Graduation Vinyl Tumbler - Match Thirty-One Bag

One of the gifts I gave this year to the girls was a Thirty-One Bag that they could use at college.  And in my stash, I found tumblers that I had purchased at Wal-Mart this spring that matched!

Here's a simple tumbler I designed using vinyl:

Designed using SCAL 2.0 and cut on Cricut Expression

Fancy "S" - Sail font

Tumbler purchased at Wal-Mart

Online Photo Editing Options

Up until now, I have been using Picnik.com to edit my pictures - - adding frames, cropping, adding a matte, fixing the color, adding a text.  The yearly cost was only $24.95.  It was affordable and user-friendly.

Sadly, Picnik.com is closing April 19, 2012.  The designers are closing to work with Google+.

As I have been mourning this upcoming event, I have also been on the search for new online photo editing sites.  Here's a few to try out:

• Here's my current favorite:  iPiccy.  Free!  It is still in Beta mode but it is nearly identical to Picnik with just a different look.  Registration not required.
• BeFunky:  Transform pictures into works of art with Photo Effects, Editing, Frames, etc.  Free and registration not required.
• PicMonkey:  Free for NOW.  No registration needed.  I have used this one and like it okay.  They are still working on collages and expanding what they offer.  If you are looking for basic photo editing, you might like this one.  (After doing some research, ex-Picniker's are working on this program - woo hoo!)
• Aviary:  working in partnership Flickr; brings expected features like cropping, rotating, sharpening, red-eye reduction and cosmetic whitening, just to mention a few of its capabilities.  
• Splashup:  formerly known as Fauxto; looks like and works a lot like Photoshop but only contains the basics of Photoshop so it might work well for the novice user
• Creative Kit in Google+:  this one seems confusing to me but I might give it a whirl when I have some extra time.  In most of my research, people are not real happy with this program.
• And the last one I will discuss, PiZap:  Free and no registration required.  They appear to have frames and collages (yeah!).  You can also make Facebook covers for the new timeline theme facebook is using.  I haven't played with this one yet, but I just might have to give it a try.

Luau Invitation for Mother-Daughter Banquet

The invitation I designed for our upcoming our church Mother-Daughter Banquet.

I used My Memories Suite 3 for Mac.

Most graphics came from a freebie kit Aloha Luau by HaphazardHappenStances

The flip flops came from GoDigitalScrapbooking.com - "Beach Love" by Digital Anemona $1.50

Name Block

A friend of mine at school asked me to cut letters our of scrapbooking paper so she could frame them for her daughter's newly decorated room.  As I was perusing the paper selection I remembered I had a set of name blocks sitting in my craft room with no other purpose.  They were already painted and just needed a name added.

Here's the name blocks I made for this little girl's bedroom:

I hope they don't mind, but I used some of their rhinestones that was included with the paper pack.  I thought it add a touch of "girliness" to the name block.

Preparing for Christmas. . .Homemade Vanilla Label

Each year I make gifts from the kitchen for teachers, family, friends and neighbors.  This year, we teach clear up until December 22nd!  I have to admit, I am not used to that.  We are typically out of school several days before and having just that one day off - - I'm having to rethink my gifts this year.

So, one item they will be receiving is Homemade Vanilla.  Not ready to share the final project with you but I will share the label that I designed using My Memories Scrapbooking software.

I'm going to print these on 2x4 Avery labels and then stick to 4 oz bottles of Homemade Vanilla.  I'll be sure to share the final product with you in the near future!

Thanksgiving Dinner for 100

This was our year to host our family Thanksgiving.  We generally plan on 100-120 people attending this event.  Of course, we have to rent a hall for this ordeal.  The hall we typically rent does not allow us to get in until 11:30 a.m. and our meal was scheduled for 12:30 p.m.  So, we have 1 hour to decorate and prepare -- That really limits us to what we can do in regards to decorating.

Thought I would share the results of what my 2 sisters, my mom and I "designed":

Guest Craft: Made By My Sister

My sister gave my kids an ADORABLE Halloween basket.  She is a very crafty person!!  Here's a picture collage of what she did using things found around the house.  I believe the soap is from Bath & Body.  LOVE it!  (I sure wish I would have taken a picture of the pumpkin she painted, too.)

Half Marathon Shadowbox

My sister completed the Fort4Fitness half marathon last weekend.  We are very proud of her!  So is her husband.  Monday evening he called me about how to make a shadowbox using her marathon memorabilia.  I told him that if he would get me the stuff, I would put it together for him.  I've only helped make one other shadowbox and I don't think I am the best at making them.  Of course, I couldn't get any inspiration until Friday evening when I was baking the Cars cake (at 8 PM).  It was a very late night!

Here's what I came up with:

Includes pictures, medal, bib, statistics and a gold plate with the date and time.

(Sorry for the glare. . .)

Simple Valentine Craft - 3D

I've been taking an online class for the past few weeks trying to learn about Photoshop.  I have to say, I'm not following.  One day I will need to get the videos and "Start, Stop, Practice and repeat".  So, as I was listening to the presentation, I was working on this Valentine project.

I have to say, I am not a good mom when it comes to decorating for holidays.  I just never seem to get it done.  I am hoping to get at least a few things up this year for Valentine's Day and Easter.

I was actually scrounging through cabinets for a frame for a different project when I came across this:

The organist at the Methodist church where I was playing piano, made this for me.

I can't believe I still remember that!

But, really, I'm not going to hang this in my house...

I started looking at it and actually liked the back side of the frame better than the front!

I disassembled it and then sprayed it with White Spray Paint

As you can see, I did not make the white "solid" as I wanted a more rustic look.

I then selected a piece of Scrapbooking paper and used a mechanical pencil to lightly write, "Be Mine".

If you look hard you can see the pencil markings.  I tried to get a better pic but it wasn't going to happen.

I then cut 1/2" strips of black cardstock, got out my hot glue gun, and got started.

Do you notice this is a 3D craft?

How to do this:  trace your pencil line with your glue gun (SMALL SECTIONS), place the side of the paper in the hot glue, hold and repeat.

The black divider is a piece of black ribbon.

I made 3 tissue paper rosettes and applied with hot glue.

I have to admit, those rosettes are not as easy to make as they look!

Side view so you can see the 3D

Not my finest piece of work, but cute.  I'd like to make a couple crepe paper rose balls to set around it.  That would add more color!

Snow Day = Another Crafting Day

Well, we are involved in that huge Snow Storm that is moving across the United States.  The county just a few miles north of us has a "Blizzard Warning" out for later today.  We'll see what that brings. . .

I am forcing myself to work on one room at a time although my brain is going SO many other directions.  I have decided to work in our Front Room (aka Piano Room).  One of the prerequisites when we were looking for a new house was a room for my Baby Grand Piano.  At our other house, we had built a music studio to house my piano.  I really wanted it in the house.

So, it's now time to work on that room.

1st - I found this quote:
"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."


2nd - I started looking for bird svg files so I could cut vinyl on my cricut.  I originally planned to do birdcages on the wall with vinyl.  THEN, I found these plates:

Inspiration found at:  Frugal with a Flourish

Don't you just LOVE the name of her blog??

 3rd - Okay, great, I'm thinking - - that will be relatively simple.  Those are just cheap plates.  BUT, who wants to go out in the cold and the snow???  Not me!  So I start thinking - - I have Christmas plates I don't really need and it would be a great way to repurpose them.  And since it is a music room, I could pull out some old music and decoupage them.


4th - Started another google search for painting and/or decoupaging plates and I came across this:

Inspiration found at:  Etsy

5th - Dug out the supplies:

Now it's time to see if I can pull my idea together.  Gotta get to work!