WIP Blog

Project Life Weekly Topics

2012-01-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

Hello Monday!

First off, thank you so much for the kind words on my PL post. I can't tell you how many people touched me with all the sweet comments--in person on on the computer! THANK YOU for cheering me on and inspiring me to keep this up for yet another year. I hope you enjoy the journey with me, and that even if you're not doing a PL project, that somewhere you too will take bits and pieces of it and use it for good somewhere with your own scrappy journey. It's all good!

I wanted to post a list of the weekly topics I have jotted down for my 2012 Project Life. While the list is numbered 1-52, please note that this list in in no particular order. I have a copy of it posted by my computer, and as each topic is covered, I plan on crossing it off my list. Note too that there are enough open weeks to do "random stuff" here and there, or if I come up with a great idea, say in June or something. This flexibility also allows for life events, in the occasion that something unexpected comes up.

52 Project Life Weekly Topics:

Around Here.

Winter Fun

Technology in our Lives

What and Where we Eat

Things we can't live without...

No Photos Week

No Words Week.

Jami--right now

Evan--Right now

Griffin--right now

Sage Advice (Grandparents week)

I Know This Much is True.

TV & Movies we Love

Music we Love

Friends for Life

Taylor's Graduation

First week of School

Last week of School

Trish--week

Chris--week

Where we Shop

What we Wear

Where We Work

Fall Fun

Summer Fun

Springtime Fun

The Boys (Chris & E & G)

The Girls (Me & J)

Our Pets

Where we Live (City & Neighborhood)

Neighbors we Love

Scrappy Girlfriends

Gratitude

Faith & Church & Spirituality

Inlaws

My Parents

What we Drive (cars)

Our Yard

Spring Break

"I Miss..."

Christmas

Thanksgiving

Family Vacation

At Play

Our Home

Politics/Election Week (Nov.)

Open

Open

Open

Open

Open

(Personal names used are family members--FYI.)

I'll be answering questions in tomorrow's blog post, so if you have any others, please feel free to ask!

Enjoy your day!

Project Life--My take on it...

2012-01-28T00:30:00.000-05:00

By now, you have all seen dozens of versions of Project Life. They're all over blogs, websites, and of course, Pinterest. This is my fourth year (yikes!) on PL, so I hope that I can provide some insight on the topic from someone who has done it a while. Let's hear it for the veterans out there! Whoop!

Let me state up front--I wasn't going to do it this year. Back in October, I started to notice that my pages were looking similar, that I was looking for things to photograph, and that I was basically lacking inspiration on any level. I tend to operate in that manner. I will be hot and heavy into one project, and the next week, I'm full throttle on to something else. I will go back and visit projects, reinvent things and such--but with PL, I was getting flat out bored. I wanted to funnel all the energy that I put into those books into something new and challenging. So I made the decision to take a break for 2012 and maybe revisit the topic again in a year or so.

What changed my mind? Two things. The first was my friend, Jen. The woman had me worked over before I even knew what hit me. Gotta love a girlfriend. How did she do it? One simple phone call. "Okay, don't be mad at me, and just listen. I couldn't decide which Project Life kit to get this year, so I bought three different versions and divided each one of them into three monster kits, so I hope you didn't already get yours." Hello--no guesswork with what kit to get, no ordering or hassle--I'm feeling the draw. Add to that another close friend who was going to try it for the first time--and so the three of us would support one another. Did it hurt that those two said friends own Cameos and are total techies who were willing to help me have fun and create cool new things? Do you see where this is headed? Second thing--and this is a biggie here folks--looking back at my other finished versions. Honest and truly. I can't fully describe how thankful I am that I have these books that document the littlest details that are so often overlooked and forgotten. When I went back and looked at the first year I did this, I had forgotten so much already. Our kids look so much different now. Family members have passed. Neighbors have come and gone. Interests have changed and evolved. And it's all right there, in those pages. That gratitude made me consider moving into another year...

Once I made the decision to invest my time, money and energy into this again, I knew that I would have to do things differently this year for me to be interested and to not fall into a rut. I had remembered Jamie Pate's version from last year, and how she so beautifully did a weekly theme, and I thought that would be enough to catapult me into starting something fresh and different. Sure enough, it was. So with pen in hand, I began to make a list of 52 weekly topics for me to cover in this year's Project Life...

Today, I wanted to share my take on the title page and my first three weeks. Here is my title page:

I played around with this idea a bit before I got to a place where I was happy with it. The one thing I wanted to do for sure was to use elements on the title page that would be carried throughout the book this year. What are those? Photos of my family. Bright colors, with no rhyme or reason necessarily. Punches and die cuts. Chipboard, labels, and vintage elements. Twine. Tiny alphas. And handwritten elements from each person in our clan. (Note: the above white card contains each of our signatures and ages, as a quick reference in years to come.)

Where did I get the "2012" numbers? I bought wooden letters and covered them in yarn (similar to this project) as a New Year's decoration. I also thought ahead for next year and bought a "3", so I have the option to recycle the idea for next year.

Week 1--Using Design A & E Page Protectors

I didn't figure out I was doing PL until I was actually into the first week of the new year, so I had to go with just random life stuff the first week. I am not one of those people who get hung up on chronological stuff--and doing PL for the past few years has really helped me let go of those notions and stressful thoughts. So I used the photos I had, and went with it. The left side is the B side to the title page, so I had to go with it. I mixed black and white with colored pictures, and varied the size of the photos. The right page is a Design E page--a set of 4 6x6 square pockets. I simply created 4 6x6 square layouts (using my iPhone Instagram and Camera + apps, paired with the PicFrame app) on my phone, and uploaded them to my computer and then to Costco. I had all four printed out in one 12x12 layout ($2.99), and simply cut them when I got home. You'll notice, I only used 3 6x6 layouts on this page. The other 6x6 will be used on another scrapbook layout. What did I document? Sunday breakfasts with my folks. Crafting project. A sunset. The opening of a new McDonald's in our little town. Snapshots. Simply, everyday stuff.

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Week 2--Design E and Design A Page Protectors

Around Here--Week 2. This week, my intention was to do more photos of things around our house (as in the bottom left collage.) Looking back on it, I didn't really accomplish what I set out to do. But you know what? I'm good with that. This is the kind of flexibility that is frankly required for me to make it work for me. What did I document? Our son shoveling snow, the forecast, our son coming home from school, a basketball game, our pooch, playing outside, a sweet text from our niece, my husband losing at Nerf Darts, planning upcoming Cavs games, and dinner with friends. I used one of my favorite October Afternoon papers just because I like it, and made it work.

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Week 3--Design A and Design F Page Protectors

Jamison. Week 3. I knew our daughter was preparing for a big week, so I knew documenting just her for a week would be fun. It was so much more than I ever expected!! At twelve, she's got a lot going on. So I snapped away and tried to give a glimpse of her and where she is right now in this place. I love how it turned out. What did I document? The girl loves clothes--and so I photographed her every morning before school, showing her style and interest in the topic. A photo of her practicing her clarinet, and a photo of dance practice. A photo of her texting. Her holding our dog. Her first dance performance of the year. A photo with her bestie. Her bedroom. And a new set of braces on her pearly whites. On one of the fold out 3x4 journaling cards, I wrote all about my feelings for her right now. On the front of that card, she filled it with tons of her favorite things, in her own handwriting.

Now, there will be weeks where not a lot is going on, for sure. But one of the reasons I like changing it up with the weekly version for me is that I get to touch on a person or topic a bit more in depth. That crazy concept has me giddy like a school girl, and I can't wait to document our lives a little differently, using the exact same framework. How cool is that???

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Overall...

My style. I take lots and lots of pictures. I love my iPhone, and like to play with apps and features, and so do my kids. That almost always results in pairing down photos (I know--crazy, huh?). I must say, having the iPhone has made me feel more creative in a whole different sense, and hopefully that will help when the boredom sets in. Because it will.

Elements used. Free Printables. For the love of God and all things holy, I've been a printing fool, using all the freebies out there for Project Life. Look here if you need any assistance in that department. And this blog post is an excellent resource for printable cards. So stinkin' FUN. I'm also ga-ga over die cuts & punches. Labels. Vintage elements here and there. Chipboard. Small alphas. Not complicated. And nothing too bulky so things fit into the protectors nicely.

My outlook? Excited. Motivated. Interested all over again. Aware of pitfalls and also how to deal with them and move on. Flexible. Experienced. I got this.

I look forward to sharing regular updates with you here on the blog. I will also be posting a bit more detail in the next coming week. Feel free to ask any questions you may have--I'll do my best to answer you!

Enjoy your day!

Lego Birthday Party

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

When my oldest son turned 9, I knew what type of birthday party he'd want. The boy lives for legos, so we went to town...

Okay, so the boys live for Nerf, too. So the first hour was spent outside shooting one another, and specifically aiming at the 3 girls in the area. As my son said, "Sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, Mom."

I made this banner using a free printable I found over at Pinterest. SO easy and perfect for the occasion! I added black chipboard letters that spelled out his name.

We played the Candy Bar game--a favorite in our house.

I found Lego hard candy (yes, they actually interlock) and put them in these colorful containers.

I put the hubs to work, and had him make the cake topper. His initial and his age. Not bad, eh?

He wanted one of those weird cakes from Walmart that has cake mixed in with ice cream. Look, it wasn't my choice--but it did the job! And it was colorful, so we made it work.

So proud to be his mom. He was surrounded by friends and family who love him, and the day was great. I can't believe he's nine...

Thanks for letting me share. Enjoy your day!

Valentine (or anytime) Treat

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! Jamie here to share some scraps, valentines, and a tutorial. Today I want to show you how to use those scraps you have left over from the January kit and put together a treat bag for someone you love.

supplies you will need:
treat bag
paper shreds
heart punched confetti
scraps of pattern paper
border punch
tiny attacher
paper doily
decorative brad
die cut pattern paper~heart
banner trimmed book paper
yarn/fiber
hot glue

Fill treat bag with chocolates.
Add paper shreds and heart confetti to bag.
Trim scraps of pattern paper to the width of treat bag. Border punch the edge.
Score the top edge in order to fold over top of bag.
Attach pattern paper topper to the top of treat bag with tiny attacher.
Layer paper doily on top of pattern paper topper.
Position paper shreds behind the decorative brad and add to the top of the die cut heart. Attach using hot glue to the center of the doily.
Tuck banner trimmed book paper under brad.
Tie yarn in a bow, and layer on top of the book paper adhering with hot glue.

You could add a sentiment if you wish to the topper as well. I kind of liked how this turned out and kept it simple.

Enjoy!

Happy Year of the Dragon

2012-01-25T01:32:00.000-05:00

The Lunar new year was on Monday, and for the Chinese people, it is the year of the Dragon. It's supposed to be a very auspicious year just like the year before and the year after :) I suppose it makes sense. What's the point of predicting a year to be less than auspicious, eh?

One thing I do know is that I missed out on a major family feast on New Year's eve for the nth time in my life. In fact, the last time I was in China for the Chinese New Year was 2002! Just check out the food...

As to how I celebrated... I bought a Chinese New Year cake and Second Child and I ate some. Yeah, it was pretty good, but nothing compared to the feast above, right? Oh well, maybe next year... yeah right! :)

Valentine's mini

2012-01-24T02:34:00.002-05:00

I swear its an addiction! It seems I cannot even look at a card kit now without thinking... mini book! I stopped at Trish's the other day to pick up the kit,(I know lucky me!) and knew I had to have that card kit the second I saw the sample board!

The perfect size for "counting the ways" I love my family

and with all the embellishments from the card kit, this baby went together in a snap!

I typed a few "count the ways" sayings for everyone and added them to the pages

I dug out some of my favorite photos

and only using 4 pages of each color paper, I still had all these goodies left over to make some cards with

and the card kit was only $12

Snow Day Craft

2012-01-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of helping out in my son's kindergarten class last week. We worked on a fun craft project that I wanted to share today. Perfect for those of you out there with snow days, or who simply like to dig in and get messy with your kiddos...

The fun ingredients? Elmer's Glue and shaving cream! Mix together two parts shaving cream to one part glue in an extra large bowl. The shaving cream will not dissolve--it actually keeps its form and dries somewhat hard. So cool!

Here is Miss Morris, showing us how to do it...

And here is a finished product. She had cut out pieces parts (hats, noses, arms, and eyes) in baskets, ready to go so the children just had to stick them into the foam. Their favorite part? Picking out buttons for their own snowman!

I hope you give it a shot with your little one! Enjoy your day!

Valentine Garland

2012-01-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

I made this conversation heart banner using the February Project Kit (still available here.)

I took each of the chipboard pieces and painted them a bright color. Next, I used the dark pink foldable as the backing so the words on the hearts would pop out. I simply glued the cardstock from behind each heart. Next, I ran a strand of yarn and attached all the hearts in a row.

I went into my stash and then cut several 6" ribbon strips and tied them on to the yarn, in between each heart. I love how it turned out! Its new home is in my dining room, right by a candy bar. The one thing I don't have in a jar? You guessed it--conversation hearts! Off to the store...

Enjoy your day!

CHA Wish List

2012-01-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

So, in the midst of prepping a house to sell, putting it on the market, selling it, packing, moving to the new house, unpacking, one doesn't have much time to think about getting new scrappy supplies.

I haven't bought a single thing since last June. (Well, except for a couple of packs of Thickers that were 50% off at A.C. Moore--one can never have too manyThickers, I say). Which means I missed all the cool stuff that came out at the last CHA.

I don't actually need anything (and could probably scrap for the rest of my life with what's in my scrap room), but isn't it fun to wish? Plus I still have my birthday money from last September burning a hole in my pocket.

Here are some things I put on my list while scoping out the sneak peeks for the upcoming CHA:

This collection, by Little Yellow Bicycle. The colors make me smile, and I'm a sucker for polka dots.

These papers by My Mind's Eye. Love. Love the colors. Love the patterns. I can see using the tickets and the circle images as embellishments, so they'll go a long way.

How cool are these wood clock faces by Prima? I must have them.

How fun is this October Afternoon collection? Love their stuff.

The colors and patterns in this Teresa Collins collection are so pretty.

And these Tim Holtz stamps are so cool. I want them because I just can never seem to do all those cool, artsy, misty, stampy, techniquey things on my background, and these might do the trick for me.

Love the pretty images in this Cosmo Cricket collection.

And this one, also from Cosmo Cricket, mainly because I'm obsessed with tea.

I love My Mind's Eye. Their collections always have a wonderful assortment, and this one's no exception. Love the mix of neutrals and brights here.

I'm not sure why, but the flying pig on this Graphic 45 paper strikes my fancy. Have no idea what I'd ever use it on, but I want it!

These fun elements by Jenni Bowlin.

And these papers, also by Jenni Bowlin. Love the colors. Love the polka dots.

And because one can never have too many border punches...

So what's on your list?

Valentine Card Kit

2012-01-19T00:30:00.000-05:00

We have a few of these Valentine Card Kits left. There are 20 cards and envelopes in this kit--what a value!

And they're cute enough to send in the mail, or to add to a personal Valentine gift.

You can find them here before they're gone!

mixed media collage

2012-01-18T05:00:00.002-05:00

Love me a new year.
New calendar.
New slate.
New ideas.
New word.
New project life.
And new creative outlets. Because in my opinion, if you are not moving forward, you are stagnant. And I love this paper art form so much, that I never want to be stagnant in my craft. Introducing myself to new mediums and formats and ideas, and then acting on them, helps me in actually, every area of my life. So with this in mind, I 'stumbled' upon Donna Downey's Collage Monday's. She posts a new collage every Monday, highlighting the elements she currently loves, and shares a bit of insight into how she was inspired to create her piece.

It's quite a departure for me to work my art in this fashion, but I am discovering many aspects to forcing myself out of my creative comfort zone:
~causes me to focus
~causes me to play
~causes me to let go
~causes me to push myself to new places
~causes me to be fueled in my 'normal' creative activities
~causes me to just be plain giddy with collage

Here's the basic idea:
~fill a sketch book page with what you love right now
~dig into your supplies and use them up
~stick them down however you feel
~trust yourself and have fun

Here's a look...now don't judge...I'm just playing here...

This collage was inspired by some recent thoughts that keep reoccurring. So I went with those words as the focal point. The rest of the collage uses items found in a recent mixed media kit that I subscribe to. One does not need a mixed media kit. I just 'forced' myself to use the kit pieces, and not stray too far. Plus, I focused on elements that I love right now:
book paper
text.fonts.handwriting.
pink.
tags.

I started with book pages torn from an old book. Used paint and hand made stamps+letter stickers+ephemera+tags+staples...it was great fun.

And here is the first one I completed...

This pieces was about map pattern paper. Tags. Pretty tape. Masking tape. Words. And stuff that was literally just sitting around begging to be added.

I hope today I conveyed to you simply the element of playing and having fun. Using elements you love and want to exercise more. And creating outside of your built in norms.

Thanks for letting me share what is currently inspiring me.
Have a great Wednesday...

Take My Own "Stock" Photo

2012-01-17T08:00:00.020-05:00

Recently I have become absolutely obsessed with group fitness classes. Ever since my December staycation, I've been going to the gym every day! Naturally in my head, I am trying to scrap this new hobby of mine :) but I have no pictures to use.

While reading a fitness article on MSN, I noticed the photos were watermarked and so I went to check out Think Stock. It is not in my budget to purchase these photos but it sure is a wonderful place to get ideas! A quick search using the word "exercise" resulted in this image that I could actually emulate!

Here is what I took over the weekend. Obviously, it is nowhere close to the amazing professional quality of the Think Stock photos, but this is actually way better! These are actually my shoes! :)

I can't wait to scrap this photo, right after Zumba! :)

February Kits

2012-01-15T08:28:00.003-05:00

February Main Kit--$30 ($28 for subscribers)

Contents of this kit include: 8 patterned papers (1 Echo Park, 3 Bella Blvd, 1 My Little Shoebox and 3 October Afternoon), October Afternoon red snowflake rub-ons, Jillibean Soup white and red alphas sticker sheet, Martha Stewart doilie chipboard, Bella Blvd. 12" cardstock stickers, 3 #5 shipping tags with punched out mittens, snowman and heart, january 2012 die cut in kraft, Echo Park label die cuts, 3 mini posters, and 2 yards of stitched snowflake garland, as shown below:

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February Project Kit--Valentine Projects & Love Always Garland--$30

Contents of this kit include: 3 Jillibean Valentine 12 x 12 papers, 1 red corrugated chipboard alpha set from Jillibean, 5 XL chipboard conversation hearts, 1 yard of fringe, 6 gold patterned paper pennants, 1 XL white doilie, 1 vintage white and yellow doilie, 2-4" foil doilies, 2-4" white doilies, 3 plain white french fry containers, 2 kraft mini bags, 1 red chevron mini bag, 1 Martha Steward chipboard printed doilie die cut, 1 yard ivory tulle, 2 yards cream twine, 1 Martha Stewart kraft polka dot envelope with pink scalloped card, 1 #8 shipping tag, 1 silver hard bound book cover, 3-9.5" heavy chipboard cones, 2 yards red festooning, 2 red pipe cleaners, 1 red fold out cardstock, and die cut letters that spell out "LOVE ALWAYS", as seen in the banner below:

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February Card Kit--20 Cards & Envelopes for $12.00

Contents of this kit include the cards, pieces parts and envelopes for 20 Valentine cards, sized 3.75 x 3.75" (white envelopes are 4" square.) An email with photos of all the finished cards will accompany the purchase of this kit!

If you have any questions, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

Resolutions and goals

2012-01-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

Have you set a goal or resolution for 2012?

I read how making and keeping goals is an important aspect of developing and improving ourselves. New Years is the perfect time to reevaluate our lives and select

new goals to work on.

I decided this year that I wanted to work on several goals

for 30 days I will concentrate on one positive change, goal or resolution

One is to write more in my journal, including a grateful journal, an art journal and an everyday journal

This month is NO MADE IN CHINA. With that, I'm trying to make a conscious effort to see where the things I purchase are coming from and its even got the kids involved!

Of course I will always keep my running goals throughout the year, and this years goal is to reach 1200 miles. What are you reaching for?

There's a New Challenge in Town

2012-01-13T06:31:00.001-05:00

Do you like scrapbooking challenges? I just love them! Challenges always get my mojo going, and I always love seeing what others create using the very same challenge.

Trish gave me permission to share this exciting news: I just launched my new challenge site, CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration, and I hope you'll come check it out. It's a color challenge, but it has some interesting additions to it, one of which focuses on journaling.

One of the things I love about a color challenge is that it really gets me digging through my stash to find just the right colors. I find myself rediscovering papers I forgot I had that I bought long ago and never used. Also, I always have papers and embellishments leftover from the WIP kits because Trish stuffs the kits full of scrappy wonders, so CSI is a perfect opportunity for using up some of those leftovers.

I gave the site a fun "CSI-vibe." Our design team is known as the CSI Detectives, our members are Suspects, our challenges are Case Files to be solved, and our gallery is called Framed.

Our challenges are revealed on Friday, and they run a week from the Sunday following the reveal, which gives players an extra weekend. Here's our current Case File:

And the layout I made (I swear I didn't plan this challenge for these pictures--it was completely serendipitous that I came up with this page):

And here's a top-secret sneak peek of the upcoming challenge, which will be launched tonight:

(Yes, we have an Alice in Wonderland theme running in January, in honor of Lewis Carroll's January 27th birthday.)

I do hope you'll come play. It's such a fun challenge and we have a really friendly bunch over there! We have prizes from monthly sponsors (The Dusty Attic this month), and Trish has promised that WIP will sponsor an upcoming month, so I'm very excited about that! I hope to see you appear at CSI as one of our Prime Suspects!

Valentine Button Canvas

2012-01-11T08:11:00.000-05:00

Working on a few Valentine projects around here...

I took a 6x6 blank white canvas, and made a homemade heart template by folding a 5x5 white square and shaping it into a heart. Using the negative of that paper, I ventered the template over the canvas and began using red buttons and glue dots to secure them.

I worked from the bottom up, and did the edges first.

I took red gingham ribbon and glued it to the edges of the canvas for a finished look, and that was it!

The project took less than an hour, and I love how it turned out!

Enjoy your day!

Upcoming Crop Dates

2012-01-10T01:23:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to announce upcoming crops locally at the Waterbury Community Center in North Ridgeville, Ohio...

Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
andSaturday, May 12, 2012

All crops start at 10am and go until 11pm and include lunch, dinner and beverages. Thirteen hours of uninterrupted crop time and two meals, all for $25!! If you'd like to register, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com to reserve your spot. I hope to see you there!!

And just because I can't do a post without a photo...

(taken with my iPhone, using the PicFrame app)

Enjoy your day!

25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

2012-01-09T04:37:00.000-05:00

These two houligans keep me on my toes. They are high-energy, non-stop and LOUD. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you get a moment, take the time to read this blog post about being a mom to boys today. Put a lump in my throat, and got me thinking about a mini book on the topic, for sure.

Enjoy your day!

8 Things

2012-01-07T00:27:00.001-05:00

Eight things that are putting a smile on my face this week, in no particular order.

I can't help but bust up watching our dog sleep like this. And his leg twitches from time to time, which always makes me laugh. I love this pooch.

Spotted this pillow while shopping last week, and I plan on lifting it. My love affair with felt continues...

He's a real bad guy in those pj's, staring me down. He backed up and stepped on a lego, and it was all over. I didn't have to lift a finger. Karma, dude.

Went to see "We Bought a Zoo" and LOVED IT. Go see it and take the fam. But be careful of the "she still believes in the Easter bunny" part. The only bummer.

New washing machine is awesome. Good thing, too--we can dirty some clothes in this house.

Can't bring myself to take the last of the decorations down. Hatching up a plan for Valentine's Day, using those two big frames again. Looking forward to creating it.

If you live anywhere near northeast Ohio, RUN to the B-Spot and have a burger. Michael Symon, I love you. Seriously--you will not be disappointed. Their fried bologna, brats and milkshakes are awesome, too.

And last but not least, feeling very grateful that Serge and Monica Bielanko, along with their two kiddos and two dogs, made it out of their house alive last week. You may have seen me mention them here on the blog--they're both amazing freelance writers and bloggers. The internet community raised $10,000 for them in less than 12 hours yesterday, and that kind of thing should be something we all smile about. You can read about it all here.

Enjoy your weekend!

T-Shirt Lariat

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-05:00

I have really been into crafting lately. I'm kinda loving it, too. Here in Ohio, that's what I do to get by these winter days. It's all good...

I knew this project had my name on it when I saw there was a way to use what I had. I quickly raided the hub's t-shirt drawer and a pair of scissors and got to work...

I love the versitility! And they stretch over your head, so you can be really creative.

Here is a link to these t-shirt necklaces. I had so much fun, I hope you'll try this at home!! Simple knots and loops.

There's a great tutorial here for cutting your t's up and leaving them plain. Kinda cool that way, too.

This strange yellow will come in handy on school spirit days (our local school colors are blue and gold), so the daughter was tickled to wear this one. It is actually two necklaces--one is extra long.

They can be dressed up, or worn plain jane.

Up next, I plan to add beads like this one here. So pretty!
Enjoy your day!

my 365 app

2012-01-04T00:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about the "my365" app for iPhone? It is free and fun, and I happen to be on there. I'd love to follow you along in your photography journey this year, too! I'm Turay413 if you are so inclined. Hope to see you there!

I'm hoping this will help me with my 4th year of Project Life!! Do you have any helpful tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear those, too!

Enjoy your day!

Scarves & Lariats

2012-01-03T01:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I want to share a project I did in a couple of hours. Thanks again, Pinterest. :) I LOVE how it turned out...

I made this felt scarf for a dear friend, and gave it to her for Christmas. I had my daughter model it before I wrapped it. I plan on making many, many more. Oh, how I love felt!!

You can find the tutorial here.

I've also had a thing for lariats these days. Especially crocheted ones! Aren't they cute??

I have a thing for grey ones!

I did a search for "crochet lariat" on Etsy, and came up with so many more that I want! You can see my search here.

Enjoy your day!

2012!!

2011-12-31T18:42:00.000-05:00

Spending these last few days of the holiday break with family. I hope you have the absolute BEST New Year's ever. Peace!

Hair Clip/Pin Organizer

2011-12-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

One of the fun things I made as Christmas gifts this year was hair clip/pin organizers.

I got white frames from Home Goods, and removed the glass. (I set it aside in a closet, in case I ever want to re-purpose this in the future). Next, I cut two pieces of chipboard the size of the glass, and I glued them together to form a sturdy, thick sheet of chipboard. Then, I began to apply random, colorful ribbons vertically down the chipboard, gluing them only at the ends (which wrapped around to the back.)

After completing all the vertical strips of ribbon, I started to then go horizontally. I weaved the ribbons in and out, forming a weave. I only went about half way (a few, I went a bit higher because it looked better.) Feel free to do what works for you!

Then I added a bunch of hair accessories. Many of them were made by my daughter and me, but a few were store bought as well. Isn't it pretty?

Enjoy your day!

Celebrate New Year's Eve at Home

2011-12-28T07:04:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I've outgrown the desire to go out on New Year's Eve. The thought of driving on the roads with all those over-indulged party-goers scares me, so I prefer to celebrate at home or at a friend's or family member's house where we can spend the night.

Here are some fun ideas I gathered from past New Year's Eves and from around the net:

Get Musical: Have a karaoke party and sign the night away. If you have the Wii and Rock Band, that's the perfect way to rock out on New Year's Eve. Or how about being a dancing fool. Turn on some disco or hip hop and shake your groove thing. You still have time to buy a disco ball. If you have a Spencer's Gifts at your local mall, they carry them.

Get Your Game On: Spend the evening laughing and having fun and playing games--board games, video games, card games. Some of my family's favorite games are Bananagrams (a totally addictive anagram game), Apples to Apples (also addictive, hard to describe, but leads to hilarious and often deep discussions), and Cranium (this has you singing, sculpting, drawing, acting, just plain old using your noggin to have fun).

Dress up Your Home: Choose a special room to heavily decorate so to make it appear quite fancy. Shop for streamers, stars, confetti, hats, ceiling decorations and much more. You do not have to spend a fortune to do this. Just stop by your neighborhood dollar store and get your basket full of decorations. Don't forget the balloons! You may all want to pop them when midnight strikes!

Get Cooking: Plan a culinary evening and get the whole gang involved. Lots of ideas here. Have a cooking contest around a theme. Plan a meal where everyone can make their own tailored meal, like building your own pizza by setting out the ingredients. Have a potluck with an international theme where everyone contributes, say, an Italian component to the meal. Splurge on something very fancy, like lobster or expensive cuts of meat that you wouldn't normally buy. After all, you're saving money by staying at home.

Movie Night: Pop some popcorn and buy some Raisinettes and rent some of your favorite old movies or some new ones you've been dying to see, and have a movie night marathon.

Get Gussied Up: Even though you're staying at home make the evening a really special occasion (and photo-worthy) by getting all dolled up in your fanciest threads and wear some sparkly makeup and nail polish. Who says you can't wear sequins at home?

Remembering and Looking Ahead: Pull out your scrapbooks from this past year and spend time talking and reminiscing. Ask: What were everyone's favorite memories of the year? What were the funniest moments? What were your proudest moments? What did you learn and discover this past year? Then spend time making plans for the coming year. What do you want to see in those scrapbooks when you look at them next New Year's Eve?

We're going to our sister's house to celebrate this year. We're still tossing ideas around about how to spend the evening. I'd love to hear some of your celebrate-at-home traditions.

Whatever you do this New Year's Eve. Have a happy, safe, fun one! I will leave you with a few New Year's Eve images I found on Pinterest...

Free Printable Birthday Calendar

2011-12-27T03:23:00.000-05:00

I found these over at Lemon Squeezy, and can't wait to print them out! You can download them both here.

Version 1

Version 2

Enjoy your day!

Get your mileage out of those Christmas Cards!

2011-12-26T00:30:00.000-05:00

I saw this idea over here, and it was too wonderful to keep it to myself!! Photograph those Christmas cards and use them as contact photos on your iPhone or Smartphone!!

Can I have a round of applause for the person who thought of that one??

Enjoy your day!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas to you!!

Enjoy every moment...

Mistletoe Ball

2011-12-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted a kissing ball to hang in our home (mostly to embarrass my children.) Mine didn't turn out nearly as cute as the one here (where I got the idea), but it will do!!

Time for some lip locking!

Enjoy your day!!

Tutorial: Glitter Ornaments

2011-12-22T01:00:00.064-05:00

Every year after Christmas, I pick up a few boxes of empty glass ornaments at Michael's for the following year's holiday season's DIY craft project. Here's a tutorial on how to make these glass glitter ornaments.

1. Gather supplies needed: empty glass ornaments, glitter (in this case, I used Doodlebug glitter), and embossing fluid refill.

2. Pour 2 teaspoon of embossing fluid into the empty ornament. This was a little hard to photograph, but you can sort of see just how much I have poured into the little bulb. You can actually dilute the embossing fluid with water to make it stretch. I recommend diluting it first before pouring into the little glass bulb.

3. Gently rotate the ornament so that the entire interior of the ornament is coated with embossing fluid. This could take a while if the embossing fluid is thick. (Yes, some embossing fluid is thicker than others.)

4. Add more embossing fluid if it is needed. Pour out the extra when it is completely coated.

5. Pour in the glitter quickly and abundantly and gently but quickly swirl the ornament so the glitter coats the interior of the ornament. It's important that a lot of glitter hits the wall of the glass ornament at once. Otherwise, a little glitter hits the wall and the wall loses its stickiness, which means more glitter won't stick. So to create the most consistent thickness of glitter around the glass wall, use a lot of glitter and work fast.

6. Pour out any excess glitter. At this point, the ornament is actually ready to go on your Christmas tree!There's no waiting for drying, it's immediately done. You can tie some twine on it, put a ribbon on it and hang it up.

7. Optionally, you can decorate the outside of the ornament if desired with glittered stickers and jewels like I have done here.

Other ideas on decorating the exterior of the ornament: white rubons, permanent markers, glitter pens... I have tied wide ribbons at the top of the ornament, they look really good that way.

I hope this is a helpful tutorial and that you will enjoy making your own glitter ornaments!

Our Annual Gingerbread House Party

2011-12-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, our daughter Jami and I hosted our 9th annual Gingerbread House Party in our home. It truly is one of my favorite days of the year, because I get to hang out with a few of my favorite women (I'm beyond lucky to call these ladies my friends) and their daughters...
For great basic gingerbread house assembly instructions, here is a great blog post showing how we have made ours for the past 9 years. It totally works wonders, and they turn out spectacular!

Jami's friend Rachal, who has been to all but 2 of the yearly parties...

Jami. She looks so grown up to me in this photo. Ugh...

Amy and Molly. They make me laugh and want to hug all the time.

Katie, Kaylee, Kendall and Molly. Super Mom with Super Daughters...

Deanna and Sadie. Dare I say it--they've been to every single one of our annual parties? Love them to bits...

Jeanie and Molly. Also our buddies on last week's NYC trip. Love them.

Judy and Sydney. Another Super Mom that amazes me. I think she's cloned in fact...

Julia. Her Mama had to work, so she brought her Gram. LOVE.

Kris & Gillian. Long time neighbors and friends that I wish I saw more often!

Isn't her smile infectious? I could just squeeze her to bits!!

Reilley won dibs on the masterpiece of the day. We affectionately called this the "Gaga House."

Thanks to all who came out to play!! And to the 5 that I did get photographed--my fingers are crossed that Tina got pics of you!!

Enjoy your day!

Contain yourself

2011-12-20T03:40:00.000-05:00

Finding a container for cookies is on my to do list every Christmas since my sister hosts an annual cookie exchange. Part of the exchange is about coming up with creative packaging, and this is another reason why I enjoy this time of the year so much, creative ideas are abundant!

With knowing that every year I am asked to make Russian tea balls, I can start looking for ideas early on in the season. That is when I found the clear paint can at Target and knew my snowballs would fit perfectly.

My girlfriend Brenda made these awesome cookies and the adorable container is adorned with an sprig of greens and a jar filled with snow

My sister wrapped her poppyseed bread in a washcloth!

and so many other tins and bags and ideas

that I decided to head over to pinterest and see if there were more ideas

and here's just a few of what I found!

All Things Reindeer

2011-12-19T00:30:00.001-05:00

For some strange reason, this year I've been a bit geeked up about all things reindeer. For example...

Made these for a few men in our family, using the best beer in the world...Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale. Fun, right?

The pooch is so cooperative. I love this dog!!

Made these for both of our son's classrooms this year. They spoke to me. :) Jen even found me RED WHOPPERS. What a gal!!

I made 77 of these bad boys. Giddy up, Santa. Wrappers for Hershey's candy bars. Do they get any cuter?

And last but certainly not least, these chocolate covered Nutter Butter cookies on a stick made me want to scream when I saw them. I made my own version for a party I hosted over the weekend, and the kids loved them.

Every single one of these ideas are located on my Pinterest Christmas board (minus the pooch!).

Enjoy your day!!

Monogram Wreath

2011-12-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

I recently made this for a friend's door. I found the idea here. Looking for a bit of mistletoe, and it should be all finished. Enjoy your day!

Tag Tutorial

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

There was such a nice response to these Advent tags that I wanted to do a bit of a tutorial here today with a few of the tags. If you remember last time I posted here that I took the 2Gypsie Girls Junk Drawer Advent Calendar and made them my own with what I had laying around the studio. As the tags are coming down from our advent calendar, they are finding a home in a 7gypsies drawer and still adorning our home with their beauty. I was thinking that these tags should not be limited to Christmas, but could be gorgeous simply sitting in the tag drawer on a shelf. They would still add to a January decor after all the Christmas decorations had been taken down. Valentines Day would surely be a wonderful reason to still have these tags out. Or make a Sweetheart's Day version and countdown to the 14th. Even a few made up and ready for Christmas gifts gives you all the excuse you need to make some today.

Tag #2. One of the simplest tags I made and a wonderful template for various other designs.
1. Stamp tag with a background stamp. Ink edges.
2. Circle punch book paper. Attach to tag.
3. Tie a bow from seam binding. Attach bow to top of circle punch.
4. Use a chipboard star: paint star with Modge Podge and add glitter. Or, if you have glitter paper punch or die cut into star shape. Glue star to the top of the book paper.
5. Stamp label image to bottom of card. The stamp seen here is from the WIP November True Beauty kit.
6. For the numbers (if you are doing a countdown tag calendar), either stamp, or use a font on your computer for the number. Punch number with starburst punch. I hot glued my numbers to a straight pin.

Tag#3.
1. Stamp tag with a flourish stamp. Ink edges.
2. Ink mini music sheet (Graphics Fairy) and adhere to tag.
3. Glittered frame: using chipboard frame from stash, cover with Modge Podge and add glitter. Let dry.
4. Use wide ribbon, and wrap ribbon around back of tag and then through glittered frame like a belt buckle. Tie ribbon in a knot. Glue frame to tag. This is a little tricky, but the results are worth it.
5. Add star brad (more WIP stash...you know you got them!).
6. Tuck a piece of tulle in behind star. I attached mine with hot glue so that it would be sure to stay.

Tag#5. This tag is an obvious variation on tag#3.
1. Stamp tag with flourish tag and ink edges.
2. Using french text (or it could be book paper, or music paper, or any paper you choose) glue metal frame to the top of the text. Trim around frame so text does not show.
3. Attach frame and text to tag.

Tag#7. My favorite tag. One of those projects that is so much more beautiful in person than in photo. Trust me.
1. Ink edges of tag.
2. Trim flocked paper to size, tearing top and bottom edges. (I puddled glimmer spray on my work surface and painted the white part of my paper. The white was too bright, and needed some vintag-ing. It now looks like old wall paper. Try re-coloring your papers with spray inks and play with the idea a little.) Attach flocked paper to tag.
3. Die cut heart shape from scrap chipboard. Cover in cream paper. Then cover that with cheese cloth, and trim around the edges allowing some frays to hang off the sides. Attach to tag off centered a bit.
4. Tie dyed seam binding in simple knot. Attach pearls (I use the value pack from my craft store, not expensive at all.).
5. Type the word believe, print, and trim. Ink edges. Place a glue dot on the back end and tuck in behind heart.
Note: I buy Hug Snug seam binding in white, and then dye it to my liking. The lighter seam binding used in the project was dyed in coffee. I simply dipped the seam binding in the coffee, and then squeezed dry with a paper cloth. I added some stiffness to the seam binding by spraying it with hair spritz. Then I dried the binding with my heat gun while scrunching it together, careful not to heat my hands up too much. I love this technique and use it quite a bit now.

Tag#8. Simple but pretty.
1. Border punch a piece of glittered paper. Attach to tag.
2. Print mini bingo card (Kenner Road), ink edges, add to tag allowing the glitter border to peek out from the bottom portion.
3. Trim several pieces of tulle into a circle. Layer and sew the circles on top of each other, forming a sort of simple flower.
4. Nest pearls on top of the tulle circles and attach with glue or hot glue. Just be careful! I'm just sayin'.
5. Tie seam binding in bow, add glue and tuck up underneath the tulle.

Tag#9. Ooohhh...another fav!
1. Ink tag.
2. Dry emboss tag. I used the Big Shot and a Texture Impression.
3. Stamp tag with paris stamp.
4. Print vintage Eiffel Tower photo (Graphics Fairy).
5. Glue metal frame to the top of vintage photo, and trim.
6. Attach framed photo to tag.
7. Create bow with seam binding and glue to the top of the frame.

Tag#13.
1. Cover tag with 7gypsies pattern paper, or any text/ledger paper.
2. Ink edges.
3. Attach old vintage key (Paris) to glittered pear tag with string and safety pin. (My stash happened to have an unopened package of 7gypsie tags...they were perfect...what's in YOUR stash?)
4. Hot glue pear tag to large tag to make sure it stays put.

More than anything, I hope this gets you creatively inspired to use up your stash, and make beautiful things. I hope to this gave you a bit more insight into how these tags came together for me.

January 2012 WIP Kits!!

2011-12-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here they are...
January Main WIP Kit--$30 (Subscribers $28)

Contents of this kit include: 5 12x12 papers (2 Teresa Collins, 1 My Mind's Eye, and 2 cardstock), 12 Fun Day 6x6 papers from My Mind's Eye, ledger alphabet letters from Jenni Bowlin, Jenni Bowlin Brads, My Mind's Eye clear stamp set, 4 XL shipping tags, 1 medium shipping tag, 1 medium shipping tag with "2012" cut out, 2 Melissa Frances chipboard covers, 1 My Mind's Eye chipboard stickers--kraft, 3 yards of shipping tag hemp, 2 black mini rules from 7Gypsies, and die cut in silver glitter paper "For Auld Lang Syne."

______________________________________

January 2012 Add-On Kit--$25

Contents of this kit include: 9 kraft boxes in various sizes, 4 kraft handled bags in 2 sizes, 8 kraft envelopes, 24 white bags in 3 different sizes, 16 kraft bags in 3 sizes, 4 XL long kraft envelopes, XL red yarn pom pom, 2 yards red yarn, 2 yards red & white twine, 3 yards shipping twine, 1 Jillibean Soup label sticker sheet, and 3 white doillies.

___________________________________

January Project Kit--$12

Contents of this kit include: All the pieces parts to make this mini album, to house all your favorite photos from 2011 OR 2012 (both titles are included in the kit!). The mini includes a 3" binder ring, 15 chipboard pieces, patterned paper, Elle's Studio monthly ticket stubs, journaling spots, and tags to house your pics. You can read about this mini concept (this is the 4th year for creating this project) here and here.

**HOLIDAY BONUS--If you purchase the Main kit and the Add-On kit this month, the Project kit is FREE!! How fun!!

To reserve your kits, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

Enjoy your day!

January Kit Sneak

2011-12-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

The January WIP Kits will be released today, right here, at noon! Here's a sneak to tide you over...

Enjoy your day!

Christmas Yummies

2011-12-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm back, and I've missed creating for WIP the past couple of months while I was moving to my new home. So happy to be back, and I want to thank Trish for giving me a couple of months off to make the transition.

So I've been looking around for something interesting to make for the holidays and came across some very creative and yummy-looking ideas.

This candy cane coffee cake, from The Recipe Girl. How clever is that and so much fun for a Christmas brunch! The directions on her site are very detailed and make this look like a fairly easy thing to prepare.

And how about these Christmas kiss centered brownies? OMGoodness, I can just imagine how yummy these would be with the melty kiss inside and the crunch of the candy-cane bits. I found this one at The Idea Room.

This one perhaps isn't specifically for Christmas, but it's too adorable (and easy) not to share. It's from a blog called Fieltromania, a blog dedicated to all things felt. How dang cute would these pancakes be to serve at breakfast?

And these adorable Santa and reindeer truffles. How clever and cute are those antlers made from pretzels? I couldn't find the recipe, but I just had to share this. I'm sure all you creative WIP blog readers will know how to adapt this!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can find some time to make one of these treats. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!

NYC at Christmastime 2011

2011-12-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

Wanted to share a few of my iPhone pictures from this weekend in NYC. I'll be back later today to add a few of my DSLR photos from the trip...
Central Park...

The tree at Rockefeller Plaza...

The tree at Bryant Park...

Ice Skating at Bryant Park...

The life-size Barbie Dollhouse at Toys R Us on Times Square...

Eating Breakfast at Grand Central Station with friends...

The Chrysler Bldg...

Lots and lots of walking the streets...

The skyline in Central Park...

Enjoy your day!

New Favorite iPhone Apps for Photography

2011-12-12T00:30:00.001-05:00

It is no secret that I love my iPhone. In fact, the reason I got one was for the CAMERA--not the actual phone. I get asked about what kind of smaller sized camera would I recommend to someone (if I had a quarter for every time someone asked me that this holiday season!!)--my standard answer is, "Do you have an iPhone?" It is that good. Last week, I picked up my enlargements from Costco, and they were wonderful. The resolution, the flexibility with the apps, and the compact size are all huge advantages in my book.

I also get asked about favorite apps. I love hearing about your favorites just as much. Scrappers are such great sharers!! So here are a few of my newest favorite iPhone apps for photography and related stuff...

PicFrame is a wonderful app that allows you to drop your iPhone pictures into place, using their set frames. Here are a few examples...

Notice the red labels in the above photos? Labelbox is your new best friend. Go on now. Go play!

Word Foto is another new favorite. It takes a picture and melts text into it. Here are three of my latest creations using it...

LensLight is also a neat app. Here is my photo BEFORE using it...

And here is the same photo AFTER...

There are many options, but you can play til your heart's desire and never get enough of these fun apps!! Special thanks to Wendy Hammer for sharing her wisdom and introducing me to so many of these options. We're pals on Instagram (another great app--voted best app of the year by Apple!!).

Please--do share about your latest iPhone photo app!! And enjoy your day!

Why I just love her...

2011-12-11T00:30:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, while crafting at my friend Jen's house, I took the liberty to snap a few pictures without her knowledge. Not that she'd mind. I just get so inspired whenever I'm over there for any length of time. And this time, I took pictures of some of my favorite things. They kinda represent her...

1. She's a home-body. Me, too. We love to nest and fuss about the house, and decorate it to make it special for those we love. I'm drawn to people like that.

2. She's off-the-wall and silly. She bought these reindeer antlers and nose for her daughter's car, and was totally geeked up about it. The whole thing made me laugh. She couldn't wait to surprise her. She's thoughtful to so many...

3. She doesn't do anythign a "little bit." She jumps in with both feet, and full-throttle. I love that she says yes all the time, is always volunteering for something, and asks questions later. I wish I was more like her in that respect...

4. We share an obsession with all things felt. What's not to love?

5. She is the older sister I never had. We have a geeky tradition to shop the day after Christmas and then do lunch together. Got that big Santa one year, during that shopping spree. I challenge defy anyone to pack an SUV like us after a shopping trip.

6. She is going to will this quilt to me if she dies before me. I called dibs on it. This quilt in her living room is high on my coveting list, for sure. Who else would do that?

7. Her entire Christmas tree is decorated in snowmen, and only snowmen. It is beautiful and fun, and unique, just like her.

8. She has a ginormous calendar that takes up an entire wall in her kitchen, and it is always the hub of activity in her home. She always has cool things posted on it, and pieces parts hanging from it. I tried to nab that paper garland from Anthro when she wasn't looking, but I was busted...

9. She loves red, and subway art. HELLO.

10. She has mementos and photos and reminders of her life all over her home. Makes me want to curl up in a blanket and stay there. Sometimes, I do.

11. She's a doer. She walks the talk and doesn't let grass grow under her feet. She always, always, always looks out for me and my family, too. It may be advice, the latest item for a WIP Kit, or using her Cameo until the wee hours of the morning...

12. She lives in the moment, not in the past. I get really hung up on that sometimes. Sorrow about the past, and anxiety about the future--those two topics sometimes make me want to fold. She is great at bringing me back to the center, and living for TODAY, and moving on. Always. And I know God put her in my life to help me out with those days, believe me.

13. She gets it. And she gets me. And then some. She sees stuff and calls me up to squeel and we craft. She makes me a better person. I don't know what I did to deserve her, but I'm so very grateful for her presence in my life, and in my family's life.

14. She'll die of embarrassment when she reads this. Then she'll call me a dork (because I am--ha!). We don't do too much of the sappy stuff with regard to one another. But I know she knows how I feel about her.

And everyone should have a friend like her. :)

Pom Pom Wreath

2011-12-09T01:58:00.000-05:00

When I wrote this post about my obsession with pom poms, I was seriously knee deep into them. Ask anyone who came near this place. Totally fun...

So when my friend pointed me to this wreath on Pinterest, I knew I had to drag out my yarn once again!! I picked up a 10" styro wreath at the Dollar Store, and got busy...

I tied 29 green poms (I used two sizes and 2 colors of green for this project) to the ring. Then I went in and glued mini red poms (purchase at a local craft store) here and there...

Totally random, and I love it. Total crafting time: 3 hours.

Here is my finished version. I'm opting to not add a bow.

I hope you make a ton of these babies, too! I shouldn't be alone in my addiction--you know you want to join me...

Enjoy your weekend!

Merry Each and Every Day

2011-12-08T01:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! It's Jing-Jing here and I am quite excited to share with you the Christmas cards I made using the December WIP kit! The inspiration for these cards come from the dark kraft die-cut tags included in the kit.

One of the little Ormalu flapper is "each and every day" which is just way too perfect as a sentiment for any card! I paired it with the tiny letters from Echo Park and created this card. A fair amount of 3-d foam adhesive is used, and you can see the depth on the close-up photo.

Next up is a failure apparently. I asked DH if he could tell for which occasion is this card. He stared at it for 10 minutes and told me that he had no idea! Really? I was a little appalled! Maybe I should have moved the number stickers closer together, but I thought the gingerbread man would have been a good clue that it's a Christmas card? Ugh, like I said, apparently, this one is a failure!

I put a couple of 3-d foam adhesive behind the little number flags to make them stay "flapped."

Lastly, I have this relatively obvious holiday card using three tiny tags. I wonder if the non-traditional colors are what threw DH off? Regardless, I have thoroughly enjoyed making these cards and sharing with you. And if you got the December main kit from WIP, do share with us your creations, especially if you made holiday cards! :)

A WIP Christmas Freebie

2011-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

I am truly blessed with great friends. And one of them, who asked to remain nameless (whose initials are AMY!!), is awesome at creating subway art. She sent this to me yesterday, as a freebie to all the WIP Blog readers out there as a beautiful holiday gesture.

Isn't she sweet?

The best part? It is sized to 8x10...or 16x20!! Simply click on the above image, and save the image on the following screen by right clicking your mouse, and print (or send it away to Costco to have it printed, like me!)

ETA: I resized the original image to make it larger, but Blogger may condense the image for me to upload it here. If you're getting a low resolution image, be sure you first CLICK the image, let it take you to the second screen where there is just an image of the art, then right click to save. If it still needs to be resized, you may need to do that on your own using PSE, Photoshop, Picnik or Picassa. It worked fine for me, but I would like some feedback from someone else, if possible. Thanks so much!!

Thank you, Amy. You know I love ya!!

Oh Martha!

2011-12-06T06:43:00.001-05:00

I was trying to decide what I'm going to put my cookies in for the annual cookie exchange, when I came across these clear cans at the dollar spot in Target, now I just had to figure out how I was going to decorate them.

Then I came upon some Martha Stewart products on sale at Joann's and everything began to fall together.

The labels were so quick and simple to decorate this bottle of wine for a quick gift

and I was able to punch this border across a 12" sheet of paper to fit perfectly around the can, and with a few more details and the cookies of course, my jar is ready!

Pottery Barn Glitter Santa Canvas

2011-12-05T00:04:00.000-05:00

A few years back, Pottery Barn had this beautiful canvas in their holiday catalog, listed for over $150. I know this because my friend Jen coveted it, but didn't want to pay that price for one.

So Jen, being an art teacher at a local high school, took the catalog to work and used her overhead projector to transpose the image onto a blank canvas, and painted her own.

Here is her result...

This photo does not do it justice, believe me.

So, what do friends do? Copy and lift ideas from one another, no? I jumped at the chance to spend an evening with her this weekend to dive into the exact same project. Here it is, step by step.

Here is my 20" x 30" canvas, with pencil lines drawn from the overhead projector. It really doesn't look like much of anything, huh?

She instructed me to paint the canvas in specific spots, and I did so with the Martha Stewart silver metallic paint. (I have to say--neither one of us are big fans of the paint. To get total coverage, it requires several layers of paint. I didn't have the time or the patience for that. Luckily, it doesn't have to be a solid or heavy coat.) I made several minor mistakes, but was instructed to keep moving on, and to not get hung up on little details.

After the painting was completely dry, she handed me a bottle of Elmer's glue and a big bottle of glitter. She told me to paint over the metallic spots with glue, then glitter those spots.

I'm not sure if you can tell from this photo or from others, but a 20x30 canvas isn't little. Trying to keep the glitter from going all over the place was nearly impossible. This is why I fully encourage you to do this over your friend's house, not your own. :) Thanks, Jen.

She's one smart cookie. She also advised me to transport it home in a big garbage bag, so it didn't get all over my van. Thanks again, Jen.

Once I got it home, I took the liberty to take it outside and give it a good few taps on the back, to knock off as much residual glitter as possible.

I just love how it turned out. It just shimmers in the sunlight. And at night, the reflection of the tree lights makes it glisten, too.

I can't wait to make at least 120 more of them!!

Thanks for the inspiration, Jen. I love you, girl!

Enjoy your day!

Be A Sport Mini Book

2011-12-03T00:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share my "Be a Sport" mini with you all today. When I saw these papers, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them...

With three children (one girl and two boys), I wanted to say something with this. Honestly, that is where most of my layouts/minis originate. What do I want to say? In this one--I wanted to talk to them about sportsmanship--no matter what activity they choose. So I wrote them a note in the introduction.

Throughout the book, I've included photos of them and different sports they've played--organized or just for fun. I'm a big fan of quotes, so I cut the ones I put in the kit up into bite-sized nuggets, and put them throughout the mini book...

There are a couple blank pages that I have plans for. I also have photos that I need to find to finish it off. But the general idea is here--and the message I wanted to convey is throughout the book.

I love that it didn't take too long. I hope they refer to it, especially after a loss or a disappointment. I plan on putting a few more heartfelt sentiments in there for each one, too.

Thanks for allowing me to share. I hope you enjoy your day!

Christmas Blocks

2011-12-02T00:30:00.000-05:00

I've made a bunch of these altered wooden blocks in the past, but it has been a while since I've revisited the idea...

I did a kit for the Bertram Inn, using Echo Park Christmas paper and a bunch of odds & ends embellishments. To make it more interesting, I used Christmas photos from my past that had a lot of meaning...

I painted the plain wooden blocks on the corners and edges with red acrylic paint. I sanded most of it off, allowing the project to look more worn. Then I started layering. For adhesive, I used the strong bond of the red-line tape. That stuff works wonders!

I love how they turned out. I've made a few sets for gifts this year, and I can't wait to share them...

And it has inspired me to revisit of my favorite crafts from past years. I love that.

Enjoy your day!

Advent Tag Calendar

2011-12-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

Tags are in my heart right now.
I have always loved tags.
If you have ever received a gift from me, there is probably some type of tag attached to it.
They are simple canvases awaiting the pleasure of paper, trim and embellishment to make them into works of art.

So I blame Trish, that's right, Trish for this most recent obsession I find myself entangled with.
For she was the one who revealed the beauty of Two Gypsy Girls and their Advent Tag calendar of a few years back. They actually call theirs a Junk Drawer Advent Calendar. And that is just fine by me. For what I have to show you sort of came about from junk. My junk.

For you see I became so obsessed with making these tags, that I ended up buying the Gypsy Girls digital download of instructions. Then the fun really began. But not because of what you think. Not because I had gorgeous detail photos of all 24 days of tags. Not because I had step by step instructions on how to replicate each tag. Not because I now had new techniques to explore and create with. Nope. It was because I practically had NONE of the supplies they used. Well...I had tags! but the fun for me really became reality when I used what I had. I did not go out to buy a single thing for the tags that I made. The challenge to my creative resources was peeked and I went after the task with great love and joy for this creative process.

Let me share a little here::

They all start with a few basics. (I am not going to reveal what the 2Gypsies shared with me, but I can share a few little things). They all start with a tag. Save for the bingo card (do you recognize the bingo card from the WIP December kit?) Also basic to each tag is inking of the edges. After that they are all their own unique pieces of sweetness.

I forgot one other common theme:: glitter. My Christmas colors this year are silver, burlap, and champagne. The glitter just fits perfectly with that scheme. As do all these tags.

Let me share a few of my favorite...oh...so hard to choose...but I will try.

Remember, I did not have hardly any of the suggested supplies that the 2Gypsies wished I had. So based on the photo and instruction, I went my own way. My version of this tag was to make a frame from wood grain pattern paper, and die cut with a label shape. The 'bling' piece is actually a button from...are you ready for this? Walmart! yep folks, there are treasures to be had at Walmart. I actually picked up the bejeweled piece to make a ring. That did not work. But it sure did work to run some hand dyed seam binding through to top the frame. This is one of the more simple tags, but it is one of my favorites.

The center tag, the one with the flocked brocade, is my all time favorite. I really wish you all could see it in real life...it is actually stunning if I do say so myself. The pattern piece started off with a white background. Too stark for the look I was going for. So, I misted the brocade with a bit of water. Then I used a bit of color mist, pooled a little on my work surface, and 'painted' it onto the white portions of the brocade piece. It worked perfect. The heart chipboard piece I made by die cutting a piece of chipboard to a heart shape. Then I covered the heart with a bit of cheese cloth...yes...lots of cheese cloth on these here tags, who knew? I trimmed along the edges leaving some frayed pieces loose. Another piece of dyed seam binding was tied in a bow and attached, with pearls hot glued onto the seam binding. I randomly picked up those pearls in Ohio last month! I now believe one needs always have pearls of various sizes in one's stash.

The last tag I shall share with you is this one. So much I had to make work on this one. First, the vintage alphabet piece...I found it on GraphicsFairy. And I was so excited to have made it's acquaintance. Then, the glittered fleur de lis...I did not have any of those on hand. But I did have a stamp. So I stamped a piece of thin chipboard. Then trimmed around the stamp impression. Next, Modge Podge was used to cover the piece, and then it was glittered...again another item I purchased in Ohio! (I love that place!). The next thing I did not have were pearl dangles. So I looked up how to make those on YouTube, and actually got pretty good at it by the end of these tag creations.

The need to be resourceful in my creativity really added to the value of this Advent Calendar. It deepened my ability to make something out of, well, practically nothing. Our creative studios are beautiful places to hoard stuff, or make stuff. Pull out those precious hoarded items and make something beautiful today.

Elf on a Shelf Ideas

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Last year, we started a new tradition with Elf on a Shelf. The kids got the book as a gift, and it was a hit...
And when I saw this post on Pinterest, I knew I had to pass this link along. 101 ideas for the ELF!

This Flickr Photostream has lots of cute ideas to share.

And a couple I found here.

I saw this blog post on creative ideas for placing your Elf on a Shelf, and wanted to share them today, too. How CUTE!!

Even more adorable idea at Parenting Magazine here.

Enjoy your day!

Advent Calendars

2011-11-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

(*Photo taken from Katherine Marie Photography)

Every year at our house, we do some sort of Advent Calendar. Sometimes, we do even more than one. This year, I want to encorporate giving on a daily basis. So when I saw the above photo on Pinterest, clicked on it and read the blog post about it, I knew this was it.

Copied directly from Katherine Marie's blog:

Advent Activities:

1st Take a set of holiday books and leave at a mall play area
2nd Make a street pretty for Christmas (pick up roadside trash-Santa Style!)
3rd Adopt a classroom in need (send holiday party treats; craft box)
4th Buy a hot cocoa or latte for Salvation Army bell ringers (brrrrr— it must get cold out there!)
5th Purchase toys for kids in need
6th Tape candy canes and happy holiday notes to ATMS, vending machines…
7th Send of box of mittens and hats to a school
8th Offer to buy a pack of gum or mints for checkout clerk at grocery store
9th Bring peppermint mocha to daycare workers
10th Donate Blood (K and Mom)
11th Hand out pretty Christmas flowers
12th Bake & deliver Christmas cupcakes to library employees
13th Set up a free gift wrap station!
14th Pay for santa pictures for someone at mall
15th Collect canned goods for food pantry
16th Pass out candy and spread cheer to folks mailing off their Christmas cards at the post office
17th Set up a “helping task force” – take back shopping carts, hold open doors for rushed and weary shoppers…
18th Leave small Christmas treats/gifts in shopping carts for folks to find
19th Take presents to hard working post office employees
20th Call animal shelter and find out what donations they need. Make a contribution & visit animals.
21th Leave basket of Christmas gifts on doorstep of a family that needs it
22nd Buy coffee for stranger at Starbucks
23rd Leave present in mailbox for mail carrier
Christmas Eve: Take all night drug store employee a Christmas surprise (because it’s no fun to work on Christmas Eve!)
Christmas Day: Deliver something special to folks who are working and/or recovering at local hospital

I plan on adding/editing a few here and there, but I really want to do this. I hope you'll join in on the fun with your family, too!

Enjoy your day!

Printable Owl Calendar--Freebie

2011-11-28T00:30:00.000-05:00

I found the CUTEST owl calendar over at My Owl Barn. It is FREEBIE printable that you can customize (print it all, or month by month, in whatever size you want!). Check it out here and have fun with it!

Enjoy your day!

Cookie Decorating Tip

2011-11-27T00:30:00.000-05:00

You all know I love a good cookie. I especially love decorating beautiful cut-outs for Christmas. So when I saw this tip and was blown away at its simplicity, I knew I had to share it...

Enjoy your day!

Around here...

2011-11-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

I've been crafting...

I found this tree printable here. I used 3 fall colored ink pads (one color representing one child--and we have 3 children), and asked them to add their fingerprints to the print. I love how it turned out. Plan to either scrap this or frame it. :) The original idea was used as a guest book for a wedding, with fingerprints as a "signature." Fun!

This freebie from Rebecca Cooper just made me squeel! LOVE the pennants and the possibilities with them. Can't wait to use them up! Thought of maybe using the fingerprint tree with these for the layout. We shall see...

And I found this free printable over at Eighteen Twenty-Five. I love that you can save them in various sizes and upload them/print so easily. I'm framing this print (from Costco, and this one is an 8x10) as a hostess gift for my sister, who is hosting Thanksgiving this year.

Going to take a bit of a blogging break here to celebrate the holiday here. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your comments, your input, your inspiration. YOU are among my blessings this year--and I hope you and your family have a blessed and safe holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Treat Bags

2011-11-21T00:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, Cricut. How I love thee...

I like to create treat bags for my son's classrooms. This year, I turned toward my tried and true Cricut. I cut out these turkeys (about 4" tall) and assembled them, with the help of my older, crafty daughter.

Next, we applied red-line (strong adhesive) tape to one side of the mini clothes pins (purchased at Pat Catan's, a local craft store.) We stuck one clothes pin onto the back of one turkey die cut, so the clothes pin would stick to the turkey well.

We filled up 4" treat bags with pretzel m&m's and candy corn, and taped them shut to secure the candy wouldn't spill out.

Then we used the pinching mechanism to "grab" the bag at the top. So easy and FUN!
Think of the possibilities here! Pilgrim hats, cornstalks, cornucopia, you get the idea!

For more Thanksgiving ideas, including additional creative treat bags, check out my Pinterest board here.

Enjoy your day!

Yarn Covered Letters

2011-11-20T00:27:00.000-05:00

I have gone a little yarn crazy as of late. A few weeks ago, I picked these 5" MDF letters from a local craft store, knowing what I'd be doing with them...

They needed a lot of yarn, but I used what I had on hand, and was sure to use fall colors.

I kept wrapping and wrapping each letter, with no plan in mind...

I love how they turned out!

I may or may not add a few felt leaves to them today. My wheels are turning on how I can use this very idea for the upcoming holidays, too...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

true beauty mini book

2011-11-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone...

Sharing with you the "True Beauty" mini book from the November kit. Loved it. Loved it good.

Mostly I loved how the colors melded together so beautifully. The sweet yellow and blacks and greys worked together so wonderfully that this album could not have been anything less than a book of 'true beauty'.

For me the album took shape with photos that drew me in. Photos that told me a story of beauty. Photos that for me were going to be timeless. Each page celebrated the beauty of the dream of a little one, or the joy of father and son, or the beauty of adoration between two brothers. It took on a life of it's own as I played with the paper, tags and seam binding.

A couple of things are a bit untraditonal about the creating of this mini album. Instead of the book opening from right to left, I decided to have it open from the bottom to the top. You'll see what I mean in a minute. Another thing that is different is how each page is layered on top of the other with several peeking out from underneath. I love this technique. I trimmed the page protectors, and sewed the foundation papers to the page protector. I just love to be able to feel the texture of the papers and the different surfaces.

Let's take a closer look. Warning...this is photo heavy::

The kraft album cover makes for a fabulous canvas. I just started playing with the tags, stamps and flowers. The cork circle...can we say adorable? Punched and trimmed some of the pattern paper and layered away. Sometimes this process can be so freeing.

Here's a close up...just because I love close ups.

This is the opening page. I trimmed the first page protector to about 3 inches. The foundation page was then sewed to the top of the page protector. Then again with the layering. The wallet size photo hangs over the front a bit just to add to the texture of the page. And you can see two other pages peeking out from underneath the beginning page.

This page protector was trimmed to about 4 1/2 inches. (Note: I took the pages out of the album so that I could sew them better with my machine. After I was all done, I re-assembled the book.) The process was the same:: sew foundation page to the page protector, and then layer away. See how I used the charcoal tag with the heart punch. I liked how that worked out. Sometimes (make that alot of times) you just get lucky.

This is the third page, and it ended this set of pages. We start all over again with the next page layout.

And this next page HAS to be my favorite of the book. Who can resist that sweet face? O.K...I digress...back to the book. If you follow me on here even a little, then you know how I don't re-create an original layout every time. Especially when it comes to a mini album. I usually repeat elements and pages. I mostly did the same here with this page. Notice how similar it is to the very first page of the mini.

This album has a total of ten pages, so the last set of layouts is in a group of four. I just adjusted the size of the page protectors so that I could still have them all layered.

This has been one of my most favorite projects to do for the gallery. It gave me great joy in the process of creating and designing each page. And that for me is the true beauty of this paper arts world we live in.

ETA: We have TWO of these amazing kits left if you would like to make one of your own!

December 2011 WIP Kits

2011-11-16T02:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much for your patience! I think they were worth the wait...
December Main WIP Kit 2011--$30 ($28 for subscribers)

Contents of this kit include: 9 Patterned papers (1 Jenni Bowlin Christmas, 1 Bella Blvd, 3 My Mind's Eye Kraft, and 4 Echo Park), 4 kraft tags (Etsy), 2 yards red and white baker's twine, 4 shipping tags, Echo Park Times & Seasons cardstock sticker elements sheet, Echo Park Times & Seasons alphabet sheet (including 3 full alphabets in 3 different colors), Ormalu Fact or Fiction Flair (8 pieces each), Ormalu Fact or Fiction Flappers (22 pieces each) and Ormalu Letter & Line shipping package tags (set of 6 as shown).

Close up of the Main kit:

Another Close up of the elements in the Main kit:

_________________________________________________

Fall Tag Kit--$15

Contents of this kit includes all the pieces/parts to create the above 42 tags. Perfect for Thanksgiving, and your own Drawer Full of Blessings, as shown here:

___________________________________________________
Be a Sport Mini Book Class Kit--$25 **Limited Quantities

Contents of this kit include: Bella Blvd. die cut sheet, Bella Blvd. cardstock sticker sheet, 8 6x12 pages, 2 chipboard covers for mini album, several felt tags, 5 star straight pins from Little Yellow Bicycle, 1 yard red ribbon, 1 yard red baker's twine, 6 yellow raffle tickets, 6 blue raffle tickets, soccer ball, football and baseball die cuts, black chipboard letters, cloud die cut label, paper clips, sports quotes, black label die cut, grass die cut, several star die cuts and puffy sport ball stickers. *Note: This kit will be presented on the blog and comes with an email showing the finished book in detail for those who purchase the kit.**

_______________________________________________

2011 Holiday Christmas Kit--SOLD OUT

Contents of this kit include: 10 patterned and specialty papers from K & Co, Crate Paper, Doodlebug, Making Memories, Echo Park and Jillibean Soup, Echo Park cardstock stickers, Crate paper die cut sheet, Crate Paper Christmas Label sheet, Doodlebug Elements Sheets (two in two different varieties), 1 4x6 acrylic mini book with graduating pages, My Mind's Eye 12 Days Acrylic Stamps, My mind's Eye 12 Days Brads/Elements package, white raffle tickets, 2 Christmas Labels from the Living Room Floor, 5 Elle's Studio labels, 1 yard green gingham ribbon, 1 yard brown/white striped ribbon, 2 Gingerbread die cuts, 4 4" square envelopes in white, and green alphabet from Authentique.

__________________________________________

Christmas Memories Banner Kit--SOLD OUT

Contents of this kit include everything to make this two-tiered holiday memories banner, except the photos. Felt holly leaves, paper, chipboard pennants, and festooning are all included. Email instructions are included with the purchase of this kit!

________________________________________________

To reserve any or all of the kits listed above, please contact Trish at Turay413@gmail.com!

Enjoy your day!

Delay

2011-11-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

I hate to do this. But it has to be done.The December WIP Kits are not going to be posted until a major shipment arrives. I promise to post the photos as soon as humanly possible, and apologize for the delay. Believe me, this kind of thing does not make me happy on this end, either. So in light of the situation, I promise the kits will be worth the wait. So does the vendor who put me behind. I'll keep you posted. I'm praying for tomorrow...

What did put me in a happy mood today was this photo. So I thought I'd share. While editing many of the fall sessions today, I came across this picture. My daughter comes along to be my assistant on big shoots. She does everything from holding my bag, to entertaining children, as you can see here. These boys had met her before, but only once a year ago. They took to her instantly, and she loved it. Triplet boys and their older brother. I told her it should be the photo that goes on her babysitting business card!

Enjoy your evening...

A Drawer Full of Blessings

2011-11-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

One of the kits that will be released tomorrow is a tag kit. You may remember this Drawer kit back in the Spring.

Same concept, only this kit contains a variation of fall-themed tags that are perfect for Thanksgiving. My plans for this Thanksgiving include setting out a bunch of different tags, along with a couple of writing utencils, with hopes that everyone will write about their blessings this holiday. I will then take photos of our family gathering, print them at home with my handy little Canon Selphy, and add those to the mix.

Hopefully, these tags will help add to the fun atmosphere of the project. The kit includes the tags only, in effort to keep the project versitile and affordable for everyone! For those of you who purchased the Spring kit, all you have to do is switch these out.

Enjoy your day!

December Sneak

2011-11-13T00:07:00.001-05:00

Wanted to share a sneak of this upcoming kit today. Can't wait to show you more!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Jamie's Gratitude Journal Class

2011-11-11T00:30:00.000-05:00

I had the privledge of doing something that I've never done before at this year's Fall Retreat. I took a class with visiting instructor and WIP Design Team member, Jamie Pate...

It was all that I had hoped, and more. I'm slowly adding pieces/parts to my book, and it is the perfect place to house my blessings this season. I promise to share more of mine soon.

In the meantime, she has a couple kits left. If you would like to reserve one, please email Jamie directly at sagapate@msn.com. Cost of the kit is $30 plus shipping. Worth every cent, too!

Enjoy your day!

Homemade Doggie Treats

2011-11-10T01:35:00.000-05:00

While I was gone for the weekend, our daughter made these homemade doggie treats for the pooch. She said they were simple and fun to make, and Cooper LOVES them. So give them a try!

Peanut Butter Doggie Treats

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375'F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. --- This is the original recipe, but I have found the cookies burn easily.

Enjoy your day!

2011 Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn

2011-11-09T00:35:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a few photos from this past weekend today. Our 4th Annual Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn went really well. So much to say. My heart is full.

In this season of gratitude, it is easy to find the blessings, large and small. The 60 ladies who attended this year's Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn are included in mine, for sure...

The Willow Trader Gals are just the BEST group of ladies. Their friendships and support of me and this retreat have kept me going, wanting to out-do myself year after year.

This year, our 4th for the Retreat, was our largest yet. We started on Friday at 2:00pm, and ended on Sunday at 4:00pm...

We wore pj's and were BUSY all weekend. The doors never closed. Someone was awake and in our cropping hall the full weekend, at all times. Two pulled two all-nighters. CRAZY!

As usual, the food was delish. One of the main reasons we continue to return year after year...

A few of the treats that showed up this year. Special thanks to Jennifer Bueck, Amy Cochran, Mary Ann Papp, Chrissy Mis, Tina Zarlenga and Debbie Cordes for out-doing themselves and helping me pull it off. I don't do this thing on my own. I have the best girlfriends a girl could ask for!!

We brought favorite projects and shared...

We found new things and shared and talked and shared some more. These dies from My Favorite Things will be mine. (Thank you, Laina Lamb for introducing me to them, and for producing such a wonderful product!)

So much laughter. Girl time. Gotta love that...

The photo below is very special to me. That's me on the right, with my sister Chrissy. Three years ago, she started helping me out with this event because it became much too large for me to pull off on my own. She and her organizational skills never cease to amaze me. Quite frankly, I couldn't do it without her. And sharing this experience with her is something we look forward to every year.

All this, despite the fact that I accidently threw her contacts down the drain. Crazy stuff happens on 8 hours of sleep over 3 days, okay? I totally owe her...

Lisa came from Florida, and Jamie Pate came all the way from Colorado this year. SO glad we got to spend time together and shop before the event started. They made this year extra special, and I'm still soaking it all in...

Extra special thanks to the other girls who traveled near and far to make the event. Cammy from Pittsburgh, Debbie and Allison from WVA, Michele, Amanda from Michigan, Jessica, Emily and Gina from Cincy, Marge from IN, and April from Columbus. You guys are the BEST!

She's going to kill me for posting this. Isn't she cute? I love that we share this hobby...

Speaking of sisters, these two are among my favorites. Tina and Debbie keep me in stitches always, and this weekend was no exception. THANK YOU for always being there, and for making all those yummy jars of trail mix. You always go that extra mile...

So we now officially start the countdown until next year's retreat...

I will keep you posted here, but you can block off November 3-5, 2012!! I look forward to doing this all over again, making more memories with women who share in this hobby.

To those who came out and joined us, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you had as much fun as I did! :)

Enjoy your day!

Bertram Inn Class Leftovers

2011-11-07T01:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a look at some of the classes/kits that were available at the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn this past weekend. I have a VERY limited amount of leftovers available, but if you are interested, please send me an email (Turay413@gmail.com) with your selections and I'll send you a Paypal invoice ASAP. Each kit is packed and ready to ship, and comes with an email containing photos to put the kit together. Sales are on a first-come basis, and once they're gone, they're gone.
Special Note: The December Daily Kits are SOLD OUT.

Christmas Banner Kit--$20 Kit includes a two-tiered banner made with chipboard, felt, corrugated chipboard, festooning, buttons, and lots of fun materials!

Christmas Tag Kit- Kit includes the tags and contents to create 40 Christmas tags. All parts come included, and ready for simple assembly! ETA: SOLD OUT!!

Lessons in Parenting-- ETA: SOLD OUT This kit includes a 5x9 chipboard mini book that contains favorite parenting quotes bound in an envelope book that is colorful and FUN! Product includes Jillibean Soup papers and Bind-it-All spine, among other things. The book comes bound and ready to embellish!

Book of Lists Kit-- This kit includes the makings for a wonderful mini album on lists, and includes lots of room to add more of your own, too! ETA: SOLD OUT!!

Year in Review Kit- This 8x8 mini book showcases 2011 month-by-month, using papers and embellishments by Pink Paislee and Authentique, to name a few. ETA: SOLD OUT!!

Enjoy your day!

Thanksgiving Paper Garland

2011-11-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

I saw this adorable idea over at Pinterest, and knew immediately that it would be a craft that our children would love to do. So I printed them out (you can find the link for the printables here) and had each one of them take about a dozen strips. I had them write on the backside, something they were thankful for. We went to town...

Thanksgiving Printables

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

This one was too good not to share!! Check it out here.

I'll be away...

2011-11-03T03:05:00.000-04:00

Heading out to spend the weekend with 60 wonderful ladies at the Bertram Inn Fall Retreat. But before I go, I thought I'd share...

I saw this and thought I may need a little motivation. I found it here, and loved how she is using more Instagram pictures. I need a little shove...

Back on Monday to share photos and release any leftover kits!

Enjoy your weekend!!

Edible Acorns

2011-11-02T02:57:00.000-04:00

When I saw these over at Pinterest, I knew I had to make them. Such a cute Fall item, and perfect for either Halloween or Thanksgiving. I tried them out this weekend, and they were EASY and FUN to make! Be sure to pick up the snack-size Nutter Butter cookies, separate the mini cookies, and dip a candy kiss into chocolate. They'll dry nicely on a waxed-paper lined cookie sheet. next, break up pretzel sticks for the stem, dip them into chocolate, and work on the tops. Aren't they cute?? Make them for your next get-together!!

Enjoy your day!!

My Dad.

2011-11-01T00:55:00.000-04:00

Last week, Tina blogged about a book/video that spoke to her. She shared the book (Days With My Father) with me at a crop. It spoke to me, too. You see, we both are the "sandwich" generation--taking care of aging parents, and taking care of our children. Having a parent with memory problems is a problem with which we both are familiar. I cried reading the last few pages of that book.

I cried, but I was also incredibly inspired. Inspired in a way I hadn't been in a while. A couple days later, I made it a point to take my camera to my parent's home, and take pictures differently.

Out of respect for my Dad, I hadn't really taken "real" photos of him for some time. After his stroke 6 years ago, his body and his personality were completely transformed. He spent 8 months in a rehab facility, learning to do everything all over. A year later, he fell and shattered his hip, requiring another stay in an extended care facility. Not an easy pill to swallow for a former marathon runner and fitness fanatic. I'd be angry, too. When his mother suffered 10 years with Alzheimer's, he spoke about how he never would want to go out like that. Watching her struggle was so painful for him, and he didn't wish that on anyone. So with dignity in mind, I'm always careful photographing him.

His stroke also changed his personality. Growing up, he was the most positive, motivational person in my life. Our educational options were, "What college are you attending?" He knew education was the key to the foundation of any adult life, and preached about it. He told us we could do anything if we put our mind to it. And my sisters and I believed him. As with most strokes, the brain damage resulted in a drastic personality shift. He is able to be pleasant, but for the most part, is only so for short time periods. Small things upset him greatly. So sad sometimes. I miss that man.

He hates having his picture taken. I got my love of photography from him. We're used to being behind the lens, not in front. Usually, the hand in front of his face accompanies a tongue sticking out of his mouth and a groan.

My mom and I constantly nag at him to keep his feet up. They're always swollen. It is so painful for him to just walk. But he isn't a good patient. He does whatever he wants, when he wants. When he does comply, it's a big deal. I told him I'd stop taking pictures if he put them up. (I lied.)

He misses using a straight razor. The little things are sometimes the things you miss the most, he says. I get that.

He took a bad spill in June, leaving a bad gash on his forehead. It is still healing. He goes everywhere with his walker now.

Always within reach are the remote, several Western books, a napkin, and his glasses. He keeps his radio, the newspaper, his shoes, and earphones nearby as well.

He often speaks of how he's got to build up his muscles so he can start jogging again. He gave me $10 to buy him a ten speed bike at a garage sale last week. I didn't have the heart to break the news to him, so I went along with it. I told him it sold before I got there.

He and my mom are both home-bound because of health issues. They live in the house we grew up in, a mile from my home now. I love being so close to them. I see them almost daily.

My parents enjoy driving the other nuts. They get bored and get under the other's skin on a regular basis. Sometimes it is sad. Sometimes it is annoying. Most all the time, it is comical to see one of them geeked up about zinging the other one on purpose. What can I say...we're twisted like that.

Crazy-expensive high-tech chair that he hates. He sits in it incorrectly just to drive me nuts, and then laughs when I comment on it. Part of the dance we do.

Dad, with our son, Griffin. This is the type of picture I used to take. Nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, I like this shot quite a lot. But I'm not going to ignore the other stuff anymore. The chair, the walker, the real details. Wishing things were different isn't going to change what really exists. I have been so focused on telling our kids what my father was like growing up, simply because I didn't want them to think my Dad was this mean, bitter old guy who swears all them all the time (which quite honestly,is an accurate description of who he is now--despite the smile on his face in the photo.) My focusing on the past hasn't allowed me to be fully present with him TODAY.

For what it is worth, I hope someone else hears that today.

Here is the online version of the book. Worth the 10 minutes to read, for sure.

Thank you, Tina. I love you for sharing this!

Enjoy your day...

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Leftover Sticker Rolls

2011-10-29T02:27:00.000-04:00

Ask for leftover sticker rolls at your nearest Scrapbook store. I've done this craft every year, since our kids were little...

Cover the sticker roll with white paper, then wrap in gauze or cheesecloth. Add googlie eyes, and insert a cup so the candy doesn't fall out.

They're easy and fun, and the kids LOVE THEM!

Enjoy your day!

Showing off My United Way Wares

2011-10-28T01:15:00.007-04:00

Each year, my company has a United Way drive in October. There are always so many fun activites, raffles, lunches, bake-offs, and of course auctions! My division has had an online auction for the last 10 years and one of the ways I participate is by donating crafty goods to this auction each year. After wishing that I had been more organized for the last several years, I got organized this year and had listed over 20 lots of crafty goods for auction on the first day. Here are some of the stuff I put up for auction that ends today actually!

Various alteration projects I have made over the last year for various design teams...

and lots of cards... here are a couple of them...

The auction ends today at noon, I estimate all of my stuff will fetch around $120 for United Way!! I hope I make that goal! :)

December Daily Update

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Just an update: The email with the photos/details of the 2011 December Daily will go out TODAY! So for those of you who have received yours, you will be able to get started! I will also be shipping a bunch of them out today, so if you ordered in the past few days, be on the lookout for your shipping notice. The kit is no longer available to purchase to the public, as it is SOLD OUT. If you are attending the Bertram Inn next weekend, there are 4 left to purchase that weekend. I will not be making more of these this year, but if there are any leftovers, they will be made available to the public here on Monday, November 7th, along with the rest of the Bertram Inn leftovers.

THANK YOU for another great year and sell out! I look forward to sharing mine when December rolls around!

Enjoy your day!

Twelve.

2011-10-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we celebrated a certain daughter's birthday. She requested taking a few friends to see a movie ("Footloose") and then pizza afterwards...

I couldn't find a better way to spend the day. It was delightful. The laughter, the giggles, the window shopping...

Afterwards, we stopped off for pizza. If you're a local, be sure to check out Sweet Basil's in Westlake. The slices are as big as my head. Truly delicious.

As a little surprise, I stole my friend Karen's idea and packed purple gumballs into jars found at the Dollar Store. A little surprise for Jami and her guests. The tags were made off my Cricut.

I can't believe she's twelve. So grateful for her and this group of girls who are fun, loud, and full of fashion advice for anyone willing to listen. :)

Happy Birthday, James. We love you to bits! xo

Enjoy your day!

Godfather's Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza

2011-10-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

I made this as an after-school treat for the kids yesterday. They ate is so quickly, I never got to photograph mine (so I stole this photo from the website that had the recipe.) It's THAT good. And perfect for this season. Thinking I may make it for the weekend, too. You can find the recipe here.

Enjoy your day!

Meet the Pooch.

2011-10-24T00:42:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back, while doing photos in the park, the lady I was photographing asked if I knew of anyone looking for a dog. Jessica is a nurse at a nursing home/assisted living facility, and she relayed a story about a dog that needed a home. Turns out, there was a couple there who were admitted at the ripe old age of 88. But the assisted living facility didn't allow pets. So when the elderly couple moved in, their grandson Ben agreed to take the dog until they found a home for him. Ben, being the wonderful grandson that he is, lived in Michigan three hours away. He would drive down on the weekends with the dog when he visited his grandparents. He did this for months without complaint. Ben and the dog had grown quite attached, in fact. But when Ben got his dream job in Manhattan--and it required that he travel a lot--he knew that something had to give before he relocated.

I have to be honest here. I'm not a huge dog lover. There are dogs in our lives whom I have loved, no doubt. We had a dog growing up and when he died at the age of 17, I cried for days. I don't know why--but I always thought that people who went completely gaga over their pets seemed genuine--I just didn't relate. I didn't "get it." Not that they weren't fun to play with--but the dressing up, taking them everywhere, attaching human emotions to it--it just seemed foreign to me.

Our daughter is the neighborhood pet-sitter. We have taken in dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, etc. in our home often. We have watched animals for short time periods, and the kids have loved the experience. They'd always ask, "When can we have a dog?" We put them off a lot. Mainly because my husband's idea of an ideal dog was vastly different from my idea of an ideal family dog. And there was no middle ground here. In fact, I can say that in the 25 years I've known him that this is the ONE THING on which neither of us would budge. We're talking two years, people. Line in the sand. His ideal dog = big and playful and young (puppy), preferably not white and male. My ideal dog = small/medium and cuddly and not a puppy, in any color. Of course, female.

I don't know why, but that day in the park, speaking to Jessica--I knew that was going to be our dog. That story was so beautiful. Some of the details with what happened to the elderly couple touched me and their sense of devotion really moved me. When I called and asked questions, the series of events that took place that led him to us--it was nothing short of a little miracle. Serendipitous, really. He was meant to be here with us.

Last weekend, Ben moved to NYC. He stopped by to say goodbye and to check on things before heading out to visit his grandparents with the moving truck in tow. I promised to take the dog up to visit his grandparents at the assisted living facility. I look forward to visiting with them again. Both elderly grandparents made me and the kids promise to love and care for him before they hugged us and gave us their precious pooch. Our oldest son nearly cried he was so happy. I'm glad they got to see the joy on their faces, although I'm sure it had to be hard on them.

The dog's name with his original owners and Ben was Spunky. Honestly--he doesn't live up to his name. He is calm and gentle and 8 years old. The hubs renamed him Cooper. Our youngest son calls him Fred. Our daughter and I refer to him as Poochie or Baby. He doesn't listen to any of these. But he does respond to commands and hand signals, thankfully. Poor thing. Must be so confusing. The humans in this household are wacky, for sure.

In these few short weeks, it feels like it is honestly the best decision we've made in forever. We are like giddy parents all over again, with a newborn dog. Unsure of what to do, watching every move he makes, showering him with attention and affection. Everyone here has witnessed the other evolve into pet owners in this family, and it has been both touching and comical and wonderful just the same. He goes everywhere with us. We bought him a Halloween costume. We've introduced him to other dog friends in the hood on walks. We've turned into crazy pet owners that can't get enough of him. And that includes my husband! (He's such a softie at heart--I knew he'd be fine with whatever dog we ended up with...)

Welcome to our family Spunky Cooper Fred Poochie Baby. You are home, and we're so glad you're here. :)

M & M Toppers

2011-10-22T01:03:00.000-04:00

My friend Jen made these this week to spoil my kids. Are they not the cutest? She made a few hundred. No kidding. Gotta love a teacher!

She used her Silhouette die cut machine, and added the most adorable googlie eyes.

For this batch, she glittered the paper!

Thanks for sharing, Miss Jen. We love you!

And because I know you'll want to know, here is the link to the M&M bags that she used for the treats. The size is 1x8 1.6 Mil. Order a ton! :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Pumpkin Sitings

2011-10-21T05:00:00.004-04:00

I have been siting me some fun, gorgeous, and just plain simple pumpkins here and there. If you spend anytime online exploring one blog to another, I am sure you have found a few of your favorites too. But, I bet you have not come across a pumkalope? Or a pumkamelon? Or a cantakin? now have you? The cute little green thing in my photo all dolled up with a blessing tag is just one of those. Somehow our cantalopes crossed with our pumpkins and well...you know the rest.

But I digress...today I just wanted to share a few of my favorite 'normal' pumpkins from around the web.

budget wise home

How pretty is this decoupaged fall leaf pumpkin? It is so very pretty. Simple. Very doable. Gorgeous for a table center piece. Now if only I could find me some white pumpkins.

pretty prowler

Talk about a stud of a pumpkin. These bling-ed out orbs are fun! How simple is this? The addition of the black pedestal cake plates for show is a nice touch too.


ken rashs outdoor furniture

Stylish pumpkin decor does not have to be complicated. If you are like me you have a plethora of ribbon, trim or even lace ~~hoarded~~ stashed away waiting for that perfect embellishment. A little hot glue, a fabulous pattern, and tada! pretty little pumpkins.

wedding party center pieces

Fall wedding? Bejeweled white pumpkins, large and small. Perfect!

country living

O.K...the latent graphic designer in me LOVES this text book be-decked squash. stunning. eye-catching. genius.

Hope you had fun exploring these fall decorating ideas. One can easily get lost in all the creative energy out there as you follow link to link discovering these ideas. Hoping a few find their way into your autumn.

Photo Shoot Updates

2011-10-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

I've been more than blessed to have been asked to do a number of senior photo shoots and family photo shoots this season. Today, I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures from some of my fall sessions...

Special thanks to those who took a chance on me as a photographer. It truly has been a pleasure. I look forward to a full day on Sunday in the park, photographing 14 families!!

For those of you who are always looking for inspiration, check out my Pinterest "Photos I Love" board here. This article in particular I found to be most interesting this week.

And for those of you who live nearby and would like to make an appointment, please shoot me an email! I am booked through October, but I have lots of creative ideas mulling around in my head for the holiday season. :) Stay tuned for more of those...

Enjoy your day!

Photography

2011-10-19T02:48:00.002-04:00

I decided to take a photography class this semester. I wanted to learn more about my camera, improve my photography skills, and be inspired. So far I've been all of the above.

(Days with my father)

This photographer and story, really struck a cord with me, listening to him as he shared his method and seeing his photographic journal about his fathers illness moved me and motivated me in ways I didn't know possible, as a scrapbooker, a photographer and a child of an ailing parent.

This photographic journey with his father is sure to bring you to tears...

He calls himself Mr. Toledano. He's humorous, cute and such a great photographer!

Here are some links to a couple of his videos. (language disclaimer)

Bertram Inn Update

2011-10-18T00:30:00.000-04:00

I've been a busy gal. Preparing for the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn is always hectic. (Only 17 Days to go!) But for some reason, this year has been crazy...

I hit up B. A. Sweetie's last week in preparation for the big event. What a fun place! If you're ever in northeast Ohio, be sure to check it out.

Had a few questions about the Bertram's Class Listings. I don't make them public, simply because I reserve classes for the attendants first. Anything I do have leftover will be made available to the public here first, I promise. Sometimes classes and kits sell out there, so instead of "teasing" you, I just put up what is for grabs afterwards. Each of the classes/kits will come with an email, listing all the important info needed and PHOTOS, just like in the past. They will go up for sale on Monday, November 7th, right here!

Have a great day! Can't wait to see you all there! :)

Cute Stuff I Found This Weekend...

2011-10-17T00:30:00.000-04:00

I found this adorable idea over at Babble. I know you folks with an i-Top will be all over this adorable embellishment!

For those of you who are trying to capture the unique family photo for the annual Christmas Card, check out this article on creative posing. Lots of cute suggestions!

Found this awesome gray metallic purse this weekend. Love the fact that it is large enough to hold my camera and extra lens with room to spare. Even my daughter gave it a thumbs up.

Ate the MOST delish pancakes at IHOP yesterday with my folks. Pumpkin pancakes. Of course I googled the recipe. I plan on trying it out soon. You can too--here is the link.

I finally bit the bullet and used up the gift cards I'd been saving for a year and bought myself this awesome Stainless-Steel Pouring Stock Pot. It is big and sturdy and perfect for my holiday cooking needs. I'd been coveting it forever, and I took advantage of a sale. An investment, for sure. But also something I'll use several times a week, too. Can't wait to put it to use!

What about you? Any great "finds" this weekend? Do share!

Enjoy your day!