Tricks or Treats?

I'm taking a day away from sharing my unfinished layouts to share a project that I completed at the beginning of this week!

I made this 13 Day's of Halloween Advent Calendar for an upcoming class and I think that it's spook-tastic!  I used cool paper from Authentique's Howler line and Jenni Bowlin's Halloween paper line!  I must admit, JB's line lent itself to this project amazingly because a lot of her paper could be cut down to fit a small tag or coin envelope or treat bag - all of which I used!  You can put money, candy, coupons, anything in the little pockets, bags and envelopes... or a yucky spider or finger or something if you're more a trickster than a treater!

I pinned all 13 of the advent calendars pieces to a burlap trim piece that is really cool.  I'm not sure if the cat treat bag or the witch silhouette coin envelope is my favorite... they're both boo-tiful.

I'm teaching this class at both Collective Journey's and Page's From the Heart, so please call the stores if you'd like to sign up - we'll have a frightfully fun time!

Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday followed by a super Saturday and special Sunday!
Andrea

Another almost complete layout!

Hopefully you're not feeling underwhelmed by my almost done layouts!  I feel good sharing them, even if they're not quite right yet!

Here's my second favorite layout!

I used Crate Paper's Toy Box line, which is still one of my all time favorites!  I loved the different journal tags and hand cut a lot of embellishments from the paper itself. 

I love wood grain paper - I want to use it all the time on so many different projects... a good wood grain is a beautiful thing!

And, since I had some left overs that I didn't use on my layout, here's a card that I created strictly from my left-overs!

I've shared this card before, but I still love it and I love that it's created from not used layout items!  See how much you can get from your supplies?  And I've found that my scraps get used more if I use them fresh off a project! 

Well, that's the almost complete layout of the day! 
See you soon!
Andrea

A-L-M-O-S-T done... but I'm sharing anyways!!!

I made a few layouts 7-8 months ago... I set them aside to add journaling and titles at a later date... and they're still sitting there waiting.  So, instead of keeping them on my desk waiting - sighing - wishing I would share them, I'm just going to share them in their present state!  I'll share a layout a day until I run out of layouts to share!  Okay, let's start off with my favorite!

This 2 page layout (I know, my photography skills are seriously lacking with 2 page spreads) is made from Echo Park's Playgound paper which is super fun and colorful and bright and I love them with my sons bunny pictures!

The banners are hand cut from the paper, the clouds are stickers from their element sheet.

The sun is a great use of scraps.  I punched the circle and cut strips of paper and tore them at different lengths for the rays.

My other favorite part of this layout is that there really isn't that much paper used!  This is a great scrap paper layout!  Lots of strips, different sized circles and embellishments... not much else!  Some day I'll add a title and journaling - something about a sunny bunny boy or something... I'm not sure!  But, someday I will know and it'll be done and the pages will go into his book!  Until then, at least I shared my almost done page from when Adam was 1 year old!  2.5 years ago!

And, onto a different project!  I have a friend, Naomi, who uses/loves LifeStyle Crafts (formerly QK) and she creates amazing projects using her dies... I can think a card that I've loved for years and it has a fence with birds on the fence and a tree.. or maybe the birds are in the tree... anyways, I love it and I love this project that she's sharing with all of us today!

Okay, now, once I got over the sheer amount of times she had to twist the knob to die cut a gazillion lace circles, I focused on "how did she make it stand?" and I wondered "Pop-dots?  A pencil?" so I asked and she answered!

Naomi - "I actually used a chopstick (it's the Asian in me) but I think a dowel will work.  I traced the inside of the largest die on some cardboard and cut that out to use as the base.  I used some old Stampin Up! Christmas paper and cut a few pieces of all the shapes of the Nesting Lace Circle dies.  I think I needed to cut some more of each shape to make the tree look fuller, so I just called that tree my prototype!  I punched the center of each die cut with the crop-o-dile and then started layering the circles.  I glued the die cut to the dowel/chopstick so the piece wouldn't shift, but again, I think if I had cut out more pieces this would have prevented the shifting problem.  I cut out the star and attached it to the top of the stick and used some shimmer spray on the tree and stickles on the star."

Isn't that tree great?  I LOVE it!  I want to make one, but I'm going to have to trick someone into cutting all of the different layers for me!  Thanks, Naomi, for letting me share your great project on the blog!

I hope you all find some inspiration today!
Andrea

Patience is a virtue...

Or at least that's the rumor...

I wouldn't know, I'm plumb out today!

We were finally all better, just a little lagging cough and tiredness, but the hubs and I were planning on starting an eat right and exercise plan...   You know, boosting our immune systems to fight germs and all that preventative medicine mumbo-jumbo.

And then this happened...

I have crutches, and a large, straight brace that is not the most fun contraption.  They think I tore my meniscus, along with cartilage and have fluid on my knee... so I'll have an MRI Friday and meet with the Ortho Surgeon and hope that surgery isn't my answer.

Now, this isn't that big of a deal.  Yay, it's not comfortable or convenient, but it's so much better than it could be!  And, I did get to have a little bit of fun before all of this with my bro-in-law and future sis-in-law!  Nothing makes me happier than a wedding!  Except, maybe taking the engagement pictures!

They're an attractive couple, but I guess you can see that!

And even though I doubt this one is on the "Save the Date", I LOVE it!  They were having a staring contest to loosen up.  I'm pretty sure Kerry won.  Dan doesn't look very hard core.  We took these pictures downtown Redlands, where theres a ton of cool, old historic brick buildings with a ton of character.  The first picture that I shared was on an old fire escape on the brick building  and this one was in front of a cool, old green door.  Now, I am not a photographer but it was a lot of fun.  It made me remember when Alan and I did ours, it was so hard to be ourselves in front of the camera and not feel forced, but we have one of ours framed on the wall and we look really really really in llllooovvvveeeeee.

And now is time to share an actual paper project!  What?  I know, the whole point you come to this blog!

I used the LifeStyle Crafts Be Spooked 3-D tree, which is Ba-nan-as.  I LOVE it!  To make my tree spooky, I cut it out of black cardstock and added a ton of fun little spooky shapes from both LifeStyle Crafts and Cottage Cutz.

I am also teaching the "Magic of Oz" Altered Book class at Collective Journey's this Saturday and there's still time to sign up - 909.793.2200. 

Hope you're all having a less of a "fall" than I've had!  Get it, because of my knee, less of a fall... because it's fall... I guess the pun loses some of the cleverness if I have to explain it!

Andrea

Page's From the Heart Design Team Open Call!

· Are you fun? Are you innovative?


· Do you love paper crafting? Or all crafting?

· Are you blog savvy? If not, are you a quick learner?

· Do you like free product and sneak peaks of upcoming product and trends?

· Do you LOVE Pages from the Heart?


Seeking:


We are looking for individuals to represent Pages from the Heart! We are looking for people who are open to support our blog and support events and projects at the store.


The Jist:


You will be expected to create assigned projects each month to be posted on our blog and turn in samples to the store for display. Projects can range from Layout samples, to cards to 3-D projects! These samples will need to have easy to read instructions or descriptions that we can include in our blog posts; tips and tricks are also appreciated! We’re looking for ways for people to stay inspired to use the supplies that they have and the new supplies offered at Pages. In return for your projects, you will earn store credit from Pages.


The Deal:

· The term will be for 6 months starting October 7th with your 1st projects due November 1st.

· Applicants must be 18+ years old.

· Open to everyone but must be willing to attend occasional meetings or webinars, and special events at Pages from the Heart.

· Design Team experience is not a must, but doesn’t hurt either!

· You’ll be supplied monthly (or as needed) with store product. You’ll have to complete your assignments using the products in the time allotted – you’ll get to keep the leftovers AND earn credit to get more goodies! It’s a win-win!

- You will be asked to create tutorials of some of the assignments you create, you will know about tutorials ahead of time. You will also be required to write a brief "blurb" about each project that you create that can be included with pictures of your project on our blog.

- We post a "Challenge" every month and ask for your help, but it is not mandatory.

· New members will be contacted by October 7th.


How to Apply:

Please send pictures of:

· 1 double page layout or 2 single page layouts

· 2 cards

· 1 3-D project

To ayokleyjessup@gmail.com. Please keep file size small! You will not be judged on your photo skills, but to get a good idea of your work your photo will have to be clear and show good details. All samples must be original to you!!! If you are chosen for the Design Team, your samples will be displayed at Pages for 2 months and then returned to you.


Include a little about yourself, like…

· Name

· When did you start paper crafting?

· Are you on any other Design Teams or do you have any Design Team experience?

· What are your favorite company’s or products? Do you have a passion for Glimmer Mist? Stamps? Paper? What’s your vice?

· Do you have a blog? If so, please send me the link!

· Do you follow any blogs? If so, please let me know some of them!

· Have you even been published? Do you submit your designs?

· What style are you? Do you like clean, simple designs? Are you vintage? Or shabby? Or something totally unique, like vintage with classic lines?

· Anything else that you think is important about yourself. I don’t need your life story, but I would like a good idea of who you are and what drives your paper crafting passion! Crafting is part about expression, but then also about your story and connections to people!

If you're interested in finding out more about Page's Design Team,  please head on over to:
www.pagesfromtheheart.blogspot.com

I hope that this inspires someone who might be "thinking" about applying to apply - we would really like to share more "new" talent on the Page's Design Team!  I know that we're often our worst critics, but please, don't be too hard on yourself! 

See you later this week with projects to share!
Andrea

PageMaps Class at Pages!!

Hello, Everyone!

Yay, it's Friday!  I am so excited for the weekend... because I will be teaching at Page's from the Heart!  Saturday morning is the PageMaps class, where we'll be doing 4 pages using WeR's Halloween line!  Take a look!

I know that I shared this layout last week, but take a look at all of the little embellishments!  You'll be using glimmer mists, Bazzil's In Stitch'z and lots of ribbon and raised stickers!

Everyone that takes the class will receive an entire sheet of the embossed stickers!!  You'll have plenty left to make more pages or cards...

Please call Page's, 626-358-5334, to sign up and I hope to see you there!
Andrea

Pages for Pages

Hello -

I hope you all had a great weekend.  I taught my banner class at Pages, had a great time even though I barely had a voice to speak of!  I think that I left more excited about banners than my students!  Yay!  I love talking crafting with other crafters - it's amazing what you can come up with!

Today is the start of the Page's September Design Team reveal and since I decided to go in alphabetical order, my layout is the first one!  Take a look!

Our assignment was to complete a 2 page layout using paper supplied by Pages.  I had Crate Paper's Farm House line, and while it might not be an obvious choice, I love the way it turned out!  Here's some close ups of the 1st page.

And here's the 2nd page of the layout.

I think that my favorite part of the layout is my journaling.  I often struggle with journaling, but this time I gave each photo a number (either sticker or rub-on) and then journaled underneath the photos by numbers.

Head on over to the Page's From the Heart blog to check out more of my layout - and I'll be posting a flag making tutorial there tomorrow, so you'll want to check that out!  Also, Page's is having an open Design Team Call, so go check it out and submit your work!  We're looking for crafters just like you!

See you soon!
Andrea

Documented...

Well, now it's my turn to be full of snot and germs and overall grossness.  Sigh.  Yay for preschool germs.

Adam is still sick, we went to his doctor yesterday and am hoping that he'll be on the mend soon.  It was interesting, I sometimes wonder what his Dr. thinks of us because while I'm telling him Adam's yucky symptoms (snot, fever, hacking-barking cough that makes my lungs hurt), Adam is climbing/laughing/hanging on or from whatever he can in the room.  Yup.  Thanks for backing me up with my "He's really sick..." comment, Adam, by acting like a crazed monkey.  Why does my child's energy level go UP with his snot production level?

Okay, enough complaining.  Here's something from the past that I still love and have been wanting to share for, well, over 3 years! 

This is Adam's birth announcement.  I wanted it to look like a shipment statement, so my Mom helped me create the document in Excel and I printed them up, 2 fit on an 8.5" x 11" and you can then mail them in a manila envelope to complete your industrial look. 

All of his birth information is here as follows:  Name, Date (birth date), Time (time he was born), Make (baby), Model (gender), Quantity (how many - if you had twins you'd put 2...) Delivered To (parents name and city) and then I used pounds and ounces on my chart to show Adam's weight and circled the numbers, since he was 3 lbs., 8 oz. I circled the 3 on the top and 8 on the size. 

I used Basic Grey's Baby Boy line for the patterned paper to back Adam's picture.  I bought 2 office style stamps from Office Depot - Completed and Final Notice (I used them both randomly), I used a 7Gypsies label stamp and cut it out of white cardstock and wrote "Paid in Full" on each label.

I still love these announcements.  I also printed out the pictures that I'd taken of Adam in a blue tint, if I'm doing boy, I'm going all the way boy!

That's it for today, I'm hoping that this post reminds you that you can always create something if you cannot find it in a store - I had the idea of a shipping document in my head, couldn't find what I wanted to complete the picture in my head so I (with Bubbles help), made it!  Very cute, very economical, exactly what I wanted. 

Have a great weekend!
Andrea

A little of what's been going on...

We've had some of this over the Labor Day weekend - I kind of felt like I was trying to climb up a hill and then the dirt slips a little and I'm back to where I started... Rango obviously felt the same way!  Adam and Alan were sick all weekend - which is a total bummer.  No one should have to spend their 4 day vacation with a fever, chills, congestion and over all yuck.

I have had some good moments though, I made some of these large Scrabble tiles (which I happen to l-o-v-e)...

And some of these...

I do love a good Halloween project!  I actually love any Halloween/Fall project and am feeling so inspired now that I've joined

It's amazing.  Sigh.  It's like all the best pictures and ideas from everywhere!  If you want an invite to join (and I highly suggest you do), just email me and I'll invite you.  You might be thinking that it's a time suck, but it's so much more than that!  Especially when your stuck at home on a l-o-n-g Holiday weekend!

I'll be back soon to share projects!
Andrea