Enjoy

Warmer days are finally here, and it shows in the projects I've been working on lately. Lots of bright colors and flowers sprouting up!

Here are a few projects I created for the My Little Shoebox blog last month. This banner was part of a swap with Punky Sprouts, and I transformed their Teeny Beanie album by covering the chipboard with patterned papers and using the canvas pieces as backgrounds for the die-cut letters.



The doilies and cork pieces are also from Punky Sprouts, and I thought they added a nice contrast to the bright papers.


All of the papers and cardstock stickers are from the Aiko collection by My Little Shoebox. To create a uniform look on each panel, I used a scalloped punch to create the layered top edges.



I added some rolled flowers and cardstock stickers for a finishing touch.


I also created a sweet friendship card using the same collection. Again, I added a doily for a touch of softness, and the dolls are cardstock stickers.


Hope you're enjoying some nice early summer weather wherever you are!

Supplies used:

Sew Artsy reveal

Yay! Today is the day. I can finally share the projects I've been working on with my Front Porch Kit!


Get ready for a ton of photos. But before I get to the projects, take a look at all the goodies in this fabulous kit:


That's a LOT of creative yumminess to work with, including an embroidery hoop known as Hattie the Hoop. There's also fabric, buttons, vintage sewing pattern, paint swatches, trims, and oh -- the papers! Even after I finished my four projects, I have so many leftovers that I could easily create four more.

I turned Hattie the Hoop into a clock for my craft room. I was inspired by all the different buttons, so I laid them out as the "numbers" for the clock and added a clock movement that I bought at Hobby Lobby.


My kids were so impressed (maybe even shocked) that I made a clock that actually tells time. They keep checking it to make sure that it's still going. (It is.)




I made two layouts with the kit. The first one was inspired by the pink measuring tape. I saw the "40" and it reminded me of the birthday I will be celebrating in a few short months.


I made this little arrow from a strand of black twine and the corner of a star sticker from the Jillibean Soup sticker sheet. 


I covered the dressform with patterned paper and then used the rub-on sheet to add the black doodles. I finished it with a wooden flower and a fabric bow.




The second layout -- Cut from the Same Cloth -- is about Cecily and how happy she is when she gets new clothes. I really wanted to use the vintage sewing pattern, and I loved how easily it ruffles and crinkles in just the right places.



I used some of the fabrics in the kit to create a quilt-inspired piecing on the left. It adds a really different texture to the layout.



For the title, I added a little flair by cutting out on of the frames from a piece of patterned paper and layering it behind the letter stickers.



My last project was inspired by the zippers. I've been seeing all sorts of creative shapes and flowers made with zippers, but I'd never played around with them. I found that they were easy to manipulate and roll into pretty rosettes.


I added them to a canvas wristlet that I misted with Maya Mist. I sewed the blue ruffle around the flap, which I should mention was the only actually SEWING I did with the Sew Artsy kit. (My hot glue gun did get a pretty good workout, though.)



So what do you think? Are you brimming with ideas about what you could make with this kit? Well, they're limited in quantity and on sale now, so if you need it, better head over to The Little Blue House and get yours before they're gone.

Be sure to check out the Inspiration Gallery while you're there. It will be fully stocked by the end of the day today with all the projects from the design team, and let me tell you...there are some AMAZING things you will not want to miss!

Thanks for stopping by!

Starting the week...

...with one more peek!


And here's a tiny slice of some of the Front Porch Kit contents I used on this layout...



The big reveal is tomorrow, and you'll see the whole kit, plus all the projects from everyone on the design team. I haven't even seen them myself, so I'm pretty excited to see what these talented girls have been up to!


Be sure to check in at The Little Blue House blog for more sneaks and all the info you need to order your kit!

See you tomorrow!

Another sneak peek

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I hope you have a relaxing day of sweetness.

As for me, I'm looking forward to a yummy lunch with my family and then a relaxing afternoon in the park listening to a blues band while my kids burn off some energy.

As promised, here's another sneak peek of one of the projects I made with the new Sew Artsy kit from The Little Blue House.


Also, be sure to check out the blogs of the rest of the Front Porch girls -- everyone is posting peeks this weekend!


The full kit will be revealed on the Little Blue House blog on Tuesday, and I will have one more peek for you tomorrow before the big day!

A peek from the Porch

Busy week and a busier weekend ahead, but I have a quick peek to share with you.

Pre-orders for the new Front Porch Kit from The Little Blue House will start next Tuesday, May 15th! This was my first time working with a Front Porch Kit, and I was completely blown away by the variety of materials in it. I can't share too many details, but let's just say if you've ever enjoyed a visit to a fabric store, you will LOVE this kit.



So what do you think is inside a kit called "Sew Artsy?" Any ideas?

Maybe this will help.









I'll have a couple more peeks tomorrow and Monday, and the full kit will be revealed on Tuesday on The Little Blue House blog, so stay tuned!



Mothers Day Card Inspiration

Though I've been making cards for several years, it was only about a year ago that I felt confident enough in my skills to skip the trips to Hallmark and actually start giving out my handmade creations. It's kind of a scary thing to create something for someone else. Scrapbooking is for me. I'm the customer. If I like it, it's all good. Cardmaking is different because it's ultimately the recipient that you want to please. I think: will they like what I made? Will they think I'm just too cheap to buy them a nice card?

What I've learned is that the recipients (including my mom, aunt, friends...even my dad) seem to really appreciate the fact that I'm giving them something I spent the time and energy to create. Never mind that it isn't "Hallmark-perfect" -- it's from the heart, and that makes them feel every bit as special as I want them to.

Since Mothers' Day is just around the corner, I created a card for my mom with the Anthologie collection from We R Memory Keepers.



The patterns in this collection have a beautiful vintage feel -- perfect for the occasion. And the oval doily was a great finishing touch.



If you'd like to see my card-making process in action, take a look at this video.



You still have time to create your own beautiful Mothers' Day card. I'd love to see what you make, so feel free to leave me a link in the comments, and I'll come check it out!


Supplies used in this project:


Making the leap

Sometimes all it takes is a little push.

I've been toying with the idea of videos for a while -- I knew I could do it, but it seemed like a much bigger deal than it actually was. My mind is really good at making mountains out of molehills.

But I finally took the leap and made my very first scrapbook-related video (thanks to a little push from We R Memory Keepers).

This is the first of three videos I'll be sharing during the month of May to showcase the new Anthologie collection from We R Memory Keepers.



Isn't this a beautiful collection? I love the color palette and the softly distressed edges on the papers. It's going to make some gorgeous layouts!

The video is definitely not perfect. The lighting needs to be better and I need to S-L-O-W down in some spots. But I learned a lot, and I'm going to keep working on getting better at this whole video thing.

In fact, video #2 is in the works -- and it includes a tutorial. Watch for it early next week!