Making Faces

I absolutely love to draw. I was blessed with a gift (I guess). If I can see it in my minds' eye, then I can make/draw/create it. Many people think that they absolutely CAN NOT DRAW! I'm here to tell you that is not true! You can make anything, using simple shapes, a pencil and an eraser. Today I will walk you through drawing a cute face. It is really pretty easy, so give it a try!

1) Draw 3 frowny smiles on your face - 2 beside each other and one a little below and between the 2 frowns you just drew.

2) Draw 2 more frowns...left to right and above the first 2 frowns you made (that are beside each other)(eyes) Then draw a sideways V coming out of the outside corner of each eye

3) Draw a V underneath the lower frown, connecting the left and right side of the frown(nose)

4) Draw a W underneath the nose, connecting it with the point of the V you just drew(mouth)

5) Draw a rectangle underneath the W, connecting the spots to the left and right of the middle
section of the mouth (teeth)

6) Draw an odd number of dots to the left and right of the nose (whiskers)

7) Color in the nose and draw a circle inside each eye and color those too

8) Take a white uniball gel pen, or some white paint and place one dot in each eye and a tiny line across the nose, to create dimension

9) Draw 2 more frowns above each eye for eyebrows

Wallah! A cute face! Follow the pictures for an easy tutorial. If this is difficult to understand, please let me know. I can just "do" stuff, but I have a hard time explaining how to do it, so I'm working on that skill now, with your help. Thanks for looking! Tell your friends about my blog and come back soon!

Making Easter Bunnies from Toilet Paper Tubes

I am in several online scrapbooking groups where we trade supplies and play some fun games. In one group we are playing a game called Easter Rak Splat. You create some fun containers and fill them with candy, ribbon, buttons, or whatever else you can think of and mail them to another member of the group. Yesterday I spent the afternoon making some bunnies out of empty toilet paper tubes (it's amazing how fast we go through a roll of toilet paper with 7-9 people here everyday). I also decorated some coffee cups to go, and altered a little tin. Fun, quick, easy and a great way to use up some scrap paper.
I got to thinking, you can make almost anything out of a toilet paper tube! I may work on some leprechauns today! Come back soon, to see what else I've made!

Using Sketches

Some people love to use sketches and other people absolutely think they are taboo. I'm a middle of the road-er. I LOVE to create my own designs, around my photos, but sometimes I need some inspiration. I turn to sketches from other scrapbookers when I need that little boost. My favorite sketches are from Jeanette in the books she created for Close To My Heart. Her books (Reflections, Cherish and Imagine) are laid out according to the number of photos you can use. For example, if you have 3 photos, you can look in the front of the book for layouts that use 3 photos. Towards the back of the books, are sketches that use up to 15 photos! Of course, these are just sketches and you can take what you like and tweak them to make them YOUR OWN. You may use a photo spot for journaling or an embellishment, the possibilities are endless. I find that when I use a sketch, I can scrapbook a lot faster, and still use my creativity through the use of paper and other embellishments. I do not think that there is a right way or a wrong way to scrap or scraplift an idea from another scrapbooker (as long as you give proper credit to the original designer). We all take a little from here and there and add some of our own jeux ne seis quoix, to create our own masterpieces!

If you have never tried using a sketch, try it out, you might like it! Maybe by looking at a sketch it will spark some inspiration and you will design something completely different, with undertones of the original sketch from which you drew your inspiration. You can find sketches everywhere....magazines, scrapbooking companies (CTMH and Creative Memories), websites (scrapbookcardsandpapers, creating keepsakes). Maybe you already have a favorite place that you get sketches from. If you don't, start a list, and maybe even a journal to keep your sketches in for future reference. Sketches are springboards for creativity and I hope you find some inspiration from them.

I'm the owner/moderator of Disney PST, a piffing and snagging group, where scrappers who have a little more than they need of one thing can list it for another scrapper to snag it. Then the piffer can snag something surplus from another scrapper. It is a lot of fun! If you are interested in such a group, please let me know, ssauve7@aol.com (I have an "IN" with the owner - LOL). Anyway, one member, Tracy has become our inspirational source for the year. She has been listing one new sketch each month. I had a lot of fun creating new layouts with her sketches I can't wait to see what the next sketch will be. I will post her sketches and my layouts from the sketches here. Enjoy, and keep on scrapping!

Project 12 for March

Here is the newest sketch for the Project 12 layouts. This program is designed to help you complete at least ONE album by the end of the year! Each month a new sketch will be revealed and you can use that sketch or your own creation to develop you layout for the month. Snap those pictures and work on those layouts! I'll be posting mine soon! Happy Scrapping!

Twilight Frames

My daughter has the Twilight bug! She absolutely loves Twilight and is an active member on the Team Jasper. She has read all of the books and is anxiously awaiting the release of Eclipse this summer.

There seems to be Edward, Bella, Jacob and Cullens' merchandise everywhere. There does not seem to be much with Jasper and Alice. I absolutely love to alter things, and so I thought I'd make her a frame with Jasper and Alice on it. Another good friend of mine is a HUGE fan of Edward. She asked me to make her an Edward frame. So I sat down and started making some Twilight/New Moon frames. I've listed them on my webstore if you really like them! Or you can contact me directly, if you would like me to make you one (ssauve7@aol.com) I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Project 12 for February

Ok, here is the next layout for Project 12. This is a way to end up with a complete album by the end of a year. You can make one layout a month, to make it easy, and sample sketches are available to use, or create your onw. Please share your project 12 layouts here!

Have fun, I can't wait to see what you create!

Layouts for Project 12 - January 2010

I made up several January Project 12 layouts using a Disney theme. I make extra layouts for friends who like premade layouts. If you would like a premade layout, please contact me at ssauve7@aol.com and we can work something out! Did you make a layout for January yet? If so, please submit it to this blog! I'd love to see your work! Happy Scrapping, Shellie

New Year Resolutions - Do You Have Any?

We are already 3 days in to the new year and I have already had to adjust my goals for this year. I am so ambitious (at least in my head) and I set these huge, unrealistic goals. For example, one goal was to post a new technique on this blog each day. Wow! That would be awesome, I do want to create an ABC of techniques in scrapbooking, and this would definitely help me meet that goal. Realistically, I have 5 kids and several health issues that often prevent me from even checking my emails each day. If I kept that goal, I would eventually fail, and then give up, like almost everyone else who makes New Year Resolutions. Last year was way too hard, and if I learned anything, it was that I always try to do too much, thinking that I can still be wonder woman and supermom, but I can't. I can hardly believe I'm actually admitting it, but I am, I just can't do it all anymore. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, among many other things (check out my other blog: http://fivekidsandfibromyalgia.blogspot.com/). That diagnosis really set me back. A good friend of mine, who also has fibromyalgia, told me that now, I can expect to do half of what I used to do, and that I will finish only half of what I expect to do. Snap! That is 1/4 of what I used t do! I was a real go-getter and did a lot! Like having a 2 year old, being pregnant, teaching full time and getting my master's degree. I have always just ran myself ragged, but last year it really hit me, that I just can't do it anymore. Luckily, with the help of God, my husband and my kids, they help out a lot more, to lessen my load. Anyway, I had to sit down and rewrite my goals, to make them more manageable. I made each goal specific to the goal and added a time frame in which I wanted to complete this goal. Now it is much easier to see if I am meeting my goals, because they are so specific.

Do you set new goals each year? Or, do you just have expectations of yourself that you will do your best to meet? I used to just keep them in my head, but I just turned 40 and my mind is not as sharp as it used to be, making it easier to forget, and not complete what I had planned in my head. Writing my goals down, and crossing them off, also makes me feel better about myself, since I can see exactly what I have done, and still need to do.

Here are my goals for 2010....

Goals for 2010: Shellie
1) List 5 new items on my Webstore
4 days a week.

2) List a new technique on my scrapbooking blog
4 days a week.

3) Get my BA in scrapbooking from CTMH
by June 1, 2010

4) Get my MA in scrapbooking from CTMH
by Dec. 1, 2010

5) Read 3 books on money management
by April 30, 2010

6) Get 30 followers on my scrapbooking blog
by June 15, 2010

7) Send in work for a contest or to be published
3 times every 3 months

8) Finish my ABC of Disney scrapbook by July, 2010

9) Organize my scraproom, with labels by my next foot surgery

10) Scrapbook a new layout 3 days a week

11) Have family game night once a week


Well, that is my start. I really hope that by setting myself a timeline, it will motivate me to get more done!

Project 12

Are you looking for a way to document an entire year and feel overwhelmed at the thought of it? Join me in Project 12: http://scrapbookandcardstodaymag.typepad.com/scrapbook_cards_today_blo/2009/12/project-12-launch.html

Make a year long album, quickly and easily by doing the Project 12 challenge, which is simple. The idea is to create a layout on a monthly basis which recaps what you've been doing. Whether you took 31 photos, no photos, or 100 photos, simply choose your favorites that best described what you were doing that month, and create a layout.

If you join me in this scrapbooking adventure, please sign up as a follower to my blog and send me a picture of your layout each month. I will add your photo(s) to my gallery giving you the credit for your masterpiece, and then I will enter your name into a drawing for a prize from me,each month you send in your completed layout. The deadline for January 2010 entries will be midnight January 31st.

**The prize for January will be 9 jars of glitter from Martha Stewart's scrapbooking line.

January Photo Ideas:
January 1 - what were you doing New Years Day?
Resolutions - did you start that new workout regime?
Break out that spandex and set up the tripod.
Winter/Snow photos
12 random photos on the 12th of the month

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

I may not have been able to talk to you recently, but that does not mean that you have not been in my thoughts or prayers.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Please take a minute and enjoy this Christmas card, as I have enjoyed your friendship...may God continue to bless you and your family today and always. Holiday Hugs, Shellie

Another gift idea....

Here is a wonderful idea that I scraplifted from Jessica Spragues blog! I used a drink carrier from Burger King, and another one from a wine cooler holder (not shown).

I chose pop themes because the recipients love these particular soft drinks! The one shown on Jessica's blog was made with polka dotted paper and would go with any favorite beverage!

I measured the height and width of the base and then cut my paper accordingly. I attached it with glue sticks. Then I laid it on it's side and traced the shape of each of the sides, cut my paper and glued that down. I used ribbon and stickles and sticker letters to embellish this fun gift! I'm filling one side with a 2liter bottle and the other side with a movie and some microwave popcorn. You could fill both sides with drinks, or anything else you think the recipient will enjoy! Easy and adorable! Oh, on one side of the Mountain Dew one, I handcut each little mountain and colored it to look 3-D. On the other side I cut out the logo from a drinking cup that I got at Taco Bell. I also taped the bottom inside and the bottom outside for more stability! Easy peasy! Enjoy and thanks for visiting my website! Have a scrappy day!

Holiday House Gift Bag

Oh what fun a cricut is! Last night I made these adorable gift bags/or decoration! Here are the directions, if you would like to make one yourself....

Supplies needed:
paper bag
liquid applique
cardstock: red, blue, brown, black, green
heat gun
adhesives
ribbon
scalloped scissors
prisma glitter
hole punch
Cricut cartridges:
Jubilee Celebration (mailbox)
Wild Card (window and door)
Plantin Schoolbook (grass)
stickers

Directions:
*Cut brown paper for the roof 5 1/2 x 6" and trim the bottom with scalloped scissors
*Use your cricut to make the following cuts:
Jubilee Celebration -- 2 mailboxes, one brown and one black 2 1/2" tall
**Cut the top off of the black mailbox and glue it over the brown mailbox
Wild Card - **1 blue window 4 1/2"; put clear tape onto the back of the window
and then sprinkle prisma glitter on top of it
**one red door 3"
Plantin Schoolbook - 1 green grass 1 1/2"
*Glue the red door 1" up from the bottom right hand side of the paper bag
*Glue the blue window 1 1/2" from the left side of the paper bag and a little
above and to the left of the red door
*Fold the roof over, leaving about 1" overhang, on the scalloped edge
*Fold the top of the paper bag back (opposite of the decorated side) down 3" and put the roof over this folded edge, so that the creases are on top of each other
*Punch two holes about 1 1/2" apart and 1 1/2" down from the top fold

***embellish with liquid applique and prisma glitter (for snow) and let it dry overnight
***Use your heat gun to make the liquid applique puff up
***Embellish some more with stickers, stickles and/or anything else that you desird
****Put your gift inside, refold the roof back down and tie it closed with a bow

Check out my Creative Creations....

Here is a video I've compiled of my scrapbooking creations and cards. If you are looking for something to give that hard to buy for person, think about getting them something I've made. I can almost guarantee that they do not have something I've made...yet! Feel free to contact me if you see something you would like to get for yourself or someone else! Thanks for looking! Happy Holidays ssauve7@aol.com

Make a Smilebox slideshow

In loving memory of my brother, Steve

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Thomas homes...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Desktop Calendar 2010

A friend asked me to make her some 2010 calendars. Looking through my stuff, I found some spiral stand-up photo albums that had 12 pages! Perfect! I found a 2010 daily planner that had a tiny calendar for each month. I copied it onto my printer and then enlarged it 200%, then cut out each month. I made up 12 different 4 x 6 pages to insert into each sleeve, using the calendars I printed. Finally, I unscrewed the spiral ring holding it together and removed the cover. I decorated the cover, re punched new holes and then screwed the spiral ring back onto the calendar, holding all of the pages together. I really liked how they turned out. Easy project that allows lots of room for creativity! Enjoy!

Pinkalicious Plaques

Another friend of mine, has two little girls. One of them loves pink as much as I do. I offered to make her a name plaque to put in her room. I called it Pinkalicous! Her other daughter wanted a clock with puppies on it. I started decorating the pink plaque, and then realized that I put the wrong name on it! It was too cute and I couldn't bear thinking of taking it apart, so I left it and made another one with the right name on it. I made the puppy clock a little later. The papers I used in both projects were from DCWV. The pink one was from a kitchen collection and the puppy one was from the dog collection. I used stickles to add some extra bling to each project. I absolutely love stickles. I've made a special box to hold all of my stickles and on the inside of the lid I have a sample of each color of stickle I have. Now I need to make an inventory sheet, so I know which ones I need to buy! I seem to use pink, black diamond and icicle the most. I also love Sakura glaze pens! They give the illusion of embossing, without the effort! I usually use the black and clear glaze pens the most. What is your favorite embellishment?

Altered Clock

I love to change my decorations with each season or holiday. I enjoy altering clocks to go along with my decor. A friend of mine asked me to make her a Rooster Clock. I had plenty of clocks, but I was stumped as to what to do for the Rooster. My parents recently sold the house I grew up in (sniff-sniff) to my dismay. They bought a new house that they absolutely love. I'm happy for them (sigh). The kitchen had a rooster decor when they bought the house. We went over there on Halloween, and I took some pictures of their wallpaper and framed pictures. I came home and printed them out on my printer, but they color was way off and the pics didn't look right. I consider myself an artist, and took about an hour to color and detail one of the photos. It turned out pretty good! I wanted to copy my new "art," but my printer was out of ink! The colors must have been low, that's why the pictures were so off in the coloring. I carefully cut out the rooster and the grass he stood in, and mounted him on top of a checkered tablecloth paper I had. I really liked how it turned out. When I get some time, I will remake the other poor copies of the rooster that I made. Enjoy!

Altered Tins

I absolutely love to recycle something old and turn it into something new and fun. I have taken old spice racks, painted them, added some BLING, and used them to store stickles or mini ribbon rounds.

Many moons ago, my son came home from Kindergarten and was just dying to get a Pikachu Pokemon card. That started an elaborate collection at our house. We had to "Catch Them All!" I learned the names of the pokemon and their evolutions, we have boxes of cards in English and Japanese. We've collected books, magnets, Burger King Toys, games, watches. We have had the Pokemon craze for a long time. I really enjoyed playing Pokemon with them too. As my son grew, so did his thirst for another game, so we learned how to play Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic, and World of Warcraft trading card games. We would spend a Saturday afternoon at the mall, or at Ron's to play in tournaments and we even travelled to Seattle to play in tournaments. Pokemon is still my favorite though. Now he and his brothers are into the online game of World of Warcraft. They spend hours a day playing online. They now have land parties in the basement. Their friends come over and bring their computers. We link up all the computers downstairs and they just play and play. I sure miss playing pokemon, I'm afraid to start WOW online. It is too easy to become addicted. This past weekend they were taking on another WOW team online and I kinda felt left out, I wanted to play too, but I don't know how...yet....

So, what does that have to do with scrapbooking? EVERYTHING! Of course I've painted Pokemon on their bedroom walls, scrapped their Pokemon parties, collected tons of Pokemon cards, decorated a giant jar to "catch" all their pokemon toys, and altered tins to hold their precious decks. I'm on a few scrapbooking groups online, and have found some other scrappers with kids into Pokemon. This last week I worked on making tins for their kids. I hope that they enjoy this activity with their kids as much as I have.

Supplies: Red, white and black paper; Black and yellow stickles; a tin (I prefer round ones, shaped like the poke balls); paper cutter; modge podge and foam brush; round punches 1" and 1 3/4"; red, black and white ribbon (optional); pokemon stickers (optional); black alphabets (optional)

Directions:
1) Lay your tin on top of a red or white piece of paper. I line it up halfway up the front of the tin and then fold it up (so I can cut 2 at once). Repeat for the other color. Cut them out.
2) Cut 1" strips of black paper (one for each side of the tin)
3) Punch out 2 different sized circles from white paper. Layer the white circles on top of each other.
4) Lay the red semi-circle on the top of the front of the tin and glue into place. Repeat on the back side of the tin.
5) Lay the white semi-circle on the bottom of the front of the tin and glue into place. Repeat on the back of the tin.
6) Lay the black 1" strip across the seam, joining the red and white semi-cirlces. Glue into place. Repeat on the back of the tin.
7) Lay the layered circles in the middle of the black strip and glue down. Repeat on the back of the tin.
8) Measure the width of the tin, and cut more black paper in that width. Glue around the outside of the tin. If you are using a tin with a latch, before gluing, gently press the paper around the handles, to make yourself a cutting guide, so that the paper will go around the handles easily.
9) Use ribbon, stickles, stickers, and/or alphabet letters to embellish your tin.
10) Fill it with Pokemon toys or cards, to give to a pokemon fan!