Chalkboard Technique

I finally bought a light tent! Why, you may ask? Look at how dark and fuzzy this photo is and you don't even need to ask. I'd really like to take some photography classes but in the meantime I can use a light tent to take clearer photos of my projects so that perhaps my blog will be a bit more professional looking.

This is a card I did for a workshop quite some time ago and apparently never posted. The Chalkboard Technique is very simple: stamp your image on cardstock using a thick pigment ink such as SU! Craft ink. For this card I used white Craft ink on a chocolate chip background. Using sponge daubers, dot desired color of chalk over the image so that the chalk adheres to the image but doesn't smear it. Lightly wipe a dry Swiffer pad over the chalked image to remove excess chalk and set the image. The photo just doesn't do the card justice as you can't see all the paper piercing and layering details clearly. If you want to see a similar example from the source that I CASE'd this card from, visit Beate Johns blog (the link is listed on the right of my blog page). Happy crafting!

Gifts for Marilyn and a few musings

It's March and I'm STILL working on uploading all my projects from December! Despite the madness of traveling from Germany to California and back (as you can attest from my previous blog post) we had a terrific time while we were home. As I mentioned previously, we hadn't been home in four-and-a-half years and while Joe has been back to the States for training, the kids and I haven't visited since 2004 so it was interesting to see how things have changed. Some things were the same (clam chowder in a sour dough bowl at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey is still fabulous and did I mention See's candy?) but other things like the mass commercialism of strip malls that plague California are a sad sight to see, especially in light of the current state of our economy which is partially due to massive credit card debt. What's funny living overseas around so many Americans is the way some people talk about things in the States with a sort of hushed reverence, "Target, do you remember how wonderful Target is?" almost as though Target was a deity. Believe me, I spent my fair share of time (and money) in Target over the holidays and I loved every minute but it also made me realize how much I enjoy the opportunities I have living overseas. We were in Williams-Sonoma one night and I laughed to see some of the pricey "gourmet" food items available for inflated prices, as some of them are just regular items you can buy at any grocery store overseas. "Fleur de Sel" which is a specialty French sea salt, was $10.00 for a 2 oz. jar at a gourmet store and I purchased a 1 kilo bag at a German Weihnachtsmarkt for 5 euros! Anyway, there are times when it is difficult living so far from home but when I realize how many wonderful opportunities I have right where I live, it makes me long for the conveniences of home just a little less and appreciate things like living four hours away from the Eiffel Tower just a bit more.

Okay, musings are done! The goodies shown are gifts I gave to Marilyn, my dear friend whom I've known a short time but who has been such a blessing to me. Marilyn and her husband drove our family to Frankfurt at oh-dark-thirty to make our flight to California, watered all my plants while we were gone, and cooked us a lovely dinner/re-stocked my fridge when we came back from our trip, so the least I could do was make her a lovely gift as a thank you/Christmas gift. The top photo shows a small wrought iron rack I purchased at Nanu Nana, a quirky store in downtown Kaiserslautern that sells an interesting menage of decorator and gift items. I raided my hoard of Das Depot satin ribbon and loaded the top with lots of pretty bows and used last year's Stampin' Up! Christmas gift wrap to wrap a few craft supplies I picked up in California. I have a similar rack and love to use it for holding baked goods or silverware and napkins when I entertain.

The jar you see has a bit of a funny history. There's a village about 20 minutes from our house that hosts a good-sized flea market on the first Saturday of every month. I love going to this flea market because it's such a hodge-podge of traditional German wares like baskets, antiques, collectible toys, all thrown in with your typical flea market/swap meet type stuff for sale. Last November, Joe took me on a date to the Homburg flea market and I kept seeing these French canning jars which were about 50 euro cents a piece. I knew I could do something cool and crafty with them, so I started purchasing a few here and there. My sweet hubby ended up lugging around 30 glass canning jars for me, even going so far as to take a load all the way back to the car to empty some of the jars so I could buy more. The front of the jar has a pretty raised insignia with the name of the French company that makes them. I altered Marilyn's jar with velvet ribbon around the rim, and printed the tag on the computer. I had a few leftover scraps from the SU! Bella Rose Designer Paper pack that were perfect for the lid and behind the tag.

It's difficult to see in this photo but I added Cotton Candy Stickles to the flowers for some added bling and a pearl center to the main flower on the lid, with a few dimensionals to add some depth to the top. You have to be careful where the tag is placed on the jar so that it doesn't get damaged every time the jar is opened. The jar is stocked with Marilyn's favorite Toblerone so I knew the jar had to withstand alot of opening and closing...Ha! The gifts may not be the most expensive or exciting things she's ever received but giving the gift of something handmade is giving a little piece of yourself to someone else and that can be more precious than something more costly.

Thanks for reading my lengthy post and I hope this project inspires you to look around at thrift shops and dig in your cupboards for items you can revitalize with a few embellishments or a touch of paint to make into a special gift for someone.

Tales of a Ten-Hour Layover

So I'm finally sorting through all my photos from our trip to California in December! Amazing, I know! It was our first time traveling home in four-and-a-half years and the grueling schedule of trying to get to California reminded me all over again why I DO NOT fly home every year. Let me give you a brief synopsis of our travels up to the time of this now infamous layover. We flew from Frankfurt to Chicago, having been up a total of 13 hours at that juncture. The layover time between our flight to Los Angeles from Chicago was not long enough for us to make it through customs and security AND to our next gate so we spent almost five hours in Chicago before taking the last flight out to L.A. Upon our arrival in L.A. at 11:20 p.m., United told us we had two options: get a hotel and come back at 6 a.m. to check in and go through security all over again or stay in the airport. We opted to stay in the airport and when we looked around us, the airport was completely deserted except two other folks from our flight who were sacked out at the gate. Exhausted, I plopped my stuff down in front of a row of chairs and passed out until 3 a.m. When I woke up, Joe and the kids were STILL awake and happily gaming on their various electronic devices. After using the little girls room, I began to document our adventures in LAX. The picture above is a happy picture of my little gerbils behind the gate counter at United. Come fly with us! (Don't you just love how happy Jordan looks?!)

Okay, I loaded the photos in the wrong order. This is at about 8 a.m. when I've put my make-up back on, breakfasted thoroughly (and expensively) at Starbucks, and am perusing my iTunes list.

The kids did alot of this while we were in the airport. There was hardly anyone in the airport while we were there so we helped ourselves to their electrical outlets to keep everyone fully charged and functional. Since United wouldn't pay to put us in a hotel, the least they could do was give us a little free electricity!

Ahhh, the lovely sunrise over Los Angeles!

This is where things were a little crazy! We spent about 45 minutes playing with my neck rest. There was a wild game of catch and keep away from Jordan, as well as an entire series of photos on what Jordan could do creatively with it. This is one of his more stylish poses.

Below, Joe is despairing over the fact that Starbucks is not open at 4:30 a.m.! When they did open later, we ended up spending almost $60 in the store on breakfast coffee/hot chocolate/food and a lovely mug to commemorate our special time in the airport.

It's a shame this photo didn't come out clearer because it's a hoot! After I woke up a bit, we discovered that the gate we were camped out at wasn't the gate we were leaving from so we decided to move. While walking through the airport towards the right gate, we realized that we pretty much had a run of the place and could do what we wanted. This is gonna sound crazy but I literally dropped my stuff in the hallway and rolled across the floor. For about two hours we just played in the hall. This is Joe's wild flight of fancy, playing "Super Joe!" Exhaustion made us extra giddy so we chased each other around, the kids took off their shoes and slid across the floors, and we probably entertained whomever was manning the security cameras that night. How many people can say they had the run of an international airport for ten hours?

I got down on the floor and took a photo of Jordan during one of his sliding moments.

The most insane aspect of this entire adventure was the fact that we could have driven home in four hours if we could have found a car rental place that was open! I have lots more photos from our adventure in LAX but thought I'd give you just a taste of our unique travels over the Christmas holiday. I'm so thankful that I have a family capable of seeing a bad situation and turning it into something memorable. Until next time!

Big Shot Projects Part Two

As promised, here is part two of my recent escapades using the Big Shot. (Gasp! I know you're all in shock that I've actually remembered to blog the second part. I'm getting better little by little) Here's the horrible part: I can't remember the blog where I found the inspiration for this project! Once I find it, I'll edit the blog to include the proper credit for this project but in the meantime I thank the currently nameless person who designed this adorable box.

Part two also utilizes the Top Note Bigz Die, with two dies cut for the lid and the base. The size is such that you can create four of the same template from one standard 8 1/2 x 11" sheet of cardstock=two lids/bases for two boxes.

Here is a side view of the box, where you can see the lid lifting up. The lid is attached, similar to that of a pizza box or those gift boxes of Lifesavers you can buy during the holidays. The design can be shifted so that the box is in the portrait position as well. The free Sale-A-Bration set "Yummy" stamps perfectly within the design of the cut piece. Another marketing ploy by SU! that sucked me in!

Here's the open view, with some custom made crinkle confetti and an owl keychain I purchased for one of my stamp clubbers who loves owls. This is a terrific box for a gift card, homemade bar of soap, jewelry, or any small item.

As soon as I get past my Alzheimer's moment and remember the site where I found this idea, I'll be sure I add it as it has great step-by-step instructions on how to make this box. I have an exciting stamp set giveaway this week so be sure to log in to my blog later this week for how to win the set. Tschuss!

Supplies: SU! Certainly Celery Classic Ink, SU! Certainly Celery, textured Bashful Blue, and Kraft cardstock, SU! Delicate Dots DSP (SAB), SU! Yummy stamp set (SAB), SU! So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (SAB), Sizzix Top Note Bigz die, Big Shot die cut machine, Scor-Pal, cotton twine (Listmann's-Germany), K&Company adhesive pearls (impressrubberstamps.com), Scor-tape,

Sale-A-Bration Big Shot Projects Part One

Sale-A-Bration is here again! For those of us addicted to Stampin' Up! products, Sale-A-Bration (SAB) is our favorite time of year as it gives us an opportunity to earn crafting freebies for every $50.00 spent. In today's economy, who doesn't love freebies?! My club projects this month have focused on the free products offered during SAB, as well as my favorite new tool: the Big Shot! My wonderful husband purchased the Big Shot for me as an anniversary gift.
I'm so spoiled!

Part one of the SAB Big Shot projects this month is the adorable Thanks A Bunch gift bag, inspired by Angi Kennedy Juda Click on her name and this will link you directly to a fantastic step-by-step video tutorial on how to complete this project. You'll also notice the unusual accordion flower located on the front of the bag. You can visit my Stampin' Up! website and download the SAB catalog to view instructions on making the flower. This bag is perfect for a luncheon or baby shower party favor!

Supplies: SU! Baroque Motifs and A Little Somethin' stamp sets, SU! Certainly Celery, Whisper White cardstock, SU! Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery Classic Ink, SU! Delicate Dots SAB Designer Paper, Big Shot Top Notz die, SU! scallop and large circle punches, SU! So Saffron SAB grosgrain ribbon, blender pen, Pop Up glue dots, adhesive, rhinestone flower, white lunch bag, natural wood confetti

Happy New Year in February!

Well, I didn't realize how long it has been since I've posted anything to my blog until I decided to post a recent project so I thought I'd wish everyone a Happy New Year in February! I know, I'm slightly unhinged but you wouldn't love me if I wasn't? Over the new few days I will be posting all the photos I've accumulated over the past three months (yep, it's been THAT long since I posted!) and delighting you with the life and times of my family and all my crafting escapades. I'll have to send out an e-mail to everyone so they'll know to start visiting my blog again as there will actually be something NEW!

To start off my New Year in February, I thought I'd post a few of my resolutions for this year. It's cliche, I know, but it gives me a sense of accountability if everyone I know reads it and looks to see if I follow through. Here goes:

*Priorities: I want this to be a year of priorities...the RIGHT kind of priorities. I'm involved in many good things but I frequently allow those good things to interfere with what's more important, like being faithful to my daily Bible reading or investing time in my family and friends.

*Blogging at least once a week: Writing has always been a necessary part of my existence and even if no one ever reads a word I've written, it restores a little piece of my sanity each time I sit down and pour out my thoughts. I'd like to mix up my blog a bit more and make it personal: recipes, photos, more crafting projects, books I'm reading, the good, the bad and the ugly. (I'll try to keep the ugly to a minimum!)

*Weight loss: I can hear the groans and see the eyes rolling but you don't understand...I came home from our trip to California, saw my pictures and lost at least a pound of water weight crying over the AWFUL pictures of myself (see picture above). How did I let this happen? We're talking gluttony squared! Even if I only lost one pound a month during the year, anything would have to be better than where I'm at right now.

*Casting aside criticism: This one is going to be tough for me because I've allowed this one to really take root. Another word for it is pride (and a bit of bitterness thrown in for good measure) but I'll be nice and just call it criticism for now. I've never realized until lately how much my life revolves around criticizing other people for not having a higher level of pride in what they do or how they treat people, to the point that most of my conversation seems to revolve around tearing others down. Not nice! It doesn't mean I'm going to turn into a "yes" woman or agree with everything around me but as Pollyanna said, "Look for the good in them."

As you can see, I've got my work cut out for me and if you want to pray for me or check in once and awhile to see how my resolutions or going, I welcome a bit of accountability. Happy belated New Year to you!

Andrea

Faux Bleach Technique

I recently tried this technique for one of my stamp clubs and absolutely fell in love with the finished effect! If you're looking for a way to expand your use of your reinkers beyond just reinking your ink pads, this technique is for you. I love the rich and unusual colors and the fact that the card doesn't have to be fussy to showcase the final product of the technique. Visit the Splitcoaststampers resource gallery and look for the Color Wash Faux Bleach technique to get a step-by-step tutorial on how to complete a similar project, as well as some terrific samples from other crafters. Happy stamping!

Project materials: SU! Upsy Daisy and French Script stamp sets, SU! Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, and Pacific Blue ink and reinkers, SU! Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, and Whisper White cardstock, white organdy ribbon, spray bottles, Versamark, embossing powder, iron, paper piercing tool and mat pack, sponges, Crop-A-Dile, and large pewter eyelets.