Another end to another month...

Happy Memorial day, to those of you in the States! In our family we take a few extra minutes on this day to remember not just our service men and women, but also those in our family who have gone home to be with the Lord. My Dad is one of those who have gone ahead of us. We have made it a family tradition to go out and take Dad flowers and talk about him at his graveside on this day each year. My husband and kids never got to meet my Dad, as he passed when I was 17 years old. Dad and I had a very strained relationship for many reasons, one of them being that he was my 'step' Dad, even though I've never called him that, because I was only 7 months old when he met and married my Mom. Growing up he and I never seemed to find a common ground... Until now. Well, make that about 15 years ago. That would be when I met and married my hubby and his 2 kids. When I became a 'step' Mom I was able to see and understand his side of things SO much better. I only wish he had been around long enough for me to tell him how much I appreciate what he did for all of us. What a wonderful man he was for marrying my Mom, with her 2 little girls, and raising us to the best of his ability. What an amazing example of a husband he was to all of us kids. My Mom was always his first joy and priority. He was an amazing provider for our family, and definitely a man of God. If it had not been for his insistence that we attend church while I was growing up, I probably wouldn't have the relationship with my Heavenly Father that I do now. I wish that he could've met my Husband and children. He would have loved them all and they would've loved him, too. So, I today I take just a couple extra minutes to tell my Dad how much I love him and miss him. I love you, Dad!

Alright, enough, cuz now I can hardly see thru my tears... So, let's get back to scrapbooking ;)

Here is one that I completed a couple weeks ago, for Brandy's Design. When I saw this kit, my first thought was, "Hmm... None of my boys have ever been into dinosaurs :(" But then I got looking at the kit more closely and realized just how versatile it can be. I really liked the unique elements that Brandy included in this kit. And the color scheme is soft and natural. I really liked it! Take a look at the kit (which is linked to the product in the store), followed by my page:

The template I used is Blog Freebie #13 by Colie's Corner. And the fonts are Socially Awkward and Reservoir Grunge.

I also had some fun playing with some of Brandy's older kits for this next page! These are the products I used (again, linked to the store):

*A little news from Brandy Designs: Brandy has decided to close her shop at Scrapable for personal reasons. But, she can still be found at Polka Dot Plum! The template set was sold at Scrapable, so I'm not sure if/when it will be made available at PDP.

Here's my page:

I used a Word Art by Katie Pertiet. And the font is Larger Mime. I also used a photo action by Pioneer Woman called "Soft and Faded".

Now for a bit of a catch up again, but this time it isn't my fault. All of these pages where due at the same time! The SUN was down for a total of 16 days for remodeling, and tomorrow will be our first day back up! Yay! AND, It's also our 2nd birthday!! Whoo Hoo! So I hope you'll join us for TONS of new challenges and excitement this week! (Just remember, these kits won't be available until tomorrow, June 1st.)

Here is a page I just completed using Valarie Ostrom's "Boys Club Grab Bag". This kit is a great deal! You get 2 mini-kits, a full alpha AND a template pack! Remember, the page image is clickable to see it larger. (I will come back tomorrow and link the kit previews up to the products in the store, once they are available)

I LOVE the color scheme of this kit! And it's, obviously, very versatile as well! The template is Freebie 45 by ChrissyW, and the font is Century Gothic.

My next 2 pages are also made with kits you'll find at Sunshine Studio Scraps, but they were both made with kits by Ellie Lash. (Can I just say, I am LOVIN' being on her CT! Her style is SO my style! I can't get enough of the cute!)

My first page is made from her grab bag, which includes 2 full kits! It's FULL of total cuteness!

That is just one of the kits in the bag. The template is from a template pack called 'Lotsa Paperz' by ChrissyW ( I just LOVE her templates!!) And the font is DJB Coffeeshoppe Venti.

Ellie's other kit, available tomorrow in the SUN, is called "Little Grad's". Just in time for all those preschool and Pre-K graduations that are fast approaching! I decided to us this kit to showcase another educational milestone that Zach met not too long ago... learning to read!

The template is 'Layout Builders - Wave On Wave' by Amanda Heimann and the font is DJB Coffeeshoppe Venti. I love that font!!

A little note about Ellie: Her guest spot over at Scrapable has been extended another month! So you can find her there through June, as well as in the SUN! She has some adorable new kits coming out exclusively to Scrapable, too. I'll be back to share those with you soon!

And last, but surely not least... A couple of amazing new kits by Creations By Rachael.

Rachel is a guest designer at The Digi Chick for the month June! How exciting is that?! Her first exclusive kit there is called "Berry Sweet" and it is Oh, SO SWEET! I just love it! (Kits will be linked tomorrow, when available in the store)

I used this great template by wm[squared] from a Tuesday Template Challenge at Scrap Matters. The font is Pea Cari.

This last kit by Rachael is a collaboration with Late Night Scraps. They work together quite often under the name of Plucky Pear Designs. This kit is called "Star Light, Star Bright" and can only be found at Scrapbook Bytes. I love the dreaminess of this kit. There are so many unique elements and some gorgeous background papers. It's just beautiful!

I used another template by ChrissyW, 'In The Middle' Template pack. The font is SS Whimsy.

The template is 'For The Fans' Freebie by Tiny Toes Designs. I used a Photo action - 'Faded Day Dreams' by CoffeeShop. And the fonts are DJB Angel Baby and Love Ya Like A Sister.

Well, that's it! I hope you've found some inspiration, or at least enjoyed my pages! ;) I also hope that June brings you all the love and blessings you can handle, and then some more! Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world!

xoxo, Krista

Time for an update?

Yeah, I think so. lol.

So, NSD is this weekend!! WHAT?! You don't know what NSD is?? Oh, no, that won't do! It's National Scrapbooking Day! Any kind of scrapbooking, traditional paper or digital! But here in the digi world of scrapbooking we pull out all stops! Sales, chats, challenges and FREEBIES!!! Oh yeah! For example, if you head on over to Brandy Designs blog, she's giving away a BUNCH of QPs that were made by all of us girls on her CT. You will love them all! Go check that out to get you started.

You'll also notice that she's opening a new store over at Scrapable. Check that out too, while you're there. She is re-releasing several of her kits plus she's got lots of new stuff exclusive to Scrapable. I am so excited to work with her new stuff!! In fact, I've already used one of her Template Packs, "Fingerprints Set 2" along with one of her older kits "Gone Huntin". Here is the page I made:

You will also still find Brandy's Designs at Polka Dot Plum. I don't have the link yet to her Scrapable store, but I will link you up as soon as I can. :)

Creations By Rachael is opening her new store this weekend, too! She can now be found at Scrap Matters, as well as her original haunts, Plucky Pear, Gotta Pixel and Scrapbook-Bytes. She has tons of great plans for NSD at each of her stores, which include sales, a blog hop, and a MASSIVE Grab Bag (which will only be available at SM)! You do NOT want to miss that! Here is a 2-pager I made using just a small bit of her Grab Bag:

Funny story... I actually made my hubby take off with me last Saturday for a special Road Trip to Astoria just so I would have pictures to scrap! We took Zach and went and found new things we'd never seen before and did new things we'd never done before. Unfortunately Zach is TERRIFIED of heights, So he and Charles stayed on the ground while I climb all the way to the top of Astoria Column. I wish I had counted the stairs, I just know I was cramping by the time I got to the top AND bottom! lol But the view from the top was outstanding! Well worth it! And we had a GREAT day!

Now for some SUPER EXCITING news of my own! I am now CTing for Ellie Lash!!! She is SUCH an amazing designer! And her style is right up my alley. I absolutely LOVE working with her kits! She has a great eye for color, texture and her doodled elements are absolutely adorable!! Here is the link to her blog. Go take a look for yourself and see how much fun she is! I am having a BLAST! Ellie took some time off from designing last year, but after about 6 months she found she was ready to come back, and I am SO glad she did! She was one of the original Sunshine Studio Scraps girls and that's where she has come back to set up shop (that's how I met her... while CTing for SUN). But, for the month of May she will be a Guest Designer over at Scrapable! (I don't have the link for that one yet either, but I will post it asap).

So far, I have had the privilege to work with 5 of her kits and have LOVED every one of them!

So far I've used "Rainy Day Ducks":

"Detour":

"My Favorite Things":

"Birds of a Feather", which is new in her SUN shop today:

and "Ladybug Hotel", a collab with Project B, also new today at SUN:

My last one will have to wait, because it's her first exclusive kit to Scrapable, and her store isn't quite open yet. Hopefully by later today...

That about wraps things up for now! I hope I've given you a little taste of what to expect this weekend. NSD is AWESOME!! I hope to see you around, shopping...and playing... and shopping, Lol! Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo, Krista

Busy, Busy...

Well, did you get your kids back in school today? Mine all went, but not very happily. Cody asked me about 5 times if he could stay home. He was tired, he said. Lol! Oh! Ok. That's not going to happen! But he went and so did the other 2. And I can tell you, they were all ready for bed tonight without having to fight them. I LOVED that! Hehe ;)

Well, I have been a busy scrapper the last couple nights. I've been using my chart and getting things done just the way I wanted to! Imagine how much more I could've accomplished last year had I been just a tiny bit more organized, lol.

Oh! And I want you to know that I have taken my Photo-of-the-Day everyday so far! I'm trying to figure out if the first "week" of January ended Saturday, because that's when the week ends? Or if I should scrap the full 7 day week. Hmm... giving that one more thought.

Anyway, on to my first page for tonight.

I finally finished that layout of my boys last Christmas! Yay! And I love how it turned out. I used Brandy Designs "Santa's Shoppe" kit and a template by Chrissy W. from her "Gotcha Cornered", template 4. Here is "YES!":

Those photo's are priceless! I love the expressions on my boys' faces. They were SO excited!

And for my last page for tonight, I used "Winter's Garden' by Alexis-Designs. The template is by eranslow for the Dec. 27th Template Challenge @ Scrap Orchard. This kit is SO pretty! It's full of so many beautiful elements and Word Art. I loved working with it! The photo is of my niece, Jenna, on Christmas. Here is "Beautiful Memories":

Isn't she just beautiful in her Christmas dress? I squatted down to get to her level to take her picture and she plopped down on the floor! I couldn't get her to stand up for nothing, so I just started snapping. She's so funny.

I actually finished another one, but I just realized the kit isn't even out in the store yet, so you'll have to wait until then to see my pretty page! ;) Be watching!

I am so excited! I am trying something new this year. You've heard of the Amazing Race on TV? Well, we have our own version of it here in the digi world, the Amazing Digital Scrapbooking Race, and I really wanted to try it this year. It requires a partner, so I asked my best digi-friend, Caro, if she was interested and she said "Yes!" WooHoo! It doesn't start until February, so as it draws closer I'll fill you in on more details. I'm just so excited!

Also, I'm participating in the DigiScrapAddicts Scrap Off 2010! Caro actually suggested I try this one. This is the first week of it and I haven't made my page for it yet. I think that had probably better be the next one I get done. This week they provided 4 free mini-kits for us to use, and that's ALL we can use. Well, of course our photos, but nothing else. The kits are beautiful and they all coordinate! Brilliant idea! I love it! I just have to find the perfect photos now...

Well, that's it for tonight. I hope the day greets you with a little bit of sunshine on your face. God bless you and good night.

Goodbye 2009...

Hello 2010!

Where has the time gone? I cannot believe we have entered 2010! I remember as a little girl that seemed SO far away, like we would never see it in our lifetime, and now here it is! Two Thousand Ten! Hmmm.

Ok, let's see. Where have I left off and what do I need to fill you in on? Well, you might be in for a long winded post. Just warning you in advance, lol.

On the SUNny side of things... we've had a bumpy month over at Sunshine Studio Scraps. Things have been getting pretty slow around there and at one point they had decided it was time to close up shop. BUT! Dut-du-duh! Nicole (aka Sugarplum Paperie) and Michelle Batton, 2 of the oringinal Sunshine Girls are coming back to shake things up a bit! There are a few changes happening and I am SO excited to see the life come back into one of my favorite sites. In fact, the very first place I was accepted to CT for! We've got new challenges, a new points system, new designers! You have to come check it out for yourself!

Speaking of change... there are a lot of things happening with GET Designs as well! She has opened up a new store over at Scrappity-Doo-Dah, so go check it out! She's got a sale going on right now through the 10th, so hurry over to take advantage of that!
I can't wait to show you the page I am working on using her "Backyard Explorer" kit. I have a great photo that I have just been waiting for the perfect kit for, and I think this is it! I'm so excited to work with this kit! Just look for yourself at the great colors and adorable elements!

And something new that I haven't had the chance to announce until now! I have been accepted to be on the blog team for Brandy Designs! I get to work with all her amazing kits, just like her Creative Team does, but I have no required pages, I just have to help her and her other Blog Team members with the blog! How great is that!? I am SO thrilled, because I LOVE her designs and she is such a sweetheart! I'm loving being on her team already! I've already used her kit "Santa's Shoppe" for my blog background and I'm still trying to get around to that page of my boys opening their favorite gift from last Christmas, that I was telling you about last time. Now I've also got one of her new kits that's not even out yet, so keep your eyes open for that one! It's SO pretty! ;)

Okay... now I would LOVE to show you some of the pages I've gotten done lately. :)
I'll start with "Let It Snow". I used "Snowman Soup" by Tracey Howard Designs and "Christmas Joy" by The Ettes & Co.'s Annette Ward, both from Scrap Orchard. I did this page for a scraplift challenge over at Elemental Scraps. This is the page I lifted, and here is my page:
The photo was from last winter, one of the rare, treasured moments when Zach and Akaila got along so well!

Next is "Queen Of The Castle". I did this one for the Inspired By... Challenge, also over at Elemental Scraps. ChrissyW made the mini kit, 'Fly Away', just for the challenge and we had to use it for our layouts. Here is my page:

I love how this turned out, because the actual photos I took here didn't turn out so great. Zach was sitting on the bottom bunk of his VERY messy bed. I have a bad habit of not taking the whole view into consideration before clicking the button. But I got the idea to extract what I wanted out of the photo and I LOVE way it turned out! Zach does too, and that's good enough for me! ;)

Aww, here's one that Zach isn't so fond of... But I LOVE it! It's hard to believe that he was once so chubby, he's such a skinny little thing now. ;) Here he is in "Adorable Zachary" when he was about 8 months old. Check out those cheeks! Gotta love 'em! Hehe

I did this one for the Twisted Lift Challenge over at Polka Dot Plum. Here is the page I lifted. I used "Little Boy Blue" by Creations By Rachael. The alpha is from "Take Me Away", a blog freebie by Jennifer Fox Designs.

I did another Photo Swap challenge. This time it was at Inspiration Lane. I was paired with jrmminga09 to swap photos. Here is the page I made with her photo, "Fun In The Sun":

I used "Bahama Mama" Collab by the Sunshine Studio Designers. Contributing Designers used are: AmandaKay, TLC, Scrapidea-Timkoave, Scorpiosue, SBP, Michelle Batton, Juno and dliemert. And the template and a couple other things are from "Island Splash" Collab by the Sunshine Studio Scraps Wonder Girls. Template by WG Teri, and a paper by Lcarl.

The photo I sent her is another cheeky one of Zach. This is the page she made for me:

Cute, huh? I SO miss those cheeks! LOL!

Ok, I finished the month of December at SUN with a gorgeous kit by Ldrag Designs called "Bedazzled". Again, I had a great photo that I've just been waiting to use. This is my niece, Jenna, looking very pretty and oh so grown up! She had just had her bath before bed and her hair was down, which I hadn't seen before. She usually has it pulled back off her face. She just looked so beautiful to me. Love ya, Jenna!

I also used an alpha from another Ldrag Designs' kit, "La Innamorata!'. The mask is from 'Grungy Blending Masks' by Scorpiosue. All products found at Sunshine Studio Scraps.

Alright, last one. But, this one is one of my FAVES! Remember those new designers I told you about at SUN? Well, I got to play with them already! When I saw "La Tua Cantante" by litabells designs I knew immediately I was going to love working with it. The colors are just SO rich and warm. It is gorgeous! I also used a template pack by litabells designs called 'Block It Up'. Here is my page, "Growing Up So Fast":

I LOVE moments like this when Cody and Zach are getting along so well. But it's bitter-sweet to watch how fast they're growing up. But they are good boys, and I am so very proud of both of them. :) Yep... another year gone... Time continues to fly by.

My parting words are a prayer of blessing over the new year. I pray that you will all be blessed with good health, much love and everything you need to make this a prosperous year. God bless and love you all! Happy New Year!

Some of my kreations...

I haven't been scrappin' pages a whole lot lately, I've been so busy making all my Christmas cards! YES, That's right! I made all my cards this year! Every year I say I'm going to and I procrastinate until it's too late and end up having to send store bought ones. But not this year! I had them made up ahead of time, so it was easy to sit and print and get them all out in plenty of time for Christmas! Yay!
BUT I do have a few pages I'd like to share with you. I hope you like them...

First is "Believe". I made this one for a Word Art Challenge over at Sunshine Studio Scraps that I hosted. I made the Word Art myself, as well. This is my niece, Natalie, last Christmas.

The kits I used are "Snowman Soup" by Tracey Howard Designs, "Christmas Joy" by The Ettes and "Jolly Jingle Days" by Jady Day Studio, all at Scrap Orchard. WordArt by me, kjkreations. You can pick it up here if your interested. The template is by ~Lisa~ at Sunshine Studio Scraps for a Template Challenge.

Next is "Color Of Winter". I took this photo last year when we got more snow than I can remember ever getting here. It was SO beautiful! Everything was covered in white and took on a pale purple shade in all my photos. I thought it was just gorgeous and it went so perfectly with the kit "Cool Winter" by Janice's Scrap and LDrag Designs at Sunshine Studio Scraps.

This next one I made for my sister to give to her Secret Santa friend at work. I sure hope she liked it, I know I did! ;)Hehe
I used "Into The Night" by Stolen Moments. I love those colors together. The calendar stamps were a freebie from from Mushy. The ribbons were recolored from "Anxiously Awaiting" also by Stolen Moments.

And my last one... "No Mud!" I took these photo's on Toni's 1st birthday. Her Mommy told her NOT to play in the mud... LMBO! I think I actually heard Toni say, "Whatever, Mommy!" They get attitude so early these days, don't they? ;)Hehe For this page I used Whimpy Chompers Creations kit "Forever Sisters". I SO LOVE this kit! The colors, the elements, the papers, SO perfect.
This was actually done for a "Lift A Sugar Plum" Challenge over at Polka Dot Plum (long name for Scraplift Challenge, hehe). We had to create our own version of this adorable page by Amanda (aka Mandarin Oranges). Her image is linked as well, so go leave her some well deserved love. :)

Well, that's it for show and tell tonight. I'm in the middle of working on a page using Brandy's "Santa's Shoppe". That's the same kit I used to make my blog background, but I used so little of it here that I wanted to make a full page from it. It's of my 2 youngest boys opening their favorite gift from last year. Priceless photos! Wait and see... Until then... C'ya!