Merry Christmas!

I want to take the time to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.  Grab on to that “holiday spirit” and make it last through 2011.

Wherever you are, I hope you are surrounded by family, friends and lots of love!

Thought For the Day from Ann….

I am reading blogs and Facebook updates from people all over the US.  People are frantic about things being sold out or on backorder.  They worry about what this person or that will think if they don’t get the right gift.  They don’t want to disappoint the children if they don’t get them everything on their list.

People,  STOP rushing around and spending great gobs of money to find that perfect gift. Take the stress off yourself! EVERYONE is entitled to the same gift each year! One size fits all…  It isn’t sold out and it is FREE for the taking.  In fact HE paid for it! The ONE true gift. The GREATEST gift of all... Jesus Christ. And better yet, you don't have to wait til' Christmas to give or receive THIS gift! Go ahead and peek - heck why don't you just UNWRAP it now!  I promise I won’t tell.  I won’t have to.…   But please, you can go ahead and SHARE with everyone what you got!

I know this is preachy and I know it isn’t craft related but – I wanted to share with you anyway.  My gift to each of you is that I will pray that YOU will GET this gift for YOURSELF too!

I want to say Merry Christmas right now to all of my friends and family and followers. 

Christmas Preparations at Our House

We have managed to squeak right thru November and into a snow filled December!  No doubt we will have a white Christmas here in Iowa.  I can predict that even though it is less than 10 days away.... As I write this we are being hit by a snow storm that is bound to produce 5".  This is on top of the snow and ice we already have!  Unless we have a huge heatwave - the snow will be staying!

We put up our Christmas tree this year.  We bought it 17 years ago when we got engaged.  It was our after Christmas buy.  It is a beautiful  7 1/2' white tree.  Thru the years it has been decorated with all Wizard of Oz ornaments, handmade ornaments, and old ornaments.  Our kids are nearly 10 and 13 so we have also managed to collect favorite Hallmark ornaments for each of them.  They really enjoy putting them on each year!  This year Gretchen helped James with the lights and both girls put up the garland. 

Our Christmas shopping is finished for the most part... I will talk about that tomorrow....

Stay warm!

Blog Hop–Join it- looks like Fun!

In my web surfing tonight I found this upcoming Blog Hop.  It looks like a lot of fun.  The ladies whose blogs you will hop to, are very talented.

Just wanted to share!  Have fun!

Join My December Circle Challenge

It’s challenge time once again.  Please join me for my December challenge at Creative Scrapbooking Divas where I am a member of the Design Team.

My challenge this month is pretty simple so I hope I can count on  you to join in.  I challenge you to make a card or layout with at least 2 circles. 

Please post your creations at Creative Scrapbooking Divas Gallery before midnight December 30.  Be sure to leave me a comment here so I know you entered.

One random lucky winner will get a prize!

Here is my example:

Christmas Time is Just Around the Corner…

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  How about those shopping deals!?  Black Friday…Super Saturday…. Cyber Monday…. Pink Tuesday…..Merry Monday…..   wow!

Our household has simplified our Christmas gift buying  somehow.  We are just one shopping day away from being completely finished.  I think one thing that has made it easier is the kids are 9 1/2 and 12 1/2 and they don’t want toys anymore.  Video games, watches, books and movies is what they want now.  Its great when these things go on sale and they don’t break the bank.  Thankfully we aren’t into the “can’t find it gift of the year”. 

Our tree is up.  My husband and I have had this tree for the 16 years we have been married.  It is a beautiful white artificial tree that stands 7 1/2 feet tall.  The garland and lights are up and only a few of the kids’ homemade ornaments have been hung but I still find it quite beautiful.

The one thing I don’t have finished is my Christmas letter and cards.  I thought about it in October; I knew it had to be started in November; now December is here and I haven’t started either.  I guess I need to flip through some magazines or surf the web to get some inspiration.

How are your preparations coming?

Come on Over to CS Divas and Join my November Challenge!

 

Join me and my fellow Scrapbook Divas at Creative Scrapbooking Divas for my November Challenge.

This challenge requires just a few easy things:
1. Must be a two page layout and has to extend across the two pages.
In other words- as in my example my title has words
that begin on one page and finished on the next
2. There needs to be a banner somewhere on the layout. I used birdhouses.
3. Lastly, you need to have a circle somewhere on the layout.

Here is my sample: 

Please post your work in the gallery at Creative Scrapbooking Divas and label it Ann’s November Challenge

Oh- did I mention there is a prize?  Ok- There is!  One random person who plays along will be chosen for the prize. 

Deadline is midnight November 30, 2010

Join me for a New Challenge…..

My Homonym challenge at Creative Scrapbooking Divas

Hi to all of my followers!  I just put a new challenge up at Creative Scrapbooking Divas.  I hope you will go over there and join the group and give the challenge a try!

Thank you all for Playing along with our Blog Hop! Here is my winner…..

I hope you all enjoyed the Creative Scrapping Divas Blog Hop last weekend.  I sure did.  You all did such a good job on our challenges.

I would like to announce the winner of my challenge…….drumrolll……..

Lisa M. West!

The other winners including grand prize were:

Alicia’s Blog- Carree

Luisa’s Blog – Theresa

Jamie’s Blog – Cheryl O.

Sandy’s Blog – Crystal

And the GRAND PRIZE WINNER: another drumroll please……

Kathy Williams!

Congratulations everyone!  Thank  you again to my fellow DT Divas and players!

TODAY IS THE DAY!! BLOG HOP TIME!

With the Design Team of Creative Scrapbooking Divas

Welcome to our CS Divas Fall Blog Hop 2010!!!
Design Team members have created fabulous Fall creations to inspire you and to motivate you to create some projects, just perfect for the Fall season...
Here is the linked list to blog hop!!!

CS Divas (main page where it starts):  Creative Scrapbooking Divas

LORI

LUISA

ALECIA

ANN  YOU ARE HERE

SANDY GO HERE NEXT

JAMIE (CS Divas Special Blog Hop Guest)

SUSAN

CS Divas --> END BLOG HOP HERE

And here is a picture of the GRAND PRIZE Divas!!!!

To be eligible to win the Grand Prize you need to:

1) Be a member of CS Divas. If you are not yet a member, is very easy to join, simply register to be a member with us, we will approve your application as fast as we can.

2) Visit each of the designer's blogs, leave a comment. But, there's another catch....

3) Each blog will have an Autumn leaf hiding somewhere with a word. Rake up all the leaves to form the correct phrase then PM or email this phrase to Lori  lori_dianni@yahoo.com or Luisa lmorgan1966@hotmail.com  (Hint: 7 words)

4. Complete at least " 3 " of the 7 DT projects. If you complete more than three then you get another chance to win. Upload in the Blog Hop Event: CS Divas Fall Blog Hop!!!

All projects are due on 9/28 and they need to be uploaded here to be eligible for the Grand Prize: http://divascreativas.ning.com/events/fall-blog-hop

 

Here is my project for you.  My theme is Thanksgiving.  I have done a 2-page layout.  The cardstock is from my stash and I think it is all Bazzill.  The printed paper and Turkey and leaves Stickers are from Reminisce from 2009.

The printing of the “tab cards” was done with the Cricut Imagine. I used the cartridges From My Kitchen and the new Imagine More.  The fun cooking words were also done on the Imagine with the same 2 cartridges.  The cardstock printed on was white from Recollections. (Michaels)

The large letters are from American Crafts and are Thickers.  The little letters are Tiny Type from Cosmo Cricket.

 

 

Here is a close-up of my “special recipe” for this layout.

Did you figure out what I did?  I made recipe box tabs and added all of my pictures from my wonderful family weekend in Ohio.

The cartridge I used was From My Kitchen for Cricut.  I was lucky enough to get my new Cricut Imagine this last week so I combine the Imagine More cartridge and “colored” each card with the Imagine.  I am loving the look I must say!  It was like getting bonus paper because I used just white cardstock for the printing.

I printed the pictures at 4 on a page on my printer and cut them apart and trimmed the white border off.

I glued each picture to the “tab card”.  I also used the From My Kitchen and Imagine More cartridges and came up with some cooking terms to add randomly to the cards.

There are 2 sets of cards because we had 2 big days of celebrating together.  Besides Thanksgiving we were celebrating a teenager birthday too! 

A trip to Ohio and a family gathering of Stauffers is not complete without a BIG meal at Marion’s Pizza.  We are all hopelessly addicted and those of us that are out of state can’t get enough when we are visiting.

I will add a picture of how I bind the cards to the page. I think it will just be with a binder clip so it can be removed and looked at.

 

To be eligible for MY BLOG CANDY I just ask you to use my “recipe” on a layout and expand the number of pictures beyond the normal 4 x 6 or the visible ones on the layout.  Keep it simple, I want you to have FUN!  Just do a couple, cuz you know you want to try LOL.

You can make tags and use a brad to connect them.  Of course you are only limited to your imagination here!

Just come back and post a link to your creation here!

Thanks and HAVE FUN AT THE HOP!  And don’t forget, follow my blog and become a member of the CS Divas too!

It’s Almost Blog Hop Time!!!!

with Creative Scrapbooking Divas

This weekend join the Design Team on our personal blogs

for a fun-filled and prize-filled Blog Hop!

Each member of the CS Divas Design Team will have

a project/layout/card and/or tutorial on their page.

We will also have a special game for you to play!

Did I mention a GRAND PRIZE?  Oh yes, I Did!

HERE IS A LIST OF WHAT ONE LUCKY PERSON

WILL GET IN THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE!!!!

Chipboard letters by Cosmo Cricket--Blackboard--65 pieces
Acrylic Stamp Set--by Hampton Art (trees, leaves)
Acrylic Stamp Set--by Inkadinkado--5 pieces (autumn theme)
Notepad by Adornit--50 sheets
Clear Stamp Block--Studio G
Mini acrylic Stamps--Studio G
Harvest Time dimensional stickers--2 sets
Glitter dimensional word stickers--Colorbok
Harvest 3D foam stickers--8 pcs
Layered Fall Stickers--6 pcs
5x7 Photo Mats--Halloween theme--16 sheets
2 Wooden Stamps--Frankenstein and leaves
Cardstock weight 'cards'--4 assorted
Assorted buttons (some not shown)
Assorted Prima Flowers in Autumn colors
Assorted ribbons and fibers (some not shown)
Other assorted flowers (not shown)

SO COME BACK HERE ON SATURDAY 9/25  FOR THE HOPPING ORDER AND JOIN IN OUR FUN!

AND INFO ON THE GAME.  YOU WILL HAVE UNTIL 9/28 TO POST YOUR BLOG HOP ENTRIES AT Creative Scrapbooking Divas

OK I am Crazy and Spoiled....

Hi all,
I have to share a few things with you and I will start with 11:01 p.m. on Monday, September 13 when my loving hubby ordered me the new Cricut Imagine.  I know.... I know..... it is new... it is Provo Craft... they will probably have problems or whatever with these new items but just like all the latest gadgets, I had to have it anyway.  I love my Gypsy and I got it when it came out with no problems at all, so I am willing to give them another shot.  Lucky for me they had flex pay AND 3 cartridges instead of 1.  It also helps that I got my bonus checks from Avon today to put towards the first payment!

I should have it by Sept 24 or maybe that is when it ships.  But I will let you know!  Right now it is 3:39 a.m. and they have sold over 2000 of them.  I was number 580.

Click on the link to see what I got.  There is a video to play here.
Cricut Imagine World Launch on HSN

Please Save These Dates & Click Here to Join Our Group!

The fun is just a few weeks away.  I hope you will join our blog hop, sponsored by all the scrappy girls at Creative Scrapbook Divas

Stay tuned to my blog for more info and maybe a sneak peek!

Join Me at Creative Scrapbooking Divas for My Layering Challenge

Come on over to Creative Scrapbooking Divas - My Layering Challenge

The challenge is to make any size layout or card and to put as many layers or as much dimension into it as you can.  Just have lots of fun with this.  I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Be sure to post your creation in our gallery and in the challenge discussion!

Hurry on over to the Diva Mansion....

Sketch Sunday Reveal on The Everyday Scrapper

Here is the sketch from The Everyday Scrapper for this week's Sunday Sketch Reveal.  Stop by and show us your take on it and you can be entered in a drawing for a prize.

Out with the Old and in with the New... almost

Shop my MemoryWorks on-line store now at Ann's Scraps of Time for great sales on your favorite lines from Creative Imaginations, Bo Bunny and more! 

MemoryWorks is moving out some products that are older and making way for new products to be featured in our Fall / Winter catalog.  These are items that will be ordered at CHA next week!

Now is the perfect time to gather up supplies that will help you capture your summer memories.  So visit my store Ann's Scraps of Time  to place your order today!

Simple Stories by MemoryWorks introduces new line!

MemoryWorks has introduced a new product line for their exclusive Simple Stories.  It is called Ele.ment.ary and it is absolutely adorable.  This is a must have to your scrapbooking "stash" and as they say..."As simple as A B C."

Here is one pic of the product:

For more info and to purchase, please see my on-line MemoryWorks store at

Ann's Scraps of Time Scrapbook Store

Besides this great new addition we are running sales on products you all know and love from such companies as Basic Grey, My Little Shoe Box, American Crafts, Tim Holtz and much much more!

Now is a great time to stock up on your favorites and check a line that will sure to be on top of your list!

MemoryWorks' Ele.ment.ary

Visit Candy Shoppe Designs in July.... I will be the sponsor!

Here is the BIG news.  Candy Shoppe Designs is one of my favorite blogs to hang out at!  The Design Team there is fantastic and I just love the looks of the blog and all the girls' fun names!

I will be the sponsor for the month of July for them and I have a prize of course!  It is a Christmas in July prize package with lots of goodies from My MemoryWorks On-line Store

Be sure to play along with their challenges and read their directions carefully, for a chance to win!

July 1st!!!! Wow, where has the summer gone?

Hi Blog Followers!  Long time, no post, sorry about that!  So here is the hightlights of June for me.

I h ave been pretty busy so far this summer. Just one thing or another; Some of the usual like running child A to point C and Child C to point A.....  The three kids are at a pretty good summertime age - 12 for Griffin and 9 for the twins.  We have a good mix of doing stuff together and without mom! 

Speaking of something without mom, I spent a wonderful 8 days with my friends Katie and Sarah in mid June.  We drove to Southern Indiana and stayed at the French Lick Villas.  What a beautiful part of the country that is!  The three of us took our scrapbook stuff and spent the week scrapping and site seeing.  It was really fun to have our scrap stuff set up for a week and being able to scrap anytime we wanted.  We really did accomplish a lot.  I will post pictures in the next post.

Site seeing was one of the big reasons why we chose that area because about an hour away is an Amish and Mennonite Settlement.  We knew our resort ran a bus tour but had no idea how much fun we would have!  We rode an hour on the bus to a restaurant where we picked up our Mennonite tour guide, Rosanna.  Then we proceeded to the country roads of Dubois County, a.k.a. Amish Country.  Our driver, Norris was a retired police officer and had been running this tour over 10 years.  He had a route where he knew who all the families were and what was what with all of them!  The Amish families knew him too and so did the children. (and his arrival time).  Norris would stop at each farm that had children and open the bus door and toss out candy.  The kids were either already lined up by the road or came running across the yard when the bus pulled up.  It was so much fun to watch! 

We also were allowed to tour a home and visit a few of their stores and quilt shops that were on their property.  Pretty neat stuff, but due to no electricity it was a bit dark and VERY hot!

The Amish do not believe in being photographed as a rule, but there were families that did allow tourists to go ahead and take pics.  I will show some of my favorites here.

After our tour we were at the all you could eat buffet cooked and served by Amish.  Wow!  that is all I can say! Then we shopped a bit more and home we went.

The reason we picked this area is of our common love for the Amish way.  All three of us are avid readers of Amish romance books by such writers as Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter.  Actually making this visit really has helped us with our mental picture during our reading.

The week just sailed by and we enjoyed other things such as a winery where we tasted all of their wine!  And of course there was a lot of scrapping.  Before we knew it we were headed home to our families.  As much as we loved our trip, it was good to be home again.

I know prepare for my last trip of the summer and this time with my family.  We are headed to Branson, MO and will be there during the 4th.  We will take in Silver Dollar City and a water park as well as a few museums.  Of course I will be hunting down the scrapbook store!

Thanks for reading my update here.  Be sure to visit Creative Scrapbooking Divas  and The Everyday Scrapper  while I am away.  I am on the Design Team at both sites and there is much summer fun planned for all of you!

Have a safe and happy July 4th weekend!

It is time for the Pampered Divas On-line Crop!

Join us for our

 PAMPERING DIVAS ONLINE CROP

at

Creative Scrapbooking Divas

 Saturday, June 5

and Sunday June 6
The fun starts Saturday at 8:30 a.m. EST

We will have:

• 
  
  Challenges from our wonderfully talented DT members
• 
  
  Fun and games
• 
  
  Meet new scrappy friends
• 
  
  Learn something new with the great tutorials
• 
  
  Maybe even win some prizes!

 Oh, our June Guest Designer will be chosen from our on-line crop participants, so get your scrappy groove on and play!

Join us now at Creative Scrapbooking Divas. 

It's Sketch Sunday at The Everyday Scrapper... with a bonus!

Welcome to a very hot Sketch Sunday Reveal.  It is about 90 degrees here in America's Heartland. (a.k.a Iowa). The boys (hubby and son) are on a camping trip, the girls are at the pool and I am in the air conditioning cleaning and taking a scrappy break!

We have a bonus for you now at The Everyday Scrapper Sketch Sunday ...  Each Sketch Sunday layout that you enter will get you in a drawing for some goodies at the end of the month!  I believe that today is a bonus day for June.  The goodies will be embellishments from my MemoryWorks Scrapbook On-line Store Ann's Scraps of Time.  So post your layout at The Everyday Scrapper and why don't you leave me a comment here so I know you posted your layout.  Get ready to win!

Here is the sketch: 

Here is my layout:

This is my brother, 9 years ago.  He is holding one of my twin daughters, Gretchen.  He wasn't so into kids and looks uncomfortable here.  Gretchen does too!  Hence, the title Uncle!

Now, my darling little brother has 4 year old twin boys of his own plus a 1 1/2 year old son!

Thanks for looking and don't forget to play along!  You can't win if you don't play!

Sketch Sunday Reveal for TES 5-23

Here is our latest Sketch Sunday Reveal at The Everyday Scrapper  Please come on over and show us your take on this sketch:

Here is my layout:

Don't forget.... we want to see your work.  Please post it at:

 The Everyday Scrapper Sketch Sunday May 23 Reveal

Have a great day!

DT Call at Creative Scrapbooking Divas... Check us out!

I have been a member of the Design Team at Creative Scrapbooking Divas since February and have really loved it.  We have a great team and have lots of fun getting to know each other and our members.  I was added as a permanent member of the DT and given administration rights just 2 weeks ago.

We are now putting a call out for new members for the Design Team.  I know you all are very talented and love this wonderful scrapbooking hobby, so why not give it a try and head on over to CSD Design Team Call and give it a shot. You never now what might happen!  And hey, join the group no matter what and get to know us and get a few pages or cards done in the mean time!

More talent is added to TES Sketch team....

Please drop by and welcome new members to the line-up at The Everyday Scrapper

They will join us when we reveal our layouts on Sundays.

Welcome ladies!  I am so excited to see your work!
Michelle Roycroft
April Hummert
Deanne Burton

And the Winners are.....

Here are the winners for the two blog hops I just participated in.

Sandy

and

Lisa Wilbur

Hey ladies, send me a email at ScrappinAnn@gmail.com with your mailing address so I can send you your goodies!

Thank you to everyone who participated and left comments, and especially those who became followers :)  And also a big thank you to the Design Teams at The Everyday Scrapper and Just My Sketches for putting it all together.  Hope you all had a great time!

It's Sketch Sunday once again!

Hello Friends, Family, Followers.... I want to especially welcome my new followers who have just joined us because of one, or the other of my blog hoops I participated in the last two weeks.  What a great time we had!  I will announce my winners for both hops later today!

But first, let me direct your attention to Sketch Sunday at The Everyday Scrapper

Here is this week's lovely sketch, which was originally from Pencil Lines

and here is my take on the sketch, starring one of my then 5 year old twin girls, Gretchen.

Thanks for looking and please play along.... we would love to see what you come up with!
Click here  The Every Day Scrapper Sketch Sunday

I am a Permanent Member of the Design Team at Creative Scrapbooking Divas!

Hi all, I wanted to share some exciting news with you.... I have been asked to become a permanent member of the Design Team at Creative Scrapbooking Divas.  We are changing up the site and coming up with some great projects, challenges and prizes.  I hope you will stop by, sign up and mention you heard about it from me at Ann's Scraps of Time!

In other news....the blog hop continues for Just My Sketches and the Blend.  Please scroll down to previous post for the hop order, etc.

Don't forget to leave me a comment and hey, I would love it if you became a follower too!

Off to my busy day,  dance lessons for one, Brownie mtg for 2 and a final band concert for the 6th grader. He won't be playing next year :(  I am a bit sad that I won't get to see him perform tonight, but I had already promisted I would help at the Brownie mtg.     se la vie'

Just My Sketches "Celebrating Mothers" Blog Hop

Celebrating Mothers Blog Hop


At JMS the DT love our mums/moms and to show our appreciation for everything mothers do we are celebrating mothers in our blog hop this week.

The hop officially kicks off at 9 am (NFLD time zone) May 9, and ends at Midnight (NFLD time zone) May 14.

There are 18 stops along the way, some have blog candy up for grabs (but you'll have to find them for yourselves we don't want to ruin the fun!). In your travels don't forget to collect the words to complete the quote and take it back to Just My Sketches and the Blend to enter the major prize drawing worth $30!


If you have only just found the blog hop, go back to JMS to the start. If you have been hopping along you will have come from Margie and your next stop will be Just My Sketches
The words you need to collect from me are:

 ~Graycie Harmon

The songs are:
Song List

A Mother's Prayer by Celine Dion

Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon

Baby Mine by Bette Midler

I'll Always Love My Mama by The Intruders

If I Could by Regina Bell

Come On Get Happy by The Partridge Family

Here is the sketch:

And here is my layout (take) on the sketch.

 

You are here at Ann's Scraps of Time

 

And the next stop is

 

Just My Sketches "Celebrating Mothers

 
Since you are here... Please leave me a comment and become a follower.  That will put you in the drawing for my RAK.  Some acrylic blocks and some stamps that especially a mom could love!

Don't forget to play along with the game and the sketch/layout.  Happy Hunting and don't forget where to put your goodies.