Joys of Giving (Wedding Keepsake Box)

Recently, a dear friend of mine was getting married. I asked her if she would like me to do an album or help with any of the planning or activities for the wedding/reception and all entailed. Being a scrapbooker herself and appreciating the time involved in creating a scrapbook, she did say that she would like an album, which I have since begun (and will try to post pics of here when it's finally complete). In the meantime, as the bride was thinking about some of the projects we have done when we scrapbook together, she remembered some of the many keepsake boxes that I have crafted to hold all kinds of memorabilia and albums. As a result, the bride to be requested that I make an altered box to hold the cards on her gift table.

The picture above is the result of my creative ideas about keepsake boxes. The box has a velcro closure and a large tassel connected to the lid. The box is constructed of wood with a wrought iron base. The inside is lined in velvet with the edges in purple satin trim. The outside of the box is a modpodged collection of book pages, tissue paper, and bits of some of my favorite scrapbook papers with some black sewing trimmings. I think she liked her keepsake box to remind her of that wonderful day. For me, the delight came in the giving of a momento of her beautiful day and her comment on her wedding day to her new husband. "Maybe we should do the bedroom in purple…"

Now that the wonderful holiday season is nearly over, I have time to reflect on the joy of giving and how it shouldn't be appreciated just on the day of Christ's birth, but every day. Perhaps this should be a New Year's Resolution for 2014… to make a conscious effort to give something each day...

Christmas Decorating

I just added a few stems I got at the craft store to this plain green plant I had in my living room. I love how festive it looks! Maybe I'll add some white lights….

Art Journaling

Art Journaling? Repurposing old blank journals found at tag sales. This one was one of those mess ups that you decide you like. Materials: Gesso, Inka Gold Metallic Rub in Green/Yellow, and a book page!

Memory Tray...

I recently took a once in a lifetime trip to England, where my father's side of the family is originally from. While I was there, I stayed with cousins I had never met before. I couldn't believe how well we all "got on" as they would say in England. I met family members whose names I have heard all my life, but never had the opportunity to meet and I saw family members that I met some 30 years ago when I was still a kid! It was an absolutely amazing experience! I kept a journal while visiting England and when I came back, I decided to send those cousins I mentioned before a gift to commemorate our visit and to thank them for their hospitality. The journal helped me to remember all of our experiences, the dates and details, and gave me the wonderful ideas for this memory tray!

I titled my memory tray, "The Rose Garden" for two reasons. First, Rose is the surname of my cousins with whom I stayed in a beautiful English cottage and secondly, because much of our time in England, Cambridge to be more exact, was spent in the garden having meals, tea, wine, and enjoying the company of my wonderful family! The Rose Garden is more than just a garden to me...it is the essence of what the word family means...people gathering and genuinely enjoying each other's company and telling stories of the past and sharing the dreams of the future.

I mailed this tray to them and the response was wonderful! I think the Roses like the tray, and treasure our vacation almost as much as I do!

I used a Tim Holtz configurations box to create this memory tray! I was so inspired by all that we saw and did that I had no trouble putting this project together. It was absolutely a lovely trip and continues to inspire me..... I hope that, in reading this blog and viewing the photos I've posted, the artist in you will be inspired as well.

Stay well and keep creating!

Paper Coffin Template

If you want to make your own paper coffin, print this template and enlarge/reduce the size to whatever is your liking. They are so fun to make!

Halloween Coffins!

More tiny paper coffins filled with goodies!

Love these Halloween projects! I like to give those special children I know something more than just candy when they say "trick-or-treat"

I just sat down this morning and decided to look through one of my favorite scrapbook albums I created some time ago. I mean, what good is creating albums if you never look at them? So as I looked, I snapped some photos to share. I've been thinking about what kind of summer/vacation album I will create this year....This is what motivated me to look at some of my old vacation albums. Here are the photos of some of my 12X12 pages. I think I like them more every time I look at them! As you can see, I was really into creating mosaics out of embellishments and photos that year!

These photos remind me of what a wonderful vacation this was...and how excited we all were to go to Hawaii that year! I think that's what our pages are supposed to do... So I encourage scrapbookers to pull out those old albums and leave one on the coffee table for all to adore! If you don't scrapbook, just pull out the photo album... Wonderful Memories are a great motivator...to save for the next vacation, or create a new scrapbook, or even just to start or end your day with a smile on your face...

Beginner Blogger....

Being brand new to the world of blogging, I'll just begin by adding one of my latest projects to my blog here. Feel free to comment (on my project or blogger etiquette)! I need all the feedback I can get. Anyway....

I made the organizer here to originally include with an album I was making for a client. In the end, I decided not to use this as an element in the album I made. 

As I contemplated how I should use this cute expandible file folder made from envelopes and scrapbooking paper, it occurred to me to put some of my massive pile of stickers in here. It is a great storage item for my craft room, and I don't dread looking for stickers in my collection now, since I can file the stickers by color and occasion.

I found a video tutorial on youtube (of course) by luvleescrappin. The link, if you are interested is:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyo6rCps500&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLFE541C4EFB4353AB