Birthday Sale

Wow where has the month of December gone? We normally have a busy Christmas season but this years seems to have been a bit more crazy than usual. We haven't had a quiet night at home all month yet and we won't until at least Tuesday. Besides the normal Taekwondo practice, dance practice, Wednesday night church and choir, we have had several Christmas programs, Snowball Dance, Taekwondo testing, multiple Christmas parties and 2 birthdays. Today was my birthday and my husband surprised me by taking me out for breakfast and then I spent the day doing my baking for tonight, tomorrow and Monday. On Monday my baby turns 3! Where have the last 3 years gone? She is getting to be so big.

To celebrate my birthday I've decided to put my ScrapMatters shop on sale!



From now until December 31, enjoy 25% everything in my shop (excluding collabs). 

That's not all...

How would you like to get $5 to spend in my store? On Jan. 1, I will be opening up my new permanent store! I'm so excited to get started there. Leave a comment with where you think I'll be moving to by midnight EST Dec. 31 and I will randomly pick someone from the correct answers to receive a $5.00 coupon to spend in my new store!

Until next time...Happy Scrapping!

New Release & Grab Bag Reveal

It's Friday once again and that means new goodies! If you are here for the blog train it in the previous post, so just scroll down. :)

First up today I have my Grab Bag Reveal. If you didn't get a chance to grab it last week you can now get each item individually or at a discounted price by picking up the bundle.











I also have in the store my Gingerbread Lane Icing pack.



Until next time...Happy Scrapping! :)

Dec Blog Train

Welcome to the next stop on this month's blog train!

 

Download here or here.

You should have come from Hot Flash Designs and will be continuing on to to KS Designs.

I also have a coordinating alpha for you when you sign up for my newsletter. (Link in the sidebar) All current subscribers will also receive the freebie.v



Don't forget today is the last day to pick up my Black Friday Grab Bag before it gets broken apart tomorrow. (The reveal pictures in the previous post.)



Check out this adorable page that Dawn made using the grab bag!



Until next time...Happy Scrapping!

Black Friday Grab Bag

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving this year. We spent the day with Paul's mom's family and had a nice quiet evening at home with just us. I don't think we have done that at all in the 12 years we have been married. I had thought about heading out to do some Black Friday shopping at midnight but decided that I wasn't that ambitious this year, especially since I knew I had a cake to make to take to Paul's cousin's house tonight for a post Thanksgiving party. He decided to go with a Hawaiian theme this year and I'm still not sure how I'm going to decorate the cake. Hopefully something comes to me soon. :)

This week I have this fun grab bag available at ScrapMatters. It's only available until Thursday, Dec. 1 and then will be broken apart and the pieces will be sold individually. It's the perfect kit to scrap a fun winter day or even a trip to the zoo or aquarium.



Here's a look at what is inside:









Until next time...Happy Scrapping!

I've decided it's time to start a newsletter! With all the exciting things happening here at MHK Scraps over the next couple months I want to be able to keep everyone informed. I'm offering a free Icing Pack that coordinates with my Gingerbread Lane kit to those that sign up in November. The link to sign up is at the top of the sidebar.

Grab Bag Reveal and Re-release

It's finally Friday again! I look forward to Fridays so much every week now. It's the one day of the week where I usually don't have to be anywhere. My Monday through Thursday is kind of busy with teaching preschool, Kailee's speech appointments and the older two's extracurricular activities. It's so nice for Kailee and I to be able to take our time in the mornings and spend some time snuggling together until she is ready to fully start the day. Some weeks is a little less than others, but what a great way to start the day. :)

Today my grab bag from last week has been broken down and all the pieces are available individually. You can also pick up all three pieces at once in the bundle and save 30%. Click on preview to be taken to it in the store.







I also brought one of my former releases from Scrapping Fairytales over to ScrapMatters today.



Also if you hadn't noticed I have added a newsletter sign-up link to the side bar. If you subscribe during the month of November you will receive my Icing Pack that coordinates with Gingerbread Lane for FREE as my way of saying "Thank you"! How awesome is that!



Well that's all for today! Until next time...Happy Scrapping!

Well it's finally here! I'm finally guesting at ScrapMatters this month! Can't wait to show you what I have releasing this week for Digital Scrapbook Day.First though I have a little announcement. :) I've decided to shorten my design name to MHK Scraps. Over the next couple weeks I will be working on changing my blog design, so if it looks a little funny next time you visit don't worry it should be back to normal very soon. Now unto the fun stuff!

I had so much fun making this grab bag. It contains a full size kit, alpha and cardstock pack. It is available in my ScrapMatters guest store until November 10. After that it will be broken up and you will be able to get each piece individually.



Over the next couple months I have a lot of exciting things going on so make sure to sign up for my newsletter, "like" my facebook page and subscribe to my blog so you don't miss anything.

Mini Kit Challenge

This month I'm hosting the Matter of Choice challenge at ScrapMatters and created a mini kit for you to use for it. You can grab it here until the end of the month.



I had yet to scrap the pictures I took last year at the pumpkin patch and we are quickly getting ready to head there again in the next couple weeks to get our pumpkins to carve. So I decided the best way to remedy that was to create a kit to go with my pictures. Here is the page I created with the mini kit, WM Squared's Sketchy Time Alpha and True Blue Studio's Autumn Bliss Templates.


linked for credits

Black & White Photo Tutorial

I can't believe I forgot to come back here and let you all know that I got second place in the DSA Designer Apprentice!!! I still can't believe it. :) Keep an eye on my blog and my Facebook fan page to see when I'm starting my guest spot at ScrapMatters.

I've posted a tutorial on how to get better black and white pictures. I used a few of my sister's engagement pictures I took last month as my examples. I love how great the pictures turned out. I can't wait to show my sister the rest of them. Here is my page with the finished results. 

click for credits

geniaBeana Anniversary Blog Train

Welcome to your last stop on geniaBeana Scraps' Anniversary blog train! 


geniaBeana Scraps is celebrating her 3rd year Designerversary AND 1 year ScrapMatters Anniversary all at the same time...and you get the presents! Make sure to check out her store because it's all on sale until Sept. 18. Also if you haven't already done so make sure to stop by her blog and pick up the BEAUTIFUL Mini Kit she has created to celebrate. 




Don't forget to get your application in for her CT Call which ends on Monday. 



And now for your goodie! :)



Download here or here.

You should have come from Digital Scrappin Rocks. If you have gotten lost along the way or are just getting started head over to GeniaBeana Scraps blog for the full list.

Girly Girl Elements

Well here it is...The fifth and final challenge installment for DigiScrapAddicts' Designer Apprentice. We were to make element to go with either our week 2 or week 4 paper packs. I decided to go with my paper pack from last week. We had to include at least 6 layered elements and 4 basics. I knew this week was going to be very busy with getting everything set at school for preschool starting next week. I wanted to get started on this challenge as soon as I possibly could but ended up not getting a chance to really sit down and start creating until Wednesday. It was slow going at first. I had all these different ideas in my head on where I wanted to take this but didn't know where exactly to start. After starting and stopping on several elements I finally got in the groove. After that all the pieces just feel into place.

Going into this contest I did not expect to score as high as what I did. The first week that the scores were posted my jaw about hit the ground when I seen what I had gotten. That also meant the pressure was on. I wanted so badly to continue to do as well as that first week. I just about didn't sign up for the contest because of just getting this new job as a preschool teacher and knew that would take up a lot of time getting the room ready and preparing my curriculum. I am so glad I did take a chance though and go for it because over the last 5 weeks, I have learned so much. Not only about designing but also about what I'm capable of personally.

So without further ado...here is the preview for my elements. Hope you like them. You can find the download link in the DSA gallery.



Until next time...Happy Scrapping!

Girly Girl Paper Pack

Wow what a week! I didn't know if I was going to get this week's challenge done or not at DSA. The kids started school on Monday and I thought that would mean I'd have more time during the days to work on it. I think I actually had less. lol.

The inspiration for this week's paper pack came from my youngest daughter. She is such a girly girl. Definitely more than her sister. She loves all things girly.

You can find the link to download this paper pack in the DSA gallery.

DSA Challenge #3

This week we needed to make three alphas that coordinate with our mini kit from the first week. You can find the download link for them in the gallery at DSA. :)

DSA Challenge #2

Well now that we have finally started to get into the routine of having my husband home every night, we've decided to change things up again. lol. :) I got a job as a preschool teacher 2 mornings a week. So after 8 years of substitute teaching in the elementary school, I finally have my own classroom! I'm pretty excited, but nervous, too. There is a lot to get done before it starts the day after Labor Day. I went in to take a look at the room today and start getting it set up today. It got moved from the room it was in last year, and it looks like whoever moved it just took the stuff and threw it in boxes and brought it to the new room. There is stuff all over and mixed up. This might take me awhile to get it the way I want it. Not only do I have the room to get ready, I also have to start making my lesson plans and looking for ideas for that. I'll also be helping with the after school program and the school-age summer enrichment program. Thankfully the curriculum that they use is one that I did a presentation on in college, so it's not completely new to me.

Got my paper pack for the second challenge at DigiScrapAddicts posted! One of my friends put in a request for a school kit that wasn't primary colors. Since she has all girls their back-to-school clothes usually don't match the colors in most of the school kits out there. And since I tend to have that problem with my oldest, too, I was happy to oblige. I'm hoping to expand this with elements and more papers eventually. Just have to find the time to get that done. lol. ;) It probably won't be until after I get into the swing of the school routine, though.



You can find the download link for it in the gallery post at DSA.

Until next time...Happy Scrapping! :)

Designer Apprentice Challenge #1 Kit

If you are here for either the ScrapMatters' blog train or the Blog Train Blog train scroll down a couple posts. :)

Whew! Finally got my kit done for the DSA Designer Apprentice challenge #1 done. (with a few hours to spare even.) I'm supposed to be camping right now but had to sneak home to quickly get it posted since I didn't have it quite finished before we left yesterday. lol. You can find the links to download it in the gallery at DSA here. Now to wait and see what kind of challenge we get tomorrow for next week. :)

SM Garden Party Blog Train

Welcome to the next stop on the ScrapMatter's Garden Party blog train! By now you should have collected all kinds of awesome goodies, but if you are just getting started you are in for a great treat. 


If you are here for the Blog Train Blog it's a few posts down. :) 


Here is a peek at my piece for you. 



Download here or here.

***Sorry links expired.***

You should have come from Ophelia's blog  and will now be headed on to Heidi. If you get derailed along the way just head back to the ScrapMatters blog where the entire list is posted. Don't forget to collect all the pieces to find all 10 pieces of the puzzle. When you have found all 10 pieces, put it together and upload it to your favorite photosharing site. Then pm Kat  at ScrapMatters the link to receive your coupon code. 

Whimsical Words Challenge

I'm hosting the Whimsical Words challenge over at Scrapping Fairytales this month. I created a pack of summer themed word art for it and you can grab it for free using the coded posted in the thread. Hurry though because the coupon is only good until Aug 31.

ScrapMatter's Birthday Celebration

Who's up for a birthday party this weekend? ScrapMatter's is turning 4 and it's time to celebrate!



Check out all the Speed Scraps and chats being hosted this weekend. Don't forget to stop by the forum, too, and check out the games being played.

Choo Choo! The train has enter the station

Welcome to the next stop on the Blog Train from the Blog Train Blog!

I have this cute little mini kit for you today. When I seen the swatch for this month's blog train I knew I wanted to do something kind of summery. Inspiration hit when I was getting my youngest ready for bed one night. I noticed that the colors in her pajama bottoms happened to be close to this color palette. Then it got me thinking about all the monarchs you start seeing around here as summer comes to a close. I just love watching them flutter around from one brightly colored flower to the next. I knew I just had to go with that for this kit. And that is how Butterfly Garden came to be.



***Sorry links expired***

You should have come here from Pardon the Mess and will be continuing on to ViolaMoni. If you get lost or want to start at the beginning hop on over to the Blog Train Blog.

Hope you enjoy the mini kit! Make sure to stop back on Saturday for another freebie from the ScrapMatters blog train! :) I've also decided to compete in the DigiScrapAddict's Designer Apprentice this year, so be on the lookout for my submissions for that during the next month. I'll try to make sure to link you up to them when I get them posted over there.

Until next time...Happy Scrapping! :)

It's a Date Vol. 1

I have a new date stamp element pack out at Scrapping Fairytales today! It is so versatile. You can make it match you page perfectly by clipping a paper to the different sections of the background paper. There are four different sections, so the possibilities are numerous. Also included are the years 1995-2020 in both straight and round orientations, the months in round, straight and abbreviated versions and numbers 1-31 for the date.



Check out how my CT member Dawn used it on this layout.

A little bit of China

Life has gotten a bit crazy around my house this past week. My husband started a new job on Monday. He is now home every night. Talk about a big adjustment. For the past just about ten years he has been driving truck long distance, so he was usually only home every other weekend. The kids are really liking having him around more often, so am I. It's just going to take us a little bit to get used to the new routine. I have also applied for a preschool job for a couple mornings a week during the school year. I'm really hoping I get it.

Now on to what you probably came here to see...my new kits! :) Ever since I was little, pandas have been one of my favorite animals.When we went to the San Diego Zoo a few years ago, I was so thrilled to be able to see a live panda in person. I would love the opportunity to some day go to the panda research center in China to see even more of them. When I was working on my Zoo Crew kit I had thought about including the panda, but decided I wanted to do an entire kit around it instead, so that is how this kit came to be. I just love how these kits turned out.





If you buy both kits together in the bundle, you save about 30%. :)



Until next time happy scrapping! :)

A sneak peek!

I have 2 fun mini kits coming out this Friday. Here is a little sneak peek. :)

Come join me for a Speed Scrap!

I'm hosting my first speed scrap at ScrapMatters! Not only that but I even made the participation prize! Hope you can join me for a fun time. :)

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Wow the summer has sure gone by fast so far. My little sister has decided that she wants to do three different kinds of cupcakes for her wedding, a white, a chocolate and a fun flavor. For her fun flavor she is currently thinking Strawberry Lemonade, since it is a summer wedding and that's a summery flavor. So that means time for me to experiment.

I took two tries at making the Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes. I think it's going to take a few more tries before we get the perfect combination. The first one I made was a lemon cupcake with a little bit of strawberry filled with lemon curd and topped with strawberry buttercream. This one turned out very dense and quite lemony. The lemon was a bit too overpowering. So it was on to try number 2. lol.


(Strawberry lemonade cupcake Take 1 outside)


(Strawberry Lemonade cupcake take 1 inside)

Take 2 is much closer to the cupcake my little sister is wanting for her wedding. I made these and took them to our church's Vacation Bible School for treats for the teachers and they were a huge hit! :) I decided to practice my rose frosting on these, too. Learned a few tips on how to get them to look right from the beginning next time. ;) This time I started with a white cake base and added lemonade concentrate in place of the water along with the strawberry puree. The filling is a strawberry lemonade mousse and is topped again with a strawberry buttercream. The cake was very moist and light with a great crumb. The mousse was the perfect blend of strawberry and lemon. I think I'm going to try to tweak this recipe a little bit more to see if I can get a bit more strawberry flavor in the cake, then it will be just right. :) I also like the appearance of this second one much better than the first, too.


(outside of Strawberry Lemonade cupcake Take 2)


(Inside of Strawberry Lemonade cupcake Take 2)


Next up is a birthday cake for my grandfather's 75th birthday this weekend. :)