Boards and Beams FUN!

YIPPEE!! I have waited a long time for this Boards and Beams set from Papertrey Ink. I went thru many scraps of paper trying to find the right color combos for my little craftsman and "victorian" homes. At first I tried BRIGHT colors like gingerbread houses, but they were a total disaster...like a really bad color swatch...lol For the craftsman style home, I found it much easier to just keep the house white and accent it on the outside with my cool grey copic marker. The cool grey tone really helps the house "pop" when working with a white background:) I don't own too many copic colors(although they are on my wish list!!) so I used a combo of prisma watercolors and gamsol. I also had the chance to try out my new Guide Lines Set for the background on the cardstock. It makes for a very hip and snazzy little card!Card #2: One layers can be a little tricky for me, but with the right color match and cutting out focal points, it really "makes" the card complete. The trees and fence line were cut out for a 3-D effect and then I just added some ribbon and the sentiment on the bottom. Coloring was done with copic markers. Card #3: This was my first time using my new Copic Airbrush System. It does have a learning curve, but with a little practice I think I'm really going to enjoy it! The can of air goes quickly and I'm already thru my first one! I simply masked the house then sprayed my leather copic marker over the top. The airbrush technique adds a soft finished look to the focal point.

Prayer Journal...

This prayer journal was made on request for a very special little girl. A dear friend had asked me to make this for a little girl who's father passed away unexpectedly. I hope it will be a book of uplifting memories and thoughts of her Daddy. I can't imagine what pain her little heart feels, but this is a simple way for her to express her thoughts and feelings. I thought the butterfly paper would be perfect and I already had it out working on the diaper cake at the same time. I love this hot pink and green together...very girly and fun! To cover the spiral holes, you just simply use pliers and "un-hook" the ends of the spiral and twist the whole chain out. Once the front is covered with your paper, you can use a 1/8 inch hole punch to cut for the spiral holes. The "K" is used as my focal point and matted on coordinating cardstock. I used glitter stickles on the "K" for a little extra sparkle. For the sentiment on the bottom right I used my new Papertrey Ink white shimmer cardstock. This paper is not over-the-top with sparkles, just a nice subtle shimmer. I hope she enjoys it!

Sweet Baby Cakes...

So before I get to todays post, I just wanted to share my good news! The Wine Box I made a few weeks ago, took 1st place on Papertrey Ink...you can check out Nichole's post HERE! I was so excited when I saw the post...I had made this for a dear friend...I'd better tell her she has a "hot commodity" on her hands now eh??...lol

Now, on to today's post! I have made several of these diaper cakes for gifts in the past, but wanted to try something new. I had envisioned some free standing butterflies with bright colors and it turned out exactly the way I had planned...this doesn't happen too often for me! Step 1: time to tie all the diapers together! For this cake I used Pampers Swaddlers in size 1...these are the ones to get as they don't have designs to cover up! I would have normally used rubberbands, but since I didn't have any on hand, I found a HUGE roll of some old statin ribbon lying around and there was just enough for the whole project. If you're using ribbon, be sure to get a tight knot to hold the diaper together.
Step 2: Assemble all your layers! The number of diapers on each layer will depend on how large you want to make each layer. I will edit this later with the amount on each layer that I did...I already sent it off and forgot to count:(
Since this cake was sent via the USPS, it had to be easy to assemble on the other end. So, to make assembly easy, I simply found a 1/4 dowel(I used E-6000), added my decorations, and slid it down the middle of the layers. For the top of the cake I used my Creative Memories Oval Cutting Patterns for the matte and the added some chipboard letters("baby") which were clear embossed with 3 layers of UTEE. You can use 2 layers if you like, I just perferred the thickness and shine of 3 layers.
Just to add a little more fun to the cake, I added these clear embossed butterflies. They are attached to 20 gauge wire which was "swirled" with some pliers and then tucked into the diapers. I really like how this one turned out, so I may opt to do more of these vs. the fabric lined I usually make.

Am I making Halloween Cards???...lol

I had to laugh at that comment...I only wish I had enough time in the day to try out some new Halloween stamps...lol I've been MIA on some house projects. Now, I wouldn't normally share these here, but I thought it'd be kinda fun to showcase my interior artwork as well! I'm like a modern day Martha Stewart, just without the jail time and BIG fat paycheck...lol Home Sweet Home...love the colors, but especially love the "penthouse suite" above the garage...lol Its the only room upstairs and a great place to catch an afternoon nap or just relax. Its far enough away from the other rooms so you have complete silence! If you look really close, you can see my little one running in front of the hibiscus bushes. The girls have longed for a yard after living in NYC for the last 3 years...we had an apt. on the 3rd floor there...NOT conducive for kids!
This is the main bathroom downstairs and was painted in the standard white. I knew I wanted to try a chocolate on the wall and since I've never painted before, the bathroom is small enough to make my start. I picked up the shower curtain at Penny's...can you tell its actually CURTAINS?? Ok, I will admit it, I LOVE Pottery Barn but not their prices and this striped curtain was perfect while browsing Penny's(plus the price was in my budget). I had every intention of hemming the bottoms, but after hanging them, I decided I like the height depth and went up higher with the shower rod. There is a lower rod on the inside for the liner.

ACCCKKK!! MORE STRIPES!! I'm not doing the WHOLE house in them...just 2 rooms for now...lol These particular colors were pulled from the Rooster plate above, and these colors will be incorporated in my kitchen. I found the pillows and rooster dish at Kirkland's and brought them with me to the fabric store for swatch's. The fabric samples will later be turned into curtains and a bench seat cushion. One project at a time...Martha's not into sharing her money:(


And last but not least...I was nominated for my first blog awards:) Since I was hit twice, I will just list some of my favorite blogs I love to visit!

1. Regina-she is my SU! Demo and incredibly sweet!
2. Dawn-She's like the digi-scrap queen! She made my blog banner and has the cutest set of twin girls...not that I'm bias or anything!
3. Debbie Olson-incredibly talented! She's got me hooked on soldering now...yes, that means you will soon a new project from me:)
4. Nichole Heady-She is the creator of Papertrey Ink Stamps...I own many of her creations!
5. Michelle-Because she's the one who started this madness! I met Michelle while living in NYC(we were neighbors) and happened to be over at her house one night and began browsing a SU! catty. It was all over then...lol Although we are separated by many miles(both military families) now, we still keep in touch and chat about all the new stamp gadgets out!



Sooo, if you've made it this far down the post, there will be new posts this week so stay tuned:)