I Can't Decide

I don't think I will ever be able to decide which is better...The feeling I get when I complete a project...Or the feeling I get watching someone enjoy what I have made them.  And so is the case with my banner I have been working on.  When I saw this project, it was very different, and  I purchased everything I would need to make it the way I saw it.  However, I was making it for my sweet daughter, and she wanted something different.  This project has been so fun because I "consulted"her before proceeding.  The results were amazing!

                 

Lovely Ladies

Have you seen these beautiful ladies!?  Julie Nutting has a line of stamps out, all in paper doll fashion that you can stamp, cut and decorate.  I have had them for a while, but am just starting to appreciate all the projects I can use them in!  For this project, I am using the dolls to make my daughter a banner for her room.  She is getting older and is not so into the cutesy stuff as she used to be.  To be extra sure she would like the outcome, I had her help choose the girls she wanted me to use, and the colors to do the banner in.  Using a mix of paper lines from Prima, and Bo Bunny, and a collection of "stuff" I gathered I decorated the first three pennents of the banner.  I used Audrey, Rita, and Mindy (giving them all red hair on honor of my daughter!)


First Mindy:  

Fun Tip!  That cute little metal bow, and the peach flower with rhinestones around it are actually earrings I cut the post off of!  I found them in the clearance section at Michaels!

Here's Rita!

Fun Tip!  The rhinestone in Rita's hair is another earring I repurposed!  The pearls are a string I cut apart!

Finally...Here's Audrey!

Overall I am pleased with the start and my daughter is ecstatic!!  Next week I will share the completed project!

Bright blessings!  Stay messy!
Cyndee


I used
Rita                                                                                    Audrey                      

and Mindy

Gifts are crafting too!

I spend a lot of time making little cards or gifts for people at work, and I never think to post them as part of my collection of messes.  Well today I just couldn't help myself!  I LOVE this basket I made for a bridal shower at work and I must share!  First thing I am going to do is apologize for the pictures!  I didn't take them with sharing in mind...but we're messy right!?  So we are rolling with it!

The theme of this shower is "Firsts".  Each group of us was responsible for creating a basket to go with a particular first the couple will have when they are married.  Some groups had first vacation, first Thanksgiving, first baby...but we got first fight!
I must admit my mind when straight to the making up part...but it really is all in the presentation.  Here is what I ended up with!

For the banner I used the thinlits diecut from Sizzex, and the BoBunny collection called Primrose Colletion.  I only used the little 6x6 pad.  It was perfect!

If you look at the bucket you will notice there are also word bubbles...those are prewritten apologies they can give each other.  I attached them to candy and candles.

One other nifty find was Hersey Kisses with notes written on the bottom, like conversation hearts.  I sprinkled those all around the other things in the bucket!

Have a GREAT week!  Brightest blessings and stay messy!!!
Cyndee


I used:


Die Cut Set 

Paper Collection

Finishing it 7 Years Later

I suppose it is much better to finish a project, than to never do one at all.  My husband and I were married about 7 years ago, and although I go several shutter fly albums from friends...there is something wonderful about making your own memories come to life.  I decided to use the Twin Album pattern I bought from one of my favorite designers.  Only instead of each side being a child, one side was about my wedding and the other about my honeymoon.  I used the paper line  Family Stories from Teresa Collins.

I love the way this turned out!  There was so much real-estate for pictures and stuff!

This picture shows when you open the book.  I love how the reader can choose what to look at, the wedding or honeymoon.

 One additional fun feature of this album was the pockets.  Each back page is actually a pocket where I could put in the extra little mementos from the day!

Bright Blessings and Stay Messy!

Cyndee

Happy New Year!

2016!  It's knocking at the door and ready to come in.  What a perfect time I have had at home this past week finishing up projects, and completing some albums that have been "hanging" around.  I find myself very ready after the Christmas season to pack up the house and clean like crazy, as well as clean out the projects looming so I can start fresh with the year.
Last year was one of the best years of my 40 here on earth.  After many years of trying, my husband and I were able to move our family to the south.  Just after moving here, I purchased a book about odd and fun things to do in Alabama (our new home).  OF COURSE I take a million pictures anytime we go somewhere, and I thought what no better way to document this crazy year than with a memory folder. I love these folders, first bought about by Heidi Swapp.  You can learn more about them here https://youtu.be/jB9mXiV_Sfs  I have several folders of hers, but also love making them from plain old folders as well.  The card stock weight is heavy enough you can gesso, glue, paint, ink, well anything and it will stand up to it.
This is the start...

 So a funny little thing happened when making this.  I had some distress stain in metallic rose sitting near me, and I didn't realize I had not attached the top securely.  Well, if it can happen it will, so I knocked it over and it spilled along the top right of the folder.  At first I was very upset, but then realized I could distress the folder and correct my boo boo.  First I took some gesso and lightly painted it around the edges.  Next I took some medium paste, and mixed the metallic rose in it.  I used my pallet knife and drug it across much like spackle on a wall for texture.  I was very pleased with the final outcome.  And best of all, my boo boo was bye bye!

I also found these great 4 x 4in page protectors in the the clearance section at Michaels.  They make for great waterfall pieces, which really adds to the photo real-estate in an album.

There are many things I love about Memory Folders, but one is that there is no big commitment to space in the beginning.  I can add as much flipping, folding or falling as I want.  I inserted a smaller folder, and an additional page, but have not bound them together yet because I don't know what other creative piece might come into play.

Have a GREAT and Messy 2016!
Cyndee

WHAT!?!?!  WHERE!?!?!  WHO!?!?!

Where have I been?  Crazy it has been so long, but so many things have happened.  Sometimes our best intentions are foiled for whatever reasons, but now I have relocated my family and have been more creative in the last 5 months than I think I have in a year~
Merry Christmas Y'all!
2016 is going to be great!
Brightest Blessings and Stay Messy

Quick Little Thanks

Quick Little Thanks

My daughter turned 10!  I can not believe how the years have passed by, and so have her taste in "parties".  This year she wanted to invite a few girlfriends to dinner and movie at the mall.  So we spent the evening with a fun little group cruising along.  I do think the art of thank you cards are lost, so I helped my daughter maker her thank you's early!  This was a fun card making project we did grabbing from my stash.

First we used Flat Cards 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 I got a Paper Source.  They come in packets of 25 and if you watch around you can sometimes get them in the clearance section (sale - my favorite 4 letter word!).  We ran these through the Big Shot to emboss them using the "smile" embossing folder...

After I embossed the cards, I went over the top of the words and edges with my favorite Heidi Swapp ink - Mint!  Next I used my Polaroid picture frame to cut out the shapes for where I was going to stick a thank you "gift".  I think this has been one of the BEST purchases I've made to date!  Very versatile

Not wanting to waste, We used the inside square to write the thank you notes on, and I used my Heidi Swapp clear stamps to #thanks on the bottom of the picture frame.  This tied it all together nicely.  To complete it, we placed a cute little Apple square gift card in the picture frame as a little party favor!

FINALLY nothing would be complete without a 10 year old's selfee!!!

Brightest Blessings and Stay Messy!