Project Life Week 31

I'm going to apologize in advance for these photos.  I have no idea what happened to the ones I took with my camera in good lighting.  They somehow disappeared from my computer.  I think I overwrote them...Anyhow I only have two photos.  One of the Left Side and one of the Right.  I'm still planning on continuing this project for 2015 even though, I'm a tad behind.  Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up someday.

 This is the week that the boys and I started back to school.  

I used the Clique Kits November Kit, Homecoming for this spread.  The photos don't do it justice.   There are still some kits for sale and they are half off!  Don't forget to enter MARIAH10 to get another ten percent off of your purchase!

Clique Kits November Challenge| 17 Turtles

Good morning everyone!  Today is the launch of the Clique Kits November Challenge.  This month our Sponsor is 17 Turtles.

17turtles offers a wide range of digital cut files that are perfect for paper crafting, scrapbooking and other craft projects such as cards, home decor, wall art, and more. When you purchase a digital download from 17turtles you will receive a zipped file that includes 1 SVG, 1 PNG and 1 DXF file. These files are for use with a wide variety of electronic cutting machines that will open and cut digital files, including SVG and DXF files. If you know that your machine will cut SVG or DXF files, then you should be able to use my files. You can use my designs with both the Silhouette Studio Software and the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Software. You do not have to use the Trace feature because the cut lines are already there for you. For more information about my cut files, please visit my shop policy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/17turtles/policy).

17 Turtles created these custom cut files for our November Homecoming Kit.

These custom cut files can be purchased here in the 17turtles shop and you can receive 25% off by using the promo code CK17TURTLES25!  Please make sure to visit the 17turtles shop, their blog and find them on Facebook here!

Here are a few details to go along with this months challenge!

• You may combine our challenge with other challenges
• You may enter our challenge up to 3 times
• Link up your projects by November 30th, 11:55 pm CST
• You are not required to use a Clique Kit to link up
• You are not required to use 17turtles cut files to link up but doing so does give you an extra entry
• Create any type of project
• Link directly to your challenge project entry post

You will always find the link to this challenge on the sidebar of my blog.  So you can follow that link to post your projects.  Have a wonderful Saturday, and I can't wait to see your projects.

October Wrap Up and What's Next for November

This will be a bulleted post...tons of information and things to share.

*What a very busy month October was.  I completed my first month with the Clique Kits Design Team!!!  It's really a great thing to be part of the team with all of the wonderful ladies.  It's also fun to create projects to inspire you all.  I can't wait for the rest of the year to come.  There is so much exciting stuff happening!  Here are some of the projects I created with my October Masquerade Ball Kit.

*Do not forget to post a project to the Clique Kits October Challenge.  You will have a chance to win some really nice Fancy Pants Goodies.  Link up any project you create for your chance to win.  One winner will be chosen at random.  Here are the prizes:

There will be a new challenge for November.  Make sure to check the sidebar of this blog for the link up.

*A Week in The Life:  I will be doing a Week in the Life starting on Monday, October 27, 2014.  I really hope you join me in documenting your week.  I have an event scheduled on my Scrappy Girls Page.

*Clique Kits November Kit, "Homecoming" is AWESOME and LOADED with embellishments and papers.  If you're not a subscriber, please sign up.  There are tons of awesome add ons for the kit.  MARIAH10 will get you 10 percent off of any purchase.  I'll be sharing sneaks and projects in November.

*Clique Cards and Clique into the Holidays Kits are still for sale.  There are VERY limited numbers of these kits left, so please don't wait if you want one.  I will be posting projects in November featuring the Clique Cards Kit.

*Okay, that was a lot.  Join me tomorrow.  I'm going to announce our new sponsor and discounts, share a sneak at what's on my desk, and share some sneaks from the Clique Cards Kit.  Have a good night!!

30 Days of Thankful

So, I've finally made the base for my 30 Days of Thankful Layout.  I still have to go back and add words and text.  I'm hoping to finish that up sometime in the next few weeks.  I know, I know.  I thought I would share what I have so far, and the cut files as well.  Incase, you are still needing to put your stuff in a layout too.

Here are the links:  30  Days of Thankful  Here is the entire File together in the Silhouette format.  I have no idea what that is.  If you have problems you can contact me, and I will email it to you.  Here is the download. 

I'm hoping to learn more about my Silhouette.  I purchased some classes from Kerri Bradford Studios.  I'm hoping they help, and I'll let you know if they do.  I've watched a couple of videos so far.  They are very basic, but that's okay.  Well, I'm off!

So Thankful

I am so thankful for the place I grew up.  For the friends I made there.  For the things I learned there.  Just a small little town we all thought was boring because there was nothing to do.  Looking back it made it the best place of all because we had to use our imagination.  We had to play and get dirty.  We learned to drive tractors and trucks and cars at a very young age.  We learned to hunt and fish and camp.  I made the best friends of my life there.  Real and true friends that don't judge, that don't compete to see who's better or who has more.  We've seen each other at our worst and we've seen each other at our best.  We've laughed, we've cried, we've broken minor laws.  And so, I'm so thankful to have lived that life, to be able to share a part of it with our children.  That it made me who I am today.

30 Days of Thankful Sketch

I know you all are loving my awesome ability of drawing a straight line.  I just wanted to post this.  I modeled it after an actual calendar.  I'm going to mix pictures and just words in these squares.  I'm thinking of actually creating the two page spread and making squares...with a ruler this time.  Then going back and adding different embellishments and items to them as the month goes along.  I'm also working on the .png files so you can download them.  That's all for today!  Have a great day.

Quick and Easy Way to Display Your Pages

I don't know if I shared this before.  I've gone back and searched my posts and couldn't find it.  Anyhow, I had four extra canvases laying around the house.  I bought them for 40 percent off at Hobby Lobby.  I figured I could use them for something.  Well, the something turned into a display on my wall in the craft room.  I just stapled (okay, it was Erik) some ribbon to the canvases.  Then I used some hooks from Ikea and hung them on the ribbon.  The total cost was probably $4.00 a "frame."  They look good and it's easy to change out the layouts.  They look good enough to hang anywhere in your home.

Craft Room Redo

It's taken forever for me to post these pics of my craft room.  I don't know why.  It is not complete.  I still want to put a few decorations up, but I haven't been able to find any I like.  I figure, I'm not in a hurry.  As long as it is cleaned up and painted, I am happy.  I love my paint colors.  I don't have them, right off hand because Erik put the paint somewhere in the garage.  I'll post them when I find out.  So, here you go.

Before

After

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After

After

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After

  

Office Before Photos

Erik and I have finished painting my office.  It took us two days and a lot of yelling and screaming at the kids super patience with the children.  I wanted to share the before photos with you...in all their splendor.  They are bad, I admit it.  I do love my new office, though it's not finished yet.  I will post them soon, as I will have to redeem myself after you see these photos.

*****Also, I still have a ton of papers, etc.  I will see what I can get rid of locally and then maybe make small packages I can send out in the mail to anyone who is interested*****

Wall 1-Paint Samples we were trying out are on the wall.

Wall 2

 Wall 3

 Wall 4

 Pile of trash I removed 

 The kids being "helpful"

Craft Room Pinspiration

I've decided to redo my craft room.  So, here are some things I've been pinning up to my Pinterest page for a while now.

My Color Inspiration:
It boils down to gray, turquoise, white, and black.

Yes, it's a bedroom but I love the blues and grays.

I haven't decided if I 'm going to treat my wood cabinets or not.

Oh yes, I'm putting in a photo wall.  I have so many photos of the boys and or our life together that need to be put up.

Photo Wall Ideas:

I basically have 4 feet to work with on each side of the window.  So here are some ideas that I'm going to modify.  Also, take into account the last photo wall from above.

I also love this idea for layouts.  I have them strung up on my wall right now with wire and clothes pins.

You can find me on Pinterest, here. Incase, you are interested.

Digital Art Journaling-Assignment 1

Here is my first assignment.  I created this masterpiece...okay whatever you want to call it, I made it.  All of the supplies, except for a mask, and the font came from the Class Materials.  The supply folder was HUGE!  Anyhow, just thought I would share.  I will try to post my project life album setup tomorrow.  It is done.  The light here has been terrible, though.  We got a ton of rain, so I can't really complain.  Good Night!

Something Crafty

All supplies from November Memory Works Express (except letters which are American Crafts)

Please do not fall out of your chair as I am posting an actual craft project.  I made this large rosette wreath to put in my entry way.  I used Jennifer McGuire's instructions, which you can find here.  It's a video tutorial.  It is the perfect craft to make with children.  My son loves to make fans, the ones you accordion fold.  I made the creases in the paper, and he folded them.  He also chose the paper...it's a good thing everything in the kit is coordinated.

So Easy a Five Year Old Could Do It...

Hello friends!  Today I want to show you how to make some super easy and cute pumpkins.  My little Maddie came home with a cute little pumpkin that he made at school.  He wanted me to help me make some more for our house.  So here you go...

Here are the finished products.  The all orange pumpkins are the ones Maddie made all by himself.

Cut your paper into 1" strips.  The length can vary according to the size you want.  The smallest pumpkins were made from 8" strips.  The longest I made from two 12" strips glued together.

For each pumpkin, you will need four strips.  First make an X...Put glue in the center of one of your strips.

Add another strip.

Add the final strip.

Start gluing your strips together at the top.  I started with the first strips and glued them together.  Glue the opposites together.

Here's the finished product.

Cut some rectangles for the stem and glue them to the tops of your pumpkins.

Then, I cut some really skinny strips of paper and curled them with the scissors.  You can see the small strip dangling from my assistant's mouth.  (Notice his missing tooth)  I glued them to the top next to the stems.

The last thing I did was thread wire through the tops so I could hang them from the arch above our entry way.  

They're super easy and quick to make.  Mine aren't perfect...since my son helped me make them.  However, he likes them so that's really all that matters.

The patterned paper is from Fancy Pants.

Leave a comment if you have any questions.