The first of seven.

***Editor's note:  I used my February Counterfeit Kit from the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for this layout.  I was just too dang excited to tell you about it the first time I posted.

So, I just got back from a weekend-long crop at the hotel-motel-Holiday-Inn.

It was quite the weekend.  48 hours.  7 layouts. 1 happy scrapper.

Here's a layout of my little sister's newborn:

Based on the first sketch on page 19 of "Creating with Sketches" by Kristine Davidson

This layout was heavily influenced by Jen from Scrapping Daze.  First of all, see that layered-circle flower?  She made that.  By hand.  With no tracing. (And if you get that reference, we should do lunch).

Second, I followed the little do-dad tutorial she posted here.  Notice the way your eye is drawn across the page?

Note the swag from Ninabrook Designs?  I'm loving those BG Bloomers!

Of course you did.

Third, Jen recently posted about this e-book of sketches from Creative Scrappers.  That is one awesome sketch-book, man.  I used it all weekend!

So overall, it was a great weekend.  Thanks to Jen my sister for having a baby for me to scrap.

Umm...that doesn't sound right.

A comeback, of sorts.

Oh, hello.  I didn't see you there.

I bet you're wondering where I've been.  Right?  Of course you were.

Well first, I flew around casting Harry-Potterish spells, and then I belted out a brand-new song in public and got a recording contract, and then I found the best second-hand store where I bought a vintage Coca-Cola cart for $15 to use as a bar in our rec room.

Oh, wait...that was my dream last night.  Ahem.

Anyhow, though I haven't been blogging, I have been crafting.

In fact, check out this haul I recently took home from Ninabrook Designs:

 All this swag?  I paid around $120 or so.  Free shipping.  Boo-yah.

Oh, and this includes two page-kits (Basic Grey's Kioshi and Max and Whiskers), like this one:

It's not quite Harry-Potter-level magic, but I'll take it.