack a picnic lunch
> Tour the local lavender farms
> Pick berries
> See a movie in the park
> Have a water balloon or squirt gun fight
> Visit the farmers’ market
> Take a hike
> Savor an ice cream cone at the local DQ
> Be a tourist for a day in my own town

This week's Think Outside The Box Challenge:

How do you slow down and enjoy the summer months? Create a layout depicting a simple summer pleasure.

To jump start your creative juices, take a look at these amazing designers’ simple summer pleasures! A great big thank you to all of the following talented ladies for letting us features their summertime layouts! If these pages wow you, be sure to link over to their blogs to see even more fabulous inspiration.

Blueberries by Dani Johnston

Prism Cardstock - Shelby's TanOctober Afternoon - Lunchbox Alphabet Stickers- Picnic Table GreatScott Etsy Shop - Book Page from 1957 Frozen Food Hints book schOOLLOcker Etsy Shop - Brown Ticket schOOLLOcker Etsy Shop - blue and white bakery twineMade by Stace Klug for Vintage Plum - Handmade Dictionary FlowersIvory LaceWhite Cupcake Liners (Used for masking and folded behind the photo)Vintage Plum - Pacific Avenue Diner Paper (All the above Products are from Vintage Plum's July kit "Cherry Pie") Making Memories Yellow StaplesTattered Angels Turquoise Blue Glimmer Mist Tim Holtz for Ranger Weather Wood Distress Ink Color Box Yellow Citrus Chalk InkpadSakura Black Jelly Roll Pen

Yummy by Akiko Kuroki

Cosmo Cricket papers and ribbon, Crafting Kit, Ready Set Chipboard, & misc. stickers

Not Quite by Frances Sylvia

designed for the So Sketchy! using the July #1 Sketch, created by Allison CopeBazzil Cardstock, October Afternoon Cherry Hill, Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday, DMC floss, American Crafts Thickers Sprinkles, Bazzil Die Cut Strips, My Little Shoebox Tiny Alphas, Starbuck's corrugated cardboard coozy, DYMO, and all buttons and brads from personal stash

Sweet Summer by Norma Kennedy

Pattern Paper: My Little Shoebox Cardstock: Core'dinatons Embellishments: October Afternoon Cherry Hill Stickers Alpha: American Craft Thickers Twine: Martha Stewart Baking Twine


Flower Girl by Gudrun Loennecken

Patternd paper: 3ndypapir, design Lene Solhaug Cardstock: Bazzill criss-cross white heavy woolen Felt & Craft Felt: Panduro Letters: Thickers & black pen by American Crafts & Buttons, DMC embroidery floss

Create Well: Take the time to enjoy a simple summer pleasure. And don't forget to take your camera because before you know it, summer will be gone!

Article written by Rebecca Grinder. Rebecca has been guest designer on Create Well...Create Often before. To visit her feature go to this post.

All photos used by permission.

Oh Boy!

One thing I love about my sister is that she gives me her scraps. Yes, it is almost like Christmas when she gives me a bag filled with little pieces of paper, left over stickers, and loose die cuts. In fact, my sister gave me a bag last week, the same day I went and bought some new paper. I was more inspired by the scraps than the full sheets of paper I had just bought! I created this layout of my son to document this "oh-so-boy" period in his life.

Create Well: Clean your work space. Find a friend to trade scraps with. Give a local daycare. school, or homeschool family the items you don't want.

Miss Fancy Pants Friday Challenge Winner!

Check it out! I won last Friday's Celebrating the U.S.A. Challenge at Fancy Pants Designs. I entered my Freedom Ring. You can check out this post to see the details on how I made the ring!

Create Well: Step out of your comfort zone and try a contest. You never know what can become of it!

Guest Designer - Michelle Filo

Welcome Michelle Filo as our week's featured designer! Michelle's designs will inspire any traditional scrapbook artist to dip their feet into digital! Not only does Michelle have her own line through Little Dreamer Designs, but she also designs for Fancy Pants Designs, Designs by Lili, and Pencil Lines. This is what she had to say...

I was born in Brazil but in 2000 me and my husband Alex decided to try life in Australia, it was the start of a great adventure into growing up away from the family and becoming a family ourselves. I finished university and had my two boys, Mateus, who is five years old, and Lucas, who is two years old. It has been a struggle balancing work, family, and everything in between, but we do it anyway :)

I stumbled across scrapbooking in 2005. Entered a scrapbooking store and was in awe of all the goodies available, I bought a couple of things and proceeded into making a little keepsake of my first 10 years, not really knowing what scrapbook was, I think my little keepsake turned out pretty much like scrapbooking, I think it was instinct hehe. After creating a lot of little things to give to family and friends that year, life got way too busy and I took a break from the craft. Well, actually, I spent a lot of nights playing World of Warcraft instead of crafting, hehe, but it was for lack of physical space to craft and to avoid having to clean up, etc.

In 2007, right after Lucas was born, I felt again the need to create little keepsakes for the family. A nice way to share photos and stories of my new bundle of joy. In my quest to avoid digging into supplies and making a big mess I found digital scrapbooking. From then on the world was my oyster and I have never stopped. Got myself published and started to get more and more into scrapbooking as a whole. With time, I longed for some crafting, there was a need to get messy and handle scissors :) and I started dabbling into hybrid scrapbooking. For those who don't know what is hybrid scrapbooking, it is simply what we like to call scrapbooking when we mix digital designs with paper crafting. If you get part of your project done digitally, print it, and use it to finish of a real physical project, you are using hybrid scrapbooking. A lot of people like to create hybrid pages, it is so easy to get a nice collage of photos aligned and resized in your computer than to try to cut it up by hand. But I am a little more into the mini albums, so much so that I started offering templates for it and became a designer with the Little Dreamer Designs website. I am all about sharing what you know with others. When I post a page on my blog where I think I did something different I always try to explain what I did, paper or digi. I also found a good excuse to spend hours creating templates, turned it into a business :) But I tried to keep it affordable and I still love to offer a freebie from time to time, and I also design templates for the Pencil Lines blog which we offer for free every week.

Nowadays, that I have my very own scrapping space, there is nothing I won't try in scrapbooking. I use all kinds of mediums and techniques, from stamping to stitching, wherever my inspiration takes me. I can't see a specific style on what I do, I like to think I am a good example of a eclectic style. I do know, however, that I can't be minimalistic and I have trouble doing the fantasy style, even though I love both styles, I know it just doesn't suit me and my photos. Talking about photos, oh, what scrapbooker doesn't start looking closely into her own photos? And I did that so much I started to fall in love with photography :) I have been dishing out a lot of money with my new found passion but I can tell you know that you don't need a good camera to have great photos to scrap. Just need to be creative and learn how to really "capture the moment". Lately I am in love with editing photos and making them look a little vintage, it completely changes the feel of a photograph and evokes a different emotion. Usually, just adding a little rose tint does the trick. (Example below)

before

after

Lastly, I would take this amazing opportunity to urge digi scrappers to try a little hybrid or paper scrapping; and likewise, I would love to see paper scrappers having a go at the amazing world of digital. There is so much opportunity to create, I hate to keep these little trade secrets all to myself :)

Template for this album can be found here.

You can find more of Michelle's amazing work at her blog, With Love by Mushy.

Create Well: There is so much opportunity to create! Digi scrappers to try a little hybrid or paper scrapping; and likewise, paper scrappers have a go at the amazing world of digital!