Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Mischievous Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I have some big news. First up, we have a new puppy. Her name is Chloe and she's quite the handful. We've had Jada for over 4 years, so we've forgotten just how difficult training a pup can get. It's always hard to get up at midnight to take the puppy outside. But she's just as adorable as a button and we can't get enough of her. We're trying to make sure that Jada still gets enough love so she doesn't feel left out either.


Well, here's a mini that I made for Halloween this year. If you've read my last post, then you know that I am determined to have some Halloween fun. I haven't put any pictures in it yet (because I'm not done with my fun) but I thought I'd go ahead and show you all before Halloween was over. This was also special for me because it's my first ever post as a blog contributor to Outstanding Mini Albums.

***Warning! I'm heavy on the pics this time!***
















The My Mind's Eye-Mischievous collection was so much fun to work with! The colors were so unusual and quirky. It's very spooky but not scary. Can't wait to do more with it. I died the baker's twine on the front by spraying it with water and wiping it with the Ripe Persimmon ink. I used glossy accents to secure it down. All the flowers are Prima that were stained with Tim Holtz's Black Soot. I hope you all enjoyed this mini album.

Supplies Used: My Mind's Eye - Mischievous - 12x12 pack, My Mind's Eye - Mischievous - 6x6 pack, Binding - We R Memory Keepers' The Cinch, 3L Adhesives - 3D foam squares, Divine Twine - Green Apple, DCWV - Shimmer Cardstock Envelopes-Silver, Ribbon - Hobby Lobby, Tsukineko Staz On Jet Black Ink, Tim Holtz's Distress Ink - Ripe Persimmon, Tim Holtz's Distress Stain - Black Soot, Prima - Wildflowers Pillar Pack Collection, Ranger Industries - Glossy Accents

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Our Pumpkins-American Crafts Nightfall

When I was younger and still living at home, I used to trick-or-treat every year. It was something that I would look forward to all year and would plan in great detail. Then, when I got a little older, I began decorating the house. You could see our house for miles around. But once I hit 16, it was no longer considered 'appropriate' for me to trick-or-treat so I just focused all my attention on decorating. Now that I don't live at home anymore, I don't have a house to decorate. It almost feels as if Halloween is now out of my reach. So I made up my mind this year. I decided that I would do everything I could to enjoy Halloween. So my friend Morgan and I tried our hand at pumpkin carving. I was loads of fun and definitely something to put in the scrapbook album.

Nightfall "Autumn Gathering", Nightfall "Fall Colors", Nightfall "Fall Fun", Nightfall Fabric Brads, Nightfall Orchard Details Layered Embellishments, Nightfall Spice Delights Embellishments, Nightfall Harvest Moon Patch 'ems,  Nightfall Maple Black Puffy Thicker Stickers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Gathered Twigs, Ranger's Glossy Accents

There are a couple of Halloween lines out there that I just can't get enough of. American Crafts' "Nightfall" collection is one of them. The Nightfall collection has two parts to it. One part is mostly fall and the other is mostly Halloween. Since I knew I wouldn't be trick-or-treating any time soon, I bought the fall side. It still worked really well with my photos and theme. I love the light tone of blue that this kit uses. It's such an unexpected punch of color.


I love the little rosettes that I got, but I really wanted to find a place to use the Jack-o-lantern brad. So I removed the little black button that originally came with it and replaced it with the brad using glossy accents to secure it. The thicker letters are so cute and fun. I love the skinny yet tall feel of them. The only thing is, it's a bit of a pain trying to arrange your stickers without sticking them down. All the letters just wanted to tangle on each other. I finally had to just push them aside and stick them down without any guide or arranging beforehand.


I cut strips from the Fall Colors paper to make a border around both pages. I am just in love with these colors! The little black owl patch brought over the black from my photos and title from the other page. A little bit of leaf garnish and I was done. I made sure to run all the edges using Tim Holtz's "Gathered Twigs" ink. I absolutely love his seasonal colors. Make sure to grab some because they won't be around for too long. They will not be added to his regular colors. I hope everyone enjoyed this layout. It's been a while since I've done a two page layout, but I really had fun.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Shake It

Hi there everyone! I've been having a blast this fall. I'm sad to say that our fall will end in 2 days. :(  It's about to drop into the 50s here. But, I was lucky enough to hop outside and grab some really cute pictures of Jada before that happens! I had my camera set on "action" mode with continuous shooting selected. All I had to do was hold the button down and it would keep taking pictures. I had to laugh when I saw this succession of shots. Jada decided to shake when I was taking pictures and I caught the step-by-step of it.


 The three pictures were the starting point of my layout. The yellow and green colors of the pictures lined up perfectly with this cute woodland paper from Paper Studio that I've been trying to find a reason to use. I just love the cute Bambi feeling of it.

To continue with the homespun look of the papers, I used brown thread to make a border around my page and highlight fun little areas. I used a fiskar's scalloped border punch on a cute orange paper from Imaginisce to help my photos stand out a little more. The edges were inked with Tim Holtz's distress inks in the new fall collection colors.

I hope you enjoyed my layout! I can't help but smile when I look at it. I also hope that you follow my blog and a big thank you if you already do! See y'all soon. :)

Supplies Used:
Chipboard Letters-The Paper Studio
Inks-Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in fall colors
Papers-The Paper Studio and Imaginisce

Friday, October 7, 2011

Day 7: The last Day


Today I have a nutty little treat bag for you today. No, really... it's full of nuts!


I thought it would be fun to make a goody bag. I filled it with Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and pistachio nuts. I debated whether to put them in a clear bag or a brown bag. The brown bag just looked a little more 'fall-ish' to me. Once again, I dived into my scrap stash. (This whole week has worked wonders on my scrap stash!)

Firstly, I cut a piece of scrap paper to fit the size of the bag top. I then went around the edges with a Fiskar's punch. I dug around for some brown lace that I bought from Hobby Lobby. I wrapped it around and tied it in a bow on top.

The sentiment was typed using Adobe Illustrator and then punched out with a 1 1/4 punch. I then backed it with the Glassine paper and some more scrap stash.

I hope everyone enjoyed this fun little treat bag today. Maybe this is something that might be fun for the family to make together before a nature walk this fall? Or maybe you just want to bring a smile to some co-workers? No matter what you use them for, they will definitely make your day a little nutty.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Day 6: Tag it!


Hello everyone! Hope y'all are having fun. For today, I have a quick and fun way to use up that scrap stash. Tags! Tags are such a versitile craft. You can use tags as bookmarks, decorations, and gift tags. Today I have two different tags to show you.

Tag 1

On this tag, I used a stamp from TPS studio stamped with Staz-on ink. I used a little of Tim Holtz's Kraft Glassine paper to give the stamped sentiment a border. The Glassine really was a little tricky because the only thing that would adhere to it was glossy accents. The little pumpkin was cut out from K&Co's fall adhesive borders (I just loved the glitter on it!). Then, I used pop dots and a fiskar's scalloped punch to give it a little 'oomph'. I finished it off by going around the edges with Tim Holtz's distress inks in 'Ripe Persimmon'.

Tag 2
This tag was really fun. I cut a tag out of basic kraft paper with the vagabond that I then covered with Goosebumps. I let that dry and then rubbed on Distress Ink in 'Ripe Persimmon'. Once that dried, I sprayed Goosebumps again. 'Barn Door' was then rubbed around the edges. While that was drying, I used the same 'Barn Door' ink to stamp another TPC stamp. The leaf was made using yellow paper that had been rubbed with the same two distress inks. I added the crackle paint in 'Clear Rock Candy'. Then I went around the edges with Perfect Pearls. I liked the look of the Gold Perfect Pearls so much that I stamped over the background with a leaf stamp and used more on it.

Hope everyone enjoyed this today! I definitely had fun playing with the Glassine paper and the Goosebumps. I'm eventually going to get a hang of this stuff. LOL. Have a safe and happy Thursday and I'll see you all tomorrow!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Day 5: Count your blessings everyday


When the fall leaves start to change and my days are filled with warm sunshine and a cool breeze, I begin to thank God for every blessing I have. I know that Thanksgiving is when society tells us to be thankful, but what's wrong with showing it everyday?


This is a fun project to get the entire family started on. Each bag starts out with "I am thankful for..". Have your family take turns picking a bag and writing what they're thankful for. When you have finished writing what you want to say, fill the bottom of the bag with a little sand. The sand helps keep your candle from moving and also acts as a fire deterrent should any hot wax drip down. For medium to large bags, you might need more than one candle. Remember: When using candles, never leave them unattended!


Luminaries are very fun to make and there's nothing as beautiful as driving by on a night and seeing them lit up in a window. You can make luminaries as different as you want. How about some black Halloween images for a spooky luminary? Or laying down a couple of leaves and spraying over them with some colorful mists for a different fall approach. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination. Today I want you to stop and look at your life. What are you thankful for?

Hope everyone had fun today. Thank you for stopping by. I also want to thank everyone who have left such sweet comments. I am very grateful. Each time I log onto my email and read each one, it definitely brings a smile to my work day. If anyone hasn't already, make sure to click 'Follow' in the right column. :) Have a happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 4: Show your door some love


Good morning everyone! Hope everyone has a happy Tuesday. A couple of weeks ago, my FMIL (Future Mother-in-Law) and I went to a couple of stores to see about getting a wreath. The ones we liked were $200 or more. Yikes! There's no way we would pay that much for something that would go on the door only once a year. So, we started looking at the cheaper priced wreaths. They were so plain and empty. So, we decided to make our own.


We went to our local Michael's and bought a plain wreath (a big $2.50). We then checked out the floral department and came across some bright and fun leaves. We bought 5 of them (so we could have extras for later). The gorgeous ribbon was just perfect and actually came in two colors, an orange and a brown. We thought the orange blended in too much but the brown looked perfect.

We wanted to be able to change this wreath constantly so it wouldn't be stuck in the attic for the rest of the year. So, none of the stuff is actually glued on. The floral bouquet was cut up like picks and they were simply inserted into the wreath. The ribbon was wrapped around and a simple wire held it all in place.


Here's what it looks like on the front door. Isn't it so cute? And it barely cost us $30. Next time you're in a store and tempted to buy that ready-made piece, step back and think about it. You might just have fun doing it yourself.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Day 3: Branch out of your comfort zone

Anyone who knows me will also know that I am NOT a seamstress. lol. With that being said, I challenged myself to make at least one sewn project. It's nothing grand, but it was completely new to me. To start off, I printed my material on my ink jet printer.


To print using your inkjet printer:

  1. Iron your fabric
  2. Spray Adhesive spray evenly on a regular sheet of computer paper (pay close attention to the edges as these will become unglued the fastest.
  3. Attach the paper to the back of your fabric.
  4. Now that the paper and cloth are stuck together, Iron on high heat.
  5. Make sure that you iron on BOTH sides.
  6. Trim the excess from around your paper as close as you can get it.
  7. Run it through your printer like you would print normally.
  8. Peel back off and enjoy!
Keep in mind, this technique is not washer safe. The colors will bleed if you put it in the washer so I don't recommend doing this for something like a quilt or clothing. It was perfect for my decorative pillow because I don't plan on washing it.

I ran my pillow through the sewing machine inside out leaving a hole at the top. I then used the hole to turn the pillow right side out and stuff it. Then I hand sewed the hole up. It's far from perfect, but I'm very proud of myself. This is my first ever pillow! Jada did not seem to pleased at becoming my model though. :)


I hope you all enjoyed today's post. Your challenge today is to do something that you're uncomfortable with. It will open your horizons a little more. (If not, it will at least turn into a very funny conversation for later.)  I appreciate each and every person who has joined in and want to say thank you again. Have fun and don't forget to become a follower!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Day 2: Send a smile through snail mail


Today we'll be continuing with the fall fun. When was the last time you sent snail mail? You know, the old kind with the envelope and stamp? :)  Well, why not do it one more time? All I ever seem to get from the post office is junk mail or bills. Every once in a while, my aunt will send me something through snail mail and it's such a pleasant surprise. It really does brighten my day. Your challenge for today is creating a card using only scraps (bonus if it's last year's fall papers) and send it to someone you know. This will clear out some of your scrap stash while putting a smile on someone's face.


This card was made completely out of scraps. I have no clue what any of it is except the yellow paper (that's Tim Holtz's coordinating cardstock). This card is 4 1/2 x 9. I knew I wanted it to be really long to showcase the leaf paper. I inked all of the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Vintage photo. I love distress stains because it's so easy to run around the edges and more ink comes out.


The letters were cut out using my Cricut and attached using 3D dots. I seriously need to look into some fall cartridges. I'm not even sure if they have any. I use my Cricut a lot. Although, I'm considering buying a silhouette just to have both. There's been a few times that my FMIL has had some cute images.


The leaves were really fun to make and I'm pleased with how they came out. I used the Vagabond to cut out Tim Holtz's leaf die cut. I covered the paper with crackle paint in tarnished brass. While it was still wet, I sprinkled some perfect pearls antique gold on top to give a little more shimmer. After it dried, I attached the leaves to the card using glossy accents.

I hope everyone enjoyed today's card and I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to see what else I've got planned. And don't forget to follow my blog! The button is located on the right side and I would really appreciate it. :::puppy dog eyes::: See you all tomorrow!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Day 1: Wear a ribbon in your hair


Yay! It's the first day of my Welcome Fall. I want to take some time to say a big THANK YOU to anyone who stops by today to join in. I hope you come back for each day of the fun.

Now, on to our first project. What better way to show your love for fall then wearing some fall themed hair accessories? There's no reason to go overly themed. Just some fall colors here and there (and maybe a feather or two) and you're ready to go.


I have to admit. Taking a closeup picture of the side of your head is rather tricky. But I finally got a working closeup. This hairband was made using a plain black hairband. The feathers were actually really easy. Hobby Lobby has some 'Hat Decor'. They're easy pieces that come ready to glue on. Once I hot glued the feather piece on, I simply attached some cute accessories. I wanted it to have a fall feel, but after fall is over I want to still be able to wear it with neutrals and such.


This one was a little more fun. I took a feather pick and cut the feathers off. Then I attached them to a barrette. The top piece was from a Fall candle garland. I just love the playfulness of the colors. The feathers almost blend into the hair, so it gives a really interesting punch without being overbearing. I love wearing unusual pieces like this because they act as great conversation starters. Everyone always wants to know where I got them from.

I hope you enjoyed this bit of inspiration. When was the last time you made your own accessory? Was it for Halloween or for the office? I'd love to hear from you!