A Personal Geography

Cover

I came across this wonderful book called Personal Geographies by Jill K. Berry.  It inspired me to make a book for my husband about where and how we first met up until our marriage. On each page is a quote from the continent or country represented on the page.

Here are the pages:

Section of West Africa:  We got to know each other at a
Senegalese restaurant.

Quote: Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully. ~ African Proverb.

Section of  Eastern United States: Our first date was at
the American Natural History Museum.

Quote: You meet a new person, you go with him and suddenly you get a whole new city...you go down new streets, you see houses you never saw before, pass places you didn't even know were there. Everything changes. ~ Samuel R. Delany

Map of the East Side of NYC on top of a map of Paris: Another date
was at a French restaurant.

Quote: Je serai poète et toi poésie. ~ François Coppée (I will be a poet and you will be a poem.)

Sections of the United States, Paris and Europe with the UK highlighted:
Places we visited during our courtship.

Quote:  A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. ~ John Lennon

Section of the town where we married.

Quote:  So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you. ~ Paulo Coelho

The back of each page had a file folder like this: 

Each file had a journal entry about the day(s).
The Tim Holtz tickets held the file folders closed. 

Supplies:

• YourStory Mini to bind the book
• Solid Cardstock - Tim Holtz Core-dinations
• Paris and New York City Maps - Cavallini & Co.
• All Other Maps - 7 Gypsies
• Luggage Tag, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Lable, Keys, Banner, Tab Diecuts - Cricut, Traveler & Victorian Romance
• Butterfly Diecut - Slice
• Hydrangea Diecut - Martha Stewart Punch
• "Cherished" Ribbon - Melissa Frances
• Paris Paper Tape -  Cavallini & Co.
• Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, & Brushed Corduroy Distress Pads - Tim Holtz
• Emerald Twinkling H2O's - Luminarte
• Buttergly Stamp - 3 Birds
• Micron Pen

Wrap It Up!

My sister and I recently discovered Stampin Up! and loved this stamp set we saw in their catalog called It's a Wrap.  The stamps were initially made to wrap around Hershey Nuggets but were also used like tags. Well, we are on a buying ban right now called Use Your Stash on the Circle message board hosted by MamaC.  So I decided, "Hey, I can make some using my Cricut for my sister."  The best thing about it is that I could use any paper, any label, and any sentiment.

I used the Every Day Paper Dolls cartridge to make the wrapper.  The band-aid on page 53 was the perfect shape.  I used my gypsy to make it 3 x 1 in and to erase the little holes and lines.  You can use any rectangle from any cartridge or even just cut using a paper trimmer.

I used Art Philosophy for the label.  I cut the image at 1 in. and then used a distress marker to highlight edge.

I pasted the label on top of the wrapper and stamped the labels "enjoy", "joy", or "thanks".

The left and right tags were made using the Cricut.
The middle tag was made with a paper trimmer and
We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

This one was used as a tag.

Here are the Nuggets all wrapped up:

I packed it up in a plastic bag:

I made a bunch to give to my sister and wrapped it with ribbon:

Then I made a little box from Art Philosophy, distressed and embellished.  Voila! It made for a nice, winter themed gift:

The sparkle is from Macadamia Tattered Angles
Glimmer Glam.  Wow! That stuff packs a glittery punch!
I didn't even have to tilt my camera to get
the sparkle.

Personalized Candy Dishes

I found some lovely candy dishes from Michael's at a bargain and bought them.  To give them a personal touch, I added the recipients' initials.  I used black vinyl and the Quarter Note Cricut cartridge for the monogram.  In order to just cut the vinyl, but not the adhesive backing, I used minimum for pressure, minimum for speed, and 3 for blade depth.

Christmas Planner

I made a Christmas Planner using cuts from the Folk Art Festival and Holiday Frames & Tags cartridges.

My husband is the type of person that remembers everything.  I, however, am the kind of person that really needs help remembering things.  This is where the Christmas planner comes in.  The great thing about making your own planner is that you can customize it.  My planner has the following tabs:

1. Card List
2. Gift List
3. Recipes
4. Holiday Ideas
5. Shopping List

These are some other ideas:

• A calendar
• A pocket for receipts
• A pocket for coupons
• Menu
• Decorating Ideas
• To Do List

Here's how I made mine:
1.  I bought a small lined journal from Michael's for $1.50.  It measures 7 x 5 in.  I have seen many different types of books and even binders used.  I chose this particular journal because it was small enough to carry in my purse.

2.  From the Folk Art Festival Cartridge: I cut the bird on page 40 at 2 in.  I cut the letter "C" on page 58 at 3/4 in.  I cut the labels on page 69 at 3 in and 3.75 in.  I cut the "2", "0", "1" at 3/4 in.
3.  From the Holiday Frames & Tags Cartridge: I cut the tag from page 55 at 3 in.
4.  I covered my book with an eggshell colored cardstock and then put a taupe colored fabric on the right hand side.

The binding is from DCWV Fabric Paper

5.  I wrote "hristmas" and the words on the tabs by hand.

I have five tabs for my planner.
But you can have any number of tabs
to fit your needs.

6.  I assembled my labels and numbers on the new cover. I added my tabs to the planner.
7.  I added a handmade red square with the letter "C" to the handwritten "hristmas".
8.  I distressed the bird with the Fired Brick Distress Marker.
9.  I added the bird to the labels and then colored in the negative space with Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam Smooches.

The heart is from a stash of unused cuts.  
Hey, you never know what you can use later! :)

This will keep me nice and organized.  I can also keep it for the upcoming year and easily make changes to the card/gift lists.  I can also refer back to any decorating/recipe ideas I did not get a chance to use.

I wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday :)

Steampunk Jewelry

I decided to join a Steampunk Pendant and Charm Swap, which is really out of the box for me.  But I really like the vintage/industrial look of it so I figured it would be fun to give it a try. 

All the images on the tags are from Steampunk Sourcebook.  I printed them on glossy paper and used Distress Inks to add color.  The seam binding for all the tags is colored using Distress Markers and water.  The Paris Decortive Tape is by Cavallini.  The postage washi tape is from my stash.

These are two of my charms:


I used a mold to make the cameo out of polymer
clay and then dusted it with Perfect Pearls.



I added the hardware before I baked the cameo in the
oven.

These are my pendants:

I used Pearl Ex for these pendants.  They were
stronger in color than the Perfect Pearls.

 

To seal the pendants and charms, I used
Lisa Pavelka Magic Gloss.  I put the jewelry in the sun and
in a snap! I sealed them!
Hardly any wait at all.



A Bit of Spring in the Fall

My lovely sister-in-law loves hummingbirds the way I love butterflies.  I thought I would send her a card just because she is a sweet lady and to bring a smile to her face in cold Northern Minnesota.

I made the hummingbird using the Art Nouveau Cricut cartridge.  The papers I used for the hummingbird are from the Melissa Frances C'est la Vie Collection. 

The flower is also from Melissa Frances.  The leaves are hand-made and then wrapped around the flower.

The solid cardstock is from Bazille.  On the cream colored cardstock, I used stamped the golden border with VersaMark and then dusted it with Biscotti Perfect Pearls to give it a shimmery but soft look.  The border stamp from the 3 Birds Antiquities Collection.  I then lightly inked the edges with Antique Linen.

Last. I made punched a border on the bottom of the card with a Martha Stewart Punch called Swirling Lace.  Here are some close-ups:

I used hot glue to adhere the leaves to the flower. 
I also etched the leaves with veins using the end of my
bone folder... Hey, you use what ya got, right? :)

I spritzed my hummingbird with Tattered Angels Marshmallow. 
I colored in the eye with a black Micron Pen and then added a dot
of Glossy Accents for dimension.

"Scare" Globe

This is a snow globe with a twist.  And I know - it is not really a “scare” globe.  This little guy is too cute to scare anybody:)  I picked "scare"for strictly for its Halloween appeal. 

The snow globe aka “scare” globe is from Joy of the Season and is cut at 5.25 inches.  I added a little blue on the left side of the globe to give it a little dimension.  I used the Tumbled Glass Distress marker and then just went over it with a wet detail brush to lighten it up and spread it out a bit.  The spider web is from Chic & Scary and cut it at 3 inches.  I used only the edges and then cut off the top.

Mister Bear from Teddy Bear Parade is cut at 3 inches.  I didn’t use the trick or treat bag because it would have made the little scene too busy.  I ran the Spiced Marmalade Distress Marker over the edges of the orange part of the markers.  I used the Forest Moss Distress Marker for the green.  For the ears, I used a Rose Red Copic Marker.  For the muzzle I also used a Copic Marker – Chamois.

TIP: You can make your own custom color ribbon.
 The ribbon is actually plain seam binding that I colored with
 Spiced Marmalade and Forest Moss Distress Markers.
 I added some water to soften the colors. 

Although I really loved creating Mister Bear, I loved making the spiders more!  I added glitter - Glow-in-the-Dark Glitter.  First, I cut the spiders from Doodlecharms at a ½ inch.  Then, I made their eyes with Glossy Accents.  That way when I added the glow-in-the-dark glitter and turned off the lights, you would be able to see the eyes, too.

Spiders Before.

Spiders After

I hope this inspires you to make your own "scare" globes.  They might even be scarier than mine!

Enjoying Autumn

I love autumn for all its beautiful colors and for the cool breezes it brings.  I wanted to make something whimsical and carefree so I chose the barefooted girl riding a bike from the  Something to Celebrate cartridge.  She is on page 37.  With her hair flying behind her, she looks happy - doesn't she?  (Even though she has no facial features!  I am reading body language :)   She was cut at 3 1/2 inches. .  I also used Distress Ink Pads for the hardware on the bike.

  I used Distress Markers to outline the edges of the dress
and then added glitter to make her stand out.   

The tree [tree3] is from the Heritage cartridge and is cut at 4 1/2 inches.  I inked that up with lots of different Distress Ink Pads because I couldn't find the right paper.  I gently tapped the colors randomly onto the die cut.

Colors used: Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries,
Antique Linen, Wild Honey.  

The leaves [leaf] are from the Doodlecharms cartridge - an oldie but a goodie.  I cut those at a 1/2 and 3/4 inches.  I was nervous because I never cut anything that small on purpose.  But it worked like a charm.  I inked those up with the same Distress Pads, too.  That way they would match my tree.

Now for the background.  I used washi tape to create a kind of road across the background.  I used the Musical Flourish folder for the background and then inked the embossed parts lightly.  I only embossed the part above the washi tape to create a distinction between earth and sky.  I rounded the corners with We R Memory Keepers corner chompers.

I purposely made the tree bigger than I needed so
I had to trim it.  It took me a day to find
the courage!

The final product :)

So that's it - an auutmnal card for any occasion.

Parisian Tag

This is a Parisian Themed tag I made for a swap.  I have come to enjoy making tags because I tend step outside my comfort zone for some reason.  I also tend to use a lot of my Ranger/Tim Holtz products so I don't feel guilty about buying stuff... and more stuff...

I lightly covered the edge with Antique Linen Distress Ink and worked my way inside the tag using Peeled Paint and then Spun Sugar.  I used my Slice to for the Eiffel Tower and covered it with Vintage Photo Stickles.  Behind it is a sticker from Melissa Frances.

I discovered this company called Cavallini & Co. and they make beautiful, vintage washi tape - only they call it decorative paper tape.  I got it at Amazon and want some more but I think I better use what I have now. lol.  I used one of their Paris tapes to go across the the tag.  I finished it off with some Marshmallow Glimmer Mist for some extra sparkle.  Thanks for taking a look!

Close-up

Supplies:

• Making Memories Slice Design Card - Je T'Adore, Eiffel Tower
• Cavallini & Co. - Paris Decorative Tape
• Ranger - Vintage Photo Stickles
• Ranger - Distress Ink Pads in Antique Linen, Spun Sugar and Peeled Paint
• Cloud 9 Designs - Travel, postmarks and sentiment
• American Crafts - ribbon
• Tattered Angels - Marshmallow Glimmer Mist

Clean & Simple Anniversary Card

I have been looking at loads of clean and simple cards because I love how beautiful they can be even though they don't have a bunch of stuff on them.  I also thought it would be fairly easy to do... it's not.  It is really hard to design a clean and simple (CAS) card and then stopping yourself from adding more elements.

So I made this card for my wonderful in laws.  Now, I don't know how successful I was at achieving the CAS look,  but I think I will try it out some more in the future.

I also will enter it in the Less is More challenge blog.  The challenge ask that you combine three previous challenges for this week called "Take 3 Challenges".  So I combined these challenges:

1. Week 55 Punches or Die Cuts
2. Week 58 Script
3. Week 72 Something Shiny 

With flash so you can see the sparkles!

Close-up of the monogram

Supplies:

• Art Nouveau Cricut cartridge for "S" monogram
• American Craft ribbon
• Cuttlebug Script embossing folder
•  Tattered Angels Marshmallow Glimmer Mist 
• Ranger PEACOCK Liquid Pearls Decorative Glue
• SEI Promise Me Sundries - Metal Flower
• Reminisce - White Cardstock

Matchbox Time Capsule

This is an entry I made for the Cricut FANatics blog.  If you haven't had a chance to check it out, you should.  They have a lot of great designers with wonderful ideas.  I don't know how I got so lucky to part of them.  Sara Andrews also has a mini-album she is showcasing today.  She makes awesome scrapbooking pages. Don't miss it :)

My entry is matchbox time capsule.  I made it using Tags, Bags, Boxes and More.  But you can make time capsule using any cartridge or even a template.  I also used B is Boys for the train and Martha Stewart Birthday Cake Art for the font.

I really had a lot of fun with it.  I put some sea shells for his love of the water and ocean, two letter cards representing the letters he likes to say, three pictures of Anders, and a letter from me talking about what he likes and what he knows and his height and weight. My husband contributed two rocks from the North Shore of Lake Superior where he taught Anders how to skip rocks. Well, to be honest, Tom skipped rocks and Anders just tossed rocks. It is a really sweet memory of the two of them side by side. I can't wait to open it up in six months to see how much Anders has grown and changed.

My husband and I are going to open it 6 months from now.  It will be my husband's birthday so it will an extra special surprise to share with each other talking about how much Anders has grown and changed.  I can't wait!

Huckleberry Finn Tag 2

I made second tag from the Artistic Outpost stamp set Huckleberry Finn. 

The "Dream" sentiment was glued to the tag before I inked the tag with Iced Spruce Distress Ink. That way when I embossed the tag with the Clocks embossing folder, the tag looked like it the "Dream" sentiment had always been part of the tag. Not like I added it.  Does that make sense? :/  Anyway, I also inked the embossing folder with Evergreen Bough Distress Ink. Then I added Vintage Photo stickles  for a little pop!

I stamped the image of the two boys looking outward on glossy paper with black Archival Ink.  I then the distressed the edges with my trusty Basic Grey Precision Tools. Can I tell you?  These are great!  I then inked the edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink.

Last, I stapled the stamped image onto the tag using the Tim Holtz stapler and "Voila!" it is finished :).