Thursday, February 27, 2014

New Design Team!

Hey everyone! I hope you all are enjoying this Thursday. One day closer to the weekend!

I am so excited to finally share my latest scrappy news.
I have been asked to join the design team for The Memory Nest!! I am thrilled to work with Leslie, the owner of the store, and the other fabulous designers. You can see the DT announcement in it's entirety here.
Look for posts from me beginning the first week of March. I can't wait to get started!

See you soon!
~Stephanie

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Another Birthday Card....

to share with you today. I know you must be sick of seeing them, but I had another good friend who had a birthday yesterday! I couldn't not make her a card!! So here it is:
I used rumple ribbon from Lovebug Creations in the color "William" which is part of the Oh Cecilia, Family Ties collection. I tied two knots in each strip of ribbon that borders the top & bottom of my patterned paper. That paper, by the way, is soo old! It's from my stash and I think it is by Anna Griffin. If I had to give it a manufactured date, I'd say around 2008!! See, I am a huge hoarder & don't throw anything away!
The alphas are from AC Thickers. The popped up chipboard flowers are from Dear Lizzy for American Crafts.  

That's all I have for today. Be sure to check out the Lovebug Creations' blog to see what the other CT gals have been creating!

Have a great day y'all!
Keep crafty,
~Stephanie

Monday, February 24, 2014

Stuck On U Sketches-PL Challenge

Another Monday so soon?!!!?!
This weekend flew by in a flash! It was a great one though, full of spring-like weather. Today was 70*! And now there is a chance of snow this week. UGH!
It is also time for the latest PL challenge over at SOUS. This week the challenge is to use a pocket with a card. Here is my page:
  I used a pocket PL card from Simple Stories & took another PL card & used the reverse side (the orange polka  dot) to do  my journaling on. The tab at the top is a piece of washi tape.


These are pictures of Ty & his cousin fishing at a pond near his house. Ty loved going fishing & couldn't wait to go again. It was a highlight of his summer for sure!
We hope you get a chance to play along with this challenge. If you do, be sure to share with us here for a chance to win a prize from Scraps of Darkness
  

Supplies:
-PL cards-Simple Stories; Scraptastic
-wood veneers-Studio Calico
-letter stickers-Fancy Pants
-chipboard elements-Heidi Swapp
-patterned paper-Echo Park
-sentiment sticker-Glitz Design

Take care y'all!
~Stephanie

Friday, February 21, 2014

The Winner!

Hey y'all & happy Fri-i-i-i-day!!
I want to first announce the winner of my RAK from the SOUS/SOD blog hop last week. Thanks to everyone who visited & commented. Your sweet words always make me smile!!
The winner was chosen from Random Generator, and #8 was chosen. So that means, Lost Coast Scrapper is the winner!!! Please email me your home address to dreweaken@comcast.net, so that I can send you your prize.

Another bit of exciting news, this layout was chosen as the "featured project" at 2Peas!! Wow! I was shocked when I discovered it last night. And I have to say, I don't know when it was chosen, as I don't go there daily. But it's still exciting to me!

Here is the latest (& possibly last) layout I created using Echo Park's Head Over Heels line:


I love these photos of Drew & the kids playing "Pretty Princesses", a game that Leah got for Christmas one year (2009). She was so giddy to see Drew wearing earrings & necklaces! And Ty wanted to play too.

Have a good day & great weekend y'all!
~Stephanie

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A Birthday Card

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA the past few days. The kids had 2 days off of school last week due to snow, so that really put a kink in the week!
Friday was Valentine's Day & they were home. We went to lunch with a neighbor & her kids & they all played together, which was nice & entertaining for them. Friday night we ordered pizza at our house with my sister, b-i-l & nephew & the same neighbors that we had lunch with. The rest of the weekend was relaxed but it flew by quickly!
Now here we are staring at Wednesday. I want to share a card that I made for a dear friend whose birthday was Sunday.
I originally saw a similar design on Pinterest & loved the patchwork design. My papers are all pulled from my scrap stash. I used Lovebug Creations' rumple ribbon in Hugs from the "Loves Me...Loves Me Knot" collection. This color is so very versatile! I have used it for both feminine & masculine projects. Love that!
In the center of my ribbon is a gem from Prima. The butterfly was cut using my Martha Stewart punch.

Thanks for stopping by today. Make it a great day!!
~Stephanie

Friday, February 14, 2014

"Sketch It" Blog Hop


Hello everyone! Welcome to a cross promo blog hop from Stuck on U Sketches

The hop will take place February 14-16, 2014, midnight to midnight.

We've all created layouts based on our February 14th sketch
and the Scraps of Darkness teams have created theirs with the awesome kits from their shop!

As you know Scraps of Darkness is our sponsor for this month's
blog candy and we are so appreciative of them! 
So don't forget to join any challenge here at SOUS this month
for a chance to win that candy!

We are offering candy for this hop as well for hop participants!
A collection of Basic Grey paper and embellishments! 
Blog candy winner will be announced Friday, February 21.
(sorry, North America only)

Here is my layout: 
I used a mix of supplies from my stash here. The background paper is Teresa Collins' Santa's List. The large red heart is hand-cut from Echo Park's Head Over Heels line. The banner is from Basic Grey. The "happiness" & "enjoy" stickers are from Heidi Swapp. The stars are Studio Calico & the resin flowers are from Fancy Pants. Whew!
    
Rules for the hop
-Visit and comment on each blog
-Follow Stuck on U Sketches
-Return to SOUS and let us know you've completed the hop!
*Bonus: Become a follower of my blog & I will send one commenter a RAK!! I will also announce my winner on 2/21. 

Blog Hop Order:
Charlotte Brochu Scrapsational
Karen Zueger-Brownell Lost Coast Scrapper
Mayra Duran-Hernandez Mayra's Designs 
Stephanie Eaken Bits & Pieces (& Scraps)<<You Are Here>>
Bente Fegerberg Paper and Glue Heaven 
 Annette Gearside moment in time
 Patricia van Gelder Patricia's layout 
Laura Gilhuly AngelScraps
Tracey Gregory A lifetime of Pages
Helen Gullett Creating Joyfully 
Connie Hall Times To Cherish
Renea Harrison Renea Bouquets
Nanne Harry  Nanne's Creations
Tracey Kelly Trace-Elementz
Julie Kight Cards By Cricut
Nicolle Kramer NicolleLovesScrapbooking
Monica Lowrance  Happy Scrappn2
Neela Nalam MemorableScraps
Rosie Neustaedter As Seen In My Scrapbook
Lisa Novogrodski Living In Color 
Erica Ortiz Mimi's Paper Dreams
Wendi Robinson Scrappy Day in Paradise
Sandi Smith Paper Memories
Jane Stirling  Scossie Jane
Caroleanne Wright The Pretty Paper Patisserie
Elisabetta Colavero Scrap-colors
Scraps of Darkness
Finish the hop back at SOUS 

We thank you all so much for taking the time
to join this hop and hope that you'll be provided with
a ton of incredible inspiration and lots of fun!

We would also just LOVE for you to create
a project using our sketch, so if you do
make sure to come back and share that with us!

Happy Hopping friends!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

So Proud!

The kids brought home report cards today from the 2nd nine weeks of school. We already knew what their grades were, but it's always good to see it in ink! Leah got all A's & Ty got all E's. Their teachers gave them both high praise for their attitudes & efforts. Ty also received a reward for being the most improved in spelling!
Ty is such a good friend also. He stood up for one of his classmates, who is also a friend/neighbor's daughter. She has a slight stutter & another classmate made fun of her for it. Ty told the boy not to make fun of her, that it was hurting her feelings & not nice. He also said "she can't help it; that's just the way she was built". Man, I love that kid!! Her mom told me that Anna said that night, as she was telling the story, that she was so happy that Ty is her friend! Awh! Heart warming, I tell ya'!

Here is the latest layout I have made using EP's Head Over Heels. 
 I started with this sketch  from Sketch N Scrap. The alphas are AC Thickers are the 3D hearts are from my stash.  


We are ALL home today due to snow! The kids didn't have school & even Drew didn't have to go to work because of it. It's kinda nice!
Hope you are staying warm!
~Stephanie  

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Valentine's Day Extras

Happy Hump Day y'all! I hope I don't sound like the Geico camel!

Today I am sharing a project I made for Lovebug Creations. Since I made this mini album for Leah, I needed to make an extra special, handmade, from the heart treat for Ty. This is something I originally saw on the web somewhere but can not remember now where! It is a "fortune cookie" heart.
 I handcut 2 hearts from Echo Park's Head Over Heels line. I adhered them together, leaving the top open to slip in the tiny love notes. I attached some rumple ribbon in "Butterfly Blue", which is now retired from the store, but you can find many other beautiful colors.




Are you all ready for Valentine's Day? Be sure to check out the Lovebug Creations' blog and their FB page, The Lovebug Lounge for some great inspiration!

I hope you all have a great day & are staying warm wherever you are. We have snow in our forecast so I'm sure the kids will be home from school tomorrow. Oh joy!
~Stephanie

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

The Latest

Hey y'all! Hope your Tuesday is going well. We are gearing up for more snow around here. And I am hoping that the kids are not out of school for another week!!!!

I wanted to quickly share that this layout made Top 3 at 1 2 3 Get Scrappy! What fun to see that on their blog!

Today is my turn to host a challenge at Memorable Seasons. Since February is the month of love, all of the challenges this month are related to love in some way or another! My challenge this week is to use a love poem, song lyrics or book script as part of your journaling.


   My layout uses, once again, Echo Park's Head Over Heels collection. This line is perfect for these challenges!! And it makes me feel so happy!



 The alpha stickers are from Fancy Pants & the buttons & sequins are from my stash.

I also made 2 cards for Alissa's challenge to use red:

 I will give these cards to Leah & Ty for Valentine's Day.


We would love it if you found the opportunity to play along with any of the challenges this month! There is a store gift certificate up for grabs!! Shopping on someone else's dime is always nice, right?!
Scrap on!
~Stephanie 

Monday, February 10, 2014

PL Challenge

Hello Monday & hello blog readers!
There is a new PL challenge up today at Stuck On U Sketches! This week's challenge is to use a heart cut out. Here is my spread:
This page uses more of Echo Park's Head Over Heels collection. I'm tellin' ya', I can't get enough!


My PL cards are from Mambi. These pictures are from Valentine's Day, 2010. I love doing small, special things for the kids on that day. One treat they love (anytime of year) is Krispy Kreme donuts!

This month's sponsor at SOUS is Scraps of Darkness & they are offering a $25 gift certificate to spend as you wish at their store! So if you get the chance to play along, be sure to link up here.

Have a fabulous day!
~Stephanie

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Always-Echo Park

I hope y'all have had a nice weekend. We enjoyed time with family & watching some of the Olympics; riding & a movie with friends. Despite the cold & gloomy weather, it was a great weekend here!

Today I am sharing another layout using Echo Park's Head Over Heels collection. I can not even tell you how much fun I am having with this line! It is so cheery & colorful-just what we need around here at this time of year.
This layout is a lift of the amazing Wendy Antenucci, who was chosen as MOTM  this month at Memorable Seasons. Here is my layout:




The doily, buttons, & sequins are from my stash. The chevron washi tape is from Jenni Bowlin. The blue dot & the hearts washi are also from my stash. The alpha stickers are Fancy Pants, & everything else here is Echo Park.
You can view Wendy's original layout here.

I have some time before dinner so I am off to create more with the line!
Have a great Sunday night!!
~Stephanie    

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Happy "Heart" Day

Hey y'all!
So it's Wednesday again, which means I am posting this week's project for Lovebug Creations.
With Valentine's day just around the corner, I got started on my handmade cards. This one will probably end up going to my husband.

 I used some paper scraps from my stash and then added the rumple ribbon bow in the new color "Hugs", from the Loves Me...Loves Me Knot collection. What a gorgeous and versatile color!!
The gold letter stickers are from EK Success. I also made a coordinating envelope.

So are you making handmade cards/gifts for Valentine's Day? I love them!! Now on to making more!
Stay scrappy,
~Stephanie  

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Head Over Heels

I am in love with Echo Park's Valentine's Day collection, Head Over Heels! It is so fun & whimsical. There are so many cute little elements in this collection! Here, take a peek:





How lucky am I that I get to work with this kit this month?! Thanks to Memorable Seasons!
I also bought this Jenni Bowlin chevron washi tape  and these Fancy Pants' resin flowers. I thought they both worked so well with the collection. 
Here is the first layout that I have created ( I believe there will be many more to come!) 

The doilies are ones that I had in my stash. Of course, the alphas in "love"  are AC Thickers!



I didn't use a Valentine's Day photo, but instead, chose one that I adore. This is one of my favorite pictures of my kids. It was taken on our summer vacation in 2010! I think it really blends well with the papers & embellishments.   
I am so excited to get back in my scrap room & create more with this kit!
Have a good day y'all!
~Stephanie 

Monday, February 3, 2014

Long Overdue

Hey y'all!
I am sorry I have not been around here for a while. We went out of town over the weekend to celebrate my oldest brother's 50th birthday!
We all rented a house at a ski resort not too far from here & went snowboarding. Wow-had no idea how difficult that would be! But we had a great time & enjoyed being together for the weekend!
So, I never announced the winner from the Lovebug Creations' blog hop from last weekend. The lucky commenter is Debbie Rodgerson. Congrats Debbie! Send me your address to dreweaken@comcast.net so that I can send you your goodies.

Now I want to (quickly) share some recent layouts that I made:

 Both if these use scraps from my January kit from Memorable Seasons, October Afternoon's Silent Night. I loved this fun collection & wanted to be sure I used every piece of it!


The next layouts were made using my January kit from Memorable Seasons, Pink Paislee's Snow Village. I had so much fun creating with this kit!!


 I am sad that Christmas is behind us now, but am excited that Valentine's Day is just around the corner!!
I love it! I have started working on some projects, have you?
Here is one I made using Lovebug Creations'  newest ribbon "Crushed" from the Loves Me...Love Me Knot collection


 I used both the rumpled ribbon & the sheer ribbon.
This is a treat jar for a friend-a little early Valentine's Day gift!

Hope to be back soon with more to share.
Scrap on!
~Stephanie