Welcome Baby Card...

This card is from the Baby Shower we went to last weekend. The last time I used this baby stamp... (here & here) I told you how much I loved this stamp... it's perfect for a boy or a girl... it's so versatile... don't ya just love stamps like that?

As for the shower... this was Rainee's very first baby shower and she had such a great time! She loved all the shower games... and she's still talking about how we couldn't say BABY... she thought that was hard and a bit silly... because everything was about babies!!!

Next... I realized this weekend, I haven't posted the Father's Day card I made for Steve. For the card, I used an actual A&W can and cut out the logo. For his gift... I used a your-choice six pack carton from BevMo... then rolled up the shirt & pants, and added one of his favorite beers to the gift.

Well that's it for today... see you tomorrow...

Butterfly Photo Tutorial...

I thought I would do a tutorial on one of the butterfly photos from my layout yesterday... for some this may not be new... for others, it may be something you've wanted to do but didn't know how... so I think it will surprise you how simple this really is to do with your photos.

I will be using Photoshop... on a mac. But most of these simple principles will apply to whatever photo-editing application you may be using...

1. Once your photo is open, make a duplicate of this layer.

2. Rename it to whatever you'd like... I named mine is Black&White copy.

3. Go to Image, then Adjustments, then to Black & White to make this layer Black &White.

4. A window will come up for you to adjust your photo... lighter or darker in black&white... most times I leave this on the default settings... if I do adjust anything it is the reds and magenta... to make the photo lighter or darker... play around with this for making your photo darker of lighter.

5. Enlarge the area you want to have the color on.

6. On your Black&White layer... choose your Eraser Tool. Now adjust your Eraser Tool to size.
For large area choose a large eraser... for small area... choose a small eraser.
I always like to erase large parts first with a large eraser... then adjust the eraser for the detailed areas.
Now erase your image on the Black&White Copy layer.

7. After you've erased the large parts of your image... now adjust your Eraser Tool to a smaller size for the more detailed areas... the edge of the image or like mine the legs and antennas...
now erase the small areas.

8. And you're done!!! Easy right?

9. Now... SAVE this file as a layer document (.psd), just in case you want to go back and make more adjustments. I save mine as the file name + a number, but you can save it as anything you want.

10. Save your file again as a .jpg, this will flatten the layers for you and saving the .psd file.
NOW this saved .jpg file is what you will print....

I hope this has helped you... and you will try using it on some of your photos.

See you tomorrow!!! Enjoy your day!!!

Tissue Paper Blooms... Redo... Photos fixed!!!

Don't know what happened to my Tissue Paper Blooms tutorial post... but here it is again... thanks for letting me know the photos weren't coming through.... soooo let's try this post again shall we...

While I was helping out in my daughters class with tissue paper... I was thinking what a great material to make a flower bloom for card and my scrapbooking. So I came home and started playing around with tissue paper... and here's what I came up with. For this flower I used:

1. 3 different shades of Tissue Paper.

2. Round objects (or templates) for 4 circle sizes.

3. A pencil.

4. A pair of scissors.

5. Glue dots.

6. Flower Centers - I used Pearl stickers

Making 4 different size circles. Trace your circles onto several layers of tissue paper...

Cut out your circles.

 

Use one circle from the 4 different size circles. Layer the circles... change colors for each layer
(I started & ended with the same color). Then place glue dots on the backs of the top 3 layers.

With glue dot tissue paper stacks... put on the center of your bloom.

Crinkle the tissue paper.

Start to open, then smash it up some more... the more crinkles the better.

Open up and fluff up each layer, until it exactly as you want your bloom.

And here's one of my bloom on a card. Enjoy!

Tissue Paper Blooms...

While I was helping out in my daughters class with tissue paper... I was thinking what a great material to make a flower bloom for card and my scrapbooking. So I came home and started playing around with tissue paper... and here's what I came up with. For this flower I used: 

1. 3 different shades of Tissue Paper.

2. Round objects (or templates) for 4 circle sizes.

3. A pencil.

4. A pair of scissors.

5. Glue dots.

6. Flower Centers - I used Pearl stickers

Making 4 different size circles. Trace your circles onto several layers of tissue paper... then cut out your circles.

Using 4 tissues... one from each of the 4 different size circles. Layer the circles... changing colors for each layer (I started & ended with the same color). Then place glue dots on the backs of the top 3 layers.

With glue dot tissue paper stacks... put on the center of your bloom. 

Crinkle the tissue paper. 

Start to open, then smash it up some more... the more crinkles the better.

Open up and fluff up each layer, until it exactly as you want your bloom.

And here's one of my bloom on a card. Enjoy!

 

 

Be You...

Here's another little card to get you ready for Spring or for getting you in the mood to make some Easter cards... and hopefully put a little sunshine in your day!!! It's been raining off & on here a lot... so a little bit of sunshine is just what I need to get me off to a brighter week.

I made this card scraps just waiting to be used.... and here's another little chick made with circles and ovals... I think little chicks peeking out of their egg shells all ready for Spring are just the cutest!

Hope I've inspired you to play with some of your scraps and left over bits to make a card for Spring. Have a sunny Tuesday!!! 

BY THE WAY... my friend Joan is having a giveaway on her blog... so go check it out and enter!!!

Tweet... Tweet...

It's almost the end of the week... so here's a card to get you in the mood for the coming weekend! Something happy!

This card is made for no particular reason... I just felt inspired by the twigs in our front yard. Rainee is constantly playing with them... so I thought I'd take her lead and play with a few on a card. So, along with the twigs... Luminarte's Radiant Rain Shimmering Mist... bakers twine... Real Woods for the birdhouse... my favorite cloud die-cut... a couple of stickers... and some scraps for the banner... this is what I came up with... I think they all came together to make a sweet, whimsical Spring card.

That's it for today... Thanks for stopping by to see my card today... and I hope you'll play along tomorrow with your list of... Friday's 10 Happy Things... See you tomorrow!

Real Wood... Buttons... & A Butterfly...

Here's a card I made using Creative Imaginations Real Woods... the dots are raised with foam dots... I just love foam dots... they are one of my favorite go-to items.... anyway... I didn't like the card with all real wood dots so I replaced a few with buttons to match the paper... And that butterfly... it's from K&Company.... and I love love love them!!

Well, that's it for today... thank you, everyone, for your lovely kind comments...  and for hopping by my blog today.... It really means a lot to me!  I hope your day is delightful! Big hugs... M

A Week Full Of Leprechaun's... & Shamrocks...

Rainee is on Spring Vacation this week - and it seems a bit odd having it around St. Patrick's day and not Easter... but we are going to have a fun time!!! One of the things we have planned is a Leprechaun party. She has been waiting for the Leprechaun's to come back and visit... because you know they only come out on St. Patrick's Day!

Sooooo I thought I'd share the invitations Rainee helped make for the party... she loves using the Cuttlebug... it was fun watching her crank the arm to get the finished background!!! And then, of course she had to emboss Cuttlebug everything she could get her hands on... it was so cute!!! Anyway, for the Shamrocks... I looked in all my stash and couldn't find not one anywhere... so decided to cut one out using my Cricut... because surely I must have one Shamrock in there with all the discs I have... but after searching & searching... I didn't have one!!! So using my Gypsy... I melding 3 hearts and a vine together for my very own Shamrock... and I have to say... I love it!!! It's definitely a keeper!

Our week looks like it's going to be one filled with fun... Leprechauns... & Shamrocks!!! I, for one, can't wait!!! Hope your week is filled with some Irish luck... enjoy!!!

Pick Of The Patch...

I have so many photos from our time at the pumpkin patch... I know I'll have layouts to do with them for a while. Here is another one for the scrapbook... One of Rainee's favorite things to do when we get to the patch is to ride around in the wagons. She gets in and we take her around the whole pumpkin patch as she looks for the perfect pumpkin. We make several stops during the ride.... each time she sees one that could be 'her pumpkin'  - - she gets out and tries to pick it up... if she can pick it up... it's a possibility... once she done that she checks to make sure it doesn't have anything wrong with it... if it does... she gets back in the wagon and it starts all over....it really is the cutest thing watching her meticulously look over each one of them for the one pumpkin, that will be... her pick of the patch...

I flipped the SketchyThursday sketch for this layout. And may I say... those Copic Pens are fun fun fun.... it was such fun coloring in the maple leaf stamp from Hero Arts... I'm seriously loving those pens I love seeing what they can do!!! 

I hope you have a wonderful week...

Sketchy Thursdays Cards...

I enjoyed the Sketchy Thursdays card this week so much... that I did two cards!!













On this first one I decided to do a little daisy bouquet... it's something I've been wanting to do awhile with these cute cute cute daisy's... it was so fun making this card... I'm glad I was finally able to do this cute bouquet!!!





On the second card, I found some leftover scraps of this great Little Yellow Bicycle XO paper... so of course I had to go with it... I know it's not Valentine's Day and it's not my anniversary... but I just loved this paper! On all the chipboard I used the technique from my EverydayScrapbook Adhesive Embossing Video.... I love this technique... it gives the chipboard a great crackled effect. Rainee loved this card so much she's decided I should put it in her lunch box!!








Don't forget there's still time to do a card with the Creative Imaginations August Card Sketch... just post it in the CI Gallery ... you never know you might just win a great prize package!!! Well that's it for today... hope you have a super day!!!

Wicked Project...

As promised, here is the other Creative Imaginations CHA project I had opportunity to do...

I think the Creative Imaginations artist Marah Johnson has done it again with her new collection Wicked! I loved playing with this collection. For me, it's a must have... you can go check out the full line on the Creative Imaginations Blog.... it's one to get for this Halloween!!!

I've always wanted, but never really had the occasion to do a Bare Elements Wine Containers... so this project gave me that chance... and boy did I have fun!!!! I also was able to really take the opportunity to use CI's Luminarte... this something I've played around with, but only used it here and there. And wow wow wow now.... do I love love love this stuff... I had such a blast using it with this Wicked Collection!!!

Along with the BE Wine Container, I also did a wine bottle.... just for fun!!!! I made a new label for the from and back using this very Wicked Collection... I added a little craziness to the top, by wrapping some fishing wire around - like a web - and then placing one of those seriously charming little spiders to the end of... I think it adds a wonderful little Wicked touch to this bottle!!!

Well, that's it for my CHA project for this time... hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed doing them... have a really lovely day!

Skipping Rocks...

There were so many moments on our trip to South Dakota that were special... I can't believe how many photos I still have to scrap... I need to get cracking...

Anyway... few posts ago, I shared in the Break Time layout we skipped rocks on the Missouri River... well, here is a layout doing just that.... skipping rocks...

While at the park, we saw some awe-inspiring trees... and when you looked up at them you couldn't help but take a pictures of their beauty. Originally, I took the picture to remember its greatness... but when I was doing this layout I was inspired to use it as part of my background... so I printed an 8x10 and cut it to a size that would work for my layout. It's a different technique using a photo... I'll have to see if there are any other photos I can use for backgrounds in my layouts.... I kinda like how it turned out...

Doily Envelope Video

I haven't done a video in awhile... It's funny to me how when I was working full-time plus had all the responsibilities I do now, I actually got more videos done than I do now as a stay-at-home-mom/freelance graphic designer... you'd think I'd have more time somewhere??! Anyway, even though I love doing them, I guess any video getting done, when I have a chance... is better than no videos at all... right??!!??...

After showing you these fun little envelopes last year... I had so many requests to do video on these cute little envelopes... I just had to do one. So yeah, for the new Doily Envelope video!!! These little envelopes are one of my favorite Valentine, or any {day}, things. Ever since I was a little girl I've loved making them... I just love little girly things!!! Since then, I've made them for special occasions or just because... they're great to put on a wedding gift... perfect for wedding or baby showers... I've used them on projects like my Valentine Window (here)... on some of my scrapbook layouts... on cards... but my all time favorite uses are putting them in my husbands work shirt pocket and in Rainee's lunchbox with little love notes just for them!!

The great thing about these doily envelopes is once you know the basics of how they're made, you can make them with just about any kind of paper doily.... heart, square or circle. Along with the video, I've also made a download-able .pdf (3x3 or 6x6 heart doilies) for those of you who'd like it. I hope you enjoy making them and find some fun new ways to use these cute little doily envelopes...

(Materials: Doily: Wilton, Paper Insert: DCWV, Ribbon: Joann's, Glue: Elmer's Glue)