Happy Saturday! Oh wait it's actually Sunday!  I wanted to show you all what to do when you can't find paper that works with your photo the way you want it too. I wanted my background paper to mimic the circles on Siena's pink dress and couldn't find any paper that worked with it. So what I did was, I matched embroidery floss with the colors on her dress (dark pink and lime green) and stitched in my own circles on white card stock. To make sure that the circles were in fact round, I used my paper piercer and a plastic canvas circle. Yes, a one of these!

And it worked perfectly!  I got round circles that were pre-pierced and easy to sew. I back stitched the circles onto the white card stock, stamped my girls names on, added a paper ruffle border, a crochet flower and a polka dot button and it was done!  I love the contrast between the pink and lime green cards stock. I have a lot of portrait type pictures of the girls and I don't feel the need to journal on each scrapbook page I made from them.  However, I do always try to keep the photo as the main focus of the layout.

I Got My Smash Book... Yay!!!

Happy Friday Everyone!

I got my Smash Book.  I am so excited. These things are so popular that they have been out of stock and I got mine today.  I got the Pretty Pink Smash Folio,3 packages of the Calendar Smash Pockets, a package of Smash Tabs and the Blue Smash Bands.  The idea is to bring this folio with you and you can scrap life as it happens. Like Scrappin' in Real Time!  So cool!  You can get yours at www.eksuccessbrands.com/kandcompany    I can't wait to start!

Smash Book

Yay!  UPS has verified that my Smash Book from K&Company will be here to day, Seeing as I ordered it on September 26th, I am psyched that it will finally be here.  If you haven't seen the Smash Books check out this link. http://www.eksuccessbrands.com/kandcompany/  This is the coolest in documenting life as it happens.
Pretty darn cool eh?

Hey Ghosties and Ghoulies!  So in our neighborhood we are doing this thing. You decorate some kind of container...we've gotten a felt ghostie bag and a plastic pumpkin so far. The containers are stuffed with Halloween treats. So we got these cute little plastic cauldrons and stuffed them with tissue paper, some glow sticks, and one each of these candy bars that I decorated this morning. We left these on two of our neighbors door steps....rang the bell and ran like heck!  It was fun. I like the way the mummies came out better this time. I cut out strips of paper, inked them like crazy with brown ink, then wrapped them around a sleeve I made for the candy bars earlier, glued on the googly eyes and WaaahLaaah!  Cute Mummies. The pumpkins are done with Stampin Up stamps and ink, and I cut the ghosties out by hand.  I hope you all are having a blast this Halloween season!

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150364854768232

Hey Again Peeps, this is a video I made of my Hobby Lobby/ Sacramento Scrapbook Expo Haul.  What didn't I buy?  Oh the ribbon and fabric paper are by Mon Ami Gabby.  I have been trying to figure out the whole editing thing but haven't quite gotten there yet.  Oh also those are clear stamps not clear stickers LOL.  I can be so dorkafied sometimes!

Have a great Monday everyone!  I am going to go glue something on to something else!

Halloween Cards for the Teachers

I made two cards for my daughters teachers, the one on the right was made from a kit the one on the left is I made from scratch with some help from the embellies!

Christmas Candle Project and My First Video!

Hey Peeps, this is another candle project using the wax paper technique. I also added embellishments with both my hot glue gun and Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots.  Flowers were from Joann's and Leaves were from Michael's, Gold Tissue paper was from the grocery store. LOL and I used my Victorian Edged scissors to trim the top of the tissue paper.  This was a fun project. Please check out the video so you can see my first attempt at making one.  Scary eh?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpHH_j9m0UA&feature=autoshare

Happiness is a New Bottle Of Quck Dry Adhesive!

Just when I thought today was going to be the horror show that yesterday was, Mr. Postman brought me a my new bottle of 450 Quick Dry! So as I think of what to do next on my huge to do list...I shall sing.." Mr. Postman bring me some glue....I have the paper...I'll know what to do....Mr. Postman...bring me some glue....450 Quick dry and Zap dots tooooooo!!!!"  As you can probably tell I love Helmar products and none of the stores around here carry it.  Well until this coming Saturday when Hobby Lobby Opens.  I was lucky in this case because I had gotten a Vacuum cleaner company to over night this bottle to me!  Thank You Vacuum cleaner company!  Now I can go glue to my hearts content! 

In the Spirit of Halloween

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to post a Halloween themed scrapbook page. I did this one from pictures I have seen of "ghosts" the paranormal fascinates me...because we just don't know for sure. So this page was made using black card stock by Bazzil Basics, the chipboard letters were cut out with Sizzix letters  with my Cuttle Bug Machine, then painted with both black, white and grey paint. The embellishments are Jolee's, felt ghosts were from Joann's I think? Oh the ghost eyes are gem stone stickers (generic brand), because even the dead need jewelry! I used a white Stampin' Up pen for the text.

Ghosts? Fact or Fiction...You Decide!

Halloween Hershey Bars

Hi Everyone,

Its getting late here but I wanted to post this cute idea that I used to make Halloween Mummies for my 4th/5th grade art class tomorrow morning (I made 28 of them). We are doing Creepy Art...the kids will be learning about Tim Burton, Victoria Francis and Caspar David Friedrich. Along with those amazing artists they will learn how color affects mood.  And I decorated treats for them to enjoy during the presentation and art project. Yeah my kids (the ones at the school) are just as spoiled as my two kids at home.  So check out the little Mummies that I made using full sized Hershey Bars, White Tissue Streamers, Googly Eyes,a Helmar Tape Runner and Helmar Scrap Dots.  

Happy Halloween!

Paper Posies

Hi Everyone
I am going to show you or better yet give you instructions on how to make this adorable Paper Posy!

The Finished Posy

For this project you are going to need the following supplies.

• 1 sheet of double sided patterned card stock or a large scrap piece, (this one was from my scrap basket, I believe it was from Stampin' Up).  
• 1 sheet or scraps of a solid color card stock that will blend in with your patterned paper. For this demo I used a scrap of sage green paper from Creative Memories.
• Helmar Adhesives: Zap Dots, 450 Quick Dry, and Liquid Scrap Dots
• Ink Pad to coordinate with your patterned paper, I used Stampin Up!
• Round Punches in sizes, 2 1/2" this one is made by Marvy, 1 1/2", and 1 1/4 Inches.  I used my 9 year old Creative Memories punches!
• Buttons, one for each flower that you make.
• Bone Folder 

The Supplies 

You have your supplies?  Great lets get started!

The first thing your going to do is take your solid card stock and punch out one 2 1/2" circle and one 1 1/2" circle.  Set these aside. Then your going to punch out (8) 1 1/2" circles and (8) 1 1/4" circles. You will have 16 patterned paper circles and two solid paper circles. Then your going to ink the edges of all your circles with your ink pad.

The Circles Punched Out

Circles Inked

The next step is to use your bone folder and fold your circles into a cone shape. Just like the picture below.

Circles folded into a cone shape.

Do this to all 16 of your double sided patterned card stock circles. 

Please note that on the larger (1 1/2") circles the card stock is faced one way and on the smaller circles 

(1 1/4") circles the card stock is faced the other way.

Next, remember those solid colored card stock circles?  Get those out because now we are going to be getting them ready to be the bases for our flowers.  Take one Zap Dot and attach it to the center of both the large and small circle.  Then using your 450 Quick Dry spread a thin layer of adhesive to the card stock around but not on the Zap Dot.

The Circles with Zap Dots

Circle with Zap Dot and 450 Quick Dry

The next step is to take the large base piece, with the Zap Dot and 450 Quick Dry and place your larger cones around the Zap Dot.  Then your going to do the same thing with your smaller circle and and cones. If you need to trim off some of the pointed end of the cone to make them fit that is OK. It is also OK if you don't use all of your coned circles.

Circling your Zap Dot with the Cones

The Finished Layers

Notice how the larger layer has the card stock facing one way and the lower level has it just the opposite?  Now you can stand up the little petals on the smaller layer...see how I did it?  I left the lower layer's petals flat.

Now you're going to break out your Liquid Scrap Dots and your button!  Take off the Zap Dot covering on the larger layer and add a bulb of Liquid Scrap Dots...this will give your second layer some height. Place your second layer on top of the first layer. DO NOT press hard, you don't want to flatten your Scrap Dot.  Next peel off the Zap Dot covering and add a bulb of Liquid Scrap Dots on top of it. Gently place your button on top of the Scrap Dots, being careful not to press down. Yes, I know I said that already...but....its an important point.  Once you have your button in place set your new blossom aside to dry. The Scrap Dots take about ten minutes to firm up, but a while to cure.

The Bottom Layer with Scrap Dots

The Top Layer with Scrap Dots

Mazel Tov! You have a finished Paper Posy!

Once the button is in place and it has cured and dried, you can use them on the front of cards, on scrapbook pages, home decor items. Spray with a sealer and you can even put them on hair accessories. The options are limitless.  And most importantly Have Fun With It!  Its not brain surgery, no one will die if your Paper Posy isn't Perfect....because even the real ones aren't!

Our finished Posy and a couple of others I did earlier this month.
Try different card stocks and sizes of circles.  Have Fun!  

Hi Everyone!
Since this is my first blog post I think I should probably tell you who I am and why I am making this blog.
My name is Laurie and I am married to a wonderful man named Marshall.  We have two beautiful daughters that we adopted from China.  Siena is 10 years old and Anya (Ani) is all of 8.  We have a very spoiled Yorkie named Boo, she is 4 years old.  I am a SAHM (that would be Stay at Home Mom), but I am involved in a lot. I am co-writing a new art program for our school with the lovely and talented Courtney. Courtney is one of my best buds! I am working on an Up-cycling ( taking things that would be thrown away and turning it into something wonderful and useful) event for the school for this spring and of course our Fall Carnival. I volunteer in my girls classes and I teach art once a month in their classes as well.  Those lessons come from the program that Courtney and I are writing.
I used to be an interior designer but when they handed Siena to me in China in 2001, nothing else mattered.  But I needed a creative outlet, so I learned to scrapbook, make cards, and do other general crafts. Now 9 years later I have been on design teams, taught classes, and am now writing a program.
I love crafts, and I find that sometimes I have a BIG budget but most of the time I am working with a medium sized or small sized budget, occasionally I come up with an idea and I have NO budget.
On this blog, and my reason for starting it, is that I want to share my knowledge and ideas with you. You will see some of the crafts, scrapbook pages, and cards I have made. You will see the evolution of my scrappin' space and how I am hoping to turn it into a lovely, comfortable and efficient work space. You will see demonstrations and instructions to make some of my favorite projects and of course I want to see yours as well.
So here goes and I hope you enjoy my blog.
Laurie