fresh crafts

fresh valentine's for 2012

2012-02-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

Time to get started on my Valentine's Day cards, because it will be too late to mail them before I know it. I had started a couple cards at my last Stampin' Up class, but ran out of time and mojo. So I put some finishing touches on these ones today and feel inspired to get a whole new batch done this weekend!

This is the "manly" card for my husband. Not quite what I envisioned, but I know that he will still appreciate the fact that it's not solid pink. The background is a small ledger stamp from Stampin' Up that I just used over and over again. Although it was hard to get the image lined up each time, it adds the perfect aged patina I was looking for.

This card has lots of embossed texture. The hearts on the front are all from an embossing/die folder. Love those because you get double the fun with one pass through the Cuttlebug. I also added a couple pearls on some smaller hearts to mimic the swiss dots embossing on the white stock. A really fun and quick card to make.

Supplies:
All cardstock, stamps, ink, markers, dies, and punches are from Stampin' Up.

library pockets in my book of lists

2012-01-26T10:03:00.000-08:00

Sometime last year I became obsessed with the idea of library pockets for crafting. I ordered a whole mess of them online (in the standard white/manila combo as well as pink) and they sat on my desk all year waiting for the perfect project.

Library cards and pockets still in original packaging, waiting for the perfect project.

Turns out they are the perfect way to make a quick addition to my ongoing book of lists. I only had a few minutes this week so my embellishments are pretty minimal. Hoping to be struck a flash of genius for decorating more library pockets in this book.

I had a few of the pink embossed hearts all ready to go, and I will be using more of those on a couple Valentine's Day cards in the works. The embossing die is from Stampin' Up - cuts and embosses with one pass through my Cuttlebug!

And I have a new Valentines letterpress plate from Stampin' Up as well that I can't wait to try. Gotta wait until the next good naptime.

crafty gifts

2012-01-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

It was a very happy Christmas for our family. We were lucky enough to get to spend time with both families - my daughter was spoiled by her grandparents in Hawaii and then again by my entire family here. And it was a very crafty Christmas for me! There were a few themes this year...

Matryoshka Christmas

On the left is the awesome packaging that my mom found at World Market. She even saved the extra tissue and wrapping paper for me! And on the right are the tapes that I had seen on etsy as well as this amazing matryoshka nativity fabric. I am hoping to make a tree skirt with that.

Handmade Christmas

My hipster brother just recently moved to Portland and I think he loves all the handmade shops there. He spoiled me with these rolled rose felt hairclips and a felted wool ring - not to mention the earrings with vintage beads.

And my youngest brother who has dappled in the culinary arts decided to give me a homemade dessert every month! That is like my dream gift, because I LOVE eating but can do without the cooking and cleaning.

And my husband got another Smash book for me. Out of all the colors he picked the green one that I had my eye on!

Too much good stuff! And lots of time with family, which is my favorite part (along with the cookies). I am still trying to get our house back in order. More crafting once I can clean up a bit.

crafty goals for the new year

2012-01-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't found much time for crafts since we got back from vacation. Maybe this has something to do with it...

Here are my goals for 2012:

Stay current on getting pictures printed for the baby album I am working on
Finish my book of lists
Keep my crafting area organized
And if organized is too much to ask then at least keep the desktop clean
Start a new sewing project
Open an Etsy store to sell some extra supplies and maybe some projects
Get published or join a design team

I better stop there, because that last one is going to take some work! Did anyone else set goals or is it just me? Maybe I just really like making lists. Okay, I know that I like making lists.

happy christmas!

2011-12-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

We only did a small tree this year since we traveled for the holiday. Just enough to show off a few favorite ornaments.

And my mom was generous enough to let me borrow the wool and burlap penny rug she made for her little display trees. On the other side there are more animals with dimensional tails and fur. It is one of my favorite things she has made.

And my new favorite ornament - a blown glass narwhal! I saw this in the Anthropologie catalog and had to go to two stores to find it.

Hoping that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!

fresh christmas card

2011-12-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

Well, the great Christmas card debate was never really resolved. I waited too long and had to make a very simplified version of a homemade card because I ran out of the Shutterfly picture cards (which turned out really nice!).

There were a few exceptions. I had about an hour last weekend to work on cards and I made up this beauty.

My Copic markers were feeling neglected and I have been wanting to use this matryoshka nativity stamp for almost a year. I am really happy with the card! Unfortunately I only had time to make one. I also started taking a picture of the colors I am using if I want to reference later.

AND I got to use my new Janome mini. I love this fun little machine for paper crafts. Please excuse the serious mess behind it. No time for cleaning - only making a mess then leaving the room.

I may be taking a break for a while while we celebrate my daughter's birthday and visit with the in-laws. Happy Christmas to all!

Supplies
Cardstock: Neenah, Wausau
Stamp: Stampendous
Ink: Memento
Markers: Copic Sketch
Button: Papertrey Ink
Twine: Divine Twine
Other: fabric scrap

craft critique review catch-up

2011-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

I have had two reviews posted recently on Craft Critique. Take a look and let me know if you have any opinions on the subjects.

I gathered a number of pigment pens that were handy and did some research to see how they really compare. You can see the "Pen Comparison: Archival Ink" article here.

And I had the opportunity to try out a few Stampendous products, including the stamp cleaners, cling rubber stamps, and clear handle. You can read the "Stampendous Stamp Cleaner Review" here.

fresh roses and a wreath

2011-12-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

I found the most beautiful wreath at my local craft store a few weeks ago - made of natural wood shavings in the shape of roses. I had to wait for it to go on sale, but my husband brought it home for me as a present last week! Before you think he is telepathic, just know that my mom coached him.

So I had the wreath at home and it even had a protective layer of clear spray paint on it, but I was too scared that it would get ruined outside on our front door. Destiny stepped in and I found a really pretty mini version of the wreath in red at Target! So I am going to hang that one on our front door and keep the big one inside year round. (I'll have to do a separate post on my many attempts to get it hung up.)

The funny thing is that my husband came home and thought that I had painted the one he gave me red. Even though it's about half the size. Silly men. Of course I DID add some Smooch Spritz to the red wreath because I think every Christmas decoration should have at least a hint of sparkle. The Cherry Ice color gave it a really subtle gold sheen.

And then I felt even more special when my girlfriend brought over some roses from a photo shoot that she was doing. It is a beautiful arrangement with red berries and it's making my table look 100% more festive.

Still hoping to squeeze in a few more Christmas crafts, all the decorations for my daughter's first birthday party, wrapping presents, and flying to see my in-laws. It's going to be busy around here!

fresh felt flowers

2011-12-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

There is one post I did a while back that gets about 500% more views than anything else on this blog. So I felt like it was time to give a few more ideas for handmade flower hair clips.

I saw this idea in a magazine and they were using it as a topper for gift wrap. But I adapted the measurements and supplies to make it into a perfect hair clip, or any other situation where you might need a felt flower. Enjoy!

First, start with two strips of felt in different colors. The measurements and cuts don't need to be perfect, but mine were about 1.5" by 10". Then use a sharp pair of scissors to cut fringe along both strips (you can do both at the same time by layering).

Next, add a line of glue along the bottom of one strip and place the other on top. I like to use Aleene's Tacky Glue for any project like this one. It is super sticky, dries clear, and is still easy to clean up.

Then add one more line of glue on the top layer.

Roll both strips up, keeping it tight at the bottom where the glue is. I learned that it is helpful to cut the top piece of felt a bit smaller because of all the rolling.

Then I suppose you could wait for the glue to dry - but I am much too impatient for that. I tied it tight with some beading thread that I happened to have close by.

And to finish off the centers, I used a twine pom-pom experiment gone wrong. It just happens to be perfect for this project though!

After this, you can decide how you will use it. If you want a hair clip you just need to hot-glue an alligator clip to the bottom and you're done.

fresh crafting against the clock

2011-12-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Almost every Friday morning I have a babysitter come over for two hours to distract the little one. I originally thought I would clean the house and feel great about it. But it turned into a two hour vacation in my craft area. I try to get as much done as I can and feel like I am racing the clock. But I've always worked better under pressure. If only I could get those Christmas cards started...

I have next Friday all planned out already. I am going to read up on Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas ahead of time (for all the new techniques) and get as many tags done as I can. I love this series on his blog! And my wish list of supplies is growing every day he does a new one.

Today I wanted to use up the rest of my twine zig-zags since I worked so hard on them. The layout has a similar feel to the original but I needed a birthday card this time.

Chevron patterned birthday card

I also wanted to package it up in my new favorite envelope - a glassine bag sealed with washi tape.

front view in the glassine bag/envelope

back view in the glassine bag, sealed with washi tape

Supplies

Cardstock: Neenah Paper, baker's twine: The Twinery, sentiment stamp: Paper Source, washi tape: Martha Stewart, glassine bag: purchased on eBay

fresh design team submission

2011-11-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

Something new for me! I am dedicating more time to my crafts now and have started submitting some projects for publication and design teams. I recently did a few new projects for The Twinery's design team application, and I would love to share them.

Chevron patterned Christmas card and matching envelope set.

I have been loving the Chevron patterns that are popping up everywhere and this idea came to me right before I went to sleep one night last week. I used American Crafts double-sided tape to adhere the twine in strips. Then cut into the proper shapes and adhered to the card. The twine is from The Twinery and Thickers letters are from American Crafts.

Quick tip: If you plan to make your own chevron pattern, it is really helpful to have a line guide so your pattern doesn't get too crooked. My first attempt went off track really quickly (you can see it in the corner below), so I used some post-it strips as a guide to keep me in line.

Rosemary Christmas tree with twine and button garland.

Then I needed to make a hostess gift for a holiday party. To spruce up the rosemary tree I added a star on top and wrapped the pot in burlap. The button garland uses twine from The Twinery and buttons from Papertrey Ink.

Homemade hot chocolate mix in repurposed jars.

And lastly, my homemade holiday gift this year is a hot chocolate and marshmallow mix in a repurposed baby food jar. It is topped with fabric and a twine bow, then wrapped up in a box with kraft paper. The tag uses a stamp from Stampin' Up and twine from The Twinery.

fresh homemade christmas gifts

2011-11-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

Now the cat's out of the bag. My friends and family are getting homemade hot chocolate mixes this year! Because of holiday travel schedules I had to get some of them done pretty early so I might as well post the pictures now.

My idea started this year when I saw how many baby food jars started piling up in our recycling bin. I wanted to repurpose some of them and I knew I could come up with some kind of mix. I layered hot chocolate mix on the bottom, milk chocolate shavings in the middle (using a vegetable peeler makes this a piece of cake!), and marshmallows on top.

After I got the jars all cleaned and dried, I covered the lids with a few layers using my circle and scalloped circle punches. I printed out the labels on my favorite recycled paper from Neenah, and adhered with double sided tape. And to finish them off I cut out circles of festive Christmas fabric and tied it off with green twine from The Twinery.

martha stewart glitter paint!

2011-11-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

I was more than a little bit interested when I heard that Martha Stewart came out with an entire line of paints and accessories for Michael's. And I started out slow, just getting one color so I could paint some plastic ornaments for Christmas.

Then it turned into this...

Here is the story. We are traveling to see my in-laws for Christmas and there has been much planning about babies around the Christmas tree. So I decided to decorate some plastic ornaments and send them over ahead of time so my mother-in-law can put those on the bottom of the tree.

A couple years back I had seen a demo at the Plaid booth at CHA. They were swirling paint around the inside of clear ornaments. Perfect! Should just be able to squeeze some paint into the ornament, swirl, dry, and done. Not so much...

I squeezed, swirled, and dried. But as the paint was drying on the inside it was cracking.

So I added a second coat. That one took off some of the original paint and then pooled at the bottom and cracked on the sides again.

Being persistent, I tried a third coat. It looked worse than ever.

New plan! Time to paint the outside. I used some blue tape to mask a striped design and applied the first coat to the outside to cover up the cracked paint on the inside.

Second coat (still wet).

And third coat.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture before I got these beauties all packed up and sent off to Hawaii. So I'll have to do an update after Christmas when I can get some pictures of them on the tree. But the paint did look really great after three coats on the outside. Don't know what the cracking issue was on the inside - maybe not enough air to dry quickly.

I also glittered up some buttons with the paint, and it turned out that those needed more like four or five coats to completely cover the pink button underneath.

Even though I had a rocky start with the paint, it still has more glitter and better coverage than any other glitter paint I have seen or used. Since I have so many colors now I'll probably be painting anything I can get my hands on. More to come!

fresh christmas card debate

2011-11-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

Handmade Christmas cards or photo cards...

I have been going back and forth for weeks. And now here it is a month before I want to get my cards out and I still haven't started anything handmade yet. Here is the issue - I know that I am going to include a photo with the card anyway, and I have a credit at Shutterfly to print enough photo cards for everyone on our list (about 35). So do I take the easy way out and do them all there? Or do I divide the list and make some cards? If so, then who would get the handmade ones - people I like or don't like? Just kidding. I like everyone on our list. But seriously. Don't know what to do.

11/19/2011 Update
I ended up ordering 15 cards on Shutterfly and I'm hoping they get here soon so I can see if I like them. If so then I'll just order the rest and be done with it. But I should probably get started on a few cards just in case. I already have the photo file ready to print at Costco with any of my own cards. It was my first big project in Photoshop (not that big). I may be addicted to adding text and snowflakes to pictures now!

All four photos were taken by the amazing Narrative Images photographers. And thank you to Listgirl for helping me to find some snowflake brushes!

fresh spider veil for halloween

2011-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

I saw a really easy costume idea in Martha Stewart magazine, that was for a birdcage veil with a spider on it. And it was easy to make, but I wasted a ton of time trying to find the authentic birdcage netting - called Russian netting/veiling for anyone who is searching. And then I ran out of time and had to get the closest thing I could find at our local fabric stores. The supplies I used were:

glitter black tulle
fine black tulle (to make a little flower)
paper mache spider
purple glitter
purple headband
spray adhesive
hot glue gun
needle and black thread

There wasn't a picture of this project on the Martha Stewart website, but you can see it in my magazine clipping below (click to enlarge).

And my version:

Birdcage veil with spider for Halloween

I used a running stitch to gather the glitter tulle so that the back was a bit shorter and pointed upwards. Then the longer half was draped over half my face and I glued it onto the headband.

I used a running stitch on the fine tulle ribbon to make a little black rose and then added that to the veil with hot glue.

And lastly I sprayed the spider with adhesive so that I could coat it in the purple glitter from Martha Stewart. And learn a lesson from me here - with spray adhesive your glitter is going to stick everywhere, so you won't be able to pour a lot of it back into the bottle. I wasted a ton!

I actually sewed the spider onto the birdcage at the end (instead of glue) so that the legs could stand up a bit.

And I think it looked pretty good with my little ladybug!

fresh sugar skulls

2011-10-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have really been getting into the crafty spirit lately. In fact I've been working on so many projects that I can't even keep up with getting pictures posted. And I forgot to take a picture of the ornaments I just finished and sent off to my mother-in-law! Oops.

But I did get lots of pictures when my aunt and cousin threw a crafty party so we could all get together and decorate some sugar skulls before Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos. They used a mold to make a sugar skull for everyone, and we all brought a few different things for decorations - glitter, sequins, beads, and a million different colors of icing. This was something new for me to try, although I see the sugar skulls around quite a bit here in San Diego.

The sugar skulls were all set up with the decorating supplies, just waiting for everyone to get started.

My cousins brought their sweet baby girl for the special crafting day.

And my little helper was also on hand for all the fun. You can see in the background, that we had a rotating slideshow of sugar skull pictures for inspiration. I'll admit that I copied a few ideas.

And the iPad was brought in for additional picture references.

Lots of color and sequins on this end of the table.

And this is the start of flames on the forehead. Not a lotus flower! (like I assumed)

Here is my finished sugar skull before the baby said we needed to head home. Next time I'll have to work quicker if I want to fill up the whole thing. I didn't even get to the glitter!

I also have to mention the special apple cider bourbon cocktail that my aunt made for us. I think she saw the recipe on the Martha Stewart show and altered it a little bit. I know that she did a cinnamon sugar rim on the glass, and used apple cider ice cubes. I'll have to get the rest of her special recipe because it was delicious (and so pretty)!

The apple cider bourbon cocktail that we all enjoyed during craft time.

book of lists update

2011-10-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

I am still adding lists to my Smash Book whenever I can sneak away for a couple minutes. Here are a couple pictures of the latest.

Today I added a variation on the list. There were a ton of pictures and recipes that I loved in the October 2011 Martha Stewart Magazine, so I did a collage of pictures and stuck my favorite recipes into a glassine pocket on the page.

Just hoping that the Smash Tape will keep the glassine envelope in place. It's hard to get anything that will stick to them!

fresh crafting injury

2011-10-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Watch out, they bite! The new Martha Stewart Paper Tapes are dangerous. Turns out I really should have looked at the packaging better before I started to open it. They come in a pretty little box with an awesome feature - a cutting blade. But in my haste to rip it open I sliced open my finger and couldn't figure out why. Now I know why boxes like this have silly warnings that say "blade is sharp". For people like me, apparently.

I am in love with these tapes! They were really inexpensive for the quantity and they will be perfect on my glassine envelopes for Christmas cards.

Pretty sure I should stop buying these paper washi tapes now. Or at least get a few rolls used up...

fresh pumpkins {and gourds}

2011-10-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

I love pumpkins! In fact I love pumpkins way more than I like Halloween. And I was so excited to get my October Martha Stewart to see what kind of pumpkin ideas she had this year. This one was by far my favorite...and it's not even a pumpkin. A mummy gourd.

And since I saw this right before we took a family trip to the Bate's Nut Farm for pumpkins, I made sure to pick out a gourd too!

My mom came up with this great idea for the eyes - just a small blob of wall patch/putty rolled into a ball with a black headed pin stuck through it. Then all you need is a roll of white crepe paper streamers and you're ready to mummify.

I think he is pretty awesome. Although Martha's mummy wrapping looks better. If I had free time I would probably re-do the wrapping. But I don't. So it's perfect!

amy tangerine class at paper tales

2011-10-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'm still giddy after taking my first crafty class since I had my little baby (10 months ago!). I saw that Paper Tales had added a last minute class with Amy Tangerine and called the same morning to make sure I could join in the fun. She gave us supply bags packed with tons of scrapbook goodies, mostly from her line with American Crafts.

And she taught a few great techniques I have used in sewing but are new to me for scrapbooking. We made yo-yos without the plastic tool thingy and it was really easy!

Also did some stitching using this great crochet thread that is just a bit thicker than embroidery floss. I need to find a local store that carries it!

And two more layouts that I am still working on. Also need to add journaling to the two above.

Oh and I should also say that the class was for four 12x12 layouts but I scaled them way down so I can use them in a 6x6 book I am working on.

And since I was at one of my favorite craft stores I had to get a few extra things from the Amy Tangerine line: one sheet of the adhesive fabric paper (below), a couple sheets of chevron printed paper, and another package of that awesome MixTape that we used in class. I had to have the one with the orange chevrons (below)...

craft critique review recap

2011-10-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have had a few new reviews posted over on Craft Critique. And another one is coming soon - Stampendous Stamp Cleaner.

Tim Holtz Grid Blocks by Stampers Anonymous

Letraset Aqua Markers

fresh obsession - matryoshka everything!

2011-09-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ever since I went to Alaska last year, I have been a little obsessed with matryoshka dolls. I got these two sets while we were there (both made in Russia).

The bigger set in the back was from a fancy Russian store in Alaska, and I picked it because the dolls all have red hair like me. Then afterwards the cruise we were on had some pretty inexpensive sets, so I got the set with strawberries and an itty-bitty baby doll.

Frank! Who knocked over the itty-bitty one?

You can see just how tiny it is here. The head is smaller than a pencil eraser.

And I get a little thrill every time I see matryoshka designs online. Apparently they are becoming quite popular in the crafty world. Look what I found...

I love EVERYTHING about this post from Polka Dot Prints Studio. And I want to throw a party just so I can use these invitations and somehow find a way to get these cookies here all the way from Australia.

Image credit: Naomi V Photography via polkadotprintsstudio.blogspot.com

I asked for these Japanese tapes for Christmas. Although I'm thinking about making a trip over to Mitsuwa Marketplace to see I can find them there.

Image credit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/beautifulwork

I just bought this plastic set for my daughter on eBay. I swear it's for her and not me!

I also ordered a custom matryoshka stamp on etsy.com. I'll have to add a picture as soon as it gets here!
*10/1/2011 update* The custom stamp is awesome and I can't believe how fast it got here!

fresh book of lists

2011-09-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

I have to give a shout out to Listgirl for this one. She is doing "30 Day of Lists" for September and I loved the idea. However, I quickly realized I would fall behind after the second day. So I am doing a book of lists that I update whenever I have a chance. And like Listgirl, I am using a Smash Book which is so much fun I can't even handle it.

The whole idea of a Smash Book (from EK Success) is to capture memories and get things into the book without too much thought or effort. But being the Type A that I am.... I agonized over my opening page for about 2 hours. It is still pretty bare and I'll keep adding to it I'm sure.

Second list I did was about things I miss during a power outage, since all of San Diego went dark on Dan's birthday last week. You can see I did a bit of story telling - so it's more like a journal than just a list.

I was so excited to pull out my Hambly washi tape that I have been hoarding for a few months (and a few other new supplies). And I plan to get pictures in the book as much as I can since I haven't been scrapbooking this year.

List of future lists! Washi tape from Hambly and Tim Holtz, the awesome pen that comes with the Smash Book, and my hand dandy date stamper from Staples.

I am keeping track of the prompts that I like from Listgirl's blog and adding a few of my own. As I have time, then I can pick and choose which one to work on from my list. Hope I can stick with it long enough to fill up the book!

fresh handprints in clay

2011-08-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

I always wanted to preserve my baby's hand and footprints, especially while they are still tiny. I tried a baby safe ink pad when she was 3 months old, but it turned out neon pink instead of a nice subdued color.

The color was a little too jarring for any keepsakes I had in mind. Onto the next project... I saw some Crayola clay at Lakeshore when I was there last week to laminate the covers for my mini album. That gave me the idea to preserve these precious prints in clay!

I ended up buying the clay at Michael's with a coupon, and they didn't have white in the big tub option. So I figured the terra cota color would be next best. It dried a bit darker than I expected. And the color was uneven where I had tried to smooth over some areas with a wet sponge. So I pulled out my Twinkling H2O watercolors that haven't seen any love in many years.

Since I had to do a trial run I made a little handprint for my mom's birthday this week. Next time I think I'll only use one color when painting, and make sure the clay is smooth before doing any prints. And I'm thinking that these may turn into Christmas ornaments and gifts.

fresh anniversary mini album

2011-08-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Just celebrated my 6th wedding anniversary over fondue and a martini with my mr. last week. It was our first date night since the baby was born, and was long overdue. Unfortunately my handmade anniversary present for him is overdue as well. It's almost done!

I decided to make a mini album with one picture from every year that we've been married, and one for our wedding day too. I had an extra picture for 2011 because I couldn't decide which one to put in the book, so I used it on the cover. Each page has one picture, a typed caption from my typewriter, and a little ribbon tab.

Unfortunately the pictures started popping off a day after I started making this. Then the captions too! Dang that American Crafts adhesive runner that I had a feeling wasn't strong enough. Going to trust my gut and stick with the tried and true super sticky adhesives next time. But this time, I did a quick fix with some double-sided scotch tape for the pictures and the Tim Holtz tiny attacher for the captions (and ribbon too). Also have to give a shout out to the Tim Holtz ruler which has revolutionized the way I add titles to layouts!

My last little "fix" for the book before I let him take it, is to laminate the covers. He plans to take it to work and I don't quite trust the Basic Grey alphabet stickers to stay put after everything else already fell off once. And I'm honestly pretty excited about the lamination! Just found out that the local teacher store (Lakeshore Learning) has a DIY machine that is really cheap to use. Wish me luck...

fresh postage stamps

2011-08-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

I love a good stamp. And I'm not talking about the rubber stamp variety. I mean a trip to the post office to pick out the latest and greatest, so you can send off cards to the ones you love. I am already planning my Christmas cards and couldn't help but take a peek at what stamps are available right now. I expect that at least a few more sets will be released, but these are my current favorites.

And to make the outside of my cards even more special, I got some glassine envelopes and I am going to attempt to make some pretty address labels. Inspired by this craft from Martha:

fresh sewing projects for baby gifts

2011-08-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

One of my very good girlfriends just had a baby! I met her on my first day moving into my college dorm - her room was right across the hall from mine and she had a can opener when I needed one. That was more than 10 years ago and we live a few thousand miles apart but we try to stay in close contact and both love to make gifts for each other.

I had been excited to make this set for quite a while, and managed to get both projects done in one afternoon. The first is a onesie with some fabric embellishment. I'm not sure if you can call it applique if you use a machine to stitch it on? I did. And like always, I learned the hard way that you need a special needle and a stretch stitch for knits. I just used my pinking shears and a zig zag stitch, so at least it looks cute. Sorry if it doesn't survive the first wash Katie!

Next was a set of "wee wee tee pees" that I saw in a fancy baby boutique. They were really expensive and I didn't know anyone having a baby boy at the time, so I didn't buy any but tried to copy them from memory a year later. The result is functional but not quite as pretty. I would have been better off if I had looked up a pattern online ahead of time, like this one.

Can't forget the card! I have been itching to use my Copic markers again so I picked out a baby stamp that I could use the Copics with (stamp from Memory Box), distressed the edges a bit, and adhered using foam. Added a background houndstooth stamp from Hero Arts and shiny Brilliance ink. Baker's twine from The Twinery and a Fiskars edge punch finish off the card.

Hope this package finds its way to a very happy baby and mama!

fresh video review: american crafts "this to that" adhesives

2011-07-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

My first video review, and first time posting anything to YouTube, so I thought I would share. Not sure when the entire article is scheduled to be published on Craft Critique, but I will update with a link as soon as it is live. I was too excited to wait, because my video was mentioned on the American Crafts Facebook page today. Enjoy!

August 10, 2011 Update

The full review has been posted here on Craft Critique.

August 23, 2011 Update

I starting using the solid adhesive runner for scrapbooking and the pictures are not sticking. Disappointed!

baker's twine birthday

2011-07-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

Managed to get a whole hour of crafting time last weekend and used it to clean up my space and then get a birthday card together for my brother. As always, I started with a few scraps that I had laying around - white cardstock with some gold Smooch Spritz and a flourish rub-on from Basic Grey.

I used some kraft cardstock to make the card, and then did a layer of the gold Smooch Spritz paper with the flourish. For the birthday sentiment (stamp from Paper Source) I had a library card stamped and distressed around the edges already (stamp from Hero Arts). Layered that on top of some red Stardream metallic paper with an EK Success punched border. And to top it all off I used my date stamp that I have been dying to ink up.

It still looked like it needed a little something extra so I added the baker's twine stitching. Jury is still out on using baker's twine for stitching. A) I think it looks funny because you can't see the color swirls very well. B) It was REALLY hard to get the needle threaded with the twine and then poke it through 4 layers of paper.

But at this point the baby woke up and I had to call the card complete!

fresh review - Singer Chainstitch Sewing Machine

2011-06-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

I have a new review up on Craft Critique today - Singer Chainstitch Sewing Machine. You can read all about my battle to find a sewing machine just for paper crafts. Enjoy!

fresh sewing project - chenille from flannel

2011-06-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to be sewing again! My mom helped me out by playing with my little one on Saturday and it gave me a few solid hours to start and finish a sewing project. Look for a much longer and more detailed review on Craft Critique next month. Topic is the Olfa Chenille Cutter tool.

I had lots of fun making this little baby blankie and I think she likes it too! It has a few different flannel prints (including a pink plaid John Deere), as well as two chenille panels with different textures, and yellow eyelet trim.

** 7/6/2011 UPDATE**

The official OLFA Chenille Cutter review has been posted here.

fresh home repair with copic markers

2011-06-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

I think that I read somewhere a while back that someone used a Copic marker to touch up something that had a paint chip or similar type of fix-up. So after staring at a chip on our stained pine cabinet for a few weeks I decided to try out a Copic repair. It looks so much better! The pictures don't quite do it justice because you really don't even see the light wood underneath anymore.

before

after

first mother's day

2011-05-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yay for mothers! I can really celebrate since this is my first mother's day. And while I'm on that topic, why did I ever think that I would have more time for craft projects if I stayed at home with the baby? It was a rookie mistake.

But I have been spending every free minute I have (never longer than about 6 consecutive minutes) to make a beautiful card for my mom for mother's day. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I really like the end result. Toot toot!

I started with a little kraft paper bag that I had gotten on my last trip to Paper Tales. I knew that I would be able to use it for a future project and have been wanting to try making a inter-office style envelope like this. My orange Crop-A-Dile (with the long reach) was able to set the eyelets that were layered over some cardstock circles (from Papertrey) that I had punched out. And on one of the eyelets I also wrapped around some embroidery floss for the string before setting it with teh Crop-A-Dile. Presto - awesome envelope!

The card all started when I got the sewing stamp set from Stampin' Up. I had seen someone use the set on a card in the Split Coast Stampers newsletter, and had to get it. I colored in the sewing machine and tape measure with my Copic markers. Stamped buttons from a Hero Arts clear set and used Stickles for some shine. Also added some faux stitching with a white gel pen on the pink circle (Papertrey cardtock for that as well as the buttons).

Since the sewing set from Stampin' Up didn't come with any sentiments I knew that I would have to get something to go along with it. Then I found this alphabet set from Martha Stewart Crafts that can serve two purposes! Since it is in a typewriter font I can also create sentiments for my typewriter stamp from Hero. I love that this set has more than one of most letters so you can get a whole phrase without re-placing the letters on your clear block.

Let's see when I can grab another 6 minutes to start something new!

fresh easter recap

2011-05-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Got all my Easter crafts finished just in time! Got the baby's new Easter basket lined in 30's reproduction bunny fabric and finished with velvet ric rac.

Also made a first attempt at felt embellishments for a mother's day card. Need a little work on my embroidery skills, but I can see some potential for lots more fun!

Finished a couple more things for mother's day but I'll have to wait another week to reveal those secret projects. Also excited to be going back to Craft Critique as a reporter! Should have some articles ready for them to publish in a few weeks.

fresh {vintage} typewriter

2011-04-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have a typewriter to call my own again! Back when I was a kid I had this little blue typewriter that I would use to write stories and generally make a mess when I tried to "fix" the ink ribbon. Unfortunately the typewriter did not survive my childhood. Not long ago I decided that I MUST get my hands on a typewriter again so I can use it for journaling in my scrapbooks.

Since I couldn't afford the beautifully restored Royal pink one, I found a much more affordable one on eBay. And boy was I surprised when it arrived! Not only was it it really good working order (just needed a new ribbon and a tune-up), but it has script letters instead of the typical typewriter font. I still haven't decided if that is a good thing or not...since I really had my heart set on the "look" of typed journaling spots.

So for now I am practicing my typing and getting everything set up to get started on my first mini book for my baby girl. Planning to have a page or two for each month of her first year so I can include pictures and write about her milestones. More to come...

And while I was waiting for my typewriter to get its tune up completed I picked up this really fun typewriter stamp by Hero Arts. I don't have any sentiments to match it yet - like "just my type" - but plan to get at least one of those next. Had fun coloring it pink with my Copics which haven't been used in many, many months.

fresh easter cards

2011-04-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

It's almost Easter! And I have found some of the cutest decorations this year. They're a bit hard to see in this picture, but I found some vintage looking specked eggs at Michael's, which were the perfect addition to the wood basket I already had. I also found the jadeite bunny on a basket glass piece on eBay. Perfect for hiding treats!

I snuck in a 20 minute craft session last weekend and decided to make a couple easter cards with some paper scraps to keep it quick. The one below used a tag that I had actually made for last Easter, and then I just mounted it with foam dots onto a few layers of patterned paper and the card.

This one used the same chocolate bunny stamp image (from Stampin' Up), as well as my new favorite accent - baker's twine. The background paper is also one of my favorites - it is the apple blossom paper from Basic Grey a few years back. I distressed the edges a bit with a scraper and then some ink to give it a vintage feel. Got to send these off and start on that Easter basket before time gets away from me again!

spring time!

2011-03-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today is the Spring Equinox! Although it has been feeling spring-y around here for quite a few weeks. The first sign for me is always seeing lots of strawberries at the grocery store. There is not much I love more than a big delicious bowl of berries.

Second sign - Easter crafts. Now that I have a little one, I need to make a festive Easter basket that will last a lifetime. My brothers and I are still using the ones that my mom made for us back in the 80's. They have bunny fabric and ribbons and each one is a different shape. To carry on the tradition I plan to line this basket in the orange bunny fabric and add some fun velvet ric rak too.

More pictures to come...

fresh birthday flowers

2011-03-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

I love flowers! And what a surprise to get so many for my birthday this year. You can't tell in the picture but the orange and yellow bouquet actually had glitter sprayed onto it. The red tulips were potted so I can enjoy those year after year. The pink and white ones are still looking fresh a week later. And the ones on the table are Godiva chocolate tulips!

And a little sneak peek of what is coming...my typewriter from eBay is in the very last picture. It's in the shop now getting a tune up and a fresh ribbon!

fresh obsession - manual typewriter

2011-02-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

Last night my husband and I were watching a movie when I asked him to look up typewriters on craigslist. I figured that I could probably get one in okay working condition for about $40. It was a mistake to ask him to do the search...

Thinking that our local options were simply not good enough (and there weren't that many many manual typrewriters listed) he did a bigger search and stumbled upon this {$600} beauty. Now I'm pretty convinced that I need to have a pink typewriter. If only I had been looking two years ago this Royal pink one could have been all mine. Better start saving up my pennies.

And by the way - we talked about typewriters for almost two hours before he actually asked why I needed one. :)

fresh valentine's flowers

2011-02-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about what kind of flowers to give my mom for the last few weeks. And I was sure that I was going to do something with blue hydrangeas, but it all changed when I saw these pinky-orange roses.

I think the arrangement turned out pretty good for an amateur, but next time I'm going to try using some flower foam in the bottom to keep the stems from going all over the place.

And the reason I had hydrangeas on the brain...I finally found the batik that looks like a blue hydrangea (top row, third from left). I got the top row selections at Rosie's Calico Cupboard and the bottom row were all Christmas gifts from my sweet mother-in-law.

I have a throw pillow from my husband's grandma that has one tiny piece I have been trying to match for a while. Now that I have it I'll have to come up with an awesome project.

crafty recap

2011-02-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

It's been too long! While I was off having a baby I managed to squeeze in a couple crafty projects. I'll do a quick recap and then hopefully stay on top of more regular updates. I have lots more planned for this year - quilts, scrapbooks, mini books, cards, baby clothes, applique, and the list could go on and on.

From the baby shower...

A whole mess of onesies before they were decorated. We had a table set up with iron-on transfers, fabric markers and paints for everyone to decorate. Then I got to pick the winner!

I made a felt goodie bag for everyone to load up candy from the candy bar on their way out. The batik fabric leaves are die cut from the Tim Holtz sizzix die.

Yay for the candy bar! I still have leftover candy corn three months later...

Thank you notes for a co-worker that was having a baby...

I got a set of cards and envelops from Michael's and fancied them up with a Stampin' Up punch, baker's twine from The Twinery, and stamps from Memory Box (animals) and Stampin' Up (sentiment).

Christmas stocking for baby...

I didn't have much leftover fabric from the original set of stockings I made, so I had to get a few coordinating batik prints and make a quilted one. I actually like it better!

I also updated the gold sashes with some glittery snowflake fabric that I fell in love with.

Finishing touches on the baby room...

I had the best intentions when I started sewing the bumpers and skirt for the crib months before baby arrived, but my mom had to finish them in the end. Thanks mom!

baby shower banner

2010-09-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to finish a project! I had this banner done in almost one afternoon and I was so proud. I had seen a Martha Stewart project for a baby shower that had a mini flag banner as a table decoration and wanted to do something similar but on a bit bigger scale. So when I found myself with a Sunday afternoon to work on crafts (because it was WAY too hot outside) I dove right in.

I remembered that I had some Basic Grey chipboard letters from a while back and was happy to learn that they are self-adhesive! Did a quick paint job with some Adironack acrylic paint on my trust craft mat.

Followed that with a generous coating of the Tim Holtz Distress crackle paint in my favorite copper color. It took a long time for that layer to dry and crackle - but you can see that it turned out pretty nice! After about an hour I sanded the edges to get rid of any excess and they were ready to stick right onto the flags.

I had a stack of fall themes cardstock that was perfect for the project, and punched the white circles out of some extra Stardream paper that I had on my craft table. The flowers were made out of crepe paper streamers and the extra pieces of chipboard from my letters. Then I strung it all together on some gardening twine. Quick, easy, and cheap!!

I'm thinking about making a few more plain flag banners before the shower - skipping the letters will make them even faster. And I think they're the perfect mix of rustic and crafty.

baby shower invites - forest animals

2010-09-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Spent the last week making some baby shower invitations and I love them! Pink vellum overlay with a Stampin' Up woodgrain background in pink pearl ink, and a couple forest animals from Hero Arts and Amuse. To keep it from being "too pink" I used copper accents with the ribbon and some punched leaves (Marvy Uchida punch with Stardream metallic paper). The cardstock backing is 100% recycled, as is the kraft envelope. I showed my husband and he actually giggled when he saw the squirrels.

I've also been sewing some bedding for the crib in our baby room. The fabric on the top right (from Alexander Henry) is the main one and I have some green batik fabric and an orange print that coordinate like a dream! Right now I have all the pieces cut and in various states of assembly for a bumper and crib skirt. Also bought some coordinating fleece for a stuffed hedgehog toy that I saw in Stitch magazine - which is my new favorite! More pictures to come once I finish something.

And when I was cleaning out my fabric stash I noticed a large number of fruit prints that I'll have to make into something. I actually love these prints so much that I ordered a few bibs from etsy that use the same lines: berry bib & burp cloth, doughnuts bib, dachshund bib. Etsy is the best for the busy (okay I'll admit that I can be lazy) crafter!

Also gearing up for a quilt show next weekend that a bunch of my family members have quilts in. Can't wait to see them!

finally finished the quilt - 2 years later!

2010-08-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

With lots of help and moral support from my mom, the quilt that I started two years ago is done and ready for snuggling. It would actually still be in pieces if she hadn't taken it from me and finished it herself! I did all of the quilting on the long arm by myself, and helped with the binding (a little). But it turned out great!

Frank has already made himself at home with the quilt and says that he prefers the minky backing for his naps.

My mom and aunts coached me on the long arm part of the quilting and made me practice my design on a white board beforehand - that was a good idea because it was harder than I expected! I decided that I wanted contrast thread colors so you could see all of the hard work I did on the quilting: orange on top and brown on the back.

And to finish it off I signed my name in one of the bottom squares. So glad it's done so I can start on a new project!

Craft Critique Reviews

2010-06-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've had a number of reviews go up recently and I've fallen behind on my own personal blog. So here are the links.

Felt Comparison: Acrylic vs. Wool (lots of project ideas)

Omnigrid Foldaway Cutting and Pressing Station

Westcott Scissors and Paper Trimmers

Enjoy!

Hoping to show more progress on my Alaska scrapbook soon. Although I'll admit that I've already gotten sidetracked making a picture book on snapfish.com with pictures from a different vacation. It's always something!

a few new things

2010-05-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

I had a few new things that I've been wanting to try, including the Tim Holtz popcorn stamp that I'm convinced was made for me. There are many days when all I want for dinner is a nice big bowl of stove-popped popcorn (using my Whirly Pop...no Jiffy Pop in this house). But back to the crafts...

On this mini card I used a scrap of Creative Memories red cardstock from about 15 years ago, the Tim Holtz stamp, some Papertrey ink "vintage touch" ink along the edges before using the Making Memories distress tool, a Copic marker and Sakura Glaze pens to color in the image, and a bit of Distress Stickles on three of the popcorn kernels that I had cut out for extra dimension. Now I just need to have a movie night so I can use this as an invitation.

I've also made a resolution to finish up my Alaska scrapbook from our vacation three years ago. As soon as we got back I was excited to get started and had printed all of the pictures, but then one thing or another got in the way. I did this page for the scrapbook cover two years ago in another failed attempt to get back into it, but I'm really going to finish it this time!

hambly screenprints slideshow

2010-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

I am in LOVE with all that Hambly Screenprints has to offer (as evidenced by a very small sampling of their products that I have been hoarding).

This lovely California company got some great press this week that included a behind-the-scenes slideshow of their screenprinting process. Enjoy!

And PS - the latest word on the Hambly blog is that they will be offering some great deals this Saturday, May 1st in honor of National Scrapbook Day. So be sure to check it out this weekend.

smooch spritz review

2010-04-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

My second official Craft Critique review is up! This time I discussed my experiences with Clearsnap's Smooch Spritz, and you can see the whole review here.

And I also learned that Stampin' Up is starting to sell Smooch Spritz, so I'll be using it in some of my club classes soon. Can't wait to get more project ideas for it!

disclosure statement

crafting helper

2010-04-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

My little Franklin is always helping me whenever I'm working on the computer or a crafting project. Tonight he wanted to be a part of an upcoming Craft Critique review. I ended up leaving him out of the final review...but maybe it would have been better with this picture.

getting organized

2010-04-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

I would love to spend every day working on craft projects. But I usually get to a point every few months where I avoid my craft area entirely because it has become such a mess. I was at that point this weekend. So I spent a couple hours today filing away new scrapbook papers, storing fabrics I got for my birthday, recycling old magazines, deciding which product catalogs I want to keep (from CHA), and making a nice big pile of stuff to give away.

I also came up with a pile of craft books that I really want to read but haven't had the time. One quilting book, one with quilting stitches I want to learn for applique, another with felt projects (lots of pincushions), two on making books, and one with some great travel scrapbook ideas. Now I just need to find some time...

I also have a new fabric obsession. My husband's grandmother made this pillow and I just recently put it out in our living room. Every time I see it I can't help but think of how that lavender fabric on the top looks just like a hydrangea. I have to find some for my first applique project!

fresh chocolate bunny

2010-04-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!
We had an exciting family Easter that included mini golf, BBQ, and a 7.2 earthquake just south of the border! It had all of our hearts pounding for a quite a while afterwards. We just went back to cooking but kept saying, "Was that another aftershock?". Glad everyone is okay and I don't think there was any major damage in the area.

Before I knew how exciting the day would turn out I had been using my new Chocolate Bunny stamp from Stampin' Up. We used it in a class and I fell in love. Since you can only have so many chocolate bunny cut-outs, I decided to make a tag for my husband's easter basket. I also used a new Stampin' Up bird punch and the Papertrey Ink Vintage Touch ink to distress the bunny edges a bit.

tulle flower hair clips

2010-04-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I got the idea to make some tulle flowers after falling in love with some really expensive headbands on etsy.com that had some pink tulle flowers with pearls in the center. I searched high and low for a tutorial on how to make them, but settled on a technique that was originally intended for cardstock flowers.

First I cut out 24 tulle circles using a paper template that measures about 3" across. This is the spool of tulle I mentioned earlier that cost less than $2 for 25 yards!

Then I layered three circles at a time, folded in half, and then into thirds. You end up with a pie slice shape and I used my Tim Holtz tiny attacher to staple these to a piece of felt. You can see the end result (bottom view) here.

From there I used some different flower dies with my Cuttlebug to see which felt flower I wanted to layer on top of the tulle. Also looking at different button and color combination options.

Once I had secured the felt flower by sewing on the button, I used hot glue to secure the alligator clip underneath one more layer of felt on the back. This way all of the staples and button stitching is covered up, and the felt gives the clip a little extra grip.

I'm pretty happy with the final result! Planning to make at least a couple more for all of my girlfriends with young daughters.

dachshund applique

2010-03-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

My mom is the best seamstress I know. I was shocked when she came over last week with an apron she had just finished. I had seen it in various stages of completion (and I was there about a month ago when she picked out the fabrics at Rosie's). BUT the surprise was the applique she had put on the pocket of the apron - a long haired dachshund just like my Franklin Wiener!

She broke her wrist on the same night that she showed me the apron, so her sewing projects will be on hold for a while. She's going to get bored really quick. Wishing her a speedy recovery!

Club CK Giveaway

2010-03-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

Leave a comment on Craft Critique with your thoughts on the new Creating Keepsakes community and you'll be entered to win a one-year charter membership! They also have a coupon code for a discount on the membership...just in case you don't win! You can see all the details here. The winner will be picked on Wednesday, March 31st.

Disclosure statement

It's Official! I'm a real Craft Critique-er.

2010-03-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

A few months back when Craft Critique put out a call for reporters I got a rare surge of bravery and submitted a test review for the site. I was so surprised and excited to hear that they had picked me! And my first review was just posted here.
The fine print: whenever I link to one of my reviews I have to mention that I was not paid or bribed for my opinion.

Since my next review will be on Clearsnap's Smooch Spritz I decided to make a card to celebrate. And I needed something to do while my husband was finishing up our taxes tonight.

On this card I started with the antique text paper that I had sprayed for the review - it has the meanings of girl's names! Then added a distress flower that I had made with the Smooch Spritz and a McGill scallop punch a while back. It's topped off with and a Papertrey button and twine. Purple cardstock from Stampin' Up matted it quite nicely and then I decided to use the "celebrate" sentiment from one of Dawn McVey's Papertrey stamp sets. The rhinestones are from Kaiser Craft and the best value on the market I might add - 100 adhesive rhinestones for $2. You can see some of the dimension here:

Now the hardest part for me is figuring out how to mail this puppy. I am always worried about everything getting smashed, but a padded envelope just seems like overkill. Any advice?

birthday month!

2010-03-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I'll drag out my birthday celebration as long as possible. My husband put an end to birthday month last year - too much pressure on him I think. So this year I got birthday week. I have a number of friends with March birthdays, so there is still plenty of celebrating. My mom was kind enough to give me a number of crafty items for my birthday. I think most of them were picked up while we were on the quilt run a few weeks back.

Of course...Frank wanted to get in on the picture taking.

And speaking of that quilt run, I had picked up a Mother Goose panel to make a book for an upcoming one-year birthday party. In typical fashion I got all of the supplies but waited to start the project until the morning of the party. I was proud that a few times I ripped out a couple seams and went back to make sure they were straight - something I never would have done a year ago. It turned out far from perfect, but was absolutely made with love.

san diego quilt run

2010-03-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

A bunch of ladies in my family have been going on quilt runs for a few years now and this was my first time joining them. Glad I did - it was really fun! We left at 8AM yesterday morning to drive north for an hour to get to the first store and then 10 hours later ended at our 10th store for the day! It was quite a feat. But I got to see 7 stores that I had never been to - most of them fabulous and ones that I plan to go to many more times (a few not so much).

I fell in love with all of the colorful quilting and projects artfully displayed at Starry Night Hollow Quilts & Crafts. Loved walking through each room in this converted house and was so happy to see a whole rack of 1930's reproduction prints.

Near the end of our adventure we ran from our car in the rain to get to get to The Country Loft - another store that used to be a little bungalow house. The fabrics here weren't really my style, but I loved their selection of wool and wool felt and fell in love with a bunch of the penny rugs they had on display.

This is most of the fabric that I came home with. I had to stop buying about half way through the trip! But I have more than enough to make a couple aprons and who knows what else. The best part of the quilt run was the extended sale sections that most stores had. 4 out of the 5 fabrics below were marked down by 30%-50% (only the one on the right wasn't). I also got a pattern to make a really cute outfit for a little girl, as well as a panel to make a Mother Goose book. More on that to follow...

We ended the quilt run at Rosie's Calico Cupboard (one of my favorites) and were treated to a double rainbow! And a special note about Rosie's - for the quilt run they had about 10 table set up with "Staff Stash" sale items. Lots of cuts that the staff had in their own collections that they are selling. It was lots of fun looking through all of those - I didn't even have time to get through the whole 1930's print section before we were leaving for dinner.

And what could be better than ending the day at a local favorite for dinner? I had some Matzo Ball soup and brought home a bunch of cookies to eat while we all spread out the days purchases and fawned over everything. Better get started using it all up!

weekly recap: Papertrey, Hero Arts, & Copics!

2010-02-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

For some reason I had a bit more time than usual for crafting this week. It was awesome! I always forget that I should set aside time when I get home from work - another goal to work towards. But on to the projects...

I got my Color Cubbie in the mail and had so much fun filling it up. All of my scrapbooking pens had started to take over one of my office drawers, and the Copics were overflowing for the case I had for them on my desktop. The perfect solution:

I didn't even think I would have enough to fill in each of the cubbies! Just goes to show that I should start using all of the supplies I buy. Speaking of which - still haven't tried the Copic airbrushing can sitting next to the Color Cubbie. Once I had that all organized I wanted to use my Copics on that fabulous doughnut stamp from Hero Arts that I mentioned earlier. Also ended up using some Distress Stickles for the frosting.

And since I found myself with so much extra time this week, I dug out all of the Papertrey goodies that I ordered last time and put them in their storage cases. I couldn't wait to try out both the "In Bloom" and "Say It With Style" sets. It took a few tries to find an ink that would work with all of the fine lines on the flower stamp - ended up with Brilliance pigment ink. This card uses Papertrey cardstock (with the exception of the green), ribbon, button, twine, and stamps. The pink color of cardstock, button, and ribbon is called Melon Berry - I love it!

fresh aprons

2010-02-26T19:02:00.000-08:00

I have loved aprons for a long time - which my husband finds really funny since I don't do much cooking. But nonetheless the spark was ignited again when I found a really cute custom designed apron style on etsy.com. I order three aprons from a seller that isn't available anymore, but she gave me three different and very cute aprons that I gave to a group of friends. This one was my favorite:

And once I got over the excitement of giving those beauties, I got to work on an apron that I had started a while back. I fell in love with some Amy Butler fabric and had cut out all the pieces for this apron more than a year ago. Now it's done and I've been wearing it while crafting!

fresh distress tags

2010-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

I went to the CHA Craft Super Show back in January and had so much fun! A couple of the booths made some fabulous make-n-takes using Avery manila tags (like Mr. Tim Holtz does). I was inspired to make some - and figured it would be great to have some extra on hand to attach to a card or scrapbook page when I'm short on time. I picked up a pack of 100 at the office supply store for about $5.

I just made the one on the left using a Tim Holtz script stamp and distress inks, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Stickles lavender glitter, Copic purple markers, Papertrey button, the pom pom flowers I described here, and a scrap of ribbon. The middle and right ones were started at the CHA Craft Show and I brought them home and changed them up and embellished a bit. Both used the distress inks, and I even hunted down that ruler stamp afterwards because I fell in love with it.

And last night I decided I had to make a change in my Copic storage situation. I have outgrown the 36 marker case by 7 markers....so why not give myself a lot of room to grow? I ordered this handmade wood case that I've seen featured on both Dawn McVey and Jennifer McGuire's blogs. I'll let you know how much I love it once it gets here!

baby card & crepe paper obsession

2010-02-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

My obsession with using party store crepe paper continues! At less than $1 for about 100 feet - you can afford to play around and perfect your technique. I needed to send a congratulations card to my good friend who just had her baby girl. And I figured I would keep up my valentine's trend....and it was still sitting out on my desk. This card also uses two Memory Box stamps, Copic markers, Marvey Uchida circle punch, and Tsukineko inks (Memento and Brilliance).

I had a chance to get to a few local craft stores this weekend and found some great new items that have come out recently. My favorite is this doughnut stamp from Hero Arts! Anyone who knows me knows that doughnuts are always on my mind. I had to have it and can't wait to play with colors on the frosting and sprinkles.

fresh valentine tags

2010-02-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

I decided to make treat bags for my coworkers with homemade butterscotch cookies this year. And what better way to use up all of those scraps you've been saving than to make a bunch of gift tags!

I had so much fun making these with all the random bits and pieces that I have collected over the last couple months. I also used some crepe paper from the party store (70 cents for a roll) and a couple different colors of felt (on sale for 16 cents per square). I also used some Stickles, a set of Marvey Uchida heart punches, and a new set of Stampin' Up clear heart stamps (on the left).

fresh roses

2010-01-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just need to buy yourself some flowers! My husband surprised me with some houseguests and I needed a quick way to spruce up the house...and calm me down a bit. I was heading to the wholesale flower market to get some tulle ribbon (you'll see that used in some upcoming projects!) and decided to see what I could get for $10 in the huge flower fridge.

Turns out you can get two dozen beautiful roses for $14! So I splurged and got these lovelies. I was even excited to pull out a centerpiece vase from our wedding that has been in storage, and try out an arranging technique I learned from Martha Stewart. She suggests creating a grid on top of the vase with clear scotch tape. That way you have a lot more control over where the stems fall. I think it turned out pretty well on my first try! Here's a top view:

fresh mini album gift

2010-01-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun visiting friends in the midwest between Christmas and New Year's! They were good friends that I hadn't seen in a long time, and one was in town all the way from Germany. She is like a whirlwind and I figured that I would make her a little album with the pictures that I had since there is no way she'll have time to do it!

This is me and my mr. in front of the Milwaukee art museum on New Year's Day. We proceeded to walk back to our hotel in cold and windy weather that made my legs numb!

The album was quick and easy - just using some acid-free mod podge to adhere the cardstock to some chipboard. Then cutting those pieces and the interior pages to size. Punched everything with my Crop-A-Dile, and stuck it all together with some fun green loose leaf rings. I picked the foam Thickers from American Crafts because they were more lightweight than the glitter ones. I have no idea if it made a difference in postage - but this baby went all the way to Germany.

And the mini album had a matching card using a few things that I had sitting out on the crafting table: a Basic Grey rub-on, scrap of ribbon, scalloped punch from EK Success, paper from the mini, and my favorite copper glitter.

finished the first fresh quilt!

2009-12-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

It was a very proud day when I finished my first quilt! And it just happened to be a present for my girlfriend from college that is having a baby. I had to finish it on Christmas day in order to leave enough time for myself to pack up and visit her in Chicago. We had so much fun catching up on everything that's happened in the last four years.

fresh jam

2009-12-15T20:12:00.000-08:00

Boy were we wrong when thought it would be quick and easy to make some jam for family and friends this Christmas! But it was a learning experience and I think it would be a whole lot smoother the next time around. Our day started out nice and lazy with some shopping for supplies at the local Ace Hardware - they have a small canning section. And then we realized that our pot wasn't big enough to hold the rack that Ace carried. No big deal we think - we'll just use tongs to get the jars in and out of the boiling water. Bad idea! But each jar sealed and the final product is a delicious blackberry and raspberry jam. Merry Christmas to all the lucky recipients!

fresh christmas cheer

2009-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite time of year! The weather is getting cooler (although it was still 75 degrees yesterday on Thanksgiving) and I'm starting to get into the Christmas spirit. Nothing gets me ready for the holidays more than watching Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase and starting a big batch of Christmas cards to send out to friends and family.

I watched the movie last night as soon as we got home from Thanksgiving dinner and now I'm trying to finalize a design for our Christmas card....here are a few iterations that I've gone through. Nothing is final yet except that I want the main colors to be pink and green (those were my wedding colors too!).

These ones have letter stamps from 7 Gypsies and Papertrey Ink. The reindeer stamp is from Memory Box and I used Copic markers and Stickles to pretty it up a bit. The pink strip is Stardream metallic paper that I ran through the Cuttlebug with a snowflake embossing folder.

fresh pom pom flowers

2009-11-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

I learned a new technique for making paper flowers over on Leah Fung's website. The video was great and showed exactly how to make these beautiful little paper beauties. This was my first batch, made with antique book papers, Adirondack acrylic paint, Papertrey buttons, and a McGill punch.

My plans for the next few batches include using tissue paper, old maps, distress inks, glitter....who knows what else!

fresh quilting

2009-10-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

I've started a new craft! I have always been interested in sewing but never felt like I was any good at it. Now I have all the right supplies, including a great sewing machine and lots of help from experienced seamstresses. I dove right into a baby quilt for one of my friends that is expecting in early 2010. The first few steps went really quickly and I ended the day with laying out the pattern so I can start sewing the full blocks next weekend!

fresh vacation

2009-10-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Just getting back into the swing of things after vacation, and happy to have had some time for crafting over the last few days. This is the absolute quickest that I have ever had framed vacation photos up - less than two weeks! These frames have been waiting to go up on the wall so I took the opportunity to frame some of our favorites from Crater Lake and Olympic National Park.

And also whipped up a quick card for my cousin's wedding using a bunch of fun supplies. I used the Tim Holtz c

rackle paint in copper on some textured packaging that I saved for a special project, along with tons of red to match their wedding theme. The background stamp is from Heidi Swapp and I used Versamark champagne ink. I also have some crepe paper from the party store on there and a page from a book I just got an estate sale (distressed with Tim Holtz ink in worn lipstick). Hope it makes it through the mail okay!

fresh shopping

2009-08-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am always so happy to get emails from my local craft stores announcing sales...who doesn't love a sale? I took a drive to one such event yesterday during my lunch break and was excited to find lots of great things on sale and a bunch of new goodies to try.

I had been eyeing the Amuse stamp set for snail mail and decided that I couldn't wait any longer (it wasn't on sale). And picked up a bunch of great paper from Hambly, American Crafts, and Luxe to try out a themed mini album - can you guess the theme? Then I decided it was time to try out some different brands of pigment pens and adhesive. I got a navy blue Pigment Pro fine line pen from American Crafts and the Glue Glider Pro (which was on sale). We'll see if they can top my long running favorites.

And when I got home yesterday I was shocked to see a package from American Crafts! I had taken a look at their latest catalog online last week and was already making a wishlist. But they sent me a hard copy WITH a bunch a new items to take a look at! I can't wait to place an order for some brand new invitation sets and guest books.

fresh smorgasbord

2009-07-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

The weekend always escapes too quickly! But I did get a start on a tri-fold card that I think I'm going to send off to my mother-in-law in Hawaii. The goal was to use up a bunch of extras I had cluttering up my craft space. So it's a bit of a smorgasbord. I love making these crepe paper flowers now so they'll be popping up on everything I send out. And I had some extra Basic Grey letters that happened to be the right color. I've been putting little white accents on them lately as a little something extra.

On the inside, I used a new Hero Arts flourish stamp and colored in the bird with my Copic markers (love them!). Also added some felt flowers and a little gem in the middle. I'm planning to include a picture on the middle pane, and a note on the right one. I also wanted to try out the Amuse beehive stamp that I just picked up to go along with the Memory Box bee stamp I have been using for years.

And yesterday when I went to go see some family, my aunt had just finished making this pin cushion when I walked in the door. She is always showing off her quilting projects (which are amazing) so I told her how much I loved the little pink flowers. And she gave it to me! Now I'm off to fix some loose buttons on a new dress before work tomorrow.

fresh and colorful flowers!

2009-06-29T18:14:00.001-07:00

What an inspiration to come home from work and see these beautiful flowers in our front yard. I'm lucky enough to live in a warm climate that keeps these hibiscus in bloom all year.

And of course, Frank is always happy to see me when I get home. Today he thought we were going for a walk when I got out my camera. Wishful thinking.

fresh lotus card

2009-06-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

It was one of the first hot days this summer. And how did I spend it? Inside working on crafts of course...for at least a couple hours. We did just get back from an awesome Greek feast out on the restaurant's patio. The weather is perfect for outdoor dinners. But back to the important stuff.

I took a class this week where I got to play with Copic markers again and it got me all excited to start another project with my improved techniques. I have been dying to use this lotus flower stamp (from Savvy Stamps) that I found when exploring a new scrapbook store last month. And also used some Papertrey card stock and ribbon for the first time. You can also see the Copic color chart that I am slowly filling in. The Sketch markers are really hard to find around me - everyone else is using the Ciao and Original versions.

Products used: Papertrey Ink card stock and ribbon, Copic markers, Memento and Brilliance inks, Tim Holtz Distress Ink and tool, Memory Box sentiment stamp, and Fiskars Apron Lace edge punch.

fresh graduation present

2009-06-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

I love finishing a project! Luckily I had all the pieces for this one and was able to finish in one afternoon. Like I mentioned earlier, I went to visit my brother last month to see his senior exhibition of art work. He just graduated and I wanted to put a mini book together for him. He can show it off at his graduation party and then keep it as a little memento.

I got to use some new EK punches that I was lucky enough to find on sale (the crab shape and the photo corners). Also used some more Thickers from American Crafts and my DYMO label maker. The mini album itself is also American Crafts and made the whole project so easy!

fresh album

2009-06-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

It's been too long! And I have been dying to finish this album. Not just to post the pictures, but because I have been planning all of the special pieces of the album for months! Still not 100% finished but here it is:

I used a big sheet of paper from Paper Source for the covers. It took two tries to adhere it, but the spray adhesive from 3M did the trick. I haven't had much luck when trying to use the acid free version of Mod Podge. And it was a lot more work than I planned on in order to cut out around the scallop edges of the covers...but worth it I think. Also used some Thickers for the title, red crystals, and gold stickles to enhance some grungeboard swirls.

I started planning the album way back in January when I saw these new covers and page protectors from Zutter at CHA. Love them! And all the pieces finally came together.

baby brother's senior exhibition

2009-05-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick picture of my little brother showing off his ceramic works of art at his senior exhibition this weekend.

And the most delicious (and large) hot chocolate I've ever had! I heart Scharffen Berger.

and one more Hero card this weekend

2009-05-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

I had to get a thank you card in the mail ASAP so I decided to use a little bit of all the new goodies I've been wanting to try. Some Hero Arts stamps, McGill bird punch, and the Copics I have been dreaming about buying for months! I still need some practice with them but the blending is so much fun.

fresh fruit - love these Hero Arts stamps!

2009-05-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

I was making birthday cards recently and couldn't get enough of these Hero Arts fruits! I loved the four apples set so much that I had to get the sparkle clear set too. I used both in this card.

My first contest entry!

2009-04-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am taking a leap and entering a contest on the Hero Arts blog...since I am loving the distress inks so much and that happens to be the topic this week. Here's the card.

And I am so happy that I found the antique dictionary I've been looking for at an estate sale this weekend! It's from the 1940s and I got it for $1.00 - can't beat that. I have so many project ideas that needed little bits of text in them. Better get started.

I finally figured it out!

2009-04-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to come home last week and see a package from Tim Holtz in the mail! And look at the fabulous prize he sent: Stamper's Anonymous stamps, Distress Inks, and a mini Glossy Accents.

I had been watching some of his demos online and was trying to get the hang of distressing edges using the foam pads. I've made a few very pathetic attempts over the past year and usually just ended up getting frustrated. But this time I tried his advice to go very lightly and hold the tool at an angle. Lo and behold - no square ink marks to be seen!

a fresh start

2009-04-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

It's official - the impossible has happened! I won a prize on the Tim Holtz blog and received an actual email from him today. I figured this would be the best start to the blog I have been wanting to create for a long time.

I can't wait to get the package and post some pictures!