Shabby 40th for Miss Amy

Just a quick post - I'm right in the middle of creating a "Back to School" album.

A good friend of mine just celebrated her 40th this past weekend. For her card, I used an image from Crafty Secrets "Girlfriends" booklet. I just LOVE these. Each page can be cut in two - use the top image on your card front and the bottom, journaling part on the inside! I also added numerous vintage buttons, pins, and beads - to make this little card extra chic!

Voila - "SEW" easy!

I'm Moxie Fab!

So remember my post from a little while back.....the one where I showed the Moxie Fab card I entered in their Vintage challenge/contest? Well guess what!? I won! And they sent me this adorable button to wear proudly on my blog! Can you tell I'm excited? You can see all the other winners in the other categories HERE.

Here is another look at the card using an image from Crafty Secrets and paper from Graphic 45.

Go Green - Vintage 'n Shabby Style

I just got to our hotel after my cousin-in-law's wedding. My tummy is stuffed with Greek pastries and a homemade "LEGO" cake (made by the groom's brother). So much for cutting back on the sweets - lol! I even took some extra goodies home with me to share with my friends at the library - if I don't eat them all that is!

This layout was a different approach to the premade layouts I make. As many of you know, I am obsessed with vintage and shabby chic. I just bought a ton of different vintage ephemera while on a short getaway with my hubby and just had to play with them! I did make many of the larger flowers on this layout - experimenting with different blooms. It was a little time consuming - but MUCH cheaper than buying the expensive Prima products (sorry Prima but it's true!) One flower was made with vintage lace, another with tulle, and the third - layered vintage book papers dipped in yummy gold glitter. Super fun and super cheap! I will hopefully have the motivation of doing a tutorial soon! Wish me luck - lol!

As always, this layout is for sale on Ebay. You can find the auction listing with many more pictures here.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

a little birdie told me...

Don't you just love vintage? If you do then you can't go without products from Crafty Secrets!

There products emit such a warm, vintage feel - I can't get enough! At the CHA Supershow I stocked up on everything from Creative Scraps to booklets to Cotton Scraps - the list goes on! Here is an example of an image from the Birds and Botanicals Booklet. I can page through these books for hours!

The Pink Elephant Recipe Challenge -

Hello Pink Elephant fans! It's that time again!



This week's Recipe challenge is to add buttons, border punches, and at least two pattered papers to your layouts. I decided to show you how you can do all that - digitally! As in all my digital layouts, I used images from The Shabby Princess - love this site! Borage is the cutie in this layout. He is a husky that came to our library for a visit teaching the students about the famous Iditarod race in Alaska. Just look at that face!

When planning a "physical" layout it is sometimes beneficial to play digitally to create the bones of your layout. Layering papers, inserting embellishments, importing pictures - are just a few ways to get inspired and come up with a plan for your own layouts.

There are many free pieces of software online just waiting to be downloaded. I personally use Macroweaver's Fireworks (not free), but you can download Inkscape for free and get similar results. The Shabby Princess has many free backgrounds and images for personal use - so what are you waiting for - go play!

How do you plan?

So as I am redesigning my design studio, I came across sketches and piles of yummy goodies put aside for upcoming projects. Which made me wonder - how do you plan your designs?

Personally, I start with a sketch - a very simple pencil plan in my trusty notebook. Then I label the images (just in case I forget what I was visioning - lol!) After that I choose my color palette and start pulling papers. This is the LONGEST part of my planning. I literally will pile and pull papers our of every corner of the earth until I am satisfied. Sometimes I even take a stack of colors (usually blues and greens) to my husband to help me pick the perfect backgrounds. Four eyes are better than two - sometimes ;o)

After I decide on my papers, it is time to pick coordinating embellishments. Then it is back to my sketch to add which papers and embellies will go where - and VOILA! A plan is born.

Now, you may ask, do you stick to this "plan"? Usually - but sometimes I travel off the path or change my mind about a few things here and there.

So - how do you plan?

Before

After

Del Oiseau

Just another shabby card for you - with not so great pictures :)