Have you made your heart sing today?

I don't see too much Iris folding on the blogs right now.
I'm sure it was popular at different times, but a friend and I went to a card class and she had us try this technique. It was really a lot of fun!!! 
I was kind of surprised that I liked it because, while it looked kind of interesting, I never thought about actually using it on a card. The teacher had several patterns for us to choose from and that boot was just calling my name...I knew I'd find a use for it.

I got home and I realized that it would soon be my granddaughter's 17th Birthday and the boot would be PERFECT!!! So I made a tag that she could use for a bookmark and I really like the way it turned out.
My big mistake was that I did not have any gesso to prep the paper before I painted it that blue color.
The acrylic paint made the card wetter than I thought, and because of the bulk of the folded paper underneath it stayed wet for a long time.

So, I learned a lot:
       Don't use acrylic paint unless you use gesso first.
       Prepare the front piece BEFORE you adhere it to the folds.
       Prepare the back BEFORE you adhere it to the front.
       In other words, do everything seperately first. Much easier that way.

And here's the pics:

 Isn't that boot great??? The colors turned out so perfect!
The top and the heel of the boot are cut in a single piece of a black glittery sort of paper.
Very cool looking. The rest of the papers are just pieces left over from other projects.
I guess that's the great thing about this Iris folding. You really do get to use up some of those papers that were just too good to throw away. Also, when the paper is folded it brings out different parts of the papers
and looks completely different.

And I LOVE this little statement I found on Pinterest.
So cool! So right for her...but really, so right for EVERYBODY!!!

I've been thinking a lot about this little statement.
To "EVERY DAY DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING"....
Which means that most of the time we will do something to either treat ourselves to something lovely,
or treat someone else to something lovely (a smile or a hug perhaps???)
Most of the time, our heart sings when we have made someone else happy or lightened their load in some way. As we well know though, sometimes we're the ones who need something wonderful to happen. So it's okay to do something to pamper or give ourselves a break.

Take the time, right now, to love on someone who's with you,
     and love on yourself too.

I did find a couple of challenges to enter this tag in:
http://www.frosteddesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/challenge-be-bold.html
http://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/ picture inspiration...my inspiration was the blue, brown & maze

Blessings,
e

I WON...continued

I am making this a separate post so that the first one doesn't get too lengthy and I can give proper attention to both companies that blessed me with such wonderful prizes.

So now, on to the next win.
This one is from "Heartfelt Creations".
I knew Heartfelt from the dies that they make (i LOVE dies)...but this time they were featuring two separate collections. It included the paper, cut out labels for cards and layouts, stamps AND a beautiful new die.

See it here:

This collection is "Countryside Evening Collection" It is absolutely gorgeous.
I didn't know what a "collection" is...never having gotten one before. But WOW!!!
All you need to add is imagination and embellies!

The paper is double sided and goes perfectly with the stamps. The colors are kind of earthy, some are dark and moody...just like an evening in the country. It will be great with mixed medium...but I don't care much for the messy kind and I can see this more in the vintage elegant Graphic 45 kind.
I really love it!!!

And how about that DIE???? I was already saving to buy that because I watched a video one of their designers did using that die to make half circles and full doily circles. The two are different sizes and different in design so you actually have two different sized doilies or half circles OR corners, of course!!!!

Oh my....now it's time to go and create something!!!

Hope this inspires you to participate in some blog hops (or wherever they are giving something away) and
leave me a note telling me about YOUR win!!!

Many blessings,

Elena

I won...I WON...really!!!!

WOW!!!
It's really fun to win something, isn't it???
In this scrap world of ours most of us enter challenges, do blog hops, and whatever else is available to have a chance at winning some of the wonderful giveaways that go on.
I don't make it a point to enter too often because blog hops, etc. take a lot of time.
They're fun, but you have to have a hunk of time dedicated to doing just that one hop.
And I'm glad that I do take the time to do these now and then
          Because somtimes good things happen ......
I was the lucky winner of not one but TWO prizes from two different manufacturers.

I could hardly contain myself when I saw my name on their blogs...it was AWESOME!!!

First one I want to show you is the prize package from Blue Fern Studios.

Blue Fern Studios are new and they make BEAUTIFUL chipboard pieces. As you can see here from the pictures, the designs are beautiful and the cuts are very intricate. They're the type that we all want to have on our pages. The pieces are sturdy and ready to be anointed with whatever kind of paint or media you want to use. I had been looking at their site and oooing and aaahing over everything!!! This was right around Christmas of course, and buying new goodies for scrapbooking was not on the agenda right then.

When I received my package from them I was just so THANKFUL and absolutely THRILLED
with what they picked to send me.
Here's the link to their store and blog.
http://bluefernstudios.com/

Thank you, thank you...

 Elena  

Did YOU get anything new from CHA??????

Hello fellow bloggers,
Mid January already...WOW!!!
Of course, that means that CHA has happened and we are flooded with NEW EXCITING stuff!!!
I don't know if it has something to do with crafting, or some other personality trait that seems to pop up in this field, but I want everything that I like!!!

Every year the manufacturers come out with products that are just MORE of what we want!!!
It isn't just the trends...it's that the things we already have and love to use are even more appealing than they were before...
     the die cuts are more interesting,
     the papers are gorgeous,
     the stamps are more artistic
     And the stencils & masks....what can I say...I WANT SOME!!!!

BUT...hold on, take your time and enjoy getting some products little by little.
Unless you have unlimited funds, you're going to have to work with your budget...and you CAN do it!!! That's what I'm telling myself, and I know it's what I have to do.

So with that, I want to show you a page I made for my Life/Prayer Journal.
This journal is happening as I am finding inspiration for pages that reflect my feelings at that time.
 Right now this is my first page. I don't know if it will stay that way, but I am using a 3ring binder so that I can change the order if I feel like it.

  It seems kind of plain on the post here...but I really like it.

Here's the challenges I am entering with this layout:
   
http://cinspirations.blogspot.co.uk/ one for the girls
         No pinks for me...this is as girly as I get :o)
http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.co.uk/ follow your muse
           I am journaling my inspiration for 2013
http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com/ anything goes
http://foryourinspirationchallenges.blogspot.com/ inspiration photo
         I love the photo and the red of the trees was exactly the color of this paper I had that
         I wanted to use. I had to add the green because I want to remember that after the red
         of fall comes the white beauty of winter and then comes green and the earth is renewed 
         again!

I used "Lost & Found" paper by DCWV...I love this paper.
There's a  rub-on butterfly, a metal butterfly and a handmade flower that is specifically made to
     stay flat.
I have used rub-on words, bling letters & words cut from paper.
I have stamped & embossed the gold flourishes and the typewriter is printed on the paper.

That will do it for me this time.
Please leave me a note to let me know you've been here...I would love it very much!!!

A New Year...a new adventure!!!

I pray for all of you a wonderful and blessed 2013!!!

May you grow in grace and beauty.

May you lavish your love on all those God has given you.

May your relationships be beautiful and sweet and fill you with healing and peace.

This crafting world that we are a part of is so supportive with such a positive attitude on their blogs.

I follow quite a few of my favorite designers, and there are so many more that I am not even aware of,

but it's so good to see everyone sharing their knowledge, their creativity, their spin on things...

Most share freely, spelling out everything they have done so those of us who want to learn more can do so.... Even to having some free wonderful classes (or at a small cost).

I am so EXCITED!!! I saw a class that was being given "Creative Jumpstart 2013 Summit" by N*Studio

and it started on Jan. 1.  It was free but you had to sign up (I don't know if you can still sign up or not).

Anyway, there are many designers who are participating and it's so exciting to have an email class every morning when I get up.  This morning it was HEIDI SWAPP!!! My absolute favorite from the time I started in scrapbooking (back in 2005) and she is just so creative...you just can't help but want to get up and go MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL!!!

So now I want to tell you about a very new adventure for me.

I started a Life/Prayer Journal.

I know, I know, the whole crafting world out there is into life journals...

And after reading about all these themes of "make sure you get yourself into pictures",

"journal about your dreams, your wishes, your life", it finally started to sink in that that's a world

of scrapbooking that I had never really thought about.

I think I even felt self-conscious of even wanting to scrap about me.

But the more I read about it, the more I wanted to do it!!!

Then it hit me, I wanted to document my life as I really am and want to be...

       a Christ follower...a daughter of the King...a lover of the LORD of my life.

I actually got my first page while I was visiting my daughter last September. 

I hadn't brought any materials with me, but I was bored while she was studying and decided it was the time to start.

We went shopping at a Michael's (in Virginia Beach)...got some great buys, beautiful paper and enough stuff to work on my first page.

What fun!!! 

I was happy!!!

Now, the one I am showing today is not my first page but it is so appropriate for the theme of the new year...I called it "I See Beautiful"  sounds weird, doesn't it? But the phrase comes from a music album by Tammy Trent, done a few years ago. She did a concert at our church and she called it "I See Beautiful". And that just never left my head. I loved it!!!

So, I see beautiful too...beautiful Scripture,

      beautiful people,

      beautiful things...

I added some of my favorite Scripture on the page (in my own handwriting, of course...gotta do that to be journaling about me, right?) and made the page beautiful (at least in my eyes)...and that's what counts, right????

Here's my layout: 

Here's a closer look so you can read the heading easier:

The paper is from a pack I bought that I just love. It's called "Lost & Found" by My Mind's Eye.

    The big beautiful pink flower is from a magazine. I saw that flower and  instantly knew that I needed to do a page on beautiful things that I see. The colors are just so striking. And I am a person who is totally passionate about color. It's what I see.  It always has to do with the color.

     Then I wanted to set off the title and I used my Cricut for the word.

      I cut some flourishes with the Cricut and also used other flourishes, flowers, the butterfly and other embellishments from my stash on hand.

I am entering this on these challenges:
http://zeusandzoe.blogspot.com/2013/01/january-challenge-your-word-for-2013.html ... My word for
         2013 is I see Beautiful.  It is what I will live by and make it a practice to see the world through
         God's eyes
http://berry71bleu.blogspot.com/ It's all about me.
http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com/ Trust in the Lord...My focus is to see my world through God's
          eyes.

Ok...one last bit about this journal.

Working on these pages somehow is different than working on my other projects.

I think it might have something to do with emotions. 

These pages are about my feelings. My passions. What is important to me.

I leave a hunk of me on the page.

Not that I didn't invest myself into the other projects. I did. 

I never stopped making cards and albums of trips, gatherings, etc. and I enjoyed doing them very much.

The memories were great and it was fun.

But this journal is more than that...

If you have not started one yet...try it, you'll like it!!!

Many blessings,

e

Did you have a blessed Christmas??????

We sure did...
What a huge blessing to be surrounded by family during the Christmas Holiday!!!
We actually have two Christmases in our family.
Our kids (three grown children with families of their own) all live out of state. So in order to make sure we get together, we have Christmas at Thanksgiving.
Usually, the snow doesn't come until after Thanksgiving, so everyone can get to our daughter's home in Chicago.
Our son and family come from St. Louis, MO.
Our daughter lives in Chicago and hosts the whole crew (what a huge blessing you are to the clan).
Then our youngest daughter just moved to Virginia and they were able to come too.
The only one missing was a grandson who is studying at MIT and was traveling with a crew for a project. At age 21 he has already earned his Engineering degree and is at MIT working toward his PhD.
We are BLESSED!!!

Then my hubby and I traveled to my sister's home in Flint, MI for a joyous time with her family.
Their grandkids are growing up too, but two of their daughters still have kids who are pre-teens.
It's a fun time with a traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dinner and gift opening.
Esther (sister) and I fix a couple of foods that we had when we were growing up and there's lots of talk about our days when we were children in a Lithuanian household.

Before I go on with a Birthday card I made for one of my volunteers at church, I want to share with you a new company that is just starting up. They are the creators of the most beautiful chipboard cutouts you have ever seen. They are doing a give-away right now and you can get on their site to enter your name.
http://design-honey.blogspot.com/2012/12/guess-who-graphic-designer-behind-blue.html Click on this link and follow directions. You won't regret taking a look. Their chippy pieces are gorgeous!!!

So here's the card:

I had wanted to do this dark sky and wind for a long time and just never got around to it. So I took this opportunity because I wanted to do a winter card and it just fit.
Here's the deets:
...I stamped a pretty flourish with Versamark and embossed in white translucent. Thought it would give it a bit more visibility...and it did, kind of! I wasn't too happy with the results.
...Then I did the Tim Holtz version of applying Distress Ink to the sky part. I used several different colors of blue, including a navy blue from SU! They have a beautiful night sky blue that I just love.
...I stamped the trees in black Tuxedo Memento.
...the deer was then stamped in Versamark and embossed with gold. The deer is a small stamp from SU!...and it's my favorite.  My Versamark pad is getting dry and it didn't cover the deer very well, so after I embossed the first time, I used my Versamark pen and filled in. Unfortunately, that didn't make for a very smooth deer, it's ok but not as great as it could be.
...Then I used Artist Spackle from HOTP to make the snow. I added Diamond Stickles to make the glitter and I really like the drift look all over. A little different than the normal smooth cardstock.
...I chose to make a frame with gold and white cardstock. It really gave it a good finished look.
...That gold liner was given to me a long time ago and I just hated cutting into it because it was so pretty. But it is getting kind of ratty just sitting around being moved here and there as I search for papers....it is definitely time to USE IT!!! I tend to hoard papers and have to force myself to just use it and enjoy it!!!

Here's the challenges I am entering with this card:
http://zeusandzoe.blogspot.com/ Sparkle & Shine
http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/ anything goes
http://thestampmanuk.blogspot.com/ winter
http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.com/ anything goes

That's it for me for today...
Have a wonderful and safe New Year.
Make it a concerted effort to lavish love on all those God has given you!!!

elena

Hello from a lost blogger....

 Wow, you can't imagine what a hard time I am having getting started blogging again...
I start and stop and start over...
I really don't understand what this "block" is, but it's really difficult to get past it.
I hope that this time I can finish it and just get back into this part of my scrapbooking.
I have so many projects that I have done since the last time I wrote here, 
I hope I can get going and start sharing.
It is an incentive to share here and enter some challenges so that we have a chance of winning some free stuff, right??? That is always FUN!!!

This first thing I want to share today is a bookmark I made for my Bible Study group. This was my first time really trying to make a "batch" of the same thing. Usually, I just can't make the same thing over and over...somehow it gets tedious and I only get two or three done. I see others make batches of the same card or tag and I think that's a great thing. You get some stash going so that you have cards when you need them. I use the cards I make and I am always running short and have to buy boxes for back-up.

Anyway, these little tags came out really well and it was fun. I got tired of the process near the end, but I kept on. I still have a few unfinished that I need to get to.

Here's my tag:

The tag itself is a free download from http://astridsartisticefforts.blogspot.com/
Astrid has beautiful vintage designs on her site and on Pinterest that you can download for free.
I have been a happy scrapper since I found her beautiful stuff. 

I used the set of four Christmas tags and used the designs on the front and the back, so that both sides are pretty.

Next I stamped the tree from a Christmas stamp set by Stampabilities. This is an older set but has beautiful large designs on it. I stamped with Versamark and embossed in white. 
Next, I used Distress inks "Tea Dye" and "Burlap" on the front and back to shade the sides and give them depth. 

Next, I stamped the back with the "Christmas" stamp...carefully putting red ink on the "Christmas" and black ink on the text. I had to re-write the red with a good pen because it wasn't as vibrant as I wanted it.

Then Versamark and white embossing on the white swirl underneath the tree. This could have been done when I stamped the tree but I design as I go and what to put under the tree eluded me until the very end. I am really happy with how that swirl came out.

Now the fun part...I bought "Artist Spackle" from Hot Off The Press and used it to highlight the tree branches. I put "Rock Candy" Stickles on top of the spackle to give it some shimmer. I also used the spackle on the back to look like snow. It really worked well. When I gave the girls their tags, all of them wanted to know how I got that tree so "real" looking, and what was that stuff that looked like snow.  It's those extra touches that I love to use. I used Tim Holtz' "snow" stamp (little dots all over) on the back. I remember him sharing that he uses that stamp all the time for extra depth. He's right, I never put that stamp away. It is perfect for applying to anything for extra dimension. 

Oh yes, almost forgot...I used white liquid pearls for the snow on the front. I loved what that did for the tag...it just made it look so pretty.

I added cranberry  "Liquid Pearls" for berries, gathered up some ribbons, and I was done. 
It's quite a process to do the same thing to 15 tags, though.
I don't know if I like to do it or not...but if you want to make gifts for a group, there's no way of getting around it.

Here's the challenges I found to enter this tag:

http://berry71bleu.blogspot.com/ winter
http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/ let's get inky
http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com/ a tag

So that's my share for today, I am making a commitment here and now not to allow myself to get intimidated by this blogging thing...gotta stay with it.

Thanks for visiting. Please leave a comment, I love to hear from people who stop in.

May God bless you this Christmas season and all year through.

e