Site Title

Spring Banner Expo Class

March 9, 2011

Is it REALLY almost time for the Spring Scrapbook USA Expo? When I look out my window, it’s hard to believe it is just over two short weeks until the Expo.

Not working at a local scrapbook store, I don’t get the chance to teach much anymore. I am excited to have the opportunity to teach and see many of you (I hope)!

I am teaching this fabulous “Spring” banner on Friday, March 25, 2011 from 12:30 – 2:00 pm at the Scrapbook USA Expo located in the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, UT.

For only $25 you get a fantastic home décor item and a great time with your friends (and me)! I’m sure I’ll be able to finagle some fabulous prizes, too!

The gorgeous papers and embellishments I used are the Stella & Rose – Gertie collection from My Mind’s Eye. I just can’t get enough of the gorgeousness!

“Official” Class Description:

Have the winter blues got you down?

Amber Packer has the perfect solution! Join Amber for a fun-filled class while creating a gorgeous spring banner. You’ll love what you create when you combine Stella and Rose from My Mind’s Eye, adhesive rhinestones, chipboard alphas and more.

$25

Please bring: tape runner or liquid glue, pencil, scissors, brown ink pad, hole punch and pop dots.

For more detailed pictures, check out our blog www.apage4allseasons.blogspot.com

This class is being taught Friday, March 25, 2011 from 12:30-2:00.

To register for the class, you’ll need to follow this link (yes, that link) and complete the order through the Scrapbook USA website.

But…

Guess what!? If you are unable to attend the class (sad face) for any reason – you can purchase a kit through A Page 4 All Seasons for the same great price as the class ($25). The kit will be shipped direct to your door on, or before, the Monday after the Expo (March 28).

I hope you will join me! Have a fabulous day!
Tuesday…

March 3, 2011

Was a packed and fun-filled day!

I started off Tuesday by driving carpool. Love the kids in my car. We have 5 darling kids (my 2 boys and 3 friends). It’s so much fun because they are all different grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade. It’s so much fun to hear them talk. They help each other, the older ones give advice to the younger ones. It’s always an adventure and something I truly enjoy.

When I got home, I went quickly to work finishing the March My Mind’s Eye newsletter. It features Lush2 – LOVE the flocking and colors.

Creating the layout for the newsletter was really good for me because it gave me the opportunity to create the layout about Neal. He has been struggling with a cherished friend lately and doesn’t understand what he has done wrong (if anything) or how to fix it. He loves his friend and just wants to be able to play with him. (They worked it out later Tuesday – so cute)

As a mother, I just want to somehow “force” him to see himself the way that I do. (nice Star Wars reference, huh!?) He has such a quiet strength about him. It’s amazing how people watch him and will follow his example.

All his life others, somehow, expect him to know more, be more mature than someone of his age should act. It’s hard, but goes to show the great potential he has.

That’s one of the greatest things about scrapbooking – the ability to put on paper the greatness you see in others.

I’ll share the rest of the day (Blue and Gold banquet) in the next post.

p.s. Did you HEAR about the new giveaway My Mind’s Eye has in the March newsletter? It’s BIG!! They are giving away another Cricut Expression machine. All you have to do to enter to win is sign up to receive the monthly newsletter.
30 Days of Memories – GTU- MME

February 15, 2011
For the first time since I started going on Good Things Utah, I had a creative block. I was stumped – what to do? Since today is the day after Valentine’s, the next holiday is St. Patrick’s Day and I didn’t feel like creating a project for that. And, Easter is not until the end of April so I’ll have to save an Easter project for later.

AND, I’m sort of feeling the winter dull-drums and wanted a project that could help get me out of it.

A few months ago, my friend, Carey sent me a picture of a fun advent calendar and said that I should add it to my “idea” bank. Well, as I was pondering on what to do, I remembered this idea and that advent calendar evolved into: “30 days of Memories”.

And, I owe my friend a BIG “thank you”!

30 days of fun, simple, easy to implement ways to create memories. Because have children, my ideas are centered on fun things to do with kids. If you are single or are a couple without children, switch up some of my suggestions – this project is for everyone!

Today’s project featured embellishments from one of My Mind’s Eye’s newest collections: Lush 2. Lush 2 features four fantastic colors: Navy, Turquoise, Orange and Fuchsia. Each color has a beautiful journaling notebook, decorative brads, rhinestones, rhinestone brads, buttons and trims.

The boys in my house wouldn’t want to do a fun thing that was written on a Fuchsia paper (silly, I know) so I didn’t use the Fuchsia, but it would be beautiful added in!

Here are a few ideas:
- Backwards day
- Pirate day
- Indoor picnic (we did this a lot growing up)
- Breakfast for dinner
- Eat under the table
- Dance like crazy to music
- Make cookies and share them
- Drink hot chocolate with dinner
- Give everyone crazy hair styles
- Write a thank you note to someone
- Ask the question: if you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go and why?
- Cowboy day
- Space explorer day
- Princess day
- Brave knight day
- Do the dishes together
- Paint everyone’s toenails
- Star gazing
- Backyard games
- Read a story
- Fancy dress for dinner
- Watch a movie (on the weekend)
- Go get ice cream
- Take a bike ride
- Fly a kite
- Play catch
- Take public transit somewhere
- Go for a walk together
- Play board games
- Have an indoor scavenger hunt
- Take a drive to the mountains
- Work on a puzzle
- Play with clay
- Do a puppet show (or act out a play)
- Camp out in the TV room (or backyard0
- Make an indoor tent for the kids
- Sing songs
- Write a letter to grandparents
- Make your own pizza
- Look through scrapbooks
- Start a family journal
- Do a kind deed in secret together
- Draw names and do nice thing all day for the person whose name you pulled.
As always, I have included instructions with the color photos shown here and the printable title: Download 2011_02_15_MME

http://eplayer.clipsyndicate.com/cs_api/get_swf/3/&pl_id=20010&wpid=9604&page_count=5&tags=CCTVI_NEWS&windows=1&show_title=0&va_id=2216931&auto_start=0&auto_next=1

30 Days of Memories–Good Things Utah February 15, 2011

I hope you will join me (and my family) in creating YOUR own 30 days of Memories. Remember that memories do not need to cost a lot of money – the best memories are created when time is spent together. I’d love to hear your ideas of fun things to experiences.

Hugs,

P.S. Do you want to win a Cricut Expression or Cuttlebug? Register to receive the My Mind’s Eye newsletter (click here).
Beaten…

January 29, 2011

but not broken (luckily!). At the end of the game Neal had hit the floor hard 6 times, hit his head twice and was red all over. He had to deal with taunts from the opposing team and their parents.

There was no help from the ref (he’s a kid, I know, but he took his frustrations out on our players by not protecting them).

When I got home, I was so upset I was shaking.

The boys are with Bryan watching our favorite college team play. They are there without me so I can create a fun project for My Mind’s Eye.

However, because I am frustrated, I am not feeling very creative. I need to vent. This hobby is therapeutic, right? I hope you will bear with me. I’m not exactly sure how to put into words how I am feeling.

One thing is for sure, I feel proud. Yes, proud – of Neal – of Bryan (for defending the kids and not swearing) – of our little team who kept working and fighting and never gave up. Proud that my boy with tears in his eyes dribbled up the court and fought until the game was over. Proud that our team scored.

Grateful for an uncle who came to his defense and picked him up when as a mother I couldn’t for fear of making him look like a wimp. Grateful for grandparents who were there to support…

Happy… that when the adults were heckling Neal and Bryan was telling him to ignore them, I yelled to him (I was sitting next to “said” parents): “Yes, Neal, ignore the adults that are picking on a 4th grader”. And, happy, that they actually stopped after that.

And happy that they scored so that it wasn’t umpteen million to 0.

Basketball at this age is not about winning or losing, it is about teaching the fundamentals of basketball. It is about teaching these kids how to follow rules. It is about teaching the kids how to be good sports, win or lose.

And, I am proud that our kids were good sports.

Thank you for listening to me!
GTU – Hearts-A-Flutter Mantel Decor

January 18, 2011

Featured Collection: State of the Heart

I’ve been having such a fun time decorating my fireplace mantel lately. It’s an area in my house I only switched up at Christmas. Well, I had such a fun time creating the Halloween Mantel Decor, that I have been hooked ever since.

While brainstorming ideas for today’s project, I knew I wanted to use the banner shapes, but didn’t want to actually create a banner (it could be that I am creating a spring banner to teach at the Expo).

Then I started thinking of fabric draped over (cascading) over the mantel and thought I might be able to use paper and the banner shapes to create that feeling. I’m calling this the “Hearts-A-Flutter” decor because when you hold the heart garland, it looks like butterflies fluttering their wings.

Don’t you just love the mix of pinks and reds in the State of the Heart collection? It was a fun mix for my project.

As always, I have included the instructions which are available to download here: Download 2011_01_18_Hearts a flutter decor

We’ll be uploading the video in the left column as soon as Good Things Utah has it uploaded to their website.

I hope you are having a wonderful week!
Proud Mama part 2

January 7, 2011

We also had the opportunity to listen to Neal sing in his school choir. The kids went early M/W/F for a 5 weeks to prepare for the concert. Most of the kids in his group of friends decided to do it together. They also get to have a pizza party. It was fun to see Neal – he really enjoyed it.

Have I told you that Neal is on the Student Council? I don’t think I have. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops when I learned that he had made it – until I went to the school volunteer meeting right after and spoke with a mom whose child was devastated they didn’t make it. Then I was hesitant to shout.

Well, he made it AND he loves it. They had to write a paragraph saying why they wanted to be on SC and then were chosen by the teachers. I’ll have to share it – it was pretty sweet.

The Student Council had all the kids in the school bring their parent’s spare change for a week. They raised enough that they were able to help 17 kids (I need to double check this) have Christmas! Pretty cool, huh!? Since Neal is on SC, he was able to go shopping for the kids.

These three boys (and a little brother who looks like Napoleon Dynamite) did such a good job keeping track of the money they had spent. They were given a list of needs and a dollar amount they could spend. They kept great track of the money they had spent and when there was a little left over, they bought each child a blanket to keep them warm at night (break my heart).

I’m so proud of both my boys and am grateful for the opportunities they have received.
Scrapbook page winner!

January 3, 2011

Just wanted to say the photography for your album is great! Wondering what font you used on page for Neal? Very cute!

Posted by: Sheri Brady | December 23, 2010 at 04:06 PM

Sheri, will you email me your mailing information to bloominmemories@yahoo.com? I’ll get your prize right out to you!
Let it Snow Banner – GTU – MME

December 28, 2010

Yesterday, I was slowly coming out of the holiday haze and getting ready to enjoy a week with only two “work” things to do. We watched my two nieces and nephew and had a “lazy” morning.

We were getting ready for another trip to Lowe’s for yet another project (I’m so excited to share it – when it’s done!) when the phone rang. It was the Good Things Utah producer, she wanted to know what I was doing today.

I told her, “Cutting wood and painting it”. She said, “Do you want to come on the show?” Well, the honest truth is not really. However, they are my friends and are so good to me, they were in a bind, I had a banner that was done and I’d be home by 12:00 to get started on the newest home project… so, I said I would love to and I am truly grateful that I can!

I actually did this project for the quarterly Hobby Lobby magazine (I do all the MME projects for this magazine). I think Portobello Road is to die for as a SNOW line. The soft blues, silvers and glitter give off the peaceful feeling of watching giant snowflakes fall on a cold winter’s night. (Watch for more in the My Mind’s Eye newsletter)

This project really is simple, quick and gorgeous! It’s Lost and Found glittered paper, silver frames, rhinestones and a wooden snowflake cut out. That’s it – easy peasy!

If you’d like to make your own, feel free to download the instructions here: Download 2010_12_28_MME_Let_It_Snow_Banner page1

and

Download 2010_12_28_MME_Let_It_Snow_Banner page2

For those of you who missed the segment today, I’ll be adding the video to the side bar as soon as it’s available

The My Mind’s Eye blog hop is still in full swing! See two posts below for my part of the hop. If you haven’t been participating in the blog hop, I invite you to join in the fun!

Have a great day!
Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2010

Christmas is a time when we can all learn from a child’s gratitude and love for Jesus Christ. See the meaning and the story of Christmas through the eyes of children.

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I thought you might enjoy this wonderful message of Christmas through the eyes of children. (It doesn’t hurt that my Riley is in it, either. Watch for him from 2:12 – 2:18)

My favorite comment (My only reason for adding this is so that I will remember it):
2:12 – 2:18 … be still my heart! the purity of this young boy’s message is exemplary and commendable 🙂

“If we look for the good, we can see this time of year with new eyes—perhaps even with the eyes of a child.”

—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Merry Christmas!

MME 12 Designers of Christmas Blog Hop!

December 23, 2010

Welcome to the My Mind’s Eye 12 Designers of Christmas blog hop bash! My name is Amber Packer and if you came to my blog from Suzanne’s blog then you are on the right track. If you came to visit me (thank you!) and haven’t been participating in the hop… take a minute and hop over to the My Mind’s Eye blog so you can play with us!

My contribution to the secret phrase is: days

When you are lucky enough to do something you love for work like I do, it is hard to narrow down one favorite project. So, I think I’ll share more than one. My husband and sons are the three most important people in my life. I am glad that I am able to consistently reflect upon their significance to me. So, my favorite projects are about my appreciation for each of them:

Featured Collection: Breaking Free and So Sophie

From my blog, you will now visit Tiffani’s blog.

I hope you take the time to comment on each blog you visited on your way here. Remember to leave a comment on the My Mind’s Eye blog and email the secret phrase to amber@mymindseye.com (that’s me).

I think I need to have a special Christmas giveaway from me to you! I'm going to giveaway this two-page layout designed by me for one of my Autoship clubs! My drawing will end when the MME blog hop does, midnight, December 29. Good luck!

I hope you enjoyed your stop here. Look around. I hope you'll find Amber value in what I have written. Happy Holidays!

p.s. I'm the guest blogger on the Creating Keepsakes blog today! I'm sharing a new layout using Holly Jolly. AND, My Mind's Eye has a special giveaway for the CK readers. You may want to visit that blog when you are done today

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