Life Is an Artform

{Hopping with a TWIST}

Welcome to the MME Blog Hop!!!  If you are just joining us, start back at the MME Blog and hop along with us for a chance to win the ENTIRE Lime Twist Collection!! There are two ways to win: 

1) GRAND prize – The ENTIRE “Lime Twist” Collection: After visiting every blog, email each designer's WORD of the month to Amber.  (8 blogs = 8 words).

2) BONUS entry: We will randomly draw one of our designer’s blogs and draw one winner from the comments on that designer’s blog.  This winner will receive the COLLECTION of THEIR CHOICE!

I am totally in LOVE with all four of the new Lime Twist lines!  The colors are so fresh and bright – perfect for my spring and summer photos.  Our Spring has been full of rain, snow, and chilly days – I’m ready for warmer weather.  Despite the inclement weather – I have LOVED all of the festive and cheerful Easter decorations, colorful candy and treats, and the anticipation of the fun Easter egg hunts. 

To me – April is just SWEET.  (Hint – this my word for the blog hop)  I love finding adorable and delicious sweet treats to fill their Easter baskets.  Of course I get to sample some of them too!  I also love the SWEET flowers that blossom, the hyacinths and lilacs that fill the air with their heavenly scent. I had fun creating this layout with the fabulous new Lime Twist “Life of the Party” Collection.  The colors coordinated perfectly with our Easter 2010 photos.   Doesn’t the dot paper look just like our eggs?!  I added Glossy Accents to the Lush Chipboard title and #1 sticker – tying them in with the adorable epoxy polka dot Lush brads.  MME always creates such great stickers and journaling accents for their lines.

Thanks for hopping by.  Make sure you leave a comment so you are enter to win the drawing, then HOP on over to Suzanne Sergi’s wonderful blog!!

{Easter Message}

Beautiful and touching Easter video:

{School With No Name–”Beyond the Blackboard” Movie}

Sunday, April 24th CBS will show their new Hallmark Hall of Fame Move – “Beyond the Blackboard”.  It is the touching story of a woman, Stacey Bess,  who taught a school for homeless children for 11 years.   My dad met her about 20 years ago, in a metal Quonset hut under a SLC freeway viaduct.  He had been given an assignment by a national magazine to photograph her and her homeless students.

Stacey Bess’s first teaching job is not at all what she expected. She’s assigned to the School with no Name in Salt Lake City, a space in a homeless shelter that is supposed to function as a classroom. The ‘classroom,’ though, lacks basic supplies such as desks and books, and her young students range in age from six to 12.
Based on a true story, Beyond the Blackboard chronicles young Stacey confronting her own fears and insecurities as she struggles to gain attention and respect from her students. She must also win over school board administrators and apprehensive parents.

“‘Beyond the Blackboard’ reminds us that sometimes it doesn’t take an awful lot to make a huge difference in other people’s lives,” said Treat Williams (known for his role in “Everwood”), who plays a superintendent Bess had to persuade for school resources. “In this economy, with so many people having a rough time, I think the message in this film is going to resonate. We’re all in this together, and each person is capable of making a positive difference in the lives of others.”

Article about the movie

Stacey’s Website about her work

Info about the movie

{Birthday Bike Ride}

Here is the layout I designed for the MME April Newsletter – using a fabulous sketch by Jana Eubank.  The Stella and Rose “Mabel” collection matched this photo perfectly!  The banner stickers from the Fine and Dandy “True Blue” collection also coordinated with it!  Love this color combo and all of the yummy embellishments.  I especially like the Orange Lush 2 flocked journaling bracket that frames the flocked Lush title.

Journaling reads: “All Jacob wanted for his 8th birthday was a new bike.  He even got to pick it out at the store.  He spends hours rifing on it every day and even rides in the rain!”