Hey friends. I never post about personal things on my design blog. Not sure that anyone would care, or if anyone can relate. But, this will be short. Simple. Honest.
I want to be a mom. It's hard watching EVERY FRIEND around you have babies, buy houses and live the life your heart aches for. It's lonely, when your husband travels a lot for work, and you have nothing to look forward to and no one to pass the time with.
Holidays are my thing. Decor. Food. Shopping. Crafting. MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR. Enter: Ruin my holiday news + Depressed over not being a mom = Sleep away 24 days of my life.
So DH's company drops the bomb that my husband will be traveling for Thanksgiving. The holiday season. Only time of year this want-to-be-mom gets to pretend to be like all the families she watches live life from facebook.
I throw a fit. Really. I was styling my hair. He broke the news. I went postal; crying, sobbing, the wiping of snot from my nose and heavy gasps for air. And, then grabbed my falt iron and proceeded to pull at my hair with it. The Dh told me that the trip would be from November 14 through December 10.
I never swear. WTF!? Thanksgiving. Decorate my house alone? No tree chopping? No egg nog? No hubby to play Christmas music while I decorate?
What company would force employees to travel during Thanksgiving. No extra pay. No advance warning, just a reminder to pack bags and get inoculations.
The DH assures me he will try his hardest to work something out.
I don't know. My solution: buy fake tree. Decorate this weekend. Sit alone next to tree every night and miss my hubby. Bypass the Thanksgiving we throw every year. Watch my friends on facebook enjoy memories with their little ones and happy husbands.
Miss my hubby. Miss our time together. Miss our traditions.
GCD + A New Take on Color Combos
Hey there friends! Here to show you some fun ways to incorporate some of your favorite non-thanksgiving colors like pink, yellow and aqua blue into some thanksgiving cards!!
Picking non-traditional colors can be kinda tricky, but the key to making it work is picking paper with appropriate patterns and motifs. Obviously, if it's a Thanksgiving card you don't want to use floral patterned paper, but don't let that stop you from fun and pretty colors like pink and aqua blue which are found in GCD's Sunswept and Candytuft paper from the Splendor collection.
I inked some SEI leaves and attached them with twine and tape for a fall-ish look!
A simple sentiment is the perfect finishing touch
For my next card I used some more paper from the Splendor collection. I mixed Heirloom, Labels and Tags and Pink Flora. I then stamped some leaf stamps from Avocado Arts to bring in a fall feel to the cards bright colors!
I trimmed the label and stamped the sentiment and then adhere it under a fun paper ribbon treatment.
Well, that's it for me today! Check the blog for more amazing ideas and projects all month long!
Supplies:
"Fall Leaves Thank You" Card: Splendor collection: Labels and Tags (1679), Sunswept (1684), Candytuft (1676). Other Supplies: Sentiment (Papertrey Ink). Dye Ink (Tsukineko). Chalk Ink and leaf die cuts (SEI). Tape (My Mind's Eye). Twine (May Arts.
"Elegant Thanks" Card: Splendor collection: Labels and Tags (1679), Heirloom (1678), Pink Flora (1682). Other Supplies: Sentiment (Papertrey Ink). Leaf stamps (Avocado Arts). Dye Ink (Tsukineko). Twine (Lawn Fawn).
Avocado Arts + Napkin Rings!
Hey there friends! Today's Avocado Arts project is something super easy to make that can spruce up your Thanksgiving table--Napkin rings!
I simply couldn't resist the leaves in the Gobble till You Wobble set, so of course they're the focal point of the rings! I added pumpkins from the Grateful Season set and Thankful for You set to mix in with the leaves.
I think the best thing about Avocado Arts stamps is the ability to flip them over, add ink to the backside, stamp on your paper, and then turn it right-side up and stamp with the actual image. I added some trims to soften up the design for my dinner.
Well, that's it for me today! Make sure to visit the rest of today's crew to see the fabulousness that they've come up with!
materials:
Avocado Arts + Tags of Thanks
Hey there friends! Today the whole Pit Crew from Avocado Arts will be sharing projects with you! On these days, we use stamps from the current month's set, which is Gobble Until You Wobble, and mix it with a sneak from next month's set, which you're going to love!
I am currently obsessing over the tags and leaves in the Gobble Until You Wobble set, they're so lovely! So, I wanted to make them the focal point of my card! To begin with, I chose a color palette of green, teal, fuchsia, yellow and chartreuse--some fun and trendy fall colors.
I stamped the tags in rows, then stamped the leaves over the tags, overlapping stamps to create a nice dynamic of lines. Today's sneak peak is the cute little string that the tags are dangling from. The tags and string work very well together. To create some dimension, a couple of leaf tags are adhere with foam tape and have some twine tied through them to create some softness to the card. The patterned paper are little pieces that I fussy cut from Crate paper's newest release Acorn Ave. I trimmed the paper to look like it's washi tape.
So, as mentioned on the Avocado Arts facebook page, were having a giveaway of three adorable little mini sets! Make sure to leave a comment on each Pit Crew blog for a chance to win! Winners will be picked randomly on August 17th and announced on the blog and facebook page. Here's what you could win!
Well, that's it for me today! Make sure to stop by the other Pit Crew blogs for amazingly creative and inspiring ideas!
Well, that's it for me today! Make sure to stop by the other Pit Crew blogs for amazingly creative and inspiring ideas!
materials:
SEI + A Halloween Welcome
I was so inspired by the new Salem Heights line that I wanted to create more Halloween Home Decor--I just couldn't stop crafting with this collection. Today's project is a banner that could be used in several different ways. You could add ribbon to the sides, and hang it on the wall or a doorknob. You could even prop it up and place it on a bookshelf.
I wanted to create some variety of shapes and sizes so I die cut squares, rectangles and circles from coaster board, which is a thicker base than cardstock. I then die cut coordinating shapes from the Salem Heights patterned paper kit, and adhered it to the chipboard shapes. Then I embellished the banner. Seriously, this was one of the easiest and quickest home decor pieces I have ever made! So simple and fun to make.
To create some dimension on the, "H" I affixed both a chipboard bat and cardstock sticker bat over Hawthorne Hills paper. I tied some black twine around the top of the jack-o-lantern for the "A," and lifted it with some foam tape adhesive. The first "L" is place atop a skull sticker and black and white ribbon trim. I love the way it looks with the Dead Man's Parlor paper.
The second, "L" uses Hawthorne Hills paper with a chipboard bat. Then for the "O" I used Spooky Town Bash and affixed the cat with foam tape and a bow of green twine. I love this cat sticker, especially since the cat isn't looking at us.
I was so happy to see a creepy and big spider web embossed on paper in the kit! I trimmed the paper so that the center of the web is in the corner of the banner panel, and then I added a chipboard spider with foam tape to the web. For the first, "E" I cut out two stars from Spooky Town Bash, threaded some twine through the stars, and adhered them to the Hallows Eve panel with tape. I love the contrast created by the black, purple and orange. For the second, "E" I covered a coaster board panel with Hawthorne Hills paper, and tied ribbon on the ends of the candy piece. I then layered the letter, "E" over the "Trick or Treat" sticker. The "N" is adhered to a skull and crossbones sticker on top of Hawthorne Hills paper.
The Salem Falls collection from SEI is a definite MUST HAVE for Halloween! I keep finding inspiration for making projects with it every time I use it.
GCD + Halloween Birthday Fresh
Hey there friends! So, it's the beginning of my favorite time of year-the holiday season, starting with Halloween! I'm going to share with ya some cards that not only celebrate this festive holiday, but are also birthday cards using non-Halloween product!! A paper-crafting card maker needs to know how to st-reee-tch your product, and GCD Studios has SO many great papers that you can create for any holiday with!
This card is super simple and easy to create with papers from my favorite collection, Splendor. Mix some paper, stamps and a little ribbon and you have a fun birthday card for any Halloween baby with one of the most popular Halloween motif ever; pumpkins!
I stamped the pumpkins on Labels and Tags paper, added a cute sentiment that mixes Birthday and Halloween fun. Finally, adding a little ribbon trim gave the card some dimension and texture.
This next card is more elegant take on a favorite color combo of orange and black. Again, I turned to my favorite collection from GCD Studios; Splendor for inspiration.
I cut some strips from Navy Flora and Sunswept, notched them and used them to create a background.
Then I added some fun and bright orange trim and some cardstock numbers as a play on the typical Halloween sentiment. It didn't occur to me till after the fact that this card could also work perfectly for someone who is ACTUALLY turning 31!
Well, that's it for me today! Check the blog for more amazing ideas and projects all month long!
Supplies:
"Halloween Wishes" Card: Splendor collection: Labels and Tags (1679), Zig Zag (1687) Other Supplies: Sentiment (Papertrey Ink). Dye Ink (Tsukineko). Alpha stickers (Lilybee). Black and white striped trim.
SEI + Shabby Halloween Decor for the Home
Hey there!! October has arrived! The weather is cooling down, leaves crinkle on the ground as you step on the them, and the rich colors of nostalgic times greet your warmly! I love the month of October because it ushers in my favorite time of year--holiday season! Halloween is just the start of the season, but so much fun to decorate your home for. Today's project is a Shabby Chic Haunted Bat Home Decor piece using SEI's new collection, Salem Heights.
I love the pretty and dare, I say "elegant" look of this bat. I covered a wood-board bat from Hobby Lobby with Hawthorn Hills paper, and then then trimmed Dead Man's Parlor a little smaller than the bat. After I inked the two bat shapes with SEI chalk ink, I adhered them to the wood-board bat, affixing black pipe cleaner on the edges for a soft and classy look.
To embellish the center of the bat a little bit more, I accordion-folded a 1 1/2" x 12" strip of Spooky Town Bash paper, then trimmed some Hallow's Eve paper, notched the ends and added both to the center of the bat. Finally, I added a sentiment sticker to the center to complete the look!
My mom flipped out when she saw this, and asked for one of her own! So, with my left over paper I made her another bat decor item! I'm hanging mine in the door frame above my kitchen! I love seeing this festive piece every time I enter the room!
Avocado Arts + A Basket Full of Fall
Hey there friends! Today, I'm here to share a fun card with you showcasing Avocado Arts November set, Gobble Until You Wobble. This set is great because it has a little something for every paper-crafter's style. From elegant leaves to a fun little turkey that you can dress up!
I combined a few sets for this card, I just couldn't resist. I really love it when leaves look like they're cascading into a basket, and you're trying to catch them. I think this card captures that idea.
I masked the pumpkins behind a little basket and then lightly added some dye ink to a Q-tip, dabbed it on the basket image to fill it with some color. The leaves are layered a bit, and I flipped the pumpkin stamps to fill them with color
Well, that's it for me today! Make sure to visit the rest of today's crew to see the fabulousness that they've come up with!
materials:
SEI goes Interactive!
Hey there! Today's project features paper and stickers from SEI's August Card Making Kit 8.5" x 11" paper pad! Beautiful motifs, soft and bold colors mixed together, lovely sentiment stickers and whimsical shapes look so pretty mixed together. These cards are a little fun themselves because they're interactive cards!
I love love love the cheerful brightness of this collection, and I can never resist a newsprint pattern. I die cut the sliding bar from the newsprint paper, adding some pretty bright yellow patterned paper behind it. Then, I layered the newsprint paper against a lovely botanical print. Some pretty ribbon adds a soft texture while the sentiment sticker adds a warm burst of color.
The cute butterfly and flower are stickers from the SEI's paper making pad. I like how they can move up and down the bar making it a fun treat for the recipient to play with.
To help the flower and butterfly move along the bar, I added SEI foam tape, and the butterfly only has foam tape on one wing, so that it can rotate on the bar!
I can't get enough of the newsprint patterned paper! I added a block of the beautiful red motif patterned paper. I used some blue twine and a contrasting strip of yellow floral patterned paper to draw attention to the interactive part of this card.
This card is fun because there are two interactive options! In the first option, you can pull out the hidden sentiment strip!
For the second option, after you die cut your paper, the die creates a "zipper." You can then pull back the paper, where there's a perforation! After puling back, you reveal the sentiment strip
I love SEI's 8.5" x 11" card making paper pads. The patterns are just the right size for smaller projects, have a great variety of coordinating motifs and designs and also have beautiful, big sentiments with pretty designs!! Make sure to sign up to Club SEI's card making kit so you don't miss out on fabulous products like this!
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