New Blog + New Beginnings

I have decided to create a new blog for all of my professional work. I am planning on starting a personal blog for family/friends to view...just haven't had the time to create that just yet. I value all of you who take the time out of your day to see what's new in my world. Please click here to view Created by JB...my creative blog. I will no longer use Scrapper Dreams & Fish Tales for my personal/professional postings, so please bookmark my new blog. Thanks to all & hope to see you over at Created by JB!

Birthday Card

I made a birthday card for Zack, a summer assistant in our office. He his celebrating his golden birthday on Sunday & I hope he has a great one! Our staff absolutely loves him! Happy Birthday, Zack! Does anyone have any fond memories of their "golden" birthdays? If so, please leave a comment...I'd love to hear about it!

I made the matching envelope to help personalize it a bit. All stamps are Purple Onion Designs...Vintage Postmark Date set, Birthday Wishes sentiment, Large Pink Flamingo Alpha & Small Broken15 Alpha (used on envelope). Really loving the Purple Onion Designs' stamps I have been given to play with!! So much fun to just sit down & create...can't wait to reveal a layout I have been working on....just can't yet...planning on submitting it for publication. Hope all of you have a great weekend & get some time in to make art!

Catch you later!

Happy 5th Anniversary, Purple Onion Designs!

Just wanted to let you know that Purple Onion Designs is celebrating their 5 year anniversary!! All stamps will be 25% off starting today July 14th through July 28th. The website will reflect the regular prices. You will need to enter the promotion code: BIG5 (for 5 years!) on the checkout page to receive the discount. So head on over here to get a great deal on some great stamps!

New LO + My Scrap Space + More Zoo Pictures

I made a layout for Haley's scrapbook today (What are you thinking?) with Purple Onion Designs stamps...lovin' the stitches set. The picture of Haley is one of my favorites & her expression led me to decide on the title & journaling. Haley likes to have her picture taken (sometimes) and I had the perfect setting to get this shot. Can't wait 'till she sees it...

I also took some pictures of the bookshelf mentioned here...absolutely love all of the cubbies! I am still trying to get organized, but I like what I have done so far.

And as promised, I have more pictures from our vacation...

Love this last photo of Haley...talked her into a photo shoot on the porch of the farm house located at the zoo...seems like the farm is Emma's favorite part of the zoo...I guess we could have traveled 20 minutes away & visited my family farm! Here is Emma petting the goats...

Haley enjoyed the butterflies...they are so fun to watch.

Have a great rest of the weekend...catch you later!

Kids + Ink = Fun!

There has been some creating going on in our house today! Haley just completed two cards to give to her grandma & grandpa for their birthdays that are this coming week. Hero Art's challenge this week is to let your kids create with HA's stamps. Haley loved the opportunity to use mom's stamps...course, she has done this before (just without my permission)! Haley does like to make things...she is always using scissors & glue to make some sort of art. Check out her cards... Emma had to get in on the creating too! Just got home last night from a few days spent in Minneapolis. Our family enjoyed a day at the zoo, the Children's Museum & IKEA. We had alot of fun & hopefully will visit again next year. Get out and enjoy the rest of your day! "Catch" you later!

Fun with stamps + Interactive Challenge

I hope everyone had a great 4th! Are you resting & putting your feet up? I think today would be perfect for that! Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend...

I am enjoying playing with all of my new stamps! I am hoping to order some pictures this week so that I can start adding LOs to my scrapbook albums. I have an itch to get some done now...

The challenge this week at Hero Arts is to create something interactive...I got the idea for my card from Faith Hofrichter...great tutorial, btw! This card was made for Bob & Becky's 40th anniversary (my aunt & uncle) that was celebrated yesterday. I thought it would be nice to include some red in the LO...plus I wanted it to look a little patriotic. I wanted to highlite the number of years they were married by using the Pink Flamingo Alpha from Purple Onion Designs. Love this alphabet & the stamps are so easy to use!

We are off for a few days to visit the Minneapolis Zoo & IKEA! I have plans to purchase this bookshelf to organize all of my scrapbook/stamping supplies. It has been a long time coming...

"Catch" you later!

Purple Onion Designs

Wow! The last week has gone by so fast! I have had some exciting news...Purple Onion Designs has asked me to be on their design team! Yay! I am really thrilled to be a part of such a great stamp company...thanks, Michele! You can check out the Purple Onion Designs blog HERE. Great stamps & super easy to use!!

I have already created a couple cards out of their stamps...had a great time making these:

Supplies used: Purple Onion Designs Stamps (Birthday Doodle Set & Birthday Wishes - Stanyan); Cardstock (Bazzill); Patterned paper (Basic Grey); Cuttlebug Swirls Dry Embossing; Prismacolor Colored Pencils; Versafine Vintage Sepia (for distressing); Ranger/Tim Holtz Ink Supplies used: Purple Onion Designs Stamps (Damask & Small Pink Flamingo Alpha); Embossing Ink (Top Boss); Embossing Powder (Stampendous Detail White - opaque); Cardstock (Bazzill); Vellum (unknown source); Ribbon (unknown source); Pearls (Michael's Brand)

Inchies + First Catch + Words to Live By

I love Hero Art's challenge for this week...create an inchie (1" square) to use alone or on a project. I chose to make 4 of them & place them on a patriotic card for the 4th. Jon, Emma & I went fishing last weekend & Emma caught her first fish...a bluegill (daddy helped a little).

She enjoyed catching a fish, but ending up liking the "reeling" part the best. I think she is getting practiced up for those day-long trips daddy takes.... :)

And some shots from a local park...love this one of Haley & Em...

This last picture is of a sculpture that stands at the edge of the park's pond. It is inscribed with one of my favorite sayings...Words to Live By (in full length below).

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles,of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes, it was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up every-thing else. "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, house, or car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff." "If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important."* Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life.

• Play with your children.
• Take time to get medical checkups.
• Take your partner out dancing.
• There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.
• Set your priorities, the rest is just pebbles and sand.
• May there always be work for your hands to do;
• May your purse always hold a coin or two;
• May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
• May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
• May the hand of a friend always be near you;
• May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. (An Irish Blessing)

"Catch" you later.

Goodbye Bridge + Ray of Hope

Went to the bridge that is on the way to the family farm where I grew up. It collapsed in the local flooding almost two weeks ago. The Turkey River has run below the base of this bridge for as long as I can remember. I recall the water getting very high before, but never to this magnitude. The bridge has always been strong, holding the precious cargo that traveled on it. No more. The bridge buckled right in the middle...here are pictures:

I am feeling very sentimental right now...wondering how long it will take for this bridge to be repaired or replaced. My brother drives over this every day to his job...my friends travel this way to their church service every Sunday. I have a feeling that it may take a long time to fix the damage the rushing flood waters created - a long time for the bridge, the homes lost, & the lives affected by the harshness of human nature. It will take a long time to heal...

I got some great shots of the family while at the bridge...had to have a piece of "my bridge" to take home with me.

And my favorite...my ray of hope. I believe good things will come. :)

Have a good weekend. "Catch" you later...

2ways Submission

I worked on my submission for the 2ways challenge going on at Hero Arts. Today we ran to swimming lessons, hung out at aunt Gwyniepoo's (Emma's nickname for Gwyn) for four hours until it was time for Haley's piano lesson. While the girls became couch potatoes & watched Cars & Chicken Little, I completed both the layout & card below: Micki's picture was taken by KH Photography & there is a copyright release on the photo. Love that picture of her...she is a sweet & intelligent gal & is attending college this fall for elementary education. Weather here has finally come around and we are experiencing temperatures in the 70's. Very nice indeed...but I am not jumping up & down about it. I am still so saddened by the loss that my favorite scrapbook store in Iowa City has experienced. Reminisce has felt the full impact of the Iowa River flooding it's walls. This is a picture of the Coralville Strip which Reminisce has called home for many years:

First two photos were taken by http://www.press-citizen.com/. Third picture was taken by a Reminisce employee. You can see more pictures & updates by clicking HERE. Please keep the owners & employees of Reminisce in your prayers.

"Catch" you later.