Paper Issues DT Call

Did you hear?

Paper Issues is having a DT call!! This is one of the funnest, awesome-est and most laid back teams I have ever had the honor to be a part of and I know you will love your time there too.

Check out all the deets here. Good luck!!

Winner!

Well hello! Just popping in this lovely Monday evening to say congrats to WillieburgScrapper - I will be sending you some felt heart ribbon just in time for V-Day!!!

Thanks so much to everyone for the kind comments on my Sweetheart Crop Top - I am looking forward to whipping up many more tutorials in the future. Hugs!

Fashion Friday: All That Glitters

Coat - Erin Fetherston for Target

Sweater - vintage Alfred Dunner

Jeans - Converse Motorcross

Shoes - Merona

Scarf - thrifted

Earrings - a gift from mom

Sparkly, glittery sweaters are my favorite. I've collected several over the years and although I used to think they were a little dressy, I've come to realize that any ordinary day is perfect for a shiny sweater. After all, who couldn't use a little more sparkle in their life ;)

Happy Friday!

Clearsnap @ CHA-W 2012 Booth #847

Just wanted to let you know if you are lucky enough to be attended the upcoming CHA show that Clearsnap will in booth #847. Be sure to drop by and check out some of the fantastic new products that are coming out and mini classes too!!

And if you're stuck at home like me, new product and projects will be revealed on the blog starting Sunday the 29th! See you there :0)

October Mini Album

Just this past weekend I attended my very first crop. It was super fun and even though I didn't get as much done as one would think in 6 hours - I absolutely loved it!! Can't believe I waited this long to actually attend one.

So I worked the whole time on the mini book I started for the month of October and Halloween. Somehow I filled all 30+ pages and it ended up twice as fat as expected. None of the pages will stay open by themselves. You can see the "before" pages here.

And here is a look as a few of my fav pages. Okay more than a few, I am really excited about how this mini turned out!

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 Almost everything I used for this project is sold out already at 2Peas, but they are having a HUGE pre-tent sale right now if you are interested! Enjoy your Wednesday!

Dino Hunter

Here's a page I posted awhile back all shiny and pretty on the pages of last fall's Create: Families. Mr K was quite excited to see himself in print. And as a matter of fact, so was I :)

This page was created with my very favorite kit from Lucky Girl Crafts - "A Boy & His Toys." I can't believe there are still a few kits left and your jaw will drop at the price. Seriously.

Have a lovely evening!

Thinking of You / It's Black & White

Hi there, hope your Monday has started off right! I took a small blogging break last week - one of my husband's closest friends passed away and it just wasn't a good time to be on the computer. I know you understand.

I created this card with his family in mind and used the color pallette from PDCC115.

Layered cards aren't normally my style but I've been feeling really inspired lately by cardmakers such as Lea L. and Michele and decided to give it a go. I really like the results too!

Lots of dimension and a little pocket to pull the message out from. Almost all of these supplies came right out of my scraps bin too, so bonus!

Here is the lovely, earthy inspiration piece if you'd like to try it too.

Also took on another challenge this weekend from CAS-ual Fridays which was surprisingly more difficult than expected. I started out with one design in mind and ended up with 2 totally different cards somehow.

The first is pretty simple and straightforward. I repeated the sentiment without reinking the stamp to get a gradient effect and a little color diversity (hope that's not cheating!)

And for the second I went with a valentine's card even though I think most of us know that love is anything but black and white. :) Also pretty simple but to add a little something extra, I punched one of the circles with a heart punch and stamped a heart inside.

That's all folks. Hope the rest of your day is wonderful!

PS. My ribbon giveaway is still open til the 28th if you are interested.

DIY: Sweetheart Crop Top

Hello! I have a little refashion/DIY toddler top to share with you today! It's been forever since I've done one of these and am really hoping to get back in to doing clothing tutorials, after all that was one of the main reasons I started this blog :)

As you can tell, my own little sweetheart wasn't much in the mood for posing and modeling this morning, but her and her sister both adore their new tops for Valentine's Day. The heart ribbon was made from a die intended for cutting paper but those hearts are just too cute to stay tucked away in the pages of a scrapbook!

(I'm also giving away some felt heart ribbon - more on that below).

This top has such a cute shape and the best part is you hardly have to stitch any seams since it's refashioned from a ladies button-up top. I never ever buy new material for a project like this that will likely be outgrown or just plain abandoned within a few months - or let's be realistic, a few wears -it is white after all :)

Okay, ready to make one yourself?!!

You will need just a couple things -
*adult white button-up shirt
*5 shades of ribbon -> any will do, I cut felt to make mine (from Felt On The Fly - amazing quality, made from 100% merino wool)
*1/4" elastic
*sewing machine and thread
*pattern to make the top or draft your own

To get started -

1. Cut out your pattern. I just had 2 pieces - the body and the sleeve. Shorten the body to make the cropped shape.You can use a smock top pattern you already have or create your own by tracing the outline of a shirt - remember to leave a little room for seams! I like to use that shipping paper that comes in boxes for making patterns. It's just the right weight and you can iron it flat too (and it's free).

2. Trace your pattern onto material and cut out. I placed the pattern directly in the middle of the shirt, with the bottom of the hem at the bottom edge of the pattern. You should end up with:
- 1 front piece (cut from back of shirt)
- 1 back piece (cut from front of shirt)
- 2 sleeves (cut from extra body material)
- 1 long length of trim for bias tape around neckline

3. Position your ribbon across the front where you want it to stay and cut to measure.

4. Attach ribbon in place with vertical pins and stitch on. Use a lot of pins so it stays in place. If you want you can switch out the thread with each color of ribbon but I thought the white looked just fine - ie. I'm not that ambitious :)

5. Now stitch the garment together. (right sides together!) This is the order that works best for me...
- shoulders
- sleeves to bodice
- sides
- bottom hem if needed
- bias tape around neckline

Serge or pink your seams.

6. Figure where your child's waistline hits on the shirt and sew the elastic in there. Pin it in the middle to start with and stretch to edges to ensure even gathering. Sew in place with a zig zag stitch.

That's it! Your all done. It looks extra cute with a matching tank underneath - otherwise you could see her tummy!

If you're still reading and if your interested, I cut a little extra ribbon from all 7 colors of my felt and I'd like to send it to one of my followers so you can create your own top or just whatever you'd like. :) Just leave a comment letting me know your interested (and please follow me if you don't already) and I'll choose a winner in a week or so.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Bees, Butterflies, Babies and Birthdays

Hello. I have a few card challenges to post today. Gonna make it quick, hope you don't mind :).

First up, a card for a new baby boy inspired by CFC35 - scallops. I've been wanting to try the decreasing apertures technique for awhile now and decided to give it a go with my scalloped circles die.

The sentiment is from a new Design Adhesive design - Sweet Pea, and is embossed with the Truffle Mix'd Media Inx embossing powder. Also had to add a little sparkle to the bees wings with Smooch Glitz.

The second card is a two-fer, utilizing both the technique from MIM#49 and the color combo from PDCC114. Perhaps not colors I would normally think to pair together but I think my sister's grandma will enjoy on a card for her birthday. In fact I think all my grandmas like red and purple.

I had to stamp this card 3 times before finally getting the ghost masking to work for me! A more challenging technique but the results are worth the effort. For a twist, I stamped the butterfly last and embossed the section out side the frame for a touch of dimension.

Dye inks from the SB for Colorbox line are - Strawberry, Grape, Avocado and Licorice. Pigment ink in Gold. Stamps from PTI, Jenni Bowlin, and Pink Paislee.

Have a lovely Tuesday!

2011 Love List

Hello and happy Monday! Today I am sharing a layout created for the Clearsnap blog earlier this month. It has a few fun embossing techniques using the new Mix'd Media Inx embossing powders and the coordinating pigment ink colors.

Stop by the Clearsnap blog to check out the video tutorial and more details too.

So what are some of your favorite things from 2011?

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