Berry sweet!

When I was a kid, I was really into Strawberry Shortcake. And I'm not talking about the dessert (even though I'm always a big fan of dessert). In this case, I'm talking about:

Remember how the characters used the word "berry" in place of "very" -- as in "Oh Strawberry, you look berry pretty today!" Or "We had a berry fun time at the Festival of the Rainbow Unicorns!" If you're a child of the 80's, you're having some "berry" vivid flashbacks right about now.

The reason I'm on a Strawberry Shortcake kick today is that Imaginisce has just released the Berrylicious collection. And I have to say that, from the moment I got my hands on these papers and embellishments, I couldn't get the Strawberry Shortcake voice out of my head. It just wouldn't. go. away.


It's sweet, really. Berry sweet. See...there I go. And there are more puns where that came from...


When you replace the word "be" with "bee," the possibilities are really endless! But it makes for some darn cute layouts.


This one is actually my favorite. I resisted banners for so long, but then I realized that you can make a banner out of anything and it really adds a nice line to the layout.

I used my Cricut to cut the peas, the title and the banner. (The Country Life cartridge is awesome!)

My friends, you are experiencing something of a record here. Yes, I actually did six (count them!) layouts with this collection. I love it that much. Last one...and I got out the mist!


Are you "berry" excited about this collection? Then go check out the Imaginisce blog for more layouts from the Imaginisce design team. And be sure to check back each day this week for more products using this berry amazing collection!

Have a berry awesome Monday!

Something that's not red and pink...

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are being treated to plenty of love and surprises by your Valentine(s).

If you (like me) are ready for a little break from the red and pink, take a look at the Imaginisce blog. It's part two of the February Color Challenge, and those of us who weren't quite ready to share our projects at the beginning of the month are chiming in now with a fresh batch of inspiration.

The challenge is to create a project using this photo as inspiration:


So I pulled out some scraps from the Imaginisce Lucy Bird collection (released last year...wow, I am really digging into stash!) and some of the Roly Rosies, which matched the colors in the inspiration photo perfectly. Here's what I made:

In addition to sticking with the yellow, pink and blue color scheme, I was inspired by the banners across the top and decided to create one of my own. I used the Petal Roller tool to roll the tops over and then I strung them along a piece of baker's twine. I added a little i-Rock bling on top of the rub-ons...hard to see, but it catches the light just right when you see it in person.

Your next stop on the design team hop is:

Lydia Jackson

Be sure to leave a comment on all the participating design team members' blogs and at the Imaginisce blog for your chance to win!

And if you haven't already linked up your challenge project for this month, you've still got a few more days. Entries are due by February 25. Good luck!

Snowy days

We're now on day 4 of no school in Dallas. And yes, I am referring to Dallas, Texas. Land of 70-degree winter days and shorts in February. Although I'm beginning to wonder if my home has been magically transported into another city...or another dimension!

Needless to say, it's been a long week. Fortunately, one of my friends (who lives on the street next to mine) invited us over this afternoon for a much-needed playdate. With a couple of inches of ice under 6" of snow, walking over to their house was an adventure all its own.

If you're wondering why Avery's eye is closed, it's because a snowflake flew into her eye at the exact second I snapped this pic. Oops!

While there's usually a sidewalk we follow to go over to their house, we pretty much just made our own little trail today!
When you live in Dallas, there's really no reason to invest in snow boots. So Cecily's pink Barbie cowboy boots were the best we could do today.

Ahhh, it's nice to have friends in the 'hood.

This is Cecily, right after throwing a snowball into the street. Pure joy!

The very fashionable Snow Princess DiDi!

Love. This. Photo. I can't explain it. I just love it.

Apparently the remedy for frozen fingers is to put them into your mouth. Who knew?

An icicle Avery broke off of a shrub. She was so fascinated by it that I had to take a pic. I realize this is old news to anyone who lives above the Mason-Dixon line, but in the South, icicles are the rarest of phenomena.

The perfect snow fort for a snowball fight. But the kids enjoyed building the fort much more than the actual snowball fight. Figures.

This is one of those weeks when I'm so glad to have kids. I could not possibly appreciate this weather as much if it weren't for the smiles and looks of wonder on their faces. They appreciate and enjoy every moment, including the glittery look of snow in the moonlight. It makes all these days of "cabin fever" seem almost worthwhile. (Notice I said "almost.")

Love is in the air

It's officially the month of "love," so what better time to bust into this collection pack of Echo Park Be Mine and create something?

I loved that the journaling cards in this collection reminded me of "tags" -- so I created an envelope mini album with tag inserts.


Once you untie the twine and open the flap, it opens to reveal the first tag...

I added photos of my husband and I, beginning with the day he proposed...


And continuing through our life together. There's another tag for each page where I can add some journaling.








I left the last page a little longer and trimmed the end into a half-circle so it would fold over the front. Then I bound everything with my Bind-It-All.

Here's a look at all the tags...


Believe it or not, I completed this entire project in the span of about two hours (which is about how long I usually spend on one layout). As with most Echo Park collections, this one practically scraps itself!

Thanks for looking!

CHA photos and giveaway winner

I think I've just about recovered from the whirlwind trip that was the CHA Winter Show. I will start by saying the entire trip was so much fun! I loved seeing my friends from CHA summer and meeting many friends that, until now, I've only known online. And of course, drooling over all the new collections coming out was pretty good, too.

Here are a few photos from my trip:

With two of my favorite girls -- Shemaine Smith and Liz Qualman -- at
dinner with the Imaginisce Design Team on Friday night

The Imaginisce booth (before the show opened...it was usually packed with people)

DT member Erin Bassett teaching Imaginisce Make-and-Takes

A trend I spotted at several booths: birdcages! They were everywhere! (I think this one was at Kaiser Craft)

Another trend: pennants! These were at the GCD Studios booth (which was a gorgeous booth!)

This yummy wreath was in The Girls' Paperie booth

Loved this "storefront" look at October Afternoon

Adorable banner made with sheers at Maya Road

A quick shot of the Coordinates Collections crew: Me, Jen, Jamie, Sarah and Lisa

There are, of course, more photos over on the Imaginisce blog, so check those out, too. And speaking of Imaginisce, it's time to make the prize announcement! The winner of the Imaginisce Make-and-Take (plus some other Imaginisce goodies) is:

Melissa, please email me at robmab at yahoo dot com to claim your prize!