Pen Holder & Blog Candy Alert

Here is a project I made for an altered art challenge that Morag has set up over at the AllyScraps.com forum. I needed a container to hold my outrageous number of pens, markers and paintbrushes, so I made a pen holder. I made one of these in first grade, but this one is a little nicer. If you want to do a similar project, use a smaller can! This one is about 13 inches around, which was a PAIN! The tomatoes were quite delicious though. I covered the can with brown paper from Prima and used some heavier My Mind's Eye glittered paper in the center. I used the square bracket-y thing (one day I will find out what the heck it is called for real) from the Calligraphy cricut cartridge. I really wish that they would have given the capapbility to have a blackout out image! I end up glueing the frame part to the paper I want inside and cut it out with scissors (thus making owning a die cutter more complicated). The shape is actually the same off white Prima paper. I inked the outline with Distress Ink, then I stamped the part that ws going to be the inside with Distess Ink and my new handy dandy script backround stamp. The swirly things are from the calligraphy cartridge as well. On my last trip to Michaels I picked up some Say it in Crystals by Prima that they just started to carry. So that is what all that bling is about. Flowers are by Prima as well. The angel is from some stickers that my mother brought back from Germany 10 years or so ago. They have an ugly white outline around them, so I just trimmed it off.

~*~BLOG CANDY ALERT~*~

Be sure to check out Irene's blog for some adorable blog candy! Fat free, calorie free (for my girlies on a diet) and guilt free! Irene has the most fantastic blog. She is so inspirational to me. Well, I'm done rambling for today. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Christmas Toilet Paper Roll Album

Every year I like to make a mini album of our Christmas. When we take out the tree to decorate we go through our albums and look through them and remember the good times that we had previous years. This year I made a toilet paper roll album. Toilet paper albums are great. Recycling is always good and it is so fun to see the look on people's faces when you tell them that they are holding toilet paper rolls as they look through your album. I love the little pockets for holding journaling and extra photos . My inspiration for this album started with some yummy flocked paper from Me and My Big Ideas. I hate to put fuzzy things locked away behind a page protector and it gives such a tactile quality to this little mini. I also used some velvet trim and the trim with the fun little tassels to add textural interest. I had these little vintage looking stickers my mother brought back on a trip from Germany years and years ago. I'm so glad I finally used them. I cut the little shape-y thing from the Calligraphy Cricut cartridge (thanks Hubby) I don't know a lot of the sources on the things I used on this project. I am trying to use up my stash and a lot of these things I bought years ago. The metal clip is from Making Memories. I folded the black lace to give it even more texture. The photos are printed in black and white to add to the vintage feel of the album. I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Peeled Paint on my photos and papers. I layered a Heidi Swapp chipboard clock with a button and a jingle bell. It hangs off the edge and functions as a tab. I used some Prima flowers (LOVE THESE) and put a snap in the center. Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my blog. Have a fantastic day!

My Friend Shemaine told me about a really neat site called Inspired Blueprints. I made this layout based on one of their sketches. It's pretty basic, but I love the patterned papers on this one. They are from Prima and My Mind's Eye. I used the Calligraphy and the Plaintin Schoolbook Cricut Cartridges.

Casing Rachel

I found Rachel's blog several months ago. I must admit that it is one of my favorites to visit. She has amazing style and uses lots of flourishes and subtle chalking on her fab layouts. She is also a very sweet person who generously allowed me to case this layout and offered me some really helpful tips on the chalking since it was my first time. Thank you Rachel, you rock! Check out Rachel's gallery for the layout I cased (hers is really much better). The backround for this page is My Mind's Eye. I used flourish stamps from Autumn Leaves and the flowers are cut from cricut's Calligraphy cartridge (thanks Hubby!) I used Inkadinkado chalks.

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

Well, while I was browsing in my local Dollar Store (I keep finding the best stuff there) I found these wooden stockings. You are supposed to paint them, but I think if Monet himself painted these things they still would end up really tacky (sorry, Claude). I ended up using a heat tool to remove the shapes stuck on top of the stocking and give me a flat surface. I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper. The paper I used for all 4 stockings is from the My Mind's Eye Christmas Short Stack. It is so nice to get stacks like this that way everything just complements every thing else and it saves a lot of time. The hearts on this stocking are cut on my cricut (Plaintin Schoolbook) as is all of the lettering. I used a glittered bell (also from Dollar Tree) and the Holly leaves are from Prima. The tree chipboard is from Colorbok, covered with MME paper and I glittered the star with Doodlebug glitter. The Chipboard Ornament is from Cosmo Cricket. I used some Making Memories trim on top of it for a little exta texture. All of the stockings are inked with Weathered Wood Distress Ink to give them a little more dimension. This last stocking is by far my favorite. I LOVE the Cosmo Cricket snowman. Isn't he the cutest? I also used Prima flowers on this one (hope Hubby doesn't find it too girlie). I used snaps for the centers the way Tim Holtz did in one of his 12 tags of Christmas. I thought that was very ingenious of him. Well, that's what I've been up to this weekend. I'm also working on another project that I hope to share with you soon. Thanks for reading and have a super blessed day.

Christmas Cards

Here are a few simple cards I made from some stamped images that I received from a friend on Cafemom. I just love House Mouse. I have so much fun coloring in stamps. My son is learning to color and he likes to do it with me. Thanks for reading. I hope you have a lovely day.