Crafty Top Ten For 2014

Phew! I can't believe its almost over. I really can't! This year wasn't what I imagined it to be at all, but so much good came from it.

My count down won't be as epic as some years past have been, but that's okay. I still love crafting in all regards and big or small, I love it all!

So, I guess I will just jump right in. I discovered mixed media and art journaling this year. It was a somewhat frightening, but FREEING experience! I can not tell you how wonderful it feels to let the creativity flow outside of the confines of my OCD brain.

This project was the result of an amazing day with my son out at a nature reserve. We both took sketch books and I took lots of pictures. We explored nature all day and our minds were abuzz with ideas and inspiration.

I painted this page from a couple of photographs that I snapped at that nature reserve. All of this was free-hand. No tracing or anything. It was one of the most amazing feelings as I painted this. I am very connected to this page!

I rarely get to scrap book anymore. It is still very much a passion but sitting down and trying to figure out a good layout takes a lot of time, and this working mama doesn't have as much of that these days. This is my fave layout that I have done in a long time! It came together SO WELL! I have to wonder if part of that is all of the fun we had that day just flowing through me? 

I love and very much miss Smash*ing! This page is very near and dear to my heart. As I mentioned, this year was in no way what I imagined it to be, but this day...my 31st birthday...it makes my heart SO happy! My best friend got my ears pierced for my birthday. I can't explain it fully, but know that this, for me, was a very big deal and it was a very wonderful experience with my best friend and her daughter. They are family in every since of the word. 

Ah, sewing. I love to sew. I am not very good at it, per say, but I love to play with fabric and watch it take shape. This year, Noah was to use a very too young for him stocking so I snagged this awesome big boy fabric on sale at Hancock Fabrics and whipped up a fun stocking for him. He really loves it and that makes it even more fun!!

I have had this Prima, Julie Nutting stamp for a year, and this summed I decided to giver her a go. I have recently become very inspired by several artists in the crafting community and this project embodies everything I have learned and that I love. Mixed media is here to stay in my house. Can't get enough of it! My favorite part of this was using the sequin trim to create her skirt! 

(insert Julie Nutting Craft Day photo here)

So, this scrap page. I chose to show this because I did my very best to think as far outside the proverbial "scrap rule" box as possible. I used mists, cut-outs and crazy textures and mix and matched....for me? This is a crazy different page and I love how it turned out! Ended up using mixed media, smash*ing AND scrapping on this one and I love how it turned out.  

My card making took a new turn this year as well. Much more unstructured and "me". My coloring is evolving as well and I can't wait to see what the new year will bring with my new Chameleon markers!

Yet another example of my crafting evolution/revolution. Yet another Julie Nutting project with one of my first loves, collaging! Oh, man I used to make a mean magazine collage back in school. Not sure what I love about it, but finding the perfect image and then mixing and matching is so fun! On this doll, I used fabric. Trying something ELSE new! AND...AND...the canvass???  It was created using like 7 magazine pages and gluing and sewing them together and then washing them with Gesso, one of my new favorite crafting mediums. Seirously had a blast the day I created her!

This page was a lot of fun, and craziness. I used homemade stamps to create a texture with the paint on the background and I love this quote...I love everything about this page. Therefore, it counts as one of my top ten.

Last, but not least, my very first attempt at mixed media/art journaling. I loved coloring this little tiddly inks fairy, and I used home made texture paste and my "snow" pen, a home made stamp, used some dripping techniques that I have seen on the interwebs...its simple,  but sweet. It makes me happy when I look at it. 

If you made it to the end of this post then I commend you for reading my ramblings. Crafting is in my blood. Its something I can't live without...Like breathing. I hope that something on this blog inspires you. You don't have to be "creative" to create. You have it in you, whether you realize it or not! Happy new year! Cheers for 2015 and all it can do!!!!

Happy Galactic Birthday

The birthday and Christmas have come and gone. I can finally show you what months of planning resulted in.

This year is the first year since Noah was born that I have been out of the house working semi-full time as well as Noah having extra-curricular things 3 nights a week so I was scared that this party would never come to fruition.


First, let me apologize for the photos. In my haste to get everything just right I forgot to use the right settings and the pics just aren't that great.

This was the food table. Without the food...cause....long story.

 I loved the tags that I printed from Pinterest. Princess Leis and Obi-Wan Kabobies...Yoda Soda and Vader Veggies....you get the picture. My greatest though, was, "use the forks Luke".

This was the gift table. I spread the goodie bags out between the cake table and the gift table. Kinda helped fill the empty space. 

 The cake table had my fabric bunting banner as well as other goodies to help add to the atmosphere.

 The cupcakes were amazing!! I love my hubby's cupcake recipe. It was just right! The toppers came from Williams-Sonoma and were a huge hit!

 Quite possibly the biggest hit, however, was DARTH VADER!!! Yes, Darth Vader made a special visit just for Noah to our little party and he was well-received by all but one sweet child. The kids had a blast chasing and getting chased. Can't thank him enough for being willing to come and hang out!

 There were so many other little details that I will not bore you with here. If you are interested in the goody bags, the leia buns, the process in general, check here and here and here. This party was probably the easiest I have done because of the wealth of ideas on the internet. Its not a new idea so there is a lot of information to be had for sure if you just have the time to check it out.

Thanks to all who were able to come and to all who helped out! It is very much appreciated!!

Paper Dolls

So, the last year or so I have become completely obsessed with Prima's Julie Nutting doll stamps. My friend Kristy and I have made a lot of tags and mixed media projects together using our dolls and its so much fun to watch them come to life.

For Christmas, Kristy said she wanted one of my dolls so I created this cute clip board using my first prima doll, purchased in Gatlinburg, TN. I had a lot of fun just letting go and letting the creativity flow for this project.

 The words are from Teresa Collins, and the bling are sparklets. The feathers are real and I smothered them with micro-fine glitter and glued them down. I  used Heidi Swapp sprays ad Studio G Inks as well as Memento inks. The papers are a mix of things.

This project was so fun because there was no stress. It all came together without much of a fuss. That is the kind of crafting that I love to do. I dearly hope Kristy loves it. Merry Christmas to all!

Aprons For Christmas

I believe that anyone who is friends or family of mine eventually ends up with an apron. Its just how I roll.

This year I made 3 aprons. 2 for friends, and one was a commission. I have come so far in my sewing and I have so far to go.

First I made an apron for my best friend, sister from another mister, Susan. She loves owls, like I do. I had to make her a fun wintery apron since she bakes and cooks so much, especially this time of year. I found this sparkly, winter owl fabric and had to use it for her.

The next apron was for another dear crafting friend of mine that has become more than a crafting buddy. We have a lot of fun and good conversation together. She loves elephants and I searched high and low for a good elephant fabric. That proved to be difficult since most of the fabric I found was very obviously for a baby or nursery, but  I finally found this adorable fabric that was as colorful as Kristy is.

I had to try it in. I was pretty excited with how the colors work together. She finally got to open it last  night and I think it was a hit. I hope it was a hit!

This last apron was a commission for a sweet co-worker of mine who has a 5 year old daughter who is very much into baking. Its been awhile since I made a child's apron so I was excited to get to make another one AND to have an excuse to go shop for girlie fabric. I think it turned out extremely cute.

I am in LOVE with this color combo and will for sure be using it again. Also, see my new dress form?? I have a lot to learn for sewing real clothing, but I am excited to get started! 

I am so glad to finally share these projects with you. It has been SO HARD not to blog the last 2 months because of spoilers!

Now that Christmas and birthdays have come and gone I am free to share! Ya!!! I hope that your christmas and whatever holiday you might celebrate was wonderful! Looking forward to a new and brighter year!

May The Force Be With You

My poor little Jedi has been sick with a high fever for the last 24 hours. Now we are a low grade fever which is much less scary. I have been able to use his down time to get a LOT done for his party which is in just 2 weeks! Yikes! So close!!

As you may remember, our party theme this year is "Star Wars". We are HUGE Star Wars fans in this house.

Awhile back I posted this instructional about my Noodle Light Sabers. Also when I posted this about my bunting and post cards.

So this weekend I was able to get a lot of stuff knocked out. Totally pumped! I made these awesome Princess Leia buns out of felt, yarn and cheap, spray painted headbands. All I had to do was hot glue yarn in a spiral and glue it to the headband. Super easy once I got going on it. My only regret is not putting the buns lower on the headband. 

I also printed out these Jedi Knight certificates to hand out after the Jedi Training obstacle course. Its going to be epic. 

I also was able to get part of my Jedi robes completed. I used bed-sheets from Goodwill and cut rectangles and folded them in half, cut them up the front and cut space for a neck hole. Tied shut with the same yarn I used for the Leia Buns. Here is my on-the-mend lil man sporting one of the robes. Simple, but they are going to make the kids feel like they are Jedis. 

Finally, I was able to put together the treat/goodie bags. This is one of my favorite parts of party planning because I love looking for something cooler than the typical "goodie bag" faire that just gets thrown away. 

This year, I bought bubble wands on clearance at Walmart and spray painted the handles silver. Note for those looking for party ideas, take the plastic wrap OFF BEFORE spraying the handles. Cause...I didn't...and I don't' want to do it over. So, learn from my mistakes, people!

I got coloring books, a pack of crayons, a star wars pencil, a sheet of stickers each AND this AWESOME card game I found online. It has figures, and little dice and everything in it. I am excited for Noah to open it so I can see what all the game is like!

Looks like most of the work is done. Only a few more Jedi robes to make and I will be able to relax until the day before the party when I go to buy the food and set up the decorations. ::insert sigh of relief here::

I hope to be around more after the first of the year! Making some changes with my job so here is hoping I have a bit more time to keep up with everything! 

Tricks And Treats

Today, I got to craft after such a long wait! Work and life has gotten crazy, so it was absolutely wonderful to sit down and play today with the fabulous Kristy.

I was able to buy a new Julie Nutting Prima doll a few weeks back and have been really wanting to try her out. I had the idea that she would make a good Halloween doll.

I decided to make a card instead of a tag or a hanging.  I found these tall cards at Hobby Lobby and they are perfect for these primas.

I went light mixed media with this card. I primed the kraft card with white acrylic gesso. Once it dried I used some DCWV stencils and some black paint and the bottom of a bottle to create patterns. I used Teresa Collins papers and Heidi Swapp color shine sprays. I had some tissue paper and I crumpled it up and created a flower. All of the words are from Tim Holtz and the stars are from Studio Calico. Had a blast once I got the mojo going but boy, it makes a girl rusty when the time goes so long!

I love how rich her outfit came out and I love the accidental flower. It felt to good to talk, eat and craft with my buddy today! Thanks for stopping by! I hope this won't be the last you hear of me....

ALSO...

HOLY COW I GOT CHAMELEON PENS!!! HOLY COW!!!! I hope I can get a video out to you soon! I am stoked!

Tres Chic

I wanted to craft SO BADLY today but was completely uninspired for whatever reason. I needed a break from the shabby. I needed something BOLD. Something ME.

I got a new Prima girl in the mail awhile back and haven't had the chance to ink her up and create so I got her out and then perused Pinterest for some ideas I had seen awhile back. I knew I wanted to play with mixed media and THIS pin was perfect. Omgoodness!

I quickly ripped out some pages an sewed them together and primed them with Acrylic Gesso. Once that dried I used Martha Stewart wood stain in lieu of regular paint.  It made quite a splash and the lines sewn into the papers added great texture.

I had an old Elle magazine from last september (yes, I kept it for a year...crafters don't hoard...we store...) and flipped through and cut out some fun things. I HAD to use the elephant as well as the lips. The roses were a fantastic addition. The sentiments are from Cosmo Cricket.

I also wanted to use fabric for the dress on my prima. I hadn't used fabric before and thought it would be fun. I tried to layer and cut it so that I could make it flirty. For the crown I used some amazing paper encrusted with glitter that my mother found at Hobby Lobby. For her bow I used dyed silk ribbon. For her body I used my dictionary and gesso. I kind of use gesso a lot, I suppose. I colored her shoes black and then used micro-fine black glitter.

I used stencils and Americana acrylic paint to create the stars and white Gesso again to create the circles. Of course, the words are thickers and some letter stickers.

 I am seriously in love with the outcome of this page. I can't stop looking at the funk and style! I hope you are inspired to create something of your own! Have a fantastic week! Happy Monday!