It's not cool to be square...or rectangle.

Last night I decided to make beer battered fish tacos. Made the cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce, delicious btw. Went to pull out the tortillas so I could warm them while cooking the fish. Doh! No tortillas. Could have gone to the store but then I would not have been able to watch the Grammys nor finish my Christmas card. Rao's pasta sauce and frozen tortellini to the rescue! 

The Jingle Belles are getting in shape by making cards in a shape other than a square or rectangle. This required a little engineering on my part but I'm happy to report that it stands up and fits in a regular envelope. Used up a few odds and ends from my shoe box of Christmas stuff and some scraps of paper.

Grammys watched...check. 

Card completed...check.

Today I found the tortillas. In the cheese drawer. 

First Snow!

Today I completed page 9 of the 100 pages I am determined to complete by Christmas. Next I move into double digits...woo-hoo!

The most amazing part of making this scrapbook for my adult son is that I'm reliving all of the big moments. I'm truly loving it!

This page is from his first trip to the snow. I have to admit, he wasn't that crazy about it, which is clear from the photos. I used this week's prompt from Lasting Memories Layout Challenges, to make a page using only the colors black and white and blue. Perfect colors for a snowy day!

So Sweet

I am on quest to complete a 100 page scrapbook for my adult son by Christmas. I need to pick up the pace but I am fairly confident that I'll succeed. So here is page 8 based on the Stick it Down February Single Page Layout. Here's the layout:

And here's my page, pictures of my dad and stepmom when they met their first grandchild in 1998. 

Thanks for the inspiration SID DT! 

Sweet Baby Boy

Today I added another page to my son's baby scrapbook. Page 7 of 100 that I will finish in time for Christmas! This page is based on The Studio Challenges Recipe Challenge, which is to use paint, hearts, two kinds of washi tape, sequins and three photos. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to the photo count and used 4 photos!

Beaches and Polar Vortexes

Today I leave the balmy 60 degrees of California to head to Chicago where they are experiencing the record-breaking sub-zero polar vortex. The forecast for No Cal on Wednesday is a high of 65 and for Chicago a high of -12. Sadly I am not garnering sympathy from my colleagues since they mostly live in Chicago and Michigan.

On the bright side, I  completed another page for the 50 page (double-sided) scrapbook that I will absolutely-definitely-positively complete for my son in time for Christmas. This page is from a trip to the Santa Cruz Pier, near our old house, and features my son's paternal grandmother who managed to befriend a pelican.

For this page I incorporated two of the January challenges from Lasting Memories Layout Challenges: 1) to make a page using two or more photos; and 2) to make a card using two or more alpha fonts. This page has 4 photos as well as two different texts, a Cricut image of the word Seashore (the letter O is a sand dollar but doesn't show up well in the photo); and the description box uses the font "Flip-flops" which seemed perfect suited.

Now that I'm entering a lot more scrapbook challenges, I think need to create a photo box big enough to hold a scrapbook page...I can't quite get the lighting right on my kitchen counter. Maybe a project for when I return from the frozen tundra. 

Santa left me coal...

It is a dazzling day here in NoCal, mid-sixties and clear blue skies with views all the way to the Sierras. So I decided to walk my pet iguana and spend the rest of the day sipping mai tais by the pool. But then I remembered that I don't have a pet iguana. Or a pool. Or rum. Just a couple of yappy mutts and a rock fountain and some fairly decent wine. Good thing I had a back up plan. Walked the yappy mutts and then made a couple of cards. Here is my card for the Jingle Belles challenge to make a card using something new from Christmas. Or whatever was lying around. I went with the latter, using a faux vintage postcard, then stitched around the edges of some patterned paper (which pretty much covered the pattern). And added a border of green stuff that might be holly or possibly kale...hard to tell. Plus an old poinsettia embellishment.

Also posting to Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge. So far I'm mostly on track with my resolution to enter more challenges in 2019.

Happy happy

Very happy to have stumbled across the Stick it Down blog. This year I'm working on entering more challenges and this one has both cards and scrapbook pages...ding, ding, ding...winner! 

Today I made a card based on the sketch below from the January Card Team. 

                                    

My card is made from super colorful scrapbook paper, which certainly makes for a hefty card. I printed the sentiments on the Cricut, added some black stitching and a few paper flowers. Voila. I am also submitting my card to Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge and Seize the Birthday January Challenge.