Ok so I've been trying to get into the Christmas Spirit and get a jump start on my Christmas card making.... A little difficult when the leaves are still green, the sun is bright and there is no snow, or juingle music to help get those creative juices flowing.
So I go to my favorite app loaded with stations that play nothing but Christmas music all year long, turn it up and away I go !! Ho ho ho !!!
A Couple of traditional green and white and red and white cards. Embossing folder Cuttlebug Snowflake pattern. I distressed the edges with Tim Holtz distress ink. Added a ribbon, a cut file poinsettia (I drew in the veins in the petals and ink the edges to give them a little more pop. Added some tiny rhinestones. The stamps were from various Stampin Up sets
For these cards I used Spellbinders M-Bossabilities- Winter wishes to emboss. Patterned paper for the presents, thin ribbon and done!
Happy September everyone !! It is so hard to believe that summer is drawing to a close. Nights getting shorter, shadows getting longer. How I miss the beautiful viberant colors of the leaves as they change color during the autumn, Elem Maple, Birch Oak etc. In my town there are a few trees here and there but the majority of the tree foliage are evergreen trees and I do miss those magnificent majestic towering trees with their gold, red, yellow and orange canopies just begging me to pile up thier generously given leafy treasures and fall blissfully into the swirly colors and deeply inhaling the damp sweet smell as you lay amongst them.
Over the summer I did try my hand and played around with some mixed media canvases.
The first canvas was inspired by Gabrielle and the tutorial on her Such a Pretty Mess Blog. Her tutorial is fantastic and she is so inspiring !! The papers used for the dress and on the canvas are from Basic Grey : Kissing Booth. Washi tape Tim Holtz
The second canvas I put my Big Kick to work and starting cutting die cuts. The key and hinge are Tim Holtz, the birdcage is a cottage Cuts. Petaloo flowers, some Tim Holtz embellishments (other embellishments courtesy of our garage lol) Molding paste, gesso and a few Crafters Workshop masks and I was ready to dig in and get my hands messy.
The third canvas I decided to go wild and really get messy. Molding pastes, gesso ,Kaisercraft and Crafters Workshop masks and lots of tim Holtz distress stains and both Perfect Pearls and Dylusions sprays. A few Prima and Petaloo flowers and some butterlfies (from the local $ store) to finish it off.
Keeping in the Christmas Spirit theme I thought I would finally venture into trying to cut vinyl on my Cricut Expressions Machine. I bought a few rolls of cricut vinyl quite awhile ago and they ended up into the to use someday heap.... so someday is today!!
Ok I'm not going to lie I struggled a little bit with these projects and I went through a full 2 rolls.... yes I did lol. First it took me awhile to realize that I had no change my blade or housing to the "deep cut" blade.. which worked so much better lol. Then I was told to use brand new mats, the stickier the better...... Which is all fine and well believe me the matting on the vinyl stuck to those cricut mats like crazy glue.... (actually its still on some of them) but depending on the design the vinyl sometimes lifted from its backing and didn't cut through. Anyways enough whining it was a learning experience and I am really glad I tried it. I will definitely be cutting with vinyl again at some point so do not let me words scare you.. it was fun and the end results are always beautiful whether you are putting them on your wall, a frame, a box etc.
On to the finished products ( I will admit my lighting in these photos do leave something to be desired)
My Jingle all the Way Shadow box ( filled with glitter and diamond dust)
I think I will actually be filling this jar with something white or solid to make the lettering much easier to read. ( Front and back read: Are you a part if the Inn crowd or the Stable crew with a nativity scene on opposite sides. )
I also figured I would try some silhouettes for candle holders, I must admit in person with the candles lit these look gorgeous.
Crop Circles April Blog Hop Blog candy Winner
1. Liza-Ann Tucker
Congratulations!!!! Please let me know where I can send your blog candy.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and participating in out blog hop!!
cherylane
newfiecrafter(Marilyn)
Alison Goodyear
Michelle
mitchells momma
itsabouttimeblogspot
Tash
Elaine Beck
LisaM
LyndaKay
sitscrapandrelax
Tiz Barnes
Catherine Joy Stockley
SandiB
Rhea Skomorowski
CorinaT
rexenesmemories
1. Liza-Ann Tucker
Welcome to Crop Circle's April Blog Hop, their second hop and my first!! April 10th-12 2013.
We
are a group of crafters who share idea's, inspiration, tips tricks
hints and most of all we share of ourselves ! Everything from
scrapbooking, card making, mixed media, and kids projects, challenges up
to and including redecorating our scrap nests. Most of us are
Newfoundlanders or have some ties to the Island ( Grab a map if you are
now scratching your head ;) )
For this Hop we decided to go with the theme SPRING because who doesn't love Spring and to share 2 quotes
"Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams
"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." ~ Hal Borland
You have until April 12 to finish the hop, and you should of come here from Michelle Marks's blog. If you haven't then no worries, there will be a ful list of names and blog links at the end of this post. Don't forget to leave your name and a comment on each of the blogs you visit because you will be entered to win a Grand Prize package consisting of a Maya Road Bundle! Can you imagine how much fun is in that bundle? !! Also like the Easter Bunny dropping eggs some of the bloggers are offering extra blog candy to be drawn for! Following the blogs would also be nice :) At the end of the hop I will have a random draw for some blog candy to be given away !!!!
Below is what I was inspired to create for Spring. Rain showers always remind my of Spring, raindrops, the greenness around us, walking with an umbrella and not being afraid of blowing away like Mary Poppins ;)
I used papers from Bo Bunny's Prairie Chic collection. I just love the colors and patterns in this package! I used my eyelet setter (for the second time ever and I really think I need to invest in a Crop-a-dile or something quieter and a little easier to use haha) and then threaded it with ribbon, rolled back my edges and secured with some pretty bright brads and added flowers and leaves.The flower clusters are Petaloo and various other buds, flowers and leaves. The bottom border edge was punched using MS Doily border punch and the top from the Gabrielle Collection (Bo Bunny) I die cut a lamp post and distressed it with Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, brushed Gesso over the edges of my photo (Gesso is now my number one go to scrapping item I love it !!) A Bo Bunny Doily underneath the photo. The butterflies were punched with MS Large Monarch Butterfly punch and EK Success's 3 in 1 layering punch. Word art from the Prarie Chic collection and the Spring word title from Little Blue Bicycle.
Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that our hop will put "a little Spring in your step" and help to inspire you ! Have fun !! Your next stop should be Natasha Connolly's blog
Here's the order of the hop:
Cathy Caines - http://cathycaines.blogspot.ca/
Sara Case Strickland - http://sarathings.com/
Michelle Marks - http://michellesscrapbits.blogspot.ca/
Kymberley Wragg-Machamer - http://kymberleyscraphappens.blogspot.ca/ <~~~~ You are Here .
Natasha Connolly - http://goldhalo.blogspot.com/
Cheryl Ashworth - http://cherylane.wordpress.com/
Shar Strahan- partner with Cheryl Ashworth
Brande Strahan - partner with Cheryl Ashworth
Catherine Stockley- http://catherinelovesstamps.blogspot.ca/
Rhea Skomorowski - http://www.rheaski.blogspot.ca/
Darlene Head Whalley http://cherrytat.blogspot.com/
Lori Smith - http://itsabouttimeblogspot.wordpress.com/
Spring is never really complete for me with Mother's Day Cards and my sister in law and my nieces birthday so I have also added in the pictures of their cards and when I get motivated enough I blog post about them !
Well it's been awhile since I have ventured into my blog, real life and a bad memory keep me from remembering to come in and post, Don't want to say that age has anything to do with this haha.
I belong to an amazing group on FB (Crop Circles) with a group of unbelievably fantastic and creatively inspiring women. Once a month or so we put on challenges within the group, one challenge is the Same but different. One person hosts the challenge and then provides each person with a collection of scrap items to do with what they may. The items are the same but the results are always outstandingly different.
This month we were given a square piece of scrap paper, a length of lace and a journaling card, below was my take using the materials.
I used Prima Ledger and Almanac paper, the shutters and window tops also Prima, as well as the Hexagon mask which I filled in using Ceramic Stucco. The flowers were a mixture of Prima and Petaloo. The Clock embellishment is Teresa Collins and other various additions.
Birthday's birthdays birthdays!! One of the things that drew me into the scrap world was the thought of being able to make my own cards for people and once I started I was hooked!! The next few months are filled with birthdays after birthdays for me, so I had to start getting busy.
Posted below are 2 cards, one for my sister in law and the other for a friend.
