My first completed journal! ♥

Well the school year is winding down...cum folders, report cards, transfer slips, cleaning and sanitizing materials, dusting furniture, etc.

I have to say that I really enjoyed my class this year; one of the best I have had in my eight years of teaching. BUT...
I am SO READY for Summer vacation!!

I managed to find some time to make my first handmade journal. It's simple, but I am so very happy that I completed it despite being very busy!!

I used Graphic 45 paper from the French Country collection. I REALLY LIKE the paper from Graphic 45. It is amazing!! I love the colors and I especially love the vintage inspiration!
I used a 5 x 7 1/2 chipboard cover for the front and back. The front cover has G45 paper. I used some craft tags that I had and inked them with Tim Holtz Distress inks in Tea Dye. I used a variety of rubber and acrylic stamps (Recollections, Hero Arts, Inkadinkadoo, and Close to My Heart). The inner pages are cream colored card stock from Michael's.
I used my Zutter Bind-it-All to punch the holes and close the wire. Next time I'll use about 5 sheets less as the book closes but the spine is very tightly held together.
I am so happy to be have completed this journal.  I can't wait to fill this journal with my thoughts and musings on a regular basis. :)

♥ 

A couple cards...

Hello everyone!!!!

I had some free time today (in between lesson plans and grocery shopping), so I worked on a couple vintage cards. I hope that you like them!

The background paper comes from Close to My Heart (Avonlea paper pack).

I saw this "I Love Paris in the Spring time" stamp in Michael's and I knew I had to have it!  

Trying to post more often...

Hi everyone!

I've been trying to post more often. Unfortunately with so many changes at my "real" job, I haven't been able to post as often as I would like. So, here are a few cards that I have made within the last few days...

Experimenting with washi tape!

The zebra print and pink look awesome together! 

This third card is one of my favorites. I wanted to emboss the sentiment using brown embossing powder (of which I have none). I figured out to use Tim Holtz distress inks (in whatever color you wish to use) and clear embossing powder. The powder will dry the color of the ink used! No need for me to buy a ton of different colored embossing powders! 

I love the look of the typewriter!! 

Spring Bling-A-Ling Blog Hop!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Spring Bling-A-Ling Blog Hop!

Please start at the beginning with our host Suzanne! 

Here is the line up so that you may check out ALL the wonderful projects!

1 Suzanne http://www.zannieberry.blogspot.com

2 Lucy http://love2createitall.com

3 Sarah www.craftingwithsarah.blogspot.com

4 Nadja http://nadjarobbins.blogspot.com/

5 Janet http://ladyluvbug.blogspot.com/<---------YOU CAME FROM HERE!

6 Tiffany http://angel4ever-thecraftyteacher.blogspot.com/ YOU ARE NOW HERE!

7 Julie www.thecricutchirp.com <----------- GO HERE NEXT!

8 Erica http://ericarosecreates.blogspot.com

9 Robin http://create-a-latte.blogspot.com/



Spring has been a little delayed here, but I've been busy crafting hoping Spring will arrive any day now. My first project is some Project Life filler cards. I honestly do not do Project Life, but I am participating in a swap with another group who does. I decided I could use the filler cards anyway with my SMASH folios.
The paper comes from Close to My Heart from the Buzz and Bumble paper pack. The hexagons and the sentiment come from Close to My Heart as well. The bee is a small Recollections stamp from Michael's. I used Tim Holtz distress inks (walnut stain, rusty hinge, antique linen) to stamp. There is also a little "shimmer" on the hexagons but it is hard to see in the photos.

Here they are:

I made quite a few of these and I will be giving away two sets of these filler cards to two followers. In order to receive a set of these cards, you have to:
A) Become a follower of my blog AND B) Leave a comment saying that you are following. 

Please leave your email in the comments as well so that I may contact you if you are a winner. A winner 
will be chosen on Wednesday, April 10th after 8PM 
EST using random generator.


I've also been getting into mixed media art. My last two blog posts have been projects using mixed media. Although it is not "Spring" related, I love the way this project turned out!

  

 This is a 12 x 12 canvas that I purchased from 
Michael's. I painted the canvas with acrylic paints. I used a variety of rubber stamps (Hero Arts, Inkadinkadoo) to stamp on the canvas. I used two wooden time pieces to use as centers for the watch. The gears were cut from the Artiste cartridge at 2 1/4 inches and 3 inches using heavy chipboard. I used Pewter distress stain to give the gears a polished look. I didn't make it even because I wanted the gears to have the look of having been used. I also used my newsprint rubber stamp and used distress ink to give the gears some dimension. The steam punk tags come from Graphic45. I used some lace and some musical notes washi tape as well. The keys are from Michael's and have a little bling in the handle of the keys. I hope that you have enjoyed your visit and that you have been inspired to create!

Don't forget to leave a comment on all of the blogs in this hop to win this fabulous prize being sponsored by our host Suzanne.

PLEASE GO TO JULIE NEXT!

Dream

Hi everyone!!! 

I am on Spring Break this week and I have been busy crafting. Here is another canvas that I altered...I absolutely love it!!!

The letters are chipboard letters I have had in my stash for a couple years and couldn't find a project for them. Today I found a use for them! 

I absolutely love the colors (of course because it is Spring colors)! The background paper comes from the Chantilly paper pack from Close to My Heart. I used distress ink around the edges of the letters and the birds. Everything else came from stuff I had in my stash. The flowers were cut out at 7 1/2 inches using the Art Philosophy cartridge using white card stock. I sponge painted the flowers on both sides and used a background stamp on both before rolling and securing them. 

I worked on this for a few hours before completing it. It has been very therapeutic for me! I'm already planning my next canvas to work on!

Thanks for stopping by!!! ♥

Carpe Diem - Sieze the Day ♥

Hello Everyone!!!

Since I am officially on Spring Break, I sat in my craft room for a couple hours to craft my little heart out! I've been in sort of a funk because of so many things going on, but I snapped out of that blue funk and decided I wanted to alter another canvas.

One of my favorite quotes is Carpe Diem which is Latin for seize the day or seize the moment (depending on whom you ask). I first heard this watching Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society and I have never forgotten it. I wanted to do something incorporating that quote and decided altering a canvas would be ideal.

I started out with a blank 8 x 10 canvas like the one pictured below.

I tore different types of paper and adhered them to the canvas using mod podge. 

 I used turquoise acrylic paint and painted around the edges.

Next, I used Tim Holtz distress ink (Walnut Stain) and went around the edges. I also spritzed some Glimmer Mist (Caribbean Blue) on the background collage.

I added a doily to the corner that was spritzed with Caribbean Blue Glimmer Mist. I also used some Sugar Maple Glimmer Mist  and Santa Baby Glimmer Mist on the background.

I added some paper from KandCompany. I used a little Broken China distress ink on the sheet and distress the edges with Walnut Stain. I spritzed some bubble wrap with Sugar Maple and stamped in various sections of canvas. I took two wooden butterflies and painted them with the acrylic paint. I added some rhinestones and added some drips of glimmer mist. 

Here is the final project! I added some flowers I spritzed and some other embellishments. I think this turned out really beautiful and I'm very happy with it!!!!

I am totally looking forward to altering another canvas!

I hope you like my project and thank you for stopping by!!! ♥

Spring Frame of Mind ♥

Hello everyone!!!!

Well, there's been a lot going on! But with all that, I am still trying to find time to craft. Crafting is definitely helping me to stay relaxed and I'm always looking to learn new techniques or improve my skills. 

I had a canvas (two actually, lol) that I purchased a year ago and didn't know what to do with it. It's been cold and snowy and I thought to myself, "Why don't I create something that feels like spring?" Well I sat down and thought for a moment. Here is what I decided to create! 

I REALLY like the way this turned out! This Tilda stamp is one that I really like and wanted to incorporate it into this project somehow. For her hair, I used E25, E27 and E29. For her dress and socks I used RV000, RV00 and RV10. I also used RV09 in the socks. The paper comes from Close to My Heart - the Chantilly paper pack. The colors are adorable and really invokes the colors of Spring. 

I hope that you like my creation!!! I'll be back soon with another project and another giveaway!!

And the WINNER is...

Thanks everyone for stopping by my blog! Now for the winner of the altered box and scrappy goodness!


And the winner is...Dorothy Beam!!!!!


Thank you Dorothy and everyone else who participated! Dorothy please contact me with your shipping address so I can mail your goodies to you! 

Stop by again in the next couple of days for another chance to win some scrap happy goodness! ♥ 



 

Crafting again! Give away! ♥

Hi everyone!!!

These past weeks have been EXTREMELY hectic and stressful. So much so, that I lost my crafting mojo. Well one load has been lifted off my shoulders and the other issue is in the process of being resolved.

So to celebrate things getting better,  I am doing a giveaway! Here is what you will receive: A cute box filled to the top with embellishments (including lace, flowers, stamps, etc)!!!

This cute little box was decorated by me using some paper, mod podge and some embellishments from my stash. In order to win this box stuffed with cute embellishments, you have to:

A. Share this on Facebook
B. Follow my blog and leave a comment below stating that you are following my blog.

A winner will be selected on Friday, March 8th (after 8pm EST) using Random generator!

Thanks and good luck!!! ♥ 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

It's 2013 and I'm thankful to see another year!

I began the day spending time with my husband and doing some crafting. I don't really make resolutions, but I have some goals I would like to work on for myself (if at all possible).

*Become more active AFTER work(even if it's just 20 minutes a day)
*Post to my blog more often (my blog is beautiful! why aren't I blogging more?)
*Keep up with my happy notes project (very easy to do...one note a day describing a positive event that happened that day for the entire year. Read them all on December 31st).
*Craft a little each day (I definitely can do this!!!)
*Take off a few pounds (I actually started this on December 23rd 2012; lost 4.0 pounds so far...)

2013 promises to be a productive and happy year and I'm looking forward to all the wonderfulness 2013 has to offer! ♥