Canvas Project

Checking in today with a quick look at a canvas that I created. I fell in love (no pun intended) with this idea on a blog that I follow. So, I decided to make one for my living room, using my word for 2011.



As you can see, I used colors to match my decor. I know, kinda 60's colors, but my decor is fall/nature. This was such a fun and quick project. I can see doing more of them in the future. Think about PLAY for a childs' room, COOK for a kitchen, or one that I am really considering, HELP, for my laundry room. lol...

When I was photographing it for this post, I somehow kept hearing, Sesame Street is sponsored by the letter. :)

Thanks for looking!

Today

Today, the project I created for my One Little Word, is being featured over at Scrap Our Stash. I submitted it for their January challenge to scrap something new.

Today, I will take time to just live in the moment. Things have been happening so fast around here, that my head is spinning.

Today, just a very simple layout to showcase my daughters' homecoming. This one is for her album.

Today, Enjoy.

Thanks for looking!

Valentine Exchange Project

One of my favorite blogs for card and treat making goodness is Mish Mash. Michelle is always inspiring me to create something pretty. Last week, Michelle offered up a kit with the intent that we were to create and send in a photo of the project we created. This is the layout I made with only half of the kit. I still have enough supplies leftover to create something else.

I like the idea of being challenged to use things that someone else picked out and making it work. I used the negative of the heart punch and filled it with tiny, red beads. I know I have been using a lot of red and pink lately, but it is the season of love, right?

Thanks for looking!

Echo Park Layout

Just because the colors of the Echo Park Valentine collection included pink, didn't mean I still couldn't enjoy the yumminess that came in this kit. I created the layout below using just the black and gray papers from the pack. The quote was cut from the sheet of sayings that were also included.

The flower was made by using some leftover ribbon that I gathered with a basting stitch and added a pearl button for the center. The butterflies were added to go with the quote about love.

I wanted to keep this layout elegant, but simple. I plan on putting it in a frame so that she can hang it in her room.

Thanks for looking!

Framed Project

This is a new project I created for my new home. Since my word for 2011 is HOME, I decided to create a quick project to help me remember my choice throughout this year. I also submitted this project to Scrap Our Stash for their new January challenge.

I used the scraps from a layout that I had already completed. The flower was made using old sewing pattern tissue that I rolled up and added a pearl button. The embellies are extra pieces I had saved throughout the year. I cut the 4x6 photo into sections to fit the center slots of the frame. I love being able to see it everyday and reminding me to enjoy this new place that I am in.

Sketchy Thursdays Feb. Design Team Submission

Using the sketch that was provided from Sketchy Thursdays design challenge, this is the layout I came up with.

The challenge was to also include the color red or pink, a heart, and there had to be journaling on the page. I used the Crate Paper Restoration line of paper, Cherub Pink Glimmer Mist, and leftover parts and pieces that I had on hand from other projects. I dyed the wide lace with the glimmer mist to match the page.  

My layout is about how much I love this silly girl. With college approaching fast, I am trying to get in as much time with her as possible. She really is the constant bright spot in my days.

Finally Finished

After a few months of a temporary set-up, the sheet rock, texture, and painting are done, and I am fully moved in and ready to start creating again. I wanted to stick with  a neutral color palette with accents of red. I painted the walls a light gray, which also is what covers most of my home. I took off the closet doors for a more open feel and put up a screw in shower rod. I then added a full length curtain and cut the second one down to make a matching valance for the window.

 The table in the center of the room was built by my husband. It is 36 inches high and 24 inches deep. It has a shelf in the middle, which I store my sewing machine on. The sides are pegboard and now have baskets and pegs which hold my tools and other often used supplies.

All of my storage pieces are white. I have black shelves and magnetic boards throughout the walls of the room. My Cricut sits on the top of one of the three 9 cubby shelves which holds all of my sewing supplies and fabrics. On the L-shaped glass desk, I keep my cutter and my computer and printers. Above are the stamp shelves that were built by my husband to store my wooden stamps. They are one of my favorite things in the room. Under one, is the Clip-It-Up ribbon rack.

The light is a professional photo light that I have on a stand. I use this for when I need true lighting to select colors or to work at night. I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my space. It is small, but very efficient. I can work in the middle of the room and still have access to all of the surrounding parts. Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions.

Layout inspired by:

Lately, scrapping has been the last thing I have wanted to do. I completed two single page layouts in the last 6 months. Well, Tuesday of this week, while I was blog hopping, I was inspired by this. So much so, that I spent the afternoon online shopping for the products used on the layout, but when it came time for the shipping costs, I just couldn't justify it.

So what's a girl to do?

Well, I convinced my dh to go to Olive Garden for supper, with a quick side trip to Michaels. I was impressed with the stuff that they were putting out. The line I ended up buying was created by Kelly Panacci for K & Company. I bought the paper pad, plus a few packs of the coordinating embellishments that were close to the original layout. And this is what my layout looks like.

It was such fun working with pretty papers again. It has been far too long. So, stop on by Tania's blog and check out her work. It just might inspire you, too.

P.S. The food was amazing!!!

One Little Word

It seems that I have been out of the scrapping loop for quite a while now. Now don't get me wrong, I have done some crafty projects for the holidays and such, but the stack of photos is piling high and is about to topple over. To get myself back into the scrapping game, I am taking Ali Edwards class, One Little Word.

For those of you who follow my blog, you know that last year brought a lot of changes for me and my family. We had put our home for sale, 2 weeks later we found out that my father-in-law had lung and brain cancer, we sold and bought a house, my husband made an emergency room visit, my puppy spent a week in the hospital for kidney failure, my daughter started a new high school in her junior year, and what I thought was a pulled muscle from the move turned out to be a herniated disc and a degenerated disc. What a year!

After taking some physical therapy, my back is starting to feel better. I am glad to say that my father-in-law just passed the six month mark and is doing okay. What lies ahead, we do not know, but we do try to make the most of each day we are given. Which brings me back to One Little Word.

After the move, I was feeling disconnected. I had a house, but it just didn't feel right. It was just that, a house. There were no memories here, no family activities here, and no familiar faces of friends. We needed to do things such as paint and rip out carpet. It was just a long, boring process. But, once the holidays started to roll around, things started to change. The familiar decorations were put up, the baking season was upon us and the house once again began to feel warm and comforting. It just started to feel right.

So, that brings me to my OLW. For the year 2011, I chose HOME. I want to feel at home, be homely, enjoy days of being housebond, being domestic, being excited to get home. I want big family events here. I want small family events here. I want to laugh, cry, be happy/sad here. I want to fill it with love here.

Well, that is my story for 2010 and my motivation for 2011. I hope you will join me and take Ali's challenge to choose a word for yourself. Even if you don't take her class, you can still choose a word for yourself. Who knows, it may be life changing.

P.S. (If you have made it this far, God Bless. This post really got long. :)