I will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for a cruise to Grand Cayman. No internet. No e-mail. No phones. No kids. Time to disconnect for a week. But, I'll catch ya' on the flip side... with lots of pictures to share! Have a great week... I know I will!!!
xo,
Holly
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
This time around...
I really surprised myself with this Label Tulip kit! It is chock full o' Pink Paislee, which made me worry a little that I wouldn't be able to come up with anything insanely cool or fresh. Obviously I love, love, love Pink Paislee... but, I DO work with it a lot. ;0) Usually, my LT kits are a chance for me to dip my hands into a pool of supplies that offer a break from what I'm usually working with. So, I made it my own personal challenge this month to take all those pretty Pink Paislee goodies, mix 'em up with the rest of the kit, and come up with some things that were really outside the box. And, I actually ended up with some pages that I adore!
This month, we are featuring a mini-book project kit designed by our reigning Tulip Girl technique queen, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. The products in this kit, Metropolis in Bloom, will blow your mind with the endless creative possibilities! Instead of a mini-book, I was inspired to use one of the chipboard buildings to create my own little city scene layout. I had the best time figuring out ways to turn the products into pieces of a picture... metal gears for flowers, the letterpress card for the sun, the fabric and trim for a dress, etc. See what other items you can spot from this month's kit that were turned into part of this city scene:
Our challenge for April was to come up with a layout, card, or project that was in a monochromatic color scheme. Here is my interpretation:
And, finally, our Member Gallery lift for this month was from the fabulous Anna Sigga! Here is her original page:
And, this is my spin on it:
This month's kit ended up being one of my favorites, and I hope you'll agree! Thanks for checking out my work this month, and don't forget to take a peek at the gallery that includes the debut work of our 4 new, insanely talented, Tulip Girls!
This month, we are featuring a mini-book project kit designed by our reigning Tulip Girl technique queen, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. The products in this kit, Metropolis in Bloom, will blow your mind with the endless creative possibilities! Instead of a mini-book, I was inspired to use one of the chipboard buildings to create my own little city scene layout. I had the best time figuring out ways to turn the products into pieces of a picture... metal gears for flowers, the letterpress card for the sun, the fabric and trim for a dress, etc. See what other items you can spot from this month's kit that were turned into part of this city scene:
Our challenge for April was to come up with a layout, card, or project that was in a monochromatic color scheme. Here is my interpretation:
And, finally, our Member Gallery lift for this month was from the fabulous Anna Sigga! Here is her original page:
And, this is my spin on it:
This month's kit ended up being one of my favorites, and I hope you'll agree! Thanks for checking out my work this month, and don't forget to take a peek at the gallery that includes the debut work of our 4 new, insanely talented, Tulip Girls!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Finally... PEEKS!
Well, Label Tulip really got put on the back-burner this month (more about that later). I had bits and pieces of my pages put together for a week or so, but didn't pull them all together until late last night! But, I'm super-lovin' what I came up with this month! I hope you enjoy it to. Be sure to check out the Label Tulip gallery tomorrow at 6pm PST for the full gallery reveal. In the meantime, here are some sneakies...
Now, for the reason I was running so behind this month... I was asked to be a guest designer for none other than Prima! You can check out my projects here! And, stay tuned in the next couple of months for another HUGE guest DT spot that I am super and duper excited for! ;0)
Now, for the reason I was running so behind this month... I was asked to be a guest designer for none other than Prima! You can check out my projects here! And, stay tuned in the next couple of months for another HUGE guest DT spot that I am super and duper excited for! ;0)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Hoppin' on to Monday
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend! We certainly did! Our Friday started with egg dying and Jell-O jiggler egg-making...
On Saturday, we made lots of Easter-shaped sugar cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles! (Sorry, no photos of that).
Then, Sunday rolled around and it was time for egg hunting!
It was a bit chilly out, so the kids grabbed those eggs as fast as they could! The kids spent the rest of the morning opening Easter baskets and playing with all the goodies while I cooked a big breakfast. We had piles of pancakes, bacon and my dad's specialty... scrambled eggs with potatoes! It was delicious! Even the kids, who hate eggs, gobbled them up. Their little tummies were so full, they had no problem going down for a long afternoon nap... to spite the insane sugar high from chowing down all that Easter candy.
After nap time, it had warmed up considerably. I had been saving a box of confetti eggs from last Easter (it was too nasty outside to use them). So, I pulled them out yesterday afternoon and let the kids go to town. Luka didn't enjoy getting hit...
But, he sure enjoyed breaking them over his sister's head!
Even Hazel enjoyed busting them over her own head! Silly girl!
Fortunately, nobody felt the need to smash any eggs over my head. Although, when the confetti eggs ran out, Hazel ran to grab the dyed eggs. She was all ready to smash those suckers all over Luka until I snatched them out of her hands... disaster averted. We spent the rest of the day winding down, working in the garden and observing this little visitor that spent the afternoon feasting on my Creeping Phlox that is in full bloom.
He didn't seem to mind anyone getting right up close to him... the kids spent nearly an hour watching him. Plus, he was HUGE! So, you could even see his little tongue dipping into the flowers for nectar. It was pretty fascinating.
It was a fabulous weekend, filled with lots of fun activities! The only thing that would have made it better would have been if someone was here to cook ME a nice Easter dinner. You know... ham and all the fixin's. There isn't much point to cooking a big meal like that when Bryan isn't home. You know, he hasn't been home for Easter since I've know him? Pretty disappointing... he won't be home next year either. *sigh*
Well, stay tuned tomorrow for Label Tulip sneaks. This month's kit got put on the back burner a little bit, but only because I have a very exciting guest DT spot that will be featured this week! But, more on that later...
On Saturday, we made lots of Easter-shaped sugar cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles! (Sorry, no photos of that).
Then, Sunday rolled around and it was time for egg hunting!
It was a bit chilly out, so the kids grabbed those eggs as fast as they could! The kids spent the rest of the morning opening Easter baskets and playing with all the goodies while I cooked a big breakfast. We had piles of pancakes, bacon and my dad's specialty... scrambled eggs with potatoes! It was delicious! Even the kids, who hate eggs, gobbled them up. Their little tummies were so full, they had no problem going down for a long afternoon nap... to spite the insane sugar high from chowing down all that Easter candy.
After nap time, it had warmed up considerably. I had been saving a box of confetti eggs from last Easter (it was too nasty outside to use them). So, I pulled them out yesterday afternoon and let the kids go to town. Luka didn't enjoy getting hit...
But, he sure enjoyed breaking them over his sister's head!
Even Hazel enjoyed busting them over her own head! Silly girl!
Fortunately, nobody felt the need to smash any eggs over my head. Although, when the confetti eggs ran out, Hazel ran to grab the dyed eggs. She was all ready to smash those suckers all over Luka until I snatched them out of her hands... disaster averted. We spent the rest of the day winding down, working in the garden and observing this little visitor that spent the afternoon feasting on my Creeping Phlox that is in full bloom.
He didn't seem to mind anyone getting right up close to him... the kids spent nearly an hour watching him. Plus, he was HUGE! So, you could even see his little tongue dipping into the flowers for nectar. It was pretty fascinating.
It was a fabulous weekend, filled with lots of fun activities! The only thing that would have made it better would have been if someone was here to cook ME a nice Easter dinner. You know... ham and all the fixin's. There isn't much point to cooking a big meal like that when Bryan isn't home. You know, he hasn't been home for Easter since I've know him? Pretty disappointing... he won't be home next year either. *sigh*
Well, stay tuned tomorrow for Label Tulip sneaks. This month's kit got put on the back burner a little bit, but only because I have a very exciting guest DT spot that will be featured this week! But, more on that later...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Springing along...
***EDITED TO INCLUDE THE PINK PAISLEE BLOG HOP WINNER**
First, I want to announce my winner from the Pink Paislee blog hop! By total random selection, my winner is Shaina Longstreet! Shaina, please e-mail me you mailing address at charmedgirlnc@gmail.com so that we can get your prize pack in the mail to you!
Now, I have another Pink Paislee project for spring to share with you!
I had been wanting a nice spring/Easter centerpiece for my dining room table, and the last project I shared wasn't quite big enough to fill the space. But, this little flower box does the job perfectly! The box itself is a wooden CD holder from Michael's. I painted it up with some antique white acrylic paint, and filled the inside with blocks of floral foam. Cover the floral foam with some Spanish moss, and then it's time to work on your flowers and the "bloom & grow" plaque. For the flowers...
I took several of the tulip chipboard shapes, and removed the top patterned layer. You'll want to paint the chipboard with some antique white to get the most color pop once you apply the glitters. After the paint has dried, apply a layer of Diamond Glaze or Glossy Accents and sprinkle on a layer of glitter. I worked with Pink Paislee's Pixee Stix in Bubblegum, Berry Blue, and Lemonade. You'll want to apply at least 2 coats of glitter for the most color, so keep repeating with layers of Diamond Glaze and glitter until you're satisfied. While those tulips are drying, go ahead and paint a wooden dowel (available at Michael's or your local hardware store) a light green; set aside to dry. Next, you'll need to make your leaves. Take one of the long multi-leaf shapes from the chipboard sets; remove the top layer of patterned paper. Use the same glittering technique as the tulips, working with Green Apple colored glitter. Once everything has dried, assemble the flowers with a hot glue gun; poke them into the floral foam until you're happy with the arrangement. Now, for the plaque...
For this, I butted two of the scalloped chipboard pieces together from two of these sets, and covered them with the woodgrain patterned paper. I used a chipboard label topped with a sticker label for the middle of the plaque, and applied it with some Pop Dots. Spell out "bloom & grow" with some chipboard letters, add some glitter and jewels to the plaque and you're done! Enjoy your gorgeous tulips that will never wilt in a flower box that stays full year-round!
First, I want to announce my winner from the Pink Paislee blog hop! By total random selection, my winner is Shaina Longstreet! Shaina, please e-mail me you mailing address at charmedgirlnc@gmail.com so that we can get your prize pack in the mail to you!
Now, I have another Pink Paislee project for spring to share with you!
I had been wanting a nice spring/Easter centerpiece for my dining room table, and the last project I shared wasn't quite big enough to fill the space. But, this little flower box does the job perfectly! The box itself is a wooden CD holder from Michael's. I painted it up with some antique white acrylic paint, and filled the inside with blocks of floral foam. Cover the floral foam with some Spanish moss, and then it's time to work on your flowers and the "bloom & grow" plaque. For the flowers...
I took several of the tulip chipboard shapes, and removed the top patterned layer. You'll want to paint the chipboard with some antique white to get the most color pop once you apply the glitters. After the paint has dried, apply a layer of Diamond Glaze or Glossy Accents and sprinkle on a layer of glitter. I worked with Pink Paislee's Pixee Stix in Bubblegum, Berry Blue, and Lemonade. You'll want to apply at least 2 coats of glitter for the most color, so keep repeating with layers of Diamond Glaze and glitter until you're satisfied. While those tulips are drying, go ahead and paint a wooden dowel (available at Michael's or your local hardware store) a light green; set aside to dry. Next, you'll need to make your leaves. Take one of the long multi-leaf shapes from the chipboard sets; remove the top layer of patterned paper. Use the same glittering technique as the tulips, working with Green Apple colored glitter. Once everything has dried, assemble the flowers with a hot glue gun; poke them into the floral foam until you're happy with the arrangement. Now, for the plaque...
For this, I butted two of the scalloped chipboard pieces together from two of these sets, and covered them with the woodgrain patterned paper. I used a chipboard label topped with a sticker label for the middle of the plaque, and applied it with some Pop Dots. Spell out "bloom & grow" with some chipboard letters, add some glitter and jewels to the plaque and you're done! Enjoy your gorgeous tulips that will never wilt in a flower box that stays full year-round!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Here comes Peter Cottontail!
As part of the Pink Paislee design team, I am excited to bring you a nifty little Easter project as part of their rockin' blog hop this weekend!
I covered a little papier mache basket from Michael's with some of the new "Enchanted" papers. Then, I spruces it up with some handmade flowers and a little "Happy Easter" label. And, if you know anything about me and my craftin'... you know I love glitter. All glitter. Anything sparkly. So, I had a blast painting up these papier mache eggs and coating them with LOTS of Pixee Stix glitter in Coconut.
It makes for a nice little table top decoration for Easter... simple and adorable!
We also thought it would be fun for you to get to know the designers a little bit better...
1.) Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Texas, but finished up high school in Alaska. Do you still live there? Nope. Neither place. I live wherever the army sends the hubs... currently: North Carolina.
2.) What is a typical day like for you? Crazy! Just plain crazy. LOL! I'm a SAHM to a 2 and 5 year old with a husband that is RARELY home. You never know what to expect around here, but I try to keep the basic routine schedule the same (i.e. lunch time, bed time, etc.)
3.) What is your favorite fashion accessory? Well, before I cut my hair, it would have been my collection of head scarves and headbands. My hair's a little too short now to put it up, and I miss using them terribly. Must. grow. it. back. Why? I just love how much changing your hairstyle can change your whole look. I love to dry different things with my hair. I'm forever changing the color, the cut, the accessories...
4.) What is playing on your ipod right now? "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz... totally diggin' on that song lately.
5.) Name one television show that you MUST TIVO each week? Well, I still haven't come head-on into the 21st century... I don't have TIVO. But, if I did, I would have to say The Hills or The City. I can't ever stay up late enough to watch them, and I always miss the re-runs. So, inevitably, I end up watching them in poor quality on my computer later in the week.
6.) What is your favorite movie of all time? Across The Universe.
7.) What is your favorite Pink Paislee product? That's a tough one... I love 'em all! I guess it would have to come down to a toss-up between the Pixee Stix and their whole variety of alpha stickers.
8.) If you could only keep 1 scrapbooking tool what would it be? My 9" Xyron machine. I can't scrap without it, and I use it all the time for other crafting and DD's school/cheerleading projects. Totally worth every penny!
9.) If you didn't scrapbook what other activity would you spend time on? Gardening. I spend quite a bit of time doing it anyway. It relaxes me, and I love the whole idea of planting something from seed, and watching it grow. Nothing beats the smell of fresh earth and flowers in the spring time.
10.) What advice would you give to someone who wants to start scrapbooking? Don't go out in the beginning and just start buying everything you see. Start with a few basic supplies and tools. Figure out your style before you invest a lot of money in a ton of product. I have so much stuff from when I first started that I've never even used. I just bought, bought, bought. Now that I know how I like my pages to look and what I use most, I am able to make wiser decisions and limit my spending.
11.) What would you say your scrapbook style is today? I never know what to say to this question. You let me know if you figure it out. ;0)
Now that you've made it through a little me-me, and I've shown you a quick little Easter project, I have a surprise for you. As part of this weekend's blog hop, Pink Paislee has been generous enough to allow each of us designers to give away a little prize pack on our blog! Here's a snap of the goods:
All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog, and you have through the end of the day on Sunday. I'll be drawing a winner on Monday, so be sure to check back! Hoppy weekend!
I covered a little papier mache basket from Michael's with some of the new "Enchanted" papers. Then, I spruces it up with some handmade flowers and a little "Happy Easter" label. And, if you know anything about me and my craftin'... you know I love glitter. All glitter. Anything sparkly. So, I had a blast painting up these papier mache eggs and coating them with LOTS of Pixee Stix glitter in Coconut.
It makes for a nice little table top decoration for Easter... simple and adorable!
We also thought it would be fun for you to get to know the designers a little bit better...
1.) Where did you grow up? I was born and raised in Texas, but finished up high school in Alaska. Do you still live there? Nope. Neither place. I live wherever the army sends the hubs... currently: North Carolina.
2.) What is a typical day like for you? Crazy! Just plain crazy. LOL! I'm a SAHM to a 2 and 5 year old with a husband that is RARELY home. You never know what to expect around here, but I try to keep the basic routine schedule the same (i.e. lunch time, bed time, etc.)
3.) What is your favorite fashion accessory? Well, before I cut my hair, it would have been my collection of head scarves and headbands. My hair's a little too short now to put it up, and I miss using them terribly. Must. grow. it. back. Why? I just love how much changing your hairstyle can change your whole look. I love to dry different things with my hair. I'm forever changing the color, the cut, the accessories...
4.) What is playing on your ipod right now? "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz... totally diggin' on that song lately.
5.) Name one television show that you MUST TIVO each week? Well, I still haven't come head-on into the 21st century... I don't have TIVO. But, if I did, I would have to say The Hills or The City. I can't ever stay up late enough to watch them, and I always miss the re-runs. So, inevitably, I end up watching them in poor quality on my computer later in the week.
6.) What is your favorite movie of all time? Across The Universe.
7.) What is your favorite Pink Paislee product? That's a tough one... I love 'em all! I guess it would have to come down to a toss-up between the Pixee Stix and their whole variety of alpha stickers.
8.) If you could only keep 1 scrapbooking tool what would it be? My 9" Xyron machine. I can't scrap without it, and I use it all the time for other crafting and DD's school/cheerleading projects. Totally worth every penny!
9.) If you didn't scrapbook what other activity would you spend time on? Gardening. I spend quite a bit of time doing it anyway. It relaxes me, and I love the whole idea of planting something from seed, and watching it grow. Nothing beats the smell of fresh earth and flowers in the spring time.
10.) What advice would you give to someone who wants to start scrapbooking? Don't go out in the beginning and just start buying everything you see. Start with a few basic supplies and tools. Figure out your style before you invest a lot of money in a ton of product. I have so much stuff from when I first started that I've never even used. I just bought, bought, bought. Now that I know how I like my pages to look and what I use most, I am able to make wiser decisions and limit my spending.
11.) What would you say your scrapbook style is today? I never know what to say to this question. You let me know if you figure it out. ;0)
Now that you've made it through a little me-me, and I've shown you a quick little Easter project, I have a surprise for you. As part of this weekend's blog hop, Pink Paislee has been generous enough to allow each of us designers to give away a little prize pack on our blog! Here's a snap of the goods:
All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog, and you have through the end of the day on Sunday. I'll be drawing a winner on Monday, so be sure to check back! Hoppy weekend!
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