I am thankful for having had you as part of my life

I woke up today to very, very sad news. My dear friend Betty Anne Orr passed away yesterday. She was ill and she was fighting and I was certain she was going to get better, but she didn't. Still I had to go and share Thanksgiving celebrations with my daughter's class and think and talk about the things we are grateful for. Sad as I am today, I am immensely grateful for having had Betty Anne as a friend. She was that kind of person that made the world a better place just for being there. She had a kind word for everybody, she had time for everybody who needed it, even when she was going through rough times she would find time to ask if my daughter's ear infection was responding to the medications and she was feeling better or if she was feeling OK in her new school. She was the soul of Let's Scrap, and she would never leave a layout in the gallery without a comment, she always knew how to find the best about everything and everybody. I am already missing her terribly, and I know there are lots of people who are missing her with me. 

I met Betty Anne through scrapbooking, and I would like to share one of her beautiful layouts with you in my blog today. It was hard to choose because so many of her layouts tell great stories and different things about her, but I think this one shows exactly the kind of loving person she was.

My friend, you will be missed. 

All about me

It has been an amazing couple of weeks at The Art Studio @ Scrapbook News and Review. Lots and lots of crafters of every style, level and nationality have taken advantage of the free offer and taken a peak at the magazine. And they have loved what they have seen! 

It is now time for them to get another great offer and get to know us even better: for the next few days, almost ALL CLASSES are on sale for a fabulous price of 5$. This has also brought lots of visitors to Scrapping Nomad, so, if you are visiting my blog for the first time, I would like to tell you a little bit about me and my classes.

My husband has a job that requires him to move countries with some frequency, and as a family, we all tag along! That explains the NOMAD part of my blog. When you move often, there are lots of things that are unstable and you really need some anchors in your life. Crafting is one of my anchors. Wherever we go, it goes with me and helps me keep my sanity. After all, it is much cheaper than therapy.

At the beginning of the year, I joined the group of instructors at The Art Studio and we have been working hard at creating a site that offers you what you have always been looking for. The classes are full of content, accesible, enjoyable, and ready for you whenever you feel the mojo or manage to find five minutes to sneak some crafting time.

I have created a series of classes focusing on some of the most popular trends this year: Chevrons, Twine, Decorative Tape and Doilies. The classes explore different techniques for using these trends in your layouts and customizing the elements you already have in your stash to make them the trendiest around. If you are looking for some layout inspiration, too, there are step-by-step instructions for creating the layouts used as examples. And if you are a visual learner or not so keen on reading, there are videos explaining the main techniques to you!

Here are some of the things I have created for this class:

If you feel like you'd love to have fun and play with the hottest elements around, why not give the classes a try? You can find all the info you need HERE. Go and have a look and please, let me know if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Color challenge, let's play!!!

I have been telling you to pay attention to some colours this month, as I had big news for you and those colours were part of it. Well, I can share the news with you, now!

The Art Studio @ Scrapbook News and Reviews is coming back with a new look, and an even more fabulous site that has been re-designed to include the ideas and feedback from those students who have already enjoyed our classes. And to celebrate, we are having lots of different contests and fun stuff. My favourite is the LOGO COLORS CHALLENGE. If you haven't seen the new logo, here it is:

Aren't these colours just fabulous? They make me want to craft right here, right now. And so I altered some dollar store frames and made them into a lovely piece for my photo wall. 

Very simple project. I just dyed the frames, added the photos and stickers, and created some beautiful butterflies from patterned paper, wire and beads.

I am all for very easy projects at the moment, as life has become so busy this year, so a pretty project I can finish in less than an hour and hang from my wall is a big accomplishment!!!

There are some fabulous projects using the colours from some of The Art Studio instructors here. So many different styles you are bound to find more than one project you love! But the fun doesn't stop there. YOU can take part, too. And here is how you can do it:

How to Participate: Join us in The Art Studio's Challenge Group. You must register on our site to submit your artwork (remember your SNR username won't work for this site, you will need to register at The Art Studio if you haven't - it's free!). Please feel free to leave love and praise for others while you're there.

The Prize: Faber-Castell goodies, including gelatos, watercolor pencils and other mixed media items.

The Fine Print: All entries must be submitted by Sunday, November 11, 2012. You must have your name (or username ) clearly visible so we can contact you for more information. Please note that any prizes not claimed within 30 days will go to another randomly selected artists.

Please Note: If it doesn't allow you to upload to the challenge's album (some browsers have restrictions), then please feel free to start your own album.

You can add as many as you like. Just have fun, create and let us see! 

And remember, you could win a $100 GC to an online papercrafting store of your choice just by telling us what you want:

We have a wonderful variety of classes available at The Art Studio @ Scrapbook News and Review. Many of which were suggested by our subscribers and fans. 

Now we want to know what you want. Yes, you! Tell us what classes you would like to see us schedule in 2013. Anything and everything. Big or small. Simple or complex. Whatever you want to learn or do, let us know and we'll make it happen.

To thank you for your suggestions, we're offering up a $100 gift certificate to your favorite online paper crafting store. How do you play? Easy...there are three ways you can do it...you can do one or you can do them all.

Everyone must e-mail us at games@scrapbooknewsandreview.com to be eligible for the contest. Then, if you like, you can post on the Art Studio's blog or you can post on their Facebook page.

The contest will run until Sunday, November 11, 2012 and a winner will be notified within 72 hours. Since it's running for a few days, up your chances by posting every time you think of something you would like to attend a class for. You can continue to post on our blog or Facebook page, but remember, you must send one e-mail to the above e-mail address. If you're randomly chosen from another source, such as the blog or the Facebook page and you don't have an e-mail in our e-mail box, then you'll be disqualified.

So that's it. Tell us what you want and we'll make one lucky winner a happy girl (or guy)!

Pumpkins in the living room

My living room has some visitors at the moment:

Yes, they are not the orange, perfect pumpkins that you get in a pumpkin patch for sure, but they are as good as they get here, and we have grown fond of them. Plus, this year we got them directly from the main market, and paid 6 times less than last year for them. What's not to love about that?

Anyway, going to buy the pumpkins for our annual "pumpkin carving with friends" party made me realize I had not worked on any Halloween stuff yet. How is it possible, when there are so many Halloween things around? I've been very busy, but I could always have found some time. The truth is I've gone into leave-it-to-the-last-minute mode. So, quick trip to the fabric store, five minute dash to the crafts store, and I came home with two wreath bases (two front doors... double the work!) and four yards of tulle and some kind of glittery fabric- not sure what it is, I should probably ask my friend Pam Sandy, she is the fabric expert!

Since I didn't have much time to work on them, as they had to be ready this morning, I just went for a very easy technique: the no sew tutu. The wreath is not a tutu, but it works just perfectly for it. I cut the tulle strips, and alternated three orange strips and three black strips. When I had finished that, I added some strips of glittery fabric, and the wreath was done. It took me about half an hour to finish each wreath, and no tools other than a pair of scissors. Once they were finished, I cut the works BOO and EEK in glittery foam, added a felt background, some googly eyes, and done. Two Halloween wreaths in less than 90 minutes!

Here are some close-ups of the yummy tulle and glittery fabric:

Aren't those eye-lashes cute? And while we are talking about Halloween stuff, have you seen the new Halloween classes at the refurbished Art Studio? If you haven't you really should check them:

You can check them all at The Art Studio. And remember, I am taking the Convertible Halloween Mini-album and Banner class (wish I could take them all, they are all so yummy, but, hey, I have to cook sometimes!), so if you are planning to take it, let me know and we can scrap-chat while we work on it. I really want a scrapping buddy. I really, really do!

I had to share this with you... DD was standing on one of the pumpkins (How many times did I tell her not to? Close to a million?) and it burst. YUCK! It was rotten inside, so it splattered the sofa and the wall, and it smells... well, it smell like poop, there's no other way to describe it... so, if you are planning to keep pumpkins inside, do a through inspection daily, and please, don't let your kids stand on them!!!!

Birthday wrapping with pompons

I am an awful present wrapper. But whenever we give a group present to somebody, since I am the one making the card, the wrapping usually falls in my hands as well, and I always feel embarrassed to be giving a lousily wrapped present to someone who deserves better. So, I have started looking for better wrapping options in Pinterest, and boy have I found some lovely ones.

Armed with lots of courage, this weekend I tried a wrapping idea using pompons with two presents (yes, DD has TWO birthday parties today, one right after the other, am I lucky or what?). I wanted to use kraft paper to wrap the presents but forgot to buy it, so I used fabric instead. DD loves buying fabric and whenever we go by the shop she will beg for a yard of a different colour. It is much cheaper than a toy, and she has some very creative uses for it, so I always give in and buy her some. Plus, I can steal from her stash when I need some!

My first present is for a little princess who is turning four and is, of course, having a Princess Party. Pink was a MUST for this present, and the crown was a cute touch.

The second one was for a big boy, turning 7, and since this number is so important to him, we wanted to make it part of the wrapping (DD's idea).

For both presents I simply wrapped them in fabric using my glue gun, added the string lines which I glued under the fabric on one of the sides and then wrapped around the presents, and finally added the pompons, in different colours ans sizes. I cut the crown and seven in glitter foam, and then added a happy birthday sentiment sticker and DD added her name next to it. All in all, a huge improvement from my previous, awfully wrapped presents! DD even asked: "Mom, why are you being so creative today?" Like she can still be surprised about mom getting a sudden burst of unexpected inspiration!

This weekend is bringing big things with it, so come later and pay a visit if you can!

Back for good... I hope!

Whatever did we do before we had internet????? Silly question, since I can't really remember what I did before I had my iPad!!!! :) Anyway, tropical storm Isaac left us with lots of problems in the area, and it has taken ages for everything to be back to normal, but it is finally working, and I really hope this hurricane season doesn't bring any more surprises.

I can't go back and tell you what I have been doing this month, so I'm starting afresh and showing you what I am working on at the moment...

I bought these frames very, very cheap in a sale and honestly thought it was wood.... what a surprise when I took the back off and realised they were plastic! The good thing is that after some sanding the plastic took the ink really well, with a little help of my heat gun (that was just because I couldn't wait!!!).

Keep that colour in mind, it is part of something new and fab coming really soon, I can't tell you more right now, but I will very soon. Another thing I am doing right now is working on some Halloween projects. I am working on some jars to give away to friends (eating lots of artichokes because I love those jars, what a great excuse!) and some bags to hold treats for DD's class. And I am seriously thinking of taking this class:

The idea of the class is to create a banner to decorate your house during Halloween, and turn it into a Halloween mini-album once the season is over. Two for the price (and especially the work) of one!!! I already took Mo's Punches and Die Cuts class some time ago, and really enjoyed the creative ideas and the sketches, so even though this has been a very busy month (a very busy year!) I think I need to take this one, too. If you are interested, you can find more info HERE. And if you decide to join, please let me know so we can be "scrap buddies". We could chat while we scrap and enjoy the class even more!

What I've been doing

I have never had such a long period without posts since I started blogging. And the thing is, my Hot Trends class has drained me of my energy! :) Don't get me wrong, it has been a fabulous experience. I have enjoyed every minute of it, from planning, to creating, to sharing what I know with a great group of talented scrappers. But I feel like I do at the end of a LOAD challenge, like I could not create a single page again. EVER. Luckily, I usually get over this very quickly, so as soon as the class is over I know I'll be creating again. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you bits and pieces of what I've been doing. 

1. I've been reading a blog, and not just the latest posts: I went back to the first post and read everything from that one to the latest one. I have cried, I have laughed, and I am hooked. The blog is called Wrong in All the Right Ways, and it is the story of a beautiful family and their absolutely amazing kids. We have been talking about adoption for ages, but at the moment, moving so often and sort of unexpectedly between countries, it doesn't seem like an option for us. The process takes a long time, and it would be emotionally draining to go through the whole thing and then have to move and cancel everything at the very last minute. Still, it is a subject that is always in my mind, and I love reading about these kids and their journey, from living in horror to having a family that loves them and nutures them.

2. I have been making Bento lunches for DD. I have loved bento boxes for a long time, but they always seem to difficult to make and time-consuming. Then I found another blog, Meet the Dubiens. She can make the coolest fun foods, but she can also pack some great-looking but easy to prepare bentos. They are colourful and appealing but do not take hours to prepare. This is from her latest post, but you really need to check her blog for inspiration, she's got tons of ideas:

Bento box ideas by Jill Dubien, from Meet the Dubiens

So I went through her list of recommended items, bought some cute stuff, and DD is a very happy child at lunch time. The only point against it is that some of the kids have been asking their moms to make them rice frogs or egg bunnies like DD takes, and I am getting some angry looks from moms at pick-up time!

3. I've been working on a tooth fairy pillow for DD's first wobbly tooth. I've been following a tutorial from Not So Idle Hands to create this:

Pillow and tutorial by Emily, from Not So Idle Hands

I'm hoping my pillow will look half as cute as this one, I didn't read the instructions properly and I bought the wrong materials, so I am struggling a little, I'll show you what it looks like once I'm finished.

4. I've been working with Chevrons, Twine, Decorative Tape and Doilies! I can't share any of those projects with you, but I will show you some sneak peeks of my class.

There are so many different projects students will have enough to work for weeks. It has been a fabulous experience, and my albums are about to burst! The class will be available as a self-paced class soon, so if you are interested, check it out HERE.

5. I've had a layout and a card published in this month's issues of CARDS and last month's issue of Scrapbook Trends. Yipeeeee!!!!! The photographers always make a fantastic job and the projects look even more fabulous than in real life. What an honour to be published in them!

Now, there are things I have not been doing. I have not even checked any DT call or submitted anything for publication for months. I have not scrapped just for the pleasure of scrapping either. And I have not finished (well, I have  barely started) DD's Shutterfly 5th birthday album, which she is really looking forward to. So, I'll leave you now and get to work! I'd love to hear what you've been doing lately, and I'd love it if you could leave a comment telling me about it below. Another thing I have not done is cleaning my scrap-room, and if you leave a comment, I promise to send one of you a surprise RAK when I do (I have some beautiful and trendy materials I don't ever want to see again... Hot Trends overload? LOL!).

A long awaited post

Sometimes life means blog posts need to wait, but when friends start to worry and send you messages to see if you are OK, then you definitely know it has been too long. My friends, it is so sweet of you to have asked if everything is OK, and I am sorry you worried about us. Everybody in our family is OK, even our poor fish, who were left with an automatic feeder that was turning around (I checked that) but apparently did not feed them at all, as it is as full now as it was three weeks ago. I feel so sorry for the little creatures, they were starving! Anyway, nothing happened to them, and they have been fed a little (didn't want to give them too much after weeks of starvation) and will be fed more tomorrow. Six happy little fish!

We had two fabulous weeks travelling... guess where? 

Getting a little bit of Olympic spirit, and taking a little girl to play with the snow:

Ok, yes, it was dirty and was more ice than snow, but for her, it was a dream come true, and considering we were in the middle of July, I think we did quite well. :)

But then came the best part. We returned only to find out we had no internet or cable TV (or telephone, but we don't use that a lot...), but we did have something much, much better. Our family visiting all the way from Peru. My brother in law, his wife, and their two kids were here for some days, and nobody remembered there was no cable or internet. It was really a blessing not to have them when we had such fabulous company to spend the time with!

They are funny, kind, warm, interesting, loving, caring, a pleasure to spend time with. And so, my friends, another week went by with lovely company and no internet. Internet came back an hour before they left yesterday (talk about timing!) and I was waiting to finish uploading all my class materials for my upcoming class before I posted here, but it really was taking too long. 

Having a final look at my HOT TRENDS 2012 classes, I can say I am proud of what I have created. The classes have tons of content, the handouts and videos look great, the layout examples are easy to put into practice but look beautiful. I don't think I will be able to use Chevrons, Twine, Decorative Tape or Doilies for some time now, but I am sure the students who enroll in the class will enjoy it for sure. If you would like to have a look at it, you can check it HERE.

Remember, if you are interested in only of of the four individual weeks, you can just sign up for that! And since I have been so bad to my blog followers leaving them for weeks until they worried, I would like to offer a FREE seat in the whole HOT TRENDS 2012 class to you, worth $49.99. If you are interested in the free seat, please write to me at cgarrido@scrapbooknewsandreview.com 

I will be back on the day classes start (August 10) to let you know what the first day feels like!

Wild Kratts Party - the food

There's no good party without some yummy food, and this party was no exception. We tried to strike a balance between yummy, healthy, fresh and FUN. In hindsight, I should have added different heights at the table, for a more interesting look, so that is something we'll try to remember for the next birthday party. This is the food we had:

Power cupcakes (check my Wild Kratts Pinterest board for these fabulous power circles - thanks to the generous bloggers who provided them for free!).

Bear teeth (popcorn) 

The most amazing cookies EVER, created by Carla at Daily Cookie.

Can you see how happy this big cookie made this little girl?

Tiger (cheese) and Snake (ham) sandwiches.

Caterpillars

Bugs (cheese, sticks and olives)

The watermelon shark! 

Now, let me tell you most of these ideas were lifted from blogs that showed either Wild Kratts-themed parties or animal-themed parties in them. They are all pinned in my Pinterest Wild Kratts board, and if you are looking for great ideas, I think you should pay a visit to it HERE.


And, before I leave, I would like to show you an easy project for your Wild Kratts party. Have you noticed the food signs? They are cute and so easy to make. Just download this card HERE.

Then print them, write the name of each dish, hold it with a binder clip and some hemp, and your food signs are ready!