I won a mirror from Loves to Create!

I just found out I won a drawing for a mirror from Nancy W of
Love to Create! Check out her original drawing post here and
the winner announcement here.

This is just so cool! I can't wait to see which of the mirrors the
first two winners choose so I can pick. I'm hoping for the bottom
right (#5) or the octagon (#2) in the middle top row.

I'm gonna paint my mirror frame and do some altered art!
Oh yeah!!

Thanks Nancy!
xoxox
Csmoferret

edited to add - I got to choose the octagon #2! I can't wait to
alter it! - Thanks Nancy!

LOAW Update

I've been keeping up with my Lay Out a Week challenge but I haven't
been posting about it. I'm not sure really, it's not like I haven't been
in front of the computer or anything...it's just I was kind of burned
out with keeping everything up to date. Silly, I know, but that's how
it is.

I was also introduced to Twitter and now I seem to spend even more
time on the computer than I need to. Ah well... here are my layouts
for the past 3 weeks of the challenge.


This was LOAW 2...
I love this photo of her in her pink ballet costume and changed up the
layout about 6 times trying to get it just right. I even used an old
ScrapJammies page kit that I had been holding on to for just such
an occasion! LOL! I added some SandyLion stickers too.

This is my week 3 LOAW layout. I used the shape collage program I
wrote about here. I love how easy it is to use and how cool it looks!
I also wrote my journaling around the edges of the heart shape and doodled
around the pinked edges of the Bazzill cardstock. The capital I and L were made
using an L with an i on top and bottom and 2 L's together, respectively.
I love the look of Thickers and enjoy using them.

This is my 4th week layout. I used cardstock, designer paper and flower
sticker parts from Stampin' Up. I added rub-ons from K&Co and journaled
with a black sharpie. This is Punkin's fall 2008 school photo and it was
taken the day before she got her first retainers. She really didn't want to
wear this pink shirt for her pictures since she has decided that it is no
longer her favorite color - blue is - but once she saw the photos she said
she was very happy with her color choice after all. She is just too funny!
This photo makes me smile!

Well, it's past my bedtime so I'll see you tomorrow!
xoxo
Csmoferret

Feeling Crafty?

Check out these incredibly crafty uses for old VCR tapes! Since
we've been collecting DVDs of most of our favorite video tapes
(for ease of use) I've been donating the tapes to the Library or
Goodwill since no one else wants them (read that as "no one
else will accept them".) Of course, I love crafts and being green
and crafty is just perfect, so here are several ideas on ways to
reuse those video tapes instead of throwing them away.

Here, here, here, here and here is a source for flower looms
if you don't have any in your crafty stash!

Enjoy!
xoxo
Csmoferret

CuttleBug Challenge is having a party!

Go check out their give-aways and blog candy here.
They have even posted a few sneak peeks of some
of the future embossing folder releases.

While you're there take the CuttleBug Survey
they have linked on their site and let Provo Craft
know what you want for the future of your Cuttlebug
Die Cut machine.

Enjoy & Good Luck!
xoxo
Csmoferret

PS- tell them I sent you! : )

I won a prize from Ali Edwards!!

Yep! THE Ali Edwards- check out her blog here.

Just had to share. : )

xoxo
Csmoferret

ScrapJammies is closing!

Several of y'all may remember I was a very big fan of Scrap Jammies
kits for quite a while. I decided to end my kit club subscription with
them in November of last year because I was pretty overwhelmed
with the pile of unused kits that I needed to get control of.

Well, since then I have checked in on them a couple of times and
seriously thought about resuming my subscription. Unfortunately,
it is now too late to do that because they have announced they
are closing.

The current members of their message board received a message
about it in early February but, as far as I know, the rest of the
world didn't hear anything until today.

This was a fabulous company with awesome customer service
and gorgeous page kits. I enjoyed doing business with them
and I am very sad to see them go.

There are just a few items left on their site for sale so if you
are interested go here to see everything. Just don't wait to
purchase it if you really want it because the website will
be down by March 25th.

Another great scrapbooking company closes it's doors - very sad.
xoxo
Csmoferret

Wrap Around the Corner Photo Frame

Okay, this Around the Corner Frame is just the coolest frame set
I've ever seen! I found it on Photojojo.com this morning and I have
to say I am very tempted to order a couple of them! We have so
many corners in our house that would definitely work for this
and would give me another place to display pictures.

Check out Photojojo.com - they have lots of incredible advice and ideas
that make sharing photos a whole lot more fun! Visit this page to get a
coupon towards purchasing a frame.

xoxo
Csmoferret

Craft Critique

If you haven't checked out CraftCritique.com - today is the day to do it!
This very useful blog is celebrating their anniversary with several very
cool give aways and the biggest ends tonight at midnight.
Go check it out here.

xoxox
Csmoferret

Can you Collage?

I can! Reading through my Google Reader Blog list last night I discovered
Linda's post here. That directed me to this blog which pointed me to this
website and Vincent Cheung's Shape Collage program! (Whew!!)

This baby rocks! Vincent's program is fantabulous! I took all 28 LOAD
layout photos (and the ScrapYourTrip.Com die cut that I had to share
with all of the LOAD participants 'cause it made me giggle-so
29 images total) that I had uploaded to my Flickr account (and had in a
convenient folder on my desktop) and loaded them into Shape Collage,
chose the shape of the collage, the color of the photo borders and pushed
the 'create' button. Viola! The gorgeous heart shaped collage you see
above! Just slip some nice photo paper into your color printer and
print that bad boy out to scrapbook or frame!

Just select a different shape and click on the 'create' button and here
is another perfect collage! This is so cool I may be making collages
for every event we take photos for! LoL! Seriously, it's super easy
and you will love the results!


Oh! When you do decide you just have to Collage, there are versions
for everyone! Mac, PC and so on... Nobody gets left out! Vincent
Cheung? You are my newest hero!

Enjoy!!
xoxo
Csmoferret

LOAW & FBC - Gotta keep that MoJo goin'!

Okay, after creating a lay out a day for the February LOAD
Challenge I was positive my MoJo was kaput. I was pretty
worn out on March 1st but I decided to go ahead and sign up
for the Lay Out A Week Challenge. I mean, why not? Right?
If anything would get it goin' again, then that would. And,
it has - I've gotten lots of other things on my ToDo List done.
Cleaning, organizing, cooking, exercising, reading, cleaning,
and more organizing. Oh, and some scrapbooking, too!
It has been great!

Then, since I don't know the meaning of "leave well enough
alone" I signed up for a Faith Based Scrapbook Class. Now,
I've never done something like this before but it sounded
like fun. It is based on the book Born to Be Wild -
Rediscover the Freedom of Fun by Jill Baughan and it is
led by Judy and the free classes are shared on
her blog. The great thing about both the class and the
challenge happening at the same time is I get my one
layout per week done and it can do double duty if necessary!
Perfect! LOL!

Of course, the first layout of the Faith Based class (FBC)
was about who I enjoy spending time with and I think
the search for photos and all of the memories that they
brought back as I put together the page has filled my
mind with some great ideas for a "friends" album. Yep-
a whole album of friends. Now, if know me (and I
know a couple of you do) then you are probably aware
that I have been a student at BigPictureScrapbooking (BPS)
for several years (okay, since they started up in 2005 with
Cathy Zielske teaching the first class!) and one of my favorite
classes was Library of Memories (LOM) with Stacy Julian.

One of the main ideas of LOM is that you create albums that
showcase the following groups -1) All about Us, 2) People we Love,
3) Places we Go and 4) Things we Do. So, now, I know what
you are thinking - "Cosmo, you should already have an
album about Friends because of the 'People We Love' album."

And you know what? You would be right. HOWEVER, I want to
create a special album JUST about MY friends. Does that make
sense? All of the Family Friends and Relatives, etc are in the
People we Love album so no one gets left out - I promise! LOL!
Of course, I have also filled up a sketch page with layout ideas
for most of my friends! Now, I just need to get the photos out
and everything put together -- thank goodness for infinite
free time! LOL! See? I think the LOAW challenge is timed
perfectly to help me complete this project!

The supplies I used on this layout are...
Cardstock - Bazzill
29th Street Market "Beloved Blooms" patterned paper - My Mind's Eye
Tres Jolie Tres Bien "Family Tree" French Borders (stripes & 'all together')- My Mind's Eye
Lax White Glitter Thickers - American Crafts
Brown Ledger patterned paper - Creative Imaginations
Ribbon from my stash
Icicle Stickles - Ranger
White ink pen - Uniball by Signo
Foam mounting tape - Duck

Well, since this is the first Saturday (or any day, really)
that we haven't had a dozen or more activities scheduled
I am going to go relax on the sofa with the kids and play
Apples to Apples. A fun, goofy way to spend the evening!

See you later!
xoxo
Csmoferret

Inspired '09 Heart Charm Swap

I finished up my Aqua Heart Charms for the Inspired Artist Weekend Swap
last night and mailed them off this morning. Thanks to FedEx they will be
there by the Friday deadline. Yay!!

I'm happy with the way these finally turned out. I wasn't happy with all
of the samples I made up. They just didn't look right and the aqua wasn't
aqua enough. In fact, a couple of the pieces I made even looked a bit green
when put together with all of the other charms.

I also had a difficult time deciding what I wanted to use as the heart of the
charm - I had some really adorable aqua shell shaped hearts that would
have been perfect but I only had 4 and I needed 15 and I spent too much
time and energy trying to find more. So, since the metal needed to be
silver I decided to use these silver hearts and just make dangles.


Of course, the lighting late last night was horrible and I must have
wiggled the camera because this was the best photo I came out with.
Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was so fuzzy at the time and boxed
up the charms and mailed them off before actually downloading the
data card from my camera! That'll learn me! Ah well, such is the
way of things.

I hope these past muster with the other Heart Charm Ladies.
I'm off to work on a couple more Inspired Swaps - I'll have more
to share soon...

xoxo
Csmoferret