old photos

I've been in the mood to scrap some older pictures lately - I think the scrappy papers that are out right now have such a nostalgic feel to them - so I've been sifting through my older pics. This layout is of me and the older kids from 20 years ago - Samantha was 3, Jonathan 2, and I was 25. We were all just babies and it seems like a lifetime ago when these pics were taken! We were stationed in England (Bentwaters, RAF - which is now closed) at the time, in base housing (a 2 story townhouse in Saxmundham) and we had been already been there for 3 years - we just had one more year to go! We have fond memories of England and would love to visit again one day! I used the December Studio Calico kit for this - I used the clock stamp on the kraft cardstock to represent time passing and the ghost of memories that are floating around in my brain! TFL!

Newest layouts using my Dec Studio Calico kit

I was just not really feeling the new December kit from Studio Calico when I got it. It just doesn't seem as full of cool embellishments as usual, so it's taken me a while to get into using this kit. But, I broke into it last night and I got inspired to do two layouts! The first layout I used a recent picture that someone took of us the kids and me while we were going on a day trip during Thanksgiving weekend. We stopped at a country market where they sell the best jelly and preserves and bulk items (candy and nuts and dried fruits....yum!) and the clerk volunteered to take our pictures since I was taking pics of the kids. She did a great job! I printed out a larger picture that I normally use because I wanted to cut it to fit on the diecut paper. I wanted to use the music paper because it looked patchwork, and I sewed in between the squares with t gray thread - it's subtle but I like it. It took forever for me to find a quote about family and music - and it was a long quote! - but the pack of Basic Grey chipboard alphas had plenty to use for the entire quote! The second layout I did was using pics of me when I was one and on an island off the coast of Mississippi with my mom. I love using vintage pics - I wish I had more and I am fast running out the ones that I do have to scrap with! I misted the pp first with my new blue Maya Mist (dark cornflower blue - love that color!). I used the chipboard alpha that I got in the kit - but the letters are red, so I sanded then inked them with teal Stazon ink. One of the Studio Calico exclusive pieces of paper had flags on them, so I cut them out to look like a banner and flags. Love that the pics are the center of attention here! TFL!

#11 Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas tags

This is my take on the tag - I didn't have the reindeer stamp, but I did have a Basic Grey chipboard reindeer that I embossed then inked. I also didn't have an ITop to make the brads, so I printed some images on a piece of Bazzill cs that looks like fabric, punched it out, then attached it to some large brads. I've done ten of the twelve tags so far - I'm waiting for some film strip ribbon and grungepaper to come that I ordered (I loved both of these and I know I will use them so it was worth the investment for me to purchase them!) to finish the last two tags. My tag is on top and Tim's is on the bottom. TFL!!

Tag #8 Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas tags

I've had this tag half finished since the first day Tim put up the instruction s - and I debated forever whether I really wanted to invest $15 (that's the cheapest I could find it) on the lamp post stamp - then I decided that I wouldn't. So I used the Christmas tree that I had already invested in that I used for the car tag. My tag looks nowhere cool as Tim's but - it's done and up on my mantelpiece! Tim's tag is the top and mine is the bottm! TFL!!

Tag #6 Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas

Here is the 6th tag - I skipped it at first - I had to wait til the stamp came in that I had ordered off of ebay (the car). This is my most favorite tag and looks most like Tim's tag - even though I don't have a pic of his tag because he's taken it off of his blog temporarily! TFL!

#10 of Tim Holtz Christmas tags

I skipped a couple of days of tags as I am waiting for the stuff I ordered to come in so I can do them!! Even though I promised myself I wouldn't buy anything else for these - I caved.......Anyway, this is for day 10 - mine is much messier than Tim's and I couldn't find any silver metal - all they had was brass - so I used it. I used some Thickers letters instead of the grunge letters Tim used, and I just used a paintbrush and painted the alcohol ink on instead of using some (expensive!!) alcohol ink refillable pens. The letters aren't as crisp because they are smaller than the ones Tim used and I couldn't get into every nook and cranny - but I like it anyway! I'm so excited because I won one of Tim's daily prize giveaways that he's doing for every day that he posts a tag - just two days left to post! Can't wait to see my prize - I just hope it isn't one of the myriad of supplies I've already bought for these tags!! BTW - Tim's tag is the top - mine is the bottom.....TFL!

#7 Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas

Yes, I skipped #6 for right now, until I can figure out what to do about the images (stamps) that I need for this. I will do that one - it will just have to wait!! I did #7 today - it was the easiest tag so far - thank goodness because these are more complicated than they look - and it only took about an hour to do this one!! I don't have the same Santa stamp, but mine is still vintage-y looking like Tim's. I didn't have the charm, so I made my own - I punched out a starburst with my Martha Stewart punch after typing out the word believe on some cardstock, heat embossed gold around the edge, and inked it to look vintage. Good enough for me! I did add some twine at the bottom of my tag because it just looked a little incomplete without something attached to the bottom! Tim's tag is on the top and mine is on the bottom. TFL!

#5 Tim Holtz 12 tags of Christmas

LOVE this tag - the little ornaments are dangly and hang off the tag. I used some Graphic 45 pp under the small tags instead a stamped image like Tim, but I stickled some areas of all of them - just like Tim did. I didn't have a pine tree stamp, so I improvised using some stamps that I cut up to resemble (somewhat) some pine needles. I also heat embossed the flourishes instead of using paint. Again - I wish I had all the inks that Tim has - I just hardly ever stamp so I don't have many inks to choose from and I don't want to have to go buy anymore - I did buy the green ink today, though. I didn't have any gold german trim (whatever that is!!!) - so I used some paper ribbon and inked it gold. It's hard to see in the picture, but it does look nice. Hope tomorrow's tag uses some the leftover items that I have from making the tags I've made so far!! TFL! Tim's tag is on top and mine is on the bottom!

#4 Tim Holtz 12 Days of Christmas Tags

This tag is really cool because you can take the pin off and wear it. I love the way he took a frame and made it into a house. And also a snow globe - in the picture of my tag, the glitter was stuck to the sides of the capsule - I needed to tap it down! I wish I had some richer colors of ink, but my tag is not as bright as it looks in the pic, it's more colorful, I am just taking pics of this at night so they are kind of sucky! I broke down and bought a few of the items he is using for these - my lss had some of the items - as well as Michael's , but I still try and use things from stash to supplement. TFL! BTW - I'm sure you can tell, but my tag is on top and Tim's is the bottom ;)!

Awesome givaway from The Original Scrapbox!!

There are 12 ways to win and 12 blogs to visit to enter with a special way to help The Original Scrapbox give back!
Enter here to win a NEW EZ View Desktop and an entry in the Grand Prize Giveaway for a NEW EZ View Craft Desk from the original scrapbox for FREE!
. Click here to see more pictures and details of the EZ View Desktop.
Above is the EZ View Craft Desk. This desk is designed with a clear, glass-like top and the dimensions are 50"W x 25" D x 31" H
The desk is big, with 4 drawers with built-in partitions for easy organizing on any home project. How would you like one for FREE? This is the GRAND prize. Enter your name for the desktop.
Stephanie will select one winner on her blog, and that winner will be entered to win the desk.
How will The Original Scrapbox give back?
We will be tracking web traffic to The Original Scrapbox during the giveaway. When we reach 12,000 hits during our giveaway The Original Scrapbox will donate an EZ View Craft Desk to the Friends of Utah County Children’s Justice Center. This charity helps abused children.
‘Tis the season of giving and The Original Scrapbox wants to give back to a charity of your choosing. When we reach 25,000 hits during our giveaway they will also donate an EZ View Craft Desk to a charity nominated by you!! To nominate a charity, send an email to Rachellewrites(at)gmail.com with:
1. the name of the charity
2. what they do
3. why these products would benefit the charity.
4. contact info for the charity

12 Days of Christmas Tags #3

I had a really hard time with the technique today. Tim used a certain kind of glossy paper by Ranger to make the plaid paper and he had the cutest stamps that I can find no where. All I had was some Prima paintables pp that I used - nothing else would work right! The colors are nothing like Tim's - I couldn't find the right alcohol ink colors at Michael's so I used the ones I already had. I really liked his vibrant green and red but, oh well. I remembered that I had a $15 credit at my local scrappy store (from spending so much there!!) so I used it to get the snowman stamp (which came with a group of other cute Christmasy stamps), some stickles and a pack of red pearls. Then I was obsessed with finding a Santa stamp at least similar to the one that Tim used and I found the Santa at M's and used a 40% off coupon for it. I already had the trinket pins and the other hardware so I only spent less than $10 for all the stuff I got today!! And I really do love that Santa stamp!! :) Not so much the tags I did though.....Hope I can do better tomorrow!! :/ BTW - Tim's are the very cute ones at the top - mine are the not so much ones at the bottom!

12 Tags of Christmas #2

Here's my day two tag. I had really nothing like Tim for this one, and it's really my goal to just use my stash instead of buying anything for these tags. So, instead of his very cool flowers that he made, I used a flower that I already had - it was pewter and green - I painted it gold. I didn't have any of the pearl powder, so I just used watered down gold paint for the flecks. Different stamps, different colors, different everything really - but it is similar and I do like it. Mine is the top tag, Tim's is the bottom. I got it done!! TFL! Can't wait to see tomorrow's!!

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas

I watched Tim do his tags last year and they were so cool but I never joined in the fun - so this year when I saw his first tag I thought I'd give it a go! His tag is so very cool (the one at the top), but I didn't have hardly any of the scrappy supplies he used, so I made my own interpretation of his tag. It's close anyway...LOL. I didn't have any of the crackle paint, stamps or the grunge stickles that he used. I did color the tag like he did, but them I heat embossed it. I didn't have a snowman stamp, so I drew my own on chipboard, cut him out, inked him, then heat embossed and stickled him. I used some snowflake stickers instead of stamping them. I stamped my tags. I did do the scarf like he did by making my own wired ribbon. I also stickled the top to look like icicles. It's similar to his - and I like the way it turned out! Can't wait to see what he does tomorrow!! I have my tag ready to go!

#7 and #8 ...don't think I'm going to make it!! :)

These are my latest layouts from my Nov Studio Calico kit - doubt I'll reach my goal of 15 before the next kit!! I've just been so busy!! Trying to get ready for Christmas - I have a new project that I am doing this year - sewing pretty aprons. I bought a really cool apron pattern while visiting Mountain View with the kids this past weekend at a quilt shop that's in the town, and some awesome fabric. I've started by cutting out everything that I have right now. I have enough for 4 1/2 aprons. I need to do at least 6 aprons so I'll be on the lookout for more fabric. I need lining for all of them, but I think I'll get some from Walmart in a couple of days - it just has to be solid colors.

I used some vintage pics for these layouts - one of me and one of the older two kids. I love the look of polaroids!! That's me in the band geek layout - the beginning of a family tradition (at least so far!!). It's the first time I sewed in a circle - it was hard and I didn't do it very well, but oh well. I love the colors in the layout of the kids - and I love using paint - I need to use it more often!! TFL!