Photo Collage Friday. {Number One}

Happy Friday everyone!
I would like to start a little tradition here on the blog: PHOTO COLLAGE FRIDAY!
I will pick out a series of photos on my computer (or from flickr) and post a little collage each week.

For today's collage, I really wanted to share photos from a recent 1st birthday party....SO CUTE! The baby dove right into that cake, I've never seen a 1-year-old do that before!!

Eureka 2!

Earlier this week, I posted pictures from my Eureka Springs birthday trip. I took some Holga images, so I hope to post those soon. For now, I have a few more Instax Wide pictures. Enjoy!

Eureka!

For my birthday, I went on a photo adventure with my Instax Wide around Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was a lot of fun!
 Here are a few of my favorite images of the trip:

The Cresent Hotel. Lots of history there. It may or may not be haunted...

This is one of my favorite pictures of the entire weekend. This is on the porch at the Cresent, probably left behind by an evening party guest at the hotel...but I like to think an art loving-drunk ghost floated away, forgetting his two olives. (An ode to Ed Ruscha)

This might seriously be the MOST beautiful time of year to visit--all the dogwood trees are in bloom.

Yes, room for one please. Sometimes I need a vacation here.


Check back later this week for a few more Instax images!

Happy Birthday Post!

A friend sent me an awesome link to some really creative and fun art birthday party decorations. I especially love the colorful cake balls displayed in the paint palette. Check out Inspired Birthday Party Themes for more ideas and more photos!

This would be such a fun birthday party--the invitations would be so cute and so fun to make!

Today is my birthday, I am 28!! Inching my way towards 30,  it will be here before I know it. Read about some of my other birthday adventures here, I haven't always had the best luck on my birthday. (Let's hope I don't get a ticket for 'body parts outside the vehicle' again!)

This day has started out beautifully. My entire school sang happy birthday to me in the bus room. Each class of the day has showered me with birthday notes and paintings.

My student teacher made me a super cute owl apron and an entire bouquet of owl pops! So cute!! This is my first owl apron-- I own tons of aprons but none have owls!

 Cutest thing ever! I am in LOVE!

 Totally cute and creative. I need this book now! I think I may have a new obsession!

Watch for a post on Monday entitled 'My Birthday in Food'...it looks like I will be spending a lot of time eating this weekend--and I am excited about that!

Thanks for reading! I am excited to get back to blogging soon. I have lots of great ideas for posts, just need to find time to get them written. I am hoping to have a bit more time in the coming weeks.

Is there any thing you want me to write about? Art teacher stuff? Lesson plans? Funny stories? Crafting projects? Leave me some requests in the comments!

Hope you are Having a good weekend

I am crafting with my friends today...and the whole weekend!! Taking a technology break....A much needed weekend getaway with scrapbooking, stamping, and lots of good food!! I reserved a local campground so we are having a fun retreat!

Hope you are having a great weekend too!

Today is My Birthday!!

I have a busy day planned...including an art walk and a nice dinner. 

I tend to have rather bad luck on my birthday...so I am hoping this year will be much better. 

I am looking forward to this weekend too!!!

No time....

For a {real} post. So here is a quick shot of something cool.

This is a butterfly collage, card and necklace I made for a birthday gift this weekend. The collage will be framed. The chipboard butterflies are K&Co, mixed with a variety of Basic Grey stickers, CTMH paper and an Hero Arts woodgrain stamp. Enjoy!

Fun Crop and a fun a layout!

Hey everyone!! I went to a crop last night. Yesterday was my last day of summer school and it was really hot so I must've been super tired because I only got one layout done....Between all the chatting and eating...I worked on it from about 6:00 p.m. until at least 10:30...I spent a lot of time hand cutting the letters and the flowers.





Anyway, everything on this layout is CTMH.
Extreme Happiness is the stamp set
Perfect Day and MoonDoggie papers
Lay out is from Cherish

My favorite part about scrapbooking at a crop is just talking with other people who love it as much as I do!! I also love it that we can share supplies!!



In case you are wondering about the 'Friends Don't Let Friends Crop Alone' shirts...I ordered 6 shirts from a neat website called Be Creative Scrapbooking. She offers a discount if you order 6 or more...Perfect for an entire group to go to an event! I am going to CKC-Tulsa in August and I wanted a couple of fun shirts for me and my friends to wear!! Anyway, if you want to get the discount you have to email her...so please tell her I sent you! She will give me a discount on my next order for referrals if you spend $20.00 or more!!

Home Gathering Cards!!

I had a really wonderful birthday yesterday. When I got home from school, I realized that my DH had taken the entire day off so he could stay home and put together a new organizational unit for my scrap room!! WHOA!! Awesome!! He surprised me by having it all put together and told me that when Michaels gets a new shipment in later this week, we could go get a few more pieces to make the organization complete!! YIPPPEEE!! I will post some pictures as soon as it is completely finished. What does your room/space/closet/cabinet look like? Mine space has transformed over the last few months. I completely took over our spare bedroom. We got rid of the bed, to make room for my new stuff!!

As for my birthday dinner...when we got to the restaurant, we realized that it was closed....The entire town (Over 40 min. away) was experiencing a city-wide black out because of a blown transformer!! :-( No king crab legs for our party of 8...so we headed back to our hometown to a back-up place which has Snow Crab legs on special Wednesday nights. We had a wonderful time eating and chatting. It was so great to spend the evening with some of my closest friends.

I told them about my 16th birthday. For some reason, the school's water wasn't working so every high school student boarded a bus bound for a gym at one of the elementary buildings. We got to spend the entire day hanging out in the bleachers, watching the jazz band and choir perform. I was actually in choir at the time (I switched to art the next year after my dad asked me if I was tone deaf!!). The school choir serenaded me with Happy Birthday in front of the entire student body. It was sooo cool!! So, sometimes things don't always work out, but sometimes they are even better because of some natural catastrophe.

Here are a couple of cards for a home gathering Friday night. They feature some circle punches, the new Tickled Pink kit from CTMH, edge distressing, a butterfly punch (I can't seem to make anything without it), and some glitter! Enjoy!!


I think I will take a marker and show how they can make a 'stitched' line for the butterfly's trail...I put the butterfly really close to the word 'friend' because I had a little ink smudge there....Also, I will let them choose the layout hey like best. Either vertical or horizontal. The word 'friend' is from Friendship Word Puzzle. Also, I didn't have any crystal blue cardstock so I used my sponge dauber and some ink to make a little bit so I could punch the butterfly from it!! Enjoy!


Ink colors: Blush, tulip, sweet leaf and crystal blue.