One more...

I was having so much fun just playing around that I made one more AND I learned a little something, so you have a tip coming.


I made myself a little summertime key chain and I used the word CHERISH from the transparencies from the last post... I just simply cut the SH off the end to customize it "Cheri".

Super cute.
Here's my tip: put your adhesive BEHIND the printed side of the transparency otherwise your image could smear just a tad when you are smoothing out any bubbles. OOPS! Live and learn, I still think it's cute. ~Cheri

Playing around...

Catching up on my google reader this morning I saw some cute little charm necklaces and it got me to thinking about these old optical lenses I had picked up some time ago and wanted to make a little necklace or something with them.

I really did go upstairs with every intention of organizing some of my embellishments and got a little side tracked once I found where I had put those lenses. After playing around for a bit this is what I came up with:

It's double sided for what ever mood I'm in.
 
I simply cut circles out of the Free Style Damask paper:




And cut matching circles from the Giving Thanks Labels transparencies:



I LOVE these transparency words, I have even glittered them, "blinged" them, and colored them.

If you've ever been hesitant of using transparencies try starting out on a small scale like I did with my necklace. It really helps open the door for creating something unique and hopefully you'll find a new love for transparencies!  ~Cheri

CHA happiness and a few fav's I've seen so far

I love CHA which is the Craft and Hobby Association


Someday I hope to attend just to take it all in. It overwhelms my mind just to see all of the fun over the internet. Ahhh... Someday. There are so many talented companies, and products Oh my!


BIG EXCITING NEWS!!!
Teresa Collins Stamp Maker WON for:  Innovations Runner Up - Photocentric for the Stamp Maker (Booth # 1343)

This is a great big huge deal, there are so many products and companies just to be nominated is an honor. I'm soooo beyond excited and proud of her!




Last summer was the first one I "tuned" into on the net and last winter I was hooked into watching on Facebook or company blogs (thank you google reader & Twitter) 


Another good tip: follow AMY COON with THE PAPER LIFE! She is there right now interviewing various companies and capturing it on video. She interviewed Making Memories yesterday and we got to see all their new lines! I ADORE Amy, her blog is beyond awesome, tons of great ideas and inspiration all of the time!


Another great source for all of the new scrapbooking product releases: The Scrap Review.


Besides Loving all things Teresa Collins...






I have other fav's and I thought I'd share a few with you today, Warning it's a long post today! Hope you enjoy!!!


Graphic 45's booth last winter just blew me away! I couldn't wait to see what it would look like this time... I'm just starting to spy pictures, from the different companies. The Craft Critique had some good ones this morning, to see more go to their blog.



Ok, LOVE the hat! How awesome!! Serious inspiration happening here!



I am beyond smitten with this line from Crate Paper, it's called Restoration:

  

 

I just may be the last person in the universe to not own a Sizzix machine, or any other machine you could run the Tim Holtz Alterations thru... But IF I did....

Speaking of machines... This little gem is so neat looking!

And how about this? Configurations - On my coolness ranking I'd give it a big fat 10! 

Ok, so Tim and Ranger (love those distress stickles!!! Although I should probably have all the new inks from the winter show release to accompany them, lol!) So many new items, lets just go on record and say, yes, I love it all! 

Ok, One More then I'll quit...This is NOT to say I don't have more fav's, but how long can a blog post be before you all loose some serious interest??? 

House of 3 and Pink Paislee

Love the flower darlings, ruffled darlings, TICKETS and how cute are those Anthology Notes? Seriously adorable collection. So, YES, I'm aware the right side of the picture is cutting off, sorry! It's either a little cut off or so small you can't see it, However if you click on the Pink Paislee link above you'll be able to see the WHOLE Picture. :)  

Have a great day! ~Cheri

PS, What are your favorites so far? Leave me a comment and let me know what you've seen out there that you have your eyes on. :)

Fun filled weekend!

This weekend we had long time friends over. We have known Jim now for almost 20 years, we're all officially feeling old now! Our kids are growing up so fast! We haven't really seen them for any good length of time in years, to many to count, a really good visit was due.

While the boys sat in the shade out back, Brittney and I sat in the sun and read our magazines...

She's going to go for it and enter a layout for the Creating Keepsakes Teen Talent Search. YAY!! I'm so excited for her! She was so excited to come and see my scrap studio, her and Kylie were in awe, lol. They thought it was like a store.

Kylie is a great big burst of sunshine, she is inquisitive, she has a million questions and absorbs a lot of information. She is amazing & funny.

Elisha played pool with the girls upstairs while the grown ups visited and made lunch, Jim brought me Alfy's Pizza from Seattle as a surprise. It was so good, the sauce...YUM! Made a little home sick.

For dinner we bar-b-qued and made smores around the fire pit, we learned the Gage way to make smores - add a peanut butter cup - that was a little too good!

I taught the girls how to make paper rosettes and fabric flowers. They loved these, no matter how many times they burned their little fingers with the hot glue, they were hooked! Each one was different and they each developed their own style.

Kylie - concentrating really hard.

Brittney's in the making, tight twists.

I was so sad to see the weekend end and having to go to early on Sunday to my open house..Thank you Dave who opened it up for me and gave me a couple of extra hours to spend with our good friends, our extended family. ~Cheri

Noel, the new holiday line release is so gorgeous

One of the beautiful new lines released for summer CHA is NOEL, by Teresa Collins it is so pretty! This is one of the layouts I made for the line:



I used  the back of Cards & Notes as the background paper and I added a green ink around the edges. For the boxes I used the Front and Back of the Countdown paper, the back has so many great images, for this layout I used the boxes that are black and cream, from the front are the words Merry Christmas and Countdown. I matted the photo's using the back of the Tags & Borders paper.

Three sheets for a great layout! I love how it turned out!

Have a great weekend! ~Cheri

Mojo, there you are! Nice to see you again!

What a great day! Mojo, I've missed you! Welcome back dear friend!

Busy at work, but I've managed to be able to create, I'm just taking a quick break to eat. I hate it when that happens.

I worked on a project last night for two hours and just wasn't happy with it, Does that ever happen to you? Is there such a thing as scrappers-block? It was soooo beyond frustrating I finally just accepted defeat and walked away.

But tonight it came back, man, I'm liking it!!! I wish I could tell you but well, I can't. I can tell you it has to do with one of these new beauties.  The new lines are so gorgeous and work really, really well with one another. I can't choose a favorite. I can say I have found a new love for orange and pink!

Did you see this last week? Teresa did another video this week as well for questions and such... So the first video is of the Stampmaker machine for any of you that may have missed this great new machine that is sure to change your world as you know it, and the 2nd is the Q and A. Enjoy! ~Cheri

Dear Santa.......

Yes, That's right. My friend Stephanie pointed out on her blog this weekend that Christmas is just a few 150ish days away! She's been doing some sneak peaks too, which are to die for, she's so talented.


Did I mention how much I LOVE CHA SNEAK PEAKS, Yep, I do, Love, Love, LOVE all the new stuff.


So today I spied this from Ranger



Be still my beating heart, it grows vertically!!! 



Yeah, um, Dear Santa, I would make really good use of this, I would cherish it and use it almost daily, yes, yes, I would. I sure would. Wouldn't you????


Check out Ranger's blog for more photo's - like the one's seen above! :)  ~Cheri

Dear Cheri

Today, I have the house to myself, I plan to take the whole day off to create, to be creative.

Today is the day that I would say to myself....

Dear Cheri,
You are You for a reason, your one of kind, don't compare yourself to others - it's all ok. Create like you've never created before, take this day and make it yours. You go girl! Knock their socks because YOU can - be who YOU really are. Most of all, enjoy the process it'll turn out better than you could ever have dreamed! Embrace the day girl!


The last few days it has been a little hot in my scrapbook room - 98 degrees last night and I won't even mention the day/night before. I'm not complaining, it was my choice. We have AC in our home on the main floor but upstairs we have two bonus rooms - one is my scrap room. All week Danny has offered to put one of those AC units up in one of the windows but I'm so stubborn I didn't want one hanging out, I think they are ugly so I've refused. My husband, Danny, I love this man... I went upstairs to just do check out how hot it is this morning, he brought fans up sometime last night and opened all the windows it's nice and cool up there this morning. He didn't do this because I asked him, he didn't do it because I complained which I haven't - Like I said, I had made my choice (huh humm - stubborn - I made my bed, I'll lay in it.) He did it just because he knows what I'm up to, he wants me to do the best I can in the best situation possible, he wants me to be up right and breathing when he comes home tonight, he did it because he loves me sooo much. The thoughts - "The measure of a man" - were leaping out of my head when I got to the top of the stairs and saw what he had done for me, I have an instant lump in my throat and great big love in my heart.

What a great way to start what will be an awesome day! Oh, I'm totally "getting over it" and letting him put one of those units in the window tonight! ~C

Stampers & Scrappers.... This could change your life

I CAN NOT tell you how EXCITED I am about this new product. It just literally blows me away with all of the possibilities.


Teresa Collins has done it again and then some!
























Teresa is debuting the Teresa Collins STAMP MAKER MACHINE today on Good Things Utah. YOU can create YOUR VERY OWN STAMPS, EMBOSSING DIES, OR STENCILS FROM IMAGES!!! I know, I know, I know, WOWZERS!!! 


Wrap your mind around this for just a moment, you can create your very own stamp from any image...


My mind goes here:
Childs handwriting - hello preserve it in stamps!
An image from your favorite paper line - just cut it out and you'll have it forever!
Your new born's stamped foot print - Yeah, we've seen those stamps around for years but how many people can say that is my baby's???
Oh... How about custom artwork that you have made off of your computer - Specialty return address labels?


OK.......... THERE'S MORE..........Don't hurt yourself, but race on over................ GO TO TERESA'S BLOG - SHE'S GIVING ONE AWAY!!!!


Man I love CHA sneak peak season, thank goodness for google reader! Going to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some eye candy!


Have a great day!!!

Love this time of year....

Yes, with CHA right around the corner many of the scrapbook companies are starting to do sneak peaks. Love all the eye candy!


Many are doing give aways for the new product, I highly encourage you all to leave a comment on Teresa Collins blog as she is doing a huge, huge HUGE give a way with her new CELEBRATION line! I have seen this line and I TELL YOU WHAT, WOW!!! It is so wonderful, bright, cheery and it's not age specific, it's SO FUN!!! You have the chance to get all the papers and transparencies!!!

I used the Teresa Collins - home sweet home papers. I cut out the paper making tags, distressing the edges & using frayed burlap to ink the edges leaving the centers just black and white to work with the ribbons and the black and white "welcome" that is layered on the heart. I only inked the outer edges of the tags in aged mahogany and fired brick to give a subliminal border  to help balance the red heart and the door, I placed them on solid brown cardstock from Bazzil, also distressed the edges and inked in the aged mahogany and fired brick.  I made the frame from chipboard, popped it up distressed the edges and inked over the words home sweet home in frayed burlap and old paper, added the dot's paper before laying it on the photo of the door. Layered the heart and welcome to the bottom of the frame. I inked and embossed the key, added a black t-drop and hung it with a metal tab from WeRMemory keepers.


Such a busy day ahead, with many appointments and much creating this evening. Oh, and don't forget to read those blogs for sneak peaks and great opportunities to own some of the new lines before they even hit the stores!


Have a great day! ~C

Chic Babe Girl - Princess Mini Album

Loved making this little mini, Thank you to my girl friend April for letting me use her photo's for this project!

Have a great day everyone! ~Cheri