Wednesday, December 28, 2011

December 2011

Hello - I picked a couple of new winners today.  Both of the winners are regular visitors and have won other giveaways on Momanthology.com.  Names are drawn completely at random - in fact Rafflecopter has a feature which does this with the click of a button - if a giveaway is set up via blogger comments I go to random.org to select a number/name.  It is ironic but wonderful that so many of these people have won more than once!  What that means for you is to keep visiting and entering :)

Congrats to Cheryl who won the World Vision Giveaway and to Valerie who won the Chick-Fil-A giveaway!  I do not have any immediate giveaways lined up but hopefully will soon.   January should be busy, busy, busy.  I am the girl scout cookie mom for my youngest daughter's troop and things are really picking up at work.

Hopefully I will also have some "me" time.  Today I purchased some new scrapbooking/cardmaking supplies and am looking forward to receiving these. I am excited about my new purchases and cannot wait to come back and share my creations.  It is so easy to get inspired by other bloggers - I love looking over scrapbooking blogs.   Although I am a beginner, I have made huge strides in increasing my skill set over the past few months.

 I am really into paper-crafting lately although do not have as much time to invest in creating as I wish I had.
If you are thinking of papercrafting I will warn you, this is a highly addictive and very expensive hobby.  I have a vast number of supplies but still feel like I never have enough.  There are always new techniques to try that require different materials/tools.  I am confident that the most recent purchases will keep me occupied for a while though.  (see below)



Some of the items I purchased:


Creative Express:


 A variety of deeply discounted Embossing Folders:




Cardstock:...........












Scrapbooking For Less:
Great prices here!   It takes a while to browse but the results are worth it.  Huge variety available.

I scored a huge grab bag:










I also scored a few papers including Earth Love Elements by Cosmo Cricket.  I love the vintage images from different generations.


















Amazon.com:

Amazon is actually a great place to score scrapbooking materials.  You just need to keep checking for changes in pricing

Sizzix Texture Boutique Embossing Machine Beginner's Kit
I am really looking forward to trying this!   This only embosses.  Since I already have a Cricut I did not feel the need for a machine that both embossed and die cut.  I plan to use it primarily for card making and embellishments to do not need one of the more robust (and more expensive) models.



Darice,1201-15 Value Pack Hole Punches in 3 Shapes - when creating tags these are great for a clean finish.










Glue Dots Pack
A lady at work told me about these and I am very grateful.  I go through these dots like crazy!  I arm myself with glue sticks and glue dots and go to town.

There are different sizes and styles.  Some give an almost indestructable hold and others are removeable.  Most are flat but I have some that raise the embellishment or item being glued to give more dimension to the project.



EK Success Inkadinkado Lace Doilies Cling Stamp
I love mandalas - great to color with Gel Pens.








 Sew Easy Tool, zig-zag stitch head and piercing mat.
I love the crafty touch of sticking on cards and embellishments








I also snagged a Heat It tool and embossing powder for stamping and floss and needles for use with the Sew Easy tool.



Scrapbook.com


 Multi-colored cards and envelopes
Check the Sales link








Tags
Perfect for cards or gift bags



I look forward to sharing my creations with you!  I also plan to use upcycled materials as well.  Until then happy crafting......



Sunday, December 25, 2011

Duct Tape Wallet Project



A couple of years ago I won a handmade duct tape wallet off of Etsy.  I LOVED the wallet and immediately knew that I would take this project on when I had time.

Duct Tape crafts are currently so popular that you no longer need to venture to the hardware store to find the tape - you can find at many retailers including your local craft store.


Duct Tape manufacturers now offer various brightly colored versions in fun prints.  For Miss E. I purchased a pink/purple/blue tie die pattern with blue tape to match; for Miss N. we chose zebra print with turquoise and neon orange to match; and for Miss C. I found a rock and roll - skull print with the same blue contrast tape I purchased for Miss E. matched.

For myself I grabbed a roll of clear tape to use with scrapbooking paper. What I also like about using the clear tape is that you can use more upcycled materials (gently uses but sturdy paper, cloth, etc) for a greener project.  



When we were ready to take on the project I reviewed a few duct tape wallet tutorial videos on You Tube.  We made three wallets - I used dark and light patterned scrapbook paper but found that the clear tape works MUCH better with the light paper.  I will do another one and post a tutorial here.  Ms. E's wallet is similar to the one above.

To construct Miss. N's wallet, we used the orange and turquoise as contrast colors and the zebra print for the trim.  Behind the inside panels are inserts for a checkbook (top section pictured above) and bills (bottom section pictured above above).  The bills section also has credit card and license inserts on the front of the panel.

This was a fun, quick and relatively inexpensive project - if you are looking for something to do with your children, consider making one of these wallets.  There are also many other crafts you can make including purses, cell phone cases, photo boards and even clothing.  These also make fantastic gifts.  If you and your kiddos are looking for some inspiration look no further than the duct tape aisle at your favorite store!


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