November 4, 2006

So You Think You Can Scrap Challenge #4


This weeks challenge for the contest was a sketch challenge. Here's the sketch that I had to use.

It was a little difficult for me, as I'm usually creating sketches and using my own. It was very fun...and I love how it came out.

Now it's a waiting game to see if I get to move on to Week #5.

October 29, 2006

My Childhood

My Childhood

Name and birthdate: Janean Campbell ~ August 21, 1973

1. I was most afraid of: The Dark

2. My favorite movie: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

3. My favorite book: Are You There God, It's Me Margaret By: Judy Blume

4. My best friend: Tamiko Hafdahl

5. My first crush: Robbie Brown

6. What I used to think I would name my kids: Jamie and Joey

7. Games I used to play: Backgammon

8. My favorite toy: Don't really remember

9. I thought I was a loner as a child, but looking back I really wasn’t.

10. I didn’t think I was ornery as a child, but looking back I probably was.

11. Something I did and I never got caught: Hmm I really can't say.

12. Something my mom thought I’d never grow out of: Being Ornery

13. My favorite song: Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leopard

14. How many houses I lived in: 1

15. My earliest memory: Going to Grandma Cooks house on Elm Street and running from house to house during trick or treat and coming back with a pillow case full of candy.

16. Something I did that I still get teased about: Dancing on the TV as a toddler or sitting ontop of the refrigerator.

17. My favorite outfit from childhood: Leg Warmers, Mini Skirt & Vest with Blouse. Of Course had to have hair up in a ponytail on the side of my head instead of in the back.

18. Something I wish I could go back and change: The way I treated my mom as a teenager.

19. I was ridiculously old when I finally realized that: Life isn't always as easy as it was when you're a little kid.

20. My greatest achievements: My kids and my husband.

October 28, 2006

So You Think You Can Scrap Challenge #3



The only requirement for this weeks challenge was that you had to use the word "knock". The word knock could be used in any of it's form, knock, knocked, knocks, "Knockers". I actually considered using knockers, as I had breast augmentation surgery in 2004 and I had a really good idea. I changed my mind because I didn't know if this would be an appropriate layout for the contest. I was fully clothed in the photo, but some may have taken offense to it. Instead I chose to use this layout. The photo is hinged as to resemble a door. There's hidden journaling behind the photo. The journaling is below.

Knock The Door Will Open...

She was first diagnosed three weeks before her fifth birthday. Everything that I had experienced in life had not prepared me for the words that the doctor would say..." We think your daughter has a brain tumor."

The next week was a whirlwind of confusion. We found ourselves at The Children's Medical Center, in Dayton, OH, forty-five minutes from home. Tests..MRI's...more tests...The verdict? ... Medulloblastom, a malignant brain tumor in the fourth ventricle of the cerebellum.

Within a day of admittance, she underwent surgery to place a shunt in her brain, capable of draining the cerebral spinal fluid from her head that had built up because the tumor was blocking the path of drainage. The following morning, she was to undergo a thirteen-hour brain surgery to attempt tumor removal. The neurosurgeon said that the surgery would be tedious and dangerous. The tumor was resting against the brain stem, and one wrong moved could cause the brain to stop functioning. "Sometimes, the mere procedure of opening the skull sends the brain into shock, forcing it to shut down," he said.

While she slept in her hospital bed the night before this surgery, I sat in a rocking chair by her side...thinking and praying and thinking and praying some more.
We had been blessed with her life as a gift. Adopted at the age of thirteen days old, we gave her a name, and she became our daughter. She taught us of an immeasurable love.

As I rocked and prayed by her side that night, I was blessed with the sudden touch of calm and peacefulness. Only God knew the life before her. Only God knew of the suffering she would endure. Only God knew the plans for her life. "God", I prayed. "If her life will be unbearable because of this disease, I can understand and accept why you would choose to take her from this earth, back to your heavenly home. All I ask, is that you give me more time to be her Mother....just a little more time."

The surgery went well the next day. After only eleven hours, and not thirteen, they were able to remove all the tumor able to be seen by the human eye. She would next undergo radiation treatments and chemotherapy, but first another surgery to place a catheter directly into her blood stream at her chest, to administer her medication.

It wasn't long before we were home and the long days of travel back and forth to Dayton for treatments and doctor's appointments began. Everyone fell in love with her spirit at the hospital. She touched people everywhere sent went. And so many people touched our lives with their thoughts, and love, and prayers. The days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months, and nine months later her treatments were finished.

Her prognosis was as good as could be expected. If a reoccurrence did not take place within the first five years, she had an optimistic chance of long-term survival. Although it was not without incident, the next four years flew by. Still subjected to regularly schedule check-ups and tests, our lives settled into a sense of normalcy. We were faced with learning disabilities, hearing aids, and growth hormone injections, all side-effects and results of her treatment; but life was grand. I was given more time to be Larissa's mother.

She flourished, she grew, she inspired, she gave hope; but all came to a crashing halt that August day in 1999. All-to-familiar symptoms began to present themselves and the dread trip to the hospital was made. After an MRI, our suspicions were confirmed. The brain tumor had reoccurred; but this time it had grown into her brain stem.

Although, not as overwhelming and unfamiliar as the first time, the news was still devastating. We had been so close to the five-year milestone for recovery.

This time Larissa was admitted to The Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, two-hours from home. Surgery to remove the tumor was followed by more chemotherapy, and chemotherapy was followed by a stem-cell transplant. While having the stem-cell transplant, we were required to stay at The Children's Hospital in Cincinnati for three and a half weeks. When we arrived home, she was weak and weary. We had a period of one hundred days ahead of us that would require almost complete isolation from the outside world. The limited visitors that she was able to have, were donned with sterile-filtered masks to keep the "germs" away.

It was during this time, Christmas of 1999, that Larissa and I were given a wonderful gift. Her entire fourth grade class , all eighty-six of them, were bussed to the front lawn of our home. It was there from our front porch, that we listened to the entire fourth grade sing Christmas carols. Larissa's smile was radiant, and the tears slowly slide down my face.

As the days, weeks, and months passed she became weaker and weaker. Her ability to walk freely was taken away, and she was eventually given a wheel chair to move about. In July, of 2000 she was admitted to Children's Hospital in Dayton and diagnosed with Pneumonia. It later that week progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome and she died July 31, 2000.

Our God had opened the door just as He’d promised in Matthew 7:7-8. Ask, and you will receive. Search and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.

October 22, 2006

So You Think You Can Scrap Challenge #2




Well I made it to Round #2 of So You Think You Can Scrap. This weeks challenge was a doozie. We had to select a manufacturer and use only one of any thing by that manufacturer. I turned to my great friend Inkyinindy for ideas on manufacturers, she suggested I go with My Minds Eye. Wow, the supplies you can get into with this manufacturer. It was perfect for the photo I wanted to use and again, I feel it came out perfect. Now I'll just see if I make the cut this week.

So You Think You Can Scrap Challenge #1




The ladies at scraplove.com are such great fun. All of them are so fun and friendly. I decided to join in on the So You Think You Can Scrap contest. The challenges are so fun. The first week was an ad challenge, which you had to use the posted ad for inspiration, as well as use the color orange. I chose to use the black and white photo and used orange accents. I was very excited with how it turned out.

August 29, 2006

Question Tuesday Challenge

Thanks to motorbarbie from The Memory Safe, I am updating my blog.

1. What is your favorite season? My favorite season is spring. I love spring because spring means that soon there'll be beautiful flowers blooming everywhere. 2. What is your favortie thing about that season? That the wonderful aroma of blossoms are coming soon. Spring also means that it's only a short time before the kids will be out of school and the hustle and bustle slows down. 3. Is there something special you do during that season? During the spring, I usually clean out the flower beds and prepare for the upcoming beauty that will emerge from the earth.

August 5, 2006

Inspirations...

I must say that on a daily basis, I browse for inspiration on different scrapbook messages boards. On more than one, I've been truly inspired by InkyinIndy. Linda's work absolutely amazes me to no avail. Prior to seeing her work, I very seldom completed a page with just ONE photo. Through her inspiration, I saw just how much focus was brought to the picture instead of everything around it. Thanks Linda for helping me to see 1 photo pages from a new perspective.. Your work rocks and should be an inspiration to many.

July 22, 2006

The Exploding Box

Exploding Photo Box

Supplies:
3 Sheets of 12 X 12 Cardstock1
Sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 Cardstock
4 Sheets of Pattern Paper (different patterns)
Double Sided Tape or Permanent Adhesive
Glue Dots or Lines
Lots of Embellishments
Tools Needed:

Scissors
12 X 12 Paper Trimmer
Scoring Tool
Instructions:

1. Trim your 12 X 12 cardstock as follows:

1 - 9" X 9" square
1 - 8 5/8" X 8 5/8" square
1 - 8 1/4" X 8 1/4" square






2. Score your squares as follows:

Score the 9 X 9 square at 3" intervals, creating 9 squares.
Score the 8 5/8 X 8 5/8 square at 2 7/8" intervals, creating 9 squares.
Score the 8 1/4 X 8 1/4 square at 2 3/4" intervals, creating 9 squares.







3. Trim off the corner squares, for each sheet.






4. Fold the score lines on each sheet, creating valleys.






5. Starting with the smallest sheet, turn it over and place permanent adhesive on the bottom of the center square.






6. Adhere this on the center front square of the middle-sized sheet.
Do the same to the middle-sized sheet adhering to the center front square of the largest sheet.

This is what it'll look like once all sheets are adhered together:






This is what your box will look like without the lid:







7. Trim your pattern paper as follows:

Trim one 2 1/2" X 2 1/2" square of each pattern.
Trim one 2 5/8" X 2 5/8" square of each pattern.
Trim one 2 3/4" X 2 3/4" square of each pattern.
You'll have a total of 4 squares of each size in each pattern.







8. Starting with the 2 1/2" squares, apply adhesive to the back of one of each pattern. Then apply the pattern paper to the smallest squares on the box.

9. Next do the same for the 2 5/8" squares. You can get creative and change the position of the different patterns on each layer.

10. Finally do the same for the 2 3/4" squares.
















Now contruct the lid to your box:

11. Trim your 8 1/2 X 11 cardstock to
6 1/4" X 6 1/4" square.

12. Score the 6 1/4" X 6 1/4" square 1 1/2" from each edge. This will create a 3 1/4" X 3 1/4" square in the center.


13. Turn your square over and score the corners only of your cardstock. Start with the point in the inner square and score outwards toward the edge.







14. Fold at the corner score line.
This will allow you to pinch the lips or side edges of the lid together.







15. Using glue dots, adhere the corners by tucking them on the inside of the lid. Apply the glue dots where needed to allow the sides of the lid to stay flat.







This is what the corner will look like when finished:






This is what the inside of the lid will look like:







This is your completed box:






Add photos and embellishments to the inside of your box. Decorate the outside of the box as you'd like.

July 1, 2006

~Through the Eyes of A Child~


It's utter excitement to these little 3rd and 4th grade girls, as the last pitch is thrown and the final out of the championship game is made. First, there's the shock of is it really over? Did we really win? Then there's the charge from within that tells your brain to jump and shout. Finally the reality sinks in and they go wild.

This years fastpitch team was pretty young. The girls were a bit concerned going into the season. The other team from our community has mostly 4th graders on it and most if not all had played before. Our team had several 3rd graders and a couple had never played. My daughter being one of them. These little girls rallied through the season with a 14-0 record. It's amazing how one attempts to make predictions that are no where near what really happens. During the tournaments this past week, the girls played 4 games to become the CHAMPIONS!

The coach of this years team was absolutely amazing. His patience with these girls was always evident. He's been the high school boys baseball coach for years. I want to commend him on his fairness with all of the girls and for beliving in them. Thanks coach.

As a mother, now I relive my childhood memories through the eyes of my child. As a young girl myself, I played and LOVED softball. It's wonderful and exciting to me that my daughter is reliving some of my childhood. Way to go BABY GIRL!

June 28, 2006

Scraps of Me...



How often do you scrap? ~ Every kid free chance I get!

When do you prefer to scrap?
~ Any moment the kids are in bed.

How long do you typically scrap for? ~ Until I feel it's time to move onto something else.

How many layouts do you complete in a month? ~ Usually only do 4-6 per month.

Prefer to scrap alone, with a friend or at a crop? ~ I've never been to a crop by like to scrap alone.

Favorite scrappin munchie? ~ Pretzels
Favorite beverage?
(obviously, in a sippy glass... placed away from pictures and layouts)
~ Diet coke.

How do you organize your sessions for scrapping? ~ Could you give me your definition of organize?

Do you build page kits? ~ Sometimes

Do you make power layouts? ~ Nope

How often do you use sketch challenges? ~ I love them.

How often do you scrap lift? ~ Don't usually will come up with a combo of a couple of different ideas.

Do you watch tv, movies, or listen to the music? ~ Sometimes I'm a music fan while scrappin.

Do you crop sitting ot standing? ~ Standing

What albums or themes are you currently working on? ~ 10 years worth of kid photos.

Any tips or tricks to share? ~ None.

Anything else you want to tell share about your scrapping habits? ~ Can't think of any right now.

June 20, 2006

~Rainbow of My World~

Red represents the blood that was shed to cleanse me free from sin. I was but a teenager burdened by the daily ups and downs of life when I chose to give my soul over to our precious FATHER.

Orange represents the fires that I was freed from when I chose Jesus as my personal savior.

Yellow is the color of the sun that keeps me going from day-to-day. What would our very existence be like if all the Earth was covered in complete darkness? Again, who to thank but our Jesus.

Green is the color of all things that grow under the sun. The grass, which as children, we roll and play in, leaving all who come behind a legacy of memories.

Blue is the color of the heavens above. One day, the angels will come down from the clouds and remove us from our temporary place of existence here on Earth.

Indigo is the color of the night sky. The sky that holds the star, which gave light to the stable, which was a resting place for the Christ Child.

Violet is the color of many beautiful flowers. Flowers that release a wonderful aroma. An aroma that brings joy to us everyday.

The colors of the rainbow represent something very important to me. It's because of the colors in my rainbow that I'm able to maintain existence in this crazy place we call our temporary home. One day we'll go to our new home to be with our Maker, until then, we have to make the most of what we have here. Enjoy life and preserve the many memories that are made.

June 17, 2006

Are You Guilty?

I don't know how many of you have this issue, but I know that I do. Just ask my hubby, he'll tell you.

Cleaning Poem
I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'putering',
And I had to answer "yes."

He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick...
I was just admiring my work...
I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click, I did, and oops I found
Another scrapbook site
That I got SO way into...
I was into it all night. Sigh

Nothing's changed except my mouse
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess...
While I sit here on my hiney.