I'll be at The One Stop Shopping Event November 6, 2010

Just wanted to let you know that I will have booth at the One Stop Shopping Event, Saturday, November 6, 2010 in Sycamore IL. Come see my covers, scrapbags and gifts at this event from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Here are the details:

What: South Prairie’s Sycamore One-Stop Shopping Event!!!

When: Saturday November 6th 2010 10am to 4pm

Where: South Prairie Elementary School
820 Borden Ave, Sycamore, IL 60178

Who: Scrapincovers, All Stickered Up, Pampered Chef, Roundabout, Imported Greek Olive Oil, Tupperware, Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, Noah’s Ark, Craft Room Accessories, Gigi Hill Bags, Gold Canyon Candles, Thirty One Gifts, Tote Bag & Christmas Tree Toppers, Simply Created, Stampin Up, American Girl Size Doll Clothes, Chris’ Leather Wears, African Violets, Usborne Books, Beauticontrol, Inspiranza Designs, D’s Bagels, PenelliBelle Inc. Handcrafted jewelry, That Special Touch, Sami Jo Jewelry Creations, Moments in Time Photography, Personalized Ornaments, A Gang of Girls-Intuitive Readings & Reiki Energy Sessions, and more!

This event is a fundraiser for the South Prairie PTO and 10% off all sales go to benefit the PTO.

Pumpkinfest in Sycamore IL

This weekend is the 49th Annual Pumpkinfest in Sycamore, IL. Every year my friend and neighbor coordinates a neighborhood entry for the kids. She chooses a title for our neighborhood display and the kids make pumpkins to go with the title. The title is based on the theme from the Lyons who sponsor the pumpkin display at the local courthouse. This year the Theme was Pumpkins Across America and our neighborhood display is called "From Sea to Shining Sea." So, once the title is chosen, my friend makes up some props for the background of the display and a sign. Guess who cuts the letters for the sign?
I wanted to share a picture of this years props and praise and thank my friend. One end of the display features the San Franciso Bridge and the other has the Statue of Liberty. She made the bridge from old crutches and plywood and the statue from a paper machee dress form, fabric, starch, spray paint and of course PUMPKINS. Thanks to Memory, our neighborhood won first place again this year! I know that my children will alway remember these Pumpkinfests displays and making them with our friends and neighbors! Thanks Memory, for making these treasured memories for all of the neighborhood kids!

A Glue Boo!

In years past, my children and I have boo'd our friends and neighbors. We make up treat bags with the "You've been boo'd" poem. Drop the treat bags on the door knobs, ring the bell and run! Of course, I always called the Mom's on the sly to let them know the candy was from us and safe to eat. But, Glue Arts is having a Glue Boo, with a Glue Glidder Pro as a potential prize. So, I'm in! See how to enter at the link above and have a fun, safe Halloween!

Try the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab for Your UFO!

So, I am so loving the Moxie Fab blog! And saw they have a feature called Tuesday Trigger. I love to try a challenge to finish off a UFO or Un Finished Object. You may recall that I had to try this crochet technique I found at Lolly Chessies blog. I even created a cut file to share, so you could make your own. But, when I finished my beautiful crocheted circle frame, I had no idea what to do with it.
Then I saw the Moxie Fab Tuesday trigger, a sweater and thought of my Basic Grey Ambrosia, Quince paper. Doesn't it remind you of the sweater?!
I am not much of a neutral girl and thought it needed some green...something with fringe like the sweater. Oh, my frame!
I wanted to play with my Quince paper and make a flower. I fussy cut the motifs and inked the edges. I tucked them all under a swirly stem from my Inkadinkadoo Bold Damasks (oh and there is a Damask challenge on Moxie Fab too!). And yes, that is the Tim Holtz rosette again! Can you say obsessive? Prima flowers and a few buttons and bling finish it off.
So, here is my finished page and I am so happy with it! Visit Moxie Fab and try the Tuesday Trigger to finish up your UFO's and your gonna love the results!
Supply List
Basic Grey Ambrosia Tangy (stripe)
Basic Grey Ambrosia Quince (background around frame & fussy cut flower detail)
Basic Grey Ambroisia Winsome (butterflies)
Felt Swirl Black Queen and Co
Flower accordion fold Tim Holtz Rosette
Prima Flowers
Remember This (Journaling block stamp) Little Davis for Fiskars
Black Chipboard button (not sure it's been in the stash too long)

Before & After

I worked up this Cuttlebug dust cover a while ago, but it has been sitting in the shop attracting customers, but not selling. I can't tell you how many customers have asked for covers in this Michael Miller Carnival bloom fabric! I decided that the cover needed a before and after treatment and I had out my micro pom pom trim for the Moxie Fab Challenge. So why not add the trim to my cover? I think it looks so much better!

A Fanned Rosette with Mother's Day Flower

Played with my Tim Holtz Rosette again tonight. I made a fan with it this time and glued it behind a flower. I used my Mother's Day Cricut Cartridge for the flower, my Close to My Heart Stamps "True Friends" and "For Every Occasion". The printed yellow card stock is Cosmo Cricket. Thanks for looking!

Square Rosette Tutorial

I thought it might be helpful to share how I got the my square rosette and evenly spaced my pleats. I cut the fancy square shape with my Cricut Storybook cartridge, two times. Once of the base and once for the top. I cut two rosettes and glued them together (you should have 40 peaks). I pleated the rosette and set it aside.
I folded my base piece in half lengthwise and crosswise, then diagonally to form a X. Mark your fold lines with a pencil (see photo below).
Now using a needle and thread, baste three peak folds at each corners. Count over three, and the fourth fold is basted in the middle. Count over three and start your next three peaks in the corner on the fourth peak. Continue around, so that you have three peaks in each corner, and seven peaks along each side with the fourth peak centered over the center fold of the base.
After basting you can begin gluing. I start with the corners and work along half of each side at a time. Here is my base all glued down. Now you may be asking yourself, why not just jump in with the glue gun? I did not want to burn myself or get frustrated with misplaced pleats!
Sentiment stamp is CTMH Best Wishes, swirl stamp is Inkadinkadoo Bold Damask, berries are Cloud9 Designs.

Perfectly Placed Pleats Challenge at Moxie Fab

Sometimes, I have so many ideas running through my head that I can't craft fast enough to get them on paper. Well, I saw the Moxie Fab blog had a Perfectly Placed Pleats challenge and had an excuse to make up an idea I have had running around in my head since this summer.
The idea for this look all started with two shirts I bought this summer at the Bass Shoe outlet. See the picture below.
I loved the neckline detail of the gathered ruffle finished off with the micro pompom trim! So, I knew this look was going to make it into a paper project! I already had a stash of micro pom pom.
So, I started pondering on the challenge and thinking about my newest die: Tim Holtz's rosette. How was I going to get the look of this neckline in paper? Well, did you know, Tim Holtz's rosette does NOT have to be made round? To get this look, I cut two of the rosettes, cut off the scalloped edge (gasp!), and glued them together. I hand stitched on my micro pompom, then pleated the rosette and carefully glued it so that I got the fans at either end and straight pleats in the middle.
I cut my fancy shape with my Cricut, using Storybook. Oh, I got me all sorts of ideas of cuts I want to use with this rosette now! Squares, fancy labels, maybe even a scroll. Guess there won't be much housework done this week! So, give this look a try and add a detail to the edge of your pleats, and use your rosette on something that isn't round!
Supply List
Patterned paper Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses
Tim Holtz Paper Rosette
Close To My Heart Friendship Blessing Stamp set & ink
Cuttlebug embossing folder (forest green ribbon)
Stickles Xmas Red
Karen Foster Sparkle Burst Brad
Prima Flowers
Micro Pom Pom Trim
Thread

How about a Spider Card?

I just got Tim Holtz's Rosette die and am loving it! As you may have noticed, I tend to explore my latest favorite until it becomes a bit obsessive. Remember my scallops on every cut? My addiction to plastic packaging? Well now, it's TH's rosette! So, the other day I was inspired to try and make a spider with my new die and pipe cleaners. There is something about pipe cleaners and buttons that remind me of my childhood crafting. I used my Doodle bug flocking on the spider body, and my Martha Stewart Punch around the page Iron fence too! What a fun, cute card! Oh, and did you know that the Etsy Inspired Challenge blog allows you to enter their challenges more than once? So, I am going to enter the challenge again! I was inspired by the colors in this card at Capturing Creativity to make my color choices.

Etsy Inspired Challenge #110

It's been awhile since I have had time for a challenge, but this weeks Etsy Inspired Challenge is for a great shop Capturing Creativity I so love her whimsical style and sense of color. I was inspired by her Autum Harvest Creative Kit to make a birthday card in Autumn colors. I love the orange in the leaves and pulled out some of my Basic Grey Fusion line. I also used my SU Harlequin plate, Tim Holtz alcohol ink in terra cotta, and raspberry, bubblegum stickles, micro pompom trim and a bit of ribbon. Stamps are CTMH and Inkadinkado. For my flower, I ran some organza through my Cuttlebug with my Sizzix circle die and layered them, tacking them together with thread through my Papertrey ink button. The bling is Want2scrap.

Another Etsy Milestone: My first order over 10 items

Just listed a custom order for a customer for two Cricut covers and 10 scrap bags. This is an Etsy milestone for me, my first order over 10 items! The first cover is for a Create, and I used the last of my Michael Miller carnival bloom fabric. Oh, I should've bought more of this as I have had so many requests! But I can't even find it online. I am sad to let my last piece go.

And the second cover an Expression. My customer also ordered 10 scrap bags. Without sand to save on shipping and cost. She plans on filling them herself and giving them out to friends who attend a once a year crop she hosts. What lucky friends!
Things have been a bit hectic here lately and I apologize for not posting often. But life gets away from you and kids come first. My youngest had an abscessed tooth that required surgery and the next week the croup.
Next up I am speaking at the S.C.R.A.P. Guild of Northern IL.'s meeting about blogging. And a craft show in early November. I will post detail soon, in case you want to see my covers live and in person.

Fun with Fabric Flowers!

Lately I have been playing with fabric flowers and thought I would share some of my favorites. This first flower is made with polyester satin cut with my Sizzix circle die and then singed with a candle. Be sure to individually singe each layer with the candle BEFORE you sew them together. I like to tack them with my sewing needle and thread and use a button center, but you can use a glue gun.
For the next flower, I used some iridescent taffeta. The kind with black in the weft direction and another color in the warp direction. In this case red. I ripped a strip about an 1 1/2" wide and pulled out the red thread. I then ran a gathering stitch along the opposite long end of the strip and gathered up the fabric. I coiled this around and hand tacked the fabric with a needle and thread. In the center I placed a vintage black glass button with gold foil edges.
Then it occurred to me that the two flowers would look beautiful together! So I made the organza base without the button center and placed the satin flower in the center. See picture below.

You could use this flower on a page, a card, a handband or even a dress. The last one ended up on a homecoming dress I altered for a friend. She loved it!

More with Floppies!

Here is another item I made with floppies for a teachers gift. Who doesn't love post it notes?! I used the Tim Holtz Paper Rosette die in my Cuttlebug and I love this die! In this case, I did not put the wire binding through the post it notes as I wanted them to come off easily! See the inside picture below.

Gypsy Giveaway at Mixology Crafts

I love a good give away, and thought this one is worthy of sharing. How about a chance to win a Gypsy, by October 15th, 2010? Go to Mixology Crafts and see the details. I already subscribe, and I think you will like this blog and all the craft ideas that will have you using your tools for more than just scrapbook pages.