Happy Halloween!

Wishing all our friends and your families a safe and sweet filled Halloween! Have fun :)
(Be sure to check back tomorrow for some ideas on how to use up all that candy.)

Great sketches can be found....

...at Sketchapalooza 5! It's not to late to enjoy 20 great sketches - come on you know you want to join us. You will have access to wonderful sketches - and wonderful examples - and the sweetest group of women ever!!!

Here is a sketch from our Sketchapalooza 4 class - and look at the fun examples.
Sketch by Stacey Curry:



Stacey Curry's layout:


Jayne's Layout:


Come on join now and we'll see you in class!!!

I spy...

We are having a blast in Sketchapalooza and it's only just begun! I have seen lots of fabulous pages in the gallery so far...so fun and inspiring.
Here's a great fall page that caught my eye by Kyla Hunziger:


Here's another page by Heather Coonley that I just loved:


Wonderful layouts ladies, can't wait to see what everyone creates throughout class.

Sketchapalooza 5 Starts Monday!

The classroom is already open and we are all set to start class tomorrow morning! We are all excited and can't wait to get started. If you have been thinking about joining us now is the time :)

Here is what you can expect during the Sketchapalooza 5 Class:

• A full FOUR WEEKS of class running from October 26th until November 23rd
• Detailed sketches made exclusively for you by our design team
• A full 20 sketches (5 per week!)
• Digital templates provided for PS or PSE for each sketch
• Plus tips and tid-bits to keep your creative juices flowing
• Fabulous creative examples for each sketch by our talented design team
• A private class forum with lots of support and friendly conversation
• Self paced class - do as much or as little as you would like
• A PDF file including all the sketches from class for you to keep for future reference
• Graduation crop with challenges, games and prizes
• Plus a few surprises :)

The cost for this month long class is only $25.00. You can sign up by clicking the button in the right side bar. Hope to see you in class!

Be Safe This Halloween!

(By the way - want to monsterize a photo of your kiddoes - check out Picnik)

With Halloween just a week away I thought I's share a few tips I found to keep you and your little ones safe this Halloween!

Safe Halloween

Know the Rules

Common Sense

Do be safe and I hope you and your little ones (and big ones) have a wonderfully happy and frightful Halloween! :)

Fall layout inspiration

Fall brings new colors, weather and of course, school. I love the colors of fall as well as the crispness in the air. We recently went on a drive and took a few photos of the changes but I have yet to scrap them. Here are a couple of pages done by the design team using some of the colors of fall.

A layout by Jayne-


A layout by me-

Happy Friday!!

New Sketch - Win a Free Class!

Our most popular class, Sketchapalooza 5, starts this Monday! Here is your chance to win a spot in the class. I just posted a brand new sketch on our Feeling Scrappy Facebook Group. Create a new layout using the sketch below by Saturday and post the finished layout on our Facebook Group. (Go here to join us if you are not already a member.) I will draw and post the winner there on Sunday.

Already sign up for Sketchapalooza 5 or thinking about it? Don't wait! You can still play along - if you are the winner I will just refund your class payment. Good Luck and Happy Scrapping! :)

Rolodex punch - part 2

Yesterday I showed you how to use a basic and inexpensive office supply to create a decorative edge on a paper. Here is the layout I created using the journaling paper:

You could even rough it up a bit and tear off some parts of the edge to give it more of a worn look:

Happy scrapping!

Rolodex punch - part 1

You can use a basic office supply to create a border like those expensive edge punches. This punch was only a couple of dollars.


This is so easy...just punch the edge of your paper.


Then keep lining it up and punching again unti you are done.

Here it is finished.

Check back tomorrow to see a layout using this journaling paper.

Highlight - Wendi Lucchesi

I am pleased to introduce you all to Wendi Lucchesi! Wendi's layouts catch our eye in the class gallery all the time. She is very talented. It's always so fun to learn more about our scrappy friends - and boy did I learn something new about Wendi!!!

How and when did you first start scrapbooking?

My sister-in-law invited me to a Creative Memories home party in September of 1998. At the time, my first-born was ten months old. Since then I have been keeping his photos in a Hallmark magnetic album. After the Creative Memories Consultant’s presentation, I knew I had to get those precious photos in a safe place. My husband happened to work with a fellow whose wife was a Creative Memories consultant. She called me and I starting attending her crop nights while my husband stayed with the baby. I’ve been scrapping ever since!


What is the most important aspect to scrapbooking to you?

The most important aspect to scrapbooking for me is being able to get those precious memories recorded. When your life passes one a day at a time, it very easy to recall the details. However, when life passes year-to-year, it much harder to remember the details of those special moments. I love being a mother. My scrapbooks are the vehicles that take me back through the years of my children’s lives.


What are your favorite pages to work on?

I enjoy working on holiday related photos and photos of my puppy. It’s easy to pull papers and embellishments together when your theme has already been decided.


What if anything do you find hard to scrap?

I find vacation photos the most tedious to scrap! I take so many photos – usually over a 1000 for a one-week vacation. I feel so emotionally attached to the photos that it is excruciatingly painful to pare the number down. I often employ my husband’s help to narrow the photos to a manageable amount.


What kind of camera do you use? Do you love it or hate it?

I have a digital Canon Rebel Xt along with several different lenses. I love it! Sometimes I wish had more compact camera that I could keep in my purse for those random photo opportunities.


What do you enjoy most about scrapbooking?

I most enjoy the relaxation that scrapbooking provides for me. It’s time for me to spend alone in my own thoughts. I like working with my hands. I also am grateful for the friendships I have made working with others that enjoy scrapbooking and cardmaking.


Tell us a little about your family.

My husband Mark and I have been married for fourteen years. We have two sons. Nicholas is eleven and has just started middle school. Christopher is nine and is in the fourth grade. We also have a wonderful three-year-old Shih Tzu puppy that we are all crazy about. We live in suburban St. Louis. We were both born and raised in St. Louis. All of our parents and siblings still live here so family surrounds us. For that, I am grateful.


Tell us about the things outside of scrapbooking that you enjoy.

Scrapbooking would be my hobby of choice. I also like to make cards, quilt, and needlepoint – all things that I can do with my hands! I belong to a book club and enjoy volunteering at my children’s school and our church.


Tell us something about yourself that your Feeling Scrappy friends do not know.

Probably some things that my Feeling Scrappy friends do not know about me are that I own a Jazzercise Franchise and I teach six classes a week. I play the piano. As a young girl, I appeared in a Romper Room taping. Loved those romper stompers! I am also the #1 Kurt Warner fan!

Here are two of Wendi's favorite layouts:

Crock pot - Sesame Pork Ribs

With a new baby at home, the crock pot is the only way I can manage dinner most days. Here's a tasty recipe for you to try when you are short on time and want to utilize your slow cooker.
Sesame Pork Ribs


1 medium onion, sliced (I chopped mine)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
2 TBS cider (or white) vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I left this out)
Country style pork ribs
Sesame seeds
Chopped green onions

Directions: Combine everything except for the ribs, sesame seeds and green onions in the crock pot. Place the ribs in the crock pot and pour the sauce over them. Cover and cook all day on low. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions for garnish. Serve with rice and a veggie (I threw some baby carrots in to cook in the sauce.)
Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Carving

Time to carve up old jack! :) I personally love digging out all the guts with my kids and baking up some yummy pumpkin seeds afterwards - can't wait! Do you like your pumpkins cute and easy?

Or do you go for scary and more complicated carvings?

Either way, here are a few website full of ideas!

Pumpkin Carving 101

Extreme Pumpkins

The Pumpkin Wizard

Have fun!

Trick or Treat

With Halloween just around the corner I know we are all going to have some very fun photos of our little ones all dressed up! I can't wait! So here are a few pages to get you thinking about what you will do with your little ghouls and princesses once in print.

Stacey C's Layout:



Jayne's Layout:



Lee's layout:

An old tool-the crimper!

Do you have any old and unused tools sitting around your craft area? I know I have several that I never use. I bought this crimper a few years ago at the dollar store (I mean for a dollar, could I really pass it up??) and it has just been collecting dust. So, I decided it was time to pull it out and use it.


If you've never used one of these (or decide you want one), they do still sell them at the craft stores (but for much more than a dollar!!) They are simple to use...just run your paper through the two rollers by twisting the ends of the crimper. Your paper will have a lined dimensional effect afterwards.

Here's a new layout I created just to share with you:

Up close and personal:

I love that this adds the feel of dimension without adding bulk to a page. You could also try inking, chalking or sanding the raised lines to accentuate them even more.

So my challenge to you today is to pull out an old tool (any old tool!!) and put it to use! You might discover you love it enough to use it more often (or it might end up in the trash! LOL). Happy scrapping!!!

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

With the weather turning cooler, I thought it was time to pull out a yummy stick to your ribs type of dish. If you love stuffed cabbage but hate going through the trouble to make it then this casserole is for you! My family loves it (well except for my very picky boy who likes almost nothing!) Hope you enjoy it :)

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion (diced)
1 very small head of cabbage (chopped)
1 medium can of sauerkraut (rinsed)
1/2 cup rice (raw)
2 cans tomato soup
1 1/2 cans water
Seasoning to taste

Brown ground beef and onion together and season to taste. Layer cabbage, sauerkraut, beef and then rice into a 9 x 13 pan. Mix soup and water then pour over the top of your layered items. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until cabbage and rice are tender. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Here is a layout I made for my kitchen album:

Halloween is right around the corner.....

...and we love Halloween! We love decorating - the whole family enjoys throwing out ideas and seeing the house done up! We are thinking spooky!!! Dear hubby suggested a full sized Michael Myers propped behind our backyard gate - the street light shines right on the gate - it would be fun!!!

I have been searching for the best of ideas and have a nice file going - I thought I'd share some of my favorite sources with you.

Xander and I are loving the ideas for using gourds and pumpkins to set really fun fall scenes. Martha Stewart has some great ideas!!
Pumpkins
More Pumpkins
and Even More Pumpkins

How about a Skull Wreath for your door?

Or a wheel barrow full of bones - such a fun idea!!!

These Mummies are just too cool!!

And I would be forever grateful if my wonderful hubby would make me a couple of these spooky trees!!!

Really I could go on and on and on - the internet and the library are wonderful resources for ideas! If you have a great idea - please do share - I am sure everyone would love to hear!! If you have photos of your spooky displays post them on your blog and link to it here - it would be great fun to see!!!

Card sketch

Here's a new card sketch I created for you. Hope you can use it!! Please share your cards with us if you do.

Card by me: