Papercrafting// Storybook Bunting// Baby Shower

My family had a little storybook themed shower for us on Saturday. It was so much fun and I am honestly overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the generous gifts little Max was showered with! I felt so loved, and I felt so much love for our little boy. It was a lot for me to take in--it was simply a beautiful and wonderful day!

Max now has the most fantastic library of books that I can't wait to spend hours pouring over with him. We read one of his new stories to him last night and he was a very active listener;) I grew up in a home where I learned to love reading--even with a childhood struggle with dyslexia, I had a great desire to learn to read like my brothers and sisters. My sweet parents spent countless hours reading to me and helping me cultivate a love of learning. Oh the adventures you can go on with the turn of a page!

To decorate for the party I created a cute little banner out of some vintage children's book pages and library cards. Here's how I put it all together:

Step 1: go to the thrift store and purchase a couple of children's books (I looked for ones that were well loved--with crayon marks, torn pages, and loose binding... that way I didn't feel as bad about destroying a book)
Step 2: cut the pages into simple flags. Nothing fussy, just easy triangle cuts at the bottom of the pages
Step 3: machine stitch the pages together with library cards and pockets.

Such a simple project, but it really made a big impact.

Thanks for looking!
L

Scrapbooking// Carefree & Happy As Can Be

I adore this photo of Miss M! It captures her personality so perfectly. So happy and sweet! I love playing outside with her and watching as she delights in the little things--the sunshine, the breeze, and the joy of swinging "higher and higher," as she practices pumping in and out. She's such a happy little soul and I love being her Aunt.

I wanted to create a quilt-inspired look on this page for an interesting background design. After creating a pattern that I liked, I wanted to keep the rest of the page pretty subdued with lots of white space--so I went for a tone-on-tone, white on white, look with the embelleshing. I quite like the final result. The white butterflies, title, and brads add dimension and interest, without drawing too much attention away from the design.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock and Patterned Paper: Amy Tangerine for American Crafts, Dear Lizzy for American Crafts, CTMH; Paper Die cuts: Dear Lizzy for American Crafts; Brads, pearls, and button: CTMH; Washi Tape: Love My Tapes

Thanks for looking!
L

Scrapbooking// It's a Big World Out There

I love this photo of the littles looking out Nana and Papa's front window. They love sitting there together, looking out on the world outside. They keep on the lookout for people, stray cats, and birds in the trees. Anyone coming up to the door gets a very warm welcome from the kids--they wave, cheer, and jump up and down excitedly. On the other hand, Miss Dolly takes on her roll as resident guard dog, giving a stern warning bark to let strangers know just who's in charge. 

Supplies Used:

Cardstock and Patterned paper: Dear Lizzy and Amy Tangerine for American Crafts, My Mind's Eye, Studio Calico, and Close To My Heart; Diecut scallop borders: Close To My Heart; Stamp: Amy Tangerine for American Crafts; Brads: Close To My Heart; Enamal Dots: My Mind's Eye; Spray Mist: Mister Huey's by Studio Calico; Washi Tape: American Crafts; Thickers: American Crafts

Scrapbooking// Hello Best Friend

I might be in love with this page. It may or may not have been inspired by the color scheme for Max's nursery--the nursery that we haven't started on yet because we don't know where we will be living. I think we'll be sticking with more grey//yellow//teal and just little pops of orange... but I guess we will just see how it shapes up. I adore this photo of Dolly and I. It so perfectly shows our everyday life together. She is always right there at my side--the two of us are rather attached to one another. I just love my Dolly girl.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: CTMH// Patterned paper and tags: American Crafts Dear Lizzy "Charmed" and "Fifth and Frolic Collections", American Crafts Amy Tangerine "Yes Please" Collection, Sassafras, Girls Paperie, Studio Calico// Wood Veneer: Studio Calico// Thickers: American Crafts// Washi Tape: American Crafts// Brads: CTMH// Doilies// Sewing Machine

Thanks for looking!
L

Scrapbooking// Your Story from A-Z

I wanted to create a cute baby album ahead of time for Max. Something I can easily slip photos in and jot down stories while they are fresh on my mind. I've been holding on to this vintage dictionary for a while now, and it seemed like a cute base for an album. Since I want the book to open and close without a lot of bulk, I've kept the embellishing simple--lots of layered cards, washi tape, and paper products. Cute and simple. I can't wait to finish the book and have photos to add in!

Supplies used:
Patterned Paper: Echo Park, American Crafts Dear Lizzy Charmed Collection, American Crafts Amy Tangerine Yes Please; Tags: American Crafts; Washi Tape: American Crafts and Target; Wood Veneer: Studio Calico; Thickers: American Crafts; Letter Stickers: Cosmo Cricket and Jilibean Soup; Vintage library cards and pockets; Vintage Dictonary; Tim Holtz Distressing Ink

Thanks for Looking!

L

Scrapbooking// Just 2 of Us

Photo by Photography by McKenzie

Just another happy page to share... I've been taking advantage of cold weather and sick days by getting some of our "just us" photos scrapped. We have so many photos of our adventures over the last five years--and I'm pretty behind on documenting them all. (insert plug for Project Life here.)

For a couple of years it was just Danny and I--those were the dating years. Pretty soon after we were married, our little Dolly puppy made three. [I REALLY need a photo of just the two of us with Miss Dolly to show what the last three years have looked like.] Now our little family is growing, and I can't wait for pictures and pages of all of us together!

Be back soon with lots of Project Life catch up.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics// Patterned paper: American Crafts, Crate Paper, CTMH, Pink Paislee, Teresa Collins Designs// Pebbles Inc, My Minds Eye// Washi Tape: American Crafts// Brads: CTMH// Butterfly Punch: Fiskars// Ribbon: American Crafts// Letter Stickers: CTMH// Distress Ink: Tim Holz// Glitter: Martha Stewart Crafts// Double Stick Tape// Buttons// Thread

L

Crafting// DIY Cupid's Arrow

Chevrons, arrows, and feathers are super trendy right now... so with Valentines Day coming up, I think old Cupid and his arrow are going to be making a come back! I was inspired by these cute ideas here and here.

Supplies:
Wooden dowel
Washi Tape
Paint
Ink
Feathers
Ribbon and Lace
Patterned paper
Felt
Pearl embellishments
Doilies
Adhesive

Directions: (If you're into that sort of thing...)

Paint your wooden dowel and allow to dry. Adhere washi tape in a variety of colors and patterns to the top 4 inches of the dowel.

For the heart: I already had a die-cut heart in my stash so I simply inked the edges and embellished with a little felt heart and some adhesive backed pearls. (If you don't have a die-cut handy, simply hand cut a heart or use a die-cutting machine.) Attach the embellished heart to the end of the dowel and adhere a doily to the back for a little added cuteness.

I used my trusty Silhouette Cameo to cut the feathers in a variety of shapes and sizes. You could easily pick up some feathers at the craft store or hand cut your own out of paper or felt. (see the cute inspiration links above for examples) Attach the feathers to the end of the dowel with the washi tape. Embellish with a little ribbon and lace.

Products used: American Crafts// Martha Stewart Crafts// Cosmo Cricket// Close To My Heart// Silhouette Cameo

I think I'm going to make a few more arrows and place them in an apothecary jar... They would also look really cute next to a framed photo of you and your special valentine. Photos to follow.

L