Sunshine Memories

Dreamin'

2011-09-20T16:20:00.000+09:00

Full of light and shimmer the Dreamin' papers from Close to My Heart are the prettiest in their new line! Though full of fall colors, the hues of blues and golds worked just as well to highlight my summer photos. A bit of white added to the page above helps to give this page a summery feel. The butterflies were cut with the Art Philosphy Cricut cartridge and then colored using my blending pen with the watercolor markers. Simply rub the nib of the blending pen onto the nib of the watercolor marker to pick up the color and then paint your image. I love this technique as the colors intensify and blend so smoothly without using any water. To switch colors, simply wipe the tip of the blending pen on a piece of scrap paper until the color disapears.

My next page is created using sketch #50 from the Scrap A Little's sketch blog. The sketches from this blog are among my favorite when I'm looking for a little inspirational help in laying out a page. Notice the borders strips across the center of the page? One of them is cut from the backside of the paper and the other is simply the zip strip - or back of the informational strip -- attached to the paper. Close to My Heart has made coordination so simple!

Don't you just love it when there is no thinking involved? This layout is taken straight out of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I changed it up just a teensy bit to suit my photos, but it's pretty much just as you see on on Page 32. The blue scalloped background, leaves and the rolled rose are cut with the Art Philosphy Cricut cartridge so the entire page could not have been any easier! I love the Cork Alphabet, it is one of my new favorite go-to items this year.

One more for sharing:

This time the Cork Alphabet is colored with Chocolate Ink, I simply daubed it on and it took the color so easily. The Harvest Charms are really a fun addition to the page and coordinate beautifully with the Dreamin' line.

To get any of the papers, pens or embellies listed in this post, simply click on my CTMH shopping link on the top right of this page. And don't forget to share your creations. I woud love to see how you use this beautiful line from CTMH!

It's Elemental!

2011-08-18T20:01:00.001+09:00

Here's a riddle for you. What two CTMH items go as well together as peanut butter and jelly? The answer is elemental. The new cardstock-weight Elemental paper and the new CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to be exact!

I've been having so much fun locked in my scrap room with these two products lately that my husband thinks I left town and my cat won't speak to me. But never mind, they'll come round soon enough. Meanwhile, let me share with you a few of my projects. The first one above scanned a bit wonky but you can see all the layering that is available on this new cart. I added some Pearl Opaque Adhesive Gems to the centers of the flowers and butterflies for even more added dimension and shine.

This next page is a lift of a featured project in the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book on page 86. I used the Horray Bouquet stamp that coordinates with the Cricut images. So easy. So fun. Love the page!

The design above is from a make-n-take by my friend Helen of Scrap a Little. I love her designs so much that I recreated one using the Elemental papers and look how lovely it turned out! The wave at the bottom comes from the 'Zip Strip' - something new that CTMH has added to their papers. You simply trim it off the bottom of the sheet and it makes a great border or accent on a coordinating page.

'Down by the River' utilizes the 'Love Life' stamp on page 29 of the Idea Book and this layout is my take on the project on the same page. I really like the Decor Journaling Spots. I made one stationary and the other allows the journaling to pull out of the tag. The yellow stripe is another Zip Strip from the paper pack.

I know you are dying to see what is on the new CTMH Cricut cart so here is a scan of the cover. As you can see it offers over 700 shapes, many of which coordinate with the CTMH stamp sets. There are circles, flowers, snowflakes, leaves, tags, cards, 3-D images, ornaments, frames, hearts, acorns, brackets, borders, birds, trees, Christmas trees, flourishes, decorative corners and tabs, arrows, keys, lace images, and a font with a font layer. Who could ask for anything more? To get yours, simply click on the link on the top right of this page.

I hope I have inspired you to start scrapping. Feel free to contact me with any questions or to share your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you!

Wicked Cool

2011-08-17T14:08:00.000+09:00

Have you heard about the new - and more affordable - Stamp of the Month program at Close to My Heart? Now with any order of $50 or more, you can get the Stamp of the Month for just $5. That's over 70% off retail.

The "WICKED" stamp set is available now to August 31st. You can purchase it for the great low price of $17.95 or get it for just $5.00 with every CTMH order of $50 or more. Simply click my link to the right to order.

I'm not much of a card maker so I chose to use my stamp on a layout. I used the new "Mischief'' line of paper and I have to say that I am so very happy that CTMH went to this new cardstock-weight of patterened paper. It is so much more substantial with the same great color schemes to mix and match with inks and cardstocks.

Here is a list of supplies used to make my page 'Steppin' Out':
     Mischief Level 2 Paper Packet
     Aug Stamp of the Month - Wicked
     Opaques Licorice Adhesive Gems
     Black, White Daisy and Sunset Ink Stamp Pads
     Color-Ready Kraft Borders

So much has changed with the release of the new Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book. It's really given me a new incentive to get my scrapping done. I've got a couple of workshops scheduled and hope to fit it in a few more events. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you have questions, want to place an order or just want to share your mojo. I can't wait to hear from you!

Basic Grey Kit Club

2011-05-29T15:25:00.000+09:00

Each month I go to my friend's house and we do a Basic Grey Page Kit. Each kit comes with everything you need to complete 4 pages -- 2 single pages and one double page layout. All the instructions are there for you and what I enjoy about this the most is it frees up your mind so that you can chat and catch up with what all the girls have been doing all month. Plus, our hostess Helen Croft of Scrap a Little is such an awesome cook so there is always plenty of goodies to chow down on. It's a really great way to get together with your friends.

Anyone else out there have any monthly clubs like this? I would love to hear about it.

Meanwhile, here are just a few of the page kits we have worked on and how they have turned out.

This is the Life of the Party page kit.

Next is the Capella Page Kit - such a pretty kit for weddings. I used photos from a recent wedding and also did a layout of my own wedding 30 years ago. Can you beleive I have never scrapped these photos before?

Next up is the Hello Luscious page kit. This one is bright and cheerful and I can't wait to finish the other pages in the kit. As you can see, it's easy to change the layout a bit to suit your photos.

And next, the Curio kit - great for older photos such as my baby pictures. As you can see, the page instructions are simply guidelines and you can change up the title or the placement of the die cuts as you see fit.

And I'll end this post with one from the Wander kit.The journaling fits nicely inside the little file folder that came with the kit.

We've done plenty more pages in the last year, but I hope you enjoyed this sampling from a fun Kit Club.

FREE Close to My Heart products

2011-05-02T12:27:00.000+09:00

In honor of National Scrapbooking month Close to My Heart is offering half price membership and 4 FREE scrapbooking kits to those who sign up as consultants during the month of May. The cost to join is now only $65 and for that prices you receive +/-280.00 worth of scrapbooking kits, inks, stamps and embellishments with no strings attached.

Whether you are just looking for scrapbooking supplies, or you have an interest in becoming a consultant - this is a deal you won't want to miss. Should you need assistance, or more information, feel free to Email me (link on the right) for more details on how to get all these goodies for yourself. I promise you - there is no further purchase required and this is a deal too good to pass up!

From http://okispice.myctmh.com you will need to go to "Your
Opportunities" at the bottom of the left-side bar.

Next under "Be A Consultant" at the bottom of thepost it says "Click Here"
and you will begin sign up.

You will need to put in a Credit Card information and give that card a name.
For example, I call my card "Mileage Card".

Next, choose 3 of the "Choose Me" packages listed. If you want more than 3,
you will pay a bit extra but you do have that option.

Then you will be done and you should receive immediate confirmation that you
are a Consultant and will receive your own Consultant number!

God Bless America and Japan

2011-04-28T14:16:00.003+09:00

Last Friday, while returning from a trip north, we experienced a moment that I thought should be shared...

As my husband and I drove into the city of Nago and were slowing down to stop for a traffic light, the JAL tour bus pictured, pulled up beside us. The tour-guide in the photo began waving excitedly until she got our attention, at which point she raised the handmade sign you see in the photograph. We were both very happy and extremely touched by this unsolicited show of affection and gratitude towards America. To us, this is yet another reason that we love Japan and her people. It is also a testament to the level of support we all, as Americans, have provided. Our military has jumped in with both feet and we have all opened our hearts and sent or given whatever support we can. Given the political differences we have experienced in the past, it is nice to know that not everyone thinks our presence is a bad thing.

God Bless America and God Bless Japan!

In March of 2010 I visited the beautiful Shukkei-en gardens in Hiroshima. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and it must have been an auspicious day for a wedding as the gardens were filled with happy couples posing in their wedding finery.

I can only imagine the very different scene that took place this year as the country recovers from the damage that has been caused by the terrible earthquake and tsunami.

Though I currently live in the southern island of Okinawa, my heart remains in the enchanting Honshu province of Japan. I would like to share with you some of my Mosaic Moments pages of my time in Japan in the hopes that if you have not yet helped out the tusnami victims, you might still find it in your heart to consider a donation to the Red Cross .

All these pages were made with Mosiac Moments papers. If you would like to purchase some Mosaic papers, click the SnapNCrop link to the right of this post. Thanks for stopping by!

Close To My Heart

2011-03-13T15:42:00.002+09:00

Recently I joined Close To My Heart as a consultant as I have been going to a monthly club and really enjoying myself there. There are many items in their current catalog that I find to be of the utmost quality and I wanted to share some of them with you.

First up, I really love the album labels. Even though I have albums in various colors and sizes I still couldn't seem to find the one I want when I was looking for it. With these nifty labels, I can now easily browse for the album I want and so can my friends and family should they feel like taking a look.

Next, I really love the ink. Not that I am a super-stamper or anything, but I love to ink the edges of my pages or embellies for added dimension and this ink is so perfect. I love the colors that match all the papers and the packaging with the easy-to-read labels. The storage tower makes my ink easy to store and I got it for a steal when it was my turn to hostess our group!

I also love to use the Sponge Daubers and have one for each ink color. I keep these in the tray on the top of the tower. You can see there is also room for the markers.

I would also like to share with you a few of the pages we've done at our club meetings.

The above page was made with the Miracle papers, Canvas Buttons and The Delight Stamp Set. My scan did not come out quite right on this page, unfortunately.

The Relax page was created with the Wings paper, Mini Medly Black Accents, Wings Assortment Ribbons, and the Dreams Come True stamp set.

Oliva paper collection, Foundry Flourishes and Mocha Opaques complete the page above.

And just for fun, here are two more pages I made last year from beautiful Close To My Heart papers and stamp sets.

If you would like to make any of these pages or purchase any of the supplies I've mentioned here, go to my link or click on the shopping cart above right. I'll be starting a monthly club soon and welcome new members, whether locally or online!

How to make pretty paper roses out of heart shapes.

2011-01-23T09:07:00.002+09:00

As a scrapbook instructor, I always have to be one step ahead of myself. So while I still have Christmas photos to get into an album, I'm busy making Valentine pages for next month's scrapbook classes. No problem though as I know my students are going to love this next project. It's fun, simple and each rose took me less than five minutes start to finish! They look great on my scrapbook page too. Check out the photo at the bottom of this post for my final result. Meanwhile, here is how to make your own:

1. The roses are made with a series of 19 hearts in different sizes. I used the Cricut and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge to cut mine out of some pretty pink papers in the following sizes:
              a. Five 2" hearts
              b. Four 1 ½” hearts
              c. Four 1 ¼” hearts
              d. Four 1” hearts
              e. Two ½” hearts
Of course, you could also cut the hearts with punches or even hand-cut them for an interesting look.

2. In addition, you will need a tiny hole punch (a push pin works just as well); scissors; a skewer, stylus or pencil; a brad; some ink and Stickles ( I used Cotton Candy pink).

3. Punch tiny holes in the bottom of each heart.

4. Cut each heart about ¾ of the way in half to make petals. At this stage you can distress and Ink the edges of all petals if you desire.

5. Curl (don’t roll) each petal using a skewer or a stylus.

6. Beginning with the smallest hearts first, layer the hearts onto the brad.

7. Finish with stickles and let dry about 20 minutes.

To make a smaller flower, repeat steps b-e above, but make one extra b size ( 1 1/2") heart.

And finally, here are some heart-roses on a page using Bo Bunny's Crush line. Have fun making your own heart-roses and if you do, I would love to see your final result! And if you are on Okinawa and would like to join me, the class is at Foster Fine Arts Center on Feb. 17. I would love you to join me!

Holiday Fun

2010-12-15T14:15:00.000+09:00

Not much scrapping for me lately. I've been cooking, shopping, wrapping and all the other fun things that keep us busy during the holiday seasons. I really like the way this one particular project turned out though. I framed some photos for our families in shadow boxes filled with bits of sea glass, tiny shells, small peices of coral picked up along the beach here plus tiny shards of Ryukyu glass . I hope our parents and siblings like them!

This one is ready for mailing to my Mom. She loves sea glass.

Here's a close up of the bits that surround the photo. They are sandwiched between two pieces of glass.

And this one is filled with lots of tiny shells and coral for my sister-in-law.

I got a bit of scrapbooking done earlier in the month while at a retreat in Okinawa. I had this great view from my cabin.

Here's our group of scrappers. You can tell how much fun we were having!

And here' some of the pages I got done during the retreat.

We had lots of make-n-takes and mini classes too. So much fun! Glad I went because I'm not exactly the scrapping queen this month. I have taken my scrap room apart and am in the middle of a reorganization. I'll be clean and fresh and ready to go again in the New Year.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

Making a Star Album for Christmas

2010-11-28T07:15:00.001+09:00

Over the years I have taken many of my favorite family photos during the Christmas season, so I decided why not highlight a few of those in a star-shaped mini album? Star albums are 6x6" mini albums that open up into a star-shape display. You'll want to make one for yourself as well as a few for gifts. They are fun to make and easier than you may think but do take up a lot of cardstock and patterned paper -- so make sure you have plenty before you get started.

Here is the supply list I used followed by some instructions. I would love to see how yours comes out, so please share a link if you use my instructions. Meanwhile, have a very Merry Christmas!

Supplies

1. Three sheets of Bazzill Red cardstock
2. Three sheets Bazzill Yukon Gold cardstock
3. Three sheets of Basic Grey Wassail patterned paper
4. Two pieces of chipboard 6x6”
5. Two sheets of Bazzill Metallic Gold paper for cover
6. Two 12” pieces of 1” wide ribbon
7. Heavy-duty adhesive such as Red Line tape or Book Binding Glue
8. Embellishments of your choice

Cover

A. Cut two pieces of Bazzill Metallic Gold paper into 8x8” squares.

B. Place these pieces face down and glue the 6x6” piece of chipboard in the center of the back of each.

Photo C.

C. Trim off each corner of the Metallic paper leaving a 1/8” of space on each corner. (Photo C)

D. Add some glue strips around each edge and fold over the edges of the paper. (Photo D)

E. Lay the two pieces down in front of you and glue a piece of ribbon onto each. The long ends of the ribbon should run to your left on the left page and to the right on the right-hand page.

Building the Star Points

A. Trim the tag ends off of the Wassail patterned paper.

B. Cut your cardstock as follows:

a. Red – 12x6”

b. Yukon Gold – 11x6”

c. Wassail – 10x6”

C. You should now have 6 pieces of each color. Fold each in half.

D. Run a piece of Red Line tape along the short inside edges of the Red and the Yukon Gold papers.

E. Lay the Yukon Gold paper on top of the Red paper and adhere only the edges together.

F. Lay the Wassail paper on top of the Yukon Gold paper and adhere only the edges together.

G. Each star point is made of three layers of paper and now that you have six of these together, you will begin to see the star emerge.

Assembly

A. Glue the back of one of your stacks to the left-hand cover.

B. Continue gluing each red layer back to back until you have glued the back cover on the last page.

C. Decorate the inside pages to your liking.

D. Tie the album open and display on a table.

Playing with my Cricut

2010-11-02T11:54:00.000+09:00

Recently I bought a Cricut Expression. I love that I can cut up to 12 x24 if I want to, though just cutting 12x12 is exciting enough for me. I've only got a few cartridges -- and I can see that I'm going to be buying a lot more.

For this page I borrowed the Summer Vacation catridge from a friend as it offers a Ferris wheel shape, perfect for my neighborhood! I glittered it with Martha Stewart glitter so that it very nearly resembles the real thing!

One of things I don't like about the Cricut is the inability to change the weight of the fonts. For the word 'hood' I wanted some letters that were hefty but not tall and my Cricut would not let me do that with the font cartridge I own. So I turned to my Wishblade to cut all the words in the title shown here as it allows me to stretch my letters in any direction I so choose. The Wishblade's downfall is the steep learning curve and though I've had it for 4 or 5 years now, I've never been able to cut anything on it but titles and circles.

So for ease of use, the Cricut is the winner hands down. I can't wait to get some more cartridges so I can get scrappin'! If anyone wants to know what's on my Christmas list this year, just let me know!

I'm soon to be a Guest Designer at Scrap a Little

2010-10-12T16:32:00.000+09:00

I recently applied for a Guest Design Team position at the Scrap A Little blog. Helen is a fun person, with a spunky personality, great design sense and is always thinking up new ways to make scrapping fun. So of course, I wanted to play along with her sketches. I use her sketches quite often to complete my pages and even use them in some of my own scrapbook classes.

I had fun with the sketch (shown below) she provided for this challenge. I decided to use one photo instead of a series of photos and turned the sketch on its side. And here is what I told her about the page I made for the call:

Even though Okinawa is a beautiful place, someday we get more homesick than others, don't we? I used to watch every launch while in Florida; no matter where I was I would stop what I was doing to watch - as did everyone else in our county. We were all attached to the Space program in one form or another. It's so sad that Obama is putting an end to this program. I particularly love this photo as you can see Atlantis breaking through the sound barrier.

After a great three-day weekend attending some of Okinawa's local events, I'm feeling a bit less homesick today. Once Helen assigns me a month (or week?) to be the Guest Designer, perhaps I'll showcase something of Okinawa's beauty. I really can't wait to see what all the new GDs come up with as all the submissions were so different, so unique.

Here is a list of supplies I used for this LO:

BoBunny Paradise Flight patterned paper
Mosaic Moments Birch Grid Paper (Mosaic supplies can be purchased by clicking on the SnapNCrop link to the right)
Close to My Heart inks
Ranger Glossy Accents
EK Success 3-D Dots
And I used my Cricut for the journal block, arrows and title.
And of course- this sketch from Scrap A Little

I'm So Proud of my Students!

2010-10-07T09:55:00.001+09:00

Kazumi, Waka, & Yuko

Though they are only into month 2 of their beginners' lessons, this week my scrapbook students really rocked the Casbah! I gave them each a page kit courtesy of Helen Croft from Scrap A Little which consisted of the same few elements - a background sheet; 2 paper flower shapes; four strips of various patterned papers; and a journaling block.

I lined the table with punches, ink, stickles, flowers, ribbon, twine and all the tools they could want and told them to be creative! At first I was greeted with a look of horror and shock. After all, though Waka and Yuko had been to 6 classes, Kazumi had only been to one of my classes so far.

I did provide my simple take on the use of the materials. But after settling in with a few sips of our Beauty & Vitamin Drinks, they took to the project with glee.

It is the beginner's inclination to want to use every pretty bit of glitterati and ribbon in sight, but with a few suggestions from me, they each used the kit in entirely different ways. At the end of the day they were all so pleased with themselves and with their creations that I think they have gained in confidence and are beginning to feel like imaginative, artistic scrappers.

Scrapbooking is still in it's infancy in Japan, but these three girls have taken to the art wholeheartedly and that makes me so proud!

And here's mine:

I've Been Published!

2010-09-29T17:19:00.002+09:00

Check out the latest issue of Scrapbook News and Review to see 5 - that's right, count 'em - 5! - of my mosaic creations using the Mosaic Moments Grid Paper and cutting system. It's easy, it's fun, and it makes beautiful pages!

To order supplies to make your own mosaics, click on the SnapNCrop link to the right.

Going Postal

2010-09-05T17:36:00.003+09:00

Do you remember the excitement of receiving birthday cards and other sentiments in the mail when you were a kid? These days with email being so fast and free, that personal touch is something I miss. It was always such a good feeling to know that someone cared enough to go through the effort to get that piece of paper to you.

Well recently I received a very nice surprise in my mail box. A handwritten 'Offical Poem on a Postcard' from my next-to-youngest sister. I thought the poem was sweet -- though she had labled it 'cheezy' and created her own little logo to go along with it. Here is a copy of her 'cheezy' poem. The front photos flip open and the postcards and supporting photos are behind the flaps.

As you can see, her poem calls for interaction, so of course I had to answer her in post card form. I hope she got as much enjoyment out of reading mine as I did hers.

And of course, what would a scrapper do, but turn the interaction into a scrapbook page. I used MT washi Masking tape to make the air mail-look border and Close To My Heart Flip Flap pockets to enclose the postcards. Surprise Trish! This is why I asked you for a photo of yourself sitting in your backyard. Thanks for brightening my day and bringing back that nostalgic feeling of opening the mail box and finding something special tucked inside!

Hummingbird Look-Alikes

2010-08-30T18:14:00.001+09:00

This month we had a bit of stamping fun at our Close to My Heart Scrap Club. Monica provided us with pretty Veranda papers and the Stamp of the month (called Something Splendid), so we could make a page entitled Sunkissed. Though I had fun creating the page, I just did not have any photos to go with her Sunkissed theme, so had to change it up a bit. I've always wanted to make a page with photos of these huumingbird look-alikes and finally got the chance.

Greg and I have long been fascinated with these amazing little bugs. The first time we saw one we were sitting in a window seat at the Food Court on Camp Foster back in 1996. Outside the window the bushes were in full bloom and these amazing little creatures were drinking nectar to their heart's content. At first we thought they were humminbirds. But no - hummingbirds don't have stripes and they're not brown. These little things were even tinier than a hummingbird and had a long probiscus that they furled and unfurled as they darted from bloom to bloom.

The more we took notice as we travelled around Okinawa, the more we saw these fascinating bugs. Unlike hummingbirds, they don't seem to mind if you approach them to get a closer look.

Now that we are back on Okinawa after a 10-year absence, we can enjoy watching these litttle guys once again. The street outside my window is lined with their favorite flower bushes and they busily flit around not minding me a bit as I follow them with my camera.

Our newest addition!

2010-08-02T14:24:00.001+09:00

It didn't take us long to start feeling like the house was too quiet and lonely without any pets at all. The decision was not made lightly, but we felt like Shima would not mind if we had another kitty in the house. We always talk to his photo and felt that we were making the right decision. So off to the kennel we went and found this poor little white kitty all alone in a cage. Abandoned at one day old, he was found by the military police, brought to the kennel and bottle fed. Two months old to the day when we brought him home, he was a bit undersized and disheveled looking. His fur was like the down on a baby bird - not quite grown in and all fuzzy in spots. His tummy was distended, probably with worms. So he was given some worm meds and we brought him home. He had a rough first night as he seemed to be having a bad reaction to the worm medication, but a call to the vet assured us that he would be fine come morning. So one week has gone by and he has become playful and loving and we are enjoying each other's company very much. His name is Tsuki, which means 'moon' in Japanese.

We have since discovered that he is deaf - a common trait among blue-eyed white cats. So now we are using sign language to try to teach him his name, and to come when we call, etc. And we spray a blast of air from a can on his back when we want to teach him 'NO'. It's a learning experience for us all, but we are enjoying every minute of this new family addition!

Remembering my precious putty tat

2010-07-20T14:03:00.000+09:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I lost our kitty to cancer. We were both so devastated as he was our only pet and he had been with us for the last 12 years. I wanted to commemorate him on a scrapbook page because, shame on me, I had pages of all our previous pets but none of Shima. And he was the one closest to our hearts.

This page was made with a sketch over at Scrap A Little, but instead of paper strips I used Japanese Washi Tape. This stuff is fabulous - it comes in a zillion colors and is easily repositional if you change your mind about the placement or the color scheme. The flowers on this page were made with toilet paper rolls.

If you've got a washi paper project to show, check the link at the right as Trendy Crafters is having a little contest with a prize giveaway. It's not important for me to win, but I do love to share when I discover a great product - so get yourself some washi tape and create away. Trendy Crafters is sure to give you lots of great inspiration once their contest gets rolling.

Splash Time

2010-07-10T08:26:00.000+09:00

I just love this month's featured Grid Paper color! I've got so many ideas of pages to use this fabulous color on. This month, I did not cut up my photos, just the patterned paper. I used the 1" sqaure punch, plus a 1" circle punch on the same paper. The square and the circle are combined to give my page some movement. Check out my how-to on the Design Each Moment site.

And to purchase your own supplies, click the SnapNCrop link to your right.

Don't worry, be happy

2010-06-28T12:57:00.000+09:00

This month I have been feeling a bit beaten down by the trials and tribulations of my life. A little Okinawa beach time helps to keep my spirits up and once I printed out this photo of my favorite beach spot, I knew I wanted it to be the main focus of my page.

Though I love to make my mosaics using multiple photos, lately I've been using a lot of patterned papers with a single matted photo in my mosaics. With the feeling of tranquility this one single beach photo brings to me, I decided to extend this single photo into a mosaic with the use of matching cardstock papers.

When life gets you down, you have to find that sweet spot that lifts your spirits and brings you hope. As Emily Dinckinson says hope is the 'sweetest' in a storm; it's when we need it most and it is up to us to find it for ourselves. Sometimes, the beauty of an Okinawa beach can be that spot where you can sit and gather your thoughts and get that hopeful feeling that it will all work out.

Here in Okinawa, the local people – Uchinanchu -- tend to see themselves as bound together by their home island and, especially among older Uchinanchu, will always consider themselves from Okinawa first and Japan second.

Even though I can not claim Uchinanchu by birth, I take solace in being able to claim another variation of the word – shima gaijin (island foreigner). I am an island foreigner not only because I have lived in Okinawa on and off since 1996, but also because I share a common bond with other shima-gaijin and Uchinanchu alike. Maurice Dudly describes it this way: "This common bond ... is venerated in Okinawan dialect when we say "nankuru naisa." It was also described by Bobby McFerin when he sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy." In either tongue, these words are truly words to live by."

It'll all work out. Have hope.

Want to make your own mosaic page? Check out my tutorial here. To get your own mosaic supplies, such as grid paper and cutting tools, click on SnapNCrop link on the top right-hand side of this post. If you need any help, I will gladly answer your emails at okispice@hotmail.com

Watch for my monthly posts featuring the hottest colors in grid papers at Design Each Moment. Here's a sneak peak of July's design.

Quiz fun!

2010-06-15T10:10:00.000+09:00

This week's Funday Monday prompt at Creative Scrapbooking Divas is to take the quiz 'What Color is My Soul Painted' and use the results in your journaling.

I'm a fan of the quirky little quizes that sometimes are seen on FB or sent via email and this color quiz is one of my favorites. According to quiztron.com, 'This quiz was designed to explain the meaning of colors and how they represent the human persona.' Though many of these Internet quizes are meant for enlightenment, they simply end up as amusement for me and sometimes the results can be hilarious. So come join us, take the quiz, create a page with you results, and share in the fun!

Easy-peasy Mosaic Scrapbooking

2010-06-10T18:45:00.001+09:00

This month's featured Grid Paper at Mosaic Moments is Granite. I really like how the red of my page accents pop off this pretty, soft gray color.

Don't let the complicated look of mosaics scare you away from using this fabulous system. All you need is a little practive and you will be hooked. Making a page with one photo is a great way to begin. A simple project such as this Taiko page may be just what you are looking for.

Take a peice of paper with a subdued pattern in a similar hue to your Grid Paper and practice using your Mosaic Moments Self-Healing Mat to cut the paper into squares. Accent them with pieces from the Paper Tiles packet. There are 55 tiles in varying sizes in every packet and they come in a myriad of colors. Next, add what you know: a little stamping, some journaling and a title and your page is complete! See how easy that is?

Click on the SnapNCrop logo to your right to shop for the supplies you need to get going on your first mosaic project today!

Show Me Your Rainbow Challenge Enries

2010-06-08T07:50:00.000+09:00

The online crop at Creative Scrapbooking Divas is coming to an end. Check out these great pages in the Show Me Your Rainbow challenge. If you want play you still have until June 8 to get in your entries to win a great RAK!

Learn to Mosaic!

2010-06-04T18:45:00.000+09:00

I love showing off my mosaic layouts to friends and family because they are so beautiful that everyone thinks I'm some sort of scrapbook genius! The truth is that it is really quite an easy technique. Though non-scrappers look at me skeptically, my scrapping friends clamber to learn more.

Recently I signed on to be a Consultant/Instructor for Tami Potter's Mosaic Moments. If you are in Okinawa and would like to learn how to make one of these mosaic pages, simply drop me a line and I'll be glad to get you started.

For a quick preview, check here for my article at Design Each Moment and see for yourself how simple this technique can be.
And once you are ready to give mosaics a try, Visit SnapNCrop.com via the link to your right to begin shopping for your own supplies.

Design Team Call!

2010-05-21T14:37:00.000+09:00

Hi Divas! I'm hosting a Design Team Call over at Creative Scrapbooking Divas. I hope you will play along as we've got a really great bunch of gals - and guys too! As you may know, many Ning sites are closing due to a price increase, but we are staying open thanks to the help of our fun-loving Diva members. Stop on by and play along even if you don't want to go out for the DT - we've got a lot going on and you are sure to have some fun and find some inspiration. The call is as follows.

Creative Scrapbooking Divas is excited to announce that our Ning site is remaining open and active thanks to all our great members! To celebrate, we would like to announce a call for two additional Design Team Divas.

The call is open from May 22 – June 18 with the announcement on our site June 26. This will be a six-month term and only those who promise to fulfill the following criteria will be considered.

Who are we looking for?

• A Diva who is willing to dedicate time to our site by being active in the forums, commenting in the gallery, welcoming new members , wishing Happy Birthday and spreading good cheer on a regular basis.

• A Diva who endeavors to inspire by hosting one challenge per month and offering a small RAK to the winner of their challenge, and by posting tutorials or tips from time to time.

• A Diva who can respect deadlines and is a good team player.

• A Diva who will help promote our site and upload their work in the gallery for inspiration on a weekly basis.

How Do I apply?

Email the following to Admind Diva Theresa at okispice@hotmail.com (that's me!!!)

• Full name, email and mailing address.

• A link to your blog (if you have one).

• A link to your online gallery.

• A short bio including why you think you are a Scrapbook Diva. Also let us know if you have a specific skill or area of interest (for example, sketches, cards, altered art, digi).

• Your take on the attached sketch (from Page Maps).

Good luck everyone!

How to make Origami Flowers

2010-05-07T07:47:00.000+09:00

It's been a while since I've had a chance to post as I've just moved into my new place and my scraproom is still in boxes. So I've decided to share with you my most recent post at Design Each Moment- just in case you missed it there of course.

I received this Petal Pink Grid Paper from Tami Potter and Mosaic Moments at a perfect time of year as April in Japan turns pink with the blossoming of all the cherry trees. Though in the US pink is associated with little girls, in Japan the color pink has a masculine association. The spring blooming of the cherry trees is said to represent the young Samurai warriors who fell during battle in the prime of their life.

Everyone in Japan celebrates the arrival of spring with a picnic or a stroll through the park simply to take in the pleasure of all those pink blossoms. Rain or shine, it’s a celebration and gratitude just for being alive. Though our stroll under the cherry trees was taken on a very rainy day, it did not take away from the pleasure of viewing these beautiful blooms.

As I began to scrap my cherry blossom photos, I looked for a way to add dimension to my mosaic page. Why not layering? This page used four 4x6 photos and one 5x7. Once my 4x6 photos were in place, I trimmed around the main subject of the 5x7 and placed it over the mosaic. The tree is a piece of Microsoft clip art enlarged and layered over the mosaics. The title – which says Sakura (cherry blossom) -- is cut from a package of cherry blossom noodles (yes, this time of year everything is made from the edible blossoms) using an EK success extra large retro flower punch. The cherry blossoms are origami, made by folding a 1 ½ inch square of paper. I’ve included a tutorial at the end of this post on how to fold the origami flowers for those who are interested. It’s my first video tutorial so please go easy on me!

Okinawa Bound

2010-03-08T11:22:00.000+09:00

Well, here I am moving again! After leaving the beautiful island of Okinawa 10 years ago, we are once again Oki bound!

I cannot explain it any better than Virtual Okinawa so let me quote them for you:

An ancient kingdom of glittering seas, lush green islands, and fields of sugarcane, Okinawa enjoys a measured pace of life that's far removed from any hectic city routine. A sub-tropical climate keeps Okinawa pleasantly warm even when the rest of Japan is shivering, and in the scorching summer months it is a kaleidoscope of brilliant flowers, dazzling white beaches and stunning coral, making the islands perfect for diving, water-skiing, sailing and every other form of ocean recreation. Okinawa also has a proud artistic and musical tradition, and is home to many unusual and beautiful species of flora and fauna.

You can see why this Florida girl is delighted to return. The culture of Okinawa is so different from that of Japan and I will miss life here on the mainland immensely. I leave a peice of my heart here in Japan, but look forward to what the future holds in sunny Okinawa. While I sort and pack and make my arrangements I may seem missing in action for awhile, but check back because you know I'll have lots to report.

PS: Like my mosaics? Check out Mosaic Moments for tips on making them and for purchasing the grid paper. This month's featured paper is Cypress Green.

Divas Spring Break Online Crop!

2010-02-13T17:46:00.000+09:00

I just realized that I am about to make my 100th post here at Sunshine Memories! So what could be better to post about than the Spring Break Crop that we are organizing at Creative Scrapbooking Divas!

Join us on Feb 20 -- We've got a brand new DT and lots of fun and exciting games planned!

Joining Luisa, SheShe, Toccara and me are

Lora, Ann, Lori and Alecia!

We are all so pleased to be working together and have such an exciting crop planned. There's Bingo, Photo Hunts, Steal the RAK, Sketches, Scraplifting, Recipes, Altered Art, Card Making, Stamping, Color Prompts

PLUS

Lots of Tips & Techniques to help you learn and grow while you are having fun!

PLUS

PRIZES! PRIZES! PRIZES!

Where do you go? Creative Scrapbooking Divas!

What is happening? Spring Break Crop!

When? Feb 20th!

See you there!

Silly Time!

2010-02-02T18:05:00.002+09:00

This week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch arrived about the same time as these cute pictures of my grandsons. The sketch calls for 3 photos on a patterned background as you can see here:

But since I had four photos I decided to blow one up, turn it to a green duotone and use that as my base for the other photos. The little cameras are die cuts from paper-intelligence.com and the clock face is a Making Memories Vintage Findings. It just happened to fit perfectly in the hole in the die cut.

Since I'm such a sloppy scrapper I had to use the white camera to cover a big glob of something-or-other that stuck to my page. I think because I kept it white it does not distract too much from the design of the page. LOL! A little black backing behind the die cuts, main photo and patterened paper grounds the page. The stripe is made with one of my favorite scrap items right now - MT masking tape. It's sold everywhere in Japan in about a zillion colors -- but if you have deep pockets, you can buy it online under the name of Happy Tape. Click on the link on the right to be taken to MT's home page. They do have an English Menu so you can translate and read all about the company. Kind of a fun read! Customer Service par excellence! (And while you are there, check out my LO in their gallery made with a rainbow of MT colors.)

I love that my daughter-in-law Jenny shares moments like this with me. She is a military wife whose husband is deployed and it helps me to worry a little less about her and the boys when I see their playful smiles. We must never forget that those who wait also serve. God Bless them all!

And thanks to Sketchy Thursdays, another page in Jenny's 2010 album is complete!

Grooviest Birthday Bash Ever!

2010-02-02T10:13:00.000+09:00

What a fun month it has been over at If It's Groovy! Celebrating the site's first birthday as been so fun and I've gotten so much inspiration from all the challenges over there. And because Groovy Deb opened up a Ning site we have all had so much fun chatting and getting to know one another while ooohing and aahhhhing over all the birthday pages. Of course Groovy Deb is still keeping the blog open and that is where you will find the names of the winners in the Birthday Bash Challenge.

My challenge was to add a birthday card to your LO. One of my favorite albums is the one I made for my husband in honor of his 50th birthday. I took all the cards he received and added each one to a page with a photo of the sender and sometimes an extra message or a cute embellie. To view the cards in the album, I just cut a slit in the page protector that goes around the card. Now, instead of throwing out those cards - you know that is what happens to most of the cards we receive, such a shame - the cards are kept for future enjoyment.

The winner of my challenge coincidentally made a 50th birthday page! Here is Kathy Williams take on my challenge. Head on over to If It's Groovy to see the other winners from the other fun challenges! Congratulations Kathy! Look for your RAK in the mail.

Sketchy Funday?

2010-01-26T10:58:00.000+09:00

When I saw the Sketchy Thursdays sketch this week with all those circles, I immediately thought of the setting sun. And I knew I wanted to use my new Martha Stewart Glitter to bring those circles to life. I just love the way colors sparkle on a black background. My photo is of a favorite sunset viewing spot in Indialantic Florida (recently in the running for Most Romantic City in the USA - vote here).

I had a bit of a mishap gluing the circles to my page. I was using Scotch Scrapbookers Glue which has really great hold, but the top fell off and the glue smeared all over the bottom of my page. I'll never be able to enter the page into a contest with that glob on there, but I will still cherish it in my own album. And because I love the

black and the bling, I'm challenging you to show me your own Black and Bling on Creative Scrapbooking Divas.

Come on over to my Funday Monday Challenge to play along!

Making a Mosaic Hybrid page.

2010-01-23T10:33:00.000+09:00

I love creating mosaic pages and - with the help of Mosaic Moments Grid Paper - I find it so fun and easy to do. I guess you could call this a hybrid page as I sized my own photos, printed my own journaling and combined them with patterned paper enhanced with a little stitching. It was quick and easy to do and proves that most anything used on Grid Paper produces such a pretty effect.

I chose a patterned paper that matched the background of my main photo. This one is from DCWV glitter stack. I love how the color pops off the Black Grid Paper. You can trim your patterned paper into squares with either the Paper Shapers 1” Square Punch or, as I did, cut the entire sheet by placing it on the Mosaic Moments Self-healing 14X14 Cutting Mat and cutting along the lines with the Fiskars Craft Knife. Once you have your squares cut, adhere your main photo directly into the center of the grid and fill in the page with the patterned paper squares, leaving room for the corner photos.
To bring even more focus to the main photo, I decided to stitch a daisy chain around the photo.
I used a Bazzill In Stitch’z template to create a circle centered around my main photo. Simply place the template over the photo and tape it in place with masking tape.

If you would like to read my tutorial on exactly how to do this, check out Design Each Moment for the details.

And to purchase your own Grid Paper and other fun mosaic tools visit SnapNCrop.
I would love to see your Mosaics, so reply with a link and I'll leave you some love!

Funday Monday Challenge and a Blog Hop Winner!

2010-01-20T09:03:00.000+09:00

Funday Monday is in full swing at CSD! Those of you familiar with the challenge from MAF will be happy to know I've moved it over to Creative Scrapbooking Divas! This month, there are two Funday Monday challenges and an RAK for one lucky person who submits to both challenges. This week we are focusing on Winter.
I know many of you have had some ferocious winter weather this year - either piles of snow, or frozen crops. Are you documenting your winter in photos? For the Funday Monday challenge, show me how you are spending your winter - show me your snowmen, your favorite fuzzy sweaters, your steaming bowls of hot soup or your ski trips. It's a Winter Wonderland!

For my page, I documented last year's New Year's Day trip up the fabulous Mt. Fuji in Japan. I live quite close to Fuji though my daily view is blocked by the Tanzawa mountain range. Either mountain view is breathtaking to me, but driving up the majestic Fuji was such an awesome way to begin the New Year. It was really not that chilly, though there was snow. It was the first time I had seen snow in many years as we don't get much snow in our area.

This was the perfect chance for me to use some snowflake embellies I had gathered! The title is made with Heidi Swapp Ghost letters, backed with foil paper and sprayed with Glimmer Mist. I really like the effect I got.

I know you have a couple of tricks up your scrappy sleeves, so show me your winter photos- post them at the Funday Monday Challenge at CSDivas for your chance at an RAK.

Now let's get on to the winner of CSDivas' Blog Hop. My challenge was to create a slider on your LO. If you missed the hop but still want to give it a try, the tutorial is posted below. Meanwhile, help me in congratulating PaperDiva on her fun page - Gettin' My Choo Choo On! That little train makes the perfect sliding element, don't you agree?

Siding through CSDivas' Blog Hop!

2010-01-17T16:56:00.003+09:00

Welcome to Creative Scrapbooking Divas' first Blog Hop! Thank you for joining us as we celebrate the launch of our new site by taking you on a journey through the blogs of each of the site’s creators.

We will each give you a prompt for a challenge or perhaps a scrappy tip so that you can get to know us better. Post a comment so we know you have stopped by and then go on to the next blog. Those who finish the hop will be entered into a drawing for a chance at a great prize.
Once you make it through this hop you will then be linked back to the Blog Hop thread at CSDivas where you post your blog hop creations. I always recommend posting your LOs in your own gallery at CSDivas as well. While you are here, take a look around at the groups, discussions, tutorials, and challenges already in place. Our site is so Divalicious!!

I'm a very traditional scrapbooker, meaning that I don't often make cards or altered items. For me, scrapbooking is all about getting my photos into albums to share with future generations. Sometimes I make digital pages, often I make hybrid pages and always I look for new ways to make my page fun for the person viewing it.
So what could be more fun than an interactive element? On my Up Before the Birds page, I have a sliding bird element that moves sideways across the page to bring the page a little fun. So today, I'm going to tell you how to make a slider on your page.

1. Cut a slit in a peice of cardstock where you would like the slider to go. I cut my slit two inches in from the edge on either side.

2. Choose a sticker or a die cut or make a tag to use as your sliding element.

3. Cut a strip of cardstock approximately one inch wide that is 3 times the height of your sliding element. Center it on the back of your die cut so that the strip sticks out above and below your element and adhere it.

4. Fold each side in so that they meet in the middle and then fold them back again. Refer to photo.

It will then look like this from the front:

5. Feed the slider through the slit as shown. Glue your cardstock onto your LO placing the glue only along the edges so your slider has room to move.

On the back, it will look like this:

6. To make your slider work when your page is in your album, first remove the slider and put your page into the page protector. Now cut a slit in the page protector right over the slit in your LO, then feed the slider in from the top of the page protector.
It's as easy as that! Here are two more pages where I used a slider. I love the Tug of War people and the limo on the prom page.

Now hop on over to SheShe's blog to see what is next! I hope you had fun - see you at Creative Scrapbooking Divas! Each week I host a Funday Monday challenge and I would love to have you play along. Check back at CSDivas tomorrow to see my newest challenge. And if you are interested in being on our DT, check my post below.

Design Team Call!

2010-01-13T08:03:00.002+09:00

Creative Scrapbooking Divas is excited to announce the launch of its great new inspirational Ning site. If you are looking for the recognition you know you deserve, answer our call for 4 new Design Team Divas. You must be able to commit to a 6 month term.

The call is open from Jan 17 – 31 and we will be announcing our new design team on our site on Feb 7.

So Who are we looking for?

• Someone who is willing to dedicate time to our site by being active in the forums, commenting in the gallery, welcoming newer members, wishing Happy Birthdays and spreading good cheer on a regular basis.

• Someone who endeavors to inspire by hosting one challenge per month and offering a small RAK to the winner of their challenge and by posting tutorials or tips from time to time.

• Someone who can respect deadlines and is a good team player.

• Someone who will help promote our site and upload their work in the gallery for inspiration on a weekly basis.

What’s in it for you?

• Each month One Dt member will be spotlighted and receive a prize pack from a site administrator.

• Bio and headshot posted on the site recognizing you as a Scrapbooking DT Diva

How do I apply?

Email the following to Okispice@hotmail.com

• Full name, email and mailing address

• Your take on the sketch below.

• A link to your blog

• A link to your online gallery

• A short bio including why you are a Scrapbooking Diva.
Register as a user on the CSDivas site and RSVP to the DT Call.

*** Please Note***

This call is open only to USA residents and APO/FPO at this time.

New Divalicious Site and Design Team Search!

2010-01-11T17:50:00.001+09:00

We are celebrating the pre-launch of our new divalicious site Creative Scrapbooking Divas!
Come join our Pre-launch party and let your creative juices flow...

PRE-LAUNCH PARTY - Tuesday January 12, 2010, 7pm EST)

- Join Creative Scrapbooking Divas, introduce yourself and add CSD Badge to your blog Challenge.

- Invite a friend to join Challenge.

- Valentine Card Challenge

- Diva Layout Challenge

- A GREAT Tutorial

- a FUN Make and Take

- A great announcement...

Save the date and prepare yourself for lots of fun and chatting...
Be sure to watch here for our DT search too!

I'm a Sketchy Thursdays Fav!

2010-01-09T08:28:00.000+09:00

I love working with Sketchy Thursdays sketches and am so excited to be chosen as a Fav this week! Each week the sketches are so wonderful to work with. Check them out and get inspired. There is always a great prize up for grabs with links to their sponsors. Here is the sketch for next week - i can't wait to see all the different interpretations!

Happy 1st Birthday to If It's Groovy!

2010-01-04T09:46:00.002+09:00

If It's Groovy is celebrating our first birthday in a big way!

Each Design Team Member is hosting their own challenge and giveaway and we are inviting you to hop through and play along. We are each offering a wonderful RAK, so there is plenty of chances to win. As you complete each challenge, go back to If It's Groovy to see where to go next and play along in the Bingo challenge there.

For my challenge I would like you to create a scrabpook page that includes a Birthday Card on it.

My inspiration comes from a few years back. It was my hubby's 50th birthday and I had all his friends and family send the cards to me. I took each card and created a scrapbook page that included the card and photos or messages from the sender. The book was a great way to show my husband how blessed he is with friends and is a great keepsake that he looks at to this day. Once you glue your card to the page, simply slip your LO into the page protector then trim around three sides of the card so that the card can be opened and read. I also made a pocket page for extra cards that came in later. If you want to make a pocket page, that will count towards my challenge also!

I've got a few samples shown below to inspire you.

Once you create your page, use the Mr. Linky tool (in the sidebar on the right) to submit your completed challenge projects to me. I want to be able to come look at your LO and ooh and ahh!! and enter you into the drawing for a great prize packet of Japanese scrapbook goodies.

Make sure your include the URL for the LO and your name. Or, simply email a picture of your page to me at okispice@hotmail.com

Once you are done, hop on back to If It's Groovy to see what else inspires you.
Our challenge runs Jan 4 - 30.

It's a Birthday Party and YOU get the gift!

2009-12-29T08:02:00.000+09:00

IF IT'S GROOVY turns 1 this January and what would a birthday girl do but celebrate with a party? Myself and other members of the If It’s Groovy Design Team will be hosting challenges, complete with PRIZES, on our blogs.

Mark your calendars and start spreading the word, the crop will be January 4th-10th.

Stop by If It's Groovy for lots of inspiration, games, and challenges and don't forget to come back here to check out my challenge for the hop. You'll want to drop by each of If It's Groovy Design Team Members' blogs to see their challenges too! There will be lots of fun, crafting, and prizes all week long, so join us in celebrating and wishing If It's Groovy a very happy birthday.

Time for a Spunky Sketch and a Nerdy Prompt

2009-12-08T15:21:00.000+09:00

Check out this great new sketch from Spunky Scrappers! Putting together a page for this sketch went so easy for me and I know you will find it easy too!

My little grandson was born in the tropics and moved to a cooler climate last year. He saw snow for the first time in January and he looks like he really enjoyed it! The sketch challenge runs through Dec 15, so give it a go and be sure to upload your finished project to Spunky Scrappers!

And if you are looking for inspiration for something to scrap about, try this week's prompt at Spunky Scrappers - Nerds! We all know one ... and sometimes we are all one! As soon as I heard the prompt I knew I had a reason to scrap these silly photos of my husband and I trying on goofy hats and glasses in the store in Japan. I just wish I had bought those Christmas Tree glasses for my upcoming office party!

Show me your nerdy side- upload your Nerdy LO to the Spunky Scrappers gallery and tag it sc16. See you there!

Quick- you can do it!

2009-12-08T08:48:00.000+09:00

This time of year we are all pressed for time. There's the shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, and the volunteer work - not to mention the boss still wants us to show up for work! But we scrappers still have the need to get in that scrapping time. And if you are like me, you are making many of your gifts and time is running short!

That is where the prompt at this month's If It's Groovy came in handy for me. Groovy Deb recognized the need to do some scrapbook pages in 30 minutes or less and I jumped at the chance to get a page done with this in mind.

I'm making a scrapbook for my Daughter-in-Law with her photos from throughout the year and still had some pages to fill. I loved the photos she sent me of my grandson trying to belly-ride his skateboard. I took some SEI Play Day patterened paper, cut some of the animal shapes out of it and pop-dotted them for a quick and easy embellishment. The DCWV cardstock was run through my Fiskars crimper to give it some dimension. Add a few sticker alphas and the page is done is less than 30 minutes!

Check out If It's Groovy to see what other folks have created in 30 minutes and you will find lots of inspiration to keep scrapping during this busy time of year.

And once the holidays are over and you are ready to let more of your creativity show, join us at If It's Groovy for our online crop Jan 4 - 10. We'll have challenges, games, prizes and fun!fun!fun! See you there and be sure to tell Groovy Deb that Theresa sent you.

One Page - Two Chances to Win!

2009-11-23T16:11:00.000+09:00

Do you want two chances to win a prize with just one LO? Come and join our Slice of Life challenge at Memories Always - Forever and If It's Groovy! All you have to do is slice up a photo or chop it up into bits if you want. In my sample above, I used just one large photo and sliced it up. I love how the slices add more motion to the ocean!

Check out Groovy Deb's page! She chopped up her photos and arranged them into small blocks for a stunning look.

And here is my sister Kathy's page. She chopped her photos into one-inch squares and arranged them on Mosaic Moments Grid Paper. This look is so gorgeous!

So what are you waiting for? We all love to win and the odds are in your favor. Enter the Slice of Life Challenge at Memories Always - Forever and If It's Groovy for two great chances to win!

Paper Paradise - Kyoto's Morita Wagami

2009-10-28T15:33:00.002+09:00

This past week I hopped on Japan's famous Shinkansen (bullet train) with my hubby to hang out for a few wonderful days in Kyoto. We saw many beautiful temples, ate many delicious meals and met many interesting people. But the highlight of any scrapbooker's trip is of course, the trip to the paper store!

My guidebook says, "The Japanese had paper in production for over 500 years before the Moors opened the first paper mill in Spain in the 12th century ... Paper has been aborbing mankind's mistakes and schemes, ideas and feelings, images and dreams for centuries. And no where more beautifully than in Japan." I was intrigued by the romanticism of that statement. But the truth is that visitors to Japan soon learn that the Japanese use paper for lanterns, doors, windows, fans, umbrellas and the list goes on. A trip to any Japanese paper store is a treat, but Morita Wagami sounded devine. The guidebook shows that Morita Wagami deals in over 800 kinds of handmade Japanese washi paper and as it turns out, was not far from our hotel.

So one fine morning, we went walking in search of this store. We meandered through some temple gardens and down a narrow side street before stumbling upon the shop. Once inside it was like heaven on earth! The colors! The designs! The textures! I immediately began to make piles of the papers I wanted. My favorite was a soft blue Yuzen. Yuzen paper is only allowed to be sold in cities which are artistic centers for kimono production as they use the same designs and colors as kimonos.

Next came the Kin Washi - a machine made paper from manila fiber. It's smooth on one side and textured on the other. I chose a soft green. Other papers in my collection included Uzen and Kaga Chiri (Chiri is handmade from long kozo fibers with imbedments of small pieces of bark) and Chiyogami (a highly decorative silkscreened Japanese paper). I also chose some tissue paper flowers and a tiny folding fan. My purchases were all rolled into a handy tube and we left with Mr. Morita's email address in our pockets. He assured me that if I forgot which papers were which, I could just email him and he would be happy to help.

Take a look at some of the paper art on dispay at Morita Wagami.

Want to win some of my stash? Keep an eye out for the next Funday Monday challenge at MAF for a chance to win the items below!

Show Me the Orange!

2009-10-18T07:02:00.002+09:00

The warm tones of the autumn harvest provide an inspiring palette for our fall pages, but no color represents fall more to me than the color Orange. Join the Fall Festival Online Crop at MAF to enter this and many other challenges - there's lots of great chances to win prizes. Check below to see what you can win by entering the Show Me the Orange challenge.

Did you know that Orange is a power color, and it also stimulated enthusiasm and imagination?

The color Orange can:

Spice things up when you feel time is dragging.
Entice you to become more involved in something.
Bring you relief when life becomes too serious.
Increase your creativity!

There is no better time of year to use the color Orange. Show me your creativity! Show me the Orange!

(You must be registered on MAF to play and win. Go here to register now. This challenge ends Tuesday at midnight)

Look what you can win!

An autographed copy of Mathew Bamberg’s newest book "101 Quick and Easy Secrets for Using Your Digital Photographs".

This book provides dozens of tips on photo editing, posting to blogs, creating scrapbooks and other crafts, selling photos, and much more.

I'm a Sketchy Thursdays Fave!

2009-10-16T10:19:00.001+09:00

Have you discovered Sketchy Thursdays blog yet? Each Thursday Diana and Heidi put up a new sketch and you have one week to complete the sketch. You can upload your LO to any gallery you wish and then use Mr. Linky to point them to your creation. The sketches are simply the best and each time I use one my page just seems to fall together so easily! This week they chose my Karate LO as a Fave, but you really need to stop and by and see the other LOs. I am absolutely in love with the spider page by Silvana!

While you are there be sure to check out the new Sketchy Thursdays sketch for inspiration. I can't wait to see your interpretation!

It's Time to Play BINGO!

2009-10-13T13:15:00.002+09:00

The online crop is getting ready to begin at MAF and we are kicking it off with a great game of BINGO! Check back this weekend for even more fun, but meanwhile, get started by playing along with out Bingo game. If you are not registered on Memories Always - Forever, click the link to take you there. You must be registered to win. Here's what you do:

- Chose 40 words from at MAF.

- Send your list (please include the #s for each word) to our Design Team member Luisa at lmorgan1966@hotmail.com by Friday 10/16
.
- First round of words will be posted on 8/17 at 8am at this DISCUSSION THREAD.

- Rounds will continue during Saturday and Sunday.

- Winner will have to call BINGO in the Discussion Thread as soon as they complete their 40 words.

- Luisa (your hostess) will validate the list and will announce the winner officially

Save the Date for an Exciting Online Crop!

2009-10-10T06:44:00.000+09:00

Get ready for fun with Games! Challenges! and Make and Takes! at Memories Always Forever on

October 17 & 18. This is our first online crop and we are going all out to make it the best one ever!

Check out what we have in store for you:
Challenges:

Sketch challenge
Color Challenge
Prompt Challenge
Use Your Stash Challenge
Recipe LO
Bingo Card
Plus some special challenges just for you cardmakers out there!

Games:

Bingo
Scavenger Hunt
Word Scrambles

PLUS: Make and Take a Flower Tree and an Origami Box!

You must be registered at Memories Always Forever to play so hurry on over because we have prizes galore! Check back to find out more!

What's the Word?

2009-10-08T10:39:00.000+09:00

Are you looking for a Groovy challenge site where you have the opportunity to win a great prize? Then check out If It's Groovy!

This month the challenge theme is to create a page using only One Word as the title. Each day that you log on you will be inspired by the many new projects. It's so easy to enter- simply email your submissions to groovydeb@yahoo.com or point her to your online gallery. Enter as many times as you wish and if you like to take your time, that's fine- there is no rush! Your LO is due by October 31 at 11pm EST.

Be sure to check in each day at If It's Groovy to get inspired and in the words of Groovy Deborah:

Good luck! Enjoy.Create.Be. ♥

Happy Funday Monday!

2009-10-05T15:02:00.001+09:00

This month’s Funday Monday challenge over at MAF is going to be a bit different. I am going to give you two themes, each theme lasting 2 weeks. You must complete both themes in order to win this great Season of Friendship stamp set and Crushed Curry ink pad from Stampin’ Up! donated by Windy Joell. So let’s get started!

Challenge 1: Stamp It Up! Use any kind of stamp you wish in any way you like. You can stamp your background to create patterned paper, stamp an embellishment, even create your own stamp from a potato- it is up to you. As long as there is a stamped image on your LO, you will be entered into the drawing for the prize. Be sure to put your layout in the Funday Monday gallery at MAF and tell us what stamp technique you used on your page. Enter as many times as you wish!

Challenge 1 ends on Oct 18.

Challenge 2: The Tree of Life begins on Oct 19. This time of year, trees are in all their glory and we just have to stop to admire their beauty. Let’s give trees a place of honor on our scrapbook pages. The second part of the October Funday Monday challenge is to use a tree in your LO. Any type of tree. Make your own, use a stamp or a sticker, create a family tree, take your photo sitting under a tree, hugging a tree, climbing a tree, planting a tree – whatever you like, just get creative! If you have played in Challenge 1 this month as well, you will be entered into a drawing to win this beautiful stamp set from Stampin’ Up! donated by Windy Joell. Challenge 2 ends November 1.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out Windy’s website at www.windyjoell.stampinup.net for great deals as well as stamping and scrapbooking ideas!

Now onto our winner in the Funday Monday - Fur, Feathers & Fins challenge. Tami White entered this pretty page of her family pet. I love the colors, the patchwork and that great ribbon effect, don't you? Tami wins an RAK from me!

World Card Making Day

2009-10-01T10:05:00.001+09:00

Memories Always- Forever is celebrating World Cardmaking Day in a big way! From Sept 30 through Oct 4 you have a chance to win $75+ in prizes. All you need to do is tell us here at MAF

"what inspires you the most when creating cards."

Post a picture of your most unique card creations. You have until noon October 4th to post your card and response. A winner will be chosen by most unique way you are inspired to create and announced October 5th. Good luck everyone!

Check out this great prize:

Mod Podge Rocks!

2009-09-30T08:03:00.001+09:00

I'm featured today on Mod Podge Rocks! Amy, who loves to Mod Podge her projects, searches far and wide for uses for her favorite medium and comes up with the most amazing ideas from around the globe. Today she is featuring my Mod Podged fan flowers. I can't wait to see what uses she comes up with for these little pretties!

Check back with her, though, and learn to use Mod Podge in some very creative ways: redecorating ceiling fans, making over old furniture, creating your own jewelry and yes - getting ready for Christmas! It's right around the corner and once you check out Amy's blog, you'll be crafting right and left and shouting Mod Podge Rocks for all to hear!

Fur, Feathers and Fins for this week's Funday Monday challenge

2009-09-28T17:58:00.002+09:00

It's time once again for the Funday Monday Challenge at MAF. This week's challenge is to create a page showcasing our family pets or highlighting a favorite animal to the zoo, aquarium or perhaps in your own backyard.

We all love animals. Whether we are observing tigers at the zoo or cuddling our cat on the living room sofa, we share a very special bond with our animal friends. Our pet’s unconditional love has been shown to have a positive effect on our overall health and well-being; watching a squirrel’s antics in the park can really make us laugh; and spotting a beautiful bird in a tree can give us a thrill.

Why not create a scrapbook page to preserve these animal memories? Simply upload your creation to MAF for a chance to win an RAK from me.

And now, check the slide below to see all the great submissions in last week's Funday Monday challenge where the challenge was to create a page using a texting shortcut. Congratulations to Jeanna for her GLG page for winning the challenge!

Come be a Guest Designer at MAF!

2009-09-25T16:07:00.000+09:00

Come join the Expressions of Color Guest Designer Challenge at Memories Always - Forever . This challenge is going to a little different and will require us to sit and think awhile. You will have to create a page using one of these 3 ideas: sadness, anger, happiness. The task is to create a LO (and if you're feeling really daring, create a double page spread) expressing one of the above themes. We should be able to feel your mood through the creation. You can show your emotion through color, design, or the type of embellies you use -- it's up to you. You can not journal your feelings or thoughts anywhere on the LO, but you can have a single title that expresses your mood without actually using the actual theme your are doing.
One lucky winner will win a month of being a DT member at one of the funnest sites on the web. The challene ends on September 30th.
Good luck!

Texting! 143!

2009-09-22T13:09:00.001+09:00

We had some truly wonderful Top-10 pages in the last Funday Monday challenge and our winner was Jamelee Morano from the Phillipines. Her RAK is on the way!

So this week's Funday Monday challenge idea came to me from a challenge done at Making Memories For You and I thought it would be fun for us to do at MAF. I call it the Sign Language Challenge.

In today’s technology-based world, texting has become second nature to many of us. I Love You has been replaced with I “heart” U … “see you later” has become “C U L8R”.
I always use "143" to tell someone I love them, or "TTYL" for talk to you later. There are so many shortcuts to use when texting. What is your favorite?
For this challenge, replace one or more words in your title with a single letter, number, icon or graphic and upload it to your gallery at MAF. As usual, there is an RAK up for grabs!

I have a funny story to go with this challenge. My husband and I (married 28 years now) always leave each other little love notes. One day while I was out, my husband came home at lunch and decided to leave me a note. He wrote on our fridge in huge colorful letters 143 - I LOVE YOU. So of course when I came home I thought it was sweet but when I tried to wash it off the fridge, it would not come off! And this is not our fridge! We live in military housing and this is government property! My poor husband thought he had used erasable markers, but he had used permanent markers! We have tried every product imaginable to take off the marker and all we have managed to do is take the paint off the door. So the moral is, if you are going to text, do it on your cell phone or computer.

Do you have any funny texting stories? Leave me a comment here to be in a drawing for an additional RAK from me! Happy texting and TTYL!

Check out these great pages from the Funday Monday Reuse, Recyle challenge

2009-09-14T13:08:00.002+09:00

Aren't these pages amazing? The Funday Monday challenge at MAF this week was to Reuse, Recyle, Repurpose and the entrants dug deep into their imaginations to create these pages using recycled packaging, magazine pages, pocket change and more! The ideas on these pages are sure to spark your imagination! It was so hard to choose a winner so I turned to random.org to choose my winner. Number 3 came up and the third person to enter was Tami White with her wonderful page Worth Every Penny. She used the receipts from her vacation to show just how much she had enjoyed herself. Well done Tami! PM me your address and I'll send you an RAK!

Be sure to check back here to see what next week's challenge will be.

Embellies On a Budget

2009-09-10T18:20:00.000+09:00

Sometimes, I just don't have the right embellishments to finish off my page, so instead of going shopping, I turn to creating my own. It is amazing how far a few items already on hand can go to lend an elegance to a very simple page. I began with a Sketchy Thursday design for my page. Diana always has the most wonderful sketches to jump-start my creativity.

The sketch included a flourish, but I did not have one in my stash to match my page. A Bo Bunny flourish sticker worked out perfectly after it was inked with a gold Adirondack Dabber. The alphas were also the wrong the color for my page, so I used the Dabber to give them a nice textural gold color also.

I was further inspired by this wonderful die cut peek-a-boo paper by We R Memory Keepers to create a pinwheel flower to embellish my LO. All I needed was a few small scraps of paper and a brad and my pinwheel made the perfect accent for my page.

If you would like to add a pinwheel to one of your pages, simply follow the tutorial below.

First, gather some supplies. You will need a paper trimmer, some scraps, a small flower punch, some ink and a brad.

Cut two squares of paper with your paper trimmer. I used 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" squares. Whatever size square you use, take note that the finished pin wheel will be about double the size when complete. Next, cut each square on the diagonal, so that you now have 4 triangles.

Now, following the picture here, take one edge of each triangle and fold it up so that the edges meet. Once you have done that to all four triangles, ink the edges for some dimension.

Take your paper piercer and stick it through the center of your punched flower, then through the edge of your triangle where the two edges meet. Put all four triangles onto the paper piercer in this manner. Then pull out the paper piercer and insert your brad.

And there you have it- your completed pinwheel ready to be added to your scrapbook page. Experiment by using different size squares and double-sided patterened papers. Before long, you will use up all your stash and you didn't have to go out and buy anything extra! If you use this tutorial, I would love to see what you make. Leave me a comment and a link because I would love to take a look!

Another Funday Monday challenge and A Winner!

2009-09-07T07:48:00.001+09:00

This week's Funday Monday Challenge at Memories Always- Forever is to Reuse/Recycle/Repurpose
On this Omedeto (congratulations) page I repurposed two peices of packaging from Prima. On the first one, you can see that I used the piece of packaging as is. I love the color of the packaging that Prima flowers come on, so I simply slipped it behind my photo and used the area peeking out as my journaling card.

The second peice of packaging is also from Prima, but was the band used to hold the Sew Cute patterened paper. This band served as the product label and had a lot of writing on it, so I chose to paint it. Once dry, I punched holes and strung my Tim Holtz framents on a chain laced through the packaging.

The final picture is a detail of the tissue-paper flower, made simply by cutting 2 sizes of circles, layering them, inking them and snipping along the edges for a ruffled effect. The flower stem is made with a beautiful Zva Creative crystal flourish. The page was created from a sketch at Let's Scrap.

For the Curlz page (created with a Sketchy Thursday sketch) I inserted my grandson's lock of hair inside a peice of packaging from Me & My Big Ideas rhinestones. The package is clear and kind of raised, so it made a perfect place to stash something. It's sealed shut with the washi tape.

There are so many ways to Reuse/Recycle/Repurpose while scrapbooking. Give it a try and you could win a prize from me. Simply upload your LO to the Funday Monday challenge at MAF. The contest runs Sept 7 - Sept 13.

And now for our winner of last week's Funday Monday In the Garden challenge: Pat Bishop's beautiful LO showcased her granddaughter with this pretty bloom-filled page! Congratulations Pat. PM me your addy and I'll send you the prize of bling including a pack of gorgeous Zva Creative crystals!

Funday Monday Entries

2009-09-05T14:43:00.002+09:00

Look at all the beautiful entries in this week's Funday Monday challenge at MAF!
There's still time to enter. You have until 11:45 pm EST on Sunday, Sept 6. All you need to do is make a page with some flowers and post the page to MAF for a chance to win some bling from me.
On Monday, look for a new Funday Monday challenge and a chance to win another great prize.

I'm a Groovy Chick!

2009-09-02T14:37:00.002+09:00

I’m looking for fun and feeling so Groovy!
I’ve been a follower of If It's Groovy for a while now, and am so excited to become a Design Team member of this groovy site! It’s great to be a part of a team that has been inspiring me to scrapbook for some time now and I couldn’t be happier.

I’m on the Sweetheart Team which means I’ll be inspiring you to get out the camera and photograph your sweethearts - the men and boys in your life -- and feature them in your scrapbooks. I am excited to be working with Groovy Deb and her great team of designers. Come on over and check us out here. We have the grooviest monthly challenges and give away some truly groovy prizes too!

To start off September, the challenge is to make a page of someone showing a funny face. These photos of my grandsons sure brought a smile to my face! Check out some of the other Groovy Funny Face projects; I’m sure you will find something to inspire you. So get out your camera, snap a funny face and enter on If It’s Groovy. You never know what groovy prize you might win!

While you are there, meet the Groovy Design Team and laugh along with us! You can't help but leave smiling!

Funday Monday - In the Garden

2009-08-29T16:33:00.014+09:00

It's time once again for the Funday Monday Challenge at Memories Always - Forever!

This week my challenge for you is to create a layout embellished with some flowers.

Flowers make the perfect accent for most any scrapbook page because they are beautiful - and who doesn't want to have a beautiful scrapbook page? I made this page using a portrait of my pretty daughter-in-law Jenny as I wanted to express how much she means to me. I thought the perfect accent for her photo would be some pretty flowers. Of course, I also used lots of bling, because what girl doesn't love bling?
My challenge to you for Funday Monday is to make a page and use some flower embellies - any flowers you like, but flower-pattern paper does not count. But if you want to know how to make the pretty fan flowers like I added to this page, check my tutorial at the bottom.
Meanwhile, anyone who uploads a flower-embellished page to my challenge at MAF, will be entered to win a package of bling from me, including a pack of beautiful Zva Creative crystals. I've just received a bunch of pretty Zva Creative crystals and they are so stunning!

The challenge runs Aug 31 - Sept 6 at midnight. Good luck and I can't wait to see your creations!

So, let's start making fan flowers! First you will need some strips of paper -this is a great way to use up your leftovers. You can use double-sided paper or one-sided, it is not going to matter which. You will also need a stapler, some Mod Podge and a paint brush. I used Mod Podge because it is a quick-drying glue that gives some shine, but you could use any sort of fast drying glue.

All the strips I used were 12-inches in length. Your paper strips can be any width. A half-inch wide strip will make a one-inch wide flower and a one-inch strip will make a two-inch wide flower, etc.
Once you have your strip, deckle one edge or ink it. Be as creative as you like.

As stated earlier, you can use double-sided paper, but it is not necessary. For this tutorial, I used one-sided paper specifically so that you can see which is the top or bottom of the flower.
Once you have your strip edged to your liking, turn it over so that the back side is up and start pleating the paper towards you.
I folded mine about one-quarter inch wide. You can make yours wider or thinner, but be warned that the thickness of the flower is determined by the size of this pleat. If you are going to put your flower on a scrapbook page, you will want it to be low profile. If it is going on the outside of an album, or on a package, you could of course make it thicker.

Once you have the strip completely pleated, be sure both ends are facing up as pictured here. If you have an end facing the wrong way, trim it off. It won't matter if the paper is a bit shorter at all.

Now, keeping the right side in, bring the two edges together and staple them. I like to put in two staples for stability.

Once the edges are stapled, turn your flower right side out and squish it together so that there is no space showing in the center.

Cut a peice of paper slightly smaller than the flower for the bottom. This will not show, so it will not matter if it is the same paper. I cut a small square and rounded the edges. Cover this bit with Mod Podge and adhere it to the back of your flower.

Now turn your flower over and give it time to dry. I use the Mod Podge bottle to hold my flower in place while it is drying, or else it tends to open up and dry crooked.

Lastly, cover the entire flower with Mod Podge for shine. You can skip this step if you like, it's a personal choice.

Finish your flowers with buttons, brads, punched shapes - whatever you can find! I found that brads were not long enough and had to be glued in place, but no matter - they still made awesome flower centers.

And there you have it - a beautiful accent to your page or packages! Have fun making them and once you are done, I would love to see your work!

Create with Washi Paper Masking Tape

2009-08-21T14:43:00.023+09:00

We all know that masking tape is commonly used when we are painting to cover up areas we want to avoid. But recently, I’m drawn to the delicious variety of colors and designs found in the stationery stores around Japan. Soon I was picking up a role of red here and a 3-pack of teal patterns there and in no time at all, I had amassed quite a collection of pretty colors and knew I had to figure out a way to use it on my scrapbook pages.

There are a number of companies that make colorful masking tape, but most of mine seem to come from Kamoi Paper. As I opened the packages of Kamoi's MT masking tape, I was immediately inspired by the gorgeous hues and the soft feel of the tape. This is no ordinary tape; this is made of rice paper! Intrigued, I turned to the company’s website. Using Kamoi’s English Menu, I began to read about the making of washi masking tape and how they came to offer such fabulous colors.

It seems this little company was contacted by a customer who made a little book out of their tape and requested more colors. Kamoi's aim was to please this artistic customer, so a partnership was formed and they set about with a passion to color the rice paper in hues that make a crafter sigh with pleasure! The site not only includes their history, but a fun factory tour where you will learn how they color the rice paper and add the sticky. There is also a gallery where you can see the myriad of uses their customers have found for the rainbow of colors.

Speaking of rainbows, let me share with you my ideas for using washi masking tape in scrapbooking. The first page is inspired by a sketch at Let’s Scrap and created for the rainbow challenge at Scrapbook.com. It is constructed of Bazzill black cardstock, masking tape and Thickers. I’ve include a tutorial below on how to do the washi blossom at the end of this post.

The next page is inspired by a sketch by LG challenge at MAF.

So let's get on with the tutorial. I was inspired to make this flower out of washi tape after viewing Helen Croft's beautiful page at Scrapbook.com. To begin, you will need washi tape in the color or colors of your choice, a ruler, a small pair of scissors, a pencil, a glue stick, and some rough-cut circles. My biggest circle is about 2 inches across.

Start by covering a few of your circles with washi tape, trim off the excess tape and glue the circles together with the smallest on top.

Now choose a color of washi tape and cut it about six inches long. Lay it printed side down on the table - the sticky side will be up.

Take another piece of washi tape in the same color and lay it down on top of your six-inch strip - sticky sides together. Trim this peice off the role about a half to 3/4 inch longer than the first strip. Trim the other end so that there is no sticky showing at all.

Now, turn your circles over and attach the end with the 1/2 inch of sticky showing to the back of the circle. Flip it back right side up and wrap the long end around a pencil until your flower petals are the length you would like.

Now cut a tiny square of matching washi and lay it part way on the roll and part way on the longer part of the flower petal. This will hold the roll in place. I left mine sticking up a bit so you could see it, but you will want to smooth down the edges.

And there you have it - a pretty flower to add to your scrapbook pages!

Funday Monday Bubble Wrap Challenge Winner!

2009-08-17T15:27:00.003+09:00

Congratulations to Kathy Williams! Check out her beautiful page!

Thanks to all who participated in the Funday Monday Bubble Wrap Challenge at Memories Always - Forever - there sure were some wonderful pages completed! The challenge was to use bubble wrap on your page and make your LO about something you love. Look how Kathy used the bubble wrap as if she were unpacking her Christmas decorations. So Kathy, you win the set of beautiful storage baskets from Dining Rooms Direct.
I hope you all got the opportunity to check out our sponsor's beautiful dining room furniture.Please be sure to join me in my next Funday Monday Challenge beginning Sept 7. Windy Joell of Stampin 'Up is sponsoring a wonderful prize for us in this challenge. Stay tuned to see what the challenge will be!

Bon Odori Festivals

2009-08-16T18:27:00.009+09:00

It is a fabulous time of year in Japan with the summer festivals in full swing. Obon, a sort of festival of the dead, is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. It is meant to be a joyful celebration, bringing families together, and celebrating rather than mourning the lives of the dearly departed. These festivals are held every summer, in every district, in every city.

I'd like to share with you some of the festivities that my husband I have been taking part in. First, two videos and then two scrapbook pages I made of our experiences. There is just nothing like being in Japan during Obon!

In the first video, taken at NAF Atsugi, you can hear the addictive beat of the music that the people dance to in order to welcome their ancestor's souls. Many participants wear colorful, light cotton kimono called a Yukata. Men and children may also wear a shorts set called a Jinbei. With the taiko drummers pounding out the beat, one can't help moving in unison with the graceful dancers. Similar to a Country Line Dance, each tune has particular moves; the difference being that you move in a circle. Various dance teams are showcased on the tower to lead each dance. Anyone else who wishes to dance, whether you are in your yukata, jinbei or street clothes, follows along moving in a circular pattern around the tower. The Bon Dance is held at night because Japanese people believe that ancestors' souls come back in the night.

The second video is an Awa Adori parade. Much like an American parade, there is a point in the parade where the dancers can stop and perform a stationary dance. (just so you know, that is not me screaming in the background)

This year, my husband learned the dances for the first time. Now he can Tanko Bushi, Soran Bushi, Don Pan Bushi, Sakura Ondo, Sagami Ondo and Tokyo Ondo along with everyone else. I made this page of him dancing for Heidi's Techniques Challenge over at MAF .

This second page was one I made last year of myself and my girlfriends dancing around the Bon Tower at Camp Zama. I wrote a haiku for this page. It says:

Dancers loop the tower

Graceful in summer kimono

-- like thunder, drums pound!

These festivities have probably changed little in hundreds of years as Japanese people continue their wonderful Obon traditions to welcome and respect their ancestor's souls every summer. My husband and I love to dance in our base festivals, but when we hear the sound of the drums being carried on the evening breeze, we jump in our car and let the drums lead us to the local festivals where we join the circle once again. We sure love our time in Japan, especially during Obon!

Circle of Friends Award

2009-08-11T16:32:00.009+09:00

I have been blessed by Heidi of ARTiQL8 with the Circle of Friends Blog Award.

For those of you who may not know Heidi, she is a fellow Design Team Member at MAF who is a technique guru. Her designs are amazing and if you want to know how to do something, just check out her blog as she has probably already thought to tell you. She loves to teach and she loves to share and she simply has a wealth of embellie knowledge to dish out.

So here are the rules for this award according to Heidi:

To pick up the Circle of Friends Blog Award cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog.

Nominate 5 other bloggers you feel have become part of your circle of friends.

Link to your nominees within your blog post. Include these instructions on how to pick up the award in your blog post.

Link back to the person who gave you the award in your blog post, to show your appreciation.

Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.

So, in the spirit of friendship I give this award to...

Jessica at Zacca Life who has inspiring new craft projects or recipes posted every week.
Groovy Deborah at If It's Groovy who is always thinking outside the box and is, of course, extremely groovy!
Lynn B (aka Foamy) at Pretty Paper Swirls who has great graphic style -her titles are always so beautiful.
L. Grace Lauer at Graces' Scrap Attic who makes the most beautiful pages.
Yuko Abe at Scrap In Japan who showcases great scrap designers from around the globe.

Thanks, Friends, for the great inspiration and for giving me the chance to get to know you all through your blogs and your wonderful designs.

Theresa

It's Funday Monday at MAF!

2009-08-08T13:12:00.021+09:00

It's been so hot lately here in Japan. I really miss my pool at home in Florida. Just looking at my pool photos makes me feel more refreshed. So, in honor of the fact that I love my pool, finish this sentence and make a layout for the Funday Monday challenge at Memories Always - Forever:

I love my …

What is the one thing you own that you really appreciate? Make a layout about something that you value -- a prized possession that you would really rather not do without -- something that you've either purchased or acquired: a piece of jewelry; a book; a home; a figurine; etc., and journal about why you love it. It’s OK to have people in your photos, but the journaling must be about the ‘thing.’

There is a twist to this challenge - your page must include the use of bubble wrap! That’s right, bubble wrap. Stamp with it, cut it into shapes, paint it or use it as a photo mat. The ideas are endless. (Follow my tutorial at the end of this blog post for bubble wrap ideas.) Then post the finished page to the gallery in Memories Always - Forever.

The winner of this challenge will win this set of 4 Winsome- Capri Foldable Fabric Baskets in Beige courtesy of our sponsor http://www.diningroomsdirect.com/.

This is a $50 value! Each fabric basket is a generous 9" H x 10.97" W x 10.06" D. These baskets offer an attractive way to store your scrapbook supplies.
Please check out our sponsor and their many other storage options and their beautiful Dining Room Furniture.

Contest ends on Aug 16 at midnight EST.

So onto the tutorial. You know you can create beautiful scrapbooking pages with all kinds of material and there are so many ways to decorate your scrapbook page with bubble wrap. I've listed 5 ways here:

1. The most simple way is to add it directly to your page. I cut some bubble wrap into strips and stapled the strips to my page. I used a Fastenater, but you could use any kind of stapler. Or you could stitch it, or glue it.

2. Stamp directly onto your page with it. First, take an ink pad and blot it all over the bubble wrap. Turn the bubble wrap over and stamp it directly onto your paper. Some people like to wrap the bubble wrap around a wooden or acrylic stamp block, but I find it is easy just to stamp the bubble wrap down on the paper. Brayer over it for a more smudgy effect. I cut my bubble wrap into shapes first, then inked them and stamped them onto my journaling block.

3. Heat Emboss with it. First, blot the bubble wrap with a VersaMark pad. Stamp the bubble wrap onto your paper, pour embossing powder on the image, tap off the excess powder and heat the image with a craft heat gun. This will give you lots of nice shine!

4. Cut the bubble wrap into shapes. I made a template which I drew freehand on scrap paper, then traced onto the bubble wrap. You can then paint your shapes, spray with glimmer mist, or both! Then add them as embellies to your page.

5. Color on the bubbles. Using some markers, color in the bubbles to make a shape, then stamp the bubble wrap on the paper to make your design.

Bubble wrap stamping is fun, easy and inexpensive. There is so much you can do and I can't wait to see what you come up with. And don't forget to show me your creations to win the awesome storage baskets from our sponsor!

Blog Hop RAK Winner!

2009-08-03T16:42:00.004+09:00

Thanks to everyone who played along with the Memories Always - Forever Blog Hop. We all had so much fun, met many knew faces, and I can just tell that I am going to have so many new friends at MAF.
Meanwhile, those who posted their favorite memories on my blog are waiting to see who won my RAK, right? Well, drum roll please ...
The winner is:
"Loree said...
I like the differences in your pages. I
choose colors and shades and styles based on the content, so it's nice to see
that others choose varied styles and colors. I love the grids. I tend to take
pictures when I travel, so I plan to try the technique you showed with the
gridding.Favorite memories...reading with my children..."
Congratulations Loree! Send me a PM on MAF with your address and I'll get your prize in the mail!
On August 10 I'll be hosting Monday Funday at MAF, so everyone please be sure to drop by and join the challenge!

Welcome to our FIRST Memories Always - Forever Blog Hop!

2009-07-30T09:08:00.026+09:00

Welcome to our FIRST Memories Always - Forever Blog Hop! I am so excited to be a Design Team Member for this wonderful site.

(If you have arrived here any other way than through the blog hop, please click here to be taken to the MAF homepage and start at the beginning of the hop.)

Memories Always - Forever (MAF) has been created as a place where members can rally together as a crafting community, showcase their crafting talents, share their ideas, learn, and participate in exciting challenges.

Not a member of MAF yet? Why not??? We are new and ready to go! All we need is you to help make the site rock!!

As a Scrapbooking Design Team Member, I hope to encourage you to have a bit of fun with your pages and will be hosting Funday Monday this month - I encourage you to join in! My motto is 'there is no wrong way to scrap' because it's all really about preserving your family's memories in a way that is attractive to you, right? My style changes and evolves with each picture I take or each memory that I savor; I love every page that I do and never redo something once it's in my book. I recently made this LO of myself and my daughter wearing the colorful native costume of Okinawa. We took these same photos 10 years ago, and think we will do it again in another 10! The style of the LO is a bit bright for me, but the memory is documented and cherished, just the same. In the other LO, I took a photo of my husband by the river during a sunset. The colors are muted, the design more lavish than the other LO, but I love this page too. I really couldn't pick a favorite as they both document wonderful memories for me.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to give gifts, prizes or RAKs and I will be doing just that throughout my time as a Design Team Member with Memories Always - Forever. To win a special RAK from me, comment on this blog post about one of your favorite memories.

Then hop on over to here to visit Monica's blog and see what this talented girlie is up to! The contests end Sunday at midnight EST, but the fun at Memories Always - Forever is sure to be never ending!

Be sure to complete the entire MAF Hop to be entered to win the great MAF blog candy shown above!

(If at any point on the hop you happen to get lost or off track just check back on the Memories Always - Forever home page for the hop list.)

I can't wait to meet you and get to know you through our scrappin' ventures at Memories Always - Forever in the coming months! I'll see you in the challenges, talk to you on the forums and meanwhile - thanks for joining me on the Memories Always - Forever Blog Hop!

Zacca Life

2009-07-28T16:24:00.002+09:00

My blog is featured today on Zakka Life's Facebook page!
For those of you not in Asia, the term Zakka refers to the idea of taking ordinary objects and using them in an unusual way to improve your home or life. Jessica does just that on her blog and on her Facebook site, both called Zakka Life. Recently she has shown us how to make beautiful tissue flowers, turn beach balls into lanterns and shared recipes for great Asian dishes as well as given us tips on beautiful and simple table settings. Please stop by her place and say hello! I know you are going to love it!

Sneek Peek!

2009-07-27T16:06:00.006+09:00

You know how excited I am to be on the design team for Memories Always - Forever, but things are about to really get hopping over there - Blog Hopping that is!
Don't know what that is? Well it goes like this: beginning on Aug 1st you start over at Memories Always - Forever (click on my Blinkie on the right to take you there) and start hopping along from one Design Team Member's Blog to the next.
There will be more details to come, but I want to tell you now that it is going to be one hoppy good time! There's the chance to win some prizes along the way and a chance to get to meet the Design Team Members and learn some new tricks.
Here is a sneek peek at what I'm going to teach you - and yes, you have the opportunity to win a prize from my blog when you play along!

Help us celebrate at MAF as we introduce our scrapbook community to the world in the month of August. There will be so much going on, there won't be much time to rest!

Easy-to-do Mosaic Scrapbooking!

2009-07-19T07:55:00.028+09:00

My daughter-in-law takes the most awesome nature shots and she made the most of her abilities while visiting the Tropical Dream Center in Okinawa. I wanted to get as many of these gorgeous photos on the page as I could, so I turned to Wish In The Wind products to help me make this mosaic. There are nine 3 1/2 x5 photos on this one page and the whole layout only took me about one hour to complete.

Want to know how to get started? You'll need some tools: a self-healing cutting mat with one-inch grids; a craft knife with a fresh blade; some repositional glue (tape runner, xyron machine, glue stick - any type of repositional will do); a cork-backed ruler; and some grid paper. http://www.wishinthewind.com/ has all the tools you need to get started, plus they sell the pre-printed grid paper in tons of colors. The grid paper makes laying out your mosaic super easy as the spacing is all figured out for you.

You'll also need to choose nine or ten photos and some cardstock in case you want to mat a photo or leave room for a title. It's best to choose some photos that are close-ups as well as some with a bit of background scenery for visual interest.Once you have chosen your photos, coat the back with the repositional glue and choose the photos that you would like to be your main focus. For Paradise Found, I chose three photos and a journaling block to start my page.

First, line your photo up on the mat so that one side and either the top or bottom edge are lined up along the dark guidelines on the mat.

Lay your ruller along the dark guidelines and cut your photo into squares using the craft knife.

Tips: If you are going to cut your photo into 1-inch pieces, be sure
your
subject's face falls between the dark gridlines. You don't want to cut into
their face or cut them off at the neck.

Also, if you are going to cut a
photo to fill more than one grid, you must
add 1/4 inch to each photo.

Once you have cut your photo into squares, it will look like this. I used 3 1/2 x5 inch photos. There will be a bit of extra on one short side and one long side of your photo. You can see in this photo that the squares on the bottom are definitely too small. And the squares on the right are just a tad too small. You don't want to use these. Just discard these bits. If you use 4x6 inch photos, you may not have extra bits.

Lay your main photos and journaling block on the grid, then begin filling in the grid with your one-inch squares. Don't be concerned if you cannot fit the entire picture in the empty spaces. This will give interest to your page, but don't throw out those extra squares just yet! You may be able to use them to fill in an empty spot. In 'Paradise Found' I used bits of green from the top center picture to fill in a space above the bottom yellow flower. I'll bet you did not notice until I told you so!

Have fun with this technique. It is quite easy once you get the hang of it and the final result can be stunning!

Win these gorgeous dimensional butterflies!

2009-07-13T09:05:00.009+09:00

I'm so excited to be chosen as a Design Team Member for Memories Always Forever that I have decided to host a giveaway in celebration!

While I was visiting my daughter in Okinawa last week, I came across these beautiful butterflies. The good news for you is that I bought extra packs! Look at how beautiful these are! They seem to fly right off the page. They come in yellow or orange and there are 3 large, 4 medium and 10 small in each set.

It's easy to win - just complete 3 short steps:
1. Sign up on Memories Always - Forever. Click on the link at right to take you there. Be sure to say I sent you.
2. Complete a LO from my sketch below and post it to MAF.
3. Comment back here by July 30 with a link to your LO. I'll chose a winner at random.

Good luck and have fun! I can't wait to hear from you!

4th of July Hanabi

2009-07-04T10:21:00.003+09:00

I had a lot of fun doing this layout of my grandson Gavin watching the fireworks last year in Okinawa, Japan. The holiday is important to our family - not just for it's patriotic aspect - but because we have 4 people within our family that celebrate their birthdays on July 4 and 5th.

I chose the colors for Monica's July Summer Challenge at Memories, Always Forever. Click the link on my sidebar to take you to this great new site. This layout, though based on a digital layout by KellyCali at SB.com, uses so many of the supplies I had on hand. The circles are cut with my Wishblade, but any circle cutter would do the trick. I used lots of buttons as per the Pile It On Challenge blogspot. Here is list of my supplies.

Bazzill cardstock in Red, White, Blue and Black
Karen Foster Sparkle Burst Brads
Bo Bunny Brads in blue and red
K & company Brenda Walters Rhinestones
Dress it Up Color Me White buttons
Junkitz Alphabet Buttons
Smartz Geo Shapes Paper Clips
ColorBok metal dots
Liquid Pearls in Ruby Red and White Opal
Stickles Waterfall
Red, white and blue glitter glues from the 100 yen store
Making Memories Dot letters in black and white
Blue Gel Writer
Fiskars Border Punch
plus assorted left over brads and eyelets from my stash.

Home Sweet Home

2009-06-25T15:47:00.007+09:00

I come from a military family and have spent most of my life moving from one place to the next. Sometimes it is sad to leave a place you've grown to love or some wonderful friends you've made, but it's always exciting to look forward to learning about the new location.

One thing about the move, though, is that I've never had to make it alone. As we all look forward to the great American holiday weekend coming up, let me tell you about a true American hero- my Daughter-in-law.

Her husband is deployed to Afghanistan and she recently got orders to move into quarters on Camp Lejeune. With only the help of two preschool boys and one very large dog, Jenny oversaw the move virtually by herself. Now if you have not moved very often, you may not realize what this entails. There is that small amount of time where you are in limbo with the old house packed up and the new house still empty, meanwhile living out of suitcases while you wait for the things to be picked up and delivered. There are the kids to feed, the dog to walk and of course, the old house must be scrubbed spotless if you want your deposit back. Don't forget to change your address on all your correspondence and newspaper subscriptions, or turn off the electric, water, and garbage. It's just too much for one person to do - never mind with the kids and the dog and worrying about your loved one's safety on a daily basis.

But she managed it and let the boys have some fun in all the boxes as she got it all unpacked and the boxes sent back to the moving company. I know the house will feel cozier when her husband comes home again. But for now - this is where my American Hero lives, this is her Home Sweet Home.

Good Times!

2009-06-23T12:42:00.010+09:00

I've made a page for the Pile It On Challenge (http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/) three weeks in a row now. The challenge is to pile on as many challenges as you like in one layout. It gives me a lot of inspiration to work this way and it is something I have been doing for some time, so I really love this site. For this week the requirement was to use purple, as well as fulfill at least one other challenge.

In addition to using the purple color for Pile It On, I used a sketch from Creative Scrappers ( http://creativescrappers.blogspot.com/2009/06/design-team-call.html) as well as using the word 'Good' in the title as per One Little Word's challenge (http://onelittleword.typepad.com/olw/).

I thought this photo of me in my purple jumpsuit circa 1977 was perfect for this challenge. Plus I really like using these old pictures of myself, well - because I was so much hotter then! ha ha.

I handmade the little record albums. I think they were important to the LO for the time frame that I was scrapping. I also made the balloons out of some scraps of vellum with silver stickles for the string.

Here is a list of my other supplies.

Bazzill cardstock in black, red and some purples

DCWV Posies Glitter Print

Liquid Pearls - Pewter

Color Box Pigment Brush Pad - Silver

K.Onishi Japan Lace Decore Seal

Catch a Wave!

2009-06-17T12:44:00.014+09:00

I made this LO for a number of challenges:
1. I used a sketch over at Dixie Pieces
2. I used 2 ribbons plus combined other challenges for Pile It On Challenge
3. I used a picture of one of the guys in my life for Tami's Love Our Guys challenge over at Back Porch Memories.
4. I used a photo of someone in sunglasses for Fablady's Cool Shades Challenge over at sb.com

Want to know how to do this journaling? It is soooo easy. Here is a quick tutorial:
1. Gather your supplies. You will need a piece of scrap paper, a pencil, a white eraser, a ruler and a gel pen.

2. Measure how much room you have on your LO for your journaling, and on a peice of scrap paper, draw a box that size.

3. Begin with pencil. Drawing freehand, draw some slighly wavy lines in the box. Don't be too fussy about how it looks. The beauty is in the randomness of the pattern.

4. Now print your journaling in capital letters. Each letter should touch the top line and the bottom line. Don't begin the first letter of each new line directly beneath the one above. The letters need to be staggered a bit so that you can read them. This will give you a guide as to how much wording will fit in the space you have. For example, you will need to draw 6 lines, for 5 lines of journaling.

5, Once you have an idea of the way it will look, draw your lines lightly in pencil on your orginal journaling block, or directly on your LO as I did in the example above.

6. Now go over all the pencil lines with the gel pen. If your pencil lines show through, erase them gently with a white eraser. Here is how mine looked before I erased the lines.

Now your journaling is a work of handmade art that hadds a special touch to your page! Here is another example of how great this journaling style looks.

Sunset

2009-06-15T16:31:00.000+09:00

June Sketch Entries

2009-06-13T12:44:00.003+09:00

There were some beautiful entries in the June Sketch Challenge but, this month, only one winner! Drum roll please ...

Congratulations Denny!

Send me a message with your address and I'll send you an RAK from Japan.
Thanks to everyone who played along and look for my next sketch challenge coming in July!

Memories Always - Forever

2009-06-13T11:39:00.002+09:00

Do you have a passion for scrapbooking? I know you do! There is a great new site right here on the World Wide Web where you can share your passion, make new friends and find tons - yes tons!- of inspiration.
Please come join us. You are going to love it here!

Artists collaborating for a good cause.

2009-06-12T08:25:00.004+09:00

I read over at Tim Holtz blog that he designed a charm that would be part of an art doll - a beautiful collaboration of many artists - to raise money for The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. 100% of the profit goes to the OCRF in support of their mission to help ovarian cancer patients and their loved ones. Take a look at the beautiful final creation here and consider a donation. Raffle tickets sell for only $5 each and the drawing is to be held in September.
http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/tiesthatbind.html
What a wonderful cause to raise money for cancer awareness and, at the same time, tap into the creative minds of talented artists!

Money Laundering

2009-06-06T16:19:00.006+09:00

I commemorated this fun visit to an Enoshima shrine with a layout from a sketch over at Scrap In Japan. It's not my usual style to leave so much blank space, but I really wanted to give it a try. I also used a non-stamped title for the challenge at the new site Pile it On. (http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/) The word Money is cut with my Wishblade and the word Laundering is printed with Microsoft Word then outlined with a Micron pen.
At this shrine, the water from the spring is said to purify and multiply your money. So who can resist giving coin washing (or zeniarai) a try? And to make sure your treasures are safe while they are out of your pocket, a huge serpent stands solemn guard.
I carry two wallets at all times: one for yen and one for dollars, which I have nicknamed yennies and pennies. Emptying both wallets into the baskets supplied, I washed them carefully, dried them and put them all back in their little pink pouches. The idea is to spend the coins within a week and wha-lah! -they come back to you double or triple. Soon my wallets will be overflowing with more yennies, and more pennies!
I'll be sure to let you know how this works out for me. (wink)

Supplies:
DCWV Far East Stack
DCWV Cardstock Stack, Neutrals
Bazzill black
Laundry Line journaling tag
Ranger Distress Ink - straw
Style-a-bility - trim
Color Box Chalk, Charcoal
Black Micron pen
White Jelly Roll pen
Chow Fun font from dafont.com

Sakura Secret Keeper

2009-05-29T13:43:00.022+09:00

I just love cherry blossom season and to me, there is nothing more symbolic of Japan than the cherry blossom. This spring the blossoms were so stunning that I took photo after photo! I did not want to hide these gorgeous photos in an album, so I came up with an idea that allows me to keep my photos on display. No, not a mini album, really as this Sakura (cherry blossomm) album is a full 12x12. Urban Lily Secret Keeper comes with a 12" x 12" base layout with 2 folding flaps that perform as a cover and 4 separate insert layers with tabs that you can arrange any way you like. Each peice is made of white heavy-weight cardstock so that your finished album can stand upright with ease.
I started by painting the outside of my cover pink and the inside a sky blue. Next, I decorated each flap using washi paper, Bazzill and various pink patterned papers. Before adding the photos and embellies, I checked how I wanted each flap to be arranged in the album. This determined what I would place on each flap - in other words, what is going to show when the album is displayed? My journaling is on the inside flap, so it is not visible at all when the album is on display.
The prima flowers were the perfect finishing touch to my album. I had so many photos, that the entire album came together so nicely.
Click on the link above to purchase your own Urban Lily Secret Keeper and show me what you come up with!

Texas Flower

2009-05-22T10:49:00.004+09:00

I just got my new order from Scrapbook.com of Prima's Wildwood Collection - Wood and Mulberry Flowers!
You have to see these flowers to appreciate their beauty. I chose the Safron and the colors and textures are fabulous. My package contained:
1. a lovely, orange-colored straw-fibered flower a bit larger than 3" across
2. a yellow 2 1/2" straw flower
3. a yellow 1 1/2 inch fier flower
4. a yellow 2" petal
5. a yellow 2" blossom made of slliced pods
6. a brown 1 3/4" sead pod flower
7. a 4" long branch of orange dried pods.
Each one is gorgeous with a pretty natural fiber center.
The sliced pod flower is a bit fragile and one of the petals broke apart when I handled it. I layered my flowers on my project, though, so you cannot tell. And since they are natural, I expect them to be fragile.
I am concerned how they will hold up in my album as they are quite bulky and the brown flower has pointy edges. I may have to lay something between the pages in my album to protect the facing page. They might have been better used on the cover of a mini album, but they look so pretty on my 12x12 page, that I couldn't resist them. They come in 6 pretty colors and now I think I need to get some more!

It's time for a Sketch Challenge!

2009-05-20T11:04:00.004+09:00

It's time to win another RAK from Japan! Everyone is elligible - simply make a LO from my sketch above. Then:
1) make a comment to anything on my blog and
2) email me your LO, or a link to your LO by June 12.

I promise to have the RAK out to the winner within the week. (You have my Dad to thank for that as he truly taught me to be prompt.) I can't wait to see what you come up with!

So what will you win? It will be something special from Japan, of course!
Happy Scrappin'!

Zama Scrapbooking Event

2009-05-17T08:37:00.003+09:00

Look at all the fun we had at the Zama Scrapbooking Event on May 15. We can't wait to do it again in the fall!

National Scrapbook Day Celebration

2009-04-29T08:45:00.004+09:00

If you are in the Zama area, please join us at the ACS building on May 15, 7 pm for a National Scrapbook Day celebration! I know - National Scrapbook Day was officially May 2, but we could not get the space until May 15. Better late than never, right?

It's going to be a fun evening with door prizes and refreshments, Make N' Takes from Stampin' Up consultant Windy Joell, and a Creative Memories digital photo storage demonstration by Dee Saari. There will be supplies from Close to My Heart and a Make N' Take with Memory Works products courtesy of Moi!

The entire evening is free and everyone is invited to attend. Hope to see you there!

Click Here for Great Information on Going Green with Scrapbooking

2009-04-23T07:46:00.002+09:00

Happy Earthday everyone!

The price of Freedom

2009-04-20T18:42:00.002+09:00

My son left for a one year tour of duty in Afghanistan today.

Since taking office in January, President Barack Obama has ordered an additional 21,000 U.S. troops to be deployed to Afghanistan, which will bring the full U.S. deployment there to a total of 60,000 troops, joining 39,000 coalition troops from 43 countries.

I'm very proud of my son, but I think of all the wives and young children who are also making sacrifices. Did you know there are 600,000 American children under the age of 5 who are living with a parent deployed in war? For many of these children, their lives will be changed forever.

I'm every bit as proud of my daughter-in-law and my two tiny grandsons for the sacrifices they must make. It's a sad truth that those who wait, also serve. The boys had such a hard time saying goodbye and on the way home, Gregory asked his mom, 'who will keep us safe now?'
I ache for them tonight as they all look at the empty spot at the dinner table. The evenings must be the hardest time of the day.

My daughter-in-law is going to have to go through so many changes and hardships this year all by herself - in addition to experiencing the stress of sudden separation, constant worry about her husband's safety, and dealing with the chores of single parenthood. And I know the children, as young as they are, are asked to be brave. There must be so much they don't truly understand. I wish I was closer to hug them all. It is hard being half a world away from my loved ones.

Sketch Submissions

2009-04-18T16:00:00.003+09:00

Here they are! All the submissions in my first sketch challenge. You know what I liked about the entries for this sketch? They all followed the sketch without much deviation! You know how sometimes you see a LO done from a sketch and you think, 'that doesn't look anything like that sketch'? These are all done with the sketch as guildline and I love how each LO looks different with the colors and themes of the page. I think they are all awesome. However, I did pic a winner. Drumroll please ... The winner of my RAK is Kathy W! Send me an email and I'll send you something cool from Japan! In fact, I'm sending all the entrants a little something just for playing along! Now, don't you wish you had entered? Watch for my next sketch for May and you could win something from Japan, too!

I made Layout of the Week at Back Porch Memories! (click here)

2009-04-15T16:30:00.003+09:00

Have you discovered www.BackPorchMemories.com yet? What a great site (and I'm not saying that just because they chose my Curl layout as Layout of the Week)! I entered this LO in the 'Inspired by Picasso challenge. They've also got a challenge that requires you to use some mini pictures in the LO and another one that requires you to use a mask. I've entered all the challenges and enjoy this easy-to-navigate site. Hop on over and join us!

A Scrapbook on Wheels

2009-04-09T08:27:00.007+09:00

A full year ago this month, I attended a car show in Palm Bay, FL with my husband. I enjoy looking at the fancy and classic vehicles on display but this one vehicle has stuck in my mind for the entire year now. So I felt that I wanted to share this with you. Because of this car, I have been inspired to create unusual scrapbooks with my photos - such as my scrapbook hat and scrapbook geta (Japanese shoes), both posted on this blog.

I hope you also find inspiration in this amazing piece of work.

Andy Ortiz has the most remarkable Suzuki I have ever seen. He calls it the Vietnam Memorial on Wheels and gave me a look of pleasant surprise when I said it was a scrapbooked car.

Every inch of this car is covered in photos of Andy and his brother's Vietman experiences. All the photos are laminated and attached with nail heads. There are Vietnamese coins, letters from home, decals of all kinds, patches, flags, buttons, tickets, his Army helmet - no single inch of the vehicle inside or out is uncovered.

Above the windshield, a large sign reads: "In memory of over 58,044 veterans who never returned from Vietnam, 62-72."

Mr Ortiz has been working on this scrapbook since 1992 and still finds things he wants to add to his masterpeice.

Inspiration and a Sketch Challenge.

2009-04-03T07:43:00.010+09:00

DA-da-da-DAAAA! Announcing- my first sketch challenge! Make a LO from the sketch below, comment to this post with a link to the LO on your gallery or blog - or just send the attachment by email to TheresaAmlong@hotmail.co.jp -- and you could win an RAK from me. I'll choose my favorite on April 18. I can hardly wait to see what you come up with.

If you are stuck for further inspiration, then head on over to Letters to Scrap By at http://letterstoscrapby.blogspot.com/

They have a color challenge every couple of weeks. I find that this is just what I need to help me get out that piece of paper or embellie that I bought six months ago. You know what I mean - it looks so great in the store and you just have to have it. Then you get home and the moment is gone, you just don't know what to do with it now.

Letters to Scrap By chooses the color they want you to work with - color is their only guideline - and the rest is up to you.

A winner is chosen by random generator, but you could win a nice prize. And that is exactly how I won for the color Magenta. So, toot toot! Check out my winning LO here: http://sunshinemem.blogspot.com/2009/02/kawaii.html t.com/2009/02/kawaii.html

You could be the next person to be tooting your own horn as the newest color challenge has been posted today. The current color is Navy which can be used to bring your pages a cool sophisticated feeling. I used a split complementary color scheme to make The Catch of the Day which, coincidentally is how I came up with the sketch.

So now you've got two great ways to win a cool prize. Good luck and happy scrapping!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-24T10:35:00.002+09:00

It's my birthday and what a great day it is! I won an RAK for being a follower on The Mosy Scrapper site. TMS has a great design team, offers wonderful tutorials, is a great place to online shop and is just a fun place to hang out and become inspired! Check out this great site and you might be the next follower to win a great RAK!
http://mosyscrapper.blogspot.com/

Get De-Stressed while you Distress

2009-03-23T17:32:00.004+09:00

Let’s face it, I’m a tool junkie. When I saw the Making Memories Distressing Kit on the store shelf, I wanted it because it was full of tools that I did not have and was not really sure how to use. But I thought I would add this kit to my stash knowing it would be awhile before I got around to using it. Now that I have, wow! What was I waiting for? Though I had sanded, inked and chalked before, this kit enticed me to try so much more.
I now know how to dye, striate, and do such much more. My absolute favorite tool in the kit is the edger! Now I distress everything in sight! (If my cat lies around on top of scrap desk much longer, I may have to distress him!) And I found that when I'm stressed, distressing helps me de-stress. It's quite therapeutic for me and does wonders to make my layouts look their best.
Do you want to know what’s in the kit? There’s a LOT!
· Sanding block with three grits
· Steel wool-2 pads
· Emery board-3 boards each with different grit
· Stipple brush
· Foam brushes 1" & 2" wide
· Chalk-3 colors
· Ink sponges-3 colors
· Exclusive edge scraper
· Bone folder
· Aging dye-2 single use pouches
· Paint comb
· Pounce wheel
· Chalk brushes-3
· Sandpaper-3 sheets (1 each of fine, medium and coarse grit).
To put it basically, this distressing kit has EVERYTHING that you need to instantly add antiquity to your pages.
The inks and chalks in the kit are the perfect colors needed to distress your embellishments and paper. The size and shape of the pads make it so easy to get a good, smooth, inked paper edge with no hard lines! The sandpaper block is great for large surfaces and the sandpaper files are great for those smaller surfaces.
I love the look I achieved on this layout with the help of the Making Memories Distressing Kit. I took this picture of my husband at the river last year and I think the distressing technique really did the photo justice. What do you think?

Photo-focused Scrapbooking

2009-03-14T16:42:00.011+09:00

The sun is out this afternoon and I'm really feeling the urge to hit the beach. Living in Florida that was an easy thing to do, but here in Japan it's still a bit too cold for beaching it. So, this afternoon I'm going to get my beach fix by sharing my Beach Mosaic layout with you.

A mosaic layout really makes the photos the focus of your page, and making mosaics is such a great way to scrapbook if you are on a budget. All you need are a few photos, a mat with one-inch grids and a good ruler, preferably one with a cork backing so it does not slip.

Cut your photos into one-inch squares. Just use caution when cutting a photo that depicts people; always be sure that you do not cut through someone's face. When making a mosaic, you do not have to use every bit of each photo you choose. You can use only the squares that feature something you would like to showcase in your finished page. Beach Mosaic uses 9 photos from different beach scenes, including the larger picture of my husband which I matted and used whole.

For the best results in arranging your one-inch squares, I recommend Wish in the Wind (http://www.wishinthewind.com/) grid paper. Now the only other item you need is your glue stick. Arrange your photos on the grid, glue them down --Wha-lah!

I love using the mosaic technique for photos with lush scenery, but I've also used this technique for zoo photos and my layout came out amazing. I would love to see what you come up with using the mosaic technique. Drop me a line with a link to your blog and let me peek.

And don't forget to sign up for my blog candy (post below) to receive a great gift from Japan, courtesy of me!

A great Blog Candy idea

2009-03-13T07:40:00.004+09:00

I got this idea for Blog Candy from http://joaniscardsmadebyhand.blogspot.com/ and http://fits-and-starts.blogspot.com/ and decided to join in the fun!

The first 5 people to respond to this post by my birthday on March 24 (midnight EST) will get something from me! My choice! For you. It may be a purchased item instead of homemade, or both, but you can bet it will be something Japanese .This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
2. It may be products and not handmade.
3.I will do my very best to have it in the mail by April 24.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be.
5. The catch? You must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog (then come here and post) The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a gift from me. Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!
SO ...................who will be the first 5 people????

Madhatter's Scrapbook Hat

2009-03-11T08:43:00.013+09:00

My club held a Madhatter's Luncheon in which everyone was required to wear a hat, the more outrageous the better. Prizes were given and my Scrapbook Diva hat won most creative! To make the hat, I first had to stabilize the crown with cardboard so that it wouldn't collapse with the weight of the scrapbook.

The scrapbook itself is an explosion style which lifts up off the crown with a little handle made out of an old wooden stamp. Each page of the scrapbook shows the many hats that I wear: wife, mother, grandmother, friend, family member and historian.

I enjoyed making this unusual project, enjoyed wearing it, and of course, I enjoyed winning!

Here are the instructions for making your own Explosion Album.

Supplies
2 sheets of 12 x 12 inch cardstock
2 sheets of patterned paper for the cover
2 pieces of cardboard or chipboard cut into 6 ¼ x6 1/4 inch squares
1 yard of ribbon
3 sheets of 12 x 12 paper cut into 6-inch squares to decorate the inside of the album
Plenty of acid-free adhesive

Preparing the pages
A. First, to make your covers, cut two pieces of patterned paper into 8 inch squares. Take one and lay it face down on the table. Position a piece of cardboard in the center. Fold corners of paper in and adhere them to the cardboard. Fold edges of patterned paper in and adhere them as well. Use a bone folder to perfectly crease all edges. Repeat with other piece of cardboard. You now have the front and back cover of your album.
B. To make the inside pages, take a 12x12 sheet of cardstock and fold it in half and crease. Unfold, then fold in half the other direction and crease so that when you open it, you see four squares. Now fold the bottom left corner up to the top right corner. Crease and unfold.
C. Repeat with the other two pieces of cardstock.

Assembly:
A. Starting with one piece of cardstock, turn it so that one of the points is facing upward with the crease forming a mountain (see insert). Place adhesive on the back of the back of the flat square on the left and adhere it to the inside of your cover.
B. Take the next piece of cardstock and position it so that the point is facing up, but the crease forms a valley. Place glue on the back of the flat square on the left and position over the right hand flat square already glued to your cover and glue them together.
C. The third piece of cardstock will have the mountain crease and will be glued in the same manner as the others so that you have a long piece looking like the example above.
D. Finally, glue your back cover on the final square.
Embellish
A. If you wish to use a ribbon to tie your album closed, position your ribbon first, then glue it to only one side of the album cover.
B. Decorate the inside of the album with the patterned squares. Add photos and embellishments.
D. Admire your work!

Starbucks Create Your Own Tumblers

2009-03-09T08:03:00.014+09:00

Two of my friends are leaving Japan this week. They have lived here on 4 different assignments for a total of almost 20 years. This time they are retiring and it is so hard for them to say goodbye. They love Starbucks and collect the tumblers from each town. So, for a sayonara gift, I got them some coffee and made them their own tumblers.

I had so much fun creating personalized inserts for them, and will probably make up a lot more.

It's so easy to make your own insert if you follow these steps"
1. Purchase a Starbucks “Create Your Own Tumbler."
2. You can easily Download the template http://www.theshaffers.org/announcements/starbucks-templates/ (psd format only), and use it to create your own insert. Or, unscrew the bottom of the tumbler, pull out the insert that comes with it and trace it for a template. I chose to create my insert digitally, but you could easily draw, stamp or paint on yours. It fits rather tightly so you can't really use any bulky embellishments for this project. Still, use your imagination as there are so many possibilities!
3. If you did a digi design or used the template, print out your insert using a color printer with high quality paper for the best results.
4. Next, cut your design out carefully and insert it into the tumbler, then screw the bottom back on tightly.

My friends loved theirs which are decorated with cartoons, images of Japan and list of reasons why they might have been in Japan too long. In actuality, they are some of the reasons why they have loved Japan. I hope these tumblers remind them each morning of the wonderful times they have had here. Sayonara My Friends ...

Tokyo Metro

2009-02-24T18:36:00.003+09:00

This page was the simplest thing to make ever. I had taken lots of photos aboard the subway trains in Tokyo over time and finally decided I wanted to use them. Especially since the machine spit back my hubby's ticket (usually, the machine eats it when you leave the station). I've had the negative-strip photo mat in my stash for quite some time so just printed my main photo and my journaling to fit. I adhered it to my cardstock at an angle then arranged all my smaller photos, plus the ticket in blocks around it. The title is just the metro logo downloaded from the Internet. To finish, I cut blocks of washi paper to fill in any blank areas. I like the angle as it seems to suggest motion.

Here's my journaling:

I’m comfortable with the role of being a stranger in a strange land. But I try to blend into the crowd when I’m riding the Tokyo Metro. With color-coded signage, punctual schedules and a high level of cleanliness, it’s a fast and easy way to get around.
Japanese people sleep on the subway without concern, and though I do feel myself lulled by the low vibrations, I am more inclined to people watch. The stations sprawl underground connecting so many people and places making it a great place to trend watch and observe microcosms of Japanese society. While most people keep their head down sleeping, reading or texting, I am sometimes the recipient of a curious glance or a slight smile. Traveling underground in the hushed environment can feel mysterious and even a bit romantic.
Once the train arrives at my station, the hush evaporates from the crowd as the doors open and we split apart, scattering along hundreds of individual paths.

Seriously. No. Seriously.: Don't Be Mean

2009-02-21T07:25:00.000+09:00

Seriously. No. Seriously.: Don't Be Mean

What's the Story?

2009-02-18T15:23:00.006+09:00

I love staying at the New Sanno hotel in Tokyo. You can't beat the price anywhere in Tokyo and the service is always excellent. There are a number of dining choices inside the hotel, but the renovated Japanese restaurant is my favorite. Everything about it - from the decor, to the food - is stellar. And being a bit of a sloppy eater, being able to wear a bib is a dream come true for me. Hence the inspiration behind my layout. The journaling reads:

What’s the story, Morning Glory? What’s the tale, Nightingale? What’s the word, Mockingbird?
Kikuya’s beautiful entranceway is decorated with soaring cranes and the doors are etched in a bamboo motif. The inside is just as lovely and our teppanyaki chef cooked our meal to perfection. But my favorite thing about the place? The bibs! I’m always slopping food down my clothes and have long had the idea to make bibs fashionable in such a way that every restaurant would want to have their own design and every patron would clamor to wear one. It looks like Kikuya is paving the way for what I hope will someday be THE must-have fashion accessory.

Since I was using an analogous coor scheme (side-by-side colors on the color wheel), I needed to give the edges of my paper more definition by adding a bit of coordinating ink. The easiest way to do this is to take the ink pad and gently run it along the paper’s edge. A dye-based ink or Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink are ideal for this application. I usually take a bit of leftover paper and try a few colors until I find the one I like the best.
But if you have tiny bits that you want to highlight -- like letters or paper flowers, -- the direct ink-to-paper technique is bit more difficult. A small eye-makeup applicator is just the thing needed to get into small spaces. Rub the applicator on the ink pad, and then apply the applicator to your small letters. Easy-peasy!