Holiday Necklace

I finally had time to finish up some half-way complete projects. I picked up these beads awhile back, nothing expensive but they called to me so here's what I came up with. I still love the black and white necklace I did a while ago better but, I'll give this one some time to grow on me before I tear it apart and start over.

Gift Album

This year I realized I've never made my brother a scrapbook since I've become obsessed and I decided this year would be a good year to make a family album of pictures of us growing up, etc. Here are the thumbnails of the album. Later I might show larger versions of some of my favorites, since there are a few pages in here that I almost had second thoughts about giving the album away. But I think I've resolved this dilemma since I've scanned all the pages I'll make a photo book later of gift albums I've given out so I'll have a "copy" too. The best of both worlds.

Father-in-Law's Birthday

Using bits and pieces that I had worked on previously I pulled this card together for my Father-In-Law's birthday. I love how all the elements came together. Fun, bright and happy.

Christmas Tree Cards (Set of 4)

Snowflake Card Set

I've been working on holiday cards lately and wanted to do some cut out cards and when I pulled out a sheet of BasicGrey Figgy Pudding-Glacier and a set of snowflake embellishments I'd picked up from target last year I thought they were a perfect match. Here are the 4 designs I came up with. I ended up with a total of 7 cards total in the set (didn't plan quite well enough to have enough for a full 8 and the local store didn't have any more sheets of the paper). I'll hopefully be putting these on etsy.com later this week.

Look who is turning 100

Actually look who turned 100... I'm a little behind on scrapbooking (as usual). So this photo is from a little over a month ago when my mom had our favorite photographer take some pictures of her dad in honor of him turning 100. This one was with my parents new dog Bessie. Supplies: Pink Paislee Papers, and miscellaneous letters etc.

Button Snowman Cards

Snowman cards inspired by Button Snowman Cards and more creative crafts projects, templates, tips, clip-art, patterns, and ideas on marthastewart.com. I loved the idea of the button snowmen. I thought I'd take the idea and run with it. Shown above are my version. I really like this combination of papers and I'm a total snowman freak. Still not sure about the best eyes for the snowman, one is beads and one is crystals, still torn, but love the papers together. The scan does not quite show off the details very well unless you look at the blown up version. There is a sheet of vellum over the tinkering ink paper and a border strip from the decorative paper pack.

Supplies:
Tinkering Ink - Yuletide: Neige
EKSuccess Vellum - Victorian
The Paper Company - Decorative Paper Pack
Autum Leaves - Stamp A Rhonna Christmas Card
Buttons
Ribbon
Scrapper's Floss Black (Karen Foster Design)

Mini Album - Arizona 2008

I tried to create a movie of all the pages... but google isn't cooperating tonight, so this picture will have to do. We had a nice getaway recently to Arizona and I decided on a mini album to capture our time there. I absolutely love it.

Update: hopefully google is working now and here's the video!

Tis the season to start thinking about the holidays

I got these stamp stamp sets just before last season, but didn't find a way to use the ornament ones. So as I've been thinking about holiday cards for this year I really wanted to try to use them. So tonight I pulled them out and this is the first card I made. I like pieces of it, but I still have more "playing" to do before I'm ready to settle on a final version for the year. Tis the season for holiday crafting.

WeScrap Layout of the Day 10/29/08

For the second time this year a layout was chosen for the layout of the day over at WeScrap. Whoo hoo!! This was for YIR#26 challenge -Summer recap. It was a hard layout for me to pull together. Not because of the subject matter, but some layouts just fly together and some (like this one) take a while. I wasn't sure I was fully happy with the results. I was aiming for something more along the lines of Ali Edwards style, but after stepping back, I'm reasonably happy with the end result.
http://www.wescrap.com/forum/showthread.php?p=25063#post25063

We'll Always Have Paris

1. Eiffel Tower Paris Cavallini Papers Decorative Wrap
2. Penny Black - Christmas in Paris Rubber stamp.
   
3. Eiffel Tower Clock Ballard Designs

I have no idea why I love the Eiffel Tower and Paris motifs that are really popular in scrapbooking right now, but I do. I've never been to Europe but really hope to see Paris at some point, but for now Paris papers and home decor will just have to do. Here are a few items that have caught my eye. Not sure what I'd do with them, but I'm always looking.

Live, Laugh, Love... Candle Wrap

I bought this candle for breast cancer awareness month. I love the scent but didn't love the label. Instead of trying to just take the label off I decided to use my scrapbook supplies and make a new "label" that better fitted my personality. I'm not much into home decor type items since usually they only add to the clutter in the house and we collect enough of that as it is. But since I am a candle junkie... I have really been working on it the last few years and have severly cut back on my candle buying, only to be replaced by scrapbook goodies, but that's an entirely different post. Back to the candle. Here's the new wrap I came up with. Quick and easy with a coordinating paper stack, a butterfly embellishment I've had sitting around waiting to find a use and some ribbon. I love the way it turned out.

Rug for my room

I took the plunge and finally ordered my new rug several weeks ago online. A little risky as I hadn't seen it in person, but a few weeks ago when it came I loved it. I love having color in my room now, and I'm working on figuring out how else to redecorate the cat's room that doubles as my craft room. (this is what happens when you don't have kids... ;) ) I'm still hoping to buy a new chair and update my wall decor. It's a room a bit in progress.

Challenge #28 Current Obsessions

Challenge #28 was to document current obsessions or addictions. We are sadly tv addicts.... yes yes there are probably a million more productive things we could be spending with our time but well... WE HEART our tivo and we watch a LOT of TV. When our tivo ran dry over the summer we decided to give some tv shows for rent a try and on a recommendation we started watching Dexter and were not able to get enough!!! We are officially OBSESSED.

YIR Challenge #26

Simple Sentiment

I am sending a baby outfit up to my sister in law that I couldn't help buying and wanted to send a simple card with it. I had a little time tonight and put this together. I'm not usually good with the simple cards, I'm usually a more is more kinda scrapper, but every now and then either due to time constraints, creative blocks or need for simplicity I feel compelled to do something that isn't overdone. So this one is heading up north with a simple sentiment saying "thinking of you"

Supplies:

• Studio G stamps from Michaels for the sentiment
• Foam flowers
• Jewel
• Paper from MAMBI Black & White Butterfly Specialty Pad
• Daisy D's Rub On Stitches

Grandpa Turns 100!!

  This week my Grandpa turns 100. He's doing great and next weekend we are celebrating with a little party. Here's the card I put together for him. It's got a copy of the calendar from the year he was born. (My mom has the original and scanned it, it's no wonder I have a hard time throwing anything away!!)

iScrap Challenge #33

Another WeScrap challenge, and another "favorite things" topic. I really like these challenges. This one was favorite things in your closet.

Here was my entry for Challenge #33.

iScrap Challenge #31

I finally found some time to work on scrapbooking today. We've been pretty busy, and I've been pretty wiped out, not feeling well for a few reasons so getting to finally work on a couple pages again was extremely welcome.

Since enduring "the flood" courtesy of our neighbor I've been wanting to capture the experience on a layout. WeScrap challenge #31 fit the bill... it was to capture the ups and downs of the month/summer/etc. The downside: the flood, the upside: new floors.



Hidden Journaling:

Birthday Card for Mom

I am tempted to say this is my most favorite card I've ever made. I know I tend to feel this way after completing a lot of projects, but this one I really really love! I kinda wanted to keep it on display in my scrapbook room, but that would defeat the purpose of why I made it. The card itself is semi-transparent made out of scrap pieces from an old calendar that I've kept because it just seemed like it would be a cool material to work with. Then added rub-ons, journaling block to the back, flowers, extra large jewel brad (disassembled), distressed chipboard to highlight the center of the flower, small scalloped scrap with pearl strip and an embellished die cut 2 covered in silver balls. Hopefully my mom will love it as much as I do. Happy Birthday Mom.

Halloween Cat Cards

It's almost pumpkin season

It's hard to believe that pumpkin time is just around the corner. I was in the fall mood this evening (despite the weather hanging on to summer). Perhaps I'm yearning for the real start of fall with perfectly pleasant days and cool evenings. Until then here's the first fall card of the season.

Supplies:

• Scrap paper
• 7 Gypsies - Nottinghill stamp set
• Studio G - $1 stamp sets
• Daisy D's - Rub On Tape
• small clear jewels
• Foam Pop Dots
  

Back to Beading

It's been a while since I've pulled out the beads and worked with them. Probably since I made ornaments last Christmas. I've been pretty consumed by scrapbooking, but have also been getting that beading itch lately. So this weekend while watching the first 4 episodes of Dexter (we are officially hooked) I pulled out my beads and made this black and white beauty.