Archive for the ‘That’s Crafty!’ Category

Things seem to be quiet around here at the moment, with school starting up, people taking last minute vacations etc etc. I’m not complaining, I can use a rest!

I’ve decided to try to sit down and make one project a day. Maybe it’ll be a card, or a scrapbook page, a tag or an altered item, but I need to make something for ME, not something a customer ordered.

It’s sometimes hard to find inspiration, despite the fact that I stare at supplies all day long (maybe that’s the problem!) At any rate I whipped this together this morning and thought I’d share. Loving the dressform!

I’m going to be selling so crafty things at Marché de la Récré in a couple of weeks so I’m making all kinds of fun stuff like cards and mini books galore. It was pretty rainy here this aft, so I made this cutie. Page size is 4×3

Even though I live in Canada, it would be hard to ignore what the gulf coast states are currently enduring. It is even harder for me to ignore it, because my cousin Justin is a volunteer at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, in Mississippi.

Not too long ago he challenged me to figure out a way to help out, from a distance of course, so I thought long and hard and decided that the best way for me to help, is by getting crafty. So, I decided to create and sell ocean inspired cards, with all profits going to the IMMS. Below is the first card of the series:

 
Graphics used are by Sanqunetti Design

Each card is printed on high quality textured cardstock, with waterbased inks. I’m asking for a minimum donation of $3.00 per card (includes envelope!) If you would like to order one (or a few) please contact me at sstar136 @ gmail.com (no spaces) I will gladly snail mail them to you for an extra $0.57 (or however much regular postage is to you in your neck of the woods)

The raised will be used to purchase items needed to help with capturing, cleaning and re-releasing the turtles. These animals are ENDAGERED and since the oil spill over 400 of them have washed up on the shore!

My goal is to raise $500.00…. I’m working on other cutie cards too, so stay tuned!

I’m not really sure where the time is going!
In less then four months, I’ll be walking down the aisle. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to get done, between now and then. I’m trying my best not to become a bridezilla, and that seems to be working just fine, until we hit a snag of some sort, then I go from calm, to crazy person it about 3.2 seconds flat.

It’s my turn to work with at a kit for the Scrapbook Star newsletter! I do have to say I LOVE this kit and the stamp in it…. and I’m not biased at all

I’ve been busy lately, my mind is overflowing with ideas. I’ve been lucky enough to find customers who enjoy my need to coordinate things and make them as perfect as possible. “You’re insane” they often tell me, but they leave with a smile, so I take it as a compliment.

My wedding is a little over 4 months away. I have a to-do list that’s a mile long, why? Because I keep looking at things and thinking “Oh I can make that” (jewelry, table runners, favors, napkin rings…. shall I continue?) So I’m calling it the Do It Myself wedding. I do know where to draw the line though: Food. I need to pick and chose my battles and cooking and baking are just not something I enjoy doing under stress (That’s where Michelle of Clever Cupcakes comes in) Her cupcakes are the best in Montreal, hands down! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for our big day!

I was browsing Etsy looking for jewelry for my bridesmaids and found this:

 Sadly I don’t remember the name of the seller to give proper credit! At any rate I loved the simplicity of the set, but not the colors. My colors are darker, browns, coppers etc. So I made these:

I hope to keep adding little sneaks of the tiny details as the date gets closer. Hopefully I wont drive myself crazy with all the little details (doubtful, cause it’s the little details that I love the most)

Supplies needed: 1 piece of white cardstock, stamps of your choice, dye ink of your choice, Krylon paint pen, glitter, liquid glue, clear embossing ink, embossing powder, glimmer mist in the colors of your choice and cardstock in a coordinating color. ( I used Unity Stamps)

Step 1) Cut your white cardstock to 8.5″ x 5.5″ and  4.25″ x 5.5″ put aside.

Step 2) On a scrap of white spray with a lighter color of mist. Allow to dry (you can use a heat gun to speed it up)

 

Step 3) With dye ink, and the stamp of your choice, stamp your image over the misted area.

 

Step 4) Stamp a sentiment in clear embossing ink, over your image. Sprinkle embossing powder, shake of excess and heat emboss.

 

Step 5) Stamp another image onto colored cardstock, and cut out.

 

Step 6) Cut out all your shapes.

 

Step 7) On your piece of cardstock that is 4.25″ x 5.5″ stamp the same image twice. Once in the top left corner, once in the bottom right corner. Color the images in with your Krylon paint pen.

 

Step 8 ) Spray your piece of cardstock with Mist in darker color. Allow to dry.

 

Step 9) Apply liquid glue to the image and sprinkle on glitter. Shake off excess.

 

Step 10) Ink around the edges of your piece. Take your cardstock that is 8.5 x 5.5 and fold. This will be your card base. Glue your stamped panel onto the card. The reason I do the stamping on a separate panel is because the mist tends to cause the cardstock to curl, and by using a separate base you can bed the piece back into shape when gluing it onto the base.

Another super thick page, I tried to scan it, but the bottom looks all grey and shadowy. At any rate, here is my super cute cutie, being a model. We were taking photos of dog jewelry for a friend and I of course had to put her in the spotlight. Strike a pose Cosgrove!

A lot of people told me that they wished they hadn’t of read my last post. Next I post something that’ll cause tears, I promise to put a disclaimer first
Tomorrow is a day i’m dreading for many, many reasons. I just need to make it through tomorrow, and I know I’ll be stronger for it.

Here’s a page I made, a photo of me at the Opry. I made a mess making this page which is fun. The chipboard frame is stamped and inked. The red patterned paper was sprayed with walnut ink (the paper is actually bright red and white). I embosssed the cardstock flourishes with a cuttlebug folder, the famous Swiss Dot, and then inked them up and I added a locket I found online to complete the page. Thanks for reading this far

 

Thankfully, I took all the pictures, from this long night of SingStar playing. Lots of silly, stupid, funny things were done, but since I have the photos, you’ll only see the ones of my cousin Shanna.

 

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It’s a grey day here today. Lately I feel like there’s this little cloud following me around. I try to look past it, and around it, and most of the time I do. But on a day like today where it’s drizzling and icky, it’s hard. My wedding is exactly 198 days away. Which is awesome. It’s on the 8 year anniversary of the day we met, Halloween. We waited until Halloween was on a Sunday, and we’ve been planning and brainstorming for years. Now it’s here. The problem is, it wont be perfect, and perfect to me doesn’t mean a million dollar wedding, or a lavish dress, it’s about the people who will be there and right now my Nanny is sick. Over a month ago she stopped eating, and we have to fight with her just to get her to drink anything. My biggest fear is that she wont be there, and without her, the day will be incomplete, no matter what we do. This leaves me with a lot of guilt, because of how long we’ve been engaged and putting this off. So pray for a miracle, for her to get strength and hope, so she can be there with me. When I go visit her, I tell her about my dress and our cake, and hope that will motivate her to get well…. but things seem to be going slowly downhill.

I know, it could be worse. I realize how lucky I am, which is why I hate asking, but any positive thoughts you can send her way would be greatly appreciated.
Have a great weekend, give a loved one a hug…. it might just be the motivation they need.

I can honestly say, that I didn’t break anything today! Yay me! I’ve been so accident prone these last couple of months (Brendan keeps reminding me about the gas cap, the front left tire, the Gypsy…) that I started to shudder each time I used a large appliance at home! Today is day one accident free!

Here’s a page I made after saying “I need to stop scrapbooking my pets, I can’t be that lady who only scrapbooks pets”… they’re just so darn cute though… anyways, my cousin is pretty cute too. We went to the Plush Factory last year and I let her pick anything she out that she wanted. It was nice to do that, because I remember people doing that for me when I was her age, and I hope in 15+ years she’ll remember this day too!