Material?

Hello Everyone!

Today I have a bit of a different post.  I actually started out crafting by sewing.  I think the funniest story for me was my first adventure into sewing.  I had to make something for a child for a child development class in high school.  So I made an attempt.  Do you remember back in the early 90's those country bunnies that were so popular with the big floppy ears?  Well, my mom had made several for the house and I thought to myself, "I can do that too!"

Well, I started just like any one should.  I picked out the fabric and began cutting everything out.  My mom was very nice to hang around and try to help me understand what all the jargon meant.  I sewed that bunny right up.  Well, the problem was that it did not look like a bunny.  It looked like a mosquito.  OH BOY!  I couldn't turn that in to the teacher for a grade, I would surely fail.  So my mom helped me with another one and it came out looking better with her help.

I have been told many times that I have a bit of a perfectionist that lives inside of me.  So I did not let that stop me from trying other things as I grew older.  I did however put the sewing machine away after that until shortly after I was married.  I then got the idea that I needed to make some quilts.  Well I did and they came out quite well.  So from time to time, I sew things other than paper!

I decided to try this bag and I had no idea how big it would be.  It pattern is called My Favorite Bag by Kati Cupcake.  I love it!  I can fit just about anything in it.  It has six pockets on the outside (the stripped material) and six on the inside.  The grommets are actually shower curtain grommets.   I stuff this thing full when I travel to scrapbook.  My husband tells me that I should be careful with that bag, it will rip.  No way!!!  I sewed it really strong.

I have plans to make another one this size and then I have measurements (somewhere) to make a handbag size one.  So I guess this post is still a bit about papercrafting, as I use it for my supplies.

I hope you have a fantastic week!  I will be back later in the week with some more paper goodness!  Thank you for stopping by!

Until next time....

Athina

Brrr....

Hello out in Cyber land!

I have been working on those challenge goals for this year. So far so good. I am entering this card into a few challenges you can find below.

I used MME papers to get my colors started. This poor little snowman is down and out by Whipper Snapper. Poor guy looks like he is have such a bad day. Hopefully the little birdie will help him out.

Copics Used:

Snowman & Snow: B0000, B00, 0
Hat & Shoes: BV23, BV25, BV29
Scarf: BG11, BG72, BG78
Bird: B21, B24, B26
Twigs: E57
Noses: YR68, YR65, E97

I added some flowersoft combined with glitter to add some textured snow underneath and on top of this little guy. I thought the snow added a bit of a chill to the card.

About a year ago, I read in a Magnolia Ink magazine how to create this little snowflake and make him stand out a bit. So here is how I did it...
1. Cut out any snowflake out of white cardstock.
2. Apply liquid applique on the snowflake. Add some glitter if you wish.
3. Heat the liquid applique with a heat gun. It will begin to puff. Heat until all the liquid is dried.
4. Top with a gem in the middle.

Now you have yourself a dimensional snowflake.


As I mentioned I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Let's Ink it Up - Anything Goes #19
Gingerloft Challenge - GL32 Let it Snow
Christmas Card Challenge - Week #8
Sunday Sketch & Stamp #90
Scrap Biz Copics Challenge #35 Frosty, Icy, Cold Projects

I hope you enjoyed the card today! Stay warm!

Thank you for stopping by. Your kind comments are always appreciated!

Until next time!
Athina

Happy Birthday Patty!

Good Morning!

Today is another very special day!! I belong to the Crafty Gals Blog Group over at SCS.  And it is Patty's Birthday today!  Please give Patty some extra Birthday wishes on her blog today!

Visit Patty here!

 Her favorite color is purple.  I thought this High Hopes stamp TuTu was perfect for purple.  The outside sentiment is by Whimsy Stamps.  All paper is by My Mind's Eye, image colored on cryogen paper.  The outside eyelets were cut with the eyelet circle spellbinders die and embellished with pearls.  The sentiment was stamped with black memento ink and concord grape distress ink around the edges.  Then I put some white liquid pearls around the edges.

Copics used:
Skin:  E000, E00, E11, E13
Hair:  E50, E53, E55
Dress:  V01, V05, V06
Flower:  RV10, RV34, RV69, G20, G21, G24
Hearts:  RV34, RV69


The inside circle was cut with a eyelet circle spellbinders die.  The sentiment is by Amy R stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure to wish Patty a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Until next time...

Athina

Can shoes change your life?

Hello fellow bloggers!

I finally had some time to stamp today and what a nice day it has been to stay inside.  It is cold and the ground is covered with snow.  I was able to finish a few challenges, so stay tuned this week as I post the other challenges!

Today, I have for you a challenge from Unscripted Sketches.  I found this little sketch intriguing.  The piggyback challenge was to create a pocket.  I love pockets, so here we go!

After digging for papers that I liked, I found some and started cutting.  My original set of papers just were not doing it for me, so I put them away and started again.  I reverted back to my favorites from MME, browns, pinks, creams and greens.  The little tag the sentiments is stamped on comes out of the pocket I created on the front.   The sentiment is by Amy R stamps.  

So the question is... Can a new pair of shoes change your life?  I don't know.  I am not much of a shoe girl.  Although I have quite a collection of running shoes. I wear them out and they still look brand new, so I wear them for everyday.  I have a lot of every day shoes to catch up with.

This card will be entered in the Unscripted Sketches #142 challenge.

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you have a fantastic week ahead!
Blessings until next time...
Athina

Happy Birthday Lela!

Good Morning!

Today is a very special day!! I belong to the Crafty Gals Blog Group over at SCS.  And it is Lela's Birthday today!  Please give Lela some extra Birthday wishes on her blog today!

Visit Lela here!

I made this card for her based of a SCS sketch challenge.  Her favorite color is red and her favorite embellishment is buttons! The image is by Whipper Snapper.  Isn't he the cutest little clown?   He is colored on cryogen paper which has a great shimmer to it.

Here is the sketch!

Copics used:
Shoes:   YG93, YG95, YG97
Pants: Y32, Y35
Hat:  C3, C5, C7, 0
Shirt:  T1, R24, R27, R89, BG72
Skin:  E000, E00, E11, W1, W3, 0
Hair:  YR20, YR23, YR24
Flower:  BG11, BG72, BG75

The inside oval was cut with scalloped spellbinders die.  The sentiment is by Stampin Up.

Thanks for stopping by!  Make sure to wish Lela a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Until next time...

Happy Anniversary to my second set of Parents!

Hello Everyone!

Today is my in-laws anniversary!  They are two very special people and I am one lucky girl to have such a wonderful set of second parents!  They have a very special love for each other that is to be admired.  There is never a struggle to large for them.  They always kiss good bye if one leaves the other and always hold hands when out in public.  When I seen this digi stamp, I immediately thought of them.  My FIL can be such a card, but is the sweetest, gentlest man you will ever meet.  My husband would tell you otherwise from his stories growing up.  We now laugh at how he interacts with his grandchildren vs his own children.  My MIL is a very crafty, kind and compassionate lady with several stories of her own.  When we are all together there is always a roar of laughter.

The stamp is a Geeky Love Digi Stamp by Make it Crafty.  I did not size down the image before I printed it so I ended up have a 5x7 card.  Larger than I usually work with.  For some reason I have an aversion to that 5x7 size.  I looked around on the SCS site and found a dutch fold card tutorial.  I converted the sizes to make a 5x7 and I am much happier with the results than a plain old card.  You can find the tutorial here.  The paper is by cosmo cricket.  Lastly the front was dazzled up with a few jewels and a flower airbrushed to match the papers.

Copics:
Skin:  E000, E00, E11, E13, R00, R21
Flowers:  Y02, Y06, V12, V15
Background airbrushed with YR23 in an oval shape

Boy (We will call him Lamar)
Pants:  E30, E31, E35
Sweater: BG11, BG72, BG78
Shirt:  YR20, YR21, YR23, YR24
Shoes:  E32, E25, E29, E50, E53, E55, W1, W3, 0, BG72
Hair:  E50, E53, E57, E55

Girl (We will call her Becky)
Dress:  R20, R21, R22
Shoes:  R20, R21, R22, W1, W3, 0
Socks:  W1, W3, 0
Hair:  E19, YR18, E97

The inside sentiment was printed from the computer.  I found this on a sheet of cosmo cricket strip tease paper.  I thought is was very fitting for this cute stamp.

Happy Anniversary to my in-laws!

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings until next time!
Athina

Count the Happies!

Hello Blogger Friends!

I have to admit I have been so busy that I am behind on my stamping!  I am pulling one out that I have not posted yet, but was part of my husband's Grandma's Christmas present.  Just a quick simple card that is very easy to create.

I used a card  maps sketch by Becky Fleck and came up with this creation.  The paper is by cosmo cricket.  One of my favorite things to do when scrapbooking is tearing the paper and inking it.  I love the extra texture and feel.  The outside sentiment is by Printworks Collection.  The inside is by American Art Stamp.

I have a super card coming up this weekend!  Sorry I can't post it yet, the recipient has not received it. 

I hope you enjoy the remainder of your week!
Happy Stamping!  Thank you for stopping by!
Until next time...

Athina

Sunday Sketch & Stamp Challenge #88

Good Evening!


I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I am determined to make this week the best after last week!  Lots going on and very busy after returning to work.  The short week felt longer than a normal 5 day work week. 

As one of my goals for 2012, I want to participate in more challenges to help me grow.  So I have been searching around.  I have done a few SCS challenges and posted in their gallery.  This will be my first blog challenge... Wish me luck!  So over at the Sunday Sketch & Stamp blog (here), I found this sketch for the January 8th challenge.

Perfect for me, as it is square and I have a love for square 5 1/4 cards.  So what did I create?

I used MME and Bo Bunny paper as the background.  The yellow paper that you can barely see, was actually white.  I used my wide Y15 copic marker to make it match Tilda's dress.  The image is Magnolia's Beautiful Tilda.  The sentiment is by Amy R stamps and is on a die cut by spellbinders.  I used mustard seed distress ink on the die cut and then some perfect pearls to give it that magical feel. 

Copics used:
Skin:  E000, E00, E11, E13, W1
Hair:  E35, E37, E57, E59
Frog:  YG01, YG03, YG17, YG25
Flowers:  R00, R21, R22
Dress:  Y02, Y04, Y06, Y15
Shading:  C1, C3, W1, W2, N1, W5

I also used some stickles around the wings and for some little texture bubbles around Tilda.







For the inside, I used the same paper as the front to bring it all together.  The inside sentiment is by America Art Stamp.  This card will go into my stash, as I don't have anyone in mind at this time.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today.  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a great week!

Until next time....
Athina

Longevity!

Hello in blog land!

Today we are celebrating my great aunt Florence's 90th Birthday!  I have to say my favorite thing about her is her strong hugs.  She is just a tiny little lady, but is still able to get around well.  She reminds me so much of my grandmother who passed a few years ago.

Here is just a quick picture of this beautiful lady!

I made this birthday card for her.  Very CAS, but I wanted to keep it simple for her.  I used some patterned paper and a little doily with a pearl brad to dress it up a bit.

We are looking forward to spending some time with family today and most importantly Florance.

Have a great weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!
Athina

January Crafty Gals Challenge "Newness"

Hello!

Today is posting day for our January Challenge for the Crafty Gals Blogging Group over at SCS.  There are 11 sweet and talented ladies with many great ideas participating today!  So what was the challenge?

Heather was the host this month and chose "NEWNESS."

My challenge to you for the Crafty Girls January challenge is to celebrate newness....it doesn't have to be a new baby...perhaps it's a New Year, new marriage, new job, new friend, etc.

In addition, use the opportunity to try a out a new technique (or template, something you haven't tried before). SCS has a great resources section with plenty of techniques, fancy folds, projects, etc.

So I chose to create a smash book of my own.  I am typically a straight line, symmetrical perfectionist.  For me embellies are usually just a single one or in groups of 3.   I stepped out of my box for this one.  Things are not really lined up, I have 3 jewels at the bottom (couldn't help myself) and 4 down the right hand side.  I choose to do a bit of grunge and lace, I don't mind either style, but usually not together.  I am definitely a quote person, but do not use them much in my paper crafts.  So here is my opportunity--quotes galore!!! Whooo Hooo!

Some inside pages.  This was a great project to use up some of that great paper that may not be fitting for a scrapbook page or a card.  I had a pad of lined paper for journaling, I cut it down and it works perfect.  I bound the book with my bind it all.

This is another sheet I pulled out of MME paper pack.  I have a few, so I am going to fill one out at the beginning of the year and one out at the end to see what has changed and what has stayed the same.  I will have to cut this down so it will fit in the book.  It will likely be scattered throughout.

So for the challenge, I have created a new project and for me the new beginning will be to keep up with the book for 2012.  I have always created for others and really not much for myself.  This will be fun, as it will make me step outside my box and make it a little wonky and fun.  I will give some updates on my blog throughout the year.

One important note... Please make sure to stop by the other Crafty Gals blogs and leave them some love.  They are at the left hand side of my blog for easy clicking!

Thanks Heather for a great challenge.  Thanks to everyone else for stopping by and taking a look.
Blessings until next time!
Athina

Setting My Plan of Attack!

Happy New Year 2012!

I am looking forward to a fantastic year!  Keeping in mind that life is about choices and how you decide to handle situations.  I will keep a positive attitude in all circumstances.  I am very fortunate to have a wonderful family, group of friends and god to support, love and cherish.  With all of them, anything is possible.

To keep this craft related, I am going to share some of my craft goals this year.  I am trying to keep them SMART so they can be achieved.

1.  Make sure to update my blog at least twice a week, more if possible.

2.  Make 50 cards.

3.  Make 72 scrapbook layouts this year.  Hopefully this will be no issues, as I do a book for my father each year for father's day.  Speaking of that, I need to get busy!!!

4.  At least 5 altered items.  I have so much fun creating something different to enjoy.

5.  Participate in at least 20 challenges to help expand my skills and grow.

6.  I would like to be accepted to a Design Team that fits with my style.

7.  I want to take the intermediate Copic class and continue to learn more about all the fun things you can do with these markers.

I think seven sounds like a good number, so I will stop there.  These are the main area's I would like to focus.  Of course other fun things will come along the way and I also have some goals in mind for other areas of my life.

I wish everyone success in achieving their goals and hope that each of you enjoy a rich, healthy and prosperous 2012!  I look forward to sharing with you!

Until next time...
Athina