my_weblog

DIY :: Decorative Embellishment Stand

A handful of you spotted it  from a distance during the showing of my new scrapbooking space last week. A couple of you inquired about it and wanted to know specifically where you could find one just like it. I held myself back from responding to the inquiries. I actually intended on writing a post about a week or two ago because the "decorative stand" isn't an item immediately available at any local store. It's a rebuff of an old apple holder from my prior days of living in an apartment with Eric some eleven years ago. I accidently ran into it while rummaging about in a large rubbermade bin that had been sitting in my garage for far too long. Obviously neglected, I looked past it's dark green, less-than-lacquer appearance and took a coat of spray paint to it - I set about a large garbage bag on the garage floor, gave the holder a good cleaning, and then applied two coats of light turquoise paint to it's surface. Sure enough, spray paint did the trick of making it look "brand new", but thereafter, I ran into a small problem....I had zero glass jars to go with it.

I'm almost certain that nearly all of you have seen the mega-cute cupcake holders out there right now. One of my favorite places to spot them is Home Goods - they've a kitchen storage section that houses cupcake holders in every single color imaginable! I'm always eyeing'em up and contemplating creative uses for them. Target is also another popular location for spotting them, especially upon the end-caps that showcase seasonal product. Joann Fabrics occasionally sells the holders as well and they're usually on sale (so forget the coupon!) :)

 

So the "apple holder" turned out to be a major success in terms of budget friendliness and time-readiness. The biggest problem again was the missing glass jars (or non-existent ones)! After various visits to multiple stores, I finally scored a really cheap set of candle jars at JoAnn Fabrics and sure enough, they fit within the circular holders perfectly!! Yeah!

The jars themselves are $9 (not on sale - forgot the coupon..arg). They sell in a small box located via the candle aisle. They're also individually available if seeking to buy only a few, but the box is a semi-better deal if in the end if you require more than ten jars. A small something to keep in mind if you're thinking of making your own decorative holder...

Here's a quick, up-close peek at the finished DIY project...love it!! 

How about the orange..I know it's not particularly popular as a color amongst crafters, but it has a place and time and today, within the confines of the jar, it appears attractive enough..at least to me. Blended with gold and turquoise, it loses it's less-than-stellar reputation...remember the days of the old orange couch and carpet? My parents had both for close to twenty years! Yikes! They've finally moved on...

Now, how about it? Who here is going to confess to a 1970's orange home decor parade? Anyone up for sharing? Can't be the only person who was lucky enough to grow up with orange carpet and couches....it was a completely different era then, I tell you. :)

Hope you took heart to a great holiday weekend - we had a busy one, but no major out-of-towners. It was a weekend of flower baskets & family. I'll return with photos later on from the weekend's festivities, in the mean time, it's time to close the laptop for night! ~ CM

A New Crafty Cubby for Me and the Cats

It's semi-close to being finished, but it'll continue to be a work in progress as I've a furniture piece and other items I'd like to include to complete the look and feel of the new space. Technically, nothing major changed besides the desk, office chair, pink containers, an updated savvy cat bed and a Pier One pillow for the chair that was in dire of need of serious updating. Also, I took the discount route and picked up a bargain throw rug at Home Depot to place at the front of the room. It's soft, warm and cuddly under my feet. I love it. Eventually, I'd like to bring in a softer set of lamps, some fabric around the outside of the table so you can't see the contents beneath it and possibly some new curtains. I also will soon be adding two large curtain rods to the wall where Eric and I's photos currently stand. I've always desired a place to display my scrapbook layouts, but there never seemed to be room for such a set-up. With this new rearrangement, I've managed to claim nearly twice the amount of space then prior as the whole room is devoted to my craftiness passion rather than scrapbook room/bedroom! Here are a few more images of the redo along with some of it's smaller contents...

I'm going to hang a larger piece of art above this chair when I find the right piece so that the area is equally balanced..again, it's a work in progress.

 

I normally wouldn't run out and buy a cat bed because I'm not typically in the market for one, though this just happened to be a lucky find on clearance via Home Goods. Love that store - what about you?

 Finally, I have a central location for storing and using the ol' Big Shot. Normally it'd be tucked away in a closet or drawer, but with the table out in open view, it's fitting for the occasion. I can pretty much grab it whenever I want without having to pull it from some far away, dark location :)

 

Welcome to my work area, aka "Pink Chair" from IKEA. I tacked on an extra table and placed them in an L-Shape so that there's an increased amount of space for me to work on and also, a prime, easy to reach location for small embellishement like journaling notes, chipboard pieces, epoxy items, writing implements, etc. I brought back out the ugly rubbermade drawers because I so desperately needed them - at times, it's easiest to forgo "all things pretty" in exchange for "all things practical". Plus, them drawers are a life savor for helping me locate and access regularly used supply items like punches, adhesives, inks, fabrics, etc. I'm one of these girls that dislikes leaving the chair to find things on the other side of the room. Once I'm sitting, there's no getting back up! Call me a bum, I suppose, but really, it's about focusing and finishing what's been started. Interruptions are my biggest, lack-of-creativity culprit!! 

 

Wide Open Space!! Is there really anything better than an undisturbed, outstretched area for crafty habits like scrapbooking, painting, paper arts, etc? A dream come true for me, really. I've already put it to good use too..and ironically, even at this size, it became engulfed in piles and indecisive selections. Go figure. Thank goodness for the big basket behind the seat for setting down extra items! 

 

Pink Glass Containers :: Ikea in the Plant/Garden section. A whopping $5 a piece! Woohoo!

 

Another pink storage solution - a Target find in the dollar section. Perfect for hibernating clear stamps of all varieties. 

 

Remember these from the ever-reliable Walgreens? These by far have been the best solution yet for creating an easy to reach place for my collection of journaling notes. Paper Flowers/Butterfly/Bird Die-Cuts are in a separate drawer area to avoid them getting in the way of me examining my journaling options. Again, at another bargain of all of $1 - $2 per three (I believe) baskets. 

 

One final detail - Miss Amber the princess kitty has taken to owning the flower stitched pillow already. I think it took her all of five minutes to set herself in front of it so that she could squeeze in a decent kitty nap for the afternoon. It gave me ample opportunity to photograph her in front of the colorful florals for a moment or two. As you can see, she didn't eventually escape the grips of my camera - where are you going Amber?! Don't leave me yet....

And there you have it, a peek at the crafty cubby as it currently stands! As I continue to add to it, I'll notify you of it's status and share photos...for now, I've to hop to my makeshift bed for the night! Happy Friday friends! ~ CM.

Mending Fences...

Still three years later and there's still much to mend. Another transitionary phase ensues and I hope it works out for the best...I'll not disclose details as it's complicated, family always is. Think I'll take a moment to breath and then head to bed. Tomorrow is another day and there's a desk full of assignments awaiting me. I must stay focused if I'm to accomplish them on time. Wish me luck! I'll rejoin you tomorrow with images of the new scrapbook space...

Pretty Lil' Things Winner Announced + Vintage Buttons

I'm so sorry as I should of had this ready for you earlier today, but the busy morning conversation between me and a hobby farmer (yes, a hobby farmer) got the best of me!! Three hours later and what remained of the day had to be devoted to the redone scrapbook space that I've plans to share with you tomorrow {or wednesday} :) I also had some work to catch up on, but I'm here and ready to announce the small prize package winner of the Crate Paper goodies!! I'd like to formally congratulate "Libby" as her comment was randomly selected from the hundred + comments that had kindly been posted over the weekend:

Libby said...

I love the themes of flora, fauna and hearts and never tire of seeing them. Everyone has used one or more of those themes and each is unique! It is so exciting to see the creativity of these exceptionally talented contributors.

ReplyMay 21, 2011 at 09:24 AM

I'll be requiring your address Libby, so if you would, please email me it via the email link to the right with your info! I've plans to prep your package this week! It'll be waiting for you....

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for the generous and kind remarks!! If I could sent Crate Paper goodies to all of you, I would - in a heartbeat! :)

 

I'm at it again - vintage button hunting! I swear my addiction to them is just as pervasive as my addiction to scrapbooking and I assume this has something to do with my underlying desire for collecting things, but I could be wrong. So, in my search of vintage buttons, I've been stalking Ebay on an every-other-day basis. I plug into it usually via the "mixed lot" option as I'd rather search out my own colored gems from a pile of untouched buttons than buy buttons already found and perfectly manicured for optimal display. I'm easily amused when presented with a either a small or big box of old buttons. The surprises that often await me are usually unpredictable and lusciously beautiful. 

Be warned, if you're thinking of starting your very own vintage button collection and contemplating the likes of Ebay to do it, my recommendation is to carefully inspect the buttons before buying. They might look well manicured or semi-clean upfront, but how clean are they really? And did the seller put all the good buttons at the top of the pile just so that you'd peek at them and maybe bid on them too? I've been burned on occasion, but for me, it's always worth the risk. Commonly, the buttons require a washing if you prefer them to be "clean" {think in terms of your scrapbook style}. I usually wash mine in a small bowl with dish soap & water. I let them soak for a good hour or so before removing them and buffing them with a towel (each of my buttons are towel dried individually - a major labor of love).  Once they're shiny, they're ready to go in my buttons drawers {color coordinated}. 

** Some buttons aren't meant to be soaked in water. Those with rhinestones or those that are made of metal, wood, bakelite, etc. are ideally cleaned with a dry, gentile towel and a soft hand. 

 

I've a huge box of buttons on the way that I bid on last week. It was a challenging task to win them, but I suppose what is highly sought, isn't easily claimed. Took quite a bit of wrangling and time management to be the highest bidder of the bunch! I'll post the buttons after they arrive and have had a good cleaning. :)

 

Here's a quick update on the lil' guy - it seems he's taken to his new bed almost instantly! The duvet and mattress are prime territory for jumping, hiding and playing these days. I'm actually thrilled that he's attached himself to the bed because for a while there, I couldn't get him to sleep in it! Turns out, that all it takes to make a child excited about their sleeping headquarters is a fresh coat of paint, some new decor and a major bed overhaul. I seriously wish I would of done it sooner - finally, a good night sleep for mom and Ethan! 

Speaking of overhauls, I took apart nearly every single piece of furniture in my scrapbook room/bedroom over the weekend and replaced them with more practical options, including two large size desks, a couple of new storage pieces and a brand new "Hot Pink" office chair! I took a fair number of photos of the new set-up today and will have them to share with you either tomorrow or Wednesday..I've also to still buy a new rug for the room and curtains - they'll be no repainting at this point though. Laugh. We've already done that once this year in Ethan's room! 

Heading over to Overstock - I'll bump into you guys again in a day or two! Take care! ~ CM

A Final Pretty Lil' Things & Small Crate Paper Giveaway

 

 

The final edition of Pretty Lil' Things is here and with it are beautiful images of the very last cards to find their way into the Pretty Lil' Things box. I'm so sad to see it go, but alas, I've to contemplate what's ahead as I've three months to give to this place prior to another year of school. This means lots of crafting ahead, which I'm very excited about. What a tremendous relief it is to finally be free of time consuming assignments and deadlines! So, I'm opting to start this adventure on the right foot, and what better way to do that then with these lovely brand new inspiration pieces from five gracious, talented paper artists/scrapbookers - have a look and if you'd be so kind, leave them a compliment or two before you leave...if you do, I'll include your name in a random drawing for a small batch of CRATE PAPER items, the same items that my contributers will be receiving in the next week or two. You've all weekend to comment too! I'll post the WINNER on Monday! Good Luck! 

 

These petite pretties were sent from Gladys Chia, an avid card maker and stamping connoisseur who's style is romantic, soft and exquisite. I instantly fell in love with her small rosette embellished hearts - they're precious, aren't they? And the jars - perfect for housing them sweet hearts! :) Thank-you Gladys! 

 

When Aida Huron, a good friend of mine, offered to send along a contribution, the anticipation I felt was undoubtedly astounding. I'd been in the presence of her layouts while at CHA and they are exasperatingly beautiful! She's even more detailed than myself and she's also a frequent user of  various paint/ink mediums too! Not surprisingly, the two pieces she sent over from Singapore comprise both familiar stylistic features - the first is a self-made shadow box filled with buttons, tulle and carefully painted embellishments. The second is a thick cardboard/canvas piece that's double layered, paper wrapped and significantly weighted. You almost forget their made of paper when holding them! Thank you again, Aida! 

 

Sandy Ang, also a savvy and passionate layered scrapbooker from Singapore, sent along these two lively, modern homespun pieces to be included in the box. What I like most about them is their edginess and frequent bursts of color - the playful sewing is an added bonus! Lot's of bits and pieces to admire here - thank-you so much, Sandy! I appreciate your sending them on a far away journey so that they'd make it to Minnesota, safe and sound, for the feature. 

 

Mary-Ann Maldonado mentioned that she'd just begun a new blog called Lump, Bump and Clump - talk about an adorable, well suited name for a paper crafting blog! She kindly shared with me this gorgeous card collage fitted with vintage notions, rustic twine and a floating two-winged butterfly pendant. The base appears to be one of Seven Gypsies fancy book covers that's been further distressed with either water-downed paints or distress ink {correct me if I'm wrong Mary}. Once again, a great deal of intricacy brought forth and lots to peek upon! Thank you, Mary-Ann! 

 As a quick reminder, share a response to be automatically included in this weekend's small giveaway of Crate Paper goods (Brand New from the Crate Paper Warehouse! Thank-You Crate Paper!!) - I'll rejoin you on Monday!  ~ CM

Pretty Lil' Things :: Close to a Conclusion

I was so close to having a Pretty Lil' Things post ready for you this evening, but the photo preparation process took quite a bit more time than anticipated. I'm now shooting in RAW, which invokes a greater number of hours in Photoshop since RAW images take an extra step or two to set-up..not that I mind because the outcome is above and beyond anything outputted via jpg. I'm suddenly realizing it might be a good idea to buy an external hard drive as RAW files consume a significant amount of space if left to their own devices on my MacBook Pro. Anyone out there shoot in RAW that has suggestions concerning the most optimum means of storing them? At this point, the external seems the best route...

Oh yes, Pretty Lil' Things is slowly but surely coming to an end. This is actually going to be the very last post of the series as the final four cards arrived last week. The box itself is comfortably full and it's entirely at home on my desk (incase your curious). I love looking at it while scrapbooking too - there's truly nothing out there that's as inspiring as someone else's artwork "in person". It'll remain there 'til a new location presents itself, which won't probably be for a while. I'm fairly protective of it and always peeking at it whenever I have a chance to do so. Each and every piece is inherently beautiful, really. I wish I could pass it around like in show-in-tell so that you could have a closer look and inspect the prettiness inside the box. If only photos could be opened and "lived", then they'd provide us enjoyment beyond that given at the surface level. Think about it...you'd never have to travel beyond the front door again. Art wherever you are. :)

I'll promise to be with you on Saturday with the four new Pretty Lil' Things submissions. In the mean time, take heart of this last photo...

Good Night! ~CM

The Advantageous Kit :: Purple Dahlia Project

Do you remember the latest Advantageous kit from last week? I finally got around to using it the last couple of days since having escaped the school campus and created a "somewhat of a surprise" layout about my cute aging critter, Casper. I had posted this photo of him around the same time as the kit and fell in love with it. It ultimately became the inspiration for the kit layout. 

I refer to the layout as being a sort of surprise because it's slightly edgy and artsy, which isn't typically my style. I even bothered to leave my seat so that I could pull a couple bottles of mist from my mist stash (I have a seriously neglected collection of mists tucked away in a box because I honestly don't know what to do with'em!). I put on my brave hat and threw on some purple splatter. At first, I wasn't entirely happy with it, but then I adjusted to it's imperfectness. Now that the layouts done and finished, I'm loving the splatter once and for all! 

This gives a general idea of how the misting turned out. Instead of actually spraying the mist from the bottle, I took the cap off the bottle and directly applied the mist via the end of the sprayer {plastic-y tube}. It allowed me improved control of the application process. After the mist dried, I took advantage of the new clear gel medium I shared with you in the last post, and applied it on top each of the dots. To help it dry faster (supposedly it takes four hours to dry if you simply let it sit there all by it's lonesome), I waved my heat gun above it at around 7" for ten minutes. It worked like a charm! And it dries completely clear too!

 

This is fore-surely my favorite detail from the project - it's a homemade window box created from a Cosmo Cricket journaling card, Sassafras pattern paper, a Heather Bailey chipboard piece, vintage ribbon, a Hambly embroidery hoop and a Dear Lizzy journaling note & rub-on. Yes, it took the whole kitten caboodle and then some to make the window, but it's super "sweet" and a great attention grabber. 

 

Tucked behind the window is what I often term as "the unexpected" or the "black sheep" of a project, the one embellishment that doesn't match with anything else. The bird is a major mismatch, but he oddly still fits in. These kinds of details are not at all untypical of my layouts and I'm grateful for them as they bring life to an otherwise predictable design. 

 

I stamped each of the doilies onto white cardstock using vivid purple ink and then hand trimmed them ever-so-carefully from the cardstock before adhering them to my layout with either wet adhesive or pop-dots. 

The dark purple rings are really easy to construct {if you're curious about them} - the key is to first punch a small circle from the cardstock {toss the actual circle} and then follow it up with with a larger size circle punch (1/4" larger).

Of the largest circle of the bunch, I used a Fiskars circle cutter and trimmed a two inch circle from the cardstock. I then closely trimmed around it with a scissors. The key here is to maintain a steady hand while cutting!! If you investigate the large ring closely, you'll see it's not perfect - but that's ok 'cause this layout constitutes "imperfection".

 

Lately, I've noticed quite a few folks opting to journal on hand-sketched journaling lines. To avoid my usual crooked line creation habits, I maintained the presence of a ruler in drawing the lines. No way would I attempt to freely sketch a series of random lines without a ruler!! Credit to those who do though! Mine would resemble the lines noted on a seismometer during an earthquake and that's not necessarily a good thing :)

 

There are a couple of misc. details in addition to the major ones, including these tiny alpha stickers from My Mind's Eye. You may be wondering who "Chrissy" is..maybe not, but if you are, I'll confess to you one lil' secret about me. There are still family members in my life who call me "Chrissy" on a daily basis and being that I didn't have a whole lot of room to use my full name here, I went with "Chrissy" instead. Please, don't refer to me as Chrissy anytime soon!! Just saying...

 

The adorable you is from a 12" x 12" word strip sticker sheet by Creative Cafe/Creative Imaginations. I greatly miss this popular basic's collection!! Does anyone know if it's still around? 

 

This should give you a general idea of the overall dimension and varying layers and embellishment displays that came together to create this lovely layout. Also, the butterfly is a real treat to feast upon - it's KI Memories {Butterfly Stickers} in combination with both a dark and light hue of yellow/gold. 

There's much to be shared today, but I'm going to hold off on the rest 'til either tomorrow or Thursday. My schedule is shaping up for the Summer and Crate is in the midst of prepping for the next upcoming CHA event, which means July is going to be filled to the brim with excitement! I'm also squeezing in lots of crafting, including a major overhaul of a cupcake holder, which I'll show you on Thursday! In the mean time, have a childhood nickname you feel up to confessing here? I'd love to hear about it...believe it or not, my second childhood nickname was "bird" because I was a majorly picky eater....which I still am, though rarely do people refer to me as "bird" anymore. Laugh. Thank goodness.

Day Trip :: Crafts Direct & Gruber's Quilt Shop

I drove the sixty/seventy miles to St.Cloud on Friday to visit the one store that I wish was nearer to my home, Crafts Direct. You might already be familiar with it as they've an online store as well. The place literally carries everything imaginable in relation to crafting, including every single scrapbook manufacturer release that I can think of, and that's saying quite a bit. So, if you're ever in the area of St.Cloud, make it a point to stop by and explore the aisles upon aisles of their offerings - I promise, you won't regret it..and you'll probably exit the place with not just one bag full of scrapbook wares, but more like two or three. And them two or three doesn't take into consideration the other 3/4's of the store, so maybe bring an extra bag if you're a regular user of earth-friendly, reusable totes. Never hurts to be prepared....

The remainder of this post is image heavy, so if you're cruising along via a slow connection, you might want to step away for a second or two to allow the images to load. I apologize for the delay if anyone out there experiences a lagging upload..I hope you enjoy the photos though. I had a great time capturing them during my journey at both Crafts Direct and Gruber's Quilt Shop. I also hunted down two new items you'll want to take a peek at before leaving. They're intriguing to say the least...

This is about mid-center of the aisle set-up, if you turn around, there's another fifteen/twenty aisles the other direction. Laugh. I refer to it as the Target of Crafting. 

Paper anyone? :) Every manufacturer under the sun.

I'm crazy about buttons, though more than usual, it's the vintage type that I gravitate towards, but when confronted with this many buttons, I'm bound to find one or two that I like, including these adorable buttons from Doodlebug. I've been collecting them slowly but surely the last couple of months. 

Normally, I'm not a big twine person, but the packaging and colors of My Mind's Eye's latest twine is undeniably cute and actually, not all of them are shown here. I took home Pink & Yellow :) 

The end displays typically cater to new collections. The peaches and yellows of this new We R' Memory Keeper's collection caught my attention while turning the corner near the stamp section of the store. It's a refreshing color combo, don't you think?

Doodlebug's white interior albums almost convert me from my usual American Craft albums, but I'm waiting and hoping they'll come down from their current price point. This 8" x 8" almost landed in my basket..almost. I would of grabbed it had I not forgotten about the coupon I was carrying in my purse. Oh well. :P

I've been looking for these locally since I first heard about them from Lolly Chessie and CHA last Summer. Not sure if you've seen them in person or not, but their pretty slick in terms of creating your own "pearl cabochons" whether on flowers or borders or anything else that benefit from an elegant dot or two. The key with this product is that it forms an immediate smooth, impeccable appearance after application. Squeeze the bottle just a little bit and out from it's tip exits a small amount of paint that'll form either a dot or line - no noticeable bumps or points. It's fabulous stuff! 

Tucked amongst the tubes of paint was a clear, transparent gel I hadn't been aware of until now. It gives off the appearance raindrops or "water" drops and keeps it's dimension as such even after it dries. Above is a small demonstration of the gel in action - what do you think?

Roaming the store again, I ran into a couple of supply items fit for flower making and altered goods - the above circles are of actual semi-transparent netting. I thought they'd be great for creating spiral flowers or adding to a layout as either a backdrop or layers within the confines of varied pattern papers. 

These scallop magnet boards would look adorable hosting magazine cut-outs and other pieces of inspiration near a desk or on a wall as part of a larger display. Attach wiring as needed if hanging..they were pretty cheap too! 

Tiny distressed black frames - $1 - $1.99 each!! How cute are they - perfect for a card or mini album cover!

I recently painted a large size letter for Ethan's room with bird's nest blue and it almost looks like the real deal, but without the needless price tag. Crafts Direct had an full aisle of letters of display - I was loving the small alphas! 

Another unknown item I hadn't seen before - Goosebumps from Tsukineko! It's my first time trying it out here - it dries entirely clear and is "bumpy"! Can't wait to give this stuff a go in the future! 

The craze over at Studio Calico for the circle series stamp reminded me so much of this QuicKutz embossing folder. It's a full 12" in length - I've a couple of ideas for it already and a full Summer to try them out! Yeah!!

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A quick stop at Grubers was a major must for me before leaving St.Cloud - Moda's "It's a Hoot" fabric collection was fave on my list of finds. It shouts "COLOR"! 

Moda's 42 Square Fabric Stack was a no brainer for me - I'll use it on a layout or album at some point. I might even quilt with it - we'll see. :)

And a quick misc. fat quarter pile reminded me how lucky we are as scrapbookers that pattern paper is still well affordable when compared to cotton. I love that one can visit a scrapbook store and enjoy unlimited patterns without having to bring it to the cutting table to be trimmed. :)

Again, I apologize for the heavy number images directed with this post - I hope you at least were able to see them to some degree. I had a great deal of difficulty cutting down the number of images I wanted to share, but that being said, it should give you a general idea of the kind of adventure I partook in on Friday. Totally worth the gas and mileage! Couldn't of asked for a better day vaca....

Have a lovely weekend you guys - I'll return in a day or two with a new layout/project :)

School Concludes & I survived...

I want to jump for joy and to the moon as school is finally done and gone, and I've not to return to the place for three whole months!! Already I've enlisted brand new plans for tomorrow - going to hop in my car and drive to St.Cloud {hour away} so that I can partake in a long awaited visit to Crafts Direct. It'll be a semi-vacation of sorts or what one would normally refer to as a "day trip"! I'm desperately craving to be someplace totally different than campus or the library. I feel like they're the only two places I've been the last nine months, besides home of course. Then over the weekend, Ethan and I are planning a special outing to Lizzy's Ice Cream shop - we love'em!! It'll be a splendid time..finally, a break ensues. 

While pen-eloping about JoAnns this afternoon, I ran into a couple of things I thought you might be interested in checking out. The first is the latest issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. Now why on earth would I mention the magazine? Well, take a close look at the cover and there you have it! I've already put together plans for translating the pattern to would-be paper. Isn't the dark turquoise backdrop unbelievably fabulous?! And them yo-yo's - simply too cute for words.

 

 Also in the issue is Crate's new Restoration fabric!! Sound familiar to you? Yes, now Restoration is finally available to those in the quilting/sewing community! It's currently available through independent fabric retailers both online and locally, and is substantiated via Studio "e" Fabrics. The above fabric is a small sampling of the collection - to see the collection in it's entirely, visit the Studio "e" Fabric website! 

 

Maybe these will excite you, or maybe the won't, either way, I've to share them. They're a misc. item I located in the JoAnn's checkout aisle of all places. They're a mega bargain too! At a buck each, I couldn't pass up the deal and it's the first time I've ever encountered square metal slides of this style. Note the vellum metal tags from the second package - aren't they cute? Rub-ons, stamping, misting, etc. - these will most certainly come in handy in the near future! Totally basic and cool too! 

 

I finally caved into owning one of these self-situated Scrapbook Adhesive implements. Archivers was pushing a promotion on them; buy the set-up and get a free refill to go with it! I remember meeting this adhesive dispenser at CHA last year. It's a nifty gizmo that's easily personalized with either a photo or piece of pretty pattern paper. The adhesive dispenser includes a transparency guide for tracing and trimming the side-pieces. Adding the side-pieces is fairly simple - slip off the clear plastic with a push of a button and add the paper! Personalization made easy! Perfect for crops too - you'll always know which adhesive is yours!

I almost forget to mention that it's refillable as well. Thank-you Scrapbook Adhesives!! 

 

And the background paper here - new Bazzill Basics Paper with a fresh, modern embossed pattern in Gray! Available in other colors if Gray isn't your thing...

 That about sums up the last couple of days for me...so tell me, what have you run into lately that ended up following you home? Maybe it's something you located online or was a small knick-knack that greeted you at the $1 section at Michaels, Target or Joanns. Share your treasure is you feel up to it! I'd love to hear about it! 

The Advantageous Kit :: Purple Dahlia

Happy Mother's Day to all the magnificent mama's out there! Is anyone enjoying a leisurely afternoon of scrapbooking on this "reserved for mom" day? I've to confess that my afternoon is to consist of not paper, scissors and glue, but more so of text books, note taking and a solid three to four hours of studying. Finals begin tomorrow and I've three of them to prepare for before this Wednesday. After the studying is over though, I've to devote the rest of the day to family and a delicious meal to be hosted by my very own mom. Not so bad, really. I've also a brand new Advantageous kit to share with you today, which is honestly the highlight of this year's Mother's Day for me 'cause it's packed full of rich, warm colors that I'm just dying to use; Purple, Red Violet, Lavender, Indigo, Green-Blue and Neon Yellow. 

So much more this time around - are you able to tell that I boosted the size of the kit by throwing in some ample extras? Laugh. I had a great deal of difficulty letting go the personal selections because I fell in crazy in love with it all, plus, I'm the kind of scrapbooker that wholeheartedly believes that more is just, well, better! Laugh. Here's a closer peek at the embellishments...

And now for the content List - a slightly condensed version. 

 

If you'd like to print a copy of the list, I recommend right clicking directly on top the list and saving it as a jpg. Then open it up in a separate window and print it from your home computer. I actually created the list with the help of Photoshop, so it's technically a jpg. image already! If you've any questions about the list or it's contents, feel free to email me. I realize it's rather large and probably not practical for most out there - the intent of the list and the kit itself is to inspire and to demonstrate color ideas - not to have you run out and collect what's shown. Use what you have and create something similar instead! This is strictly inspiration folks!

I've a little guy waiting on me for a trip to the grandparent's house. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback you feel like providing about the kit and if this is still a subject of interest to you. If anything, it's fabulous eye candy!! I really enjoy photographing all the varying elements as it encourages me to practice my composition abilities {still working on'em!}. Thanks for stopping by and visiting me on this fine Mother's Day! I'm off to partake in an afternoon of studying....see you with a project from the kit in the next couple of days!