Hello Again - "You 52"

Hello out there!
Hard to believe it has taken me this long to get my laptop fixed and everything back up and running - so much has happened!
 I also owe a huge apology to Charity at Adams Acres - I sorta went MIA when I  lost my laptop - no way to cut SVG's and no photoshop to adjust and send - It was a a very dark few months.  Since I lost so many digital  & svg files, pictures, etc... when my laptop crashed, I am taking things much slower this time and refreshing and organizing, OH! - and backing up as I go. :)

So in my quest for organizing and getting back on track of all the things I have missed - I realized I enjoy my blog - and have learned so much in the past few months - that I want to incorporate some of that into my "New 52" annual projet.  What is this?  well, with Jan 1st comming around there are projects galore out there - some I have tried in the past and never finished, and others that just, well, scare me... I dont want to feel obligated to scrap, I just want to scrap, on  my terms.  I also realize that I am more of a hybrid scrappr - I use what is convenient for me at the time - I love paper - cutting, stamping, punching, etc... but sometimes the speed of digi is so convenient - so I am tired of beating myself up - I am not committing to one or the other, and I will do what I want to do - when I want to do it - right?  there are no rules in scrapping - why do I get so stressed?  (ok - off soapbox).

My plan of "You 52" is a layout or 2 a week - I am getting a 8.5x11 book (binder type) where I can insert digi or paper pages whatever suits my whim - I will send out my weekly prompt, some journaling and picture taking ideas, some paper or digi finds, and share some sights and ideas I have along the way.  I have lots of ideas brewing - so if you care to "free-whilly-nilly" it with me in 2012 - please come and share your "care-free scrapping" pages and plans along with me.

See ya in January!

Shimmerz Enamelz - Hot new product

Ok - So I typically scan out all the new items of the season - try to plan what I want - and what will fit into my budget... Spellbinders has some great new dies this season, G45 papers Never cease to amaze me, and well anythng from Tim Holtz I have to have! - But this item I caught up with thru a blog hop - and I am pretty impressed - I dont have it yet - but I certainly do want some! - It's new so if you are a fellow stamper, embosser, etc... check it out (click on the pic for a link to the video)

Fashion-ista Challenge on Getting Cricky.com - feeling glamorous.

This challenge was too cute to pass up! - Fashion-ista, how fun.  The contest is open until July 23rd at midnight - check it out here at Getting Cricky,com.  Picture totally doesnt highlight the glitter glasses, letters or the bling on the bottom :(

Mixed Media _Week 2_Love

Kids are still on vacation with their dad.  Sammy is out swimming over a friends house, Dan and Dillan are at a race in OH - So I am home alone - and that typically equates to getting messy!

Week 2 in the Mixed media class with Shirley Pando over at My Creative Classroom, is about paper collage on canvas.  More fun stuff, If you have never taken a class I just love them over there - you should try it - they have great teachers, and the classes rotate - so if you missed one - hang on it will be around again.

I used up some papers I got off a swap table - Little Yellow Bucycle - Love letters collection, some paint and some perfect pearls.... this is my end result, hope you like...

Climb & class project week 1

I am multi-tasking... I am participating in another class at My Creative Classroom, This one is Exploring Mixed Media by Shirley Pando.  Week one is creating with fabric - totally out of my comfort zone, and I had NO idea what I was going to make - Then I received my July email from Ali Edwards and my One Little Word project.  A-HA! - It is not the prompt of the month, but I knew I wanted to use my word "Climb" and I wanted to use that great tree svg (I mentioned in previous posts) from Charity Adams and her Woodland Bunny svg collection.

So, putting all of that together - I translated the word climb into about 15 different languages, and printed it on cardstock. (although you cant really see that after I cut the Tree out of that paper, but I know it is there).  I dyed a white on white piece of fabric with alcohol inks, sewed on the black burlap, added the tree I cut and then covered in glossy accents, after I mildly inked some edges.  I added the butterfly (home-made beaded antennae), climb letter stickers in a Tim Holtz bracket, some matching alcohol ink dyed lace ribbon, OH! and the flowers I made from ribbon and medium sticky dots (pretty easy - twist and stick).

I love this project!

Megan Graduation

Congratulations, Megan (my niece) She graduated from Quigley HS and moving o to Kent State - so proud of her.  I made a card using Everyday Paper Dolls in her school colors, and attached it to the card  The candy is chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows with sprinkles, and box id decorated with paper I also cut from cricut (scal - a grad cap and the words"class of 2011").  I cut it on the opposite edges of a 12x12 paper so that I could then attach it to a box and add some fiskars cut borders on the bottom - Congrats Megan!  (I will fix that bottom edge of the box before I bring it to the party :))

Happy Easter (in July)

Charity Adams of Adams Acres sent us the Woodland Bunny svg file.  (You can see the entire file by going to Die Cut Designer (here)).  So I am  for the first time ever ahead of the game, and have a jumpstart on my Easter decorations.  I created the basket decorations below - they are created with We Are Memory Keepers' Tiffanys paper collection, some random papers, ribbons and tapes for the borders, and some extra springy stickles bling.  The set also has a great tree that I will post later and will make a great piece for halloween or winter layouts as well.

July 4th (List It! Challenge)

I just want to say a very happy (belated) Happy Freedom Day.  I am so thankful for the sons and daughters, moms and dads that put themself in the face of fear to protect us back home in America.  Thank you!
We spent the fourth with family and friends, and of course fireworks!

Father's Day 2011 (List It!_1)

I threw out the List It! Holidays challenge - Here is my Father's day submission.  I did a digital page (they are so much faster!) I got a free template from Free Digital Scrapbooking, and modified it (a lot!) - but that is why I love sketches - they give me the jump start of inspiration I need. 

We did the world tour on Sunday - I saw my pap, my father and Dan and his father.  It was great seeing everyone.  I gathered a ton of pics of my father, grandfather and even his dad - I can't wait to start sorting threw them - I love old black and white pictures - they are a window of mystery.

Happy Father's Day to all dads!!

Adams Acres Posting - Check it out!

My Dino creations are posted over on Adams Acres - Please teake a minute to check it out by clicking here. 

List It! Holidays Challenge

There is a new ebook out on Ella Publishing, List IT! Holiday Edition -
From what I can gather this is the first of a series of 3 of these List IT! types of books -click here for a video from Ella about these lists and some sample ideas.  There is a coupon code for 15% off - LISTMORE.

So I challenge anyone who wants to play along - starting with the next holiday (Starting with Father's day), or going back from start of 2011.  I will post my pages as I get them done - Please feel free to add your page in the comments (and if you cant do that I will see 1. if I can create a gallery or 2. send them to me and I will upload).  Should be an easy way to stay on top of the year, (personally I will probly be adding these to my Project Life, but I can see maybe the possibility of a 2012 mini-book??)

from Ella's website:
List It! journaling guides make it easier than ever to write about your life! These printable, prompted, journaling lists are gorgeously designed and creatively imagined—perfect for use on scrapbook pages, mini-albums, notebooks, and handmade list journals.

Some of the 94 prompts in List It! Holiday Edition are obvious and universal, others are quirky and unique. But they're all inspired by major events on the calendar, from winter to spring to Valentine’s Day to Christmas.

The Options are Endless:

• Print a single list to use as a journaling spot on a scrapbook page.
• Choose just your favorite lists to print for your own customized list notebook.
• Let these lists inpsire fresh, creative journaling for all of your holiday-related scrapbook layouts this year.
• Print all the lists and bind them into a notebook. Pull out your notebook on each major holiday throughout the year—the perfect reminder that it's time reflect on your life and record important details and memories.
• Print the lists back-to-back, or print a sheet of extra lines on the back sides of each list for extra writing space!
• Trim a handful of lists to 4 x 6, pair them with 4 x 6 photos, and create a simple, stylish mini-album.

Watch our short List It! videos for extra information and ideas!

NOTE: We have two more List It! journaling guides coming later this month, on these themes: everyday life and childhood memories!

Adams Acres Design Team! - yay me!!

I was recently chosen to be a design team member for the super talented Charity Adams of Adams Acres.  I am super thrilled to have the opportunity to use her files and show off some fun crafts along the way!

Charity Adams creates svg files for software like Make the Cut and Sure Cuts a Lot or other die cut machines.  You can find her items and blog here at Adams Acres, and you can watch what the talented members (me included (yay)) of her design team here at Die Cut Designer.

My first task was to create something using these cutest dinosaurs that Charity created, you can find them here.  Here is what I created...

First I made a card, using Deja Views Baby Girl paper, I distressed the edges and added some bling with the stickles.  Certain parts needed some dimension via pop dots!

Secondly (is that a word?) I made a sippy cup for my friend, Gretchen's baby boy Connor.  I cut 3 dinos out of primary colored vinyl and stuck them on the cup - super easy & so fun!

I hope you enjoy, and please take a minute to check out Adams Acres and Die Cut Designer.

Below is the gift we have for Sammy's teacher -
There are quite a few components and I am afraid I didn't take any pictures - (I was pushing the deadline to get it done).  After I handed it off Jo Anne was so kind to send some pictures and a nice note about it to the class parents. 

Her teacher loves to garden, so this all started with a black planters box, that I painted green and distressed. Jo Anne went to the class and got each child's fingerprints in red and yellow and we made ladybugs and bumble bees out of them and added their names.  The box was painted with clear crackle and sprayed.    Next we purchased some seeds, gardening tools and gloves.  Made a few paper accordion flowers and rolled some extra cash into "grass".  We purchased some gift cards, and each child completed a small sentiment for the teacher.  I added a picture of each child with their sentiment in the small mini-book.  Each page of the book was decorated with coordinating paper - inked edges and cricut cut bugs from the paisley and Disney princess cartridges.

I hope that she enjoys her gift!

Week 3 Embossing

Well this is it - my class is over (sad face).  I cant give enough kudos to My Creative Classroom - and this class taught by Donna Maligno.  (visit her blog here).  This week we embossed a color and then embossed glitter on top of that - Who knew? - another ah-ha! moment.  I was skeptical - but it really held the glitter nice when it came time to die cut the cage below.  The picture doesn't show nearly how sparkly this turned out - Iam so pleased with the combo of the glitter and Graphic 45.

Week 2 embossing class

Below are the samples I sent in for week 2 of my embossing class over at My Creative Classroom.  They are always posting new classes.  I just signed up for a photography class there too.  I will let you know how it goes - Just started.

Back to the cards - these are both double embossed.  I embossed them once - and embossed again over top of previous embossing.  (I never knew you could do that!)

Father Daughter Dance

Sammy had a father daughter dance tonight - her first one.  Ashley was at a HS dance and Jason is at hockey.  It was nice to have the house all to myself!  What did I do? scrap of course - I dabbled in some digital...
It is nice to have a page done and it was from today's activities... OH! if life could be this simple.
PS Sammy won a prize.

Thanks Coach Soccer Card

Sorry - I have been soo busy with kids and track and kids and hockey and kids....

I have signed up for an embossing class over at My Creative Classroom.  I am familiar with embossing - but the class outline looked intriguing - and I love to learn new techniques.

We just started week 1 - Basics.

The instructor makes this beautiful butterfly card - I dont have that stamp and not really wanting to buy it - so I opted for a more practical theme  soccer.  Although the weather in the burgh has not been condusive to us even having a practice yet - I will get a jump start on my end of season thank you card!!  (karen I have the stamps if you want to borrow for your little ace soccer player!!)

Card is just white and green cardstock - corner roundeed and stamped the green with soccer balls and used clear EP.  The letters are cut from cricut, and the girl is stamped and pop dotted with a black EP -

PageMaps Sketch Contest

So I happened to stumble on the blog of paremaps - One of my fav places to get sketch ideas for layouts - they are awesome! - And they are having a challenge based on a REALLY cute sketch.
Both are below...
The picture was from this past Saturday - Yep Sammy got 8-9 inches cut off - but is still as cute as ever!!

Project Life

So I am getting a late start on this one - but I am hoping it will be easy to catch up - only Feb right? 
I was atually inspired by my good friend Karen - she scraps the year all at once, and I could never remember to keep stuff that long - so I am thinking once a week or few times a month to catch some of the bigger milestones??? 

If you are not familiar PL was created by Becky Higgins - she packs everything you need in a kit and what is great is that each page is divided - you can just slip in the photo and or add a journal card, etc... totally customizable but simple... everything color coordinates - I got the turquoise version.  I willlet you know how simple it is -
should be here next week - yay!!

Resist Distress Sample

My creative Classroom has a free class - Everyday Moodlings - check it out here...
For the next few months she is exploring embossing.
Here is my sample below - with the steps.  Hope they are easy to follow!

It's so simple.  And it is on Tim Holtz blog under the 12 tas of Christmas 2010 if you want to see another step by step...
I hope this helps...Bear with me - I tried to really simplify it...

1st select your paper and stamps... I like doing this on pattern paper - you will see why in a bit... but plain works too.  (also stamps with thin lines - you dont see the resist as much - so I use this with solid pictures or thicker letters)
 

Next I stamp my pic using versa mark watermark ink.

Then I cover the paper where it is stamped with clear embossing powder.

Next break out the heat tool and heat the stamped image until it is shiny

(some people like the shine and stop - but I like adding the distress inks to it - after I apply the distress ink over and around the image - It really makes it pop and you save the pattern underneath.)

.The image below is after I added drops of water around it and heat dried it -
If you are a tim holtz fan - you probly have tried this one before - I love how it looks...
 

 If you have any questions - email me!!

I CANT WAIT!!!!!

You have to take a gander at 2 blogs I have been following - the product comming out soon is amazing.
(I am sure there are more blogs I should find - or will find - these happen to be two of my favorites..)
tim holtz (no suprise there) He is so talented and he is sneak peaking some of his new dies and such... while you are there you still need to check out the tags and techniques he did last year - wow!!
http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/

And Graphic45 - the paper people - they are just making amazing paper this next season - I can not get overit - checjk out this sample - wouldnt that make the best banner???  so much fun!!  but there is more - this is from a few days ago... check them out,  (OMG - you have to see the stamps that match too!)

http://g45papers.typepad.com/

"Bohemian Floral"

"Greatest Show on Earth"

Catching up on Posts

Here are a few things I have been working on - Sorry for the delay in posting - I have been having some technical errors...

1st is a banner I made for Sammy and 1 for her friend Morgan (Morgan has one of the best moms ever and Sammy and Morgan spent about 3 consecutive days going back and forth from our house and Morgans over Christmas break - the girls helped with the folding and picking out of their colors of course!)

Paper is from Hobby Lobby - safari I think itis called "The paper Studio".  There is lots of glitter and glitter stickers -
just a fun banner for her.

This next is something I created before Turkey day - We are big Black riday Shoppers and were in need of a planner for our holiday shopping lists - gotta check them twice (or more, if you are old like me...).
there are many tabbed sections for lists, grab bags, do not forget, etc..., pockets for receipts, and extra pages for notes.  I made one for mom and 1 for sis-in-law... here is a small sneak of mine.

 (Ok more techie errors - maybe I will get pics up at another time)