the BEST of 2010

It seems the years roll by faster with each year that passes and 2010 was no exception.  We started the year off by welcoming our third girl on February 21st and have spent the following 10 months watching her grow and accomplish all kinds of firsts.  She is almost ready to walk now. 

Last summer, I was tickled to have my first cover feature with CARDS magazine.

We had our most fruitful garden to date growing bumper crops of turnip, cucumbers and rhubarb this year.  The girls really love planting the seeds and watching things grow.  They have even started making their own "fruit" salads each day picking beans, blueberries, cherry tomatoes and whatever else they can find that is ripe.

Our cold room is stocked full of pickles of all kinds.

In the fall, Callie started Kindergarten and Julia started pre-school.  I just love this photo of them walking down to the school bus together.

The fall also brought a second cover feature.  I still can't believe it.  It really is a dream come true.

I made over my blog this year.  My most read post is the one about the fall napkin rings made from toilet paper rolls.  My second most popular post is another altered tolilet paper roll project:  Paper Pumpkin.

I got back into teaching this winter, demonstraing Epiphany Crafts' shape studio tools.  I'm hoping to do more in 2011.

Working with top notch manufacturers, magazines and talented and caring scrapbookers has been a tremendous highlight this year.  I wish each and every one of you a wonderful and prosperous 2011.
Thanks for all of your support and love.
Tracey

Check this out!!

I am just thrilled to see my name on THIS LIST!!!  Someone pinch me, please!!



Merry Christmas

Before things get any more hectic this week, I want to take a moment and thank all of you who visit my blog.  Without all of you and your support this blog would not exist.  So please accept my heartfelt thanks and wish for a wonderful 2011. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Epiphany Crafts Holiday Ornament Blog Hop

Welcome to the Epiphany Crafts Design Team Holiday Ornament Blog Hop 2010!!

Our lovely Design Team has created some wonderful holiday projects, brimming with inspiration and of course, Epiphany Crafts epoxies, buttons, and tools! Visit each Design Team member's blog to see what inspiring projects they have to share. Leave a comment on each blog. When you reach the last blog, you'll receive the final instructions on how to enter to win a fabulous prize pack filled with Epiphany Crafts goodies, straight from Santa!!


If you've just happened upon my blog today, you may wish to go to the START of the blog hop so you don't miss a single ornament idea that was posted today.  If you arrived here from Lisa's blog, you are in the right place so sit back and enjoy your stay.

I chose to alter an acrylic ornament for today's post.  I made a band of epoxy snowflake embellishments using a piece of patterned paper from Imaginise's Cottage Christmas line and the Round 14 Studio Shape Tool.  I think this is my most used studio tool right now and word on the street is the 1" round epoxy tools will be in stores soon.  You read that right.  One full inch of custom epoxy lovliness in a compact, handy dandy punch.  Could it really get any better?  Anyway, I digress. Back to the ornament. I filled this one with tinsel trim by Webster's Pages and just like that, I have a one of a kind ornament full of sparkle for the tree.

Supplies:  Paper (Imaginisce), Tinsel Trim (Websters Pages), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts), Tulle (JoAnn Fabrics), Baker's Twine (Martha Stewart), Acrylic Ornament (Michaels)

The next stop on the blog hop is the talented Monique.  Don't forget to comment as you go along to be eligible for the prize at the end.  Happy Hopping!

Playing with the i-rock

Awhile ago you may remember me mentioning how much fun I was having playing along with the vendor challenges at 2 Peas in a Bucket.  I actually won the Imaginisce one and my prize arrived a couple of  weeks ago. Inside the box was an i-rock tool and the Cottage Christmas line.  I could hardly believe it!  Oh, what fun for this gadget girl! 

So here is my first i-rock/Cottage Christmas project.  I decided to alter an acylic Christmas tree ornament.  Talk about jumping in with both feet. The ornament is slightly concave so it made holding the pattern in place, positioning the gems, using the tool and holding my lip just right all at the same time a bit of a test of patience.  But, I perservered and here is the end result.  It's not perfect but it works and the snowflakes inside the ornament are so sparkly.

Supplies:  Gems, i-Rock Tool, Rub-Ons & Acrylic Snowflakes (Imaginisce), Ornament (Michaels), Tulle (JoAnn Fabrics), Unknown beads

THANKS so much Imaginisce and 2 Peas in a Bucket!!

My Secret Is Out!

Several weeks ago, I was asked if I'd like to be a Guest Designer with Jenni Bowlin Studios this month and I can bet you can guess how long it took before I shouted, "YES!!"  

I chose to make a mini album to chronicle Daphne's first year and the mini calendar bingo card set made the perfect foundation.  I even added some baby girl bingo cards to the book as well.  I love how well all the JBS products work so well together.

For a closer look at the project, take a peek at the JBS Mercantile blog.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a fun little project I made with the i-rock tool by Imaginisce and on Saturday there will be an Epiphany Crafts' holiday blog hop you won't want to miss.

Happy Tuesday! 

EDITED TO ADD:

Look for this album in the Create Mini Albums, Summer/Fall 2011 Edition.

Altered Bulletin Board

When we built our house, I had to have stainless steel appliances.  It seemed like such a great idea at the time.  That is until we had children.  Not only is cleaning the fingerprints off a loosing battle, they aren't magnetic.  Am I the only person in the world who didn't realize this?  Or even consider it?  So over the past few years I've been making things for the kids to take the place of not having a magnetic refrigerator.  The first was the Magnetic Alphabet Board.  The next big void that I needed to address was a place for all the girls' artwork.   I bought this bulletin board, size 24 x 36, from Staples to hang in the kitchen.  The only problem was it seemed so boring.  It sat for a few weeks unopened until one day I saw a framed bulletin board that had pictures around the perimeter.  It was much smaller than this but it gave me the push I needed to alter my own into something a little more personal and interesting. 

As you can see, the frame relative to the size of the board is kind of whimpy. So what I did was mask off a three inch border all the way around the piece with painter's tape.  Next I sprayed it in several coats of black paint followed by a sealer.  Once I took the tape off, I had the illusion of a much larger frame more suitable to the size of the board.  I added the word CREATE and a bunch of 4x3 photos.

The board still felt like it needed something else so I dug out some Upsy Daisy patterned paper from the "See You Later Alligator" line and an EK Success border punch and made the scallop border.  The green in the paper is coincidently a perfect match to my wall colour.

Once topped with some inexpensive twill, I was ready to tackle the tacks.  I bet you can guess what tool I dug out for this one.  That's right, my Epiphany Crafts epoxy tool.  I used a bunch of Upsy Daisy rub-ons and made them into toppers for my tacks.

Supplies:  Bulletin Board & Flat Tacks (Office Supply Store), Paper & Rub-ons (Upsy Daisy Designs),  Epoxy Tool (Epiphany Crafts), Punch (EK Success), Chipboard Letters (Lil Davis Designs),  Black/White Spray Paint and Sealer (Hardware Store), Twill (Michaels)

In other news, I had a wonderful day yesterday with 35 wonderful ladies.  We had a great time playing with Epiphany Crafts' Studio Tools and making Christmas pages.  I loved seeing all the different interpretations of the page and all creative ways the tools were used.  THANKS so much to all of you for such a relaxing and enjoyable day.

Happy Sunday to everyone and thanks so much for stopping by.



An Epiphany Crafts Layout Class

This Saturday I will be demonstrating Epiphany Crafts' shape studio tools.  YAY!  It's been much too long since I've taught a class so I'm really looking forward to it.  Here is the page we will be making.  There is all kinds of room to interpret the page to suit your photos. I have a variety of page titles available and the grouping of 4x3 photos is only a suggestion. The page looks great done with a single 4x6 photo as well. 

Here are some close-ups of the custom button and epoxy embellishments I made for the page.  I can't wait for you all to try these tools. They really are so fun and simple to work with.

The class will run twice on Saturday at 10am and 1pm.  The page kits and layout design are courtesy of the generous folks at Epihany Crafts.  I believe there are a few spots left in the afternoon slot if you would like to attend.  All you need to do is leave me a message here or through the email address in my blogger profile.

Looking forward to Saturday!

What a Thrill

I am so happy to finally get this photo to paper.  I took it last winter on one of our many skating outings.  What's so priceless about this one is the two year old girl drinking hot chocolate from a mug.  I think that is as thrilling as the skating for the kids as we could never do one without the other.

"What a Thrill"

Supplies:  Paper, Chipboard & Glitter Cardstock (Best Creation Inc.), Twine (Martha Stewart), Letters (American Crafts, Basic Grey),  Button (Jenni Bowlin), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts)

I couldn't resist making some glitter snowflake epoxys for the page.  Surprise, surprise!  One thing I will point out.  The glitter made it difficult for the epoxy to firmly adhere so I just topped the paper with a little Helmar craft glue and re-positioned the epoxy.  It worked perfectly.  Don't you just love the sparkle that shows through?

This beautiful, white, glittery flourish is actually a Sizzix die used with Best Creation's white glitter cardstock. I do believe I said, "ooohhh" out loud when this one came out of the machine.  Isn't it Beeee-eau-ti-ful?

Before I sign off for today, Best Creation Inc. is having a Design Team Call.  This really is one you don't want to miss.  Seriously.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Buy Things You Love

I have a motto I try to follow when it comes to shopping - buy things I love.  When I decorated my house, that was my motto and while it took a long time to finish, I'm happy with the end result because I love all the individual pieces that work together as a whole.  In scrapbooking it is the same.  I sometimes buy things I love that I have absolutely NO idea how or when I will use them but those are the pieces I hold onto and eventually that perfect project comes along.  And when it does, I usually love the page too.  The snowflake die cut on this page is one of those things I love that finally found a perfect home on this page.  The design is based on the December sketch on the Upsy Daisy blog.  Be sure to take a moment to cruise on over there for more beautiful, seasonal projects from the design team.

'"Your First Winter"

Supplies:  Paper, Brad (Upsy Daisy Designs), Die Cut (Creative Imaginations), Chipboard (Riff Raff), Pearls (Prima), Letters (Basic Grey, American Crafts), Crepe Paper & Acrylic (Tattered Angels), Sticker (Jenni Bowlin)

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Design Tip:  My new favourite chipboard technique is to spray paint it white.  Even if I plan to ink it afterwards, a white base coat really makes the colours richer and less muddy from the kraft colour of the chipboard.  Another thing I like about the spray paint, besides not having a brush to clean, is the even coverage on the chipboard.  There is never any excess paint on the edges this way, nor are there any brush marks.  On this snowflake, I kept it white and added little bits of rock candy stickles for sparkle and dimension.
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Before I sign off for today, I must show you another die cut that I love but have NO idea how or when I will use it.  This little beauty is from the Free Spirit line by My Little Yellow Bicycle.

So now I'm going to ask you...what little treasures are you holding onto in your scrapbook stash??

Let it Snow

Although every last trace of the snow we got on the weekend is gone, I still have some wintery projects to share today.  The first is a card that was published in the winter issue of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine. 

I made this card and ornament set awhile ago, testing out my epoxy tools. I stamped and embossed a white snowflake on blue cardstock and then turned it into an epoxy.  I do believe this was my first "wow" moment with the epoxy tool.  The fancy mirror piece and white lace were both treasures found at the Dollarama.

Supplies:  Paper (Bo Bunny), Stamps (myStamp BOX), Chandelier Crystals (Heidi Swapp), Ribbon (Chatterbox), Sheer (KI Memories), Embossing Folder (Provo Craft), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts)

I'll leave you with that for today along with a wish for a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by.

A Trio of Holiday Cards

Supplies:  Paper, Chipboard, Rub-Ons, Ribbon & Acrylic Snowflakes (Imaginisce), Cardstock (Bazzill), Embossing Folder (Sizzix), Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

This is my first assignment work with Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.  I used the adorable "Cottage Christmas" line by Imaginisce.  I think the first one is my favourite but I'm also really loving the ornament paper on the last one.  For complete, step by step instructions look on page 67 of the winter issue.

Christmas Blog Hop with Best Creation Inc.

Hello and welcome to a blog hop full of festive projects to kick-start the holiday season.  It's our first official blog hop at Best Creation Inc. and all of us are excited to show you lots of fabulous projects.  Because we all love prizes, and it is after all the season of giving, one lucky person will win a $100 prize package of Best Creations goodies and a second person will win our Valentine Collection of papers and stickers. How wonderful is that?


How to play along:
We have thirteen stops and my blog is the first stop.  Leave a comment on each blog as you hop along to collect the letters of our secret phrase. Once you have commented on the final blog (Best Creation Inc.),  email the mystery phrase to teresa@bestcreation.us. The winners will be announced on Friday, Dec. 3rd. Good luck and have fun hopping!

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My Project:

Best Creation Inc. has a number of glittery paper lines that are perfect for any holiday project.  For my project, I chose to alter an inexpensive charger plate I found at Michaels using some of the cute snowman papers.

"Altered Charger Plate"

Supplies:  Paper, Foil Stickers (Best Creation Inc.), Trim (Bo Bunny), Glitter Word & Charger Plate (Michaels), Gems (Kaisercrafts)

I love how the foil stickers pop off the plum colour of the plate. 

Before you leave, the first mystery letter is S.  Hop on over to Karen's blog for another fun Christmas project and your next letter.  Good Luck and thanks for stopping by.

Your Adventure is Here

The second line released last season by Scrap Within Reach is called "The District 406".  I decided to try my hand at making a masculine birthday card, something I do not do often enough. The elements you see on the card are all cut from the journaling card paper.  The shield was popped up with craft foam and I hand stitched black cross stitches to add some texture.

Supplies:  Paper (Scrap Within Reach), Cardstock (WorldWin), Stamp (myStamp BOX), Button & Twine

Don't forget to check back in on Monday for a blog hop full of Christmas projects to kick start the holiday season.
Have a wonderful weekend.

December Publications - Scrapbooking & Beyond

Page 23 - featuring "The Cottage" patterned paper by Scrap Within Reach and "Let it Snow" stamps by myStamp BOX

Page 25 - featuring "Paper Boy" & "Industrial Park" patterned paper by Scrap Within Reach and "CKU Giggles" stamp set by Unity Stamp Company

Pages 30-31 - featuring "Let it Snow" stamp set by myStamp BOX

Page 46 - featuring "Snapshot" stamp set by myStamp BOX

Page 74 - Daphne's first publication

Featuring "Urban Garden" patterned paper by Scrap Within Reach and "Bold Blocks" stamp set by myStamp BOX

Rain, Rain Don't Go Away

I took this photo a few weeks ago with this paper line in mind.  It's the new "Georgia Rain" line by Scrap Within Reach.  I love all the beautiful patterns and coordinating journaling cards.

The bus stop is half way down our street so it's an adventure getting there on time on a good day.  Add in a little drizzle and we have a full event.  The girls are actually excited to see the rain for that very reason.

Supplies:  Paper, Stickers, Kraft Mini Bag & Rub-Ons (Scrap Within Reach), Brads (Bazzill Basics), Epoxy (Epiphany Crafts)

To jazz up the border sticker, I decided to create matching epoxies using Epiphany Crafts' Shape Studio Round Tool.  What a quick and easy way to finish off a page.

I've got another fun use for the epoxy tool coming soon.  Check back here on Monday for a Christmas Blog Hop you won't want to miss.

EDITED TO ADD:

Look for this page in the Summer, 2011 issue of Scrapbooking & Beyond.

MY Pumpkin

I have another "Apple Cider" (Imaginisce) page to share today and this does not even begin to dent my fall photo stack.  For some reason, it's been awhile since I've posted a baby page so here it goes.  I had to make a page just for this photo.  The look on the baby's face is just priceless and it's made even better with the cat sitting behind her.

"MY Pumpkin"

Supplies: Paper & Stamp (Imaginisce), Chipboard (Technique Tuesday, Riff Raff Designs), Kraft Bag (Scrap Within Reach), Tulle (JoAnn Fabrics), Rick Rack (Lil Davis Designs), Letters (Basic Grey), Journalin Sprout (Jillibean Soup)

For other Apple Cider work, check out these links:
-Good to the Last Bite
-Fall Napkin Rings

Check back soon for a bulletin board project I made to display my girls' artwork. 
Have a wonderful weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.

EDITED TO ADD:

Look for this page in the Fall, 2011 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine.

"Catching Snowflakes" & "Silly Santa"

As much as I hate to admit it, winter is coming.  It has been a fantastic fall and snow is the last thing on my mind, but when Best Creation Inc. sent me a wonderful box full of Christmas and Winter themed paper I couldn't resist putting them to good use.

"Catching Snowflakes"

Supplies:  Paper & Chipboard (Best Creation Inc.), Letters (Basic Grey, Michaels), Buttons (Jolee's Creations), Doily (Little Yellow Bicycle), Lace (craft supply store), Gems (Kaisercrafts)

This line absolutely glistens it has so much sparkle on the winter scenes.  I love it.  And where there wasn't enough shine, I added more with some stickles.  The cut snowflakes were mounted with foam squares and then topped with stickles and a sparkly silver button.  Jolee's Creations have really caught my eye lately with some fantastic, classy embellishments.

This next page uses a mix of several holiday themed papers from a few different Best Creation Christmas lines.

"Silly Santa"

Supplies:  Paper & Glitter Cardstock (Best Creation Inc.), Trims (My Mind's Eye), Letters (October Afternoon, Webster's Pages), Border Punch (Fiskars)

To bump up the glitter factor even more I used the most SPARKLY trim I have ever seen. It is by Mind's Eye. I have it in two colours and it really is spectacular.  If that wasn't enough sparkle, I flanked it with a glitter, black scallop border I made using black glitter cardstock and a Fiskars border punch.

I'll leave you with that for today.  Hope you Tuesday is spark-tacular!  It won't be long and the holiday decorations will be going up.  Falalala lalala.