Autumn

So, what's your favorite season?  Mine is a toss up between Fall and Spring!  I love the crispness in the air during fall.  I love the smell of fall and all the beautiful colors!  But, spring is great because things start to grow again and color comes back after a long dreary winter.

I've just finished up my Mantle Message classes.  Phew, it's been a fun year of these classes, but I'm glad to move on!!!  The last one we did was Autumn.

Isn't it purty?  There is SO much texture in this project it's almost ridiculous!

Each of the coasters was covered with the Early Espresso Waffle Paper.  This paper comes in a two pack with Basic Black...stay tuned for some ideas for the black!

The letters were cut from the cork sheets, and I cut a boat load of leaves from Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Old Olive and Autumn Spice DSP.  Each of the leaves was scrunched and sponged before being stuck on.

I LOVE how this one turned out...and it looks AWESOME on my mantle!!!

Although the Mantle Message classes are officially done, I haven't posted all of them.  So, watch for the ones I haven't posted to show up in the next few weeks.  And, I have one surprise one that I did last week for a display, which I will share soon!

Have an inspired day!

Take a Note

Today for Scrapbook Saturday, I don't have a layout to share, I have a fun project with a tutorial!

I altered some notebooks for my downline members who attended the Mini Convention last weekend.  As I was making them, I thought that they would be a great project for a scrapbooker to record favorite quotes or information about events/pictures for journalling purposes.

Each one of the notebooks was personalized with the girl's names.  I was at the event early to help witht he set up, so I set all their notebooks out at their seats as a surprise when they came in.  If I would have remembered my camera, I would have taken a picture of how cute they looked out on the table!

I used the Greenhouse Gala DSP for the top two pieces of the cover and the bottom is Peach Parfait textured cardstock.  The Early Espresso scallop piece was cut with the new Tasteful Trim die in the Holiday Mini...FYI, you're gonna be seeing a LOT of this die in the next little while!!!

Their names were cut out of Early Espresso cardstock with the Timeless Type Alphabet.  Then I accented their names with a punched Daffodil Delight flower (I used the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack).  The leaves are Pear Pizzazz and they are just the 4 petal flower shape from the punch pack.  The centers were punched with the Crop-A-Dile from Early Espresso cardstock. 

I also altered a pen for each them.

The pens are Pentel RSVP pens.  I unscrewed the bottoms and rolled a piece of DSP around the ink part of the pen then slid it back into the pen and screwed the bottom back on.

I love how these turned out!

So, here's a little tutorial for the notebooks.

The first and most important step is to put an elastic around the notebook (and DON'T take the elastic off until you're finished the book!).

Once you've done that, you want to take a pair of pliers and gently bend the top of the coil so that you can uncoil it.  This is why the elastic is important...it will hold your pages together while the coil is off.

If you've bent the coil correctly, the book will uncoil really easily.  Once you have the coil out, you want to gently slide the cover out from under the elastic.  Make sure the elastic stays around the rest of the book...trust me, it's stressful to put everything back together if that elastic comes off!!!

Once you have your cover off, you can embellish it however you want.  When it's all embellished, you want to flip it over and punch out the little circles so you can put the coil back in.

Wind the coil back in and when it's all the way in, get your pliers out again and gently bend the end back into place.

Once you've done that, you can take the elastic off and you're finished!

I did all 10 of them one evening while watching TV with Kevin.  When I started he said, "What, Hilroy isn't good enough for your girls?".  To which I replied (you have to read this with a snotty, sarcastic sort of tone!), "Ah, NO.  Hilroy isn't pretty enough for my girls."  Really, after 8 years of me stamping he knows better!!!  Anyway, when I had them done he commented that they were pretty cool and that they did look much nicer than when I started!!!  Don't tell him I said this, but I think he's a bit jealous because the notebooks supplied for him for work are pretty plain and boring!!! 

Well, that's all for today!  Have an inspired day and we'll talk tomorrow when I share a super fun simple card!

More Snow

Ok, so it's not snowing here, but it sure feels like it's going to!  Ack!!!  It's dreary and raining and I've caught my annual "The Kids Are Back in School and Have Brought Home School Germs" cold.  It's been sitting in my chest just waiting for the right time to attach since Sunday and wowzers, yesterday was the day!!!  Nasty.

Here's the second card from my Holiday Headstart class last week.

The base of my card is Sahara Sand embossed with the new snowflake embossing folder.  I *heart* this embossing folder!

Now, this card is only stamped with Shimmer Paint.  It's so shimmery, it's almost blinding!  The Merry Christmas is stamped with Frost White Shimmer Paint, and the vellum snowflake is sponged with it too.  The snowflake was cut with the new Decorative Strip in the mini.  I *heart* this too!!!

The Baja Breeze is stamped with little snowflakes from the Serene Snowflakes and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, then it's sponged around the edge with Baja Breeze ink.

Add some White Satin ribbon and you're finished!  Oh, wait, I almost forgot the RHINESTONE!!!  There's a little dot of glue in the middle of the snowflake and the rhinestone is there to hid the glue...and becuase I couldn't resist.

Have an inspired day!

Simple Medallion Wreath

Hello!  I've been away all weekend at a group meeting in Millet, and while we're home now, I'm exhausted!  I forgot my camera, but some of my girls are going to email me some of their pictures so I can share some of the fun we had!

In the meantime, here's my simple card for today!  I didn't come up with this idea...I saw it while blog surfing a while back.  I saved the picture of it, but there's no watermark on it so I don't know who to give credit to.  If this is your idea...thanks!  I love it and so did the girls at my Holiday Headstart class last week!

Love it!!!  It's a super simple card, but has a HUGE impact!

That's all for today, have an inspired day!

Fabric Baby!

Have you seen the new Holiday Mini?  If you haven't, you need to check it out online and then contact me to get your very own copy.  I guarantee it will become your best friend for the next 4 months and will become dog eared and very loved.  You will GASP everytime you turn the page...I will admit, I did!!!

So, I was most surprised by the fabric in the mini.  Surprised and delighted actually!  This fabric is FABULOUS.  You get three designs per package and quite a bit of each design.  There's also an instruction booklet that comes with it, which is also FABULOUS!!!

Ok, so I'm not a huge sewer, but I do know how thanks to my mom and three years of Home Ec in junior high!   But, since we have fabric now, I decided to dust off my sewing machine before Halloween this year (it usually gets used once a year to make Halloween costumes!), and make a Christmas Ornament.  And, have my girls who attended my downline meeting the other night make one too!

The instructions for this little beauty are included in the instruction booklet when you purchase this pack of fabric.  However, I used different dies for my decoration!  I know, big surprise...Lisa didn't exactly follow the directions!!!  I'm totally an "instructions are just a guideline" kind of girl!!!

I used the new Scallop Squares die for both the background and the tree on my ornament.  The ribbon is Early Espresso wide Grosgrain.  Did you notice the button?  Ok, here's a closer look...

I absolutely LOVE the huge buttons that coordinate with the fabric.  Goosebumps!  The button is Crumb Cake (which makes me even happier!!) and is just hand sewen on with some Linen Thread and then the Linen Thread is tied in a bow.

LOVE IT!!!   I think I will be making more of these for our Christmas tree this year!

Well, I really need to go to bed...it's way past late!  Have an inspired day!