Before I get to the challenge, I wanted to quickly share a layout that I created today of my daughter, Taylor. She has really had a tough time in school, but finally this year, she's getting the hang of it and got all A's and B's. We are so proud of her. It hasn't come easy for her because of her ADHD. It was a blessing to find the right medicine for her to help her concentrate on school and now to finally see her being successful and more confident! I can't believe she's going to be in 4th grade next year! I used a variety of Melissa Frances products on here. I cut the middle of the scalloped paper out and added another patterned paper behind it. Then I added a little bit of yellow paint around the edges before I stitched with red thread to brighten it up a bit. The chipboard stars were white before I added a coat of red paint.
Supplies: Background paper and scalloped paper: Attic Treasures line by Melissa Frances Blue die cut paper: Fresh Twist line by Melissa Frances Chipboard stars: Melissa Frances (painted them red) Foam number: Close to My Heart Black letters: Pink Paislee - Fashion Script Pin: Fancy Pants Rub ons and resin photo corner: Melissa Frances ________________________
So, here's the challenge for May over at Label Tulip...
Rather than focusing on products or techniques, this month's challenge is more about the content of your page. Scrap something that nobody knows about you. It doesn't have to be some earth-shattering secret. It could be a funny story from when you were little, a hobby that nobody knows you're interested in, a page about how you still collect Beanie Babies. Don't worry, your secret is safe with us!
Uploaded HERE in the Label Tulip forum by June 18th for the chance to win a RAK put together by Label Tulip! Here's a peek of what you will be playing for: Hope you can play along!
One of my cards that I made for Label Tulip was featured on the Sassafras Lass blog today~ that was a fun treat to wake up to this morning! I loved seeing all the fun ways these ladies used the little owl felties!
Thanks so much for all your sweet anniversary wishes! We had a beautiful day and ended up going to Lake George for a bit and walking around, then did a little shopping and out to eat later with some friends. My sweet dh bought me a ring at the mall, something I wasn't expecting at all!
The other night, my daughter Taylor had a Hero Night at her school where they choose someone in their life who is a hero to them and wrote a speech about them. She chose me! I was surprised...usually daddy is #1 around here. lol Anyway, so we went to hear her speech and the school, it was so sweet listening to all those cute kids tell their stories about their moms, dads, grandpas and grandmas and cousins. I was teary-eyed about all the things she said about me. Sure makes you realize how important you are to them!
This photo was taken before we left, so I decided to scrap it right away:Everything is Melissa Frances on here with a few exceptions: the gray Thickers, the swirl transparency by Heidi Swapp and the black polkadot background which is Pink Paislee.
I stitched some little pearls on the top that I found at the craft store. The chipboard flower is Melissa Frances and I embossed it and then painted it silver very quickly. I stitched over the photo for the flower stem. I think I might type up her speech and tape it to the back (in case she needs reminding when she's a teenager what she loved so much about me - ha!) And I made a couple of cards for the next Paper Crafts call for Valentine's Day cards. Crossing my fingers. XX These are made with all Pink Paislee - Enchanting products. Pearls are Melissa Frances. I made the pin myself on this last card using craft store pins and jewels. There are so many choices in the bead section! I had a hard time deciding which ones to get. I can see another addiction coming on! ha I'll be back soon! Take care,
...to the one I love. I hope not to get too sappy on you! Tomorrow is our 10th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it. 10 years? Seriously? Where did the time go? He said yesterday that it feels like 4 years or less. I'll take that as a compliment. ha =)
So...11 years ago we were living in Rapid City, S.D. He was in the Air Force and I was an elementary teacher. On our first date, he took me to Custer State Park where we drove and drove and finally stopped to enjoy the peacefulness and beauty around us. Not a soul around! We talked for hours sitting there on the back of his tail gate. I never looked back after that day!
Let me tell you what I love so much about him:
1. His drive - he's the most motivated person I've ever met. And I tend to procrastinate. He gets me moving when I need to! He has taught himself everything he needed to know about computers and took himself from the military where we were completely broke to a great position in systems administration and networking.
2. His faithfulness - he's always here, every night, wrestling his girls and giving us the attention that 3 girls need. (alot!)
3. His character - he always sticks up for what he believes in and doesn't care what others think or say. I admire that because I am always worried what people think and he reminds me that it's not important.
4. He's a jack of all trades - ever since we moved in to this house 5 years ago, he has worked so hard to get it to be how it is today...he finished the basement, extended our yard so the girls could have a big backyard to play in, added trim and molding, just made it home for us. And he just knows how to do it all, plumbing, electrical, you name it.
5. He works so hard for us and wants me to stay home with the girls to give them a good home and be here for them. I love you, honey!
Here is a card I made for him last night. I hope he doesn't see this before tomorrow. I'm going to write a note inside for him... I can't get enough of these little pockets from the Maya Road binder album. And I finally found the Apron Lace punch by Fiskars at the Fiskars site! Rub ons are of course none other than Melissa Frances, foam numbers are by Close to My Heart (thank you, Maria!!). I love these numbers.
For our anniversary, we are just going out to dinner with some friends. We haven't done that in awhile and we both agreed it would be fun! We'd love to take a trip somewhere one of these days, just the 2 of us, but it's so hard with little ones that you can't leave for very long. Soon we will be able to! Soon! Well, take care out there and have a safe Memorial weekend!
Good morning, everyone! Happy Tuesday! I am getting excited for the rest of this week. Even though we had frost last night, it's supposed to warm up into the 80's for the rest of the week ~ woot!
We have been busy doing some yard work...putting out mulch, planting new grass, and taking out a pond that we had in the front yard. It was there when we moved in, but it's always just been a mosquito factory and was so hard to keep clean. So...I'm thrilled that it's gone. We took the big rocks that were around it and put them around our deck in the backyard, filled with shrubs and mulch and it's starting to look nice back there. Still a lot to do, but it will get there eventually! It's so darn expensive to landscape.
I have one little card to share today that I created for the next challenge at Card-a-licious. The challenge is to create a card with stars, flowers and stitching. I was a little worried about how to make stars and flowers go together, but the subtle flowers work as a background. Hope you can play along with us!
I am also working on a new website (or should I say my hubby is!) that will house my blog and a gallery of my work. Getting excited for that, but it may be awhile yet. Thank you for all your nice comments about my tutorials. I hope to do more soon and will try to get better lighting for you. Enjoy your day and hope you are having sunshine where you are too.
Supply list: Tags: Creative Cafe Ribbon: Making Memories - Poolside Rub on saying: Melissa Frances Wooden star and paint: craft supply Pin: Fancy Pants Punch: EK Success - Parisian 4: Foam numbers by Close to My Heart (thank you, Maria!!)
Pull up a chair and get ready to sit a spell! I have a photo heavy post and some video tutorials to share with you ...my first ever!! I hope you enjoy them!
The May kits for Label Tulip went up for sale last night. I am totally blown away by everyone's creations! Emily Falconbridge is the guest designer this month - so stop over and check out the designer gallery! I had to buy all the add-ons this time...yum. Here are the pages and cards that I made with all of the kits.
Lucky layout: This one is a page about my girls and their cousin, Rachel who they just adore! I'm so glad they all have a close relationship, because we don't have a lot of family here. Rachel is such a doll and is SO good with them. They love her to pieces. As far as techniques go, I stitched over the trees in the paper to give them some added detail. The 3 little orange dots were punched out of the orange border and stitched onto part of the Prima packaging. When I added the tree under the photo, some of it was hanging off the page, so I cut it off and placed it above the large photo. I didn't want to waste any of the cute felt trees! To create the scrunched up ribbon, I ran a red thread up and down the length of the ribbon, then pull on the end of the thread. I cut one of the chipboard frames up to use as a photo corner. The leaves are zig zag stitched after I added them to the page, it makes them stay right where you want them!
____________________
The 4 of us layout: I decided to use the chipboard frames on this one with another felt tree (you get 2 in the package - woot!) to create a "family tree" sort of effect. These are just some random photos of us. Journaling says, "I don't know what I'd do without US!".
__________________
You at 3 layout: There was a sheet of paper in the kit that had big stars on it, so I cut one of the stars out and turned it over (love the polkadot pattern on the back). Then I tucked the photos in, added the title and stitched around the star with black thread to make it pop out a little bit more. How perfect that I got a #3 card in the kit, and Kati just happens to be 3 years old! I cut up the ric rac border in half the long way, so I would have more strips and then I used them to write my journaling above. (also added a bit of stitching above each one) The journaling says, "Always so happy and agreeable, that's what I love so much about you. Life is never hard with you." Kati is seriously the best 3 year old I could have asked for. She's such a good girl!
____________________
Remember card: Next is a quick little card that I made with an envelope that comes in the add-on mini album kit. I used the packaging from the Sassafras felt (white lined paper) and covered up the Sassafras name with the owl and border. Added some Pink Paislee Enchanting rub ons and punched a little scalloped border on the bottom in just one spot.
__________________
And now for my tutorials! We were assigned to create an item based on Marianne Hope's Always layout. Here is her layout:I decided to make a card and instead of doing the masking technique, I just sprinkled white paint on and added a painted sun. The 2 journaling cards take the place of her 2 photos. Lastly, I stitched a word on the bottom with yellow thread. Want to see how I made it? Here is my very first tutorial! OK now....no laughing! Sorry about the quality of the video also. I really thought it would be better. I am still going to try and figure out how to make the videos better.
____________________
The last layout I wanted to show you is the Quilting Queen page. One of our assignments was to do a page about something that not everyone knows about you. I tried to do a little bit of "quilting" on my page where I pieced the borders on and pieced together the blue papers also. Please watch the video below to see how I did that! Journaling says, "OK I lied...I'm not a queen of quilting, but I have been quilting for about 8 years now and just love making blankets for everyone!" Here is the video on how I made the edges of this page:
The May Spring Sprout card kit is available now at Create My Keepsake. Here are the 4 cards that you will receive instructions to make and let me tell you...there is SO much product left, you can make a bazillion more cards too!
All papers are 12 x 12, so if you like this kit, please feel free to order it and use it as a layout kit if you like!(new Sassafras Lass, Prima, Fancy Pants, Maya Road and Jillibean Soup)
Did you see this ADORABLE little button on the Fun card? The talented Tessa Ann made those JUST for our card kit! They are one of a kind, hand-made buttons and are so much fun! I lurrrrve them! (you get a pack of 3 different ones!!) (The inside says, "Birthdays are good for you. People who have the most, live the longest.") So many fun colors in this kit! You can grab one HERE. I will be back with my Label Tulip kit creations, as the May kit goes live tonight!
I truly love being a mom. I'm not saying it's easy by any means! That's for sure. But there is just something so special and rewarding about having children and seeing them blossom and learn and grow into the people they are to become. It's fascinating!
For the Dream Street blog this month, I was to create an altered project about a mom or grandmother. I looked around and I don't have a lot of photos of my mom. We don't get to see them that often and she doesn't like her picture taken. I don't know why because she is beautiful!! You can bet I will try to get more pics next time I see her! Anway, I digress...
So, what I came up with is a little mini album from me to my girls about what I love about being their mother. I used Dream Street's Forever Family line of papers and rub ons. Looove the colored rub ons so much! OK here it is....
(click on photos to see them larger)
Supplies: Papers and colored rub ons: Forever Family by Dream Street Mini album and leaf pin: Maya Road Black saying rub ons and some of the pearls: Melissa Frances String pearls: Prima Swirl chipboard: Bo Bunny Brad: K&Co. Other: creme colored paint, maching stitching, twine.
Thanks for stopping by today. Have a terrific day!
I used a variety of Melissa Frances products on here. I cut the middle of the scalloped paper out and added another patterned paper behind it. Then I added a little bit of yellow paint around the edges before I stitched with red thread to brighten it up a bit. The chipboard stars were white before I added a coat of red paint.
Supplies:
Hope you can play along!
