Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Proud Mommy photo alert!!!

Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for all your well wishes. I just sent out some photos to family so I thought that I would post them here also.



This photo is for all those doubters that don't believe that she is truly a brunette and not a redhead like the rest of the grandkids,but don't worry...she has the temper of a redhead. :)


time with big brother...



Nana time...





BTW, Happy Birthday to Dan, Dave, & Alison!!!!

Friday, May 18, 2007

Introducing Katherine Skyler...


Meet Miss Katherine (Kat) Skyler Snow.
Born May 15, 2007 @ 3:50 pm.
6 lbs. 11 oz.
19 1/2" long.
We are both doing really well and I am just thrilled to have this little beauty in my life. I will definitely be sharing more soon!
smiles,
Christi

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Today's the DAY!!!!

Hi, everyone!!! My water just broke (1:35 am Tuesday, May 15th) so Katherine Skyler should be arriving today!!!
smiles,
christi

Friday, May 11, 2007

I'm still here...

...no baby yet, but there have definitely been a couple of times where I didn't think that I was going to be able to say that much longer. We had our weekly non-stress test yesterday and I was having mild contractions all the way through it. Unfortunately, Kat's fluids were considerably lower than last week, but still in the safe range. But because they had fallen so much, we get to go back and do it again today after lots of re-hydrating overnight.

Despite the fantastic cybercrop going on over at the Cropper's Cottage, I haven't gotten much creating done this week. I have been obsessed with trying to get things done around here, but not much energy to do them. But I do have one layout to share. This was one of Angie's challenges (to do a layout with 7 pieces of chipboard about a vacation.) It's a very simple layout with lots of gorgeous Daisy D's product.


I hope that everyone has a fun weekend planned. My mom gets here on Sunday!!! YAY!!!
smiles,
christi

Monday, May 07, 2007

National Scrapbook Day results...

I was so busy sharing my challenges from the cybercrop yesterday that I didn't get to share with you all that I did on Saturday. I actually completed 6 layouts on Saturday. 3 of those I shared with you yesterday, but here are the other 3. Linda Peterson hosted the cybercrop on Saturday so these are all in response to the challenges that she issued.

This first layout is from a sketch that she posted...

I turned Linda's wonderful sketch to accomodate my horizontal photos. The flower pics are from Colonial Williamsburg. The papers are all MME--Tres Jolie (dotted) and Front Porch (other 2). The stamps are from the Ali kit.

This layout is actually a combination of a couple of challenges. Linda issued a challenge based on the phrase, "When I grow up..." I combined this thought with the scrapjack for this week which is a wonderful layout by Stephanie Howell.

This is my "Why I Scrapbook..." layout and the first time that I have scrapped using the 6x12 size.

My journaling says:
Why I Scrapbook...
*creative outlet
*for Jacob, Katherine, & Ben
*so that future generations will know me better than just a photo in a box
*avenue to share my feelings with family & friends
*because I love to take photos
...FOR ME!
Supplies used:
*Fancy Pants paper
*Tres Jolie paper (strip under photo)
*Jenni Bowlin journaling block
*Heidi Swapp chipboard letters
*Heidi Swapp deco tape
*MM deco brad
*ribbon
*paper napkin (red/blue damask)

Remember the cybercrop continues at the Croppers Cottage through this Friday so come join us in the fun. Seven fun, new challenges everyday and you have until late Saturday to get them done. An added bonus is that today is Shannon's (the owner) birthday and she has put the entire store on sale at 40% off!!! Just put birthday40 in the discount code area of the checkout!! How cool is that?!?!

smiles,
Christi

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Final Challenge...

Challenge # 7:
For this challenge you are going to design your own patterned paper. There are several ways that you can do this. The first and probably easiest of the methods is to scan something in your house that you like the pattern of it. For the example for this class, I scanned the hem of one of Kat’s sweet little dresses. This is great if you have some fabric that you love. Another fun place to look for great patterns is in your paper napkins. Look around you, and you may be surprised where a new patterned paper option comes from. Other ways that you can create your own patterned papers is through stamping or doodling. There are no limits to what you can do here and this is a great opportunity to show your artistic talents.

Have fun with this and try to get really creative…and don’t forget to share a link with us!

Challenge #6...

Challenge #6:
As I get closer and closer to the birth of this baby, I get more and more obsessed with organizing my life. This challenge ties right into that. This challenge has to do with organizing your life and your time with a calendar. There are two ways that you can do this challenge. You can create a real calendar along the lines of what I have done or you can create a layout page using a calendar as an embellishment.

The template for the calendar that I used can be found at http://www.mayaroad.com/classes/ClassMaterials.htm . Just print these templates off onto cardstock and you have the beginnings of your own custom-made calendar.

The calendar that I made is meant to be stood up on your work-table. This is perfect to keep track of contest deadlines and challenges. It is simply made from 2 pieces of heavy-weight chipboard for the base which are both painted in a coordinating color and then the one side of the front piece is decorated with photos and patterned paper. Print off the 8 calendars left for this year (how big you print them will determine what size you want your chipboard base.) The calendars are attached at the top using book rings so that you can change them each month. The stand is simply made by punching holes in the side edges and attaching a bit of ribbon.


That’s all there is to it. It is a very simple project and would also make a great Baby’s first year baby gift. If you don’t have room for a standing calendar, you could very easily hang it on the wall by running a ribbon tied in a bow through the book rings at the top and just use one piece of chipboard rather than the two.

Challenge #5...

Challenge #5:
We are talking about Luck for this cybercrop and in no other game is the force of luck more present than in the game of cards. For this challenge, you need to use a playing card on your project. This can be a normal playing card like what I have used on my challenge or you can pull out those Heidi Swapp cards that you have been hoarding. Either way, have fun and be creative!

Challenge #4...

Challenge #4:
We have already talked about the fact that I love to go to magazines for inspiration. Did you know that every single page is laid out by a professional graphic designer? They have already done all the hard work for you by creating a pleasing layout. All you have to do is follow the lines on any given magazine page and chances are that you will end up with a really well-designed page. For this challenge, I have chosen a good page out of the May 2007 Romantic Homes magazine.

This page has great scrapbook-like qualities that really translate well onto a layout. And this is my interpretation of the page...

Almost everything on this layout is the new, gorgeous Daisy D's line available from the Cottage

The journaling says, "It became a joke when we lived in England that if we saw a fancy door, I would take a photo of it. So when we saw these cool doors at Busch Gardens-Europe- a photo was a given. We miss those European touches."

Have fun!

Challenge #3...

Challenge #3:
For our third challenge of the day, we are going to have a challenge in honor of our Lucky 7. For this challenge you simply need to use 7 different patterned papers on a layout. It’s easier than you think and a great use for all those little scraps. You can see an example where I used 8 patterned papers (and 16 photos!) in my Return to France layout which is posted on my May 2nd blog post.

Happy Creating and don’t forget to come back and give us a link!

Challenge #2...

Challenge #2:
Have you ever looked for just the perfect embellishment and have not been able to find the right theme or style for what you have in mind? Clip art may be a solution for you! There is a resource available for crafting that many people don’t think about and that is the Dover ClipArt books. These books are available in your local bookstore and each book has hundreds of copyright free images that you can use for an average price of $6.95 to $10.95 a book.

Your challenge today is to use one of these three images that I have uploaded on a project.



This project can be a layout, card, or altered item. Just right click on the image in the gallery and you can either print it directly or save it and load it into one of your photo programs for editing. These can be resized and printed onto plain cardstock, printed paper, or even a transparency for that fun Hambly look and because you are manipulating the image, it will be the perfect size for your project.

Have fun with this and come back and give us a link to your gorgeous new project!

My example layout using one of the clipart images:
I saved the clock image and moved it into my photo program to print it onto an 8 1/2x11 transparency.

The journaling says: "Emily- age 21 mos. I found this picture this week and as you are turning 8 years old this next weekend, it's so hard to believe how fast you have grown. Time flies!"
Other supplies used:
*fancy pants patterned paper and tag
*Heidi Swapp Chipboard
*Tres Jolie deco tape

Cybercrop....Christi Style!

This week is a week-long cybercrop over at the Cottage and today is my day to host. That means that I will be posting challenges every 2 hours for a total of 7 challenges. I hope that you will come join us in the fun! Here is the first...

Challenge #1:
Welcome to Day 2 of the Lucky 7 cybercrop!!! Today I will be posting challenges every 2 hours starting at 8:00 am EST until 8:00 pm EST for a total of 7 challenges. If you get bored between my challenges and didn’t get to check out the board yesterday, Linda has some fantastic challenges that you can still create!!

Now on to our first challenge of the morning. Most of you know that I am all about finding inspiration wherever I can and many times that comes from home décor magazines. This first challenge is a color challenge brought to you from the Spring 2007 issue of 100 Decorating Ideas Under $100.

Your challenge is to use this color scheme in a layout. I have attached the coordinating Bazzill swatches at the top so that the colors are clear. The color of the bed is navy blue, but I love the dark chocolate brown of the dog with these colors too.

Be sure to come back here and give us a link when you have uploaded your creation.

BTW, another inspiration hint, whenever you go to magazines for color inspiration, look to the fonts and the mixes of colors that they will use on these throughout a page. You can find some wonderful new color schemes this way. I noticed that the latest Memory Makers magazine has a fun color scheme with the fonts on the cover.

Happy Creating!

Here is my interpretation of this first challenge:

Challenge 2 will be up in a couple of hours...
smiles,
christi

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Happy National Scrapbook Day!!!

Good morning! Do you have creative plans for the day??? I hope so because it is National Scrapbook Day! Over at the Cropper's Cottage, we are celebrating the day by starting off a week-long cybercrop event to help inspire your creativity. The Lucky 7 Design Team was just announced over there (yay! I am one of the lucky 7!!!) and each DT member is hosting a day of the cybercrop and issuing 7 challenges on their day. Today Linda Peterson kicks it all off! I can't wait to see what kinds of challenges that she has in store for us.

Then tomorrow is my day! I will be issuing challenges every 2 hours starting at 8:00 am and finishing at 8:00 pm so I hope that you will come and join me. I will try to post the challenges on here at the same times!

I haven't had much time to create this week...been busy running errands and going to appts, but I did manage a quick stop at Barnes & Noble for some instant inspiration in the form of a couple of new magazines.

The first magazine is a yearly publication put out by Somerset Publishing called Somerset Life.
When they first started publicizing this book/magazine, they touted it as filling a void that was left behind when Victoria Magazine was closed 3 years ago and I was really worried that it wouldn't be able to deliver to such high standards. Well, I was not disappointed. The magazine is so worth the $14.95 price. The photography is gorgeous. The articles well-written and every page is a bit of inspiration to the creative soul. Now I want them to release it more often (yes, even at that price...it is totally worth it!) Now I am just trying to spread out my enjoyment of it by taking it bits at a time with some great classical music on my ipod. That is my definition of bliss!

The second magazine is more of a fun, inspirational read. 100 Ideas Flea Market Style is a conglomeration of 100 ideas taken from the BH&G publications.
Some of them I had seen before and loved and most I have never noticed before. Some fantastic ideas in here and I love that they are all compiled in one place. I will definitely be using this magazine in the near future as design inspiration.

And finally, one final little magazine tidbit. I have waxed poetic before about the sad loss of Victoria Magazine that was put out by Hearst Publications until mid-2003. Well, it was recently announced that Hoffman Publications (they produce Southern Lady) will restart production of Victoria in October. I am so excited about the prospect. I just hope that they can continue to live up to the high standard that Victoria was originally produced at.

I hope to see you all over at the Cottage this week and hope that you are taking the time to feed your creative soul this weekend.
smiles,
Christi

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Good Wednesday Morning...

Just a few little tidbits to share this morning. I had another ultrasound this morning and Kat is doing really well. She has settled too far down into my pelvic floor so no more photos. They can't get to her face anymore. She is still measuring big. 6 lbs. 14 oz. by today's measurements which look to be pretty accurate. The doctor was measuring all the bones 3 times so that they would be good and correct. I still officially have 4 1/2 weeks til my due date, but I don't think that anyone thinks I am actually going to make it til then. Right now the goal is to get my mom here on the 13th before I go into labor. Starting tomorrow, I get to do weekly stress tests to make sure that she continues to stay healthy and happy.

I have done a bit of scrapping this week with quite a bit more that I seriously need to get done. I am starting to feel the panic of not getting everything done!! But here is what I have to share right now:

Linda had challenged us to use the phrase, "Someday I want to..." in a layout and this is what I came up with. Sorry for the dark photo...I could not get this layout to stitch after I scanned it. My layout is based on the idea that Someday I want to return to France. The journaling says: "We have been so lucky to get to visit some incredible places. But none have touched my soul like France. I absolutely love that country. From the countryside to the city, it just has its own amazingly beautiful ambience."

The photos are a mix of my favorite photos from our trips over there. They include pictures of Utah Beach- Normandy, Bayeaux, Mont St. Michel, Paris, and the Louvre.

I hope that you are all having a great and creative week!
smiles,
christi
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