Spring is Here!!

Yeah! It's officially spring today! I can't quite describe how happy this makes me! I love it when the flowers start blooming and the grass is green again! I even love the thunderstorms that roll through in the springtime. Here in Iowa the thunderstorms are a lot different than what I saw growing up in Maine. We didn't seem to get them very often and I don't remember ever seeing any severe storms. I still remember when I was a little girl how my mom used to love to sit out on the porch whenever there was a thunderstorm and watch the lightning. I was sort of afraid of the thunder but I knew I was safe there with my mother. Those are good memories. Maybe that's why I still like thunderstorms today, except for the severe ones that come with tornado warnings! I don't have a mom by my side anymore at those times but I know I have a father who is with me no matter what kind of storms come my way!

I found some great K&Company scrapbook paper on sale at Target yesterday and I just new they would make a great vintage scrapbook page. These are some pics of my dad when he was younger. I love using old black and white photos to make scrapbook pages. I don't think I'm done with this one yet, it still needs something else, I'll have to get Angela's input on that. She always has great ideas!

Vintage Scrunchies

I know....enough of the scrunchie flowers already! I just could'nt help posting these flowers I made last night. They are great for vintage papers like the Bo Bunny paper pictured here. These will be in my ETSY shop soon. I am working on pictures of my new product so I can update my shop and get it going again.

Making "Scrunchie" Flowers

My sister sent me some great pictures in the mail so I decided I would make a scrapbook page with some of them. This is my brother-in-law and nieces, they're so beautiful! I don't get to see them much because they live in Maine. I plan on visiting this summer and having a craft day with my family...fun!

I made the flowers by punching them out of cardstock that coordinates with what I used on my page (Bo Bunny of course) and then I spray them with water and mold them around a knitting needle as soon as they are soft enough. When they dry I spray them with some glimmer mist from Tattered Angels and let them dry again. When they are completely dry I put 3 of them together with a Bazzill bling brad. This is a great way to add something to your pages especially if you are on a limited budget and don't want to go spend four or five dollars on some flowers at the scrapbook store.

Another Friend Page

Here's the friend page that goes with my last post. I used photo filters to alter the picture of Jen and Olivia, it has more color and just looks kind of cool. I used coffee glimmer mist from tattered angels to make the big flower. The paper is beautiful, it's from Bo Bunny, I love their papers! It makes scrapbooking easy when you have great paper! Angela gave me these papers last year for my birthday.

Scrapbooking With Photo Filters

I have been experimenting with photo filters a lot lately and I love how amazing some of the pictures come out. Here is a picture I took of Angela while we were having some coffee at her house last week. I used the 100 cameras in one camera app to add filters and the finished product was beautiful! What a great way to add something extra to your scrapbook pages.

Step by Step...Making Vintage Tags

I love making these vintage tags! Aren't they beautiful! I used pages from a 1917 needlecraft magazine that Angela gave me. Here are some supplies you will need (below).

The tags are made by transferring a photo onto a piece of acetate and then gluing the acetate onto a tag that I colored with Tim Holtz distress inks.

Here I am using a makeup sponge to color the tag.

Before I transfer the photo onto the acetate I drop some alcohol inks onto it. Use a brush to spread a layer of clear tar gel onto the acetate when the ink is dry.

I cut a piece of the paper to fit over my acetate and pressed it into the tar gel. I usually let it dry for about 30 minutes.

When it is dry use a wet sponge to carefully rub off the paper and the image will be left in the tar gel.

I love to "distress" everything with Tim Holtz "vintage photo" distress ink. First I do the edges of the tag and some in the middle.

I also put some distress ink on the acetate on the side that I rubbed off the paper from.

The last step is to glue the acetate to the tag with the clear tar gel.

Brainstorming Blogging Ideas.

Deedee is here visiting me, and she brought a bunch of goodies she's been working on.  Scrapbook papers and bling to put on her etsy site.  She's been working on a Vintage Tag - How-to.  So, we looked at that post in process today, and looked at how to add captions to photos, how to add buttons on the side of the blog, etc.  She's flipping through the wonderful book by Tara Frey, Blogging for Bliss.  It has so many ideas, for finding your voice in blogging.  Oh, how fun it is to daydream with Deedee.  What a wonderful way to start the day.

Deedee reading Blogging for Bliss, surrounded by Starbucks, new scrapbook goodness, and Ipod Touch.