Pink Owl Paperie Preview

I thought I'd share a little smattering of what I'm going to be listing in my Etsy shop when it reopens on Monday.



This is a random selection from different kits that are going in the shop. Lots of vintage inspired goodies, cute kits for baby, calendar cards, school themes, sets perfect for Project Life / Project 365, and more! I've been having so much fun designing! I hope you will enjoy the final products as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Be sure to come by my shop, www.pinkowlpaperie.etsy.com, on Monday the 16th for the reopening!

Pink Owl Paperie is ReOpening!

Finally! I'm reopening my Etsy shop, Pink Owl Paperie, next Monday the 16th! My new shop is going to be filled with digital/printable scrapbooking and paper crafting goods. So if your a digital scrapbooker, scrapbooker, or crafter be sure to stop on by and check it out! www.pinkowlpaperie.etsy.com I'll be sharing some shop previews and giving away few freebies between now and then so stay tuned! ;)

Have a great evening!

Here's One for You Pal.....

Hi there! I hope you are all enjoying a lovely fall day! I had a special request here at my house, so I thought I'd share it with you today. I don't know about you, but being the mother of 3 young children I always find myself trying to make sure things are "fair/equal." You know, things like "why does Connor get the green one, I wanted green," are always popping up. ;) Now as far as I'm concerned the phrase "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit" applies to most situations, but I have to admit when it comes to photographs I'm a bit paranoid. I've heard so many sob stories from fello grown-ups over the years who have said things like, "there are 80,000 pictures of my older sibling(s) and 10 of me," that I vowed I would not do that with my own kids. I think I should've set the bar a little lower with my firstborn. ;) The other day I was scrapbooking, and most of the layouts happened to be of Parker and Maddie. So when my youngest, Connor, came in the room and checked it out he said, "Mama where is one just me?" He has been randomly asking me since then so.... here you go Connor one of just you!

I'm not sure how much he appreciated the pink glasses and the baby stroller, especially since he is 3 1/2 now and thinks pink is girly, but I love it! It will be one of those perfectly adorable photos to share at highschool graduation or his wedding! ;) Have a wonderful day! I've got some fall crafts I've been wanting to share, so hopefully I'll get them photographed soon!

I love fall!!

We've been doing lots around here getting ready for the season changes. I planted mums in my big pots on the deck and decorated the front porch and house for fall. In a few weeks we'll be headed to Greenbluff Farms for some apple and pumpkin picking and we're planning a trip to Yellowstone Park too. I figure I better get last years pictures fall pictures scrapbooked before I take a million more! I love to use digital frames for my layouts, so many photos so fast! Here's a fun frame I got from Shabby Blogs that I'm using for some digi pages. Her designs are so cute!

Now I just have to slap it on a page, embellish, and 1 layout down! ;) Have a great day!

Scrapbook and Craft Season is OPEN!

Well it's bow hunting season here in Montana, and for my family that means lots of "see ya next week Dad" being shouted around the house. Hubby was just gone for about a week so during the evenings, after the kiddos were in bed, I was in serious scrapbook mode. I am really proud of myself! ;) I finished a lot of projects I'd been putting off, things like putting my gazillion scrapbooked pages into their proper albums, finishing couple dozen or so layouts I'd started in the last 2 years and had never finished, scrapbooking baby pages for my 3 year old's baby book, sorting photos and getting kits together to make 14 more layouts, and some digital layouts too! I'm on a roll! It's funny, but I think doing the digital layouts really got my creativity going. It must be because I have felt a bit stressed about being so far behind and that was shutting down my creativity, motivation, and fun! So silly of me, but now that I have a good way to get caught up I've been scrappin like a crazy woman! ...well a little less now that hubby's home.... ;)

Here is another digital layout. I got my first batch back from the printers and they turned out really well. I have to admit I do miss that they are not dimensional, but they still accomplish the goal very well. I used Persnickety Prints and they did a quick and fantastic printing job. My layouts came back looking EXACTLY like they did on my computer, and apparently in the digi scrapbook world that's sometimes hard to come by. They were also much cheaper than most of the places I priced. I would definitely recommend them for any printing need!


If I get some of my other layouts photographed I'll share them too. I also have some fall decor project ideas to share later. I love Scrapbook and Craft Season! Have a great weekend everyone!

Lazy Days...

What could be better than a sunny day, a big playground, a picnic lunch, and good friends? I just can't think of anything!



Don't forget to take time to soak up the everyday moments of summer! I'm trying to remember to take photos of the "regular" moments this summer along with the vacations and holidays. I'm a bit behind on scrapbooking as usual, but I actually completed a page the other day! HOOORAY! I'm working on some photos from last summer and wishing I had more everyday moments. So this summer I'm going to wear out my camera! What are your scrapbook goals? I'd love to hear them! Have a great day!

Crazy crazy crazy!

My sweet Maddie girl!
Oh my what a whirlwind! We got back from our WONDERFUl vacation (more on that later...) and I got hit with a terrible cold/flu/stomach bug. I'm finally starting to feel normal again but now I'm soooo far behind. The bookkeeping is piling up, laundry, housework, the kids have Valentines Day parties to bake for and Valentines to be made, errands up the wazoo, orders, and hubby is out on a business trip! Yikes! I'm hoping to get my Valentine goodies in the shop before it's too late! Good thing we scrapbookers have to wait until the holiday is over to scrapbook it! I'll be in and out for a bit trying to catch up! I'm hoping to finally get some scrapbooking done too. I have lots of inspiration, like the picture of my daughter above!

We just love the Fair!

Last week was Fair week here in Missoula. It is definitely a summer favorite in my family! The kids LOVE to look at all the animal exhibits. They are convinced we should have a farm with sheep, pigs, horses, and chickens. Now after the fair this year they've added ducks, goats, and rabbits to the list. Pigs and chickens seem to be the absolute favorites though. This is a layout I did a week or two ago from some old fair photos I hadn't scrapped yet. I had it sitting out in my living room and everyday my youngest son (2) would walk over to it and say "pig, me go! pig, me hand!" (aka "I want to go see the pigs" "I want to hold a pig in my hand") He was so excited about the fair it was the first thing he asked about in the morning. A week has gone by now and he still says "Mama, me go pig" when he wakes up. It's so cute!
I made the flower accent from punched circles that I inked, distressed and layered with a cute star brad. So easy and a great use for scraps!
I used one of my "Quote It" Mini Journaling Cards from my shop. Go here to check them out!

I'll have some more fair layouts and photo ideas to share from this year. I hope to be scrapping them soon since my goal is to keep 2009 current!

Have a great day! Oh... I put some supplies up in the shop yesterday, cute stamps, stickers, etc. Be sure to check them out!

I'm still here...

I have just been living in my flower beds, wrapping up preschool (sigh, my oldest starts kindergarten next year) and soccer, throwing birthday parties, and the rest of the usual transition to summer stuff! :) I just love this crazy, fun, beautiful time of year! We are really trying to get all our landscape projects done before mid June so we can have the rest of the summer to enjoy them. I love gardening, and it is so rewarding to see it all coming together. Oh, and my peonies are about to bloom. They are HUGE this year and one of my very favorite flowers. If only they bloomed all summer long... but I did find a rose variety whose blooms look very similar, so I'm on the look out for some new bushes. Busy busy! Ok enough babbling... I have managed to do a bit of scrapping here and there, so I thought I'd share a layout with you today.
I did this one for the Creative Chaos design team. I used Jenn's fabulous journaling spots. They are so fun to use! I also threw in some sequins and cut some scallop circles in half and added buttons to make a fun border.

I've got a new special coming for the shop this month...stay tuned for details. Go here to see my shop! Well, I'm off to the garden! Have a great day!

Thank you...

I made this card for one of my husband's aunts, so I thought I'd share it with you. No matter what is going on, they always remember our children's birthdays and send out gifts. It is so nice of them to think of the kids, this year I wanted to send special "thank yous" out. Sooo... handmade cards here we come! I'm still trying to keep up with my goal of making a couple of cards every week. That way when things like this come along, I have a special card already to go!
I just love those Jenni Bowlin bingo cards. You don't even have to use the whole card, just a piece of one (like I did here) adds so much. I just used my fingers to rough up and tear the edges of the paper before I inked it. I inked the white flowers as well to tone them down a bit.
I used a Sparkled Felt Blossom from my shop. Go here to get a better look. Notice there is a button missing from one of the white flowers. I had a wonderful assistant while taking these photos, my 2 year old son Connor couldn't resist that one particular button. But don't worry, I stuck it back on so now I can mail it out. :)

Making cards is also great way to jump-start your creativity, so get scrapping! I'll be adding more goodies to the shop again today. Be sure to stop in and check them out!

Get ready for some inspiration...

because today I have a layout from the fabulous Miss Jenn! I just love her style- her layouts are always so colorful too!

I love the rick rac and all those layers! She used one of the Green Label Journaling cards from my shop. Go here to get some for yourself!

I've got some new stuff I'm hoping to get in the shop today. I've been working on a couple of special orders that I plan to finish up today too, so I hope I get it all done! I did a little scrapbooking as well, so I have a couple of layouts and a card to share too. Have a great day everyone!

Wish I was scrapping...

Here's a layout I did for the lovely Miss Jenn's creative team. Be sure to stop by her shop and see all the fabulous goodies she has in there! Yummy!


See the cute little Calendar Journaling Spots tucked behind the photos? Too cute and so fun to use! Thanks Jenn!

More new goodies going in my shop today, so be sure to stop by Pink Owl Paperie and check them out!

May Special

Mini Journaling Cards are on special in the shop this month! Buy 3 sets and get a fourth set of equal or lesser value free! Just let me know which set you'd like in the notes to seller and I'll include it in your package!
These are just a few of the cute styles in the shop! They are so great for scrapbooking, cards, tags, etc. Happy Shopping!

Our Fabulous Guest Designer...

Miss Jami is such a talented gal! Here's some more of her wonderful work today!

Just look at those adorable girls, and the colors, oh my! So pretty and fun! I have to get one of those wonderful border punches she used! (the green paper edges)
On this layout she used one of the Girlie Girl Journaling Cards from my shop. I love how she added a little bling to them, only fitting for those princesses! I love journaling cards, there is no end to the creative ways they can be used. Go here to get some for yourself.

I've been adding new goodies to the shop this week so be sure to stop by and check them out! More fun things to come too!

Monday's Sketch

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! We had a wonderful weekend. It was jam packed with activities- egg hunt, birthday party, the park, the carousel, friends, family, church, baseball- it was great. Today will probably be lots of housework and laundry since the kids really need some down time here at home today. (...or maybe it's just mom who needs the down time!:)) Anyway... I've got another sketch and a layout for you today!



My son Parker and his uncle had so much fun playing in the skiff of snow we had that day! I added an extra strip of torn paper at the bottom of the layout, but otherwise I followed this sketch pretty closely. You could easily flip this sketch and make it into a double 12x12 layout and use one of the photo spots for extra journaling.

I used a bingo card, one of my 5 w's Mini Journaling Cards, one of my Right Here Mini Journaling Cards, and some fun plastic arrows for embellishments. Go here to find my journaling cards.

I've been working on a really cute spring banner for my house. It's almost done, so I'll post some pictures of it later this week. I'm also working on some new flowers for the shop and I'm still working on getting all my journaling cards listed. Be sure to stop by and check them out!

Another Layout to Share

Happy Friday everyone! I don't know about you, but this week just seemed like it couldn't get over fast enough. Just sharing another layout idea today. This one is of my little "Snow Princess."
Polka dots, scallops, and brackets....oh my! I just can't get enough of them!

I used some of the artisan labels from my shop. I've got some fun new color combos coming soon too...
This is one of my new Month Mini Journaling Cards. They will be coming to the shop soon as well. Think I will also make them in camel, sage, and pink. So fun!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!! Tomorrow we are off to an egg hunt with the kids. It is a benefit for the local food bank. A helicopter is actually going to drop 20,000 (yes, that's 20,000) eggs filled with candy, games, and prizes for the kiddos. Sound likes a lot of fun for a wonderful cause! If your in the Missoula area, you should bring your crew down and check it out. It's this Saturday at 10:30 am at the Western Montana Fairgrounds. Just be sure and bring some non-perishable food to donate! They are also having bounce houses, prizes, and helicopter rides($25). It should be a ton of fun and provide endless photo ops! :)

A Guest Designer for April!

I'm so excited to announce that the very talented Jami Rodolph is my Guest Designer for April! So all you lucky readers will get to see glimpses of her fabulous creativity all month long! Starting today with this adorable layout.



Jami used a combination of my Bright and Funky and Classic Hip Journaling Cards. I love how she cut them in half and stitched them to the side of her page as an accent. More bang for your buck too right?! Go here to get some for yourself!


Thanks Jami for your amazing layout! Isn't she a brilliant talent!?!

A New Sketch!

It's been a while since I posted a sketch, so here is one I did recently:


....and here is the layout I made with it...

I fell in love with these papers the moment I saw them, Colorbok's Friendly Forest line. Love it! I was glad to finally put them to use! I added some chipboard stars, twine, buttons, and doodling to the layout. I decided to use the orange frame for a pop of color and to highlight my kids sweet faces.

The cute bracket is a new journaling card I made for my shop. I haven't listed them yet, but I couldn't wait to use them. They are big, fun, and perfect for layering too! I'll be listing them soon... you can contact me in the shop if you'd like some in the mean time.
I don't know about you, but I love graph and ledger type papers. I love anything that resembles and office supply for scrapbooking. They are marvelous and just go with everything. I guess you could say they are my crafty version of the "little black dress," when in doubt they always work!:)

Have a fabulous Monday! Be sure and stop by the shop this week, I'll be adding lots of new goodies! Go here to check them out!

Playing with Pictures

I've been playing around a bit with some pictures I took of my children last weekend. A good friend of ours was in a roping competition, so we went down to cheer him on. My oldest Parker has always been in love with all things cowboy, so when we told him where we were going he quickly began give out wardrobe instructions to his siblings. He picked out this cowboy gear for his brother and they looked so cute together! This is one of the shots I snapped of our little guy, apparently our families newest cowboy in training, while he was watching his brother ride.
I got a new photo program for Christmas, and I really haven't got to play with it that much so I thought I'd mess around a bit with these. I love how the photo softens and washes out at the edges and how it looks a bit beat up. Now that I'm looking at it though, I think I need to go back and lower the caption so you can read it better... hmmm...

I added a vintage photo frame to this one, but I think I like the other version better. You'll probably see one of these on a layout soon because I have made it my goal to stay caught up with scrapbooking in 2009! (Let's hope I can do it!)

I've been adding some of the new journaling cards to my shop, so go here to check them out!

A new layout with 2 of my FAVORITE techniques...

Hey all! I have a few favorite scrapbooking/crafting techniques that I just love to use, so I thought I'd share 2 of them with you today.

Here is a layout I did using another one of those Valentine photo cards I made, this time of my son Connor.



I love to make little collages on my layouts. They add so much texture and dimension and are super fun to do. I think it works best if you use a combination of paper elements and 3-D elements. For this one I used a bingo card, 2 different journaling spots, an acrylic crown, and a cute clip.



I also love to use gathers and ruffles on my projects. (like the crepe paper ruffles I used on the previous layout...) This is such a simple technique, but it adds so much to your page. I take a spool of ribbon, in this case I used some yummy blue seam binding and some twill, or cut a length of ribbon about double the actual length you want it to be after sewing. Then I machine stitch (but you could hand stitch it too) the ribbon to my page using either a zig-zag stitch or a straight stitch. The trick is to "fold and clump" the ribbon up as you stitch it down to create those fun ruffles. It's really simple and the WONDERFUL thing about it, besides how it looks, is the more imperfect the sewing the better! :) So no fear!!

You can find some of this yummy seam binding in my shop. Just go here to check out all the colors!

Got a favorite technique of your own? Love for you to share it with us! Leave a comment here for inspiration!