My first pictures.... well...

Not really the first b/c I've taken about 200, but these are my first as I learn...I FINALLY got my SLR camera that was my birthday present (June 10...) a week ago. I got the Canon Rebel XS. I was so fed up with my point and shoot Kodak b/c the batteries fall out and don't last long. Other than that it is a pretty good little camera to have around. As a scrapbooker I decided that in order to start making wonderful lay-outs I should upgrade the camera! I also just want to document my life better, I want to learn to take fabulous pictures that tell stories. You get to a point where the camera is the key. It's an exciting, new journey for me. I have more to learn than I can comprehend, but I'll take it one step at a time (as much as I can given my need to accomplish things asap!) I really hope to take the Karen Russell photo class in the winter. By then I should have the basics down (like how to focus!!!) and will be ready to step it up. I awe at her pictures regularly.

As most know my garden is one of my top 5 loves. I have such a big project to bring Keith's yard back to it's glory. Being the daughter of a landscaper I am up to the challenge. I started this year with some simple cutting flowers and annuals - snapdragons (my personal favorite after peonies), petunias, zinnias (although Mom ended up with the bright colors and I have all yellow and light green!), cosmos, verbena, morning glory's, Cleome, daisy's, and then a random pack of seeds that came up really cool! Also worked a little more on the perrenial border - 15 peonies that are gorgeous and added some phlox, shasta daisy's, sedum, there are iris and day lillies... I have a battle with a ground hog and a few deer so I need to work on that. The damn ground hog munched the phlox right down along with the cone flower when I first put them in, the phlox are blooming now - just not the height they should be. I moved the Cone Flower so I won't get them until next year. I am putting Russian Sage that should ward off the bunnies, not sure about the deer. This fall I have to finish the other side of the peony border. Oh... and daffodils. If they were gold we'd be millionaires I have NEVER quite seen anything like it. I dig them up in clumps of NO JOKE 100's... I pulled out another wheelbarrow full 2 weeks from an area that I had already attacked. I would be fine with them if the flowered, but they don't the way I want so I am just trying to thin them. It's a big joke on me.

Above is a little collage of pictures I took yesterday...I wanted my first lesson to be how to take pictures close and somewhat blur the background. What better subject than my beautiful blooming flowers! It just so happens that this is the first topic in the Scott Kelby books (but know I have much more on this topic) I learned to focus close with a low aperture and get down with the flowers. I also saved the mirror lock-up which I think helped b/c the other day I tried to take similar photos and they were somewhat blurry. (Don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.)

If you've read this far... thanks! I'm rambling... I may blog as I learn to use the camera. It's fun! I have 3 books plus the manual plus about 4 computer programs with manuals! Then I move to photoshop...

Ribbon Anyone?

Ahhh....ribbon! Looking at this you wouldn't think that I don't buy as much as I did at one time... the truth is that I am drawn to it! I love to use it on projects, wrapping gifts with all different kinds, tying it in my hair... the possibilities are endless and the colors just call to me! Now I tend to get a few different styles in each of my monthly kits so I don't buy as much... but if I had my way the wall of ribbon at Absolutely Everything would be in my craft room. But alas, I settle...

The room is still a work in progress as far as storage goes. I am a pretty anal organizer so there are a few things that I still need to work on. Ribbon was one of them. I have seen lots of options for storing ribbon, but this one was definitely the winner. This is called the Ribbon Ring, and the designer/ creator Melissa is a genius! What she did was design these little plastic things that you can weave ribbons through and then hang them on basic rings. Once you thread the ribbon through, it doesn't move! These things have been thrown around and nothing is falling off. I do recommend that you have time to assemble... it did take me most of Sunday to do this! Then again... maybe you won't have as many ribbons as me. Keith threatened to call someone in for help b/c he just couldn't believe the never-ending pile of ribbon!

Look at all the color!!!

New Scraproom!

YAY!!! It's ALLLLLL done! Well... the bulk of it's done. Now I get to the decorating, adding stuff to the walls, etc. Here are pictures of all our hard work... I am SO happy! The green is such an inviting, invigorating color. I have always wanted a green room. I chose the color from fabric that I have for the curtains and other accessories. I need to find some more before that part is all done. I am going to put up a valance over the windows and then cafe curtains along the bottom. I have it already done for the other window.
Here you can see the craft table that was picked out. I wanted to get wood saw horses to paint white (or maybe even pink :)), but that didn't prove to be easy so we got these for now. This is a 30x80 door that I painted white - it's such great working space! Note how easily the new Cricut and my big cutter fit....
In the corner and on some close-ups below you can see the shelves and drawers that I ordered from Target. They are simply fabulous! And very easy to put together. I have the cardstock organized by color (what else would I do?!) and then in the drawers I was able to fit punches, ink pads and all kinds of other miscellaneous stuff that can look messy. On top of the corner shelf you see my 'clip-it-up' organizer that was again just a marvelous purchase! I also had some shelves that I brought in - the one hanging on the wall with all my glitter (important), embossing and acrylic paints. The dark pink one that was a shelf from my room growing up that is storing the 8.5 x 11 cardstock for card-making, and then one that my brother built for my first apt that has other 'supplies.' There was a shelving unit that I found while cleaning out the house that I painted white and is a perfect home for all my stamps.
A few other items around the room: I found small and large canvas boxes that you see on the floor. We are going to build a shelf to fit those on. They are perfect for my scrapbook kits and other supplies like chipboard, acrylic, other alphabets...you don't see my ribbon ring that is on order. I can't wait to get that and get all the ribbon organized b/c it's taking over! In the closet we are going to set up a shelving system for more 'office' supplies and a gift-wrapping station that is semi set-up.

Needless to say... I am a VERY happy girl! Due to the very rainy day we are experiencing here (yes, finally my flowers will be happy) I get to play in my new room ALL day long!

Flower Bouquets

OK... I am pretty sure these are my favorite things I have EVER made... a few months ago there was a kit from Scrapologie, the St Patty's Day kit, that included a cone. Of course Ranjini designed the most precious little cone with vintage treats tucked in it. I had to order the kit and thought that the cone would be precious hanging in my new scrap room, whenever that would be done! Recently I found a set of the little cones and bought them in order to make a few treats. The other day I was inspired to make something for Julia & Natalie for our upcoming visit to NY for the 4th.
{Julia & Natalie are Tracy & Frank's little girls... Keith's best friends from college. Frank's birthday is also on the 4th so we go down there every year to celebrate. I love making little gifts to bring down - Julia just loves anything we bring down for her.}

I started by cutting paper to fit on each side. For Natalie's I used the Animal Crackers line from Making Memories (yes, the same thing used in a previous post - do you think I love it?!) The colors and designs are just perfect for baby girls - she is 1. Then for Julia's I used the Katlin line from Crate Paper. Julia's favorite color is pink but she also loves purple and this line is just so fun and whimsical for a 4 yr old girl.

Back to the creating part.... the idea was that I could cover the outside with paper and then fill it with, I hoped, paper flowers. I cut paper from different sheets of each line so everything was different, then I also covered the top inside of the cones with paper b/c they fold out. Heather clued me in that you can go to Michael's and search out fibers by bulk in the knitting section. There was a 20% off your whole order last week so what is more perfect to buy??? I bought fuzzy fibers and used them on the creases of the cones to add some dimension. Then I decorated each side with their name, one side had their age in a chipboard number all glittered up and then some fun words on the extra sides.

THEN... the flowers... I bought smaller dowels - 3/16 - and cut them at different lengths to act as the stems - side note: I would paint them the next time, but didn't have time. I went to my stash of flowers and started digging! I started by gluing them, but then figured out glue dots and double sided tape did the trick and was much easier to do! I figured out how to put them on using some dimension, layering them, using my flower punch to use the coordinating papers... but flowers need glitter... in comes the stickles! Stickles is possibly one of the greatest inventions ever... it's glue with glitter - but once it dries it doesn't stick to anything. You can literally use it on anything to add a glitter feel! I have tons of glitter to use with a glue pen, but this tends to be easier. Continuing on I realized that the centers of the flowers needed something too... Kate has these fabulous rhinestones at the shop - each package has 100 total in 3 different sizes for $2. Who wouldn't have every color?! I needed something to hold the flowers up inside the cone... searching through all my stuff I realized that tulle would not only look so fun, it would hold them up in different sizes, etc...

So here they are.... I finished with large eyelets on 2 of the sides that fold down and strung a ribbon through so that they could hang. The girls have a new playroom that Tracy has been putting together so I figured they could hang them in there. I made 8 flowers for each cone... they come out so precious.

(Note the green room in the background! Pictures to follow on that soon. I have to start loading it up and then I'll post... my creative juices are going to go NUTS when it's all done!!!)

The Programs...

For those of you that saw the invitations about a month ago, here are the programs for the spa party on the 4th of July. Ronnie asked me if I could do them, so I did! They were fairly simply to pull together and I am really happy with how they came out.

I stopped in at Right at Home Scrapbooking in Attleboro on my way up to work last Tuesday. She carries a really nice supply of Bazzill cardstock and papers. I picked out a variety of different aqua and teal papers to use. I cut the 12 x 12 paper in half and folded it so that the programs are a 6x6 size. Inside I used some vellum I had left over from a project that I did a few years ago. I printed the agenda and menu on that and then tied it on with some gold wraphia.

On the front I embossed the shell that I used on the invites. Inside I embossed some smaller shells and then the flower I had used on the front of the invite. I think they came out great! It was also nice to be able to go to my usual scrap night and just be able to crank out the shells! I did smaller ones for name tags that she is going to use on the tables. She's going to write in the names for that.

Overall I think they came out refreshing and very nice looking!

A baby shower...

It was with so much pleasure and excitement that I prepped this stuff for Jessica's shower. She is due with a baby girl in early October and I just can't wait! I have had so much fun buying up little items for her... a little Lilly dress for next summer!

I am making a baby album for her that will covers the first year. These are so much fun to do - esp when it's a girl b/c I can add so much glitz and glamour, i.e. glitter and sparkle! The pages shown here are for the month of January using the new line from Making Memories - Ella, which is just too cute for words!

This is the tag that I made to go on the gift... I wrapped everything up in different color tissue to match these colors and put it in a white basket. This stamp is from a line called Outlines - I have really come to love these stamps. They are just so much fun to work with. I layered many of the different blocks, added stickles or glitter and colored with watercolor pencils.

The shower was a wonderful, fairly simple affair. Jessica looked beautiful. It was so much fun to be there with Jenny and help as she opened up her gifts for her new little girl... and the most exciting part for Jenny and I was that Jessica asked us to be her GodMommy... I am beyond touched and thrilled and will make sure that she is spoiled!

An Acrylic Album...

Another project off my 'to-do' list! I bought this acrylic album a few months ago to try... everything acrylic is all the rage right now so of course I have to do it too!
One of my weekly 'musts' is my Wednesday night at Absolutely Everything - a fitting name - where you can go to work on any project. I have grown very fond of the ladies that join me every week (and the ladies that work there too!). Let alone how much I have learned in the 8 months or so that I have been going. For the month of May, Kate ran a contest to do an acrylic album to win the Bind-It-All machine from Zutter... well it was the perfect excuse to take on the challenge!
I chose my album to do about some of my best friends. It took some time getting used to... acrylic is see through so you really have to position everything right for what you see through to. I opened with a picture of Keith & I at Jessica's wedding last summer... with that I needed to do some more suble colors - some darker greens and blues. I followed up with a picture taken of Jess, Kris & I at the Grog a few years ago so those colors were a little darker too, but started to get bright so I could sort of start moving it along to get to the pink from our bridesmaids dresses at Jess's wedding! I then ended it with pictures of Heather & I along with some of the boys on the back! It really was a very fun activity... I had lots of glitter, the best use of double sided paper (you can see one here with dark pink hearts on one side and big light pink ones on the other side (lower photo), transparencies, fibers (my new favorite), rub-ons are great on these albums and so much more.
The best part of the whole experience??? I WON A BIND-IT-ALL!!!!!! (well... only Melanie and I had the b#$%ls to enter so we both won!) It's going to be a fabulous addition to my new scrap space.