Merry Tuba Christmas

My favorite new tradition is going to see Luke playing with the hundreds of other tuba and baritone players at Merry Tuba Christmas. In Fort Worth it is usually the 23rd of every year. You haven't heard anything until you have heard the Ukranian Bell Carol played by tubas. It is so fun for Luke because he gets to play the melody finally.

The composition on the LO is really very simple. There are quite a few products that are used in the LO though. I thought it would be fun to see if you could guess them all. The person who guesses the most (or in the case that more than one person guesses them all, I will have a drawing) will get a $5.00 GC to The Crafty Scrapper. I know it isn't much, but it is fun anyway.

BTW I hope that everyone has a very Happy New Year!

This is My Family's Happy Day

It was nine years ago today that I got to bring my teeny, tiny, little Sam home today. Sam was born on Oct. 19 such a mini guy with a great big personality. He was 3 pounds and 12.4 ounces when Luke and I brought him home. He wasn't supposed to be home until after his due date of Jan. 1st. We were so lucky. I knew the second we came home that everything was going to fine.

This picture was taken the day before we brought him home. I took out the outfit today and looked at it. It is totally too small for my old Baby Tender Love doll that Santa brought me when I was six. Look at that face. He was such a little imp even then. Looking in those eyes lets you know that he is busy thinking. I did this LO a few months ago at The Crafty Scrapper. Just thought I would share.

I hope that all of you have a happy Sam Came Home Day.

Scrapping for the Classroom

Even second graders can scrap and have fun doing it. This is how we did it. We used Tim Holtz grungeboard bracket, Jenny Bowlin calendar, Ranger white pen, a picture, chipboard from the back of the writing tablets, some paper and ribbon from my stash. All the kids made one for their family. They were very excited!

Couldn't be Prouder!

I do have to say that I have wonderful boys. All very smart and talented. I am a lucky woman. Well....I want to crow a little about Luke, my tuba boy. He was a member of the All Region Band. Many tuba players auditioned, but only a few were chosen. My guy was one of the chosen. We always have a good time at these concerts. We did some goofing around with the camera as well. Luke is a very good sport. Like the tuba players I went to school with said, "Tubas are the bases of the universe!" (Kit from we are storytellers)

Happy Anniversary to Me.

Well...I've been married 20 years today. But....no gift for me. Instead, my son got the most awesome gift in the mail today from his friends LeRoy the Sealion in England and Monkey in Dallas. Now...if you are not a huge football (soccer as we call it on this side of the pond) fan you may not understand Sam's excitement here. This is an official jersey for England's National Soccer team. Note the Three Lions on the patch. He is also very impressed with the metal golden star above the patch. Sam is in soccer heaven. He wanted to wear his jersey out in the fog and go kick the ball around in the mud. The mother in me did tell him to hold off until we have drier ground. So today turns out okay because seeing Sam this excited and happy made my day! Thanks LeRoy and Monkey and all the Sea Lions. We love you!

Christmas Cards

Well...when you have boys like mine. Something normal just won't do. I wanted their pictures in front of the tree looking like they loved each other. But...they had other ideas. Picture quality isn't great...but this is the picture that they wanted on the card this year. So I added some digital elements from Weeds and Wildflowers and if I do say so myself some whitty wording and here is our card. I would love to send one to everyone but alas....I don't have everyone's address. Send me your address and I will send you a card.

Non Traditional Papers

I love using non traditional papers on my LOs. I hardly ever use baby paper for baby LOs....so why should Christmas be any different. In this LO, I used the Graphic 45 Playtime paper, some Maya Road Chipboard letters and some stickles to create the holly.

I have to say that I am a sucker for the cuttlebug and embossing the Maya Road chipboard. I then used the distressed stickles which I just love to make the holly leaves. TFL.

Christmas isn't Just Red and Greem

Christmas colors for the last two years have been really colorful. For my boys, I normally stay with the red and greens. But this year, I am making a gift for one of my cousins. She has a little girl that will look great on these pages. I had a Maya Road chipboard pages left over. I used them as the covers for this little book.

I really didn't have primo lighting...but I hope you can see the cuttlebug embossing and the tons of inking. It was fun to make something out of the ordinary for me. Thanks for looking.

On Dasher!

I just can't get enough of this Maya Road petal book. I also adore this Cosmo Cricket paper. It is so yummy.
I spent a weekend at The Stolen Moments Inn. I love it there. The weekend was filled with some family drama....but I was there long enough to work on some Christmas presents. I don't know if anyone in my family will really like getting the mini books that I made....but....I make them anyway.
Thanks for looking.

Just some LOs to share

All that Glitters- Ah designs

Kris Myers Halloween Kit

Kris Myers' Fairy Dust 2

Kris Myers' Autum Overlays

After 5 Freebie October Challenge

PDW Challenge







After 5 November Recipe Challenge

After Five Template Challenge Noveber.

Most of these were challenges. But I wanted to share them. Thanks for looking.

On Dasher, On Dancer...

OK....have I said that I love Maya Road products before? LOL. Well I have to say that my most favorite bit of chipboard, has to be their flower petal album. I have used this book for everything but a flower! It makes awesome ladybugs, bees....so it makes perfect sense to me that it would make a great reindeer. What do you think?

The Crafty Scrapper, has gotten in so many great Christmas lines. I tried to use bits and pieces of several of them in my little book. When I saw this paper with musical notes, I knew it had to be mine. Christmas is all about the music for me! The title of the book is "Christmas Together"

Here I was enjoying using some techniques I learned at my Wendy Venchi class last month. I am so digging the cuttlebug and inking everything in sight!

The two little reindeers kind of remind me of my dear hubby and myself! Well... the plan is to fill this with pictures of us through the years on Christmas. I can't wait until it is all filled and I can share it with him! Thanks for lookin'!

Boo To You!

Well yet another Halloween is over. I have to say that this was the worst Halloween for Costumes. You can see Luke above as Charlie Brown. He wore this for the Band Scare. But....he lost it and couldn't wear it to trick or treat. He put on his grandpa's hat and called himself Hunter S. Thompson so he could go out to get candy.

Sam was another story. I wrapped him up beautifully as you can see above and I took some pictures of him. I felt that his legs were a little saggy, so his dad said that he would rewrap him and make it work. Well...his legs didn't even make it to the first house. By the time he got to the end of the street...he was practically naked. So after one street..we had all had it and went to eat at our favorite neighborhood joint for a bite to eat.

Cody tells me that he went to a party at school. He said he would get me some pictures, but I'm not holding my breath. I hope everyone had a happy Halloween.