Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Being creative!!


Last night after I made brats on the grill, I looked at the empty beer cans left over from par-boiling the brats and had an ah-ha moment. I remembered an episode on the Scrapbook Lounge where I watched Michael Strong use an aluminum can as a piece of metal to use as embellishments. So I had my husband cut the top and bottom off the cans and there you have some soft aluminum to emboss.
So I took the "sheets" of metal and ran them through my Cuttlebug. The "LOVE" card was run through in a full sized Cuttlebug embossing folder and then colored with Alcohol inks. I use a Heidi Swapp stamp with chalk in. (I'll be honest...I haven't done the inside of the card yet LOL.) This will end up being my mom and stepdad's wedding anniversary card.


This card I made for my husband's ex-wife's birthday. (Yes I know that sounds odd....it's a long story, we all knew each other years before...) Anyway, I took three pieces of the "metal" and first cut the stamps shape with the Cuttlebug and the stamp die. Then I put each individual piece into a small Cuttlebug embossing folder. I started out to just play with this whole embossing metal thing and really liked how they turned out...and this is how I put it together :)
I work on a card project or a scrapbook project nearly everyday. Some days it's because I have a deadline, and some days it's because I have a creative urge. Last night the mojo (urge) was strong and I came up with both of the cards. I guess sometimes the creative juices just flow more fluidly than others:)
Now back to finishing the anniversary card and then on to making Hailey's scrapbook from her vacation in Vermont. It's my birthday present to her. So off I go!! See you soon!!
Go get inky!!
LeighAnn

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

a couple of happy purchases



Ahhh, the little things in life!! I finally found my little pump bottles. Just $.97 at WalMart and perfect for mixing tube watercolors to use to spray on paper for a color wash. I can't wait to try it!! Jamie bought me tube watercolors forever ago and I use them, but think I'll use them even more now!
The can of pink spray paint...well, every girl needs lots of pink in her life!! I got the idea from The Pink Stamper www.mypinkstamper.com when she and her best friend spray painted their ATG guns and Robyn did her Cricut spatula. Can't wait to do it myself!!
I will be putting up pictures of my water color creations and my newly painted tools soon!! Too much fun!!

Last Hailey share today!

Here's a card she made for her Aunt Jane. She used the Cricut Paperdoll cartridge to make the person (she's supposed to look like Jane) the Funky Cricut Lite cartridge for the font. She's making a birthday card for her mom right now!!


A must share

Have to share this story. This is a card my daughter Hailey (12) made this card for my son Bodhi. I think I said before that he's in WA visiting his dad. I think it's so sweet that she wants to send him stuff too.

On this card she used the Tracerkin stencils (which I have all of and you can't buy anymore!!) I still use them, though the Cricut paper doll cartridges have kind of taken over LOL!!

I don't help Hailey with color choices or anything...I let her have free run of my scraps and most of my tools and supplies. She comes up with some pretty amazing stuff without any help at all. I'll post more of her stuff as time goes on. Actually she's sitting at the table in my living room right now finding stuff to make her mom's birthday card!!



Here's the front of the card I made for my sister-in-law. I love the stamp set I used, it's LATE4BDAY from the Stamps of Life.
Check out her site, she has awesome galleries full of examples made with her stamps and her stamps really are fantastic. They are clear stamps that stamp so well!!

Anyway, the card is late (imagine that in my world) so the turtles were the perfect choice. I stamped them with Versamark ink, then embossed with black embossing powder. I colored them in with water color pencils and used a water brush to blend the pencil in. I cut the turtles out and after stamping the grass and flowers (same stamp set) adhered the turtles with foam tape dots and then stamped and colored in the hats with markers and cut them out and adhered them with foam tape dots. I used Stickles on the pom-poms on the hats and in the center of the flowers. The "Happy Birthday" was cut with my Cricut using the Funky cartridge.




Here is the inside of the card. The Happy Belated Birthday is from the LATE4DAY card set and the cupcake stamp is from the regular birthday stamp set HappyBday2U. Really love these stamps.
Now off to bed for me so that I can get up tomorrow and get some more creative work done!!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Mini album for Bodhi


This is an album I made to send to Bodhi while he's at his dad's. I wanted to be able to send him something that he could look at and remember us and how much I miss him:)





I used name badge albums. I got this idea from an episode of the
Scrapbook Lounge that Tricia Morris.
I used mini prints that I printed at CVS (of course LOL.)









I had a blast looking at some of the older pictures and Bodhi will miss the cats, so I had to put them in there. Of course the picture of Jamie is just him being himself LOL!!
A parting note to tell him how much I want him to have fun, and that I'll miss him bunches!!

What makes me happy

I'm learning every day what truly makes me happy. Don't laugh...I'm 40 but to me life is a continuous journey and what makes you happy at 20 doesn't necessarily work at 40 (I'm remembering a life at UGA in my early 20's....while the idea of learning still makes me happy, all the partying just makes me TIRED LOL!!)

Oh don't worry, I'm not going through a mid life crisis or anything as dramatic as that...it's more a walk through the closet of my life and taking an inventory. Once again, this isn't a mid life crisis type of thing where I'm getting rid of my "mom car" and getting a hot rod or wishing that my life was more exciting or that my husband had more hair LOL!! It's going through the closet of my life and seeing what I've got in there, and what I want with the things I've found.

The irony of this is that I find a lot of stuff there that makes me happy and always has...being creative is a big one. If I went through the actual closet that store most of my "stuff" I will find things that show I was always interested in being creative. I have cross-stitch things (books, patterns, floss, and other supplies) in my closet as well as lots of other crafting supplies I've accumulated through the years. CREATING makes me HAPPY. I'm glad that's a part of my life that has never changed. I even cross stitched while I was in college :)

Why am I babbling on about this? Well my son left for his 30 day visitation at his dad's this past Friday...that does NOT make me happy. While I struggle with him, as he's 13 and can be a challenge right now, him being away is not a solution for me. Not to mention his dad lives across the country from me so it's not like I can just jump in my car and go get him. My son is a "mamma's boy" and my only biological child. It's always tough for me to watch him get on that plane!!

As my babbling continues...Lillian (almost one of my kids *big smile*) and Hailey (my other kid) made mini albums to slip into Bodhi's suitcase for him to find when he arrived in Washington state. (I'm now realizing I wasn't smart enough to take pictures of those very sweet creations...Lillian is 7 and Hailey is 12.) Anyway, last night I finished the mini album I was making for Bodhi so I could mail it today. I realized that while my heart is so sad because he's so far away, at the same time I felt good...because I was CREATING.

Wow, that's a lot of babbling just to say that crafting makes me happy LOL!! I guess I wanted to tell you the whole story as I didn't think it would have the same impact if you didn't know I was missing my son. Hey, I'm a scrapbooker, not a writer LOL!!

I will post pictures of my mini book and of the card Hailey made for Bodhi last night soon. My Internet has been giving me fits lately (lots of storms in our area) so uploading photos has been a challenge!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Have to share the pictures!!

Here is the three dvds that have arrived from NAODS (National Association of Digital Scrapbookers) and they are all about scrapbooking digitally with photoshop. They are amazing!!
Here is Joanna Campbell Slan's newest novel. She generously donated an autographed copy of it. I've read all the books in the sires so far....they are GREAT!! You'll be hooked for sure and there is another surprise from Joanna as well, but you'll have to wait to hear about that!!


Here is what Fiskars sent. Can you say WOW?!! Lisa and I are debating whether to make it into more than one basket or just put it in one huge one!! Ah the decisions we must make!!
There is more stuff on the way and some gift certificates that are going to be in the goodie bags as well. I haven't even begun to list all the stuff from local merchants here in Franklin!!
This will be the third time Lisa and I have done this event and it never ceases to amaze me the support we get from our community and the crafting world. Everyone is so giving!!
Keep checking back, I'll be posting new stuff as it gets here and new news as it comes up!!
Keep being creative!!
LeighAnn





Monday, June 21, 2010

More exciting news!!

Just got an email from Cheryl Waters from Fiskars and guess what...we're getting a tool goody basket for the silent auction. The whole scrapbooking community has been amazing...so giving!!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Always something going on...

There are even MORE fun things going on in the planning stages of Crop Out Autism Franklin event. So far we have two confirmed classes, some GREAT prizes coming in and more fun stuff every day! I'm getting so excited I can't wait!! We have a scrapbooking novel to give away, by Joanna Campbell Slan; a set of DVDs for learning how to digi scrap from NAODS (National Association of Digital Scrapbookers); a 6 month membership to Paperclipping; and the list is still growing!! Check back often to see what else we have up our sleeves and if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me hear from you. We love to do what we can to make this crop what you want it to be!!

Thanks for reading!!
LeighAnn

Wednesday, June 9, 2010


Well there it is....our very own LOGO!! I'm so excited. A friend of mine from high school who is a logo specialist made if for us. He's so awesome.
http://www.tntomdesign.com/ Check out his website and see what he can do for you!!
Well, I know it's only June, but it seems like the time is FLYING by and that September is right around the corner. We're organizing classes, getting instructors lined up, and have some special people and prizes on the way!
I wrote an article for http://www.scrapbookingmagazine.com/ and am hoping that 1) it's worth publishing and 2) tons of you read it and maybe some people who didn't know about the crop find out about it and want to come. We've also go some postcards we're going to be posting around town and mailing out for some advertising and publicity.
I honestly believe this will be our best event yet!! As Lisa and I do this, and it IS a learning experience, we're getting better and we're getting a better feel for what people want/need. If you have any suggestions or comments, or questions, please don't hesitate to post here, email me at snipsoftime@yahoo.com or call me at
317-507-1166. We want the event to be the best it can be...
Thanks for reading. Now I'm off to make sure all my stuff is packed. Heading home tonight from a visit at my parents' in Wisconsin. Got a HUGE cleaning project tomorrow (God bless Stephanie for being willing to help me!!) and then hopefully Friday I can spend crafting in my nice clean house. It's back to work Saturday and I'm sure Sunday. I'm hoping Lisa can come over for a bit Friday evening too!! Miss her!!
Happy crafting and go be CREATIVE!!
LeighAnn