Wow, I finished 4 of the 5 cards I am making for the "Whoo's Crazy For Owls?" card class in January, and I am so excited! They turned out better than expected. Each one has a different type of owl, and has a cute saying on them. Here is a picture of them. Its at MDW on January 31st, come join us in making these fun cards!

Well I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! I must say that this one of the most memorable, fun, less stressed Christmas I have had in years. We just had a fanatastic couple of days, filled with family, love, tears, and just plain fun. We ate till we popped, drank a lot of wine and really had so much fun with all the kids running around the house. We have a bunch that are just getting to the "fun" age of Christmas. Tony was so spoiled with presents but I don't care, it was priceless to see him excited and squealing with happiness. I did make my sister cry with her present.. I didn't even make it to her opening it when I started to cry. It was a memoriam album for her dog Jiggs. He was put down earlier this year and I made an album for her. It was so priceless to see her reaction. That is why we do this art, to make people think, remember and express feelings... its always good to make em cry too.. hehehehehehehe!

I am giving you a sneak peak at my DT layout for the January kit for Scrap for a Cure.. can you say GRUNGEBOARD????? Fantastic!

Enjoy! Stay tuned.. tons more coming up for me.. some changes too.. in 2008!

First I wanted to do a SHOUT OUT - Happy Birthday LAURA! She is on her way to LA to see the play "Wicked" a gift from her great hubby.. I love ya girl!

I have been busy moving my mom from Alameda to Pleasant Hill these past 2 weeks. Whew.. its hard to move someone after 22 years.. I am soo happy and excited to have her even closer to me and the family.

I did take some pics of two Christmas projects I did earier this month, the MERRY sign made with leftovers from the Scrap For A Cure October set, and Elsie Christmas paper (my favorite ever!), then I found this fantastic Making Memories Advent Calendar and finished this as well.

I have added two classes I'll be teaching in January at My Daughters Wish. One is a revamp of the Carol Wingert Remember When class taught at Wishfest, and the second is a fun card class with my favorite OWLS! Pictures soon!

I hope to scrap this weekend with my girlfriends.. I haven't done it in weeks, and I need to finish my Christmas cards.. only 12 more day left and soo much to do!

So, this past week, Christmas has BLOWN up in our house! I need to take some pics of the mantle, dinning room, living room.. I swear.. every room downstairs is full.. I kept pulling boxes upon boxes down in the garage.. I never need to buy a string of lights again in my life.. I won't need to buy ANY gift wrap for 20 years.. I am one that buys things the day after Christmas, then forgets about it.. geesh, I pulled down two brand new 4 roll sets of gift wrap (the ones that come with the bows and ribbon).. but then at Target this past week, I saw some perfect GW in my colors, turquoise, pink and green and of course bought it.. with the coordinating bows.. I didn't realize I had done this last year.. don't we all do this?

We also got our tree today. What an exciting time. We borrowed the pickup truck and we needed it plus the car to get everyone to the tree lot.. I love to make it a big deal..especially with Tony. I drove the pickup with Bianca and Tony sitting next to me. It was so nice to have them right up next to me.. I thought about how extremely blessed I am in this life to have two beautiful children who just make this world sing for me. The little laughs, the cute looks they give each other and me. Its incredible that they are mine and I am so lucky to have them. I never in a million years when I was young thought that children would be my proudest achievement in life. But I can say that with such honor now. I never would have thought that being a stay at home mom to them, keeping a house, starting traditions was going to be the life for me. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. With Tony being at an age of wonder and innocence.. it really brings the holidays into perspective, Enjoy them!

This is a wooden block I had, but used the Scrap For A Cure December Kit which had my FAVORITE paper in it! Elsie Holiday paper.. can't get any better than that! LOVE IT!

Hello Friends! Wow its been a hard long week for me! I have been totally SICK! I have the completely RAW throat, then last night I had a fever and the chills the whole nine yards. I slept for about 12 hours.. I am feeling a little bit better, but still no energy. I haven't been online for a few days.. I have a bunch of designer deadlines tomorrow, but thankfully I had already done most of my projects before I got sick! Here is a super cute one, CHRISTMAS TREE! Its done with papers from the Creative Hearts Studio December Kit. It has this super cute paper from Websters Pages in it. Kinda retro antiquey christmas. Perfect for this tree! More to come later!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying a day of family, food and reflection on the blessings we all have. I am so thankful for my husband, my children, my family, my home and my friends. I am blessed with a very close family, wonderful healthy children, and the best friends a girl could wish for. Thank you to everyone in my life for being a friend, sister, mother, husband and my children. Every day I am blessed with love and happiness because of you.

So, I have been playing alot this past week.. I am making my Christmas list and what I am making for whom... and also making a few things for me! I am going to try to make all my Christmas presents this year, plus make my Christmas cards, so I am going to try to keep on schedule... but I got off of it a little bit late last night.. I had sitting on the table the super cute Maya Road Chipboard keychains, and I have been wondering how I would alter them. Well I just "went to it" and I just couldn't stop till they were done. I want to put them in a layout, but couldn't wait to share them with others.
So, first is a cute hanging chipboard christmas door hanger. Made with the Maya Road Accordian album that originally had rings.. I took them out and used ribbon. I will be making 3 or 4 of these, for family and of course one for me!
Then is a pic of the super cute Maya Road "Costa" family people. I LOVE THEM!
On the Tony bottle front.. I am so excited, things have been so easy and the transition so wonderful.. he is sleeping through the night, and hasn't asked for a bottle in a few days. He is still on the milk strike, but I am trying every day waiting for the moment he gulps it down. Thanks for the tips.. I am using them!

So I have been busy having fun, working, playing, being a mom.. trying to do the impossible.. wean my child off a bottle.. yep.. I am that mom that let it get out of hand and now Tony is over 2 years old! So.. we are on day 3 today.. first two nights were better than expected.. but wow the crying and begging is very hard to hear especially at 5am.. but we HAVE to do it.. now he is on a milk strike and hasn't drank any in the 3 days.. what do we do??? He won't drink it out of a cup. Any suggestions?
Finally here is a layout purely of my choice.. my full layout.. I haven't done one in a long time. Tony loves to pick up my mini books all over the house and look at them.. makes me so proud. So I asked him if he'd like to see the "big" books and we sat down and looked at my layout books.. I really enjoyed seeing all my work again and got me to thinking that I need to get back to doing layouts.. (other than my DT commitments) I LOVE LOVE LOVE my DT team, but I loved doing this layout with just things I have bought and haven't had time to play with.. so here it is.. CUTE BOYS! My daughters friends.. love them! They are the coolest hipest sweetest teenagers a mom would want to hang out with her daughter. They are polite, treat her nice and treat me with respect.. So.. thanks Matt and Jerry (two on the left) for hanging with Bianca!

Wow we had a fantastic night on Tuesday night! We had the pleasure of having Allison from Hambly come to MDW and teach a super fun Clearly Heavy Overlays class. This is their new product that is sheer like acrylic but you can use most of your normal tools to cut it! The project was super cute and the ladies in the class had a fabulous time!

Here is a pic of me, Sheri and Allison. We hope she'll come back to visit us very soon!

Monday here... I want my weekend back! I had a great time teaching on Saturday, the class was mellow, all went well and we actually finished on time, yippee! The acrylic classes are always so much fun because I get to see people get really creative and think outside the normal scrapbook box. I try encourge individuality in the book and not to do it exactly as I have. We played and got our hands dirty.. always a blast!

Sunday I played at Scrapbook Territory doing a fun Card extravaganza class, it was a lot of fun and I got a ton of new ideas. I'll try to post some of the cards/projects this week.

Here are some more fun layouts with the Creative Hearts Studio and Scrap For a Cure kits for November. The first is from SFAC and is of Bianca and her friends on the graduation day of 8th grade. The second is from CHS and is of Bianca looking like "Nicole Richie".. (she in no way acts like her) sometimes with those HUGE glasses people say she resembles her!

Just wanted to share some more creativity I did with the November kits from Creative Hearts Studio and Scrap For a Cure. The first is with the CHS kit for November "Beauty" and this is a layout I did with that great picture of Tony at the hay maze in the Livermore Pumpkin patch. I loved the glittery leaves that came with this kit! The second is a layout of Tony I did with the November kit from SFAC called "The Santa Maria". I loved just using the Bazzill sheet as is and I painted around the edges.. I love how it turned out!
I teach tomorrow morning the Home Life Acrylic Class and can't wait to see how great everyones project comes out!

It November 1st, which is KIT day! I have so much to share! I was asked by Scrap For A Cure to design a project kit for them.. geez I wonder what I chooosseeee... AN ACRYLIC BOOK! Here it is! The kit is only $24.95 and can be found on their website HERE! Its chock full of fun embellishments, and comes with the 5x5 acrylic album. This was so much fun to do! I am also sharing a layout I did with their November kit. It is my favorite layout in a long time. I loved the products included in the kit, I felt I was very creative with what I did! Go check them out and give them some love and lets sell out this kit for them!

Happy Halloween! I just wanted to say hello and show off my little Tony in his costume and show my little display in the kitchen area! Have fun today and eat lots of candy!

End of the MONTH! Yikes.. its crazy around here.. I have creative deadlines which I am almost finished with.. can't wait to share with you! I was so excited to create the November Project Kit for Scrap For A Cure Kit club! Its so cute and fun and perfect for your pumpkin patch pics or fall pics.. actually it'll be cute for any theme! I am so excited for its debut later this week on their website.. stay tuned here or there for the details and ordering!

On Sunday we visited the Pumpkin Farm in Livermore and Tony is at the age where its so exciting and we just had a ball with his cousins and friends! Here is a great shot of him running through the hay bale maze.. love the effect on the photo..look for this one in a page very soon!

Halloween is almost here.. I am so excited.. Having a toddler is so much fun.. he LOVES Halloween and the SCARY things associated with it.. mom has gotten into it with spiders on the outside of the house.. the glowing ghost and pumpkins littering our porch.. I also have a dinning room table filled with candy and goodies for our family and friends.. I can't wait!

What a fun week its been! It started out Saturday when I attended the Scrap For A Cure Charity Crop in Brentwood. It was a fun filled day of friends and scrappin! I saw some old friends I hadn't seen in awhile, and got a ton of things done, and just spent good time with great friends. I love love love these days of no dishes, no laundry, no screaming kids (I love you TONY!) but wow before you know it the day is almost over. They go by so fast. Its a luxury to be able to scrap all day and into the evening and I cherish this time to be creative and hang out with my friends. Its such a release and it feels really good to come home with completed projects. I finished both my December classes for MDW. First is the famous Christmas House.. and wow this one is CUTE! The second is a Whimsical Christmas, which is file folders, tags, transperancies, all Zuttered together to make a wild book! See my side panel for more information on dates and times.

We all have friends that we loose touch with over the years and the past few weeks I had been thinking of one of my best friends from high school. I even looked on MySpace to see if they had a page, nothing.. I had no idea what they were up to... then the other day, Bianca asks me to come look at the computer. She said she got some weird friend request from an "old" person.. lo and behold here was my childhood friend, trying to find me through Bianca's MySpace page.. isn't life weird??? I absoutely LOVE when things like this happen.. it makes you believe and gives you hope that there is so much more that happens in life, you just need to open your eyes and see it.. So.. hello old friend who is hopefully reading this.. its been nice to chat with you lately!

Just a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful mother! She turns the big 65 today! I love you mom!

Ooh I've been busy this week! I was comissoned to prepare a friends moving announcements (48 of them!) and I am finally finished! Whew! I think they came out darn cute! It took a lot of time and finding of alternate products. Isn't that always the case? You make a sample, go back a few days later to get all the paper etc..and they are sold out! Luckily the scenic route paper all works so well together in the fall colors, so they all worked together.. and then they all have their personality!

On a professional note, I have been so busy working with the FANTASTIC ladies of the My Daughters Wish Design Team! They are all so talented.. I am working on getting them all linked to my blog, so check them out soon! I am so inspired by their talent and creativity!

I am adding a new class to my list, which will be "A Whimsical Christmas".. this is totally a "Daniela" album.. Its using the new Rhonna Farrer Christmas line, Making Memories Christmas line and will be using file folders, hambly overlays.. and tons of cute buttons, flowers and ribbon.. and its in pink, turqoise and green.. the unofficial new colors of Christmas in the scrapbook world.. I'll try to take a pic of all the things I am using in it and get it up asap!

Here is a pic of all the moving announcements.. Suz... they are in the mail tomorrow!

Happy Morning! I have been up again, but not with the best of lucky creatively.. we have had the "sickness" in our house this week, and I am finally back to "normal".. ohh do I hate being sick.. it got passed around at a family function on Saturday, and at least 10 people got sick.. kinda scary how things can travel so fast through people. Here are a few more layouts from my October design teams.
The first is from Creative Hearts Studio and its of Bianca and her BFF Alexa.. one of my favorite pics of them, just playing around.. I need new pics of them badly.. they are sooo much fun to photograph and they are so beautiful, that every picture is just great! The second is from Scrap For A Cure October kit and its on the day of Tony's baptism last year with my mom.. A very special day for us.

Enjoy your day everyone!

WOW two posts in one day! I must be on a roll or something! I finished my latest acrylic book, and I must say, its darn cute! Its a stepped album the first page being 4x4 and the last being 4x8. It was super fun to make.. I am hoping it will be my next class at My Daughters Wish, stay tuned for final details!

Happy Friday everyone! Its still dark here at my house.. I love being up before everyone else in the house. Its all MINE! No kids, no dogs running at my feet, just me and the quiet of early morning. I am seriously an early morning person. As soon as I am done here, I'll put on a pot of coffee and go to my craft table and start playing for about an hour. I am fully inspired at this point and have a ton of ideas and things I'd like to play with.. I bought some new Tinkering Ink, I think its called BLUR, and WOWSERS, this is my kind of paper! Its screaming at me to play with it! I am also working on a new acrylic class which is a book about home..
soo as promised here are two more layouts from my kit club designs.. First is of my Grandfather Humberto. This is one of my all time favorite pictures. Its from the 1920's and is in Brazil. Look at their clothes and look at their shoes.. wow.. I'd love to travel back in time and see what life was like back then wouldn't you? This is from the Creative Hearts Studio October Kit. The second is of Tony. Very simple layout, but I love this paper and this picture is priceless. Its of when he was about 8-9 months old and first learning how grass feels under his hands.. This was made with the Scrap For A Cure kit club for October. Have a great day everyone, try
to play a little bit!
Also, there are about 3 spots left in the Haunted House Class tomorrow at My Daughters Wish 925-952-4437, your going to feel like Martha Freaking Stewart in this crafty class.. come play with us tomorrow at 1:30pm!
OOOH a quick shout out to Laura.. see the previous post? I CAN do layouts with more than one picture.. (once in a while.. ) I know these have only one.. but I did do it! Challenge completed.. love ya!

My scissors have been on FIRE these past few days.. I finished 8 layouts.. can you believe it??? I have done my work for Scrap for a Cure and for Creative Hearts Studio,so each day I'll share one layout from each kit.. First is Me-1972, made with the October kit from Scrap For A Cure.. check it out fantastic! Second is "My Family Tree" made with the October kit from Creative Hearts Studio. So much fun! Loved them both this month!

Whew! What a WEEKEND! We had the WISHFEST celebration this weekend at My Daughters Wish and wow it was so much fun! I got to hang out with all my friends, meet a lot of fantastic women.. and just get soo INSPIRED! I have ideas so full in my head that I am about to burst! I can't wait to create.. I have a ton of shouts to everyone that came and helped MDW throw a FANTASTIC event, that I can't wait to do again next year!
I have a lot to share this week, so today I will share a pic of a super cute HUGE rubon I got online. It has my favorite.. an owl.. It makes me so happy to walk into the family room and see this on my wall. You can get one HERE. They have all kinds of fun things to put on your walls.. I bought a bunch and will share when I get each of them up.

Stay tuned this week for more fun and exciting things coming up!

So, on Monday I had a birthday.. at my age, it really is a normal day, running around with toddlers, going to the grocery store.. but I must share the most meaningful gift I have received in a long time. My precious Bianca, who is now 14 and just adorable.. she amazes me everyday. She knows how much my hobby means to me.. she used to want to crop with us when she was a young girl. But now she is just too cool, and we are just too old to hang out with. She doesn't scrapbook anymore. But for my birthday she made me this 12x12 layout. What an awesome gift. her journaling blew me away. Its a lot to get from a teenager these days.. She loves me and appreciates me.. I think thats all we mothers want from our children. Confirmation that your doing the right thing, that your children are happy, feel loved and are learning from you. Thanks Bianca for the best present a mom can get, I love you with all my heart!

As many of you know, I am on the design team for the kit club, Scrap for a Cure! This is a fantastic club that donates part of their sales to different charities each quarter. They are having their first official Charity Crop on Saturday October 20th! Its an all day event and I have been asked to teach a class for them. I am super excited and think we are going to have a great time! The details can be found here CROP. The project I will be teaching will look a bit like this one that I have pictured! Please please please come join us for a fun filled day of scrappin and raising money for the Susan G Koman Foundation!

Here it is! I am finally finished with my fully handmade, "HOME" book. I made it with chipboard and the Zutter! I truly have been dragging on this one, but I am super happy with the finished product. It has a ton of interactive pages and elements, and it has all my favorite things in it, my family, my home, my animals. I am truly happy in my home and with my family. I truly love love love my home. It is a place where I am comfortable, I am myself and I am surrounded by all the things that make me who I am. I hope your home is the same sanctuary to you as mine is to me.

Well well well... its been two whole weeks since I blogged! I know soooo bad.. but I know you all understand.. I haven't had a ton of time to create and I've been busy, but I cleared off my scrap table and layed it all out to play tonight! I have been toting around this 6x12 album I made and bound with the Zutter (most awesome tool ever!) and I finally finished it.. but I need to use MDW's Zutter to finish. I am planning on buying one in the near future! Its fanatastic that you can make any size book you want and all you need is chipboard.
We have moved the My Daughters Wish Store this past week, and whew, you thought moving a house was hard, try moving 100,000 pieces of paper and embellies.. I am super excited about the new space. Its feels really nice in there and its more "open".. come visit us starting Wednesday, September 19th at 2835 Contra Costa Blvd. I have posted a pic that Sheri took of the old space when we had everything packed up.. wow it was a bittersweet day to see it empty, but so exciting to start fresh in the new space! See Sheri's blog for more pics!

I promise to post more "creative" pics tomorrow and if you don't see me blog, email or post to me and bug me, if you do I'll send you something! lol!
I need motivation people!

Its September 1st! I wanted to share some layouts I have completed with my Scrap For A Cure kit and my Creative Hearts Studio kit. Both were so beautiful this month, and I have had so much fun playing with both of them.

First is the Creative Hearts Studio kit, which features me and my grandfather. The picture was taken in Brazil where my family is originally from. My grandfather was the perfect gentleman. Always dressed properly and had impeccable manners. I loved this paper and the embellishments were just perfect for creating some wonderful pages. Check out their gallery for more ideas and projects!

Secondly is the Scrap For A Cure kit layout. This is of Bianca this past week, which was the first day of high school for her. Bianca has been going to a private catholic school her entire life. This year we decided to let her attend public high school, so its a huge transition for her. She just looks beautiful! She is just growing up to be such a wonderful young lady. I am so proud to be her mom! This kit has all kinds of fun things, check it out!

One final note, today is the last day to submit for the My Daughters Wish Design Team, I hope to go in this afternoon to a bunch of submissions! Thanks to everyone who has submitted and I can't wait to start working with some of you!

I know everyone has a favorite manufacturer of scrapbook products. My friends all know that mine is Hambly Studios. I love that they are different, and a small family type company, all their products are made right here in the good ol' USA. I had the EXTREME pleasure of going to visit their studios yesterday. I had set up a time to come meet the fabulous Allison and talk to her about our WISHFEST event coming up in September, and to talk to her about teaching a class for us at MDW. Coming up to the building it is very unassuming warehouse type place. A small sign indicated that we were there. As you walk in, there are paper holders that have EVERY type of paper and overlay they carry.. can we say "AAAAHHHHHH"... scrappers heaven! Allison came and greeted us and she is a doll.. so cute, down to earth and just so happy to show us around. Seeing the overlays made is incredible. The huge machines. The great workers with big smiles.. you can tell this is a great company to work for! We even got to see how rubons are made! Have you ever noticed that their papers have a sweet smell to them? Well, I found out that they put a trace of VANILLA in the ink for the papers! How cool is that? We were able to see how Allison gets her designs and the ins and outs of the company. What a wonderful treat to be able to do this! We were even able to spend time with MR. HAMBLY himself. What a sweet sweet man.. The company is everything I expected and more! Look for Allison to teach at MDW on November 8th, and also look out for MDW in the Hambly newsletter next month! Silly me had forgotten my camera.. duh! I was so excited to get there, I left it at home.. but wow what an experience I will never forget, thanks so much to Allison and everyone at Hambly!

I want to first say THANKS to everyone that came and took my Inspiration class! I know it was a lot of little things, but I am so happy people stuck through it and left with a completed book. Big shout to Sheri, for being my TA. I couldn't have done it without her help, we would have been there till midnight.
I was lucky enough to actually have a few hours all to myself on Sunday afternoon, and I was INSPIRED! I had this project on my to-do list for a few weeks, and just couldn't figure out what I wanted. WOW did it come to me and I just worked my hands all afternoon. They were all orange, black and had some dried hot glue on them, but I felt soo good when I was done! I don't know how you feel but wow I was a happy girl all night because I finished from start to finish. I can't wait to do this class! I know you all have see the Doodlebug magazine ads. I personally think they are one of the best most creative ads I have ever seen. I knew when I saw these houses, that I needed to do one for Halloween and Christmas. Here is my Halloween version and I used Making Memories, Daisy D's, paint and ink. I am really happy with the result. The class won't be until October 6th, but sign up early! Hope to see some of you there!

Happy Friday everyone! Wow, did I ever get caught up in a big gossip thing this week. The whole Stacy Julian email and the hubub about her comments and BPS. It was one of those things, where you are reading a message board, it references another site, then another, and all of a sudden two hours later and you have no idea where you are on the internet. How many times has this happened to you??? Its sad that something like that got out in the public, but more sad that someone you respect says comments like that about us scrappers. For me, online classes would never work cause I am a touchy feely person and I love interaction with people in classes or crops. I spend too much time as it is on the internet. I love the relationships and fiding out what is new and hip in our world, but it is time away from our families and our craft. Whilst roaming around I found this blog Scrapsmack and this lady tells it as it is. I respect that she has the guts to say what is really going on.. You go girl!
For today I'll share a layout challenge I did from my girl Wendy, and our little group, IT Girls. It was a challenge to use Grey in our layouts.. here is mine.. If your interested in joining our little group.. see here.. It Girl Media!