Reading Challenge: Moving Along!

So, I took last week off from blogging as it was an insanely busy week with meetings...PTSA, ANGP, etc.  However, I did manage to finish another book and start a new one!

I crossed off  "book with a blue cover" this week.  I so enjoyed the Patience Price book I read the week before that I decided to read the next one, Murder Comes Ashore.  

I am really enjoying this series.  The stories are entertaining, I like the characters, and the books are light.  Sometimes a light read is good....especially when you have a lot of other thing going on. Anyhow, this was definitely a good read an I even enjoyed the light romance.  

What are you reading?  

~Marie

Valentine's Day

Quick share...this is a card I made for a swap.  We had to use a sketch and make a Valentine's or Anniversary card.  I found the felt hearts at Michael's and designed my card around them. The paper is from my scrap basket.  I printed the sentiment on my computer.  I inked all the edges with Chestnut Roan chalk ink and added three red sequins. I don't usually make Valentine's cards, but I like how this one came out.  

Have you started on your Valentine's cards?  

~Marie

Reading Challenge: 5 Down!

Into the second month of this challenge and I have already read 5 books!  This past week I read 2 books, both lighter reads and on the shorter side.  

The first book I read was "a book you haven't read since high school", The Great Gatsby.  I have to say I definitely had a different take on the book this time.  Originally when I read it in high school I was looking for the happy ending to the love story between Gatsby and Daisy.  However, this time I realized the shallowness of both characters and had no sympathy for their situations.  Still a wonderful read, a true classic.

Next I read a book "that takes place on an island",  Murder by The Seaside.  I happened to find this book on bookbub , it is by an author I am not familiar with, but it takes place on Chincoteague Island in Virginia so it caught my eye.  I enjoyed the book, a light mystery with a dash of romantic comedy.  It was a nice light, entertaining read that went quickly.  I enjoyed it so much that I did a bit of research and found there are two more books in the series have begun the second one for "book with a blue cover".

 What are you reading?

Marie

My Type of Scrap-booking with 3D Embellishments

 So, last week I shared my new way of scrap booking...a hybrid of digital collages and traditional scrapbook elements. There was a concern about the flatness of the layouts.  These are two layouts that I think will show that it is really what you make of it.  The top one contains one collage and one traditional picture.  I made a pocket out of the collage to hold some items that go with the  traditional picture.  I used a Cricut cut chef to accent the cook out collage.  The black card stock will be the mat for my journaling.  

The "Lucky" layout is actually a traditional layout I made when I used to work at Stop'n'Crop.  The original layout held 3 - 4x6 plaid photo mats.  I removed the two on the right side and replaced with a collage.  I added the shamrock stickers for dimension.  The title and clover were cut on my Cricut.  The picture to the left is actually a screen shot from Jarek's instagram...I love using these as they require no journaling and are a memento in themselves.  

Do you have any tips for getting caught up on your scrapbooks?  I would love to hear them.

Marie

BRRRR....

Thought I would share this one in honor of our recent blizzard.  We were very fortunate and never lost power or Internet....thank goodness.  The kids were out of school for a total of 11 days including the weekends.   Now, I like snow as much as the next person, but this is just too much.  My poor dogs, who love snow, couldn't  even go play in it.  Oh, well, what are you going to do?  Catch up on craft projects!  

I had this little penguin in my stash already colored up.  He is from on of my favorite sets.  I just added some glittery papers, a stamped sentiment, and a few snowflake stickers.  Cute!  

If you were snowed in, how did you spend your time?

~Marie 

My New Way to Scrapbook

OK, if you are like me you are behind on your scrap booking.  Normally this would not bother me, but this is my son's senior year.  I would really like to have his books done...at least his high school one.  So, I contemplated how to get caught up.  Well, after scrolling through my iPad and all the collages I create for different social media, I realized that I really had already scrap booked most of the pictures.  Why couldn't I use those collages in my traditional scrapbooks?  So I gave it a try and I love it!  I printed my collages at 8.25 x 8.25, the largest I can do on my home printer.  I still get to do the creative part but I spend less time on cutting/cropping my pictures.

This is one of my favorite layouts so far.  It is a flip layout that can feature 5 of the collages, so it is perfect for "events".  This is the one I created for homecoming.  The flip layout is so easy to create. For this one I used 4 12x12 sheets of black card stock and glitter papers.  I am going to make a tutorial when I create this one again as it is had to explain, but so easy to do.  

What have you scrap booked lately?  

~Marie

  

Reading Challenge: 3 Down!

I missed last week's update...crazy busy. So, in the past two weeks I have read 2 books.  I am off to a good start with this challenge.  Now for the books...

First, I read Light Between the Oceans.  This one has actually been on my "to read list" for a year.  It was a perfect fit for the "book being made into a movie" on the challenge. I found the first few chapters a bit boring, but once I got past them I was hooked.  I enjoyed the book but found it rather sad.  It is a moving story of what happens when good people make bad choices.  



Second, I read one that was in my nightstand, and was under 150 pages. Richard Paul Evans is one of my favorite authors.  I picked this one up between the publishing of his other novels and just never got to it. The Four Doors is little more that a restating of Evans' ideas that he presents in his novels. The personal antidotes were interesting and insightful and helped to make the book more readable.

I am enjoying this challenge and trying new authors/genres.  I am on to book 4! 

What are you reading?  Any suggestions?

~Marie