400th Blog Post GIVEAWAY!!!!

I never thought while writing my first blog post, that I'd ever get to my 400th. While creating, I've made a ton of amazing friends, met some great people, and been able to create some amazing things for my personal collection and for some amazing companies.

To celebrate, I'm having a fun giveaway. I have a few amazing things to send to a new home. Your home! Make sure that you comment on this blog post for an entry. I'm also including a $5 Starbucks

There is an extra entry for Twitter  followers and for those who SHARE via FB, Twitter, or other means. The GIVEAWAY is running through April 10th, so make sure that you enter! I will announce the winner on the 12th!
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KLD Blog Hop Winner!!

Last Friday, I participated in the Kiwi Lane April Blog Hop and offered up a little embellishment prize for one of the hoppers on my blog. Here goes!!!

Congrats Shawna!! I'll try to get ahold of you and get it out this week!!

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Winner Winner!!!! Maria & Her New Card Kit!

Congratulations Maria!!!! You were commenter Number 4, and you have won the mini card kit. I will contact you later today and get mailing info.

And yes, sadly I went old school with my number drawing system. My computer has been loading documents/photos/etc. for days...

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Handmade Holidays Blog Hop 2012

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!!!

Calling all crafters! We’ve gathered designers from some of our favorite manufacturers to show you ways to create something from the heart this holiday season. This 3 day Hop includes over 60 stops with inspiration brimming from every corner. Explore all of the thoughtful and frugal handmade gifts you could create for the holidays, all in one place, during our second annual Handmade Holidays Blog Hop!

If you are following along the 2012 Handmade Holiday Hop, you should have come from Jennifer Priest. If you want to start from the beginning, begin at Clearsnap. 

The Details:

To sweeten the Hop, we’re offering a gift for you! For every comment you leave on the blogs in the Hop, you’ll be entered to win a prize pack from one of the participating manufacturer sponsors! Authentique is giving away four 6x6 pads of their latest collections: Festive, Peaceful, Original and Lovely!

Visit the list of blogs below and leave a comment on each by Nov 27, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST. Each day we will be sharing a brand new list of blogs with brand new projects for you to explore, be inspired by, and create from!

The Blog List:

Clearsnap – http://clearsnap.blogspot.com

Hampton Art - http://blog.hamptonart.com

Graphic45 – http://g45papers.typepad.com

Fiskateers - www.fiskateers.com/blog

Donna Salazar Designs – http://donnasalazar.typepad.com

Tombow USA – http://blog.tombowusa.com

Authentique Paper http://authentiquepaper.blogspot.com

The Twinery - http://www.thetwineryblog.com/

Eileen Hull for Sizzix - http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/

Globecraft Memories – http://globecraftmemories.blogspot.com

Kristin Wilson – Graphic 45 - http://www.kristinwilsonhandmade.com

Jennie Garcia - Tombow - http://earthyscrap.blogspot.com

Gini Williams Cagle - Hampton Art - http://ginicagle.blogspot.com

Sabrina Alery – Clearsnap – http://Sabrinaalery.blogspot.com

DeeDee Catron - Globecraft Memories - http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com

Michelle Grant – Donna Salazar Designs - http://michellejbg.blogspot.com

Emily Lanham – Authentique Paper - http://www.createserendipity.net

Emma Jeffery – Fiskateers - http://hellobeautifulblog.blogspot.com

Natalie Clause – The Twinery - http://www.southernbellescharm.com

Alberto L Juarez – Graphic 45 http://vintageodyssey.blogspot.com

Vivian Keh - Hampton Art - http://contadinak.wordpress.com/tag/vivian-keh

Jennifer Priest – Clearsnap – http://hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com

You are HERE ---->Heather Conklin – Authentique Paper - http://goldiecar.blogspot.com

The Project:

For this year's Handmade Holidays Blog Hop, I made a "Year in Authentique". Every year I make scrapbook calendars for my mother, mother-in-law and both grandmas. I normally make them out of whatever random papers I have in my stash. This year I decided to make an Authentique specific calendar using a different line for each month. For each of the twelve months, I chose a collection that would make sense for the entire month. I loved revisiting older lines and playing with them again, as well as breaking into the newest line (Lovely) for the first time.

Here is each month in chronological order. After the calendar, I will give you some tips and tricks on making your own calendar, as well as show you my process.

January- "Peaceful"

February- "Lovely"

March- "Carefee"

April- "Delightful"

May- "Splendid"

 

June- "Celebrate"

July- "Glory"

August- "Lively"

September- "Curiosity"

October- "Gathering"

November- "Thankful"

December- "Festive" 

While it looks daunting, 12 layouts is actually quite easy when you use a collection of papers as nice as those from Authentique. Everything coordinates, so putting each layout together is a breeze. There are a few things that I have realized from my many incarnations of calendar making (I think this is year 4 or 5).

1. Use sketches. Find a good sketch artist and modify their sketches to suit what you may use for pictures. For each of these, I used sketches from ScrapbookSteal's Mid-Week Mojo's, all created by Kristy Lee, the former Mojo Mama. She's pretty fantastic.

2. Don't have photos in mind. It's backwards, I know. But if you are making mulitiple calendars, it just goes quicker. 

3. Make mats for each photo. Since I didn't put photos onto each layout yet, the photo mats create a sense of where photos will go, and will display them nicely.

4. Create interest with die-cuts. I love my Silhouette and used it extensively throughout the process. But paper punches such as those from Fiskars will work just as well! (Or better yet, cardstock stickers like those from Authentique!) Shaped paper also works well in this case.

5. Minimize dimension. Thicker layouts are great, but when there are twelve of them, and you have to write on the backs, it just doesn't work. I did use some dimensional adhesive in places, but used it sparingly. 

6. Add flat interest with inking (I used Imagine Crafts' Memento inks, Distress Ink and Clearsnap's Colorbox Chalk Inks throughout this project), pens (Signo white gel) and fabric tape or washi (Love My Tapes).

7. Get a pre-made calendar base, or create your own using quality cardstock. I used the Kraft Core Nostalgic collection by Core'dinations. This way, I was able to use a color for the month page, and the kraft backing to write on. I chose all of my colors to match collections, and then ordered them by month.

8. If you want to bind your work, you don't have to have a binding system. I make a ton of mini albums, so having a Bind-it-All makes sense for me. If you don't want to invest in a binding system, take your cardstock to a store like Office Depot. For just a few dollars, they can bind your project for you. I suggest doing this BEFORE you create your pages so that the cardstock will lie flat.

9. Use the manufacturer's information part of the cardstock to bind. When you want to put your layouts into your scrapbook, you won't have holes in the layout. Make sure that the paper isn't perforated though. That never goes well.  

   

I hope that this inspires you to make your own presents this year. Especially those that will last all year. Cheers to creating gifts from the heart this holiday season! Since you are at the last stop on the Handmade Holidays Blog Hop, I will wish you a happy season. Make sure that you check out Clearsnap's blog tomorrow for more fun!

Happy Hopping!

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WinnerDay!

For my 200th Post Prize, the winner is #12. Sandi Pressley


Sandi's favorite color is aqua. Good for me, as it's one of mine too!! Sandi, I will be emailing you later today for some contact information.

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For the ScrapbookSteals/Love My Tapes Blog Hop, the winner is #52, Belldoubleyou

belldoubleyou-October 14, 2012 7:33 PM

"Weaving with tape -- so fun! It's a kind of meta-weaving; since it's fabric tape, the tape itself is already woven... very cool."

Belldoubleyou, I will try to get ahold of you via your blog today.

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Thanks for playing along! Just an FYI... We are moving in a month, so I know that I will be going through my scrappy stuff again soon to find somethings to send your way!!!

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Gossamer Blue August Kit

A few weeks ago, I won Gossamer Blue's August kit from The Scrap Review. It was super fun to open, as it was even gift wrapped!!

I loved making a few layouts of my new little one. The colors were perfect for her, and the items were not what I would normally purchase, but I loved each of them. So fun, and so easy to combine all the items!! 

The second layout used strips from some of the pieces. I used the Heidi Swapp banner to mirror a few strips that I put on the bottom of the page as well. I loved mixing the different mists on the banner.

This little card was just made from a few of the scraps, with a Lily Bee card, MyMindsEye sticker and a Crate Paper button. The LB card actually has a hole in it, and it pop-dotted so that the button fits onto it (it sticks out in the back).

Here is the kit itself. There was some great Heidi Swapp Color Magic banners, washi!, my first LilyBee papers and beautiful Crate Paper buttons and doodads.

I am really going to watch the next few months of Gossamer Blue! My husband already purchased me a subscription to Studio Calico (so that we can budget my crafty expenditures each month and not go over budget). I think I really want to switch when the 6 months are over. Pin It

AUTHENTIQUE PAPER: Basically Bare Hop

 As a teacher I know all too well how short summer is. I also know how exciting this time of year is. I love the smell of school supplies, a clean and shiny classroom, and planning for the start of another amazing year. For those very reasons, I love working with Curiosity. 

For my first project, I created a little Congrats card for a lovely co-worker who received a teaching accolade. I really wanted to showcase the fantastic Basically Bare flower against all of the wonderful patterns of the Authentique Paper. I left the leaves plain, stamped the larger petal with yellow chalk ink, and lightly misted the smaller with some grey mist.

 My second project uses Basically Bare's mini album. I loved using all of the different textures and materials. I covered the kraft of the owl with Academic, misted the wings and eyes, then used grommets to attach the wings to the body. For the eyes, I drew the pupils and highlights.

 

Since I don't have a school-ager yet, I just found some fun photos from the past few months before our newest was born. I wanted to make a mini that my little girl could have. I loved adding the Details throughout the album.

I even broke out my stapler with this project. It was fun using school supplies on my crafty endeavors.

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Make sure that you head to the Authentique Blog for Day Two of fun and prizes with all the members of the Authentique Design Team and Basically Bare!

Authentique Products Used: Curiosity Collection, Details stickers; Basically Bare Products: Mini Book, flowers, owl
Other Products: Silhouette, Memento Ink-Gray Flannel, Colorbox Chalk Ink-yellow, Twinery twine, , 3L adhesive, Signo white pen, Glue Dots, ribbon

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Layout Overload...

Here are few layouts to catch up, and a couple for some challenges over at ScrapbookSteals.

Challenge #4: Gender Swap
The goal of this was to create a layout using products designed for the opposite sex.
For this layout, I used Basic Grey's "Oliver" paper and buttons, a BG "Olivia" journaling tag and paperclip, and Sassafras Lass Paper Whimsies.

Challenge #3: Summer Fun
In this layout, we were given this image to look at, and make some kind of summery layout or card from it! I used BoBunny "Sun-Kissed" line for the paper and stickers, and AC Thickers for the 2011.

Challenge #1, otherwise known as... MWM #48
I happen to LOVE My Mind's Eye "Lost and Found" collection, and was SUPER excited when ScrapbookSteals had it as one of their steals!! The only thing I didn't like about Portabello Road, was the super thin twine that was in the pennant stickers. So, I swapped it out for some of my Twinery twine in Blossom. Lovely!! I fussy-cut the "perfect" and the other glittered image. I haven't quite figured out exactly what I want to have the layout say yet... So I'm waiting for the right inspiration to hit. I am planning on typing this out in a handwriting font, then attaching it in strips underneath the photograph. I'll update when I'm complete :)

MWM #43: New Friends
For this layout, I used "It's the Small Things" from Fancy Pants. It has FP paper, Glitter Cuts, and ribbon that I was sent as a prize from the Fancy Pants facebook page. I also used my iRock bling, a couple of Studio Calico tickets and some Glossy Accents to highlight the cute bird on the small journaling strip. To add more definition, I also inked the edges of each paper with my Chalk ink in Charcoal. Pin It

Help Khristen get 100 followers!

I stumbled upon this when I was checking out Heather's blog. Khristen over at Khristen's Craft Room. She's trying to get 100 followers (which would be awesome!!).

To help build some interest... She's also cleaning out her scraproom (something I should probably do myself!) and is going to give away a LOT of stuff. This would be awesome to give to the girls in my card-making "club".
Good luck!!!
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This may be old news to some...

So.... My challenges (see below post) were entered into the http://www.scrapbooksteals.com/ RubyClub Challenges... And my crazy Countdown Challenge WON!!!

WOO HOO!!

So, once again:

Best part... Prizes!!!

This is amazing!!!! I've been eyeing this whole line for SO long!!!! So happy for pretties!

(MME: Fine and Dandy)

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