Happy 4th

Happy holidays to y'all!

Happy, Happy, Happy

"I've got all the happy I need" on of my fav movie quotes from SHREK!!!

Anyhow, saw this bottle of wine in Trader Joe's and I had to buy it ...... reminded me of one of my fav SHREK quotes :)


Happy weekend!

Inchies....Raks and Quarter Coke!

Some randomness....... this picture is a badly photographed (my cam is not good at close-ups... why i need an SLR!) of my "by the sea" inchies I made for a CPA swap. i had fun playing with crackle paint - glimmer mist - diamond glaze and few sparkles... ohhhh and my 1st pass @ vintage photos from my friend katie :) I'm growing - Linda will be proud....




Two shots of a RAK (random act of kindness) I made for a lady in the cpa who shares the scrappy bug with me :) I actually really tried hard to play with my camera to take a better close up on this.... used natural light and some different shutter speeds....


Last - and most certainly - the most spectacular..... is a BEAUTIFUL photo shot by my friend and accomplished artist Laura. She shot it a few years back in her hometown of Canton, Mississippi. She used some water colors to spruce it up and named it "Quarter Coke". She said it reminds her of the "good ole days" when coke used to cost a quarter. I scored this awesome painted photo on my recent trip to Houston. I was lucky to be staying at her house and about 1 hour before I hopped on the plane.... I asked if I could go through some of her "stashed" art..... She had oodles of it. I also got a GREAT b&W photo of NYC shortly after 9/11 she shot from NJ across the river looking into the spotlights of where the twin towers used to stand. It's very striking and I am just so honored to be able to have a piece of art from Laura. She's doing some amazing things with oil and canvas these days. And I hope I can "score" one of those someday...... ? when she has a "stash" built up. :)
All my love....
MAQI

ruthless and Toothless - NOLA

Here's my mini book i created from the bookclub kit I put together for JUNE. the challenge was to find a piece of paper (from my MANY piles of paper hanging out in our casa) and create a layout from it or based on it..... Well - I'm a mini book kinda girl- so I created a whole book from my "piece of paper"... I LOVE it!!

It's way girly.... I don't get to do that considering I have two rough n tumble boys :)


here are some of my pages.. the book it self is a basic grey flourish chipboard album.... and I recreated the shape onto other papers. (i.e. transparencies... love all things see thru)

I included things from the hotel... my "piece of paper" that inspired it all was a coaster from the hotel room.... go figure, I'm weird like that.

I used the hotel room key - I glued photo's back to back to create pages as well and found these cool journaling stickers..... that are transparent.... u stick em on the photo and write on the sticker.... super cute - I can't remember who make them?? Sorry - they are a newer product.


I also used crushed velvet cardstock - yummie! alligator print strawberry leather like paper for the cover..... transparent clock sheets, fancy pants rubons......die cuts from my cuddlebug :) and my latest obsession..... transparent RIBBON!!!
It's a fun book I really need to figure out how to upload it as a project. I just found a blog template on my mac sooooo I'm thinking of undergoing a remodel for the blog :) now that i'm into the 3 digits of publications......
Have a BLESSED day - y'all.
xoxo
me

book club post.....

here's a post on the bookclub I attend every month....

CLICK ME

there's a pic (i'm in it ... straight back at the end of the table...)

This month I shared my evolution book and a cute mini album I made from my ruthless and toothless tour in NOLA..... I need to post those pics soon....

we have a winner! ok... 7 (plus one) winners

Law - you were the grand prize winner
Sharon - you are runner up - u get the girly purse
the rest of you get SWEET reusable grocery totes - courtesy of me.... but inspired by KARTCHNER :) see my link ....

lawren - christine - helen - I need your mailing addresses... see my email

xoxo
anna

My 100th Post and experience at CKU

Guys and Gals -
So this is it..... the big 100th post.... if you leave a comment between now and saturday...... (i'll draw a winner on Sunday) I will make you something special... I must say it's feminine so if you are a guy you can give it to your mom or girlfriend or wife or friend..... so LEAVE a comment :)

So my big moment... meeting ALI the genius of graphic design and all things amazing in my scrapping world.

what i like about this picture is the smile on my face..... I'm sooo excited :) She's way cooler than she seems, she's super mellow and very modest. She's the ultimate artist in the fact that she want's you as a scrapper to tell your story and tell it the way it makes feel good. So it doesn't have to be perfect or "her" way or anyone's way but your own. She allows people to be creative and be proud of it.

Here's another pic with her

this was the next day - one of those pictures where I hold the camera and everyone smiles pics..... Go check out my friend Lawren's blog to she some of her photos, too..... Oh yah I met....

margie

and

lisa

and a man artist....too!

tim

The whole reason I went to CKU was to learn new techniques and to take a class taught by ALI (of course).

EVOLUTION - here's a pic of the cover of the album I made - I plan to post an entry on the entire album soon.... It's really awesome!!
I did learn alot and I made some new friends (lawren - christine - cheri and sarah). I got to play with paint, glue, inks, tons of new tools and paper!!! (duh?) One thing - I really wanted to take away from it all was the bigger picture.... sometimes I create books without a plan. I really want to take things to next level and plan it out - pick my product - organize my pics - my thoughts and really think about what kind of techniques I want to use in the book. I think I'm a little better equipped to do that now. One of the things that surprised me was my new interest in an D-SLR. I was truly amazed at what a better quality picture you can take with an SLR. I've got the bug of one of those FOR SURE!! (sorry, honey.....)

I would say the best thing about my experience was meeting the everyday crazy addicted scrappers like myself. I must say I did make a great new friend in Lawren - she's way awesome! Very talented and I'm honored I got to know her when..... (i.e. before they were stars) :)

Folks keep asking me if I would go again..... the answer is yes and no..... but probably no. I really think I would like to try something a little more intimate (less people) and one where you are a little freer to create as you wish, just go with the flow and see where your creative juices take you.
Since I have been back I have been getting ready for my book club (tonite - made a mini book). I also have made a few layouts for the design team at my local scrapper store.... (more on that later).

Well, that about sums it up- don't forget to comment if you wanna try and win and "anna creation".....

NOLA

Ok..... so my big trip (without kids). I flew to houston and stayed with the hospitable wells family. I had so much fun catching up with the girls (and chris, too!) It amazing how fast the kiddos grow... Katie is absolutely a beautiful little girl now, not our cute little toddler that we left last year. Evie, she's classic. I just love her to pieces.... she can talk your ear off.... we took a trip to the grocery store (just her and I) and honest to goodness I'm not sure I got a word in edgewise...... she has a lot to say :)

Alright, so we hung in kingwood for a few days and then drove to NOLA (new orleans, louisiana) It was a FUN car ride down and around the bend... I think we only had to stop about 7 times for the potty - we are all used to it, right, we have kids.... we stayed at the hotel montelone - gorgeous place very historic and tres chic...... we went to dinner at Acme's oyster house. I had the BEST jumbalaya I think I could have possible ever eaten. So this a pic before the dinner......

and this a pic after a trip to pat o'briens (go figure)....

Next day was a late morning (for me...) but some of the girls headed to spa and the others went to Harrah's i eventually got my act together and joined them for lunch and then while they gambled... I shopped..... cute little mall called the riverwalk. I had fun.... people watched and had some fudge at the fudgery.... COOL PLACE!! They sing while they make the fudge on a marble slab. Really fun :) Then headed back to the hotel and met up with the girls for a rooftop swim. Then we headed over to the Nelson's apartment (Laura's folks) and had some drinks and great conversation with them. Next we had supper at Irene's - OMG- best restaurant ever!! Supposedly- It's brad and angelina's fav place in nola.... whatever - it's my fav resturant in nola fo'sure..... Took a donkey cab ride thru the city had a late night snack at cafe du monde - had my first beignet - yum! Then headed to back to sleepy time. Next day we strolled thru the french quarter and had some more yummie food. Here's the pic of us while waiting for the car- that the hotel lost...... we had fun..... Thanks for the good times girls!! Ruthless and Toothless Tour must be planned again (soon) :) I do have some other wanna be artsy pictures of NOLA but I only choose to show you the important ones.... the ones with me and the girls - the whole reason I went to houston - to see my girls I miss ever so dearly.


Alright, so if you have been keeping up with the blog.... I'm EXTREMELY close to my 100th post..... like soooooo close i can taste it......... I plan to make something special for a lucky winner whom chooses to COMMENT to the 100th post. So be sure and stay tuned the next few days - if you wanna win? I plan to write about part two of my Houston trip - CKU and how I met my guru of all guru's ALI!!!! (who is super cool by the way....) blog at ya soon!!

Ruthless and Toothless

Ok - so I just got back from a "kid free" week of some girlfriend and serious crafting time.... I went to New Orleans, Houston and CKU. I had a great time. (I have uploaded my pictures BUT the only one that's SUPER IMPORTANT is the one of my sweet little child and his first TOOTH that has recently fallen out.......



He lost his tooth yesterday - no blood, no pain..... no one even knew...... until his bath time..... and he gave me a toothless grin. AHHHHHHH - I had to go on a made frantic search for the missing tooth - it's was his first tooth to be lost and he's my first born......... AHHHHH...... I found it on the floor in our hallway.... don't even know how i got so lucky. Lucky that my dogs didn't eat it..... they eat everything off the floor. :)

SO I promise pictures will come of my trip but this event deserves a post all to it's own.....

xoxo
anna

p.s. I met ALI!!