Bootscraps

Nikki's Maternity Shoot

2011-08-13T19:08:00.002-04:00

Brittany's Senior Pictures

2011-08-13T18:56:00.004-04:00

Epically Erica

2011-06-02T13:44:00.003-04:00

Easyrider

2011-06-02T13:28:00.001-04:00

The New Me!

2011-06-02T13:23:00.001-04:00

Oh Sh!t

2011-04-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

Snow Babies

2011-03-28T00:54:00.004-04:00

My Best

2011-03-26T09:06:00.000-04:00

Mine

2011-03-26T09:05:00.000-04:00

Little Secrets

2011-03-26T09:04:00.000-04:00

Capture the Moment

2011-03-26T09:03:00.000-04:00

Adore

2011-03-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

Lace Edge Paper Flowers

2011-03-13T20:36:00.008-04:00

Today I will show you how to make a Lace Edge Paper Flower as seen on this layout below. Making your own paper flowers is an inexpensive alternative to purchasing them at craft stores. I think they also offer a little more versatility too as far as colors and styles. Try making some today and let me know how they turn out!
These are the supplies you will need to make a Lace Edge Paper Flower...

A border punch

Card stock (any color or pattern)

A paper cutter

Using a border punch, ( I used Fiskars Threading Water Punch) punch the length of a 12x12 piece of card stock. You can use solid or printed paper depending on how you will use the finished flower
Cut your punched edge into a strip about an inch to an inch and a half wide. This would also be a good time to ink the punched edge if you choose.
Begin pleating you strip over and under until you reach the end of the strip as shown in the picture
Apply a dab of hot glue to the edge of the strip and adhere it to the opposite side, joining the pleats if you can
Add a button to the center,..and viola! You have a lace edge paper flower!

Pointed Edge Border

2011-03-13T20:18:00.010-04:00

Today I will show you how to make a Pointed Edge Border. In this tutorial , I used it to cut through the center of the layout, but it can also be used right on the edge, in a straight line rather than a curve or almost any way you choose. I like the look of this edge,..it has a lot of dimension.
Start with your background paper. I used a 12x12 piece of cardstock, but any size can be used depending on how you need to use it in your layout
Draw a curved line on your sheet of 12x12 (or any size) paper. The curve can be any style you choose,..be creative!
Cut along the line you drew
Now you are ready to fold your 1x1 squares into points
Fold down the corners of your 1x1 squares as shown in the picture below...
Add a line of hot glue to the front side of the point making sure not to cover the point
Expect a little bit of overhang on the points. These can be easily trimmed away once you are finished gluing on all the points. Check often for symmetry as you are gluing each piece.

Using your hot glue gun, attach the folded pieces of paper as shown in the example below, making sure the points are all that show on the right side of the paper.
Using your hot glue gun,..place the curved piece back over the points, lining them up so the red paper is back to it's original size.
And now you have a pointed edge Border!

Some Kind of Wonderful

2011-03-13T19:56:00.000-04:00

National Honor Society!!!!!

2011-03-13T19:53:00.002-04:00

Brittany has been selected to join the National Honor Society at her school. This is a very elite group of students that have to maintain a 3.25 gpa or higher to qualify and be involved in both school and community happenings.

I am so proud of my daughter and her accomplishments!!! Way to go Brittany!!!

Scarlet

2011-03-13T16:58:00.002-04:00

Discover your Destiny

2011-03-13T16:58:00.001-04:00

Angels

2011-03-13T16:57:00.000-04:00

Bundle of Joy

2011-03-13T16:54:00.000-04:00

Wild Child

2011-03-13T16:52:00.002-04:00

Until You

2011-03-13T16:52:00.001-04:00

Sweetheart

2011-03-13T16:51:00.000-04:00

Serendipity

2011-03-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

Onyx

2011-03-13T16:49:00.000-04:00

Metamorphosis

2011-03-13T16:48:00.000-04:00

Thunder Rolls

2011-03-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

B is for Beautiful

2011-03-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Girl

2011-03-01T22:43:00.002-05:00

As much as I would love to take credit for the awesome photos,..I can't! My youngest daughter Erica has inherited my love of photography and self portraiture. These days, it's not uncommon to find the camera batteries low or the memory card full! I look forward to posting more of her work as well! I hope you like her work as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by!

Self Portrait

2011-02-26T11:48:00.001-05:00

Truly Blessed

2011-02-26T11:47:00.001-05:00

Since my move, I've been running across pictures I forgot I even had. This is a picture of my sister that I took of her last fall. I'm truly blessed to have such a great sister in my life.

I'll be making a tutorial soon for the ruffly flower at the bottom. Until then, thanks for dropping by and come back again soon!

Family Ties

2011-02-26T11:46:00.001-05:00

My sister Cheryl and I haven't always seen eye to eye. We spent part of our adult years not speaking and acting anything but adult. It took a while for us to mend fences, but I'm so glad we finally did. We are really close now and I know I will never take her for granted again. I appreciate our Family Ties!

Cut

2011-02-26T11:41:00.001-05:00

Chorus to "Cut" by Plumb

I do not want to be afraid
I do not want to die inside just to breathe in
I'm tired of feeling so low
Relief exists..I find it when I am Cut....

This song played on an episode of Vampire Diaries a while ago. My daughter Brittany recently played it for me.
I was nearly brought to tears as I listened...not because of the incredibly powerful lyrics or the haunting piano,....but by the memories that suddenly came flooding back of a young girl, fifteen, who sat in her bedroom with a paring knife and slit her wrists.
At age 15, she had no idea how many people loved her. She had no idea how wonderful being a Mom would be. She had no idea what falling in love felt like. She had no idea of the potential she possessed. She had no idea that she was worthwhile or that someday she would be needed.
She also had no idea that someday she would be a scrapbooker and have the ability to reach so many people through her craft.
She knows now.....
If you , or someone you love is a victim of self hurt, there is help.
You are not alone.

Cute...but Psycho!

2010-12-26T16:49:00.000-05:00

Christmas Carol

2010-12-25T22:57:00.002-05:00

Winston

2010-12-22T10:26:00.002-05:00

Straight From the Heart

2010-12-22T10:26:00.001-05:00

Erica's Fall Photo Shoot 2010

2010-10-20T10:10:00.004-04:00

Hey all! Sorry for the long absence. A lot has been going on in my life and I took a break from scrapping for a while. The break isn't over yet though. I'm getting ready to move here soon, so all of my scrapping supplies are in boxes at the moment! But rest assured,...as soon as I am settled in my new home and locate my paper and pictures,...I'll be back with a vengeance! Until then,..take a moment to enjoy Erica's newest photo shoot. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to be back real soon!

Summer 2010

2010-08-02T17:28:00.007-04:00

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2010-08-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

Dreamcatcher

2010-08-02T17:12:00.007-04:00

How many times in a lifetime do we get the chance to make a difference in someones life? Really? Not just a little difference,..I'm talking a big difference! This is one of those times for me!!

I recently asked a friend on Facebook if I could borrow a picture of her son to do a layout with. Being a photographer, I thought the picture was amazing. It is the layout Serenity,..the young boy on the horse. I posted the layout in my gallery and tagged it to her page as well. She loved it! She gave me the nicest compliments, then sent me a message to my inbox. What I read in that message was the most incredible words I have ever read.

She has a friend whose son Anthony B. Franko (pictured in this layout at age 10) was abducted on Mother's Day in 1983. He has never been found. Her message was a request for me to do a layout,..getting the word out,..spreading his face once again near and far,..over a new medium...in the hopes that somehow, somewhere he might see it and find his way home.

Being a Mother myself,..I cried reading her heartfelt message to me, as I am crying now writing this post.

I can't even begin to fathom the pain in losing a child this way....or to have to bear this misery for more than 20 years. My heart goes out to this Mother for her strength and her unwillingness to give up Hope.

It is my sincerest Hope that somewhere in this big world Tony or someone that knows him can see this layout and be returned where he belongs,...Home! This layout is traveling the internet from blogs , to websites, and being printed to be posted in stores,..rodeos and in every place that people think Tony may see it.

I am so honored to be a part of this effort to reunite Tony with his family. I will never forget this feeling in my heart right now or take for granted the people that I reach with my craft.

If you have any information about Tony or his whereabouts ,...please contact

1-800-VANISHED

Serenity

2010-08-02T17:12:00.002-04:00

Erica

2010-08-02T17:07:00.003-04:00

This picture was taken at a nearby flower garden,..built for public use for weddings, senior pictures and ordinary photo shoots like this one. The flowers were chose for the garden to bloom at different intervals so there is a new kind of flower to see at all times during the season. It's perfect for pictures or for just walking around and enjoying the many scents. There are also waterfalls,..rock beds and bridges,..footpaths,...fountains and statues to get just about any shot you can dream up!

Country Boy

2010-08-02T17:02:00.003-04:00

This is my nephew Justin striking a pose during a photo shot I was doing of my oldest daughter. My sister has a great older property with a barn,..perfect for those rugged , indoor shots..complete with farm machinery inside like this wagon!

Torn

2010-07-08T09:16:00.004-04:00

There has been a lot of turmoil in our family for some time now. It has taken a toll on everyone,..including my girls. They are hanging tough,..but I know inside they are torn. The problems they face are not theirs and were not created by them,..but they unfortunately have to deal with them right along with the rest of us. I have always brought us through rough situations in the past and thankfully,..the girls believe I will do it again this time. Being Torn is temporary,....Being a family is forever!

My Girls,..My World

2010-07-08T09:15:00.003-04:00

Just the Facts!
Bottom Line!
Final Answer!
Any Questions?

Thanks for dropping by and come back really soon!

On The Fence

2010-07-08T09:14:00.003-04:00

This layout is supposed to depict the struggle that my oldest daughter Brittany has with being a girl and a complete Tomboy at the same time. However,...I don't think she really struggles with it all all. She handles both side beautifully!

This layout was done using plain colored card stock. I made the flower vine myself with florist wire and florist tape. You can make these too using this tutorial:

http://bootscraps.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-floral-vine.html

Star Quality

2010-07-08T09:13:00.001-04:00

This layout was made using plain solid colored card stock. I did some dot work on this one and kept it very plain so the focus would be more on the photo. The only colored piece of paper is right under the picture.

The letters are by Heidi Grace in a fantastic Value Pack that I found at JoAnns on sale for 6.99. What a steal for almost 700 letters!

The star was traced using a stencil I bought from Oriental Trading a while back.

All inks are from Tim Holtz.

White pens are by Gellyroll.

Thanks for the visit and don't stay away so long next time!

Waiting For Edward

2010-07-08T09:11:00.001-04:00

The idea for this photo came from the movie Twilight. There is a scene in the movie where Edward and Bella are lying in a meadow just looking at one another. I had Erica posed like Bella,..but left the other side empty , as if Erica is Waiting For Edward!

I bought a new punch from a line I've never tried before,...EK Success Punches. I must say,..I love the compact size and the way it folds up for easy storage. It is a fantastic punch and I'm looking forward to purchasing more from this line.

The big letter "E" is from Heidi Grace and was covered in a photo of Bella and Edward that I found in a magazine.

I know that someday Erica will find her Edward!

Thanks for dropping by!

Fibro Friend

2010-06-28T23:31:00.001-04:00

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2005. I knew of one other person that had it besides me. It is a difficult and complicated condition that still makes no sense to me. It affects the muscles and causes chronic pain for most who have it. There is no cure,..yet it is not progressive. It mimics many other conditions like R.A.,..Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis.

Then , one day I met Jenna Baker. She is a fellow scrapper,...a great friend,..and a Fibro sufferer,.just like me. We became fast friends and spent endless chats talking about our condition and how it effects us. She has had it much longer than I have and has it much worse than me. She is an inspiration to me in so many ways.
Although it's terrible that she has this horrid condition,..I'm thankful to have her to talk to about it. she understands everything and has helped me more than she will ever know!

This one's for you Jenna! I Love You!

You Are Beautiful

2010-06-23T10:05:00.000-04:00

Girls Of Summer

2010-06-23T06:04:00.002-04:00

Ride

2010-06-23T06:03:00.002-04:00

The Key To Happiness Is Laughing Together

2010-06-23T06:01:00.002-04:00

Vickie's Salon Layout

2010-06-19T10:08:00.003-04:00

My neighbor recently opened a hair salon in her home. I took some pics of her to post on Facebook,..but decided I could use these pictures to make a really cool, one of a kind wall hanging for her made up entirely of 12 x 12 layouts.

The layouts were secured together using hot glue,..but were done somewhat separately. The ruffle looks as though it runs the entire length of the layouts, but it doesn't.

The layouts were made using K & C Company paper in the Tim Coffey line.

Thanks for the visit and come back soon!

Jessica's Open House

2010-06-16T09:22:00.002-04:00

Jessica's Graduation Card

2010-06-16T09:21:00.002-04:00

Gone Too Soon

2010-06-16T09:20:00.001-04:00

Precious Moments

2010-06-16T09:19:00.001-04:00

Today's Funny

2010-06-15T08:25:00.001-04:00

Strike

2010-06-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Madrigals

2010-06-08T06:02:00.000-04:00

Graduation 2010

2010-06-08T06:01:00.002-04:00

Prom

2010-06-08T06:01:00.001-04:00

Every Day Is Wednesday

2010-06-08T05:59:00.000-04:00

Erica's Spring Formal Dance

2010-06-08T05:55:00.001-04:00

CC Photography

2010-06-04T05:29:00.004-04:00

I recently put together a small flash website to show case some of my photography work. The site is offered in an ad on Facebook,..so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm far from finished with it as it looks like it has a lot to offer! Take a look and let me know what you think! If you'd like, check back often to see what's new!

Click on a picture in the gallery slide show to make it larger. I'm still learning how to use this site ,..so any input you have will be greatly appreciated!
http://www.wix.com/keeperofmemories/CC%20Photography1

Thanks for dropping by!

You are my Sunshine

2010-06-04T05:28:00.002-04:00

Panic At The Disco

2010-06-04T05:27:00.002-04:00

Brittany in Black and White

2010-06-02T07:10:00.003-04:00

A Walk To Remember

2010-05-31T14:22:00.002-04:00

Reflect

2010-05-31T12:32:00.002-04:00

Dog Days of Summer

2010-05-29T06:08:00.004-04:00

Baby Girl

2010-05-29T06:08:00.002-04:00

You Shine

2010-05-29T05:48:00.005-04:00

This is another one of Jocelyn's senior pictures for her album.

I made this one using BG paper from K & Company in the Tim Coffey line, and plain white card stock.

I did some stamping on this forming a circle. I traced a circle in pencil using a template. Then , using black ink, I stamped around the edge of the circle using a small corner stamp. It's a nice effect and very easy to do.

The overlay is by Colorbok in the Nocturne line.

The flowers were punched using the Whale of a punch and the medium punch in the Retro line.

The "O" in the title is from Tim Holtz "Idea-ology" in the Time pieces theme.

The letters are by Fresh Paint.

Class of 2010

2010-05-29T05:42:00.004-04:00

This was a very simple layout for Jocelyn's graduation album.

I used two circles in red and white,..distressed the edges and inked them for the center focal point. I used her invitation, name card and senior picture to keep it in theme.

The transparency over the picture is by Colorbok in the Nocturne line. I added a few dot swirls and viola,..done!

Nails For Breakfast,..Tacks for Snacks

2010-05-29T05:36:00.003-04:00

This is another picture I took of Jessica for her album. I loved the attitude in her face on this one! She came up with the title herself,..after a song title!

I used all solid card stock on this one in black and gold,..her school colors. I did a lot of punching on this one as well using the Fiskars Sunburst punch.

The "J" was made using the negative piece of a chipboard punchout letter J. I sanded it,..inked it brown,..added a few gold sticker flowers and a ribbon.

On the gold paper, I used the Martha Stewart Hole punch in varied sizes to make a trail connecting flowers punched using two sizes of retro punches,...Whale of a punch and medium.

Thanks for stopping by!

Passionate Writer

2010-05-29T05:26:00.003-04:00

This is another layout for Jessica's graduation album. The photo was taken by me for her outdoor senior pictures.

The outermost BG paper is from K & Company in the Tim Coffey line. I love the textured look of this paper. I tore and inked a piece of plain white card stock for the second layer. The inner circle was made using plain white card stock and alcohol inks. The recommended way to use these inks (by Tim Holtz) is to use photo paper, but I'm finding that plain paper works well too. Let inks dry completely before adding more and before using blending solution. Make sure to have a scrap piece of paper underneath your paper , as they bleed through. A blow dryer helps speed up the drying time.

The flowers are punched using two sizes of the retro punch,..one in Whale of a Punch and the other in Medium. I used a border punch to punch the flower petals,..inserting them one at a time into the punch. I used Scribbles 3D paint to make the flower centers,..(always allow time to dry before putting in an album).

The picture frame was made using the Fiskars Sunburst punch.

Thanks for the visit and come back real soon!

Mafia Wars

2010-05-29T05:20:00.003-04:00

When I'm not busy scrapping,...my home away from home is on Facebook! I started playing Mafia Wars a few months ago and really like the game. The only bad thing about playing games on Facebook is that it takes a lot of my time,..time I should be spending updating my blog!

This was a very easy layout using pictures from the Mafia Wars game itself. The background paper was made using a picture of bullet holes in glass that I found on the internet. It's a great way to make paper yourself if you don't have exactly what you need!

Thanks for stopping by!

Spring Shoot 2

2010-05-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

Nelson Park Spring Shoot 1

2010-05-10T06:25:00.001-04:00

Confidence

2010-04-26T23:26:00.002-04:00

This is another layout for Jocelyn's Graduation album. The papers are by DCWV in the Ciao Bella line. These are great papers for inking as several of them have raised scrolls and surfaces that won;t hold the ink with the under layer does. In this particular layout, the scroll looking piece is actually purple in color and I have inked it brown using Tim Holtz Distress ink in Vintage Photo. The flower is hand made using a paper from K & Company in the Blue Awning Collection. Lots of dots and stitching add the finishing touches to this layout!

Country Charm

2010-04-19T10:42:00.003-04:00

This is another layout for Jocelyn's Graduation Album. I love the look of Blues and Browns together. It has a real country feel to it. I changed the color of the photo to a darker sepia to better match the colors of paper I chose. I used a few colored buttons to add a simple bit of flair and color to the blue swiss dot paper from K & Company Blue Awning Collection. The letters are covered in paper and inked. The word charm is done using chipboard letters, inked brown, drawn on wood texture and varnished for a gloss finish.

Attitude Is Everything

2010-04-19T10:41:00.003-04:00

This layout turned out so much cooler than I had hoped it would! The paper is handmade using plain white card stock and alcohol inks. When using this technique always be sure to put down papers underneath as it will bleed through. I started by adding drops of ink to the paper and letting them spread out on their own. I used several different colors. Then I used Blending Solution to help the colors mix into one another. I did this several times letting the paper dry between inkings. All inks and blending solutions are by Ranger. The dot scrolls are hand drawn using a Gelly Roll pen in White. The flowers are punched using the Retro Whale of a Punch.

Sweet Senior

2010-04-19T10:40:00.005-04:00

This is for Jocelyn's Graduation album. Not a lot of details on this one, besides the stitching effect. I used K & Company paper in the Tim Coffey line. I love, love, love this paper and the really cool textured look it has. It has a look of tweed or woven fabric to it that adds a lot of character to your pages. Lots of tearing and inking as usual on this one. The letters are by Fresh Paint and are colored Black and red to better match the papers.

Meeting Ryan Ross

2010-04-19T10:40:00.002-04:00

Sisters (Different Flowers in the Same Garden)

2010-04-19T10:39:00.002-04:00

Jessica

2010-04-19T10:38:00.005-04:00

Edge Of Seventeen

2010-04-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

Allure

2010-04-19T10:37:00.002-04:00

Rock Star

2010-04-19T10:36:00.001-04:00

2010-04-12T17:20:00.001-04:00

Your Blog Is A Charm Award!

2010-04-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

Erica's Spring Photo Shoot!

2010-03-31T22:20:00.001-04:00

Glamor shot!

2010-03-31T22:15:00.003-04:00

This is a glamor shot I took of myself a while ago. I used my favorite editing program Picnik to add the cool effects! I changed the exposure on the picture to lighten it and saturated the colors to make my eyes and lips colored. Then I used the Tint option to make the photo nearly black and white and only leaving my eyes and lips colored. It's a really interesting effect!

2010-03-23T18:18:00.001-04:00

Stuck On You

2010-03-23T18:17:00.001-04:00

Fred Bear (In the Wind, He's Still Alive)

2010-03-23T18:16:00.000-04:00

At Dad's

2010-03-19T14:49:00.001-04:00

Create What You Love

2010-03-19T14:48:00.002-04:00