Hero Arts Wishlist...

As I've said, me + catalogs = danger. Even more danger, when I google the products and see all the cute and creative ways other people have used them. Here is my current Hero Arts wishlist...

1. Poly Clear Sending Holiday Cheer Set

My longing for this set is solely the fault of the HA Catalog. The example they show is JUST TOO CUTE. Plus, when I look at the individual stamps, I see other uses (the tree, for example).

Pre-order here.

2. Prisma Glitter
I saw Jennifer Mcguire use this in a card-making video and I've wanted it ever since. She says that it is a perfect clear glitter, so that when you put it over stamped images that you have colored in, it gives a lot of glitter but still shows the true color of the image underneath.

Order here.

See her video here.

3. Music Background

Ohhhh boy, I need this more than I need any of the others. As a lover of music, someone who participated in choir for over 10 years, I say I need this. I'm thinking Glee album, Christmas pages and cards, and...well just endless ideas for this beauty!

Pre-order here.

4. Decorative Ornament

Again, the catalog did me in on this one. Just gorgeous!

Pre-order here.

5. Friend Definition

I've been looking for a stamp like this for a little while now. I think it makes such a great go-to background stamp. It could be used for birthday/thinking of you cards for friends, the obvious use. But I also think it would be a a great generic type background if done in a really pale ink (like my new distress pumice stone!)

Order here.

6. Just A Note Poly Clear Set

I love lots of these little guys - I feel like the notebook paper would be so cute for journaling (if you can write that small). The 'just a note' could be used for cards, obviously. :)

Order here.

This list is definitely a work in progress... :) I'm researching online to see if I can find them on sale, or perhaps next time I'm at Archiver's!

thank ya for readin'

xoxo

Papertrix Haul! :)

This is my wonderful, wonderful haul from Papertrix from last weekend when Josh and I visited Nashville, IN! :) Papertrix was having TONS of sales!

K&Co. Serendipity die cuts. These were BOGO free, and marked down to 3.95, so they ended up being ~2 bucks each. They're so 'me'. :)

I'm a sucker for any pearls, and I'll admit that the packaging of this one drew me in. But the pearls! I've already used them on a scrapbook page, and they're just lovely. I did have an issue with the adhesive not coming off of the sheet when I pulled the pearl. I fixed it with a trusty Glue Dot, though. $2.95

So, I saw this stamp and I think I almost drooled. HOW CUTE IS IT?! It's called 'Silly Scape' by Hero Arts. I am becoming more and more of a Hero Arts fan every day. (I was never not a fan, just not educated of their products). I carried it around with me the whooole time I shopped, trying to rationalize a reason to drop 10 bucks on a stamp I really had no use for. Josh kept saying, "JUST GET IT, make cards for your friends!". Finally I gave in to his reasoning and got it. The store was promoting, Buy any Hero Arts stamp, get the Holiday catalog free! So I caved...I love the stamp...but let me just say, giving me the catalog free has done me no favors. I have a huge wish list now! 8P

Stickles sale, too! Buy 2, get 1 free. The Distress Rock Candy was on my shopping list, so I thought why in the heck wouldn't I pick out 2 more? I rarely see these on sale. So I got Patina and Fruit Punch. :)

More BOGO free: Pirate Cling stamp (for Josh) and some antique die cuts.

Used stamps trunk sale - marked down AND BOGO free! aupar8t l48 tral!!!

How cute are these clings?? Marked down to $3.95 + BOGO, so ~$2 each.

The haul in it's entirety... isn't is pretty? ;)

Please read all about Papertrix here, - you really owe yourself the experience!

Thaaaanks for reading!

xoxo

Don't Rain On My Parade Page! =)

iiiiii was so excited to develop these pictures...

During this point of the concert, I was SO SO SO excited that I couldn't even take pictures. At the moment I realized the performers would be coming right by me (and TOUCHING me...lol) I freaked out and tossed the camera to my boyfriend. He took a video for me, right before each one walked by me. While gathering pictures for my scrapbook, I was a bit bummed that I didn't have any pictures to capture my happiest moment during my favorite song. Then, I got the brilliant idea to still frame the video on the computer, and take images from that. Although they're blurry, they turned out great, and I love them on this page! :)

Although I love the pearl/numbered code, I think my favorite part is the flower at the bottom. It started out a really pale pink, but I inked it with a black stamp pad and scribbled around with a red sharpie. Then, my trusty Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher and Golden Rod Stickles...hurray! This page is not without its imperfections (hellooo crooked border punch lol, I have still not mastered those!), but I decided to embrace them rather than lose sleep this time. See, crafting is quite therapeutic - I'm working on my neurosis... ;)

Nobody, no, nobody..is gonna rain on my parade... <3

thanks for a'readin'!

xoxo

Thank You Card!

Well, I FINALLY got to do some fun work tonight! Only a 4-hour-ish session tonight, but I'm pleased with my 2 projects that I completed in their entirety! Firstly, one of many cards I want to get done in the near future. This Thank You card is for the mother of one of my students, who just recommended me and scored me a part-time second job. (How amazing is that?!) The card is similar to one I did for a friend's birthday a year or 2 ago, though I feel this one is an improvement.

TOOLS USED:

*plain white card and matching envelope

*Stampabilities: Le London Script and Thank You

* Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Pumice Stone (new!), Aged Mahogany, Peeled Paint, Stormy Sky (new!)

* Studio g ink in violet (it has no name, but that's the color it resembles)

*Ranger Glossy Accents

*Colored Pencils

*Versamark Embossing pen

*Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder in Peeled Paint

*Prima Flowers

*Stickles in Golden Rod

*Glue Dots

*Black Souffle Pen

*Stampabilities black ind pad

HOW I DID IT:

*stamped Le London Script Stamp over entire card using' Pumice Stone Distress Ink.

*hand-sketched a vase using grey and black colored pencils

*applied glossy accents over vase

*scraped various distress inks over coordination prima flowers; let dry

* Hand-sketched stems with embossing pen; heat embossed with peeled paint distress emb. powder

*used glue dots to adhere prima flowers

*added golden rod stickles to flower centers

* stamped thank you in black ink; let dry

*traced over thank you in my new black souffle pen!

*made, attached, and signed handmade backing logo

VOILA! I'm patting myself on the back for this one - I feel that it really shows the sentiment I want to express - gratitude. I love how quick card projects can be! I mentioned to Grandma that I might even be up for the challenge of making my own Christmas cards this year...if I could get started early enough... :)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

p.s. ~ here is my 'original' from the past!

Papertrix

There are many places I really enjoy going to in Nashville, IN, but there are a handful that I can’t do without when I get to visit. One of these staples for me is Papertrix. Papertrix is, as you probably guessed, a paper crafts store, run by a very friendly and inspirational husband and wife team. They have a large table where you can sit and try out stamps and other products – a very nice touch. Never have I EVER seen a store of any kind that was so well-stocked. It is a somewhat small space, but every inch of every wall and shelf is loaded with the best product you can imagine. They’ve got an amazing Tim Holtz section, which is of course a selling point for me. They also carry many brands that I don’t find in any other stores. A particular set of Maya Road chipboard shapes I found a couple years ago comes to mind. Elvis stamps, Alice in Wonderland themed things. Another thing I really like is that there will be a product line or theme, and they’ll have SO MANY coordinating products, so you can really choose what embellishments you want. For instance, this past trip, I found a set of really cute journaling tags with a ‘domestic goddess’/kitchen theme. The lady showed me another area of the store that included stickers, die cuts, recipe cards, etc., that all matched! I didn’t get those this time, but I’ll definitely keep them in mind. We’re hoping to travel to Nashville again in the fall… :)

I rarely head for Papertrix with a particular shopping list in mind – it’s more fun to just walk in and see what you find. I never walk out empty-handed. These 2 folks have really done a great job at creating an inspiring atmosphere and maintaining and incredibly well-stocked selection of goodies. If you live anywhere nearby (I’m ~ 2 1/2 hours away), you’ve gotta check it out. There’s TONS to do in Nashville, and you do not want to miss this!

You can read and learn all about Papertrix here!

My boyfriend and I at Papertrix in 2008. (What a great guy to have his photo taken with me in a scrapbooking store)... :) This gives a peak of what their amazing walls look like! Great stuff!

Kiddie Card Making

Tonight I babysat one of my regulars, a little girl, the sweetest of the sweetest. She turned 8 a week ago. After she finished her homework, we got a little crafty with her new art kit. We each decided to make a card, but didn't tell each other who we were making them for. Well what do ya know, they were for each other. ;)

She wrote the sweetest message!

^ makes my heart melt!

she drew, cut out, and glued all of these by hand. i predict a very talented scrapbook girl in the future!

<3<3<3<3

*

I blurred out her name in the 3D heart, but you get the idea. :)

3D spring with hearts! :)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Wishful Thinking

In September of 2006, I visited Nashville, IN with my mom (about 20 minutes away from where I was going to college). It was on this trip that I discovered what has come to be my favorite craft store. Nestled in the heart of super-cute Nashville is this charming little shop completely devoted to paper crafts. It’s called Wishful Thinking. During my 4 years at college, I spent many hours shopping and gaining inspiration in this boutique. This weekend, my boyfriend and I returned to Nashville and our alma mater to celebrate our 4-year anniversary. As per our usual Nashville routine, we separated -- meaning he went shopping in many, many stores, while I spent all that time in just one: Wishful Thinking.

I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that I love about this shop so much. Maybe it’s the lady (the owner?) who is always SO polite and helpful. Maybe it’s the fact that you can take pictures of any of the TONS of examples they have sitting around nearly every product line, to gain inspiration (or “scraplift” ideas). Something I love: Any line of products (Stickles, or Distress inks, for example) they carry will have a card posted with swatches of every color, so that you can see what you're really buying. This has sold me on countless items, because it gives an honest representation of the products! I love Hobby Lobby as much as the next girl; going into a store with regularly-stocked shelves is fine—but going into a store that bounces with creativity and inspires you to try new techniques is a whole different experience. To me, an experience that no crafter should be without.

Here are just a few photos I took for inspiration during this and past visits:

You can read and learn all about Wishful Thinking on their website, here.

(I can't seem to find my pictures of the exterior of the store, so I swiped this one from Google Images.)

feedback...

"f<3<3dback"

My brother came into town for a visit this evening. I got out my work-in-progress, my Glee Live album, to show him. As I've mentioned before, I don't really expect any of my non-scrapping friends or family to notice the first detail of the work I do. But, when he opened to the first page, he mentioned that one of his friends, who I am 'facebook friends' with, saw the pictures I posted of my Glee album. She evidently commented that she saw my work, and that it was so good it inspired her to get back into the hobby.

This literally warmed my heart..(as literal as that saying can be, anyway). Even though I do it for many other reasons, knowing that someone else felt this way without feeling obligated to say so means a lot. Have you ever noticed that sometimes compliments made about you, but not to your face, sometimes seem even nicer? This sure made me feel good.

<3

Let's talk about Hauls....

Truthfully, it may be a little concerning to look at my upcoming blog posts. There are going to be quite a few HAUL posts and not so much of actual WORK! This has been SUCH a busy time for me (in a *very* good way - I'm starting TWO new jobs)! So, I've had no time to get any actual crafting done, but PLENTY of time to shop for supplies. :) I'm about to make a gross understatement: I have broken my pact with myself that I would only buy things for my current project. I think I can justify most of it, though... Here are a few random things I've picked up and why!

A 6-year old boy I babysit and I used these a couple weeks ago. I used them over some basic Crayola markers on a color-by-number page, and the result really surprised me. The glitter is beautiful! ($4.88, Wal-mart)

^ Crayola Pipsqueak Glitter Glue results

Some patterned paper and stickers for a "Sweet Caroline" page; thick metallic varsity stickers for Cheerio page; both Paper Studio. (Hobby Lobby)

Finally! An album, a home, for my treasured Glee Concert Pages. :) Paper Studio. (40% off at Hobby Lobby; $14.99)

I scored another set of Ranger paint dobbers at 40% off. Colors: red pepper, denim, sunset orange. (Hobby Lobby, $5.99)

I had planned to use the weekly 40% off coupon on my album, but since it was clearanced out, I decided to spring for the Souffle pens I have been wanting. I tested a few on the acetate-like packaging. Really pretty colors, and a cool raised effect. Fun! (40% off at Hobby Lobby; $12)

Crayola Bold colors on sale for $1 in the back to school area, and I went ahead and bought this issue of Scrapbooks Etc.. I subscribed to this for ~2ish years before my sub. ran out. I miss it like crazy and want to re-subscribe, but I didn't want to miss this issue! If you are a crafter and don't read this magazine, you really don't know what you're missing. I literally read this cover-to-cover and dog-ear TONS of pages because of all the great ideas and tips it offers. Love it. Need it. Can't live without it. ;)

...I can't resist pearls. :)

Fun! I've wanted to try this for some time, and the price was right.

Here is a perfect example of why I love Scrapbooks Etc. so much. This section was all about DIY embellishments, and I thought these leaves were just beautiful. Although the info (here) tells how to make it completely from scratch, I found a punch I'm really excited to use...

Martha Stewart Crafts; 25% off $9.99, so $7.50

I went to Paris and London in March 2004 and have yet to really scrapbook that monumental journey. For my birthday this year, my mom gave me a photo album with room enough for descriptions. I thought these new Jolee's Boutique accents would be perfect to just 'lick-n-stick' into that album were beautiful and perfect for such a project. Also picked up a couple $1 stamps; a pumpkin and "bloom where you're planted" tree and gemstones.

Thanks for reading my random hauls - can't wait to put them all to use!

xoxo