End of the road with MM Idol

I am so sad to say that I did not make the cut to the next round of MM Idol. I kept refreshing the screen to see the results and when my impatience got the best of me, I checked my email - and there was the email from MM letting me know that I did not advance to the Top 3. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. Actually, my heart just SANK when I saw the topic of the email didn't have the usual 'congratulations' in it. I am, however, very proud of myself for coming this far. The top 5 out of 1,000 is a major accomplishement. It will just take a day or 2 for me to get over the disappointment. The goal was SO close...then 'poof'! (big sigh...) Ok, moving on...

That being said, thank you so very much to all of you that voted for my work. I appreciate every single one of you!!! I will just have to enter again next year.

It's a mystery...

Today starts another round of voting for MM Idol! Here's the link: http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/
or here: http://www.makingmemories.com/mmidol/index.cfm?go=showPublicPortfolios&CFID=2389060&CFTOKEN=25811512

This week, each contestant in the top 5 were given the same 3 photos to use on a layout. We could use any of the photos - as long as we used at least one. So as far as the pictures are concerned - this makes the competition completely anonymous. We were told just to make up the journaling. The next part of the challenge was that we were to 'invent' a new technique for chipboard. We were also not allowed to add any text this time to explain our techniques - the pictures had to do the talking. This challenge was definitely more difficult for me because it's not easy to just invent some new technique in a matter of days. I had lots of ideas and spent the week doing LOTS of trial and error. Then, when I finally thought of something that I thought was pretty cool, I started wondering if it was good enough. I had to remember the post that Wilna made on the MM Idol blog about this very thing. You can read her post here:
http://makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/2007/04/how_to_simplify.html
What a great post. Stick with your idea...make it work. She also mentioned the doubts and how she thought her idea was so obvious etc... I tell ya - I went through these very same thoughts this week. I finished up yesterday and while I was initially doubting what I did - I walked away for awhile and when I came back and looked at my layout, I liked it! I think I had just been looking at the same thing for so long and really needed to get away from it and think about something else. Clear my head of any doubts.

After voting has ended on Tuesday, I will post my project here so you'll know which one is mine. The voting this week will determine the top 3! Then the top 3 will work on one last challenge - the winner will be chosen next week! Please vote this week and next - it will make a difference to someone! I can only hope that my layout will stand out and people will want to vote for it - we will find out tomorrow night!

MM Idol Challenge #5

The entries are posted for MM Idol Challenge #5 - but this time...they were posted without the artist's name, so you'll just have to vote for your favorite! Be sure to click/open the thumbnail images though - some of the little thumbnails do not do the projects justice. Open them and read about them...you'll be glad you did.

http://www.makingmemories.com/mmidol/index.cfm

Unbelievable!!!

I am just thrilled to have made the Top 10 in the MM Idol competition! How exciting is this?! Thanks again - SO MUCH - to those of you that are voting. And especially to those that believe I am deserving of your vote. This is an incredible experience and one that will surely make me a better scrapbooker/artist/designer. The challenges continue to make me think outside the box. It's a good thing! And once again, I am beside myself to have made the cut. I am certain my neighbors heard me scream yesterday when I pulled up the voting results. But as much as I wanna spend the day celebrating, I've got to put on my thinking cap and start the brainstorming. Honestly, I am still unpacking from my weekend retreat last weekend...but everytime I took something out of my bag, I'd try to think how I could use it in this next round. I did manage to jot down some ideas in my journal, but I can't say that anything has come from them yet. They are just that...ideas. Sometimes I get a creative spark from the most random ideas that I've written down. So you never know...it's good just to get any idea at all down on paper. Free the mind. I may try to get out of the house today just to help me relax and possibly get some inspiration.

So this retreat I went on last weekend...it was so much fun. I did not do my usual socializing, but ever since I've been creating for this competition - I've been on a MISSION! So I kept to myself a bit so I could think a little clearer. When I start goofing around and singing and eating (my usual crop behavior) I don't get much accomplished. LOL...I know lots of you scrappers can relate. Here are some pictures from my weekend at the Scrapbook House.

I also wanted to remind you that Making Memories is celebrating their 1st year blogging with prizes today. A prize every hour! Check it out! http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/

Get the party started!!

It's time to narrow the field down to the top 10 in the MM Idol contest. This weeks challenge was to create 3 items for a themed party. Any theme, any item. I created my projects away from home (that's hard when you're not surrounded by the comforts of your scrap room!). I chose to do a Garden Party. My projects included an invitation, a Menu Board (that would be put at each table with flowers etc.) and party favor baskets made out of Making Memories metal frames. I painted the frames green, then added scalloped chipboard frames that I painted white and glittered. I added a monogram in the center of each frame and then put mini brads in the holes around each frame. The frames are connected with a pretty, white sheer ribbon. The handle was made by adhering a Making Memories decorative metal strip to a pretty piece of lace trim, then bending the metal strip into a handle shape and adhering to the frame basket. I hope you enjoy my project. I can totally see a springtime garden party in a gazebo with white tablecloths and some nice music playing. It all looks so nice in my head! lol Enough of my daydreaming...go look at the projects and place your vote!

http://www.makingmemories.com/mmidol/index.cfm If you are having problems placing your vote - keep trying. Sometimes the high volume of traffic on the site causes some temporary problems, but don't give up...try again later! Voting will be open until Tuesday at 4pm MT.

By the way...do you see the 2 ladybugs on my projects? I thought that was a cute little touch considering the theme.

Party Time! I made MM Idol Top 15!!!

So excited to share that I made the Top 15 in the MM Idol contest! I am just thrilled to be able to keep creating in this contest. I must say - the creative prompts have pushed me and have really been good for me. I love to create based on a challenge! Any-hoo...in case I haven't said it enough...thank you to the voters out there. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (*smile*) So on to the next challenge. Check back next Monday to see what I've created...check out the MM Idol blog and see the other 14 entries...and vote again for your fave!

This week is spring break for Lindsay. Sad to say I had some stuff on the agenda today so I wasn't able to take the girls out to do anything special. Well, aside from a Happy Meal. So tomorrow I may try to take them somewhere special. The zoo maybe. Or the aquarium. Either would be fun to do. I guess I'll play it by ear and see what happens. I have another project finished that I'll be posting in the next day or two. Check back!

MM Idol Challenge #3 - using ONLY the fundamentals

This was a harder challenge for me because I love using paint, ink, stamps, bling... but we were told to use ONLY the fundamental supplies. They narrowed it down for us and said they would like to see layouts or projects using only these items:

• paper



• photos



• brads/eyelets



• ribbon



• buttons



• stickers

ruh-roh....no chipboard? but I looooove chipboard! I finally started feeling better last Friday so after having this vision in my head all week while I was laying on the couch - I got started on my project. I finished it on Saturday and just wasn't happy with it. I kept trying to think of something else to do - which is hard considering I didn't have a backup plan - I had been thinking about that concept all week and just couldn't break out of that thought process for some reason. Sunday after lunch I went to a wedding reception. I don't know, maybe it was getting out in the sunshine and taking a little drive. But somehow, when I got home and was able to get started again (at 4:30!) it all started coming together. whew! I love how it turned out...but sadly the pictures don't do it justice. I started taking photos last night fairly late - so I didn't have good lighting. Anyway - here's the finished project. The first photo I used a flash. The second photo I did not use the flash to show off the glow of the lamp through the handcut lampshade.

Don't forget to go check out everyone's entry and place your vote!! Everything should be up on the MM Idol site soon (9am MST).

http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/

Happy happy joy joy!

I made the cut for the Making Memories Idol Top 25! I am elated! :)

Click here to see the list!

Thank you again to those that believed I was deserving of your vote. I truly appreciate that you took time out of your day to go look at all the entries and place your vote (that took me forever because there was soooo much great stuff to look at!) . Everyone poured a lot of heart and soul into their projects and it shows. The group has been very supportive and friendly to each other which is such a bonus. I am getting to know some great (and VERY talented) ladies that I otherwise may not have had the pleasure to meet. Amazing that a group of competitors can actually form a friendship of sorts. This is a great industry - but I've also been exposed to the 'other side' where sometimes it's not so nice. I am so grateful to be in this position with such great people. An experience I won't soon forget...that's for sure! :)

Now - on to the next challenge. Remember to check back in next Monday to see the latest and greatest!

MM Idol Challenge #2 - Kids Corner

Here is my entry for this 2nd challenge. Hope you like it! :)

Don't forget to vote after looking at all the other entries! http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/

Croppin' with my Scrapyard girls!

What a great weekend. Aside from the fact that I've been tending to the 2 sick children in my house. Hubby let me out of the house for the entire day on Saturday. I left the house just after 8am and didn't get home until 10pm. What a guy. I went to a crop with my Scrapyard girls. One of the members of our group was organizing a crop to benefit the school her kids go to. I thought it was a fabulous crop - I had such a great time cropping with my friends and making new friends. There were a few gals in our group that I met for the first time. Hi Laurel, Danielle and Tracy! Fun times.

I uploaded my project for the next round of MM Idol. I am excited to get online tomorrow to see all the amazing projects. Tomorrow - Monday - is another voting day, so be sure you go here: http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/ and look to the left for the link to VOTE NOW. Look over the 30 incredible projects and place your vote. :)

You are my icing...

You'll have to read my entire post to see what I mean by the title of this post. haha I never posted my All About Me entry for MM Idol...so even though lots of you have seen it from checking out the entries at the MM Idol site, I thought I'd post it here as well. If you look closely below, you'll see that the bottom right corner is completely rounded. The picture was taken with a corkboard as the backdrop. I did this because when I tried scanning it - you couldn't tell that the corner was rounded...it just looked like it had a white corner. That kind of defeated my purpose. Part of our instructions were to do something innovative. I've seen lots of people use a corner rounder to just barely round the corners of their layouts - but this is actually quite a big chunk rounded off the bottom. Then, using my craft knife I hand cut the flowers out of some gorgeous American Crafts paper. I let part of the flower hang off the rounded corner. Rounded corner. LOL...I can't think of another way to explain it. Also - all the hand cut florals/vines are on 3dimensional glue squares. You can't tell that very well from the photos.


Looking at this layout in real life, the elements really pop off the page. It's really beautiful, if I do say so myself. If you know me personally, you know that although I do show my excitement about things...I'm not one to brag or anything. Not that I'm doing that now, but I must say...I was really proud of my layout. I love the color combination. I love the journaling strips. I love the hand cut floral elements. I love the rounded corner! I love the title. I love the offset pink chipboard brackets. I love the rhinestones. It's so nice to enjoy your own work, isn't it? I don't have a design background or anything - and my style isn't for everyone. That's ok though. I create the way I want to create. However, if other people enjoy looking at or are inspired in any way from my projects then that's just the icing on the cake. :) So for those of you that are enjoying my layouts - you are my icing! I love the icing! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little note on the homefront...I now have 2 sick kiddos. After missing school on Monday and Tuesday, Lindsay went to school on Wednesday and spent some time in the nurses office. She's been home ever since. Now today, Jessica has a 104 degree temperature. Lucky for me - she doesn't mind the taste of the medicine. She's a trooper. But all these sickies to tends to mean very little time in the scraproom. I need to get my entry for the next round of MM Idol done. I have a crop I'm going to tomorrow from 9am - 9pm...but strangely, those are usually not very condusive to getting things done. Not for me anyway...I am a socializer. heehee I do have some ideas and have started on one of them. It is turning out really cute! My girls are itchin' to get their hands on it! They haven't been able to help me with it at all, but they could if they weren't sick. When I showed them what I was doing - their eyes lit up and their jaws dropped. I got to hear the sweet sound of them ooohing and aaahhhhhing over it. They started fighting over which one was theirs. They never fail to put a big old smile on my face. They are so sweet. This project will be one that they will reap the benefits of for years to come. They are already talking about what they want to make to go with it.

So that's just a little teaser about our next assignment. You are going to love looking through the entries on Monday. I'm not sure if the direction I'm going with the challenge is where the others will go with it. I'm curious to see how the other 29 will interpret the instructions Making Memories gave us. That is what makes these things so fun...everyone has such a different take on the directions.

Before I am once again beckoned with a drawn out "mooooommmm" from one of the sickies...I want to wish Judy, my mother in law, a very happy birthday. It was yesterday, but I spent the day yesterday at my friends house watching her 3 kids and my 2 kids and didn't get home until 10pm. I feel terrible that I didn't get this posted yesterday! Sorry Judy - I was thinking about you though!

Also, a huge congratulations to my friend Cheryl. She got married yesterday to her high school sweetheart. They had both gone separate ways after high school but as fate would have it - they ended up back together and I know they will be so happy together. Congratulations my friend!! You deserve all the happiness in the world!

A big, HUGE thank you!

Making Memories posted the 30 contestants that have advanced to the next round of MM Idol and guess who made the cut? Little 'ol me! I am so thrilled - words cannot describe! So a big, HUGE, hearty thank you to those of you that voted for me. I certainly wouldn't have made the Top 30 without you! Now...just picture me sitting here on the couch watching American Idol...grinning from ear to ear. Our next challenge is going to be fun! I have no clue where I'm going with it yet - but be sure to check out the Making Memories Idol Blog next Monday to check out the entries and once again...vote for your favorite!

MM Idol voting has begun again

The contest is back up and running folks. I didn't get my voting reminder email this morning so I just wanted to post a quick reminder to everyone to go vote this morning. Here are a couple links for you to follow:

MM Idol Blog (MM Idol blog: after you vote - go to the blog and leave a comment to be entered for a drawing. Don't mention who you voted for...just comment that you voted)

MM Idol - Log in and VOTE HERE This is where you can log in, see the contest entries and vote.

Register for voting reminders here This is where you can register to vote if you haven't done so already.



On another note - Lindsay is home sick today. She felt like she was burning up this morning so I kept her home. She absolutely refuses to take the medicine. I've tried every flavor there is. I've tried Motrin, Tylenol, plus all the other brands. She won't open her mouth. Then it turns into a problem because I don't want to force her because that will just scare her and make it a problem in the future. I took her to the drugstore and let her pick out which box (of the one's I pulled off the shelf) she wanted. We are going to try the Tylenol Meltaways in bubblegum. Please....please, oh please, oh pleeeeease let this work!!! I actually ended up telling her the story about when she was 2 and had a seizure because of a fever that spiked too quickly. Just talking about it brought tears to my eyes because at the time - I really thought she was going to die. The seizure had attacked the respiratory part of the brain and she stopped breathing for about a minute and a half. She was purple and limp after the shaking stopped. I didn't tell Lindsay all the details - but she did see my eyes welling up when I told her that she had to go to the hospital in an ambulance once because of a fever. I think she now knows that it really is important to take the medicine.

So - I'm off to go make cinnamon toast for the girls and start the 2nd round of medicine for Lindsay...wish me luck!

Here's the low down...

Here is the latest update from Making Memories: MM Idol Update

SO - if you would be so kind to revisit the site next week and vote again, I would be ever so grateful. If you have already signed up for voting reminders then you will get an email from them (probably from Jenny Weston...so it's not junk mail...open it!)

Thank you!!!

voting isn't over yet...

First of all, thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you that voted for me. You obviously know how much this means to me - and in this kind of competition, I get nowhere without you.

MM has extended the voting until tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11am EST. That being said - if you are having difficulty voting - please check back before the deadline tomorrow morning and try again. Remember there are 2 pages worth of entries and they shuffle around every time the page is refreshed - so sometimes my entry is on the first page and sometimes on the 2nd. I just heard from someone that logged in with their username and password for the first time and there weren't any vote buttons to select. Just the contestants name and the layouts. So there is still much confusion out there and people trying to vote that cannot. Please just keep trying and know that I appreciate the time you take out of your day to do this. :)

Not sure when the announcement will be made. I am guessing it will be at some point tomorrow so they can give us our next assignment (and hopefully I'm part of the 'us'). I am still very proud of my layout. I am happy with it. I know in the past when I've submitted a layout, sometimes I get that nagging feeling like I could've done better. But for some reason - this time I am just plain happy with what I've done no matter what. Love that feeling. (big huge smile here)

GO. VOTE. NOW! ....pretty please?

You should have all received your voting reminders! Here are the details:

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT ... TO VOTE!
After a 14 hour delay and more computer glitches than we care to admit, your Making Memories Idol / Round One challenges are finally online. Now it's your turn to weigh in on these fabulous designs that each of our 50 contestants have submitted.
Visit the Making Memories Idol site right away, and log in (or create) your username and password. From there, you just need to review the 50 contestant submissions and choose your favorite. The finalists were asked to create a layout "All About" them, so enjoy this opportunity to get to know your Idol challengers through their own eyes and hearts.
Don't delay! The voting will stay open only through Wednesday morning (February 29) at 9:00 a.m. MST. Cast your vote now!

Today is the day to vote!

***ETA: ok - a quick update here: http://www.makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/
Apparently they are having some technical difficulties but will be sending out the reminder email as soon as they have it resolved. :) patience, Cami.....patience....
______________________________________________________
I will be updating this post in about 90 minutes with the link and go ahead to vote for my layout in the MM Idol contest. In the meantime, please make sure you are registered to vote (it takes just a minute). The link to sign up to vote is to your left here on my blog.

<---------------------------------------- SIGN UP! Voting will start at 9am Mountain Time - which is 11am Eastern Time. Here is a time converter if you have any questions. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
The voting will continue until tomorrow (Tuesday) around 4pm Mountain/6pm Eastern.

MM Idol Top 50!!!

http://makingmemories.typepad.com/mmidol/2007/02/top_50.html
HOLY * MOLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just posted below about an hour ago - but I just got some fantastic news! I made the Making Memories Idol Top 50! I had to call my bud Cari and scream over the phone because I am in shock! My hands are still shaking! I have to get my next layout uploaded by Sunday so I've got to put my thinking cap on right away and start working on a few ideas.

The public votes (just like on American Idol on TV) so if you see fit - please vote for me each round! THANK YOU!!!