Sweet Scrapbook Page

Pages don't get much easier than this!!!  This is a GORGEOUS paper from the Die Cuts With a View Sweet Stack. The texture and sparkle in it are breathtaking in person!  With a paper this fabulous I didn't want to over-do it and take away from it's beauty.  I used Sure Cuts a Lot to cut out the word Sweet.    Then I took my 4 by 6 photo, and just cut around it with my Martha Stewart paper scissors, which I LOVE!

I adhered the photo with my Scotch repositionable glue stick, and I ran the letter through my Xyron machine to adhere them.  Super easy and quick!  I did have some trouble with the letters, I'm sure you can see they aren't exactly even. I think the problem is that I centered the middle "E" and worked around it.  Since the W is a lot wider than the other E it kind of threw off my proportions.  Oh well!  I should have used the repositionable Xyron adhesive instead of the permanant.  So, that's my tip if you attempt this page!  *LOL*  Luckily, I was able to just say "heck with it, it's good enough" and move on!  :)  I am really working hard not to be too perfectionistic about all this, and instead take pride in all I'm accomplishing and be proud I'm actually DOING my daughter's baby book!!!!

Pink and Lime Scrapbook Page

This is a really fun page I enjoyed designing.  Lots of fun stickers gave me my color scheme, and I used some hot pink ribbon and a lime green glitter button for added interest and texture.  While I like to keep things simple, I also enjoy a bit of layering or other special touches now and again.  I was really tickled with the way the spunky sticker fit the size of my ribbon so well, and I love the layered effect that simple touch created!

The stickers are all 3 Birds brand, same with the glitter button.  They are all available exclusive through the Home Shopping Network.  They have some fun stuff on their website.  The ribbon is by Offray.  I have no idea about the cardstock.  I keep so much cardstock that it's pretty impossible to remember where it's all from!

Teal & Brown Scrapbook Page

Here's just a basic scrapbook page I did.  I really enjoyed this color combination of teal and brown.  I played for a long time with the potential fonts to cut.  Three different ones are used.  I cut them using my Cricut and Sure Cuts a Lot.  I am not totally satisfied with the T.  I love the shape, but I wish it were more bold.  Luckily, instead of not doing the page at all over something like that I finished it anyways and love the results.  All the rest of the embellishments are 3 Birds brand, available from HSN. 

Hand Embroidered Baby Onesie

I made a sweet baby carriage, hand embroidered on a baby onesie for a baby gift!  It's been a long time since I've done hand embroidery!  I really struggled with the french knots, but I love the results!  Click on the image above to see it in more detail.  My favorite part is the spirals on the bottom, I am very pleased with how I was able to get the stitches to flow into each other!

Screw Perfection!

OK,  I am really, really working on killing the perfectionist in me!  It's especially important when doing my arts and crafts because I can be totally nuts!

I was able to get 12 pages of my daughter done, which I'll be sharing on here soon.  :)  The only way I got through them was just doing it. Not agonizing over every little detail.  There are some crooked things, some colors that aren't exactly what I wanted, etc.  Yet, the pages are all cute, and I'm still preserving precious memories.

It is so hard sometimes to shut up that voice in my head that says it's not good enough, that it will never be good enough, because it's FINE!  Why is it so hard for me to see that?!

Years from now when my children look at their baby scrapbooks I'm sure they will treasure them, and appreciate what I've done preserving those memories, I doubt a crooked photo will ruin all that hard work!  Never getting them done for fear of them not being perfect.... now that would be the real loss!

Scrapbook Page!

Boy am I excited!  Lately I have gotten SO many new papercrafting supplies, with my main goal to do scrapbooks, and I haven't had time to do any pages!  Today, that changed and I finally finished one!

It probably isn't totally complete yet.  I would like to add an embellishment of a dinosaur, and either some bones, or some dino footprints, but I have no idea what I'd use yet.  I have to browse stickers, stamps, designs I can cut with my Cricut, etc.  So... it could be awhile.

I decided that it's better to get going now, instead of waiting until everything is perfect, or I'll never get anything done.  I tend to have that problem!  I wait until everything is just so.... and then I'm waiting forever!  I needed to push myself out of that rut and get my butt moving!

The pic isn't the best, but here it is!  I am hoping to get a better system for taking photos, with some focused lighting and a better backdrop.  Click on the photo to see it larger, you can see it a lot better that way!  :)

A Small Challenge for Myself

I recently got a whole bunch of new papercrafting goodies from the Home Shopping Network.  I just couldn't pass up some really good deals.  One of the kits I ordered came with a whole bunch of great papers, and even some prefolded, printed cards.  I liked all the designs, but typically when working with something small, like a card I tend to stay away from heavily patterened backgrounds for fear of how to use them.  So, I decided to challenge myself a bit and flex my creative muscles.

I chose one of the patterns of cards, the one I thought would be the most difficult for me to work with, and I decided to make 3 different cards.  I figured they could all be similar, but had to have slight differences, so in the future I would have an idea of what kinds of things worked best.  They were all very simple and quick to do, and I'm really pleased with the results!

I think when crafting, it's super easy to get into a rut where you find yourself repeating the same techniques over and over again, using the same colors, or whatever.  One of the things that excites me the most about getting large kits is that since I don't pick each individual item, I find things that are not my typical style to help challenge me to learn new techniques.

Wow! This is an amazing tool!

OK, my Ultimate Crafter's Companion arrived the other day. Last night I made some time to sit and play with it. I cannot believe how user friendly it is! I was really enjoying using it, even with no previous experience and very little clue what I was doing initially!

At first I was confused as to what this thing was when I saw it advertised in a paper crafting magazine I enjoy. So, I'll explain it to you all the best way I can in case you're wondering as well. It is mainly a series of flat boards, all put together in a great tote style way, with a few tools stored inside as well. It has lots of lines on it, and shapes as well. There are different purposes for different areas of the box, all clearly labeled! One is with measurements for envelopes, and enveloboxes, which are envelopes, with added depth to fit larger, fancier cards that have more dimension! Another is for box making. Another is for card making, with easy labels to help when using different paper sizes and different folds and styles of cards! All over the board are different embossing shapes, some are corners, perfect for decorating envelope flaps, some are perfectly designed to be symetrical and easy to use for creating pop out and k cards. Stored inside are the tools, including pegs that go on the outside of the box to help you tie perfect bows, a paper trimmer that fits right into the center of the board, and the multi purpose tools that work for scoring and embossing, and getting a perfect crease in your work!

This even came with a VERY detailed DVD that walks you step by step through some really neat, fancy cards. I am so thrilled that I purchased this and so excited with all the possibilities it provides! Even my husband was pretty impressed when he saw me watching part of the DVD. The ideas she gives are real treasures.

Anyways, so that's what it is! It does all the measuring for you and gives you a great work surface and makes things easy to line up and make perfect! I spent very little time playigng with it, and I made a pretty little gate fold card with a coordinating envelope, and I also tried my hand at a pop out card, which came out pretty well.  I used pretty crappy paper for it, so I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I was mainly experimenting. 

I am thrilled with the simple gate fold card I made!  It was so simple!  I think this fold really shows off the pretty paper that I chose to use.  I added 3 simple stickers and I was done!  I could do a lot more embellishing on it, but this is one of those things that I truly think looks better done simply.  The pattern of the cardstock is so gorgeous I hate to detract from it by going too crazy decorating, which I find easy to do!  I did do a touch of super simple embossing on the envelope.  I couldn't resist!  I wanted to try out the corner embossing designs. 

So, for anyone who is interested in handmade greetings I highly recommend this product!  I am so excited about it!  I am hoping to spend some time making a bunch of cards very soon!  My sister in law is due with her second child, a little girl, in November and I can't wait to do something really fancy and fun for a baby card!  I found some super cute metal charms online I'd like to order and include somehow.

Going Paper Crafting Crazy!

Well, I'm on a paper crafting mission all of the sudden! *LOL* I got several new books, mainly on cardmaking, this past weekend! I picked up a few Martha Stewart craft items the other day as well. Most exciting for me I just ordered this tool that I think will be pretty neat. I am planning on using it to help me make cards and envelopes. http://www.crafterscompanion.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=9

I am going to be doing my daughter's baby book here very soon and am so excited about it! Of course I want it to be perfect so I'm stocking up on all kinds of supplies and learning new techniques. My sister in law is having a baby in November, so I am super excited to make an extra special card for her as well! I'd love to send out a fancy Christmas card this year too, but I will have to see how things go! That will be a pretty intense project.

I would like to highly recommend a book I got at Barnes and Noble! It is AMAZING!!!! It's taught me all the rubber stamping techniques I ever wanted to learn, and some I was totally unaware of. It's very detailed and step-by-step. There are also a ton of specific card projects for inspiration! It's The Rubber Stampers Bible. I can't say enough nice things about it!!! It was truly worth every penny! I have learned SO much and really enjoyed it! Here's a link to it online, but I was able to find mine in stock in the store! http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Rubber-Stampers-Bible/Reid/e/9780715318515/?itm=1

Back at It!

OK, I am slowly but surely getting back in the game!!! I have started working on the cross stitch I was nearly done with before my son was born. I am hoping to get it done this month, which is a very reasonable goal since it's so close to being finished.

It feels good. Even though I can only work on it for very short, interuppted periods, it feels really good!

I am also going to get serious about finishing up some decorating in my daughter's room! I have been slow in making progress on it, and I'm ready to really get it looking spiffed up! I'll post some pics soon of what I have done, and then the progress I make. I'm pretty excited about her girlie pink and brown cupcake themed room!!! Fit for a princess!