Thank You Cards

I have been neglecting my card stash lately, so after making a card for a design team project using a 6x6 My Mind's Eye All Spice pad I set out to make a couple of extras to go into the pile. Enjoy the sneak? Hahaha.

 My seven year old computer, may it rest in peace, died on me last week so I'm improvising a system until we can get a new computer and upload all the software that I typically run transfered around. All that to say, sorry about the photos.

These cards are getting linked up with Scrapbooksteals MCM: #48 Cards and #46 Grateful.  One for each!

Back to the software installation and photo transfer process...

Taking flight

Words cannot express how much Vance wanted to dress up at Dusty from the movie Planes. Once we got the costume home he was disappointed that there weren't wings with it. Crafty mommy to the rescue!

I just cut a piece of used foam board and then painted the base white again and the orange lines. He helped duplicate the racing number and dutifully watched as the Cameo cut them out. A couple of layers of mod podge and the kid was ready for Halloween.

I'm linking this to Scrapbooksteals MCM: kids . The challenge was to make something for and or with kids. 

Citrine 3: Slinky Cup

Here's another layout I worked on last week but never got around to posting on the blog (though I did take a photo with my phone and shared on Facebook). The page is based on Scrapbooksteals MWM Citrine 3. 

I just love the mix matched banners, all the last pieces from various MME collections. 

I picked up that flair at my LSS's stash sale this fall, it's from American Crafts 2008. Some of the others in the package have colors that'll be tricky to use but it was a deal worth having! 

Some little cork stars from my friend Denise. That girl needs to set up an online store or blog or something so I can give her some credit. ;)

That shiny plastic had been around the wood veneer sunburst, I rubbed some StazOn on it and pinched it together while blasting my heat tool at it. 

Product list:

Authentique Enchanting and Tim Holtz Coordinations Crackled cardstock

Black album filler paper

American Crafts tab and flair

MME wood veneer (painted red with Fired Brick Distress Paint)

Banners, title card, and journal card from MME Indie Chic, Kraft Funday, and Miss Caroline lines

Pink Paislee Luxe rub ons

Authentique alpha stickers

Simple Stories brad with banner

More exciting news and a layout

I'm happy to announce that I'm on the fall/winter design team for Scrapbooksteals, they're making the announcement today. Head over and check out who I'm working with, there's some pretty amazing talent on this session's team. 

Needless to say, now I'm really trying to get back into my MWM groove so I was very excited about last week's sketch at Scrapbooksteals, Citrine 5! Melodee had used a bunch of tiny pieces of paper to feature the day's steal but I saw an opportunity to use scraps. *happy dance*

I also made sure to use one of the butterflies I'd cut from some G45 papers a while back so I could SWAT's fussy cut challenge. 

Here's a little close up action:

Products used:

Jenni Bowlin banner stickers

MME Find Your Wings and Fly enamel dots

Cork camera by my friend Denise

BasicGrey PB&J, 7Gypsies, and Fancy Pants stickers

Authentique die cut

The scraps include papers from Fancy Pants, BasicGrey, MME, and Teresa Collins

Practical Scrappers: Fall Home Decor

I'm up today with my first individual feature post at Practical Scrappers, here's just a little sneaky peak at what I'm sharing today. Head on over to see the entire project.

Products used:

Tim Holtz Coordinations Crackled Cardstock - black and brown

Platter

Amy Tangerine corrugated cardstock

Paper Studios chipboard letters

Brown Ink

Floral dept. leaves

Floral wire

Hot Glue Gun

Twine, natural (from the hardware store)

Monsters that haunt my dreams

I felt so witty for coming up with that title. I'd really struggled with what to do for the Use It Tuesday theme this week: Creatures. And then I remembered photos from going to watch Monsters University, we'd let the the boys stay up for the "midnight" showing and played it up big with dinner beforehand, popcorn, soda, etc. 

And monsters are definitely creatures. And children are often monsters and they often keep you up at night just like the monsters that keep you awake at night... you get the idea. 

And here's some close-ups of this one for you. The background was created by Vance using a variety of paper and sticker scraps, the oldest of which is the 3Bugs Blast Off! sticker pack (he even used the packaging). There's so many layers mish-mashed together that I had to keep the unstructured feel and used the Citrine 2 MWM sketch from Scrapbooksteals. 

The embellishments are all newish, less than 6 months old, but they are the last of their packs. I love using the last of something, makes room for something new. Am I right or am I right!?!

I did a little package repurposing too, I stamped on some of the package from those buttons, it made for a nice layer but gave me a fit to photograph because it was so reflective. The newest embellishment is the colored staples. ;) Thanks for stopping by, now go link up your "Creatures" project and don't forget to tell us what you used that's hoarded. 

Paper Girls Challenge: Bugs

It's time for the second October challenge at Paper Girls Challenge Blog. This time it's all about Bugs, how will you get buggy with us?! 

I happened to be sorting some crafting supplies after a weekend at my LSS and found this sticker. It was destiny because the card came together almost on its own.

Products used:
Authentique Original
Jenni Bowlin journaling card
red cardstock (American Crafts, probably)
Basic Grey PB&J sticker
MME twine and gems
American Crafts Christmas Knock Out Punch

And here's one I'd attempted while at the Scrapbooksteals Retreat. I just wasn't in love with it and when the other came together so nicely I just had to make it my "official" project. My ladybug inspired background card:

Echo Park "Best of" paper pad with dots colored in

Bo Bunny ribbon

WRMK Chalkboard 6x6 fussy cut flower

Pigment ink and my friend Michele's stamp (I think it was Technique Tuesday)

Practical Scrappers Sketch - Latte Love

It's been that kind of week! I'm so glad that it's Friday, finally. I worked on this layout using the Practical Scrappers sketch while at the Scrapbooksteals Retreat, I just forgot to schedule the post and so this is going up a tad late. Ugh and sorry!

The majority of this page is done with Echo Park Reflections.

The other stuff:
Paper: Authentique Curiosity
Alphas: Authentique
Buttons: Crate Paper Random
Washi: MME Chalk Studio
Twine: MME Miss Caroline
Zipper: MME
Cork arrow: Fancy Pants

Odds and ends - It's All in the Details

We all have them, that sheet of stickers with just one or two left on it, or a sequence of other embellishments that baffle you so you stash them away, well at Use It Tuesday we're asking you to use up some of those Odds, Ends, Scrap, and Pieces just make sure you tell us which products are hoarded!

I bought the stickers on this page over a year ago at my first Scrapbooksteals Retreat. They were part of a birthday pack from Glitz Designs and I just couldn't figure out a good way to use the numbered stickers. Finally, I was looking at them on the sheet and realized I could just relocate them as is onto a layout to create a border strip. The title is also from the same sheet, I just stuck it to a piece of paper and then fussy cut around it and popped it up on dots.

While those stickers are old-ish, the oldies on this layout are the brads - over 3 years old and lots more where they came from!

I'd like to point out that the layout is about Rylan's fashion choices. He came down from naptime (have I mentioned that he's practically a nudist?) wearing his brother's shirt, some blue plaid shorts that don't quite match, and two socks that were only half on. I was so tickled that I had to take a picture! He had also recently turned three so I wanted to make sure, without throwing the balance off, to have the washi line under the three. 

Mists: October Afternoon Sprinklers, Mister Huey's

Mask: Studio Calico

Stickers: Glitz Designs

Brads: 7Gypsies

Washi: MME and WRMK

Sew it on

This is my first week hosting at the Paper Girls Challenge Blog and I'm asking you to sew on your projects! 

I'd packed needle and twine but didn't really have a plan other than "sewing" while packing for the Scrapbooksteals Retreat. The idea for this project came from the fantastic rep from MME, K.C. Like at last year's retreat, he asked a seemingly random set of questions and then set us to work using Winter Wonderland with instructions to make something that wasn't Christmas but was inspired by our answers to those questions. 

While I was cutting and tearing paper I realized some of the little trees I'd cut would make a great banner and I could get my MME bonus for completing AND knock out a challenge project if I sewed them down! Sah-weeeet. 

The question I responded to here was "what's your favorite word?" I chose the word "right" as in the highly sarcastic response. You did notice I used it in my journaling about my helpers doing the dishes. Right?! LOL, I crack myself up! 

Now get going on your sewing, can't wait to see what you make!

Chalk Studio mini album

It's been a long time since I played along with the My Mind's Eye monthly challenges but when I saw that this month's was to use their chalk line I just couldn't help pulling out one of my newest purchases! I whipped up this sweet little mini in a couple of hours. Those papers that aren't from Chalk Studio are from Lost and Found, other than a bunch of foam dots and some blue pigment ink it's an all MME album. Now to decide what I'll do with it.

Joint tape + happy birthday = fun card

If you're here for the Paper Girls Blog Hop, head this way. 

A few weeks back I was in a mixed media class at my LSS and we used joint tape (like the stuff for drywall) as a mask, come to find out it is also self-adhesive, so when the teacher offered some extras to me I snatched it right up. 

As soon as I saw the sketch for this month's card at Practical Scrappers I knew what I wanted to use it! 

Now how fun is that?!? AND because of the colors I used I managed to knock out another male/neutral card to add to my stash. Sah-wheet!

To make this card even better, I only used scraps to make the card face. I do love a challenge, and digging through the scraps to make "scrap only" projects is certainly one of my favorites!

Weekend away, project round up

If you're here for the Paper Girls Blog Hop, head this way. 

I'm so lucky that we have a flexible college life! I was at Scrapbooksteals Retreat all weekend and took an extra day off to hang with girlies in Salt Lake City. After the last of them boarded airplanes I spent Sunday photographing and editing the projects I'd finished. Dude! I got so much done on this awesome trip and made so many friends, really hoping I can go again next year. 

Today's post is an ensemble of photos from the make and takes/classes, all of them except one that I'm saving for a DT post because it was more of a concept class. 

So the first class of the weekend was American Crafts and we used Pebbles papers and Chips. You'll have to forgive me because I forgot which line we used. :/

Ten of the cards were made based on 5 sketches provided. We were challenged to design our own for the other two. Well, I was working fast and decided to take on a personal challenge. I grabbed a sheet of paper from the goodie bag that Scrapbooksteals provided and set out to create a layout using only scraps from the project kit. 

Remember, photographed in a hotel room, some of this batch of photos have a strange blue cast that I couldn't fix. But how cute is this? I still had a few strips left over of that red checkered print but I got 10 cards and a layout (minus the 12x12 out of the kit provided. 

So the next company to arrive was My Mind's Eye taught by the famous K.C., last year he had us write answers to a list of questions to create something in the allotted time that was somehow related to those questions. You'll see that project in October. :)

As we were finishing up Teresa Collins came in and let me tell you the energy you get when you add TC and K.C. in a room is stinkin' awesome. So much fun! Both had so many great things to say about creativity and why we need to be creative and why documenting our stories is important. LOVED those two classes.

We used Summer Stories to make this little A-Z mini book, to document our stories. I haven't written in it yet, but everything she said hit home with me and I fully intend to fill it out. To record me, right now. It took a long time to set up the mini so I didn't have time to make the two page layout (with hidden photos and such) so I have more goodies to work with in coming weeks. I have seriously fallen for this line. 

Remember how I said that Teresa walked in while K.C. was still there (handing out goodies!), well, Madison from Echo Park came in and both were there. The joking and teasing that comes from friendly rivalries was highly entertaining and while I didn't want to put the mini away I did so that I could work with the new Reflections line designed by Lori Whitlock (seriously, my fave EP and Silhouette Studio shape designer). 

Both of these projects were based closely on instruction sheets, I know I could have created my own, but I just liked them so much that I didn't feel like thinking that hard. 

And a close-up of all the layers. Yummy!

All of that took all morning and afternoon. After dinner a new company coming out, Hazel and Ruby, came to demo their products. While I LOVED the scrapbook paper lines (and bought a couple from Lindsey because they were so unique) I was thrilled to learn about their DIY, reusable, repurpose mentality. Stemming from that concept, they're releasing some awesome reusable icons and letters to use when doing mixed media type projects. Those things wiped off so easily, and peeled off like a dream! I'm so gonna have to get my hands on them and their new tissue and gift wrap lines as they get released. 

Page Kits

If you're here for the Paper Girls Blog Hop, head this way.

I promised a while back to share about some of the exciting things I'm doing at my local store. Today I'm bringing you photos from some of the page kits I've been developing. This batch of kits is all from papers within the same line, they haven't sold well, so we're hoping by giving people some ideas and sketches (by yours truly) that maybe these babies will fly out the door.

This one is titled using a sticker and is "Come Away with Me." It uses Moxxie Nautical and coordinates with a class I'm teaching later this month.

The next two both use Moxxie Zoofari. My goal with these two was to use them but not to do something about the zoo or wildlife. I did choose with the first one to pick really natural type photos, rocks, mulch, bench and they are all fall photos so the colors complemented the papers well.

This one was a bit tongue in cheek (say it ain't so!). I was working on it at the store and came up with that title thinking that "It's like a zoo" could really apply to anything from photos of shopping with the kids to cleaning up their rooms, whatever. And then I got home and was picking out photos and realized that I had three from an event where the city brings in a bunch of trucks and kids can climb all over them (there's a lot of horn honking but they l.o.v.e. it!) and the extra photo space was enough room to tell the story.

And from those photos "It's Like a Zoo for Tons of Trucks" was born. Again, the colors in the photo help tie the photos to the page. All the kits will come with the main title and hopefully the customers will be inspired to subtitle it on their own.

Now, what can you create using paper in your stash that you've avoided using because it's not your typical style? I wanna see.