Life, Paper, Scissors. By Brittny Kvilhaug

It's Official.

2011-09-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am a dot com. So this is the very last post I'll make on this blog.

Click here to go to the new one.

P.S. I'm losing all of my followers. Show me some love, wouldja?

A Quick Card

2011-09-06T12:33:00.001-07:00

Well, I don't know about you, but I had a great three-day weekend! We went to a wedding on Saturday, to the Alameda Antique Fair on Sunday, and P.F. Chang's in Walnut Creek last night for dinner. YUM! We had a busy weekend, but I still found some time to make a quick little birthday card to show you today.

I made this for my sister-in-law's birthday. It is on a 6x6 base, rather than being a standard folding card. I used a couple of bits and pieces from the NoelMignon.com Study Hall kit, along with a bunch of scraps from my own stash.

I sewed the top flap to the base so that it would make a little flip-up front to hide this tag (which eventually got a Starbucks card stuck to it) and then I tied a 2' piece of twine to the tag and wrapped it around the whole card to secure everything together.

Here's a little closeup of the front. How much do I loooove those Jenni Bowlin banner stickers? Um, a LOT. And the twine is by Creative Impressions - I get asked that a lot, and I really love theirs!

So that's all for today. I hope you all had a great weekend and got to catch up on some much-needed good times! Now I'm off to take a nap - I'm BEAT!!

My new favorite layout.

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Let's be honest. I don't always like what I make. I should - I mean, if you're going to go to the trouble of making something, you ought to love it, right? But, no, sometimes I'm crafting just for obligation sake.

But not this time. This time, though this was for a specific challenge, I used product that I loved, photos that I love, and I even mixed things up with a little bit of digital play.

The background is a piece of Crate Paper from one of my noelmignon.com kits (I can't remember which one, of course) that I punched with a Martha Stewart edge/corner punch. Then I dripped a little white ink onto the page just to give it a little more aged look.

All of the paper on the page is by Simple Stories - the 100 Days of Summer line. AND I AM IN LOVE WITH IT. Period. The end. My favorite line. At least for the next few days, until I've used it to death and am sick of it.

And then I grabbed one of the little wooded fences and inked it up. LOVE this simple little technique - and it works so well with this kind of paper.

It is at this point that I must confess that I made this page up with absolutely no idea of the photos that would be going on it. So, when I got to the point that I HAD to add photos to it, I realized that my printer was completely out of ink and I was, in fact, screwed. It is at this point that I must also confess to being in a sadly embarrassing state of general appearance and that no amount of money could have made me do anything about it in order to leave the house, drive the 12 miles to Staples and get ink.

So I improvised.

I photographed the layout, uploaded it to Photoshop (I use CS3) and put my photos into the layout. I just traced around the summer banner and made it a new layer via copy, and put it over the photo so that it looked like I actually had a photo under the banner "for reals." And not for fakes. Fakes are bad.

Then I typed in a bit of journaling and voila!

It was actually kind of a nice change of pace, this little hybrid venture of mine, and I love the outcome!

So that's it for me today!
Happy scrappin'!

Winner Winner!!!

2011-08-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all (in my best Paula voice) it's time to pick a winner! But first, I just wanted to thank you all for all of your sweet and encouraging words, and for those of you who donated actual dollars, THANK YOU!! It really means so much to me and my family to have your support. This has been a hell of a last two years for us, and we're are excited to see what the future holds for Kate and having this kind of support really helps!

SO

I have entered everyone into a totally random drawing and we had many entries!

BUT

There can only be one winner for this hunka hunka burning kit!

And she is (drumroll please...)

Jeanie Kowalczyk!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY Jeanie!
Now, some of you may be saying, "Um, I don't see a comment from her!" And you would be right. And the answer to that is the following: My mom called and tearily says, "Jeanie just donated $100 because of your blog post. And she tried to comment, but she couldn't login. And well, just do it for her!" And so I did.

So there you go.

Thanks so much Jeanie for all your support! You'll be getting your package veeeery soon!!

And for those of you who didn't win something this week, I will be keeping your entries and carrying them over to the next Freebie Friday that will be going up next Friday, September 2. The walk isn't until September 17, so if you didn't get a chance to facebook, tweet, or repost this on your blog, there is still time! And if you want to donate to this friggin' awesome cause, just click here to go to our team page. No amount is too small and it is all VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

AND ALSO

The new kit from Noel Mignon is available for preorder and there are only a few left!

She is also doing a shipping special this month for all domestic orders - buy two kits and get free shipping, or spend over $100 in the shop and get free shipping! Purty sweet, I think! Be sure to go to the shop to get yours today before they are all sold out!

Have a greaaaaat weekend everybody!!!

Scrap Happy!

2011-08-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Heya!

So remember last week when I was trying to figure out how to use up all those scraps? Well, I figured out one really great way!

Make a mini album! This one is 3x5 - the perfect size to use up lots of little pieces. I used mostly the Salt Water Taffy and Mary Ellen kits for this one.

I started by making the bases for all the pages the same size, and stitched most of them so that they would have a feeling of continuity that is really important, especially when working with something small.

There's lots of layering on this mini, trying to use up some really small pieces, tucking them in here and there. I LOVE this antique brass butterfly from Making Memories!

Don't be afraid to add some inks and sprays to these layouts, too.

This is a great way to use up lots of those leftover stickers, too! Just run them off of the edge of the page, and trim them down.

You can also run small pieces through your Cricut and cut out some really cool shapes like this bumble bee or the little doily below.

Teeny tiny ephemera pieces add a little dimension to pages, too.

Mini banners are a great way to add a little pop to your pages, too, like this one I made using the Lily Bee stickers and then stitching across them. I must confess that I also have tons of almost empty bobbins, so I even used up all of them in an effort to declutter - I KNOW. It's a little crazy, but it works, and nobody ever sees the bottom thread...

Small pieces also make good frames.

Punch out shapes from teeny scraps like the butterfly below.

So grab your pile of scraps and get busy! It was such a fun little project to make, and didn't take much time, either!

Happy scrappin'!
Britt

A little carrot.

2011-08-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read Wednesday's post, you know that the walk for Crohn's is veeerrrrrry important to me. So important that I'm willing to bribe you to get your support. Yep, I'll say it. I'm not above it.

In order to gain said support, I am reviving Freebie Friday. Yep. I am.

Here's what's up for grabs:

Yep, that's a whole ton of Graphic 45, including Le Cirque, Curtain Call and ABC Primer, and some Staples. Jenni Bowlin Haven papers, stamps, stickers, rubon, Bingo cards,chipboard and buttons. A really cool 6x12 album by Clear Scraps, some Anna Griffin diecut papers, stickers and chipboard alphas, Petaloo flowers, lots of ribbon, vintage book pages, Mark Richards jeweled alphas and nail heads, some cute stick pins, fabric, baker's twine, mini clothes pins, vintage ephemera, Bingo numbers, and a whole mess of other "stuff" that I couldn't include in the picture. It's easily over $100 in product. I actually cringed at a few things I put in there that I reeeaaaallly had a hard time parting with.

In order to win this sweet little stash of happy you must do the following to earn entries:

1. Link up this post on Facebook. (1 entry)

2. Tweet about it. (1 entry)

3. Blog about it and include the link to the donation page. It doesn't matter if it's my page or not - anyone on Team Lejeune will work! (3 entries)

4. If you personally donate, let me know. (5 entries) And a great big online hug. Unless of course you live near me, and then I will deliver one personally.

5. Sign up to participate in the walk. (5 entries) Seriously, if you live in the Central Valley, CA sign up! It's going to be a great event and it will mean so much to me and my family to have your support.

So that's the deal this week. We'll see how it goes, and I'll announce a winner next week. If we do well, I just might have another fun game to play that will score you even more stuff!

Have a great weekend!!

Take Steps

2011-08-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

**Scroll to the bottom of the page to turn off the music!**

Crohn's Disease is seriously the shittiest thing in the world. Pun intended. It is probably one of the least publicized and most life-altering thing to have. It's like the gateway disease. Once you have it, you start on all these medications that just lead to other problems, like arthritis, liver & kidney disease, and even leukemia. And my sister Kate has it.

I can't even begin to tell you how upside down her world has turned in the last two and a half years. She went from just fine to 30 days in the hospital, bleeding, vomiting, shitting in total pain and humiliation, with no privacy and very few understanding or compassionate nurses and doctors to help. And at the end of all of that there was still no cure for it, just a handful of drugs to take 18 times a day and a "we'll see."

Have you ever take Prednisone? How about Flagil? Asacol? Reglan? Protonix? Well imagine being on them for over two years (and a ton of other, far more expensive ones too) and waking up to find that the prednisone has weakened your bones to the point of arthritis, leaving you constantly fatigued, and that the flagil has caused peripheral neuropathy, which is just a fancy way of saying that your limbs are in a constant state of that fallen-asleep numb feeling and your brain just isn't cooperating the way it's supposed to. How about taking a $1000+ a month medication that has no generic version, and finding that 8 of nine of them have passed through you whole. Not exactly encouraging, is it?

And then on top of that having everyone on the planet tell you that you'd get better if you'd just make better food choices. Which is the biggest pile of you know what because, um, 'scuse me, but don't you think if there was a menu called the "Get rid of Crohn's by eating this" menu that surely everyone would stick to it? Because I can promise you, if it meant not living with a toilet tethered to your ankle, you would. And if anyone is motivated to get better, it's someone who has to visit Uncle John 20 times a day.

So after two and a half years of fighting for care, from a doctor who's recently revealed himself to be the biggest shithead of them all, she is starting over. And she's not alone. My mom has been very involved from the beginning - Kate's best advocate. Kate's boyfriend Thomas reaaaaaalllllly loves her and is totally there for her. And I am three hours away researching and blogging about it. And can I just say, that if I were her, I wouldn't be half as sane. And positive. And humorous. And that, I think, deserves a metal.

Or at least a donation for the Take Steps Be Heard walk. That's right, we're walking for Crohn's on September 17th, and we need your support! This is really the underdog of diseases, and every dollar helps to find better meds, create better resources, treat so many people who have been diagnosed with Crohn's, just like my sis, and to hopefully find a cure.

Donate HERE.

Thanks for all your support!
HUGS!

Cards and Tags and Tags and Cards

2011-08-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

Heya everybody!

Hope you all had a great weekend! We had a whirlwind followed up now by a bit of a crash and burn. It started early Friday morning with driving to San Jose so that Eric could help a friend with his race car, which meant that Brittny would have been sitting with nothing to do, except that she knows the very best scrappy lady in all of San Jose! My good Kiwi friend Shell is the owner of Scrapgrlz, and has always put on great retreats, but has also recently opened up a shop! You can shop, crop, and trust me, you will eventually drop! I was finally able to make it over there on Friday to see it, and OMG it is fantastic! Lots of goodies to buy, space to crop, and tools to play with, too! You have to go check it out! And be sure to stop by her online shop if you're not in the area - she has great deals and does lots of giveaways on her blog!

So after I saw the shop, I headed back to the land of the race car, obviously with lunch for the hungry men, and slaved in the sweltering heat for hours and hours and hours. Okay, it was maybe two hours, and it wasn't exactly sweltering. But it was hot! And I was wearing pink. And the mere thought of a grease stain on my frilly pink top was enough to make me perma-cranky.

After the boys finished on the car and got it all loaded into the trailer, we headed to Fresno to my Mamala's house to drop me off for the weekend. YAY! The boys continued on down to Bakersfield to do their manly car racing business, and I got to stay and have fun with my mom. We went to see Crazy Stupid Love, and wowee wow wow - it was SUCH A GOOD MOVIE!! Seriously, you HAVE to go see it. I crazy stupid LOVED it!

Flash to late Friday night. Eric calls to say that his friend ran his car into the wall, and they are officially done racing for the weekend. Wow. Okkkaaaaaaaaay. So the nice, blissful day and a half that I had planned with Mamala changed into a nice blissful 18 hours because home the boys came!

But all was not lost, no sir. This just meant that Eric and my sis's boyf could repair my mom's fence a day earlier than he planned, and wouldn't have to take a day off of work after all. BUT the minor repairs turned into a total recall, and not even humpty dumpty could have survived this one. But never fear, they are total fencing geniuses and got it up in record time. Ha ha Kate, I know, I know, "that's what she said." By Sunday afternoon it was all done, so Eric did a little tree pruning and we were on our way home!

And can I say, it's good to be home? I spent a few hours yesterday working on my scrap pile which seems like it grows exponentially overnight, and I can never get a hold on it. I made a few cards and am going to be butterfly punching, accordion folding, and whirligiging the sweet bejesus out of that pile until it is under control!

Here's a few little things I made:

I used a combination of my Mary Ellen and Salt Water Taffy kits for this one. It's hard to tell, but it is actually an A2 size card. I cut the scalloped paper to hang over the top and right side of the card.

A couple of tags I made using some more of my past Noel Mignon kits. LOVE that Crate Paper Restoration flower paper. I'm a fussy cutter and proud!

I got the idea for this little tag from Gretchen's cards she did last week. Love the little sideways pennants!

That's all for today - happy scrapping!

31 days to create

2011-08-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is another of my submissions for the American Crafts Design Team. It's a handmade journal for a month of reflection/craftiness/experiments/journaling. I would say art journal, but it seems that everyone is doing an art journal now. So it's the un-art journal.

I used some Thickers and a few paints to get this look.

The inside of the journal is full of blank, numbered pages , lined with super cute American Crafts papers.

Wanna make your own? Here's how:

Start with a couple of pack of chipboard Thickers and two pieces of chipboard. I cut mine to 5x7, but you can do whatever size works for you.

Fill up the front of one of the pieces of chipboard with lots of Thickers. Be sure to leave space for ring holes.

Cover the front of the cover with a good coat of Gesso. I used white, but you could use black, too.

Choose a color of paint you like, or mix two colors together. I prefer Studio Acrylics, but any old paint is fine.

Be sure to mix enough for two coats.

After the first color is dry, choose and coat with a second color.

After the second color is dry, use sand paper or a file to rub off some of the layers of paint.

Now you can see the layers of exposed color.

Cover it with a gel medium like Mod Podge. I usually use Studio Gel Gloss Medium, but this Mod Podge has sparkles in it, and how can I possibly say no to sparkles? Use a heat tool to get it quickly, completely dry.

Use Ink Gold by Viva Decor to dirty up the cover. I used the charcoal color, and smoothed it on with a foam sponge. If you get it on too heavy, just use a little water to take some off.

I took it easy on the backside.

So that's all there is to it! Try it out for yourself and let me know how it goes!

Happy Tuesday!

A Little AC Love

2011-08-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of layouts I made for the American Crafts Design Team call.
Fingers crossed - this would be soooo exciting. I can't even imagine being able to work with some of the amazing designers on this team - what an awesome group of gals!

How much do you LOVE those flowers?! I jazzed them up a little with a Viva Decor Glitter Liner.

Supplies:
American Grafts: City Park-Hyde Park; Dear Lizzy- Flowering Fields & Friendly Fern; Dear Lizzy Enchanted- Gentle Badger.
Bazzill: Bazzill White Cardstock
Viva Decor: Cream Pearl Pen, Holo Glitter Liner
TPC: Scalloped Kraft Card
Butterflies from Paradise Scrapbook Boutique!

LOVE this layout. Such a great photo of a family friend's boys. I used some "vintage" AC Teen line - love those cut out paper airplanes!

I used a black Pearl Pen from Viva Decor to make the little dashed swirlies coming off the planes.

And a little Scrap Dots from Helmar lifted those Thickers right up in the air!

Supplies:
American Crafts: City Park- Mountain Park, Golden Gate Park; Dear Lizzy Enchanted- Charmin Collin; Teen- Detention. Aqua Patchwork Thickers and Charcoal Lullaby Thickers.
Viva Decor: Black Pearl Pen
Jenni Bowlin: Bingo Card
Echo Park: Country Drive- Clover Meadow
Lily Bee: Happily Lost sticker

Well, that's all for now, peeps! Happy Monday!

As Promised

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend I sat down at my computer to bog and just thought....bleh. Ever get to that point where something you look at every single day is suddenly just so ugly you can't take it another second? Yeah, that's where I was at. So I'm experimenting with some things like buttons, solid color versus patterned background, two columns versus three?

And the first thing I decided to change was my Blog Title. And I thought, "Why not make my own?" I mean, I have this beyond awesome Salt Water Taffy kit from NoelMignon.com and I thought it would be fun to take it step by step so I could share how to go about this with you all who might want to build your own blog title too!

Here's my first attempt, and oddly, I love it! I think this will be a fun thing to rotate on a regular basis. It's certainly one of a kind!

So here we go!

It's important to remember that you can make your title any size you like, but I used a 12"wide x 4.5" tall base. Obviously, we are going to be scaling this down in Photoshop when we're finished designing the actual title, but starting with the standard 12" papers will make things much easier to construct, otherwise your patterned papers will wind up looking over-sized.

Step 1: Choose your supplies

Here are the supplies I used from the Salt Water Taffy kit:
Zing! Embossing Powder in Mustard
Jenni Bowlin Butterfly Acrylic Stamp
Washi Tape
Echo Park Country Drive 'Bee's Knees' paper
We R Travel Light Tag
Hambly 'Birds on a Wire' Overlay
MME Lime Twist 'Happy Go Lucky - Togetherness' paper
MME Lime Twist 'Life of the Party - Bloom' paper
MME Life of the Party 'Be You' Accessories Sheet

Extras from my own stash:
Versamark pad
Ranger Heat Tool
Sewing machine
Glossy Accents
Glue Dots
Foam Dots
Pumice Stone Distress Ink
Finger Dauber
Chipboard

Step 2: Trim your papers to size

Once you've decided on the papers you want to use, cut the primary piece to 12"x 4", the bottom piece to 12"x1", and cut one length of birdies out of the Hambly overlay.

Cut scallops onto the bottom edge of the blue woodgrain strip. You can draw them first if you need a guide.

Trim closely around the edge of the birdies so that this strip looks a little cleaner.

Step 3: Stick it down

Glue down the strip of birdies to the honeycomb paper so that the left side sits higher than the right side.

Step 4: Washi Tape

Find the Washi Tape in your kit and run a strip of it along the seam between the honeycomb paper and the woodgrain paper.

Run another length of tape on top of the first so that it looks like the photo below.

Smash down the loops you left.

Stitch down the center of the tape with a sewing machine.

After you're finished stitching, flip up the top and bottom edges of the washi tape and de-stick using some corn starch or baby powder.

Step 5: Stamping

Grab your supplies - the Jenni Bowlin stamp and Zing! embossing powder from your kit as well as some Versamark ink and a heat tool.

Lay down a piece of paper to catch the embossing powder and stamp the left side of the paper, so that the stamp goes off the edge a bit. Sprinkle on a generous amount of embossing powder so that it completely covers the stamped butterfly.

Shake off the excess onto the paper beneath and pour it back into the jar.

Heat set the embossing powder. I used to use the purple Marvy embossing gun, and that's fine. BUT NOOOOOOOW I use the Ranger heat tool and O. M. G. it's amazing. You don't realize how loud your gun is until you use the Ranger one. It's soooo quiet.

Step 6: Inking

Use Pumice Stone Distress Ink and a finger dauber to rub on a little bit of ink over the stamp, and right around the edges. It might look a little rough at first, but keeping rubbing the ink in, and you will end up with a shadowy result that really pops off the page!

Step 7: So far...

This is what you should have so far.

Step 8: The tag

Grab one of the tags from your kit and put a few foam dots on the back. Stick down to the left side of the piece, over the washi tape. Glue the twine into place with a little gob of Glossy Accents.

Step 9: Make the whirligig

Cut a 1.5" square out of the MME paper. You don't have to draw the lines and dot if you are comfortable making whirligigs, but if you're new at it, you might find it helpful when cutting.

Fold over every other wing and glue to the center of the square.

Glue a little button over the center of the whirligig to hide the ends you just glued.
Put a couple glue dots on the back of it, and stick to the top left of the tag.

Step 10: The Sticker

Cut the sticker in half.

Stick it to the top right of the piece.

Stitch over the sticker with a sewing machine.

Step 11: Measure for chipboard

When you get to this point, you are finished. BUT you probably have some waves in the paper from embossing, so we'll need to mount the whole thing onto a piece of chipboard to flatten it out.

Measure the total height of the piece.

Cut the chipboard and then mount the finished piece on top of it.

Step 12: The finished product!

Once you finish the background, you are ready to photograph it for editing. Make sure you put the piece flat on a debris-free surface and get as straight of a photo as possible. Try to avoid using the flash on your camera as it will cast a glare on the overlay.

Open your photo in Photoshop (I use CS3, but most people use Elements. I say use what you're comfortable with.) and make any changes to brightness or contrast that you want. Lasso the background of the picture and delete. Once the background is gone, crop the whole thing down so that it just includes what you want to see. Resize the image to be about 5" wide at 150 dpi, then save the image as a PNG file so that there is no white background - just the image you want to see. From there, go into your blog and change the title to this image.

Lots of steps, but all in all, fairly easy!
Have fun and if you have any questions at all, just let me know!

Weekend Recap

2011-07-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well friends, I finally did it. I finally managed to remember to take pictures while on a little Saturday morning trip with the surrogate family. As DJ Tanner would say, "Yesssssssss!!!!!" with a little fist pump in there, too. And maybe some some super great flipped and extremely aerodynamic hair. I could so pull that look off.

While Eric and his dad were toiling away running electricity out to his newly renovated shop, I decided that rather than suffer the heat with no electricity I would join Terri (surrogate Vacaville Mom), and two of her kids, Nick and Kaitlin to the Denio's Auction/Farmer's Market/Swap Meet in Roseville.

Wouldja just look at all the pretty produce!?! If Eric would eat any of it, I would have bought IT ALL! And honestly, I was tempted just to buy it so that it would look pretty on my counter. Is that bad?

And I mean, where else can you buy onions AAAAAAND pinatas at the same place?

Millions of peaches. Peaches for me. Millions of peaches. Peaches not free... :(

So now I am just spending a quiet day working on some projects for the coming week and enjoying the great weather. I mean, sunny and maaaybe 80 out? PERF.

Hope you all are having as great a weekend as I am!

Salt Water Taffy!!!!!

2011-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! Has it really been two weeks? Wowee wow wow!! The combination of being super busy, and having a half-functioning laptop have made it awfully tough to check in here. And for the record, that iPhone ap for blogger just doesn't work so hot... Text? No problem. Pictures? Virtually impossible to get them sized right. OH WELL!

I wanted to check in today for a few reasons.

#1: The new kit from Noelmignon.com is up for grabs starting today, and you DO NOT want to miss this one! It is seriously amazing - my favorite so far! There are so many fun and happy papers and embellies - I can't wait to use it all up!!

Be sure to hop on over to the shop to get your own before it's too late!!

#2: Here's a layout I made with the kit this week. I must say, I grabbed my box, scissors and a glue runner and ran out the door to a friends house for a few days and so this was a definite challenge layout for me. But I also must say that I am very happy with the results. I use my trimmer religiously and a sewing machine is almost mandatory for my layouts, so this was a real stretch for me.

#3: I'm working on a class project this week that I'll be posting up next Tuesday. I'm making it using my Salt Water Taffy kit, so if you want to follow along, you'd better be sure to pick up your kit! It's going to be TONS OF FUN!!!!

Have a great weekend everybody!!

WOW

2011-07-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, after a whopping ONE comment, I suppose we have a winner!!

Congrats, Vicki - send me your address to brittnykvilhaug@yahoo.com and I'll get these cards out to you asap!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Winner!! And a new Freebie!!

2011-06-24T14:54:00.001-07:00

And the winner iiiiiiiissssssss......

gssfam has left a new comment on your post "Freebie Sunday Night?":

I am all for a mixed media class. I have been dying to take one. So that would be AWESOME!

Posted by gssfam to Britt's Blog {Paisley Lane Design Studio} at Thursday, June 16, 2011 7:01:00 AM PDT

Congrats to Shannon! You are the winner of the freebie Friday, full of lots of goodies that are totally perfect for the summer!!

It was so great to get all of your ideas for summer classes, and I am busy prepping to get one going veerrrry soon! More info coming soon!

So now I suppose you want to know what the next freebie is, don't you? Hmmmmmm...... I'm looking around my studio for something good. What could I give you?
How about these cute little greeting cards? Would you like them?

If you want em, leave me some inspiration! Link me up with some fun projects, ideas, or even something you think is just plain awful! Anything to entertain me!
This will run until next Friday, so be sure to get your comments in if you want to be entered to win those cars!
Have a great weekend!!

Water Fun

2011-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick page I made for the water challenge for Best Creation. The new Splash Fun line they have is great!

Thanks Noel, for letting me borrow your kiddo!

Be sure to check in over at the Best Creation blog for your chance to win some yummy prizes!!

It' my new thing...

2011-06-17T06:00:00.001-07:00

I am in love. It's true. With paint and sprays and glue and ink. That's right. And I think there are a few of you out there that share this love, no?

Well, I thought I would do a little tutorial today that shows how to use a few of my favorite techniques on your layouts.

Here's my inspiration page I found in an old issue of Scrapbooks Etc. I love it's simplicity, and I thought it would be a perfect sketch to go off of for a layout with so much technique on it.

To start, gather some scraps and a piece of cardstock about 4"x4" in size.

Coat the cardstock with Mod Podge or any other medium, and then layer them over each other to make a base from which to cut your heart. Use a Heat Tool to speed up this process.

Once the base is dry, spritz it with your favorite spray. Now, not to be picky, but Tattered Angels spray doesn't work so well with this technique. You need a spray that is not so watery, like Smooch Spritz by Clearsnap or Color Wash by Ranger. These are a lot more saturated with color, and once dry, don't smear like Tattered Angels.

After you've spritzed your base, then use a white paint or ink to make some droplets. I used Liquitex Ink! but you can definitely use some watered down white acrylic paint.

Again, you can speed up the drying process with a heat tool, otherwise you'll have to let it dry all night.

Once that's dry, cut out a heart from the base and use some Liquitex Raw Umber Ink! to distress the edges.

Once that is finished, choose a couple of rubons to apply to the heart. I love these from Hambly that I got in one of Noel's past kits.

And these rubons from Basic Grey, in the Office Party kit. Oh YUM.

Then rub the edges with some silver Inka Gold from Viva Decor to get a nice, vintage look.

Run the heart through a sewing machine a couple times around the heart.

Then add some dots using a Black Pearl Pen, also from Viva Decor.

Once the pearl dots are dry, coat the whole thing with Mod Podge - I used this sparkle kind, and it's super cool!

Once that's dry, wrap some jute around the heart, securing it on the back with some masking tape.

You can tie whatever you want to the front of the heart, like a tag or key. Or both!

Now it's time to do the base of the layout. I didn't have the perfect color, so I mixed my Studio Classic Teal and Studio Blank Canvas together to get the right color. I mixed the paint right on my craft sheet - it's perfectly slick and works great!

Then I rolled my Inky Roller through the paint, and onto the page.

While the paint is drying, dap a teeny bit of Studio Black paint onto the craft sheet, spray with some Pearl Perfect Pearls Mists (water works too, but you don't get a pearl finish to the paint) and then get a good amount on a small paint brush.

Flick the paint brush over the page to get lots of splotches.

Then pick the rest of the elements for your page - photos, stickers, embellies, etc.

Here's my final product, and I looooove it! It's messy and loose and totally different than anything I've made before.

I just love that little felt house from the Delightfully Domestic kit. I HAD to have that on the page!
I also added some sloppy stitching around the inside of the page just to kind of anchor everything.

On my hear I added some Cosmo Cricket Alphas and some Maya Road heart pins, a metal key from who knows where, a spritzed up "art" chipboard from Maya Road, a snippet from a Cosmo paper, and a cute little clear birdie sticker from Hambly.

So that's it! Now go out and try something like this for yourself. Experiment. Make mistakes. Spill some paint. And for the love of God, get your fingers dirty!!

Any questions? Feel free to comment or email me at brittnykvilhaug@yahoo.com

Oh, and for those of you here for Freebie Friday, I decided to wait until next Friday, since I posted it late. I know. I'm a dweeb. But I still need lots of class ideas and advise, so this just gives you all a little more time to tell me what you want!

Happy Friday!!

It's like creative soup

2011-06-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Two great companies, Helmar and Best Creation have teamed up for a week of Creativity!

Be ready for a week of fun, creativity and projects. Both design teams will be creating just for you! So be sure to check out Helmar's BLOG and Facebook Page and Best Creations' BLOG and Facebook Page! There will be GIVEAWAYS too !

Here's a mini album I made using the Rockstar collection from Best Creation, a cute Punky Sprouts album, and tons of Helmar glue!

I also used a ton of Color Wash and Acrylic paints by Ranger. They are so much fun to play with!!

The Bee's Knees!

2011-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Look at this little beauty!! Another work of creative, crafty genius from Noel Mignon! She is seriously the best.

I mean, there's American Crafts Thickers, Cosmo Cricket papers and bling, Sassafras papers and stickers and foldies, Glitz Stickers, MME twine, Jenni Bowlin stickers and paint dauber, WeRMK stamp, Maya Road flowers, Elle's Studio journaling spots, October Afternoon rubons, and a whole lotta other goodness that I just can't wait to see in action!!

Be sure to get your kit today! And I mean it, because she is running a super awesome promo for today only - buy your kit and get a free goodie to go along with it. Buy two kits and get three free goodies!! It could be anything from a pack of Thickers to a sheet of Rubons, to a bottle of Spritz. You just never know with Noel!! So head on over to the shop and HURRY - only 9 left!!

Freebie Sunday Night?

2011-06-12T22:21:00.001-07:00

So, I maaaaaay have forgotten about freebie Friday on Friday. It's my thing lately, being forgetful. But I did remember to make the video!

And here it is!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

Oh wow.

2011-06-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's sort of crazy how crazy I am. I TOTALLY forgot to post a winner yesterday and I must confess, that I was completely distracted by being lazy. I don't know what the weather has been like for you all, but it has been DISGUSTING here! So rainy and overcast and cold. And it's JUNE. WTF!? All my productive house plans went out the window, traded in for a lazy day doing some shopping, lunching, and then watching a movie on the couch. Because that's obviously what really needed doing yesterday, right?

Anyway, the winner of all the spring-inspired goodies is:

Jill has left a new comment on your post "Oops! Almost forgot Freebie Friday!":

You are loved and you have friends. I look forward to Fridays just so I can see what you have to say! Have you tried a Moscow Muel? They are really good. Ginger beer, lime juice, mint and vodka! It is really refreshing on a warm day. Oprah had it on one of her shows. I know you want creative inspiration, but drinking on may give you just that!!! I had a blast on the blog hop. They should do that more often.

Posted by Jill to Britt's Blog {Paisley Lane Design Studio} at Tuesday, May 31, 2011 10:01:00 AM PDT

Congrats, Jill! I am always game to try a new drink, and this sounds totally amazing! The perfect inspiration!! Send me your info at brittnykvilhaug@yahoo.com and I'll get that package out to you asap!!

This week is a break week for me and Freebie Friday. I've really got to hunker down and get some projects done - it's crazy how fast those deadlines sneak up on you! I'll definitely be using all the amazing inspiration you have all left me! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!

Oops! Almost forgot Freebie Friday!

2011-05-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. It's not really a Freebie Friday this week, more of a general announcement to all of you who have confided in my mom that you didn't feel like you should comment because you thought it might be unfair. And there's many of you, I'm finding out! For shame! Of course you can post - I love hearing from everyone!! I don't pretend to get winners from a random number generator - none of this totally-by-chance winner stuff! I want winners who put in effort! I want inspiration! I want to be entertained! I want.... a margarita! And my mom does, too, she says.

So that's all for now. Leave comments. Make me feel like I have friends! Win away! I like giving presents, to friends and strangers alike!

I'll leave this open until next Friday, and I just may add some more fun stuff to that box - you never know with me. ;)

In the meantime, be sure to check out the Best Creation blog hop that's starting today. There's lots of fun projects, and if you're having withdrawals from Freebie Friday already, there some fun new collections to win, too!

Have a great weekend!!

Summertime Hop!

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

This post is wonkily spaced. Blogger is freaking out. Blanket apology!

Well, even though Mother Nature isn't cooperating, we felt that it was time to bring in a little summer sunshine with some great projects for you!

So grab your suntan lotion and a towel and

get ready for a fun Summertime Hop to get some great ideas
to get caught up with old summer photos and lots of ideas
for inspiring you for this summer too!!

Our first stop on this weekend hop is to Liz's blog and then

off to a idea-packed hop with the rest of the team

and our Guest Designer for this month, Shannon Morgan...

And of course we have lots of chances to win some of

our New June releases and 6x6 mini packs too. Be sure

and leave a comment on either Facebook or the blog

or sign up as a new follower!!!

And of course our DT loves, loves, loves to hear from you

so leave them comments too!!

Liz Chidester

Katarina Damm

Alicia Barry

Kim Holmes

Brittny Kvilhaug

Petra Offrell

Karen Taylor

Sandy Ang

Karen Thind

Jona Panessa

Sarah Mullanix

Tina McDonald

Julie Walton

Jodi Wilton

Debbie Sherman

Kim Arledge

Irit Shalom

Nicole Wise

Emily Branch

Shannon Morgan

Here's a project I whipped up using the Splash Fun line. I thought it would be lots of fun to send out an invitation to a swim party on the back of the flipflops - these are so easy and fun to make!

To keep the kiddies quenched, here's a decorated water bottle, complete with umbrella and flavored drink mix, tucked into the bow.

Then send them on their way with a few treats in this candy tube.

Did I mention that I used a TON of Helmar glue on this? I LOVE the Liquid Scrap Dots!

Well that's all for now! Have a great weekend!

Freebie Friday and a Winner!!

2011-05-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ooooooooookkaaaaaayyyy!!!

So here we are. Friday already. Have seven days really passed? Wow.

Well, this week is my sister's 23rd birthday, so I packed my bags and headed home to Mamala's to celebrate, and as we speak, we are all huddled around the living room watching that new Harry Potter movie. Honestly, I couldn't be less interested. I know. But I just can't get into kids with wands. I mean, if I'm going to invest that much time of my life into reading the books and standing in line for 82 hours to see the midnight showing of each movie, there had better be a sexy Highland warrior in there somewhere, and Hagrid doesn't exactly do it for me...

Anyway.

I guess you want to know who the winner is, don't you? You want to know who gets all those yummy Bella Blvd goodies I showed you last week. I know. So I guess I'll tell you:

Natalie said...
hey hey Britt! hope your finger is doing better! im working on hannahs FIRST birthday invitations currently and scrapbooking every time i get a chance now that ive got a brand new job! :)
p.s. i blogged about your give away and im gonna post it to facebook! yay! have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 19, 2011 6:19:00 PM PDT

Congrats, girl! Just email me at brittnykvilhaug@yahoo.com with your address, and I'll get the box out to you asap!

So now are you ready for this week's Freebie? I bet you are, you sassy little ladies!

***Scroll down to the bottom of the page to pause the music!***

Can't wait to see all the inspiration you send me!!

Happy Friday!

2011-05-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

#1: It's now Friday night, so my plans of getting this done early are clearly dashed. UGH.

#2: I have no door handle on my studio door. I know...

#3: My husband is at a drag race in Bakersfield, which is why he's too busy to put the door handle on my door... BIG eye roll.

#4: I like to bitch about my husband not doing things for me that I can clearly do myself. BUT he does it so much better!!! And he uses that excuse for cooking, cleaning and laundry so why can't I use it for piddily household repairs?!?! Literally, the man has done like, three loads of laundry in his entire life. And he's admitted that he just can't mentally process the thought of doing it. He actually said that if I'm on bed rest, we'll just have to go without clean clothes. I think he'd rather that I just order new ones than force him to doll out detergent. They say and do the weirdest things, don't they?

#5: It's marginally warm in my house, so I've decided I need a margarita. Nighty night!

Oh me. Oh my.

2011-05-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been an interesting last 6 days, I'll say that much.

Last Tuesday, I was innocently sitting in my studio, working on a SRM's Summer CHA class projects and all of a sudden I hear a CRASH BANG BOOM from the other room. That rhymed...

So, I went to investigate. A mirror and one of my very favorite antique Ball jars that were just perfectly perched on the fireplace mantle were the CRASH BANG BOOM that I heard, and I was flummoxed. How on earth did that happen?!? And then I saw it. Slithering. Yes, that's right. Slithering. Across the mantle.

HOLYMARYMOTHEROFGODANDALLTHATISHOLY.

I ran out of the house, sure that I would find a man in a cape with a dead snake emblem emblazoned on his chest, just waiting to slay the little creeper on my mantle. But no. He was off saving other, skinnier, prettier damsels. Bitches...

So I ran back inside and called the hubby. Voicemail. "Justwantedtoletyouknowthere'sasnakeonthemantleandi'mallalone. Callmeback."
Mom. "Hiiiiii sweetie."
"There's a snaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!!!!!!!!"
Mom. "Whaa?"
"A snaaaaaaaake."
Mom. "Wha?"
Then I proceeded to explain the situation and she sat with me the whole time via speakerphone on the coffee table, as I navigated the broken glass with a broom, trying to coax it onto the end of said broom, thinking in my head that I would fling that slimy little bastard out the back door, past the gazebo, over the chicken coop, and into nevergobacktothatwoman'shouse land.

But it didn't happen that way. It happened in much the same way that every cartoon granny chases a household pest out the back door with a broom. And then I chopped it's head off with a shovel. That's the part they leave out of the granny cartoon. She's nicer than me. I mean, I respect the snake's right to life. They're good for the ecosystem and all that. Eat the mice. Blah blah blah. But not in my effin' house!!!!

So that was Tuesday.

Wednesday the refrigerator repairman finally showed up (after two months of waiting for our replacement part) and ten minutes later called me over to tell me that the part that he had was broken. Lucky for me, Eric was home that day because I fear I wouldn't have been able to restrain myself from hurling the nearest snake at his head because I want my two thousand dollar, six month old refrigerator to work, damn it! UGH.

Then on Thursday I woke up as usual when Eric turned the shower on. I rolled over, thought, "I love his cute little butt," and then decided I'd check my email while I waited for my turn. I grabbed my iPhone, thought that it was odd that the battery died, and realized that no, it's just not turning on. It's throwing a tantrum. Apple....

So I ran to plug it into my laptop to magically fix it, because it was surely just an update that it needed to be revived. Surely just something that I was being delinquent about. Couldn't possibly be an Apple problem. That never happens. And since my life depends on my phone, there was no possible way that it wouldn't be okay after it updated.

But no. It was a shootmeintheface kind of morning. And then a shootmeintheface kind of day when I realized that not only do I not have my phone, I don't have any of my phone numbers and can't leave the house, because I won't be able to access the email I was expecting that day that would have to be responded to immediately. I mean really...how did it come to this?

So after two trips to the Verizon store, a new phone was on it's way to me. The impending four whole days of no smart phone were daunting.

Saturday.
National Scrapbooking Day.
Thank GOD! Mama came up to our house so we could go to the Scrapgrlz crop in Los Gatos for Mother's Day. So ready for fun. And fun we had! Until I tried to open a paint dauber bottle with scissors and wound up stabbing myself in the finger. Blood literally spurted all over my table. But missed my white shirt. Phew...

After several minutes of trying to get the blood to stop, the resident EMT and nurse said that I would definitely have to get stitched up. So down the hill we headed to the hospital where I was told I'd have a twoandahalfhourwait!!!!! A what? Twoandahalfhours!! So I decided we'd better go to Chevy's for dinner. And margaritas. Mostly margaritas. So worth it.

Went back to the hospital and wound up with no stitches, just steri-strips and glue and a tetanus shot. Double phew...

Back to the crop just in time for everyone to pack up and leave. Such a bummer. But still a good day, all in all.

Today.

The Fedex man showed up at my door way earlier than I expected which was great. The chip that was in my replacement iPhone is not so great. So now I have to wait two more days to get another one. Seriously, I'd rather stab myself in the finger again...

So that's the recap of the last week for me.

Looking forward to Freebie Friday this week. A big winner and a new giveaway!!
Be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win. Facebook it if you want another entry!

Was that post long enough for you? Jeez. I'm beat. Nighty night!

Friggin' Freebie Friday....

2011-05-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Is just gonna have to be a Freebie Next Friday.
I have had a no good, very bad last couple of days, thanks to my iphone, and am sooooo looking forward to the National Scrapbooking Day crop at Shell's tomorrow! I'm even gonna just give away both sizes of that Best Creation paper. No choosing necessary. I'll announce the winner next Friday, and in the mean time, leave me another comment to win. Thrill me. Cheer me. Make me stand up and say, "I am a strong, independent woman, who will not be defeated by her iphone!"

Big kiisss...muuuuuuuaaaaah! (in a Maggie Smith, Ya-Ya kind of way.) Those of you who've seen Ya-Ya know what I'm talkin' about, and those of you who haven't, SHOULD!!

Have a great weekend!

Freebie Friday!!!

2011-04-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to pause the music!

Happy Friday!

An Post-Easter Hop!

2011-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heya ladies!

It is Hip Hop time again ladies so grab your Bunny Ears and come on a fun hop with us to learn lots of incredible techniques to use all those fun border punches that you have with the Best Creation Design Team!

Our first stop on the Hop is our talented Jodi Wilton and as your are being inspired be sure and pick up the mystery letters on each ladies blog as you go to spell our mystery word. Send this to teresa@bestcreation.us for a chance to win our grand prize and leave comments on our Facebook and all of the design team for 2 more chances to win your choice of a pack of glittery goodness.

In order to be the big winner, you must hop to every blog and collect letters as you go. Those letters will spell out the mystery phrase that you need to get that glittery prize! So, if you're starting here, be sure to hop on over to Jodi's blog to start at the very beginning!

I just love those edge punches - use em on practically every layout I do! For this challenge, I decided to use my punch as an edging detail. I love it when the design and details of the layout go off the page or push the boundaries of the edges of pages. For my layout, I used the Martha Stewart punch and do I loooove how well it goes through that yummy Best Creation glitter paper!

All papers by Best Creation
BGP215 Blue Dot
BGP216 Darker Blue Dot (used as backing for title)
BGP217 Light Blue Dot
R009 Robot
R012 Robot Stickers
R013 Robot Stickers
GCS025 Green Glitter Paper
Martha Stewart Edge Punch
May Arts Ribbon
American Crafts Thickers

So what is my secret letter, you want to know? Hmmmm.... well I guess that I should tell you. I mean how awful would I be if I didn't tell you? Ha. Get it? Do ya? Do ya?

The next stop on our hop is Debbie Sherman! Be sure to get her letter and report to Teresa when you get to the end!

Happy Monday!

Freebie Friday winner!!

2011-04-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's already Friday!!??!?!? Yeesh....

I was just scrubbing my floor, thinking lots of little thoughts, like how I really should have gone to the post office today, and I really need to recover that lamp, and man Eric has smelly socks, and it must be so nice to be a B cup and not deal with these saggy breasticles that are constantly in my way, and how it must be so much more fulfilling to be a scrapbooker with children to scrap about, and how did this floor get so dirty and Eric's digging a ditch outside and has been way too quiet and what if he hit himself in the forehead with the shovel and is laying unconscious out there and I don't know it because I'm scrubbing this stupid floor. Take a breath, Britt. You know, normal everyday little musings and things like that. I'm sure you think the EXACT same things, right?

Right.

Anyway, I was thinking these things and then I realized that I nearly forgot to post a winner for all that Cosmo Cricket goodness. And so now here I am in all my soapy-should-still-be-scrubbing-the-floor glory.

Drumroll please.

The totally randomly drawn winner iiiiiiiiisssss:

Elisha Pharr said...
I love watching your videos, Britt!! Right now, I am working on an Easter banner for our Easter party tomorrow. Easter has snuck up on me this year!! Thanks for the chance to win!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 1:10:00 PM PDT

Congratulations Elisha!!! Email your address to me at brittnykvilhaug@yahoo.com and I'll get your package sent off to you asap!

I'm skipping Freebie Friday this week, because, well, I completely forgot about it until about ten minutes ago, and quite frankly, I hate loading pictures on my laptop! So, we'll be back next week for a BIG Freebie Friday!!

Hope you all have a fantabulous Easter!

Mary Ellen!!

2011-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's here! The all new Mary Ellen kit from noelmignon.com!! This little baby is amazing! And perfectly timed - I've been jonesing big time for a little scrappy goodness! It is packed full of yummy stuff and you're gonna love it!

Here's a layout I made up last night with some of the choiceiest little morsels from the kit. I can't wait to dig in a little more!

Papers: My Mind's Eye, Lilli Bee, Sassafras, October Afternoon, Crate Paper
Ribbon: Creative Impressions, The Twinery
Embellies: Sticker by OA, journaling spot by Elle's Studio
Martha Stewart Corner/Edge punch

I had a back story to this layout that I wanted to make sure to remember, so I typed it up and made a tag to tuck behind the woodgrain paper.

Here's a little video of all the kit contents, in case that HUGE photo didn't quite convince you.

Now get off your tuckus and go get the kit!

Mr. Roboto

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new Robot line from Best Creation?
It's seriously cute.
You need it.
Here's a quick little card I made using it.

See, I told you you need it.

Freebie Friday!!!

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heya friends!

It's that time again! I have been a crazy busy woman for the last few weeks, and I'm finally home and in the mood to clean out the studio! I love me some Cosmo, and I'm sure you do too, so here's what's up for grabs!

So now all you have to do to enter into the drawing to win this box of goodness is leave me a comment telling me what you're working on right now. To get another entry, post this contest on Facebook or Tweet about it! I'll announce the winner next Friday!

Oh, and also - since Jessica never got in touch with me about her prize last week, and since Kelsey has been so dang patient with me, I think she deserves all that Bo Bunny paper, don't you? Yep, I do!

Also, be sure to hop over to the Noel Mignon blog and check out the mini album I made.

I. AM. LAME.

2011-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's me. A total lame-o! Friday came and went, and I forgot to post a winner for last week's freebie! ACK!

Well, I must say, the recipe that sounds the most interesting to me (and my mom and sis) is:

Jessica said...
Love your work! I wanted to send you a recipe, but it is not for a main dish...it is a snack. Great for parties I call it corn dip.

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can mexicorn
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups finely shredded cheese
3 stalks green onion - chopped
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tbsp taco sauce (not salsa)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and put in the fridge to chill. Eat as a dip on tortilla chips.

I know it sounds super weird....but you will not be able to stop eating it! It is always a hit when I make it. :)

Friday, March 25, 2011 8:02:00 PM PDT

Congrats, girlie, you get some yummy Bo Bunny paper, as well as some other goodies I might just have hiding in my studio.... Send me your contact info and I'll get your package out to you as soon as I can! And Kelsey, I haven't forgotten about you, I promise!

Happy Monday, everyone! Come back Friday for another yummy giveaway!

xoxo

Freebie Friday and a Winner!!

2011-03-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Haaaaaaappy Friday, blogland!

Well, for those of you who sent me the most intriguing, odd, funny, and unusual factoids this last week - THANK YOU!!! It was actually the most interesting response because everyone had something totally different to say and I love to get a chance to learn about you, instead of blathering on about myself all the time. I mean, who doesn't love to blather about themselves, let's be real, but I waaaaay prefer a two-way blatherathon!!

Anyway, let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we? The winner of the Jenni Bowlin goodies is the person who quite frankly, made me spew diet coke from my nose. Who gave a new meaning to the word perve-stache, and generally made us sisters in arms about our hair-getting-stuck-in-armpits-and-car-doors woes. That's right Kelsey, you're the winner!!

QC Kelsey has left a new comment on your post "Freebie Friday!!!":

Nice Loot!!

Hmmm ...

Brain fart - I got nothing interesting to say! I can't even make anything up ... all my ideas are sitting on the sidelines as they are all for my books. Oh! Here we go:

In the past 5 years, I've gotten my hair cut maybe 5 times. Last time was 2 years ago, time before that was 2 years ago. My hair is super long now - it gets caught everywhere ... pants waist, bra, shirt, elbows, armpits, under my elbows when I lean over (which isn't a very nice way to lose hair ... ouch), and I can barely do anything with it. It sits in a pony tail, a braid that still reaches my rear, or loose (cause that's how my Hubs likes it - all down and loose *yeesh*). I keep threatening to chop it off. I've had everything from a buzz cut to about as long as it is now. I've had every color of the rainbow too. Time after time I tell Hubs to prepare to come home to see it hacked off. Time after time I get too busy and just forget.

Not now. I officially have a hair appointment tomorrow to chop it. Not sure what I'll do - but shaving it all off is out. Hubs has threatened to grow a perve-stache if I shave it, and my Sister has threatened to never shave again if I shave it off. :)

So I'm scared but excited. 4 years of growth (cause 2 years ago when I got it done, I just got a slight trim and color) going bye bye.

:)

So send me your address, girlie and I'll get those goodies out to you asap!!

And now for the next yummy freebie!

It's a bunch of paper from Bo Bunny! And maaaaaaybe a few other surprise goodies as well from my stash of treasures...

This week I want recipes! I need some new ones - I'm sick of tacos! (Unless they're yours, of course, Terri! Wink, wink...) So send me your best recipe to be entered to win! Facebook about it and you'll get another entry! This will run until next Friday, April 1 so be sure to get those entries in!!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

2011-03-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hurry, hurry, go, go!!!! This babies get sold out soooo fast! Run like a madwoman to get one before they are all sold out!!

Sneaky sneaky...

2011-03-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday and welcome to my little portion of the blog hop sneaks!

This is more than just a fun way to get a bunch of sneaks all in one weekend, we have also turned it into a fun game! For April, we are revealing the name of the kit through jumbled letters (this is a 3 word name, with 11 total letters). The first stop on the hop is the NoelMignon LO/Project blog. So if you are stopping here first, please head back over there and start over to be sure you collect all the letters. Also, be sure to leave comments along the blog route, as there will be one lucky winner of a $10 discount pulled from all the comments left along the way. We are going to pull the winner from ONE blog, but that blog is a "mystery", so be thorough, and leave comments on every blog so you don't miss out!

Here it is!

The kit goes up for sale bright and early Monday morning! There will be a full reveal and kits will start shipping that very day! Get your order in early, as this one has the lines that have been getting a lot of attention since they debuted at CHA, and it won't last long!

Next on the hop is our lovly Leah!

Check it out!

2011-03-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Freebie Friday!!!

2011-03-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

That's right! It's time for a giveaway!!

It's been a while, and things are starting to pile up in the studio, so what better way to clean house than to give it to someone?!

I thought you might agree with me on that one...

So here's the loot:

A whole bunch of Jenni Bowlin Black Extension III!! Now doesn't that just sound yummy?

To win this little goodie box, just leave me a comment here telling me something interesting. That's right. Wow me. Tell me tales. Spin a yarn. Gift me with some gab. That's it. I can't think of any more clever sayings... To win another entry, post this on Facebook or Tweet about it and leave me another comment letting me know.

Have a great weekend! I'll announce the winner next Friday!!

Pay me a visit!

2011-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Going to the Scrapbook Expo in Pleasanton, CA? YOU AAAAAARRRRE? Well then stop by The Red Bee's booth and say hi! I'll be working there both days and would love to see you! We're gonna be doing some pretty cute little make-n-takes using SRM tubes and stickers. You don't want to miss this.

Also, be sure to check out the Scrapbook Grammie booth while you're there - she has a TON of great product and let's face it, who doesn't want to visit their Grammie?

See you there!

My fingers are raw.

2011-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Let's just pretend this is the bestest, crispest, most beautifulest picture in the world, shall we? Thanks.

So this is the little time suck that I've been working on and am now finally finished. Well. Finished if you don't look at the back of it. And I have to say, while I love it completely, I will never again make one of these. If I paid myself to make it, it would have a nice round $200 price tag on it. UGH. But a good experience, nonetheless. Now I have to figure out where the hell I'm gonna put it. Because it's gonna be up for a WHILE.

Delightfully Domestic

2011-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is the newest kit from Noel Mignon. It's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. And guess what? It's already sold out! If you want one of Noel's kits, I think you're gonna have to start getting crafty with the bribes! She is a kit-makin' genius!

I've been slowly making making this little album since I got the kit this last weekend, and I have to say, it's been so much fun! I loooove just looking through all of the goodies, and I started reading this paper from October Afternoon, and all the recipes just sounded soooo good! Five different ice creams? Surely, this deserves it's own mini book, right? RIGHT!

You'll have to pardon the crappy pictures, my iPhone just doesn't hold up to my regular cam, but you kinda have to have a memory card for those little buggers, and that's reeaally inconvenient when you can't seem to find it. Not that it's lost. No, no. It's just... hiding.

Be sure to check the Noel Mignon blog for lots more inspiration!!

Stick a fork in me...

2011-03-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

I am so done.

Seriously, it's been what, three weeks since I've checked in? Jeez. So not normal for me, and so not what a "serious" blogger does, right? Right. Consider my wrist slapped. Although, part of the reason I haven't been around much is that my wrists just haven't been working properly. Or at least for long periods of time. Not to mention my knees, elbows, and ankles. We're not even going to talk about my knuckles. And this has been my usual position the last couple of weeks...

Though I don't talk about it very much, I have rheumatoid arthritis throughout my entire body, and while I've been relatively symptom-free for the last several years, I have recently been pummeled my the RA gods, and it makes getting off my ass and even harder than usual. Anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes with me knows how poppy I am - my elbows, knees, neck, knuckles, and even my chest pops all day long, with absolutely no effort. It's creeeepy.

I was diagnosed with RA when I was 13, and I am also hyperextensive in all of my joints as well, which means that I'm SUPER flexible. Sounds good, but it basically means that I sprain things very easily and then on top of that, my ligaments don't shrink back like they're supposed to. SOOOO when I sprain anything I have to have surgery to fix it. It's a wonderful combination of holy shit and no friggin' way, that adds up to me being very careful where I step. But like I said, the last eight or so years have been pretty good.

So why all of a sudden? I just recently started seeing a new doctor (thanks honey, for having insurance that covers me!!) and she changed my birth control pill. I've taken the same one for almost eight years with no problems, so making this change was a little worrisome, but I had no idea how much it really matters that you find the right one for you!! Literally the day after I made the switch I started having baaad joint pain. The weather was yucky though, so I thought maybe I'm just having a bad day. At day 12, I figured, okay, this isn't normal. So I did some research.

Did you know that women who use birth control are 47% less likely to get arthritis? And that women who have arthritis can help control symptoms by taking birth control? Yeah, I didn't either. Thanks, all past doctors for not letting me in on this little tidbit... Many women who have RA have a total remission during pregnancy, too.

Lesson? Be more assertive when the doc says they're changing your meds. When you find something that works, don't change it!

On to other, far better things!

Since clicking isn't painful, I've found that I've spent way too much time online. Have you heard of Pinterest? It's only the most addictive thing on Earth! I have recently started using it, and I can't seem to stop!

Check it out. Need an invite? Email me. You'll regret it immediately. It's a black hole from which there is no return...

That's all for now. Dinner isn't gonna make itself, people!

Bella Bella Everywhere!

2011-02-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Head on over to the Bella Blvd blog today - yours truly has a card that's being featured!

That's all for now!

Sunday Catchup.

2011-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

I have to say, it's a very satisfying feeling when I can say, "There's a ballooooooon in the backyard!" to which my husband gives me an "are you nuts?" look and then realizes that there IS in fact a balllllooooooon in the backyard and gives me the sheepish "okay, so you're not nuts" look, thereby confirming my sanity. Sanity officially confirmed.

It's a gorgeous, totally crisp and clear morning. All the ucky rain and clouds are gone (for the moment) and of course that means that the hot air balloons are out in action. We just don't normally have them land in our backyards. And I should clarify that they actually touched down in our next-door neighbors yard. I wonder how that works. Do they have to get permission? You'd think so, wouldn't you? And eew, all that mud out there in that pasture and all those people trudging through it to get into the getaway vehicle. And that's really what it is. This truck comes blazing into the field to gather up the balloon, and a van comes to get all the people, then back to Napa they go. ZOOM.

Side track.

Here's a layout I did a while back that I never posted. It's got my very favorites in it - Cosmo's new Upcycle line and Best Creation's Glitter Basics Dot paper. So yummy.

Also, I am so excited by the most recent addition to our "backyard" - the quotes are because I use this term veeery liberally...

When we moved in, I was so sure we'd have nothing pretty for ages, and then every now and then we have something beautiful like this pop up. AND THEN the rains came, so I cut off all the delicate little blossoms and put them inside to ride out the storm. And OH the house smells gooooood!!!

Okay, so it's 10:45 on Sunday and I only have three more items on my to-do list: Putty and sand the holes in the baseboards that Eric put in last night; Hang the framed wedding pictures in the hall that have been sitting there for two months; and make the adorable ruffled pillows that I saw on the House of Smiths blog the other day. Sounds doable, right? We shall see....

Happy Sunday!

Love Me My Carmen.

2011-02-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

I'm usually a layout kinda girl, but lately I'm finding the instant gratification of cards veeeery intriguing. This box base idea was originally designed by SRM stickers, and I've used it to make quite a few samples for them. BUT THEN I got the new Anna Griffin in the mail a couple of days ago, and I haven't been able to keep my hands off of it!! It just called out to me, "Make me into a cute gift card box!" Literally, you should have been there, it totally happened...

So I've fallen madly deeply in love with both the box idea and the Carmen line of goodies, and here's what their love child looks like!

Does that not just make you want to dig out all those purty papers you've been hoarding because they're too precious to use and make something great?!? Oh, and I also used my new favorite stuff - Viva Decor Pearl Pen in cream for the pearl dots you see on the outside of the box. FABULOUS STUFF!!

Let's do a little shopping, shall we?

2011-02-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

Have you checked out CSN? I've done a few reviews for them in the past, and I have to say, they have some great stuff! Everything from printer ink to baby luggage to office desks! Be sure to check them out!

Isn't this one yummy? How much would I loooove to have that in my new studio!?!

What is a "ME" project?

2011-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

I was asked yesterday what a "me" project looks like. A project that really shows my style as a designer, that I'm proud of, that I just plain love. And I realize that I don't always get to post projects that I am totally in love with here. Sometimes I do, but more recently it has been about design team projects or manufacturer projects, where I try to use a LOT of a specific paper line or a combination of products to highlight, or some kind of challenge layout with specific guidelines. I am rarely left with time to just scrap whatever subject I want, with whatever supplies I want, for as long as I want. Not that I'm complaining - I love the challenges and design teams (and I'm certainly not on as many as some people I know!) and all the other work that comes my way. But in the course of all of this, it is easy to lose that certain "me-ness" that made all of this enjoyable in the first place.

SO.

Here are some projects that are "ME" that I love:

LOVE bright, happy colors!

Spritzes are a new fave of mine.

Love the wonky color combos.

Pages with humor.

Movement in layouts that keep your eye happy.

Exploring layers and not just in-the-album layouts.

Paper vomit. But good vomit.

Pretty, girly, soft pages.

Sometimes simple pages.

Pages with no photos. All about the everyday-ness of life's memories.

Hand-made mini albums.

Projects out of the ordinary day to day stuff. Yup, that's a brie container.

And that's an embroidery hoop.

Sometimes projects with no purpose other than to be pretty.

And the big challenges, like making bouquets from scratch paper. The white lilies are my fave!

So that gives you a little glimpse into my personal style and the types of projects I just love to get into. Of course, in ten years I'll probably look back at these and say, "What was I thinking!?!" but for now they make my happy.

Loverly.

2011-02-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check in over at the NoelMignon.com Valentine's Crop!! It's a ton of fun - lots of projects, chatting and inspiration!!

The "BEST" Hop!

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

That's right, the Best Creation DT is having our First Blog Hop of the new season today and our theme is "Creating Handmade Spring Flowers." On each blog you will find lots of incredible projects and ways to create and use spring flowers that you can make yourself! In order to win our Grand Prize be sure and collect the kinds of flowers made on each blog and send the list to teresa@bestcreation.us. Also be sure and leave comments along your way on each of the designers blogs and especially on the Best Creation blog at the end of the hop. Be sure and check out www.bestcreationinc.blogspot.com for the list of prizes you are going to win!

So, are you ready for the tutorial? These flowers are so stinkin' easy to make you'll be making them by the dozens! They are great for wreaths, cards, and plunkin' on stems to put in a vase! Here's how to do it:

*Note: Scroll down to the bottom of the page to turn off the music!*

Well, hopefully this taught you something new, and if you've been making these for years, I hope it inspired you to make a few more!

Now be sure to hop on over to Nancy's blog to see what great flowers she's got in store for you!

It's SEW EASY!

2011-02-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Five days in one...

2011-02-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

Here we are! Yes, we actually managed to get a picture of us all together, all looking good!

Louisa, Me, and Mamala.

Flowers by Petaloo. Take that, Prima!! These are seriously gorgeous!

The Girls' Paperie - always a winner!

Love me some Corner Chompers! The all new rounder is way cool!

Miceli's on Hollywood Blvd. - the oldest Italian restaurant in L.A. THE BEST food!

We got Dolly Parton's star too, but the picture showed way too much cleavage!

Pebbles and American Crafts. Love it.

Yummy colors, pretty paper flowers, and the cutest displays ever!

We had so much fun at the SRM class with John, Susan and Laura! They have the cutest new wand! I got to be a little helper and pimp out the Smooch Spritz. FUN FUN FUN!!!

Hero Arts make n take with Sally - lots of fun!

Lalliberry by Julie Comstock for EK Success. Too cute.

Lots of Viva Decor - my favorite booth at the show!

I mean, really? All that with a Pearl Pen? Yes, please!

Yep, those strings of pearls are made with a Pearl Pen, too.

Some cute jewelry by Epiphany.

Graphic 45 yumminess.

The cutest little armoir at EK Success.

Met Gary Burlin and Jeanne Wines-Reed. She is my new hero! Had tons of fun making paper flowers and gabbing at the SRM booth.

Maya Road's yumminess. Never get enough of that.

Webster's Pages. LOVE the lovelies they have!

Trims trims for everyone!!

The new bottlecap jewelry booth downstairs had this gorgeous chandelier.

Blogging to say I'm not blogging...

2011-02-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

Not yet anyway. Not today. Nope, today is for sleep. Tomorrow is for blogging about CHA. Tomorrow and not a minute before!

Have a great relaxing day, peeps!

Lots of exciting news to come!

xoxo

Truly Scrumptious!

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Seriously, what else could you even begin to call this kit but Truly Scrumptious? I mean, look at all that yumminess! Lots of goodies from We R Memory Keepers, American Crafts, Sassafras, Maya Road and so many more!

This is a lock-yourself-in-your-scrappy-space-and-don't-bother-me kind of kit that you'll definitely not want to miss out on, so go get yours now at the Noel Mignon Shop before they are all sold out!!

Also be sure to check out the Layout Blog today for lots of inspiration!

Thanks a bunch to all the girlies who came by my little place these last couple of days - I got to peek in a few of your blogs and whoooohooo! dem's some crafty girls!!

Time to Hop Hop Hop!!

2011-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog hop for the NoelMignon February kit, "Truly Scrumptious"!

Let's play a little word scramble game, shall we? As you can see, there is a letter showing in my sneak, and there will be letters in everyone's sneak peek.

Here are the rules:
1)Follow the hop in order(go back and start at Kim's blog if you are starting here).
2)Leave a comment on each blog showing that you have picked up your letter from their sneak.
3)Collect all the letters and unscramble the word.
4)Leave a comment on the last blog of the hop on Thursday, revealing the secret word, and you may be one of 3 lucky winners to win $10 off their kit purchase!

It's that easy!! Here is my sneak:

Don't forget - the kit goes up for sale first thing Friday morning!

Well, now it's time for you to head on over to Gretchen's blog to see her sneak!

Oh, and don't forget to mark your calendars. We're going to be having tons of fun over at the message board at this exciting Valentine's Crop! Be sure to join us for lots of fun and inspiration!

Happy Scrapping!

Workin' out some kinks...

2011-01-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

Blog land is on a temporary hiatus! Back in a bit!

2011-01-18T14:22:00.001-08:00

Strive is my word this year. Striving to do more, be better, be happier, and just generally give life a little more oomph!

This is the layout I made for the color challenge over at the Noel Mignon Challenge Blog. Be sure to check it out and also take a look at what the other girls made for the challenge.

Gettin' Misty!!

2011-01-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about the new challenge over at the Noel Mignon Challenge Blog? It's a good one - all about using mists. This month's Very Virginia kit comes with a bottle of Maya Mist in Antique Silver and I have been spraying everything in sight! Here's a layout I made with this kit:

My first wedding layout. Not your typical wedding look, but I wanted to have some fun with it!
I loooove that House of 3 paper by Pink Paislee. It's clear embossed, so you can mist or ink right over it, and then wipe the excess off to reveal the embossing pattern. Genius!

I wanted to get all my misting techniques tried out on this layout, so I used a diecut paper by October Afternoon from the Sweet Sue kit and used it as a mask to mist the top and left sides of the paper. It's pretty subtle, but I like how it turned out.

Here's a better view of that House of 3 paper, all misted up! And how much do I love layering my titles? A LOT! See the laces? I cut a journaling piece in half, inked the edges, set a few eyelets with my Cropadile, and glued them to either side of the frame to make it look like a whole new piece. Easy peazy!

I used some Donna Salazar Smooch Spritz for the dark little splatters on the background - love the speckled look that it gave me! I cut a frame from the Hambly overlay and used some Glossy Accents to glue it to a piece of kraft cardstock. After it dried I cut the cardstock around the frame and sewed a couple of messy stitches over it. I have had a bottle of walnut spray just sitting there, so I sprayed it over the frame and then wiped the excess off of the overlay. This left me with a nice kind of gravelley look to the kraft cardstock. If I were to do it again, I would spray/splatter some alcohol ink so that it also stuck to the overlay.

This was such a fun new challenge! We have been talking about mists over at the Noel Mignon message board for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to just get over our fears and mist!! I hope you will hop on over to the challenge blog to take a looksee at what the other girls on the DT have done for this challenge, and don't forget to pick up your Very Virginia kit at the shop - V's companion class is gonna be hot!!

Happy Monday!

Very Virginia

2010-12-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

This month over at NoelMignon.com is all about V! She has her very own kit with all her favorites, and will be teaching a companion class with it later this month. You gotta get it!!!!!

Here is a video showing all of the contents of the kit:

Very Virginia from Brittny Lejeune on Vimeo.

Hurry, you don't want to miss out on this one!

The proof!

2010-12-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, here I have actual proof that I am now indeed Mrs. Kvilhaug!

Eric & his parents.

My sister Kate.

Walking down the "aisle"

I hate bridges. I figured marrying him on one really meant something, right?

Vows.

Rings.

Wed.

Kate & Thomas

Mamala & Uncle Thom

The restaurant. AMAZING food!

Me and my cousins Kara and Tori.

Imagine walking into your freshman dorm room to this. Oh great, now I'm the pretty girl's roommate. Good thing she turned out to be a total goober just like me! Love me my Kellie!

Our only picture of us ever kissing. So weird. Love it!

Adam, Eric, Me, Kate.

The cake. Christmas decorations that I ripped apart. Apparently, tasteful wedding toppers are a thing of the past.

Classy as ever.

Party!

It's my turn to take a picture!

Happy.

Let them eat cake!

More cake.

Time to toast.

Tipsy enough that I'm leaning on him...

My ring and bouquet.

We. Are. Married.

Very Virginia

2010-12-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

That's right! This month's kit from NoelMignon.com is inspired by our very own Virginia Tillery! Full of lots of goodies with her favorite styles, colors, and textures, you are sure to love this one as much as I do! Be sure to check back in here or over at the inspiration blog to see just exactly what is in this cuter-than-cute kit, because this month I get to make the video!! I can't wait!!

Even trees need skirts.

2010-12-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

So I was looking through the Garnet Hill catalog the other day and I saw this and went a little nutso over it. A MUST HAVE, right? Well, no, not for $198. I mean, I don't even own a $198 skirt, and we must draw the line somewhere, mustn't we?

So, I made my own version (sorry for the crappy pictures - I can't figure out what's going on with the camera...)

So, I used that blizzard fleece from JoAnn's (ps: it's 50% off right now!) and made the base in a creamy color. Then I used four big ol brown buttons from my stash to fasten the two sides together.

The poinsettias took surprisingly little time to make - maybe three hours - and then I hot glued them to the base. And I love it!

Now if I could just get some presents wrapped to put on top of it...

2010-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Check out the new challenge over at the Noel Mignon Challenge Blog! It's a good one! One I wish I could have been a part of, but I got a hall pass from Noel since I was a little, ehem, preoccupied!

You're definitely not going to want to miss this challenge - one lucky lady will win not one, but TWO Bedford Falls kits. Just link your layout in the comments section over at the challenge blog and be sure to blog or Facebook about it too!

Oh! I almost forgot! I just got word that the wedding photos are in the mail, and as soon as I get them I'll get them up here! Promise!

xoxo

In 30 minutes...

2010-12-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

I'm getting married!!!!!!!!!

Change isn't always bad...

2010-12-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

This is something that I'm learning. I'm about to have a HUGE change, and I don't just mean my last name, no no. It hits me about 100 times a day that in less than 48 hours I will be Mrs. Kvilhaug. Mrs.???? I mean, does that not sound like the weirdest thing ever? For the record, it's Kuh-vill-ha. See, easy peasy...

Anyway, another change for me is in my scrappy style. Now, I am a hands-on traditional glue and scissors kind of girl. Always have been. BUT the graphic designer in me loves using Photoshop to make up all kinds of things. So, when I was approached by My Memories Suite to try out their new software, I was a little ambivalent. I wasn't excited to scrap digitally, but I am always interested in trying out new creative software.

I am glad that I did.

I would say that on average I use Photoshop once a day, sometimes all day, depending on what I'm doing. And if I want to create a digital page, that's what I would use. BUT I didn't pay for my version, and I would never go out and pay for it, either. $1200 for photo editing software? No thanks. You could purchase Photoshop Elements for what? $60? Meh...

My Memories Suite is available for purchase online, which is nice - no going to the store. It automatically downloads to your computer, so there are no installation disks to keep track of. Next to Photoshop, it's the best program I've seen (and I've seen a few) for digital scrapbooking.

It comes pre-loaded with a ton of papers and embellishments, and they have an online store that is not only inexpensive, but has content available from names you know, like American Crafts and Tinkering Ink. You can buy whole product packs with hundreds of files for $5 - $10. So cheap!

What I'm finding I like a lot about the program too, is that I can plan my pages before I put anything down. If I have 4 photos that I want to use but am not sure about the sizes I want to print them out, I can play around with my page to see exactly how things are going to fit. If I want a particular journaling tag, I can print that out on it's own and slap that onto my layout for a little hybrid action!

Here are a couple of reeeeeallly quick layouts I made using the software.

I can't tell you how many times I moved those two sepia pictures around and resized them until I got them exactly where I wanted them!

I'm excited to play around with this more. It's gonna come is super handy for making up those photo books for the grandparents, especially when there's no time to hand-make multiple copies of the same page so that everyone gets exactly the same thing as everyone else. I think I'll just make up maybe 15 layouts, print out 4 copies of each, and bind them together. VOILA! Instant gift for super cheap.

So, see that little banner on the upper left of the page? Click it and go see what I'm talking about.

Have fun!

If I only had a kid...

2010-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Okay moms, break out the piggy banks! This is the cutest children's luggage I have ever seen!

Seriously. A pink Hippo that is not only adorable, it is also and pillow and blanket!! I mean, they just DID NOT have this stuff when I was little...

And I'm so loving the diaper bags for dads! I never imagined a diaper bag with a skull on it, but hey, if he'll carry it then it's totally worth it!

I can't wait for the day that I'll get to buy these things and actually use them. Did you catch that? Yes, that's right, I have brand new teenie tiny white keds in the box, and a crochet beanie that looks like an eggplant (sounds weird, but it's the cutest thing ever) along with a slew of second-hand baby boy clothes a friend gave me. Just sitting there...

Alright, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

A Headless Chicken Ain't Got Nothin' On Me.

2010-11-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm getting married this Saturday, and can I just say that I'm a little frazzled. LOTS to get done, and never enough time. So, head on over to the Noel Mignon Layout Blog to see what I've been working on, because I'm just too lazy to repost it here!

Here's a sneak peek:

While you're there, be sure to check out the latest kit, Bedford Falls, which is amazing!

Happy scrapping!

Playtime

2010-11-15T14:54:00.001-08:00

I am having so much fun with my Dear Diary kit (hurry, only 2 left!!) from NoelMignon.com!

I've been getting my studio all set up the last few weeks (slllloooooow process) and I decided that I needed a cute little storage spot for all my kit goodies that is front and center so that I can really focus on using up every little bit of it!

I found this little bin at Target (where the cute things live) and I love it! It's 12 inches wide, so all the papers fit perfectly, and then in front of all the papers come the stickers and packaged embellishments. In front of the box sits two little teacups that all of the ribbons and small embellies call home. My older kits (what's left of them anyway) are stacked behind the current month's paper so that I can easily mix them together. The little sparkly doodah on the front is by Making Memories and oooh la la!!

More goodies to come!

Baby, it's cold outside!

2010-11-13T11:15:00.001-08:00

And I only brought flip flops with me! Seriously, I am so dumb sometimes when it comes to the weather and packing. I just think, "Well, it's Fresno, so that means it's always hot." As if I wasn't born and raised here and know just how gross the winters can be, too. But, in my defense, this "winter" hasn't been very wintery, has it? I can't remember a time that I went barefoot outside in November! On the bright side, the heating bill is gonna be super cheap, and I've been able to put off winter clothes shopping because clothes shopping of any kind is my least favorite thing in the world to do. Aside from maybe cleaning cleaning monstrous potato bug carcasses off of the garage floor. Cuz I've had to do that a few times recently, and EEW! Those things should be wiped off the face of Earth. Fo Sho.

In other news, I finally opened my little store at the Palace Courtyard, which I just can't help but call "the merc" as Auntie Weezuh did. It's my little corner of scrappy goodness that you can find lots of page kits, pre-made layouts, open stock paper, greeting cards, gift boxes, hand-made embellies and just general yumminess. For those of you who live in the Fresno area, be sure to check it out! I'm in Victoria Court right before the Red Hatters. I'll be restocking with lots of seasonal goodies very soon!!

Sorry for the crappy pics - all I had was my phone!

And here it is! My mom and I are Queen Crammers. We fit so much into the little postage stamp sized booth I got and wow!

This is the drawer of "By the Yard" with all kinds of vintage spools and lace and tickets. Yum!

More goodies to come!
Happy Saturday!
xoxo

Home Town

2010-11-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Here's another layout using the Dear Diary kit from NoelMignon.com! This one follows the current sketch over at Inspired Blueprints. It's a good one!

Be sure to follow along! Can't wait to see what you create!

New Jenni Bowlin

2010-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

She's done it again! Here is the latest release from Jenni Bowlin!

New 12x12" papers

New journaling cards

New die cut journaling pad

New calendar bingo cards

Jenni Bowlin for Ranger Ink Pads, Re-fillers, and Paint Daubers!

2010-11-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

I got my "Dear Diary" kit from NoelMignon.com the other day and I am in love! It's really my version of happy. This little baby even spurred an all-night scrapfest with me, myself, and I. I couldn't wait to dig in to it's autumnie goodness, and here's what I came up with.

Gotta love that punnum! That's my little cousin, Sydnee. Loving that Jenni Bowlin paint dauber, too. Never made my own patterned paper before. And I'm likin' it!!

Layered a corrugate button, Restoration stickers, Pyrus brad, and those cuter than cute Jillibean pins! I tried to add some extra texture and depth to the photo by brushing the dauber over it. It just makes it look a little fuzzy around the edges, so your eye is drawn into the center.

Of course, there's lots of stitching and lots of vintage photo distress ink in there, too! It just wouldn't be a "me" layout without those!Oh, and lots of foam dots!

So be sure to head on over to noelmignon.com to get your kit today - only 5 left!!

Good Eats.

2010-10-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new dining room table? Go take a look-see and see what you can find. I was pessimistic, I have to be honest, but I am blown away! Here at Casa de Kvilhaug we have this bad habit of eating at the coffee table in front of the tv. "Why, do you not have a dining room table?" you ask. Well, yes, we do, but that just doesn't seem to matter. I mean what would we do for the half-hour we'd sit at the table? TALK? Ick, no way! That's just crazy! So I think I've found a compromise.

While I'd love to have this one, I'm thinking this is more along the lines of what Eric wants.

And while I may not be a fan of it's dining function, I'm loving the possible scrappiness that could happen there!

Dear Diary,

2010-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you that I've met the kit of my dreams? Well, I have. And this is it.

That's right, it's called Dear Diary and it is so awesome I can't even begin to tell you... So much We R Memory Keepers, Cosmo Cricket, Sassafras, Maya Road, American Crafts and a whole lot more! I'll be designing lots of goodies with this little gem, so be sure to check back for some great ideas. And be sure to head on over to the Noel Mignon shop to pick up your very own - you don't want to miss this one!

Nuts

2010-10-18T17:39:00.001-07:00

Thievery of my inlaws walnuts last week was lots of fun! I love having them around in the fall. Even if I never eat one, I just love looking at them.

And yummy fruits and veggies, too. I'm salivating just thinking about them!

All this because we finally have a kitchen to use. And I'm in love with it! I have missed cooking so much and having pretty ingredients laying around certainly doesn't hurt. And did I mention the pantry is almost finished, too? Oh yeah! Pictures soon, I promise!

Also, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who nominated me over at Cosmo Cricket for the Guest Design Team Member for November. It was so exciting to see my name on that little circle of paper, and it wouldn't have happened without you! I didn't get chosen from the pot, but it was really great to make it as far as I did. And next month I'm going for it again!!!

Help a sistah out!

2010-10-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hey, so Cosmo Cricket is having a contest for a Guest Design Team Member for the month of November and I want the spot! In a bad way. A really really bad way!

So if you have the time, and think I'd be good for the job, head on over to the blog and give a girl a nom!

Here's some fun projects I've made using the ever-fab Cosmo Cricket lines!

Here's my layout for the latest challenge over at NoelMignon.com. Take a hop over there and check out the rest of the team's work and join in on the challenge!

Materials Used: Anna Griffin Esmerelda paper; Girls' Paperie Alpha Stickers; American Crafts Lullaby Thickers in Charcoal; Jenni Bowlin Butterfly Stickers in Black, Chalkboard Alpha Stickers in Black, Label Stickers in Red Dots; Want 2 Scrap Black Pearls; Making Memories Tiny Alphas Black on White; Best Creation Small Foam Squares.

Have a great day!

Almost there!

2010-09-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

The cave when we first saw the house. We went back and forth about what to do with it. Do we make some changes to it now or wait for a few years, save up some money and really do what we want? Move the walls back, add an entry to the dining room, get new cabinets and counter tops, add a double oven and even a pantry? Hmmm....

Well, with the help of our parents and grandparents, we went ahead and did the whole thing! This is the cave after a little paint. We decided to take out that part of the ceiling in the nook, too. This is where Eric found a header hidden in there. No problem. Headers are so overrated....

Do you know how big refrigerators are? BIG. I mean, like, really big. So big we decided to move the wall behind it back a foot. And since we moved that wall, might as well put in a pantry, right? And since we're putting in a pantry, we don't really need that extra ugly over the counter bank of cabinets, now do we? NOPE!! So, bye bye old kitchen!

And hello new kitchen, minus the ugly cabinets, with a new wall behind the refrigerator, and lovely sweet granite.

White subway tile back-splashes are my fave. So that's what we did. And I love them!

And here we are today. Cabinets painted. Granite counter tops. White subway tile. Stainless steel appliances. Shelves.

Next on the list are hinges and knobs and pulls for the cabinet doors and drawers and a new microwave - smaller and stainless. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help everybody! Couldn't have done any of it without you!

One Day at a Time

2010-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's my current motto. It's also the name of an old tv show, which just happens to be what this week's challenge is all about over at NoelMignon.com!

Have you checked out today's new challenge yet? You should. It's a good one. It's all about using the name of a tv show for your layout. I mean, think of the possibilities, here! Happy Days? My So-Called Life? Growing Pains? Parenthood? Sons of Anarchy? Okay, well maybe not that one, but you get the picture.

Here's mine.

I decided on One Day at a Time because that has been my new motto for the last month or so. We moved into a fixer-upper that we had been trying to buy for about a year and a half. All of our waiting paid off, but in that year and a half of the house sitting empty, it really started to get sad. So we've been working every day, along with lots of family and friends to get it back into tip-top shape, and we're just now starting to see some real results. A KITCHEN!! No more camp stove and bathroom sink dish washing. We've got refinished white cabinets, Kashmir white granite, white subway tiles, brand spankin' new stainless steel appliances and I am one happy girl! A month without cooking sounds like a nice little break, but lemme tell you, I am ready to get my bake on!! I'm gonna crank out some serious food for the next few days to make up for all this time off!

I used pieces of the Sweet Sue (hurry, only 3 left!) and Office Party (sorry, sold out) kits
and man oh man do they work great together! I cut the Jenni Bowlin die cut paper in half and stitched it together, then used the circle journaling card to carry the look of the circle through for the title spot. It's pretty amazing what foam dots can do to some alpha stickers, huh? Just kinda pops em out there to grab your attention.

So make sure you head on over to the challenge blog and see what the other girls came up with, and be sure to show us what you create, too!

Happy scrappy Monday, everybody!

xoxo
Britt

I Mean, Really?

2010-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Does it get any cuter than this? Seriously. It's almost disgusting how great Noel is at putting these little babies together. It's like there is a little window to my brain and she says, "Why yes, that's what I'll order for this kit!"

You'd better hurry over to the shop to pick one up - there's only 6 left!
Happy Scrapping!!

Man oh man...

2010-09-21T19:54:00.001-07:00

It has been such an insane few weeks, guys. I mean, slap your grandma crazy...

But we're getting closer every day. And today we're getting tile. Yesterday we got granite. Tomorrow we're getting more tile. And not just any tile, no no, subway tile. White. Beautiful. Lovely little tiles. Good thing I have a handy grampa!!

So much has happened since the last time I blogged! I've been working like crazy and having a ton of fun! We had our annual Class Event a couple of weekends ago and I got to meet so many store owners and generally scrappy people! I love my job!

So many of you have been asking to see pictures of the house so far, and I've been really resistant to show anything, because I think it's so much more exciting to see a before and after rather than a before and during, ya know? But oh well, here's a few pics of the house from beginning to now.

Oh joy. A year of weeds.

Our first dinner together at the house. Take n bake pizza on a trashcan. We are a classy bunch...

After some weeding...

The kitchen in the beginning. Or the cave, whichever you prefer.

Kitchen in progress. New walls, new texture, new paint, well, new everything!

Instead of being done, let's do more! How about a pantry and a refrigerator alcove and take down that cabinet. Yes, I think so!

After granite. **IN LOVE** Tile is next and then appliances!

More pics in a few days. And then...the studio!!!
Oh, sweet, creative, happy little space that is mine all mine!!
See you later!

Check it out!

2010-08-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaaack! It's been totally insane here, but we are one step closer to having a REAL house! CARPET!!!! Oh, sweet carpet. Lovely, fluffy, new, pristine carpet. Love it!

On to more exciting things!

If you haven't seen the new challenge posted over on the Noel Mignon Challenge blog, be sure to check it out. Here is the inspiration photo I chose to use! I'm not much of a plaid person, I must admit, but I'm liking that kick of red in there with those neutrals and pale blue!

Anywho, here is my layout for this week's challenge. I loved the inspiration colors that Greta came up with! What an awesome idea!

This layout is the first in a great big series of layouts I'm gonna be doing about the new house. And since we'll be working on this place until the day we die, that's gonna be one big series!

I used the Sweet Sue Kit (hurry, only 12 left!) along with some goodies from my own stash. I LOVE that calendar journaling tag - what a great base for a title, huh?

I have been on an accordion flower binge lately, and decided to make a banner with them instead this time. I used the Basic Grey Adrian paper from the kit for those, and the star pins (minus the pokey part!) for the tops. Be sure you use a glue gun on these, they get a little wild!

So go on and see what you come up with! Me? I'm gonna go lie on the new carpet. And stroke it. And profess my love. Squishy squishy carpet.....

Hangin' in there...

2010-08-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Okay peeps. I'm here. Sorta. Today is the first day that I am home at 11 am.

AND IT FEELS GOOD!!!!!!

But I must clarify that I am only home right now, and not back at the Winters house repainting my soon-to-be studio (another story, another time) because Eric has hijacked my car. And I am therefore totally and completely on my own. I'm refraining from handling sharp objects, chewing gum and walking, and generally anything that could lead to tragedy.

It occurs to me now as I am watching Flipping Out on Bravo On Demand that I am #1) In love with this show, #2) I totally need to get to work.

Tomorrow is my day to post over at NoelMignon.com, so I'm gonna get my ass in gear and get something made!!!!

I'll post house pics as soon as I can convince Eric to be in at least ONE of them. Men...

Hot Fun in the Summer Time!!!

2010-08-02T08:28:00.001-07:00

Guess who's having a crop? That's right - over at NoelMignon.com we're going to be basking in the sunshine for a whole week! It's gonna be great - lots of challenges and fun to be had!

Be sure to swing on by, and if you're not already a member of the most fabulous board on the web, be sure to join so that you can party down with us!

ALSO! I'll be teaching my 'My Growing Up' mini book class right smack in the middle of it on the 10th and 11th, so be sure to sign up for a great time - there are only three kits left!

My Growing Up Book Class!

2010-07-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

You heard right! I'm teaching this class over at the NoelMignon.com forum on August 10th and 11th.

Here's the details:

I have made up 5 full kits with everything you need to make this mini album and lemme just tell you, there is a TON of product in there!

$55 plus shipping for the kit and instructions.

$20 for instructions only.

The class will happen over two nights on August 10th and 11th. I will have instructions/videos/pictures posted in the class's forum at noelmignon.com and will be available from 6pm - 10pm both nights to email, pm, and skype with any questions you may have. The forum will be available to you as soon as you sign up, and after the class as well so that you can make your mini at your own pace if you want.

It's gonna be a great time! Hope to see you there!!

Tighten your ties, it's time for an Office Party!!!!

2010-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

That's right! It's reveal day over at NoelMignon.com - the new Office Party kit is available and you better believe it's gonna go fast! I can personally attest to the yumminess in this kit - Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye, Pink Paislee, 7 Gypsies, and so many more! You better hop on over and take a look!

Here's a layout I did the other day for the Ad Challenge over on the blog.

Yup, Baby Britt with her Nana and Papa. I little different than my usual, but I was definitely digging the simplicity of the ad. It's nice to try something a little different every now and then, too, dontcha think? So enough already. Head on over to NoelMignon.com and get your very own Office Party kit, and then hop over to the blogs and get going!!

Bella Blvd. Sneakie Peekies!

2010-07-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

I have been working with the new lines being released at CHA and I have to say, these are my all-time favorites ever from Bella Blvd!! They are just the happiest, brightest, easiest to work with lines and I can't wait to see what all of the other Artistas have done with them!

Take a hop skip and a jump over to the Bella Blvd Blog to check out all of the sneaks!

Head on over to the Creating Keepsakes blog to see a full reveal of Midterm (My favorite!) and enter to win the whole line!

To win the One Fall Day collection, take a ride on the Facebook Train and see how!

Good luck everybody!!

Office Party!!

2010-07-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Lookie lookie!! Here's the next kit available at NoelMignon.com - Office Party! Be sure to get yours early - these are gonna go fast!

This is your brain on crack...

2010-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

If this isn't an advertisement for advocating a good night's sleep to your kids, I don't know what is...

Sorry for the little yellie parts - I'm having some issues with my webcam. We're not exactly on speaking terms at the moment...

Team Jacob.

Play this in case of summer dullness!

2010-06-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

I find myself playing this over and over, so I thought I'd post it here for you all to enjoy!

Hope you love it - it's like summer in a bottle for me!

This is me.

2010-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi. I don't think we've been properly introduced. See I'm Brittny - Britt for short. I go by Britt because, well, nobody ever spells the whole thing right. I always get asked if my name is spelled correctly, even after I've just written it myself. So Britt works.

Anyway. I started making these quick little videos for NoelMignon.com's kit club when I was accepted to the DT at the beginning of this month. And I'm liking it. So I've decided to start sharing them here with you.

And this is me. It's so weird to see a video of someone when you've only seen stills of them before. And let's face it, the photos I post of myself are the best ones I can get. The videos however are complete with double chins, wiry flyaway hair, and sometimes even a little too much cleavage. If you know me you know that sometimes I just can't keep the girls in line. I try. I really do. But sometimes there is still a severe case of inappropriocity.

Blanket appology.

So here's the damn video already. Hope you like it. Let me know if there's anything you want to learn how to do - maybe I'll make a video out of it!

Be sure to check out Noel Mignon's layout blog for lots more good stuff!

Dream Land

2010-06-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Gotta have this!!!

Seriously. How cute is that with the drawers and the scallops and the little photo spots. Love it! So precious!

So I searched bedroom vanity and found this site and I am in love! Seriously, doesn't get much better than this for me at this particular moment!

Can I just say that I have always had an obsession with vanities and the whole atmosphere around them? Ever since I was a little girl. Yup, just can't help it. When we moved into the rental house I got a hand-me-down bedroom set from my Great Grandma Doris and was so stoked when I realized that it came with its very own vanity and teeny tiny bench. And I thought, "Well, this is perfect!!" I had this vision in my head of how it would turn out and I immediately started sanding off the layers and layers of white and green paint so that I could restore it to its original glory. Problem with original glory is that it is totally protected under said layers and layers of paint. And these arthritic hands can only work a sander for so long before they revolt.

So when I decided that I just had to have a set of two twin antique iron swirly headboards for the second guest bedroom slash maybe for my two twin girls that I'm sure to have (Emma & Abby) ((Perfect names, dontcha think?)) I decided that I would just suck it up and buy a vanity to go with them. A vanity with no sanding required. Obviously.

So click the links above and spend some time in dream land with me! It's fun here. I think I might stay a while.

Get em while you can!!

2010-06-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

Here is the newest kit from Noel Mignon. It doesn't get much cuter than this!! I'm loving using all the little goodies!

Sun-Kissed Kit includes the following:
Papers
Echo Park "Sweet Summertime" (Double Sided)
-Raspberry Delight
-Pinwheels
-Summer Argyle
-Flower Garden
-Journaling Cards
Making Memories "Flutter"
-Pink Brocade
-Green Floral (Glitter)
-Round Scallop Die Cut
My Minds Eye "Quite Contrary" (Double Sided)
-Sensational Spots
-Fancy Flowers (Die Cut)
Basic Grey "Lemonade"
-Picnic Table
-Dandelion
WeRMemory Keepers "72 & Sunny" (Double Sided)
-Flower Patch
-Sunkist
-Sunburst (Die Cut)
Jillibean Soup "Summer Squash"
-Yellow Squash
-Crookneck Zucchini
-Gold Potatoes
-Tahini
Cosmo Cricket "DeLovely" (Double Sided)
-DeLectable
-DeLirious
-DeLimit
-DeLicious
-Borders
Cardstock
-4 Assorted American Crafts
-1 Stitched WeR Memory Keepers
Embellishments
-4 Pretty Little Studio Journaling tags
-1 Bottle Shimmerz "Chick a Dee"
-1 Basic Grey Butterfly "Bling It"
-3 Jenni Bowlin Mini Summer Bingo Cards
-2 American Crafts Summer Flair
-2 Maya Road Rectangle Kraft Envelopes
-3 Basic Grey Clips
-1 Package Jenni Bowlin Yellow Butterfly Rub On
-2 Tropical Drink Umbrellas
-1 Sheet Cosmo Cricket "DeLovely" Cardstock Stickers
-1 Sheet Cosmo Cricket "DeLovely" Tiny Type
-1 Sheet Jillibean Soup "Summer Squash" Cardstock Sticker Shapes
-1/2 package WeRMemory Keepers "72 & Sunny" Chipboard
-4 American Crafts self adhesive 3D Flowers
-1 Sheet My Minds Eye Label Stickers
-1 Imaginisce "Lucy Bird" Acrylic Stamp
-1 Roll Pink Paislee Lime Artisan Tape
-8 American Crafts Tropical Gem Brads
-3 My Minds Eye Journaling Cars
-1 Sheet My Minds Eye Tickets
-1 My Minds Eye "Wonderful" Title
-2 WeRMemory Keepers "72 & Sunny" Die Cuts
-4 Imaginisce Glitter Fabric Flowers
-9 American Crafts Tropical Buttons
-3 Maya Road Bird Sheers
-1 Package American Crafts "Niki Riki" Sunflower Thickers
-1 Yard Maya Road Pink Gingham
-1 Yard Maya Road Yellow Stripe Ribbon
-1 Yard American Crafts Teal Ribbon

Now watch Virginia and the cutest kids ever show you it in more detail!

Click here to order**Please Note***Noel will be on vacation from June 12th-20th, so if you place your order after the 10th Noel will not be able to ship it until after she gets home...so place your orders early for fast delivery!!

Here's a layout I made today from this amazing kit:

I love that her eyes match the cardstock exactly!! Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Cheese is just so darned handy.

2010-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, Fresno (where my mom lives) got a Fresh and Easy. Great place. Cheap cheese.

One of our favorite things is a good 'ol fashioned bake round of brie with roasted fruits and now that Mom's discovered the cheap cheese store, we've got a few little brie houses laying around. And we can't have that. No, we must use any and all containers for something crafty. Especially if you can put a mini album in it.

And with this little cheese house, you can definitely make a mini.
I used Stampendous stamps to make those flowers, which was something a little new to me, but so much fun!

LOVE Cosmo's Ready Set Chip letters, and how perfect do those Creative Impressions smooth bling work with the Delovely collection?

I managed to sneak in a bit of Material Girl in there - love my crafty times!!

Just can't live without foam dots. These little Mark Richards gems are pretty awesome, too. They're not rhinestones or pearls. They're like little dew drops - so cute and they come in different sizes.

Smooch Spritz - I'm learning...

Love the Tiny Type Cosmo's making now!

I wish I could make my handwriting a little more like Ali Edwards, but oh well!

Doilies are fun to play with.

I like asymmetry. But not everyone does. Does it bug you?

The End.

Ppp-oor Cinderelly....

2010-05-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am so not going to any stinkin' ball. Not today. No sir. I am sitting my tush on this couch and watching a full day of Hoarders. Ever get caught in that trap? The show, not the habit!! Just to clarify... It's on all day today on A&E and I just can't help but watch it. Is it sick that I would love to be that organizer to go through it all? It is, isn't it? Whatev.

Anyway, yesterday was so exhausting, but also really satisfying. We only spent about six hours at the house, but by the end we were SO DONE. Eric and his dad worked on the outside, chopping down weeds, blowing weeds away, and ripping down Christmas lights off the house and trees, while this girlie went in circles inside. I can't even tell you about the stuck-on goopy crap that was on almost every surface. UGH. But with my trusty razor blade, bucket and scrubby sponge, not to mention the most stringent cleaner I could find, that place came shockingly clean. Which was great, but really pissed me off at the same time. This poor house looked like some old gross place, when really, it is in great shape, it's just the nasty people who lived there who allowed it to accumulate so much. And more than that, they went out of their way to spill all over the place to make as big a mess as possible for someone else to clean up. ARGH. OH! And did you see the horses in that picture up there? Yeah. We don't have any. Ehem, 'scuse me, but could you come pick up your load and cart it off, please? We kinda need to weed out there...

I really should have taken more pics of the rest of the house - especially inside. I can't wait until it is at a point where you can look at the original photos and think, "No way! That's what this place used to look like?!?" Mom, you would be proud. Terri, you've been recruited. Cinderella, you've met your match...

Hi ho hi ho it's off to Winters we go!

2010-05-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Going out to "the house" as we've been calling it these days - soon to be calling it "our house" if everything goes through as planned.

We've got a ton of work to do just to ensure it appraises for the value we need it at to get financing. So basically, we want to get it just nice enough that it appraises for the amount of financing we need, but not so nice that it raises any red flags.

Picture all the green areas in the photo above filled with 6' tall weeds and that's what we've got going for us. Eric bought all these fancy attachments for the weed wacker and since he just about died of hayfever five minutes ago doing the 5' patch of weeds in our backyard at the rental, guess who volunteered to tackle them at "the house?" Yeah. Wacking down weeds taller than I am. That's love.

This is what I can't wait to make a path to. That'll be my studio. That is, as soon as we clear out the chicken poopies and refinish the entire thing... Oh, but I can just see it!!

I should mention also that the shit brown color of the house is the first thing to go. ICK. Since Eric nearly vommed at the mention of a kind of pale buttery yellow with white trim, I'm thinking a super pale warm side of grey with accents of navy and white might work. I dunno, what do you think? Any suggestions? I'm open, and I love paint swatches.

Just a quick one...

2010-05-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

'Member that Brie box I showed before? Well, it's all finished. And this is a sneak of how it turned out. There a whole mini book that goes inside it, too. Be sure to check out the Noel Mignon Kit Club Blog next Thursday to see the finished product! Lots of goodness going on over there! And ohmygosh! You HAVE to go over and look at the sneaks of the new kit that will be released on the 5th. So, after you're all finished reading my very first post, just click on over to the store and buy one for yourself. You will not be disappointed!

In other news:

I have been busily putting together lots of projects and samples for work this week.

And it has been.
So. Much. Fun.

Seriously.

We're right at that time where all the new stuff is starting to come out for sneaks right before CHA and I LOVE IT! Got the new Jenni Bowlin the other day, and can I just say, I need a little boy so that I can use every bit of it up! Loving the new rubons, too. How cute are they!?!?

I also got Show & Tell by We R Memory Keepers and am busy making up some fun stuff with that. More to come on that front!!

Here's a project I did a couple of weeks ago when I went to the studio in Fresno.

That's all for today. Gotta finish up all these fun little projects in progress so I can get my BBQ face on for tomorrow's fun times with the girls!!

Sloth and Gluttony

2010-05-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Coffee with vanilla chai creamer and a mini cheesecake with cherry topping. All necessary food groups present and accounted for. This is just the way to start a Monday, if you ask me. Oh, what? You didn't ask me? Well then fine, have some oatmeal and black coffee - go ahead and have a crappy day, while you're at it. Start the day sweet, have a sweet day. It just makes sense. So what if you have a little sugar crash half-way through. That's what coffee's for.

Anywho, today is the day that I veto going to the grocery store. I just can't make myself leave the house. In order to do that I'd have to take a shower and wash my hair. Then I'd have to straighten it, and if you know me, you know how long that takes. And then after that my arms would be limp and lifeless and in no shape to push one of those oversized Winco carts around anyway. Plus there's the fact that I'd be shopping at Winco, and that's never fun, and sometimes it's just downright scary. I'm just not tall enough to risk pissing off a woman with 5 kids shoved in the cart with three more behind her, knocking cans of soup off the shelves. Nope. Not tall enough and definitely not fast enough. So yeah, I just veto that. I get to do that every once in a while.

Today is the day to not make the bed. It's a day for watching season 5 disk 2 of Dawson's Creek while hand-sewing little blossoms for the hex quilt that may never be done. It's a day for eating the remaining two mini cheesecakes because Eric said he didn't like them. Did I ever tell you he doesn't like cream cheese? Is that the weirdest thing you've ever heard? Yeah, I thought so too.

I've got a ton of projects to finish up, for both work and pleasure. Projects like this which were supposed to be quick and easy, but which my bronde brain sometimes has issues with. It's like I can't let myself off easy, I must complicate the hell out of it. And yes, bronde is a word.

I also need to finish up this little ditty, who's use will be far more necessary in the coming months. You'll find out more about that later.

Okay, it's off to do a little light housekeeping to justify a day of relative sloth and gluttony.
Hopefully disk 3 shows up today...

Buck up, buttercup.

2010-05-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just made cherry jello with raspberries in it, then mini faux cheese cakes with cherry topping. Did I mention the chocolate cake I made night before last? Some would call this a downward spiral. I call it cleaning out the pantry.

Looked at houses this weekend, following being informed that the house we've spent the last 14 months trying to buy is now being foreclosed on. And can I say, telling someone that and then saying "oops, nevermind," is a terribly cruel joke. Now we've opened our eyes to a whole different town which has all kinds of positives: Great area, closer to mommy dearest, cuts down Eric's drive from 45 minutes to 25, BEAUTIFUL houses which are ready to actually live in, between 2-5 acres, and totally private. Here's one that we looked at:

Yeah, for the record, fake deer are not okay.

Can we say yum? Yeah, this would be my scraproom. Can't you just imagine working in there with all that natural light? Lots of space. I'm in love.

Then we entered back into reality when the Realtor called to say that in fact the house we originally fell in love with is not actually being foreclosed on - it's ours if we want it. And we want it, we do. But... after 14 months there are 6' tall weeds over the entire 5 acres, carpet to be replaced, paint colors to be argued about, holes to patch, cabinets to refinish, exteriors to be painted, sheds to be repaired, fences to be built, and did I mention 5 acres of 6' tall weeds? Yeah.

I'll keep you updated...

Blogger sometimes makes me crazy...

2010-05-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

And changes the size of things inexplicably.

But there's always these. And they make me happy.

I made them for a Bridal Shower last weekend. It was a great excuse to play with paper in ways I never had before.

Although I think I might have permanent frickin' nerve damage from burning my fingers so much.

Loveyameanit.

Ohmygosh!

2010-05-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

So I couldn't tell you before, but I can tell you now.

I am now a member of the Noel Mignon Kit Club Design Team!!!!

yay yay yay happy yay yay yay

Be sure to check out the store for some super awesome products and these awesome kits, join in on the forum, take part in the challenges, and get tons of inspiration!

Have a happy scrappy weekend!