Halloween Button Bauble & Tutorial

Kristin Cronin-Barrow (a designer at Sweet Shoppe Designs) is turning 30 this week and she's having a week-long celebration with various giveaways and stuff.  One of the challenges is to create a layout or project with either 30 flowers or 30 buttons on it.  The winner will receive a month long guest spot on her creative team.  I decided to take mine hybrid and use one of those empty baubles that are starting to pop up in the craft stores for the upcoming holidays.  While shopping for the bauble, I found this fun and cute ribbon with green, orange, and black polka dots on it.  I had found my color inspiration!

So, in keeping with the orange, green and black colors, I took some different papers from various kits (the darker orange is from All Star, the lighter orange and green are from Artist's Canvas, and the gray is from her contribution to the Sweet Shoppe collab freebie Simple Pleasures) and printed them off on matte presentation paper.

Then I used one of the small circle paper punches I have and cut out a handful of them.  I don't have a smaller circle paper punch, so I took a round object and traced it and then hand cut it out.  Talk about tedious work! 60 small circles in all because I wanted the buttons to be double-sided.  I used my good old Tombow adhesive to create the double-sided buttons.

Then I took one of my most favorite hybrid utensils - the paper piercer - and poked holes in the buttons so I could later thread them.  FYI, I use the back side of a mouse pad as a mat so I don't poke a hole in anything below the button.

Then came the real fun part: hand stitching each and every button to make it look like a true button.  30 buttons in all.  See!  For this, I used a needle and embroidery floss.

By this time, my oldest son was home from preschool, so he helped me insert the buttons, along with some black Halloween crinkle (as the bag said) that I got from Michael's into the bauble.

And voila!  The finished product!  And yes, there are 30 buttons in there - it is kind of hard to photograph all 30 of them in a round object!

Autumn Blessings

When I first saw the Taylored Expression Sketch 128 I had no idea what to do!  I had to think about it for awhile.  Then when I saw the new kit coming out tomorrow (9/23) from Jennifer Fox and Nikki Epperson, I knew I wanted to use that kit with the sketch.  This is what I came up with:

For the words 'Autumn Blessings' I used DJB Gimme Space by Darcy Baldwin and Lauren Reid - one of my favorite fonts.  

Happy crafting and scrapping everyone!

You Make My World Happy

I can't get enough of the new kit from Meg Mullens and Kristin Cronin-Barrow called A Wonderful World.  I decided to use it on Mojo Monday's Sketch 156 this week.  Here's how it turned out:

And another view:

I'm not happy about my little handwritten sentiment.  Had I been thinking clearly, I would have printed it out on there instead of me writing it.  Oh well!  It is what it is.  :)  

Happy crafting and scrapping everyone!

For Your New Home

I based this card on The Sweetest Thing Sketch 85.  I used some wordart that is coming out tomorrow from Paislee Press, who is guesting at The Digichick this month.  I also used Harmony Lane from Pixel Gypsy, also available at The Digichick.

I had a friend who moved away a few months ago and got a new place.  I have yet to send her a card congratulating her on things, so I'm guessing this'll be going in the mail soon.  

Happy scrapping and crafting everyone!

A Wonderful World

Today is a day I'll never forget.  It's a day a lot of people will never forget.  9 years ago today the United States changed.  I recently made a layout for Log Your Memory's challenge this week about recalling that day.  My layout was featured on The Daily Digi today!  Click here to see it.

I also made some cards with Meg Mullen's new Perfect Pair with Kristin Cronin-Barrow called A Wonderful World.  I didn't think much of it when I was designing them, but after I pieced them together I looked at them I felt a calm come over me.  The words on the background paper "Peace, Hope, Love, Happiness" is exactly what should be celebrated and practiced today and all days.

They have tags on the front that can be removed and used as a bookmark or as a tag on a gift.  I hope the recipients love them as much as I do.

Happy crafting and scrapping everyone!

An Apple A Day

Keeps the doctor away!  Isn't this yummy (if I do say so myself)?  I used Fee Jardine's She'll Be Apples kit and some new fonts coming out from Darcy Baldwin on 9/11!  I based it on the sketch for Mojo Monday 155.

I **almost** think it's too delicious to give to anyone!

Thanks for looking!  Happy crafting and scrapping!

Thanks Sew Much

Another night, another card!  I'm completely in love with this card too.  I decided to play along with the Hybrid Chick Caravan this week and their stop at the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge blog for sketch #84 plus coordinating it with a September portfolio challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

I used Eva Kipler and Scrapkitchen Designs' latest scoop called Savannah Flea Market plus tons of stitches - hand stitched, I might add!

Thanks for taking a look!  Happy crafting and scrapping!

More Cards

What can I say?  I've got the hybrid bug big time this week.  I think it's because I got all my supplies out of the basement - now I'm ready to play.

I made another set of cards last night.  I love how they turned out.  I used Meghan Mullens' Growing Like a Weed mini kit that was in the Quarterly Assortment just released at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

So easy to make too - I love that!

Happy scrapping and crafting everyone!

A Minute this...Tuesday

Well I'm all messed up already - I keep thinking it's Monday.  Glad it's not though - we're one day closer to the weekend!

We had a nice Labor Day - we spent it at my parent's house for their annual Fish Fry.  The fish was so good!

Here just to share some of my latest creations.

A card set based on a card by Jen Tapler - one of the amazing hybrid SugarBabes at Sweet Shoppe:

With Gratitude - Misty Cato, Dani Mogstad, Lauren Reid
Font: DJB Scratched Notes - Darcy Baldwin
Embroidery Floss, Flowers from Jolee's Boutique

Flying High - Dani Mogstad
Blocks, Mod Podge, Distress Ink

Celebrating Him by Eva Kipler and Traci Reed
Strip Stacks - Jaclyn Bernardo
Font: CK Tate

The Latest News

NSBR (non-scrap book related) alert!  

Two and a half short weeks ago we put an offer in a house up on Sanford Lake contingent on us selling our house.  The sellers accepted it.  So we put our house on the market, had a handful of showings, and even and Open House.  Two and a half weeks later we get a phone call saying that there was another offer on the house and that the people didn't have a house to sell.  So our offer was now off the table.  I got quite upset about it yesterday but am doing much better today.  When I feel myself getting upset, I say a little prayer.  It's funny too because I told myself that I wouldn't get upset if we didn't get this house....I guess I wanted it more than I really thought!

We had met the sellers, they learned about us, we showed them pics of the boys, talked about what we would do if we lived at that house.  They got to know us.  I know it's all business and none of that matters, but I'd like to think it does.  But it doesn't.  Their house sat on the market for over 400 days.  400 DAYS with no interest from anyone else but us.  We put an offer in and two weeks later someone else puts an offer in.  Another thing we learned is that the people who put an offer in, the lady is in a wheelchair.  It's a great one-level home for that, but she'll never use the lake - it's a big hill to get down to it.  We would have used the lake.  I keep telling myself that it just wasn't meant to be and God has something else in mind.  I have to trust in Him.

Our Realtor just left - she took down the sign in our yard.  She gave me a big hug and felt about as bad as I did that this all didn't work out.

On a bright note, our house looks amazing.  Toys put away behind closed doors, beds all made, laundry done, windows clean, siding on the house clean, stuff we have been meaning to do for awhile now is all done. Time to sit back and relax.