I have this thing about the edges of my scrapbook pages. I either want to tear and ink, cut out a pattern, or just dress them up. I hope it's not a sign that I'm having a girl cause I'm really really hoping for a baby boy this time. I had fun creating this one... it's in PINK!! Oh no... another sign? haha.

Anyway the papers are a mix of old and new: Autumn Leaves, Pink Paislee (there we go again), Basic Grey, and Heidi Swapp. Chipboard by Scrapping Outback, word strips by Theressa Collins.

call for desperate measures! LOL

I went away to GASC in Michigan last week.
It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL there...weather, downtown area, the hotel.
Oh My...the hotel was hard-core fancy-schmancy!
And here I come in cut-off jean capris! Oh well...they're my fave! ;)

My weekend consisted of:
teaching classes, shopping the show floor, dinners with the GASC & MM folks, shopping at a crazy-huge lss, teaching classes some more, checking out the downtown shops, hunting for diet coke, and of course...scrapping!

Actually, I didn't take any scrap supplies with me b/c I usually am too busy & tired to scrap on these weekends away. But I was feeling particularly inspired and got a bit...desperate! LOL :) I ended up searching through magazines for a picture that I could scrap! I know, I know...it sounds pitiful. But luckily I was still reading a June woman mag and it had wedding tidbits in it! I chopped a great little generic wedding-ish pic out and it totally gave me an opportunity to tell a story that I needed to put in my album, but hadn't b/c I haven't been sure how to tell the story without pics. Catch-22, see? :)

So, ultimately...here's what I came up with...




This is 98% product that I bought right there on the shopping floor at GASC! And its really more about the journaling, but of course...yummy goodies are always fun to scatter about! :)

So, pics or not...get your scrappy groove on! ;) Have a great day! ...Staci :)

I certainly have my share of uglies floating in my bowl of beloved buttons.  Don't throw them out.  Use them as a makeshift pop-dot to add dimension to a card or layout. Simply adhere a button to an element you wish to raise up and then glue the button to your project.  Note the chipboard pink kiss in the center of the flower raised up with a button:

Happy scrapping!  Love, Tracy Austin

I think it was around this time last year ... a week before the MMM '08 deadline ... that I started my projects for my entry.  My husband had just returned from Iraq, we left our home in San Diego and moved to Alabama.  As always, my office was the first to be unpacked.  For some reason my husband encouraged me to enter.  I have no idea how he heard about the contest and have no idea what made him prompt me...and I have no idea what made me think I could pull off an entry in a week's time with our entire home packaged neatly in box after box after box...towers of boxes that was our home.  But, I did.  It was my third year entering.  Never really phased me in the least that I wasn't selected in previous years.  Even losing the single layout didn't bother me as I have way too many layouts anyway.  So, I entered in the nick of time.  Submitted and easily forgot about the contest.  When there was an anonymous announcement that they had been called...I assumed it was true and shrugged off another year not selected.  I believe that was on a Thursday. 

Tuesday morning I was out on a 5 mile walk with a girlfriend and my daughter in the jogging stroller.  It was 9am and I swear it must have been 100 degrees already outside in Alabama.  When the phone rang...I looked at the number.  It was an unfamiliar area code.  I absolutely panicked.  I almost didn't want to answer the phone and leave it to go to voice mail.  But, I did answer it.  Patty greeted me and explained the purpose of the call.  I started to cry...blush.  It was so completely unexpected.  I had thought the calls had already gone out (the anonymous thread was a hoax).  Although the term surreal is simply a cliche...I couldn't describe it any other way.  So...I sat there crying...which...I NEVER do...blush.  Patty had a whole spiel of information she was attempting to relay to me.  I didn't catch any of it.  

When the call ended...and I sat there numb...I realized...I would then have to explain my reaction to my girlfriend.  My girlfriend Monique is a woman who wouldn't cry if her leg broke in two (that's actually true...I was there when she broke her ankle for the SECOND time ... and not a single tear welled in her eyes;). And  a woman who didn't even know what scrapbooking was.  No, the my tears weren't because someone had died...blush...which was her first question...but that I had won a contest.  lol  Oiy...I would have rathered been alone for THAT call thank.you.very.much!  LOL  Unable to share the news with anyone that "GOT" scrapbooking was PURE TORTURE! 

Hmm...I had a point somewhere in here;)  My point...you can do it!  If you're nearly there...finish it up.  If you haven't started...pull yourself together and get 'er done!  And DON'T over think it!  Do what you love and love what you're doing...it will translate!  A LOT of this comes down to luck!  I was and still am an unrecognizable name.  My resume was and still is meager:)  I'm a hobbyist that was recognized:D  My layouts layed with thousands of other very talented artists.  The stars were aligned.  You just never know!  And that is the truth!  So...Enter, enter, enter...and best of luck to EVERYONE!!!!   

Love, Tracy Austin

Now, you know I'd never really call any of my kids a "monster".
At least not in writing, where its saved for posterity.
(not denying that I might've muttered it under my breath during a tantrum though)

But...
I didn't...
she did! :)
To get the full effect, you'll have to imagine her switching from her usual high-pitched sweet voice to a total monster-deep growl to deliver this line. ;)

In other news, I got some GREAT GREAT GREAT news that has quite put me over the moon. Required a nice family dinner out to celebrate and everthing. I don't know if I can spill it publicly yet though...I'll let ya know. Just know that its BIG and definitely WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DEE HOOOOOOOOOOO worthy! (/tease) LOL ;)

XOXO...Stac :)

When I was starting to scrapbook, I had always been intimidated with vintage looking layouts. But I loved the look so much. I later on realized that with the right materials used and the right color tone for pictures (even if you use a recent picture of your family member), one can easily pull it off. The picture I used here was taken on an early morning. I turned off my flash and took advantage of the natural light and the shadows. I liked the outcome and even without much photo editing, it came out perfect for a vintage looking page.

Materials: Websters Pages, chipboard from Scrapping Outback, chipboard letters Creative Imagination, Background CS Basic Grey, 7 Gypsies rub-ons, Hambly Transparency.

Have a great day!

Iris