Category Archives: Misc. Stuff…

Jan30

cha winter 2012 by way of wisconsin…

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cha winter 2012 by way of wisconsin…

So, for the first time in 6 years or so, I am not actually at the show.  However, I am trolling the web to find the goodies that I am falling in love with, so I might be blogging a lot the next few days!

First up – Bazzill Basics!

Pleated Antique Papers

New Buttons that are gorgeous!

Paper tape!

Vintage Market Place by the amazing Margie Romney-Aslett!

Wayfarer Paper by Janet Hopkins!

 

 

Jan19

craftin’ by the creek

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craftin’ by the creek

This past weekend I had a blast with a good group of girl friends “testing” a new craft lodge about 30 minutes from my house.  It was a total blast and the house was amazing.  They are right on a beautiful creek in Rockdale, WI.  They were looking for people they knew to give them some feedback so they could make a few adjustments prior to opening…  Here are some pics of the space – it was great!

I had a wonderful time crafting and cooking in the kitchen and just relaxing and laughing (a LOT) with my friends.

Here are two of the layouts that I completed from the weekend:

 

 

For being gone for a day and a half, I didn’t get much done, but I did have a blast and I got three more layouts done in addition to these, so it was successful from that respect. 

Anyway, just wanted to share some pics of what I made and share the link for the Craftin’ by the Creek stuff in case anyone is looking for somewhere to craft!

 

Sep17

is on the couch

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is on the couch

Yesterday I got my wisdom teeth pulled. Everyone I say this to looks at me like I am nuts. Yes. I am 35 and yes, up until yesterday, I still had my wisdom teeth. I get it.

Just one more way that I am unique (or weird).

So now I will be spending the rest of the weekend on the couch. This is the perfect time to try and get some crafting done. Just not surfer how Matt would feel about glitter and bling in the bed, along with possible paper scraps and adhesive. Oh well, guess we will find out!

Mar3

shrinky dinks 2011

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shrinky dinks 2011

As a kid, I remember spending what felt like hours, painstakingly coloring each of my little shrinky dink creations.  I would carefully fill in with colored pencil, making sure that it was just-so.  I also remember the excitement of my mom placing them in the oven… sitting, watching, and waiting.  It is only a few minutes, but to a child, those were the longest minutes on the clock.  I am not sure what I ever did with these little pieces of art.  I am sure like most little things held so dear by kids when they are making them, they fall to the land of under the bed dustbunnies, never to be seen again.

Recently I rediscovered my passion for shrinky dinks – and I was 5 again in my mom’s kitchen making art.

This time, however, instead of creating something destined to fall away, I made a bracelet.  A funky and odd little creation, but I enjoyed the process so much.

I grabbed some whimsical little stamps that I had found in a dollar bin, all with a vintage image and little word or saying.  I had intended to use them for cards, but this seemed like a good use as well.  I grabbed my StayzOn and stamped on the shiny side of the shrinky dink paper – you can buy plain sheet packs at most craft stores now.

Using my scissors, I carefully cut each charm out.  I marked them all at 3 x 2 or 2 x3, depending on the direction of the stamp, knowing that they would shrink drastically in the oven later.

Next I turned them over and grabbed my colored pencils.  I began carefully coloring and shading along the way.  Using a blender pen, something I would have died for as a kid, I mixed, shaded, and colored until my heart was content.

Next I grabbed my hole punch and carefully punched holes in each charm.

Then came my favorite part…

the oven.  While this picture is terrible, it definitely represents that part that I loved as a kid… the waiting and then the curl and shrink and ultimate flattening back out of the creation.

Finally, I got myself my jump rings, tools, and clasp and linked it all together to create my little bracelet.

It was fun and easy to make…  might be a fun project for the young girl in your life.  Grab some stamps and colored pencils and create some old school fun!

Mar1

national craft month and a layout…

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national craft month and a layout…

So it is finally here! National Craft Month! This is seriously one of my favorite months of the year. It is that month when crafters get together and share their ideas, their passion, and their insights with each other. It is a great time of year to try something new, since there are tutorials galore out there, as well as discounts at stores nationwide. Even companies in the industry jump in and step it up this month with ideas, projects, and contests. How much more could a crafty person ask for?!?!?!

Well, for me, it is about remembering to take the time to play and embrace that thing that fuels my soul and make my heart soar…  creating.

So, to kick off the month, I wanted to share a layout with you.  Last summer I took the boys to the botanic gardens and we had a (hot) blast and saw a lot (very very quickly).  I was able to get some amazing photos.  Trying to get them all on 2 pages was difficult, so I printed them as wallets and still had to cut some from the final product.

Here’s what I did:

Layering “stuff” is really fun for me and has become kind of an obsession, actually…

For this I used:

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to check back this month… who knows, maybe, just maybe there are some goodies to give away!

Happy Crafting everyone!

please note ftc disclaimer below…

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.

Jul12

oldies but goodies

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oldies but goodies

Last week I had fun going through some old gallery posts over at the Fiskateer site…  I found some old layouts that I really love and thought that I might pull them up and share them with all of you.

So, this might be a repeat, but here are some faves from the past…

I just love these and it is fun to see how much the boys have changed in just a few short years!

Happy Monday everyone!!!

Jul1

sun

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sun

sunshine on my face

rising up on the horizon

greeting me at the door

4 days in a row of sunshine and grace

amazing morning

awesome day

here we go thursday

today will be full of sun and happiness

full of light and love

full of surprises and delight

sun shine down on me

fill me with your warmth

make a way for me today

to feel peace

strength

joy

creative