Family Vinyl Decor

I'm headed out later this evening to a birthday party for one of my lovely friends. Rather than going and finding a present that I didn't know if she would like, I decided to make her this piece of decor for her living room.

I started with a trip to my favorite, local craft store, Artco. I saw this gorgeous hanging frame and knew what I was going to do. A cut file from my Silhouette using black vinyl (okay, so what if this is really Round 2... The first one was wonky). And bam! Amazing present. I did ask what color she would have liked for the background, but she's still undecided on her future colors. So clear it is!

For a Lovely Friend

I created today. Which is big, because we've been complete sickies in our house. Finally, I and the little Miss are okay. The Big Miss was still out today. Although she's started arguing with me today, which I'm going to take as a good sign that she's feeling better.

Here is the lovely little card that I made for my lovely friend Melissa. It's her birthday today, and I know that she'd LOVE some well wishes!! I used the August Gossamer Blue kit that I won last year, some October Afternoon Sprinklers in Hopscotch and a Stella & Rose sticker. I just love those kits, especially when I get to the ends and get to start using them as card kits.

PS. Melissa... This is going to be a little late :)

A Little Project 12 Sneakpeek, and a Freebie Silhouette File!

Hello!! I hope that all of you had a great weekend. I crafted a bit, pinned a bit, hung out a lot. Let the girls nap, went to church, had a great breakfast, and just overall enjoyed early Spring.

I started my Project 12 already for this month. Or rather, started the title piece. Which of course led me to create a file for all of the months of the year. I used a font that was already on my computer, but changed a few things so that it would make a good cut file. I love when things look purposefully offset, so mixed up the letters a bit.

The file is for all of the months. They are all lowercase, so if you like things correctly capitalized... This may not be the right file for you. If you're like me and like the whimsy, it's pretty fun!

Here is a pic of what the file looks like. I filled in the titles for emphasis. The file does not have filled color. If you'd like the file, HERE IS THE LINK. Enjoy!!

Scraplifting with Gossamer Blue and Elle's Studio

I have blogged before about both Gossamer Blue and Elle's Studio. I L-O-V-E both companies. Gossamer Blue's kits are always so amazing and beautiful. And Elle's Studio has wonderful little tags and extras that are perfect for Project Life and Project12. (And they are LOCAL!! to me anyway!)

The two companies were having a fantastic scraplift challenge. Here is what I came up with. I used mainly pieces from my March Gossamer Blue kit, with a few additional patterned paper from the August GB kit, and some Summer Lovin' Elle's Studio pieces that I had in my stash. I also used a few of my OA Sprinklers and some Stickles glitter (I really only like glitter in liquid form!).

I combined some of the other My Mind's Eye buttons that I had, as well as a few more of their enamel dots. Lastly, I added some Cath Kidston washi tape. For all of the scalloped parts, I used my Kiwi Lane Designs Templates in Scallops.

Here is Magda Mizera's FANTASTIC layout. I just love her work. You can check out her blog HERE. She has some MAD photoshop skills. One day...

I did a pretty blatant scraplift. And I challenged myself to use yellow, which isn't my normal go-to color. I figured since it was a complimentary color to Miss R's onesie, it would make an interesting mix.

Post CHA... Cards!!

Just a few cards that I haven't blogged yet. All were created using Authentique Seasons collections in Seasons: Spring and Seasons: Winter. I added a few embellishments using May Arts and random ribbons, Maya Road stick pins, Pebbles flowers, and some cuts with my Silhouette.

I Love How Much You Love Her (GB February)

I love when my girls get along. Really, it is the most perfect thing to see. Miss I wants to read SOOOO badly. So, until this summer comes about, she "reads" to Ro. Which is pretty amazing to see. Both of the girls had no clue that I was snapping photos until Miss Ro checked me out. I was being pretty sly for about a second. 

This layout pretty much fell together using February's Gossamer Blue kit. I double matted the photos. They were originally going to be separate, but I really didn't like how that looked, so matted them again in pink. I used one of the title pieces from the Carta Bella paper. Then used the Carta Bella, Crate Paper and some Basic Grey letters I had to complete the title. Lastly, I embellished using a combination of Pink Paislee hearts, My Mind's Eye enamel dots and a Studio Calico heart.

It's a Good Day (GB February)

The only problem (and it really isn't a problem!!) with using a kit service, is you do run out of full 12x12 sheets. My solution, (OH DARN!) is to go into my extensive stash and find something that both works with the kit, and the photo. In this case, I went searching through my Sassafras Lass papers. I found this great sheet of Simply Smitten, and checked the back for the most fantastic matching page. It even has journaling lines!!

I even was able to use up almost all of the Amy Tangerine letters that I got earlier! I love when a title makes me use a bunch of otherwise wasted letters.

What isn't shown, is the little kraft envelope behind the photo is actually filled with another photograph taken about seven months after the main image. It's of the two girls laying together on the bed. My hope for the two girls to get along is so far happening. I couldn't be happier!

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER: A Hoppy Easter Ornament

Today I am featured on the Authentique Paper blog with an adorable bunny ornament. Check it out this morning! There are a ton of cute pics and details.

Products Used-

Authentique Paper- Hope Collection: Custom, Faith, Lavish, Adorn

Other-May Arts Ribbon, Colorbox Chestnut Roan ink, Globecraft Memories Little Fancy Oval frame, Imaginecrafts, Basic Grey brad

February's Project 12 with Gossamer Blue

Last month was a little bit of a pain-in-the-butt. Mainly because we all got sick. All of us. At random times, and not always the most convenient at that. And, my printer ran out of ink. So there isn't journaling... yet.

Anyway... I used my February Gossamer Blue kit for this. I did add a few bits of Elle's Studio. They had a fantastic sale in February, and I was feeling a little down... So did a bit of retail therapy. In doing so, I found out they were local (north of Seattle!!). I L-O-V-E supporting local, so definitely will be purchasing again from them directly.

Here are a few of the details... A little Macklemore (again, LOCAL!!!), a beautiful walk, sicky babies, a beautiful and sunny Northwest day, and more!

Like my "Journaling will go here" Photoshopped title?? Me neither, but I'm outta ink, and have a plan. A few more neat photos, including one of irises that were growing on the other side of my fence. Who knew?!?!?! Okay... So I really don't "do" plants. But I did Google, and found out that after they bloom I can transplant some somewhere else. I think.

I took quite a few sweet photos this month, so even added those in a separate holder with six pics. Of course, I forgot the snap the other side. That's how it's going today.

Could You Be Any Cuter?? (GB February)

I just loved making this layout. Seriously... It just came together wonderfully. I really enjoyed seeing the pinks and greys that were in February's Gossamer Blue box. The Pink Paislee flowered paper, against the Carta Bella So Loved paper was just too perfect. I added a Silhouette sentiment, an October Afternoon tag that had been lying around from the Cakewalk collection and OA sprinkles, and some AC washi tape from Dear Lizzy and Dear Lizzy Christmas.

Lastly, a couple of Basic Grey embellishments to finish it off. Such a sweet little layout of my cutest 8 month old.

Scraplift with Crate Paper's Fourteen...

I was playing around this weekend with my February Gossamer Blue kit and ran into a challenge... How to use the Sparks paper from Crate Paper's Fourteen line. It's a pretty fantastic chevron-ish paper. Super bold, super pretty, but kind of hard to use.

I knew that I had already pinned a fantastic layout using this paper, so found it and scraplifted away!! Here is the original image from one of Crate Paper's Design Team members, Katie Ehmann. I loved how she used vellum and her Cameo to create a background design.

I decided to use a fun background that I had not used yet, Chevron Stripes from the Silhouette Online Store. I didn't want the entire square, but wanted all of the fun pattern, so squished it into a 4x11" rectangle. The vellum was from a Studio Calico kit awhile back, and had feathers on it, but since the pattern was pretty complicated you cannot even tell.

Rather than all of the patterned papers, I simplified the color scheme to mainly grays, and used pops of red and fuchsia from my GB kit.  I also used just one photo of my biggest, Miss I. She's one of my absolute favorite people in the world. I just love her spunky nature and all of the funny things she says.