Authentique mini book

I'm finally getting around to sharing this mini book, I made it while at the Scrapbooksteals Retreat and thought I'd share it as my Use It Tuesday "Anything Goes" project. As you know by now, at UIT we want you to use your hoarded items and tell us about it! So my hoarded item in this book is that yellow twine, I've had that MME twine since they released Miss Caroline and somehow ended up with multiples of the yellow. I use twine a lot and that stuff seems to be never ending. 

The book itself was made with wooden book ends that I picked up at my LSS stash sale, the interior pages are just thick, yummylicious Authentique papers glued together. If you don't recognize this line, I have to say that Authentique's Curiousity is probably one of my favorites for back to school. No primaries! Woot woot!

I'm gonna rapid fire "turn" through a couple of pages now, you can see in the above photo how there's lot of layers and depth on the right side a lot of that was created by making smaller pages.

And a shot of the last portion of this spread, and then it's close-up.

So here's pages 3-4. Technically, they are the last pages. I didn't take a photo of the back cover because I didn't decorate it, there's just a ribbon across the back so the book can be tied closed.

Now go use up your stuff!

Products used:
Authentique Curiousity
Pink Paislee Luxe stars, inked
Recollections black doilies
Studio G lamps
Ribbon, stash
MME twine
Studio Calico wood veneer hexagons

DIY Poppies/Wreath for Scrapbooksteals today

Ever have a tool that you use all.the.time for a few months and then it gets set aside? Right now I’m “on again” with my Silhouette Cameo so I thought I’d share a fun project that I made for today's "How To'sday" at Scrapbooksteals.com. You'll have to head over there for instructions to make the flowers, but I'll give you some close-ups to whet your appetite.

Here's my way cute wreath that I made with flowers I created for "How To'sday". That wreath had some hideous fall themed florals on it, but I just couldn't pass it up for the price.

Here's one of the poppies all but assembled. The brown ribbon is just wired ribbon that I picked up at Michael's, there's a basic metal brad in the center, and then the fab Prima Designs flower centers that have been hanging around my stash for way to long! (And I have a second similar pack, you better believe that I'll be trying this again.)

The welcome banner uses a Authentique Thankful 6x6 paper pad and some of their sticker sheet. You noticed that I'm using that line a lot?! Yep, it's my only "fall" line and I've been feeling lazy and keep going back to it. Given that the holiday is next week I may get another year out of it too! Anyway, then I just used some random ribbons to make the whole thing less circular. Not sure how I feel about that part. 

Thankful - Paper Girls Challenge Blog

Today on the Paper Girls Challenge Blog we're asking you to show us a project about being "Thankful."

I just so happened to need some thank you cards in my life, so I made these fall themed ones using...wait for it... Authentique Thankful. Appropriate, no?

Here they are together:

And a little bit more of a close-up. Isn't that sticker quote on the first one fantastic?! I just love it.

MMM, and some lace trim on this one really dresses it up and offsets the crazy attempt at a flower that ended up way large so I cut it in half right down the center. 

Products:

Authentique Thankful 6x6 pad and sticker sheet

Twine, ribbon stash

Gems from Michael's

Brown ink

foam dots and ATG tape runner

Masterpieces aka vinyl doodling

It's time for a new challenge at Use It Tuesday. This time we're asking you to do something "Sticky" challenge and don't forget to use and tell us about those hoarded items!

I decided on this one quite by accident, I'd had some vinyl out to cut a wall sentiment for a friend and wanted to put some of the scraps to use. 

But back up a bit, a year or so ago I'd cut the word "Masterpieces" and hung a curtain rod as a display for Vance's art work. It was falling off the wall so I replaced it. Then I added a flourish, and another and two hours later I'd "doodled" around my title. The hubs was more than a little surprised to see my alterations - from a black stately font to this. HA!

And I love it. Other than the title all those vinyl cuts are from scraps that I've had for nearly two years! I have a feeling that the vinyl won't stay this time either but as fun as this was I don't even care. 

Silhouette gift making

Hello there, it's my turn to share on the Scrapbooksteals blog. This week has been "Gift Week" across the Steals sites so Melodee asked me to create some giftable things using my Silhouette Cameo. I couldn't stop with just one project so there's a few projects and a lot of photos and I hope you can hang with me and get inspired to make some of your own gifts this season!

First up, is a Christmas present that I made for my hubby's graduate studies advisor. She is a huge Harry Potter fan so I bought some of the files and used the Cameo to cut vinyl stencils for etching glassware. I was pretty excited to get started because even though I've owned Silhouette machines for years I've always wanted to etch glass and never buckled down and did it.

I etched the Harry Potter logo on one side of each glass. On the opposite point on the circle I etched some of the more iconic images that were available as cut only files - snitch, quidditch player, the house creatures.

I made eight "finished" glasses, and these sets of four will give you a good idea of the end result. 

I confess, I made a little gifty for myself too because I was dying to use the Hazel & Ruby Chalk It Up that I snagged while at the Scrapbooksteals Retreat. 

The frame/tray was something I picked up at the thrift store and have been wanting to find reason to alter it. I used a couple of different files from the Silhouette store for this one - the key and both kinds of banners. 

Each layer is inked and adhered with Mod Podge, then since it will live in my kitchen/dining room area I used a water proof sealer to preserve it just a little longer. With two under 5 in the house you just can't be to careful!

Next up, I made cookie boxes for my neighbors last year and loved doing it so much that I decided to get a head start on the process by making them now! Sweet. I used a Lori Whitlock cookie box file from the Silhouette Studio store. 

I hadn't used this file before so I decided I needed to put some samples in one for the photo, I was pleased to find that it holds a dozen bakery cookies. My kids quickly raided those and trashed the box. Guess I'll have to whip up one more!

I used Authentique Wonder papers I'd gotten in a Christmas kit on Steals last year, paired with some new American Crafts ribbons. 

The plastic opening was made by adhering the thin plastic packaging from paper kits to the frame. I did a quick wipe down with some antibacterial wipes before putting the cookies into the box.

My boys like to sit and help me craft, and they kept stashing my extra Christmas ribbons into boxes that hadn't been tied with ribbons. It did look really cute, and I might just have to cut some more boxes to hold some of their stocking presents. Or maybe use them as organizers.

This may be the last one I'm showing you, but it's the first I've given away - a little hostess gift for dinner with friends a couple of nights ago. The wine box is another fun file from the Silhouette Store. The file's designer, Jamie, has a tutorial on her blog.

Check out that label, three layers of yummy cardstock! And then a big fall leaf from the floral department and an old metal tag.

I was a little disappointed that the file didn't have a closure of any kind, the box itself seemed unstable once I put a bottle in it so I pulled out some twine to wrap around the entire box. Isn't is awesome how it dressed up the box? I think it really says fall now and it didn't feel like it would fall apart when I moved it around the house. 

The ruffle along the edge of the box top was made by folding My Mind's Eye Indie Chic washi along the edge. 

The lid simply hinges back and there's a couple of tabs to hold the bottle of wine, or sparkly juice, in place.

And here's one of the inside of the box. Surprise! Bunnies! You don't say?! I wish I'd considered their orientation when setting up my mat, but I just loved the leathery kraft color that this Authentique Hope paper had and had to use it for the box regardless of the print. 

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Thanks for stopping by, I hope that I've inspired you to get started on some fun gift giving this year!

Practical Scrappers Layout Sketch

It's time for the Practical Scrappers sketch again! Aren't the banners in this sketch awesome?! I loved them and stuck pretty close to the sketch. 

For my interpretation I used quite a few pieces of paper from Graphic 45's Botanicabella. Unfortunately, to keep with the fall/thanksgiving theme we were going for I had to dig out an old blurry photo of Vance, from before I really knew how to use my point and shoot (let alone shoot manual!). Anyway, you get the idea, but this is definitely one of those layouts where seeing it in person is way better. 

Soul Sentiments DT Post: 2014 Calendar

I'm sooooo incredibly excited about my project this month! I made an entire calendar using Bo Bunny The Avenues paired up with calendar pages from Graphic 45 Place in Time. Given how photo heavy this one is you might wanna grab a cup o'joe and settle in for a spell. This one will be a class on November 9! 

We did the cover last so it is a little light on decoration, but given that you rarely look at the cover I'm A-Ok with that. I got to play around with the store's WRMK Cinch for the binding and have rediscovered how much I *need* one of those! We used a WRMK coil to bind it too, so easy.

January - in addition to the papers from the kit I added some MME washi, buttons, feathers, and a Fancy Pants cork arrow.

February - there's modeling paste (masked the waste from a sticker used on January), misted, and added MME twine, and another La Di Dah button.

March - gotta love these sequins! This one is mostly kit, though there's more MME twine here in addition to those stash sequins. 

April - do you see the rain clouds? I had a little to much fun with my mists on this page, and the sequins made a comeback.

May is probably my favorite layout of the bunch! In addition to the papers I've added Imaginesce flowers (remember that big jar of pink flowers?! I still have tons even with sharing with the class), MME Indie Chic Nutmeg banner and Miss Caroline twine, more Fancy Pants arrows, and clothespins that I've had so long I can't tell you the manufacturer.

June - I got super girly on this one but love how simple it is! Just some extra ribbon and dollar bin roses. Those roses made this one thick page, oops.

July - after June's thickness and May's layers July is almost to thin and simple but I love the contrast. I used Prima Flowers stamp, some Love My Tapes and WRMK washi, and a couple of gems.

 

August - it's getting fussier again with Paper Studios burlap ribbon, some G45 Staples flowers (I think the brads in the centers are 7Gypsies) and a touch of misting in the corner.

September - I love buying office/school supplies and while I've downplayed all the holidays I've tried some sort of subtle tie in and here it's the paper clips from Paper Studios. There's also washi from Love My Tapes and MME, and more of that MME Miss Caroline twine.

October - the background webbing is made with tracing paper adhered with Mod Podge. The black web was attempted as a mask with modeling paste and I simply turned it over and used the other side when that didn't work, I liked the bits of paste that had transferred to the edges. A little mist and some black gems (fingernail polish painted since I didn't have enough black) and it's done.

November - seriously took forever! I love my little wreath though, who knows where all that cardstock came from, a lot of my cardstock is either Paper Studios or American Crafts. The other extras here are the stamp from Tim Holtz and the gems.

December - this is the page that started it all, I had the idea for it while laying out which papers would be assigned to which month. The door opens to a hidden photo! I stamped a Tim Holtz Christmas bough and flourish onto tissue and adhered with Mod Podge. The banner stamps and the ornaments at the top are also on tissue and are from Unity Stamp Co and the red brad is from Basic Grey.

Wow! Still here?! Thanks for making it through. Now tell me, which page was your favorite.