Merry Christmas!

Have a very merry Christmas and an amazing new year.

Sneak Peek: Santa Zach

Here's a sneak peek of sweet little Zachary, who was just amazing for his shoot.  We had this little sweetie sleeping with all kinds of props, wait until you see the rest of his pictures.... they're amazing!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sneak Peek: Mason

Look at this little sweet pea!  Isn't he just a doll?  He did so well for the pictures too.  The whole family is adorable and you can easily see just how loved this little boys is.

Sneak Peek: Lexi and Family

You might recognize this sweet little girl from two posts back.  They asked me to photograph the whole family after we had so much fun with Lexi's shoot.  Aren't they an adorable family?  I just love 'em!!

Sneak Peek: Jennie & Family

So it's a little late to call this a sneak peek since the pictures have been delivered, but I wanted to show this cute little family off anyways :)  Jennie is my cousin and she's like another sister to me and her girls are just the cutest!  Tell me Maggie (the blonde) doesn't look exactly like her!

Sneak Peek: Lexi

This girl is sooo America's Next Top Model!!  She was soo great for this shoot.  I had a blast!

11.28.2010

Today I'm giving you a look at one of my latest big projects.  I'm calling it DIY dining.  Most of what you see here was made or altered by me.

WARNING: this is a very picture heavy post.

Here's a good look at the table I built by adjusting the plans for this narrow farmhouse table to make it a little wider and added some trim around the edges to make the top look chunkier.  L.O.V.E. it!!  It seats up to 10 if we add a chair on each end.

Another look at the end of the table you can also see the bench I made to match.  There was no plan for a bench to match the table so I had to make that up, but I was really pleased with how it turned out.  I'm working on some matching chairs, just ran out of time before Thanksgiving.

Here's a look at the bench.

I've got to find the before picture I took of these candle holders.  They were this ugly, shiny, old looking gold.  I picked them up for 50 cents each at my local goodwill.  Add some spray primer and black patina spray paint and voila, pretty matching candle holders.

This was the first year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the whole family (both mine and my husbands) and I wanted to make a good impression.  We bought some pretty white plates from Wal-Mart as well as some red cloth napkins.

I found some napkin rings 2/$1 at Michaels, they had leaves and turkeys on them.  Those wouldn't work, so you know I had to decorate the napkin rings.

and a close-up of the napkin ring.  I used a bunch of my Papertrey Ink supplies: a leaf prints die on simply charteuse felt, a pure poppy button with silk ribbon, a limitless layers die, the sentiment from 2009 autumn tags.  As well as some Martha Stewart chunky glitter and practicing creativity's houndstooth background from retro christmas backgrounds

One last look at the whole ensemble.

I love my dining room, and hope you like it too.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

edited to answer a couple questions

The table is 37 1/2" wide and 8 feet long, I basically just added an additional 1x8 to Ana's plans.

The trim I used around the edges is from my local Lowes.

It looks like this, only for my table I flipped it upside down so the chunkier part is at the top.

 

It's EverTrue Pine Modern Casing.

The high gloss finish ends at the edges of the table, it's self leveling so I was afraid it would just drip off the edges if I tried.  It's a polymer compound that starts in two different bottles and you mix them together and pour it on.  Then you smooth it out and it self-levels.  The brand I used is EnviroTex Lite, I found it at Menards but I'm sure you could find something similar at any home improvement store.

I used a gel stain by Varathane called Early American and two coats of wipe on high gloss polyurethane on the rest of the table and bench (not the top). 

PTI Blog Hop

So, the theme this month for the blog hop is to make a tag for the holidays.  In truth, I am just not prepared enough to have a Christmas tag to show you, so I've got one for Thanksgiving.  haha.  I really liked the overall design of this one and it could totally be adapted for Christmas just by switching out the colors.  It's tied onto some banana bread in a little mini loaf pan from Michaels.  Sweet and simple, just the way I like it!

Thanks for stopping by and have a safe and happy thanksgiving!

11.3.2010

Wow, it seems as though the world has been spinning faster than ever.  There just aren't enough hours in the day, are there?

Oh well, busy is good, keeps me out of trouble ::wink::

Today I've got a thankful card to share.  I think I'll give this one to my in-laws.  Truthfully, I'd be lost without them!

I used the leaf prints stamps and dies and a sentiment from 2009 autumn tags.  So glad I decided to get leaf prints!  I was on the fence about it, but it's great for fall and masculine projects and the matching dies are amazing!!

Well onto the to-do list, thanks so much for stopping by!

10.27.10

How's everybody doin today?  We're good here, it's a laid back kind of day today.  The only day this week that I get to stay home all day and have no errands or school business to attend to, yey :)

Today I've got some Halloween favors that my kiddos will bring to school.  They're getting really excessive with the peanut allergy awareness so we went with glow bracelets.  Now, don't get me wrong here, a peanut butter sandwich is never worth risking some poor kids life for, but at our school it's to the point where they won't let the kids bring in anything.  My son's pre-school class wan't even allowed to bring these to pass so I'm having the teachers give these out as if they're from them.

Sorry, got a little off track.  Anyways, here's the project.

Don't they look so fun all together like that!?!

I bought this set simply to have this adorable sentiment, haha, lovin' it!!

I used spring moss cs and stamped with simply chartreuse for the background.  Used palette ink for Frank and the sentiment and colored with copic markers.

This one is lavendar moon cs stamped with plum pudding.

and these are summer sunrise cs stamped with orange zest.

Arent' they fun?!  I'm so in love.

Thanks for stopping by!

10.19.10

Today's card was made for a friend of the family who retired after 37 years of working in the local mine.  37 years!!

This card features leaf prints form PTI and I was looking all over for a retirement sentiment when I remembered Practicing Creativity's Chatterbox.  Love that sentiment set, there's a lot of different sentiments you don't find frequently.  The size was perfect to fit on this tag with my leaf.  I rock and rolled the leaf with orange zest and terra cotta tile and the background is stamped with terracotta tile on orange zest CS.  The tag and ribbon are the beautiful fine linen, I'm more and more in love with this color each time I use it!!

I've also got my very first knock off wood project to share with you today.  It's a bookshelf adapted from this amazing wall bookshelf.

The original sat on the floor, but because of that radiator, mine had to be wall mounted.  What I love best about this bookshelf is how the books face outward.  My kids always had a tough time getting the books put in library style so they would sit on the floor in a sort of stack until I picked them up.  This way they can put them away so easily!!  As you busy Mom's know, anything they can do themselves is always less work for us!  I also simplified the tops and cut them rounded off, because this was my very first wood project ever and I wasn't quite sure how I'd do with a jig-saw.

This was seriously so easy and fun to build and it cost $27.72 including screws!!

and because I have two rowdy boys....

 you can see that before I could even photograph it they did this.

Which is the entire reason I didn't want to pay big bucks for a bookshelf  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

10.13.10

Hello Everyone!

Sorry to leave the blog unattended for so long.  I feel guilty not stopping in, but you know how it is, life just gets busy!  So what have I been up to? 

Well I got distracted by

  

Knock Off Wood

Which got me into building furniture!!  So far I've built this Kids elementary table and these storage chairs, then a variation of this book shelf.  I used this farmhouse table plan to make a workbench for my husband, and I'm working on a dining room table using that plan too but I adjusted it to be wider.  Just yesterday I built these totally fun Truss shelves.  Using my own plan I also made a side table for the living room and am working on a bench for the dining room table. 

So, yeah, I got a little obsessed!  Haven't taken any pictures of them yet, but if you'd like to see anything just let me know.

Besides that, the wood for our wood boiler so we've been cutting and hauling that like it's going out of style!  There's been no crafty time for this girly, but I've got a couple more cards from Practicing Creativity.

This one uses the tree and sentiment from Retro Christmas and the presents from The Whole Cycle.  Fun isn't it?!

Here's a tag using hte deer and striped tree from Retro Christmas and happy birthday sentiments from you're the man.

Here's a clean lined masculine card featuring the striped tree from Retro Christmas and sentiments from Chatterbox.

Thanks for stopping by!

10.4.10

Last day of the Practicing Creativity sneak peeks!!  Today we made anything but a card.  I'm trying to simplify my Christmas craft to-do list this year so I made this sweet little hot cocoa packet holder to tie onto a gift bag.

If you pull up the bow it reveals the cocoa inside.

Don't you love this little reindeer?  He begged me for googly eyes, so that's just what he got! :)  I love that the antlers and nose are separate pieces and they are so easy to line up.

I glittered up the tree and put him on some felt snow.

Make sure you check out the DT gals blogs!

Courtney

Karen

Dana

Paulina

and my fellow guest DT members

Heather Pulvirenti

Christina Maclaren

Thanks for stopping by!

10.3.10

 Got another peek for you from Practicing Creativity!!  Today the DT gals and I are featuring spray ink in our projects. 

Using an oval nestability I cut and embossed some white cardstock.  While it was still in the die I sprayed some glimmer mist to create my background.

The background is stamped with versamark and this sweet little tree was just begging for some bling.

Make sure you check out all the DT gals blogs for some more peeks!

Courtney

Karen

Dana

Paulina

and my fellow guest DT members

Heather Pulvirenti

Christina Maclaren

See you tomorrow for one more peek before the release!

Thanks for stopping by!!

10.2.10

Sooo I can finally tell you all... I'm guest designing at Practicing Creativity this month!!!  I'm a huge fan or Courtney Bakers and I LOVE, love, LOVE their stamps.  I am thrilled beyond belief and honored that she'd have me!

Today I'm sneak peeking one of the new October release sets, Retro Christmas.  It's amazing, you're going to fall head over heels for this one, I know I did!!

The ornaments are heat embossed with some gliter and bling thrown in for good measure  ::wink::

Here are a couple close-up shots.

Make sure you check out all the DT gals blogs too, they're amazing!

Courtney

Karen

Dana

Paulina

and my fellow guest designers

Heather Pulvirenti

Christina Maclaren

Happy World Cardmaking Day!!  I'm hoping to have a little fun time in the studio today, hope you can too!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll come back tomorrow, I'll have more sneak peeks from Practicing Creativity!

10.1.10

Today's card, another from the archives features a bunch of papertrey.  Sentiments from big and bold wishes, leaves from turning a new leaf, scallop border, twine and buttons

Stop by tomorrow, I've got some exciting news to share!

9.29.10

Today's card is one from the archives, I made it quite a while back, not sure why it never got posted because I really like it.  Loving the gradient color scheme.  The background is text style 1, trees from through the trees and the sentiment is from big and bold wishes.

See how I repeated the colors in the buttons?  just a fun little touch.

Not sure if I've mentioned it before but I am very passionate about photography, and I've got some fun news on that front.  This week I've got TWO photoshoots scheduled, and they're not even for my own kids!  haha :)  Some day I hope to have a full time photography business.  What do you want to be when you grow up?

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Cardstock:  Dark chocoalte, kraft, vintage cream, lemon tart, summer sunrise, orange zest, terracotta tile

Stamps: Through the trees, text style 1, big and bold wishes

Ink:  dark chocolate

Other: twine, buttons (lemon tart, summer sunrise, orange zest, terracotta tile)

9.28.2010

Hello!  Happy Tuesday, we're that much closer to Friday right?  ha!  I've got plans to visit my son's 1st grade class to take some photos for the first installment of our school scrapbook.  Yey, it's so much fun!!  Don't have to be there for a couple hours so in about 5 minutes I will have a quiet house.  BLISS!!

Today I've got a card featuring my favorite set from WPlus9, hooked on you.  I wanted to keep this one super CAS.  The fish was stamped on some Echo Park patterned paper, cut out and colored the spots with a copic marker.  I also stamped his eye on white and cut that out.  I cut a 1 3/4" circle for him to peek out of and punched the waves on the top with a fiskars border punch.  Stamped the sentiment in black and the bubbles with versamark.

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay tuned, I've got some pretty exciting things coming up!!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Hooked on you WPlus9

Cardstock:  White, Hawaiian Shores

Patterned Paper:  Echo Park

Ink:  Palette Noir, Versamark

Other: 1 3/4" circle punch, Wave punch Fiskars, copic marker

halloween wishes

Hello everybody!  Happy Monday, hope you had a super weekend.  Ours was great, full of good times and great people.  We've all been battling head colds, seems we always are this time of year.

The card I have for you today is a Halloween card using Damask designs and Halloween tags.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies (all PTI):

Cardstock:  Vintage Cream, Orange Zest, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Plum Pudding

Ink:  Orange Zest, Plum Pudding, Dark Chocolate

Stamps:  2009 Halloween Tags, Damask Designs

Other:  Large Scallop Border, 1 3/4" circle punch (Ek Success), Twine, Orange Zest Button

you're the man

Today I've got a masculine card for you featuring Practicing Creativity's You're the man and PTI's It's Official.  The bolts in the background are heat embossed on simply chartreuse cardstock.  I stamped the ruler on kraft cardstock and stamped some woodgrain in dark chocolate over it.  I stamped the sentiment, also from you're the man, on a fillable frames #4 die. 

I really like the simplicity of this one.

Now I've got to run, there's a full 3 hours of quiet until my boys gets home from pre-school.  Got to check some things off the to-do list and enjoy the peace and quiet! :)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic day!!