Memories Artwork™

Advent Calendar

Isn't this Advent calendar just gorgeous? This was displayed today on the Making Memories blog with a supply list and instructions. Wish I had the time to make one!!!

Awesome family photos / videos by Michael & Tara Whitney!

I just wanted to share something with you.... a family video, no, not my family, but a wonderful family video that Michael Whitney filmed and Tara Whitney photographed. These two are just so amazing! Their work is so incredible that I wish I could just fly over to the states and have them take our pictures and film us right away!!!! What great memories!

The Cameron Family Film from MS - Client Proofing on Vimeo.

It's been awhile...

I apologize for not posting for a while now. There has been a bit of turmoil lately in my life. On the one hand my job is very stressful, especially during "event season", but I must say I am loving my job even though I have work up to my ears, so that I barely have time for scrapbooking as I work a lot in the evenings from home as well.

Then Friday a week ago, my husband's grandmother died, the day before I was supposed to attend an event for work, so I was panicked about what to do with the children since my husband had wanted to leave to be with his mom. I did find someone, but it took forever! The next day I woke up with a terrible headache and started vomiting. It was the stress of it all apparently, but I thought it was some type of virus as I had never had that happen to me before. So, pressure from work was on and I felt really bad about letting them down that day. There was just absolutely nothing I could do about it. The next day I attended, still feeling sick and a bit weak, but I made it through the day. Luckily.

On Monday, my mom calls and says, "Your grandma was next." She died that day... only 3 days after my husband's grandmother. What a fluke! So, wow... no more grandparents around. You begin to start thinking about your life, how old you are, whether you're enjoying it enough, what you could do better, etc. Ah, yes.

I also have a bit of custom work waiting on me to have time as well, plus cards and things that I want to sell at the artist's market coming up the end of November, so that is always in the back of my mind. I just wanted to show you a few things I was able to do. (click to enlarge)

 

Ooh, I see I need to make more vertical cards! My next batch! More to follow...

This is from some custom work I'm doing right now...just a few accents.

This tree stem I just kind of eyeballed and cut out. Then I rough-cut the top of the tree from green cardstock, embossed it with my cuttlebug, inked it with distress ink, adhered it to a scrap orange piece of patterned paper and cut around the tree to frame it a bit.

 

This was made using my cricut expression die-cut machine.

 

 

In case you can't tell.... that is an ice cream cone I made from scratch.

I love creating different accents for my layouts that fit perfectly to the theme or the patterned paper. So, even if I don't have anything bought that would match the page, I'm always finding new ways to make my own and it's really a lot of fun.

These are busy times and they will stay busy until Christmas vacation. I'll be off for THREE weeks! YESSSS! Can't wait. 

NOTE: Any custom orders for Christmas must be placed with me by no later than 1 December in order to arrive in time for the festivities!!

Goody bag made with one sheet of paper

Now this is the cutest idea and the best part is, it's made of only one sheet of paper and no glue so speak of! Awesome, huh? I made this cute little bag to maybe put some candy in ...or maybe a rubber spider...hehe, that is if I don't scare myself out of my socks with it first. LOL

Really quick and fun! Check out the below video for the tutorial by Linda, a stampin' up demonstrator! So, go ahead, get yourself an 8-1/2 x 11 " piece of paper, grab your bonefolder and go for it! :D

Christmas Cards & Journal Notebook Class

Hey Peeps!!!

Yes, I know... making Christmas cards again.... but I look at something and then get so inspired that I have to do something about it. It's like an itch. LOL Anyway... I made a few Christmas cards again and wanted to show you a few pictures of the journal I made in Karla Dudley's Journal 3 Ways Class. The class has already begun, but I'm sure she will be having more workshops. Now, I have to tell you, this woman amazes me! She has 5 kids, including 2 sets of twins...two boys, two girls and the oldest is another boy. Wow... is all I can say. Then she's got kids getting sick all over the place, but takes the time to shoot videos and show her students how to make cute journals. I have to hand it to her, Karla: My hat is off to you girl! You are just a cool gal!

Little "medallion" tutorial here:

So, I made these two cards with "medallions" on them that I made myself. The easiest way is to take a 12" strip about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2" wide, cut along the edge with either scallop scissors or zig zag, but it should be something that is uniform, no tearing scissors or anything like that. Next you want to fold the piece back and forth like an accordion, maybe scoring each line before you do that to make it work a bit easier and look straighter LOL. Then just glue the ends together with tacky tape so it doesn't come apart, then push down on the middle part to make it flat....go ahead, I promise it won't fall apart. But, in order to hold it together, you're going to need something sturdy to put on that middle part. Use a scallop circle, a big button, or a regular circle, a flower, anything you want, but you will have to make sure you use a good adhesive to make it stick. I used glue dots, which seemed to work pretty well. Make sure they're heavy duty and the cardstock is fairly heavy weight. Chipboard might be even better.  Then just use 3 D glue dots or pop dots to adhere to your card or layout. I really love the look of it. Next time I'm going for ones a bit smaller though. ;-)

On this one, I originally stamped the flourishes with opaque white stazon ink, but you could hardly see it, so I went over it with a white gel pen to make it stand out more. Truly had fun making the medallions!

Now to Karla's Class! She's so sweet and her videos were so cute. Making the journal was easier than I thought. Tomorrow is week two! Can't wait to see what she comes up with! :D Check out the journal I made today.

The angle of the photo I took, makes it look crooked, but it's not, trust me. ;-) I got this free Katie Pertiet border swirl brush from Designer Digitals. Go check it out!

These are the inside pages using Karla's swirls from the class. Love those swirls! Can't get enough of them.

Here are the pages with the journaling brushes that Karla designed. Don't you just love her handwriting? I mean, okay, mine is not the worst handwriting, but I just loooove Karla's... kind of looks similar to Ali Edward's style of handwriting.

So, folks, that's all for now. I've really got to get to bed! ughhhh....busy week... what am I saying? Months!

Nite all!

Jackie

Christmasy items - cards and gift boxes

I know, I know....Halloween has not even happened and I'm already going on and on about Christmas! Sorry...that's the way it is. At any rate, I was googling and stumbled across some pop up cards that inspired me to make this one.

just simple, but ok

this part was a bit more difficult as it was my first time making a pop-up card, but I love the look of it so I may try out some more and post. I saw a video from an Australian stampin' up lady and I believe her name was Robbie, but I'm not sure!

Then I googled for gift boxes and once again, landed on Kristina Werner's blog where she had a video of an origami box with a matching lid. I never thought it would be that easy! Aren't they just cute?! Cool! Please check out her blog for more inspiration.

 

Google origami gift box and you'll be sure to find her video on the box.

Of Halloween Minialbums and Christmas Tags

Good evening all... or should I say nite nite? ;-)  Well, I haven't done much this weekend, besides work some for my day job, grocery shopping, taking the kids to the indoor playground, washing clothes, cooking, etc....BUT, I did get in some scrapping, YESS!!!

I wanted to show you this sweet little pumpkin I made. I got the idea from Jennifer McGuire who posted it on www.twopeasinabucket.com and I thought it was so adorable, I just had to try it out! It's very easy! (Her photo is a bit nicer though....love how it's always mirrored at the bottom. Wonder if I can do that in photoshop. ;-)

 

The one on the left is Jennifers and mine is on the right.

I've started on the cover of a Halloween mini-album...something that I've been wanting to get around to for a long time and when someone on Simea's Design Team asked for Halloween stuff, I thought, NOW's the time! So, with some papers from the Basic Grey Eerie collection and an SEI mini chipboard album, I got to work...or rather "play". ;-)

Then, I checked out Kristina Werner's blog, since she always has such awesome video tutorials on her cards, and I found the most awesome acrylic Christmas tags! You MUST go visit her website!! So, I decided to put my cricut diecut machine to work once again, cutting out tags out of thin acrylic. Worked like a charm! ;-) So, I made these cuties. I just luuuuv acrylic, don't know why. It just gives it a clean elegant looking touch.

Just love these! Can't wait to attach them to a Christmas gift (which is still a loooonnnng ways off!).

I also needed to gift wrap my daughter's gift to her kindergarten friend for her birthday, but I didn't have any giftwrap at home, so I did this.

I'm so into kraft colored paper (this is actually post office wrapping paper) and butterflies. This butterfly is from a clear stamp set by Amy Butler and I think I've fallen in love with this butterfly....it's so awesome, there's so much detail. I stamped it with fluid chalk ink, cut it out and pop-dotted it. Very simple, but it has a great effect.  "Laura" liked it. ;-)

I'm still working on some custom work, which is also fun, but very time-consuming. ;-) So, I'll have to touch base with you some time this week! Stay tuned! ;-)

Scrapbooking things over the weekend

I was experiencing a bit of withdrawal from scrapbooking, but I really need a creative break after finishing a large wedding album that I really put my heart into.... here is a peak:

In November I will be attending an artist market and I'll be selling all kinds of Christmasy items, such as cards, tags, frames, gift boxes and minialbums (if I make it that is..lol). So, I got started with a few cards this weekend (I know...ughhhh...it's only September and the weather is still so beautiful!). Anyhoo....here are some of the cards I made... one of them is not a Christmas card. I just saw a German stencil I picked up at a hardware store and got an idea. ;-)

This card above was inspired by Kristina Werner Design. You should check out her blog, just awesome!!

 

And THEN, I made another something inspired by Lisa Tutman-Oglesby and her fabulous ideas. You should go check out her blog as well. Very inspiring!  This was made very quicky, using modge podge to adhere and then cutting off the excess paper around the edges. You have to work very fast with modge podge as it dries very quickly. Slap on a few stickers and violá! There you have it! An entirely new and personal notebook.

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!

Weird looking ladybug

Of all the things I could post about (and there are a lot), I'm posting about a ladybug we saw in our apartment this afternoon. I'm not sure if I've ever seen one quite like this. It's black with two large red dots on it's back, almost like they're painted on. :-) Super cute!!! Isn't he (or she) neat?

Super Halloween Cards tutorial video

Ladies (and Gentlemen...in case you're reading)

Wow, just had to share this with you!! Kristina Werner makes fantastic videos on her blog and now she's made yet another fabulous video tutorial for three (yes, three!!) awesome Halloween cards she's designed. They have really cool shapes and cute details.  Check it out on her Blog and lots of other videos. Now just sit back, relax and enjoy this load of creativity!!!

Fantastic Flower Video Tutorial by Donna Salazar

This video tutorial is a bit older, but I thought I should share it with you anyway, since some of you may not have seen this. Donna Salazar makes these terribly cool flowers in this video, just awesome. Watch this to see how they are done!

I'm still here!!

Just to let everyone know that I still exist!!! I'm just on vacation that's all! As soon as I get back there will be lot's to post.

I have so many ideas in my head! :) I do plan to send out another newsletter when I return home from gorgeous Bavaria in which I will be incorporating a free tutorial for you. Hope you like it.

This photo is the view from the terrace of our house. Breathtaking isn't it? ;-)

Altered Cork Memo Board & a hybrid boy's birthday card

Hello my fellow blog readers! First of all, I would like to thank you for reading and looking. I wish I would have more time to read all the blogs I would like to read, but it's just not possible. But anyway...THANK YOU! :-)

Came up with this idea yesterday for some reason. I used to post our monthly schedule in our kitchen, but it seemed so drab, so I decided to get a cork memo board and dress it up a bit. didn't take long at all! :-)

I think it turned out pretty cute. ;-) I look forward to putting our schedule up there now!

And this is a hybrid card (PSE 6.0) for my nephew Luke.  Since he will be turning 11, I thought I needed to make it look cool.  So I did all of that in Photoshop, printed on cardstock and then inked the edges. Eh violá!

Happy Anniversary Card

Wow...I cannot believe how fast this year has whizzed by! I just remember celebrating Mom & Dad's 50th anniversary like it was yesterday. I made them an album with lots of love and they absolutely adored it. Mom picks a new double spread to display each day. I so love how she enjoys it. :D

Now their 51st anniversary is tomorrow. Mom is still struggling with being weak from the massive pneumonia she had to fight and I know how rough things can get when you're sick. I made this card with that in mind.  Love is key, always is and there is always a silver lining. This too shall pass, I am confident. 

Mom & Dad: Hope you can celebrate at least a little bit tomorrow. Love you lots!

 

Goodbye Kindergarten, Hello School

So, in between I need to do a layout or two for myself or else I'll go nuts! :D I just recently received Jenna's latest Kindergarten photos and as soon as I saw the patterned paper, I knew it would be a layout soon. It just fit so nicely. Anyway...this is truly a large transition for me as well as for Jenna. Both of my children will now be going to school and I realize just how fast time is really flying. I worry today what the future has in store for them and I hope that I'm doing things right as a parent.

Jenna is soooo excited about going to school.  At least a few times a week she opens her school bag up and inspects the contents over and over and then carefully places everything gingerly back inside. I start to think bag to my school days and the elmer's glue, the coloring pencils, the children's scissors, the notebooks. *smile*  Those were the days when there were truly no worries.

Creative Mommy - beautiful girl's party invitations

I just wanted to post these invitations from a mommy, Michaela Abdel-Fattah, I met at the Kindergarten my kids attend, since she is so darn creative and I'm always flabbergasted at the invitations she makes for her girl's birthday parties. She puts a lot of heart into them and she is just a really nice lady. I like her a lot, so I wanted to show you her beautiful creations! Please take a look at all of the little details, such as the glitter, the flowers, the shading, the feathers... just awesome!! Feast your eyes on these fairytale invitations:

 

The "Princess Invitation"

 

The "Unicorn Invitation"

 

The "Fairy Invitation"

Summer Days

Ah...finally summer is here and I am doing the best I can to make use of it. Any chance I get, I pick up the kids as early as I can and race to the pool...although I do gave difficulties finding parking and I sometimes forget to take along necessary items, such as swimming trunks..it all seems to work one way or another. ;-)

A few cards & a candle

This must be card month or something. :D But, I'm having fun nonetheless. I love to create and to inspire, which is why I share my work....in the hopes to inspire my readers! I want to spread some scrapbooking love across Germany! The word has spread a bit, but it's nowhere near what it is in the States. So, here goes nothin':

The flower is a heidi swapp large flower folded twice and glued together, then affixed with the birdy brad. The border is a material decorating ribbon with an adhesive lace border on top, hero arts stamp and the leaves are stamped with SEI mimosa clear stamps and cat's eye chalk ink and the entire card was inked with Tim Holtz walnut stain ink.

 

This card was made with just part of an SEI mimosa patterned paper, cutting the flower around the edges, adhering, then used pearl gems around it, hero arts birthday stamp, small flower also from the patterned paper and then inked with holtz distress ink. Very simple!

 

This is a regular candle (if you can tell) decorated with patterned paper (hard to see here), a heidi swapp flower, unknown crocheted flower (dawanda) and a making memories vellum tag, K&Co gem, Basic Grey brad. Very quick and simple.

Birdcage Birthday Card

Finally, I can show you the hybrid card I made...half in Photoshop Elements and half by hand. I'm SO into birdcages and chandeliers right now... I know, they were in style last year, but I don't care. What I also LOVE, are flowers, buttons, ribbons, butterflies, swirls, lace....so, basically anything girly. Go figure!

This card was for my best friend Christine! Hope you enjoyed it girl! Love ya!

That's all folks...

Just Some Cards

These are a few cards I have made over the past few days....one of them I can't show you or else that person might read my blog and the surprise will be lost. ;-)

(this one above was "cardlifted" from the August edition of Cardtrends Magazine, Kandis Smith)