Smiles By Ibis

It's starting! Patchwork Pandemonium with Tim Holtz!

2011-05-07T15:42:00.001-04:00

There's been hugs, there have been pictures, and now the fun begins!

It's almost my time to meet Tim Holtz!

2011-05-07T15:08:00.000-04:00

I am so excited, I am finally here. In just a few minutes I'll get to greet Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi! I'm just outside the classroom, waiting for the doors to open. I am so thrilled!

Heading out to see Tim Holtz

2011-05-07T09:51:00.000-04:00

I am so excited the day is finally here. I'm heading to whim so doodle to take a class with Tim Holtz today. Check out these goodie bags that I made for my All Things Tim group members that I'm meeting today for the first time. It's going to be so much fun I can't wait.

Proud to be Artsy - Webster's Pages, Melody Ross & Prima Flowers

2010-12-04T12:35:00.004-05:00

I seldom make a layout about myself, but I started a challenge last summer to write a layout about why I scrapbook, what it is I like the most about what I do. This is why I made this Proud to be Artsy layout.

The journaling is on a little tag and it reads:
"It takes my breath away when colors coordinate just perfectly. Frilly Fibers excite me. Glimmery items just thrill me. Art is Emotion!"

That says it all!

This layout is created with Webster's Pages Life's Portrait line papers. I cut the border freehand, distressed the inner edges and inked it all over. I finished it off by attaching some delicate light blue lace to the bottom along the ridges using brads. The inside paper is must brighter for contrast. The picture of myself is circled with three embellishment clusters and anchored at the bottom by layers of lace and ribbon. The title, Proud to be Artsy, is a textile tag by Melody Ross, and the flowers around it are all Prima flowers. I colored three white flowers using various inks in colors match my layout. Then a big blue flourish sits above it. On the opposite edge of the photo is my journaling tag. I started with a plain manila tag and then inked it in the same colors to match. I finished it with ribbon at the top and lace at the bottom. Then added flowers all around it. Then at the top are three roses over a Webster's pages canvas tag. I finished it off by stamping the word Artist vertically using a Tim Holtz stamp, and tracing the inside with a gelly roll glitter pen.

Products Used:

Webster's Pages Lifes Portrait - Love Yourself Paper
Webster's Pages Designer Trim - Delicate Pink
Prima Innoscence White Flowers
Melody Ross Designer Collection - Textile Tags

My Adventures at Scrapbook Expo

2010-11-30T20:12:00.001-05:00

Scrapbook Expo came to my part of town for the first time ever, and I was so thrilled to take part in this event. It was very exciting to see all these companies and manufacturers come to sell all the latest products in the industry that I love. I had the best weekend!

I started the weekend working as a teaching assistant in the Tattered Angels class. These classes were mindblowing! So many great techniques, so many beautiful effects, so much shimmer and shine. The first class I was in was called Glimmer Mist 101 and it was a technique class where they teach you tons of different ways to get different looks from the Glimmer mist products. Each student left the class with a three ring binder full of over 25 pages of techniques that they got to play with during the class. This was an excellent learning experience, and everyone in the class had a blast. Our teacher Nanette was awesome and super fun.

The second class was using the Heidi Swap Fascinations products. These were products with resist built in and it was like magic in the making. As you sprayed and wiped, different images just appeared like magic. The papers were treated with resist images that made the most awesome effects. It was surprisingly easy to make something look spectacular. This class was also taught by the gracious Nanette.

After class time was shopping time! I loved walking through the vendor area and seeing all the awesome products that I had only seen online until that point. Manufacturers like Creative Imaginations, Pazzles and of course, Tattered Angels were there. Plus rows of other vendors with stuff from multiple manufacturers. I went to my hotel room with lots of new goodies to play with. And play I did.

The next morning, I entered the Expo's Creativity Contest and submitted the desktop plaque that you see above. It looks like they liked it because I won third place! I won a Slice die cutting machine, a $149 value! My very first electronic cutter! I was over the moon!

That afternoon I worked at at one of the booths for a company called Eyelet Outlet. This company had a huge variety of colored and shaped brads like nothing I had seen before. It was amazing to see all the really cool brads. Plus they are the manufacturers of Quicklets, an eyelet that you can attach with just a pen, no special tools needed. Really easy.

I really enjoyed myself working at the booth. I demo-ed the products and met so many wonderful people, just as excited about papercrafting as I am. It was so much fun.

At the end of the night, I got to work at the crop. It was so much fun to be part of the party, for free! Tons of giveaways, tons of fun. I had a really good time.

Can't wait for the expo to come back next year!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Finale

2010-10-31T02:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for visiting this month and reading my Breast Cancer Awareness Month posts. I am finishing up the month with the last pages from the grungeboard minibook that I made for someone special.

Please join me, if you have not already, in my fundraising activity benefiting the Susan Komen society. Click on this link and give to their efforts to find a cure. Any amount will do, even if you can only give very little. You too can make a difference. Please give what you can.

Breast Cancer: Live to Remember

2010-10-24T17:41:00.000-04:00

Continuing on with my series of posts in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am posting another page from my grungeboard minibook. This page says "Survive to Remember". It is not until long after you conquer the battle against Cancer that you get to recognize how significant and positive it was to go through that experience. You become a stronger person because of it, and remembering what you went through, and what you won the battle against becomes a testament of your courage and determination.

Please join me in my fundraising activity benefiting the Susan Komen society. Click on this link and give to their efforts to find a cure. Any amount will do, even if you can only give very little. You too can make a difference. Please give what you can.

Blog Candy Winner!!

2010-10-18T01:06:00.000-04:00

I wanted to thank everyone who visited my blog this month. As Blog Candy I am giving away two stazOn ink pads. One in Timber Brown, and another in Jet Black. The lucky winner is KC:

Just email me at ibis (at) smilesbyibis.com with your mailing address.

I also wanted to post a new page to continue my Breast Cancer Awareness Month series. This page is my favorite. It encourages them to hold on, to survive, to live, so that you can do what you love to do the most, create!

Breast Cancer: New Perspective

2010-10-13T00:58:00.002-04:00

One really positive thing that one gains from being diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness is a new perspective on life. Suddenly things that were all-consuming and top priority in life may not be all that important anymore. You start to measure your success in life not by monetary gain, but by the relationships that you have made, the family that is standing beside you showing support, and the friends that send positive supportive messages.

It becomes so clear suddenly, what really matters in life, and what you hold most precious. Celebrate your riches, celebrate your ability to see things anew. Celebrate your new perspective.

Don't forget that there is Blog Candy being given away on this blog! I am giving away two stazOn ink pads. One in Timber Brown, and another in Jet Black. Just comment on this post for one chance to win, donate to my Susan G. Komen fundraiser with the link above for a second chance to win, and subscribe to my blog using the links on the right for a third chance to win!

Breast Cancer: Finding that inner Strength!

2010-10-12T00:49:00.000-04:00

Continuing on today with my posts for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am showing off a new page today of the album I made for Sherry Goodloe. This page is dedicated to finding the strength inside oneself to put up a fight, even when things become unbareable! It is so important that a patient in cancer treatment, or anyone dealing with anything difficult in life, to really find that inner Strength and let it hold you up.

Queen Kat Designs Stamp Company & Blog Candy!!

2010-10-07T02:01:00.009-04:00

Welcome!

I am so glad that you are here!

Didn't you just love Kapree's blog, your last stop before mind on the QKD blog hop? Her blog is designed so impressively, I just loved visiting it.

The Queen Kat Designs Stamp Company (QKD) challenged me to do a fall themed hand stamped card. I did a fun little play on words and did a motivational card with the quote:

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows FALL behind you."

I added a few more fall themed elements to the card with a shedding tree stamp, and handstamped a leaf from my yard on paper to create the leaf in the background. All these are surrounded by beautiful shiny copper! My absolute favorite crafting color. I used a copper leafing pen to shade some Tim Holtz Idea-ology embellishments in more of a copper color. Lastly, some vintage lace trims the page at the bottom for just a little charm.

This motivational card goes perfectly with my current series of posts in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. I have been posting some pictures of gift projects that I have been making for breast cancer patients and survivors. I'll have to send this card out to someone special that I know who is affected by this horrible disease. Hopefully it will cheer her up.

Scroll down to see my previous posts for more inspiring projects.

BLOG CANDY!!

I am giving away some Blog Candy this month! Read below for instructions on how you can win. One name will be selected at random and posted at this blog on Sunday, October 17th.

One prize will be awarded which contains two StazOn ink pads. One in Timber Brown, and the other in Jet Black. Enter today for your chance to win. You have three chances to win. Here is how:

1. Just simply comment below for your chance to win. One comment per person, please.

2. Contribute to my Breast Cancer research fundraiser benefiting the Susan G. Komen society for an additional chance to win. Click on this link and give to their efforts to find a cure. Any amount will do, even if you can only give very little. You too can make a difference. Please give what you can.

3. Subscribe to my blog for an additional chance to win. Simply click on this link below and subscribe today.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out Penny Hartley's blog next by clicking here. Her blog is beautiful!

Please use the links below to share this post with friends via facebook, twitter, Google Buzz, or email.

Breast Cancer: Find the Laughter

2010-10-06T04:27:00.005-04:00

I love, love, love this quote from Bill Cosby:

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it."

Remember to laugh, surround yourself by those you love and enjoy each other's stories, jokes, and laughter.

Breast Cancer: Surviving with Hope

2010-10-05T06:11:00.001-04:00

I love the famous quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that says:

"In all things it is better to hope than to despair."

There is no doubt that Breast Cancer Treatment is difficult and grueling. Multiple people in my life have told me that there were moments that they just wanted to die. Its a pain that no one should have to go through.

If there is one thing that I can offer is hope. It is so important to hold on to hope in such a difficult time. Hope that you WILL get through this. Hope that it will all be over soon. And hope that there will be a cure soon.

Breast Cancer: Yes, there is a Silver Lining

2010-10-04T21:22:00.001-04:00

I always like to focus on the positive. And this mini-book is no exception. The book brings to light the good things gained from the breast cancer experience. Its sometimes hard to see them, especially when going through such a difficult treatment, so I wanted to point each of them out on a page in this book.

The cover is made of grungeboard that I painted pink using the Ranger Paint Dabbers. Then I painted and embossed several grungeboard flourishes. Lastly I added several silver embellishments including a clock face, a tag and other metal findings.

On the back, I used distressed inks straight to paper to add a bit of color. Then I addes a huge 'My Life' sticker, a round journalling sticker, and a beautiful 3D glittery butterfly. Then I finished it off with some pretty flowers.

Breast Cancer: Silver Lining Mini-book

2010-10-02T11:54:00.001-04:00

I wanted to start off my series for Breast Cancer Awareness Month with some pages from a mini book I made recently. This was a R.A.K. gift that I made for Sherry Goodloe. She and I are big fans of Tim Holtz and in the All Things Tim group and this album is made from grungeboard pages and many additional Tim Holtz embellishments all throughout the pages. I really enjoyed making this book and layering multiple of things on each page, including prima flowers and bling! Then I finished the album off with tons of fibers on the binding rings.

Sherry is going through Breast Cancer Treatment right now, and I hope that this book brings her some happiness in her tough time. I hope the words on each page inspire her and give her strength and hope. And I hope she feels the warmth of all the love that I put into each page. The next several posts have detailed images of each of the pages. Hopefully I can inspire you too!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

2010-10-01T16:30:00.000-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I am posting to tell you that you can make a difference. Yes, you!

My current series of posts will be dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. I'll be posting several projects that I have done to honor special people who are battling through the journey that is Breast Cancer Treatment. These people need some strong inspiration to be brave, and hold on to hope, and know that others really do care about them. Hopefully these projects will inspire you too.

I seriously feel that everyone is affected by this. All of us get worried about it. And it is over us like a gloomy cloud of concern. Just imagine if we could find a cure. Just imagine if we did not have to worry about it any more. Just imagine if no one needs to suffer through the treatment any more.

Lollipop, Lollipop!

2010-09-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

I decided to pick up a treat for my little girl when I was at a store just before picking her up. I chose this huge lollipop and could not wait to give it to her. She hardly ever gets candy, so at first she tried to take a bite out of it, and it was puzzling her that she could not. I tried to show her to lick it instead, but she just kept trying everything until she got some. I thought it was the cutest thing ever, so I sat her down in the front yard and started snapping pictures with my camera.

My sister says that the pictures look like something out of a magazine, but all I can see is my cutey-pie enjoying her lollipop discovery. She clearly started saying the word lollipop on this day.

I used several swirl stamps on this page, and finished it with a huge yellow ribbon with a metal embellishment in the center. Then I added lots of journaling all around the page in the inner most matting.

Sunshine

2010-08-22T20:08:00.001-04:00

I just love how my little girl looks in pigtails. She was just as adorable as can be riding her new tricycle and I just had to pull out my camera. I think her smile says it all.

In this page, I started with a gorgeous background paper from 7gypsies. Added some scraps and cutouts from Bo Bunny and My Minds Eye. And then I added three of the photos I took of my little girl on her trike. I placed then at a slight diagonal just for a whimsical look. Then I added bright beautiful Prima flowers to match her bright beautiful smile.

The color combinations on this page is just so cheerful. This is truly my favorite layout so far! I hope you enjoy it too.

Retro Photo and Webster's Pages

2010-08-02T21:05:00.002-04:00

I was brushing my daughter's hair after a bath as she was distracted watching TV. I looked down and noticed that she was sitting there in her towel with her gorgeous hair and it reminded me of some old famous painting of a woman in her towel. So I had to pull out my phone and snap a picture of my beauty. I took a regular photo, followed by a photo using hipstamatic, an iphone app that makes my pictures look like they were taken in the 70s. Of course, the hipstamatic photo was the best one. And to my surprise, it came out perfect when I enlarged it to 8x8 and printed it out at my local 1 hour photo place.

This layout was created using Webster's pages products. I love their lines because everything is so very dreamy. The bottom of the layout has a row of Webster's bloomers and along the side I have a set of prima vines decorated with various little embellishments here and there. I especially enjoyed using the Melissa Frances tiny frames. They are so cute. I absolutely love this layout, and I truly love how much my little girl amazes me each and every day.

Websters Pages - Bloomers - Flower and Trim Ribbons - Green
Websters Pages - Lifes Portrait Collection - Imagine your Life
Websters Pages - Lifes Portrait Collection - Light the Way
Websters Pages - Lullaby Lane Collection - Dreamland
Prima - Valentine Vine Collection

Vintage Dad & Me - Graphic 45

2010-07-29T09:07:00.001-04:00

My son only went to summer camp for part of the summer this year. He spent the rest of the time at the office with Dad. He takes his Nintendo DS with him to keep him busy, and Dad lets him use a computer at work sometimes too.

These photos were taken with an iphone app called Hipstamatic that gives pictures a 70s look to them. I just love how well they came out once printed!

I used a sanding and inking technique to give all the graphic 45 papers even more of an antique look and feel. Then I placed then on a contrasting black background and added several embellishments that I inked and gathered into interesting clusters of embellies!

I finished it off with a title created with graphic 45 letters and a stunning Rusty Pickle diecut tag and buckle.

Colors, colors everywhere!

2010-07-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

I recently had some alone time with my little girl and I took her to a new park in the area. We had the place to ourselves, and she wanted to go exploring. She tried out each structure in the playground and then noticed a path leading into several rows of newly planted trees. She walked down the path with Mommy a few steps behind her, snapping photos with her iPhone. Up and own the various paths she went, picking up rocks and examining each twig on the grown. She's my little explorer!

I had to use lots of colors for this layout. Then i had to pick just a few photos to use, which was almost impossible with a cutie like this. So picked out my favorite 7 photos, lol! I created two separate clusters of embellishments, at opposite corners, and used chipboard letters to spell out my title: Play.

This layout definitely is all about having fun! I sure enjoyed making it.

Papercrafting and Altered Arts - at Scrapbook Update

2010-07-19T05:37:00.001-04:00

I am so honored to have been featured as a guest blogger on the scrapbooking industry's leading news blog, scrapbook update. My article discusses how you can take your papercrafting supplies out of your crafting table, and use them around the house and when creating gifts to create something of your own design that would be used over and over. Any papercrafter can create altered arts projects. You simply use the same products and techniques that you are using today in your scrapbook pages. Please read my article here and step into the world of altered arts. Click here to read the article.

Rusty Pickle Class with Lance Anderson

2010-07-17T20:29:00.003-04:00

Oh my! I had so much fun at the Rusty Pickle class with Lance Anderson, himself! It was at my local scrapbook store, Cherry Blossom Studio. We did this amazing chipboard mini book with a tropical theme. The best part was a pop-up Tiki house! You just have to look through the pictures to see what I mean. It was just an amazing project!

Meeting Lance Anderson was a treat in itself. He was such a normal chilled and laid back kind of guy. So fun to talk to and so fun to craft with. He shared his story of how he fell in love with paper design and started his company and is looking to keep things going via his blog. He also shared a funny story about his black crop-a-dile tools. One of my classmates asked how he got ones that were not pink and he said that he went back to the company that makes them and complained and complained until they made a pair in black just for him! Funny story!

Much of our conversation was about literature. Lance is an avid reader and loves getting book recommendations from the people he meets in his travels. He highly recommended the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, especially as a great book for young boy readers. I made a note of it to buy it for my son to read. I think he's gonna like it.

Another really cool thing I learned about Lance Anderson is that he speaks Portuguese! There were a couple ladies there from Brazil and he would speak to them in their language, and it won them over right away. They had so much fun in the class too!

The project was a 5 page mini book. Each page was the most amazing, thick chipboard! Really sturdy! We covered both sides of each page with rusty pickle patterened papers and stickers, and then added a Sizzix die cut popup house. Used rafia to turn it into a super cool tiki hut, and completed the project with fibers all along the rings. I just love my new mini book and cannot wait to take a vacation so I can use it!! lol!

So if you ever get a chance to meet Lance Anderson or take one of his amazing classes, I highly recommend it. And be sure to ask him what he's been reading lately.

Almost 2 - Layout with Little Yellow Bicycle

2010-06-07T20:45:00.004-04:00

I love this line by Little Yellow Bicycle. Its called Vita Bella and I went kinda nuts and purchased every sheet and every embellishment for this line. Its all gorgeous!

So when I pulled out this beautiful photo of my daughter wearing blue, and looked through my stash of blue papers to find the perfect one, I just had to go with the Vita Bella line.

I added to this paper a blue ornate sticker and some lace paper from KI Memories, and finished it off with some white prima flowers inked to match. I also inked the blue lace paper to make it match even better.

I love this layout because it has so many customizations and I feel that its one of my more artsy layouts.

Try it yourself. I used the following:

Little Yellow Bicycle - Vita Bella Collection
Prima Innoscence Small Flower Mix 35
Prima Innoscence Large Flower Mix 36

Webster's Pages - Garden Gala and Life's Portrait

2010-02-22T22:49:00.005-05:00

I was in pure heaven making this layout, surrounded by all my stash of lace and flowers and mixing and matching until I created the most adorable layout of my little girl. For this layout, i started with Webster's Pages Tea Time paper from their Garden Gala line and then cut a strip of circle patterned paper for the background from the Refreshing paper from that same line. I added a strip of mauve colored cardstock under it with rounded corners and separated with some green Prima lace ribbon. I diecut a pair of flourishes in the same mauve cardstock and added it to each side, layered with miscellaneous matching scraps. Then I topped it all off with the most amazing bouquet of flowers. I started off with a Prima leaf on each side and loaded each one with several e-Line mixed vintage flowers (love the price of those e-Line flowers) and then topped each one with a Flora Doodles Petaloo Jolly Christmas Mini Florettes (each has a cute gem in the middle) Then I made a popped up journaling oval for my title, and added a 3-D mini butterfly on it with tiny gems on it. I used American Crafts mini marks to rub in the word "My Beauty" as the title. I then cut out several elements from the Webster's Pages Pure Grace paper from the Life's Portrait line. That included the flower cluster above the ribbon and the ornate circles that I used behind the photos. I used my Martha Stewart ribbon punch on the strip between the photos, and added Prima packaging as a photo mat. Lastly, I used a tab that reads Memories from Cosmo Cricket and topped it all off with a gorgeous red butterfly from Prima.

Websters Pages - Garden Gala Collection - Refreshing
Websters Pages - Garden Gala Collection - Tea Time
Websters Pages - Lifes Portrait Collection - Pure Grace

Graphic 45 Communique Layout

2010-01-31T20:57:00.004-05:00

2009 was the year that I was introduced to Graphic 45 papers by my friend Gine. She told me all about the beautiful papers while we were at a friends house, and as soon as I got home I had to pull up the website and see for myself. She was right, the papers were just breathtaking! So beautiful, a combination of vintage and brights mixed together to create very graphic classy pages. I fell in love immediately.

The last of my favorite layouts from 2009 was this layout made with Graphic 45's Communique line. It showcases a picture of my mother in law with her two daughters and her granddaughter. I thought it went perfectly with the society page's clipping about the world's prettiest girls. At the top corner I created a larger clustering of many of the collection's tags and other embellishments all inked to matched the antique look of this layout. The journaling block was a piece of white cardstock that I aged with different shades of brown ink. And then i finished off the page with a border of Prima ribbon. I feel pretty proud of my first vintage layout.

Supplies used in this layout:

Graphic 45 - Communique Collection - Society Page
Graphic 45 - Communique Collection - Pen in Hand
Graphic 45 - Communique Collection - Die Cuts - Tags

Prima Natural Obsessions Collection Layout - Curly Top

2010-01-24T11:27:00.007-05:00

This layout is most amazing to see in person, and its because of the amazing paper line from Prima called the Natural Obsessions Collection. Its a thick texture rich paper that adds so much dimension to the page. Its just amazing. This is my second favorite layout of the ones I did in 2009.

At the bottom I have a strip of Prima Voila to anchor the page.

In this layout I also added some prima flowers and a prima ribbon that I losely curled and looped to add even more dimension. I just love how this layout came out. And the contrasting yellow letters just pop!

Again, I do not like the photos that much, I wish they were not so dark.

Products Used:

Prima - Natural Obsessions Collection
Prima - Prairie Flowers Collection

My Craft Projects were Published!

2010-01-23T12:10:00.004-05:00

I was so excited to see my crafts published in a big local magazine called the Parklander. They ran an article about giving crafts as gifts for the holidays and two of my craft projects were photographed for the article. What a thrill!

The first project shown in the article is a rear view mirror ornament I made with pictures of my kids. I gave these to my parents for them to hang in their car and they just love them! They are made with an acrylic flower, stamped swirls, and a flower that I affixed with a rhinestone brad and my crop-a-dile.

The second project is a mobile I made for Tim Holtz using different Idea-ology products and vintage music themed paper.

Here is a link to the whole article:

Basic Grey Urban Prairie Layout - Clustering of Embellishments

2010-01-21T02:53:00.003-05:00

Now that a new year is here, I was looking through my 2009 layouts and noticing some special moments when I tried new techniques, and attempted to step things up a notch in terms of layout design. I picked my three favorite layouts out of all the ones I did in 2009 and will be sharing them with you here on my blog this month.

My third favorite layout is one I did using a paper pack from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie line. This line of paper had several butterflies and girly colors which went perfectly for my baby girl's photos. In this layout, I was experimenting with clustering of embellishments to create a point of interest on the page. You can see where my title is that several coordinating embellishments are grouped together to make this cute area with tons of interesting things to look at.

What I learned in this layout was to be patient when cutting out paper butterflies from a 12x12 sheet, because it is so worth it once you pop them up and add that sense of dimension. I also learned how much a not-quite-perfect photo can distract from a pretty layout. The lighting could have been better in the photos.

Overall, I am proud of how it looks and I would not change a thing. I challenged myself to design a layout that is a step above what I was doing at the time, and I feel proud of the outcome.

So I humbly present to you, this layout as one of my favorite works from 2009.

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Beaded Zipper Pulls

2010-01-17T20:47:00.005-05:00

I made these awesome beaded zipper pulls using Tim Holtz Idea-ology products. I participated in an online swap where each of us had to make something using any of the products in the idea-ology line. I used the new super fun and versatile Type Charms and the swivel clasps and added some various beads I had laying around, and made these very functional zipper pulls.

On the type charms I use my printer to print the word CREATE very small on matching cardstock and then I used a 1/2 inch punch to make it the same size as the type charm. Then I glued the punched out word to the type charm, covered it with the included epoxy sticker and it made the perfect charm to complete my piece.

Aren't they fun! Try it out!

Supplies:

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Type Charms
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Swivel Clasps
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jump Rings
Misc Beads of your choice

My Sassafras Christmas tree

2009-12-24T01:31:00.003-05:00

This was a fun project that I made for my craft guild's handmade gift exchange. To create this tree, I started with a styrofoam cone and glued it down on a piece of red felt that I cut into the shape of a tree skirt. Then I took a sheet of Sassafras paper and cut it into several 1 inch by 1/4 inch strips. I folded each strip in half and without flattening it, I stuck it into the foam, starting from the bottom and working my way up, and using those pins with the colored balls at the end, to mimic ornaments. It actually did not take too long to piece it all together. Then I finished it off with some ribbon, bling, and a diecut star at the top.

Happy Holidays to You, my friend!

2009-12-22T21:20:00.006-05:00

I want to wish a heartfelt Happy Holidays to all the wonderful people I've come to cherish through this amazing hobby of ours! Thank you for all the inspiration, fun conversations, exciting online events, those special little packages in the mail, and especially for all the support and encouragement as I stretch my crafting muscles and try new things. I learn so much from all of you.

This holiday I wish each of you love, peace, happiness, and tons of crafting time! Big hugs to all of you!

This year I made handmade Christmas cards for the first time ever. I always intend to make them, but never get around to doing it. And luckily this year they made it out the door just in time. I made them using a photo of my kids, a holiday sentiment, and this amazing blue flocked paper (Making Memories - Paperie Poolside - 12x12 Flocked Cardstock - Brocade) that added just the right touch of fun and elegance. Plus I got to add just a touch of bling which makes everything just perfect. :) Enjoy!

Girly Girl - Crate Paper Mia Collection

2009-11-08T20:02:00.002-05:00

I was so fortunate to be able to play with the whole Mia Collection from Crate Paper. It had so many different papers and embellishments in sage and hot pink. I would have never combined those two colors, but crate paper impressed me with this paper pack.

Such gorgeous papers and embellishments. Just perfect for a layout about my beautiful little girl. I started with two borders that I cut down and layed in the center of the page, just below the main image. Then I cut a vine of leaves and flowers from a 12x12 paper and added it with pop dots. I tucked a jounaling circle below the bottom border and added an oval sticker with the date. At the opposite corner, I added a smaller photo surrounded by a custer of other embellishments layered one on top of each other. Then at the top right I added a tab and decorated it by added a circle and flower embellishement behind it. Then I finished it off with the title around the tab.

I especially love the way I found a dark paper for the background. It made all the photos and embellishments *pop* from the contrast. I am just thrilled with how it came out.

Shopping Spree Layout

2009-11-08T19:45:00.004-05:00

This layout is just so much fun, I love it! It is created using My Mind's Eye papers. The first is from the Abbey Road line called Hello World Shopping Spree paper, and the other is from the Lucky Me line called Open Toed Paper. These papers seemed perfect for my daughter's first trip to go shop at the mall.

Ever since she was born, she had a huge facination with barrettes, braceletes, earrings, ribbons and lace and all things girly girl. She is such a cutie, and everytime she sees something she likes she has to touch it and try and put it on. And did I mention that she is just 1 years old! So I gave her quite a treat when I took her to the mall and let her out of her stroller in what she came to think of was the most heavly place on earth, the Clarie's store. She walked around and touched everything and tried to put things on, and despite the looks from the store staff, I let her loose and followed her around with my camera snapping away. She loved it! And Mom got the best pictures of her little lady for her scrapbook. :)

Meeting Michelle Van Etten from Prima & Tattered Angels (with Glimmer mist!)

2009-11-08T19:07:00.005-05:00

I had the honor of meeting Michelle Van Etten, a Prima Endorsed Artist-Educator and was absolutely blown away by her scrapbooking techniques and layering expertise. Her stuff was simply amazing and I wanted to know how to do it all! She is so sweet and personable and willing to teach me anything that I would ask at the class. I just love her!

The first class I took was her Family Treasures class which was all about layering. I learned how to use paper and embellishment layering as a method to add dimension to my project. I made a layout using prima flowers and Graphic 45 papers, ribbons, die cuts, chipboard, and so much more! We distressed and inked just about everything, and used liquid fabric glue to adhere all the heavier items. I felt so proud of this finished project, it is simply amazing! The class included a canvas that I inked on the sides and adhered the layout. The photos are of my baby girl at my vanity mirror getting fixed up, lol! I now display this canvas proudly at my home's entryway.

The second class was a Tattered Angels mini album using Glimmer Mist! I finally learned how to use the Glimmer Mists correctly, and what amazing things it can do. I was suprised that there was so much that you can do with the glimmer mists. We used resists and sprayed to get layering, we created puddles of color and dipped embellishments, and then rubbed and spritzed and patted down to get all kinds of different effects. This class was so much fun. I learned so much! Now I can finally pull out those bottles of glimmer mists that I've been storing and unable to use correctly until now!

My favorite thing about these classes was meeting Michelle Van Etten and being in awe of her talent. I respect her so much for making masterpieces out of everyday items. She is just amazing. At the end of the class she gave us a DVD of her teaching the class we had just taken, so we can finish the mini album at home, or refresh ourselves on the techniques later on. I love that!

Click below to purchase any of her amazing classes with step by step DVD so you can take the class from your very own home! Check it out:

See you at the Show!

2009-09-28T17:28:00.003-04:00

Visit CoralSpringsCraftGuild.info for all the details about the Coral Springs Craft Guild's Holiday Show on October 9th from 5p-9p and October 10th from 9a-4p at La Quinta Inn 3701 N. University Drive, Coral Springs, FL. I will be selling some of my own handmade items such as mini scrapbooks, notebooks, altered tins, and several other altered art items. Stop by and say hi!

Donna Downey at the Scrapbook Central Booth

2009-08-03T16:30:00.001-04:00

On friday morning at the show, Donna Downey was available for pictures
and autographs at the Scrapbook Central booth. Plus she had her new
line of t-shirts, magnets, art prints and more for sale. Here she is
with store owner, Michelle.

Special Thanks to Carolyn!

2009-08-02T11:39:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to post a special thanks to Carolyn for being my roommate and travel partner for the trip. I had so much fun in her company and enjoyed all of our conversations and sharing. I had a super fun time and I cannot thank her enough for making my trip possible. Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Its Over - So Sad!

2009-08-02T01:00:00.004-04:00

Well, its all over now. The CHA Craft Supershow has closed its doors and there was so much more that I wanted to do but never got a chance to do. There were way too many lines to do anything and time just flew by as I waited. I think that the convention could have easily been a successful four day event so that everyone could do everything. But as a two day event it was amazing. In my opinion, the event was a complete success. People were leaving with bags and bags of shopping items and sitting it seat after seat of make and takes, most of which were free!

To my surprise, there were many new CHA Summer releases that made it to the consumer show such as provocraft's Gypsy demo, the Craftwell Personal Cutting System that requires no mats, the Imaginisce i-top Brad Maker Tool, Tim Holtz's latest Stampers Anonymous Stamps, Graphic 45 latest Paper Collections, and more!

Overall I think that the event was a huge success. Everyone wanted an event that had great new products and also some shopping bargains all together. It was "the" place to be this months for all crafters. And from the crowds I think that most of us were there, lol! I hope you had a chance to be there too.

The Queen's Ink - JudiKins Mica Gloss

2009-08-02T00:47:00.003-04:00

At the Queen's Ink booth they had a display of the most amazing cards. Lots of metalics and glaze. It was the most beautiful display I've ever seen. My all time favorite thing that I saw there were the JudiKins Mica Gloss Inks. These were metalic inks that made some amazing effects. I even got a demo from the amazing Judi herself! She demoed some awesome techniques including the Forever Diamonds technique too!

Creative Crystal - BLING!

2009-08-02T00:36:00.005-04:00

I had to stop at the Creative Crystal booth when I saw that all the staff was wearing these customized T-shirts full of bling. I saw a demonstration of their BeJeweler product that makes it super easy to attach swarovski crystals to just about anything. The crystals all had amazing sparkle and the tool made it so quick and easy that I felt certain that I could do it myself. This tool is definitely going on my crafters wish list!

Scrapbook Creations - Copic Markers

2009-08-02T00:21:00.002-04:00

At the Scrapbook Creations booth there were tons of awesome products. I got to see a demo of the fiskars corner punch. It was a set of cool border punches with a corner option so that you can get a perfect punch all the way around. I also found out about their Scrapbook Cottage where I would love to spend a weekend cropping. They had a free product giveaway too! So cool.

My favorite part of their booth was the Copic Markers make and take. They had tons of different shades of the Sketch markers. And I got to see how the copic air can works to create an air brush look on the project. It looked awesome. I am even a bigger fan of Copic Markers now.

Oh My Crafts! - Imaginisce I-top Brad Making Tool

2009-08-02T00:11:00.002-04:00

Oh Wow! At the Oh My Crafts booth they were demoing the brand new, just released, I-top Brad Making Tool! I even got to sit down and use it to make a super cute brad for my make and take project. It was so super easy to use. I just put in one piece of the brad, added the paper, squished it, tucked in the paper, and then squished it again. It was so easy. In no time at all I had a custom brad made by me. I really like this tool, and I love the possibility of creating matching brads for my scrapbook pages. It looks like it has three different possible sizes of brads that I could make. So many possibilities, it makes me so excited!

Whim So Doodle - Ranger Make and Take

2009-08-02T00:03:00.002-04:00

I was able to get my Tim Holtz product fix at the Whim so Doodle booth. They had all the latest, just released, Stampers Anonymous stamp sets and tons of inks, paint dabbers, crackle paints, tools, embossing powders, stickles, and so much more. I enjoyed their make and take, a tag using Tim's stamps, distressing inks and embossing powders. I had so much fun!

The Provocraft Booth Rocked!!

2009-08-01T23:55:00.003-04:00

Definitely the most fun booth at the show was the provocraft booth. Not only did they have the most awesome make and takes, but they also had the most fun activities. I posed for a picture as a Rouge Gypsy. So now I am WANTED! Isn't this picture just hilarious!?

Plus twice a day they had a raffle where they gave away a TON of cricut cartriges, cricut machines and the new gypsy! People were cheering and yelling and it was a riot! It was like a big old party and the crowd was huge. My favorite part was that Mr. Cricut himself was there, in all his green attire. Just hilarious. These guys really know how to make things fun! Unfortunately I did not win anything, but I had a great time at that booth.

Provocraft make and take

2009-08-01T13:09:00.001-04:00

I made this cute gift tin at the provocraft booth. It's diecuts and ribbons. We got to use a cuttlebug embossing folder and then we put the paper down on the tin and finished it off with some ribbon along the sides. I love it! Its perfect for a gift for men or women.

2nd day at CHA Craft Supershow

2009-08-01T08:38:00.000-04:00

Got up bright and early after a late night crop to be one of the first
ones in the convention. Once the iride trolley got me to the building
it was 8:30a and there was already a line at the door to get in. I'm
only about 50th in line so it's not too bad.

I'm planning on rushing to the Provocraft booth who looks to have the
best free make and takes at the convention. Hopefully the other 49
people ahead of me are not planning the same thing.

World Largest Crop

2009-08-01T00:41:00.001-04:00

I had so much fun at the crop this evening. It was an attempt at the
world's largest crop but it did not have enough people participate.

The crop was hosted by Scrapbook Royalty and the proceeds benefit the
Leeza Gibbons Foundation. There were so many giveaways and raffles
and I won a set of Tombow markers and cardstock! yippee!

Lots of bargain shopping items and make and takes to help raise money
for this Charity Event. Plus several celebrities donated their
products and their time to support the event.

Preliminary numbers before I left the event were about 6,000 dollars
raised tonight! It felt good to be charitable while having a blast
cropping! Thanks Scrapbook Royalty for putting on a great crop party!

Paperclipping Meet and Greet

2009-08-01T00:29:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed meeting my fellow paperclipping.com fans today. I noticed
traychic right Away since she has that cute hair just like in her
picture. She was so much fun. I Also met CraftySuz who was so sweet
and had tons of stories to share about the preceeding CHA show. It
was great to hear about her adventures. The highlight of the meet and
greet was when Nancy Nancy joined us. She was a cute young and thin
person, nothing like she looks on the Paperclipping Newsbreak
episodes. Her camera just does not do her justice. We need to ask
Izzy to hook her up.

I gave out some goody bags so everyone had a little something to
remember our Paperclipping Meet and Greet. Below is a picture of the
bags I made out of patterened cardstock. I just love how they came out.

Violette's

2009-07-31T12:58:00.001-04:00

I had so much fun at the violette's booth! I took their free watercoor
make and take and made the cute flowers in my previous post. Plus I
got to see and buy some of the new graphic 45 line of papers! I love
g45!!

2009-07-31T12:54:00.000-04:00

Terri O Crafty Bootcamp - decoupage

2009-07-31T12:53:00.000-04:00

Terri O's boot campclasses were all free! I took the one on decoupage
and it was so much fun! Such a cute project. And Terri was just as
sweet as can be.

Papertrey booth

2009-07-31T11:29:00.000-04:00

The papertry booth was packed! There was a long line to do the free
make and take and then a second long line just to get into the booth
to shop! Their stuff is just beautiful and it looks like they have a
whole make and take schedule for all weekend long with several
different free projects! My favorite thing was that you get a super
cute pink tote with each purchase.

Joann booth make and take

2009-07-31T11:19:00.000-04:00

The Joann booth was super cool with 6 tables of free make and takes
from yarn to fabric painting to scrabooking and jewelry. All free!
Plus they handed out a free geen handbag. So cool!

World record bead painting

2009-07-31T10:52:00.000-04:00

First stop at the convention was at the Big Picture project. They were
awarded the world record for a 9 foot by 11.5 foot image of president
Obama made entirely out of beads. It was just amazing to see up close.

Whoa! What a line!

2009-07-31T09:53:00.000-04:00

There are 15 Mins left until it opens and so I decided to stand up and
go get in line at the door and to my surprise the line was about a
mile long! Tons of people are here waiting to get in to the CHA Craft
Supershow. How exciting! I hope the exhibitors are ready!

Free Gypsy tote bag!

2009-07-31T09:46:00.001-04:00

To my surprise after I picked up my tickets at the CHA Craft
Superstore, they handed each of us a free Gypsy by cricut tote bag!
How cool is that!

I also picked up a show guide that lists all the exhibitors and their
booth numbers. I wish I had printed the floor map from the supershow
website since it was not included in the show guide.

Arriving at the convention center

2009-07-31T09:39:00.000-04:00

I made it to the convention center after a short and enjoyable ride on
the I-ride trolley and all I can say is that this convention center is
HuGE! After a long walk I found the will call booth and walked right
up. There were no lines yet since I am here an hour and a half before
it opens. Hurray!

Convention here I come!

2009-07-30T16:33:00.001-04:00

Almost to Orlando for the CHA Craft Supershow. I have been listening
to all the reports from the preceeding CHA show and people have be
complaining about how it was too small and uneventful. Well I sure am
hoping that CHA is saving the best for last for the CHA craft
supershow! Tomorrow I'll be posting from the convention and at the
crop! Stay tuned for more messages throughout the weekend!

Off to CHA Craft Supershow!

2009-07-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

Well, I am getting ready for my trip tomorrow to the CHA Craft Supershow. I am so excited! I hear that there are going to be tons of make and takes. And I already looked through all the workshops and I just love them! I am definitely taking one class, hopefully two, lets see.

I am really looking forward to the Michaels, Joanns, ACMoore, and SplitCoastStampers booths that look like they are doing different make and takes every 2-3 hours. So I'll have to keep going back to them and checking out what they have. I hear that some make and takes will be free and others will be for a fee, so I'll have to wait and see what each vendor decides to do. Hopefully I can do quite a few of these make and takes without going through all of my budget too fast.

On friday, I get to meet Nancy Nally and several of my fellow paperclipping fans. It will be fun to talk to her in person, and also get to put faces on some of the names from the paperclipping community. Possibly on thursday I will also get to meet Noell, we'll see if I can find where she is filming her next episode of Newsbreak.

Anticipation for this event has been mixed. Some people say its not worth it since the hot new products revealed at CHA summer earlier this week will not be at the consumer Craft Supershow. But it looks like with all the make and takes, workshops, crops, celebrities, and events that there is still much to look forward to at the CHA Craft Supershow!

Stay tuned throughout the weekend as I post live from the show with my reviews and photos. I'll make sure to post the event's highlights so you can share the experience with me!

Ibis

Tim Holtz Class: Patchwork Pandemonium

2009-07-29T11:56:00.009-04:00

This past weekend I got to take a class with the Amazing Tim Holtz. I had so much fun! He is just amazing and his products are so unique and one of a kind that I find myself thirsting for more more more! Here is a picture of Tim, Mario and I at the event.

In this class we got to learn technique after technique after technique! I was giddy with excitement for the entire 4 hours! Little squares were inked, distressed, painted, sanded, embellished, crackled, and so much more. And at the end they fit together into this amazing quilt that I can display with pride. Not only was it an amazing learning experience but so much fun at the same time.

Before the class, I waited in line with tons of people who were all baking in the hot florida sun, but stood in line just the same so they can be one of the first to see Tim Holtz! I made new friends in the line, including Laura who was so much fun!

Once we got to our seats, there was a prepacked kit with instructions at our table all ready to go with supplies and materials all sorted, labeled, and organized perfectly to ensure that the class goes smoothly. Thanks Mario!

The table was full of Tim's products including a craft sheet, 8 color coded ink applicators a spinning holder, several inks, acrylic paints, jars of crackle paints, a textured hammer, a piercing tool, a set of tonic scissors, and so many more goodies to play with.

The pace was good, and the class was easy to follow since Tim had a projector showing each step clearly. I was able to keep up with the class and get my project completed.

My favorite part of the class was getting to play with crackle paints. Its something I have not had a chance to use before. My least favorite part of the class was that the air conditioning was not working well and it was so very hot hot hot. But Tim was a good sport and made us all as comfortable as possible.

I can't wait to hang up my new Tim quilt. I am so proud of it. Thanks Tim and Mario for putting together an amazing class! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!

Meeting Donna Downey: Intro to Fabric Scrapbooking

2009-07-29T11:16:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I got to meet Donna Downey! I was able to sign up for her Fabric Scrapbooking class at Cherry Blossom Studio. For several weeks I was so thrilled and excited about meeting her in person and getting to learn from her. She is a true artist and has so much creativity. I love how she thinks outside the box and adds her own artistic flair to scrapbooking.

Donna was just so much fun in the class. She was so down to earth and just a regular gal with tons of funny stories to share. Plus she was so very patient and nice and it made the class a wonderful experience.

The fabric scrapbooking class was such an awesome learning experience. I learned all about gesso, gel medium and molding paste. Three items that are quickly becoming must-haves at my crafting desk. Plus we got to work with a breathtaking Prima fabric album which was just georgeous and several fabric embellishments designed by Donna herself. Just beautiful fabric flowers, birds and houses, Fleur De Lis, and embroidered tags. All just stunning pieces and prime additions to any scrapbook.

I was so amazed at how many pages were designed for this project. I felt like I could really do a full album with this set and although I have not finished all my pages, I cannot wait to get everything finalized and start showing off my book to my friends and family.

My favorite part about this class was learning how to use modeling paste. It makes such a statement to any project. I think I will use it quite a bit now. My least favorite part was learning to stamp on the canvas. I felt like there was no way to get a clean image and had to use pens and markers to get it to look decent.

If you ever have the opportunity to take this class, I would highly recommend it. There is just so much that you can learn in this class.

Special Thanks to Donna for sharing her amazing talent and for making this an experience that I would never forget. You inspire me!

Here are pictures of my album. There pages were all designed by Donna as part of her fabric scrapbooking kit.

Muse Token ATC

2009-06-25T22:27:00.003-04:00

I found this gorgeous distressed green paper and decided to take a chance with creating an ATC in a pale green color. It was quite a leap but I was willing to try it. I used the Simple Things stamp by Stampendous. I embellished the ATC with a torn light blue paper, a green ribbon and a Tim Holtz muse token. Then I finished up the card with a Tim Holtz mini paper clip. I think this one looks kinda trendy, a sharp contrast to my vintage ATC. I really had fun making this one.

Tea and Lace ATC

2009-06-21T01:15:00.001-04:00

I took weeks to plan this ATC. Searching my local fabric and notions stores for the perfect lace and then trying to find adhesive pearls to go with it. At the end, it came out exactly like I imagined. This ATC was created in the vintage style, my favorite style when making ATCs, thus far. It includes a vintage image of a girl surrounded by a tea cup, pitcher, lace, and vintage fabric napkins. I rolled the edges for some texture. Then I added a strip of lace with a Tim Holtz mini pin attached to it. I attached some adhesive pearls and used distress stickles to make the design at the corner. Lastly, I finished off the card by distressing the edges.

Another Graphic 45 ATCs

2009-06-20T01:06:00.001-04:00

This one was most fun to make because it has a special meaning to me. I just had a baby girl and my ultimate goal in life is to inspire her. This ATC is made with Graphic 45's Baby to Bride papers, lots of distressing, acrylic paint, and some grungeboard wings. I submitted this ATC for a swap on the All Things Tim group for a challenge themed Spring Pastel Colors. I think it came out just adorable.

Butterfly ATC - Graphic 45

2009-06-18T23:38:00.003-04:00

This is the second ATC I made at the Coral Springs Craft Guild ATC meeting. I just love butterflies and the Graphic 45 papers had these beautiful die cut embellishments that I fell in love with. I finished off the card with some punched butterflies and inked everything for just the right look and feel. I just love this card and I gave it to the biggest butterfly-lover I know, my co-worker Tania.

Artist Spotlight: Liz Walters

2009-06-17T13:58:00.011-04:00

Liz Walters is an amazing stamper and fellow fan of Tim Holtz. She has been stamping since 1996 and has the good fortune of being a personal friend and neighbor to Tim Holtz for almost 20 years. We are so proud to spotlight her today here on our site.

INTERVIEW:

How I got started stamping. :
I started stamping after "being roped into" going to a SU party. I was hooked. I became a SU demo mostly to "keep up my habit". I was working full time as a RN, specializing in Labor and Delivery so my free time to be a demo was slim. I stopped being a demo and sometimes really miss it. It was a few years of only buying Stampin "up before I learned that there were "other stamps" besides SU. My friend Cara taught me how to stamp "outside the box" and a new world opened up to me. Tim Holtz is my friend and neighbor and we've known each other for over 15 years, way before he was a stamper. Once he learned to stamp he taught me so much. That was way before I had to pay for his knowledge!! All kidding aside...I love that man and his mind is always bursting with creativity. He is an inspiration and he told me that investing in Ranger products was the way to go and to this day I love all things Ranger.

Stamping Style:
I rarely do "cute" and I love the grunge type stamping that Tim has introduced to so many. I try to incorporate beeswax, gesso, acrylics and most all the different mediums into my stamping. I love to do a variety of styles and am always trying something new.

Published in:

* The Rubberstamper
* Vamp Stamp News

Stamp Preference: Mounted and Unmounted

Favorites:

* Rubber Stamp Company: Toy Box, Stampers Anonymous, Hero Arts, Tim Holtz, MaVinchi, Innovative Stamp Creations, Hearts in Touch, Paper Bag Studios, Tin Can Mail, Time to Stamp, Art by Moonlight, Chapel Road, Lazar Studio Werx Inc, Invoke Arts, Rachel Greig, Stamp Camp, Stampington and Co, Magenta, Rubber Romance, BeesWax, Rubbernecker and so many more that I can't think.
* Rubber Stamp Magazine: All of the Somerset Studio mags.
* Favorite Stamp: Sarah from Stampington & Co. R3150 (she looks just like me when I was 17!!)

Liz was kind enough to document how to make these beautiful rose flowers that Tim Holtz taught her to make out of GrungePaper. Click Below to download a copy of the instructions and feel free to share what you make by commenting below and writing in a link to your photos.

GRUNGEPAPER ROSES INSTRUCTIONS

Plunging into ATC

2009-06-17T11:43:00.007-04:00

In my city there is a group called the Coral Springs Craft Guild who meet once a month to participate in crafy activities. I found out that they were meeting this months to make ATCs and I decided to join in.

Before the meeting the Craft Guild posted some links to sample ATCs and I started looking around at some amazing work that people around the world have made. I was particularly drawn to the vintage style ones that look just amazing. Here are some inspiring links to share:

B-Muse
Art-Cards
CedarSeed

It was the most fun to attend the ATC making event and I got to meet some wonderful people. I brought with me some papers from Graphic 45, a company that my friend Gine introduced me to. These papers are just the right vintage look that I wanted for my next ATC.

So at the event I made this ATC in mostly red. With a tag from Graphic 45's botanical line, some vintage buttons that I cut out from Graphic 45's fashionista line and layered dimensionally, various vintage writing papers, and a few additional embellishments that the group shared. I inked mostly everything for that vintage feel. All together, I feel very proud of it. I think I've come a long way since my first ATC.

My First ATC

2009-06-16T23:25:00.006-04:00

Definitely my favorite part about papercrafting is the social aspect of it. Scrapbooking is at its best when I am surrounded by all my friends as we ask for each other's advice on color coordination or embellishment selection and then "ooh" and "ahh" at each other's final project.

Then I learned about ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) where you make a collage out of anything on a small playing card sized cardstock and then trade them amongst other artists. My favorite part is that they are so quick to make and in no time you can feel proud about your latest creation. Then you get to trade them and show off what you made, what fun! This was an even more social aspect of papercrafting and something I felt drawn to right away.

I recently joined a Tim Holtz fan club group and chose to participate in my very first ATC swap with my fellow Tim Holtz fans using Tim's techniques and any of his products or the Ranger product line. My favorite products are the Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabbers and chose to use those to make my first ATC card. The theme of the swap was contact information, so this card has information about me and my blog.

I used Acrylic paint on the ATC background. Die cut some corner embellishments, medallion circle, and swirl and then used Acrylic paint on those as well. Finally I printed out my contact information and an Ibis bird image for the focalpoint and gave those an acrylic paint treatment as well. And I proudly submitted a set of these for exchange.

When I got back the ATCs that the other artists had made, I realized just how amazing these artists are and that there are so much more possibilities when making ATCs. This group is truly inspiring and my next ATCs will need to step up a notch, in my opinion, lol! Looks like a personal challenge I'll enjoy. Practice makes perfect, they say. I can't wait to try some new ATC styles and techniques!

Check out Croppinsville.com!

2009-06-14T19:35:00.003-04:00

Hello friends! I just wanted to hook you up with the best deals on the latest products. Visit a site called Croppinsville. The owner Allie is just a sweetheart and they always make me feel extra special when I order online. The best part is that they have frequent updates of new product and frequent promotions with markdowns and/or free shipping, so check back often!

This week they are offering blog candy (free stuff giveaway on their blog) and calling for guest designers to feature on their blog. Just leave a message on their blog for your chance for free stuff! Here's the link: CROPPINSVILLE BLOG

Some fading and some not

2009-06-13T18:19:00.003-04:00

I was a bit disappointed with my ornament experiment. Primarily with the STAZON inks. After having this ornament hanging from my car in the hot florida sun, the STAZON ink just would not stay on! By 6 weeks in the sun it was significantly faded and by eight weeks in the sun there was nothing left of my stamping. The acrylic ornament itself has warped just a little but that's not too bad. And the Prima Say it with Crystals only started falling after 6 months and that was after the baby rubbed them. The Super Seal did wonders with the photographs, they have not faded at all and still look great. The star performer of my little experiment is the Perfect Paper Adhesive liquid adhesive. It has held everything down just perfectly and nothing shows any signs of starting to peel. That stuff worked perfectly!

Holiday Craft Project

2008-12-31T23:58:00.002-05:00

This holiday I experimented with Acrylic and made these cute ornaments for hanging from car rear view mirrors. I started with an acrylic flower from pageframe and then stamped on it using Staz On inks. That was an adventure in itself. The Staz On inks were very messy, but worked beautifully on the acrylic. Then I added some vellum in the center and finished it off with some Prima flowers, a crystal star, and some matching ribbon. I sealed it with SuperSeal to make it UV resistant but was so disappointed with it made the acrylic cloudy and no longer clear. I hope it is worth it and it doesn't fade in our hot florida sun. We'll see. I made one for each of my family members so they can put them in their cars too. Everyone loved them. Hopefully you will give them a try as well.

New Online Course: 20 Ways to Use Acrylic Paint in Scrapbooking

2008-10-16T16:00:00.005-04:00

I am offering a new class all about Acrylic Painting in Scrapbooking. Its going to be lots of fun. Check it out!

More than just for coloring, learn new ways to use Acrylic Paints. Learn various painting techniques to apply paint on paper, chipboard, brads, eyelets, ribbons, stickers, embellishments, acrylic pages, and so much more. Use these techniques to embellishments and page elements that match your layout perfectly.

In this class you will be introduced to each technique and then apply them to complete 3 projects (2 scrapbook pages and 1 card). After completing this course you will be able to make new scrapbook designs that are one of a kind.

Difficulty: Beginner
Class Duration: Two Weeks
Class Start Date: October 13, 2008 (Enrollment will be possible until October 18, 2008.)

Price: $30.00 class fee

Fun with Fragments, Epoxy stickers, and Say it With Crystals

2008-10-16T15:44:00.004-04:00

This page was made with clear Heidi Swapp ghost flowers that were altered by affixing patterned papers behind them, and gems on them. Also used were clear acrylic rectangles called Tim Holtz's Ideology Fragments which were altered by affixing matching pattered papers behind them. Both tabs were also altered with markers or gems. And lastly the crystals were cut apart so I can lay them in a direction that best fits my page design.

This layout is very special to me. I went into labor to deliver my beautiful baby girl. I spent most of the labor at home sitting at my dining room table scrapbooking this page. In between each contraction I just continued merrily to work on my scrapbook page. lol! I figured that the best way to get through something painful like labor was to spend my time doing my favorite activity - scrapbooking.

Now, days later I go to put into my album that special scrapbook page and I am just amazed at how beautiful the page came out. I guess those labor hormones made my creativity soar.

World War II Monument Page

2008-04-26T19:23:00.002-04:00

This is a page I created today using Bazzill Bling cardstock and Bo-Bunny (Bella Journee - Santorini Poppies) paper. I cut out the red flowers with the faux gems pictured all around it and layed it on matching Bazzill Bling paper. I kept the gem theme and used Say it with Crystals in a couple other areas of the page to match. Then I inked the word peace which was on that same paper and used pop dots to give it dimension.

This page is about a World War II monument I photographed in Liberty State Park (NJ) last year. I also took a picture of the new york skyline to document how it looked in 2007 before the new tower gets erected.

Its a Zip-e-Mate Day!

2008-03-10T04:02:00.004-04:00

I had so much fun today experimenting with my recently acquired zip-e-mate manual die cutter. I knew that it was a universal die cutting machine, so I did some research to find which of the compatible dies would be the best buy. I chose the Spellbinders Cutting and Embossing dies because they could both cut and emboss allowing me to make these adorable elements with depth, texture and personality. And to my delight, the dies arrived on Saturday! So I got to play with them for most of Sunday morning.

I found it most difficult to build the sandwich so that it would cut and emboss correctly. I followed the instructions from the manual but did not effectively get the embossing to work. I found myself experimenting a bit with the various plates and this is the combination that worked for me:

For Cutting:

1. Place the ZEM Cutting and Embossing block at the bottom

2. Place the die on the block

3. Place the paper face down on the die

4. Place the cutting mat on top

5. Place the sandwich into the ZEM and cut the shapes

Then Embossing:

6. Carefully remove the sandwich so your pieces do not shift.

7. Remove the cutting mat from the top of the sandwich

8. Place the embossing foam on top of the sandwich

9. Place the embossing mat underneath the sandwich

10. Now put the sandwich back into the ZEM and emboss the shapes you just cut.

What I got were little shapes full of dimension and personality. I just loved them! The letters had raised sections near the middle of each letter, and the hardware and flourishes were just georgeous. It made normal cardstock look like thick chipboard, and I can't wait to start adding these to my pages. Here is a picture of what it looks like:

Welcome!

2007-10-28T19:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! I finally gave in and decided to join the bandwagon. In this blog you will get to experience all my creative whims and adventures right along with me. Join me for lots of fun coming up in this blog. I look forward to hearing from you!