Thank You Card

My last thank you card.  This card could really be just any occasion.  Again, it's a hodgepodge of items from my scrap drawer, diecut drawer and miscellaneous twine, stickers.  The typewriter is a digital element as is the green decorative piece. 

I recently started randomly cutting miscellaneous die cuts with my Silhouette using the scraps in my drawer.  I just put them into a cute little box and when I'm making a card or layout, and need a little something, I just scour through the box and find something that will work.  It's really become a fun method for me and I find that I use things in ways I would have never thought to. 

Thank you Card

Another Thank You card for one of the girls from Girls' Weekend.  This card was made from scraps from my scrap drawer.

Valentine Card with Heidi Swapp products

A fun Valentine for my sweetie using Heidi Swapp's Valentines Digi Cutting File ("mine"),

A thank you card

I made a few thank you cards for my girls for all the goodies we received during Girls Weekend.

Sweet Dreams Daisy.....

As some of you may know, I, very unexpectedly, lost my sweet Daisy this past week.  Her kidneys were failing and she was very, very sick and it happened very quickly.   I'm so terribly sad.  She was such a wonderful, sweet, beautiful dog, friend, family member, sister and baby girl.

When we decided to get a dog, Doug and I had talked about the fact that we both had always wanted a Golden Retriever.  If you know me at all, you know I have zero patience.  I immediately started looking for a dog that would be available RIGHT then.  I found a couple, but for whatever reason, another ad in the paper kept calling my name.  I called and found out that yes, they did have puppies available, but they were only 3 weeks at the time, so they would not be available for several weeks.  I asked, do you have a runt of the litter?  That's the one I want.  She was indeed, the runt of the litter at about half the size of her siblings.  We went to meet her the following weekend and immediately knew this was OUR baby!  The rest is history.  She was born on May 1, 2009.  I named her Daisy May and she was the most special, amazing dog I could have ever hoped for.  She was meant to be a part of our family and we were so blessed to have had 2.5 years with her.  She made me smile every single day, and warmed my heart by just being her.

It broke my heart when I took her to the vet.  I thought we were going in for antibiotics, and I came home having to had said goodbye to my sweet girl for the last time.

I'll love you always, Sweet Dreams Baby girl.  XOXOXO

Valentine Layout for my kids using Heidi Swapp's Valentine Digi Files

I made this fun digi layout using Heidi Swapp's newly released Valentine Digi Files.  You can find them here.  If I had the time, I would've made this a hybrid project using the glimmermist and printing out the papers.  It's such a fun Valentine Package.

Circle Journal Part 2 with Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic/Vintage Chic

 This is my input into the wonderfully, uber taleneted Colette Nederhoff's Circle Journal.  Her theme was "a Favorite Quote".

For Colette's Journal, I started with an idea that I created in my Silhouette Studio Software.  This is how I looked in my head.  The weird looking thing on the top is a bow when it's folded.

 And this is how it looked once I printed it and cut it out with the Silhouette.  Colette also used Heidi Swapps File Folder system as a base for her journal.   The insta-frames are only sealed on 3 sides so that Colette can add her photos to the layout. 

I have used the Silhouette Studio software do "design my layouts" for all 3 circle journals.  I like to use this method to get the scale right for the individual elements.

Check out Colette's work at her blog.  She is also an amazing photographer.

I will post my journal soon.  It's still working it's way back to me. 

Circle Journals using Heidi Swapp and Vintage Chic/Sugar Chic

 I've been talking about it for awhile and now I can post most of it.  I participated in a circle journal project with 3 lovely ladies.

If you are not familiar with a Circle Journal, here's how it works.  You gather a group of special crafty friends and you each make a journal.  Each person decides on a theme for their journal (or you could all do the same). 

 

This particular journal was WhimseyGirl.blogspot.com 's journal.   Her theme was a series of questions that each person had to contribute to her journal with their answers.  She titled her journal "She Asked".

 I titled my section as "She Answered".  The picture above is the front cover of a file folder that contains my answers to some of her questions.  I used a combination of Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic, Sugar Chic papers and embellishments as well as a few odds and ends from my stash.

 On this page I answered her question... "what life advice would you give to your daughter?".  I decided to include a letter that was addressed to my daughter in a vellum envelope.  I attached a photo of Ashlea and I to the outer flap of the envelope.

 This is the two page spread.

 This page answered the question..."are you doing what you always thought you would do?"  I included my answer inside the openable (the flowered card).

 "What makes you happy?".  I answered that question in a simple layout I created in photoshop and added only a coupe of elements.

 Each person sends their journal out with the theme set and usually the originator completes the outer shall (cover) and adds their own thoughts related to theme as well.  As a group you decide when each person will send their journal on to the next.  When you receive a journal you have a certain amount of time allotted to add your input to that journal, then you swap again, and so on until the originator has their own journal back.

 This was such a fun project.  If you are interested in a circle journal, I suggest you just go for it!  It's so fun and so inspiring to see all of the different interpretations of the theme.  I thoughly enjoyed it.

If you would like to see the incredible full journal, check out Kathryn Morrow's blog (WhimseyGirl.blogspot.com).  She will show you not only her incredible work she put into the journal, but Colette's input as well.

Next up, I will show you what I put into Colette's journal.

A few more tags.  I apologize for the "yellow" tint, I took these with my phone and have not had time to edit.  I wanted to get the tags all out of the way, so that I can post my Circle Journal Fun next week.

I've been playing with tags.... AGAIN!

I started a new class with May Flaum today and what do you know.. the first lesson was tags, mist and all the things I've been craving lately!  Here's a few I whipped up today.

I have some other "scrappy things" to show you, but they are all part of the circle journals I've been working on and I don't want to show them until the original owners get them back.  They are in the mail as we speak.  I'll be posting those soon.

Blessings Digital Layout with Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic

I haven't made a digital layout in quite some time, so today, I thought I'd play a little.  This is my sweet daughter, Ashlea and her fiance' Richie.  I used some Heidi Swapp digital papers from the Vintage Chic Collection and a note card from the Sugar Chic Collection, a LivE frame and LivE sequins (I recolored) and a few digital brushes by Nancie Rowe Janitz.  I may actually try to recreate this layout with real papers and elements. 

More tags!!

Another set of tags I made using embossing, stencils, stamping, distressing and whatever else I could throw in there

Still making tags

Here is another look at some of the tags I made yesterday.  So much fun to just mist, stamp, distress and just play.

The tag on the left (the teal one), is really cool.  I used a glitter embossing powder on the stamped image (the flower pattern).  It doesn't show in the photo very well, but it's extremely sparkly and very delicate on the resist areas.

Playing with Tags

My friend Kathryn and I decided we needed a "kick in the bum" to jump start our creative process.  We both felt like we were in a rut.  She had the great idea that we should find another class to take together (that is how the two of us met).  We searched and decided upon a new class by May Flaum at Big Picture Classes.  The name of the class is "the Curious Scrapbookers Field Guide). It looks like it's going to be an AMAZING class!  It's full of everything. Stamping, scrapping, inking, distressing, stenciling... you name it!

When you sign up for the class you immediately have access to her A-Z how to videos.   I watched a few today and couldn't wait to get started.  I spent the afternoon in my craftroom making tags.  This is totally out of my "zone" and so exactly what I needed to get me thinking"out of the box".  I will post a few tags in the next few days.  I made a total of 11 today.  It felt so good to get my stamps, embossing powders, gel medium, inks and stencils out of the closet and put them to use!  The class doesn't actually start until Jan 31... there's still time to sign up!  Hope to see you there!

Thank You Card with the Silhouette

The holidays are over and now it's time to thank all those wonderful people who blessed you.  This is just a very simple card I made with the Silhouette.  The sentiment was made using the Silhouette's print feature.  I embossed the top and bottom of the card while leaving the sentiment area smooth for an added bit of interest.  Great card to mass produce for my thank you cards.

Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful New Year Holiday!!

Christmas T-shirt with the Silhouette Cameo!

See my fun shirt I wore for Christmas Eve?  I made it with the Silhouette, vinyl and some fabric paint!


It all stemmed from this shirt I saw Babz510 post on Instagram!  I thought this was a really cute, fun shirt for the holidays.  Unfortunately, when I asked her about it, she said it was from Old Navy 2010!

Which led me to my Silhouette!  I designed the template in the Silhouette Software

 I then cut the design out on a piece of vinyl.  Using only the negative from the cut, I peeled the sticky back off and placed it on my shirt, making sure that it was securely stuck to the shirt so that no paint could seep under.  Note:  You could also use freezer paper (shiny side down), and iron it on your shirt, in lieu of vinyl.

 Once I was happy with the placement of the vinyl, I used red fabric paint and a foam brush and filled in the design.  Starting with a thin layer and adding another until I reached the desired effect. (I think I used about 3 layers).

 The paint calls for letting it sit for 4 hours.  I wanted to wear it before the 4 hours would've been up, so I used a blow dryer and helped it along, it was dry to the touch very quickly.  The next step was just to remove the vinyl.

 

There you have it!  My Christmas Shirt for the cost of $2.97 for the paint, the shirt and vinyl I already had on hand.  Can't beat that!  I took this photo in the mirror with my phone, so the letters look backwards!  They really aren't.

 

I also had this fun positive cut left, which I used on a Christmas Present that was wrapped in Kraft paper.  (I couldn't let it go to waste!).  Sorry, but I forgot to take a photo of the package.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Christmas Card

I think I am almost finished making Christmas Cards.  I love the red, black and a splash of silver combo for Christmas.