My 3rd lo for this month is a Round Robin lo. I followed the very talented Aubrienne and did a very take on her lo! Most of the lo was made with the November kit "Thankful". The little critters were fussy cut from an old Kaisercraft line called "Party Animals". The photos are my hubby and our second grandson, Cameron. I took the photos last year, and can tell you that he is the sweetest, stubborn little guy. He loves to laugh, and is really close to his Grandpa!!! They were playing tickle, tickle, tickle during this photo shoot!

Thanks so much for visiting me my dear friends. And here's hoping that you have the best Thanksgiving ever!!!

My second lo has to be one of my faves!!! I think it's because I love the photo. It's my 1st grandson, Chase that I took on Pumpkin Carving night just before my surgery. I really love the frame within a frame design. There was a lo on Scrapbook.com by Oziem (aka Maryanne) that I really liked, and used as my inspiration. I did quite a bit of stamping and inking on the background paper. It was tooooo much fun. Isn't he just the cutest??

Chase is about 4 and 1/2 years old now. The whole time I was making this lo I was smiling, looking at the sweet little angel!

I was really late with my Sketch Challenge layout due to the surgery, but I did get it in. It's a picture of my hubby, Kip and I on vacation with family in Bend, Oregon. I love this photo!!

I didn't take any close ups, still working on being better at that!! I did do a lot of work on the background papers. I used one of my favorite stencils of a birch tree forest and used spray paint mist in a copy of colors on yellow cardstock to give it a woodsy effect. I then used modeling paste an a stencil we got in our kit last month of little petals to get the effect of leaves falling down. We got a beautiful set of Prima leaves in our kit, so I used the old-fashioned method of glittering around all of them with Martha Stewart's beautiful brown fine glitter. I cut a piece of cardboard, put a little gesso on it, then added a square of rust colored burlap from a roll that I got at Michaels. On thing I love to do is "pop up" various parts, elements, photos, etc., of my layouts to give them dimension. I love using my scissors to cut cardboard, glue it to the back of whatever I am wanting to "stand up" and then gluing it down. I do this on just able every layer of a layout and on EVERY lo. You could call me the "Pop Up Queen", LOL!!!!!!! I so hope that you are enjoying your week!

Scraps of Elegance November

It's been so hectic around my house....I had my 4th inner ear surgery in 2 years. This one was realllllly scary as they had to drill behind my ear into my skull, through the ear canal into the endoplasm sac, puncture it and them put in a shunt. Can you say ouch!!!! LOL!! It's been 2 weeks, and I am getting stronger every day. I'm so excited to share with you today the Scraps of Elegance Sketch and kit called "Thankful".

Furlough Time

Hello dear friends!! I've been so remiss in keeping this blog up-to-date! I'm still learning the wiles of creating and maintaining one! I've been caught up in the Government Shutdown and have been furloughed! It's not the first time, but this one really feels different. They better get their act together by payday which is next Tuesday, or there will be a major riot on their hands LOL! It's given me some time to get caught up on my layouts for the October Scraps of Elegance Reveal. The first one I did, I didn't like at all. The worst part is that I fussed and fussed with it, but to no avail. I think it's because the pic I used of the lo on Scrapbook.com is out of focus, which I didn't notice until after the fact. I just finished my second one today, and will be starting my 3rd tomorrow. I find that when I have more time, I really enjoy myself! However, my mind has been elsewhere.....I found out that I'm going to have to have my 4th inner ear surgery at the end of the month. This one is more evasive, they tell me, as they will be drilling into my skull, through the bone in my ear, decompressing the endolymphatic sac and putting a shunt in. Can you say OUCH!!! The doc says he will be exposing my brain, so I asked him to inject some smart cells into it! Sooooo, needless to say, I have been a bit preoccupied, and not as creative as I normally am. I really hope to get this blog up to snuff before we have to go back to work....more later.

Hello Fall

Sorry I've been absent. I've been so busy working in my new position as DT for Scraps of Elegance, it's all I get a chance to do (creat layouts). However, one of the main prerequisites for being a DT is to maintain a blog (GULP) and I am so blog challenged (in case you haven't noticed) lol!!! More SOE talk later......it's turning seasons here in the Far North! The temps are dropping lower each day, and the leaves on the trees are turning. Pretty soon they will be falling all over the place. Today we saw "termination dust" on the mountains for the first time this year. "Termination dust" means the first snow that you can see that appears on the mountain tops. It usually looks like Mother Nature has sprinkled confectioner's sugar all over their tops! It also means that winter will be here VERY SOON!! We watch the snow inch down the mountains until it reaches sea level, which is where I live. Usually once it comes, it stays. Folks get real anxious when that first dust appears, and get really hyper. You can tell by how they drive, talk, walk, etc. It's like they are in a hurry to get ready before the snow hits! I'll be posting pics soon of our beautiful Fall scenery. Tomorrow I'll be posting the Scraps of Elegance information with my latest layouts. Hopefully they won't look tooooo bad! TGIF Everyone! Big Alaska Bear Hugs!

My Debut Layouts

Flirt

My Debut Layouts

Here is my first layout for the August Reveal at Scraps of Elegance.  The kit contained some fabulous papers and embellishments from FabScraps.  At my hubby's reunion, the ladies descended on me and told me that he was a real heartbreaker and flirt and that they all had a crush on him.  Humph!  I thought.  Well, years later I found this photo of him where he is 15 years old.  Since he is a child of the 50's I just couldn't resist.  He tells me now that he is REALLY embarrassed, but I think deep down inside he is complimented, lol!

I did inking all over the page using the Prima Sunset checkered stencil, which I love.  How perfect for this pp!!  I used my Cricut to cut the heart border on the left side of the photo.  The shadow is actually resist paper from Pink Paislee which I inked with Distress Ink from Tim Holtz.  I really like the Polariod photo frames.  My dear friend Nadia Cannizzo uses them frequently in her los and I love the effect.  The chipboard title "Flirt" is another Cricut diecut and seemed to fit the page perfectly.  Added other embellishments, and Voila!

Scraps of Elegance August Kit

 

Yes, here's the August Kit Reveal!  It's my debut, and I am so excited!

Sweet Summer Nights Kit

Ice cream sodas, poodle skirts, rock and roll... our Sweet Summer Nights kit will take you back to the 50's and forward into the summer of 2013 with beautiful collections from Fabscraps, Authentique, and Kaisercraft.  If you want to see the full list of what's included in the kit, just stop by our website or store.

Of course, when we have a new kit, we have a new sketch by Suepup!

And to give you a little inspiration... check out a few of the gorgeous things the ladies on our design team made with this kit!

Layout created by Lisa Novogrodski

Mini Album created by Renea Harrison

Layout created by Kathy Mosher

Layout created by Mandy Zimmerman

Layout created by Helena Johansson

Layout created by Nadia Cannizzo

Layout Created by Romy Veul

Be sure to check out our website at http://www.scrapsof elegance.com

And here are my los.

Guess What???

Yep!  This is big news for me.  Here's what was published on the Scraps of Elegance Blog.

We have another exciting Design Team announcement today!

Kathy Mosher is joining our team!  Kathy has been a subscriber to our kits, and she is one of the nicest ladies you'll meet, and we just love her work, so we're thrilled that she's joining the team!

I am so honored to be chosen to be a member of the SOE Design Team. This is my first DT position and boy am I nervous!!! I've been married to the man of my dreams for 41 blissful years, have 2 grown children (boy and girl, 36 and 37) and 2 wonderful grandsons (2 and 4). My family is the center of my world. The best part is they all live here in Anchorage, Alaska near me. I love Alaska, and you will probably see me saying that over and over, it is a magical place to live, which is why I've lived here for 41 years. Before that I was a Navy brat traveling all around the country and overseas. I am a Federal career employee of 32 years and hope to retire VERY soon!!! 
I started scrapbooking about 10 years ago, and then got burned out. I have devoted the majority of my spare time to quilting. I've been published, an instructor and own a major long-arm quilting machine. However, the call of all those photos waiting to be scrapped last year brought me back to a passion I've developed for this highly evolved world of scrapping! Wow! Things have really changed, and I love every bit of it. Every time I do a layout, I try or learn something new, all the new mixed media techniques, distressing, you name it is a whole new ballgame for me. But, the best part is all the love, support and encouragement I have received from my sisters in the scrapping world. What a fabulous group of folks you are!

Kathy will begin designing with our August kit, and we can't wait to see what she does with it!

I am so excited to be a part of this amazing team!
My first reveal is tomorrow so stay tuned. 

As you can see I am pretty new at this blogging, so I'm still trying to figure out how to make the page more interesting.  Please bear with me..........

Blog Title

Hello dear friends!!!  I just realized that I haven't explained the title of my blog.  My nickname has evolved into Glam Ma.  Yes, I am a grandmother to 2 wonderful little boys, who thankly live here in Anchorage.  I decided about 4 years ago to put some fun into my life.  Afterall, I'm 60 now, and time is getting short, lol!  So, instead of the stuffy tailored suits, silk blouses, heels and conservative style of dressing, that I would wear more bling, bright colors, and more artistic style of clothing.  Hence, I became a Glam!!  My son says I look gaudy with all the sequins, but he's 36 and still trying to make it   in this world.  

I've already had the job of my dreams for almost 20 years, and it ran me into the ground.  So, now I'm enjoying myself and living life.  I've started back into scrapbooking and joined a fabulous kit club called Scraps of Darkness/Scraps of Elegance.  You order kits that have a different theme every month and contains all the papers, flowers, embellishments and artsy supplies you need to make fabulous layouts.  I'll start posting some of my creations from these kits in my next entry.  

View From My Office

I love Alaska!!!  I've lived here since 1971 (moved to Denver in 10/1998 and then promptly came home 3/2000)  I missed Alaska so much!  There is something about it that just creeps into your bones. 

Isn't that an amazing pic!  Yes, that's what I get to look at all day.  I feel so blessed to bask in God's beauty. 

I live in Anchorage, spent 5 years in Juneau, now that was an experience!!!  No way in but by boat (ferry, cruise ship) or airplane.  Yet, it is the capital of our State.  I had so much fun living there!
We were only 1 1/2 hours plane ride from Seattle, so whenever you felt isolated, you could just jump on the plane and be in downtown Seattle in time for the shops (Nordstrom, of course) to open.  I got really spoiled living there. 

It's also where I met the love of my life and 41 years.  But, that is another story, till next time......

My Very First Blog!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited (and a little nervous...)!!!  This is my first post for my first blog!   Can you believe it! All this time, I have shied away from blogs, cause I didn't know what they were all about and I didn't know how to create one.  Welllllll, I'm jumping in the pool's deep end (which is a really big deal for me since I'm terrified of deep water lol)

I am a Christian woman married to the man of my dreams for 41 glorious years.  We have a son and a daughter, both are fully grown and in their 30's.  My daughter is married with 2 precious little boys.  Hence, my nickname is "GLAM MA".

Now the Glam comes from my style of dressing.  I just turned 60 this year and had decided a few years ago that I need to put a little fun in my life.  I started by wearing a little bling on my t-shirts, then my pants, then my jewelry, etc., you get the picture.  Pretty soon I was blinged head to toe.  My son says I look gaudy!!!  However, most of what I wear is designed by my role model Joan Rivers.  I absolutely adore that women's spirit, heart and love of life!

I work for the Federal government, and have for 32 years.  I've always had to be so conservative, that I'm having a blast, just being myself.  I hope to retire in the next couple of years, so I'm getting ready for the BIG event!!!

I've been a seamstress most of my life, mainly out of need.  I'm the oldest of 6 children, and money was pretty tight.  My Mom's family was a group of women who were excellent seamstresses, especially my Grandma Oliver.  She taught me everything I know!!!

In my adult years I started to make quilts.  That was before all the fancy tools that are available to quilters now (rotary cutters, WHO KNEW???)  I did everything the old-fashioned way, cutting templates for each of the pieces of the block, tracking around them onto the fabric, and then cutting them out with scissors.  Pretty time consuming, but very full filling!!!

Pretty soon I was asked to teach in one of our local quilt shops.  Next thing you know I was teaching for at least 3 shops for about 20 years.  I got pretty serious about the craft, and it is still an important part of my life.  I own a long-arm quilting machine which I use to quilt the quilt tops.  It's 14 feet long and with monster machine on a table.  It's what is used to manufacture comforters, bedspreads, etc., by manufacturers.  I love and hate that machine.  It's pretty tricky to use!!!

I own A LOT of fabric.  Mainly cause I made all my clothes up to about 13 years ago.  I have some gorgeous fabrics.  THEN, because teachers would get discounts at the quilt shops, I started buying, and buying and buying, and now have about 100 copy paper size boxes of cotton quilt fabric.  Yikes, can you say that I may be a "hoarder"?   Nope, I know gals that have twice that amount (don't ask me where they store it).  The ole bumper sticker reads....the one who dies with the most fabric wins!!!

About 8 years ago I discovered scrapbooking!   Wow, I went hog wild, and scrapped about 8 albums in 3 months.  I burned out for a while and then last year jumped back into the game.  Wahoo!!  Can you say mixed media, distressing, stenciling, dimenion, painting, cardboard, burlap????  I joined the Scraps of Darkness and Scraps of Elegance Scrapbooking Kit Club, and haven't looked back!!  I have met some of the most generous, loving and down right fabulously talented women through this club.  I love all of them to pieces.

Well, that's all for now.  I am really anxious to get this ole blog on the web.  Take care everyone and have a most magical, blessed week!!!