Graphic 45 Design Team 2012 Audition

I am in LOVE with Graphic 45 and I don't think that is a secret to anyone, lol!!

So after kicking myself for a year for not trying out for the team, I am sending in a submission for this year's tryout. Come what may they will always be one of my favorite manufacturer's!

Of course I have many, many more projects made with Graphic 45 happiness, but most of them I can't share because of publication or other concerns. 

Wish me luck!!

B-

Master Class for Papercraft Inspirations

I completely forgot to share a project from clear back in December from the January issue of Papercraft Inspirations. I had been asked to contribute some projects using metal foil techniques.

I loved the warm colors on this project, the alcohol inks dabbed onto the embossed metal look so luscious in real life, and the Memory Box die cuts add a beautiful sophistication. The other technique I shared can be found on 73 of the same issue.

Hoping everyone is having a delightful and very crafty weekend!
B-

Winners from World Card Making Day Blog Hop Posted!

Hey All!!




















Thanks for coming by to see who won a box goodies!!

Congrats to Calamity Jane who left comment #15!
Please contact me and let me know how I can get this to you  :o)

I also have the opportunity to give away a copy of the Paper Crafts March/April issue so...

Jeannie you were comment #84!!

get back to me and we can let Paper Crafts know where to send that!

Hope everyone has a very happy and creative Wednesday!
B-

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Just a quick share of a project I made with Bella Girl from Ruby Rock-It, starring Laurel.

I just love this picture and it was so fun to scrap it with this vibrant collection!

Little details and some Picket Fence Distress Stain keep this project pretty but simple.

B-

World Card Making Day Winners Blog Hop With a Giveaway!

Hi and welcome to our blog hop!

I was so excited to win and be included with this very talented group of ladies, and loved the very generous box of product that the winners received from the sponsors of this contest. To pay it forward and share the love, I am packing up a lovely box of goodies and picking a winner from all of the people who leave a comment on this post by Monday the 20th and will pick a winner on Wednesday the 22nd. Even more exciting, is that all of the participants in the blog post are doing the same thing, so if you comment on every post your odds of winning increase substantially!

Your next stop on this celebratory hop is Carol Bloomberg's blog.

Happy Hopping!

B-


Card was made with:
Lilly Bee: Head Over Heels (aqua and red dot), and Picket Fence (red gingham) and letter stickers all Designed by Julia Stainton
Picket Fence Distress Stain
Prima wood button
Maya Road flowers and kraft tag with distress stain on it
May Arts ribbon
Vintage sewing pattern paper gathered and distress stained, then adhered to back of circle
Zva Creative crystal swirl
Craft store doilie


p.s. sorry to all, set the timer, but it didn't cooperate. Thanks for the patience everyone!

Super Pooped!

Okay, so I am more than a little exhausted from a long day of working, but I loved the projects that I shared on my Ruby Rock-It post so much today that I just wanted to give a quick share here as well.

They are all made from the Bella! Wedding collection, and you should see the warm shimmer of that pink in person, delish!

Okay, off to bed so I can start all over again tomorrow!
B-

Graphic 45 Metal Butterflies and UTEE with Perfect Pearls Tutorial

The new metal butterflies that Graphic 45 just released this show are so darling! I have had a lot of fun bending, shaping and embellishing them, and thought it would be fun to share a tutorial on adding color using UTEE and Perfect Pearls.



















I started with some basic supplies:

UTEE
Perfect Pearls in a variety of colors
Perfect Medium Pens
Perfect Medium Brushes
Ranger Distress Embossing Ink
Heat It tool
Graphic 45 Metal (butterflies to be store soon!)
Of course this technique works beautifully on the other metal staples as well.

Start by applying the distress embossing ink lightly to the surface of the metal by placing a drop on and then smearing around with your finger. I bent the butterflies with round nose pliers before beginning, they can be bent after but the UTEE will crack. That is a great technique and look for a more vintage look, so don't think it is a bad thing and not try it down the road at some time.

Sprinkle a layer of UTEE onto the metal and then heat on a safe surface until completely melted with the Heat It tool.

Lay down lines with the Perfect Medium pen where you will want to add color. For this butterfly I started by going around the outside edges.

Apply the Perfect Pearl color of your choice with the puffy brush by lightly dabbing in the color tub and then   brushing and swirling the pearl into place. The medium will pick up the color and the brush will whisk away what doesn't stick so the pearl won't be where you don't want it.
Melt with the Heat It until the pearl blends with the UTEE.

Keep adding layers of pearl colors as desired.

You can also lightly and carefully sprinkle a little extra UTEE on while the piece is hot to "loosen up" the pearl if it feels to clumpy.

This is what the butterfly looks like when the lines from the pen are kept intact.

















And this one I used the UTEE to loosen up the lines, but drew "eyes" on the butterfly's wings. The colors were inspired by those of a peacock and were fun to try and imitate.



















This technique is really easy and quite fun to experiment with, the possibilities are limitless!

Have fun!!
B-

New Free Graphic 45 Project Sheet

I am really enjoying all of the pictures from the CHA floor, and love seeing random pictures of some of the things that I had the chance to create coming through with all of the other inspiring projects. It makes me feel better about not having the opportunity to go this year.

This particular picture is from the fantastic people at Paper Crafts, I handmade all of the hibiscus flowers and leaves for the Tropical Travelogue line, and even though they were difficult, I am so pleased with the results!

Graphic 45 is giving people a chance to win their favorite collection before it is even in the stores, go check out the details at their blog, and while you are their, pick up a really fun Le Cirque Project Sheet for free!!! Doing a little creating is a nice way to spend our time if we can't be in Anaheim!

I have spent quite a few hours doing searches for this particular type of domed lid rustic lunch pail, but didn't have much luck with retail. But what I did find might even be a better fit for truly special family memories. If you have a relative with a pail that has a story to tell, perfection! If not, I did do an ebay.com search and there are some spectacular vintage pieces there, or maybe a trip to your local thrift or salvation army shop will result in a delightful find. The pail needs to be at 10 1/2" on the width or at the diagonal for this project to fit inside.














I am working on a fun tutorial with the newest metal butterflies from Graphic 45 and hope to have that ready to share soon! In the mean time, I hope everyone is enjoying their winter crafting time!!

B-

All of My CHA Projects Are On Their Way!

Oh what a relief it is!!

Project sheets, booth samples, and eye candy all either left last week in crates or tomorrow in suitcases with the fabulous Diane Shultz! There have been some really long days/nights to get everything prepared to Diane's exacting standards, but trust me when I say that the Graphic 45 booth is going to be "the place" for eye candy and inspiration! And I am not just saying this because I am biased, having the insider track on what happens and how with the in house team is amazing! I seriously feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I get to work and be mentored by Diane, she is class, grace and genuine kindness rolled into one itty, bitty, elegant body!

Over on the Graphic 45 blog they are sharing a project sheet that I designed for them. ABC Primer is one of my all time favorite releases, and I had a blast creating this project! And with the new releases coming out this show I have a couple more all time favorites! The Olde Curiousity Shoppe is clever, witty and a wonderful color combination, and the Kraft Reflections just makes me weak in the knees it is so beautiful!! All of this is why I am THE luckiest girl in the world!!

(I did not cover this clock, but I did get to add the butterflies on the spiral wires to embellish it. Not sure if it was James or Briston who covered it, but it is perfect!)

Signed with much sincerity,
B-
(aka the luckiest girl in the world!)

Stamp It! 3 Ways is Moxie Fab!

Do you ever visit Moxie Fab? You know, the trends blog written by the delightful Cath Edvalson? The one with exciting challenges, gorgeous eye candy and inspiring projects? If you don't, then trust me and head there at least once a day for a large does of chirpy and cheeky crafty happiness, you won't regret it.
Today one of my projects from Stamp It! 3 Ways was featured, and I am thrilled to be included with the other Moxie-tastic people who were highlighted as well. Even though I really like my card and it is one of my fave color combos, you have to head over to see Julia Stainton's, it is divine!!

Also on the Ruby Rock-It blog there is a fun challenge to use old and/or new elements in a project.

Head on over for the details, and some more great inspiration from the team members.

I am off to go catch a few zzzzzzzz's before tackling a busy Saturday, but thanks for stopping by!!
B-

Oh my!

Just a few minutes to share something fun between crafting my little heart out, eating a few bites for sustenance and closing my eyes so they won't bleed when I start crafting again tomorrow.

I made this gorgeous mini album with Graphic 45's Tropical Travleogue. I can't wait to put pictures in it from the trip the hubbers and I took to Jamaica a couple of years ago. The pages are made by covering chipboard with paper, punching holes with a Crop-o-Dile and then threading it all together with a beautiful Graphic 45 Doorplate as the binding.

I wish like crazy I could share what I have been making, but it is all headed to CHA with Graphic 45, and I haven't even had time to snap a few pics for sneak peeks! But if you are interested, and you happen to be going, stop by the booth and ask Diane for a tour, she knows every detail of every little thing in that will be on display. It is going to be a beautiful booth, very worth a looksee!!

And with that I am off to read the road maps on my eyes!

B-

Paper Craft Reject

Even thought they weren't picked up for publication, they sure are fun!!

All of the product is from Tropical Travelogue. I really wish I could take a trip to the sun and sand right now, but since I can't get away, dreaming and playing with paper so lush and beautiful gets me pretty close  :o)

It is a bit of a cheeky card, but the stamps made me do it   ;o)

I wish this frame had photographed a little better, but the dimension in real life is wonderful. The picture is from our honeymoon in Jamaica almost 25 years ago. I looked so much better in a swimsuit then, lol!!

If you had a project that didn't get selected, leave a link to your blog and I will be sure to come by and leave some love!!

Happy Crafting!
B-

Pretty Little Card with Tropical Travelogue

I am neck deep in crafting for CHA, and one of my favorite lines right now is the Tropical Travelogue from Graphic 45! It is so lush and elegant but has a wonderful casual feel to it as well, so versatile!!

Some Memory Box and Spellbinder dies, a Prima flower with Midori ribbon and my Tropical Travelogue paper has turned into a pretty little card that is ready to head out the door to brighten someone's day in the middle of winter!!

There are also some very fun releases from Ruby Rock-It that I am loving!

Having a lot of fun creating, and my studio is beckoning, so off I go!

B-

Wow!!

Okay, 2012 has come out swinging, and I have been dodging and diving while trying to get my to do list done!
The week has been filled with work on CHA projects a class at Heartland and even a little tennis so I can claim to have exercised at some point during the new year!
I have a ton of things to share, so hope you are willing to stick with me!!
First, Ruby Rock-It is sharing sneak peeks of their products that are set to debut at CHA at the end of this month, and having this product in hand to play with I can assure you that it is must have stuff!!

If you are interested in winning it before it is even released, go to the blog and leave a comment on one of the posts from the week, if you want to improve your odds substantially leave a comment on all of them! The team has worked hard to inspire and intrigue, so why not share a little love with all of them? <3

Also, I taught a really fun class at Heartland last night and am so relieved to be done with it! It was nuts of me to schedule a class right now, but we all had a great time and everyone's projects got completed and were all fabulous!!!

And the newest special issue of Paper Crafts is called "Cool Tools" and I had the opportunity to contribute five projects to it! One of my faves was a calender made using Hambly, Studio Calico and a Bind-It-All for this year. I am excited to have something on my desk that I love so much that I made!!

Of course the pics in the magazine are so much better, but in this one you can see a little more detail on the inside. I designed it so the page opposite of the calendar can be used for pics, notes and organizing memorabilia! I plan on using Hambly's washi tape to attach stuff, and tying a fun pen to the binder so it will be ready to use at a moments notice! I highly recommend purchasing Cool Tools if you have tools at home that you had to have because they looked so useful, but haven't used because you aren't sure where to start.

Lastly a quick thanks to all of you that stop by to see what is up! I love that my life is filled with creativity, and having others join me for the journey makes it so much more interesting and enjoyable!!!

B-

Graphic 45 Le Romantique Necklace Gift Box

One last post to say good bye to 2011, and prepare to ring in 2012!

A project sheet is available from Graphic 45 on their blog for a beautiful necklace and gift box that I designed for them. It would be a fantastic gift for a friend or family member that is sure to be enjoyed and appreciated because of its unique style.

Wishing everyone a very safe celebration for New Year's Eve tonight and a very blessed and prosperous 2012

B-

Another Sneak Peek From Ruby Rock-It!

Really enjoying these peeks through the keyhole for hints as to what is coming next!!

I promise you are going to LOVE this line!

B-

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and thank all of you who come to visit, I really appreciate the company and comments!

May your spirits be bright and your homes filled with love <3

B-

(Card was created from the Basic Grey Advent calender Blitzen product)

Joy of the Season

The gift that will bring me the most joy this season arrived on Sunday night. It was tied up with love, delivered with a knock on the door and the delivery person disappeared into the night. Attached there was a hand made card that had a very thoughtful note written inside, that read:

 (outside of the card)

"Merry Christmas Sister Olsen"

(inside the card)

"Dear Sister Olsen,
Thank you for teaching us how to be more like Jesus. Please be fragel with this.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hope you enjoy my brothers."

Sami

p.s. Do not let dogs chew!

I have been teaching the same children in primary at church for almost three years, and I love them very much and appreciate the lessons that we have all been learning together for that time. They will be getting a different teacher in the new year and I will be getting different children, some will even be the siblings of the children I have been learning with. If you want to know what pure love is, give love freely to a child and they will share that rare and precious gift with you. And I think that this is the best gift you can receive during the holiday season.

B-

Ruby Rock-It Sneak Peek and Holiday Projects

It is paper crafting heaven when the sneak peeks start to fly, and Ruby Rock-It is sharing their first with us!

If you look into the keyhole closely you will get a very good idea of what is to come!

Also on the Ruby Rock-It blog the design team is sharing projects about their holiday traditions, and the projects are beautiful and very inspiring!

I also share a fun and easy recipe for white chocolate peppermint coated popcorn, yum!!

B-