My Layout was featured on the Scrapbooks, Etc Facebook page!!

So this morning, I get home and check out Facebook. I was just scrolling down, and catching up on, and then something catches my eye. I look at a picture and I think to myself "that looks like my layout." I look a little closer and I realize that it IS my layout!!! One that I had posted in the Scapbooks, ETC gallery a while back. But there is my 22 Days layout as their Monday Morning Scrapper Spotlight! You can check out their Facebook page here. I originally did this layout for a Scrap Our Stash Challenge. It was to do "THAT" layout. One that you had been putting off or couldn't finish. When these pictures of my twins were taken, it was a tough time. We knew they would be in the NICU, but you always worry how they will do. And for 22 days, we did. These pictures always reminded me of that. So I decided to scrap these pictures. I loved how it turned out, and it has become one of my favorites from this year. I am so very excited that Scrapbooks Etc. featured it and said such nice things about my layout! I knew there was a reason that they were my favorite scrapbook magazine!!! Happy crafting!

Back to school!

Hi all! I just wanted to write a quick note to let you all know that I am still here and still creating! I have been busy over the summer, well, a little busy and a little lazy!! The boys and I had a fun filled summer and we tried to just enjoy it and go with the flow! Now that school is back in session for us, I am hoping to get back to the craft room and make up for lost time! I just finished up a can swap, (those pictures still need to be uploaded!) And two more projects are on my work desk right now!

I have recently started pinning on Pinterest and I have a ton of projects that I want to do!! If you haven't been on Pinterest, be careful, it's very addictive! It's very good for my creativity, no so good for my productivity!!

I also just got a new MacBook Pro. I am still learning how to get everything loaded onto my computer and use it! Everyone says that Photoshop on a Mac is wonderful. I haven't gotten that far yet!

I also am now a licensed Zumba instructor!! Besides crafting, it's my other passion in life!

So that's some of the stuff that has been going on here! I hope your summer was as fun as ours! Happy crafting!

Projects that are on my desk!

Whew! After a week on vacation, it's taken me a week to get back into the swing of things.

Here is what should be coming up soon for you.

This month's challenge at Scrap Your Stash is to use "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." It doesn't have to be wedding, or you don't have to use all the "somethings". If you would like to use up some of your stash and play along, check it out at Scrap Your Stash

Also my friend Caitlynsmommy (from the Cricut Messageboard) has a birthday this month, so her project is on my desk and almost finished! I can't wait to share this one with you. It is a first for me.

Caitlynsmommy also inspired me to make a badge holder mini book. She started a swap and I thought "Now why didn't I think of that!!" So I headed to Hobby Lobby and found some badge holders. A few scraps and it's almost finished too! I just need a theme to go with it!

And since I just got back from vacation, I have over 200 photos to scrap! I took lots of photos of the boys and I can't wait to show you some of the great photos my new Nikon took!

Ok, lots to get to! Happy crafting!

Happy Mother's Day, a little early!

Whew! What a busy week it's been! We had a baseball tournament, a birthday party complete with some house guests, and a going away party. I feel like I can finally sit down again!

On Wednesday, after a horrible day of storms and tornado warning, I got a wonderful surprise from my husband, an early Mother's day gift. Normally he would NEVER let me open a present early, but with the birthday party this weekend, he knew that I would want to use it!



So here it is....my new Nikon D5100!! I love the features on this camera and I am quickly learning how to use it. I took a ton of photos at the party and just random shots all weekend and I can't wait to look through them and see how they turned out! Hopefuly I will have some to post soon. I have a couple of projects to post too, so look for those in the next couple of days! Happy crafting!

My two cents worth.- ProvoCraft v. third party software

I must say that I am disappointed with ProvoCraft at the moment.

For the last year or so, they have been going after third party software that allows you to cut out true type fonts, or other images with your Cricut or other machine. They have reached a settlement that Make the Cut will disable the 600 or so copies of the program that allowed users to back up the cartridges that they already owned. They also have to destroy the Design Studio's source code that allowed them to create the program. This means that they can no longer issue updates. And ProvoCraft will probably issue an update for their machines that will block all third party software.


Here is where my two cents comes in:

I bought my Cricut years ago, when it was the first machine of it's kind. So by the time all the other machines came out, I had already invested a lot of money in cartridges, mats, etc. and couldn't switch to a different machine.

I have a copy of Make the Cut, and about the only thing that I have ever cut from it is true type fonts. Provo Craft has released very few font cartridges that I like. With the hundreds of fonts on my computer, I had just about every font that I wanted to cut out.

I have still purchased cartridges from Cricut. I have alot that I bought because it is much easier to use the cartridge for a shape that has a ton of parts, like the Toy Story characters. I have never used it to copy and cut a Cricut image.

Design Studio was a waste of my $35. It does nothing but allow you to weld your shapes together, no shadow function, no where near the features of Make the Cut.

I have not updated my Cricut since they filed the lawsuit and I probably will not since I am no longer interested in supporting Provo Craft by buying anymore cartridges. I understand why they filed the lawsuit, but I don't understand why they didn't buy the software and sell it under the ProvoCraft name. It is a much better program and it would have made alot of their customers happy. It seems to be the normal thing for ProvoCraft to release a product full of issues, never fix them, and then move on to the next thing. So many people had issues with the promises of Design Studio, and then the Gypsy, and now the Imagine. Now they are making those same promises with Cricut Craft Room and we just don't believe them. And just this week they announced that cartridge prices were going up. I just can't believe that they think $89.99 for a cartridge is reasonable let alone another $10-$27?

I think that my love for all things Cricut has faded. I hope to sell one of my Expressions, and buy an E-craft or a Cougar which have supported the third party software. I honestly will never sell all my Cricut stuff, I have way too much invested in it. But I can't take anymore girly, whimsy, and other images that I just don't want. If ProvoCraft would have listened to what we wanted and come through with that, alot of us from the message board wouldn't be ready to give up on them. But that is where alot of us are. We want to create how we want to, and be able to make the decision on how to use the macines that we purchased. I will be using my Cricut today, and I will enjoy it.......as it is! Happy crafting!

PS-You can read the lawsuit against SCAL here

Your thoughts and comments on this are welcomed!

AAAAHHHH!!! Why do I do this to myself?!?!

I am up to my eyeballs in Valentine's Day projects and birthday party stuff!!! I even packed it up and took cupcake wrappers to the scout meeting tonight!! And now I am adding a cake and centerpiece to the mix?!? What was I thinking?! Here is the list of projects that I am working on right now:

Cupcake wrappers
Valentine goodie bags
Cupcakes for Valentines Day party
alter mailboxes x 2
buy goodies to put in the mailboxes for my boys
Birthday party goodie bags
Cake topper x 2
birthday banner
Cake for scout banquet
centerpiece parts for the table at the scout banquet
Chunky charm swap-I can't WAIT to show you these!!

I am probably forgetting some stuff too....

Oh my word!! If you don't hear from me in the next few days, please call someone to come find me in my craft room under a bunch of scrap paper, glue dots, and glitter!!
Happy crafting!