Scrap Happy Creative Team - My first post is live

 My first post is live today over on the Scrap Happy Layout A Day blog. Hop on over and give it a look! 

https://scraphappy.org/im-fine-because-were-connected-keeping-positive-through-craft-and-community/

Here's a sneak peek of what I created. 

Getting Artsy - Mini Art Journal

I used a stencil (Plaid Folk-Art: Fleur) and foam blending tools to create a pattern on Watercolor paper. I used Close To My Heart ink pads in Sweet Leaf, Topiary, Buttercup, Hollyhock, Vineyard Berry, and Indian Corn Blue. Then used the patterned paper to create a mini-book. I learned how to create the book from the class video Art Journaling 101 taught by Erin Bassett at True Scrap 4.
All this stencilng was inspired by Stencil 101 it's a FREE class by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer at Balzerdesigns. I'm also currently taking The Curious Scrapbooker's Field Guide taught by May Flaum at Big Picture Classes, this is the 2nd session I've taken this class because it so inspired me to step into some new areas with my supplies.
 

Next I stamped and embellished each set of pages.
CTMH stamp set Tailor-Made, CTMH Buttons, CTMH Glitter Gell in Stardust. Page sprayed with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle

CTMH Stamp Set Chairs To You, watercolor pencils, Tim Holtz waterbrush, CTMH sparkles colored with CTMH alcohol marker in pear. Page sprayed with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Sparkle. Ribbon CTMH. CTMH Glitter Gell in Stardust.
CTMH stamp set Trees & Things. Washi Tape from Pick Your Plum, flowers by Prima, Bakers Twine from Fancy Pants Designs. Flowers sprayed with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Silver & Sparkle.
My first art journaling. Now I just need to decorate the outside cover.

Crafty Pay It Forward

Saw this on Carrie's Through The Camera Lens blog & decided to play along - which means:

I promise to make a handcrafted item in 2011 & mail to the FIRST 5 people who comment that they would like to join in, only asking in return that you post this on your blog and offer 5 people something you make by hand and mail to them this year.

Sounds like fun doesn't it?
I hope you decide to join in and Pay It Forward with crafty love!
Whatever kind of crafting you do. It'll fun to see what we all come up with!

I made my deadline!

I made it! I made my scrapbooking deadline and got all the pages done & ordered by last night March 31 in order to take advantage of the introductory special I was working toward.

I did want to give you a heads up that when I was all done I tweaked the first set of zoo pages I made. I added the updated image to the original post. Here's a link in case you want to go back & see. http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-studio-j-scrapbook-pages.html

I ended up only making 8 instead of 10 layouts because I convinced my Dad to get copies of 2 of the layouts that were shared memories. I don't know if I could have made it, otherwise.

All the layouts are on my blog & I'll be updating those posts with some additional info like fonts & etc in the next few days.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement & comments on this project, they really kept me going. I now have 8 new 2 page layouts, 16 pages that might be more than I scrapbooked all of last year! And what an experience it was making 8 pages in 5 days; 5 of them in the final 2 days.

On top of all that Cathy Zielske commented on my blog! Squeee!
Yesterday I was also contacted about reviewing a book that has yet to be released. Wow! this week life has suddenly taken off in the creativity category! My one little word for 2010 is: Purpose!

A Day on Galveston Bay: Digital Scrpapbook Pages

Success!!! These are my first ever Digital Scrapbook Pages!

click photo for larger view

This is the first assignment for the Big Picture Scrapbooks class that I am taking Design Your Life taught by Cathy Zielske.

These pages were made in Photoshop Elements 7, using a layered template that was provided as part of the class materials. I rotated the templates to allow me to use portrait photos and I used the same template to make the 2nd page because I don't know how to do a single page layout. Especially in a lesson on Symmetry. Digital Papers and accessories were purchased at ScrapGirls and are from the Fatherly collection designed by Amanda Sok

Cuttlebug Machine with Spellbinders Dies

I recently gifted a Cuttlebug machine to my friend Heather. I've been wanting to get her one for a long time, so this year I combined her Birthday (July) with Christmas and sent her a machine. She's expecting & there are so many cute dies and embossing folders to use for baby stuff, I wanted her to have it in time to use with any baby cards, scrapbook pages and etc... that she might be making in her brand-new-mommy days. Oh how I wish I was in California to make over her in her waiting days... so instead I sent her a Cuttlebug.

Telling Heater - via some lengthy emails - everything that her Cuttlebug can do has got me excited about mine again... So I decided to have another go at using Spellbinders Nesting & Embossing Dies in my Cuttlebug machine. This morning I happened across a great YouTube video tutorial of how to do it. It involves layering the cutting & embossing plates in a special order, so I needed a refresher.

Cricut Cookies

Leave it to a scrapbooker to figure out how to use papercraft tech on Christmas cookies! I'm going to have to try this with my Cricut and my Nana's prize sugar cookie recipe!

Brilliant idea Erin!
Head on over to Erin's Blog Procrastination Station to see how she did it. http://erinlincoln.blogspot.com/2009/12/sugar-cookie-how-to.html

P.S. This is my first time blogging from the car rider line at school. I love my new DROID phone <3 (of course now that I am home I had to add a picture to really let you know what you're missing over at Procrastination Station.) And thanks to Julie Johnson over at Just Our Story for the heads up!

Cricut Creations

There has been a lot of interest lately in Cricut machines, so I'm posting Cricut artwork that hasn't previously been on my blog. Most of these are things I posted to the Cricut Message Board before I had my own blog. I'll give a link to project details on that board when possible.

Click Artwork for Larger view

Harvest Layouts http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=408620

Thanksgiving pages. Made with CTMH True Fit Folios.

Valentine Pillow Box http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=340541

Christmas Tags http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=197746&mpage=1&key=&#197746

Thanks a Latte card - (cuttlebug swirl texture) http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=962366&mpage=1&key=&#962366

Thanks tag http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=175736&mpage=1&key=&#175736

Santa Tag http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=175733&mpage=1&key=&#175733

iPod stand from Coffee Sleeve

OK crafters... I know these would be easy to embellish... I'm saving this idea for when I get an iPhone. LOL!

Kelly's Wellies

I know Kelly from Twitter. You've got to see the cute altered Wellies that she made (for my fellow Yanks, wellies is short for Wellington Boots - they are great for rain, not just gardening... I wish they were easier to find here in the states.)


Anyway Kelly started with an adorable flowered pair, and altered them to make short boots. I have curvy calves as well & frequently have the same problem she does with high boots being too tight. --- Scrapbookers, here's a teaser.... she used her Crop-A-Dile on this project! Multi purposing Scrapbook tools is always a great thing!
With all the rain we have here in Houston, I think I need to start seeking a nice pair of Wellies online. I had no idea they made them in such cute prints! Perhaps it'll be my jump into sewing project. I secretly want to sew, I am just afraid of failure...


Go see Kelly's cute wellies over at http://kelspace.typepad.com/kels_space/2009/08/wellie-love.html