lindaalbrecht

Dog Days of Summer post and Giveaway!

Wow... has it really been that long since I posted here...APRIL????  No idea where the time goes.  I promise that I have not been lazy and just sitting around doing nothing ;-)  It's been hot hot here again for the past couple of days.  I'm tired of air conditioning and closed windows.  Fall, where are you because these hot summer days are getting old?!?!


This little pumpkin has a small part in distracting me from blogland.

He is almost 6 months old already!  I can hardly stand how much fun he is and he amazes me every time I see him.


One with his mama...

You can see more photos on my Facebook wall...check out my albums for more of my photography sessions (another reason I've been so busyand time has slipped away on me!) 
https://www.facebook.com/linda.albrecht.7


There was the Summer CHA show too in July that kept me swamped with paper crafts.  Here are a couple of Maya Road projects from that time.



^^ There's my little distraction again! :-)

You can see more photos of the above project on the Maya Road Blog HERE.  Loved making this sparkly little project for their booth in Chicago. 


I also made a couple of projects for sale as kits.  You can go to The Scrappy Gourmet for this mini album information.

It's loaded with product... trims, patterned papers, buttons, giant patterned rhinestone accents, chipboard, epoxy and stickers all added to a wood Pink Paislee album.  Lots of fun.

Then there is a 3 page layout set that they named "Color me Pretty" over at Frost it Pink.  They are full of embellishments all layered up with product from Cosmo Cricket.


So summer is almost over... the days are seeming hot and long and I am ready for fall anytime with it's cooler days and nights.  School starts in one week here in my hometown and we always seem to have one last hot spell.  Always.  My youngest, Cort is in 9th grade this year....another sign that time keeps slipping away. Here's a couple of late spring photos...

 



Thanks so much for stopping by!  I know it's been too long to expect anyone to remember me and my blog so I want to have a GIVE AWAY to celebrate my first post in 3 months.  Who wants to win the completed album above that is for sale at The Scrappy Gourmet?  Yep, no photos, just the completed pages for you to fill up with your own memories.  Post a comment here for a chance, then tell your friends on your own blog or on your Facebook page and let me know for a 2nd chance! 

Love to all,
Linda

Fabric Eggs and Mikarose Giveaway!!

Hello blog friends!  Thanks for stopping by today... it's beautiful here in Minnesota.  A little bit cooler than the 80 degrees that we had a little over a week or ago, but things are greening up and the birds are chirping away.  They're busy in the bird houses around our yard... fluffing up their nests and getting ready for new life.

Did I tell you that a new little life has come into our family recently?  Our sweet baby Riley David arrived on March 8 and he is so adorable and precious.  I always like spring babies because they seem to just go along with what nature has happening.  All of my children are spring babies, so maybe I am biased ;-)

Here is our sweet angel...

Isn't he amazing?!?! :-)


I have a project to share today that I made for the GlueArts blog.  This weeks theme is Spring Fabric crafts.  Many of the Gluegirls actually "sewed" their fabric projects, but I opted for something quicker.  Not because I can't sew... I love to sew... but because I am so behind and so busy right now. 



I wrapped a big paper mache egg with strips of muslin fabric and lightly sprayed on a color mist... actually I added 2 colors, one a pale green and the other a golden color to add some distressing. 





I wrapped the egg in some old cotton lace and tied a bow at the top then hot glued some embellishments around the bow.


Details will be on the Glue Arts blog on the 30th.  Remember to go to their blog to leave a comment for a chance to win something.  They are always giving away their adhesives and many times even other scrapbooking supplies. 



Now for another awesome giveaway!  Mikarose is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of my lucky blog readers..  They have beautiful clothes and a new accessory line of necklaces that my daughter in law would love to wear.  I need to send her there to shop!  

 
Their prices are so reasonable!  If you haven't shopped there you will be pleasantly surprised at their selections and cost.  One of my favorite dresses on their site is only $59.99!  It's called "Sophie" and you can find it HERE.
 
So, here are the rules and how to enter to win the $50 gift certificate:
(This offer is open to US and Canadian residents only-- thank you!)

Comment here on my blog -- on this post (required.)

For additional entries to win-- 
"Like" them on Facebook
Post about this giveaway on your own blog
Post about the giveaway on Facebook page with a link to Mikarose.com.
"Pin" them on Pinterest
Follow them on Twitter 

This contest will be open through March 7.  I will notify the winner via email and will announce it here on the blog too shortly after the 7th.  Good luck everyone!!


Linda :-) 

Wonder layout & the Shabby Apple Giveaway winner!!

Hello all!

It has been a crazy busy week for me but I wanted to pop in to share a new project and to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple $50 giftcard. 

My project was a bit of a challenge for me.  GlueArts teamed up with Tsukineko this week and I received some awesome stamp pads and their Goosebumps Texture Spray.  I am not the world's biggest stamper.  I love hand stamped projects but forget to use stamping to add uniquness to them.  My photos aren't the greatest of the stamped image because it was so dark here the day that I took them, but hopefully you can see how I used the product.



 
The stamped area is the tag to the right of that adorable photo of my new grandson and my beautiful daughter.  Oh, they are an amazing pair of people!  We are so happy and blessed.

The Goosebumps Texture Spray was used as a resist to the ink and the images are the butterflies and flowers.  I also stamped some images with ink first then layered the texture spray over it and added more ink.  The colors that I used were Pear Tart, Cantaloupe, Sweet Plum & Rhubarb Stalk in Tsukineko's Memento Dew Drop Inkpads.  I also stamped a few images directly onto paper to the right of the tag to make the stamping flow out from the tag onto the layout.



I layered some BasicGrey papers and a few odds and ends pieces like the old music paper.  I popped the tag up fromt he background with some Glue Arts Raisen's 3/8" Adhesive Squares.  (Remember, GlueArts always has great giveaways weekly on their blog posts HERE!)


The acrylic stamps are by Cherry Arte, Lawn Fawn & Hampton Art.  I can't do a project without the Maya Road trinket pins and miscellaneous buttons.  I love pins & buttons!



Okay... now on to the Shabby Apple giftcard........ the winner is............. Haley Grossman!!!!

Haley's comment:
ooh...i love shabby apple. and also love that its a gc and not a specific dress.
hgrossman at cableone dot net

Posted by: Haley Grossman | March 14, 2012 at 10:06 PM

I'll be getting in touch with Haley to get all of the information needed to get that gift out to you.  Congratulations and a huge Thank You to Shabby Apple for hosting this exciting gift on my humble little blog!  You are awesome!  Don't forget that you all can still gget a 10% discount at Shabby Apple for a few more weeks.... simplethings10off is the discount code.


To everyone else that commented hoping for a chance to win, please come back on Monday, March 27 for another chance to win a gift card from another wonderful company.  It is another fun one!

Goodbye for now and have a spectacular spring weekend.  Love to all!
Linda :-)

 

Thank-Full

It's November...yikes!  Hard to believe, but it's fun to see the season's change.  There is always something to be amazed at when you really look at Mother Nature.

I have a simple, little shabby project that will be on the Glue Arts blog tomorrow.  The sponsored manufacturer is "Die Cuts With a View", or DCWV as scrapbookers know them.  This project uses their Lady Couture Paper Stack with Gloss. 


There will be a supply list and some simple instructions up with more photos tomorrow at the Glue Arts blog.  I tried to capture the glossy embossiness of the papers, but it was hard! ;-)



Those chipboard pieces that I used for the project are from Maya Road.  Individual pieces from a couple of their Albums(Keyhole & Home.)  I have to say that if it had not been for the Maya Road chipboard, I was lost on what to make..., so thank you Maya Road for your wonderful product.  Love it all!

The wire trim is made from 20 gauge black wire.  I looped it around a finger then cut to add to the backside of the chipboard with Glue Arts hot glue gun.  I always jab my fingers and end up bleeding when I work with wire, but I think that the effect was worth it.

I want to share a couple of photos of my son, Cole's wedding.  He married the sweetest girl.  We love them both so much!


As you can see, it was very casual... an outdoor ceremony by the lake at Camp Patterson with the reception and dance to follow.  It was lovely and sweet and created a bunch of happiness all around.


I made all of the decorations and the bouquets.  I had a special friend who helped so so much with the flowers too, making the boutineers and helping my sister and another friend with vases for the tables that consisted of zinnia's, dahlia's, billy balls, and cabbage roses.

I bought large lanterns for months and painted them white and distressed them up.  I made fabric pennant banners for the ceiling in the lodge where the dance was held and for the ceremony site and miscellaneous other places.  It was so fun!




They lit sparklers and exited the ceremony to the Johnny Cash song, "Ring of Fire"...  "Love is a burning thing... and it makes a firey ring..."  It was so cute and again, fun!  Their love truly is like a burning ring of fire in so many ways. 

Okay... more creating going on here tonight.  I figure as long as the mess is out I will work on my next assignment.  If you have time to check back in next week, I will be back and I think that it's time for a give away too.  Thanks for stopping by and see you next week!

Linda

 

Like I always say.....

.....time flies!!!!  I must have too much on my plate or I am really, really slow compared to others because I don't feel like I accomplish as much as other scrappers/crafters.  But, I made it here today for a little catch up.
 
 

So, in my last post I promised a giveaway.   Amy Duff you win the scrapping goodies!  Please email me with your mailing address and I'll work on getting that off to you.  Thanks to everyone else for the nice comments... you all are so kind.

 
Anybody in the mood for spring?  Me too!  It's been a long winter so I made these pinwheels for the Glue Arts blog using my Sizzex Big Shot machine.  The pinwheels are a die cut also from Sizzex as are the flowers in the centers.  These were posted last week to the blog if you want to see some close ups and get the supply list and instructions.
 

 
The solid colors are Glue Arts "Accent-It-All" vinyl and the papers are from BasicGrey.  They add the perfect fun little boost of color for spring.

 
 
Another Glue Arts blog project using the "Accent-It-All" vinyl.  This time I cut bunnies from the white vinyl and also made a ruffley trim with it.  There will be a post soon with the supplies and instructions included.
 
It was fun to add some stitching to my handmade fabric flowers.  I love to do hand stitching and wish that I had more time to do it.  It's one of those things that seem more likely to be a treasure to someone some day because fabric and stitching lasts almost forever and is timeless. 

 
So that is my quick post for today.  I am off to edit some more photos of a happy engaged couple.  I love taking photos of people in love.

 

 

Oh, and I recently took some sweet baby photos too.....
 
Lucky me! 

Thanks for stopping by.  I am going to do a surprise giveaway too for this post.  Do you like surprises? :-)  Here's a hint..... it will be something that I made.  So take your chances and comment here to get your name into the drawing.  On my next visit I will let you know the winner is!  See you then.

Linda

Lovebirds giveaway winner and some Crafty stuff

Well, I'm only two days later to post than I said I would be.  Not too bad for the week that we've had here.  Last Saturday night our son, Cort (12 years old) broke both of his wrists falling from a Zip Line and let me tell you that is something that you never want to do.  Unless of course you want to have someone  feed you, bathe you, and help you with your bathroom duties!  Poor Cort... he has been such a trooper through it all.  He never cried, which I would have been doing and told him to feel free to do.  It was so hard to see him in that much pain and it took them 4 hours before they put him out and reset the bones.  Clean breaks in all four bones--yes he does nothing small when he does it. The morphine given to him during that time did not help, but after the bones were set he was a new boy.  Now we just have to get through  the next week and then he will get the splints off and the casts put on which will make him more self sufficient.

I just love him to pieces.....

....hang in there sweetie!
 
So I bet that you are wondering who is winning a pair of the felt Lovebirds from my last post?  Congratulations to BETH who commented October 28, 2010 @4:33pm!  Beth, please email me with your shipping address and we will work out the details of how you want your Lovebirds made. 

Remember to email me also for the template and instructions for the Lovebirds if you'd like them  It's FREE! I've already sent out all of the original requests for the template, so if you didn't get yours please contact me again.  I love to share :-)
 

A little something to share that I made for Glue Arts.  You can find the instructions on their blog.

 
The bag is for an Ipod (which I don't have) so I may just have to find another use for it because I'm pretty sure that Cort or David won't use it for theirs! ;-) 
 
 
I made the flower with cream colored twill tape and The Twinery string.  Once done I sprayed it up with some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.  Love how the mist can add so much fun to a plain color.  All of the string used is from The Twinery.  I love their assortment of colors--go check them out when you have time, I know you'll need some for yourself!  The bird is a miniature version of the Lovebird.  Just shrink your pattern template down a bit in size.  I handstitched the pieces together for this one because I thought that it would be easier than sewing it on the machine.
 

Another quick share, I put together a new kit for The Scrappy Gourmet.  This hasn't been put up on the site yet, but should be soon.  Maybe over the weekend?  Here are a few images of the pages:
 

 

 

Made with a Melissa Frances Chipboard Bingo Card album and a ton of BasicGrey "Curio" collection items.  Amazing collection I think.

 

 

 

 

 
The alphabet stickers are all by BasicGrey and you will get some of them in the kit.  I also used 3 different sets of Hampton Art mini letter stamps and a StazOn black inkpad which you can find at The Scrappy Gourmet online store.  All of the buttons, ltrims, and embellishments will be included in the kit other than what I used to personalize my pages where I list my collections, interests, etc. 

Thank you so much for stopping by to read my little blog.  With this posting I have one more thing checked off of my long to do list. Tomorrow I'm taking a break from papercrafting work as I'm going to a bread making party at my sister's house.  Notice the emphasis on party!  We bought cute Pier one aprons for everyone and there'll be Chicken Tortilla soup (and fresh warm bread) for lunch.  I really need this day!  Will take some photos and share a recipe in my next post.  I have plans for another giveaway too, so be sure to check back in.

I'm off now to finish up wedding photos for this beautiful bride.  If I were this girls' mama I would blow that one up real big. 
 
Or this one!
 
 

Have a great weekend everyone!
Linda