Wednesday, December 24, 2014

I'm not ready....make it go away!

Ah...Christmas Eve....I came home last night after work, exhausted with a "to do" list a mile long.  I went to bed instead of getting anything done which brings me to a VERY busy Christmas Eve.

I was talking myself into a bad attitude this morning - - lamenting that I have done nothing for Christmas this year - my decorations only got half done and shopping got pushed to the back burner.

But when I started writing this post, I realized that I actually have had a great December full of Christmas-y moments!

I participated in Val's Annual Christmas Ornament Swap (check out her swap blog here:  Yarnigras Swapper Spot ) and the theme was "A Woodland / Traditional Christmas".  I was stumped at first, then found my inspiration on Pinterest for these champagne cork toadstools (and yes, I had to drink quite a bit of champagne!)


The swap is 5 for 5 - - you make 5 ornaments and you get 5 ornaments in return (I packaged mine as sets of two)

The ornaments I received were incrediby beautiful, using so many different craft techniques!


I got together with my mom for some girl time and handmade gifts.......


Made some candy to give to friends and neighbors......


And even took in a musical (cannot recommend this enough!)


Writing this has put me in the holiday spirit - - I am looking forward to spending time with my family on Christmas Eve for the first time in 10 years (we are usually out of town).  So there IS reason to be in holly, jolly mood!

Merry, Merry Christmas!!

Friday, October 17, 2014

Getting into a scrappy groove......

The last weekend in September was our 4th annual weekend scrappy getaway to "The Manor" and I think this was the best one yet (ok, maybe because I did a RECORD number of projects for me! lol!)

We are a group of scrappers / crafters and sewing enthusists from all across the US that decided to meet "IRL" (in real life)  for a weekend of crafting, wine, food and friendship!

Our group for 2014:


The original idea was to choose a different craft retreat in a different location each year since we were all coming from so many different locations in the country.  HOWEVER...the first year we stayed at The Manor was like a crafty EPIPHANY!  There was no reason to EVER go anywhere else for our creative getaway!

And this is MY result of our crafty weekend:





I love my time with my creative friends - - they inspire me!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Zombie Swap & Eyebrows on a Dog

I finally joined another swap through Val at Yarnigras Swapper Spot!  It has been awhile, but I love her swaps -- they are always inspired, and always include amazing crafters!

This swap was a Halloween animated zombie swap - - make a zombie based on one of your partner's  favorite animated characters.  I received an amazing zombie package from Kerry - - and she couldn't have created anything more perfect for this animal lover than Sparky from Frankenweenie re-imagined as a zombie dog!


This character is sculpted perfectly!!  Lots of great, gory details (look at the neck bolts!)  She also included a candy jar with Sculpy zombie head, a beautiful card, and fun items from the Halloween collection at Bath & Body Works (Vampire Blood Hand Sanitizer anyone?)

And then she also made this incredibly cool tote bag from a zombie T-Shirt!  This will definitely be my go-to bag for the farmers market!  She has a link to the tutorial to make these cool totes on her blog, so be sure to check it out - Tales of a Needle and Thread


I am so in love with Zombie Sparky that I think he will be displayed year-round and not just at Halloween!

Thank you so much, Kerry - you are an amazing artist!

My partner has not yet received my zombie creation, so I will have to wait until the end of the week to share the pictures!

On a side note, I recently decided that Henry needed eyebrows.  So I drew them on with some chalk.
Of course, I HAD to scrap this photo!


This layout is for Kelly's September Challenge at Kitchen Keepsake to use multiples of 3 on your layout:



Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, August 1, 2014

Cal Picks a Winner....

Hello All -

Today is new challenge day over at The Kitchen - - please stop by for a visit for fabulous inspiration or maybe just to chat with us around the kitchen table:

Kitchen Keepsake Challenges


And now - my blog hop winner!

Instead of Random.Org or those other  number generators, I decided to let my black Lab, Cal pick my Blog Hop winner!

Here's how it went down last night....






Congratulations, Cindy!  Send me an email with your mailing info and this will be on it's way!




Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Welcome Kitchen Keepsake Blog Hoppers!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the first Kitchen Keepsake Blog Hop.

You should have reached my blog by way of the amazingly talented Kelly!

We are super excited to share some wonderful inspiration with you. Be sure to grab your favorite drink and enjoy the hop.

We are a group of crafters that enjoy cooking and eating as well as scrapping!

I do the monthly "Culinary Muse" challenge at Kitchen Keepsake - - for July, my challenge is based on ice cream!  My challenges are never what they seem at first glance - - I like to throw in a twist to really get you thinking outside your comfort zone!

To see my full July Challenge, click here:  July 2014 Culinary Muse Challenge

Here is my layout for July:


The journaling reads:  "Danny always shares his ice cream with Henry and uses the same spoon - eww!"

Here is the complete list of talented ladies.



Some blogs will have a random give away - a random commenter on my blog will receive this Summer Inspired Prize:


so please leave a comment on each blog.


Your next stop is Phillis - - our awesome Featured Chef this month!

Thank you all for joining us today and we hope you enjoyed today’s hop. You will have until July 31, 2014 at 12:00 midnight Eastern time to join us.

The winners will be posted on the blogs offering a give away so please check back on August 1. 


I will leave you with a slide show of some of my recent projects (scrappy and otherwise!)




Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Embracing the Holidays.....


This year, things have settled down quite a bit in my world and I am wholeheartedly embracing the holidays with crafting, baking and a generally good attitude (just a little road-rage around the malls, and a bit of a bad attitude in the crowded grocery stores – but no one has gotten hurt – so far!)

I started the holiday season off early with my first batch of Peppermint Bark – especially made for one of the hubs’ golf buddies…..


I also discovered an AMAZING crafty swap hostess from Louisiana named Val – her blog is www.yarnigras.blogspot.com she crochets, does mosaics and is just an all around crafty Goddess!  I found myself her swap partner in a Vintage Halloween Swap – and was simply blown away by the package I received from her.

After that experience, I eagerly joined her annual “Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap”.   Simply create 5 handmade ornaments, send them to Val, and you will receive 5 handmade ornaments in return from a variety of different crafters using an amazing array of mediums.    

I created these ornaments for my contribution to the swap:



And what I received in return was nothing short of amazing!  





Thanks for stopping by - check back soon - I will be posting my Peppermint Bark recipe!

Shelly
Reel Girl

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Welcome Helmar Blog Hoppers!

Welcome Holiday Hoppers! You should be here after visiting the amazing Laura Achilles blog (lauraachilles1.wordpress.com)

Well, I know you have already seen a lot of incredible projects in this blog hop, here is my holiday inspiration....my own version of the 12 days of Christmas ( a mini advent calendar) ...12 days of activities that mean something to our famliy.

I stapled chicken wire to a frame to create my bullentin board. (After the holidays, this will serve as a daily bullentin board)

Plastic name badges became my calendar "pages" and the badges are stuck to my bulletin board using silver clothes pins from Canvas Home Basics.

I used Elles Studio Holiday Numbers adhered to the plastic name badges with Helmar Premium Craft Glue.

I used Best Creations Glitterd Cardstock (have you worked with this glittered cardstock? IT IS A-MAZING!) and on the back side of the glittered cardstock, I adhered regular white cardstock with my 12 days of Christmas activities (using Helmar Acid Free).

From here, you should be hopping on over and being really inspired by our own Amy Teets - She always rocks my scrappy world!

Thanks for stopping by today!

If you leave a comment, please leave a note about your own family traditions during the holidays!

Shelly

Sunday, November 14, 2010

It's a Rock Star Diva thang......

I am proud to be one the November Guest Designers for the Paris Hilton Creativity Collection. This collection was designed for young scrappers -- but I had a blast creating these projects (I do love my bling!) Every collection is cute & girly and if you have a tween or teen in your life that is crafty - - you must get them some of this collection! Check out my projects all this week on their facebook page!

I worked with the Rock Star Diva Kit along with a couple of packages of Rhinestone Stickers & Sticker Sheets.

My first layout is of my sister's dog (actually one of her FOUR dogs!) Beezy (and she also took this picture of Beezy!)
The rhinestone title sticker originally said "Pop Star", but I cut off the top of the "O" to make it "Pup Star"! I also punched holes in the epoxy circle sticker to create a button accent for my page. I used lots of bling on this layout, so of course had to use Helmar Gemstone Glue, and Helmar 450 Quick Dry for the organza ribbon and everything else. I also used some Zap Dots to "pop" up some of my cut out elements. The only things not included with the kit were the Prima paper flowers, the organza animal print ribbon ($1 from Michael's clearance bin!) photo corners (actual vintage black photo corners from my grandma's stash!) and the AC Thickers for her name - - hard to tell from the picture, but they ARE glittered! I finished this layout off by machine stitiching a double border using both brown and black thread to match the animal print elements.

I was lucky enough to be invited to see the American Idol Concert Tour here in San Diego by my sister-in-law, Debbie. We had the BEST time!! Dinner at a Greek restaurant first, then off to the concert - - where I was truly blown away by the sheer talent of these Top Ten performers - - much more dynamic than what you see on TV!! Sioban was truly amazing, truly a performer. But of course, my heart belongs to Casey! And Lee really rocked my world! He was amazing!

So how perfect was this kit to scrap my American Idol Experience?!

I copied and printed the AI logo from their website. Cut it out and attached it to chipboard. I used Helmar Textured Effects on top to give some "oopmh!" to the logo and attached it to the page with Liquid Scrap Dots for dimension.

Next I decided on creating some cool cards for the younger kids in my family & also a "Diva Emergency Survival Kit" which I will share with you tomorrow! Fun stuff!

Thanks for stopping by today! And be sure to stop by tomorrow for more ways to rock this paper & embellie collection!

Shelly

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Welcome Helmar Halloween Howlers!!


Thanks for participating in the Helmar Halloween Howler Blog Hop!

Halloween is my favorite holiday - I love the decorations, the costumes, carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds and of course....the candy......

We got to choose which Helmar products we wanted to highlight for this blog hop, and I had to go with my 2 favorite go-to glues: Helmar Professional Acid Free Glue and Helmar Gemstone Glue.


Lately I have been obssessed with all things vintage in my decorating and in my paper crafting. I decided to create this Halloween card after seeing the adorable vintage halloween images from Gecko Galz:


Some notes and tips on how I created this card:

I printed the word Bewitched on white cardstock, then cut out with scissors and and X-Acto knife. I brushed the Gemstone Glue on the cut out word using a paint brush and then liberally poured the glitter over the top. I also used a paint brush to apply gemstone glue to the tulle and then sprinkled glitter on to it.

I like to apply the Acid Free Glue directly to my paper, then spread it around a bit using a Helmar glue spreader. I will often use a brayer to roll over the top to make sure I have good even coverage.

Supplies for this card are as follows:

Helmar Acid Free Glue
Helmar Gemstone Glue
Bazzill CS - Black
Core'dinations CS Vintage Collection(embossed with Cuttlebug and lightly Sanded)
Pink Paislee Pixie Stix black glitter
Vintage Halloween Empemera from Gecko Gals
Black Tulle
ColorBox Ink

Now here is where Helmar Remove Cleaner comes into play.....because I am an incredibly messy crafter, my work surfaces and all my tools get a generous spray of Remove and a good wipedown after every project! It cleans the sticky goop off of everything - and it smells good, too! And my Remove is not just for my craft area - - it gets used all over the house!

I am leaving you with instructions for PERFECT roasted pumpkin seeds!

Ingredients:
  • Seeds from your freshly carved Jack-O-Latern (remove pulp, rinse well under cold water and pat dry)
  • Approximately 2 Tablespoons melted butter
  • Nature's Seasoning (by Morton Salt)
Oven 300 Degrees

Toss pumpkin seeds in melted butter, coat well.
Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered in foil
Sprinkle LIBERALLY with Nature's Seasoning
Bake 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown

ENJOY!

Thanks for stopping by, and now hop on over to Tanisha's blog by clicking the image below:
Photo Hop

Monday, September 6, 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I have wanted to do a layout about my trip to New York to attend a book reading and signing by J.K. Rowling when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out in October of 2007 (the final book of the series) - - and I finally got the inspiration and the challenge.

This layout was created for Week 2 of the Treasured Hunt - - a contest going on right now at Treasured Scrapbooking. One of the requirements for this week's layout was to use a book title for your layout title.....and this was just the catalyst I needed to get me started! Inspiration just took hold!


I cannot get enough of the Helmar Crackle Medium - - it is so fun to work with and really gives character to my journaling cover. With all of the different textures and materials on this layout, I used a full array of Helmar Adhesives - - 450 Quick Dry (metal elements, pressed plant) Acid Free Glue (papers and photos, also the page from a vintage book) and of course Gemstone Glue on my Gryffindor House banner!

Here are some additional views:



Here is my complete supply list and my journaling:

Supply list:

· Cardstock: Bo Bunny Double Dot – Licorice
· Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee - 365° Collection “Dream Big” (used both sides) and “Day Dreams” Teresa Collins – Journal It Collection – Library Book Card, Moxxie Mini Die cut Cardstock Fall Frolic 2009
· Embellishments: Karen Foster Page Pin Up – 6” in Baroque Black, Rub -Ons-Pink Paislee “Pop Fashion Icons” Alpha Stickers – Making Memories Tiny Alphas and Memories Kraft Words, Misc. metal embellishments – key, brads, hinges – unk. Mfg., plant from a camping trip.
· Ink: all by Clearsnap – Ancient Page in Coal Black, Color Box Pigment in Frost White, Color Box Fluid Chalk in Pumpkin Spice and Color Box Fluid Chalk in Warm Red
· Adhesives: Helmar Acid Free, 450 Quick Dry, Gemstone Glue and Helmar Crackle Medium over the journal cover.

Special notes/techniques:

· I found a Harry Potter font online, printed it on cardstock and cut the letters out by hand.
· I cut the image of Hedwig the owl from a children’s poster, adhered it to chipboard and then used Helmar Crackle Medium on it.
· For the Gryffindor House banner, I found the image online but really wanted it on fabric. So, using Helmar V2 spray I attached a piece of fabric to cardstock and ran it through my printer.
· The book page is from a 1915 textbook called “Chief Contemporary Dramatists” that I found at a thrift store.
· The feather, pressed flower, owl and banner all represent different things from the Harry Potter books.
· On the edges of my cardstock, I used Tattered Angel masks and ink.

Journaling (hidden under “owl communiqué”)

"This is not just any copy of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”

This book is a first edition (note the hologram seal) signed by J.K. Rowling on October 19th, 2007 at Carnegie Hall in New York during the “Open Book Tour”.

This was one of only three appearances in 2007 that the author made in the United States after a 7 year hiatus. Two of these readings were held at schools only for specially selected children to attend.

The book reading and signing at Carnegie Hall was extra special; the only persons attending were 1,000 fans from all over the world whose names were randomly drawn in a sweepstakes sponsored by Scholastic. As a self-proclaimed “Harry Potter Nerd”, imagine my excitement when I received a phone call telling me where to pick up my tickets! These lucky fans were allowed to bring one guest (I chose mom!) Fans who were awarded this incredible opportunity were required to pay their own transportation and lodging expenses to attend this event. That so many people were willing to do this speaks to just how much these amazing books have influenced and affected this generation and will continue to affect generations yet to discover Harry Potter.

And Oh, the things you learn when listening to an author talk about their books, writing process and inspirations!!

At the end of the book reading, selected guests were allowed to ask questions of the author. One young girl asked if Dumbledore had ever had a long lost love or negative experience with a woman as there was never any mention in any of the books of a love interest for the enigmatic headmaster of Hogwarts. The author replied that she had always considered the character of Dumbledore to be “gay” - - this brought a moment of silence, an audible gasp from the entire audience, quickly followed by thunderous applause and cheers and one audience member who apparently so identified with this, jumped from his seat and did a dance. What other author has tackled so many social mores and issues in a “children’s book”. After the chaos of this revelation died down, Ms Rowling remarked that this tidbit would probably be in the news, and garner her more unwarranted negative comments and hate mail!

Sure enough, the very next day, CNN reported that Dumbledore was gay.

It should be noted, for those who were not lucky enough to attend one of her 3 book readings, that in addition to her incredible talent at writing and bringing characters to life, J.K. Rowling is quite beautiful, quite well spoken and possesses a poise that is able to hold an audience of 2,000 in rapt attention.

It was an experience I will always treasure.

Savor every sentence of this book, the last in the series and pass it on to your own children."


Thanks for stopping by today!

Shelly

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Scrap-Tacular!

I love the time between June 14th (Flag Day) and July 4th, everywhere you go are displays of patriotism - - American flags, bunting, all things red, white and blue!

I actually begin my display the weekend of Memorial Day and will leave it until August. My front walkway is lined with red, white and blue Petunias, stars and stripes pinwheels, bunting and tiny American Flags.

So a special shout out to any military members, wives, or kids who may be reading my blog today!! Thank you!
Having said all this, I was absolutely THRILLED to receive the July Kit - "SCRAP-TACULAR" from the SCRAP-TASTIC site to work with this month!!

While there is so much more to this kit than just red, white and blue - I took full advantage of these elements to create the following projects:

"Pearl Harbor" (this layout based on a sketch by Julie Bonner who ran the 52 sketches/52 weeks site) SUPPLY LIST: Scrap-Tastic July Kit “Scrap-Tacular”
My Mind's Eye:Red Daisy Paper Flocked Paper - Lush Collection, My Mind's Eye Red Flocked Chipboard (Alpha) Pink Paislee:Daydream/Dream Big - 365 Degrees Collection, Fancy PantsYellow Ball Trim, Fancy Pants Funky Freestyle Chipboard (Stars) Other: Bazzill: White & Navy, Clearsnap Ink – Red Liptstick, Stickles (red) Dymo Label Maker (date) Machine Stitching Helmar Professional Acid Free Glue, Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

4th of July Canvas

SUPPLY LIST: Scrap-Tastic July Kit “Scrap-Tacular”
Pink Paislee:Daydream/Dream Big - 365 Degrees Collection, Fancy PantsYellow Ball Trim, Buttons, Rhinestone Buttons,
Other: 5X7 Canvas (Michaels) , Clearsnap Ink – Red Liptstick, Blue Iris, Patriotic Epherma – Gecko Gals, Grosgrain Ribbon (Michaels) Vintage Bottle Cap – Lil Davis, Grommets, Helmar Professional Acid Free Glue, Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Thanks for stopping by today, if you have your own patriotic layouts, projects or yard decor, please share a link with me! I will leave you these images from our Smalltown USA 4th of July Parade:

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Shabby Chic Wall Hanging

I want to share a project I made this weekend using the June Kit from Treasured Scrapbooking, Antique Pearl Buttons from Gecko Galz and Helmar Crackle Medium (along with some tips on using the crackle medium). A complete supply list will be included at the end of this post.

I began with a $1 frame from Michael's. After cutting my patterned paper to size, I adhered it the wood frame using the Helmar Acid Free Glue. I then sanded and inked all of the paper edges. Next I applied Helmar Crackle Medium Step 1 - apply a nice even coat and allow to dry for about 30 minutes. Next, apply a REALLY THICK coat of Helmar Crackle Medium Step 2 using a foam brush. Go ahead a brush on a couple of coats - then you will need to allow your project to dry overnight. The next day, I poured some linseed oil (available at craft & hobby stores) onto a rag and rubbed down the entire frame, this removed the tacky residue and made the crackles really stand out. To make my crackling stand out even more, I rubbed an inkpad all over the frame several times, and wiped off the excess ink with my linseed oil rag.
Here is a detail of the crackling:
Buttons were stitched onto a scrap piece of muslin and all embellishments were attached with Helmar 450 Quick Dry. I stapled grosgrain ribbon to the back of the frame for hanging. I think this will be a super cute accent in my sewing/craft room!

Details of embellishments and buttons:

Complete Supply List for Shabby Chic Wall Hanging:

You might also notice that I finally figured out how to update the slide show of my projects over there on the side of my blog!

I will end this post with a few of my current faves! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Vintage Vanity Case for Your Inner Diva!

Does anyone else remember when all luggage was hard-sided, and you (or your mom) packed all of your make-up and personal items in one of these:

Well, armed with Vintage Ephemera Sets from Gecko Gals and my arsenal of Helmar Adhesives, my vanity case now looks like this:
And what will be stored in my new Diva Case you ask? Well of course.........
Actually, I will store all of my make-up and brushes in this case and keep it on my vanity table!
On this project, I used Helmar Decopauge Medium, Acrylic Sealer, 450 Quick Dry (all trims) Fray Stoppa (on ends of satin ribbon wrapped around handle) and Liquid Scrap Dots (for rhinestones on latch).
Thanks for stopping by today!
Shelly