Oh my! It's already Mid-August!

Above is a simple 12 x 12 layout I did for a Convention Swap. It would be so easy to do a matching page layout design to complete a 2 page spread. I don't know about you, but I prefer a 2 page spread in my scrapbooks... that and I prefer the bases of the spreads to be alike (I mean the color). I am not fond of using a red background on one page and then a yellow on the other. I want my eye to flow across the pages and focus on the photos -- not the different backgrounds.

In this layout I got to showcase some new items in the 2012-2013 Catalog. Among them are:

* The Sizzix Typeset Alphabet Bigz (page 192)

* Delicate Doilies Sizzlits L (page 191)

* Be of Good Cheer DSP (page 164)

* Gumball Green Cardstock - new In Color (page 152)

Let me clue you in on a few things I did on this layout. I applied some of the Cherry Cobbler Cardstock to a thin layer of chipboard. I used the chipboard that comes in my DSP package. Then I cut out the numbers, 2012 out of that cardstock covered chipboard. I raised up the numbers using dimensionals to give the page some depth. I often use cardstock covered chipboard to cut die cuts or with my framelits. It simply gives the paper more weight and stability. Try it with your label framelits sometime, and then use dimensionals to lift the framelit off the base of your card or scrapbook page.

I cut the Gumball Green cardstock with the Delicate Doilies Sizzlets. I stamped the sentiment NOEL onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and punched it out with a circle punch. Then I added the doily to the layout. Once it was adhered, I added the circle punched sentiment to the center of the doily and the pearls surrounding the doily to give the page some *pop*.

I cut my DSP into strips. Here are my measurements:

* Cherry Cobbler Stripe  (Be of Good Cheer DSP) - 3/4" x 12"

*Gumball Green Dots (from In Color DSP stacks) - 2 1/2" x 12

* Cherry Cobbler Candy Design (Be of Good Cheer DSP) - 1" x 12"

* Multi Dot Design (Be of Good Cheer DSP) - 1/2" x 12"

* Gumball Green Stripes (from In Color DSP stacks) - 1/4" x 12"

I placed the DSP paper about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart (just enough to allow some Cherry Cobbler to peek thru) horizontally across my layout. The varying sizes of the DSP gives the page some movement visually and adds interest (in my humble opinion). Also notice I have some Gumball Green cardstock punched with the scallop edge punch along the bottom edge of the Cherry Cobbler Stripe. My large rectangular mat and the 4 other mats are Very Vanilla. You could use one of the 4 mats to journal or just add photos to each of the boxes. A piece of Gumball Green cardstock breaks up the large Very Vanilla rectangular mat and the Very Vanilla photo mats. Overall a simple design that will focus on my Christmas Papers.

I ended up with 4 of these layouts left over (folks who missed the swap) so my three roommates Sandy, Pat and Gail all confiscated one each. The 4th I gave to my new friend Debbie and I still need to make 1 for my other new friend Lynn (who is Debbie's sister). You need to visit Lynn's blog at http://www.starzlstamps.com

  Lynn even posted a photo of the three of us in the Shiloh Inn Lobby.

Now the other stuff to catch you up on.... I had scans last week that were great but Dr. Baltz feels that I need to stay on chemo every 2 weeks at least to November . Ugh... same thing he told me in June... and I feel certain he will tell me the same thing again in November. I really just want to get out to 3 weeks between treatments. But he knows best... I am just anxious to resume life.

School started (well in services) on this past Monday. Of course the week began with a severe thunderstorm. A transformer was hit by lighting and knocked out the air conditioning in the 3 floor Middle School. These days they do not put in windows that actually open and close in school buildings, so the room was an oven and we had to work in our rooms that day. I had Jenny (my sister) bring me 2 fans that I had loaned her this summer back to the classroom but they did not make much of a dent. At lunch I bought 2 more powerful fans and the room got to be at least tolerable. Yesterday they got all the a/c fixed. Just in time for our Open House last night. Students arrive on Monday. Today and tomorrow are all day in service meetings once again.

One more sad note to add. Barbara (bbkk on Splitcoaststampers) tells me that my friend, Jan Hoyt (Inkerzaway on Splitcoaststampers) lost her father in the past 2 weeks. Jan, if you are reading this, please accept my condolences. I will have a card ready for you this weekend. Have lost your phone number again, so I could not call (okay I know I am a Baby Boomer and that is tech stuff...). Thinking of you Jan.

That's all for me today. I will try to get better about posting.... July just flew past me with Sheffield Sleepover, prepping for Convention swaps, taking treatments and actually going to Convention. Came home SUPER EXHAUSTED and still no transfusions --- ugh.... Plus let's add that week of In Service (okay 4 full days) of In Service training that occurred between my chemo (that I got the day after I came home from Salt Lake City) and the following treatment and scans last week.

Prepping for a stamp class. Will announce dates once I get the rest of the cards cut. It will be at least another week before I can do that. I have my 5 designs and just need to prep. We will be starting with our TECHNIQUE classes too. The first techinque is going to be TRIPLE TIME STAMPING with the stamp set Gently Falling (a fall leaf set)....and I have a masculine card all prepped with the stamp set THE OPEN SEA....

Arlene