BOO!

I love Halloween, and I have already started making new Halloween decorations.  It is never too early to start planning for Halloween. So what that I started making things in August?  I can't help it, it has always been my favorite holiday.  I have cooked up several new goodies for my decorations.  This is the first one.  I usually start posting this in October, but what the heck, its close enough!

I had some dowels, dowel toppers and some wooden spools.  I glued then together, then painted them black.  I used papers from K and CO. and Tim Holtz to make the banners.  The bottles are also Tim Holtz.  I labeled them and filled them with Stickles.  The hat on the middle spool is a button, and the skull is a bead.  The picture is a lenticular sticker on a frame that I made for it.  The sticker is by Recollections.  I finished it with Making Memories paper around the spools.  These are going to sit on my mantle.  What do you think?

Stay Scary, My Friends!

Strut Your Style!!!

Hello all!  It is that time again!  The Pride us up to some fun and games in the Den this month!  You should have reached me from RJ's blog, here.  If you pounced upon this blog hop by happenstance, the beginning is with Elsa on her blog here.  At the bottom of the post I have a full line up of my Den Brother and Sisters just in case you get lost along the way.  I'm Michelle, and I am glad that you are here!!

Before I go any further, I want to show you my Cub.  A huge shout out to RJ, who was so kind and thoughtful to send all of us our own little lions to decorate as we chose!  This is what I did with her...

Isn't she cute??  I think she is PURRFECT!!  She will be on every one of my Just a Few Friends posts from now on!!  Thanks RJ!!!

So now for my project.  This month was a Strut your Style themed hop.  We all get to do whatever project we wanted, showing our style.

It started with a box I recycled from work.  This is a huge part of my style.  I love to reuse and repurpose things.  I save these boxes because they are super sturdy cardboard and make excellent book covers for my projects.  Then I got to thinking, how about making something with the entire box?  Here is what I did.

 I wanted to make it look like a book but have the box utilized as well.  I went a little crazy with the decorations on the front, but I liked it!   I used Graphic 45's The  Old Curiosity Shop papers  for this project, along with some Tim Holtz hardware, some Recollections bling and flowers, some leaves from 7 Gypsies, and some other fun things from my stash.  How is that my style?  Those are my favorite supplies to work with and my favorite type of themes!

 I started by painting the edges of the box.  Then I attacked the box with these delicious papers.  The box lid closes with magnets hidden under the papers.  Here is my project all opened up.  My thinking was that this project would be a place to keep letters and little keepsakes from that someone special.

 The left side has a pocket for tags, and I hot glued the clip in the upper corner to hold more tags.

 I created a lower drawer under a shelf, then made another shelf  with a drawer.  There is a mini album on the top shelf, held in by the bottle.  Then I added a ribbon that can hold those letters.  I love ribbons, too, that is also part of my style.

 The bottom drawer comes out completely, but the little bin-style drawer doesn't.  I raided my stash of goodies and put some keys (one says "Memory" and the other says "Secret").  It's a little hard to see, but on top of the tall shelf, I put a doily, a mirror charm that my BFF Jackie gave me, and a string of pearl beads.

I made a simple maze book for the mini album, but the pages are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", plenty big enough for pictures.  That is another piece of my style, I love, love, LOVE mini albums!!!

I sure hope you liked your stay in my Den!  It has been full of activity in here, you should see the score-tape leavings on the floor!  I hope you continue your prowl on our hop, and go check out what my Den Sister, Sherence has in store for you!!!  Her blog is here.  Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to hear what you think, so please leave me a comment. If you have any questions, please ask!

As always, stay crafty, my friends, and DON'T FORGET TO ROAR WITH PRIDE!!!

Elsa       http://justafewdesigns.blogspot.com

Krystal  http://krystalsnight.blogspot.com

Kimi     http://uniquescrapiness.blogspot.com

Suzie    http://scrappingsuzieqtt.blogspot.com

Linda    http://simpleandsassycreations.blogspot.com

Margaret  http://auntmargaretdesigns.blogspot.com

Bon   http://tootiebeeblebugcreations.blogspot.com 

Rj       http://thriftycrafterdude.blogspot.com

Michelle http://www.creativeoperation.blogspot.com/

Sherence http://proudmommy702.blogspot.com/

Violet http://allthatscrap4him.blogspot.com

Art Journal Page 9

 This layout is called "Stuff I Love".  I used the water color pens again, and some Zentangle style doodling to create the layout.  I am in the process of finishing it, I have some stuff to finish...but I wanted to show you what I did with the page.

It actually used 4 pages of my journal!  I took the two inner pages and cut them into a heart shape, then used that shape to trace the heart on the two outer pages.  I thought it turned out cool!

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Art Journal Pages 7 and 8

I know it's been a long time since I have done any art journal pages.  I had a break in the action with the new craft room move.  But, I thought I would finally share a couple of pages I did before I moved into my new space.

This page was inspired by the songs I heard on the way to a doctor's appointment.  We have an awesome station that "plays everything."   I used water color markers to color the page.

This page was a MESS!!!  I tried some paint splotches and it just was NOT TURNING OUT WELL!  I decided to use black gesso over it, then I got the idea to use a bamboo skewer to scribble while it was wet, showing the paint underneath.  I then used a silver pen and some old scrapbooking lettering for the words.  I don't know if I like it, but it was sure better than what I had started with!  The lettering I used is soooooo "old school scrapbooking" but I didn't know what else to do.  Maybe the next page will be better.  I can't even believe I am showing you all this!!!

Stay Crafty, and keep trying,  My Friends!

Frame Swap

For the month of September, our group had a frame swap.  We were supposed to alter a frame in the style that our partner wanted, no other real rules.  I had the honor of creating this frame for my Pride Sister, Margaret!!  I asked her if there were any requests, and she said that she just wanted me to do what ever I wanted.  So.....here is what I did.  I did know that her favorite color is green.  I worked the frame around this beautiful paper I found.  I had sooo much fun making it, but I was sooo stressed out because I was really worried if she would like it or not!

I found this clothes line shadow box frame at Craft Warehouse.  I used two wooden mini candlesticks for "feet" and glued them.  then I painted the whole thing. The paper is by Crate Paper, the die cuts are by Dear Lizzy.  The Flowers are by Kaiser Craft, the Camera by Studio Calico.  The butterfly and the bling are on the outside of the glass on the frame, everything else is inside...I was going for more of the 3D effect.

My Pride Sister, Sherence, was making my frame, and I got it TODAY!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!  She totally made a beautiful frame in my one of my favorite color schemes, black and red!   I know the picture that is going in it.  I have a picture of my son when he was about 2 years old, and this color scheme perfectly fits the room that the picture is in.  How did she know???

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Some Greeting Cards

I had an assignment of sorts.  I wanted to make a birthday card for my beautiful Daughter-in-Law Sarah, and my hubbin needed a "Thank You" card.  It was a card making day.  Here is what I came up with.

 He needed it music themed, and of course manly, for his band members to sign.  I used papers and stickers by Creative Imaginations.

 I had these letter stickers that I thought worked perfect for the inside of the card.  Plenty of room for the guys to write in it.

 I used the papers from the Basic Grey collection "What's Up".  I made it using to card blanks.  I adhered them in the middle, making a pocket for her gift, and creating a try-fold at the same time.

 This is the middle of the card, with the envelope/tag in it.

Here is the back of the envelope/tag, where her present is going to go.  I am really hoping that she likes it!

Stay Crafty, My Friends!!

Kitchen Journal

 It all started when I saw this calendar for $2 at  Michael's.  I instantly had a little idea in mind.  I created some card stock pockets, then cut the calendar apart.

 I adhered the pictures to the pockets (that's what binds them together).

 I have a book with 13 total pockets.  I think I may do a sort of junk journal for 2013.  I am planning on saving shopping receipts, shopping lists, new recipes tried, take out menus, etc.  I am just going to fill it with random goodies that are food related.

I used the cover of the calendar for the spine and the title for my little junk journal.

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Another Smash Book!

I just can't seem to get enough of these smash type books.  I found the coolest scrapbook in the thrift store, and I knew that it would make a very nice new Smash type book.  

WARNING:  VERY PICTURE HEAVY!!! (Sorry, I was having FUN!)  

 I found this great book, and then got my basket of junk journal/smash book goodies.

 Look at this, it's ridiculous!  I filled it with all sorts of odds and ends for just this type of thing.  Some of this stuff is YEARS old!

The pages are 10x10".   The cover was a bit beat up, but I loved the title, it is hard to see but it was open (the white areas) showing off the first page of the book.  I needed to cover it, but loved that piece.  So, I cut it out, filled the void with a piece of chipboard, and used it for the new cover.  

 I used Graphic 45's Kraft Reflections for the covers.  

 I took the cut out piece, used Stickles on it, and adhered it back onto the cover.  From there...I just went to town decorating pages using whatever was in the basket.

 October Afternoon Miscellany

 Melody Ross

 Cavalline and Co. Stickers on an envelope pocket.

 Unknown bits cut out of papers I had collected.

 Basic Grey and Creative Imaginations.  I adhered one page to the other to create a pocket (on the right).

 Scenic Route

 House of Three, My Mind's eye ("polaroid" tags), We R Memory Keepers, watercolor postcard with Cavallini Stickers.  I made pockets on each page with leftovers from the papers I used.

 Dutch Boy paint chips with envelope pockets

 Unknown...a present from Heather at Craft Happens.

 Graphic 45 and a time card in the pocket created out of a page of the book (from Heather).

 October Afternoon

 Daisy D's

 Unknown tickets.

 Rebecca Sower

 Echo Park

 Melody Ross and a flash card (thrift store find).  The page pocket actually is two, I folded one page in to the center, adhered top and bottom, then cut a triangle off, and adhered that to make a pocket on the pocket.

October Afternoon.

I hope you enjoyed this little obsession of mine!!!   

Stay Crafty, My Friends!