Amy Tan class (Instagram style)

Yesterday I got the chance to meet Ms. Amy Tan!

I drove up to Scrapbook Territory with my fellow scrapbook friends and Instagrammers, Liz and Jossie.  I have always wanted to visit this store, but I've never ventured to drive an hour and a half to do so.

If this store was closer to me, I would be in trouble!

The selection of papers and stamps and everything was AMAZING!!!  I was good and didn't buy too much, but I so wanted to be bad in that store :)

Amy's class kit had so much stuff in it to make the cutest pages.

Amy's mom is the sweetest.

Here are two of the three layouts we created in class.

I cannot believe how perfect the first layout was for the pictures of my niece Kali.  Amy's sample had "Cali" on the tag and I just changed mine to use the "K".  And her bathing suit matched the layout papers perfectly.  The ladies said Amy and I must have planned it :D  ha ha ha

The third layout was a "Project Life" type page, but I haven't added pictures to it yet.

I had a great time and met some new Instagrammers to follow--so many creative scrapbookers out there :D

(photo from Liz)

Project Crochet

I've mentioned a couple of times that I am working on an album with just my crochet projects.

For Christmas, I received a SMASH-like book from Michaels that I am using for the sole purpose to show off all my work.

As I was gathering all my projects to print, I realized how many items I created in the 3 years I've been crocheting.  I was actually amazed at myself.  Yes, there were items that were frogged, but that doesn't mean I didn't spend the time to make it in the first place.

I used Persnickety Prints to print my photos.  I wanted an Instagram feel to the pictures, but I have only posted a handful of my finished projects.  I used the template that Persnickety has available and made 6- 12x12 sheets to be printed with 16- 2x2 prints each.

I added them randomly as I found them on my computer (it also gave me the chance to organize some of my photos into the right folders).

Someday I will have to load them all onto Ravelry.

 

Thanks for looking :)

Project Life~Weeks 20-23 (January)

I have been so far behind on my Project Life.  I've been good in actually taking the pictures daily, but I haven't kept up on the journaling.

At the end of January, I had printed all my January photos, but that is where it stopped.  Last week, I thought I only had a month to print, but it turns out I had 2 months (and a week)!  I sat down and printed them out (most of them were already cropped, just not printed).

The next day, I sat down and matched the pictures to journal cards...I was finally making progress.  For the past week, I've sat and journaled a week some evenings.  Finally have January completed!  woo hoo! 

This month, I tried to stay with a theme...my "resolutions": Health, Spending less/Using supplies, and Organization.

Week 20

(the first page states my "resolutions" what I am focusing on this year)
Wednesday - 1-Focus on Health
Thursday - 2-Focus on Spending Less and Using Supplies
Friday - 3-Focus on Organizing
Saturday - Putting Ornaments away (Organizing)
Sunday - Making breakfast and lunch for the coming week (Health)
Monday - Walking the dog after work (Health)
Tuesday - Send out giveaway and refund of Epson photo (Use Supplies/Offset Spending)

Week 21

Wednesday - Gathering all my Valentine Stamps (Using Supplies)
Thursday - New Cleats for my son and the new baseball season (Health)
Friday - Studio Calico PL kit--I subscribed before the new year and my resolutions (using supplies)
Saturday - 49er playoff game--Hubby got the hook up on tickets (spending less--kinda)
Sunday - You can't go without all the time--as long as you don't eat the whole thing (health)
Monday - Being sick sucks, but eating Ramen makes it a little better (health)
Tuesday - Free wine from work (spending less)

Week 22

Wednesday - New tires on Tahoe (not spending less)
Thursday - El Pollo Loco tacos (spending less and being healthier)
Friday - Cricut and roller date stamp (Organizing)
Saturday - New Beds (not spending less)
Sunday - Boy's bedroom furniture (Organizing)
Monday - Getting rid of VHS movies (organizing)
Tuesday - Drinking water (health)

Week 23

Wednesday - Floor heater at work (health--not getting sick)
Thursday - Using Cricut markers and Craft Room (Using Supplies)
Friday - At Ikea (Organizing)
Saturday - Clean Kitchen (Organizing)
Sunday - Clean bedroom (Organizing)
Monday - Kids making Honor Roll (Healthy for their brains)
Tuesday - Husband going back to school (health)

Thanks for looking :)

Getting Crafty with my Craft Supplies

For the past few years, there have been misting products in the paper craft markets, but I never got into them.

At the Expo, my crop-mates were talking about their Heidi Swapp Color Shine purchases from Michaels.  That is when I thought--what am I missing?

The next day, I went over to Michaels to check and see if I could grab a Gold Lame version, but my Michaels was out.

So I hit the internet to see if I could make my own version of Gold misting with the Acrylic paints I had on hand.

I found different recipes and I thought I had the perfect one.

~cleaned out a bottle that had previously contained stamp cleaner from CTMH (I do not know this consultant, I just found the link to the spray bottle)

~added 1/4 of the bottle with water (I used purified water)

~added alcohol to make the bottle 1/2 full

~added Apple Barrel Pure Gold Acrylic Craft paint

It was kinda watery...the recipe I found used straight-from-the-tube acrylic paint.  I think Craft Acrylic paint has more water to it.  So I had to add paint up to the rim of the bottle.

I think if I were to try it again, I would first put the paint in, then only add a little alchol at a time until I like the consistancy and I would skip the water all together.

It might not be as misty as the ones from the store, but it works for me :)  I've used it a couple of times already and I like the effect. 

Above, I masked the paper with some letter stickers, sprayed the mist, then removed the stickers.

This one, I used some Heidi Swapp resistance paper (courtesy of Crafty Jossie). 

I am wanting to see if I can find some more small spray bottles at the dollar store and make some other colors soon.

Birthday Card

Last week, I finished this card for my Goddaughter (I had to wait to until I gave it to her to post this).

I used my newest stamps and die cuts from The Stamps of Life that I bought at the Scrapbook Expo.

It is a pretty basic card.  I used the Cupcake die and stamp, the "happy birthday" stamp from the princess stamp set, washi tape (from the Target set), and a kraft base card that I cut using a Cricut cartridge -Life's a Party.  The paper used for the cupcake is from some older Basic Grey collections-Lollipop Shoppe-Fruit Punch & Blush-Be Mine. 

This is the first time I tried heat embossing on Kraft paper.  I wouldn't recommend heat embossing Kraft paper...unless I was doing it wrong (which is entirely possible), because it smelled like it was just burning the paper.

Scrapbook Expo 2013

This past weekend, I headed up to Pleasanton to hangout with some scrapbookers at the Scrapbook Expo to shop and crop.

Jossie, Kristen, me (blah!), and Liz

(taken by Cameron/edited by me)

I've know Liz for about 9 years now--we've attended an Expo crop years ago together.  We met Jossie and Kristen via Instagram.  Crazy, right?  (well I did meet Liz via MySpace--way before Facebook was the thing to do--it wasn't a pick-up spot for me--I met my best scrapbook buddy there!)

The price of the crop included a goody bag...here was my choice--I love the brown/pink combo! (now if I will just use it :D )

We had a great time.  I carpooled up with Liz and her daughter Cameron and we left about 4:30 (we got there a bit before 8am).

Here are my shopping goodies:

At first, I really wasn't finding much.  I mean do I really need these brads I got (only $1 per packet, but still!)?  At the last booth (first time around), I found this Amy Tangerine stamp that I have been really wanting.  There weren't very many deals...well let me rephrase that...Unless, you wanted to stay at the same cramped booth digging through items, there weren't very many deals :D  Plus, I have a ton of stickers, letter stickers, paper, embellishments to last me a lifetime, so my head was telling me I don't need anything!

Then I took one last look at the Stamps of Life booth.  I have watched her 30 second cards {in 5 minutes} videos plenty of times and find her hilarious.  The first time I walked by it, it was crazy crowded, so I figured I would circle back at the end--what a mistake for my pocketbook!

First I just had the Cupcake stamps and matching dies.  Well if you spent $50, you got the cute bag...At $32, I was almost there right (ok, in my shopping mind I was!), so I got the Princess crown stamp set--ok, my Accountant calculator was turned off because that wasn't enough to reach my $50 goal--duh!  And for the record, I have no clue what I am going to do with those stamps...so cute, but I don't really have anyone that young to do crowns for...oh well, I will figure it out.  So I needed 1 more stamp set to get the free bag.  I really like this Dragonfly for some reason.  Well not only did I get my free bag ($60 later--blah!), I also got a free ink pad--I was in a hurry because I was holding up the line (well maybe not, but I felt like I was), so I just chose brown.

I have already used the ink--I love it!  I wish I would have gotten more of her inks.  The bag...I am regretting spending so much to get that thing.  It is super cute, but it is huge!  I mean you can't put anything heavy in it because then it would just be heavy and probably break, so I don't know what I will be doing with the bag--that I HAD to have :)  Oh well that was my only real purchase of the day and I haven't bought too much since the beginning of the year. 

Now I just need to use these stamps!

I also received this goodies bag from Liz!  She is so awesome :)  She is definitely the hostess with the mostest.

Oh...what did I work on at the crop?  Not too much...I had a blast getting know my new InstaFriends!  I probably chatted too much--ha ha ha.  I did finally get my Florida trip (from May 2012) SMASHbook completed with the photos and souvenirs, but I have to go back and journal it. 

Most of this book was already started...I only had to finish the last 4 or so pages and the front cover.

The rest of the time, I spent cutting out my 2x2 pictures of my crochet projects (I will share my prints from Persnickety Photos soon).  Yes, I have a paper cutter-- no it doesn't work well...so I manually had to cut them and it took forever.  I wish I would have done that at home so I could have started my book of crochet projects at the Expo crop.

I really hope to get together with this group of girls again soon!

Still dreaming of Crafting...

It has been a while since I posted.  We've been doing a lot of household stuff to get ready for a big party next weekend (Super Bowl :/ ), so I haven't been very crafty lately, but I wanted to blog.

For Christmas, I got this Michael's Recollection Binder/Album.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but I knew I really needed it.

It is similar to a Smash Book, but instead it has binder rings so you can add more papers to it or move the pages around--which I really like!

I did think about using it to put my Instagram photos in it, but I had over 500 pictures since I started in June 2011 and I knew I wouldn't be slowing down on my photo sharing anytime soon.

Then I thought I would use it as sort of a portfolio for my crocheting.  Perfect way to remember everything I have done, sold, given away...

Persnickety Prints has a template for either 2x2 or 3x3 photos (marketed for Instagram) that print on a 12x12 photo.  Perfect!  I have some of my yarn work on Instagram, but the ones I don't I can still print in small squares.  I choose the 2x2 just because you get more for your buck :D

I realized that I have made a lot more than I remember in the past 3 years that I have been crocheting. I also realized I haven't shared everything on my blog.  So I want to share 3 bags I made in 2010 from this Lion Brand Yarn "Circle Dance Bag" pattern.

I like this one because it reminds me of Raspberry, Orange, Pineapple Sherbert :D  (I still have it--to be sold someday.)

This one I didn't change the color so much in order to avoid weaving in the ends.  In 2010, my husband's work had a charity event and this was given as a prize (along with a scarf and a pack of cards--all individually raffled off--people got to choose if they wanted it and they were a big hit!  Who knew?!?!)

And this one was made for my niece.

The first two bags were made from Lion Brand Cotton-Ease Yarn (Azalea/Maize/Almond and Almond/Lake/Charcoal) and the 3rd Bag was Lion Cotton (Black & Purple) and Sugar N Cream (Mod Blue).

The one change I made to the pattern was at the top of the bag, I used all 3 colors for the "rim" of the bag (the last 3 rows of the project).

I am thinking of doing another one for me in this pattern

The pattern on the pillow...not the bird (ha ha ha).  It is the pillow from The Big Bang Theory and I just love the pattern.  It will be quite a project to attempt, but I think I can do it--when I have some extra time.

Small update to my Roller Stamp Collection

I would like to share my two newest additions!  

I had emailed my local scrapbook store Scrapbook Island and asked if they could put me on a list to know when they got the "instagrammed" Studio Calico Classic Vol. III roller date stamp and she called me on Thursday--I had to pay over the phone to guarantee that I got 1 of the 4 that they had!

Over the past week, I visited a total of 6 Target stores and was failing sadly to find the American Crafts Valentine edition roller date stamp.  I had just about given up on hope and was not going to search any longer--I mean I didn't need one!!!  But Saturday I HAD to go buy shampoo so I peeked in the scrapbook aisle and I got the last one!  I was so excited (my daughter not so much--ha ha ha).

Now I am complete...well actually, I am thinking if American Crafts does come out with a Halloween version, I may need to buy that one :D  But by that time I will be done with my Project Life album and won't need one, right?

Playing with Cricut Craft Room Freebies

I've mentioned before that Cricut has weekly freebies in their Craft Room program and this week they had Don Juan for free!  The past month or two they have had free cuts that I wouldn't really use so I was excited that this was a whole cartridge for free (until January 9)!  This cartridge only comes free with the Cricut Create machine and on eBay the cartridge goes for lots of money because it is rare.

After checking out what the cartridge had to offer, I realized I didn't need it :D (my resolution thanked me!)

Instead of boxing up Christmas today, I played with my Cricut and made some cuts using the free program.

  

Various Colors of "Thanks" to be used on cards.  (they are 5.5" wide by 1.75")

 

They had an envelop and even though my Cricut isn't big enough, I tried it out.  It is cute, but would only hold a 3.25" x 4.5" card (if that).  Still cute.

Some basic 2.5" snowflakes :) (and I saved the negative--maybe to use for a card background)

Some 4" high whimsical trees.

This one, I should have saved the file to share, but since I don't own Don Juan I didn't see a reason to save the file, now I do :/

I will try my best to explain.  First with the Cricut Craft Room Basic, I used the rounded square (Basic tab/Shift/last row/first cut) and unlocked the ratio aspect to make it 3x4.  I added another of the same cut, but this time made it 2.75x3.75 and centered and welded it.  Now you get a basic rounded rectangle frame.  This can be saved for future use!  

The "OH Happy Day" is a phrase on the Don Juan cartridge and I just added and stretched it to weld to the top, bottom, and sides (the ratio aspect has to be unlocked).   The O actually has a smiley face in it but I didn't want that so I just used an "O" from the font and welded that on top of the O from the phrase.  

I plan to use the basic rounded rectangle frame to make my own cute phrase like Ali Edwards makes.

(photo from aliedwards.com)

And just to be clear--I don't work or get paid from Cricut ha ha ha.  I just am starting to love this machine again--although I need to start using the cuts instead of just storing them!!!

Project Life ~ Weeks 15b-19 (December)

I am about 1/3 the way through my Project Life album...The past 2 months have been easy since I took the Gratitude concept for November and the Daily December concept for December.  I hope the next 8 months are a breeze.

I went through 12/31 with the holiday theme and I probably could do a few more pages with all the decor (and meanings) I have in my house.

Week 15b (part a was in November)

Saturday - Ugly Sweater (according to my kids)
Sunday - Christmas movie Love :)
Monday - Christmas music!
Tuesday - Holiday Barbies

Week 16

Wednesday - Snowman (white) tree
Thursday - Food Donation for work
Friday - Work tree trimming party
Saturday - Got our tree (from Home Depot)
Sunday - Our "pretty" real tree
Monday - Our fake traditional with ornaments from both mom's houses
Tuesday - Charlie Brown tree (White Elephant score!)

Week 17

Wednesday - Parts of my Snowmen Collection
Thursday - My daughter's tree (5th tree in the house)
Friday - Santana Row tree
Saturday - Store Decor while shopping
Sunday - Toys bought for others
Monday - Cards I sent out
Tuesday - Cards we received wall

Week 18

Wednesday - Wreath (made in 1997)
Thursday - Nativity set
Friday - Snowman Nativity set
Saturday - gifts from 1st Christmas Celebration
Sunday - Decor in the Family room
Monday - Christmas Eve at 2nd Celebration--Chaos 
Tuesday - Christmas Day--Kid's loot

Week 19

Wednesday - My Christmas Loot :)
Thursday - Ceramic Tree that belonged to husband's mom
Friday - Outside decor
Saturday - Trip to San Francisco
Sunday - Last Starbuck's red cup of the season
Monday - playing Apples to Apples & Monopoly on New Year's Eve 
Tuesday - My kids with my 3 nieces & nephew...finally getting a picture this season.