Wednesday Morning Post for Leap Day

 Good morning friends.  I have been a busy little beaver this passed week.  I'm sorry this post is a little late I'm typing it in real time with two little distractions home today thanks to inclement weather.  I had intended on doing it yesterday but I had a little one home who insisted on using my computer.  And then, I found a piece of paper with some information on it and decided to investigate.  It turns out I found some long lost family who is living on the east coast.  I even contacted one of them and had a nice conversation with her.  We will see what happens next... I also read two books this week and completed all the projects I am sharing today.  Strap yourself in, you're in for a long ride.

The title of this page says it all.  I'm a super mom, but if you look closely it does have "silly" inserted in there too.  This page was a bit of a labour of love.  It has so many elements to it I can't describe them all.  I like the space reserved for journalling, I re-used a boo boo to make it.  What I'm talking about is the cue cards I used to make my journal in a box project, I messed some of them up (gasp!) so they were not usable for the journal project and were only good for scrap paper.  Or so I thought.  I used my spiral punch along the right hand edge, sponged with Soft Suede ink to age it and then sprayed it with Spritz in Log Cabin.  One thing I do really like about this page is the layering, but man is it tough work!  All the papers used on this project are from the Bella Blvd. Finally Fall collection as well as some of the "sticker" elements as well.  The title was made with a sticker alpha I had kicking around from Sassafrass, the twine is from the Twinery and the buttons are Bo Bunny.  Of course a project isn't a project these days without some Spellbinders, I have once again used my Lacy Pennants and Blossom Tags and Accents die sets.

 This little number I actually had mostly completed for last week but hadn't accessorized it yet and was stumped as to how to accessorize.  It finally came to me, banners, banners and more banners.  Oh yeah and buttons!  I used the SU! Celebrations DSP and stickers on this one (Real Red, Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Pear Pizzazz).  Is anyone surprised that I used the Lacy Pennants Spellbinders on this project?  I love how the little banner dies cut paper perfectly for me and I don't have to goof around anymore.  I also added some fun epoxy brads (SU! and Basic Grey), random buttons and a metallic snap (from SU!).  I also used my Go Go boots die set to cut out the letters and the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die for the borders.  I just love the pics of my little guy, they were taken on his 4th birthday (he's almost 5.5 now, that's how far behind I am), he makes the funniest faces.

This card is a complete mish mash that happened because I was trying out a paper flower making technique, and because I'm not a waster I had to use the flowers I made and create a card to go with them.  The stamped images I picked up while cropping at Up the Street Scrapbooking store, so I couldn't tell you who makes them but I do believe they were part of a kit of the month if that helps.  I distressed the stamped images by rubbing River Rock and Cameo Coral ink on them.  I even dripped watered down CC ink and then sprayed with Smooch Spritz in Log Cabin on the one and stamped with the En Francais background stamp and Soft Suede ink on the other.  The key is from the October Afternoon Farmhouse shape stickers, I added Crystal Effects to it and tied some twine from the twinery around the edge.  The doily in the background was heavily dosed with Perfect Pearls mist in kiwi and then heat set using my heat tool.  Okay, on to the flowers... I used my 5 petal flower punch and punched five pieces of cardstock in Cameo Coral.  I then crumpled the heck out of all five flowers and then picked at the side where the layers of cardstock are starting to separate and split each flower into two.  I made both flowers out of the five original cardstock flowers, I layered five of the pieces pierced the centre and poked and epoxy brad through the middle.  This card took alot of layout changes, I just couldn't decide where to put what and what elements I wanted to use.  I'm happy with the end result.

 This next card also uses the same technique to make the flower except I used the large Fancy Flower punch for the petals and the 3/4" circle punch to create the flower centre.  It is all held together with another epoxy brad.  The focal image is yet another one of the ones I stamped at Up the Street, I coloured it with my SW markers and an aqua painter, cut the inner part of the sun out with a craft knife and put a piece of patterned paper in behind.  I went a little border punch crazy on this one, I used my Eyelet border punch on the card base and a Martha Stewart punch in Summer Sun cardstock for a border.  Don't you just love the rose flower border?  I do too!  Normally this is something that I would hoard for just the right project, but that project never seems to materialize and your cute little piece of whatever just sits around.  Now I'm starting to use up my cute supplies and if I need more I just go get some.

And finally we have come to the last project!  I told you this was a long post.  I started this card back in September for someone specific but never did finish it or send it (obviously), now the moment has passed.  Not a big deal!  I used mostly SU! products on this card, the stamp set is called Just Believe, the colours are Wild Wasabi, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo and Baja Breeze.  I think the most challenging part for me was using all the bright colour and not making it look like colour barf.  My solution was to go monochromatic on the cardbase and accessories.  The DSP is from a 6x6 hostess paper pack from way back the edges have been sponged in Regal Rose in to soften the look a little, I then used the Scallop trim border and corner punches in Melon Mambo cardstock to create the frame for the focal image.  To accessorize I used a wee little piece of a ruffled satin ribbon that I picked up at Up the Street, a large Melon Mambo button and some pink twine from the Twinery tied in a bow.  I added a little bling to the flower centres by using some self adhesive rhinestones and voila!  finished!

So what's on the agenda for next week's post?  Not sure I better get creating because I have nothing left in my back pocket.  The supplies for my chair came in yesterday but I'm not anticipating getting it finished in a week.  We'll see.  Until next week take care of yourselves.  E

Wednesday Morning Post for Feb. 22nd

Good morning!  How have you been?  I promised in my last post to deliver some awesome projects and I hope you are not disappointed.  Continuing on with the Valentine's Day theme (well sort of), I am now sharing with you some projects made with my Valentine's Day gift from my husband.  He is not a very creative soul, and struggles with gift ideas for me, in his defence I am a difficult person to buy for.  I don't have high expectations, I don't want expensive jewellery all the time, but I am particular (or so I say).  Jay was going to take me out for dinner but honestly I think I can cook better than lots of restaurants out there and would rather spend money somewhere else.  So I told Jay to go to Up the Street scrapbooking, talk to Tara and pick something for me.  I did cheat a little, I was in the store shortly before Jay went and nonchalantly pointed some stuff out.  Jay surprised me with a pizza, well actually it was one of Tara's kits of the month, wrapped up in a pizza box.  The boys were excited because they thought we were having pizza for dinner, nope sorry boys... grilled cheese and homemade minestrone soup it is.  So here's what I have done so far...

This journal was quite a bit of work.  To start off with I had to strip it down and re build it.  I had previously decorated the journal but was tired of it, and it was really starting to look a little worn, ok, maybe terrible.  So I decided to start off fresh.  I used kraft cardstock cut to size, sprayed it with Perfect Pearls mist in turquoise, and then with Smooch Spritz in Log Cabin.  After that was dry (with a little help from my heat tool), I distressed the edges with my Stampin' Sponge and Soft Suede ink.  I then took both the front and back covers and laminated them (front and back) with the fresh, new, distressed kraft cardstock.  I had to punch all the holes four times so that the covers would fit back on the book.  After all that I was able to start playing with the kit contents.  Oh by the way the kit is called Little House and is from January 2012.  Most of the items on the journal are from the kit, here's the exceptions... the buttons are all from my stash, the black lace, and the chipboard e (the colour core cardstock used to cover it is from the kit).  I am really on a vintage kick these days.  Did you notice the letter "e" monogram?  I used some colour core cardstock and sanded the heck out of it to make it look distressed and then covered it in Crystal effects to make it shiny.  The twine is also part of the kit (sort of), it was used to seal up the package.  I try to re-use all of my packaging, sometimes I can, sometimes I can't.

This last project (yes, I'm only sharing two today) you have all seen a version of before.  But this time this journal in a box is for me.  Supplies for this project also come from the Little House kit with the exception of the lace, rhinestones, memo pin and buttons.  I once again used my spellbinders dies to create the monthly tabs but this time for the inside part I used my large oval and word window punches.  Some notables are the chipboard butterfly, it has had some crystal effects added to it and the letter "e" is from the wood alpha that was included in the kit but I added some ink to it to make it teal.

Are you wondering why I only have two projects to share?  Well I must admit that I have been reading more than crafting this week and I took a whole day to work on my upholstery project.  I'm about half done, with the insides of the arms, the seat cushion and inside of the seat back finished.  I am now waiting on supplies to come from the states so that I can complete the project.  Now I'm getting into the trickier bits of upholstery and am a little apprehensive.  Will share finished project soon!  Have a great week, E.

Wednesday Morning Post for Feb. 15th

Good morning friends.  I'm glad you are visiting with me today, it's been awhile hasn't it?  I know that Valentine's day is over, but I wanted to share with you a post full of V-day goodness.  I couldn't do it any sooner or I would have ruined the surprise.

The first item I'm sharing is the card I made for my husband.  I used products out of the My Mind's Eye kit "Love Me".  Ironically enough when DH wants cuddles he says in a really cute voice "love me", and of course I oblige.  So when I saw the kit name at the bottom of one of the papers I just had to cut it out and add it to my card.  Of course DH got the joke (he's going to kill me for telling all of you this...).  I did add some elements that were not from the kit, I used my Spellbinders dies to cut the black scalloped circle and pink "doily", and the banner.  The button is from Bo Bunny Petal Pushers and the twine is from the Twinery.  I used my Basic Gray ink pad and a stampin' sponge to distress the edges of almost everything.  I love the colour combo!

This next little cutie was one example of a series of cards I made to send a little love off to Aunties and Grandmas in Quebec that we don't get to see very often (from the boys).  When I first saw this stamp set Greeting Card kids, I just had to have it.  I love the retro feel of it and so when watercolouring it I used soft, washed-out colours.  I also distressed the edges of the papers on this one but this time I used Soft Suede ink.  The DSP is from a couple of years ago called Sending Love Specialty (because some of it was glittered), and I will still have some left for next year.  I used a scalloped square die for the focal image and the eyelet border punch for the pink strip.  The XOXO image is from Define Your Life.  Once again the twine is from the Twinery.

 

This last project, and yes, I'm only sharing three projects with you today, is an example of the treats I made for teachers and friends.  I used the treat bags from SU! filled them with cinnamon hearts, sealed them and then added the bag toppers.  The very vanilla outer heart was die cut with the Scalloped Heart of Hearts embosslit, then I used the heart punch and some more of the Sending Love DSP (as well as some other scraps) to cut the inner portion of the heart.  The banner was cut with the Spellbinders Lacy Pennant set and I adhered random buttons with glue dots.  The greeting comes from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and Real Red ink.  Just a little yummy sweet.

Of course I am holding back some projects.  For one, I don't want my posts to be too long and for two, so that if I don't have time in my stampin' room I have something to share with you next week.  Thanks for visiting with me this week, check back next Wednesday for a couple of projects that I think are super awesome.  XOXO my friends, E.

Wednesday Morning Post for February 8th

Good morning friends!  I have been on a scrappin' roll lately.  Yes, I have been avoiding my chair re-upholstering project, sort of.  I did finish removing all the staples and bits of fabric this week and decided to refinish the legs and make them sexy so I had to sand them down and paint them.  They are waiting on a second coat, I have used melamine paint and it is taking quite a while to dry, but worth the wait.  Once I'm done the legs I will start with the actual re-upholstering.  I can't wait to share the finished project with you.

The first project of the day is my mom's birthday card.  I still haven't given it to her, I should have just mailed it.  We were supposed to be going out for dinner as a large group together but it hasn't happened yet.  She is dying to see it.  She's probably disappointed right now, the card isn't too fancy but I just had to play with the words.  I bought this stamp set at Up the Street Scrapbooking, it is from Unity stamps/Jillibean Soup and is called Apple Cheddar (you will be seeing more from this set).  The greeting is mostly computer generated but I did stamp the word Gnome.  I used my Spellbinders to die cut the label, the crocheted flower is part of a larger embellishment that I disassembled because I didn't like it as is, and used as two separate parts.  All other supplies are SU!  The DSP is from the Play Date series.  Sorry about the wait mom, at least you don't know what is on the inside...

Don't you just "Love" this page?  The layout for this one is an original idea (yay me!).  This is another kit from My Mind's Eye called Love Me (of course).  I just loved the papers in it and sort of impulsively bought it.  I'm not a big V-day kinda girl but I thought I should make a page for the loves of my life, yes, the three men who mean the most to me.  I even had to do a special photo shoot just so that I had photos for the page.  There is quite a bit going on on this page from the layered border strips, to the twine-tied tag and the brads, titles and other embellishments.  I think this is the first time (or maybe second) that I have used black and white photos on a layout, but I think the vintage feel of the paper just called for it, don't you?

Supplies: epoxy brads, chipboard heart, glitter, Cherry Cobbler twine, spiral punch, scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!); double scallop border punch (Martha Stewart); Alpha Stickers (October Afternoon); brads (Jovial by Basic Grey); button (Jenni Bowlin); all other supplies MME Love Me kit

This next page is a bit of a mish mash of stuff.  The background paper I bought out of the clearance bucket last summer (Basic Grey), the die cut stickers (Curio by Basic Grey) and the star burst paper are from the Up the Street monthly kit Let the Sun Shine kit from way back, the die cut alpha stickers are from another UtS kit Bookworm (Oxford by Basic Grey), the Soft Suede DSP strip, black cardstock and all the buttons are from Stampin' Up!  I love how this page turned out.  For this one I started off with a Pagemaps sketch from February 2012 that was actually an 8 1/2"x11" layout that I converted to a 12x12 layout.  The photos that I used on my page were taken at the Conservation Area (actually so were the photos for the previous page as well) while we were out on a walk.  I was able to snap so many awesome photos of my boys that day.

Are you tired out from reading yet?  I bet you are!  Thanks for visiting me in cyberspace, I hope you come back and visit again next week.  Unfortunately our visits have to be bring your own coffee/tea, but I enjoy spending time with you.  Until next week... E



Wednesday Morning Post for February 1

Good morning, can you believe it is February already?  I can't believe the "winter" weather we are having this year.  One day it snows and is -5 and then the next it is sunny with a high of 8 degrees and all the snow melts.  We can thank Ben and Diane for that, they bought a snow blower this year.  I think the weather is causing me to be a little dazed and confused these days.  I'm not really sure what day it is.  I have a couple of projects to share with you today, hope you enjoy.

 

This first project is a 12x12 layout that I had finished and ready to go for last week's post but decided to save it for this week in case I didn't get many projects done.  I used the February 2011 kit from Up the Street Scrapbooking called Let the Sun Shine.  Maybe that is a little wishful thinking, I've already started to use fresh spring-like colours on my projects (I do tend to lean toward these colours anyway).  Most of the pieces on this page came from the kit with the exception of the dies that I used (well that's obvious isn't it?) and the Caribbean coloured twine from the Twinery, the fancy trim border and the brown medallion that I made myself using pieces from the kit and some left over cardstock.  I like how this layout feels balanced with the embellishments in a triangle and the brown near the bottom of the page balances out the brown title.  The title is a little "cheeky" because in all the photos you can see Sean's bum.

 

The second project was also completed using the same kit from Up the Street, this time using photos of my other son but taken on the same day same place.  It is funny how two pages from the same day, same family can have two different layouts and themes.  My oldest son was all about the swimming, and my youngest son all about the buckets.  We had so much fun that day and now I'm glad that I can remember it forever along with some picture clues and dates.  I even made the same error on both layouts, the photos are from August 2011 not 2010, apparently we haven't experienced 2011 yet.  Does anyone else feel this way?  Like I said, I'm a little dazed and confused.  On this second layout the title was not part of the kit.  It is a Thickers title like the one on the previous layout but the letters are vinyl not glitter chipboard.  The rest of the pieces on this page are from the kit with the exception of the Chocolate Chip polka dot DSP.  I really like how I was able to use multiple photographs on this page, I'm not a one photo per page kinda girl, I find that there is too much "white space" and I struggle with accessorizing.  The layout for this page is an original idea (I know call Guinness...) and I played with it for a long time before it was just right.

 

The third project also uses the Let the Sun Shine kit but you can see that it has a vintage feel to it.  I did add some extras to this one that were not in the kit like the button and flower rhinestone (Bo Bunny Petal Pushers), the black ribbon (SU!), the epoxy brad (Basic Grey), the black twine (The Twinery), the medallion (me and scraps of SU! DSP) and the green ruched satin ribbon (unknown, but I bought it at Up the Street for $1 a metre).  I believe the stamp is from a Unity kit of the month set, I used it while cropping at you know where LOL!  I just love vintage advertisements, they are so cheesy and for some of the most ridiculous products.  But for some reason they make you feel all homey inside.  My plan for this card is for it to be a wedding card.

 

The last project is a birthday banner I made for my son whose birthday is in March.  I just picked up the Lacy Pennants die set by Spellbinders and just had to use it, so birthday banner it was.  I'm not normally this organized trust me.  I used Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy and Apricot Appeal cardstock and designer paper from the Cosmo Cricket Twist and Shout line.  I threaded the banner with garage string, just one strand for now I may add another later.  And, yes this is my stampin' space, somewhat tidy I might add, definitely a work in progress.

 I wanted to share with you something else I have gotten myself into, reupholstering... So far I have started with a grungy and smelly chair and this is where I'm at right now.  An almost stripped chair, I have a little more fabric to remove and a few more staples to remove.  The bad news is that my hands developed blisters (because I don't have the right tools), the good news is that I found fabric for it already for only $4 a metre.  I will definitely share the finished project with you, hopefully soon!

I also have another project completed that I could share right now, but it is my Mom's birthday card, her birthday was yesterday, and I may or may not have delivered it to her yet and she is a little snoopy so I have to make sure we are in the clear before I share.  So next week it will have to be.  Until then happy crafting!  E