Top 10 Products of 2013

I'm not sure where 2013 has gone. December whirled by so fast I didn't have time to think. I've barely had time to step into my scrap room. I was too busy cooking and enjoying time with friends and family.

I do like to look back on my favorite new products or things I discovered each year. I don't do these in any particular order, just a combo of all my new fav's that have joined the scrap loft this year.

1: Modeling Paste:

I love this stuff from Liquitex. It is a staple in my craft room. I love the dimension it adds to pages. I'm getting more into altering things to make them my own. This is one of the pages I created with modeling paste:

2: Gelatos: I'm just starting to get into Gelatos. They have a wide variety of options of what you can make. I'm in the early stages of experimentation, but they are pretty fun!

3: Heidi Swapp Color Shine Mist: This stuff has become a staple on my pages. It is vivid and vibrant, which is the majority of the pages. You can pull the cap off and use a paint brush for a more subtle effect as well.

4: Masks: I've found masks to be the perfect partners with mists, gelatos, and modeling pastes...or a combo of all of these. I really like the coordinating masks from Heidi Swapp and also the ones from The Crafters Workshop. I've only found the Crafters Workshop at a specialty art store with the paints.

5: Wood Veneers: again I'm getting more and more dimensional with my pages. I've always been into wood grain, both in scrapping and in decorating. These are so fun both plain and decorated with distress ink, alcohol ink, stickles, glitter marker, and more!

6: My Favorite Paper Companies: I continue to love My Minds Eye's Papers. They always seem to fit my color palettes of what I scrap. I've also started to enjoy Studio Calico! They had lots of travel themed papers this year, which is right up my alley.

7: Little Stamp Rollers: These things are so cute! I loved stamping the date in my December Daily with these. And they have cute little sayings. I see more of these appearing in my craft room. They are so cute and chic.


8: Canon Rebel: I got my other baby right at the end of 2012. I had no idea what I was doing back then with it, but I learned lots this year! I took a class at my local camera store on the features, and have taken some really cool shots over the past year!

9: Silhouette: My new baby of all my tools. I am just exploring all the functions, but I'm using the Designer Edition to cut SVG files. It has opened up a whole new world of scrapping but also for classroom things as well.

This was a lot harder than the past few years. I've really redirected my spending over the past year. I'm working on using my scrap stash more but also looking towards the future. I'm enjoying re-purposing things to fit and make it work instead of buying new. I've tried to simplify what is important to me and spend less time shopping. I'm definitely happier and don't feel like I need to keep up with people or their stuff. 

10: MY RUNNING GROOVE!!!!

As many of you know I started running in 2013 and I absolutely love it. I know it sucks scrappy time up, but I feel so good getting a run in and even did my first race in 2013. Now I don't scrap unless I've gotten a good workout in. I feel so good having a plethora of things I enjoy with my scrappy friends.

Happy New Year to all! May you be blessed with good health, happiness and lots of creativity!

Bridal Shower

I'm slowly working my way through all my spring pictures. Normally I'm not this far behind, but it was a busy fall, and I didn't spend much time playing in my scrap loft. Back at the start of April, I helped throw a bridal shower for my cousin's fiancee.

 This paper was from the MME line Miss Caroline. I love the turquoise with the chevrons and hexagons. I seem to love everything MME comes out with lately.

 I used the CK Ali's Handwriting font with my Silhouette to cut the title.The welding feature is pretty cool, but you have to be careful picking it up, since I ripped it a bunch.

 I got these cute little three down page protectors at Joanns. They are from We R Memory Keepers, and they are the perfect addition when you don't want to do a whole 12x12 series. They fit right in the middle of my two pages in the album!

 I experimented around with adding ink to my Studio Calico Veneers. They match the page really well.

 These mini cheesecakes are a work of art in themselves. I made all the little chocolate flowers and piped the chocolate onto each individual cheesecake.

 I made two of my own journaling cards to go with the page. I realized I only had one picture of the bride when I finished the page. The cute little girls dressing up like the bride stole the show.

And we had a random beautiful sunset on a frigid Sunday!

Flyover Pictures

Since I live in Titletown the Packers sometimes have flyovers for their football games! Normally its some super fast bombers, but a few weeks ago they brought out a retired World War II Bomber for the flyover. I didn't go to the game-which was fine because it was super cold. When I realized I should be on the flight pattern, I pulled out my zoom lens and headed out to my deck. The plane came over my building and then turned around!

And I got some really neat shots. I had to crop them, but I still have a high resolution camera and I got some really good details!