PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO - SPRINGTIME NOTECARDS

Happy Day of Loooovvveee (typed in my very best Barry White voice).  This is turning out to be quite a busy day for me since I have not one, not two - but THREE projects all due today.  BUT - I absolutely loooovvvee crafting so I am definitely in my happy zone right now.  If you are joining in for the PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS SCRAP YOUR STASH BLOG HOP, click HERE.  If you want to see the latest coolio sketch, and my take on it, by MY SCRAPS AND MORE, click HERE.  I would absolutely love it, though, if you would stay awhile and look at these adorable cards I made using PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO'S Lemon Sorbet 4x6 journaling cards from the Neapolitan Collection along with these super sweet vintage die cuts.

I used five of these six cards.  They are the perfect size for all you project-lifers and pocket-scrappers, but I wanted to do a little something different with them:

So, I mounted each one on cardstock that was just a little bit larger than the journaling card, folded it in half, and - voila! - insta-notecard!  I finished my notecards off by adding a diecut, which were just the right size; some sweet bunting flags; and ribbons and buttons.  These were quick and easy to make, and they are absolutely darling!  I cannot wait to send them out!!!

Here are close-ups of my notecards:

To see how I made these cards, please check out the PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO BLOG.  Have you used any vintage die cuts on your recent projects?  If so, please share with use on our FACEBOOK PAGE!

Oh Christmas Tree - Pretty Little Studio

I've got a super easy and, I think, super cute project up on the Pretty Little Studio BLOG today.  If you are looking for a home-made Christmas present or maybe have a spot in your house that needs an extra bit of Christmas decor, this fast and easy project is for you!  How easy is it?  My 4 year old assistant had a wonderful time helping me make it - 'nuff said!

One of the things I like about this project is that it was made from an old piece of home decor that I got for a steal at Hobby Lobby.  It was on the "we're getting ready to throw this away if you don't buy it for this super reduced price clearance aisle" and was much, much cheaper than getting an unfinished wood piece from the craft section.  

See?  Anyone who knows me knows I love good coffee; however, this wood sign did not work with my decor.  So, I had no problem applying two coats of white acrylic paint over everything as a start to my project.

All papers and die cuts used are from the Pretty Little Studio WOODLAND CHRISTMAS COLLECTION and include these pieces:

Merry & Bright Flair;

Woodland Christmas Fir Tree 8x8 Paper;

Woodland Christmas In a Pear Tree 8x8 Paper;

Woodland Christmas Peppermint Bark 8x8 Paper;

Woodland Christmas Pinecone Potpourri 8x8 Paper;

Woodland Christmas Starry Night 8x8 Paper;

Woodland Christmas Twinkling Lights 8x8 Paper;

Prancer Vintage Die Cut; and

Red Birds Vintage Die Cuts.

Here are a couple of close-ups so you can see how my assistant and I "decorated" my tree:

Want to see my tutorial for making this?  You do?  Then simply click on this LINK for the Pretty Little Studio Blog!  

Happy Four-Days-To-Go-Until-Christmas.  Hope you and your loved ones are escaping a little of the hustle and bustle and are building happy memories together!!!

Christmas in July? Yes, Please!

PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO has a new Ad Challenge up that was exactly what I needed to motivate me to get started on my December Daily!  I have loved every single December Daily album I have seen for the past three years and kept meaning to make my own.  But once the holidays get here, well...things get a little crazy...and free time for this working gal is spent DOING all the things I want to record in my album.  I never seem to have the extra time to actually MAKE the album, too!  So, this year, I decided to get a head start.  And nothing beats the 100+ degree temperatures we are having out here in the Wild West than sitting in a cool air conditioned room planning Christmas projects (and thinking about the f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g 70 degree temperatures we generally enjoy during the Holiday Season.   Brrrrr!!!!)

 

So, I pulled out my PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO Christmas at Home Collection (and my Nature Walk Collection and scraps from all my other Pretty Little Studio Collections) and I got started on my December Daily Album NOW.  This year, when the Christmas season arrives, the only thing I will have to do is add pictures and journaling.  Even I can do that.  Here's to getting ahead of the game!  And here are pictures of my first three days in December - only 27 more to go...

 

December 1st:

I decided to use a blank art journaling album that I bought well over a year ago to create my December Daily.  All of the pages are made of craft paper, which provides a good base.  I can paint on each page, cover it with my patterned paper, or just leave it as is.  This smaller album has enough pages that I plan to use it for my December Daily for the next year or two and insert tabbed dividers for each year.  For my first page, I worked off a Pretty Little Studio Sketch found HERE.

 

 

I love adding little touches like these sequins, staples, and of course my "distressed sewing" complete with uncut strands left to hand down from the ends - a "technique" I picked up from the fabulous LISA WILKINSON.

 

December 2:

I mixed a lot of my scraps in non-traditional Christmas colors with these adorable deer die cuts from the Nature Walk Collection to create this page.  The inserted photo pocket page provides additional room for extra photos or journaling.  And I really love layering on top of my sleeve - especially with wonderful PLS die cuts!

 

My inspiration for this page was this week's PLS AD Challenge and this PLS SKETCH. (For those of you who like sketches, PLS has tons sprinkled throughout its blog that are absolutely perfect for projects like this!!!)

 

Let's take a quick closer look at my dear deer:

Isn't he adorable - especially with his pink twine bow?!

 

December 3:

It's another two-pager, complete with a large pocket that holds tags containing future wish lists and shopping lists and maybe a picture or two.

 

And, look!  Another deer, all dressed up and ready for Christmas!  I have to admit, I am a sucker for little baby deer holding candy canes - yep.

 

And that's it for me today.  What about you?  Have you started with any of YOUR Christmas projects yet???

BLOG HOP WINNER

Oh my goodness!  Where has the weekend gone???  Thank you to everyone who stopped by and left wonderful comments on the Pretty Little Studio/Love My Tapes Blog Hop!  Did you remember I was giving away a $10 gift coupon to Pretty Little Studio's online STORE?  Don't worry, I didn't either!  And the winner, chosen entirely by the Random Number Generator is...

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....

#17

Pam, please send your email address to krissy.clark@comcast.net, and I will send you the coupon code so you can pick our some Pretty Little Studio Loveliness!

And, speaking of Pretty Little Studio - have you checked out the online store lately?  They have the perfect things to create wonderful Mother's Day cards and gifts, no matter what your mommy's style (or yours) is.  Here are two cards I made for my mother-in-law and my mom - one vintage and one clean and simple to reflect the personalities and tastes of two women who mean the world to me!

 

(Inside says -  Today and every day, I will always love you)

 

Have a wonderful week, and be sure to stay tuned!  I have some F-U-N projects coming soon!

My Creative Scrapbook - April Guest Designer!

I am one of the Guest Designers this month for MY CREATIVE SCRAPBOOK - a kit club run by the very sweet Pam Rangel and Delaina Burns.  Delaina is also one of the designers, and I have been a fan of her work for years.  In fact, I am pretty certain that I scraplifted one or two of Delaina's layouts (making sure to give her credit, of course) when I was first learning different styles and trying to figure out what mine was.

 

The MCS KIT CLUB has several different options and add-ons that you can purchase.  I was provided with this month's main kit, which was full of Crate Paper goodies that I am absolutely enamored with!  I had so much fun creating these two cards and two layouts, and I still have sufficient leftovers to get at least another layout and couple of cards done - a very generous kit indeed!

 

Here is a close-up of my Trending Now layout - can I just say it again?  I l-o-v-e Crate Paper:

 

And here is the second layout I created, featuring my sweet Lula-Bug.  I {heart} the Chevron background paper so much, I am going to have to get some more.  I NEED it - like maybe 10 sheets of it!!!!

 

Another close-up.  As you can see, I became a little obsessed with all the butterflies included in the kit - don't judge.  A quick little handmade pennant and a doily fussy cut from one of my papers, and I had this cute cluster (and the perfect place for my journaling):

 

I even got brave and made a couple of cards.  They are nowhere on the scale of CATHY HARPER or ALISSA WELLS (my card heroes...heroines???...the ladies who rock the cards, how's that?) - but you really can't go wrong with a kit full of Crate Paper goodies, now can you?

 

This is the first card that I made (yep, more butterflies were used):

 

...and my second creation - a simple everyday card that I quite like.  (I think I need about 5 or 6 extra sheets of that bird paper - it makes me happy just looking at it)  And, look!  I used a bird instead of a butterfly this time!

 

That's it for me.  But, if you want to enjoy some awesome Thursday eye candy (completely calorie free), head over to the MY CREATIVE SCRAPBOOK DESIGNER'S GALLERY.

A Lovely Way to Use Your Scraps (Practical Scrappers)

It's no secret - I love using little bits and pieces from my scrap stash to complete my layouts. This time, almost all of my embellishments came from my magical scrap stash box - everything from my handmade shabby chic garland...

...to the clusters around my photo

 

 

My papers are from the fantastic CASHMERE DAME COLLECTION BY GLITZ DESIGNS. I don't do shabby-chic too often these days, but when I do, Glitz has some of the most droolworthy papers!

Want to read a little more about my layout? You do?! Well then head on over to PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS and read on!