Miracles in Motion

We are lucky to have a Miracles in Motion location about 30-45 mintues from our home. My youngest has developmental delays and sensory processing issues, so his physical therapist recommended it. (This year he has graduated from hippo therapy to theraputic riding.)

This is inspired from CTMH's Cherish book. It's the one called "Filling Spaces". Papers are from Hobby Lobby and Michael's. I used the faux leather technique. You wet your paper with a sprayer, then crumple into a ball. Next open the ball and press flat, iron on medium with no steam. When dry, you ink the pages so the crinkles stand out. I used chestnut Roan cat's eye chalk and CTMH Brown Bag ink. I switched the title and journal blocks and rotated the LOs. Also, the big blocks were supposed to have 5x7s so I double matted to help fill the empty spaces. The little buckle is from Spare Parts at Hobby Lobby. I cut the pocket myself from left over paper and ran it through the sewing machine. I used some hemp twine to make the lasso and embellish. I didn't have the little gold stars, so I used staples for a more rustic look. I also added a little ribbon for texture, since I skipped the horseshoes. Thanks for looking! April

Zoo

This is the first trip to the zoo for my youngest.

The LO is inspired from CTMH's Cherish book. The animal print paper is from JoAnn. The chipboard letters are from Hobby Lobby's Spare Parts. I used white acrylic (a very think layer) and then inked with a olive dew drop. The square "buttons" are actually cardstock sticker tiles from a W R Memory Keepers set. I used a poker to make holes for the needle to pass through. Ribbon is from Michaels. I used little safety pins, a tiny button, and a frame hinge on the journalling. Journalling is Batik Regular font. Thanks for looking! April

Chocolate Milk

Here is my youngest trying his first carton of chocolate milk. It was too cute!

The LO is inspired from March 2008 pagemaps. The base is Moxxie and the red strip is the reverse side of the page. I wanted to stick with more brown tones to go with the chocolate theme. Journalling is printed on Michael's open stock paper using Bookman font. I printed it in brown and highlighted words in the same red as the accent. The title is cut from Cricut's Opposite Attract in Whisper White and Chocolate Chip. I cut down the tails on the "chocolate" to make the pieces fit. Next a spare piece of chocolate brown ribbon and some rick-rack add some texture. I used a zig-zag stitch in white thread. Last, I punched various sizes of vellum to make "milk bubbles" and added them along the edge. Thanks for looking! April

Handy Helper

I am finally up to 2010 (on the youngest, at least). This is pics from when I bought the cubes from my craft area. I bought them one or two at a time and used coupons or bought the pieces on clearance. Anyway, Matt took a shine to watching my husband and I put them together and wanted to help. We often joked that he was Handy Manny and thought I would use that theme on the page.

The LO is inspired from July 2009 pagemaps. In place of the stitching, I used the screw brads. The photo has hemp twine wrapped around it and is secured with a brad. I also used staples near the top of the page. Background is paper I found awhile ago, but have no idea where. Isn't the blueprint neat? Stickers are from Michaels. The title is Alphalicious from Cricut and cut at 1 1/4". Thanks for looking! April

Christmas

This is from Christmas 2009. Yea, with three kids, I will never be caught up! ARGH!

The LO is part of a two-page spread from April 2010 pagemaps. I simply moved the title onto the same page. It is supposed to have 8 photos, but I used the free spaces for embellishments and journalling. I was worried about the paper looking too busy, but the photos and title break it up. I used a zig-zag stitch to define the blocks more and embellish it in a more subtle way. The border is the scalloped border punch from SU and the paper is DCWV. I printed the journalling in coordinating color using Bradley Hand ITC font. Chipboard is colored with SU craft inks and embossing powder. I did the colors first, coated with powder and heated. For the bulbs, I did one half with color and emboss, heated, then went back and applied the gold emboss for the thread of the bulb. Tie a bit of ribbon for texture and mount with glue dots. The wreath and lettering are colored with Always Artichoke. I left the title matte and clear embossed the wreath. I used the curly label punch from SU to mount the date on the wreath with a couple of mini half-pearls finish. Title is from Basic Gray. Thanks for looking! April

Tree

This is another one from back in '09. We had a mini tree, because the youngest was into mischief (see previous post - LOL).

The base is Vanilla cardstock and the printed papers are from DCWV. The LO is inspired from July 2010 pagemaps. The journalling is printed on Very Vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up and uses Olive ink in Footlight font. The chipboard is coordinating DCWV and the rub-ons are some recycled ones from a previous project. The border punch is EK Success. A couple of staples and the dimensional scalloped circle add a little more texture and depth. (I really wanted to use ribbon, but didn't have any coordinating ribbon. BUMMER) Thanks for looking! April

Mischief Managed

So, I am still playing catch-up with the kids pages. I have been working on this one off and on for awhile, but couldn't seem to find the embellishments I wanted. Then I came across these adorable characters from Pixie Dust Studios! Aren't they just darling???

The base paper is a dual-sided B&T from my LSS. The Marauder's Map is from Creative Imaginations line of HP papers. Isn't it just awesome? I wanted it to look like he was up to no good, so I used the famous line to make the map work. I was out of craft or suede, so I printed the text (Lumos from dafont.com) on Very Vanilla. Next, I used CTMH Brown Bag ink to sponge the edges. Once that dried, I used the blade of my scissors to distress the edges. I went back and darkened the edges with more ink and finished the pieces with bits of Charcoal chalk ink in just a few spots. I matted the photo and cut title in Chocolate Chip textured cardstock and Very Vanilla cardstock. While the Vanilla was still on the cricut mat, I inked the letters. I used the Xyron sticker maker to adhere the fine letters. Title is cricut's Stamped cartridge cut at 1 3/4."

I used watercolor pencils and sharpie markers on the characters. Harry's glasses are liquid glass. I sparingly used some clear Stardust gel pen on each character. Harry is mounted on dimensionals, as well as the photo. The wanted poster is from the Creative Imaginations set that includes frames, icons, potion bottles, etc. The coin is from Tim Holtz and is tied to the mini paperclip with hemp twine. Thanks for looking! April

Note: I am entering this into PDS challenge "Back in time." I figured this pic is over three years old and a lot of HP stuff looks old or distressed, so I am just interpreting the challenge in a different way. Go check them out!

Grad Anya - Take 2

Here is the card for my sis-in-law's graduation from nursing school. I did the card in her school colors.


The base is Pumpkin Pie with layers of Basic Black and open stock B&T papers. The image is Grad Anya from The Greeting Farm and the sentiment is a retired SU set stamped on a Tim Holtz journalling ticket. Punches are EK Success Pinking Hearts and Dotted Scallop. The inset is mounted on dimensionals, as is Anya. Anya has clear Stardust gel pen used in her hair, tassel and shoes. Stitching in white thread on my sewing machine. The brad is Spare Parts from Hobby Lobby.



Inside, the image and sentiment are from Studio g. All ink is Staz-On Jet Black. Thanks for looking! April

Graduation Anya

Here is a card for a friend's daughter. She is graduating from high school and I wanted something a little nicer than a store bought card.

The base is cut a 5.5x11, then scored at 2.75 and 5.5 inches. Next I matted the base and white layers, and ran the lighter blue through the cuttlebug with a sizzix folder. Anya is colored with watercolor pencils and blended with a SU! blending pen. The tassle and shoes have a little bit of Clear Stardust gel pen. I cut out the hat and part of the head for some depth, then tore around the rest of the edges, lining with a fine tip pen. She is mounted with dimensionals. The sentiment is stamped from retired SU set Congrats in Staz-On Azure.

Inside, I did a similar matting. The numerals are from Autum Leaves license plate stamp set (stamped in Dove Gray) and the sentiment is from Studio g unmounted foam alphabet. I used some hemp twine on the button and attached a Tim Holtz ticket at the corner. Thanks for looking! April

Birthday coupon book

My daughter's BFF is having a birthday and she wanted a little something to add to her gift, so I sat down at the computer and helped her come up with some coupons for things to do together. (My daughter hates Justin Bieber, but made a concession to watch the movie with her friend...too cute!)

Once I printed the coupons, I trimed them to 3 1/2x5 1/2. The cover was then cut at 3 3/4x11 1/2. Fold the cover in half. (Here I used Taken with Teal.) I used Versamark on the cover with the Grunge Rock stamp set. Adding rhinstones as accents. I then made the scalloped circle layered with Taken with Teal and textured white cardstock and stamped with Taken with Teal craft ink. The cover was run through a crimper at the fold mark to make a binding. The coupons were perforated for easy removal, inked and stamped with various images. I put the coupons in the cover, then punched with a crop-a-dile, adding eyelets, then running ribbon through. Super easy! Thanks for looking! April

Twilight birthday card

My soul sis, Amy, is celebrating her birthday this month! Since we both love Twilight, I decided to make her a Edward card. Paper is retired Creamy Caramel and Very Vanilla. The base is cut at 12x5 1/2, then I measured the size of the single stamp and made a pocket inside. I made a little over a quarter inch score inside to leave room. The sheet music is stamped in CTMH Brown Bag on Very Vanilla, then crumpled and inked with Chestnut Roan cat's eye chalk, after distressing the edges. The Edward is from Greeting Farm and colored in watercolor pencils. I used the half pears on the edges of Edward, and photo brad, and some ribbon. The border is the SU/EK Success pinking hearts. The sentiment inside is from one of the Sale-a-bration set. I used the word window punch to make the slot for her present. Thanks for looking! April

Teacher Thank You Cans

So, I finally got around to finishing the teacher's gifts. You simply take the fruit cans with the pop tops and flip them over and open with a can opener. I put the gift cards I posted in a previous post in, along with a little bag of yummy chocolate. Next, use some liquid glass (diamond glaze, etc.) and run a bead around the rim of the can lid. Place lid in place and weigh down so the can reseals properly. When dry, decorate can as desired.

I used Poppy Parade and Whisper White. These cans were approximately 4 1/8x9 3/4. I then ran it through the polka dot embossing folder. I then stamped the cup from Pun Fun, minus the sentiment, in Poppy Parade ink. I attached them to the can using tacky tape. Then added some white grosgrain ribbon. Next, I punched curly labels from left over paper and mounted it behind the cup stamped in Jet Black Staz-On. I colored in with Poppy Parade ink using a blender pen, then added a couple of mini pearls to the labels.

For the top of the can, I opted not to decorate the entire lid. I simply punched the scalloped circle and layered with Poppy Parade and the sentiment from the Sale-a-bration catalog. I poked little holes in each scallop for a little extra contrast. Thanks for looking! April