Getting ready for our big party!

After such a wonderful Spring day yesterday, my poor little Aaron had a severe asthma attack last night and Chris (my SIL) and I ended up taking him to the ER.  I know I didn't get any sleep last night and don't function so well without it any more.  He's just now starting to act like all the meds are actually helping, but still coughing a lot.  I feel so rotten when my little guy has to work so hard to breathe.  I have asthma, too, so I know how scary it is for him when he can't get any air moving.

On a happier note, I had this post ready before he started having trouble, so I still have something to share with you.  More soon, I hope.

My wonderful daughter-in-law spent most of the day here with me Monday.  We're working on invitations for our sweet Olive Jane's first birthday party.

Here's a peek at what we've worked on so far.  These are going to be stinking cute!!!  By the way, Olive has moved from just crawling backward to moving forward, too, and at quite a clip:)  She loved playing with the box from my glue dots while we worked.

 

They're not nearly finished, but we have tons done on them already.  I will share again when they're completely finished.  I think they're going to be a little heavy, with all those layers, but they don't call me the 'Queen of Layers' for nothing:)  Here's hoping for a better day today and some sleep tonight --- then stamping soon.

Everyday Enchantment Layout

After all we had going on over the weekend, it was absolutely wonderful to get together with my Hostess Scrapbook Club last night.  We had a super busy evening!  They are a wonderful group of ladies and I love, love, love working with them.

We added some stamping to our mini albums we'd started in January, started a surprise calendar project and made a complete layout.  I also demonstrated how to use the new framelits dies and our newest embossing folders.  They were a hit!

I like to throw out a challenge once in a while to my scrappers, so I challenged them to bring back their calendar next month and show us how they completed it at home.  I sent them home with coordinating scraps to help them with the challenge.  They will earn a little prize if they bring the calendar and/or the mini album back to share with us!

Here's the layout we made, using the Everyday Enchantment DSP, the flower fusion and little leaves sizzlits, the Bordering on Romance stamp set and the tasteful trim die.  We colored the focal piece with inks and the Aqua Painter.  They did a super job on their coloring..... so much fun!!!

This gorgeous color story is bringing on a case of spring fever here!  Doesn't this make you yearn for spring?
Here are close-ups of some of the details.  We used one of the bitty punches from the punch pack to punch the flower centers.
The inks used for the coloring are peach parfait, calypso coral, poppy parade and lucky limeade.

Tips:

• When you color with the Aqua Painter, keep it as dry as possible.  
• Most people who have trouble coloring this way are having trouble because they have their brush tip way too wet.  It takes only enough moisture to move the color around a bit.  
• Keep a paper towel handy to blot up excess water and to clean your brush tip before switching to a new color.

Tips: 

• Use a square punch to create the v-cut in the 'flags' for the banner.  
• Use hemp twine or linen thread to hang your banner.

Above:  left page...
Below:  right page...

Does this make you want to go scrapbook something?  Well, go ahead... get going... and have fun!!!