A-MAZING!

Happy Monday all! I just wanted to pop in and tell you a little bit about this A-MAZING book I own! Its titled- Paperie for Inspired Living by Karen Bartolomei.

This book is beautiful, wonderful and caters to the papercrafter! If you are looking for a book with inspiration galore, this is the one you need to buy! The images are fantastic, and the information is abundant! I love to flip through this book when I'm looking for fresh papercrafting or stationery  ideas. The author, Karen Bartolomei, is very VERY talented (not to mention you can find her company, Grapevine Couture Paperie in the BEAN (my home), which in itself is great!) This is one of the many inspirational books that continues to keep me so excited about PAPER! For more great inspiration please check out her website here! Also if you haven't yet, go pick up a copy of this F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S book and enjoy! *wink*

On a side note...I'm super excited because I can see that Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design is more within my reach than I could have ever imagined at this point in my life! (Those of you who know these programs well, know that even one costs a small fortune, let alone the whole bundle!) lol. I'm crossing my fingers that all goes well and I'm able to purchase this software, update my dinosaur aged version and get with the times using my new design programs very soon! Wish me luck!

Sweet Pea

Supplies; 5x7 Blank Greetings Card- Paperbilities; Patterned Paper- Making Memories, Chloe's Closet (orange polk-a-dot), Animal Crackers (ella giraffes); Buttons & Paper Flower- Making Memories, Animal Crackers (ella embellishments kit); Crochet Lace; Textured Velvet Ribbon; Brads- Pink Star; Textured Cardstock- DCWV; Stamp- Sweet Pea; Colored Pencils- Prismacolor; Distressing Ink; Tim Holtz (pumice stone)

Happy Monday all! It was a gorgeous day out today in NY (too bad I spent it indoors, as usual *frown*). Anyway, I hope most of you were able to get out and enjoy the day and capture some beautiful moments!

Today I would like to share the most recent card that I made. I've been in the card making mood lately. I've decided they take less time than LOs (for me anyway), depending on your style and they are quite fun to create (the best part about them is you don't have to have pictures *smile*). This card was one that I made for a friend at work who's baby shower we had on Friday! The shower was really sweet, we had lots of goodies, even a chocolate fondue fountain and mom-to-be was SUPER surprised, she had NO idea!!! It was a great time!

Here is how to create this baby card;

Step 1; Cut the Polk-a-dot cardstock and mount it to the front of a 5x7 blank greetings card.

Step 2; Cut the baby giraffe patterned paper to cover about 1/2 of the card and adhere to front of card. Ink all around the outside edges (for a distressed look).

Step 3; Use a tag stencil to create the blue tag, and a star stencil to create the ivory tag and ink the edges of both (for a distressed look). Punch a hole in the tag to insert the star brad and stamp the Sweet Pea sentiment to the star.

Step 4; Add color to the Sweet Pea stamped image using colored pencils and adhere the star to the blue tag, then mount both to the side edge of the card with foam squares to create a 3D effect.

Step 5; Thread embroidery floss through the holes in both buttons and tie them in the front (to create a homespun look). Then adhere buttons to the card using a glue gun.

Step 6; Cut crochet lace and textured velvet the full width of the card and use as a border at top. Lay the velvet ribbon ontop the lace and attached with adhesive.

Step 7; Lastly attach the flower with button center to the front top side of the card for the finishing touch!

Hope these instructions are helpful so that you too can create a sweet baby card like this one! Happy crafting!! *smile*

Sunday= Uuuggghhh!

Today is Sunday...the day I dread the most...because that means Monday morning is JUST around the corner! Uuugghhh! It's going to be an especially tough Monday because due to Mother Nature's Blizzard of 2010 that hit the Northeast this week, we were let out of work early on Thursday and the office was closed on Friday! It was SWEET at the time, but now I'm dreading tomorrow. I know it's going to be crazy...one of those days where I never get to sit down!! The only good thing about that, is the day will fly by (hopefully)!

On a good note, I was able to meet up with some great friends this afternoon for Sunday Brunch (one of whom is a blogger too, check it out here)! We met at this nice spot on 5th Ave in Park Slope Bklyn. The name is Sidecar and they have a good brunch menu, a little bit of everything to satisfy all!

(The front of Sidecar)

I also wanted to share a LO that I created of Chris and I when we were headed to Costa Rica for our Honeymoon. Most of the supplies I used were from the Passport Collection by Making Memories. I love this kit because the colors and the prints coordinate so well for a travel themed album! This LO measures 8"x8".

Lately I've been trying to reorganize my scrap space! It's so exciting but definitely A LOT of work! I'm happy with the progress I've made, but still have a lot more to do until it's right! I will definitely post pictures once it's done so check back soon! :-)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I wanted to be sure to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!! Today is traditionally a day about love and appreciation towards others with gifts, etc. but I've realized over the years that nothing means more than kind words and acts of love that come straight from the heart. Flowers, gifts, candy and dinner only last for a short time, but the memories are what lasts forever! So enjoy this day with the ones you love and be sure they know how much you love and appreciate them!

Supplies- Floral Patterned Paper: Anna Griffin; Textured Cardstock: Basic Grey; Polk-a-dot Patterned Paper: Studio Calico; Chipboard Letters: Basic Grey; Ribbon; Flowers: Prima; Chipboard Embellishment: ki Memories; Clear Transparency Title & Journal Tag: Me

I would also like to share a couple Valentine"esque" pages that I've recently done.

This first one is a LO about my two cousins, our grandmother and I. The photo was taken at my cousin Lanita's (all the way to the right) surprise birthday party. It was a wonderful night and this picture definitely captured a special moment. This is one of the photos that I will definitely cherish because there's really no other image that has been taken like it (atleast recently since we've all grown older).

I used Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 to alter the photo just a bit. I wanted the subjects to stand out in the foreground so I selected the background, made it black and white

and blurred it just enough so that there are no clear images that are noticeable. I love all of these women to death and they are definitely a few of the prettiest ladies I know! The color scheme I chose is great too! When I recieved the floral patterned paper from Studio Calico I was in LOVE! I think this paper looks great with the mix of white, blue, green, red and a pop of light pink! The floral pattern is very modern and chic which makes this layout fun and pretty! I also used my new BossKut Gazelle to creat the red heart die cut that I zig zag stitched ontop of another decorative heart design that I created by hand. The machine stitch definitely give this layout a handmade feel. I LOVE handmade! Also, one more important element to note on this layout is the floral chipboard that I adhered to the bottom right hand corner of the picture which is from k.i memories, but the original prints where designed by my long time friend Christine! She's an AMAZING print designer working in NYC and when I recieved this package of chipboard embellishments from her I was so excited and taken back! It's very meaningful to use such elements on LO's that I will cherish forever!! Thanks again Christine!!

 The next LO is one that I created about Chris and I of the good times we've had together the last 3+ years. He's a loving husband who's smart, funny and great to be with! I'm very happy that we chose eachother! With this LO I wanted to make the solid cardstock in the background more interesting so I stamped along the edges using a scroll butterfly stamp. I also made 1 of the 4 photos black and white to create a bit of contrast and interest with the subjects. The title reads exactly how I feel...that we are "Better 2gether", inspired of course by the Jack Johnson song Better Together. Love his music. Until next time...Take care and enjoy your loved ones today and always! :-)

Supplies- Solid Cardstock: American Crafts; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Ribbon; Buttons; Letter Stickers: Pink Paislee; Chipboard Letters: American Crafts; Clear Stamps: Studio G; Paper Flowers: Prima

Super Sunday!

Hello All!

Hope you all are enjoying your SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!! Today I heard something interesting on tv regarding this very special day...they said that today has become an unofficial holiday, which seems to be true, since millions of people throw parties which usually last all day & all night (all in the name of football). So maybe it should be a holiday...and everyone should get Monday off right!?! (Yeah only if it were that easy). So the big question is...who are you guys rooting for?? I was originally in favor of the Colts...(only because the Patriots aren't playing) but I started feeling like I should be more in favor of the under dogs, the Saints not to mention all that New Orleans has been going through the last few years. So my fingers are crossed...GO SAINTS!

Anyway, moving on...lately I've been feeling like I need to do more scrapping. I haven't been creating layouts much, I've been focusing on the scrapframes more (which I love) but I need to continue creating memories for myself and my family, most importantly. Here is a new layout I created using a lot of elements from some of my many Studio Calico kits. This layout features my grandmother with her 2 great grandsons.

I added a lot of personal doodling to this page, which I don't normally do, but I like how it adds a more personal touch. I also added stitching (using a black micron pen) to make the edge of the die cut background paper and the letter stickers stand out on the page. It definitely gives a crafty feeling. Take a look...

Supplies; Solid Textured Cardstock: Studio Calico; Patterned Paper: October Afternoon; Brads: Studio Calico; Letter Stickers: All About Alpha-Making Memories; Die Cut Background Paper: Melissa Frances; Lace & Buttons (suppliers unknown)

I'm also SUPER excited because today my husband and I went to Ikea to get a work table for me so that I don't have to constantly have my crafts spread across the kitchen table! I chose something that was very economical and works great for my space! I'm LOVING IT!!! I will post some pictures of my area soon, once everything is straight and organized! I feel like the little space I've created in our 1 bedroom apartment is slowly taking shape and becoming my little crafting oasis!! Its definitely become a motivational boost for me! Yeay!

Do you have a neat crafting area that you are proud and happy to work in?? If so, send me a comment with the link so that I can check it out! I love to see where others get creative! Maybe your craft rooms or spaces will give me some inspiration to help me finish mine! I look forward to checking them out! :-)

Have a goodnight!

Big Love (Season 4)

BIG LOVE IS BACK TONIGHT!!!!!!

(image from HBO website)

(image by Lacey Terrell / HBO)

I can't wait for 9pm (30 more mins to go!). I've been waiting so long for Big Love to start again and it's finally here, tonight on HBO! Yeay, yeay, yeay! I love this show and I'm anxious to see what kind of excitement season 4 brings!

Believe In Yourself!

Today I finished creating a scrapframe that I've been promising my sister-in-law that I would make for her. She's a 17 y/o high school student who's totally into the skater/rocker style so I wanted to create something that would compliment her personality! The color palette I chose was dark purple/light purple/light orange to match her room decor. I created artwork that was very free spirited yet edgy and the rhinestone flourish adds a bit of style and sparkle! I wanted something that would be inspiring to her, hense why I chose a "believe in yourself" theme. Considering she's half way through her senior year and in the middle of applying to college, she definitely needs the little boost in her confidence! 

Turns out she loved it, although her one comment was to replace my future poems with Edgar Allen Poe poems (since he's her favorite poet!!). It was great advice, and something I will consider for the future (thanks Isabel!) ;-). 

Supplies; Textured Cardstock: Matchmakers; Original Artwork: Wahkuna Mae-lyn; Believe Poem: Emily Matthews; Rhinestone Flourish: Want 2 Scrap; Funky Vintage Stickers: Making Memories; Word Fetti Stickers: Making Memories; Crochet Trim: Studio Calico; Clear Transparency Paper: 12x12-Computer Grafix, 8.5x11- 3M

Happy New Year!!

I just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year! I hope you were all able to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends and also had the chance to capture precious memories of it all!!

I know my posts usually come far and few between these days, but I'm hoping to improve that in this new year! This is the same thing I said @ the beginning of last year, but with all my big life changing events behind me, I really hope to concentrate on my blog this year and in the future!

So goodbye for now, but not for long... *wink*

Chao!

Handmade Gift Giving!

It's THAT time of year again...when all we think about is spending time with family, enjoying the holiday cheer and giving gifts to the ones we love! It seems like such a magical time... and everyone is usually in a great mood because the Holidays are here!


Over the past couple years gift giving has become so much more important to me, especially when it's something handmade...something that you're giving from the heart, which you probably put all your heart into making! I feel that it's so much more meaningful when you put a lot of thought and effort into ones gift...it's not just slapped together, or given with little thought. I like to cherish every moment of the gift making process and in the end the gratitude and warmth that you feel from that person makes it all worth while!


Speaking of gift giving...there's been A LOT of baby showers at my job lately. It seems like everyone's been struck by baby fever! (Hopefully I won't get hit with that anytime soon...cause we are just not ready yet!). But babies are so sweet and so cute, how can you not LOVE these celebrations?!? I recently made a personalized frame for a woman at work who's having a baby boy. She's Israeli and so I wanted to incorporate part of her culture to make it personal. This frame includes the baby's name and then the Hebrew interpretation with the meaning. It was definitely a one of a kind gift. Take a look;

I was able to creat this frame fairly quickly, in a couple hours. It was a great addition to the 2 outfits she recieved as well. I can't wait to welcome little baby Ben into the world very soon!

Then there's the gifts that take us a while to complete. There's always some. While I was living in Jersey City, my neighbors had a little baby boy, and for the wife's birthday her husband bought a sweet keepsake box to put the son's first piece of hair (from his first haircut) and his first tooth, to always remember. The gift was wonderful, but he felt like something was missing...some added interest...which it was lacking since it was just a plain white box. So he asked me to do something with it, to make it more eye catching. I took on the challenge, knowing that I could do something with it to make this keepsake one they will always cherish. Of course with all the moving I've done this year, it took a while to complete the job, but it's finally finished! All it took was some cute patterned paper (making memories), a rub-on, a few buttons (making memories) and a ribbon to tie it all together! The outcome was great! The box looked so cute and definitely stands out. It was so simple to do and has so much more meaning... Enjoy!! :-)

Superhero Sunday

Yes...I'm posting, finally! Well it's been so hectic lately...I barely can find time to keep up around the house let alone keep up with my blog! My main wish would be to have more than 24hours in a day! I need it!! But hey...I need to thank my lucky stars that I'm able to post when I can! I'm just happy to have the chance.

So superheros are a part of my daily life, thanks to my loving husband. He's a HUGE fan of all things comic book related ESPECIALLY if it involves Superman, Batman or the Green Lantern! Haha. It's so cute sometimes...it brings out the kid in him...which is very sweet and innocent. We even recently bought a shelf from Ikea to house all of his comic books and actions figures nice and neatly in the living room. I of course added a couple frames and some vases to that shelf. (He can't hog it all...you know!?! After all, sharing is caring!)

I always know that when it comes to superheros, they will always make him smile so last year for his birthday I created a superman card. It came out really nice and it's something for him to add to his stash and he loved it!

Considering this first superhero card was a hit, I created one yesterday for my little cousin's 13th birthday. He has this knew found love for spiderman and we were giving him some first edition spiderman comic books, so I thought this card would be appropriate. To make it more personal I drew the spiderman by hand, which took a while but it was very rewarding once I finished to see how well it turned out. I was pretty impressed. Again, the superhero card was a hit. There may be more to come in the future...we'll see. Enjoy!