Simon Says Stamp- Stamptember 2014

Thanks for coming back for today's project! Today's project is a little more simple & less time consuming than yesterday's banner.

I am always in need of tags for packages & handmade gifts in December. As I was making the dictionary text snowflakes for yesterday's banner I decided to cut out a few strips using the Sizzix/Tim Holtz Rosette Snowflake Decorative Strip Die. I found out that you do need to cut two strips in order to make the full rosette snowflake. So I ended up with four complete snowflakes after running eight dictionary text strips through my Big Shot. I also ended up with two small snowflakes that should be sandwiched on either side of the rosette snowflake when it is all glued together.

I did adhere my dictionary text to cardstock scraps before cutting it into to strips to die cut. The dictionary paper is really thin and needed the cardstock for stability.  Before folding the rosette snowflakes I added Distress Ink in Old Paper and Broken China to the pieces. I then folded the flakes & used a glue gun to attach the rosette to one of the snowflakes, filled the center of the rosette with hot glue to hold it together, then covered the center with another snowflake.

The finished tags look like this.

I used manilla shipping tags that I picked up at Hobby Lobby years ago. The "Merry Christmas & Happy New Year" phrase is from an older Hero Arts stamp set (CL538). I stamped a mid size snowflake from the Lots of Snowflakes stamp set in Broken China Distress ink on some cream colored cardstock, then fussy cut each one. I attached one snowflake on top of each of the Rosette Snowflakes using foam tape. I then adhered a pearl to each of the centers and then used Star Dust Stickles on the edges of the snowflakes underneath. 

Here is a close up of one of the centers, that shows the stamped snowflake from the Lots of Snowflakes stamp set.

I adhered the rosettes to the tags using hot glue because of how heavy the finished flakes were. To finish the tags I added gems, pearls, & ribbon to the top of each one. 

As you can see I am always conflicted about how to attach ribbon in a tag. I usually try it both ways before deciding which way I want to use it. I plan to leave these like this until I begin attaching them to the packages this Christmas. Then I'll decide which way looks better. 

Please leave any questions in the comments section. Tomorrow will be a Wordless Wednesday post of my sweet, babiest boy (I have three of those stinky, little boy people) & then Thursday I will be sharing another blog post using the Lots of Snowflakes set. 

Here is a sneak of Thursday's project.

Simon Says Stamp- Stamptember 2014

I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive an early release of a stamp set from this years Simon Says Stamp Stamptember release. The stamp set I received is called Lots of Snowflakes (SSS101443).

I have no idea how the sweet people at Simon Says Stamp knew how much I loved snowflakes, but somehow they got lucky with the set they sent, because it was perfect. I really love this set and can't wait to create even more winter projects with it. I am thinking it will used heavily in this year's December Daily Album.

The first project I wanted to create was a banner that will be used either in our home or in my library at school. I am leaning more towards using it in the library, if I can find/ or make a large snowman to hold it. For the time being it is hanging across my Expedit shelf in my scrap space.

This banner started with some blue scraps of cardstock, some dictionary pages, and some old Rusty Pickle chipboard stencil letters. I have been really into using up scraps and other bits and pieces that have been in my scrap space for a while. All the above mentioned materials have been around for a long time and I am glad I could find a new way to breathe life into them.

        

In these two close ups you get a better idea of what the banner looks like and how it was constructed. I covered the chipboard with dictionary paper, from an old dictionary (one of the perks I have as a librarian...access to endless amounts of old book paper). After it dried I covered the letters with Distress ink in Old Paper and then added a mix of Ranger Star Dust Stickles and Distress Rock Candy Stickles. The text snowflakes that are stitched between the letters are from the Sizzix/Tim Holtz Snowflake Rosette Die. They too have a little shimmer from the Stardust Stickles and a touch of Broken China and Old Paper Distress Ink. 

 

Now for an even closer look at a few of the banner pieces. Up close you get a better look at the Lots of Snowflakes stamp set. Each flag was cut with the jumbo fishtail die set by My Favorite Things. Then the snowflakes were stamped using Broken China Distress Ink. It isn't the best ink for stamping, but I love how it bleeds and moves when water/Perfect Pearl Mists are added, so it is perfect for my stamping needs. On top of the ink I added lines and dots with my Signo White Uniball broad tip pen to give the snowflakes a little more definition so they would pop off the background. After attaching the chipboard letters with Ranger Multi Medium Matte, I added gems and iridescent sequins from my stash to each of the banner flags. I also flicked Biscotti Perfect Pearls over the finished pieces before I sewed them together into a banner. 

I am looking forward to having this fun, sparkly banner hanging around this winter. If you have any questions about how I created this banner or the products I used please leave your question in the comments section and I will most definitely answer it. I enjoy getting comments & questions. 

Come back tomorrow for tomorrow's project "Christmas Tags" using this same stamp set. 

Here is a quick preview. 

A Cocoa Daisy Layout--His Will is Strong

The pictures I hurriedly snapped this past rainy Monday (see this post), reminded me of a layout I had yet to post.

I am still amazed it rained on the first day of school. The rain plus the fact I was dropping all three boys off at three different schools made taking beginning of the year pictures difficult to take. To save time I decided to just use my phone to snap a couple before the boys got in the car.

Carter picked up Jude who was running around in the carport. Jude LOVES "side" as he call the outside. Anytime we go outside he is determined to get down and take off. So this time when Carter picked him up so I could get a shot of all three of them, Jude was not a happy camper. In both pictures he is wiggling, squirming, and protesting in an effort to get down.

His squirmy protests reminded me of a few months ago when the same thing happened on the last day of school. On that particular occasion, I was lucky enough to capture a few good shots with my big Canon camera. But then I tried to get a few pictures with my phone to share on Instagram and Facebook. The layout below shows the resulting chaos.

For this layout I used the May 2014 "Here I Am" Cocoa Daisy Kit . I also chose the title after considering Ronda Palazzari's One Little Word for May 2014 "Will".

This layout makes me laugh and is such a great snapshot of Jude at this age and how his brother's react to his new need for freedom. Jude loves to outwit the big boys and to wiggle and whine just enough to get his way with them. The big boys, as you can tell, find this behavior quite frustrating.

Oh how these boys keep me on my toes! Luckily, I usually have my phone close by to capture our everyday crazy.

Back to School

Towards the end of July the five of us begin to get tired of one another. By the time the middle of August arrives we are crazy tired of being together. Since Jess and I both teach, we spend all summer at home with the boys, which gives us so much time to make memories, but eventually the summer gets long and we are all ready to head into a more structured schedule.


 I am always amazed at how much my boys grow and change over the summer break. All three of them grew taller and after Carter's physical (he is going to play football for the first time) I realized he had also put on almost 7 pounds. No wonder my grocery bill has been going up! We have entered the "They will eat anything that doesn't eat them first" stage of boy raising.. Fabulous.


 Each year I take a beginning of the year shot of the boys and a last day of the year shot of them. It is always fun to look at the two most current photos and see how much they have changed. In this case the end of the 2013-2014 school year in May (daycare, 2nd, and 4th grades) compared to the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year this past Monday, August 18th (daycare, 3rd and 5th grades).

The first picture was taken on the last day of school and the second picture was taken Monday as we all headed back to school.

This year it rained on the first day of school, in August.. Weird. I can't remember a time when it has rained in all my years of attending or teaching school. So this years annual back to school photo was taken in the carport instead of by the dogwood tree in the front yard.

Taking these type of photos are a reminder of how quickly time passes. On one hand I want the school year to pass quickly so I can have a summer to spend with the boys. But on the other hand I hate feeling like I am wishing my days away. I treasure each and every moment with these three and the idea of them growing up and driving, having girlfriends, and then moving out and leaving makes me sad right now. It all seems to go by so fast.

It really is hard being a Mama with her heart walking around outside her body in these three.

Not a Wordless Wednesday

They say every summer has a story. Five weeks into our summer & this is our story...

Two baseball playing all-stars. One on a 7-8 Little League Pitching Machine team, the other on a 9-10 Little League Minor League (live arm) team. We have played in the morning, afternoon, & night (still playing at midnight...3 TIMES!). We have played in the blazing sun, the pouring rain, & wrapped up in blankets & jackets. All within the past five weeks. 

 Little brother has been happy to go along as there have been toys, snacks, his tennis ball & glove, and did I mention snacks? He has been up early, missed naps, been up past bedtime, & has done it all remarkably well.

The big boys have loved every minute of playing and still aren't done. There is one more State tournament to go.

I love watching my boys make memories, make friends, and become better ballplayers. I love watching little brother watch and imitate his big brothers & want to be out there in the middle of it all.

These are the moments I live for. The moments when my boys show me who they are & what they love.

I love them and the things they are passionate for. I'd follow them and their dreams to the ends of the Earth.

This is what we do

Over the weekend I snapped this picture of Jude watching his brother play baseball. This photo reminded me of another picture I had taken in May 2007 of Ethan watching his cousin, Brittany, play  t-ball.These two photos say so much about our family and who we are.

Jude- July 2014

Ethan- May 2007

I knew when I married a coach that I would have children who participated in sports, which was fine with me. I grew up a ballet dancer and a band member & completely lacked an interest in sports and more importantly, lacked athletic ability.:) My younger brother on the other hand was blessed with athletic ability and as he grew up I sat through many a baseball game. I loved watching him play and especially enjoyed summer ball when my dad coached him.

Fast forward to today with our three boys. We spend a great deal of time at ballgames. Basketball in the fall and spring and lots of baseball in the summer. I love that this is who we are. We show up to almost all of Jess' high school games, during the school year,  to cheer on Daddy and his players, then on Saturday's we are there to cheer on Carter and Ethan as they play basketball. During baseball season we are at all the boys games encouraging them.

There are so many great things about being a sports family, but the absolute best part of it is that we are all there together making memories and cheering each other on. I know as adults my boys will look back on these years and the biggest memory I want them to have is that their family was there supporting them and loving every minute of getting to watch them play.

This is what we do & who we are. Love my sweet family!

Use your Stash- #1

In about two weeks my very best scrappy friend and I will set off for our annual girl's weekend in Arlington, TX. Every year we shop the Great American Scrapbook Convention and then shop in and around Frisco and Allen, TX. Lots of time to relax (we are both teachers and are ready for a break from school), catch-up, and laugh (lots). This trip does my heart good and I look forward to it every year.

About this time each year I get an itch to use up lots of the stuff I currently have, because we always pick up new stuff at the convention. So today I am going to share a card I made and sent to a friend using mainly scraps from my stash of scrapbook supplies.

I used ribbon pieces I keep in a small jar on my scrap table, sequins I have had for years, a "hello" wood tag from an older Cocoa Daisy kit, and new stamps from the May 2014 Cocoa Daisy Kit-"Here I Am"

Card Sentiments II Stamp Set

I love keeping this cute little jar of ribbon scraps on my table. The jar itself is from a Woodwick Candle I used up a long time ago. The ribbon pieces are small enough not to stick back in the jars of other longer ribbon pieces. 

Sequins seem to be a big trend right now in scrapbooking and cards, so I dug through my stash and found some that I've had for a long time. So long in fact I am not even sure of all the manufacturers. I know many of these are from Queen & Co., back when the company first started, and the others may be from Wal-Mart. After I made this card I actually divided these sequins up by color to store them in a travel medicine container (the one's that are divided by the days of the week) & plastic baby food containers. This will make it easier to find the color and style of sequin I want to use. 

Here is my finished card & it's interior.

Have you used your stash lately??

Hugs! Olivia