I've been working very hard on a special project this last month, and I'm quickly running out of time! Stampin' Up! is offering an Artisan Award. It's open to current demos in US and Canada. Ten people will be chosen based on their entries of the following:

5 Cards
3 Scrapbook (single-paged) layouts of either 8 1/2 x 11 or 12 x 12
2 Three-dimensional projects.

The entries will be judged on creativity, style, craftsmanship, composition, color oand consistency. Now I have no idea what all that means, other than I'd better be careful with strait lines and glue adhesion and such! (I hear tell they'll even be paying attention to the way bow are tied! YIKES!)

That's scary enough, but you won't believe the prizes! From the Stampin' Up! website: "Winners will receive an Artisan Award pin, $500 cash, and a $500 Stampin' Up! shopping spree. Winners will be invited to attend an evening social hosted by Shelli and Brent Steele to meet members of the creative team on the evening of check-in day during Convention 2007, in Denver, Colorado."

Man oh man! I am working my butt off! That award money is more than my monthly mortgate and I wouldn't mind having a 12x12 printer! (Epson currently has one for near $500 - how perfect is that?!)

Now I'm not saying that I'm going to win, but darn it, I'm going to give it my best try! So far I've nearly completed one of my 3-D projects - and man is it a doozie! I have been working on it steadily (except last night I took a break from it) for a week now. It's really nice so far. I'll post pics when it's completed!

Other than this one project I have no idea what else I am going to do! Any suggestions? Thoughts?

Keep checking back, I'll be posting more about it in the near future!

Scrapbooking

Yesterday we celebrated David's 5th birthday with a ton of kid, cake and more presents than he needed! It was a great time, but left me exhausted!!

Today we hung around the house and I scrapbooked. Fun, fun, fun! Here are the two layouts I came up with.

This first one is of our outting to Linden Creek in our little town! It's the most beautiful spot, and we really enjoyed our time there. It took some time but eventually David ventured into the water. Mostly though he splashed around in the creek above the waterfall. (Below the waterfall its about 4 feet deep.)

I used "Lime Swirl" paper by Karen Foster, and blue Bazzil cardstock. The book plate is from Basic Grey, and the grosgrain ribbon is Stampin' Up! I really like how this layout went together. It's the first time I've used a photo THAT large! (It measures 12"x8") So something outside of my "normal", which is good!

The second layout is done with the same Lime Swirl paper, but with a twist. I sat down with my craft knife and cut out the swirls. I think it make a good accent, though it took forever to cut it all out without tearing the paper! I need to remember next time that I don't have to press so hard! Live and learn... Live and learn.

In addition to the lime swirl I use Bazzil cardstock (again), Prima flowers, stickles, and lace from the bargan bin at Hobby Lobby. It's hard to see in the photograph but before I did anything else to the background cardstock I sprayed whitewash spray paint on. I did it really thick so that the paint was pooled on the cardstock, then went in with crumbled tissue paper and removed the excess. It left a nice subtle texture around the edges.

This picture was taken for David's first birthday. I can't help but look at the pictures we had done that day and think of what a BEAUTIFUL baby he was! I miss the baby that he was, but am so much more in love with the boy he has become. What a wonderful child, and truely the love of my life. (But don't tell my husband I said that! LOL!!)

Happy Birthday Thomas!

Yes folks, that's right. Our Thomas is two years old today! I can't believe how much he's grown - both physically and emotionally since he joined our family! I look at him, and can still see the shy and cowering boy we was a year and a half ago. He would run away and hide when anyone would approach him. These days he's more likely to yell at you if you come near (because some of that poor abused little boy will always be a part of him.)

I was not convinced at first when Tim said we had to take him in. I worried about him snapping at David, or never getting over the scared piddling thing; and I was certain that we could never be able to even pet him because he was forever running away from us.

But I began working with him anyway. Our training started with me lying down with my arms out stretched and my eyes closed. After waiting five minutes or so he would cautiously approach me, sniff at my fingers and then scoot away. Still more weeks went by before I was allowed to tiptoe ever closer to him before he would run away. Within a few months however he had become my shadow, my closest companion, and my sweet sweet baby!

So in honor of how far my boy has come since joining our family I have made him a special little treat. (Yes, I know he has no real appreciation for the fine art of paper crafting.) This little pint sized paint can is filled with his favorite treats from the doggie bakery in Springfield.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The Chenoweth household has been gearing up for Valentine's Day in a BIG WAY! Yeah, I know we've got over a month until Love Day hits us, but really, is there ever enough time to make all the things you want to for a holiday? (Plus a good number of our craft items are being sent overseas to a certain someone whom we LOVE above anyone else!)

I started off making the Love Book. It's small, mostly because it needs to be able to fit in a cargo pocket. I used two chipboard hearts picked up at the local scrapbook store and covered them with Bazzil card stock. On a third, smaller heart, I modpodged the pretty patterned paper (Called Devotion from Basic Grey's Blush line) and sanded the edges on all three hearts. This same paper is on the front inside cover of the book.

I made an accordion binding for this book. Remember making fans in primary school? Same theory, cut it to fit the angles of the heart and you're set to go. Attach the binding with sticky tape and then attach the heart pages - trace and cut the large hearts for pages of more Bazzil card stock.

For the closure I attached a strip of taupe Bazzil cardstock to the underside of the small heart and the other end to the inside of the back chipboard heart. I used tiny self adhesive magnets to keep the book closed. They're from Basic Grey as well; I found them at Hobby Lobby for $6. Good buy!

I used Primas and gems, ribbons and glitter (though it doesn't show up in the pics) to decorate the book. I plan on adding in some more self portraits of myself - all in black and white for more drama. That should please the man who's forever begging for recent pictures of me! lol.

I did the card this morning using stamps from Magenta. I absolutely love these stamps, and have quite a few from this company. They're unmounted and stored in CD cases so thankfully don't take up much room! I colored the images in with Prisma colors and attached it to some Stampin' Up! card stock (Regal Rose and Bravo Burgundy.) The small square in the upper left hand corner is popped up with a pop dot. The sentiment was cut using my Cricut with more Bravo Burgundy card stock.

Home Again, Home Again...

I hope you've missed me this week as much as I've missed you. I also hope that you've had the best ever holiday season! I went to Ohio for the week, and MAN am I glad to be home with my stamping stuff again! I went to spend time with my 81 year old grandmother and was concerend taht I wasn't going to have the time/inclination to stamp while I was there. Man was I wrong! So lesson learned. Next time the stamping stuff goes with me, even if it means taking an additional bag!

Anyway, just before I left I finished up my ATC's for Vanessa's swap. I set out trying to come up with something WOW, and different. But I guess I ended up shy of wow, and not so different. I did try the ghosting technique, which was fun. And I finally used my Blue Frost Kalidescope pad, which is cool. So all is not lost. I did look at the list of participants though, and MAN am I in for a treat when this stuff comes back! There are some TALENTED ladies on that list. *sigh* I will endevor to be better for the next swap!

We did have a great time in Ohio though I worried about my ATC's the entire time. We got to see my Uncle Clyde and Aunt Sue, my Great Aunt Sissy and her children Frank and Beth. We stayed with my Uncle Willie at his cute little house in Columbus! I also got to see my cousin Lara. (She's the cutie on the right!) Along with her friend Molly, who David just adored! This pic was taken our last day there. Lara, Molly and I took Dave to the park at the end of the street. I swear those girls had as much - if not more - fun on the jungle gym and swings as David! I occupied my time taking over 60 pictures. This is my favorite one though. Arne't they cute?!

So anyway, time to get dressed and put the war paint on! I've got to get some errans run. Rest assured though that I'll post again soon. (As soon as I make something!)

- Merr