And the Giveaway Goes to...

MommyManderz:  I am officially inspired!!! I love your talent and craftsmanship! You always have the best ideas!

Please email me at vanlikethecar at gmail dot com with your mailing address and I'll send along your prize!

To everyone else, thank you so much for joining me along the Scrapbook Steals blog hop.  I read each and every comment and they truly mean so much to me.

Have a lovely weekend!

Project Life - Week 5 & 6

It's amazing how quickly life (and Project Life) just sneaks up on you.  I'm still playing catch up but just ordered a ton of photos for Weeks 7, 8 and 9.  But I'm still loving how this simple format really allows me to keep current on journaling about our lives.  Here are the pages for Weeks 5 and 6.

Project Life - Week 5.  I continue to use the 8.5 x 11 page protectors when I want to add additional memorabilia to the page.  This time, it include two art projects that Charlotte and I did.  I find that if I don't include them in some sort of album, these types of things just pile up in a dark box in the back of the closet.  For the papers, I relied primarily on my Simple Stories Year.O.Graphy kit.  That company seriously makes it super simple to create fun yet simple albums and layouts.  Still loving them a lot.

 

Week 5 Highlights:  Home Depot Workshop, Road Trip to Asian Market and Costco, Superbowl Party with the Welsch Family.

Project Life - Week 6.   Again, I used Simple Stories Year.O.Graphy for this layout.  Sadly, what I realized is that if I don't write down what we do on a daily basis, I easily forget.  So there isn't too much journaling on these pages.  Hopefully that will change.

Week 6 Highlights:  Mel's visit over the weekend.  It's always a blast when she comes!

Some other announcements.  Remember, today is MARCH 12th which means that it's time for another TAKE 12 CHALLENGE!!  For more details, visit Ella Publishing Co. here.

Also, there is still time to enter my GIVEAWAY for some Basic Grey Buttons and Brads.  Just make sure to comment on this post here.

Project 100 Update:  79 down, 21 to go.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop - Basic Grey Buttons and Brads

Welcome to the first ever Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop!  For those who don't know, Scrapbook Steals is your one-stop shop for the BEST daily deals on scrapbooking supplies.  Their blog is also full of awesome scrapbooking ideas and inspiration.  

In case you missed the beginning of the hop, it starts over at the Scrapbook Steals Blog.  And if you're joining me from Charity Becker's amazing blog, Mene Mene Tekel University, welcome!  The product featured in today's blog hop is a gorgeous collection of Basic Grey Buttons and Brads.  They come in all shapes and sizes - the perfect starting point for a variety of projects.

1.  Happy, Adventure, Play {a scrapbook layout}.  For my first project, I used the buttons to embellish a garden of flowers in a layout featuring photos of my daughter playing outside.  

The inspiration for this layout was an illustration from Victoria and Elizabeth Kann's Pinkalicious where the little girl is camouflaged in a garden of pink flowers.  I cut out all the flower shapes using my Silhouette Cameo.  To embellish them, I threaded Basic Grey buttons with string from my Avery shipping tags and then adhered them to the flowers with glue dots.  It adds the perfect dimensional element.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Echo Park, My Mind's Eye); Cardstock (American Crafts); Brads (Basic Grey); Stickers (Echo Park); Other (Silhouette Cameo, We R Memory Keepers Floss, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Tim Hotlz Distress Ink).

2.  Ice Cream Anniversary {a card}.  One of my dear friends requested a custom-made anniversary card for her parents with an ice cream theme.  It's amazing how just a few strategically placed Basic Grey buttons really finish off a card.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (My Mind's Eye); Vellum (Martha Stewart); Brads (Basic Grey); Letter Stickers (American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Other (Silhouette Cameo, We R Memory Keepers Floss, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Tim Hotlz Distress Ink, Uniball Signo Broad White Gel Pen).

3.  E is for Ellison {a button monogram}.  And finally, I wanted to make something that featured the button in its full glory.  I remember seeing this awesome tutorial by Jana Paddington on the Scrapbook Steals blog last year for a button monogram.  So using her expertise as my guide, here is what I made with the Basic Grey buttons.

And here it is all warm and cozy in an Ikea shadow box frame.  

Thank you so much to Kristy Lee and Scrapbook Steals for the opportunity to be a part of this event.  I am always giddy with excitement to create when inspired by such fantastic products.

Scrapbook Steals Giveaway!  There are lots of talented and inspiring crafters taking part in this Blog Hop so please be sure to visit each one!  PLUS, Scrapbook Steals will be giving away a $20 Scrapbook Steals Gift Certificate to one lucky person leaving a comment on one of the blogs!  So to increase your chances to winning, make sure to comment on each blog by Sunday, March 11th at 11:59PM MST.

• Scrapbook Steals
• Kristy Mackeen
• Staci Jones
• Amber Sheaves
• Cristine Redmond
• Venetia Holbrook
  
• Charity Becker
• Van Nguyen  <--- YOU ARE HERE

Giveaway Time!  I'm also hosting my own little giveaway for two sets of Basic Grey Buttons and Brads!  For my giveaway, all you have to do is "follow" my blog and leave a comment on this post by next Friday, March 16 at 11 am EST.  I'll post the random winner on Friday afternoon!

Good luck and as always, thanks for stopping by!
 
Project 100 Update:  77 down, 23 to go.

Silhouette Cameo on Scrapbook Steals

I'm so excited that two of my scrapbook layouts are featured over at the Scrapbook Steals blog today!  As always, thanks to Kristy Lee and the Steal Network for letting me share my work!

So the Scrapbook Steal today (only until 9 pm CMT) is...wait for it...seriously awesome...the Silhouette Cameo!!!  This is my die cutting machine and, gasp, it is the most amazing thing EVER!

As an owner of the "other" die-cutting machine (::cough::Cricut::cough::) I never thought I needed to buy the Silhouette SD.  My main reason was that the SD could only cut 8.5 x 11 and as a scrapbooker, I wanted something that could cut at least 12 x 12.  However, I was never truly satisfied with my "other" machine because I could never get super clean intricate cuts.  The cartridge system was also something that seemed overly expensive and cumbersome. 

Enter the Silhouette Cameo.  Wow...seriously, this is the most amazing and beautiful machine ever.  I actually shed tears when I used it for the first time.  It is THAT good.  Not only do you get the precision and clean cuts that make the Silhouette so spectacular, but you can now actually cut on such a larger format. 

For my "Happily Ever After" layout, I used the Cameo to cut out a silhouette of a married couple in the center of a 12 x 12 sheet of patterned paper.  I then used that negative image to make a confetti pocket that served as the focal point of my layout.  You can read more about how I made the confetti pocket and see more pictures here.  

For my "February Take 12" layout, I used the Silhouette Software to create and the Silhouette Cameo to cut out a large format map of Newport, Rhode Island.  I wanted to have the map to be the main vehicle for telling the story of how I spent the day.  For more details and photos of this layout, visit my blog post here. 
 
I definitely could not have made these layouts with either my other die cutting machine or the smaller Silhouette SD.  So if you've been on the fence about the Cameo, make the jump and buy it over at Scrapbook Steals.  I PROMISE you won't regret it.  As for me, I'm gonna be loading up on some of the accessories (can someone say rhinestones and fabric paint?!?!).  :)

Favorite Photos of January 2012

Justin was bemoaning that the blog rarely features photos of Charlotte these days.  It's all crafty and scrapbooking, he complained.  So, I'm gonna start a new installment just for my lovely husband and post my favorite twelve photos from each month (cause, well, it's 2012 and all).  Some were chosen cause I love the photo itself.  And others are just perfect snapshots of that memory or moment.  So, here they are...completely unadorned and unscrapped...my favorite twelve photos from January 2012.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Project 100 - Catching Up

I usually don't post photos of all my crafty projects.  Let's be serious - not everything is worth blogging.  But since I have committed myself to Project 100, I want to be accountable to y'all by showing that I am actively creating my way through 100 projects.  I know it's a bit of a modge podge of projects, but I need to get caught up with my online tally!!!


1.  Charlotte Thank You Cards.  For some reason, it is so hard for me to throw away Charlotte's drawings and paintings.  I know that to most people, they're nothing special.  But to me, the process of sitting down and creating art with her is so precious.  So instead of keeping every.single.piece.of.paper, I decided to repurpose many of them into her embarrassingly belated thank you cards.  ::hanging head in shame::

I cut down Charlotte's watercolor paintings and various pieces of cardstock/ patterned paper down to 4.25" x 5.5".  Next, I ran the paper through an embossing machine with a journaling embossing folder to create writing lines on the backside of the card.  Glue the artwork onto the patterned paper.  I stamped a "thank you" sentiment directly onto the artwork.  To finish the card off, I just machine stitched around the edges.  Super simple but I really like them.  


Supplies:  Stamp (Paper Smooches); Embossing Folder (Sizzix).


2.  100th Birthday Card.  This card was custom ordered through my facebook/ esty shop.  It was such an honor to make something for such a momentous celebration.  100 years - wow.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Crate Paper, Sassafras); Cardstock (American Crafts); Brads (American Crafts); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Other (Silhouette Cameo, Jenni Bowlin Inks, Uniball Signo White Gel Pen).


3.  San Francisco Birthday Wishes.  Here is another custom birthday card for a San Francisco recipient, also ordered through the facebook/ etsy shop.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Echo Park, American Crafts); Cardstock (American Crafts, Core'dinations, Martha Stewart); Buttons (My Mind's Eye); Stamps (Lawn Fawn, Paper Smooches); Digital Files (Silhouette Online Store); Other (Silhouette Cameo, Fiskars Cloud Punch, Provo Craft Embossing Folder, Jenni Bowlin Inks).


4.  Blueberry Birthday Party.  I've been helping a friend with the paper products for her daughter's Blueberries for Sal themed birthday party.  Here are some sneaks at the banner, favor tags and invite I made for them.  Can't wait for the actual party next week!

5.  Nursery Name Decor.  An Addie B Designs customer requested some custom artwork to match her son's nursery decor.  I really love how the handstitching turned out on this one.

Supplies:  Digital Files (Silhouette Online Store); Other (Silhouette Cameo, We R Memory Keepers Floss).


6.  Bib Baby Card.  You've seen these before but I still love how adorable they are.  Here is another baby bib card made to coordinate with a custom Addie B Designs bib and burp cloth set.  

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Echo Park, American Crafts); Cardstock (American Crafts); Embellishments (Sassafras); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Letter Stickers (Cosmo Cricket); Digital Files (Lettering Delights); Other (Silhouette Cameo, We R Memory Keepers Floss).


7.  Superbowl Cupcake Toppers.  This was one of my first attempts using the print and cut feature on the Silhouette Cameo.  LOVE!!!  I even had a customer purchase a set via our facebook page!

8.  Glass etched glass.  I think I might do a tutorial on this at some point.  I'm slowly getting obsessed with glass etching and the Silhouette Cameo lets me do it with such precision!

9.  Face Die Cuts.  And finally, someone saw my hairclip cards on etsy and requested some face die cuts.  I was so excited to get a "random customer" and ended up making her 50 of these die cuts with various colors and hair styles!  Here's a sample.

So now, the grand total as of today (and counting in project speak)?  12 thank you cards, 2 birthday cards, 1 birthday invite, 1 birthday banner, 2 birthday tags, 1 bib card, 1 nursery decor, 2 cupcake toppers, 1 glass etched beer pint, 3 face die cuts.  That's 26 projects in this blog post!!!  Wohoo!!!


Project 100 Update:  74 down, 26 to go.

Take Twelve Project - February 12

I love how the Take 12 Project falls on a different day of the week each month.  This month, the 12th fell on a Sunday while my college roommate and best friend, Melissa, was in town.  It amazes me that even after all these years, we are still such amazingly close friends.  And talk about dedication, this girl has visited me in every city I have ever moved to (including Melbourne, Australia after college).  Love you, Mel.  And if good friends don't help you find balance in your life, I'm not sure what does.

The idea behind this layout was to create a map of the places we visited in Newport, Rhode Island that day.  My inspiration for this layout were the amazing illustrations Oliver Jeffers made for United Airlines.  Using my Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Studio Software, I created this large diecut of the Newport coastline.  I then tracked the different places we visited with some handstitching and October Afternoon Mini Market stickers.  I also made sure to include a time stamp for each of the little photos.

Supplies:  Patterned Paper (Echo Park - For the Record); Stickers and Embellishments (Echo Park - For the Record, Sassafras, American Crafts); Letter Stickers (American Crafts, October Afternoon, Cosmo Cricket); Other (Martha Stewart Border Punch; We R Memory Keepers Floss).


You can find my January Take 12 layout here.  And don't forget to check out all the other members of the Take 12 Team at Ella Publishing to see their fabulous takes on the challenge. 

Aliza Deutsch
Angela Gutshall
Jennie McGarvey
Lisa Ottosson
Stephanie Medley-Rath
Margie Scarpignato
Monica Bradford
Lisa Day
Janette Kincaid

Remember, you have until midnight EST Saturday, February 18 to upload your project here to win the awesome prize given away at Ella Publishing worth $79.99!!  Hope you get to play along!!


Project 100 Update:  48 down, 52 to go.  


As always, thanks for looking!