Create with sparkle...

Once Halloween passes, I head right into the sparkle. I don't forget about Thanksgiving, but while my mind is focused on being grateful, my hands are busy creating for the Christmas season.  And for me, this season gives me the go-ahead to sparkle sparkle sparkle.

My first sparkly project of the season uses this wooden snow globe from Unique Laser Designs as the main focus of an over-sized tag. I spread a thin layer of Tacky Glue over the whole ornament (the end of a paper clip works great for moving the glue out of the intricate designs) and then sprinkled on a heavy load of ultra-fine platinum silver glitter. I added a red ribbon to the top too.

For the base of this tag (which is 4"x5"), I covered it in white cardstock and then punched out all different sizes and shapes of snowflakes from the same white cardstock and glued them on closely and randomly.  I even let some hang over the edge and then trimmed them later when I had the whole tag covered.  

I framed the edge with some black and white polka dot washi tape and added some die-cut trees that I "snow-swiped" with Picket Fence Distress Stain.  Speaking of paints and stains, that is the challenge this month over at Scrap it Girl.  Show us your projects that you've added some additional color to (watercolors, paints, stains, gelatos, etc.)  I'm going to have some more colorful projects to share soon.

I glued the snow globe to the tag along with some song lyrics and now this tag is a perfect addition to a simple hostess gift (maybe on a bottle of wine?).

Wishing you lots of crafty time as we begin these seasons of being grateful and being sparkly!

~Kelly

Be warm...

Baby, it IS cold outside. Time to dig out those mittens...inside and out! We are all playing with the Linnie Blooms canvas mitten shapes this week and they are just screaming for fun embellishments!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I really do not like shopping. Gift wrapping is where my heart lies. The present inside may not be that great, or it may be a gift card, but a pretty topper makes it special.

For these tags (that I cut into 3 1/2"x 6" from old file folders), I painted the canvas mittens with acrylics and added dashes of Picket Fence Distress Stain, outlined in Rock Candy Stickles. I put a layer of Aleene's Tacky Glue at the top and pressed in tiny clear white seed beads to make the cuff. Into my bin of doo-dads, I found and added some felt snowflakes, metal snowflake brads, wood snowflakes (painted and Stickled), and pearls. I love that these canvas shapes can hold up to anything added to them (they are quite heavy when you start adding paint and beads and Stickles--regular paper couldn't hold up to this kind of "beading"...hee hee).

You can see how the Distress Stain tames the pattern of the paper at the top (I stained the paper, then ran it through the printer when it was dry). 

 

 

I often add sayings and phrases inspired by song lyrics to my projects, and here I am doing it again! I liked this dotty paper, but found it just a bit too bold for what I needed. By adding a few layers of Picket Fence Distress Stain (and drying it with a heat gun between layers), I was able to tame the background and make it ready for running through the printer.

So, while I continue to "pro-craftinate"...that is avoid putting up Christmas decorations (or maybe it is because we are remodeling our bathroom and I have a bathtub, toilet, double vanity, linen cabinet, etc. in my living room and there is no room for the tree)...I am reminded that I am wrapping these gifts in LOVE.

After all, shouldn't the whole season be wrapped in LOVE?

~Kelly

www.kellystarsallthingscrafty.blogspot.com

 

Don't forget...when you are shopping at the Linnie Blooms online store, that you can use the discount code LB2013KS to get 10% off your order!

 

Be the photographer...

 

I am the photographer.

In some cases, I tend to be the pathological picture taker. 

I'm the one saying "Freeze--let me go get my camera." (I still do not have a camera on my phone and am holding out as long as I can).

I'm the one saying, "Everyone--look over here."

I'm the one saying, "Isn't anyone else going to take any pictures?".

 

 

This wasn't a job I requested or ran for. 

I don't even remember how I got appointed for this position.

At some point in my life, I became the one who ALWAYS takes the pictures.

 

My problem is that I have found the world of digital photography to be an overwhelming lifesaver.  I'm thrilled that I don't have to use a whole roll of film to get one good photo of my 4 children anymore, but I now have SO many photos. Good photos. Great photos.

So, sometimes (like today), I am overwhelmed by all of these great photos and can't decide which ones to use on a layout. When looking on scrapbooking sites for inspiration, I rarely find multi-photo layouts.  (I will give two thumbs up to Ali Davis though--she must be the appointed photographer in her family too--and can understand my dilemmas.)

So, sometimes (like today) I decide that I don't want to make any decisions. I don't want to be the one to decide which photos "make the cut". So, today, I used ALL of them.




 
































These may not be the best layouts I have ever done, but they sure make me smile.   Oh, and I even managed to hand the camera over to someone else a couple of times so I could be in the pictures. This rarely happens. 


So, I don't see any of my family or friends taking over the photography duties anytime soon.  But, you know what?  That's ok.  It gives me the chance to step back and see all of the fun, memories, and smiles first and more often... and, that's ok.

~Kelly

Be warm (even when it's cold)...

 

It's cold. 

And, I don't like it. 

I'm not a summer girl either. 

Really, I'm a fall and spring kind of a girl. 

Rather than mope until April, I'll try to trudge through the winter. 

 

The Scrap It Girl Challenge for February is "material". 

 

Fluffy, wooly, soft, silky, fuzzy...whatever you want! 

Add it to your project and show it off!  There's a great prize package for the winner.  Last month we had over 50 fabulous entries--it was so hard to pick a winner.  But, it could be you this month! 

 

Head over to Scrap It Girl and show us how you are a "Material Girl".  Do you hear Madonna singing?

 

On my project, I added felt mittens cut from a Sizzix die, and I made a felt hat by hot glueing the end of a long rectangle of felt to itself.  I turned over the edge at the bottom for the brim.  And I gathered the top with a piece of twine.  Easy peasy and NO SEWING--(even though I probably could have sewn it because it would have been straight lines after all---hee hee).

 

The "COLD" is fuzzy because I added some white Flower Soft to the top.  It makes it look just like it snowed on my layout. 

 

So, are you embracing the cold or holding out til April? 

Whichever it is...be warm!

 

~Kelly

 

 

Whatever is given...

Just a quick "note" to send you over to the Chicagoland Scrapbooker blog today.  The other design team members and I have some quick creations that will make great teacher gifts.

I gave some cute snowman notepads an extreme makeover by using layers, snowflake die cuts, brads, border punches, and ribbon to give them a home.  Here's a tip--cereal boxes are a great source of chipboard.

Hope you are in the home stretch of gifts you still need to make.  Hope you get to enjoy this special time of year.

~Kelly

whatever is my favorite...

Still trying to "think cool" while we plod through this heat and drought.  For me, that means using winter pics on my layouts.  These are two of my FAVORITE photos of this guy.  I love that I can see his freckles.  One day those may fade (and so may my memory) so at least I have them captured on this page.

Always being inspired by everyday things, I knew I wanted to use twine because I was inspired by the yarn stitching on his hat, but my goodness, I traced and cut this snowflake out 3 times before I was happy with the result. 

First time I tried stitching an outline of the snowflake with the twine---fail.

Second time tried wrapping the twine all along the edge---fail. 

Third time, tried gluing twine along the edge---fail.

Fourth time (ooh, I guess I traced and cut 4 times), I Stickled the edge and wrapped the stems with the twine--finally, I'm happy. 

So, lesson learned today--

if at first you don't succeed,

cut, cut, cut, and cut again. 

~Kelly

whatever is cold...

Usually, I would not be singing the praises of anything cold.  But, in my attempt to stay cool, I have resorted to imagery.  Scrapping pictures of a snowy New Years Day has fooled me into thinking that it is NOT 106 degrees outside.  Actually, it's not working, but it is cooler in my scrap dungeon than it is anywhere else around here.  I'm using this hot spell as an excuse to scrap--not that I ever need one!  This page was inspired by Sketch 302 over at Scrapbook Challenges.  I love sketches that allow me to use a pile of photos!

Speaking of Scrapbook Challenges...my last posted layout (the "Grill Master") was chosen as a Gallery Gem!  How exciting!  My husband insists it was because the layout was one highlighting him---hmm!  You can see it again HERE...and go check out the other gems too--SC is a fabulous, inspiring site!

Stay cool!

~Kelly