LO Bootcamp is back!!!

(here is a sneak peak of 3 of the 20 LO's we will create during our LO Bootcamp!!)

Join me one more time before I go on maternity leave for an all day LO bootcamp!! I created 20 new sketches along with 20 new LO's with a October Afternoon paper line that is exclusive to this class! You will be scrappin over 50 photos...and the best news is, the class only costs $50.00!!! The workshop is on Saturday February 21st from 10am till 5pm!! When you sign up for the class, I am requiring you leave your e-mail addy so I can send you all the sketches beforehand so you will have your pictures chosen before you come. I will also give you a list of other supplies you will need to make this the most productive day!! Seating is extreemly limited, so if this sounds like a good way to start off your year...then sign up TODAY!! Here is the phone number for K2 941-926-1744.
dream.design.create.

nikki

my belly...

Here is a picture of me at Ft. Wilderness lodge in Disney World. This was taken about 4 weeks ago, but I think I look about the same. I am 7 months pregnant in this picture!!
xoxo
nikki

The five love languages

In cleaning my house, I found this great little book called "Lists to Live By for every Married Couple". I thought I would share the first list called "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. (I know the last few months of living with me and my crazy hormones have not been easy, so I vow to Sean and myself that I will put these five love languages into action.)

1. Words of Affirmation: Compliments, words of encouragement, and requests rather than demands affirm the self worth of your spouse.
2. Quality Time: Spending quality time together through, sharing, listening, and participating in joint meaningful activities communicates that we truly care for and enjoy each other.
3. Receiving Gifts: Gifts are tangible symbols of love, whether they are items you purchased or made or are merely your own presence made available to your spouse. Gifts demonstrate that you care, and the represent the value of the relationship.
4. Acts of Service: Criticism of your spouse's failure to do things for you may be an indication that "acts of service" is your primary love language. Acts of service should never be coerced but should be freely given and received, and completed as requested.
5. Physical Touch: Physical touch, as a gesture of love, reaches to the depths of our being. As a love language, it is a powerful form of communication-from the smallest touch on the shoulder to the most passionate kiss.

xoxo
nikki
ps i love you seany

family picture

...can everyone PLEASE look at the camera and smile!!
(no)

(not even close)

(finally)

xoxo

nikki

ps these photos were taking in Edgewater, Florida about 2 weeks ago.

Thank You Paula!!!

My friend Paula made me these ADORABLE booties and hat for our new baby girl. She also made me the goats milk lavendar soap wrapped up so beautifully too!! Handmade gifts mean so much to me. I know how much time goes into making something like this. THANK YOU PAULA!!!

xoxo

nikki

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Daddy
Happy Birthday to you!!!!

xoxo

nikki, sean, riley and brody

A great find

My friend Tomi sent me a craigslist listing for this adorable tea cart. I saw what they were asking and I called her to see if it was still available. It was!!! What a great find for $15.00!!

It is a perfect find for my house.

Altered Cookie Tin

My mom found this delicious gingerbread cookie mix and tin at Williams Sonoma. As I was making some altered projects with Tweety Jill's new product for a collage book coming out in 2009, I thought I would alter something I could look at every day... this was made with the Travel to Paris Collage Kit and with her "Scrapbook and Collage Papers, Eupopean Collection".

It is tall enough to hold all my pens/pencils on my desk...even some of my scissors! TFL

dream.design.create.

nikki

Album in a Day Workshop

The album.
(the front side of one of my twelve dividers...i divided my picts by the month) (the backside of one of my twelve dividers)

(the inside pages...including horiz and vertical picts)

Each year my sister in law Lori creates a DVD for our family with photos from the year. She asks me to go through all my photos and choose my favorites from each month. (As most of you photo junkies like me can imagine that is a task in itself.) Well, after spending hours choosing about 400 of my favorite photos, I was inspired to do something with them. I went online and created a 120 page digital book from http://www.blurb.com/ for both my parents and Sean's. But as most of us paper or hybid scrapbookers out there, we like to "feel" our pictures and create a paper album as well. So, after being inspired by the new Simple Scrapbooks "Simple Albums" issue I decided to jump right in and create a "2008 Favorite Photos" album. I absolutely love how it turned out and it gets 2009 started without me feeling behind.

If you are interested in making one of these albums, I created 5 kits for K2 Scrapbook Studio. You can purchase a kit or if you want to join me, I will be "teaching" it on Saturday January 17th from 10 till whenever... It is much more like a workshop where you will be given all the supplies (except your photos) and I will be there to help you assemble and answer any questions. You won't need much instruction, but I have to say it will be more fun to sit with other women while you assemble this great album.

The kit includes: the album, a package of 12 x6 page protectors, kraft paper, Luxe two sided patterned papers (enough to fill the album), Maya Roads acrylic journaling tags, a scoop of buttons, Melissa Frances stickers, Basic Grey letter stickers and chipboard pack. Instructions and photos of the finished project will be included as well as some time and money saving tips. Kit costs $75.00 (the album and papers have been pre-cut and ready for assembly)

What could be better than getting 200-300 photos in an album in one day!! A great way to start off 2009. Hope you can join me. If you have any questions please call the store at (941) 926-1744 or e-mail me at nikkiclearypta@comcast.net .

dream.design.create.

nikki

2009 Contract

After serious & cautious consideration . . .
Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009!
It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!!
My Wish for You in 2009
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had…. forget your home address! In simple words . . .
May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

(I received this via e-mail from a friend and thought I would share it with my blog readers and friends!)

xoxo

nikki

Merry Christmas

Love,
The Clearys

40th Anniversary

mom and dad

the main street confectionery

the castle

brody's favorite ride was the carousel (his favorite "show" was the Country Bear Jamboree)
riley's favorite thing to do was the Shooting gallery and his favorite ride was Pirate's of the Carribean.

We celebrated my parents 40th wedding anniversary at Disney World for the past 5 days. Riley and of course Brody had never been to WDW before and as you can imagine they had a wonderful time. We spent the first evening exploring the resorts and enjoying all the Christmas decorations...which were AMAZING. The following couple of days we spent at the parks and at the resort (which was amazing in itself). Today we spent the morning at Downtown Disney at the T-Rex store and fossil dig as well as the Lego store...I think the boys had just as much fun there as they did yesterday at Animal Kingdom. All in all we had a wonderful time watching the kids experience Disney for the first time!

xoxo

nikki

Cosmo Cricket LO's

( the stamps I used in the above LO is "journey to France" by Tweety Jill)

Paper is Cosmo Cricket...other rick rack, felt, DMC floss, staples and ink.
TFL
dream.design.create.
nikki

Polar Express

When Karen asked me to create a mini album using the Creative Imaginations train, I wasn't sure what I was going to do... but when I started playing...it just started to come together. I painted the train blue on both the front and back. I used the Creative Imaginations Lionel train paper and embellishments to decorate the front of the train. I also used the CI Creative Cafe bling for the center of the wheels on the train. For the back I covered it in orange cardstock and stamped a journal stamp all the way down the train...I also stamped train, travel images all over the journaling lines before I journaled. Then I wrote all about Riley's love for Thomas the Train, Polar Express, and our fun adventure when we all went and rode the FL Gulf Coast railroad train...I gathered photos that might not have been the best to "scrap" and used just the heads to place in my "windows" of the train. TFL.

dream.design.create.

nikki

Some misc LO's and projects...

papers, letter stickers. Other: buttons, fabric, sewing machine, pen.

Arctic frog papers, American Crafts flowers, MM chipboard...other buttons and sewing machine.

Creative Cafe accordian Christmas ornaments (all products except DMC floss are Creative Cafe).

TFL

dream.design.create.

nikki

angels from heaven

This LO is very special to me. My uncle sent this postcard out to all of our family after Grandma died last year and this is what it says " I love you all dearly, now don't shed a tear, I'm spending my Christmas with Jesus this year." I wanted to make a special LO to cherish the picture of my Grandma and Grandpa.
The papers and stamps are all from Tweety Jill Publications in her "Collage paper pack". Chipboard is Tim Holtz. Other is buttons, tags, die cut flowers, music sheet (which was my grandmothers), cardboard, coffee dyed lace. Title is "angels" from target and "in" is MM letter stickers. TFL
dream.design.create.
nikki

tis the season...

When walking by the new My Mind's Eye papers and embellishments (at K2 scrapbook studio), it doesn't scream Christmas...but the worked beautifully for my two Christmas/winter themed LO's. The added glitter on the paper is perfect!! I created an adorable Christmas party invitation but it is not pictured, cause I forgot to take a picture of it. :( So you will just have to go to the store to check it out in person. LOL!! TFL

dream.design.create.

nikki

Digital Freebie update...

If you are into digital or hybrid scrapbooking, you need to check out Designer Digitals (in the freebie section) and Weeds and Wildflowers Designs (on their blog) from now till Christmas. They are giving away a freebie a day and everything is adorable. The only catch, you have to check back every day cause the download button expires!
xoxo
dream.design.digi create.
nikki

Luxe LO's

I ran across these pictures of Rileyand Brody this past summer and was in the mood to scrap them. I went to my paper stash and found these Luxe papers and wow, what a perfect match! I love the simple clean lines of both these LO's. Stamps are Autumn Leaves, orange title is Arctic Frog. Other: buttons and sewing machine. TFL

xoxo

nikki

Prima boy LO's

The second I saw these Prima papers at K2 scrapbook studio, I knew they would be perfect for this Halloween! The flowers and also Prima, the smaller circle and outerspace stamps are from Autumn Leaves (K2 has only 1 set left...) and the large circle stamp is from the "it kit". "cherish" stamp and ghost star is Heidi Swapp. The titles are American Crafts thickers, MM letter stickers. Bling: Creative Cafe. Other: rick rack, ribbon, sewing machine, paper clips and tags. TFL
dream.design.create.

nikki