Fun Instagram Mini Album....

Flashback to July 2014....

On this day, my sisters, mom and I got together for a fun crop!  We had lots of yummy food and crafted the day away!  This cute little Instagram mini album was made by my sister, Bri (with my help).  We followed a tutorial that we found on YouTube and made our own little changes.  It turned out super cute and she used it for all her fun Vegas vacation pictures!   She used the Amy Tangerine paper collection by American Crafts and black card stock!  So quick and easy!  Here's a link to my YouTube video!

DIY Enamel Dots....You won't believe it!

I made my own enamel dots!  It was super simple.  All you need is some pony beads (the best ones for this are at the Dollar Tree).  Heat your oven to 400 degrees and lay parchment paper (NOT wax paper) on a baking sheet.  Line up the beads (see picture below) on the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes.  Let them cool for at least 15 minutes....and you'll have the cutest enamel dots ever!

Rustic and Unique Cards...using Tim Holtz paper!

I love Tim Holtz products!  His paper is so much fun to work with!  I made some cards using his seasonal stack and his Lost and Found paper.  His paper is so fun, a little wacky and very vintage.  I absolutely love it and I want to make lots more!  

A Ladies' Diary Vintage Inspired Cards....

Flashback to April 2014

I made my mother-in-law some cards for her birthday.  She loves handmade cards and her favorite paper is Graphic 45!  I used the "A Ladies' Diary" collection by Graphic 45 to create these cards.  The card bases are the Recollections kraft cards from Michaels and I also incorporated vintage buttons, lace and seam binding.  I love to buy the chipboard embellishments by Graphic 45 to coordinate with the paper, too.  My mother-in-law loved the cards. :)

Fun Zoo Animal Album for My Nephew's 1st Birthday!

Flashback to February 24, 2014

My precious nephew turned 1 on February 24th!  I made him this mini album using corrugated cardboard for the pages and the Animal Crackers stack by DCWV.  I also used lots of colorful, oversized buttons and some wood embellishments that I picked up at Michael's.  I created pockets, photo mats and lots of fun pages.  

The corrugated cardboard made for almost a padded affect on the pages.  Perfect for a 1 year old!  I can't wait to see my sister fill it with lots of adorable pictures of my sweet nephew, Brysen!

Sweet Happy Mail.....

Being involved in the crafting community on YouTube has really been a great escape when I need it the most.  Inspiring videos, sweet new friends, incredible tutorials are just a few of the reasons I absolutely love being a part of such a fun group.  

One of my favorite YouTube channels is TheScrappyBookworm1.  Her name is Cynthia and we've become great, crafty friends.  I have mentioned her on this blog before and I'm so glad I came across her channel.  She's so creative, inspiring and talented.  We have sent each other handmade goodies before and I wish I had time to do it more often.  To my surprise....I received a package in the mail and was so excited to find what was inside!!  It was the most wonderful happy mail from Cynthia!!  Check out the amazing gifts she sent me below.... It's stunning!!

I Joined the Copics Craze....

So, I swore I'd never use Copic markers...for the sole reason of them being just too expensive.   I mean, lets face it, this hobby is expensive enough!  Plus, to be honest, I never really understood why these girl stamp images were so popular.  I mean, yes, they are super cute, but why do they need to be the focal point of almost every project, card or layout?  I never understood it.  Well....I do now.

On my birthday, my great friend, Maria, came over with a gift for me.  Yes, everyone...she bought me my first Copics!  Now, I'm absolutely fascinated by them.  I have been watching Copic tutorials, practicing and drooling over the adorable "girl stamps" as I dream of different hair colors and skin tones.  My favorite crafter to learn Copic coloring from is Kristina Werner.  She has amazing tutorials and is super talented!  So, yes, I hopped on the Copics bandwagon.  Here's my first project with my Copic markers.  It's not the best Copic coloring ever....but I think I did pretty good for my first time.