4

Mini Christmas Wreaths

A very quick posting this day I must say coz I have to finish a project for my little boy's Christmas tree plus I have to help him with his assignment ... one more to go .... then I have to make sure that he will do math training at the computer.  I'm so nervous now coz by next school year, 3rd grade they will have a national test and anyone who doesn't passes the exams need to repeat grade 2.  I don't want that to happen to my son so I'm so serious in monitoring him everyday when it comes to school thing-y.

Anyway, if you are a Tim Holtz fan like me then I'm so sure you have seen his mini holly wreaths.  I promised myself to make something like that.  I say something like that because  I can't find such mini holly leaves here in any craft store plus I don't want to buy and so I made use of what I have.




Honestly, I don't know what I will do with these wreaths for now.  I just wanted to make few and we'll see if I'll remember that I have mini Christmas wreaths and maybe will use it as embellishment in paper crafting.  One thing for sure I will not use these wreaths at our Christmas tree =)

until then......
3

My Precious Son - Revamp!

I believe this will be the last revamping I will do for this year because I really have to work on with our Christmas decorations here at home.  So many ideas in my brain but I need to narrow it down.  First of all I have to have a final decision on what Christmas theme we're having this year.  My son has been asking me almost everyday and I couldn't give him a definite answer ... yet.  Well, I still have this day to make a final decision then create then decorate.  Everything has to be up by December 1, which reminds me it is also hubby's birthday.

BEFORE


NOW - 2011



I just love the revamp layout and it really made me smile =)  The little boy climbing the tree is a cut from My Community Cricut Cartridge and the sentiment "Great Boy" is a cut I made using Graphically Speaking Cricut Cartridge.

Thanks for dropping by!
until then.....

Sweet Amanda - Revamp

Yesterday was a lazy day for me and it has always been like that if it is a Sunday.  I would sleep till 11am but yesterday I woke up at 12nn.  Yeah I know what you're gonna say - wasted hours for crafting ... and that's exactly how I felt.  When I woke up hubby was busy tinkering his motorbike while Joseph is watching his favorite cartoon at the living room.  Looking at our wall clock my goodness it's time for lunch and I bet my men at home are hungry.  I hurriedly made ground meat omelet served with fried rice and sliced cucumber on the side.

After lunch I made a decision to revamp Amanda's framed picture at our wall but my mind is screaming for chocolate bar.  I desperately search for a bar at home coz I usually have candies everywhere heheheheehe but no chocolate.  I locked myself in the bedroom very very sad almost in tears (true!) and that's how hubby found me.  Naturally he asked what's wrong and after explaining to him that I'm desperately craving for a chocolate but all we have are gummy and hard candies.  Yeah he laughed and told me to buy instead.  Two blocks away we have a gasoline store and they have a mini grocery,too.  Your guess is right!  I put on a thick jacket coz it's freezingly cold and walked so fast to the store and bought the bars I think I like for the day.

When I got back hubby was not at home anymore coz it's his time and day for the gym ... Gustaf is in his room ... my son is still watching TV but this time in his room.  Oooohhh-la-la ...yummy-yummy .... I ate the first bar and super satisfied. Feeling happy after a bar of chocolate I was then in the mood to revamp an old scrapbook tradional layout of my step-daughter Amanda.  She's 23 now and working in Norway.  We miss her from time to time but we know she's enjoying her life at Norway with her boyfriend.

Before


 Now - 2011
I still used the original DP for the base as well as the band with buckle.  This time i filled the heart buckle with pearlmaker so it will look like a studded buckle.  I made a cut using Paper Lace Cricut Cartridge then added flowers I bought in Thailand last 2009 then adhered "bloom" and "scatter joy" chipboards which I also added crycstal glaze so it looks like a bubble sticker.  For the word "Sweetie", I made a cut using Lovestruck Cricut Cartridge Solution.

I believe it's way much better this time =)

until then......
2

PINAY Layout - Revamp

Another traditional scrapbook layout I revamped yesterday and few more to come.  I'm happy with the results and I think it will take several years before I get tired with it and revamp again.  I mainly used Forever Young Cricut Cartridge ... used pastel glittered alpha chipboards and maintained the Pinay concept of my layout.

BEFORE
With this previous LO I adhered acrylic jumbo flowers and jumbo sequins, a native hat and a pendant that says Världens Bästa Mamma (The Worlds' Best Mom) plus the diamond studded ruby earings my mom gave to me.  can you imagine how limited my supplies when I started paper crafting?  Through the years my craft room with all the goodies in it grew that I have to make another craft room down the basement.

NOW - 2011

The woman with a handbag is a cut I made using Forever Young Cricut Cartridge =)  I added a flower bling on the handbag and used pearlmaker at the center.

Will do more revamping this day and tomorrow ... I think.

until then.....
2

Revamping A Layout : Always and Forever

I finally decided to revamp one of our framed pictures at home.  It was year 2007 when I made the layout with only but few tools and materials.  As months and years passes by I get to acquire lots of items and was indeed opened to the real world of paper crafting.  Looking at my past layouts, I am itchy to revamp most of it and so I started with our simple wedding picture taken 2002 of September.

What made me decide to do revamping?  It's been ages since I did a traditional scrapbook layouts and I really have to spend time on this matter coz scrapbooking is how I started into crafting.

BEFORE

After few weeks I saw fabric flowers at Panduro and bought a pack then added to my LO

NOW - 2011



The Angel with an arrow is a cut I did using Love Struck Solution cartridge.
The sentiment "Always and Forever" is a cut using Sentimental Cricut cartridge.


until then.....
4

Tick Tock Tick Tock Another Clock

I can't count how many clocks I have made for the past years.  There's something with clock that is nice to give as a present with or without an occasion.  Remember the clock I made early this month?  No?  Click here =)

Yesterday I made another clock but this time with a reason.  A client requested me to make a wall clock specifically for the parents of newborn baby boy.  Luckily I still have one wooden flower shaped base and so I started covering it with boy themed DP .... chose baby woodies as part of embllishments .... then played lots with Tim Holtz mask(s) and distress ink pads.  Very very easy to make and although my son and I are still suffering from fever I managed to finish the project less than 30 minutes.  If you're wondering about the blank punched scallops, well, that's where the baby's picture may be placed.   The clock was picked-up last night by a sweet client =)



Really I feel awful nowadays and the sad part is that hubby is now sick,too.  I told him not to kiss me nowadays but he never listens so now he's suffering with running nose and hard coughing, haist!

until then.....
8

Tea Light Holders (Upcycle) with Tutorial

*Tis the season to be sick :(  My son and I are both sick since yesterday morning ... fever!  We managed to let the day pass as normal as possible so we will not feel very very sick.  Although once in awhile we both get the worst headache for few seconds we still laughed, ate, watched films, and most of all do crafting.  He wanted to help me but I'm worried about him hurting himself along the way so he decided to play with his military games instead.

About my latest project, I, once again recycle/upcycle something from the trash bin hehehehehehehe.  We normally put all empty beer cans on a special trash bin outside so that we can return it every end of the month and get money in return.  I have to haggle with my son coz the money we get from returning the empty beer cans is something he claims his.  Each empty beer can we get 50 öre and at the end of the month we usually get about 75kr.  Oh you might think we drink a lot of beer here at home so let me clarify.  It's not only empty beer cans that we return but also empty water or soda cans/bottles.  Big empty soda7water bottles we get ranging from 1kr to 4kr =)  Yeah, we drink a lot of soda water here especially the strawberry flavored ones =)


Materials Used:

Empty Beer Cans
Knife and scissors
Alcohol Inks - Adirondack:  Lettuce and Eggplant
Cuttlebug Embossing Folders - Asian Bundle:  Oriental Weave (top layer) and Plum Blossons (Middle layer) and Swiss Dots EF for the bottom layer
Crop-a-dile
Brads - nothing fancy just the ones from office supply in any bookstore
Sizzix In Bloom Die - Flower #4:  top and bottom flowers
Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Die - Tattered Flowers - middle flowers

Procedure:

1.  Gather all the empty beer cans that you want to use.

2.  Remove the top and bottom parts of the empty beer cans.  
It's easy to strike the knife then cut using a scissor.

3.  Wash and let dry but if you are in a hurry pat dry with a dish towel.

4.  Die cut the beer cans and emboss.

5.  Ink the edges using alcohol inks.
and punch holes at the center of each flower.

6.  Assemble each flower.

There you have it!  Very nice to use and pretty to look at especially now that winter is just around the corner.


Happy crafting!

Happy recycling/upcycling =)

until then.....


0

Candle Deco Pen

It's a very very cold Saturday and really foggy!  Scary to take a walk or even take the car :(  It's so dark outside with the fog then creepy is how it look and feels so we'd rather stay inside and just take things easy.

With suck kind of weather I was inspired to play with my tea light candles.  I use such candles at our alter and I remember I have candle deco pens in my stash that was given to me by one craft store here.  As I was applying it I was not sort of impressed but what the heck BUT then when all the candles were dried I was in awe =)  The effect has shimmers ... pearlescent, cool!


4

Mammogram Results - Negative =) Yipee!!!!

Coming home after a hectic day at work made me jump for joy when I got a notice from the hospital that my test for mammogram is negative.  My son and his classmate were both wondering why I was jumping and dancing at the garage hahahahahahahaha.  Waiting for results with regards to anything is horrible, right?  Now I can sleep tight not worrying of anything well except of course beating the deadlines for my craft projects =)

Here's my card for the day.  I made this card few weeks ago when I was thinking positively that my mammogram result is all clear.  Day in and day out I did my best to think positively before the scheduled date of test and much more during the waiting game.   I will definitely drink wine later when hubby is back from work.  For now, I have to bake something coz I have a guest ... actually my son's guest - his classmate =)  They're both crazy when it comes to military related things so as of this writing they are both at the living room playing with what else but all the military toys my son have.


until then....
3

Storage for My Distress Ink Foam(s)

Got a heavy date with the laundry machine this day and it started this morning about 8.30 and I bet this hot dte will last till early eveing (lo).  Lot sof things to do ... mind is full of creative things but executing is the hardest part this day :(  Looking at my main craft room it surely needs re-organizing and not to mention the horrible look of my craft room down the basement.  I have to pull out all Christmas related items and from there I have to conceptualize.  Look at me, I'm here on my comfy swivel chair and writing this blog instead.  It's so cold that every now and then I have to go to the bathroom, haist!  I know the heater is on but still.....

Down the basement I found lots of storages and one thing that caught my attention is an empty acrylic storage for beads.  It has 36 compartments and I remembered all my used foam pads for my distress ink pads are just hidden in one cookie container.  I did some labeling using word document in my coputer and printed it out =)

I need to find/buy the same acrylic case because I intend to buy whatever Ranger distress ink pads comes out in the market.  I just got the Seasonal Series yesterday and I'm waiting for the Ranger Fall collection which I hope will be delivered very soon.

Here's how I store the foam(s):



I just added labels in alphabetical way so I know where to put back each foam I use.  To see how I kept my foams before :

I wasn't sure how to organize and store my foam pads this morning and I was confused which type of foam to use.  At the end I opted to use the artist foam for now and I threw all the old and abused original foam.


I have a feeling I will change my mind soon but for now I'm happy with my acrylic storage ... I just need to find/buy one again =)

How do you keep your foam(s)?
0

19th Christmas Card for 2011

Whew!  What a weather we have here now in Sweden .... sssssssoooooooooo foggy and it gets dark early that I start to get my son from school everyday about 3.30pm instead 4.30pm.  I don't know why fog freaks me out.  It feels like something is lurking around plus all these years I have no idea how to turn on my bike's front light so I only have the back light.  I keep on forgetting to ask hubby :(  I'd better put that on my list (lol).


Although it's a hectic day I managed to make a Christmas card this afternoon as soon as we got hom from my son's school =)  The card I made reflects the fogginess and doominess of the weather here but I honestly say the card looks great.  You judge =)


Merry Christmas sentiment by 7 Gypsies
Christmas Swirls by Heidi Grace
Band with hearts - unbranded which I bought from market
DP by Panduro and DCWV
Stickles - Gold
The Punched Tree by Paper Shapers
MS Edge Puncher - Checker Board
Pearl Maker - Red

Inspite of the spooky weather this day I was a little girl giggling when I got 2 packages  in our mailbox.  The first one is the prizes I won during last month's blog candy by Joan Switalski - it's a lovely set of stamp by Stampology and 4 sets of 3D stickersby K and Company. The 2nd package is from Emma of Scraplagret - TH Distress Ink Pad, Seasonal Series : Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries, and Iced Spruce.






until then......
2

...and so I have my own IDEA book ... finally!!!

It was only at the beginning of October 2011 that I took the initiative of making my own idea book.  It's not helping me anymore by just writing things on any sheet of paper that I can find in my room.  I always ended up spending lots of hours just to find a specific note - not good coz in effect it's less crafting for me, right?  Having owned a Bind-It-All tool for years now I should you use it often especially now that I also have the latest version, the pink one.  I will play with both this week and find out what's the difference between the two.  I have no idea what went inside my brain that I decided to buy the latest version when in fact I haven't use the blue one much. 

Anyway, with my own Idea Book I can jot down ideas, quotes and I even write my craft wishlist (lol).  Plus everytime I use Cricut, I now write down the cartridge used and the sizes and also other materials I use on every project.

For both covers (front and back) I used a thick board then covered with sparkly DP.  All the inside pages are just plain white bond paper cut into the perfect size using Zutter Dream Kuts.  The tassle is made out of leather.


Just showing an example of  the pages ... only me can understand what I have written down.


So, are you also using an IDEA book where you can just write down any craft related matters?

until then.....
5

Upcycle Crayons (How To)

It was school break last week and my son and I decided to do something about his crayons.  He doesn't like crayons coz he prefers pentel pens especially my ProMarkers hahahahahahahahahhaha.  He is forbidden to use any of my CIAO markers and I no longer allow him to use my ProMarkers, too.  Why?  he keeps on forgetting to put back the cap that's why!  I bought him set of pentel pens but now he started to like using aquarel pens because that's what they have in school.

For this project it's really cool to have a kid with you to help coz it's nice to hear ooohhhsss and aaahhhsss from time to time plus those little hands will come handy.

Let's go to the procedure and hoping you'll learn from it =)

1.  Gather all the crayons ... remove labels ... segregate each color.





2.  Chop each crayon and segregate again =)




3.  Choose a mold.  In our case at the end we decided to use single tins but let me show you our first choices.  Once you have chosen put chopped crayons on the mold preferably in different colors.  Let your kid(s) do this part so their hands will be busy =)






4.  You have 2 choices in melting the crayons:  Either you bake in the oven or use a deep pan and boil water then add the crayons.  Now, don't forget that the chopped crayons must be in a heat tolerant container when doing this option.


In my opinion, I prefer the baking option coz it's super easy ...not time consuming plus kids would love to see the melting part.






5.  Once baked, let it cool before removing it from the tins.  let your kids do this part, too =)





6.  Once it's cool and out, you may start packing =)






Now it's ready to be given away =)

Thanks for viewing =)

until then......
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