A Million Little Things

What's Happening In Your Neck of the Woods?

Hello fellow A Million Little Thing Followers!  My neck of the woods is very HUMID & HOT.  My little boys start school this coming week and we are trying to get our last days of swimming in.  Lots of pop-up thunderstorms and showers today.

I have been working on some cute stuff these past few weeks and I thought I would share a few items with you all!  These days I feel like I send a lot of cards, so I like to keep my stash full with fun stuff to select from.  Here are a couple of things I have made lately:  All of these were relatively generic cards that I could send out for most occasions just to say "HI!"  The last card I had sketched in a notebook of mine and I am sure that I saw the idea...somewhere!  {so whoever you are I am sorry I'm not giving you proper credit}  I have tons of stamps that I never seem to use and I tried to pull those out to get some use out of them.

Jill sent me over the cutest Pebbles, Inc. Treehouse goodies and I used them on the last card and these two layouts:   

Thank you, Jill for the goodies!

So these are a few of the things I have been working on lately...what about you?

Amanda
 
 
  
 

Your Ideas Brought to Life -- Reader Spotlight #3, Meet Anna Slocum!

Hello Everyone!

Today I have another blog reader spotlight to share with you!  Today you get to meet Anna Slocum and get a glimpse of the coolest idea she had!  First let's meet Anna

This is Anna and her family in a photo booth, I love this picture I can tell they are having a great time!  Anna like many of us is always the one behind the camera, so she doesn't have many photos of herself, but I have to say I'm glad today because this picture makes me smile :)

Anyhow here is a little bit about Anna:

I'm a stay at home mom to four wonderful kiddos.  2 girls and 2 boys that keep us busy.  My husband and I have spent 100's of hours watching them play Softball, Soccer, T-Ball, Baseketball, Volleyball, Karate, Baseball, Tennis matches, Music Concerts, Cross Country Meets, 5K runs, Musical Productions... and have loved every minute of it. 

 

A few years ago, one of the kids found a baseball that was partially cut open so they finished ripping it apart and took out all of the guts, leaving just the outer skin of the baseball in tact.  It gave me the idea of cutting  a ball in half and taking out the guts and making a mini album.  It highlights the '08 baseball season of my son.    I ended up using a game ball from one of  his games to create the album for him.  I want to try this with a softball for my daughter as well.

 

Here is the baseball after Anna's husband sawed it open and they removed the "guts."

 

Cut out circles slightly smaller than the inside of the baseball.  Adhered wallet sized photos and trimmed them if necessary.  Punched a hole in one corner and gathered all the pages with a binder ring to hold them together. 

 

   To hold the baseball together, I used a hinge on one side of the ball and on the other side, I put in eyelets and threaded ribbon thru them to tie the baseball shut. 

 

We liked this idea so much that we decided to play along with Anna and let her challenge our team to make a mini album out of an interesting non-traditional object.  Katie was awesome and brave to take my challenge.  She also has boys that play alot of baseball (in fact one of her sons is in Coopertown at a tournament right now!) but instead she decided on an album for her little girl.  You can see here how she used her daughter's tiny ballet slippers as a front and back cover for her mini album about her dance, she then used the slipper to trace the inside pages for her creation:

 

Fabulous!  I think how both of these ladies were able to preserve an important "object" right along with their photos is amazing!  So take the challenge, what interesting object can you make an album with?  I'd love to see your results!

 

Thank you to Anna for sharing her idea, and thank you so much to Katie for stepping up and taking on this not so easy assignment! 

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

What's Up Wednesday.. (my not at CHA post :OP ).. oh and enter to win!!

Hello Peeps,

I think I am a bit old to use that word peeps, at least my son may say.. but in my attempt to still feel young I don't care, hows that? :).  So it's been a very interesting week.  As many of you know for financial and personal reasons with my son we had to opt out of this year's CHA summer show.  Without whining too much I have to tell you it has killed me knowing it is going on without me.  I did quite a bit of ordering before it started and I thought I was covered, but I still feel as if I'm missing out on so much.   My husband reminds me that the past 4 shows I've been iritated that when I got there I had already seen and ordered so much already that I almost felt it wasn't worth the extra travel expenses.  I do feel though that there is definitely an experience I'm missing out on.  I felt for so long as if the trips were just work, and they were losing the funness, but this may have been what it took to make me not take it for granted anymore!  I guess I just expected them all to be like that overwhelming euphoria I felt going to my first CHA in Atlanta in 2005, so very long ago!

I've been trying to navigate things through the internet, but I have to admit that tests my patience.  That is an ironic statement coming from an internet store owner.. uugh.  While I appreciate all those sneak peek sites out there I'm finding too many of them have a little bit of this here, and a little bit of that somewhere else.   As a store owner and one with orders to place that's been hard,  I would rather have it set out right in front of me saying here is what this manufacturer has, here is the order form, now decide what you want.  My thanks are most sincere to those wholesalers that took the time to do that.  I love them, and have to admit they got my first dollars however few they may seem these days. 

Like I said, I'm going to keep my whining to a minimum, as I know there are many of you that would like to attend a CHA, and haven't yet!  I'm going to start a list of what I've ordered.  Keep in mind that I have seen things I would like to order, but as of yet I can't seem to get a way to do that without being there.  So those orders will be listed on the second list as ones I will order as soon as I can.   Please feel free to share with me anything you don't see that you think you would like, or that I absolutely need to look at.  Remember you are my eyes and ears, and if you shop here and enough of you agree, I most definitely will do my best to bring it in!  In fact, right now over on the facebook page I'm taking links from customers with their favorite items to win a $25.00 voucher to the store.  I will also take comments and links here and pick a winner from all of you this weekend after the show is over.  $25 could come in really handy in the next couple of months don't you think?

Here is a list of orders I have placed so far, I have no idea on ship dates as that info I usually get in person at the shows:

My Little Shoebox -- it is here already, I just can't seem to get ahold of the images until Helen gets back from CHA

Basic Grey -- I've ordered all of the new paper collections and many of the embellies at go with them

Glitz -- Without looking most of the new collections and embellies

Jenni Bowlin -- I didn't order paper for this line, their paper has not been selling well for me, so if you really want it please speak up.  I did however order tons of the new embellies

MME -- Most of the new collections, I do believe there was a Christmas line I did not order, possibly one of the Halloween lines, that was weeks ago and it's all blending together!

AC -- my guy Jared paid me a visit 2 weeks ago or more, and it seems like a great deal of the new AC will be finding a home in my store!

Pink Paislee-- All of the new collections and many of the accessories that go with them

Prima-- A mishmash of there ever growing available product line.  This is a company that if you want something specific you should speak up, there is SOOOOOOOO much to choose from!

Crate--  I bought it all.  I do believe Restoration is one of the favorite things I have seen!

Imaginsce-- they had a fall line I purchased several weeks ago

Studio Calico -- Elementary, new embellies, mists, etc.

Making Memories -- Portions of the Valentine, Reverie, Christmas and Halloween Lines

Bella -- Everything from Sunny Happy Skies, Hello Beautiful , Midterm, and One Fall Day

Maya Road -- Bits and pieces of lots of different things. I am remembering mini rose ribbon ,and more Kraft envelopes the most, but there is alot in their line, and much of it was ordered

Cosmo -- Togetherness I believe?  The family ish line, I really liked that one, I did order parts of the other 2 lines as well and the new mini alphas

7 Gypsies -- paper and rubons are already in the store, there are still many items to come

 

Now here is my items I know I will order when I can:

Doodlebug, I've liked most of what I've seen online

Websters -- always a must

Lily Bee -- I love all of this as well and it's a must that you all buy up goodies from my girl Kristen!

October Afternoon-- this is always a must, but I've yet to see too much from them online. if you have please please link me up!

Girl's Paperie -- I haven't seen anything of there's yet, but I love Margie's work so I'm pretty sure she'll have something I like.  Link me up if you've seen it!!

Sassafras -- just waiting on an order form :)

 

Here is my "on the fence" list, so tell me what you think:

Bo Bunny's new collections

Fancy Pants

Graphic 45

Jillibean, although I haven't seen too much so this may be moving to the list above quickly!

LYB

And the rest girls, I haven't seen yet, so fill me in on anything I've missed.

This post is getting incredibly long, but I'd also like to mention that we are on the mission of clearing out stock again.  We are all in the gear of thinking "new" but I know alot of you prefer to think "deal."  There's a little bit of everything here :)   You may have noticed the specials section was empty for a couple of days as I finally got it cleaned out and moved to our new clearance section.  Here are a few things I've added in the past couple of days:

All Sweetwater, paper is .20, stickers and journaling cards 65% off and MORE!

All Dreamstreet -- paper .10-.30 cents each, a few stickers and chipboards left priced to clear!

My Minds Eye Nightlight and Spooked -- quarter a sheet paper, kits and diecuts over 50% off

My Minds Eye Snowed in and Be Merry

There will be much, much more including alot more MME, Heidi Grace, Prima, Sei, and the list goes on and on an on.  I'll be trying to throw as much stuff on special as I can before new stuff starts arriving.  I'll post links on this blog as things go in the section, but I can't promise that will be done each time something is listed.  The best way to not miss out on these deals is to check SPECIALS daily.  Remember you can check out your order anytime (no matter how small) and ask that it be held until your boxes are large enough for shipment or even until you reach free shipping.  Please pass this on to your friends that may like to stock up on deals, as most of this stuff is way below what I paid for it in the day!   My loss is your gain, we need cash to bring in the new :)

Thank you so much reading, remember enter yourself to win the voucher if you haven't already on facebook.  You just need to link me up to your favorite new releases.  I'll count up to 5 comments per person.

Have a super rest of your week!

XO

Jill

 

 

Round Robin

Good Tuesday morning to you! Elizabeth here with another Round Robin inspiration for you. For those of you who are not familiar with 'round robins', let me explain... I started off by sending a scan of my layout to Monica, she then created a layout using mine as inspiration. Next, she sent her layout to Susanna who created her own layout using Monica's as inspiration, and Linda was the 4th designer to create a layout using Susanna's layout for inspiration. Clear as mud? Well, let's check out the results of the challenge, shall we...

Elizabeth: I had fun making this layout of my son's bout with the chicken pox (is that bad to say :P), I used dotted cardstock for the base and red as my accent colour.

Monica:  I loved Elizabeth's cute layout and decided to make a sketch out of her layout and lift as many details as I could (amount of photos, photo sizes, placement of title and so on). My colours are quite different though.

Susanna:  

I got ideas for the composition and the strip across the page.

And the sewing without thread on my machine was intentional . :)

Linda:  

Hi there!  The striped background, photo placement and big flower from Susanna's layout inspired mine!

 

So there you have it, we all see inspirations in different ways and the results are fantastic no matter how you look at it. Get creating!

 

A recent layout

Hi there!

I've got a random post to share with you today. This is the latest layout that I've finished and it's one of the first boy layouts that I've done! :-D It's hard to switch my scrapbooking mentality from all girlie stuff (since that is what I've been scrapping mainly since my daughter was born almost 5 years ago) to boy colors, things and topics. ;) I have to say though that it was A LOT of fun and I'm so grateful to be able to scrap BOTH now. I've got the best of both worlds, I think! :-D Thanks for stopping by the AMLT blog! Keep checking back for lots more inspiration in the week ahead! Hugs!

[Supplies used: Cardstock: American Crafts; Fabric paper and patterned paper (stars & thought bubble): American Crafts; thickers: American Crafts; Chipboard pieces: American Crafts; "made with love" sticker: Pebbles Inc.; Rub ons: American Crafts; Misc. things - sewing and sharpie]

Life is Good!

I had a wonderful morning with my family picking berries today.  Luckily, I brought along my camera and got some great shots of the kids (big and small) happily filling their tin berry pails with plump, ripe blueberries.  I almost didn't bring the camera, because I knew my hands would be busy picking too, but I am so glad that I did!  I didn't want to miss an opportunity to document one of our family's long-standing summer traditions.   I started picking berries at this particular farm when my son Jon was still small enough for me to need to bring along the umbrella stroller for when he got tired of "helping".   I sure wish I had photos from way back when.

The best thing about the photos I took was being able to print and scrap them all on the same day!  I used the new Echo Park collection "Life is Good" to put together my page, and am absolutely in love with the collection!

The summer season is all too brief, and when life is good, it is worth celebrating!  Don't miss any opportunity to catch your family's life in progress in both your photos and your pages. 

Inspiration Challenge

Hi Everyone...Katie here! Today I am going to share a layout that was inspired from a catalog...Pottery Barn Kids to be exact! I have had my eye on this quilt for a while now:

 

So cute, right? The trees and owls actually remind me of a lot of scrapbook products on the market right now. This quilt inspired me to make this page:

 

(Patterned paper: Echo Park, October Afternoon, Imaginisce; Stickers: Echo Park and October Afternoon; Journaling card: Jenni Bowlin)

So next time you are window shopping in your catalogs see if you can use some ideas on your scrapbook pages!

 

What's up Wednesday!

Hello Everyone,

I nearly forgot what day it was, the days always blend into one when you've been out of town!  We had a great time with Paul's family.   So many fun family memories made, and the break was wonderful and much needed for all of us!

For those of you that have taken advantage of sale thank you, I have been working on orders all day, some will be shipping tomorrow, and hopefully most by the end of the week.  Thank you for your patience.  I've decided to continue the sale thru at least the end of the week.    So if you'd still like to order the code for an additional 25 % off your order is "gonefishing."

I've entered some new items that came before and while we were away today:

Scrapbook Trends August Issue

7 Gypsies New paper collections, sticker and rubbings

Echo Park Life if Good Collection

Sassafrass kits and Stickers

Imaginisce Birthday Bash

That's right you can save 25% on NEW items.  Just make sure to use  the code when you checkout.

On other news, with CHA right around the corner I'm being bombarded with emails for new product.  There is once again alot to choose from.  If you have must haves on your list please make sure to let me know!

Have a super night!

Jill

Photo Tip on Tuesday

Hi everyone!

I hope you are having a great week so far! I wanted to share a little photo tip with you. I think it's one we all should think about when taking photographs.

See this photograph:

 

I took it while on vacation last week visiting my best friend and her family in Ohio. Now, looking at it, you wouldn't say that it's technically perfect by any means, but when I look at it - I can remember the exact moment I took it, the happiness I felt in my heart seeing my daughter run while her Daddy chased her on a sweet Summer day. So this photo tip is just a quick little reminder not to delete EVERY photo just because it might not be "perfect." Isn't capturing that precious moment in time what taking a picture is all about? I think so and sometimes I have to remind myself every now and then not to be such a perfectionst and just savor those imperfect photos. Some of my favorite scrapbook pages have imperfect photos on them. After all - it's not always about what the photo looks like - it's about what the photo reminds us of. :)  Slowly go through your photos and if one catches your heart or captures a moment perfectly save it even if it's blurry, has bad lighting, etc. You'll be glad you did.

Have a great day! :-D

'Tis the season..

..for weddings!   :)

I wanted to share this wedding card I made recently... I'm not one for overly romantic pastelly lacefilled froufrou, so I opted for a basic red, white and black color scheme. I also kept it fairly simple, just adding a little bling with the brads. Making the flower petals dimensional with just bending them a bit made all the difference.

 
Easy peasy lemon squeezy  :)