Vacation Bible School

Next week is Vacation Bible School at my church and we were asked to bring prizes for the children to ‘Go Fish’.   Remember the song, “I will make you fishers of men if you follow me”?  When they bring a new guest to join them Tuesday through Friday they ‘Go Fish’ and select a prize from the Treasure Chest.  First I went out and purchased a few activity books and pencils and a couple of games.  I wasn’t satisfied until I went in my room, looked around and there was my inspiration….6x6 Hanging signs!!!  They can place them on their door or in their room.  Five were made for my Design Team post.  I will be posting five each day this week on my blog!  They each have a scripture and part of a hymn we use on Sunday.   Our theme is 'The Amazing Road Trip.'

Are you and/or your children attending VBS or a summer program?  This would be an excellent idea.  Everything came from my scraps of paper and embellishments that I’ve set aside and refuse to throw away.   I wish I could have given them the supplies and see how creative they could be to design their own Hanging sign.  Hope I’ve inspired you to create a few and if you have created them before….Do it again!  Oh the possibilities.  I can't wait to paint!! 

National Friends Day

Today is National Friends Day and I’m going to spend time with my Scrappy friend, who lost her mother just before Mother’s Day.  I’m excited because I haven’t seen her since she’s been back in town.  I know she has compiled a lot of family photos and I wanted to make a Shadowbox for her to place one of her mother.  Close ups are below

Recipe Ingredients:
Prima flowers
Websters paper
DCWV paper
Crystal Stickles
Martha Stewart punches
Tim Holtz die cut & ink
Miss Elizabeth letters
Making Memories metal embellishments

Have you worked with Shadowboxes?  There are so many possibilities and they allow you to add memorabilia, a collage of photos and 3D embellishments to name a few.  It’s definitely a great keepsake.  It was placed on an easel so she can use in any room.

 

Let’s Celebrate Friendship!

 

Create a Vacation Mini Album

WOW! I can’t believe it’s June already. It’s so hard to believe that we are midway through 2013. Time sure does fly.

June means graduations, weddings and what we all long for – the beginning of summer.  Barbeques, days at the pool, family reunions and summer vacations, all of which means lots of fun and pictures, lots of pictures.

I must admit that I don’t really go on vacation during the summer, but just about all of my friends do and no matter where they go, they all take lots and lots of pictures. And, like many of us that go on vacation, they are all so eager to come home and show everyone their pictures…one painstaking picture and story at a time.

So, why not make a mini album to put vacation pictures in?  Whether it’s for your own vacation pictures or as a gift for someone you know that’s going on vacation, a mini album will make viewing the photos a much more pleasurable experience.

Here’s a mini album that I made to teach as a class.  I can’t wait to see what it looks like when one of my friends fills it with vacation pictures.

Supplies: Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Collection; Basically Bare Funky Findings Album; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and Mask; Embellishments: Glossy Accents, Burlap, Ribbon, Pearls.

I even had enough scraps left over to make this little album that can be used for additional photos or as a journal.

Amazing what you can do with scraps! 

Wouldn't you rather view your friends vacation photos, or show off your own, in a fun mini album, rather than in a stack -- on picture at a time?

Just SPOOLING around

Here is yet another altered project. There has been a buzz in the craft arena about altered spoons.  So I decided to jump on the bandwagon.  Using one thread spool and a ribbon spool, I created these two projects.  For the thread spool creation I covered it with patterned paper and layered some ribbon on the bottom.  On the top of the spool I adhered a silver clip to hold a message or other item and some buttons and a metal flower.  There are also two paper flowers on the side of the spool.   What a neat creation to sit on a desk in the office or at home.  For the ribbon spool, I had to do a bit more work.  I took the top portion of the spool apart so that there would be an opening to store "goodies" inside.  I then had to create a circle to cover the top cover.  Then on the top cover I layered some embellishments.  For the center I decorated a small wooden spool and adhered it to the top cover to create a pull to open it. Then   on the inside I covered the bottom in patterned paper and added ribbon to the top.  I also added ribbon to the outside of the spool on the bottom.  This can be a  great little gift box or a keepsake box to give to someone special. So why not join in on the fun and alter one of these simple items.

Family

Hello Beautiful People!

Kenya here to share a project that was inspired by Renee about a year ago. Tiles can be purchased at the home improvement store for less than a dollar. If you are like me, I have vinyl just lying around. For less than $5 you can make a beautiful custom gift for Christmas, house warming parties, Mother’s Day, baby showers, wedding gifts and more. I assure you, it will be a gift that will be cherished for many years to come.

You will need:

Tile (4x4, 6x6, 8x8 or 12x12)

Vinyl

Transfer tape

Weeding tool

Electronic cutter that can use 3^rd party software

Software (Silhouette Studio, SCAL, FunTime, MTC)

Every program is different, but the concept is the same. Find a fancy font you love, bring it into the program of choice. I used Regal. You must separate the letter by using a rectangular shape and break the letter apart then you can move the sections up and down. Size another rectangle and then copy it. Place the rectangles in blank space in the letter.  Once you are happy with the placement “join” or union the entire piece together. Finally add your word of choice in the center. For mine, I have the word FAMILY.

Cut out the image on the cutter of choice. Let me tell you, the weeding can be tedious, but it is worth it in the end. Be careful because some of the cuts are thin and you could lose them as you are removing the excess vinyl. Take the transfer tape and rub it until you can easily lift the vinyl from the backing. Carefully apply the vinyl and rub vigorously. Slowly remove the transfer tape….and viola a beautiful tile that was inexpensive and took less than 30 minutes from start to finish!

I hope you enjoyed today’s project! Thanks for stopping by, Kenya~

A New Year... A New Technique

I‘ve wanted to try the mix media technique for quite a while so I finally decided to step out of my comfort zone.  While my confidence is up I’m going to try another one this weekend.  Can’t believe I didn’t play enough with the paints.  Isn’t that the saying, “If at first you don’t succeed try again”?  

Recipe ingredients:
Recollections paper
Creative Imaginations - musical transparency
Robert Jackson - digital
Spectrum Noir - markers
Making Memories - flourish
Tim Holtz - numbers
Americana - tomato red acrylic paint
Martha Stewart - gesso paint
Mod Podge
Tattered Angels Candy Apple Red glimmer mist
Glossy Accents
Hancock Fabrics - lace
Archivers - -die cut



I wrapped some tulle around the canvas and added some curly ribbon and beads.  I think it would be a cute Valentine's Day gift.  The bird cages are embellished with a strand of beads, mini rose and white feathers.

So what technique have you wanted to try but haven’t started or did you start, but didn’t get a chance to complete it?  This is your year!

You've Been Tagged!

With a New Year brings many resolutions and good cheer.  I'm sure you have heard the question, "What's your word for 2013"  I must admit I joined in and my word is Peace.  I love inspiration around me so I decided to use Our Daily Bread stamps.  I love using my scraps for mini albums and thought why not create one with tags.  Most of my stash is from RAKS from my Scrappy friends at SOC and I also used a Kreatorville Kit! 


Recipe Ingredients:
Our Daily Bread stamps
Collage Press Sweet Shoppe Collection paper
Jillibean Spicy Pumpkin brown sugar paper
The CraftersWorkshop stenciling template
Tattered angels mist - Coffee
Teresa Collins brads
Kimberly Poloson ribbon
Prima Just Corina ribbon
Tim Holtz ink pads
Prima flowers
Jolee Boutique flowers
e. pearls & crystal bling

 

These are the tags behind the cover that makes the sweet keepsake.  You can use quotes, scriptures or particular themes.  I'm pleased that I'm starting the New Year on track using what I have.  

Be inspired today....this first month of the year. 

I would like to know what you will use from your stash and what will you create from it? 

I challenge you to create something inspirational!

It's just the Papercrafter in Me

I received this photo and frame as a gift.  It's been sitting in my scraproom and I love, love, love the sheet music, But the Papercrafter in me just couldn't leave well enough alone.

This is the embellished art I created.

Recipe:

Martha Stewart paper stack

Martha Stewart edge punch

Quickutz frame die cut

Recollection flowers

Websters red flower, bling & stick pin

Tim Holtz paper rosettes



 The Beautiful crown is from an ATC gift from my scrappy friend Carla at Scraps of Color.

Close up

Close up

Have you purchased anything or received anything that you added your own little personal touch?

Scrappin' the Box

Christmas is quickly approaching and hopefully we will be done with all of our shopping and/or gift making in time for the holiday. But, have you ever finished your shopping at the last minute to sit down to wrap gifts only to discover that you are out of wrapping paper? No worries, it's easy to wrap beautiful gifts using your scrapbook paper. It's a chance to give a gift with unique one-of-a-kind gift wrapping, especially if you make your own bows, or stamp your gift tags.

Gift Box: To create a gift similar to this use a few sheets of matching scrapbook paper and cover the outside of a box. Next, craft a simple bow from strips of a coordinating sheet of paper, and add gift tags. For a little more interest, add a contrasting satin ribbon around the box.

Party Popper Box: Cut an empty paper towel roll down to a size that will fit your gift. Place your gift inside the roll, then wrap it in brightly colored tissue paper. Tie the ends with floss or string and cut the edges with decorative scissors. Next use your scrapbooking paper to wrap around the roll and finish with a ribbon. For a more festive feel I used a Martha Stewart edge punch on the ends.

I hope you are able to use some of these ideas. May you and your loved ones have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PS: The digi-paper and tags will be available for FREE in the next issue of the SOC eSpire magazine!

Scrapbook Projects as Gifts

Another reason to love this great hobby of ours is that we get to create one-of-a-kind gifts for our family and friends. I created a Mother's Day layout for the April/May issue of E:spire that I framed and turned into a great Mother's Day gift for my Mom. 

I then decided to create a matching card for my Mom. The Mother's Day digi sticker I created for the April/May issue is used as the sentiment inside the card.

My mom loved the gift. She told me that she cried reminiscing about that picture of me as a baby. 

If you haven't tried creating and framing a layout as a gift or even to decorate your own space, you should give it a try.

Camille