Ornament Christmas Card...

I was so excited when my stamps from Gina K Designs ( designed by Nina Brackett ) and co-ordinating Spellbinder's Heirloom Dies arrived ( a wee bit late for this Christmas, hee hee ) ... I JUST had to make a card with them... I love Nina B's style with cardmaking, too.. she does texture and vintage so nicely.....

Products used:
Embossing powders - Ranger Gold - Dark Bronze
Doillie - Dollar Store
Poinsettia - Imaginesce
Brads - Large - Making Memories
Stamps - Gina K. Designs
Tag #5 - Staples
Holly leaves - Making Memories - Fa la la Collection
Cardstock - Cream - Sage - American Crafts
Laces - Generic
Glues - Tombow Mono - Scotch ATG-Gold

Tag - Birdcage...

It's been so hectic getting organized for this Festive Season..and I'm loving every minute of it... especially since I've become old and wise enough to cut back on all of the insaneness we create for ourselves..I have a small amount of grocery shopping to do today...and then I am all set... well except for cooking Christmas dinner!! hee hee..

Sooooooooooo... I thought I'd sneak out and play in my scraproom for a wee bit...I've been itchin' to make a tag..something I haven't done yet...and oooooooooh what fun... not too sure what to do with it... but... it sure is pretty, eh?? hee hee

Happy Holidays everyone!!
:)
Debbi...

Products used:
#5 Tag
Ranger Distress inks - Vintage Photo, Weathered Wood, Walnut Stain
Embossing powders - Zing Copper, Antique Bronze, Martha Stewart Clear
Button - Spellbinders; Vintage Collection, embossed in copper
Tickets - Tim Holtz stamp
Flourish - Tim Holtz's Elegant Flourishes
Flowers - Generic
Border Punches - Martha Stewart embossed in copper and Ranger Distress Gold
Jute
Generic Rust colored ribbon
Generic Guinea Feathers
Compass embellishment - Dollar Store
Doillie - Dollar Store
Birdcage stencil and birds - Dollar Store
Hot Glue Gun
Rangers Glossy Accents to attach flourish,feathers and gemstones
Embossing Pad - Martha Stewart
Stick Pins - RAK from my friend Holly
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Coffe Shop, Bronze ( on Flowers )
Background Script Stamp - Tim Holtz, Visual Artistry Collection
Gemstones - Dollar Store

Snowflakes Card...

This card was created for another color challenge over at StampTV..and you know... it actually snowed here today!!..not much, but with the snowflakes and Christmas music in the background, this card was so easy to get in the mood for..

Products used:
Textured Green Cardstock by Bazzil
Plain White Cardstock by American Crafts
Red Designer Paper - unknown
Embossing folder by Tim Holtz
Stamps by Making Memories - Fa La La Collection
Distress Inks - Barn Door Red - Vintage Photo
Color Box Chalk Ink - Chestnut Roan

Snowman Card..

This is a card I created for a StampTV Challenge...I enjoy Gina K's Tutorials..and I really like the color challenge she selected for this card..what fun..eh??

Unfortunately I don't have any of her wonderful products ( yet..hee hee ) so I went through my own stash and came up with:

Tim Holtz embossing folder,
Turquoise Acrylic Paint - Decoart
Inkadinkdoo Snowman Stamp,
ColorBox Chalk Ink - Chestnut Roan
Ranger Distressing Inks: Barn Door Red and Frayed Burlap

Challenges can be fun... Try one!!
:)

Halloween Frame...

It's amazing what you can do with cereal boxes!!... my new Cricut Cartridge - October 31st... and a new Martha Stewart Halloween Fence Border Punch..

I know Halloween is over but I didn't want to post this until I had gven it to my friend Bertha, first..

Frames are pretty easy to make... basic shapes like squares, rectangles, hearts, circles.. whatever you can think of.. and whatever size opening you want...the decorating is really all about having some fun...

So go for it !!
:)
Debbi...

Toilet Paper Roll Tutorial...

As promised, here is a slide show tutorial for my toilet paper roll mini album..( and my first YouTube Video!! )

You will probably notice that many of my supplies are Italian... hee hee.. but you can find such things as acrylic paints.. quick drying glues and sealers here in the western hemisphere, too...

You will need to adjust some of your measurements, based on the size of your toilet rolls..

Close ups of the finished pages and information on the papers are available on the original posting of the album:
http://kindakrafty.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post.html

Hope this helps!!

Halloween Toppers...

Decided to do something a little more personal for the kids this year..pulled out the cardstock..all my fun stamps, my Ghosties die cut from Sizzix, embossing powder and my Treading Water border punch from EK success and spent the afternoon making these...the bag "opening" is at the bottom, allowing the kids to open and close without tearing the topper..bags were from the Dollar Store and are smaller than a regular sandwich bag..but the size is up to you...

Used a fine point Zig Pen to make the dash lines around the purple scalloped circle and added embossing powder..you can also use a Sharpie Pen to blacken the staples..
Try it... it's fun!!

Christmas Step Card...

I've been so intrigued by these step cards and thought I would like to try one for myself..there are many wonderful tutorials on Youtube, so I won't bore you with one of mine.. hee hee..suffice to say..I think I've found my Family Christmas Card for this year!!
The photo is of my home, now...but taken 60 years ago.. with my older brother Leonard and Mary Shea who was our neighbor at that time..

Cardstock by Bazzil
Frame by Sizzix
Stamps by Clear Stamps & Making Memories
Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Ranger's Expresso Dye Ink
Irradescent Gold by Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
Border Punch by EK Success

No Parking...

It was wonderful to spend three months visiting with my daughter and her family...but it is so nice to be home, too and to be back in my scraproom...got to play yesterday and what fun it was to make this layout of my grandson Liam who never minded the million times I asked to take his picture ( as long as I showed him what he looked like on my camera right after )..on our way back from walking Mommy to work one day, I managed to convince him to sit in this very tiny alcove that posted a "No Parking" sign..he just fit!!

Papers and Embellishments are from:
My Mind's Eye - Breaking Free Collection

School Days...

I was so choked up as I watched my 3 year old grandson Liam getting ready for his first days at Kindergarden...new friends and adventures...I was barely able to take these photos of Mom helping him put on his smock...geeeez...


I don't have any scrappy school stuff here in Italy... so I thought it was time to get artsy-phartsy..I pulled out a pizza box...cut it to 12"x12"... some acrylic paints..some alphabet stamps...string...cereal boxes and scissors for my die cut apple... markers....well.... okay...I cheated on the butterflies...which I cut from a Jenni Bowlin paper I had....and you know.. maybe it won't make it to the cover of a magazine..but it looks like something you would find on the wall of a Kindergarden Class...and I kinda like that..

Les Girls...

On our second night in St Tropez, Jordan's friends Melissa and Helen joined us for supper in a scrumptous, scrumptous, scrumptous Moraccan restauran ( did I mention how great the food in this place is?? hee hee )...I was lucky enough to catch this terrific photo of the three of them just before we left for the restaurant...We had a lot of laughs and an amazing meal... okay..okay... enough about the food!! hee hee hee

Papers and hand cut flowers and flourishes are from :
K&Co's Wild Saffron Collection
I have used this paper collection over and over again and am always amazed at how versatile it is...good thing I bought several pads...eh?? :)

A Cloudy Day in St Tropez...

Just returned with Jordan and Liam from a 4 day visit to St Tropez.. wow...the "Season" is over..but the harbor is still full of yachts and cruise ships... the streets are all ahustle with sight-seers... the cafes are full of Europeans ( The Mussels in the white wine sauce were awesome )...the shoppes are busy...I would hate to be there when it is REALLY crowded!!...I have so many photos I may have to do another Layout..unfortunately it was very overcast the day we went into St Tropez itself..so the bright Mediterrean colors are not as vibrant...but every view is still a sweet surprise!!

Other than the beautiful ribbon bought in St Tropez, all papers and the die cut are from:
Crate Paper's - Prudence Collection

2 Peas in a pod...

On our way back from a day trip to Lac Embrun in France...I asked Jordan to take some pictures of Filippo and Kiara in the back seat of the van...since all I could hear was their laughing and giggling the WHOLE day!! hee hee ...They enjoy each other's company SO much ...and they really are 2 of a kind!!

I have been so challenged with using and re-using my limited stash, while on vacation here in Italy...it's been a good thing...

All papers and die cuts are from:
Crate Paper's - Prudence Collection

Off to the Races...

I really like this Layout of Liam at the Annual Fun Run, hosted by the Town of Oulx, Italy for all the children... since the race is at the end of the summer, the rich fall colors of the papers work so perfectly ( and since I am so short on supplies over here that is wonderful, too!! hee hee )...as you can probably see from the photos, Liam seemed to enjoy his lunch better than everything else!!

All papers, alphas and die cuts are from:
Crate Paper's - Lemon Grass Collection

Mama Mia!!!...

The Journaling says it all:

Liam received a set of
plastic handcuffs and a
suction-cup dart gun as
a present and we have
ALL had to enjoy his
new tots!!..

Of course his Mom is a
bigger clown that he is,
so I was able to get
this great photo of her
face..when he said...

"Mom.. you're going to
Jail!!" ...ummm maybe
he's seen Toy Story too
much??

All papers are from:
Cosmo Cricket's - Dutch Girl Collection

Earth to Kiara...

Kiara was playing Ninendo while I was finishing some work on a mini-album I had done ..I had asked her a question and after a moment realized she hadn't heard me.. I giggled to myself as I saw how absorbed she was and started taking pics of her.. it took a minute or two before she figured out what I was doing... hee hee..unfortunately the pics are kind of dark..but they tell the story so well, I made the layout anyway... all the papers and embellishments are from the Crate Paper's Mia Collection

It's a Good Life...

It was hard to get any "pretty pictures" at the construction site of a new house Jordan and Luca are building..however a few flowers, lots of free hand cut shapes,some fingernail distressing and Liam's crooked pants certainly lent to the charm of this Layout,hee hee

All papers are from Cosmo Cricket's L'il Man and Snorkel Collection...

A Book of Me...

I've been working on this little toilet roll album and box to store it in, for the past three weeks... whenever Liam ( my 3 year old grandson ) is napping..I am also preparing a picture/tutorial based on this album that I will make available, once I am back in Canada in October..

I was so fortunate that I had some digitals with me, that I had scanned from some of my ancestry photographs, which I was able to use for this album...

The papers, including cardstock and epoxy stickers are from the S.E.I.'s BEAUTIFUL Moravia Collection ..

I have so few supplies with me here in Italy..papers,some stamps and fortunately a sewing shop not too far away, where I was able to purchase ribbon and embroidery floss...just goes to show you, eh??



The slideshow tutorial on how to make this type of album is shown here:
http://kindakrafty.blogspot.com/2010/11/toilet-paper-roll-tutorial.html

Darling Girl...

I think I'm hooked on these toilet roll albums...it is such a neat idea...great brag books, like this one I made for the my grandaughter Kiara's "other" Nonna...it's big enuff for 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" photos and so easy to make...fits inside a plastic sandwich bag and just toss it in your purse so you can bore...errrrr I mean...delight all your friends!!