A Picture Tells 1000 Words.....

It's been a while since I've scrapped or blogged - I've been living life spending time with the kids enjoying some relaxing time while we can! I'm savoring every moment with my son before he starts the new chapter in his life - one where he's not home anymore. One where he's married and living in a  different state than me. One that I'm not one of the central players in his life anymore. I try not think about it much - it just depresses me so!!

I made this layout for a challenge that someone posted over at Studio Calico - one where we lifted a layout from the person that posted right before us.

I love this photo - it says so much I hardly needed any journaling on this layout!! LOL I used products from my May Studio calico kit (with add-ons). I LOVE the AC thickers that were in the kit this month - I think I need to buy about 10 more packs!! They are perfect and skinny and the font is so fun!! I also used a tiny little tag that I bought from Ormolu this past December (it's folded over and stapled to the top of the tags on the left).

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hello 17!!

Wow!! My baby is 17!! It's hard to believe how fast time is flying! She'll be a senior next year and then off to college. I can't think about that too often...it makes me depressed....

I just had to scrap this photo of her on her birthday with her favorite gift that her brother and I stood in line to get for her at midnight - the night it went on sale (the day before her birthday!). I got her the super deluxe game with a bunch of extras - she was surprised and thrilled!

I used products from my May Studio Calico kit to make this - with a few extras thrown in. I found some (OLD) Heidi Swapp clear stars at a tiny gift store a couple of weeks ago and snatched them up. I loved these when they came out (the package was dated 2006) - that was the year I started scrapbooking! :) I also threw on a bunch of those awesome tiny veneer stars by SC. I have a little cup filled with those stars that I like to sift through every once in a while just to feel the wood through me fingers (weird, huh?). Those tiny little metal blue flowers I got from Michael's the other night - some French style thing - I forgot what they are called and who makes them and I'm too lazy to look it up right now. I did get several packages of those - I think they're made by Jolee's?? I loved every single package and can't wait to use the little bits and pieces on my layouts! I used my Mister Huey - water cooler - on the mistable hexagons - then I sewed over a few of them.

Thanks so much for stopping by!! :)

Take 12 photos taken on May 12

Hope you are still playing along with us over at Ella publishing! You still have time to upload your layout here to win the fabulous prizes that are being offered this month - our prize comes hot off the presses: two lucky winners will receive a brand-new print edition of Everyday Storyteller, a new book from Jennifer Wilson/Create More Media with a slate of amazing contributors.

This is my layout for this month - the 12th landed on the opening weekend of the Farmer's Market that we visit just about every weekend in the summer. We got there kind of later in the afternoon, the pickings were kind of slim, but I still got plenty of Arkansas grown tomatoes, squash, blueberries and I got to try a delicious salad that was being prepared for sampling by a local restaurant in the River Market in downtown Little Rock! I love to go and look at all the artisan stalls too - sometimes I even purchase something from them!! LOL

I used my May Studio Calico kit to make this - I even used up a whole package of embellies on this (the numbered tabs)!! For all my Take 12 layouts I've numbered the photos and journaled about each photo - I like to keep all the little memories straight - for this layout I hand wrote my journaling on the side - something I haven't sone for a while....I usually type all my journaling! I used some of my veneer cameras from my stash - it was a dream to just staple them on with my Tiny Attacher!!

Thanks for stopping by!! :)

Sew Artsy Kit is fully revealed!!

The Little Blue House is “Sew” proud to present our newest Front Porch Kit…”Sew” Artsy! This unique kit is a wonderful blend of fabulous papers, fun embellies, tons of textiles and charming, one-of-a-kind vintage treasures! It is truly bursting at the seams with creative possibilities! It features a bright, cheerful color palette, perfect for creating happy projects and preserving happy memories! When you purchase your “Sew” Artsy kit you will also receive a “Sew” Artsy BluePrint Guide. This Guide will include step-by-step instructions on how to create 7 unique projects from your kit!!!!

you can order your "Sew" Artsy Kit online at www.thelittlebluehouseonline.com

Here are some of the projects I made using my kit:

This kit was "sew sew" very fun to play with  - and I have tons of leftovers to make several layouts and cards!! The vintage pattern was so fun to use - I made ruffles on my 1989 layout, my pincushion and on my Butterfly mobile, and then I twisted to make a flower center on my "unique Style" layout!! The paint samples were fun to layer like a rainbow under a piece of cardstock that I cut using my Silhouette Cameo machine!! And the vintage pieces add such a cool edition to all my projects!! You can all of the design team projects here

www.thelittlebluehouseonline.com

And if you leave a comment on the blog here you can win the kit!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have fun creating!! :)

Don't forget the Full Reveal tomorrow!!!

Don't forget the full reveal of the Front Porch Kits will be tomorrow, but until then here are a couple more sneaks for you....

And don't forget to stop by The Little Blue house blog and leave a comment - you can win the kit!!

to pre-order online, please visit our website at

www.thelittlebluehouseonline.com

Also, check out all the blogs of the design team to get some more sneaks...they are all awesome and fun!!

Danielle Wycough

Lynette Chiles

Jaclyn Hatcher

Susan Tidwell

Kristy Fey

Roxanne O'Brien

Elaine Howell

Jennie McGarvey

Jing-Jing Nickel

Rhonda Merry

Tracy Pounds (Miss Tracy)

Liz Qualman

Robyn Schaub

Thanks for stopping by!! :)

Front Porch Kit Sneaks....

Here are a couple of sneaks from the work I did using the fabulous new kit from Front Porch Kit club:

You can blog hop to everyone else's blogs to get some more sneaks here!! And make sure you stop by The Little Blue house blog and leave a comment - you can win the kit!!

Danielle Wycough

Lynette Chiles

Jaclyn Hatcher

Susan Tidwell

Kristy Fey

Roxanne O'Brien

Elaine Howell

Jennie McGarvey

Jing-Jing Nickel

Rhonda Merry

Tracy Pounds (Miss Tracy)

Liz Qualman

Robyn Schaub

to pre-order online, please visit our website at

www.thelittlebluehouseonline.com

Take 12 on the 12th tomorrow!!

Don't forget to take 12 pictures on the 12th tomorrow for the Ella Publishing challenge!! Remember to link us up to your layout by the 18th and you will be eligible for the prize drawing on the 19th!! Here's some info about the challenge for you if you need a refresher or if you just want to jump in right now!

Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to start in January?Nope! The ideas and inspiration in the Take Twelve kit are relevant no matter when you start. You can start your project in March and finish next February. If you missed the January start, consider starting on your birthday month and continuing for 12 months from there. We'll keep the email reminders coming through the end of 2013, as long as there's interest!

Alternate idea: even if you're discovering this idea in May, but you want to scrapbook 12 on the 12th throughout 2012 (which has such a nice ring to it!), simply adapt the project and select 12 photos you've already taken from throughout the month to complete your pages from January through April, and then at the end of each new month, simply select any 12 photos taken throughout the month and make your page.

What if I can't take my photos on the 12th?Then take them on the 10th or 13th or 18th! This is your project and you can adapt the ideas however you'd like.

Can I participate and enter the giveaways if I don't buy the kit?Of course!

Can I participate in the giveaways even if I don't take my photos on the 12th?The giveaways on the 19th of each month will be restricted to pages featuring 12 photos taken during the current month (or the previous month for those who are doing a variation to include 12 photos taken from throughout the month). But we don't care which day you take them, as long as they're uploaded to the linky party by the deadline.

Does it matter what camera I use?
The best camera is the one you have with you. Use the camera on your phone, your point-and-shoot, your digital SLR, or your webcam—or a combination of all of these! Whatever it takes to get the job done.

Can I use the Photo Collage Templates even if I'm not a digital scrapbooker?Yes! Even beginners will be able to use these templates, as long as they have Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. (Download a free trial version here.)

There are lots of ways to participate!

• Get a free email reminder sent to you on the 11th of each month, so you'll never forget to take your photos. Click here to sign up for our email list.
• Take 12 photos of your everyday life on or around the 12th of each month. Need ideas for what things to photograph? Get our Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit!
• Turn those 12 photos into a scrapbook page, using your own supplies and ideas—or get help from the sketches, journaling lists, printable titles, and mini calendar accents in our Take Twelve kit.
• Visit our blog on the 12th and the 19th of each month to see Take Twelve layouts from our team and from other readers too.
• Enter your layout into our linky party on the 19th of each month for a chance to win great prizes from our sponsors.
• Feel proud of yourself for making a commitment to preserving precious memories this year.

Always....

I think I've used my Silhouette Cameo on just about every layout I've made since I took it out of the box and figured out how to use it! I love to look at the Silhouette store once a week to see what new and cool shapes that they have for sale (since I have such a HUGE plan I need to buy them up every week!). This Dresden pattern was one of the new shapes that I downloaded today. I used products from my April Studio Calico kit to make this - I'm trying to use a lot of the kit up before I get my new kit next week. I've made more layouts with this kit than I have in a while - I really love the colors and the embellishments this month.

I've been busy busy busy working with my Front Porch kit - look for a little preview in the next couple of days! The Front Porch kit was just so fun to use - there are so many vintage items and cool embellishments  - so worth the money for this kit! I can't wait to show you what I created!!

Thanks for stopping by!! :) Hugs, Valerie