Happy Birthday Madison!

This post is a day late...but I guess that is okay. My baby girl turned 5 yesterday. I cannot believe my baby is five already. I guess every mother feels that way. Then again, I can't belive Carli, my oldest, will be 11 in September. I guess it is all relative...because I can't believe that on Christmas I will be 35. It seems like just yesterday all the kids in our neighborhood were in our back yard all hours on the night playing kick the can. Oh, well....Anyway... Today is Madison's party. Yesterday on her birthday we let her open two presents. Well we were going to let her open one, but she picked the "wrong one". We wanted her to open the big presten because we didn't want to have to have her open that at McDonald's, which is where she wanted to haver her party. She ended up picking the small one, so we let her open both. Here is Madison opening her scooter. She was so excited. All she cared about was that it was pink. The crown on her head is from school. It is her "birthday crown". At school she got to be the line leader and go out the door first. I just love this picture. SHe looks so excited.

She was also pretty excited about her calculator. PINK of course. She now carries it aroundwith her everywhere she goes in the house.

Here is the cards her sister, Carli made for her. Carli was being very quiet in her room and about a half hour later she emerged to give Madison these.

I think she did a great job on them. She was pretty proud of herself after giving them to her.

Last but not least, here is a Birthday Card I made. I just love these colors. The middle embellishment fell a little bit before I knew it and is now dried on crooked. But for a 5 year old, well she will never notice.

Supplies for Card:
Cardstock: Juniper, Cocoa, Sorbert, White (CTMH)
Embellishments: Ribbon (Michaels) Clear jewels (Walmart), oval punches (SU)
Stamp: Mix & Match Cupcake (There She Goes Clear Stamps).

So now we are off to get ready for the birthday party. I love that we are having it at McDonalds. The decorate, provide the cake and goody bags. All we have to do is show up. Yeah! Love it. Hope everyone has a great day.

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July everyone! I am enjoying a relaxing day at home with my hubby and kids and even get to spend a little time making cards and doing some scrapbooking. Now that is my idea of a great weekend.

I have two cards that I have made and can share today. I have been working a lot with the new paper packs I got from CTMH in my last order. I absolutely love the "Unforgettable" paper pack and decided to use that again for my cards.

This first card is a Happy Birthday Card. The stamp is Cupcake Mix & Match which is from There_She_Goes. I love Jessica's stamps. She has some awesome stampsets that you should really check out. For me they are great because like CTMH stamps they are clear acrylic. And the designs are fun and cute.
My second card is a cute little card using "Gretel" from All_That_Scraps. When I saw this cute little stamp I had to have it. I colored her using my copic markers which I am still learning to color and shade with.

Supplies for both cards include:
Cardstock: Juniper, Sorbert, Colonial White (CTMH).
Paper: Unforgettable (CTMH)
Accessories: Copic Markers, Cuttlebug, embossing folder, CTMH markers, nestabilities.

Diagnosis~2006

This layout is layout I did long before I became a CTMH consultant and well, was really one of my first layouts. It is a layout of my daughter Carli. This layout was done several months after she was diagnosed with Bipolar. For months she was having a lot of difficulties. Anger, focusing, socializing, sleeping. I had an idea of what it was but to be honest was in denial. I actually didn't think it was possible for a child to have Bipolar. Her biological father has it as well as several others on that side of the family, but I didn't know that until after she was born and didn't know it could present itself in infants and children. Boy was I wrong. After several months...me and her dad (my current husband) decided we had to take her to the doctor. After several visits to her primary physician as well as psychiatrists she was diagnosed with Bipolar, ADHD, and ODD (Opposistion defient disorder). I was always against medication for children. Working as a day Care Director for 10 years I saw what medication could do to a child if in the wrong doses or wrong type of medicine. But we had tried everything. Even the doctors couldn't believe how much we had tried before finally taking her the doctor about the behavior we were seeing. She was diagnosed at the age of 7 and when she was in the first grade. These two pictures tell the story. She would be very happy then in an instant give you that look. So I just made this layout with the journalling as a little letter written to Carli as to what she was going through at the time and her actions and behavior and how we came to find out what was going on with her and in her head. Carli has been on medication and seeing a doctor for three years now. She is doing very well. We are very lucky that she only needs small doses of medication and that the first medication we tried worked for her. There are people that try medication after medication with no signs of relief from the medicaiton. I am very proud of Carli has she has handle taking the medication very well. She is now 10 and knows what her diagnosis is, yet doesn't grasp the full relm of what the diagnosis is. She knows she has to take medicine, that it helps her not get so angry and not be so emotional, and not wake up screaming at all hours of the night. As time goes by and she gets older we will have more discussions with her regarding Bipolar and what it means. We give her information that is age appropriate and that is what we will keep doing. As her mother it has been very difficult for me. You never want to see your child have to go through such trying times. I was in denial, then angry, the felt guilty, then of course finally was able to deal with the reality of what was going on with her. But 3 years later it is still hard. I know she will have to struggle and deal with this for the rest of her life. It isn't something she just can take a pill for for a while then stop and all will be okay. She will have to work with doctors and take medication all her life. All we can do is work with doctors and teach her along the way the best way to take care of herself. For me, the hardest part is the stigma that goes along with this diagnosis. When people intially hear Bipolar, Manic Depression or Schizophrenia they just assume that person is "crazy". I know...I too use to think that before I was educated. The only people I had known with Bipolar had not taken medication properly and had self medicated with drugs and drinking, and needless to say they were not funtional. But now I know different..and will tell anyone at anytime about what we have gone through. I just pray that with a great support system, Carli will lead a very healthy and happy life.

Cards for My Sister

Thanks to my sweet sister I got a few stamps sets the other day. I decided to make her cards and send them to her, using those stamp sets. By now she should have gotten them, so I am posting them for everyone to see. I didn't make them matching because they weren't really a set. I just wanted to send her a few using them.
This first card is using the stamp set "Fishy Friends" from SU. I always liked this set but never bought it. I used Close to My Heart supplies (other than the stamp set). Cardstock (sorbert, juniper, cocoa, and colonial white).

This second card I didn't use one of the sets she bought me, I just decided to make a monogram card and chose these colors. All products are Close To My Heart.

On this card I did use a background stamp that my sister got me from SU but the rest of the products are Close to My Heart.

Another Fishy Friends Card. I think this octopus is so cute. I think this is the first card that I used my new Copic markers on. I am so excited to practice with them. I am not very good at them, but I have been watching tutorials by Suzanne Dean at Scrap_Bitz . I just love her tutorials. The are very informative...and easy to understand.

Last but not least...a blank flow card. I used a background flower stamp that my sister got me, on this card. The main flower is from Inque Boutique set from Stephanie Bernard.

Well that is it for the cards that I made for my sister. I hope she liked them. I am sure she did.

Creative Belli Challenge #67

This weeks Belli Challenge was to make a Father's Day Card using

this sketch that they provided Sweet-n-Sassy SSS07. I don't have a lot of masculine stamp sets so I was a little limited on my choices. So I went with a paper pack from Close TO My Heart called "It's A Guy Thing". I then used "Happy Father's Day" from All Holidays from SU. I do like how this card turned out. The little hearts on the side say "I love you forever".

You can check out the Creative Belli Challenge here and join in if you would like. They post a new challenge every two weeks.

Sister Layouts

Hello everyone. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. We are having a good one. Yesterday we spent all morning cleaning the house. Yes, all morning. I am a procrastinater and put off cleaning all week. I don't like to do it and don't do it until I absolutely have to and yes, yesterday we absolutely had to. So the floor got swepted and mopped, dusting got done, laundry was done (and still working on). Then to my great surprise my youngest came in my room about 12:15 pm hopped on my bed climbed under the covers and said she needed to take a nap. I was so excited yet speechless because she doesn't like to take a nap. SO I layed down with her and took an hour nap. LOVE IT! I then took the girls to the park and of course...their favorite place to eat for dinner...McDonalds.

Today, more laundry got done. And I even made a ham in the crockpot. Second time ever and it is delicious! Lots of leftovers for lunch. And in between laundry and cooking I got to do a little scrapbooking.

This first layout is a 12x12 layout. IT is titled "Sisters" I used CTMH Bella Paper pack, which I might add I absolutely love. I think so far it is my favorite. I also used the coordinating stamp set Endless Friendship...and to give it a little something extra I used the May SOTM stamp set Be Yourself. I am hoping to get a good picture of me and my sister when I go to PA this summer and will use this layout. I normally don't make layouts before I have a picture to use...but I am starting to venture outside of my "comfort zone".

This second layout is an 8x8 version of the 12x12. All of the same materials were used. I made this one for my sister. I know she wants to start a scrapbook for some of her things. I figured this is a good way to get it started! I am hoping to make a few more for her over the next few months then if she decides to take on scrapbooking she can add right too it. I thought 8x8 wouldn't be to overwhelming for her to start. Though she is very crafty and artsy so I doubt it would be. Since this is a bit smaller I hid the journalling page...you can see the pink tab sticking out from behind the picture block.

Oh, and I haven't told my sister, Amber that I made this for her so....Amber if you are reading this....SURPRISE!

Blog Candy

Please check out Through Emily's Eyes Here for some awesome blog candy. The rules are very easy and you might win some great scrapbooking goodies.

Kindergarten Graduation

My little one had her kindergarten graduation back on May 29th. And as you can see here she was very excited.

I took a lot more pictures, but I haven't gotten fixed them yet. But I had to put one on here. She was so excited. They had a little ceremony. As you can see they wore their caps and gowns. They sang some songs and they got to walk across stage and get their "diploma". She now tells us she isn't a "little girl" anymore...she is a "big girl". That she is. The picture is of Madison, obviously, and her two teachers, Miss Kayla (Left) and Miss Kelly.

Madison, I am so proud of you and love you very much!

And this has nothing to do with my little girls graduation...but Amber, my favorite sister in the whole world (and my only sister) I haven't forgotten about your cards. To all of you reading my sister sent me some stamp sets. Apparently someone she knows had 4 or 5 sets that were just sitting around her house and my sister bought them for me for $20.00. My sister had no idea f that was a good price for them but bought them. One of them was "Fishy Friends" and that stamp set alone I think is worth that. So Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I haven't forgotten about your cards I promise.

Fourth of July

Happy Monday Everyone. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was pretty good. I got to talk on email with my college roommate which is always good. Sad...but seriously that is my only form of communication lately. I did have to work on Saturday. Usually weekends at work are always busy but this past weekend wasn't too aweful crazy. It was a good day.

Sunday I did housework. You know the usual laundry, sweeping, mopping...all the fun stuff I put off during the week because I hate to do it then have to catch up on the weekend.

I did get some cards made and some layouts done over the weekend. I decided to pull some stamps that I haven't used yet and use them. The first one I used was "July Word Puzzle" from Close to My Heart!

First is a scrapbook page. I never really make layouts for 4th of July. Not that it isn't a special holiday and deserving of a layout. But on the 4th we usually just hang out at the house and relax and just enjoy spending time with the kids. We don't have a cookout...or hang out with friends so I don't usually take a lot of pictures.
Happy 4th of July card. Again, I decided to make a card with the same stamp set that I haven't used in a while. I free hand cut the curve in the cardstock so that it would flow with the summer fun words.

Supplies: All Close to My Heart
Cardstock & Ink: Cranberry, Moonstruck, White
Stamp set: July Word Puzzle

Mojo Monday #88

Good afternoon everyone. I hope everyone had a super Memorial Day weekend...and day. We had a very nice weekend. Just quality time at home. I love it when I don't have any where to be or anything I HAVE to do...and can just veg out. On Monday, we did take the girls to the Taylor Park and had a picnic. They played while Shawn cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs so that was fun.

Now onto my card! Mojo_Monday_Sketch rolls around again. I can't believe I actually participating in one on time. I usually participate but by the time I get mine done...the next sketch is up on the blog. But not this week, this week I am on time. Maybe that is because I was home on Monday and was able to get some cards made. Yeah..for me.

On this card I decided to go through some of my miscellaneous Design paper stash that I keep in one of my totes. I haven't used it much and thought I might as well see what I have and try to use it.

I used Petal, Blush & White Cardstock from CTMH. The DP on top of the card is from my stash and I don't know the maker or brand...if you know let me know and I will give credit where credit is due. I used my coluzzle circles to cut out the circle and my cuttelbug and swiss dot folder for the bottom panel of the card. I absolutely love the swiss dots and when I am not sure what to put in a blank spot...I usually go for that. The flower is from the stamp set from CTMH and off the top of my head I don't remember the name of it. I can't believe it because it is one of my favorite set...but sitting here at work on my lunch break, it just is not coming to me. I did not put a sentiment on the front because it may be one I give away in a pack and thought it would be nice to leave a few blank so that they can be used as note cards.

I actually have some other cards to post but I need to get some work done. Hopefully by the end of the day I will have a few more posted here. Have a great day everyone!