Amber’s Cards

Believe it or not I am still alive and crafting.   Contraty to popular belief that teachers have tons of time in the summer, I have been keeping busy.  Here is a month by month recap if you care .

<u> June</u>

-School’s Out!
-Trip to Kansas City for Dipo’s wedding.  This was an interesting experience and I hope to have photos up soon.  Congrats Dipo and Ru!
-Trip up North with the Bellywings and Friends!
-Preparing for Rochesterfest Parade
-Summer School First Session
-Took up running

<u>July</u>

-Celebrated 3rd Anniversary with Adam!
-Weekend trip to Treasure Island Resort and Casino with Nate and Cathy
-Summer School Second Session
-Week of Guard Camp
-Week of Band Camp
-Trip to Michigan
-Ernie and Angela’s wedding

<u>August</u>
-Summer School
-Second Week of Band Camp
-Bear’s PGA Tech Week
-Trip home to Dayton
-10 Year Class Pre-Reunion Weekend

It has been a hopping summer but tons of fun.  I have lots of layouts that I should take photos of.  I have been loving Cosmo Cricket, My Minds Eye, American Crafts, and Pink Paislee.  I have scrapped about 10 pages of my trip to Door County and have enough photos to do an entire book!

I have been designing for my favorite Scrapbook Store in the world Rochester Scrapbooking Company! .  I have created a few page layouts and cards.  You can buy my page kits there! .   It has been a dream come true to work with RSC and the wonderful friends I have there.  I love that there are 3 Bellywings on their design team.

I have also started on a pact to make 28 a great year for me.  I am getting healthier in every sense of the word excercising more, eating healthier, and living life with more laughter.  I run my first 5k tomorrow (well my second since I did one in college).  I know it won’t be fast nor will I be near the front of the back, but I think it will be a blast and I WILL finish it, which is more then many people could say.  We also have joined the local athletic club and I am very excited about working out there and taking more Zumba classes, so I can look as hot as my best friend Elizabeth (check her out below if you do not believe me.)  I will probably start a new blog to chronicle this journey and keep me honest.

Libby, Elizabeth, and I out at the Pre-Reunion.  Elizabeth has been my best friend since grade school and Libby and I have been fab friends since high school.  I miss them both since they are back in Dayton.  I am blessed to have such beautiful and fun friends.

I love how each week the AC Challenges from the AC Blog inspire and challenge me to try new things.  In this layout I tried AC Stamps for the first time.  Last week I bought the set     which I have had my eye since they came in at my favorite LSS, Rochester Scrapbooking Co.  The challenge was to use 3 sets, seeing as this set seemed to be geared towards card making, I had to get creative.   See if you can spot the 3 stamps I used, then scroll down for the answers .

Title:  Me and You- Hockey Nights

Paper:  American Crafts Amplified – SKA DP, American Crafts cardstock- red, yellow, turquoise, and black

Stamps:  American Crafts Large Sentiments Clear Set

Embossing Powder:  AC ZIng in Rouge

Ink:  Versa Mark Clear

Pen:  American Crafts Fine Slick Writer in Black

Thickers:  American Crafts in Vinyl  Yellow-Vera      Red-Sprinkles

Accent:  American Crafts Flair

Here is where I used stamps   I embossed them to use just the right AC Red color and add texture.

This week’s challenge on the American Crafts Blog was to create a layout inspired by a favorite Ad.  I am not much into advertising but when I was flipping through a magazine provided to me by the fabulous Jessi!

Here is my ad:

Here is my Layout!

Supplies Used:   All Supplies Purchsed at: Rochester Scrapbooking Co.

Paper:  American Crafts 12×12 and 5×7 Mat Stack

Ribbon:  American Crafts from the Craft Fair Line

Lettering:  American Crafts Thickers in Puffy Rainboots and Dolce

Circles punch with 1 inch circle punch.

I love the American Crafts challenges!   This week the challenge was to use 6 or more pictures on the page.   The example used paper from the Travel Line, so I decided to break that out as well.  I love scrapping collage style (it is my trademark in fact) so I have 3 layouts to share this week.  I bought my Travel line paper and Thickers from my favorite Scrapbook Store  Rochester Scrapbook Company!

Layout # 1:

This layout is of a trip we took to St. Louis last summer.  I loved the colors in the Travel Line and pulled them to mat the photos.

Supplies:  American Crafts Cardstock, American Crafts Travel Line Paper in Map, American Crafts Thickers in Poolside Powder,  American Crafts Flair Buttons in Vacation

Lay # 2

Details:

American Crafts Patterned Paper from Travel Line in Map and Room Key.  American Crafts Cardstock.

Arrow in bottom right corner is a recycle!  We did a chipboard throw at a retreat I went to and I reused it for this page.  Text on arrow was cut from the photo collage I ordered the pictures on from Snapfish.

Layout # 3

This is another layout based on my trip to St Louis.

Details:

American Crafts Card Stock and Paper from Travel Line in Passport.  Black writing is American Crafts Slick Writer.  Date rub on is Making Memories.  Chipboard shapes are from dollar bin at scrap store.  Red Letters are from the dollar section at Target… I would love more small Thickers in Red!

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items.
You can only pick one thing from the following departments… what is it?
1. Produce : mushrooms
2. Bakery : angel food cake
3. Meat: steak
4. Dairy : chocolate milk
5. Dry goods : lucky charms

Let’s say we’re heading out for a weekend getaway. You’re only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what’s in your bag?
1. tank top
2. flip flops
3. jeans

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 4 phrases or words would I be most likely to heard?
1. what eva
2. ya know
3. okie dokie (sometimes okie dokie artichockie)
4. I want to buy…

So, what 4 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn’t get to do, you probably wouldn’t be in the best mood?
1. read my blogs ( I heart google reader)
2. spending time with Adam
3. reading (books, newspapers, etc.)
4. eating chocolate

You’re driving down the road, and suddenly you’re hit with this sense of road rage. What 3 factors probably contributed to it?
1. Being cut off
2. rude drivers!
3. people spending up when I go to pass them

Sweet, you just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We’re talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?
1. watching reality tv
2. crafting
3. Shopping
4. playing pack rat
5. Playing Wii

We’re going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it’ll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?
1. dolphins
2. monkeys
3. hedgehogs (do they keep these at zoos hehe)

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. ER ( I miss this!)
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. American Idol
4. Oprah

You’re hungry for ice cream. I’ll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
2. Cookies n Cream
3. Fudge Ripple

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what’s in there?
1. iphone
2. cute blue deer change wallet
3. camera charger
4. jump drive
5. cute pink camera

You are at a job fair, and asked in what areas you are interested in pursuing a career. Let’s pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would best describe what you want to be?
1. scrapbooker
2. graphic desinger
3. stay at home mom
4. special ed teacher (without the paper work)

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high/middle school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. If you aren’t worth other peoples time, they probably aren’t worth yours
2. band geeks are some of the most loyal people you’ll ever meet
3. You have to take care of yourself first
4. be happy with your looks, you’ll never look as good as you do now

1.  Cosmo Cricket I love everything this company has put out reccently.  If you asked the girls I scrapbook with they would tell you that I have boughten at least half of the stash of Snorkel and Girl Friday that was bought by my favorite store Rochester Scrapbook Company .   I can’t wait until Early Bird comes out!

2.  Today while I was at M’s picking up a Cricut Cartidge->  Life’s a Beach.  I came across a new line from K&Co called Actopus to Zelephant.  It made me wish so much I had a cute kid to scrapbook for.  I showed restraint and only bought a pack of the embelishments.   I also found a new blog to follow, Jen Ski, that belongs to the ultra talendted designer of this ling.

3.  Very Cute Owl Ribbon from Michael’s (Enough to share with my Scrapping friends!)

http://twitpic.com/3lopu

4.  New paper from We R Memory Keepers (even if their customer service is subpar)

Grandma’s Kitchen

5.  I even fell in love with some MAMBI (it was very cute!)  I wish I could find pics of it, but it was bright and colorful. It was at M’s.

I have really started to enjoy scrapbooking.  I have made about 100 pages since October, which is not to shabby for a beginner .  It helps that I have made cards for a few years now.   I am a huge fan of American Crafts when scrapping.  I own tons of their card stock, patterned paper, rubs ons, ribbon, and of course their Thickers!  Thickers make such easy and beautiful titles.  I have about every variety of Thickers I can get my hands on.   Here is my page for the challenge where I was asked to use three different types to Thickers:

This is an 8.5×11 page that I made of the trip the Bellywings and I made to the cities to shop.  This is a picture from the entrance to the mall of America by the aquarium.  If you can’t tell we are in a shark cage.

Paper:  Cosmo Cricket Snorkle, American Crafts Cardstock

Lettering:   American Crafts Thickers:   Yellow- Vera Thickers    Light Green-Daquari   Blue-Sprinkles    White-Sprinkles

Accents:  Cosmo Cricket Snorkle Chipboard

This week on the American Crafts Blog the challenge was to use embossing powder, not any embossing powder…but American Craft’s new Zing!  It comes in tons of colors and three finishes opaque, metalic, and glitter.   I buy my Zing at my favorite scrapstore  Rochester Scrapbooking Company

For this project I decided to go monotone.  I used the Rouge Zing on red American Crafts Cardstock.

This is a page based on Adam and I in high school when we went to his school’s Christmas Dance.  This was over 10 years ago now.  He is still as handsome if not more .

I used the embossing powder in the background and it is a bit hard to see…so here is a close up photo:

Supplies:  American Crafts Cardstock, American Crafts Zing in Rouge.  Silver Palette Ink for edging.  Letters and photo mat cut from cricut.   Handwritten text using American Crafts Slick Writer.

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Two weeks ago or so I entered a contest hosted by the wonderfully talanted Kim Hughes .  She was giving away a book and a few of her stamp sets.  If you have never seen her stamps sets you need to check them out.  I love her sense of design and her style is totally me!  This is the second time I have been lucky enough to win stamps from her.

This time I won her set Baby Love, which along with being perfect for baby cards, has tons of very cute animal stamps.

Here they are when they arrived at my house:

Here is 2009 and I have already acquired a tourbus and airplane!  In the world of Rock Band of course!  Adam and I received Rock Band 2 for Playstations 3 for Christmas this year from his parents.   We are enjoying playing in our band A^2.  A to the power of 2=  Adam and Amber.  Last night Andy came over as well to play so perhaps we should be ACubed!   Adam is usually the drummer and I am the lead singer most of the time.

Rock Bands has brought me back to junior high and the time I first realized I loved music.   I am enjoying listening to Smashing Pumpkins, which was the first CD I owned, especially Today.   I also am loving Buddy Holly and other favorites of the era.  I need to load up my ipod and enjoy going back in time.  Smashing Pumpkins came in handy one day when we were discussing the word Melancholy in my home room.  Who can forget <u> Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness </u>

Tonight Adam suprised me with the news that he had unlocked “Kids in America”, this is definently a song from my childhood.   It was on one of the first tapes I owned, “Kids Bops.”  I rememeber it being in the bargin bin at Odd Lots (the predecessor of Big lots).   I loved that tape and could sing the whole thing word for word.   I played it on my very own purple tape deck that I got for my birthday one year. “Kids in America” had to be my favorite song on the tape, even though it made little sense to me and I still have no idea what they were singing about.  Perhaps I should investigate that.  All I remember is lyrics about living underground and all the cars rushing by being sung all seriously, then followed up by a cheery, “We’re the kids in America, whoa, We’re the kids in America…”.  Perhaps this song was once sang on <u> Kids Incorporate </u>, which had to be be one my first favorite tv shows.  I would have loved to be on that show, even though I could and still can’t sing or dance.

Wow, I never knew this song was by Bloodhound Gang….I sure hope my Kids Bop tape didnt have all of these lyrics:

Kids In America By Bloodhound Gang
Looking Out A Dirty Old Window
Down Below The Cars In The City Go Rushing By
I Sit Here Alone And I Wonder Why
Friday Night And Everyone’s Moving
I Can Feel The Heat But It’s Seuthing Heading Down
I Search For The Meaning In This Dirty Town (Downtown)
The Young Ones Are Going (Downtown)
The Young Ones Are Growing
We’re The Kids In America (Whoa Oh)
We’re The Kids In America (Whoa Oh)
Everybody Live With The Music Go Round (Round Round Round
Round)
Bright Lights The Music Gets Faster
Look Girl Don’t Checkin’ Your Watch Not Another Glance
I’m Not Leaving Now Honey No Not A Chance
Hot Shots Give Me No Problems
Much Little Baby You’ll Be Saying Never Mind
You Know Life Is Creul Life Is Never Kind
We’ll Make A New Story
We’ll Wrap It In Glory
We’re The Kids In America (Whoa Oh)
We’re The Kids In America (Whoa Oh)
Everybody Live With The Music Go Round
La La La La La | La La La La La (Sing)
La La La La La | La La La La La La La La
Come Closerer Honey That’s Better
Got To Get A Brand New Expiriance Feeling Right
Oh Don’t Try To Stop Me Be Hold Me Tight
Outside The New Day Is Dawning
Outside Suburbia’s Sprawling Everywhere
I Don’t Want To Go Baby
New York To East Philidelphia
There’s A Newark Coming Up On Ya
We’re The Kids In America (Whoa Oh)
We’re The Kids In America (Whoa Oh)
Everybody Live With The Music Go Around
La La La La La | La La La La La (Sing)
La La La La La | La La La La La La La La La La La
We’re The Kids We’re The Kids We’re The Kids In America