#23 & #24

So you know how I had a bunch of layouts posted that were all Christmas themed?  It was because I never had Christmas paper on hand.  Well, I'm finding the same to be true of 4th of July- I had years of 4th of July celebration photos that weren't scrapbooked because I didn't ever have the right paper (I know that some of you reading this are in disbelief that *I* would not have a certain type of paper on hand!)  Well, I happened to see a 50% off sale for 4th of July themes paper and embellishments at one of the online stores I frequent (one of the MANY stores I check on at least a weekly basis), and FREE shipping- now who could resist that?  Certainly not me!  So I grabbed some Authentique, Pebbles and Echo Park paper, put it in my virtual cart and waited for my goodies to arrive.  After having them sitting on my (messy) desk for over a month, I finally got the chance to play last night- Yay!  And I took photos today- bigger yay!- to share with you!

#23
This was based on a Midweek Mojo Sketch at Scrapbooksteals.com- Pearl 5b

Supplies: patterned paper, stickers (Echo Park); journaling cards (Pebbles, Inc.); felt ribbon (Creative Imaginations); border punches (Martha Stewart Crafts); ink (Ranger); pen (Zig)

Kiwi Lane templates: Large Brackets 2 (and after I made them, I realized that I should have used the tag templates for my tags- it would have saved me some time trying to do a perfect cut freehand)

#24
This layout was based on the August monthly sketch at Authentique-

Supplies: patterned paper, stickers, (Authentique); card stock (Core'dinations, craft supply); jewels and stars (Jo-Ann); thread (craft supply); pen (Zig)

 Kiwi Lane templates: Cascade Trails 3 A&B, Adventure 1 & 2, Accents 3T

I LOVE how this layout turned out- and really, photos don't do it justice!  I distressed the edges of the stars and the wavy borders and I used my sewing machine to sew around the page and along the borders.  I also stitched the red star.  I added a few stickers from the collection, some jewel stars and did my journaling on the background paper.  What do you think?  I will admit, it kept veering off course along the way and didn't end up exactly like the original sketch, but I still like it!   Here's a more detailed shot of the stitching:

I guess that's all for today.  I have a pile of 4th of July photos and paper on my desk right now that I hope to be able to work with today... if only laundry did itself {sigh}

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

Playing Catch... Up (and #22)

Have you ever gotten sick right in the middle of something else that is keeping you extremely busy?  And then that sickness makes it so you can barely function and you fall behind?  And it takes you WEEKS to catch up on what you fell behind with??  Well, that's exactly what happened to me... LAST MONTH!!  I went out of town for my little brother's wedding and started getting what I assumed was a little cold.  Well, that "little cold" ended up giving me a fever that was pushing 104 for 4 days, and then a bronchial infection that I thought was going to escalate to pneumonia... lovely.  I was in bed for about 5 days- and if you know me at all, you know that it takes a lot for me to be down that long!!  Well, the good news is that it didn't progress to pneumonia, but it did take me a few weeks before I felt like I could breathe normally again.  And in the middle of this I was supposed to be making things for special orders in my Etsy shop, making things from Kiwi Lane's new paper kits for their birthday celebration, making my brother's wedding present (an 8x8 album), keeping new layouts in the shop, potty training my son and all the cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking and taxi driving that goes along with being a stay at home mom!!  Obviously some of these things fell through the cracks- sadly, it was all the mommy stuff.  And all the work stuff was done with a tired brain, so not my best work ever-  Shhh, don't tell ;)  So have I caught up yet?  NOPE!!  But, Etsy was down this morning when I was trying to do new listings, so I decided to get on the computer and ramble... ha!

Anyway, that's how my summer has been- how's yours?

One of the things I did while I was trying to get better was a banner- my first banner!- for Kiwi Lane out of one of their new paper kits.  My assignment was to make something for their birthday celebration last weekend out of one or both of their new paper kits.  The letter that came with my kits said BIRTHDAY about half a dozen times.  They wanted BIRTHDAY themed layouts, cards and the like. So I looked at the paper kits and thought I wanted to try something other than cards- since I am always making cards and I felt like doing something new.  I started with the idea of a "Celebrate" banner made out of one kit and ended up with a "Family" banner made out of the other kit... yep, not birthday themed at all!  I don't even know how my brain went on the track it did!  But, it wasn't until I was done and sent pictures to Kiwi Lane before I realized that I didn't do what I was supposed to!  All I can say is D'OH!!

So here is my project that was not birthday themed, but probably should have been:

We don't have any walls with great lighting to get a fabulous photo of it, but I think you can get the idea.  The paper kit is from the Kiwi Lane website and is My Mind's Eye Indie Chic.  The base for the banner is a chipboard album that I pulled apart and I used a Crop-A-Dile to punch another hole.  I used KLD templates for all the flowers and the borders.  I think I need to add more stuff to the banner- like actual ribbon instead of twine, some stickles and maybe some more pearls and jewels... I don't know.  It may just end up staying in my kitchen until I decide exactly what I need to add... or until we move.  ;)

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Scrapping!

July's Sincerely Cards for Kiwi Lane (a.k.a #19, #20 & #21)

I have a confession to make... or maybe a few confessions.  Every Monday before the third Wednesday, I wake up thinking, "OH, CRAP!  I have a Sincerely submission due today!!"  Yep, I'm a true procrastinator.  I have about a month between each submission, my assignment for each month for the rest of the year, and all the supplies to do it, and I usually start and finish it the day of.  Now, if you know me at all, you will also know that I don't like mornings.  And you will also know that I REALLY don't like Monday mornings!  So this realization that something is due on a Monday morning, and I haven't started on it any more than thinking about it briefly, is not a fun one!  That being said, I have to say that I love Kiwi Lane Designs Templates!!  Why?  Because they let my half-asleep-brain work quickly to create things without having to think harder than I can handle on a Monday morning.  And if they let me do that, just imagine what they can do for you when you're fully awake (and it's not Monday morning!)!!  So, moving on to the reason you came~

Birthday Star:

Finished card size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Supplies: card base (DCWV); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); rhinestone star (Teresa Collins); ink (Ranger); pen (ZIG); circle punches (Marvy Uchida, EK Success)
Templates: Spook Alley 1B, Rings 2, Tiny Shapes 7T, Adventure 1&2.

I have been seeing chevrons everywhere in recent... months!  Have you?  I just really wanted to see if I could use them on this batch of cards and with the templates.  I like that this card ended up with masculine elements like chevrons, stars and a bulls eye type of design (the layers of circles).  And I had to throw in one glittery element with the rhinestone star :)

Wondering how to make chevrons with the templates?  It's easy peasy... and here's how:

Use one of the zig zag borders from the Spook Alley template set (not just for Halloween anymore!) and mark (with a pencil) how long you want your chevron to be.  Trace one zig zag line on your paper.

 Move the template away from the line you just made, keeping it evenly spaced from the entire length of the traced line.  Trace again.

Repeat this for as many time as you need to get the desired number of chevrons.  Cut with scissors and ink, and you're done!  Use them on your projects as you'd like.  Just remember to make sure you have the template the same way for each paper, if you're using multiple papers.

Birthday Balloons:

Finished Card Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Supplies:  card base (DCWV); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); vellum (Provo Craft); twine (Lilly Belles Paperie on Etsy, SupplyOwl on Etsy); ink (Ranger); pen (ZIG); felt rick rack (Creative Imaginations); stamp (Studio G)
Templates:  Sentiments 1 A&B, Celebrate 1, 2, & 3

Do you have a stash of vellum like I do?  I haven't seen it used very much recently and thought I'd challenge myself to use it a bit more than usual.  Balloons seemed to be a perfect fit!  The vellum balloon is sheer enough to see part of the sentiment through.  I used a single mini glue dot under the twine to adhere it to the card (it hides the glue enough that it isn't seen).  I left the strings on the balloons long to make it more interactive- perfect for a curious little boy!!

It's Your Day Gift Card Holder/ Card:

Finished Card Size: 5"x7"
Supplies: cardstock (Provo Craft); patterned paper (My Mind's Eye); star punches (Carl); twine (Lilly Belles Paperie on Etsy, SupplyOwl on Etsy); alphabet letters (Making Memories); felt rick rack (Creative Imaginations); ink (Ranger)
Templates: Tiny Tags 1T, Celebrate 6, Tiny Wildflower 2T

I started out wanting to make this into just a small gift card holder, but somehow it morphed into a full fledged card with a gift card holder that looked like a gift.  Cute, huh?  I know, it's not a gift card in the holder, it's my alumni card.  I couldn't find a gift card anywhere in our house and this was the only card  I found that didn't clash with the primary colors on the card... but, wouldn't a Target gift card look fabulous??  Anyway, the easiest way to make the part to hold the GC is this:  Cut a piece of paper just bigger than the card.  Ink the edges.  Use removable tape or glue dots to adhere card to paper.  Tie baker's twine around the card and paper like you would tie ribbon around a gift.  Don't double knot!!  You want a bow that's easy to untie so the recipient can actually remove the gift card without destroying the card!

The top of the party hat is a loopy pom pom made from more baker's twine.  I used a 1" glue dot to adhere it to the card and keep the strands separated.  Then I added the star punches on top of the twine. I had to glam it up a bit with small glittered alphabet stickers for the sentiment :)

Hope you had fun seeing my cards!  Comments and questions are always welcome!

Happy Scrapping!!

#18

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Authentique? ;)  Ya, I know.  I'm a little obsessed!  But can you blame me?  Have you seen their Gathering collection?  Well, if not, here's your chance?  This layout was done using their Gathering collection and their July monthly sketch:

Supplies: patterned paper, die cuts, orange letter stickers, word stickers (Authentique); brown letter stickers (SEI); ink (Ranger); brads (craft supply); twine (The Twinery)

The lighting isn't the best on this photo- I got impatient waiting for some sunlight to peek through the clouds and rain for two days and ended up taking it at night with artificial light.  But, you get the idea, right?

That's it for now!  Happy Scrapping!

Patriotic Cards, Gift Bag and Tag for Kiwi Lane (#14, 15, 16 & 17)

Oh, sweet internet!  It's so good to have you back!!  (Let's just hope it stays on today and I don't lose this post... again.)  If you have stopped by from Kiwi Lane's Facebook page and couldn't find what you were looking for, it's because I didn't have it here.  Hopefully this will work today.  Third time's the charm...

These are the cards I made for Kiwi Lane using their Authentiqe Glory paper pack.  I added just a few things like buttons, twine and jewels (like these cute star-shaped ones I found at JoAnn for $1!)-

I think they are just so cute!  Here is a close up for each one with details listed below:

Finished card size: A2 (5 1/2" x 4 1/4")
Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations); patterned paper (Authentique); button and twine (craft supply); ink (Ranger); Kiwi Lane templates (Celebrate 4, Tiny Shapes 3T, Tiny Accents 3T, Adorn 1A & B)
I saw the pinwheel and tiny star layered together on Debbie's Calendar page for July and loved it so much that I just had to try it!  I added an accordion folded paper flower, a button and some twine and it was perfect on the striped background.  Thanks for the inspiration, Debbie!

Finished card size: A2 (5 1/2" x 4 1/4")
Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations); patterned paper (Authentique); ink (Ranger); twine (craft supply); jewels (JoAnn); Kiwi Lane templates (Journey 5, Adorn 3A)
I was just looking through photos of my cousin and his wife on a trip to Washington, D.C. and I kept seeing a shield-type shape with stripes and stars on it.  I loved the idea of something similar for a patriotic card and this is what I came up with!  I used the interstate sign from the Journey set instead of the shield from the Playtime set because it was closer to the shape I wanted.  Then I cut it out three times, one for each layer I wanted.  I used the striped one as my base, then used my paper trimmer to cut the top off the blue one and make sure it was a straight line.  Then I used the small Adorn scallop to trace and cut my cream layer, first marking where my blue layer hit the cream layer.  Then I inked and glued it together.  So here's my handy hint- use your templates for layering- just use part of the template for different layers.  It adds even more depth to your projects!

And here is the gift bag and tag-

Supplies (bag): patterned paper (Authentique); ink (Ranger); button and twine (craft supply); Kiwi Lane templates (Abbie Road 3B, Paisley Place 3B, Tiny Wildflower 5T, Adventure 1)

The bag is just one of those kraft paper bags you can pick up at the dollar store or craft stores.  I chose the craft color because I thought it looked good next to the off white of the paper, but you could use whatever color looks good to you.  I also used the large 12" templates and just trimmed off the excess paper with scissors.

Close up of the tag-

Supplies: patterned paper (Authentique); jewels (JoAnn); ink (Ranger); eyelet (We R Memory Keepers); twine (Divine Twine); Kiwi Lane templates (Tags 7, Tiny Accents 3T, Adorn 2A & B)
I wanted something to look like the crazy spray pattern of a firework and I tried a few things for this tag, but I wound up using this crazy curly paper.  I used my Martha Stewart Crafts fringe scissors to cut a piece of 3" x 1" paper, making 5 smaller strips.  Then I just used my fingers to curl them up and then pulled on them a bit to loosen the curls.  I then tucked it behind my star and adhered it.  I like how it turned out and I think I'm going to use the same technique on a page.

Well, my internet connection seems intact, so I'll go ahead and post this... fingers crossed!

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

#13

Here's what I came up with for the Scrapbooksteals.com Midweek Mojo Turquoise #5:

Supplies: patterned paper and stickers (Scenic Route), card stock (Core'dinations), ink (Ranger), embossing folder and machine (Cuttlebug), circle punches (Marvy Uchida) star templates (Kiwi Lane Designs)

I have to apologize for the weird angle of this layout- the lighting was off and I had to use a flash and in order to not have a glare on the photos, I had to take the picture at an angle.  But you get the idea, right?  I did the circles with 1" and 1/2" circle punches on a coordinating sticker sheet.  I embossed the green star and sanded the edges and the top of the embossing with a sanding sponge.  And, as usual, I inked the edges of almost everything with Vintage Photo Distress Ink to help everything stand out.

This was a super fast layout- we're talking 30 minutes!  Thanks to the awesome sketch provided by Scrapbooksteals.com!!

Happy Scrapping!

#12

And back to the Christmas layouts... :)  This one is based on the sketch for Scrapbooksteals.com's Midweek Mojo Turquoise 9- which you can view HERE.

Supplies: patterned paper (Crate Paper, Scenic Route, My Mind's Eye), brads (We R Memory Keepers), buttons (craft supply), twine (The Twinery), letter stickers (Making Memories), ribbon (Offray)


I feel like I should play a little game of "Where's the Kiwi Lane template shape?" when I post these layouts!  Because there's almost always one in there somewhere... can you find it this time?  Should there be a prize involved??  Hmmm... something to think about!

#11

Pieces of my Heart

Supplies: patterned paper, die cuts (Authentique); brads (Basic Grey); flower (Prima); jewels (My Mind's Eye); doilies (craft supply); ink (Ranger)

Oh my gosh!  Can I say how much I love this page?  Everything from the scrapbooksteals.com Turquoise 3 sketch to the paper (Authentique's Splendid collection) to the rosettes made with my Scor-pal to the photo- I couldn't have done this any better!  It just makes me smile... but it could just be the pic of my cute kids ;)

Happy Scrapping!

#10

Oh, look!  It's not a Christmas page!!  How about an autumn layout....

Supplies: patterned paper, stickers, die cuts (Authentique); stick pins (Making Memories, Fancy Pants); twine (Lilly Belle's Paperie); ink (Ranger); bracket template (Kiwi Lane Designs.


Here's a little close up of the title:

It says "My Sweet Little Punkins"
I used scrapbooksteals.com's Midweek Mojo Topaz 2 sketch for inspiration.

Happy Scrapping!

#9

And more Christmas... You'd think I'd be getting close to having all my Christmas photos done by now, wouldn't you?

Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill, We are Memory Keepers), patterned paper (Crate Paper), holly leaves and eyelets (Making Memories), jewels (Creative Imaginations), journaling card (Fancy Pants), letters (Making memories, Creative Imaginations, American Crafts, Crate Paper),  edge punch (Martha Stewart Crafts), ink (Ranger), ribbon (Offray), buttons and doilies (craft supply)


Again, this is based on a Midweek Mojo sketch for scrapbooksteals.com - Turquoise 6.  Kind of an icky photo, but I just couldn't seem to get my angle right... or my lighting.  And even though this photo doesn't do it justice, I love how this turned out!!  One of my favorite things to use on pages lately are those paper doilies.  I think they make great accents... are are really cheap!  They come in a bunch of different sizes and designs and you can even get them in different colors, or dye your own.  I usually ink some or all of mine, depending on the look I want.  I used antique linen distress ink on these to tone down the bright white.  You can get doilies in a bunch of different places, too.  I've seen them at the dollar store, discount retailers like Walmart and Target, the grocery store and online.  I usually get mine on Esty. (If you're interested in where exactly on Etsy I shop for mine, leave me a comment and I'll make a post with some shop addresses!)  So next time you need to add something to a layout, try a doily- super easy, super cheap and a great look!

Happy Scrapping!

#8

More Christmas- J's new car!!

Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations), patterned paper and photo corner(Chatterbox), journaling card (Fancy Pants), flowers (Prima, Basic Grey), buttons and staples (craft supply), ink (Ranger), templates (Kiwi Lane Designs), alphabet letters (American Crafts)

This was another layout based on a scrapbooksteals.com Midweek Mojo sketch- this time it was Turquoise 2.  Again, I loved using a sketch!  I could use as little or as much of the elements of the sketch as I wanted and I could adjust things to work with my photos, too- it was great!  If you don't usually use sketches (or haven't ever used one!), I encourage you to use one once in a while.  It gets your creative juices flowing and helps you create faster than from scratch.

Happy Scrapping!

#7

To continue my Christmas themed layouts, this is one about some of my favorite holiday traditions:

Supplies: cardstock (Core'dinations), patterned paper (Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye), card stock stickers (Fancy Pants), tag templates (Kiwi Lane Designs), ribbon (American Crafts), flowers (Prima), brads (My Mind's Eye), stickers (SEI), ink (Ranger)

I based this page off a sketch from scrapbooksteals.com's Midweek Mojo Amethyst 6.  I usually try to come up with my own sketches when I'm creating, but I was kind of in a creative rut and was looking for inspiration and found a whole bunch in all the previous MWM sketches for scrapbooksteals.com!!  It was fun to give my own little twist to someone else's sketch and I loved it!  So, you will be seeing more pages based on sketches soon.

Happy Scrapping!

June's Sincerely for Kiwi Lane (a.k.a. #5 & #6)

It's the third Wednesday of the month and that means Kiwi Lane's Sincerely is up on their Facebook page and their blog.  And here's my extended version of what is already posted :)

Happy Birthday Pocket/Tag
Finished card size: 5x7
This card is just a flat card (meaning it doesn't open like a traditional card), but it can still have a hidden greeting!

 The pocket is a 4x4 piece of vellum with a scalloped piece of paper on the edge.  So here's how I did it: Cut and inked the vellum.  Traced the scallop and cut out and then trimmed down to 4" long.  I sewed the scalloped paper to the vellum with a zig zag stitch  then sewed three sides of the vellum to the base piece, leaving the top open.  Adhere any ribbon or rick rack and then any other embellishments.

 The tag is stamped so the sentiment shows through the pocket and then I added some small rhinestones  to the pocket while the tag was in the pocket so it matches up to the sentiment.  So can I just say I LOVE this card?!

Templates used: Adorn 3A, 4x4 Photo, Tiny Accents 2T, Tags 5, Tiny Wildflower 1T
Supplies: Patterned paper (Authentique's Splendid collection), ribbon (May Arts, American Crafts), clip (Making Memories), brad (American Crafts), flowers (Imaginisce, Basic Grey), rhinestones (My Mind's Eye), sentiment stamp (Studio G), ink (Ranger)

Happy Birthday Cupcake
Finished card size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

This is just kind of a fun and bright birthday card with lots of layers!  The cupcake cup is half of the large hexagon from the Tiny Shapes set with a little bit of embossed lines with a touch of ink to make them more visible.  My sentiment is hand written, but you could easily stamp yours :)

Templates used: Tags 7, Tiny Shapes 4T & 6T, Celebrate 3 & 5
Supplies:  card base (Craft Essentials), patterned paper (My Mind's Eye), rhinestones (Doodlebug, American Crafts), brad (Doodlebug), stick pins (Fancy Pants), twine (Divine Twine, Jillibean Soup), ink (Ranger), glitter glue (Ranger).

I had so much fun doing these cards... I see more being made in the near future!!

Happy Scrapping!

#4

My little brother is getting married next month and his cute little bride is having a bridal shower this weekend.  I asked them when they got engaged if they would be interested in having me do a guest book for them and they (she?) said YES!  So as soon as I was told wedding colors (royal blue and golden yellow) I started "collecting" things that would work for their guest book (and a smaller book that will be a wedding gift).  I will admit, I didn't start actually WORKing on this project until last week.  I always underestimate how long these things take me!! I assumed I could work on it for an afternoon and be done.  Well, a few days (and a LOT of hours) later, I had 15 beautiful pages done.  Each page has a spot for a 4x6 photo to go and then blank space for guests to sign and write little messages to the bride and groom.  Without further ado, here they are:

(Not the best pics, but I really didn't want to post 15 photos) I did take a little bit of artistic liberty and added a little bit of navy blue, aqua and gray in the mix, but I liked the mix of blues.  The patterned paper is by Teresa Collins, along with the brads, buttons and most of the jewels.  I also used paper flowers, ribbon and baker's twine and inked the edges in either blue or yellow.  The card stock is a mix of DCWV, Core'dinations, and American Crafts.  It's also a mix of glittered, color core, shimmer, textured and smooth.   I used Kiwi Lane Designs Templates on most of the pages, too (did ya hafta even ask?) and some Martha Stewart border punches.  Huh.  I just noticed there's not a butterfly in sight- so not like me!  Maybe I'll fix that later :)

While I completely enjoyed doing this project, it hardly touched my stash!  These things were my last major purchase before I set my goal of 100.  So it was all put away together and all I used from my stash was a bit of twine and yellow ribbon and a few more sheets of white card stock.  Maybe next project I'll get to dig into my supplies more....

Thanks for joining me and Happy Scrapping!

#3

I've kind of been on a Christmas kick lately (if you haven't noticed!) and I have another one to share today.  I had a pile of 27 photos from Christmas a few years ago that I needed to get on a page or two.  I really thought I'd be able to get all of them on a two page layout.  I was a bit overzealous with that thinking :)  I may not have gotten all 27 pics on, but I was able to squeeze on 17.  Not bad, huh?!  Right after I finished the page, I thought it looked to squishy with all the photos, but the longer I looked, the more I liked it.  So, here it is:

Christmas Joy

Supplies: patterned paper and die cut tags (Crate Paper); jewel brads (My Mind's Eye); paper doilies (craft supply); chipboard letters and sticker letters (Making Memories); paper flowers (Prima).

The title is done with red glitter letters- "Christmas" is flat and "Joy" is chipboard so there is a bit of dimension.  And the doilies and tags layered in add texture.  I usually don't squeeze this many photos on a layout, but I think it helps the feeling of this layout.

That's all for now!  Happy Scrapping!

#1 & #2

I have projects to share- yay!  Yep, I had some time (well, made some time) for scrapbooking some of those photos that are packed tightly into a very full box!!  I should take a picture of the box- it's quite impressive!  Especially when you stop to consider that about 3 years ago I considered myself "caught up" with my scrapbooking... then I realized that you don't really catch up, you just get behind in your photo printing :)

So, I have this wonderful friend who actually listens to me- even when I think she's not.  A few weeks ago it was my birthday and she brought me a present.  It was a bag full of Christmas themed scrapbook paper- and I was thrilled!!  I had mentioned in passing a few months previous that I had a lot of Christmas photos to scrapbook and not much paper that fit the occasion.  And she remembered that comment and got me some.  Super nice, right?  So the first two projects for my 100 are Christmas layouts.  Here they are:

#1- "Christmas Cookies"

True to form, I had to use a few Kiwi Lane templates (they just add so much without a lot of bulk or effort!) and all the patterned paper and die cuts were part of the gift from my friend.

Supplies- KLD Scallops 2A and 3A, cardstock (core'dinations); patterned paper and die cut border strips, letters and circles (Crate Paper); letter stickers (SEI); spiral notebook paper (Making Memories); baker's twine (Divine Twine); buttons (craft supply); ink (Ranger); pen (Staedtler)

#2- "My Mom's Christmas Tree Collection"

Can I just say that photos do not do this layout justice?  There is so much texture and sparkle!  I love it!!  I used KLD templates for the trees and added some texture with some embossing, paper flowers and gems for the green one and a paper garland, stickles, layered paper flowers and gems for the small one.  The (super long!) title was done in an assortment of alphabet stickers in an array of textures and finishes- chipboard, flocking, glitter and smooth.  Oh, and I have added journaling to the stamped journaling lines :)

Supplies- patterned paper and die cut border and tags (Crate Paper); card stock (Core'dinations); paper flowers (Prima and Doodlebug); stamp (Autumn Leaves); ink (American Crafts and Ranger); gems (Doodlebug and craft supply); alphabet stickers (Making Memories {glitter}, My Mind's Eye {chipboard} and SEI {green}); glitter glue (Stickles by Ranger); KLD templates Celebrate 6 and Tiny Nature 3T)

I forgot how much fun it is to get to scrapbook with your own photos!  I'm usually making layouts that are photo-ready.  I hope to be able to get a few more done this week and I'll share what I come up with.  Right now I have 24 Christmas photos from a few years ago that I would like to squeeze onto a two page layout.  We'll see... :/  Also, next on my list of projects is the guest book for my brother and future sister-in-law's wedding.  And an 8x8 album for their wedding gift.  Hmmm... sounds like I'm a busy bee!! Better get going!

Happy scrapping!

Goal: 100 Projects

Ok, so you know how I mentioned in an earlier post that I didn't need any more paper?  Well, I did say that.  And then I caved soon after that post and fell prey to a super duper sale (or two) from some of my favorite online scrapbook supply store(s) and bought more....   So while I was trying to fit this new crop of goodies into my small scrap space, I remembered that post... and wished I'd stuck to it!  So I have come up with a  goal that I need to meet before I can purchase more supplies- Yay!  I keep seeing other crafter blogs where they keep track of and document all their projects.  That's what I want to do, too! (I'm such a follower, huh? ;)  )  So now I will be doing 100 projects before I can buy more stuff (with the exception of adhesive and basic card stock, of course!)  The fine print for this goal is the following: the pages and cards and other pretty things that I make to sell in my Etsy shop won't count for my 100 projects.  AHHH!  What?!?  Yep, I have to actually make things that include things like photos and journaling or are for gifts.  You may not think this is a huge deal, right?  I'm just a stay at home mom and have plenty of time, right?  Well, if you think that, you're wrong!!  Huge deal!  I'm usually occupied doing things for the shop or things that someone has ordered.  Or taking care of kids.  Or cleaning up after kids and hubby.  Or about a hundred other things that need to be done at any given time.  So these 100 projects will be a challenge, to say the least.

Wish me luck!  And I will be keeping track of my projects right here on this blog, so stay tuned!

SALE in my Etsy Shop

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  I hope you get to spend some time with loved ones remembering those who have passed, especially those who bravely and valiantly defended the freedom we enjoy.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a sale going on in my shop through the weekend.  Use coupon code MEMORIAL10 at checkout and get 10% off your entire purchase AND a FREE GIFT!  (Discount will not include shipping and can not be used for previous purchases or custom orders.  Coupon code expires Monday May 28th.)

Have a safe and fun holiday!

May's Sincerely... Really.

I found the memory card!  Yay!  I am missing a few pics {my super talented two year old son has figured out how to delete pics now, too} but I think it should still work.  Kiwi Lane has not posted these yet today {isn't it the third Wednesday?} so if you're here before you've seen it on their blog or Facebook page, I guess it's a sneak peek- lucky you!

Card #1- Shirt and Tie (finished card size: 5x7)

Believe it or not, this card is made with templates! And so easy!! 

I used: Tiny Tags 5T, Tiny Shapes 6T & 1T and Celebrate 6; white and brown card stock, buttons, ink, and the Authentique Gathering paper kit (available in the Kiwi Lane Shop).

Here's how:
1- cut a piece of white card stock 4 3/4" x 6 3/8" for the shirt base
2- cut the "knot" of the tie from patterned paper using Tiny Shapes 1T (the small triangle).
3- cut the "pocket" of the shirt from white card stock using Tiny Tags 5T.  Cut it shorter than the actual tag, and remember that you will be trimming the side off to fit on the shirt base.
4- cut the "collar" from white card stock using Tiny Shapes 6T (hexagon).  Here's a picture of how:

You only cut half of the hexagon as pictured (a trapezoid, if you want to get technical), and then you cut that in half.  To make those two pieces into a collar, you turn them out like this (sort of like a butterfly):

If you don't get it the first time, don't feel too bad.  It took me a little bit of moving these around before I got it where I wanted it to be.  Also, if you don't get your pieces in equal halves, no big deal.  Just hold them up so they match and cut the edge off the longer one to make it even.
5- cut the tie using Tiny Shapes 1T (small triangle) and Celebrate 6 (ice cream cone/pennant/long triangle).  This is how I laid it out:

You can see that the long triangle template is too long to match up with the small triangle.  Which is good.  Because it would go off the edge if it did match at the end.  I just moved that tiny triangle up on the long triangle until the two corners of the small triangle met the sides of the long triangle.  This is where I would insert the picture of the shapes traced on paper, but that seems to be missing.  Basically, you would trace the long triangle first and then put the little triangle where you want it (like in the picture above) and trace it.  Then erase the lines you don't want to cut on, leaving you a tie shape.  Then cut it out.
6- ink the edges of the pocket, collar, knot and tie.
7- glue the tie to the "shirt" first, making sure it's centered and the bottom tip is close to the edge, but not hanging over.  Then glue the knot on, making sure it's centered.  Then glue the collar on (it will hang over the top edge of the "shirt" and that's okay), followed by the pocket.  Cut the overhang of the pocket off flush to the edge of the "shirt."  Ink the edges of the "shirt" and adhere to the front of a 5x7 card.  (Because my card base is dark, I also put a piece of lighter paper on the inside for writing a note.) You can add buttons and/or a tie tack, if you'd like.

And you're done!  I know it looks like a lot of instruction, but it really isn't that bad.  

Card #2- Dad, You're a Rock Star!  (finished card size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2")

For this card I used: Templates- Sentiments 2B & 3A, Wacky 3T, Adventure 1 & 2, Tiny Strips; Authentique Gathering paper kit; stickers (SEI and Authentique); jewels (Doodlebug)

This one is a little easier to figure out, or can be altered and adjusted to fit your needs, so no instructions :)  I will say that the "Rock Star" is just my handwriting, but you can use stickers, rub-ons or whatever else you can think of.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting!!

May's Sincerely Cards for Kiwi Lane

If you have come from Kiwi Lane and are looking for the instructions for the super cute Father's Day cards, you are in the right place!  However, my memory card isn't.  That means I don't have pics right now {insert very sad face here}.  Which means I can't post instructions right now {insert even sadder face here}.  If I can't find the memory card by this afternoon, I will make the cards again and take more pictures and post by the morning.  I'm so sorry for any delay of making your own cards!!

*This post was brought to you courtesy of my two year old son who likes to take memory cards out of things and put them in very strange places*