"Free Bird" for all you Skynyrd fans

Happy Tuesday! Did you all have a long weekend too? My girls didn't have school yesterday for Dr. Martin Luther King's Day so we kinda vegetated all day :)
I did a little more work on my mini album this weekend (it's a slow work in progress) Remember the cover page HERE

The background paper on this page is from the DCWV Mariposa stack. I'm using the 8"x8" stack for this since my mini album is only a 6"x6" so there is minimal waste and the images are more to scale than if I were to use the 12"x12" papers cut down.

The bird cage on my page was cut on my Cricut using the Bloom Lite cartridge. I cut out the first layer once in blue, then the shadow layer twice, in olive green and then in dark green. I inked all three layers with Peeled Paint Distress Ink and off set the dark green shadow layer just slightly from the olive green shadow layer. This cut also has flowers with it but instead of using those I added Prima flowers clustered and layered. And those little leaves you see peeking out from behind the flowers, those are a green "got flowers" style 5 petal flower that I cut into sections to use as tiny leaves. I wished I had taken a photo to better explain, but basically you cut it into 5 pieces at the natural separation down to the middle and each one looks like a little heart when it's cut apart.

My little "free bird" is a Tattered Angels glimmer chip. I inked it along his belly and tail feathers area with some Denim Jean Distress Ink and then sprayed it all over with Glimmer mist. The inking really brings out the embossing on the glimmer chips. I added a tiny black adhesive pearl for an eye and called him done!
Overall, I didn't do much on this page but that's because I'm saving room for a photo.
Who knows, maybe I'll even get this entire album finished this year?!

Making Time for Crafts

Hi all! I'm enjoying a nice break from the regular day to day life stuff. My hubby has some time off work so he's sharing the "home" duties. That has given me a chance to get in my studio and play with some items I've had on hand, but haven't gotten around to using yet.
I was chatting with the girls during last nights Live with Prima class and Tim Holtz Rock Candy Crackle paint came up in the topic. I had bought a jar of it some time ago but never tried it out and really wasn't sure what to do with it. Well Cari and the other ladies said I really must give it a try so I promised that I would play with it today.
So I decided to start a mini album just so I could use the product. This is the cover of the album. I used some of my most favorite (and hoarded) Prima products on here. The paper is from the Pastiche collection- it's called Quirky. The flowers are Prima mini roses and fairy tale roses (which started out white and I colored them to match my project) and a Prima Lilliput rose (in yellow, but looks more like a cream). I also used some rose leaves as a foundation for the flowers. The lace trim across the bottom is from Prima too. It is also a creamy white and I colored it with antique linen and tea dye distress inks to get the desired color for my page. The magnifying glass is a Tattered Angels nature glimmer chip.It has an embossed design on it and I sprayed it with glimmer mist for color and shine.

For the "glass" of the magnifying glass, I used the rock candy crackle paint and then when it cracked and dried, I rubbed some broken china distress ink into the cracks for more definition.

I'm not sure what this mini album is going to be for yet, but I think it's off to a lovely start.
I hope I've convinced you to use some of those cherished supplies you've been hoarding and turn them into something even more beautiful.

Christmas Cookies (take two)

Yesterday I posted this layout on the YMH Designs blog and the photo was just horrible. Well, I'm back with more (and better) photos.

Here is my two page layout using 2 Sketchy Thursdays sketches.

On this page you can kinda see the glimmery sparkle of the Tattered Angels New limited edition Santa Baby glimmer mist. We have several of the new winter colors in stock at Your Memories Here. I sprayed it on the solid red background paper of both pages.

I also used the same patterned paper on both pages to to keep them similar while using two different layouts for each page. This page is based on this weeks current Sketchy Thursdays challenge.

I just love the little cookie cutter embellies that I found, they are so perfect for these pages.

The title letters on the banner (and Cookies on the opposite page) are velvety flocked stickers. The beautiful green Prima lace trim has a nice Christmas feel to it. And the bright cheery colors are perfect for the fun photos and activity.
I know I say it all the time, but these sketches really help me get caught up on my scrapbook pages. It seems like the only time I'm creating layouts for my own personal use, is when I'm participating in one of these challenges! These photos are from 2008, so it looks like I have a lot more catching up to do!

Is It Too Early?

Hey everyone! I have been seeing some really great Christmas decorations, cards and tags lately. I keep telling myself *it's not too early to 'make' Christmas themed items, as long as I don't display them until after Thanksgiving.
So here is my first Christmas themed project for the season:

This is a wall hanging/wreath type decoration. I was inspired by the ornament made by Lolly (she gives an amazing tutorial for it HERE) Lolly's is ornament sized but I made mine slightly larger using 3" squares for the cones and a 5" circle for the center(which I sprayed with Snow Queen glimmer mist, one of the new winter colors) . The completed size of it is about 9". For the entire project I used only 3 sheets of double sided paper, 2 of the "Snow Day" and 1 "Winter Wisp" Both available at Your Memories Here with lots of other fabulous double sided papers.
I used thick chipboard letters to spell out the word "JOY". I painted the edges of each letter with purple acrylic paint first, then glued the patterned paper to the front. I added a coating of Mod Podge to each letter to make sure the paper doesn't lift up. Then I inked all the edges in dusty concord distress ink and added some icicle Stickles around all the edges too for a frosty ice look.

The letter "J" is embellished with some tiny jingle bells strung on light blue fibers, wrapped around the letter. I used a little dab of hot glue to keep each little bell in place.

The letter "O" has a few purple and aqua rhinestones embellishing it.

And finally for the letter "Y" I used some snowflake shaped brads, cut the prongs off then I smooshed (yes, that's a technical term) them into an embossing ink pad to get them well coated and sprinkled them with a light purple (Thistle from American Crafts) embossing powder and heated carefully with my heat gun. I used some hot glue to attach each one.

To attach the letters to my cone wreath base, I used the hot glue again. It seems to be holding up pretty good. Since the letters are made of chipboard they're pretty lightweight.

When it was all finished I proudly showed Kevin and he asked "Is that for someone named Joy?" Gosh he can be such a smart arse sometimes!

I hope to be back later this week with some Fall themed projects that I've been working on in my head :) I just got to get them out and onto paper!

Flowers and Butterflies Mini Album

Hi all! Today I have a bright cheery mini album to share with you.
It went together quite quickly because I used coordinating papers from the DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies stack.

The Prima flowers are the perfect embellishment for each page.


I also used my Cuttlebug embossing folders for some of the photo mats and it gives them great texture and visual appeal to the solid colored card stocks.


I misted some of the papers with Glimmer Mists so they have a beautiful shimmer, I only wish the camera could catch all the sparkle on these pages.

Layering different colored and shaped flowers is also a great way to add impact on the pages.

For the centers of the flowers I used rhinestones from the Prima Pearls and Crystals e-line collection (psst... you get 60 in a package for only $1.49)

Visit Your Memories Here for some awesome supplies to get started on your next paper crafting project.

Magnetic Memo Boards

I'm so excited to share these. Not because I think they are something spectacular but because they were so simple and inexpensive that I hope everyone will give them a try! I found some steel baking sheets (it has to be steel so that the magnets will work- no aluminum) at my local dollar store. The round ones are 12" pizza pans and I also bought a couple of 9"x13" cookie sheets.

I used Mod Podge to adhere down some patterned paper that I cut to fit in the pans, then I embellished each one. I cut out the word "enjoy" on my Cricut in cream card stock, then sprayed it with sugared maple and a little pomegranate Glimmer Mist. I added a couple of Prima leaves too.

On this one I used Prima lace trim that I dyed with sugared maple Glimmer Mist and hot glued it around the edge.

The note holders are some regular clothes pins that I glued magnets to the back of, then I used some hot glue to adhere velvet ribbon on them. I made little grape clusters with some grape dew drops and a Prima rose leaf.

This one has a bit of a glare from the camera flash because the word is covered in glossy accents.


I painted these clothes pins black before I glued the ribbon on and added white Prima roses.

More Prima flowers and pearls accent this one.

I used Mod Podge to decopage the same patterned paper onto the clothespin magnets then added some Prima flowers and the Prima pearls.

I used Prima pearls and roses swirls to accent the swirls of the patterned paper.

You can cut the swirls apart very easily to get more out of a package!

This last one isn't finished yet, but I wanted to show you one of the rectangle sheets I've been working on. Since it is 13" long I had to use 2 sheets of paper. I used two different coordinating patterns and then covered the seam with some ribbon. I also used that ribbon on the clothes pins. But I've still got some more embellishing to do :)
I hope you've been inspired to give these a try!

Another Post it Holder

So I'm back at it with the Post-it notepads. This time note stands.
I got the idea from HERE and it seemed so simple and easy I had to give them a try.


I made these two using some patterned paper from my stash of scraps! Then to dress them up, I glued some layered Prima flowers and a little button center to the acrylic stand.
Easy peasy, right? I also made matching pens too!