Friday, May 13, 2011
Oohmygoodness, I have SO many layouts half finished that I need to catch up on! Since Jeff is gone to Washington, DC, I've had the chance to do some "boredom cleaning." So, I decided to hit my scrappy stash and layout pile in my scrapbook room. Holy Hannah! I found like 25+ half-done layouts. I had no idea I had that many.
I guess I better pin a wiggle on it, huh?
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Especially to my Mom... who I love and adore and wouldn't be able to make it through some days without. She is not only my mom, but she is my best friend. I love you, Mom!
Saturday, May 07, 2011
If you're local, come support the Pipes and Drums of the Lake County Sheriff's Department for our 9th annual fundraiser to raise money to travel to Washington, DC. The band has been invited to participate in the ceremonies involved with National Police Memorial Week and will be playing at the National Law Enforcement Memorial at Judiciary Square and the US Capitol Building.
Tickets are only $10 at the door. Children 12 and under are free (ticket includes sandwich and drinks. (Additional food/drink tickets are only $1 each.)
Come join us at the Lake County Fairgrounds 4H building for fun, food, drinks, raffles and plenty of bagpipe music. Last year, over 400 people joined us for a great evening. Doors open at 5pm. We hope to see you there!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
If you're in my area and would like to come see the Pipes and Drums of Lake County play today, you can catch us at any of these locations:
3pm - Mateys (the old Spondos)
5pm - TJ Maloneys
6pm - Buddy & Pals (Crown Point)
6:30pm Crown Point St Patty's Day Parade
8pm - Mighty Micks
8:30pm - Buddy & Pals (Winfield)
9pm - Frickes
10pm - Mateys
11pm - Northwoods
I hope we see you out today! Come support the band!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Happy New Year!
Can you believe how quick this past year has flown by? I know I can't! I'm thankful for so many things this year, but one I'd like to share with all of my creative friends is the fact that I am so glad my scrappy mojo finally came back. I'm blessed to be a part of a wonderful design team at Scrapdango and I'm even more grateful for some of the recent requests I've gotten for publications. I hope 2011 is just as creative.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
From my home to yours, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
xoxo,
Sandi
Monday, December 20, 2010
One of the things that Heather asks of us over at Scrapdango is to make a sketch to go along with one of our monthly kit projects. This month, I chose my "All About the Tree" layout to sketchify. ;) I'm hoping I'll get better at them as time goes by...
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Today I am sharing my third and final project for Scrapdango, using the December Spice kit. I really can't say enough about how fun the Merry January line from We R Memory Keepers is - I adore it! I have like six more layouts in progress that I hope to finish & share soon.
This page is called "Payton the Wonder Dog." My sweet Payte has had SO much fun playing in the snow lately. When he's not freezing and begging to be let back in, he's rooting around in the snow and always has a snow covered nose when he comes in. Hee hee
I used a lot of things from the kit on this one - from the buttons and the chipboard to a ton of papers all over. I used a lot of Glimmer Mist and added some Stickles details in the negative spaces as well. Lots more Stickles on the painted letters and the chipboard snowflake too...
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Hi guys!
Today I get to share my second layout made with the December Spice kit from Scrapdango. It features the Merry January collection from We R Memory Keepers. (I think this is one of my most favorite from them yet - I even went and just bought the whole line from my LSS after I got my kit last week! LOL)
This page is called "All About the Tree" and it has pics from my Christmas tree. I love to decorate the tree. I spend days doing it. Seriously. It usually takes me at least a day to get all the lights strung just right and then all the branches adjusted before I will add the ornaments, ribbon and berries. I also loved this little tree embellishment included in the kit and the minute I saw it, I knew I wanted to make a page about my Christmas tree. (Granted, the pics are from waaaaaaay back before we remodeled, but I like them and wanted to use them anyway.)
Here's my page:
I added some buttons from the kit to the tree as ornaments and some extra Stickles on the tree itself to make it more dimensional. I used the felt ribbon behind the title for some added dimension and texture. I want to add journaling in some where but I'm not sure where. Every time I tried to add some, it just didn't look right, so I left it picture only. For now. ;)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
I'm so excited to reveal my creations using the December Spice kit for Scrapdango. The kit features some of my most favorite papers yet - We R Memory Keepers' Merry January collection. Here's my page:
This two pager is called "Let It Snow" and it shows off some of my favorite pictures from our most recent snowstorm. As most of you know, the Midwest has gotten a TON of snow in the last few weeks. I've only been able to get a few pics here and there (and some are even from my Blackberry!). I included all of my favorites on this one layout: One of Payton, playing in the snow; one of the golf course near my house and one of the street that I live on. I love that my street is lined by all of these old oak trees - they make for the most perfect frame. Here's the left page:
And here's the right page:
I altered the alphabet stickers in the kit so that they would match the snowy feel to the page and added the little swoosh for a "windblown" effect. For the side panels, I dug out my old stash of Heidi Swapp masks and went to town using Glimmer Mist. It adds such a pretty effect in person - I wish it would have photographed better!
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
With some of the remnants of my November Sugar kit from Scrapdango, I made these really easy and super cute cards. The first one I like to call "hi." I think you'll see why:
My second card is called "4 u." (Again, I think you'll see why... LOL) :
Last, but certainly not least is my take on a dimensional card, called "Where does the time go?" For this one, punch several circles in the same size, layering them. Bend the top most layer of circles in half, to create the dimension on the card:
Saturday, November 20, 2010
So, I know I am not very good at drawing up sketches in Photoshop, but I'm trying! For my very first sketch for Heather at Scrapdango, I chose to make a sketch of my layout called "First Day". My sketch is pretty generic, so I am sure you could alter it to fit your needs.
I hope you like it!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Here's my third project, using the November Sugar kit from Scrapdango. It features papers from the Crate Paper Restoration line- which I am totally in love with right now!
This is a layout about my nieces, Sadie and Madison, and Easter of 2008. Yep. You read that right. 2008. I am finally getting around to scrapping some of the photos I've wanted to use but have missed during my scrappy hiatus. So, expect to see a lot of older holidays and pics from me...
This one is a two page spread, so here's the whole thing:
And then close-ups of the left page:
And close-ups of the right page:
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Here's my second project for Scrapdango, using the November Sugar kit. This one uses a picture of me with my niece, Madison. Morgan took this pic after Madie and I got done dancing our hineys off at Sadie's Dance Birthday party. (What a fun idea that was, let me tell you! I think Morgan and I had more fun than anyone else! LOL)
Anywho, here's a shot of the page, uses mostly everything from the Crate Paper Restoration line:
And here are some detail shots:
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I can finally reveal the layouts I've been working on for the new November Sugar kit from Scrapdango! This one is called "First day" and it's about my niece, Sadie's, first day of school this year and how she is just growing up too fast. All papers are from the Crate Paper Restoration line - I just love this one...
And some close-ups of the detail work & journaling:
Friday, November 12, 2010
It's finally time for the Blog Hop Crop to begin at Scrapdango! If you aren't quite sure what that is, check out the post here at the Scrapdango blog. If you know what this is all about - you can skip down a little ways and learn about me and my fun facts and my favorite scrappy items.
We have a brand new design team and we want you to get to know us while having some scrappy fun along the way. By completing our challenges, you can earn chances to win one of Scrapdango's awesome kits!
If you don't know me that well - my name is Sandi Minchuk. I've been in and around the scrappy scene for at least ten years now and I'm more than honored and excited to be a part of the Scrapdango design team. I've been published in a bunch of different magazines and idea books. I've even won a spot in a pretty big contest. I've been more than lucky. I'm always amazed when I have something picked up to be published. I was beyond floored when Heather picked me to be a part of her team. I used to own my own scrapbook kit club and used to love scrapbooking - but it all got to be just a bit much for me and I stopped, so I could concentrate on kits and shipping and everything that comes with running a business. At the end of last year, I decided that I missed scrapbooking far too much to continue doing what I was doing. So I quit. To make me happy. Looking back, it was very hard but it's been the best decision I've made in a long time. I love scrapping again and can't seem to get enough of it. I've been having so much fun creating with the November Sugar kit Heather sent me- I can't wait to share with you guys on the 15th- during our reveal date. Make sure you grab this kit while you can!
This past November 1st, I celebrated my 13th wedding anniversary with my husband, Jeff. He's stuck by me through think and thin and I really could not have a better guy. I'm very lucky. We don't have any children but we do have one very spoiled Weimeraner named Payton, who we spoil rotten. (P.S. He was named after Walter Payton. Yes, we're die-hard Bears fans.)
Anyway, most people don't know that I'm fluent in French and love anything and everything to do with that beautiful country. I hope to one day go back and explore more of it with someone I love. It's one of the things to do on my "bucket list."
Another fun fact about me is that (until recently) I hated to have my picture taken. Everyone always says I'm so photogenic but inside, I was DYING to have to have my picture taken. I stressed about looking heavy and the light catching too many of my fourteen chins that I'm sure were down there hiding, to come out and humiliate me at just the moment my picture was taken. ;) In the last year and a half, I've slowly (but surely) lost 98 pounds and now I love to have my picture taken - with all of my loved ones. And sometimes I'm brave enough to take one of just me. So, you should look for more pics of me soon - and I'll be using them on my scrapbook pages, so that I can finally be included in them! :)
I have a TON of things that I love to use while I'm scrapping but my favorites are all on this layout, called Winky McGee. It's a layout about my niece, Ava, and me. I took it when we went to a friend's and family day for the Bears a few years back. My current favorite things to use on a layout are #1- Patterned paper (and LOTS of it - as you can see, it's in the flowers and the rolls and in the background and in the foreground and well... just about everywhere.) #2- Flowers - of any kind. I chose to make my own for this layout and use some of my Prima stash. #3- Punches - I'm currently addicted to using my paper border punches. I think I use them on just about every layout I make anymore. #4- Corrugated cardboard - what better way to hide the evidence of a pizza binge than to rip up the box and use it on a layout? ;) And last, but certainly not least #5- Alphabet stickers. I will take alphabet stickers in every shape, size and color but I really cannot get enough of the Doodlebug ones. They are without a doubt, my most favorite. Here's a few pics of my layout:
So, for your challenge, I challenge you to use anything you learned about me in your layout. Use at least 2 facts (I used the fact that I hid behind Ava for the most part in my picture and that this photo was taken at a Bears game - my favorite NFL team.) I also used a whole slew of patterned papers and all my other 5 favorites on this layout. You can either use my 5 favorites or use 2 of my fun facts (you can interpret them any way you choose) OR you can use both and get two draws for the prize!
For the hop part of the crop, here's the order in which you should go:
-Sandi (You are here)
Happy hopping!!
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Scrapdango is having a Blog Hop Crop and you won't want to miss it!! Here are the details:
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Good morning, everyone! I just posted my November card challenge over at
Scrapdango and thought it might be a good idea to give a step by step tutorial on how this card was done:
Ok, the first thing you are going to do is choose some alphabets for your greeting. As you can see, it doesn't matter if they match or not. I used two different alphabets so that the two l's in my greeting would not be the exact same. Stick them down and leave some room, because you are going to ink around them:
Next, choose a coordinating ink color and generously ink over your letters and onto the surrounding patterned paper:
Finally, peel up your alphabet stickers and discard them. You'll be left with a mask of your greeting and a really great new technique:
Monday, October 25, 2010
I just found out that I'm one of FOUR girls who made the new
Scrapdango team! I am so beyond excited, you have no idea!! I will be on the team for the term of the next six months and I am so excited to be creating again every month.
Scrapdango is the most fun site, too- there are always challenges and contests and all sorts of great girls there with loads and loads of creativity. If you've not ever come to check us out, please do - just follow one of the links in this post, or use the link I have in my favorite places over there ----> off to the side. ;)
This is exactly the push that I need and I am so beyond excited about it. At least I'll have some pages that I can actually share with everyone now. Everything else I've been making now I've been submitting right away and I can't share them in case someone wants to publish them. That is such a hard thing for me to do!
Thank you so much Heather for this opportunity - I hope I make you proud!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
So I want to totally change the look of my blog - again. I know that there are sites like The Cutest Blog on the Block and Shabby Blogs. Are there any others? I'm having issues with some of the backgrounds being way too wide for my blog and I can't for the life of me figure out how to adjust that... even though I totally made my blogger background that I have now from scratch.
Can anyone else offer any suggestions or ideas of where else to look for cute backgrounds? Thanks so much!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
I am meeting a new friend this morning at a local scrapbook store to scrap the day away! I'm excited and nervous at the same time - LOL!
I'm nervous because I've not ever met this friend before. She contacted me through a website where we're both members and said she lives close to me. She also told me about a new scrapbook store that opened up in Crown Point where she's gone before to crop and asked if I'd like to meet her there today to crop, so I said what the heck! I'd love to! I just don't have enough scrappy friends that are close to me and am very excited to meet her today.
Hopefully, I'll also have some really good projects to share when I come home, too!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
I'm not sure why, but I am just in love with the ideas of 10.10.10. I'm planning on making a page about it, but I'm not sure what the topic should be. Any suggestions out there?
On a side note, if you're a local friend, the Merrillville Volunteer Fire Department (Station Two) is having their Chili Cook-Off today at the American Legion, 7430 Broadway. It starts at noon and you could win one of two big screen TVs! $5 admission lets you sample all the chilis and the guys are roasting up some hot dogs and other fun things. It's all you can eat, so bring your appetite! And if you're worried about missing the game, never fear: The boys have completely transformed the hall into a TV-o-rama - there are sets everywhere to watch the Bears cream the Panthers!
Come support a good local cause!
Saturday, October 09, 2010
One of my fellow workers is getting married today - I wish them both a lifetime of happiness!
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Ok, so any of my scrapbook friends will know what a toot means... but for those of you not immersed into the scrapbooking world, a toot is kind of a shout out letting people know you have a project getting published.
Yep! You read that right. I had one of my most favorite pages ever requested by a REALLY big scrapbook magazine to be published in an upcoming issue. I can't exactly which magazine yet, but you can better believe the minute that issue hits the stands, I am going to be screaming my head off about it!
I'm so excited, you have no idea... I made this page, saw the call for it and thought "Ahhh, what the heck? Let's see if I still have it." Well, I guess I do!
Woooot woooooottttttt!!! :)
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
I'm so excited ... I'm going to get my pink hair extensions today! I got them about 3 or 4 years ago at a salon in South Bend while Kim and I were at
Pages in Time, scrapbooking. I loved the one I got then so much, I think I'm going to get two or three this year! I'm so stinkin excited ... I'll see if I can share some pics later on once they are done.
ETA: Here's my pink... what do you think? There are actually two pieces of pink on each side, one light and one dark. The light realllllly blends in with my hair, though so I am not sure what that says about my natural hair color?! LOL My friend, Jody, wants to go in Friday morning and get some so I think I may have the stylist add in two more light pink on each side so they are a little more visible. I'm thinking the chunkier, the better? :)
(Oh - please don't look in the background of my pic. Yes, that is the tail end of a truck in my backyard. No, we do not live in a trailer park. LOL We had the pool installed yesterday and my very tired husband was so sore from carrying everything into the backyard that he had the bright idea to just sort of back up along the side of the house and into the backyard to unload the rest of the brick for part of the patio. He took this picture for me since I couldn't seem to make my arms be long enough to get a good picture that showed off both sides of my head with the pink. We were outside working when I asked him to take the picture for me with my phone and this one was the best of the ones we tried to take!)
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Since I have a custom made blog, it isn't very easy to follow me using Blogger's built-in following gadget. But... I've figured out how to do it.
First,
click here. This should take you to your blog management area.
Next, click "add."
Now copy & paste my blog address into the URL box:
Finally, click next and you should be all set to follow me.
I'm sorry it's such a pain in the hiney!
Sunday, October 03, 2010
I made this card to go along with the baby album I made for my brother-in-law and his girlfriend, who are expecting their first child. Their baby shower is later on this afternoon.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Hi all!
Since I'm going to be at work for most of the day (working a double), I wanted to share a card with you nice & early. I've been making some cards lately, using leftover scraps from pages. Here are just a few...
If you are looking for some great inspiration for card making this month, why not come join us over st
Scrapdango. Each and every day, there will be a new card challenge, for their month long challenge, called
The ABCs of Cards. So far, we've been challenged to use apples and bling. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month will bring... so fun!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
I can't believe I never shared this layout... it's an older one, but I made it for a Creating Keepsakes call and then the page never got picked up to be published anywhere so I just kind of hoarded it away. ;)
This is me and my brother, Michael - the pilot. He took me up flying one year for my birthday. After going up with him and seeing the world as he does, I can totally understand now his fascination and love for his passion and career. It is just so blissful up in all that blue...
