tim holtz ~ 12 tags of 2012 ~ march

when i heard about tim holtz's 12 tags of 2012 i thought is was a great idea! i had not heard of the 12 tags of christmas (yes, i live under a rock) and while that sounded fun, one tag each month sounded even better! but with april just around the corner i thought it was too late to join in on the fun and had hopes of maybe joining in next year. then, just a few days ago i was looking into this project a little more and realized i could join...tim himself even started the entire concept late, beginning in february instead of january. and even though i am not a crafting god like tim <3 i am sure me coming in on march is acceptable!

i don't have a woodgrain stamp like in the demonstration so i used a woodgrain patterned paper. i also had to figure out a way to make the butterflies with my supplies. i punched each one out and then glued on the mosaic pieces. after that i used an embossing marker to ink between the mosaic pieces for the "grout". for this i used a metallic embossing powder.

for the flower my wonderful hunny thought of making an accordion flower. while he suggested green, i went with a strip of tan patterned paper that featured brown swirls which created another flower design inside the accordion flower itself. nope, didn't plan that! just a happy crafty surprise :)

all in all, i love the way my first of 12 tags of 2012 came out! i do plan on creating the february tag as well. even though i cannot submit it to the site, i would like to join in on making it - and then i will have a set!

#1 of 4 mini album order

not long after i gave my stepdad his toilet paper roll album my mom brought it to her office to show her coworkers. she called me that night with 4 orders of them! my first thought: "do i have enough rolls saved up?" and my second: "how am i going to get all these done?!" but i didn't want to turn down this opportunity so i accepted! each album was to be based around the same theme: spiritual / inspirational. i spent a little time finding psalms and other sayings that i could put in each book so they weren't all the same. this is the first of the order of 4 i have created so far...

i found some binder rings at staples and thought they would be great for these albums. i love that i could tie tule and other fun stuff onto them! throughout this album i used distressing inks, paper tearing and wrinkling, as well as glimmer mists to make it shabby but also a little chic! <3

 1st page: i used my tim holtz clock stamp with white ink and clear / glitter embossing powder. in the pocket is a tag that swivels open to reveal the word "faith"

2nd page: featuring my FIRST EVER accordion flower!!! i love this little guy! i got to use my ms scoreboard for the first time and this flower was so easy!

 3rd page: untie the brown ribbon to reveal an accordion type folded strip of paper with a different message on each square. this was quite fun to make!

4th page: a little pocket holds a double sided tag and a butterfly background

 5th page: lift up the little tab and find a folder with a message inside. this saying is my favorite. it was found on the wall of a bunker where, i believe, a jewish family was hiding during ww2. very sad but also very beautiful words that should always be remembered.

6th page: another little swivel tab with a message underneath.

tube pocket inserts

my sanctuary

          

here is the view of my room from the doorway...i love walking in here with an idea in my head and time to create!

when i started crafting i had a cupboard and some drawers in my dining room. i spent more time getting set up and then cleaning up my mess than i did creating. now, i have a beautiful craft room and while this one is not permanent it is wonderful!

my desk is my favorite part. my mom gave it to me, with a note taped in the drawer, encouraging me to use my crafting abilities and reminding me how proud of me she is. i get so much inspiration from my mom and from this ol' desk!



1st toilet paper roll album

hello there! i am excited to share my first ever toilet paper roll mini album. when i came across this idea in december i was immediately interested. i love recycling so reusing items for crafting is fantastic! i decided to start saving toilet paper rolls and try to create one of these albums after the new year. however, a few days later a great gift idea popped into my head and i had 3 days to complete the project before christmas. this spiritually uplifting album was made for my stepdad.

i had really been hoping to get a cropadile for christmas (which i did :)) but because i did not have one while making this i decided to not do eyelets in the holes. instead i strung hemp through and tied many knots. because i chose mostly greens and browns and tried to give it an "earthy" feel i think the hemp and other supplies i used helped me achieve my goal. 

throughout the album i printed psalms and inspirational sayings. while i tried to make this album a little masculine i also wanted it to be pretty. i used whatever i could find in my craft room. buttons, stickers, stamps, staples, tags, ribbon, everything. i was trying to keep from throwing it together but i also had to hurry!

with the covers, pages, and inserts there was a total of 21 pages to decorate...with work and getting ready for christmas i really felt the pressure but i managed to do 7 each day for 3 days and was so happy that i got it done on time! nothing like working under a bit of a time constraint to get me in crafting gear!

come to think of it...this isn't actually a toilet paper roll album but a wrapping paper roll album instead. i hadn't gotten the chance to stock up on tp rolls and, with it being christmas, had plenty of empty wrapping paper rolls ready for recycling. i ran the tube through my sizzix, measured each piece evenly, and cut. i love it and my stepdad does too!

project #12

my design team just celebrated its 1st anniversary! for this project (march 1, 2012) i wanted to do something based around luck but wanted to make it a little different than st. patrick's day. the theme was "oh, lucky day" and the requirements were to use at least 3 colors, emboss or deboss, and to make an accordion flower.

 i was really excited to complete this project! i had never made an accordion flower (in fact, these 4 are some of the only i have ever done!). i was also excited to use my new scoring board, embossing folder, AND i had recently become addicted to distressing inks (yes, this is something i have just begun using...i am always behind the times!)

the "luck" part of the cards came in while i was creating the sentiment. i was a little slow getting this year started and then, with the loss of my kitty, halo, i really hit a funk. my boyfriend is always so wonderful to me and i wanted to make something for him letting him know how much he is appreciated and how LUCKY i am to have him! i also wanted to do the same for my mom and stepdad who are so wonderful, giving, and supportive!

creating this project also reminded me how theraputic crafting can be and, while my little kitty isn't right there with my while i am creating, she is still with me always! luck doesn't always mean things going your way...the word "luck" reminds me to count my blessings and be thankful for everything i have <3



from last year! June 28, 2011

so cool...i got a blog award! yes, this was from last year when i was even moreso new to the whole blogging thing. the past year has been full of me trying to find time to blog and so here i am, one year later, getting organized! i honestly, didn't even know cute little awards like this existed so it was really *sweet* to get it :)
i am a lone scrapper/crafter and really wanted someplace to get and share ideas. i started my i <3 scrapbooking facebook page to meet other crafters and i have made a lot of great friends (and gotten a ton of ideas)! from there i have created the *made with love (and paper)* design team and then my blog that i have, for too long, ignored!
so thank you, thank you, thank you to my online friend krista (krista's paper cafe) for honoring me with this award! she and i met on a design team and are now crafty facebook friends as well as fellow *made with love (and paper)* design team members! so here i am...one of the recipients of the irresistibly sweet blog awards!

the conditions of accepting the award:
*thank the person who has given it
**list 7 random facts about myself
***nominate 8 other worthy blogs

random facts about me:
1. i <3 animals & want to start a rescue
2. i still have (and sleep with) a blanky
3. i put peanuts in my pepsi (yum!)
4. i am a vegetarian
5. i kinda want to be a mortician
6. i love organizing
7. i sing to my pets

nominations for the award:
1. sana - scrap corner
2. gina - california scrappin'
3. ashley - lucky dog rescue
4. jessica - nothing new nothing wasted
5. hanlie - just me scrapping away
6. kindra - creations by kindra
7. jessica - the creative stamper's spot
8. cricut chick - cricut chick