More sneak peeks!!

The 3 Scrappy Boys kits this month are FABULOUS. I already mentioned I got to work with the Trio kit and I have been loving it. Want to see a sneak of a little more that is included? Ok!

Check back to see what these pages look like!!

Just a little sneaky peaky o

That is right ... the time is FINALLY here for me to share some sneak peaks of this great kit! I was given the opportunity to work with the 3 Scrappy Boys May TRIO kit. And let me just say, it is FANTASTIC. Gorgeous paper...like seriously, some of the best stuff out there right now, and fun embellishments!!

This kit is going to go a long way, I see a mini album, more layouts and cards in my future!!

I will show you the rest of the layout in due time. Do you like what you see? Then run over and check out 3 Scrappy Boys!!

hanging on...

Hello! It's been a while. 6 days, in fact. And you know what?! I've not created a THING - I've been sick as a dog! Seriously. An INSANELY horrible sinus infection and now bronchitis/pneumonia. So, I've got nothing.

But, here's what I *DO* have. A great new store that I found, My Scraps and More has all the new My Minds Eye Lime Twist AND the new October Afternoon 5 and Dime! If I had to choose it'd be the MME Lime Twist ALL THE WAY. Love it. I love the playful alphabet, remember twine and SO MUCH more.

Go check it out. SUPER cute store with great stuff AND an incredibly nice owner. Sounds like the best combination! Plus, Tammi is offering 20% off your first order! Enter code MS411. And, hopefully I will be back tomorrow with something to share!

you are my DREAM COME TRUE

There are several things about this layout that are totally not me. One, using 1 huge photo. Normally I use a bunch of smaller photos (or at least 4x6). AND, there's no journaling. I'm kind of a journaling freak. But, I wanted to make this simple, so I stuck to the sketch and kept it simple.

The sketch? One of Shimelle's gorgeous ones, of course. Love that it's open to interpretation, love that it's simple, love the layering. Here's my take:

My Sketch World April 15 sketch

Need a great sketch to use to get your pages going? Look no further than My Sketch World and the April 15th sketch.

Want to see my take on it? Here it is!

I actually used the sketch to play along with a weekly challenge over at Citrus Tree Studio, as well. The challenge was to use only 2 of each element. So, 2 photos, 2 types of letter stickers, 2 label stickers, two patterned papers, etc. Fun, right?

WINNER and how we spent our spring break

Let us get the winner of the scallop border punch out of the way, okay? I know you're all dying to know if it's you or not, so lets not delay any further. I won't show my new layout, I won't talk about anything else. Just the winner.

So...the winner is creativekokes !! I would love to send this to you, so please email me at aj_mcgarvey AT msn dot com -- okay?

If you didn't win? Don't be too sad and check back. I have a growing pile of goodies I'm collecting to give away. Really.

So, now for the layout. I was doing a scraplift challenge. Turns out, I really like the layout I created by scraplifting someone else!!

Fun spring break photos from my iphone (instagram app) printed at scrapbookpictures.com -- serious love for that!!

Off to make another layout...

The first day of summer, a winner and ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!

Okay, first things first! The Zing! The winner of that is NICOLE! Like, Nik of My Sketch World and various other places!! Send me an email at aj_mcgarveyATmsn.com and I will get this right out to you!!

Second, a layout. A two pager, even! I really love this one. I loved the photos, I love the papers..heck, I just love the whole thing! Sadly, I can't put it next to each other because the blog isn't set up to that width. Top is the left side, bottom is the right side. :)

And, then, because we have MORE THAN 50 followers!!!!!!! Another giveaway. Seriously, so happy. So thrilled and beyond excited. :) :)

Here it is:

In order to win this Stampin Up|EK Success scallop border punch you must be a follower. Then, leave a comment by 10 am pacific time on Monday (April 18) morning! That easy. I'll have random.org pick the winner, like always!

THANK YOU for stopping by here. Thanks for leaving comments, it's really so thrilling!!

our foofie

I'm a couple of days behind on my Sketchbook layouts. Which, as far as I'm concerned, is fine. I'm going to always have the PDF's with the layouts, so I can make them whenever. But, I've got time to scrap and tons of fun goodies calling my name...

So, here's one from Day 3. Seriously LOVE these photos. LOVE how it looks like Holly Golightly (our puppy) is playing Scrabble with us. LOVE that I could resurrect these Scrabble tiles and put them on a layout. I've only had them probably 8 years. (Hoarder?!)

sketchbook 3 layout and a GIVEAWAY!

Happy Wednesday, scrappy friends! It's a good one indeed. With a little one that is feeling a little under the weather I was able to finish 3+ pages. One of which was following one of the layouts from Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook 3. LOVE this class, even more than I thought I was going to. (Which was a lot because I've really liked Kelly's style for a long time!)

LOVING working with fall stuff to take a break from all of the layouts about baseball, spring, etc.

And now, a small giveaway. I assure you, though, it's mighty. (Small but mighty!) Have you been using Zing! on your projects? I have and it's FUN! My favorite use is to change chipboard into a shiny, bright colored embellishment. LOVING having heat embossing back into my regular scrapping. (I'm using aqua, leaf, mustard and apricot!)

Due to circumstances beyond my control (an extra showing up at my house courtesy of Studio Calico and them being kind enough to let me keep it!) I have an extra bottle of LEAF ZING! Would you like it? I'd love to give it to you!!

To enter, you must be a follower of my blog and you must leave a comment before 10 am pacific time on Friday. That simple!!

This is what SEVEN looks like

Ah, Sawyer...last week he had a birthday and now he's 8. He's picked up some annoying personality traits in the past year, but a few fun ones too. However, seven was great for Sawyer ... he's a great kid with a HUGE heart, a great sense of humor and is generally really fun to be around.

I have had this photo of Sawyer sitting on my desk, waiting to be scrapped. I've just been waiting and then waiting some more. When I saw the sketch from Shimelle I knew this was finally the way I wanted to scrap this photo.

A couple more!

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to have a little bit of scrapping time. So, in addition to the tee-pee layout I posted on Saturday, I got these two done as well!!

They were both challenges over at Citrus Tree Studio. The first was using scallops on your layout and the second was for what you see outside your window. Love having the chance to tell both of these stories!

(I don't know why this one is cut off!! I resized it...hmmmm)

Hot off the presses!

So, literally 15 minutes ago I whipped out this bad boy. I LOVE that I used pink. I LOVE that I got to use some traditionally girl items. LOVE IT. And, it is a layout about me and my friends with no people in the photos!

The sketch came from a challenge over at Citrus Tree Studio and it was super fun so I had to play along!

are you kidding?!

I didn't post anything since Tuesday? Shame on me! I've had lots to share but little time to share it in, I guess.

Lets forget the time that has passed and start over, shall we?

Here's a fun one...lots of My Minds Eye and Cosmo Cricket with cute pictures of Harrison when he was juuuuust a baby. Not even two. Now, at 3+ it seems like a lifetime ago!

I don't know if you've heard of Kelly Purkey and her sketchbook classes. I hope you have and I hope you have taken one, if not all. Because mostly, they are AWESOME. This is my first chance to get to take one and I'm so glad I did. You get 12 sketches with 4 variations on each. Can you say AWESOME!? Here's day 1 ... did I mention how happy I am to have taken this class?!

And, the most exciting thing of all. The one I sat on for a couple of days, completely THRILLED and SHOCKED. I am now a PROUD member of the 3 Scrappy Boys design team! SERIOUSLY. Like, shut the front door! 3 scrappy boys was the first kit club I stalked. The first one I bought anything from, the one that was made for me with 3 boys. I'm over the moon. Seriously. I hope you will join us over there after you see what they have!!

beach explorer

I did something with this layout that I, as a general rule, don't do. I don't fussy cut. There's no real reason except the fact that I'm just too lazy. I like the way it looks and the end product is usually fabulous. Or it looks fabulous, on other people's layouts. I wouldn't know because I usually don't do it.

However, I did on this one. I used the sketchabilities sketch, made a layout and did some fussy cutting. I enjoyed the result but I don't think I will do it again soon.

Another surprise? Heat embossing! Check out the pail. THAT I probably will do again! ;)

this face

This is a title I've used before. This year. I didn't even know it. But, I did. I probably will again, too.

Anyway, another lovely Shimelle sketch and another of my takes on it. I used an old photo...a photo from 4.5 years ago that had been propped up on my work space. I do love it. :)

the faces o' summer

I love these photos of Cam and Harrison. We were at Reiman Gardens in Ames checking out the place and looking at the dinosaur sculptures and butterfiles...and I managed to snap a couple of fun faces. Add in a fun sketchabilities sketch and here you have it -- the faces o' summer!