Friends with Flair May 30, 2014

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope everyone had an amazing week and will have even a more amazing week-end.  The weather here in Twinsburg, Ohio has been beautiful; especially after such a long, cold, snowy winter.  Today was a huge day for my oldest son; he drove for the very first time by himself.  It was a major feat for me as well.  I was so worried; he's a great driver, but I felt like I was sending him out to a pack of wolves.  He did make it back unscathed; what a relief (lol)!  He enjoyed his new found independence.  I am so proud of him!

I have not participated in Friends with Flair for a couple of weeks;  I've missed you guys.  Since this is graduation time, I decided to make a graduation card.  I got to play with some gelatos for the very first time; boy are they fun.  The Unity stamp used on this card is called capture confident dreams. 

Here are the steps used in creating this card:
1.  Spritz watercolor paper with water and blend in yellow gelato.
2.  Stamp image in coastal cabana by Stampin' Up
3.  Use water, fingers, and brush to apply gelatos to feathers and dream catcher
4.  Use corner rounder on opposite ends of stamped panel
5.  Apply gelato to wood feather (The Paper Bakery)
6.  Add ruffled trim
7.  Use decorative scissors on patterned paper piece
8.  Adhere stamped panel to patterned paper panel with foam adhesive

Thanks for stopping by.

Soar...Take Flight Card

Welcome and Happy Memorial Day Week-End! 

We should all take a moment to remember those we have lost in protecting and serving our country; whether it be a moment of silence, lighting some candles, participating in a parade or having a good ol' fashion cookout!  Just as long as you do something, ok?

Well, this card has to be one of my absolute faves I have made in quite some time.  I have been wanting to use this hot air balloon for quite some time and then inspiration struck last night.  I flipped through some pages of Cards magazines and saw a couple of layouts I wanted to

incorporate.  So I grabbed my hot air balloon chipboard piece, a chipboard postage frame, Teresa Collins stamps, ink, Prima paper, and Webster Pages trim and went to work.

This card could be given to the new graduate, as a good luck card, or for someone embarking on a new adventure.  Here are the pics...if you are interested in purchasing this card, please visit my etsy shop at lovepaperetc.etsy.com.

One Proud Mama

Today our 16 y.o. son was inducted into the Foreign Language Honor Society for Chinese.  He has been in Chinese classes since eighth grade; he is currently in the eleventh.  We are so very proud of him.  He was also inducted into the National Honor Society this year.  His 12 y.o. brother is also very proud of him; he posted some of the ceremony on Instagram!  My husband and I are so blessed to have two amazing sons.  He also received a writing award earlier this year for a piece he wrote on a Heat/Cavs game.  Our 12 y.o. has been on the Principal Roll (all A's) twice this year and Honor Roll once this year!  He's getting ready to go to camp with his sixth grade class later this week!  Thanks for visiting and reading about how thrilled I am about our boys.  They are truly amazing! 

Scrapbook Megameet Recap

Hello Friends,

Happy Mother's Day!  I hope you are all having a Mother's Day week-end to remember!  I know I am.  My youngest son, woke me up this morning to breakfast in bed...waffles and fruit.  He is always so very thoughtful.  I also got hugs, kisses and a card from my husband and our two sons.  Plus, I
just got back last evening from the Scrapbook Megameet in Novi, Michigan!  This show never disappoints!  This show has been around for 15 years...so amazing!  This show offers a wide variety of vendors for card makers, scrapbookers, paper crafters, and even jewelry makers.  Usually when I go, I just shop until I drop.  But this time around, I took advantage of taking one of the many fabulous classes offered.  I took the Book Binding 101 class offered by Melissa Frances; and guess who the instructor was, Melissa Frances!  This class was so awesome;  I've always wanted to learn how to bind a book.  I love journals and I want to create some that are all my own.  Currently, I take a plain journal and alter it, which is cool, but I want to be involved from the very beginning of production.  I am so excited about this new crafting endeavor.  I know I said the class was awesome, but in case you can't tell, Melissa Frances was pretty amazing as well.  I'm looking forward to checking her out on My Craft Channel for additional instruction and taking more classes from her at future Scrapbook Megameets!  Oh!  I almost forgot to mention; I won a door prize from class; one of Melissa's fabulous packages of resin embellishments (birdcage, bird, nest with eggs).  Guess who attended the show with me; no, not my mom, sister, or girlfriends, but my wonderful, supportive, husband, George!  Everytime I go to this show, he willingly comes.  He's so adorable carrying my bags.  I tried to get him to do a make n take, but he turned me down nicely (LOL).  We love to see all the reactions from the shoppers, 99.999% are women.  He's usually the only male on the floor who is not a vendor.  He gets all kinds of compliments, like, 'wow he's so patient'; 'he's a keeper';  'he willingly comes?'; 'he comes every time with you?'  The male vendors usually joke around with him, and he takes it all in stride.

A few weeks back, I met the amazing Dyan Reaveley at the Adventures in Stamping Convention in Akron, Ohio.  I watched her demo how to create an art journal page with her products!  She was so inspiring.  She had some wonderful ideas.  Guess what!  I've always wanted to create an art journal, too!  Her products are so cool!  She offers stencils, spray inks, stamps, art journals, and an instructional manual for art journaling.  Her art journal is incredible; it comes in two different sizes.  I bought the large one.  I can't wait to ink it up!  I will share my pages here on my blog.  Stay tuned! 

Friends with Flair May 2, 2014

First, I want to send a shout out to my big sis, "Happy Birthday, Cassie.  Love you bunches!"  We're going out to dinner tomorrow night with the fam!  I'm so looking forward to it...we're going to Brio's; love that place!  It just so happens it's one of her favorite spots as well.

Guess what day it is!  Guess what day it is!  It is Friday, so that means I'm hanging with the Unity peeps at Unity Stamp Co. participating in their Friends with Flair.  Also, it is their sixth birthday, so make sure you all send them a shout out!  I already have, but I'm doing it again, "Happy Sixth Birthday, Unity!  Love you guys!  Appreciate all your hard work and inspiration!  What would I do without my Unity...I don't want to even go there!! 

I have a Mother's Day card that I want to share.  I really like how this one turned out.  I adhered a strip of burlap and a strip of pattern paper (Authentique) to a rectangular piece of pattern paper (Authentique).  I cut out a tag from blue pattern paper and attached it to the strip of pattern paper.  I wrapped twine (Pink Paislee) several times around this piece and attached a wood button (Michael's) which says 'Hello' to the tag.  Can I tell you how much I love this stamp with the flowers in the jar?  It has to be one of my favorites.  I stamped this image onto watercolor paper and colored it with some Stampin' Up watercolor crayons.  I added a little bit of sparkle to the tulips for more texture.  I then stamped the sentiment and trimmed it out.  Both stamps come from Unity's April 2014 Kit of the Month, Botanical Bliss.

Please take a look at the pics and have a fabulous week-end!

Keep crafting in love,

Dawn