Living My Dream

The Little Yellow Bicycle and Maya Road - A Perfect Match!

In our HOF prize packages, we received the most amazing new line of products called The Little Yellow Bicycle.  Here is a picture to see all of the goodies:

This is one of my favorite lines - it is just so pretty and the colors are so ME!  While I was making my Maya Road projects for their booth at CHA this week, I used these lovelies above to decorate one of their little chipboard secret books and box.  I also used a Maya Road chipboard flower and frame on the front cover.

I also made this layout using the Little Yellow Bicycle:

The HOF girls are all posting layouts using the LIttle Yellow Bicycle today in the CK Gallery.  Erin Lincoln is also posting our HOF Challenge for the month on the CK message board, so pull out your products and join in - we would love to see what you create!  Suzy

Creating Keepsakes Start to Finish

I recently created a layout for CK's online column called Start to Finish.  It shows the entire process that goes into creating a layout, from the original idea to the finished project with photos along the way.  Here is my page called The Princess Pug.  This is a dog we saw recently on our visit to Carmel.  I couldn't resist photographing it with that coat and necklace on!  The crown is by Maya Road and I covered it with the new flocking by Doodlebug Designs.  The Rhinestone letters, sticker letters and papers are by MAMBI.

On Tuesday, July 1st, the HOF girls will be posting our monthly challenge on the CK message board, so watch for all the wonderful layouts and projects created using one of our HOF prize package lines.  Have a wonderful day!  Suzy

Lady Bug Album

I made this lady bug album using a Maya Road flower petal tab coaster book.  It also uses Maya Road ribbons (including the cool new sheer ones), lady bug chipboard, velvet blossoms, sheer journaling card and trinkets buttons.  You can see it on the Maya Road website with the exact supplies and step by step directions.  And thank you to my good friend Pam who is not a scrapper, but saw this album and said "that looks like a ladybug".  Thus the idea was born...and then that very week my daughter told me she was a ladybug in her upcoming school play!  I also want to thank my sweet friend Cheryl for the fun box of Fiskars products she brought me - the cute little lady bug rub ons were perfect for this book!  I will be posting some projects using their products on my blog soon as I absolutely LOVE them!  Suzy

 

The Best Daddy Ever!

Happy Father's Day to my sweet husband Tom!  Yesterday, Chloe gave Tom a stuffed dog as his gift (something she secretly wanted for herself!).  He took it to church and carried it around to make her happy. I had to give a talk during church and mentioned in front of everyone how sweet he was to bring the doggie to church and hold it so lovingly!  It went from nestling on his lap to flying across the bench in a matter of seconds.  Here is Tom, Chloe and his favorite gift!

And another photo of Tom by himself enjoying the afternoon at his Dad's house. I don't think he could have had any better of a day with the US Open and a Lakers play off game on TV! 

I also want to say Happy Father's Day to my dad.  I had such a great week preparing for my talk which was about how he has influenced me through my life.  I read his biography and learned more about him then I ever realized. I loved reading all his war stories - he is so patriotic and loves our country as you can see by the tie he is wearing here!   

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day as well!  Suzy

My Friend's Etsy Shop

I ran into a friend recently at Scrapbook Oasis, Debbie Flicker.  She used to work at Oasis and left a couple years ago.  I asked her what she had been up to and she told me how she is now making handmade jewelry. Now I have heard of people doing this - especially beaded jewelry, but this was a big step beyond. She makes her OWN beads!  She then told me about the process to make Lampwork beads and she lost me about half way through.  So I went home to check out her site and her jewelry and I was amazed - these pieces are beautiful and all original works of art!  Her Etsy shop is called Flickerings and here are a couple of pictures of pieces (ahhh, the pink is so me!).  Debbie, I think I'll be sending my husband to your shop for Christmas presents! Congratulations on your new endeavor! 

I told the students at my class on Friday that I would post my entire class project on my blog.  I posted it on 2Peas instead.  Just click here to get to the link and email me if you need larger images.  Thanks to everyone that came to the two classes!  Suzy

MAMBI HOF Challenge

CK is hosting a MAMBI HOf Challenge starting today - you can see the details on the CK Website.    MAMBI donated tons of products to our HOF prize packages, so each of the HOF winners made some layouts using them. All of them are posted in the CK Gallery today, so check them out - lots of pretty inspiration! Here are some pages using the Modern Milan line:

 

This page is made with the Coastal Couture line:  

I'm just about to start my CHA Summer work with MAMBI products - lots of great new lines coming out as well. Suzy

Celebrating 10 Years!

Tom and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this weekend - whoooooohoo!  I'm very happy to be at the 10 year mark and I'm really happy knowing we will make it to 20, 30, 40 and maybe even 50 (if I can live to be 95 which would be a wonderful thing)!  We went to Monterey for the weekend with the kids. Things were a little different then our last trip up there... 

Tom asked me to marry him in Carmel on Valentine's Day 10 years ago.  I remember the drive through Big Sur with the top down on my convertible, listening to love songs on the CDs Tom had made for me.  He had flowers in the trunk and a ring in his pocket waiting for the right moment.  He asked me at dinner that night at Clint Eastwood's restaurant called The Mission Inn.  It was a romantic trip that marked our commitment to spend the rest of our lives with each other.  And then there was this trip 10 years later...

We are now in a big Suburban with three kids in the back.  We decide to take Highway 1 up to show the kids the beautiful drive through Big Sur.  Once you take the turnoff, it is two hours of very windy roads. Chloe gets sick moaning she is going to throw up all the way up and is holding a cup under her chin. Sophie is crying hysterically because she is scared and she has to go potty and there is no bathroom in sight.  I am yelling at Tom for driving faster then I was comfortable with along two lane roads that had a mountain on one side and a cliff falling to the ocean on the other (and we were VERY HIGH up!).  Thane is yelling at the girls to be quiet.  I think about how much times have changed during the past 10 years (for the better, but different none the less). I got to think about it even more the two nights I snuggled with two little girls who were scared to sleep alone in a hotel, while Tom slept in the bed next to us...

BUT, with all that said, we had the most wonderful time together and were able to celebrate our start as a family 10 years ago. I loved showing my kids my favorite city Carmel and driving down 17 mile drive with them.  We took them to the Monterey Bay Aquarium which we all loved and Thane and I took tons of pictures.  To keep things looking up, we took the 5 freeway route home.  While it was much less of a picturesque drive, the five hours certainly beat the 9 it took to get there.  And on the way home, I thought about how much I love my family and how glad I am that we were all able to celebrate our love together.  I feel lucky, happy and blessed.  

Here are some of our favorite photos from the aquarium (some taken by Thane who is turning into quite the photographer!).  All of these were taken with my 50mm 1.4 lens, which was super helpful in the low light.

Teaching at Scrapbook Oasis

I have a class scheduled at Scrapbook Oasis on May 31st. It filled up rather quickly, so I am actually going to find a second date to teach it in June. If any of you are on the waiting list, you will be contacted with the new date. UPDATE: The second class will be on Friday, June 6th from 7:00 - 10:00. There are still about 20 spots open for that one (as of Wednesday).

It is a Vacation Mini Album (8x8) with half chipboard pages and half sheer pages. I used lots of different papers by Scenic Route, Fancy Pants, Prima and Love, Elsie. The chipboard is all by Maya Road and Scenic Route and all the beautiful rhinestones are by MAMBI. Although it is a vacation album, it could be customized for any summer activities - just photos from days spent at the beach or pool would work well. Each kit will have a full box of Maya Road chipboard letters, so you can add or change any of the page titles to work with your subject. It has 35 photos in it (most are 4x6) and a pocket for memorabilia such as plane tickets. All the papers will be precut and the kit has detailed instructions with color photos of each page. You should finish the album in class, but you can add your photos later if you prefer. Here are some photos of the project:

Thanks to everyone who has signed up. I was so excited to have it fill so quickly. I promise to bring you lots of home made baked goods again! Suzy

NEW Maya Road Projects and Website

I wanted to share some new Maya Road projects that I recently made for the National Stationary Show that is next week. This is their first time to attend this show and their products will be perfect for it!

They have a new website now which is so awesome - check it out: Maya Road New Website. There is a store locator on the site now, so if you want to buy product, you just put in your location and it will direct you to a local reseller.

There is also an exciting new Maya Road contest on 2Peas: Maya Road Contest Enter your Maya Road album in the contest by May 11th and you may be one of two winners. They will be taking the winners albums to CHA to display in their booth and pay each $100!

I have seen a couple sneak peeks of their CHA Summer releases and they are AWESOME - these girls just keep coming up with such fun new ideas!

First I decorated the Maya Road Sheer Purse with all Love, Elsie Claire papers. There are lots of new Maya Road ribbons and chipboard on here. I painted the chipboard white and then rubbed ClearSnap chalk ink pads over them.

Next is a scalloped edge coaster album which is 4" x 4". I painted each page white and then outlined the pages with a black sharpie.

And now for some cards and tags.

Thank you if you got through this post! I hope you are inspired to pull out your Maya Road products and start making some projects. To further inspire you, go to the DT blog links on the left and each member has posted their projects for the show as well - you will definitely be inspired by looking at all of these! Watch for a MR newsletter next week that will have lots of fun cards as well. Thank you! Suzy

HOF Prize Package - YIPPEE!!!

I received three boxes of goodies yesterday from CK for winning HOF this year. IT WAS SO EXCITING TO OPEN THESE BOXES! I could not believe how generous all the manufacturers were! There were so many new and fun things in all my favorite bright colors. I decided to spread it all out and take pictures of EVERYTHING just in case anyone was interested in seeing it all. Our HOF group plans on starting a challenge using each MFC's products soon. So here it all is by company:

Basic Grey sent all four new lines from CHA Winter with paper packs, fibers, chipboard and brads:

One of my favorite product lines ever - Fancy Pants and they sent papers, chipboard, a 12x12 stamp set, ribbon and tons of other stuff! Also Three Bugs in a Rug who have darling papers and stickers:

Next, the Noteworthy line by Making Memories and TONS of Cosmo Cricket - love the black board book and all the fun colors in their lines:

I SO ADORE Doodlebug Designs and they sent such awesome stuff. I didn't even know they made flocking and they sent an entire collection of it - yummmmmy colors!!!

MAMBI sent their entire new lines from CHA Winter - Milan, Renee and Coastal Couture. They also sent two other 12x12 paper packs and lots of Soft Spoken.

Scrappin' Sports is always SO generous and makes such fun sports and school lines - they sent TONS of stuff - I just love all the rub ons!

Luxe sent tons of stuff too - their rub ons are the BEST and I love all the new papers and ribbons. Close to My Heart sent chipboard, inks (yeah!) and two stamp sets - the letter set is so cool!

Die Cuts With A View (DCWV) went crazy - they sent us five 12x12 cardstock packs and four 8x8 cardstock packs, PLUS two entire product lines. The Blossom and Butterfly line in pinks is SO me - love, love, love it all!

Saved this new line for last: The Little Yellow Bicycle. Adorable papers and such cute embellishments - I had never seen this line before, so I was super excited to get it.

Last is my OTHER category: some Inks by Clearsnap which I can never get enough of and a Sizzix machine plus two dies and a $200 GC from Quickutz!!! Lots of other fun little goodies too!

I want to shout out a BIG THANK YOU to Creating Keepsakes and all the manufacturers for their donations - they are so appreciated and I will be using them whenever possible on publications! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

One other fun little thing - I will be interviewed on the Diva Craft Lounge radio show on Wednesday (May 7th) from 12:05 - 12:25 PST about winning HOF. They tape the interviews and keep them on their website - if you go to this link, you can listen to it whenever you want. Based on how bad my CK HOF call sounded, I am a bit nervous! Diva Craft Lounge Website

Suzy