Happy News to share on NSD!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day! What are you going to do to celebrate today? I have a few projects that I plan on finishing up today for Teacher Appreciation Week next week. If the weather behaves I will share one (or two) of them with you tomorrow (since I will have a cricut cut file to share! I know shocking! it's been a while) I also would love to get my Mother's Day cards made - can you believe next week is Mother's Day? The only thing crazier is the fact that my kids will be out of school in just 3 weeks - where has this school year gone?!?

Well I also have some SUPER exciting news that I can FINALLY share today! I was asked to join the Momenta Design Team!!! Awh that feels better - I have been keeping that secret for about 2 weeks now - that was a hard one! If you are not familiar with their products you will want to check them out this month because they are launching their new consumer online store (so you can purchase products directly from them). Woot! Also, today and all month long you can use this coupon to get 20% off your entire purchase!

Here's a few other fun things worth checking out today:

GCD Studios is also offering up 3 amazing Pads of paper! If you want a chance to win the Independence line, Homespun Chic or Artsy Urban make sure to head on over to the GCD Blog and enter for your chance to win! (click here to be directed over there)

Scrapstreet.com is also having a fun blog hop today - lots of challenges and prizes given away so make sure you check it out! Click here to be directed to the Scrapstreet Blog. (click here to be directed to the blog)

Whatever you are up to today I hope you get to have a little time to be creative and enjoy what this hobby is all about.

Phone Message Board Tutorial Using GCD Homespun Chic Collection

Happy Monday everyone! Today is my day to share over at the GCD Blog. Our theme this month is all about spring and I took that into this project as well - if you missed it over there, here's my little phone message center.

Here's my post and project:

For some reason (and I think a lot of you can relate) each spring I start tossing things into boxes, cleaning out drawers, and going through everything trying to figure out how to get my house organized better. Each year I try to fight it – but the “bug” of spring cleaning always wins!

This Spring I am determined to find a better way to organize my life. Since I serve as the volunteer coordinator at my kids' school – I get a lot of calls. While I tell my kids and hubby to “just let the machine pick up the messages” they always seem to be caught off guard when the calls start rolling in – and let’s just say they are not the best at remembering who called, or where they placed that message they know I will need – awh I love them ;)

So – in the spirit of getting more organized this spring I designed a little phone message board that will be sure to make remembering who I need to call back that much easier.

For this project you will need the following:

1. GCD Pattern Paper (I chose to use the Homespun Chic collection by Melody Ross)
2. GCD Brads (Again I chose to use the Homespun Chic collection by Melody Ross)
3. 6x6 cork board
4. Ribbon
5. A Stapler
6. A 6x6 Shadow Box
7. Scissors
8. Crackle or white paint
9. Sand Paper or a Paper File
10. A Ruler
11. Pen or Pencil
12. Pins

Step 1:
Prep your shadow box. My shadow box came with a hard plastic pane – so the first thing I did was remove it. I then slightly sanded off any imperfections in the wood to prep for painting. I then painted my shadow box and set it aside to dry.

Step 2:Using your ruler find the center point on your cork board – mark it. Cut off 6 pieces of ribbon large enough to cover the front and wrap around the back of your cork board. Then take your first ribbon starting in the upper left hand corner and stretch it across your center point to the lower right hand corner. Now using your pins – pin it to each corner so it doesn’t move. Next, take 2 ribbons and place them to each side of the middle – you can either eye ball this or measure it – but you are going to pin these ribbons so that you have even space from the edge and the middle ribbon. Pin and secure. Turn your cork board and repeat the process for the last 3 ribbons (finding center) and then placing the remaining two.

Now take your brads and place them over the top of the 2 intersecting ribbons (see picture) secure these to the back by flatting them out.




Take another piece of cork board and place it on the back side of the first cork board. Pull up each ribbon tightly and staple each strain to the back. Trim off the excess ribbon.

Step 3:
After your box is dried – place your cork board inside and decorate the outside with pattern paper. There you have it – a phone message center that will keep you organized this spring!



Have a super Monday everyone!

My new baby and the winner is....

Happy Monday everyone I hope you are off to a super week! We have a big announcement at our house - we have a new baby boy . . . well he's not really a baby he's already 5 but we have a new little boy at our house :) His name is Simon and we rescued him from the animal shelter this weekend!

This is a HUGE leap for our family because we have never really been "big pet people" but this little guy has melted our hearts - he's so sweet and we have fallen in love with him! There are so many sweet doggies in need out there so if you have room in your home/life you should really check into adopting a doggie from your local shelter!

Here's a little picture of Simon - he's not the best at holding still for a photo and when he is holding still he's a bit shy. (we are so going to have to work on that one ;))



So there were 19 people that entered the drawing for the pins and using random.org the following number was "pulled" this morning:



Toni - you are the winner! Woot! email me at jenthecrazyscrapbooker@hotmail.com and I will get this right off to you!

Have a super week everyone!

Playing along at CPS and a giveaway (because it's tax day)!!

Happy Thursday Everyone!! I guess for some of us today isn't all that happy since it's tax day! I hope you all had better luck then we did! We are having to pay big time this year - so not fun!

Today I have a little card to share. I have followed CPS (Card Positioning Systems) for a while now and have never actually made anything with any of their sketches! I know - crazy! Anyway, this week I was determined to play along. Here's a little card that I made using Cosmo Cricket Material Girl line - this line is amazing and just as adorable as it looks! If you don't have it you need it!

Also, since it's tax day I thought I would have a little give away! I ended up with a few sets of these Tim Holtz pins - so I would like to give a set away!



All you have to do is leave a comment on this thread and you are entered to win! woot! I will draw a lucky winner using random.org this coming monday morning at 9am MST - so you have until then to enter.

Creative Scrappers Birthday Bash Reveal

So if you don't already know there is this super fun inspirational site call Creative Scrappers - each week they have a different sketch and each designer reveals their "take" on that weeks sketch - it really is a lot of fun, so if you haven't already you need to check it out!

This month Creative Scrappers is having a month long "birthday bash"! During this month long celebration they have invited 40 guest designers! I was asked to join in on the fun and be one of their guest designers this month and today my layout was revealed.

A little over a month ago I received a sketch - I would be lying if I said it didn't scare me a bit! There were so many photos much more than I normally would scrap on a one page layout. I also couldn't shake the fact that it looked like a "page 2" to me of a double page layout. I had a hard time shaking that feeling. However, I felt super excited because I knew the sketch artist - she is a fellow Scrapstreet Magazine sister - awh love ya Linds.

What do you think? Here's the sketch:

Here's my take on this sketch:


Isn't my little Gavin the cutest evah? Awh - I wish I was on the beach right now! I think I am suffering from a bit of the winter blues! Part of the fun of living in Colorado is the fact that the weather changes all the time - right now I am enjoying (ha) some of the worst winds ever! - it's enough to make one crazy!!!

Have a super Tuesday everyone - I'm blowing outta here like the wind . . .

First GCD reveal - spring break continues

Hey Everyone - today is my first GCD "reveal" - go check it out all the details of my project on the GCD Blog

Here's a look at my project:


Here’s a close up of the popsicle stick – notice how I used the Chipart tool to add some dimension to an otherwise flat object:



Here’ a close up of the bird – can I just say how much I LOVE the chipart tool & the Sparrow Alphabet!



On the "home front" spring break is still in full swing around here - is it bad to say that I am ready for monday? and not just for my kids - but for my husband to head back to work too!

Have a super weekend everyone!

Happy Easter (a bit early) and a who wouldn't want to win!

Hey Everyone! Just a quick post to say "I'm still alive" LOL! Life has been crazy busy this week! I was going to take some pictures of my studio to show you how busy I have been creating - but my husband said there's no way you are going to share that! He's a bit of a clean freak - LOL (love you babe).

I also wanted to wish everyone a Very Happy Easter! I hope that you are able to enjoy time with those you love the most!

Also, if you don't already know over at the GCD Studios blog the design team has started to "reveal" what we have been working on - you will be inspired so make sure you check it out (click here to be directed to the blog).

While you are over there make sure to enter for your chance to win the beautiful Ava collection! Trust me this is a must have line!

Here's a preview of it: (Click here to learn how to get your name in the "hat")
My kids are out of school this week for Spring Break so wish me luck with keeping sane and keeping them happy. I have a lot of projects to complete this week so I hope they will play nice with me ;) LOL!