No Turning Back with The Boyfriend!

Let's do some scrapping with Cosmo Cricket's The Boyfriend collection! I love this line - it's perfect for my game lovin' almost teen boy, and yes, I even see layouts of our daughter with this line. I picked up the crafting kit a while ago, but this has been my first chance to delve into it.

What I really like about this layout is the double meaning in the title, "No Turning Back". Sure, it ties in with my journaling...but what it really means is that on the first day of school Kyle was so grown up he would not even LOOK at me so I could get his picture. Sure, he had to get hoofin' to school so he wouldn't be late, but he could have at least let his mom take a picture on his first day of middle school. They grow up too fast! (LOL)

Last week Kristen, from Cosmo, sent me a package of goodies to make up for a little oversight in an order I had placed.(Thanks Kristen!) "The Boyfriend" crafting kit was included - and I was thrilled to now have a double supply of this line!


Because I now had two journaling card sheets, I could cut into the sneaker design and use it as an embellishment/sub-title holder using Pink Paislee letter stickers. I love the back side of the sneaker journaling card as well, so I could cut without guilt knowing I had a spare.

When I cropped this photo I realized there was plenty of street to be had. Rather than bring the boys down and have lots of air, I chose to raise them up and use the road as a surface for "writing" down my journaling.


Have you scrapped any back to school photos yet? I highly recommend creating some pages, or a back-to-school mini album with The Boyfriend. Picking up a crafting kit, and grab some extras of your favorites - it will make you feel guiltless when you cut into your paper. (LOL)

Congrats Julia and Diecutlady!! (update 7/27)

FYI for everyone checking - both Julia and diecutlady have given me their contact info - so the prizes are doled out. Hope to have more RAKs in the future - thanks again for playing!
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You are the new winners of the Cosmo Cricket prize giveaways - and so sorry to the gals first chosen who did not leave me contact information, or respond to my e-mail notifications after more than a week.

Julia- hope you come back to see this as I am unable to contact you as well. I'd like to give everyone a bit of advice - if you are planning to sign up for blog contests and giveaways, I highly recommend you fill out your blogger profile. At the very least provide a contact email in it so you can be notified of a win.

If I do not hear from Julia (I know of one I can ask) within a week - looks like I will be drawing yet another winner for the Early Bird Crafting Kit! (LOL)

Diecutlady will receive the chipboard alpha and Mr.Campy rub-ons. Congrats!

Shari -Where Are You???

Ok...the clock is ticking for Shari. If I do not hear from her by noon on Saturday (central time) a new winner will be chosen for the Early Bird crafting kit. Shari even included her email and it has not bounced back. Being that it is summer, I suspect she is on vacation or such. Won't she be bummed if she misses her prize!

I sent another priority e-mail - and if I don't hear from her by Sat. night a new winner will be posted. Good luck to you all if that happens!

Granted, I said by the weekend - but I really want Shari to have one more shot at her "grand prize".

However, as stated, a new winner was drawn for the chipboard alpha/Mr. Campy Rub-on combo (SORRY Angie from Ohio)........diecutlady who posted in the "cards" thread. Congrats!

Prize Winners Please Come Forward!

I have been waiting to hear from the prize winners for my giveaway, and it turns out I am still waiting. However, I don't want to keep everyone in suspense. I will post the current winners here, however, for several I have no way to contact or send them their prize.

If I don't hear from the winners by the weekend I will redraw and the prize packages will be awarded to others.

Winner of the Early Bird Crafting Kit is Shari - congrats Shari! I am waiting to find out where Shari lives, and if she is out of U.S. or Canada a new winner will be chosen.

Winner of the Cosmo Cricket chipboard, and Mr. Campy rub-ons is Angie from Ohio - I have no way to contact her a well.

Winner of the ribbon pack is Parker & Emma's Mom - Jennifer will be receiving her ribbon this week.

On the Colorfully Creating blog Sylgise from Pennsylvania won the mini album.

Congratulations everyone! I really want to thank you all for stopping in for a visit. Please come back again!

Winner will be posted Saturday

Hi all - I really want to thank so many for stopping by to check out my new blog. I really appreciate it. I am actually thrilled to see I have followers- to be honest, I almost did not put that blogger feature on my page as I feared no one would follow, and how would that look? (LOL)

I haven't gone through all the comments yet. I am going to beg my hubby to let me sit at the computer Saturday morning, while he makes breakfast, to finish up going through comments and have the drawing.

I do have a winner for the mini album posted on Colorfully Creating - my other blog, however. It is sylgise - congratulations! I clicked on her link and I cannot find a way to email her, BUT I did notice she has this blog listed in her profile as "blogs I follow" - how sweet! Of course I am hoping she will see a feed for an update and read this to learn that she won. Click on my profile and send me an email so I can mail out your album!

Be sure to keep an eye on Colorfully Creating for projects created using products for another mfr. on my Dream Team list. I just finished 2 cards and 2 layouts that I will be sharing soon, and as always, offering tips and technique ideas.

"Scraps" A Card

Recently I have gotten into a routine...scrap a layout, USE the SCRAPS and make a card. So here is a simple card made with leftovers from Halfway Cafe. I spritzed the top half of the patterned paper with a mixture of Ranger "Stream" Alcohol Ink mixed with Perfect Pearls in white and water. It was just the right shade of blue to add shimmer to this card, which of course you won't see too well on the web.

I had actually cut out three large stars for the previous layout, and ended up using one. So I figured I may as well make cards, mounting the star on chipboard, cutting it out and faux stitching around the edge. I placed an "Army" gromlet by Karen Foster in the center of the star. The ribbon is from the Cogsmo collection, and stapled for added interest.

I intended to send this card to a young lady I know of in Iraq - but do cards pass through metal detectors? I am wondering if I should make a third (afterall, I have one more star remaining) and leave off the metal embellishments. If anyone knows if metal embellishments hinder a card getting to our troops please let me know!

Be sure to comment anywhere on this entire blog - preferably on your favorite project so I can learn what people want to see - and you will be entered in a drawing for one of several prizes. The deadline is midnight, July 15. Visit this thread for details and prizes.

July 4th Memories with Halfway Cafe

There is not a whole lot of Halfway Cafe remaining in my stash, but I love this particular Cosmo Cricket line for patriotic themed layouts. To round out "Here Comes Trouble" I used four lines of Cosmo Cricket - can you pick out the collections used?

I took a trip down memory lane with these old photos of Kyle celebrating his first Independence Day. He was 9 months old at the time, and had just learned to walk. This boy never crawled - he was simply "up and at it" from the get go. I love the mischievious look in his eyes - he was quite proud of toddling over to the cooler on the deck to see what was inside.


The cardstock sticker from Lil' Man made for a perfect title. I mounted it on chipboard, cut around it and outlined with a red marker for a little pop. As is usual - I used foam 3D adhesive on the backside to lift it off the page.

Do you recognize the circle shaped pattern paper? It is also from Lil Man, but I dry brushed strokes of twill and Stoneware blue paint on it. Although the color match was great for Halfway Cafe, I could not use such a clean design with a distressed look paper without "messing it up" a bit. Because the Stoneware blue was close, but not a perfect match to Halfway Cafe, I drybrushed a bit on the vertical piece as well - the color really makes everything pull together with the background Bazzill blue cardstock used.


The large star is cut out from Halfway Cafe patterned paper, mounted on chipboard pretty much like the title. I punched holes in the center and brought ribbon through to tie off.
I used a Magistical Memories star frame, and added little kraft star stickers by Jillibean for the ACOT trend challenge of using kraft this month. I simply outlined the frame with red marker as well. I also journaled on this frame - first time I have done that- I have used the Starlicious frame often.

You may or may not recognize the ribbons used in this layout as being from the Cogsmo line - I love how Cosmo Cricket collections often coordinate with one another. I swiped a little brown ink on the ribbons to tie in with the distressed look of Halfway Cafe.

Last, and least... a couple of strips from Jitterbug. I admit, these pieces are there simply because they were on my table from pulling out my Cosmo stash. I saw them, realized the colors worked, distressed the edges and stapled it down. It just adds a little more fun to the otherwise rather plain area of this layout.

DON'T FORGETS...
-To go rummaging through your Cosmo collections to see which older papers may go with your new ones. You may be pleasantly surprised!

-To participate in the July Contest at Magistical Memories. All you need to do is create a layout with the colors red, white and blue, but not limited to, have a patriotic theme, and use some chipboard - like the example I have shown here today.

-To leave a comment on your favorite project in this entire blog by midnight July 15 for a chance at Cosmo Cricket products - see thread below.

- Stop by Colorfully Creating - sharing photos from our holiday here.

Happy scrapping your Independence Day photos!