Friday, January 11, 2013

Woohoo! It's here, it's here! Cropchocolate blog hop and FWF

I've been excited about this day for a loooong time!  I love blog hops, and I'm super excited about my second term on the cropchocolate.com design team.  Not only is it a great company with a wonderfully talented bunch of women, but there are some exciting changes in store for all of you this term.  You'll see more design team members and we're divided into specific groups.  I've been assigned to the layouts/cards design team.  Well, as many of you know, cards are a joy for me, but layouts can be more of a challenge.  To get into the spirit of things, I created one of each for this blog hop.

But, first, a few other details.  As I said already, I'm super excited about this hop and the opportunity to serve on this design team.  So, I'm offering blog candy.  To be eligible to win it, please follow my blog and leave a comment on this post.  I will pick the winner early next week.  If I hit 150 followers, I will pick two winners.  (Yeah!)  There's paper, Unity stamps, ribbon, embellishments, all kinds of crafty wonderfulness for you to win. 

You should have come here from Karen's blog.  And, if you just happened upon this and want to start at the beginning, visit Amber's blog first. Isn't there an amazing amount of talent on this team?  Most of the designers are showing you their tryout pieces, but those were also my November and December projects for last term, so you've already seen them.  So, I created a couple new things for the hop.  First, the layout, which will tell you some new things about me.

This is me!(woohoo) and my old girl Molly.  She just turned 12 on Jan. 6th.  Her face is just starting to turn gray, and she has a little arthritis, but she's an athlete.  She LOVES to run! And chase her tail.  She's chasing it for all she's worth as I'm writing this post.  She must be excited, too!

I used Fancy Pants Blissful Blizzard 12x12 papers and Echo Park Wintertime card stock on this layout, purchased from cropchocolate.com.  I cut the library pocket out on the Silhouette, editing the file size to fit my purposes.  And, for my Unity Friends With Flair Peeps, I used the Unity Dec kit of the month stamps for the quote,Unity Swirling Snow stamps and various CTMH alphabet stamps (all retired) for the numbers on the tags.  The ribbon, Juniper ink and Barn Red ink are also from Close To My Heart.

Here's a closeup of the pocket, where you can read the quote, and see the snowflakes.  They were stamped with second generation stamping so they didn't overpower the quote.  On each of the tags, I wrote something about me that I didn't think you'd already know.  Here's what the tags in the pocket say:

1. My joy is cardmaking
2. I once qualified for Boston marathon
3. My first dog's name was Chien (it means 'dog' in French.  I was taking 9th grade French at the time)
4. Shaun and I have been married for 29 years
5. My favorite tea is Puerh
6. I cook as little as possible.  I LOVE leftovers!
7. I ride my bike or walk to work
8. I'm the same size now I was in high school
9. I love my Harley!
10. Kayaking feeds my soul

There you have it.  Somehow scrapbooking ourselves is very hard to do.  Thinking of these facts took much longer than anything else!  Let me know if you learned anything new about me.

And now, for a card I made for this hop, and for you, my blog readers:


And you are!  You are SO cool!  I love this world of blogging and crafting and sharing ourselves with each other.  Here's how I made it.  I used Unity stamps of course.  It's an Itty Bitty penguin called, "You're so cool".  I cut the circles out with the Lifestyle Crafts circle dies in various sizes.  I used Echo Park Winter Wishes 6x6 paper.  Two of the circles were dry embossed with a Spellbinders embossing plate. I inked the edges of the card and the circles with Tim Holtz distress ink (black soot).  The base of the card is made with Carta Bella Kraft cardstock. The charcoal baker's twine is from cropchocolate.com.  The googly eyes are from my stash.  The circle the penguin is stamped on is elevated with 3D foam tape, and so is the sentiment banner. Everything for the googly eyes and Unity stamp was purchased from my favorite online shopping site, cropchocolate.com.

That's it for me.  Please come back on Tuesday, Jan. 15 and I'll pick the winner of the blog candy. Then, please visit my blog again on Wednesday, Jan. 16.  I will be guest designing for the 3 Girl Jam Challenge blog.  I know there are some crinkle ribbon fans out there, and  3 Girl Jam has some beautiful ribbon!  Now, hop, hop, hop on to the talented Becky's blog.  You'll love what she has to show you! 

58 comments:

  1. Your layout about yourself is cute! You are right. It's not often we scrap about ourselves and we should more :) you have a Harley !?? Wow!!

    The penguin is just as cute ! Love the colors too

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  2. I always like to see your cards Julie!! Great job!
    I love leftovers too!!!

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  3. You're the same size you were in high school...awesome, I still fit into the earrings I wore in high school...LOL!! Your Molly is beautiful...my oldest fur girl will be 12 this year as well, and she's just as wild as she was when she was a pup too, besides the arthritis in her backside. Love your projects, looking forward to working with you this term!

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  4. Julie, fab layout and card! That's so cool you qualified for the marathon!

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  5. I am LOVIN' that layout!!!! Have a great term!

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  6. Always love your work!!Marathon...wow!!

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  7. Wow, you're pretty busy! Your layout is great, and your penguin card adorable!

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  8. Great layout, Julie. I love the journaling pocket idea. Your girl, Molly, is precious! My black lab boy, Bud, will be turning 12 next month. The time sure flies!

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  9. Oh, I love the layout and the journaling strips idea!

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  10. Love the googly eyes and love your Golden,aren't they just the greatest!Your layout turned out beautifully!

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  11. I am so jealous that you can walk or ride a bike to work, that is great. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work. I just love the layout with the pocket.

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  12. I seriously love that card...the colors, the textures, everything! Also...I would guess that based on your 10 things that your dog just takes after you (just like children would)...amazing accomplishments and past times! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. A beautiful layout! And I just love our dog! So playful after so many years! You really are very blessed!

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  14. I love that you made your fun facts into a LO! That is great idea!

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  15. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the layout. I love the card too LOL The layout is awesome and I am casing it! Very beautiful puppy dog too!

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  16. Great projects! Thanks for the inspiration! :0)

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  17. I love the layout and the card, but I really love the layout. Great Job.

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  18. Hi Julie! Love your layout, and card!! Beautiful projects, and Love the pic of you and Molly :){hugs}

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  19. I love that LO, your furbaby is very cute! The penguin on the card is pretty dang cute too! Thanks for sharing with us!

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  20. Congrats loved reading about you and your projects are great. I too am a avid kayaker! I am a follower

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  21. Great layout and cool card!
    slrdowney at hotmail dot com

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  22. Terrific layout, Julie -- and fun to learn more about you. (I once knew a beagle named Chien; just didn't suit him. My brother and I always called him Barney. :D) Fun penguin card, too, especially with the googly eyes!

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  23. LOVE the layout!! Love the pocket full of stuff!! Great job!! Can't wait for the DT projects!

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  24. Great layout...luv the 'hidden' facts! Already a follower.

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  25. Great layout, and your dog is awesome :) Cute penguin card too!

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  26. Love the layout and the cute little penguin card!

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  27. Great layout! Love the pocket and hidden facts. And the penguin is so cute!

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  28. Great projects. I didn't know you were a harley girl, and the same size as high school- that is just not fair!

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  29. Great projects Love the card so cute !

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  30. Super fun! I love that LO! What a fun way to put a part of YOU right in the LO! Looking forward to serving with you on the CC-DT! Woo hoo!

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  31. Love those kind of "about me" projects. Tks for sharing.

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  32. I love penguins and that card is "so cool" (My 4 year old says that all of the time.) I am already following :)

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  33. Super LO ! Love the colours and design, and that's a great photo. I love that you called your first dog "Chien". That's so cute and actually sounds like a really good name.

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  34. Thanks for sharing a layout about yourself. I think the only thing harder than making them is sharing them. Great projects. Aready a follower here :)

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  35. Love the layout and card...I'm an avid collector of winter scrappy stuff! gwsharkcpa

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  36. Beautiful lo, Julie! That is a great picture. The card is adorable. I learned several things about you :) Looking forward to more awesome projects from you:)

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  37. I love your layout and your card and the facts about yourself are great!! Marathon runner whoo hoo!! Congrats on the DT and can't wait to see the ribbon things!! I'm a follower!

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    1. Well I tried following I couldn't get d2's to work either will try again tomorrow!

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  38. Your dog is adorable! Love your projects, those ten favorite things pockets always fascinate me. Really? The same size as high school? *sigh* ...But then again if you qualified for the Boston Marathon I think you probably work really hard!

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  39. your dog is so cute, great projects love the eyes on the penguin

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  40. These are terrific projects. That penguin card is adorable and I love your layout for the scrapbook page.

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  41. Hi Julie, love your projects. That layout is awesome and a very clever way to reveal your fun facts! I love your Molly too, our golden, Ella, just turned 7 and she is really white in the face. Leftovers are always hands down, the best! Looking forward to working with you on the DT!

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  42. Love your layout and card! Same size as in high school? Lucky girl!

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  43. I love your projects. What a great way to reveal your fun facts.

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  44. Enjoyed your post and projects! I am a NEW follower (scrappin' ninja) and it looks like you hit 150! CONGRATS!

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  45. Love the pic of you and your dog in the LO you did! So cute!! :)

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  46. LOVE that you did a LO of yourself & love the library pocket idea, too! :) I did "learn" some things I didn't know, but nothing was really a "surprise." :) It all "fit." :) Congrats on being on the CC DT!! :)

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  47. YAY Julie!!! Another DT term and 150 followers!! You know how much I love your cards, and I really love your LO!! Give Molly a big Happy Late Birthday for me!! I'm so happy for you and can't wait to see what you do next!!! And I DID learn some things I didn't know about you! Sharon is right though, it does all "fit"! ;D Love you!!

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  48. I like the library pocket. I keep meaning to do one on a layout but it never seems to work out for me. It looks wonderful!

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  49. Julie, really love the card, that is too cute. I love tea too, but I am a big fruity tea girl, like peach/ginger and Lady Grey. Caffeine needed! your work is always so beautiful!

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  50. Gorgeous layout and adorable card! Wishing Molly a happy belated birthday! She sure is a beauty :) My fur babies (brother and sister) just turned 13 on the 4th. They certainly have our hearts, don't they? I enjoyed learning more about you :) TFS!

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  51. Even though I never do it.. I'm such a fan of cute stamped images with funny little sayings. I love your penguin card :)

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