Getting Back In The Swing!

I am so excited to be getting back into my blogging, I have been so busy with special orders and projects that my poor little site has been neglected.  To get back into the crafty swing of things I am going to be participating in a special Blog Hop starting tomorrow morning, Friday, March 16th.  I sure hope that you will stop by and hop along with us as we commemorate a beautiful change in seasons.  You are sure to be dazzled with all sorts of Fluttery things with Wings and awesome Flowery, Blooming Creations.

Until then I wanted to share with you a few projects that I have been working on. The Scrapbooking Factory recently got in some Super Happy Mail and it was the new line of papers from My Minds Eye, my new fave "Follow Your Heart."  I absolutely adore this paper and I made a few samples to put in the store.

The first layout is and 8x8 of my adorable grandson, Israel.  This paper is so fun and easy to work with and the colors are soft and the graphics are adorable:

Isn't this an absolutely gorgeous line of paper. The paper is double-sided making it doubly fun to work with.  I created a little banner and a few mattes and also trimmed the "you fly you soar" accent matte with coordinating twine from the same line.

Next I created a super cute card from the, "Follow Your Heart line," and I also used plenty of scraps for each project, not wasting a strip of paper.

This card has a punch heart and die cut flowers by Sizzix.  

This was a very sweet and simple card. The small "enjoy" pennant was cut from one of the graphics on the 12x12 sheet.

Totally switching gears I wanted to share a layout I did using a photo of my daughter.  The challenge came from the Scrapbook Throwdown a month ago and we were challenged to use fabric in our layout.  In this particular layout I used several pieces of material.  The largest being the fabric flower I made using a Gluber
The other fabric elements included trim on the bottom of the birdcage and the top of the birdcage.

Fabric flower made with a Gluber

Strip of fabric ruffle on birdcage.

Well that's it for now.  Please stop by tomorrow when I'll post some really sweet projects and links to follow for the Blog Hop!!!

Blessings and have a sweet crafty day!

 

Crafty by Designs

Over at Crafting by Designs we are doing a forum called, "A Year In Cards."  The idea is to motivate you to create a stash of beautiful handcrafted cards for your inventory.  I have included a sketch and also a card from Tammy Smith one of the Designers at CBD.  I have also my take on the card.  So remember to keep checking my site for new ideas for creating your own STASH!!

Card Sketch

Sample by Tammy Smith

My Sample

And remember, With GOD All Things Are Possible!

Blessings & Challenges

Hello All !!
It's beginning to get really busy around my camp and I am getting antsy for school to start.  Being a home school mom can be exciting and scary at the same time.  You want to make sure everything is in order, you don't want to miss anything in your child's curriculum and this year I have my first Senior!! Talk about pressure and it is crafting that helps to ease some of the tension.  I so enjoy being a designer for The Scrapbooking Factory...it's like a little release because I enjoy what I'm doing.  However nothing can surpass a good daily dose of GOD's Word to keep me grounded.  I am so grateful that through all of the pressure and headaches and chaos, I know that the LORD is right there holding me up.  My power scripture is Isaiah 41:10:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee:

be not dismayed for I am Thy GOD:

I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;

yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand

of my righteousness.

AMEN!!

 Well Today I wanted to share a challenge that I participated in with Crafting By Design.  We were challenged to use scraps for CAS (clean and simple) Card.  The challenge was specific as we had to use 3 patterned strips, one solid, include ribbon (eek I forgot the ribbon) and a sentiment.  Well guess what I was ready.  You know the top portion of DP that you usually cut off but shows what the design of the paper is on the other side.  Well I just can't see clear to through them away sometimes because their so cute and I just know ONE DAY I'll be able to use them.  Well my day came and I made my card, HURRAY!!!  Here's my project:

The paper is by My Minds Eye called Lost & Found

This was truly a fun challenge!  

Well That's it for now.  Currently I am working on Layout kits for The Scrapbooking Factory that will be for sale at CKC - San Marcus Scrapbooking Convention.  Pray for me that my creative juices will continue to flow and that I'll create some fabulous layouts.

Until Next Time 'ciao Bella's

Back In The Groove

Hello All

Just checking in to share some Love, Some Crafts & Some Findings

I have been Working Super hard trying to get my crafting juices flowing and it has been hard!  I feel sad for my family, especially my husband as I am encroaching upon everyone's space with all of my craft stuff!!  My DH is so sweet he won't say much of anything about all of my stuff being everywhere, but I know that it is beginning to work a nerve.  I told him he could easily solve that problem by getting me that red two story barn portable that they have displayed at Lowe's.  He just looks at me and smiles.  Well anyway here is what I've came up with so far...at least I have items to put in my space at the Alamo Craft Co.

Sweet Little house using my My Minds Eye Lost & Found paper.

 The Neat thing about this sweet little paper mache house is that it is also a box and can be used to package a gift or to store things...endless possibilities.  I really enjoyed making this house, it took me several days because I continued to add something and then something else.  I'm pretty satisfied with it, but I haven't taken it to the store yet so there may be more possibilities that await this little house.

Recipe: Paper mache house - Hobby Lobby, MME- Lost & Found,  rosettes-Recollections-Michael's, heart shaped keyhole-Tim Holtz, Cricut Banner- Birthday Bash, Prima lace...an assortment of buttons, organza ribbon, other embellishments and glitter.

Next "It's In The BAG"  One of my favorite Items to create is the ordinary paper sandwich bags.  There are so many different styles that you can make with these bags and I really enjoy embellishing them to my hearts content.  Sometimes it is necessary for me to get out of my comfort zones of the pinks & whites and try something a little different.  I totally fell for a wonderful alternative with the Echo Park line called "For The Record"  This is an amazing ensemble of Red, yellow, greens, blues & white.  There's even red and white polka dots!  My Favorite design! I have chosen a few of the pages to share with you, but each page is generously decorated with fun embellies.  I even used grunge paper ( Tim Holtz) and die cut a butterfly and crackle painted it white (4th pic.)  This line also has some great die cuts which I have used throughout.

              
Here are a few cards that I also created this week, which I will be adding to my card collection at the craft mall.  I am hoping that they don't stick around long...maybe someone might want to bless someone special with them...

DP Fancy Pants line called The Girl's Paperie & $1 stamp from Michael's, corrugated heart w/crackled paint

DP - MME-Lost & Found

DP - Echo Park- For The Record

I'm so glad to be finally getting out of my drought.  It's pretty intense when you have all that you need to craft with and can't produce any work.  I think sometimes you may have too much and your brain gets a bit overwhelmed.  At any rate I'm slowly working myself back.  Also being involved with challenges can be an encouragement, so if you haven't joined a site that has weekly or monthly challenges, I think you should.  You can learn so much from others as well as throwing in your creativity into the pot.

Just a quick update on my class last Saturday....


I had a great time at The Scrapbooking Factory monthly retreat located in the Marriott at the RIM.  I went in only expecting a class of two and ended up teaching a class of 9.  I had a great time! Jane ( the owner) is expecting the new line of My Minds Eye (Lost & Found 2) Echo Park papers and more to come in soon.  I Can't Wait!!!  I am so excited, she knows that when that paper comes in and it's time to stock it in the store I am there!  Take a peak at some of this paper she's expecting, it is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

MY MINDS EYE BIRTHDAY BLOG HOP

LASTLY just wanted to let you know that My Minds Eye is having a fabulous Birthday Blog Hop Celebration with the opportunity to win one of each line of their paper and the new lines are gorgeous.  I took about 30 to 45 minutes of my time today to play along.  It wasn't time wasted I got an opportunity to visit 7 of their designers blogs and see the new lines of paper in action. You can check the details here but you only have until July 31st to play along...YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Well I'm signing off and I pray that each new day will bring an abundance of Blessings from the LORD above!!   

Color Combos & Sew Cute Things

If you don't know already Simply Scrapping Crafts has closed it's site and it was so sad to see it go.  Judy (the owner of the site) was a really sweet lady but had a myriad of problems concerning her health and was unable to keep up with the daunting task of running such a huge site.  It was a sad day for many of us but upward an onward we go.

You know the say that when one door closes another one opens and so I am excited to say that another site has been developed by two of the former DT Stars at Simply Scrapping Crafts, Angie and Doris.  These ladies are fantastic and I am so thrilled to be working with them again.  The new site Crafting By Designs is small right now but we're just getting started, but it is generating much creativity already.  We had a beautiful color combo challenge that I would like to share with you today.

We needed to choose at least two colors from the picture to create a card inspiration.

 Here is my take on the color combo

If you take look at the color combo picture that was given for inspiration, I chose to use the colors from the striped pillow cushions.  I used the white, light blues, light tans & cream colors.

Next I'd like to share some of my sewing creations.  I am really excited about these creations.  I wanted to find some beautiful materials so I went to Memories by The Yard.  I rarely go in there because I am not a seamstress and frankly I am quite intimidated.  It's like going to French restaurant in France and not knowing the language and you don't have a clue as to what to order.  Well that would be my analogy for going into a specialty fabric shop...I DON"T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE!!!!  Anyway I managed not embarrass myself and bought a fat quarter of material ( yes I learned the term fat quarter.)  Here are the little pillows I made with the material:

Lastly I want to share a purse that I learned how to make from a tutorial on Angie Juda's site called Chic'n Scratch.  You can click the link and it will take you directly the tutorial.  She is a Stampin' Up demonstrator and she does amazing projects.  Remember I am not a seamstress but I followed her tutorial step by step and look what I created!!

Well That's all for now folks!!  Until next time I pray that you will be richly Blessed!!!

Pardon Me But Has Anyone Seen MAY!!

This is absolutely crazy I looked at my last blog post and it was last updated May 1st.  I almost panicked, I couldn't believe that it had been that long since I posted.  This has been an extremely busy month as is most months, but being a homeschool mom I have really had to batten down the hatches with my children to finish up for Summer.  I'm sure this year we'll have to do some classes through the Summer to catch up.  But no worries it keeps them engaged and their young minds from being idol.

Simply Scrapping Crafts News

I have a couple of things to share today as well as some crafts I'd like to post.  As I told you earlier this month I am on the design team with Simply Scrapping Crafts and there's a lot going on with updating the site and it looks great!  This site is packed with so much information and Judy Law ( site owner) who is also a very godly woman desires to make this site a "Stop, Crop & Shop."  It's really great and the other design team ladies are wonderful.  My group is still a work in progress but my first Card Workshop is scheduled for June 5th.  I will be posting Greeting Card Workshops every Sunday and I hope that you'll stop by, join the site and participate.  I'll post more information soon!!

I have been busy working on different projects to go in the store and I actually finished some UnFinished projects that I had been working on for a while so I felt pretty good.  The first thing I want to share with you is a cute little brag book.  If you know anything about me I really like making little things and brag books especially because you get to decorate them continually adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that until you just have to say FINISHED!! 

 

Inside Pages



Inside Pages





Inside pages



Next I'd like to share a few other designs.  Simply Scrapping Crafts recently had card challenge using buttons and bows which inspired me to make this card.  I didn't submit this card but I'll also post the one card that I made for the Challenge: ( which I entered "just for fun & inspiration").  I also created a flowerpot bookmark and next some framed art which I used an embroidery hoop as the frame.  This was such a neat idea that I got out of a craft magazine.

I recycled the button packaging for an embellishment for my card.

When you pull the flower out it is a bookmark.  Sorry I didn't show it :-(

The background paper is from The Girls Paperie, "Cute" banner from Lost & Found

Lastly I'd like to share a few of my creations for my Sew Cute line.  A Silly overstuffed Strawberry, A lovely little pillow using lace and one snippets of a fabric floral trim and lastly my favorite an overly stuffed Simply Plump Heart with beautiful layers of fabric floral petals.

 

Very Silly Strawberry

Little laced pillow

Lovely plump heart.  I LOVE THIS!

Well that about does it for me today, I have been sitting at this computer since I came home from church at 8:30pm ish and it's 12:45am now.  I need to get up and stretch.

Blessings ALL!!







Absolutely Lovely Line

Just wanted to share some pretty cards I made with some absolutely lovely paper.  Nothing in crafting excites me more than seeing beautiful paper, I get inspired almost immediately.  I am mostly a 99% pinky person but when I saw this paper by My Minds Eye I had to have it.  I was so excited that Jane ordered it and I pray that she will sell lots of it.  If you would like to see a complete line of this paper here is the link:

Lost & Found by My Minds Eye.  You will also be able to purchase this line of paper at The Scrapbooking Factory.  The paper should be in the store by early next week.

I know that this line of paper would make fabulous layouts but I just had to make some cards and here they are

I used a the birdcage die cut from Tim Holtz, it is complete with the bird on a perch and the butterfly die cut is from Martha Stewart.  I thought it needed something so I added some ribbon through the cage on this next pic:

Next on the same 12x12 sheet there was wonderful postage prints glittered with a lovely silver lining and a bird.  This picture came out a bit dark but I think you can still see all of the lovely.

I have great plans for this line check back soon and check it out!