September Crafting

So I really have not blogged since after the Fourth of July and yet I am keeping busy with the craftiness. Some birthdays and some Etsy orders keep me busy too. Well if any of you know about Tim Holtz; you may follow his blog or know of his awesome tag challenge if you will. I challenge myself anyway. He changed from doing the 12 days of Christmas to doing one tag month.So you don't have to do all Christmas related tags. Even though it would still be a cool idea to do both but that is sooo many tags! I have been watching and saying "oh wow'" I have to try that out. Well This month I saw it, AND was like totally in need to do this. It was so easy and only one ban-aid through out the process, believe me this is normal for me. Here is a link to his blog and please use his step by step instructions.I try to incorporate some of the items he uses but then spin it to be more my style. Hence the reason my tag looks crazy bright! The instructional pictures are awesome.  September Tim Holtz Tag

You can make this alone or or if you lucky like me you can craft with a buddy! I now feel like this technique will help me in so many steam-punk style cards and ATCs(Artist Trading Cards). I am so excited to have another crafty way to make something. BEWARE... Do not try smoothing out the edge of aluminium tape that you just cut with scissors, using your fingers!  Have a blast. Oh and you may a see a few posts about pumpkin related items soon; you know because its that season. Tootles!

Valentines Day Already

The Christmas tree is still up and New Years is just two days away. Yet I am thinking about Valentines Day! I cannot wait to think of something crafty and be able to share the time with my hubby. I love LOVE. Between Christmas, Valentines, Forth of July, and the fall; I just really enjoy these occasions and seasons. 

Have you planned for your Valentine?

Source: etsy.com via Teka on Pinterest

Crafty Space

Top shelf storage

labeled storage

paper and inks, great to have
a space for them.

Plastic drawer system

 Every Craftier/Artist needs a space, whether it is just a place to put the items you use to create, or a room; it still is a space. My area is shared because this is also our laundry room. The space is also a walkway into our office, so it needs to stay organized for the most part. This is what my craft room should stay looking like, but most of the time my desk is overloaded with pulled out items and started projects. Never the less, this special blog on  Crafty Spaces helped give me with a reason to actually put everything away. As you can see Ikea is great at  simplifying and, with it being helpful and storage savvy, it looks amazing. I love lots of color for my craft room. It makes it easier to work on projects and be that my colors are very bright and vivid, it is fun to craft. 

A cool storage tier my
(scrubby) gave me.
-scrapbook hubby-

     Make sure to label all boxes and storage containers, it can be a pain if not labeled or maybe some detailed info, I know. If you can see under my desk I have a plastic box that I hold all of my 12x12 paper in, I then use cardboard and labels to separate into themes.( Very Helpful) 

Tools

I also use my Tool turn a bout from Pampered Chef, as a great tool holder on my desk. Having little jars and plastic containers can be a pain but if you can label and stack or organize they are a lifesaver. Another big thing I use are rubber-maid plastic containers with drawers, these help with separating my ideas and styles of projects. I use drawers for stickers, stamps, my sewing items, and so on. I also would be lost without my dry erase board and calendar that are easily accessible. I love my space, I only wish I could keep it this clean all the time.Every Crafty needs a space and even if it is in a drawer or closet or room, organized only helps encourage the arts to flow more freely.

Paper holder on wheels,
easily slides under desk

Space

Desk storage

What does your crafty space look like, maybe a suggestion to improve my crafty space? Let me know, leave a comment. 

The Technique of Serendipity Squares (Scrap Squares)

I have been trying to understand this techniques and deciding what is actually the correct way of making serendipity squares. I have come up with this... The correct way is your way! I like to try and find papers and scraps that kind of tie into each other but really they do not have too. You can use these papers as backgrounds and fronts of cards an embellishment or even as covers for books.  The basic process below.

First step is to grab you nicely organized box of scraps and a glue of your choice. I prefer a thick glue stick that will glue anything to paper. It needs to stick all kinds of paper to one sheet.  Cut your pieces of scraps if you need too but the first round is basically rounding up your inner kinder-gardener and just glue to page.
 I like to glue those unwanted little strips and little piece and glue to a coordinating background or any background.

After I decide what color embossing powder will go well with  the paper. I choose a clear embossing powder so you can see the color below and I can then inck around it.

I then added some glimmer mist...

I then cut my work of art into inch squares.

I then attach to a plain piece of cardstock.

I redo this process as little as once to how ever  many levels you ant on a piece of paper.

I love this new found scrapping transition.

Keeping up the Pace Its February!

Well, almost through February... I cannot believe it. The days are passing by quickly and this is my first post for the month! I better start cracking. March is David's birthday so I have some things to get done. I also have to keep up in my new found ATC hobby. My seeds for pre-garden are doing well, I will have to post pictures and of course we have our new Boxer puppies running around. This month has been a little crazy! Don't worry I will post soon!

Baby Showers

     I love making diaper cakes for baby showers! They are useful and fun, and always beautiful at a party! This is the first boy diaper cake I have made and it came out awesome. The concept is simple you are giving diapers to the mother-to-be, but I also attach items for her and the baby on the way. Items you can are attach are really endless. Some of the things I put on the cake are as followed: baby wash, lotion, bib, powder, Vicks, hairbrush, comb, bulb syringe, socks for baby and mama, some special lotion for mom, and the list goes on. Make sure to Pick out things that will be useful and also helpful for both mom and baby. You can even make this  as a welcome home gift too! 

     An important thing for me is picking out the colorful ribbons. This the fun part and I don't ever use all the ribbon so I can use them for other projects! If you want to know how to make one of these awesome cakes, email mail me and I will send you some quick and easy directions.










With some extra ribbons, I made little buttons for The Mom,Grandma, Nana, and Big Sister-to-be... 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86323699/custom-made-diaper-cakes-for-baby

Greeting Cards.

These are Christmas Cards we made at our party in 2010

     I love cards! I love receiving them and sending them. I love the feeling of going to mail box and getting an unexpected card. I also love that people take the time to make cards. One thing that I enjoy doing is getting together and having card parties.

The idea is pretty simple.

I loved this stamp!

1. Everyone in your group can pick a season, theme or holiday, as long as everyone has a different one. -- -Depending on the specifics you can make as many as your group decides. (so the example we will use is twelve) 
2. My example is sympathy cards. I will make 12 sympathy cards they can be different but all sympathy. 
3. Say there are three people in your group including yourself, someone would get 4 sympathy cards. You would also get 4 of your sympathy cards. You will get 12 cards total in return. 
4. So leaving you would have 4 sympathy,4 birthday(example) and 4 valentines(example). The more people the more themes/holidays.

This card can be changed with
 different paper and
made for  birthdays,weddings and
even christmas!

Speaking of receiving cards in the mail. I received my first ever Artist Trading Cards in the mail today, Thank you dmnh, from AFA.

I just love getting mail!

Valentine oh Valentine

     Yes! I finally finished up my really cute V-day cards. It helps when you can find really cute paper too! I simply made small cards and "spruced," them a bit. Some cards have stickles others have flocking. I then used basic clothes pins, made a hole in the top using my amazing Crop a dile, and ran a ribbon threw the top. It does not matter what you really do, you cannot make these look bad. I even had thought about painting the clothes pins pink or red or you could even paint them white. I do like the light wood color too. It is up to you. 
     Now that I am done I think of other ways you can make the pins look more decorated; maybe add some buttons or or glitter to the  pins. The possibilities are endless and at your discretion! Make it your own, and have fun.


     I used small bags and placed cute conversation Sweet-Tarts and Cherry flavored Hearts in them. I then used the clothes pins as clips to hold my card and candy together. I like how they came out. Any one else have a cute idea for Valentines Day? You should post it or show me your link!
Oh, and do not forget a cute saying for them on the inside or a cute stamped picture!