A Few Cards

I have been changing things in the way I live recently and while it's been interesting, it seems to be very time consuming! But I did want to share a few cards that I recently made to send off with my YouTube and Blog giveaways!  They were a lot of fun to make!

MATERIALS

I used the Girls Papperie, Some Recollections pearl trim, a strand from the Cynthialoowhoo bling trim that Karlas001 sells on her etsy shop, a little ribbon from my stash, some prima flowers and some Liquid Appliquée (used on the last card and puffed up with a heat gun!

Here is what the card looked like without the Liquid Appliquée. It was the first time I used the product and I'm thinking it will not be the last!

I wish everyone a great week!
M-C

Renewable Smash Book Tutorial

A while back, I made and uploaded a video on You Tube that dealt with what I called a renewable Smash book.

Since then, I've gotten a number of requests for a follow up tutorial on how I created the folders. I finally did go through the book explaining the mechanics of each folder, but I thought some instructions and pictures about the whole process might be nice for everyone interested to have a look at.The video dealing with the folders is at  http://youtu.be/lYDU-l_Gtzs.  I apologize in advance as it is really long. That is another reason that I added this blog entry!






First let me just say that I bought the actual small binders at Staples a few months ago.  They are still available and are a great way to keep a ton of your art related lists on and sketches etc.  Why do I use a 3D, real life book with paper?

• First, it's not always easy to get cellphone reception in the store when I'm shopping.  
• Although I use the apps on my phone when shopping at JoAnn's, Michaels and Archivers, they do send  paper copies or give you register coupons. So the new renewable book I'm making here will have a coupon folder to store all those in one place.
• I'll have a place to store my Copic List, my Spellbinder and Sizzix list, my sewing pattern list and so on.
• I'll be able to store a record of projects I want to do by putting pictures that I take with my phone, grab online or I can even sketch an idea...when I get one, LOL!
• Finally, it's just plain fun! I've always loved paper and although I can scrap digitally and I am fairly good with photoshop, I just love cutting and pasting!

Enough, blah, blah! So here is what the binder looks like and works like.

COVERS


Binder Cover
The binder has a "window" with an insert.  Remove the insert and use it as the template to create your binder cover.  This will be glued to your inside cover when you decide to recycle the binder to another use!

Inside Covers
Chipboard dimensions for the covers:  (these will become the mini album covers when you re-use the binder and in the meantime they do a great job of protecting your inside pages and folders)

Cut  2 chipboard pieces  8.5 inches x 6.5 inches.

Patterned paper dimensions for the outside of the covers (cut 2):

Cut 2 pieces patterned papers 8 x 10 1/4 inches.
Make sure the paper is in the right direction.

Fold the paper over the chipboard, then remove the chipboard and adhere it to the paper.

Cut all four corners and adhere each side.  I usually put a line of adhesive on the edge of the chipboard and the edge of the paper.

Patterned paper dimensions for the inside of the covers (cut 2):

Cut two pieces, 8 7/16 x 6 15/16 inches

Adhere paper to inside of the cover.

Use your crop-a-dile to cut three holes that match your binder! Your covers are done, now on to the folders!

FOLDERS

The folders for this size binder are easy to make!  I use a 12 x 12 inch sheet of double sided cardstock which I either cut to 6 x 12 or leave full size.  Let's start with the 1/2 folder!

Single Folder
Cut your 12x12 paper in half from the top to the bottom. Put the side of the paper you want to have the pocket facing up on the table. Fold  bottom up 3 1/2 inches. Add double sided tape.

Remove the protection from the tape and fold up and adhere the flap to the main part of the 

Glue the flap to the main piece. You have a single sided folder.

Double Folder

Place your 12x12 sheet with the side that will have the flap up.

Fold the paper up at 3.5 inches.

Fold in half from left to right.

Open the folder and put double sided tape on the outer inside edges of the flap.

Take off the protective white protection and adhere the flap to the main part of the folder. Refold in half and decide if you want the holes on the fold or open side.

You can see a number of variations of the folder in the video tutorial!  Thanks for looking! 

My Word for 2012

Every year, I pick a word to inspire growth and change, and a fresh perspective and I create a project to showcase the word. I hope that my word for this year will bring me to a new level of peace and joy and hence, will rub off on my friends! Strangely enough, this year, the artwork came before the word.  In fact I created the canvas as part of a blog hop on Marian Smith's Arty Addict facebook group, earlier this year and wasn't quite sure how to finish it.

As I reflected on what would be best for me in 2012, I realized that there was only one word for it, serenity.  Suddenly, I knew exactly what to use, and here it is!

I wish for us all, less stress and a whole lot more serenity!

Hugs,
M-C

Happy New Year Giveaway Winner!

Happy New Year everyone!  Well I just came home from a yummy dinner with hubby and thought I would put an end to the wait!  So having used Random.org, here is the winner:

If you look at the comments, you will see that the second comment was made by Ronni who is getting back into stamping/scrapbooking! I've known Ronnie for a number of years and she is very, very talented!  I always thought it was a shame that she stopped creating and sharing! I am sure that she will make good use of the stamps and maybe we can convince her to send me a picture of something she creates to share with all of you!

As the winner of my Christmas giveaway did not come forward by the 27th, in fact, I still have not heard back, I am sorry to say that she has been disqualified. I will draw a new Christmas giveaway winner from all the comments received in 2011 and post that here tomorrow or Tuesday!

Congrats Ronni and as usual, you have one week from today to contact me!

Hugs everyone and stay safe and warm! It's getting downright chilly out there!

Happy New Year Giveaway!!!!

Well I just couldn't resist!  So here is a giveaway that you can enter by posting a comment!  I will draw this prize on January 1st from all the eligible entries!  What a way to start the new year! Frankly, I'm still so happy because I won something myself just yesterday, that I want to share my happiness with everyone! So enjoy and don't forget to take a look at my previous post to see if you are the Christmas giveaway winner!  She hasn't come forward yet!!!

To be eligible to win the three stamp sets and the ink pad, you have to leave a comment below and of course you have to be a subscriber of my blog. You can win an extra entry for each different place you repost about this giveaway! But you need to let me know about it!  I also want to let you know that there is another giveaway going on on my YouTube channel! Here is the link to see what is going on there!

Now here is what you can win! Plus you never know what else I might add as a surprise! For those of you who don;t stamp, this might be a great way to try it!  If you look at the package below, the clear stamp portion is 4x6 so you can see that each individual stamp is small and cute!

Christmas Cards, I won a Prize, and my Blog Christmas Giveaway!!!

SOME CHRISTMAS CARDS
Over the last few days I have sent out and made some more Christmas cards.  Here are some of the ones that I made last night! Most of the ornaments are stamped on patterned paper. I used copic markers to color and shade. The patterned paper is from BoBunny and Echo Park. Cards 1, 5 and 6 have some K&Co embellishments. The last card is made with a Tim Holtz stamp and embossing folder. Hope you like them and that the person getting them will enjoy as well.

I WON
Wow, I'm so excited!  This morning, as I do every morning, I checked to see if there were any new videos from the people I subscribe to on You Tube.  Over the last couple of weeks, Cindy Anderson , AKA  CynthiaLooWho on A Lil' Scrap of Heaven has been celebrating that Ning sites 1st anniversary! I joined in the early days and while I haven't posted a whole lot, especially in the past few months, I apparently created the discussion with the most responses. I'm so glad that people took a moment and introduced themselves!  It was a load of fun getting to know a little bit about them!

GIVEAWAY WINNER
Here is how I chose my winner.  I received and kept  a total of 311 comments so far in 2011. I guess January was a big month for comments!!! Random.org picked 156, which you realize is almost exactly in the middle...

And the winner is... Christine in NJ whose post on April 30th was the 156th. Christine has until December 27th to email me and give me her address! If she does not come forward by then, I will try again! I do believe that Christine is a previous YouTube winner of mine and that she was one of the people that had to leave home this past summer because of the hurricane! Hope you are still reading my blog Christine! OH..what did she win? Three different Core'dinations paper pack.  Two are Tim Holtz packs, Distress and Adirondack and the other is the Graphic 45 one!  If you are looking for another giveaway, go on over to my YouTube Channel where I have a big giveaway starting later today!

Me3anwhile, have a truly Merry  and safe Christmas!

So there you have it! This is probably my last post for this year!

January Layouts

Here are the layouts for my class in January, which will be January 20th at 6:30pm.  I still have 3 kits available, though one is possibly sold, I just haven't gotten a confirmation,

The picture placements on pages 3, 4 and 6 are flexible and just one possibility is shown below! Hope you like!

I'm also hosting a mini-crop at my home on January 14th and have a couple of spots left for that!

Please email me with any questions! Have a great pre-Christmas week!

Happy Thanksgiving and Opinions Please!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who will be celebrating it this week! So what do you think the turkey is talking about? Surely he is asking for a pardon! Or invoking higher powers to let him live...Oh, I've got it!  He is extolling the virtues of  eating steak! But what can I say, I'm human and an omnivore! The poor critter doesn't stand a chance, no matter how cute he is!  Personally, I'm aiming for the full Thanksgiving buffet, turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry preserve. And honestly, a nice piece of pumpkin pie would do just right by me as well! That said, Jen cooked a vegetarian chicken dish at the Linck Hill Inn retreat and it was without a doubt, better than its real chicken counterpart! As soon as she shares the details, I'll let you all know!

On another note, I really need to know what would make my readers happy, so please take a moment to comment! Here goes!

First, should I continue with the coupon posts?  They do take a bit of time and honestly I'm not sure if people actually are coming here to view the links and use them.

Is there anything that you would like me to cover in my posts? Trends, weekly links to the great projects I find on You Tube, crafty ideas, interviews with up and coming scrapbook artists or established ones...

Finally! Did you know, that I keep a copy of every comment I get on the blog throughout the year and at Christmas time I gift one of my faithful readers with a Christmas present? I'm not sure what I'll gift this year, but it will probably be something fun for the winner to play with!

Janie's Visit

I had seriously been waiting a long time for this, years really!  And like the little girl that I am inside, I thought it would never happen, the day would never come, when my friend would visit me and see my new life in Kentucky. Like Christmas, Janie's visit finally came and was over, far too quickly.

As Janie's plane landed, the sun which had been absent for a couple of days, peaked out from behind a bank of clouds.  By the time I picked Janie and her luggage up, the day was sunny, making the few remaining  golden and russet leaves shimmer from their branches. We did so much during her visit!

Friday we ate at a Thai Restaurant called Spice and then visited Rees Harps in Rising Sun, Indiana.

The Majestic River Entrance to Rising Sun, IN

Darlene played for us and
we each bought one of her CDs.

Janie and Darlene in the store portion of
 Rees Harps. The back of the building is
 the workshop.

Saturday,  after crossing the river into Ohio, I tookJanie to Simply Scrapbooks in Kettering.  We had lunch at The Pub. I was driving so these are her pictures.

The beautiful view of Cincinnati from I-75 in Kentucky.

Janie tool this picture of me outside
The Pub in Kettering OH.

Sunday, Janie and I had lunch by the Ohio River in Newport, KY.

Janie stands on the deck outside the
Buckhead Mountain Grill.

Monday I got to introduce Janie to my friend Charlene. We had an Italian lunch and then did a little shopping at Archiver's.  I was sure that they would hit it off, and they did! Janie and I also went to Scrap Your Art out and Scrap, Paper Scissors!

My pal Charlene at Archiver's.
I took this picture on a different day.

Tuesday we started heading towards Pennsylvania, and stopped overnight in  Berlin, in Ohio's Amish country.  Our stop there was far too brief, I'm already planning on a longer visit. 

We stopped at the Hershberger's Farm and the adjacent
Bakery and Produce shop to buy preserves, cheese and
some baked goods! 

Janie and I ate a wonderful meal at the
Chalet in the Valley Restaurant

Linck Hill Inn, Morris PA

We finally made it to the beautiful Linck Hill Inn in Morris, PA, shortly before dark on Wednesday. There we met the awesome Doug and his family. Doug took such great care of us!  You can read his blog here! We didn't only make scrapbook related things during our stay. We made new friends, ate Jen Peck's excellent cooking, breathe in the fresh air, and took ton and tons of pictures that we then shared with each other! We even went ghost hunting, enjoyed a certain 3 year old's antics and birthday and played games! I've got to tell you, it was worth the 10 hour drive and the time away from home! If you scrapbook and this retreat comes up again, you just have to take the time to make it! Just follow Jen's blog to learn about her other retreats! Just remember her blog music is always on!

Jen preparing one of her excellent meals!

From Left to Right:
 TopRow: Krysta, Amy, Julie
Middle Row: Janie, M-C
Front Row: Lydia, Becky and Jen
Absent: Kathy

My scrap space with the gift box from Jen.  We also
got a mini album kit perfect for holding the special pictures
from our stay at the Inn.
To top it off, we got a goody bag from Julie that included
amongst other things, a cute mini menu of everything
Jen served us over the four days we were there.

An old storage shed on the Linck Hill Inn property.
There were so many beautiful things to photograph
both inside and outside the inn!

The deer feeder behind the inn attracted up to seven deer
at once!

Beautiful deer.

We drove back in pouring rain and terrible winds, only to get back to a tornado watch and a terrible thunder storm, worthy of the best storms in Tampa! Janie missed Dancing with the Stars because of a power failure, but other than a few items that got thrown around on the porch, everything was just fine!

Finally, the day before Janie had to leave again, we went to Burlington, Kentucky to visit one of the cabins built when Kentucky was being settled and to munch at the Towsey House Tavern.

This early pioneer cabin is now a quilt store, full of beautiful fabrics!

Janie stands in front of Tousey house,
where we had lunch on Tuesday.

Our very personable and smart waiter,
brings Janie her Coca Cola cake and float.

Now my friend Janie is back where she needs to be, with her husband and family.  I wish her house were across the way from mine, the way it used to be.  I wish we were planning next week's excellent adventure, the way we used to do. Miss you already, Janie!