Archive for April, 2010

This was so cute and my #2 Daughter made it for #1 Daughter”s birthday.  I call it a cupcake bouquet.  In a pedestal bowl with a round styrofoam ball she put the cupcakes on the ball with two toothpicks.  The green is cupcake baking cups.

This is the rest of the spread.   This was truly a “Southern” spread.  We had fried pickles and deviled eggs, roast asparagus and  roasted red potato salad and a honey Dijon chicken drumstick.

She did an outstanding job and we topped it off with ice cream sundaes and the cupcake.

Yes, it was a beautiful spread done in a beautiful home by a beautiful young lady.  Thank you Amber for honoring your sister.

Yeah, I figured out what I was doing wrong on getting the pictures to my website. Be sure and check in tomorrow I want to share some exciting news.

This is the digital stamp I used on #1 Daughters Birthday card.  I used Copic Markers and I also used Stickles on the tissue papers in the bags and the stripes around the bags.  I also used Glossy Accents on the little tag.

The back ground around the bags are Copic Markers also.

I used a tool that roughs up the edges of the black and white strip of paper.  These were all scraps from my stash.

The inside was simple enough.  She had a great party (thank you Amber) and as soon as I figure how to upload the pictures to my website I’ll show you the very cute cupcake bouquet Amber made.  I forgot my camera and my SIL had to e-mail me the pictures but I’m having a time figuring how to get them to my website.

Oh, well hope you enjoy the B-Card for #1 Daughter.  Today is actually her Birthday.  Happy Birthday Brandy, you are one awesome woman.

Today we are celebrating my #1 Daughter’s Birthday.  My #2 Daughter is giving her a Birthday Luncheon.  I spent the day yesterday with Amber running around getting everything that she was going to need.  She has got some great ideas and I will take pictures so you can see the “cuteness”.

This picture is just a sneak at her birthday card.  I’ll post the entire card on Monday for you to see.  A couple of hints, it was done with Copic Markers and it is really girly.

I also just discovered that I was published in a new magazine.  I’ll share that with you tomorrow also, I was so surprised.  I submitted the picture but didn’t know I was chosen.

How old is my daughter?  Oh my, a lady never tells but she was born in 1973, you do the math……LOL!  She was born on April 12th….ok so we are celebrating a little early.

Happy Birthday Brandy!

Let’s continue with the assembling of the mini album.  There is a lot to talk about on the decorating of this album.

To finish up the inside, I took the 4 envelopes I made and turned the flap to the back and used a bone folder to get a crisp  fold.

I took a permanent tape runner and ran a small line on the flap.  This adhesive is what connects the envelopes to each other and forms the accordion file.

Place the envelope on the cover making sure that you center between the top and bottom of the cover.  You need to center the envelope not the flap.

You follow suit with the other envelopes making sure you line the envelopes up so that when everyone of them is done the top of the envelopes line up with each other.

This is how the envelopes look after all the envelopes have been assembled.  You can do as many envelopes as you want; however, you just need to keep in mind that each envelope adds a thickness that will need to be compensated for in the size of the cover.

I made the band that hold the mini album together out of a coordinated pattern paper.  This is from K&Company Amy Butler pack.  Love her stuff.

I used two MS punches to create the band and then ran white ribbon through it.  I cut a rather long piece of ribbon (I think it was about 20″) because I wanted to be sure I had enough ribbon to weave in the band and also have enough to tie a nice bow.

I made little index cards for each envelope and dressed them up by inking the edges and the titles are computer printed.

I used a Stampin Up ticket punch for the top corners and left the bottom two corners squared.  The little stamp under the titles is a $1 stamp I picked up at M’s sometime ago.

This is what the index cards slide into the envelopes look like when complete.  I also took another stamp and randomly stamped the envelopes.  And because I couldn’t leave well enough alone I also took blue Stickles and enhanced the stamped area.

At this point I place the various pictures in each envelope behind the index cards.

This is a Lollipop flower  and you can see the how to here.  These are fun to make and I think this one was the perfect color.  This “How To” has two parts so you can do a word search under Lollipop and see both Part 1 and Part 2.

This is a combination of pattern paper and blue organza fabric.

The butterfly is actually a $1 stamp from M’s.  I stamped it twice, once on pattern paper and the second time using black Stazon ink on acetate.  I hand cut both of them out and used Stickles on the back of the acetate  to give the see through wings a little glimmer.

I folded the acetate butterfly in half and used Glossy Accent to hold them in place.  Also I used thread to make the antennas, you can see the how to on that process here.

Finally I toll Black Diamond Stickles and ran it down the middle to make the butterfly’s body.

Finally, the white flower I got at M’s in the wedding section and I used clear “skittles” to finish it off.

I really did have fun doing the album and it contains some special pictures of family.  We actually had to introduce my brother’s children and my cousin’s children and tell them they were actually 2nd cousins.  It is strange how you can be family and your path’s don’t cross.

Hope you try the mini-album and if you do let me know how it turned out.  I would love to hear from you.

I’m entering this mini album in Challenge #3 on Meljen’s Designs DT Blogspot (Here)  Check it out!  Great designs and great digital stamps.

I apologize that I have not posted for several days; however, I’ve been very busy with making this mini album for my Mother.  This album is made up of envelopes that hold pictures of an event.  In my Mother’s case it was the funeral of her brother.

We actually made three of these for my Aunt and my two cousins (two were more manly and then one we made my Aunt more feminine).

Because of the number of things in this mini album I will break this down into a couple of postings.  I think the first thing you will notice is there are no rings on this mini album.  This is done on purpose so people can pull out the pictures and look at them and pass them around.

The first thing I did was decide my color scheme and blue is my Mother’s favorite color.  I made some glimmer mist by using a mini-mister, perfect pearls, water and Broken China Distressed re-inker.   A couple scoops of perfect pearl and several drops of re-inker.  I just eye-balled the color until it reached a blue that I thought was close to the card stock I had chosen for the cover.

I took just regular 8-1/2 x 11 white paper to make 4 envelopes.  I first spritz them with the glimmer mist and let the papers dry.  The paper will curl when you mist it but it will smooth back out when it dries.  I usually use my heat gun to help dry the glimmer mist.

The envelopes for the mini album are 4 x 6, which will accommodate the 4 x 6 prints.

After the envelopes are made I wanted to cut off the tip of the fold on the envelope.  This cleans up the envelope and also makes it easier to glue the envelopes together.

This is the finish envelope.

The card stock is 12″ x 12″ and I cut it down to 5″ x 12″.  However, because the envelopes are 4 x 6 and the cover wraps around them, it needs to be longer than 12″.  I cut the 12″ strip in half.

I cut an additional strip of 1″ x 5″ and glued it to make the cover length 13″.

This will be in the center of the back of the cover .   Once the insert is dry then I took the cover and scored it using MS score pad.  I scored the cover on the left side at 3″ and then 3-1/4″ and the right side at 9-1/4″ and 9-1/2″.  By scoring the lines a 1/4″ from each other, it will create a little box effect as you wrap the cover around the envelopes.  This will help accommodate the thickness of the envelopes when you put the pictures in.

I then used the MS deep punch and did both the top and bottom of the cover.  I started the punch in the center of the back and then worked my way to the left side  and once that was done punched the right side.  The front covers will overlap about a 1/4″ .

We’ll stop here and finish the rest of the post tomorrow.  There are several things that I have been doing and I can’t wait to show you.  I also haven’t forgotten about the advent calendar and as I start working on it I’ll start posting about it.  By the way I gave this to my Mother yesterday and she loved it.  It was filled with pictures and she couldn’t wait to show it to her neighbors…….I always think that’s a good thing!

I found these stamps on sale at M’s.  Not like I needed more stamps but when I see something cute I try to get it.  All but one of them were $1.

If you click on the picture and make it larger you can see that the leaves and branches of the tree are actually animals.

I have had my eye on this stamp for a while but didn’t want to pay the full price.  So you can imagine how happy I was to find it in the 1/2 bin.

Hopefully, over the next few days I’ll be able to show you some new cards.  Unfortunately, we’ve had another death in the family and I will be taking care of my GK’s a couple of days.  You know how that is, you don’t get much done when you are taking care of little ones.  That is  because we do a lot of playing rather than creating.

Thanks for stopping buy and leave me a message, I would love to hear from you.

Thank you Jesus for rising from the dead and defeating death, hell and the grave.  My hope for this life and the life here after is in you and you alone.

May today you enjoy this blessed event and spend time with your loved ones near.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Remember, Red and I just shared our 40th Anniversary!  Our two girls sent us to Thackerville, OK (or should I say Winstar Casino) on Friday, April 2nd for a get-a-way and to see Bill Engvall (comedian).

We are certainly not gamblers but a nice get-a-way and some people watching are always fun.  What a sweet gift and we just want to say thank you to both of our daughters.  What a treat (including the steak dinner)!

So, that is why this post is short….I didn’t do any crafting while I was in Thackerville.  Number 2 Daughter said what happens in Thackerville stays there…..as Bill Engvall would say “here’s your sign”!

Remember my recent trip to Smitten in McKinney and the beautiful German Glass?  They had taken the German Glass and covered stryofoam eggs with it and the ending result was gorgeous.

I dropped by HL and picked up this package of styrofoam eggs.  They run about $3.99 for six and they come in a couple of different sizes, this is the small size.   After I did this project I think next time I’m going to use the smooth stryofoam eggs because it would be easier to spread the glue.

I like to glitter or do German Glass in a tray and then in a coffee filter.  For one thing the coffee filter makes it easy to put the stuff back in the bottles when I’m done.  Just fold it in half and then pour it right back into the bottle.  The tray underneath catches anything that falls out of the coffee filter, then I can take a paint brush (usually a cheap one from Home Depot) and brush it to the end of the tray and then empty it back into the bottle or jar.  A lesson I learn early on and it’s just a good idea to have a safety net with German Glass.

I used “Tacky Glue” simply because it is getting old and I need to use it up.  I’m sure the “proper” thing to do would be to use glitter glue, but hey when you don’t have it improvise.   I used a foam brush to spread the glue around a section at a time and then I sprinkled the German Glass over the glue.

I probably should have done one side, let that side dry and then do the other side; however, I was to impatience and did it all at one time.  Doing it all at one time makes it a little messy.

Ok, you need to click on the picture and make it larger to get the full affect.  These eggs are stunning.

Some of the eggs are done with a coarse German Glass and some are done with fine German Glass.  I like having the different sizes of German Glass because it gives them texture.

The little stands they are sitting on are TP rolls cut at 1/2″, I did them for another project but they worked perfect for holding the eggs until they dry.

I took a piece of green card stock and ran it through my crimper and then cut it up in to small strips.  I then took the strips and scrunched them up in my hands.

I think I need more to fill in this particular bowl and I think if I do some more I’ll buy the larger size.  Of course that will mean I will use a lot of the German Glass and have to go back and get more.  Hmm, always thinking of how I can enlarge my German Glass collection. LOL!

“Warning”: German Glass is shards of glass (it will cut) pretty to look at but take care in handling and do not put on items that children would use or play with.

Exciting News……I’m working with my IT Guy (SIL) and we are getting things ready for me to start doing videos on my website.  I can’t wait to show you how to do things instead of having to write everything out.  Thanks for stopping by, leave me a comment I would like to hear from you.