Category Archives: Crafty Revelations

Apr20

scrapbooking

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scrapbooking

is something I have done solidly since 2001.  I dabbled in college, but a trip to Colorado with Matt was when I really got started.  It feels like something that I have always done.  It is a part of me, our home, and our lives.

The boys adore sitting around looking at their books, thinking that they “remember” that time they saw great grandma when they were 6 months old or their first trip to the zoo at 3 months old.  And yet, they kind of do. 

Through those books they are able to “remember” and to feel like they were aware of those times, places, and trips.  Isn’t that exactly what those books are supposed to do?  Tell the story of our lives and remind us of the big and little moments that fill up the 365 days in a year…  yes I believe it is.

I think that this is why last night I felt this pull to scrap.  And I did.  Nothing stellar or fantastic, just 3 layouts about moments in our lives:

  • Our 10th wedding anniversary in 2009 (yup – I am officially running behind now…) when we saw Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker at Wrigley Field.
  • This year’s St. Patrick’s Day nonsense – seriously my kids crack me up.
  • Jacob’s first chance to do sidewalk chalk this year.

These are all moments in time that I want to document and share with my family.  Someday, I am well aware, my boys will find it lame to do this (or at least that is what they will say repeatedly even if they don’t mean it), but I guarantee their wives and future children will thank me for it.  What is better than seeing goofy pictures of your parents?  It takes away some of the mystique about them and makes them real.  That’s what I want for my family - to see and understand who we all really were and what was important and special to us.

Lately I have been neglecting my scrappy side and pursuing other crafty passions.  At the end of the day, however, it all started with a Mary Engelbreit Scrapbook from her store that used to be at Woodfield Mall, a stack of stickers, some college pics, and (GASP!!!) a glue stick.  We all live and learn and grow, but we never forget the roots that took us to this new place of craftiness in our lives.  So, I will continue to enjoy my crafty adventures, but will also remember to sit down and scrap my life, my family’s life, and enjoy the pastime I love so much…

Happy Scrappin’ everyone!

Apr18

a jar…

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a jar…

To the average person, this little jar is nothing but a bunch of random “stuff” that looks “old” and they would ignore it all together.

To me – it was an amazing little nugget tucked inside a box sent from a new friend as just one small part of the amazing glittery goodness. 

It sparked creativity. 

It sparked ideas.

It sparked passion.

It got me crafting again this week.

Thank you Shea. 

Thank you.

Mar12

finding some inspiration

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finding some inspiration

This week has been hectic at work and I just did not find as much time to create as I had hoped.  Then a friend and co-worker told me about a monthly French market called Confectionique that takes place in Middleton, WI right here by me…  we met up today and I was quickly and readily taking it all in and getting inspired to play again.  It was just the break that I needed.  They had handcrafted jewelry pieces, antiques, other handcrafted goodies, all mixed together.  We wandered, drank coffee, and chatted.  I bought a couple small things, while she bought the coolest bar stools for her house.  If you live around here and are free tomorrow – I highly recommend checking it out and it changes each month.  It was really cool and Jessica and Anastasia are super sweet!

Overall, it was a very worthwhile and inspiring trip.  Just check out a few of the little corners and goodies I spied during my visit…

I will definitely mark my calendar for the April weekend!

Mar7

my boys

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my boys

This weekend was one of those where I blinked and it was over.  And not in that good way.  In that way of we ran errands and got groceries and did laundry, etc…  which I will write about all of that separately.

It was that weekend where those few stolen moments we had time together I truly enjoyed and wished for more of.

One of those moments was yesterday.  I was working on some crafty projects for work and for fun and Jacob and Owen decided to move into my room.  Jake grabbed a basket of his tools – crayons, old punches, scissors, glue, etc… and made himself comfy at my table, seriously moving into my space.  So much so that the kid left his chair and supplies neatly, but very solidly, in my room.

This is what I love about kids and crafting - they just play.  It is fun to watch them take ribbon, markers, crayons, and construction paper and just make stuff.  In their minds it is beautiful and art and all that they wanted it to be.

Why is it that we, as adults, can’t do that?  How often have we looked at our work and been critical and judgemental and hard on ourselves and our projects, not feeling good about it?  Why can’t we just embrace it and enjoy it?  Creating, crafting, and making “stuff” should be fun and enjoyable, not stressful and gut-wrenching!  

So this weekend, I learned two important lessons:

  1. Craft with the kids in your life – it reminds you of the sheer joy of creating and enjoying your craft.
  2. Don’t blink because those little moments in life, no matter how short or fleeting, will be gone before you know it. 

Jan3

my word for 2011 is…

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my word for 2011 is…

Soar. 

1soar

verb \ˈsȯr\
Definition of SOAR
intransitive verb
1
a : to fly aloft or about b (1) : to sail or hover in the air often at a great height : glide (2) of a glider : to fly without engine power and without loss of altitude
2
: to rise or increase dramatically (as in position, value, or price) <stocks soared>
3
: to ascend to a higher or more exalted level <makes my spirits soar>
4
: to rise to majestic stature
My goal for this year is to do just that – soar.
I know to some of you that might seem selfish, but I want to be free to fly high and to go after any dream I have.  That is what a new year, and in this case a new decade, is all about – living your dream. 
So this year, I plan to push myself in new ways, to take risks, to break out of my shell, to try something new, to just be brave…  to soar.

Jan2

goodbye 2010… hello 2011

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goodbye 2010… hello 2011

Well, as you can tell, blogging fell by the wayside for the holidays.

I haven’t blogged in a month and a lot has happened in that month… 

  1. We all got the ick… and it has stayed and not left us yet.  It is icky ick that sticks.  I feel a Dr. Seuss book in there somewhere.
  2. We enjoyed Christmas with our families
  3. We celebrated New Years

I guess that is really it, but it felt crazy busy.  Maybe my icky haze just slowed everything down – I am not sure.

So let me look back on 2010… My word was Awesome.  I have been going back and forth, debating, was it truly awesome or did I once again pick the wrong word to describe the year.  Then I read a book with Jacob yesterday.  A Berenstain Bears book to be exact – all about counting your blessings.  I did that.  You decide – was it awesome or not…

  1. Matt got a great job 10 minutes fom home.
  2. Owen started 1st grade, made new friends, is reading like a fire has been lit under him (recently completing Diary of a Wimpy Kid), and has just grown so big and makes my breath catch every time I see him.
  3. Jacob started 4K and is just loving making new friends.  He’s been to his first ever birthday parties for friends and is beginning to blow my mind with what he already has learned and what he knows.
  4. I finished the years 17 pounds lighter than I started it.  Not quite where I wanted to be, as I indulged (heavily) throughout the holidays, but still pretty good.
  5. I hung chandeliers in my craft room – I promise – once the mess is cleaned up, I will share pics
  6. I got to install 3 gardens in 3 cool cities for community gardening projects through work.
  7. I attended 2 CHA shows where I got to hang out with all of my best friends – laughing, drinking, eating, and crafting until the wee hours of the morning.
  8. I attended crafty-inspirational events that are mind-bogglingly amazing.
  9. My kid sister moved much closer to home and I have been able to see her more than I have in years.
  10. My kid brother made a trip to Milwaukee and got to see our house for the first time on his way back home.
  11. I celebrated another birthday, as did Matt, the boys, my mom, my dad, my grandpa, my sister, my brother, and Matt’s family. That’s a big deal in my book.
  12. We celebrated our 11th anniversary.
  13. We enjoyed a trip to Chicago together.
  14. We laughed together as a family – a lot.
  15. We played games. 
  16. We took photos.
  17. We made memories.
  18. I got to visit the kids’ classrooms.
  19. I still get kisses when I drop them off at school – every time.
  20. I still get I Love Yous every day from boys that are growing much too fast.
  21. I gardened with my kids at a food pantry garden – they loved it and learned about giving back.
  22. I became a Master Gardener.
  23. I taught people to let go and make a mess and be creative the way they can.
  24. I made a new friend.
  25. I reached out to a lost friend.
  26. I sang in my car at the top of my lungs at a stop light without caring about the person next to me, in front of me, or in the other lanes.
  27. I taught my boys some sign language.
  28. I ate amazing food at some truly amazing restaurants – usually with the best friends a girl could ask for.
  29. I told people I loved them and that I missed them.
  30. I made a wish – or 50 – without shame or regret.

I could keep going, but I think that 30 is a good start.

So, was that an awesome year?

Nov9

gratitude

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gratitude

I haven’t talked about gratitude in a while and that makes me sad.  I guess I have been so caught up in running from place to place, project to project, lately that I haven’t taken the time to stop and smell the roses.  Now that it is November, it is time to start thinking about Thanksgiving, which means I want to stop and think about giving thanks…

  1. my boys
  2. Matt
  3. cozy blankets on my bed
  4. chandeliers in my furnace room/craft room
  5. having a craft room
  6. time to play in my craft room
  7. time to read a magazine
  8. time to read with the boys
  9. time to cook and eat as a family
  10. an awesome year
  11. small miracles that happen everyday – parking spot by the door, a surprise package in the mail, all green lights driving home at the end of a long day
  12. music that lifts me up and makes me smile
  13. funny shows on tv that make me laugh out loud until my stomach hurts
  14. friends
  15. family
  16. love
  17. laughter

While on the surface this may seem like a small list, and it is just the tip of the iceberg, it is a step in the right direction to getting back on the path of thankfulness and gratitude I need.  It is that time of year again when I break out The Secret and read it over again, reminding myself of the importance of gratitude and belief in letting things go.  It reminds me to stay happy in the present and dream of the future.  It reminds me that even the smallest things in life are something to be grateful and thankful for.

Oct18

vintagey goodness…

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vintagey goodness…

I know – vintagey is not a word.  At least not a real one…  I still love that word to describe projects that have a vintage feel like this one.

This project was a ton of work, but a true labor of love.  This is the project that I wrote about a few days ago that I was dreaming of finishing.  And now, it is done.  And I am thrilled.

I am a lover of chipboard.  I always have been.  It is amazing to me the shear endless possibilities for it.  This project was a chance for me to stretch my creative abilities at some level and try something new yet again.  One of my favorite things right now is layering – layering products together like bling on buttons, mixed with jewels and trims, etc…  I love creating little vignettes of prettiness on a page and this project allowed for that and I love the looks it creates!

Here a list (hopefully almost everything) of what I used:

Here’s how I created the base of the book itself prior to embellishing…

  1. Create stencil with punch and paint image on front of album.         
  2. Lightly mist with water and use chipboard tools to create images.
  3. Lightly paint cover, leaving blank spaces.                                                
  4. Once paint is dry, apply glaze to cover (mix of collage pauge and brown paint)  This creates a feeling of aged wood on the cover.                                                                                              
  5. Cover some pages with paper.  Trim with knife and sand edges.                                                                                             
  6. Paint all pages – blank and with paper – with glaze to create wood feeling and old wallpaper look.                                                                                                                           
  7. Let all of this dry overnight.

Now, the base is built and it is time to play… here is how I finished my book… I hope you enjoy looking at it.

Oct15

a work in progress…

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a work in progress…

I am a mess…  I have been working on this mini-book from our trip to the apple farm.  I love how it is turning out, but it has caused my work space to blow-up, covered with paint, Collage Pauge, and “stuff.”  I am on the home stretch, however, and hope to have it done tonight or tomorrow at the latest. 

I guess I just like to start and finish in about a day because seeing this on my table for 3 days now is starting to make me twitch a little bit!  Especially when I have to walk away from it and go to work.  I know it is just sitting there, waiting for me to come home and work on it.  It’s as if it is mocking me, knowing I can’t do anything about it until later, and loving that I am internally tortured over not being able to finish… 

Oh well…  I will finish it up this weekend and share it with all of you…  even if I have to work all night – otherwise, I will stay awake, thinking of it, wanting to finish it.  I am better off just locking myself away and getting it done.  Crazy?  Yup – probably a little bit.

Mar17

i woke up covered in glitter

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i woke up covered in glitter

No really, I did…  and here is why…

First, I read this book by the amazing and talented Kathy Cano-Murillo. 

Which you can purchase **here** from Amazon…

It is a wonderfully well-written story of Craftistas from Phoenix and their journey together through friendship, heartache, and crafting.  Kathy tells the story in such an amazing way that you want to be a part of their crafting group, enjoying great music and food at La Pachanga, and just enjoying the art culture of Phoenix.  It was a really enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to any crafter looking for inspiration and affirmation of what we do as crafters.  I guarantee you will either personally identify with one of the people in the story or be able to think of a fellow crafter while reading it.  If you are looking for a great book – this one is at the top of my recommendation list!

Then, after reading the book, my glittery side was uber excited to create a love shrine using her kit… (which you can purchase **here** if you are so inclined)

I started working on this last week, but it took me longer than I thought and I got sidetracked over and over again.  I also had to make a run to buy Slow Pokes to add the wrapper to it – they are something that I will forever associate with my grandpa. This is the flower from the previous post – the first one I have ever made – using one of my grandmother’s crochet needles (this is NOT hers on the box however – I sacrificed a new one for the box and saved hers!)  My grandpa is known for the large amount of quarters he not only carries with him, but lovingly and magically doles out to the grandchildren and great grandchildren and non-relative children, etc… in his life.  It is amazing how something as simple as a quarter makes me pause to think of him.  I am so blessed to still have time with him and so are my boys.  Anyway…  I am hoping that the love shine is shining through my love shrine… (say that 5 times fast!)

Now I know a lot of you have seen this picture of them a few times…  since my grandma passed, it has become a favorite of mine.  It is by far the best photo I have of them.  So, it had to be the focal point of this project.

I have always loved glitter – the mess it creates, however, maybe not as much.  I use it in moderation here or there with protective coverings as to not spread the sparkle too far.  Recently, however, I have begun to understand the true power of adding glitter – literally and figuratively – to my life.  And, last night after completing my project I went to bed with the super fine stuff stuck to my pj’s and woke up with it in my hair.  And you know what – it just added a little extra shimmer to my day.

Thanks, Kathy, for helping me embrace my glittery side!