Petals To Polka Dots

Simple Little Things

2011-07-20T18:43:00.000-05:00

That's what is on my mind and heart today. Just simple little things that bring a smile or giggle. All the stuff that makes the everyday ordinary into something extraordinary.

Maybe it's spending time with a true friend, just hanging out and soaking up some summer sun...

Or perhaps it's something fresh picked; ripe and juicy and ready to top of some ice cream or make their way into a fresh pie...

An ice cold treat on a hot steamy day always makes my heart and taste buds smile...

A "sweet" little picture frame; altered simply with just a few key embellishments to make it pop...a cherished picture that speaks of love...

Yes, that's what is on my mind today. Simple things that often are taken for granted; gifts that are there for us each day to receive and treasure. Enjoy the simple today!

XOXO, Nik

There's a new guy in town...

2011-07-13T20:53:00.001-05:00

...and he is the cutest thing you have ever seen; literally! Meet Radar, my dad's new little puppy. Is he not the most precious thing ever? Just look at that face!!

He is a Brittany Spaniel; the third dog of this loving breed that my parents have been happy to raise. My dad is a big time hunter; pheasant, duck, deer, elk. Brittanies are fabulous hunting dogs and wonderful companions. And did I already mention that he is incredibly cute?

My parents asked the kiddos and I to puppy sit yesterday and of course I had to bring a little something for the new little guy. He was the inspiration for the puppy gift set project below. Now, my papers that I used are a couple years old. I have been hanging on to this puppy paper from the Basic Grey June Bug line; thinking maybe I needed to buy a puppy just so I could use this ultra cute paper for something. And now I had the perfect opportunity.

I wanted a simple little card for my ma and pa, just to say congrats on their new little dude. The papers are all from the older Basic Grey line June Bug, craft paper from Archivers and the mini alpha stickers are from Glitz Design. All puppies need treats for good behavior so a goodie jar was in order. I love these glass jars that you can find at your local Target store. So versatile for all sorts of gift giving.

Next up, a little picture frame to hold a sweet pic of this little guy's cute furry face. I hand cut several of the puppies from the paper and adhered them with pop dots for dimension.

A little twine, some kraft paper, a couple bone buttons and paint and it was done!

And the scraps did not go to waste either. I put those to good use and made up a few puppy themed tags. You just never know when there might be another fur baby that will need a gift or two.

That's all for tonight. I am off to call my parents to check on sweet Puppy Radar and see how he is adjusting to his new home. Thanks for visiting me!

XOXO, Nik

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I am a day late with this post, but we have had a busy weekend. Lots of sun, fireworks, family time, swim time and so much more. I love Independence Day, don't you?

I also love messing around and playing with simple photo editing on Picnik. I am sure most of you already know about this little editing site, but I felt like sharing a couple of pictures that I used their 4th of July features on. Above I added the fun little stars to Cole's picture. And below, I used the colorwash of red, white and blue for Desi's sparkler picture. The brackets are also from Picnik; so cute to frame a picture that way. Love it.

Don't get me wrong; I love the vibrant, patriotic colors of red, white and blue and how they majestically represent our country. But what fun it is to shabby them up a little every now and then. Just a little sepia here and there. Pretty, simple, nostalgic and oh so shabby - love that.

The 4th also brings about a whole new season of crafting possibilities. It is such a short time that we leave these kind of decorations up, so I had hoped to get started early. That didn't happen, so my red, white and blue will probably adorn the house all summer long because I love it so.

I used a variety of product on these simple but pretty pinwheels. The patterned paper is from Tim Holtz's seasonal paper stack. His grungy style makes my heart sing and he is so clever at bringing us fantastic products to craft with. I cannot wait to see what he and Ranger have in store for us at CHA. The red polka dot paper is from Bo Bunny; love their double dot papers. The paint can is just from Home Depot; I filled it with floral foam and then topped it with shredded music paper. The "sticks" that the pinwheels sit atop of are simply pencils that I painted antique white and hot glued to the back of the pinwheels. I covered the hot glued area on the back with a punched scallop circle for a more finished look.

The little centers are mostly from K & Company's Americana line. I added some ink, silver stickles, and a flower or two made from an old farm journal magazine to complete my ensemble. The small flags were a dollar at Michaels and I soaked them in a tea dye to give them a more antique feel. A vintage button here, some tea stained lace there and voila! Might have to leave this little centerpiece on my kitchen table for another month or so. And maybe leave this hanging in the entryway a little longer too...

I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday and your work week goes quickly for you. Thanks for stopping by to see me today.

XOXO, Nik

Enjoying Summer

2011-06-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Summer is here and I of course have been missing from blog land. No apologies from me though. My life is just busy with two little ones and working around my hubby's horrendous schedule. So, I just resolve to get here when I get here and that's that. But I do love coming and writing my thoughts down here; always therapeutic for me and makes me feel good inside to share some of my heart with you all. A huge thank you for all of your wishes and love you sent my way on Ellie's birthday. It was a very difficult day for me and my family; always will be.

With each season, come lots of memories. All good, wonderful, happy memories. So hard to think it has been over two years since I touched her face, heard her laugh, watched her play. Most days it still seems unreal. But, it is. Life is not filled with any promises; no guarantees. I am so , so thankful for the opportunity to be a mama; so happy that God has trusted me with his children to watch over them, teach them about Him. What a true gift I have been given.

Slowly but surely my little Etsy shop is coming along. Every now and then I get busy and craft up some little treausres to add to it. The shabby clothespins above are so sweet. Love how simplistic they are. My mom had given me a jar full of my grandma's buttons and to my delight many of them still had the thread in them. All worn and weathered and aged perfectly. Love how they look on the clothespins. So hope the new owner of these is enjoying them...

Recently I had a little tea staining party and decided to dye some felt. Love the results! This is the most awesome felt; just love it. It's from Papertrey Ink. This is the vintage cream color. They have all sorts of colors available. So many things you can do with it. These little posies just kinda came together. I used a scrap of old Daisy D's paper and punched the circles using Martha Stewart's medallion punch. A little ink on the edes and the topped each with a vintage button. So sweet. You can find these in my Etsy shop too.

Both my kiddos celebrated their birthdays in late May. Cole turned 3 and Desi is now 6. They are growing up so fast; so wuickly right before my eyes. Desi finished her first full year of school; she is a recent kindergarten graduate. I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished this past year. Learning to read and do math, all of the music and art projects. So fascinating to me how a young mind learns and grows.

Summer is in full swing and the flowers are gorgeous. Oh how I love my flower garden; my precious memory garden dedicated to Ellie. Keep them bloomin', sweet pea....

That's all for now. I'll be back. Don't know when. Maybe soon...

XOXO, Nik

8 Candles

2011-04-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

Today 8 candles burn brightly in a window on a cold, windy Minnesota day. A reminder of a life that began and ended too early, but cast a ray of sunshine upon any who stepped onto her path...

Today a little brother savors a brownie for breakfast in honor of his big sister; his big blue eyes a beautiful reminder of her....

Today a little sister dresses head to toe in her sister's clothes so that she may be as close to her as posssible. She writes notes and draws rainbow hearts in an effort to send her love up to Heaven....

Today a treasured dollie sits upon a shelf dressed in blue and waiting to be held and played with again...

Today signs of spring emerge and we are reminded of becoming new again; love is born and rises....

Today a little girl dreams in fields of yellow flowers with Jesus...

Today a head full of strawberry colored tresses smiles her heart out and skips along the hills of Heaven...

Today in Heaven blue eyes twinkle brightly and dance with each giggle...

Today a Mama remembers the moments a baby girl came into her life

and made her a mother for the first time...

Today a Daddy's arms long to be filled with a little girl's hug

as he remembers holding her through thick and thin....

Happy 8th Birthday Ellie Rose! I hope you can hear us celebrating here on earth as we remember you with laughs, tears, Johnny Cash songs and root beer floats. Our hearts are heavy, but joyful as we know that one day, one glorious day, we will all be together again. Love you, sweet pea.

"I thank my God everytime I remember you." Philippians 1:3

XOXO, Mama

Happy Sweethearts Day!

2011-02-14T11:10:00.000-06:00

Just a quick little post before I head out the door. Had to come and wish you all a Happy, Happy Valentine's Day! And I had to share these gorgeous roses that my sweet pea Ellie sent to me. Breathtakingly gorgeous, don't you agree?

I am quite sure that Heaven is overflowing with beauty this very moment....

Miss you like crazy Ellie Belle. Spread some love today; give a hug, a smile, a kiss, a kind gesture. You never know who's heart you could touch.

XOXO, Nik

February Loves

2011-02-01T10:26:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, the love month. What could be better than an entire day devoted to hearts, chocolate and sweet nothings? Each month brings a new beginning, a new chapter. How lucky we are to have a fresh start each and every day. Makes my heart all warm and toasty inside...

What makes your heart skip a beat? What simple little love do you indulge in? Is it a someone? A something? A taste? A smell? Breathing in all each day has to bring us can sometimes be difficult, but so so necessary to sustain happiness. Joy is abundant.

I love pretty romantic Valentine paper. Every January after all the Christmas things have been placed away, I swoon over all the pinks, reds and hearts that make their way to shops for us to enjoy for such a short time. I am always utterly amazed at how pretty paper can be. This year my favorite is the Echo Park "Be Mine" collection. Hot pink, vintage cream, black, soft pinks and grays all mixed together with a Paris theme - be still my swelling heart! The "Be Mine" collection simply exudes romance.

The possibilities are endless of the pretties you can create. I opted to decorate some little heart boxes and embellish them with paper flowers, another love of mine. Using the Tim Holtz "Tattered Florals" die I cut out several flowers, inked and lightly distressed them. I stacked them atop each other and used a toothpick and pencil to curl the edges. Just adore making paper flowers - a total addiction.

Can't wait to fill these up with some sweets for some very special people. Hope they will cherish these little treasures as much as I cherish them.

Ever spend a day doing something you love and basking in glow of it? That was me last week. I love the look of tea stained tags, fabric, lace, papers. The aroma that fills the house after a few hours of hand dyeing all sorts of things with tea is delicious.

Oh the thrill of opening the oven after 20 minutes on a low setting to see that worn, caramel looking color wash over what was once very plain parcel tags! So yummy...

I think I spent almost 3 hours tea dyeing all sorts of things and then another hour or two creating some little pretties for my Etsy shop. I have not been the best at adding items, but that is changing. You will find these there...

And these too. I love tags, don't you? the perfect compliment to any package is a sweet little handmade tag. Almost makes the packaging better than the gift itself. The little house and scalloped circle were made using the "Love Lives Here" dies from PaperTrey Ink. These dies have stamps to match and they were inspired by one of my favorite designers, Melissa Phillips. Aren't they sweet? Again, endless possibilities.

That's all for today my friends. Seek out your passions today and May your little hearts be filled with gladness, hope, faith and most of all LOVE.

XOXO, Nik

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

2010-11-30T16:28:00.001-06:00

Oh how I love this time of year! Everything is so festive and decked out in holiday beauty. I so hope you are all taking some time here and there to be creative and let the season inspire you. I am trying to do that too. My studio is covered in Christmas scrapbook paper, glitter, snowflakes and all sorts of holiday pretties just waiting to be tinkered with. So much to do and never, ever enough crafty time...

I mentioned my excitement about the Teresa Collins design team in my last post. Unfortunately, I did not make the DT, but I sure had fun playing with her products and submitting. It has been a long time since I submitted for a design team and I love the challenge it brings - always an inspiration for me. If you have not already, please visit Teresa's Blog and take a peek at her new DT - they are fabulous. Congratulations ladies! I thought I would post my entries for all of you since they are perfect for the season. My first project is a little wall hanging featuring Cole in a Santa hat. This picture was taken last year by my photographer friend Dawn and I actually used it on our Christmas cards. I wanted an airy light look to the picture, so I edited in photoshop and then printed it on some resume paper instead of photo paper. For all of my projects I used the NOEL line. I had mentioned in a previous post how pretty and classy this line is - love it!

The holly paper was so pretty in its most simple state. I hand cut some of the holly leaves and edged them with silver glitter. This paper is so pretty and has such a heavy weight to it that it stands up to all sorts of distressing, crinkling, twisting and rolling. For the small rosette-type paper flower, I simply took a thin strip of paper and twisted it around a pencil. A small dab of hot glue secures the ends.

Some time ago, fellow blogger Cristal aka Pinky posted a tutorial on the Helmar blog on how to make these adorable paper bows. Remembering just how cute these were, I took her lead and fashioned my own paper bow for the top of this piece. So fun to hang this up in Colson's room and bring a little bit of Christmas cheer into his sweet little life.

I also submitted this little round box topped with some paper trees, fluff, and the "Naughty or Nice" sentiment. The vintage image is from Lisa's Altered Art. Please pay her site a visit - she has the cutest collage sheets for every occassion. I loved how this little girl is trying to be so sneaky...

And a close up of my simple paper flower with wound ribbon in the center:

I used the ribbon from the NOEL line and cut it into two inch pieces. Then I looped it and secured it with hot glue to form a "fringe" around the box lid. All in all, it turned out so cute and made the perfect gift for my friend Jen. Hope you liked it, sweets! Remember, Santa is making a list and checkin' it twice...

My final entry was the card I had posted a few weeks ago. Thank you to Teresa Collins for the awesome opportunity to submit! I for one am looking forward to seeing what the new team has in store for all of us. I will leave you with a few Christmas cards I whipped up after digging into my holiday stash. Amazing how many Christmas papers I have. Some of these are a few years old and it was fun to revisit them again and use up some scraps.

Kids are gettin' antzy and ready for dinner. That's all for tonight!
XOXO
-Nik

Welcome Winter

2010-11-16T22:19:00.000-06:00

Yep, it's here. The snow started in the wee morning hours on Saturday and it kept on until Sunday. Just like that winter makes its way to us and the entire ground is covered in a serene, fresh blanket of white. There is just something about the first snowfall of the season that makes my heart skip a beat - it truly is breathtaking.

Of course the kids were so excited to get out in play in the fluffy white stuff, I had trouble getting all their snow gear on. Desi almost had hers together but ran outside without her mittens. Here she is with her cheesiest of grins and her hair all bundled up inside her hat.

And my little man; love his chilly cheeks and big bright blue eyes. Last year at one year old, he wasn't quite sure he even liked snow. This time around, he was full speed ahead.

Eventually they let me come in and once Cole was all warmed up and taking his nap, Desi and I had some craft time. She colored in her Hello Kitty coloring book and I busied myself with some snowy themed cards. I have never thought of myself as much of an artist when it comes to painting. Most of my painting look like a child's, but I guess that is the beauty of them. A couple weeks ago I was playing around and had snowflakes on my mind and below was the result. I thought it might make a cute piece of wintery art for Desi's room. Then I got the idea to scan it into my computer and use it as patterned paper.

I figured I would start small with a couple cards and a matching tag. I love this color combo of white, lavendar, aqua and silver. So....well....snowy!

Two of my favorite words for the upcoming holiday season: JOY and REJOICE. That pretty much sums it up. Joy because it is my mom's name and it is the most utterly wonderful feeling a person could have. Rejoice because we are victorious in that a Savior was born to us. Perfect.

I was more than filled with joy this morning as I read Teresa Collins blog and to my delight saw my name listed as one of the finalists for her design team! How exciting! Wish me luck friends, as a decision will be made this week as to who the selected designers are. How awesome to have the chance to submit and create some fantastic projects that I fell in love with as I created them. I'll share those with you all later this week. That's all for tonight...

nite, nite -

Nik

Have you started....

2010-11-12T07:25:00.000-06:00

...your Christmas cards yet? Do you make them or buy them? Photo cards or no? The possibilities are endless and oh so creative! I recently picked up the Holiday Cards publication by Paper Crafts. Wow - what inspiration! I think I must have marked up the whole magazine with circles and folded corners. So many ideas by such wonderful designers. I had a little card making party with my sister-in-law LeeAnn a few weekends ago and we had tons of fun using up our stash and cranking out some cute little card creations. But first, I'll show you a little idea I came up with using the new Noel line from Teresa Collins. It just screams Christmas glamour and sophistocation. The classic styling is a true winner in my book - love it! Teresa has a knack for adding the perfect little companions to her lines. I love the cardstock die cuts and the library pockets - so pretty and functional.

For this fun card, I took the larger library pocket and and adhered it to the card to have a place for the tags to be inserted. I like the idea of having the tags pull out and used for display somewhere; maybe tie on the Christmas tree?

A little pom pom fringe, tinsel and pearls compliment these festive papers. I cut the word "believe" from the ribbon in the Noel collection; such a great font and not one stamp involved! Ahhh, too cute. Might have to leave it sitting out to bring some early holiday cheer...

This next project has been long in coming and I have been working on it here and there. It's a little book, about 7x7, of Ellie and her kindergarten pictures. This one is tough for me to create since the memories flood back with each paper that I lay down, but it is also very therapeutic in a sense. I have collected school themed papers ever since Ellie started preschool in 2006. I have a ridiculous stash of all the adorable school things that hit the scrapbook store shelves every August. And I still love each one even though some are 4 years old. So, they are making their way into this book, all mixed and melded together along with my precious few kindergarten pictures of my angel girl. Here's a few peeks at a couple of the pages:

Remember this fun line by Foof-A-La/Autumn Leaves? So cute and still a fave of mine. The little mini banner stamp is from American Crafts' Dear Lizzy line. Love banners...

Missing you always Ellie Belle; thank you for giving me the chance to be your Mama and truly understand what it means to love, hope and walk by faith. Thank you for the strength that you showed me each and every day. You taught me so much, little girl....

Hug those kiddos extra tight before they head out your door this morning. Have a blessed Friday all.

Love to you, Nik

Sweet November

2010-11-10T20:56:00.001-06:00

Here we are into November already. Time goes so fast and it seems that life never slows down. I hope you are all enjoying all the beauty that autumn brings. I think it must be my favorite season; so much to breathe in and savor. We have had glorius weather in Minnesota. Lots of sun and temps in the 50s. So not normal for us here in the north. This could all change by Friday since they are forecasting snow for us. Not sure I am ready for it just yet, but I will welcome it as a different kind of freshness.

One thing I love about this time of year is the creative side of me that jumps at the change to make something earthy, bursting with colors of cinnamon, pumpkin and deep olive green. I am not much into Halloween, but I sure do love the other fun things that fall brings. A couple years ago I began this little "box" for whatever reason never finished it. The paper is an oldie but goodie from Daisy Ds -oh boy do I ever miss seeing their pretty products on the shelves. I got busy and finished and the result is the little container above; a pretty setting to dress up our home a little this November.

The kids had a great time trick or treating and below is a sweet little picture of Cole and Desi just waiting to be scrapped. Desi was a pink cheetah and since Cole is only 2, I simply picked through his closet and turned him into a little mechanic. Nothing like being thrifty, right? If you look closely, you can see that Desirae dug into her candy stash early and has a big ol' wad of bubblegum in her mouth. That's my girl....

As November continues on, I am reminded to keep moving forward. Keep creating, keep the focus on God, and keep creating joy. I think "Give Thanks" is going to be my little motto this season; maybe make it your too if you so desire. We are all so blessed in so many ways.

Love to all, sweet blog friends! May your November days be filled with laughter, big blessings, good friends, and much, much JOY.

XOXO, Nik

Summer time...

2010-08-18T17:15:00.002-05:00

Hi Bloggers! Oh my stars how I have missed you all. Summer has flown by and I have not had too much computer/blogging time. So I thought I would give you a little recap and post a few pictures for you to enjoy. I wish I could say that I have had a crafty, scrappy summer, but my projects have taken a backseat to being mom. I am just now getting back into my creating and will have some pretties to share with you all in the months to come.

May began with my nephew Joe graduating from high school. The entire Willaert family was present at Pat's brother Gerald's farm and we had a great time eating and socializing. The above picture was taken at the farm and I played around with it in Photoshop to get the effect I was after. So wish I could tell you what I did, but it was so long ago I can't remember. That's Desi and Cole running for the corn field.

Desi celebrated her 5th birthday in May and we had a super glamorous time at her "Make-Over Party". We performed manicures, pedicures, hairstyles and applied makeup to 10 little girls. I could not have pulled it off without the help of my nieces and sister-in-laws. Thank you ladies - you did a phenomenal job! Above are the party invites I created using my Cricut and the Forever Young cartridge. I liked the idea of the little mirror and Desi was able to help apply the pieces of the invite together. Such fun!

Here she is getting her hair straightened by my niece Whitney. She has curly hair, so whenever someone will take the time to straighten it for her, she is all smiles and oh so grown up. She opted for cupcakes and below you can see her getting ready to blow out her candles.

One of my favorite lines that made it's way to the stores early in the season was Melody Ross's Homespun Chic by GCD Studios. I could play with these papers over and over again, they are so shabby but bright, simple but complex. Love them and would buy this line all over again! Ellie made her way onto the layout below and of course I shed several tears while piecing it together. I loved this line so much I even used pieces from the packaging!

And a little birdie house. This little house had been painted and crackled back in December and then sat unfinished for the winter. The Homespun Chic papers dressed it up nicely and it is now displayed in my kitchen.

Cole also celebrated a birthday as he turned 2 in May. We kept his "party" very simple since I was spent from Desi's little gala. He is big into anything that drives, moves, bales hay or digs dirt. His cake was simply adorable and decorated with an excavator that now takes its place in his sandbox. A little dump truck adorned with brown sugar dirt completed the look and Cole could not have been happier. He held onto the excavator the entire time he "ate" his cake and fed some to Grandma Joy. Precious - cannot wait to scrap the abundance of pictures I took that day:)

Ellie's memory garden was just gorgeous this year. Delphiniums, yellow peonies, clematis, johnny-jump-ups and yellow roses bloomed brilliantly in May and June. I was thrilled to see that all of the work we had done last year planting Ellie's favorites came back with such beauty. Oh so pretty - she would have been so very proud of me.

We have had lots of crazy weather this summer too. Very heavy storms and lots of tornadoes. The stormy picture below was taking from my window looking out over the backyard. We were headed for the basement that day. Below I captured Desi in the rain and was able to scrap a cute little page using some fun products from KI Memories. The colors in the Posh line were so fun to play with. KI was the sponsor over at Scrappin' Mojo for June and they were more than generous with their product. Thank you KI Memories!

I have not posted a picture of my sweet hubby in some time so I thought I would do that in this post. Here's Pat and Colson snuggling while we watched Desi at her swimming lessons. I love getting pictures of my two guys together; Cole is the spitting image of Pat at age two! They look so much alike, don't ya think?

I will leave you with a little something that I made for my mom's birthday. Keeping Ellie's memory alive is something I do on a daily basis and I enjoy creating little pieces of art to hang here and there. Often they have scripture on them to remind me to keep God first; and many times they have pictures of my precious angel child, my Ellena. I say it in every post, but my heart continues to ache for her. She continues to inspire me to keep moving forward and so I do. Each step a little tougher than the last, but none the less, a step.

I will leave you all now. My kiddos need supper and my thoughts are starting to blend together. I hope to be back sooner than later with a few more shares for you. Be Blessed my sweet blog friends!

XOXO, Nik

Rainy Scrappy Tuesday

2010-05-11T11:44:00.001-05:00

Rain, rain go away; come again another day. Unless you are a crafty mama like me who waits for a day like today and all the creative bliss that only a day of showers can bring. What a perfect day to watch the rain fall only to bring about new life when the sun shines again. I love its smell, its cleansing beauty, and its freshness. And I can't wait to see the peonies and pansies open up when the drops from the sky cease. So relaxing...

So I am gonna sit down with a cup of coffee and Desi and see where the day leads us. Maybe a some scrapbook time, maybe some story time, maybe some American Girl doll dressing time or maybe just some snuggle time. I am sure Cole will join us when he wakes up from his nap time - perfect day for taking one of those too.....

And maybe tonight we will head over to Aunt Wendy's to deliver this little gem...

A very much overdue Christmas gift that I was unable to finish in December. I love trinket boxes and making them for others. This one was specially made for my sister-in-law, Wendy, for her to keep any little treasures she likes in it. The pretty paper is from the Prima Indeed collection, which has been nesting in my scrapbook stash for some time just waiting for the perfect piece to adorn itself with. Here's to you Wendy! Thank you for all you do and all you have done. You are a blessing!

Enjoy the rain and breathe it in today -

XoXo, Niki

My Boy Monday

2010-04-26T18:04:00.001-05:00

Even though he is into everything , leaving a trail of mess behind him with each step he takes, I still love my boy. And even though he digs up my flowers and runs them over with his Tonka trucks, I still effortlessy love my little boy. And even though he climbs the cabinets to turn on the sink and splash water all over himself, the bathroom mirror and the floor, I still love my boy.

And even though he throws his food from his plate onto my freshly cleaned floor, I still love my boy.

You have captured your mama's heart with your antics, little man.

Enjoy your little guys today mommies; dirt, trucks, messes and all!

XOXO, nik

It's Been Way Too Long...

2010-04-12T21:57:00.017-05:00

Starting over can be so overwhelming. Each day is a brand new opportunity to do just that and so often for me, it is a task that is so incredibly daunting. The last few months since my last post have been very difficult for me and I am saddened that I have not been able to keep up in blog land. In February, we came upon the one year mark since Ellie went home to be with Jesus. Our lives have not and will never be the same without her here as part of our earthly family. Missing her, wanting to hold her, laugh with her, sing with her.... all so very hard for us to do. It has been way too long since I was able to do those things and feel her touch; hear her sweet raspy voice. So desparately do I want to have her with me and yet I just have to wait....I just have to wait...

I have had time to do some crafting and have been enjoying the wonderful weather we are having in Minnesota. Spring is here and it is so refreshing to be able to get outdoors and breathe that fresh sunshiny air.

This month at Scrappin' Mojo my design team work centered around the new Basic Grey Kioshi line. If you have these papers then you already know how gorgeous they are. I love all things Basic Grey, but this one in particular has to be one of my all time faves. I love pastels and this line is full of pretty lavender, sweet pink, minty greens, pale yellow and sky blue. It's spring on paper!

In this sweet little layout of Desi, I added a doilee border; a trend that I just adore. Little lacey doilees look so fresh and pretty on paper projects, don't they? The flowers and flourishes are from Prima and have been nestled in my stash waiting for this layout to take shape. I added a little Glimmer Mist in Irridescent Gold and some sprinkles of Martha Stewart fine glitter. Such a pretty end result!
A little bunny box.. love this little guy. He used to sit in Ellie's room when she was just a babe. So happy I found a use for him to adorn this little Easter box.

And lastly a cute little picture frame using one of my favorite papers from the Kioshi line. Now I can look at it all day long if I want too. It's sitting pretty right now as I chat with you all. Since I always say I will post more, I am not going to this time! I'll be back soon, but until then, savor spring!

Love, nik

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-04T09:49:00.013-06:00

I think for sure one of my resolutions is to blog more often. I always say I am going to be more into the blog thing, and then my life gets crazy and I don't get it done. But, it's a new year full of new things and new creations, so I am going to give it my best and try and post much more often. And today is the perfect day to get started. I do have lots to share since my last post which was......ummmmm...... a couple months ago (sigh). But today I am just gonna keep it simple and enjoy the quiet moments of typing while Desi is away at preschool and Cole is playing ever so nicely with the Thomas the Train set Santa brought. I so hope you all had a wonderful, magical Christmas. I know for us, it was difficult beyond words. Ellie loved, loved, loved Christmas! I can only imagine the incredible celebration she had with Jesus this year; just close your eyes and listen for the angels and their sweet singing! Oh Ellie Belle, my heart aches and rejoices all at once my, sweet, sweet girl. Thank you Lord, for seeing us through this holiday time and showing us your love through those that surrounded and held us. We are ever so thankful.

The New Year has brought a fantastic opportunity my way and I am very excited to share with you all. I was contacted out of the blue from our Community Education program and I am thrilled to have been asked to teach paper crafting classes for them. I am just tickled that I get to share some of my favorite techniques and projects with those that live in my neighborhood and surrounding areas. I will be holding two classes in January, a winter mini album class and a Valentine workshop. Both classes are offered through New Prague Community Education and you can check out all the offerings by going HERE. Here's a little peek at the mini album we will be making.

This album was crafted with some of my favorite papers from the Bo Bunny Snowy Serenade collection. Every one of these papers is glittered and gorgeous. Perfect for all your wintertime memories. Take a peek at the Bo Bunny blog for a glimpse of these beautiful papers that just emulate frosty goodness.

And of course Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Hearts and love themed crafty products are everywhere. I'll save those projects for later this week. I will leave you with a layout I just completed for Scrappin' Mojo using products from the very funky Rose Moka Vintage Glam line. They were our sponsor for January and what fun I and the Mojo Guest Designers had playing with their product! Here's a couple layouts for you to peek at and get your own mojo flowing.

Enjoy the start of 2010 ~ Best Wishes from me to you for a happy and joy filled New Year!

XOXO, Niki

Holiday Workshop

2009-10-29T08:27:00.004-05:00

I know many of you are groaning because all the Christmas stuff is all over the stores and it feels so early. I on the other hand am giddy with excitement! LOL! Christmas is my fave holiday - celebrating the birth of Christ is something I look forward to every year. There is just something about it - it's magical. And it is one of the best times to let your creativity shine with the season. I have vowed to make many of my gifts this year and I am off to a pretty good start. Many have asked me over the years, "When are you gonna teach a class?" I have listened and after much contemplation, will be offering a holiday workshop! Class will be held here in New Market on November 14th. After the new year, I hope to offer some online classes for you all. Below you can take a peek at my creations that we will put together at the workshop. I had a ton of fun creating this little cottage - the lid is removable and you can load it up with candy, pictures, recipes, whatever will fit. I used some of the new Eskimo Kisses line from Basic Grey and one of my favorite Jenni Bowlin papers. Sno-Tex and glitter give the roof a wintry feel. Cute, huh?

This is a banner that was quite simple to make. I love the word "JOY" and can't wait to hang this up for Christmas time. I love using sheet music in my projects and I raided my mom's piano bench for some old music books!

My Christmas projects would not be complete without a vintage Santa image somewhere. This is a close-up of a little ornament that I am going to tuck inside my cottage for some lucky recipient to receive. I got the idea for the muslin rose from the Maya Road newletter. So easy and fun to make; you gotta try these!

I hope to see some of you who are local on the 14th - we will have a blast making these little treaures! If you are intested in getting crafty with me, shoot me an email to sign up or click the workshop link on my sidebar. That's all for now; be sure to check back on Saturday as I will be offering a RAK in honor of my birthday on November 1st!

XOXO Nik

Is it Fall or Winter????

2009-10-25T11:01:00.013-05:00

According to the calendar, it's fall. But in Minnesota, that means snow anytime from October on. We have had a couple days of rain turning to snow then rain again. Wonder what today will bring? Looks like more rain or snow - we'll see. Both Cole and Desi are sick with the flu. I think Desi is past the worst, but still not feeling like herself. Cole has a temp of 103 and is coughing. If you think of us - send a few prayers our way for health. This flu is nasty! I am hoping all is well so both kids can adorn their costumes on Saturday. Desi did have a Halloween party a couple weeks ago and I was able to snap this cute little pic:
And here's one of the infamous frost on the pumpkin. Or in this case, snow on the pumpkin. For sure this will make a lovely scrapbook page, but it was hard to take since this was on October 12th!

On to scrappy news - I recently entered the DT contest at Scrappin Mojo and I was chosen to be their designer for the next 6 months! I am thrilled as this is the first forum that I ever visited and become a member of. I love these girls like family - they are wonderful and I hope you all come by and play with us. The DT challenge was to create a Christmas layout and I jumped at the chance to scrap this precious picture of my kids last year.

I used a lot of elements in this layout; distressing, inking, border punches, rubons, handmade paper flowers and glittering. I love how these letters turned out using some of Martha Stewart's tinsel glitter.

Here's a close-up of a paper flower I made by adhering several of the same shape flowers in varying sizes together. I used Glimmer Mist and more glitter to add dimension and shimmer.

All in all, I love this layout and will for sure hang it on my wall during the holidays. Thank you Jan and Terri of Mojo for asking me to be on your DT!! My other news is scrappy related too. Remember back in September when I guest designed for the kit club Back Porch Memories? The other day I received an email from Paula, the owner of the site and store in Fairbanks, Alaska, and she asked me if I would like to be one of their full time designers! What exciting news to be offered two DT positions in one day! I can't wait to start on both of these adventures. Make sure to come by each of these forums to visit me, chat and be challenged.

That's all for today. I'm doing good - 2 blog posts in a weekend! LOL! Stay tuned this week as I will be offering up a RAK in honor of my milestone birthday that is a week away. And I will have some other things to share with you all too; a holiday papercrafting class that I am offering, a couple glitter techniques, and maybe even a recipe. Enjoy your Sunday evening - XOXO, Nik

It's been a while - LOL!

2009-10-23T08:25:00.017-05:00

One of these days I will get better at updating my blog on a weekly basis. Not sure why I get so distracted and don't get it done! Thankfully so many of you are better at it than I am because I get to hop all over blog land and ooooohhhhh and aaaaahhhhh over all of your FAB-U-LOUS creations! Fall is such an awesome season for crafting, don't ya think? It just gets you motivated to create with all the beautiful colors and the crisp cool air that brings about the hint that winter is on it's way. I was busy in September with a wonderful kit from Back Porch Memories. I had a blast being on their guest DT for September. This kit was packed with goodies from Pink Paislee, My Mind's Eye and SEI. Lot's of yummy colors to mix and match! Below are a couple of my layouts from the kit. I love the first one with my girls and the second one is my little guy Colson. As October rolled around, I was asked fill a guest DT spot at Scrappin' Mojo, my home base scrappy forum. The paper I was blessed to work with were from Paper Trunk - loved this paper!
They sent so much, that I still have sheets left over. The "Wrangler" line was perfect for some projects for Cole. I made this simple little name banner to hang in his room and a couple layouts:

This is my fave layout using the Paper Trunk papers from the "Socialite" line. The picture was taken just 5 days before Ellie died; she did everything with grace and always had a smile on her face. Love how her and Desi are holding each other in this photo.

Another fave - Ellie and baby Colson. I wrote a note to Cole on this one:

Each day for me continues to bring it's own set of grief struggles and at times it can be very hard to move forward because I am constantly thinking about Ellie. I have never wanted to get to Heaven so badly - it is difficult to think that it could be 40 years or more before I get to hold her in my arms again. She keeps me motivated with my creativity, however. She was my crafty partner and when I am working a project, I can almost feel her next to me asking how she can help. Recently Desi and I organized my Clip-It-Up. I could not help but shed some tears because Ellie helped me put it together and get all the little clips on there. We spent about an hour and a half arranging it a couple years back. It's those little memories that get the best of me and cause a mini breakdown. God, do I miss my little girl.

Thanks for looking my sweet blog friends and I will be back tomorrow with some exciting news to share! Until then - be blessed!

XOXO ~ Nik

New Look and a Guest DT Spot!

2009-08-16T16:58:00.014-05:00

Ok, so I was not very good about getting back to blog after our little vaca to Colorado! LOL! Sorry about that - the rest of July and most of August has been so busy as I am sure most of you can relate. We had a fantastic, relaxing time and here are a few pics for you. This is the gorgeous Rockie Mountains - beautiful. For those of you that have been there you know what I mean!. The pictures just do not do this country justice. We saw all kinds of wildlife in the mountains. Including this fella, a large, and I mean LARGE moose! We were fishing on one of the streams in the mountians and this guy and a friendjust passed us by. A little scary for us, but glad I got some great pics!

We did lots of fishing and more fishing! I cannot belive the size of the trout in the Colorado River. Of course, this picture of me and the little fishy at the end of my line is not what I am talking about, but this was the only pic Pat took of me fishing. We grilled lots of yummy food; here's a picture of the steak kabobs we grilled at the fishing hole one night:

And here is my sweetie pie by a gorgeous waterfall we found as we did some hiking one day. Love his big smile; this trip is just what he needed!

On to scrappy news! I am thrilled to be the guest designer for Back Porch Memories in September! If you have not been over to their site, please go check it out. They have awesome kits at a very resonable price and a wonderful forum full of sweet and talented ladies that I know will inspire you. I have been a lurker on their site for almost a year and decided to enter the contest. So excited to have won! Also visit the gallery to check out the great entries; each was fabulous and very creative. Below is my entry; little Miss Ellie playing T-Ball. Finally got these pics scrapped after two years! LOL!

I have also been playing around with my Webster's Pages papers thatI simply adore. Here is a layout I did for an online crop challenge over at Scrappin' Mojo a couple weeks ago. Thanks Sophia for an awesome challenge and to Jan and Terri for having such a fun scrapbook community to be a part of. I LOVE these girls! This layout of Colson seemed to take me forever, but I am happy with the results. Sophia wanted us to use stitching and an envelope on the layout and here is what I came up with:
And you will notice that I finally have changed my background and header on my blog. It has been in need for some time now! Thanks to Deb at Sparkling Scrapbooks, I found a great little blog that has the cutest blog designs. Go check out Cute and Cool Blog stuff to get your own. She also does custom work too. I am loving the new look just need to add a few more details. Hope you all had a great weekend and I am hoping to be back tomorrow to share a couple designs from a fun kit that I recently received. Until then, be blessed! XOXO ~ Nik

Off to Colorado and a little TOOT!

2009-07-10T14:27:00.003-05:00

Well, Pat and I are packed and are headed out to the mountains of Colorado until July 18th. We are so blessed to be given this trip by a friend of ours and are really looking forward to spending some much needed time with each other and just relaxing. I am hoping that Ellie makes it known that she is with us in the mountains - God, do we miss her.

For the first time ever, I have a little toot to share! Today I got an email from Memory Makers saying that they are featuring my American Classic layout in the online gallery as the featured layout! I am thrilled as I have not been submitting any work for months and just started to again. Go check it out at Memory Makers - woo, hoo!

Please pray that we have safe travels and the Lord continues to heal our broken hearts. I'll be back to blog on the 20th!
XOXO ~ Nik

Another Monday

2009-07-06T11:57:00.008-05:00

Are Mondays hard for you? They are for me. Even though I am a stay-at-home mom and I do not have to head to work outside of the home, Mondays have always been a challenge for me. I am hoping someday I can embrace them as a new start to the week and jump out of bed ready to tackle everything. But for now, I still have trouble with Monday. Hope you all had a great 4th of July and were able to capture lots of memories with your cameras. I am relying on my niece Lindsey for my pictures since I just didn't seem to pull the camera out this weekend. I know she got some great shots of Cole and Desi and I can't wait to see her talented eye got on film. Lindsey is only 18 and she is so gifted when it comes to taking pictures! Below is a layout of Cole that I did using one of her photographs. Pretty good for just a kid, huh?

So I was thinking I need to do some updating on my blog. A new banner, new profile pictures, etc. Any ideas for me fellow bloggers?? I feel like I have not updated very much since all that has happened with Ellie and I just need a little blog facelift, KWIM? And if you got some suggestions for me send them my way. There just might be a little RAK involved if I pick your idea! Wink - wink!

Speaking of RAKs, my pal Pinky has a great little giveaway today, Head on over to her blog and post a comment. She needs 40 comments to give this RAK away so go and give her some lovin' on her blog. Enjoy your day all and I'll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more layouts that I have been working on! XOXO ~ Nik

Cosmo Cricket!

2009-06-29T20:21:00.011-05:00

I had a blast on the scrap retreat this past weekend! Even though I feel like I did not get as many pages done as I would have liked, I did get two projects done that I have been itching to do for several months. I will post them tomorrow once take pics. I did finish this little layout of my little guy Colson. I love the Cosmo Cricket and Fancy Pants lines! Cole was only 2 months old here and now he is a year. Time goes by way to fast!

So, who doesn't love CC??? When I came across the news that they were having a DT call, I scrambled to post my entry. What I love about Cosmo Cricket is their ability to be both whimsical and beautiful all at the same time. I have to say that they have cornered the market on quality, creative and simply fabulous scrapbooking products. Below you will find only some of my work that has used Cosmo Cricket. I absolutely adore their products and thought why not give this a whirl. What started it all for me was the "Wanted" line. I loved it so much that I bought the entire line two times over and even painted my little Cowboy Cole's room according to these colors! Here's a picture frame that I did with the "Wanted" line:

Along came "Girl Friday" and again I was in love. How perfect are these papers for the little girls in our lives?! Here's a wall plaque that I made for Desirae:

The "Hey Sugar" line won my heart again and I had fun playing with the big cardstock "buttons" and sweet papers:

"Dutch Girl" - I fell in love with her the moment they released her! Here's Ellie and Desi in 2006:

And another layout utilizing the "Hey Sugar" pretties:

Thank you Cosmo Cricket for letting us all enjoy your product and creating such fabulous items to work with! DT or no DT, I am a CC girl for life! XOXO ~ Niki

P.S. I almost forgot to post my blog winner from the Scrappin Mojo Blog Hop! Stella, you are my lucky winner! Congrats Lady and I will have your prize out to you this week. Thanks to all who played along with us this weekend. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces!

Summer Soiree Blog Hop and Giveaway at Scrappin Mojo

2009-06-26T01:38:00.010-05:00

So much has happened since Ellie's home going to Heaven that it will be hard for me to re-cap. Each day I struggle to make sense out of my life without her in it and each day it seems to become even more difficult. The pain that lives in my heart is so heavy; it can cloud even the sunniest of summer days. I do have many things to be thankful for and one such thing is my ability to get my thoughts put down on my layouts and crafty projects. I have been on two scrapbook retreats since I last posted and also was named one of the June guest designers for Scrappin Mojo. Excitng for me, as this is the very first online forum I ever visited and I continue to post my work there because I love the Mojo girls. I feel like we are a little family! I have lots of layouts to show you that I have been working on, but I will save that post for later in the week - promise! This weekend over at Scrappin Mojo we are hosting a Blog Hop with lots of prizes and one grand prize. All you have to do to participate is leave comments on the participating blogs and complete the challenge they have posted. Head on over to Mojo to register and play along with us and don't forget to check out the awesome grand prize from Bo Bunny!

So if you are playing along, my challenge to you is to create a layout using red, white and blue as your color scheme. I had fun working with an older kit that I had from Jenni Bowlin - love her kits! Leave a comment here so I know you stopped by and I will enter your name into a drawing for a RAK from me! And don't forget to post your completed layout in the gallery back at Scrappin Mojo for a chance to win the grand prize.

And if you wanna keep hopping along, please visit Diana's blog for your next challenge. Have fun and don't forgot to leave comments for my RAK. On Monday I will put all the names in a bucket and let Desi pick out a winner. Enjoy your weekend everyone and don't forget to check out Mojo for the official Blog Hop rules! Enjoy and Happy Scrappin!

Miss You, Ellie Belle

2009-02-25T11:30:00.006-06:00

I do not have a lot of words today as Ellie's passing is still very fresh and almost seems unreal to me. However, I felt moved to make a small post to the scrapbooking community. I am in total disbelief at the goodness of so many who do not know me personally, but only through my pages. I cannot describe how touched I am by your kindness and generosity - Thank You. Ellie loved to create and often would sit by me when I would upload layouts and projects. I know that she will be watching over me, Jesus at her side, continuing to be my inspiration for all the pages to come.

Forever free, Ellie. I miss you and know you are near. My arms ache to hold you and kiss your sweet little face. If one day in Heaven is like 1000 here on earth, wait for me for about 15 minutes and I will be there with you. Love you, baby girl ~ Mama

Walking By Faith

2008-09-14T19:58:00.004-05:00

I am not even sure where to start since I have not done a blog entry since April. So, I guess I'll just jump in. As many of you know, on April 29th, my oldest daughter Ellie was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor in her brainstem. You can imagine the devastation Pat and I felt after receiving this news about our precious girl, our fist baby. Both of us literally fell to our knees weeping and clutching one another. Never, ever, did we think we would be facing cancer; especially with one of children. Since that day, much has happened to me mentally, physically and certainly spiritually. I have discovered things about myself that I never knew, made friends that I know will last a lifetime and been witness to the amazing works of God through His people. I have never been this close to God; even though I wish this was not happening with Ellie, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace because I know how much He loves me. He'll never let me go.

Ellie is doing wonderful right now. Her determination and spunkiness brings joy to my heart and I am so proud of how she has handled everything she has to go through.She started kindergarten and loves it. I would write more about everything we have been doing with her treatments, but I would like to keep this blog as my creative place. Most of you who know me also know that you can follow Ellie at her own website. I have also added her link on the sidebar. I've added a couple pictures of Ellie from the first day of school.

My middle child, Desirae, started preschool this year. She still seems so little to be going to a "class", but she absolutely loves it and really likes the idea that she gets to go to school like her big sister. That's her in the red dress on the first day of preschool.

Since my last post in April, Pat and I also had a baby boy. Colson Patrick was born on May 27th via C-section and has provided us with hope, laughter and sweetness. He is a gentle reminder of just how precious life truly is.

With all that has been happening, my papercrafting time has been pretty limited. But I did get the chance to go away on a scrappy weekend in August and managed to create a few layouts. Cole provides a fun new avenue for me since I have never scrapped little boy pages before! The two layouts that I have uploaded are of his sweetness as he was brought into this world. The third layout is a picture that my good friend Dawn took of Ellie in 2006 when she was 3 years old. I finally got around to scrapping it! And the final layout is of Desi in all her cuteness. This one was actually done as part of my design team work for Making Memories For You. Unfortunately, I had to leave the design team due to what was happening with Ellie. I am excited to get back into doing some design work for the Scrapdragons challenge blog. Gabi and Laura have some great challenges planned for the remainder of the year so be sure to stop over to Scrapdragons and check it out! As I sign off for tonight, I want to take a moment to thanks all of you for your incredible kindness, words of encouragement, gifts and prayer. The scrapbooking community has reached out to me in a way I never even imagined and I am so fortunate to be part of such a caring group of crafters. Please continue to pray for Ellie and my family - God grants miracles every day; why not one for Ellie? Blessings to you all ~ Niki

April Showers bring May Flowers

2008-04-02T01:07:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you all, but I am so ready for the snow to be gone and to see my flowers start popping up. It thas been a long winter! Nothing like doing a few scrapbooking challenges to get me in the spring mood. Below are a few layouts and projects that were all done for Making Memories For You. Some are newer challenges and some a little older, but all very inspiring! As for my blogging, I am way behind! With only 9 weeks until Baby Boy Willaert arrives, I have been quite busy getting ready for him and trying to accomplish all of life's other duties. I so hope to be back and post this week and also get caught up with you all. Have a great week!

Heather at MMFY had a great idea for one of her March challenges. We had to use 10 or more flowers on a layout; now that is for sure a great way to think spring!

Dee's March challenge was to do a layout about a spring activity. My girls love their raincoats and umbrellas! This challenge finally got me to scrap this wonderful photo taken by my good friend Dawn of Dawn Roach Photography. Dawn is also responsible for the lovely photo in the layout above; check out her site - she rocks! I am lucky to have found such a good friend and her pictures are the ultimate bonus!

Another challenge from Dee! We had to use the work "luck" or "lucky" on our layout. All of the supplies used on this layout came from a kit I purchased from Kelly at Keep In Touch. Check out her shoppe - amazing kits and Kelly is wonderful to work with!

This lovely card was inspired by a member at MMFY, Fe-Fe. She is a fabulous card maker and challenged us to use a stamped image on our card, not a word. A total stretch for me since I do not make cards very often!

Caitlin, another member at Making Memories For You, had posted this altered CD challenge early in the year. I loved doing this so much that I had to share! How cool to take some scratched up CDs that the kids ruined and make a fun little wall hanging for their room!

Grand Opening Crop at MMFY!

2008-03-09T03:40:00.003-05:00

Hey fellow bloggers and scrapbooking friends - come and hang out next weekend at Making Memories For You for some great scrappy chatter, inspiring challenges and lots of chances to win yummy prizes! Hope to see you there!

I Made The Team!!!

2008-03-09T01:54:00.006-06:00

What a fantastic day in my creative world it has been! Today was the day that Frankie posted her new DT over at Making Memories For You and I was chosen! I am super excited and can't wait to start my DT work in April. And it got even better as I kept reading. Remember the "Survivor" contest at MMFY? Turns out I had won that also! All of the creations by members for this contest were just phenomenal and I honestly did not think I would get all the way through to the final round. Check out my layouts and project below. Frankie had us doing everything from altering and using transparencies to scrapping a layout with no pictures. It was wild and tons of fun! I just want to say congrats to all the Survivor contestants - you all rocked these challenges and I hope you had some fun along the way! Come and visit me at MMFY!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!

2008-02-20T15:03:00.003-06:00

The sub zero temps in Minnesota are almost too much too take! Today has been the perfect day to stay indoors, play with the kids and have some hot chocolate. I am so anxious for spring and warm weather to get here! I have been keeping crafty with lots of scrapbooking challenges. My life is so fu1l of scrappy layouts, contests and challenges right now and it has been fantastic! Below are some of my challenge layouts; the first two were created for Scrappin' Mojo and the second two for Making Memories For You. I am also participating in a 4 week challenge at MMFY; the Survivor Challenge! This has been a blast and I have made it to round 4! Once the contest is over or my torch is put out, I will post my creations - so stay tuned & wish me luck! Feel free to check the site out and see all the buzz!

Scrappin' Mojo is hosting an Iron Chef Contest and I am busily trying to complete round 1 for that as well! This is another 4 week contest and we were sent a package of secret ingredients to use on our projects. Tons of fun! Hope you are all staying warm and keeping healthy!

So Excited!!

2008-02-01T18:57:00.000-06:00

What a week it has been! First I just want to share a little toot for myself. I am super excited to have some of my work published in a new ezine, Magazine of Memories! Go check out this awesome ezine that is chock full of ideas and inspiration. You can find the link on the right hand side of my blog under "places I like to visit." You will love it! Frankie from Making Memories For You has outdone herself with this and it shows. Looks fantastic Frankie, and I thank you for using a few of my layouts and projects! Below I have a couple fun Valentine decorations that are ready to display for February. And a couple more layouts too. Happy Sweethearts month!!

More Layouts

2008-01-24T10:10:00.000-06:00

Here's a few more layouts I did from last week. My layout a day goal got interrupted with the kids being sick and just life getting in the way of my creative time. I really like this creative journal. I love being able to jot all my thoughts and sketches down in one spot to refer to later. This week I am working on some fun Valentine's Day projects. Hope to post those next week.
It is freezing cold in Minnesota! Zero degrees today. Stay Warm!

Gettin' Scrappy

2008-01-16T11:32:00.000-06:00

I've been doing lots of layouts these days! For the month of January, I am trying to create a layout a day to get a jump start on my caftiness for 2008. Here's a few that I squeaked out this past week. I just love the Making Memories Noteworthy line ~ fun stuff! Anbody else on a stash diet?? I am trying to use up as much stuff as I can to make room for the new CHA releases!

Woo-hoo for Prima!

2007-12-30T13:08:00.000-06:00

After scrolling through Pub Calls earlier in the month, I decided to submit for the Prima Design Team. The competition is I am sure extremely tough, but hey, I love flowers and I love Prima, so what have I got to lose, right? I completed these two projects and am so pleased with the results! I have had this junky chalkboard kicking around my scraproom for months. A little paint, pretty paper and some stunning flowers and ta-da! I love this and it looks great in our kitchen. This little wall hanging is a picture my neighbor took a couple years ago of Ellie. I love this photo and wanted to showcase it. I used the embossed Prima 12x12 chipboard for the base and painted it using a mix of pearlizing medium and some pale yellow paint. I love the look of the distress ink on the raised part of the chipboard. Hope to have inspired you all - cheers for the New Year!

I Think I'm In Love!

2007-12-10T18:36:00.000-06:00

With my first ever Jenni Bowlin Kit! After running errands today, I arrived home to find this awaiting for me on my doorstep. Look at all these yummy papers, sweet little Prima flowers, awesome chipboard labels and that fabulous glitter butterfly! I'll be crafting later tonight with all these goodies - just in time for some last minute gift creations!

Winter Layouts

2007-12-07T15:45:00.000-06:00

Last weekend's snowstorm kept me inside and working at my scrap table. I mananged to kick out 6 layouts; here are a couple of Ellie. I love scrapping during this season! So many fun pictures to take and turn into mini pieces of art. Now, if I could just finish all my Christmas shopping and crafty gifts that I have started! Hope you are all enjoying winter so far and the beauty of the season!

Christmas Crafting

2007-11-18T15:39:00.000-06:00

I made it through the Craft Show at Christina Huddleston Elementary! What a great experience! So many wonderful vendors and lots of pretties to oooooo and ahhhhh over. I will for sure do this one again next year. I've been working hard on projects for the holidays and have had a blast getting creative. Here's a few pictures of some of my favorites. These paper trees were quite tedious but well worth the work; I love their whimsical appeal. I adore the new paper line from My Mind's Eye Signature Christmas Collection; total inspiration for this little bird gift box. And of course I made about 6 of these star ornaments; had to get my vintage Santa fix! I'll be getting the house ready for Christmas this week and can't wait to use my new decorations. Big Holiday Hugs!

Long time - no post!

2007-11-05T14:42:00.000-06:00

Wow, does life ever get in the way! so many things happening in my world lately that I have completely neglected my blog. But, I won't bore you with all the details and rather just post some fun stuff happening in my scrappy world!
Scrapdragons!
Come and check out the latest challenge at http://thescrapdragons.blogspot.com/. Gabi and Laura have cooked up a cool new "you pick two" challenge. Come join in the fun for your chance to win a fab scrappy package. Layout needs to be submitted to Scrapdragons by November 15th. My take on the challenge is pictured above.
Upcoming Cyber Crops!! Two fun crops coming up quickly at the end of the month; check out these sites for the details!
November 30th ~ Feeling Scrappy (http://feelingscrappy.com/)
November 30th & December 1st ~ Scrappin' Mojo (http://scrappinmojo.com/)
Join me and my cyber scrappy friends at one of these and complete challenges, get inspired, chat and oh yeah, earn super cool prizes! Hope to see ya online at one of these!

Journaling Class at Feeling Scrappy!

2007-09-27T14:32:00.000-05:00

There's still time to sign up for an awesome journaling class, The Write Stuff, at Feeling Scrappy. This online class is packed full of fabulous and unique ideas for journaling on your pages or wherever else you choose. Class runs from October 1st through October 27th. Click the link below for complete details!
http://www.feelingscrappy.com/class_details.html

"Celebrate Family" Accordian Album

2007-09-25T14:39:00.000-05:00

I had a ton of fun creating this accordian album for October's project class at Memory Creek. Really love these yummy papers from Paper Loft! This is the perfect little book to give someone special. Add your own photos and journaling and you're done. Can't wait to teach this next month!

Feeling Scrappy - "Splish~Splash" contest winner!

2007-09-16T21:36:00.000-05:00

This past month at Feeling Scrappy the contest was a to create a layout using a water theme. Congratulations to Lyn on her awesome layout! Check out all her detail and fantastic color choices. Way to go Lyn!!

New Creative Team Call at Feeling Scrappy!

2007-09-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

Hey all you talented scrappers! My DT site, Feeling Scrappy, is beginning its search for the new Creative Team! If selected you would serve a 6 month term beginning November 1st. For complete details click the following link:
http://www.feelingscrappy.com/event_calendar.html
Good Luck to all who submit!!!

Memory Creek!

2007-09-10T07:48:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to be a part of Memory Creek, my favorite local scrapbook store in Farmington, MN. I have been selected to be one of the instructors and will be teaching classes on scrapbook techniques, layouts and altered projects. If you are a local blogger, stop in to see Ann and her staff at Memory Creek. They are fantastic and the product selection is top notch! My first class is this coming Saturday, September 15th. It's all about chipboard! Come and learn how to use this latest craze in the scrapbooking industry. For a class schedule, call the store at 651-463-9480. Hope to see some of you there!

New Scrapdrogons Challenge - Mixing it Up!

2007-09-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

Head over to Scrapdragons and check out the latest challenge that Gabi abd Laura have cooked up! You will be given 3 things to pull inspiration from; one is a layout, the second a picture, and the third a piece of fabric. Submit your creation for a chance to win a fabulous scrappy prize! Can't wait to see your entries!

Winner posted on Scrapdragons!

2007-08-31T15:06:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Lesley Langdon on having her layout chosen as the sketch challenge winner for Scrapdragons! This was a tough decision as there were so many awesome layouts for this 2nd challenge. Lesley's layout is so unique in the way that she incorporated so many different elements on her page. Check out the textured painting! Here is her winning layout:

Who's your inner Rock Chick??

2007-08-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

I love Gwen! Not sure how I agree with everything but still cool! Who's yours?

You Are Gwen Stefani!

All guys dream about you
And all the girls want to be you
"Sappy pathetic little me
That was the girl I used to be"

Who's Your Inner Rock Chick?

Congrats Girls! You've been tagged!

2007-08-08T21:58:00.000-05:00

Here's my nominations for Rockin' Girl Blogger:
http://angelaprieto-bluejeans7.blogspot.com
http://yayaprincessblog.blogspot.com
http://oscrappyday.blogspot.com
http://sheree412.blogspot.com

I'm Rockin!

2007-08-06T20:13:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to be nominated by Jersey scrapper Laura Shreve into "Rockin' Girl Blogger" status! How cool is this?!?! Here's how it works: Now that I have been nominated, I get to tag 5 other bloggers that I think are rockin' and the group will keep growing. Check back later today to see who my 5 Rockin' Girl Bloggers are!

"All Mixed Up" Challenge at Scrapdragons!

2007-07-30T08:07:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Come and check out the awesome challenge at Scrapdragons!
Challenge starts August 1st and all entries must be submitted by August 15th. You will be given two layouts and an object and your challenge is to take inspiration from each and create a layout. Oh, and did I mention there's a scrappy prize involved??!! I am excited to see your creations!

New Basic Grey "Infuse"

2007-07-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I headed to my LSS and picked up the new BG paper pack. I am in love!! Here's my first layout I created with it; the pictures are of Ellie a couple years ago at age 2. I am starting a portrait album for each of the girls and this is a layout for Ellie's. Thank you Suzanne at Feeling Scrappy for such a cool idea to create these albums of all the professional portraits!

Book of Me

2007-07-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

I have been working on my Book of Me! I like how it is turning out so far, but have a lot more to add! All of these layouts were done from challenges that were presented on Scrappin' Mojo. Thanks girls for the inspiration!

Little Cowboy Album

2007-07-24T00:25:00.001-05:00

Sketch Class at Feeling Scrappy!

2007-07-23T15:53:00.001-05:00

Just wanted you all to know that Feeling Scrappy starts it's sketch class on August 6th - August 31st! This class is packed full of fun sketches, prizes and a scrappy hour that rocks! Did I mention the prizes???!! There is so much to get out of this class! Stop by to sign up - there's still time!

My very first post!!

2007-07-23T14:12:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to finally get this blog up and running! Between all the summer activities, the kids and my crafting, this was put on the back burner. I am thrilled to start my new business "Petals to Polka Dots" and I thought what better way to get the word out than a blog?? I am pretty new to this so for you expert bloggers out there, you will probably have to cut me a little slack until I get really good at this!

My passion for scrapbooking and paper crafting is finally getting some recognition and I am so tickled about it! My mini albums and keepsake boxes are selling in a small boutique in Blue Earth, Minnesota run by a fantastic lady named Lisa Krosch. If you ever get this way, pop in to see her at Lisa's Custom Sewing and Crafts; you will love her!! I have been having a great time as a member of the design team for FeelingScrappy.com. The girls on the board are fantastic and there is so much inspiration to be found in the gallery. Stop by and visit me and all my scrappy friends! The fall looks quite promising as far as craft shows. I have one booked in October and another in November. I am totally psyched about the upcoming holiday season and being able to participate this year in these local shows.

Below I have posted just a few of my recent projects & layouts. I love the creative process of paper crafting and the awesome outlet is gives me to release the everyday pressures I often feel as a stay-at-home-mom. I really hope to inspire others with there own projects and layouts; that's best thing about this hobby!

Hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy your visits. More to come soon!
Hugs, Niki