Bride's Magazine Entry

I designed these Bridal Favors for a contest.

• Using the Cricut Expressions, Cricut Design Studio software & the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge, I cut out the heart square boxes from 3M Transparencies. I was able to cut two to a sheet which really cuts down on the cost.


• I used Ranger Silver Metallic Mixative Alcohol Ink & the Blender Solution to color the hearts at the top of the box. They have so many colors you can color the box to match any Bridal theme.


• I also colored in a line of the metallic silver at the bottom of the box.


• It was very easy to fold back all the flaps and press them down with my bone folder. The transparency is very sturdy. I used red line tape to hold the box together.


• The ribbon is from Offray & it is Silver Metallic.


• I added silver Stickles to the heart.


• The boxes measure approx. 1 1/2" square.


• I filled them with mints, but I thought a petit fours with would be really pretty inside the clear box.
• All piled on a tray for guests to take home or at their plate would be a fun touch.
• The cost for each one is between $1.00 (I recalculated from my original pricing) - $1.50 depending on what you put inside the box.
• Once you get everything cut out, the boxes go together fast. Invite some friends and your attendants over for a Favor Party.

Week 7 and Week 8 - 52 Q Tags

WEEK 7 - "What would you do if you could not fail?" I love splitcoaststampers.com website. I receive their newsletter every Wednesday and they always have a new techinique. This week's technique (Gesso Resist) completely fit with the answer to the question. I'm glad I didn't do the tag last week. I also used my new inks from Krista Thomas who sells Stampin Up. Check her blog at kristathomas.blogspot.com.



WEEK 8 - "What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud? Who else but our new cat. She aways makes me laugh. This was a fun tag. I used Print Shop Deluxe 21 again for Poodum's photos. I cropped the photo on the Academy Awards web page for the back of my tag. I really did enjoy the dance numbers and some of the routines. It was great, though, to flip through the commercials and the speeches. Luckily it cut off recording before Sean Penn received his award. Why did he have to ruin a classy night? Oh well...to each his own.

OOPS...

I can't believe it is Wednesday all ready.

• The photo is of a card I designed for my "6 Ways to Use Versamark" Class. We will not be doing the card at Scrapbook Fun Fest in that class because we are putting together a sample mini album showcasing the techniques.
• I haven't had time to put together Week 7 & Week 8 52Q tags, but I will have them Thursday to post. After those two tags are finished I will be caught up. Yeah!
• I took a very cool class at Krista Thomas' house Monday, wrote out two classes for the Cricut. Cricut 101 - March 13 at Krista Thomas' House & March 14 at Debbie Hamm's house. There were so many people interested I needed to make two classes. Email me at secterry@gmail.com if you are interested in taking one of these classes.
• The other class I wrote was for the Design Studio which I taught today. Fun stuff.

More tomorrow...

Scrapbook Fun Fest Class

Here is a sneak peek at the finished projects for the class I am teaching at Scrapbook Fun Fest, May 30, 2009 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds from 10am - 10pm.

• The smaller album includes samples of 6 Techniques to Use with Versamark (that's the name of the class). The larger album you will complete on your own & fill with photos, journaling or whatever you want.
• Included in each kit is a small Versamark ink pad, acrylic stamp, blue chalk ink pad, papers (pattern & cardstock), covers, instructions & embellishments to complete each of the projects shown.
• The website scrapbookfunfest.com will include all the classes we are offering March 12. You can go to the website now & buy tickets for $20.

Week 5 & Week 6 52 Q

Week 5's question was - "How do I feel today?" I always feel inspired by something. This year I am doing so much more creating and art. I just feel I am going to complete a lot of projects. By sharing them on this blog, it makes me want to do more.

I don't know if anyone is actually out there, but I hope eventually, more peeps will check out my blog. For now it will not discourage me from making more entries!

I also completed Week 6 question - "If I could do it all again, would I change anything?"

I thought long about this. There was an article in last Sunday's paper about this woman and stupid stuff her kids do. She reflected on the stupid stuff she did throughout her life (or was it things she regretted) and how when you look at that stuff and what your kids do suddenly isn't that different. You can be a little more understanding.

Since I have no kids except the kind with 4 legs, I looked back at some stupid stuff I have done, which I wish I hadn't done, but then if I hadn't done stupid stuff, my life would have definitely turned out differently...I am sure of it. So maybe we don't always make the right choices, but, our choices are right for us. Am I blabbering? Sorry...I hope you get the idea about what I am trying to say. To make this long story short - I really wouldn't change anything in my life!!! What about you?

Week 4 - 52 Q "What do I see when I look into my eyes?"

• 
  
  This was a pretty philosophical question. I am always surrounded by the things I love most. My husband, two dogs Annie & Kilo and now the newest addition to our house, our new cat, Poodums.
  
  
  Some people think it is weird that I really, really, like hanging with my hubs. We are best friends and there is nothing in this world I can't tell him. I know he will never judge me and loves me for me, which by the way is not an easy thing to do.
  
  
  This tag was done using The Print Shop Deluxe 21. Costco has it pretty cheap. With Print Shop, after I edited my photo and put my text over it, I grouped the photos & journaling(Top bar - Arrange - Group) . I went to FILE - Export as..., hit Continue, Save. This saves it as a jpeg. It enables anyone to upload the file as a photo to any program they may be using. Not a lot of people have the Print Shop, so by saving it as a jpeg. I can email photos with journaling, for instance, and they have no problem opening it on their computer.
  
  
  

Week 3 - 52 Q "Do you believe in Angels?"

Actually the question was "Do you believe in Fairies?" I have more of a connection to angels so I made the tag answering that question...well, in so many words.

Now for those of you who know me, you know the last two tags I have done are cutsey, and I really don't normally do cutesy. However, I wanted to incorporate some techniques and they lended themself to cute.

My favorite technique I have been using is with alcohol inks. I finally have all the alcohol inks that Ranger sells & wouldn't you know it they have just released at CHA in Anaheim new colors of alcohol inks.

Someone asked me this week what alcohol inks were so I will answer the question here: Alcohol Inks are (defined by Ranger) as: "...permanent, fast drying, transparent, acid free dye inks formulated to create a vibrant, polished stone look. Use on glossy paper, dominoes, metal, foil, shrink plastic, glass & other slick surfaces."

They are fun and easy, though messy to use. There are a few tools you also need to purchase like a silicon craft mat, ink applicator tool, felt, Metallic mixatives and blending solution.

The front of the tag is glossy and the alcohol inks were perfect to use. On the back of the tag I just swiped a couple of different ink pads on the paper.

Penguin Card

I belong to card club and we are meeting next Friday. I wanted to share the card I will teaching. The idea and pattern is from the book by Design Originals - Iris Folding 2 by Carol Donasky.

I love Iris Folding. In fact I love anything you can do using paper. The reason this technique is called Iris Folding is because it is supposed to look like the Iris of a camera. It is simply folding 1” strips of paper in half and arranging them on the patterns provided. Very easy!

The cute penguin paper was part of a packet of 5”x7” winter pattern paper from Oriental Trading. They have an entire Scrapbook Catalog.

52 Q - #2 "are you afraid of change?"

Quick share. Here is my tag creation for Emily's 52 Q. "are you afraid of change?"

NO

Papertrey Ink Challenge

Here is my first try to an online Challenge. Check out nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment

I just found out about Papertrey Ink from another blog I love - Lauren Meader.

This is one talented lady! She designs templates(www.papertreyink.com/timeless_templates.html) that are so versatile to use for many, many projects. Lauren doesn't leave you hanging either.

She is constantly posting different ways to use her templates. You really need to check them out.

Papertrey Ink has beautiful papers, ribbons, & some of the coolest stamps I have seen. This is one of my new favorite companies. The best thing? Their prices are very reasonable.

THE CARD

• Again, I used my Swiss Dot Embossing Cuttlebug folder.
• I bet you are wondering how I made the dots on the white card? Well, it is a fun technique I learned from Krista Thomas. It is inked bubble wrap. Lay the paper on top of the inked bubbles and "massage" (one of Krista's favorite sayings). Is it not the funnest technique?!
• I edged everything with my new (at least to me) Fiskar's Border Lace Punch.
• Hearts were cut using the Cricut Expressions cartridge Doodlecharms. I cut a white heart and a red shadow heart using the features included on the catridge.
• Add a little ribbon and brads and I think I captured the "bitty dot sketch challenge".

Week 1 of 52 Q - what do i wish for this year to bring?

Here is my first tag. What do I wish for this year to bring?








Front of tag:

I used Print Shop Deluxe 21 to crop and journal my photos & text. Our laptop is in the shop so I didn't have Photoshop Elements to play with.

I stamped "I wish for" with small alphabet stamps by Studio G. The entire alphabet set with punctuation was 99 cents.


The back of the tag:

I covered the back of the tag with pattern paper.

The journaling I did on the computer.

The font is "Dutchess".

I added a little eyelash white yarn and a star I inked, with blue ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Check out Elise's blog. She completed her first tag today also. Very cute!

Better Late Than Never

There are so many cool challenges on blogs that I love to read. One of my favorite reads is Emily Falconridge. Her challenge is called 52 Q. She asks a different question every week and you are to answer it on a tag.

Sounds simple. Just took me awhile to make my way into my workroom. So I first made the cover for the 52 tags:

I used my Cricut Expressions - Plantin Schoolhouse cartridge & the endcap feature.


I also used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder,




Next I made the January & February titles:















Again, I used the endcap feature and made a smaller tag for the title tags for January & February.
















I also made tags for each of the questions. I will be posting the tags as I finish them.

I am putting a Cricut class together on how to make this tag book.


I added Emily's blog URL for you to go to & check out all her yummy creativeness.

Here goes nothing...

For months and months I have been blog stalking...but in a good way. I have learned so much from so people.

So now it's my turn. I have to admit my life is a little boring, but I like it. It is comprised of my wonderful, supportive husband and two dogs, Annie & Kilo and our new kitty, Willow (aka Poodums).

We were able to "retire" early from our careers as a special ed teacher and detective. How? Since we have no children (the kids in my classes were basically my kids) we planned and saved to retire to Oregon and do what we love.

Now me, I have crafted just about anything and everything that has been out there since I came out of the womb. I tell my husband, "If there is no crafting in the afterlife, I am NOT dying." Have you ever felt like that?

I am so lucky to have turned our old master bedroom and 1/2 bath into my space to create. Of course that doesn't mean I am not spread out in any other part of the house. LOL

Anyway, this will be a way for me to ramble and share and hope someday peeps out there will find me and read and share and become Webfriends.

Right now some of the things I am really into is:

1. My Cricut Expressions along with the Design Studio. I am a computer freak so I like to play around with anything that is connected to it.
2. Adobe Photoshop Elements - I am making scrapbook pages and playing around with a lot of the fun papers, embellishments, etc. out there in cyberland.
3. Bind-It-All - In case you haven't seen this tool it spiral binds books. What I love the most it you can make any size or shape into a book (scrapbook), journal, etc.
4. Embossing folders - I don't have a Cuttlebug, but I do have a Sizzex and with an adaptor your can use the Cuttlebug Embossing folders and shapes.
5. Ranger Products - especially the Adirondack Alcohol Inks. Are they the best?! So fun to use on any surface.

I will be sharing some of my creations using things I am in to this very second in time.

Later