Ever heard of Geocaching?

Have you ever heard of Geocaching?  

Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online.

It is so much fun and I love to do it with my kids too. Although, Michael isn't so excited to get out there and hunt for a cache as much as Taylor, Bailey or I am. In fact.. it's the men in the family that don't enjoy it LOL.

People place caches all around; they are everywhere, all over the world. I have seen some amazing sites/views while searching for a cache. I started Geocaching with my android phone when Taylor and I first went to North Georgia to visit the University there. It uses a GPS and guides you to the location of the cache, where you in turn have to search for the cache. After you do it for a while you learn different places to look for the cache. Some are really hard to find, others are pretty easy. And the cache can be anything from a small little metal tube to a large plastic container. You sign your name and put the date that you found the cache. In some of the containers you can even take something out and then you put it into a different cache so that it travels. Some of the "Travel Bugs" you can even track online. It is a lot of fun. So it is just an interesting outside activity that I have been able to enjoy with the family.

Yesterday was your average work day. I was able to get one of the Dahlonega pages finished last night. I'm hoping to finish the final Dahlonega page or pages today. For the page I did last night I used a Let's Get Sketch! - Sketch Challenge #16. I'm having to adjust these to the small 8.5 x 11 pages to finish this album. I'm getting so close to the end!

I used more Club Scrap papers.. Love these papers and I couldn't wait to use them. I inked with my favorite black ink stamp, Palette. The jean and metal embellishments came out of the Club Scrap box. I added a little gold glitter to Dahlonega.. since Dahlonega is all about the Gold Rush. This was us standing in front of the Gold Museum sign. I also added some Glimmer Mist - Gold to the page and added the leaf which I have no idea where it came from. I knew I had it though and I searched for quite some time last night! One or two more pages of Dahlonega and I'm finished with that.

Thanks so much for looking! And commenting :)  Makes my day!  Hope you all have a great one today!

Glossy or Matte, Which do you prefer?

I can't believe I woke up this morning to stare Monday in the face once again. Where does the weekend go? It is here and gone in flash. It doesn't even seem to matter if you have an extra day either. Saturday seems to always be full of running around. Church was great on Sunday and then home to scrapbook. That was how the weekend went. It was a pretty relaxed weekend.

Bailey, my 10 year old daughter, decided to make a couple of cards and scrapbook a couple of pages with me this weekend. I had ordered some photos printed on glossy paper. I hit the complete order button before I realized that they were glossy. I don't like glossy prints, I much prefer matte finish. So, I went back and ordered the prints again with a matte finish. I handed the glossy prints over to Bailey yesterday so she would have something to scrapbook. Which do you prefer, glossy or matte?

Here are Bailey's two layouts that she did:

She really did a great job and she had a lot of fun! It looked like a bomb went off in here last night, but we got it all picked up before bed.

I was able to get a few pages done. I still haven't done that card with m flowers, but I'll get it done eventually. I get so focused on getting this album done. I just want to get it finished so I don't have to stress about getting it done in time to send it over to him. I used some sketch challenges and just adjusted them to my 8.5 x 11.

Here is the first page. I was able to get all of the Bed and Breakfast pages finished! This is from a sketch at Sketches in Thyme. It is the #81 sketch. I used Bazzill of course, pattered papers from DaisyD's that I had, Ranger Distress Ink (I believe it was Vintage Photo), my Girlz are Weird Sizzlits and DMC floss for the stitching. And we can't forget my handy dandy favorite ZIG Millenium for my journaling.

This was done using the Lets Get Sketchy! Challenge #8 sketch. It shows the views from the Bed and Breakfast that we stayed in. It is beautiful up there. The Long Mountain Lodge Bed and Breakfast is in Dahlonega, Georgia. I used the same papers, Bazzill, DaisyD's, Ranger Distress Ink, my favorite little banner punch from Epiphany Crafts, some miscellaneous brads I had and my small letter stamps that I have no idea where they come from, and twine from The Twinery.

These photos are from the veranda where we spent the majority of our time. It was beautiful and the storms were rolling in that evening so we just watched them roll in until it was time to head inside. It was a perfect day and night. Just what I had planned, peaceful and relaxing. I used the same paper... bazzill and DaisyD's. inked everything. This was from a sketch from My Creative Sketches - June's Sketch. Distress ink, a doily I had inked a bit with the distress ink and then sprayed with Bronze Glimmer Mist. And of course my Zig Millenium to add a few words to the page.

And the last page from the Bed and Breakfast.. isn't he adorable hehe I love this picture of Kevin.  He's just relaxed on the veranda taking it in. We really had a great time. I don't know how I can miss him any more than I already do, but some how I do each day. For this I used the same.. bazzill, DaisyD's and Distress Ink. I also used Sizzix Flourishes and added a little bit of brown glitter to some areas on the flourishes to add a little bit of detail. I used the June 2012 sketch from Sketch Savvy for this one. It was a fun little challenge trying to adapt the sketches to the smaller pages.

The last page to share with you is our visit to the Georgia Aquarium. I love it there!

I used Bazzill papers and some random glitter patterned paper that I had. The bubbles were just blue bazzill that I added glitter to with one of my favorite things.. Diamond Glaze. I love using that to make my own raised epoxy looking embellishments.  The "G" is hand drawn and cut to look like the Georgia Aquarium symbol and the Georgia Aquarium is handwritten. I cut a couple of waves from the paper and popped them. I added a bit of rhinestones to add more sparkle. Then I did a hand drawn paper piecing of "Deepo". He is the Georgia Aquarium mascot. I inked and chalked him. Outlined him and added a bit of sparkle, popped him and stuck him to the page. I think he turned out pretty cute!

And that is it! I was able to get a lot of pages done this weekend and I'm feeling pretty good about that. Now it is Monday and I have to head to work soon. The internet is playing up this morning for Kevin and I so it makes it really hard to talk and Skype.When the internet gets like this it is hard to run the cameras because the picture is awful or gets stuck. We do the best we can. I pray every single day that the time will go by quickly and we can get him home.

I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week!!!  Happy Monday!!!

Happy Friday!

Today has been a good day. I usually post early in the morning, but I wasn't finished with my pages so I waited. I got some work done today and was able to get my three pages for Helen, GA done. Three more pages finished for the album headed to Australia soon. Oh my... how many more pages to go! Next on the agenda for the album are the photos from the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at in Dahlonega, GA. This is the second time I've stayed their, the first was with my oldest daughter when we went to see the school there. That is the school she will be going to in a few months. The school is North Georgia College and State University . Although, they just had a new name approved, University of North Georgia. It is a beautiful campus up there in the Georgia Mountains. Back to the Bed and Breakfast, it is the Long Mountain Lodge Bed and Breakfast . They have been amazing both times I've stayed their. They make an amazing breakfast in the morning. It is a beautiful place to go to not too far from home, but it takes you away.

I had to go to Michael's Craft Store today. So I packed up the kids, we ran in there, then headed to the pet store for cat litter, and then on to the CD Warehouse. I let the kids each pick a CD and we came home. 

Here are my layouts finished today:

Helen, Georgia is beautiful. It looks like an Alpine Village.. all of the buildings have that look. It's a fun place to go. The Chattahoochee River runs right through town. I used stickles, all of the paper is old Club Scrap papers that I hadn't used. The "A" is a Doodlebug rub-on, the "RIVER" is PC Wave font, with stickles around the edge and watercolor pencils I used to color them. The "runs through it" is hand written but made to look similar to the Scriptina font.. I used my handy dandy ZIG millennium to write it. The blooms are from Recollections at Michael's. Got those on clearance Woot!  The Helen, Georgia and Feb 2012 are also hand written with the ZIG. I inked all my edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

Same papers here, the Club Scrap older papers. The butterfly and blooms clearance at Michael's LOL All Recollections. And all inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The journaling was done with a CK font and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. I really need to write it down. I usually leave it open, but I closed it today!

This is the last page.. same papers from Club Scrap. Blooms are random ones I have in my tackle box. Butterfly from clearance at Michael's. I went online and printed out the symbol from Helen online and then colored it to make it a bit brighter. I hand wrote the City of Helen, Georgia and Georgia's Alpine Village again with my handy dandy and favorite ZIG millennium. Everything inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. 

It is so fun to look back at these and see him. Oh, I want him home so badly.

One more item of business really quick. Ginger Snap Scraps is having a Fantastic Giveaway:

We are so excited about the new Lawn Fawn stamp sets that we are giving away all seven of them to one lucky winner! Follow the link to  Scrap and Chat for more details! See the stamps below... Aren't they wonderful! I LOVE the Aussie stamps; how couldn't I LOL! :)

 

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day! I'm off to throw together some dinner, pick up my mess, pick out some new papers and see what I can do.