last day!!

Just a quick reminder this is the last day to enter my thankful giveaway!

 I will pick a random winner from the entries tommorow!!!

Just Dance!

Here is one of those layouts that were used for HSN

using Faber Castell Design Memory Craft products and Brenda Pinnick stamps!

The top half of the page is a paper from Ta Da Creative Studios,

the bottom half is white card stock stamped using a Big Stampers Brush

 and one of Brendas stamps.

Then I went over it lightly with a Gelato and misted it with water.

I love that all of the PITT Artist Pens & Big Stampers Brushes

 do not bleed even when sprayed with water!

That ribbon is a lace tape from Love My Tapes - a gorgeous touch!

***

I think if you asked my baby girl one of the things she is thankful for,

 ballet would definitely be at the top of the list!

Baby girl made sure everybody at the table

 on thanksgiving said what they were thankful for this year!

How was your thanksgiving?

Did you remember to give thanks

for all your blessings?

You still have 3 days to enter my giveaway -

I am giving $30.00 for you to list 30 things you are thankful for!

Details here!

Today I am thankful for school -

it's good for the kids to learn and

stick to a shedule...

It's good for mom to have a break! :)

Be Merry...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving,

I know I certainly have a lot to be thankful for,

I hope you do too!And I know that it is not December

yet but I love Crhistmas looking paper!!!

This  is a project for display at The Crafty Scrapper

and I used a sketch from Creatively Yours Sketches!

No it has not been snowing here in TX! Thank God!

But this is a picture I took last year before we left CO!

My night Owl looks so handsome!

I love the  more vintage, traditional looking colors for Christmas.

The papers are from Best Creation, Cosmo Cricket,
and the tags are from My Mnds Eye.

I am thankful for the warmer weather than what we would be experiencing in CO.

You still have 5 days to do my thankful challenge and win details here

http://letsembellish.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-challenge-for-you.html?showComment=1321744597540#c2902553288829770893

Find the Joy in Life...

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments

when our hearts are
conscious of our treasures.”

                                          — Thornton Wilder.

Wouldn't this be a great quote to use on a layout about being grateful?

 Well just in case you are making the blog rounds around Thanksgiving

I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

And I certainly couldn't leave you with out a project on Thanksgiving.

This one is published in the Creative Memories current catalog.

I can't believe it's been a year that I have been with Creative Memories.

If you ever get the chance to work with them you should,

they have quality products and treat their people very well!

Today I am thankful for the time I have had with all the companies (on my sidebar) 

I have the honor of working with.

I have made many friends and learned alot.

 What are you thankful for?

Have you been writing it on you blog?

Have you entered my challenge giveaway yet?

You have plenty of time to come up with

a list if things you are thankful for!

Thsi is easy winnings, I'm just saying!

Check it out here!

http://letsembellish.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-challenge-for-you.html

Chipboard love

Recently I was asked what was my favorite scrapbook embellishment

and it was hard to just pick one!!

So I decided to make a post about one of my favorites, chipboard.

***

(P.S. Are you seeing the air underneath baby girl?
The teacher put the sweater on the floor and told them to jump over it!)
***

Chipboard is so versatile - you can texturize, emboss,

paint, stain, cover it with paper or glitter; the possibilities

are endless. You can even leave it natural, adding a very earthy feel to it.

Chipboard has gotten quite fancy lately!

You can find beautiful intricate designs in chipboard!

I love that!

Chipboard comes in all shapes and sizes, even letters.

I love that you can change the color to what suits your needs -

I tend to like the browns myself!

Here is a layout that I had finished but felt it needed a little something more.

I added the chipboard gate and there it is! The perfect touch - I like it much better now!

          I colored this chipboard with my Gelatos!
                                               (No surprise there! LOL!)

  

Here the chipboard needed to stay neutral for the multicolor background!

A little shading goes a long way.

Now I could not talk about chipboard without throwing

in a chipboard mini I made for Clear Scraps!

You can always over chipboard with paper.

These little hot air balloons were naked chipboard too -

I painted them, added Glossy Accents & a little bling.

All the butterflies on this canvas are chipboard - even her wings!

They have been painted, manipulated, embossed and glittered!

 This bumble bee was naked chipboard too!

 I loved making that stain glass look!

The bird was naked too - how fun is that?

You know I love my Gelatos and PITT Artist pens!

Of course you can always cut your own chipboard,

there are so many dies available nowadays!

 Oh did I forget stamping?

You can stamp, run it through a corrugated brayer and ink chipboard.

As you can see the possibilities are endless!

See why I love chipboard?

I hope this gives you some ideas!

I am so thankful for products that enhance my creativity!

Speaking of being thankful don't forget about my giveaway!

You still have time to enter here

http://letsembellish.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-challenge-for-you.html

Capturing Canvas

Hey friends!
Today I am so excited to show you a class project I taught at The Crafty Scrapper a while back!
I love this mini - do you know how hard it is to make something and not share it on your blog?
I used all Faber Castell Design Memory Craft products and you will have to go to their blog if you want to know how I did it, but I will show you the pics! I will tell you that those Gelatos (hint!) are so versitile they really make crafting fun!





So how are you doing in your thankfulness challenge?
It's not to late to start! And I am giving away a $30.00 gift card!
Hmm do I need to add some scrap goodies in there to get you all motivated?
I will have to think about it.
Meanwhile on the homefront Spencer
is adjusting nicely to the family. He is very easy going and is doing
great with the kids! We have alot to be thankful for, we have had alot of changes
this year and somehow everything seems to be falling into place.

Adoption Announcement!

One of the things I am so thankful

for especially this time of the year is adoption.

We have been blessed three times over by adoption.

 We brought home two of our children in November

(different years) and one in September so these are

special times of the year. This year is no different

 and today we added a new member to the family... meet Spencer!!!

The kids ran him all over the yard and my camera

 of course was no where to be found!

Uggh so mad I missed those first shots!

 This evening he was exhausted

but very willing to  pose for pictures -

he is fitting in already!

 This is a bad pic but they looked so cute I included it anyway!

Yep - the Barakats finally have a dog after all these years!
I know, I can hardly believe it myself but look at that face!

Besides my heart was moved as he was living in a foster home,

we were even tempted to take in his sister but I am
overwhelmed at the thought of just training one puppy !

I am very tempted to send out adoption announcements -

this was definitely the easiest adoption we ever did!

Don't forget about my giveaway!!
It's not too late to enter!

Smallish things...

“Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallish things take up the most room in your heart.”

―A.A. Milne from Winnie the Pooh

Oh I love that quote form Winnie the Pooh. Here are some smallish things,

tiny containers made to hold small surprises!

Perhaps a fancy chocolate at the Thanksgiving dinner table?

The top view...

I made them using Quick Kutz dies -

desert box and the  mini take out box.

 and

I used the backsides of Graphic 45's

Alice in Wonderland, changed the color with Gelatos

added  Love my Tapes lace ribbon and Prima flowers on top!

I think these would also make a quick an

easy gift for a teacher or neighbor.Can you

imagine opening your door to find a sweet

little package on your doorstep?

***
That reminds me...
Today I am thankful for chocolate!
I hope that you are playing along with my Thanksgiving challenge!
It's not too late to start and win!
See this post

Happy Crafting!

Rita

Giveaway! A challenge for you

Last year I made a list of things I was thankful for,
one for each day of November.

I finally made a layout with my list and this year
I am doing the same thing! (Or maybe I'll make mini...)

 I  will keep a running list on my sidebar
and encourage you to do the same!

I think there are so many things we take for granted,

surely one thing to be thankful for a day
shouldn't be that big of a challenge right?

I think it's important to remember
to be grateful for the people
we have in our lives

 and the things we have been given.

So much so that I am going to challenge you to do the same and offer a big prize!

How about a $30.00 gift card to
Target
or your fav Scrapbook store!
$1. for each day of thanksgiving!
You choose!

To qualify

1. Make a running list on your blog 30 days of giving thanks on your sidebar & become a follower

2. Make a blog or facebook post sharing about what you are doing, link up my giveaway

and leave me a link below in the comment section

3. On the 30th I will do a special post,

leave me another link to your site where you have your 30 days posted!

Easy right?

One more thing...

* cheating - yes! cheating is allowed - if you skip a day by all

 means go back and make up for it! The goal here is to be thankful!

***

Supplies from ScrapGal, Sketch from Creatively Yours Sketches

***

Oh  and for my last giveaway - cnfoster you won the Maya Road house! Please email me your addy!

Scrap Gal's Home for the Holidays Blog Hop!

Hey bloggers! Today I am participating Scrap Gals "Home for the Holidays" blog hop & crop!

I am so super excited to show you this cute little house I made with Maya Roads Villa house kit!!!

If you came from Heathers blog you are in the right place and if you want to jump on the blog hop 

Please join us on Scrap Gal's blog .

You have until Monday Nov 6th to complete the hop and the challenges on the site!

There are lots of fun and inspiring challenges & we are giving away lots of prizes!

We would love to see you there!

To be eligible to win please visit all of design team members and leave a comment on each blog.

Each comment is an entry to win fabulous prizes!

            Scrap Gals blog            

Guest Designer Nicolle

                         Michelle                        

Mary Jo
Marcie

                        Heather                        

Rita     You are here! :)

                          Now onto MY HOUSE!                      

 The front and some steps that I made out of the

inserts from the window! (But that's a different post!

I'll give you a hint Gelatos were involved!)

 This kit does come with windows -

but I couldn't resist getting the windows chipboard set!

        A side view...

 The papers I used were  from My Minds Eye, Creative Imaginations and Graphic 45.

  A close up of that side.

Of course you can always find Stickles  on my projects and this time of year Snow Tex.

 The back of the house-  I love that those Graphic 45 tags were the perfect size for my windows!

And notice my pretty lattice - lace tape from  Love My Tapes.

 Close up of the back of the house...

 The other side of the house...

 A close up of the other side of the house...

And did I mention the house comes with a mini book?

                                      But that too is another post!

This house was sooooo much fun to make,

so much so that ON MONDAY I am going to give one away from my followers who

comments on this post! I hope you get one!

And stay tuned I have a few more giveaways coming soon!