December 2012 Album

I  started this December Daily-esque  album right after Christmas 2012. I was pretty close to finishing it when I put it aside for something else. I pulled it out in preparation for submitting to the Craft Warehouse design team. That is when I realized I was not quite finished.

I still  haven't finished all of the journaling, but I am slowly working on it. I want to do another book this year for December/Christmas, so I am trying to get this one wrapped up.

I really wanted to get this posted so I took pictures before the journaling was done.

I love this book. It went together so quickly and the finished product is one of my favorites to date. Binder, paper, paper, trims and stickers are all from Teresa Collins Christmas Memory Binder Kit plus a things from my stash.

Way back in 2012 I was shopping my local Craft Warehouse when I found the binder kit and some extras on sale and I knew it would be a perfect for my first attempt at a December Daily. I didn't quire get the daily part done, but I did get the highlights from the month.

Sorry for the picture overload. Enjoy.

Altered Typeset Tray - Family Edition

Yet another project I finished over a year ago and didn't take pictures of. I bought this Typeset Tray Kit at Archiver's 4+ years ago and it sat in my craft room waiting for the perfect time to be used.

After we got home from an amazing family reunion trip to the Oregon Coast, I knew just what I wanted to do with it. I lost the instructions that came with the kit, so I winged it.

I think it turned out pretty great, if I do say do myself.  Hubby even liked (really  liked) it and let me put a whole in the wall to hang it in the front dining room!

 

Stacked Frames

I am so thrilled with the way these stacked frames turned out. And they were super simple, too! I can't wait to finish painting the hall so we can get them up.

I am currently obsessed with all thing monogram, so I definitely love the "L" addition to the outside of the glass on the family photo.

And, because I adore my kiddos (when they are not trying to kill each other or me) this sheet of gold My Mind's Eye paper was perfect for one of my favorite pictures of them.

Supplies:

• 2 each 12" x 12" frame
• 2 each 5" x 5" frame
• 2 each 12" x 12" scrapbook paper - I used My Mind's Eye
• 2 each 5" x 5" coordination scrapbook paper
• strong adhesive (I used E6000) or adhesive backed hook and loop
• pictures cropped to 3.5"
• chipboard monogram letter
• acrylic paint
• Liquid Glass

To make frames:

1. Place 12" x 12" scrapbook paper in each frame
2. Cut coordinating paper to small frame size
3. Adhere cropped picture to center of coordinating paper and place in frame
4. Adhere small frame to outside center of large frame glass. If plan on changing out the picture or paper in the small frames, use small pieces of adhesive backed hook and loop on the back of the small frame and glass of the large frame. I love these and don't plan on changing them out so I glued the small frame to the large frame glass with E6000. You may need to remove the table stand leg from the back of the small frame before adhering to the large frame, also.
5. For the monogram letter, you can used pre-finished or create your own. I made my L by painting a plain chipboard letter with black acrylic craft paint and covering with Liquid Glass to give it shine.
6. Adhere letter to outside glass of large frame with strong glue. Again, I used E6000.

I have actually had these frames done  for over a year after seeing something similar at my local Craft Warehouse and being inspired. I finally found the time to crop and print the pictures I wanted to put in them in. Now to get them hung...

Bright Summer Banners

I decide to brighten up the house for summer and made a few quick buntings, banners and burlap wreath.

 

I had seen similar wreaths on Pinterest and other blogs  and figured I could make one. I used a thin styroform ring and wrapped it in wide burlap ribbon. I used Doodlebug Fruit Stand paper and stickers to create the mini flag bunting and medallion.

For the FUN and SUMMER banners, I also used Doodlebug Fruit Stand papers and stickers. I cut all the banner shapes using the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and spelled out  FUN and SUMMER with Thickers.

Fall Fun Mini Album

Another project I started and almost finished over a year ago was this super cute mini album about a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. I set it aside to finish the journaling and add a few minor touches and didn't touch it until recently.

I LOVE the warm colors in these My Mind's Eye papers - they just feel like fall to me.

I obviously still have the journaling to do, but I will get too it. Eventually.

The other thing I love about this mini album is the pictures. I am not a fn of having my picture taken, but I love these ones of us as a family!

Pink Hippo Diaper Cake

A great gal I work with is having a a baby girl any day now, so we threw her a baby shower lunch and I made another diaper cake. This time it was pinks with a touch of orange and a cute hippo topper. This is a pretty streamline and simple cake, but suits the new mama just fine,

Pink Bunny Diaper Cake

Last spring I made this super cute Monkey Themed Diaper Cake for my brother and sister-in-law when I flew out to New York for their baby shower.

I recently made this very girly and pink bunny diaper cake for a friend who is expecting their second daughter any day now. (I am stalking Facebook for updates and I write this.)

I was really happy with how this turned out. So cute, so pink, so girly.

I used soft pink flannel to band the bottom and middle tiers and decorated them with a feather clip and pink bows I found at my local Craft Warehouse.

I topped the cake with a cute and super soft pink bunny rattle I picked up when a local baby store closed and  tied it with some pink "It's a Girl" ribbon I had in my stash.

I have pictures somewhere of a really cute baby boy Winnie-the-Pooh cake somewhere, too. I hope to find those and make a tutorial on how I make my diaper cakes.

Thanks for looking!

Create to Win ~ Altered Frame

I got motivated to be crafty by the chance to win an awesome prize from Create and Studio Calico. This challenge involved a project using Studio Calico products, which I have been wanting to try. I decided to make a frame using some papers from the Abroad collection for one of my favorite photos of dear Hubby and me before we were married. We traveled to Ireland with a group of friends for the wedding of Shane and Lila, 2 people we adore. The trip was amazing, once in a lifetime, with that many people who are our friend-family.

My frame turned out great (in my opinion) and I have the perfect spot on the night stand for it so I can see it everyday.

The challenge called for a video, but I am not sure how to do that well, so I took pictures.

Paper: Studio Calico Abroad (Departure, First Class, Destination); Stickers: Studio Calico Hearts & Arrows, Darling Dear Letter Set and Take Note Flair Badges; Wood Veneers: Studio Calico Classic Calico Hearts & Arrows and Abroad Cameras; Gems: Studio Calico Darling Dear Opaque Gems; Tag: Studio Calico Heyday Ephemera Pack

Again, I am super happy with the way it turned out and I am now a definite fan of Studio Calico. Fingers crossed that I win the awesome prize pack.

6” x 6” Pocket Album

So, I started this album over a year ago and just couldn't get motivated to finish it. Then DCWV and Create had a challenge to create something with DCWV paper. If your project is selected, you win 12 DCWV stacks!! That is a lot of pretty paper and I really would love to add it to my stash, so I pulled this out and worked like a mad woman to get it down. I still need to add the journaling, but it is done otherwise.

I used DCWV Spring Stack, Spring Glitter Stack, Spring Stack Cardstock, Spring Glitter Chipboard and Spring Glitter Rub-Ons.

Supply List:

• 4 each coordinating patterned paper or cardstock
• 2 - 4 each coordinating solid cardstock
• Coordinating punch outs, stickers, etc.
• Coordinating brads
• 12-18 inches ribbon to tie book
• 12-18 inches ribbon or rick rack for embellishment

Required Tools:

• Paper trimmer
• Scissors
• Tape runner, photo tape or other strong adhesive
• Embossing stylus, bone folder or scoring tool
• Crop-a-dile/hole punch
• Journaling pen(s)

Other Tools:

• Scallop scissors
• Decorative punches
• Stamps

INSTRUCTIONS:

You will use 3 pieces of paper or cardstock for the pages.

Score the outside of each page at 3” from left edge and 3” from right edge using a Scor-pal or ruler and embossing stylus.   

Fold in the edges in to the center.

From the 4^th piece of pattern paper or cardstock, cut 3 each 1” x 12” strip of paper.

Adhere the strips along the center seam of the 3 folded pages.

To make a pocket on one of the pages, cut away one of the folded flaps.

Attach the bottom half of the fold with a tape runner along the side edge and secure with a brad on the back side, creating a pocket. 

Cover the brad and only the folded paper with one of the 1” x 12” strips.

Do not glue the pocket shut. Adhere strip only to patterned paper, creating a pocket and covering back side of brads. 

Score each folded page on the outside at 6” so it folds in half to a 6” x 6” booklet. 

 

Layer all of the pages together and punch with Crop-a-dial of hole punch about 1” from top and bottom. 

Tie book together with ribbon.

Decorate pages to your liking with your photos, punch outs, stickers, journaling, stamps, embellishments, etc.

For pull out pages, cut remaining paper or cardstock into 4 each 5 ¾” x 5 ¾” squares. Make page pulls or tags from circle punch or chip board.  I Used both.

 

Finished 6 x 6 mini pocket album

Inside pocket page with pull out photo. Room to journal on the back. You could have 2-3 photos/tags/journal spots here.

Pull out pocket pages total 4 with front and back space for more photos or journaling.

 

I am really happy with how it turned out. I am also happy for the contest that forced me to finish it, whether or not I win. (Although, I really really really REALLY want to be one of the winners!)