Playing With Claudine Hellmuth in my Craft Studio on a Snow Day

Playing in the snow? I wish, but the kids are a little old and crusty about all that anymore, so I am inside playing with Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Line products instead. Nothing quite like getting gloriously messy is there? Her new stamps work so beautifully with her paint line, and I used Archival ink for the clear outline stamps just in case I needed or wanted to get it wet again for some reason before I put it all on the mini canvas.
Maybe I can talk my kids into a few snowballs and some cocoa later, but for now the craft studio is warm, cozy and providing plenty of fun!
Head over to the CLASSroom blog and leave comments on the 12 Days of Christmas posts for chances to win really great crafting products!

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Steampunk Graphic 45 and UTEE Jewelry

The Steampunk collection from Graphic 45 was the perfect paper for my UTEE jewelry! There is a post over at the CLASSroom with a tutorial and helpful hints for creating projects similar to this if you are interested. Very easy and great for gift giving, these are the kind of projects that people oooh and aaaah over and are amazed that you did it yourself. You can keep the smile on your face when you let them think that it took all day to make when in reality it was only an hour or so :o)

Be careful though, once you start making them everyone on your list will want one and you may have to start your own Etsy shop to keep up with the demand...

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Quick Gift Card and Money Holders

I wanted to share a quick way to make some gift card and money holders that will also double as tags and ornaments. It is fun when you wake up on Christmas morning and on the tree there are all kind of extra little goodies that have been left by Santa and the elves! And having a really great gift wrapped up with a cute tag letting everyone know who it is for that is also holding an extra little treat raises the excitement to a whole new level!





















 I used some really FAB Hambly products to make a few of these fun items and did a quick walk through to share how you can do it too!

For a money holder I started with a piece of Hambly Silver Chicken Coop overlay that was trimmed at 3" wide and 7" tall, then a piece of inexpensive laserjet transparency for the back at the same size.

 Stitch around three side, I left one of the long ones open because I wanted it to be easy to slip the money in and out, but if you are a prankster you could do it the other way.

 Carefully place a rub-on in the location you would like it to be, and starting rubbing!!






















 Add a place for the to and from and maybe a snowflake for the tree topper, it is all good!






















Punch a hole in the top and then add the cash and then it is ready to be hung on the tree or tied to a gift box! And who doesn't love a little cash? The perfect gift for all occasions!

If you are giving gift cards, do the same thing only measure for the gift card instead. This time I placed the inexpensive transparency as the top layer and put a rub-on there as well for a little more dimension, so cool!
Add the gift card and place on the tree or as the gift tag! The great thing about these bad boys is that they are re-usable too! Sturdy enough to use every year for the kids that are at home, or re-purpose as a page element for extra pictures or a pocket for some journaling, cute!!!

For a fun gift tag that can start as an ornament until you are ready to get it onto the box fold a pleated flower and then hot glue the ribbon or string on.
















Very festive, and again you can re-purpose to a page by snipping off the ribbon, and putting it on a card or page! I found the kraft card stock stickers came off pretty easily and it would look great with a button or a big bow in the center instead!






















And if your brain isn't ready to explode with all of these fun ideas, and you need a quick gift as well, place some of those gorgeous rub-ons  onto some glass containers and give the gifts of goodies!

Who doesn't love some delish snacks in adorable containers that can be used year after year?

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Tussy Mussy Tutorial

Do you love to make flowers, or interested in learning how? I wrote and photographed a really fun and easy to follow tutorial for making flowers and a Tussy Mussy holder for the flowers in Ellen Hutson's new E Magazine called Create that is on sale now in her digital download section of her shop.

 

This designing and photography for this project took a lot of creative energy and time, so please give credit back to me if you create the flowers or the Tussy Mussy. The magazine also has really useful information for coloring with Copic Pens, and some very interesting interviews with Claudine Hellmuth and Brandin O'Neill. There are also fun techniques to try and some really great templates included as well. 50 pages of really high quality information for your paper crafting cravings.

Perfect gift for yourself and a very inexpensive gift certificate can make it a wonderful gift to those hard to shop for friends and family that love creating as well  :o)

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I Have Been Keeping a Big Secret!!

And I am so excited that I can finally let the whole world know!

In May 2011, from the 27th through the 29th I will be in fabulous Palm Springs with some extraordinarily talented artists sharing and teaching what I love to do! Art-Full Horizons is an opportunity for people who love creating to come and enjoy time with others who love to do the same thing! An exciting schedule that is packed with all kinds of delightful events, a gorgeous place to hang out and lots of new friends just waiting to be made!
I hope some of you can come and play with us!!
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Snowflakes That Fall

So simple, but I love it.
Some snowflakes cut out of Hambly's gorgeous pearl white with screen printed gold snowflakes. I stitched the swirls on my sewing machine and then adhered the little snowflakes into place.
This picture of Carter being used as a shield by his daddy during a snowball fight is so super cute that I really wanted it to shine. Our family loves the snow and this picture captures that fun so beautifully :o)

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Peace On Earth

Not a lot of time to post, but wanted to share...

So here is a little Christmas card made with some Doodlebug and Basic Grey that makes me happy and keeps my priorities for this season straight, hopefully it works for you too!

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Glitz and Glam!

A really fun tutorial to make your own stamps and to recreate the look of this tag are up in the CLASS room.

It is one of the favorite tags I have ever made, the combination of the sparkle from the glitter and embossing powder mix with the metal details makes me weak in the knees!!


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So Very Merry

Are you in the holiday spirit yet? I was struggling to find some, we have been really busy and there just hasn't been the time or more importantly, we haven't made time to appreciate the reason for the season. A sweet friend and I spent the evening together at the Dickens Festival at the Utah State Fairgrounds and while it was light on the Dickens and heavy on the noisy and bustling, it was a great way for me to find my holiday spirit. I think taking the time to slow down and step away from everything that is constantly pulling on me was what it took for the merry to find a way in.
A card made with Doodlebug's adorable Christmas line is almost sweet enough to need a trip to the dentist's office to fill the cavities it creates. This is what the holidays are about for me, time with my loved ones appreciating all the reasons that we have to make merry. So nice to be reminded of that and get back on track.

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Day 6

Ellen has been working and playing so hard that she asked me if I wouldn't mind helping her make a couple of tags for the 12 tags of Christmas with a feminine twist over at the CLASS room. I loved doing this last year with Lisa, so I was thrilled when Ellen invited me to share some ideas there.

This is sneak peek of what you will find over there, instructions and all!
If you have time, play along, you will find loads of inspiration and some fun and time saving tips. Ellen and I share what we have learned from our trials and errors and pass this helpful information along to you!
Wishing for snow and lots of merry!
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There Was This One Time...

 One of the projects that I made as a Guest Artist for Pink Paislee was this layout. I love this color combination and the background treatment was fun to think up, The one layer was misted with a mix of Ranger Dimensional Pearls that had been diluted with water in a Mini-Mister. The circles were punched and then inked individually to get different depth of color to make them more interesting. I don't know how I thought of the diagonal stitching, but I had done it on this layout first and like it so much that I used it for the Hambly one I did with the squares. I will most definitely be using that again as I am so enamored with the results. The picture was stitched on three sides so that it could hold some hidden journaling. The paper has so much script on it already that I didn't want the story to have to fight for attention or distract from the design. The little butterfly was easy to color with more dimensional pearls that had been diluted and applied with a paint brush. It makes a great pull tab for the journaling card.

Laurel is such a great story teller, she always has fun anecdotes and thrives on the opportunity to share some of her days occurrences. We love that she is so open to sharing her life with us, and is quite entertaining.

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100 Days

It is the most WONDERFUL time of the year!!!

We are in the 100 day count down for Tyler coming home and on Christmas Day we will get to talk to him for an hour, the perfect gift for mom and dad that is for sure!
So just a quick little card that expresses how I feel with the snow that has fallen and the warmth that this season puts in my heart, it really is the most wonderful time of the year :o)

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Some Pink Paislee Love

For the last month I have had the pleasure of playing with a whole lot of Parisian Anthology from Pink Paislee. These products are so beautiful and each feels like a blank canvas just waiting for whatever my brain could come up with. Rebecca asked me to make 3-4 projects that would then be shared with their blog readers.

I did make 3, then 4 and then couldn't stop so after a mini-album a few layouts and a gift bag I should have been done. But to be honest, I can't stop playing with it! I still have some projects mid-progress with this line, can't wait to share those as well.



One of the layouts that I made is about my sweet dog Novak who is such a mommy's boy. He comes in to my studio a few times a day to get some some snuggles and let me know that he loves me unconditionally. It is wonderful to have that sweet reminder everyday of what is really important, helps keep my priorities straight. Seemed like an important part of my story to share.

Anyway, I am so grateful that Pink Paislee gave me the opportunity to share my enthusiasm for their beautiful products  :o)

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Comfy?

 I hope everyone is happy, cozy and comfy as we settle in to give thanks for all that we are blessed with. Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday and I love how it gives me a reason to pause and appreciate every detail in my life, large and small.


Our little family has had many struggles this last year, but even more successes, and opportunities for growth and I don't know that it is something I would recognize without taking some time to reflect. As I was die cutting these leaves for a Hambly blog tutorial each of them reminded me of how individual and unique our blessings are, but how similar they are as well.


















* We have constantly dirty floors, but we have two of the most beautiful dogs that love us all unconditionally.
* A schedule that is often hectic and seemingly out of balance, but we are lucky to have so many places that we are welcomed warmly and with enthusiasm.
* A son that we haven't seen for close to two years that has taken precious time out of his life to share what he believes strongly in.
* Children who are sassy and at times completely exhausting, that are amazing, independent and intelligent individuals.

Of course there are loads more examples, but you get the idea, the human condition is so very fragile, and very consistent. We all need shelter, food, love and peace. I hope that this weekend brings you all of those things.

Many wishes for a very blessed Thanksgiving.
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A Peek Into Your Soul

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Not to much going on today, except waking up to about 15" of new snow on the ground, so beautiful!
I love this Hambly layout, it is that bits and bobble kind of project that is so fun to put together and doesn't need a whole lot of journaling to tell a story.
Up to my eyeballs in projects and writing, can't wait to share what it is I have been up to lately...

soon!!!

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November Card Group

Last Saturday our card group got together and swapped Christmas gift tags instead of the usual cards. We did this last year as well, and it is really great to have a handful of fabulous gift tags on hand for wrapping those special gifts. It is also nice to not have such a big project to make twelve of when we are in the middle of busy season but still needing a reason to get together to eat, craft and catch up.

I loved the Pink Paislee Christmas line this year, and one of the papers had twelve panels of vintage Santa images, perfect for card group creating! This is the tag that I ended up with out of the pile, but each one was different, makes it very fun!

We also decorated little notebooks, so I pulled out my Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather and put some of it together to make a fun notebook that looks really cute sitting on the counter waiting for grocery lists, notes to let us know where someone is or maybe even a little love note  ;o)

I was also playing with my Mitten Weather when I was making the gift box tutorial for this CLASS room post.

It is an easy project, and they are so useful for smaller holiday gifts that are hard to find gift bags or small boxes for. (like gifts cards and candy!)

Anyway, the weather here is definitely making a turn toward winter and that makes it Mitten Weather for sure, lol! I have a bunch of crafty stuff on the table, so that is where I will be while the storms are rolling. We are also very excited about Thanksgiving, doing a lot of menu prep for it and getting recipes organized are some of my favorite things to do to get ready! Do you like to do the cooking or the eating? I do enjoy the eating part, but the cooking is definitely what I most enjoy!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a warm safe and relaxing weekend!
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Some Hambly Thanksgiving Decor

Tutorial for some very cool and easy to create Thanksgiving decor is up at the Hambly blog.

Not much to post about tonight, it has been a very hectic week so far and we are turning in much earlier than usual so we can get through our extra long day tomorrow...















tickets to the midnight showing for Harry Potter 7 and we don't want to be falling asleep in awkward places (ahem, Novak.)

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Rondonia?

I can't say it properly in Portuguese, and I am not even sure if that is the correct spelling or if there is an accent somewhere, but that is where my son is right now on his LDS mission in Brazil. Of course we had to Google Earth the location. Do you do that too with a location that you are unfamiliar with? Not even sure how much help that was for us. We don't know the name of the town in Rondonia that Tyler will be living in, and have yet to hear from him since he let us know last week that he would be taking a 30 hour bus ride from the town of Dourados, to somewhere in Rondonia.

As you can see, this location is pretty close to the middle of  the entire South American continent and looks very rural. We are excited to hear about the people he meets, the sights he sees and what the foods and culture are like. What an incredible adventure!!
Meanwhile at home we are about as boring as you could get, school going on as usual for the kids and I am enjoying my craft room working on some Hambly things and a few projects with Pink Paislee's House of Three Parisian Anthology for my guest time with them for this month. Loads of fun playing with these products and the chance to share what I love doing with others.
Can't wait to share some of the projects here!
Happy Adventurous Autumn to my Northern Hemisphere friends and to my Southern Hemisphere friends, Happy Splendid Spring!!
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Busy, Busy, Busy

Not sure if it is me just spinning my wheels, or if  "that" time of year has officially arrived, but man am I busy. I like busy, so this is a good thing, but keeping each of the individual things I am working on moving forward and seeing them through to completion has my head spinning just a little bit. Are you feeling the same way, or am I alone in this?
Since it is also that time of year where giving thanks and reflecting on our blessings is key, I have been trying to post what I am thankful for on Facebook each day. Some of those status updates have been:

Things I am grateful for today, the friends that know my hopes and dreams so well that they know when to call and why, pomegranates (even though they are messy and make your hands an awful color) and wet dog noses.

Things I am grateful for today, Diet Pepsi, a husband that spoils me, texting with friends and the beautiful dark rust color that appears on the leaves only this time of year.

Things I am grateful for today, sleeping in very late, my alma mater in the biggest football game of the season (GO UTES!), flannel pj's and shipping boxes with my name on them.

Things I am grateful for today, the freedom to worship where, how and what I may (thanks to the many veterans and their sacrifices), the sweet voices of children singing songs of worship and praise, the opportunity to love and be loved unconditionally and washers and dryers.

I am looking forward to doing this each day as I have found it really helps me to become more introspective and appreciative of how great things are and what really matters. I try really hard each day during the rest of the year to have an attitude of gratitude, but this year I wanted to put it in writing, the verbalizing of my blessings makes them seem even larger and apparent to me and somehow makes them even more meaningful. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This card was fun to make, and there is a write up for it over at the CLASSroom blog. I picture each of those leaves being an individual thanks that I want to share with the friend that I had in mind when I made it. Sometimes it isn't possible to make a list, so here is hoping that the visual helps get that special message across.

Hoping that the busy stays and doesn't bring too much stress along with it!

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Just Around the Corner

Halloween was wonderful, and now just around the corner we have Thanksgiving to celebrate!!
I love this time of year! There are some new recipes to try and a menu to create for the big day, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it! This little layout was made in just a few minutes and uses a bunch of gorgeous Pink Paislee products. Kind of sad, my brother and his family moved back to Texas this summer, so they won't be able to join us for special occasions anymore. It was a good thing for them though, so we will be giving thanks for that at least. How cute is this picture of my niece holding that enormous drumstick? Tyler won't be home yet though, but only four more months!!
So grateful for the little things today!!

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Spooky Treats Box

 Sharing a tutorial on how to make this box over at the CLASSroom. The Hocus Pocus papers from Pink Paislee are so fun to use and didn't require much embellishment because they are already so fabulous!
But this project can be great for almost any occasion, so don't limit yourself to just Halloween, it is a great way to share candy, pictures or even a little mini-album. The possibilities are limitless  :o)

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Goofy Much?

Laurel and her sweetie celebrated their year anniversary together on Saturday, so cute!! He brought her a gorgeous arrangement of orchids and she got him a t-shirt from one of his favorite bands. They went to an art show, out for dinner at their favorite Indian restaurant and then hung out with us at home for a little while. I am so happy that they enjoy each others company so very much and have a very fun and energetic relationship. I feel so very blessed to have children that I love and respect so much and that they are so good at finding people to have in their lives that feel the same way about them as I do.

:o)

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Hambly Halloween Mini-Album

 Making a Halloween album was a fun, quick and easy using the green Frame and Grid overlays and a sheet of the black Halloween rub-ons. By keeping the color scheme simple and using a clear album it placed the pictures in the spotlight and assemblage fun. As I printed out pictures I edited them to be in pairs, a front and a back. That way when they were placed on the overlays there wasn't much trimming left to be done, all I had to do was adhere them in place on their pages.

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