Top 10 of 2011

Okay here are 10 of my favorite things I made this year. They are all things that I would want for myself, but they were made to suit the person they were intended to please. One is a cheat... it was actually made in 2010, but I didn't have a blog then, but it was designed with my sister at my side and taught as a class at my aunt's store. It has so many pleasurable emotions and memories connected to to it I might include it every year. I hope this coming year gives me some time with both my sister and my aunt.

Unscripted Sketches #139

Here is the last unscripted sketch for 2011. It was a crazy week as usual, and I had about 10 minutes to get a project done. That is what I love about the sketches at Unscripted Sketches. You can make them as elaborate or as simple as you want. They just work, and they help me get more done. Here is this weeks sketch and what I did with it. I hope you enjoy.

The photo is from about a year  maybe year and a half ago, but I don't think that long. I was amazed by how different Nick is. He has changed from a little boy to a young man in the last year. He was mortified that I was using this photo, but it awed me. Here is my ten minute page that captured one of those moments when I realized life is changing.

One Little Word...

I was jumping through some of the blogs I follow and being a teacher that works with words, I was caught by the title of Bethany's post at Counterfiet Kit Club. It was entitled One Little Word. When I read, she talked about taking a challenged from Ali Edwards each year to choose a word to be the focus of your year. It made me start thinking about what I want my year to be. I am choosing INSPIRED. I want to be inspired this year. I am not just talking about in my crafting, but in my work, my faith, my daily life. I want each moment to count. I want to see what is around me and allow it to inspire me. It is time to shake off this funk I have been in and get inspired. I am sure that if I am inspired it will inspire those around and oh how grand life can be.

Merry Christmas and an Unscripted Sketch

Well, I have been a terrible blogger this year. I don't do it often enough or thorough enough. I plan to do better in the coming year. I just wanted to drop by to say Merry Christmas to you all and remind you that even with all the Christmas craziness take time to craft. It is good for the heart. There is a new sketch up at Unscripted Sketches so go check it out and play along with us. I made a card this week. Yes you heard right...a card. The non card maker needed a card, so that is what I made. Not stellar, but it does the job. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Unscripted Sketches 132

It is Saturday again, and it is time for another fabulous sketch at Unscripted Sketches . I head on over and try out the sketch. I used this weeks sketch to design the first panel of a small fall banner I am making. I can't show the whole banner, because I haven't finished it yet. I will post it just as soon as I am done with it. Feel free to leave me comments, as I love them. Let me know if you decide to play along at unscripted sketches this week.

Keep Scrappin.
KathyJo

Unscrioted Sketches 131

If you haven't checked out Unscripted Sketches, head on over to the site and play along with us. I decided to do something a little different with this sketch. I know it looks like an ordinary frame, but I intend for it to be a dry erase love note board. I made it for a friend and each day she can write something she loves about her children. Hope you enjoy this little project.

A Little Altered Project

I have been looking at the frame for months. It was a cheap framed from the Dollar Tree. It was begging to be made interesting. I roughed up the surface so the paint would stick and slapped some acrylic paint on it. I cut the words out with my cricut, used a little Tim Holtz ink, and added some flowers and pearls. I think it is pretty now. What do you think?

I thought this was going to have several pics of this project, but I keep getting an error while trying to upload pics.

Unscripted Sketches 128

Well, I have been missing a a while. I am back hope to be a blogging fool. I miss creating and need the creative release. Here is my layout for this week's sketch. I used Crate Paper for the layout and tried to contrast with a kind of scary picture of my daughter. The colors were very soft, but this photo is not. If you haven't already, head over to Unscripted Sketches and use the sketch. We would love to see what you do with the sketch.

June Bug Blog Jump

Hello everyone! If you are here for the June Bug Blog Jump, you are in the right place. You should have arrived here from Janice's Blog. If you happened to arrive here by chance, here is a list of all the stops. You might want to start at the beginning and see what all the great bugs have created.

<a href="http://mylittlecorner-julie518.blogspot.com/ ">My Little Corner</a>
<a href="http://heart2handshighlights.blogspot.com/ ">Heart2hand's Highlights </a>
<a href="http://planlady19.blogspot.com/">Planlady19</a>
<a href="http://mylazycrafternoon.blogspot.com/ ">My Lazy Crafternoon</a>
<a href="http://dgirllv.blogspot.com/ ">Scrap Occurs!</a>
<a href="http://crystalscraftycreations.blogspot.com/">Crafting for Caitlyn </a>
<a href="http://doodlesscraps-diana.blogspot.com/ ">Doodle's Scraps </a>
<a href="http://www.mylittlecraftincorner.blogspot.com/ ">My Little Craftin' Corner</a>
<a href="http://skrappindiva.blogspot.com/">Skrappindiva's Musings</a>
<a href="http://coveofcreativity.blogspot.com/">Cove of Creativity</a>
<a href="http://www.divinescrapper.blogspot.com/">DivineScrapper</a>
<a href="http://jbearshome.blogspot.com/"> J-Bear's Home</a>
<a href="http://heavencreations-kathy.blogspot.com/"> Heaven's Creations</a>
<a href="http://cuttin-up.blogspot.com/">Cuttin' Up</a>
<a href="http://simplymycrafts.com/">Simply My Crafts</a>

We were asked to create a summer project for this hop and I have a couple of 4th of July projects to share with you. Unfortunately, my pics are not cooperating. I will add pictures later today even if I have to retake the pictures. If you stop back by and leave a comment on the 4th of July projects I will enter your name in a drawing for a RAK. For now, scroll down a little further and you will see a summery layout featuring my lovely daughter. Please don't tell her this pic is up on the blog, because she hates it. Hope to see you back in a bit.

Unscripted Sketches #112

Well, it is Saturday again. Another week has flown by and it is time for an Unscripted Sketches reveal. If you haven't seen what we do at Unscripted Sketches, let me fill you in. Every Saturday a new sketch and the design teams' projects inspired by that sketch are revealed. We then ask that you play along and link up what you create. You can use the sketch as is or flip it. Here is the sketch we used this week

After you check out what I created, head on over to Unscripted Sketches to see what the other designers created and then show us what you create. Between summer remediation, All-Stars, the little theater, and the kitchen remodel I was really pressed for time. Using the sketch allowed me to whip out a layout in now time at all. I kept it simple. I just wanted to highlight this picture. Courtney hates this pic, but I love it. It isn't fancy and it isn't flattering at all, but this is her. She was laying in the grass at one of Nick's parks and recs football game. It was hotter than Hades and she was just trying to stay cool.

I hope you will come create with us and check back next week for a new sketch.

Unscripted Sketches #111

Another week has flown by, and I was worried that I might not get this week's sketch done. I struggled coming up with an idea for this one until we were at the baseball tournament last weekend. Nick kept leaning over and saying this that started with, "So this is how it feels to..." The idea for this layout poppped into my head and here is is! I made the mistake of starting before printing the pics from the tournament and I had to use a horizintal picture. I liked the vertical prints better, but I didn't have time to reprint. Anyway... here is the sketch for this week.

I flipped the sketch upside down and this is what I came up with for the week.



I needed a little extra room to journal all the quotes, so I used two columns instead of one. It was a simple quick layout which is why I love these sketches so much. They can really be dressed up if you want, but they can be done quickly and easily. It allows me to record things I don't want to forget. Sketches are a tool to recording my children's lives.


The quotes say, "to be voted on to the all-star team" "to win more than you loses" "to be the number one seed" "to get on base 8 out of 9 times" "to stand tall when you hit" "to play in the championship game" "to know I am baseball!"

I added a little baker's twine and a few squares of cardstock with baseball stickers. I can't wait to see what you come up with using the sketch. Head on over to http://www.unscriptedsketches.com/ and link up your tsake on this sketch.

Unscripted Sketches #110

Good Saturday Morning! It will be a busy weekend for me. I plan to get up early and go to the farmer's market, and then we have a baseball tournament in Minden. It was a busy week, but I did get a layout done with this week's sketch. That is what I love about Unscripted Sketches... it allows me to get things done even when I am short on time. The sketches work when done simply like this layout or when really embellished and pushed over the edge. Here is the sketch for the week....

Like I said, I was running behind and had to work quickly. I decided to go with a scrapbook page. I had this picture of my son and sister laying on the counter and thought they are so alike. What a role model?!?! I say that jokingly, but she is a great person for him to look up to. I wish we were closer, so they could spend more time together. I kept things simple, but I think the page captures the feelings between the two of them.

Be sure to check out the other designers' projects over at http://www.unscriptedsketches.com/ and give the sketch a try. We would love to see your project linked over on the website.



Operation Kitchen Renovation aka Trying Not to Cuss Out the Hubby

Well, the kitchen remodel is well underway. All of my upper cabinets are gone as well as some of my lower cabinets. Two of my four walls have no sheetrock and the other two are missing part of the sheetrock. We are living out of cardboard boxes which wouldn't have been hard a few months ago. We used to eat out so much that cooking wasn't an issue, but we have stopped eating out. I have been cooking everyday. That may not sound like a big deal to many of you, but I have been known not to use my stove for weeks at a time. It was the big joke that I had to ask my sister to define skillet. My idea of cooking was frozen pizza or hamburger helper. My kids are in awe. I keep hearing what would Aunt Margie say if she could see you. Or I hear, "Wow! You really can cook." I am enjoying all the veggies I am cooking, but I remember why I stopped cooking. When you cook, you have to clean the kitchen. The only thing I do less of than cooking is cleaning. I have washed more dishes and wiped the counter down more in the last two weeks than I had in the last two months. I guess this means you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I will try to post a few pictures of my torn apart kitchen soon. This is going to be a long summer since most of this can't be done until we get paid for summer remediation. That means many of the supplies can't even be purchased until July 15th. It will be wonderful once it is finished, but it will be a long road getting there. I hope my hubby survives.

I'M BACK!!!!!!!

Yes, I know I have been missing. I am sorry, but my life just sort of fell apart for a time. I can't believe it has really been a month and a half since I posted, but it has. I think things are finally going to start getting back to normal. I hope so anyway. I am working on getting my craft room cleaned and organized. As soon as I get it in working order, I hope to have lots of goodies to share.

Bashful Bunny Blog Hop

Well, I am editting my post, because it didn't post as scheduled. Well, actually I goofed and scheduled it wrong, so I am fixing it to post now. This is the 2nd stop in the Bashful Bunny Blog Hop. You should have arrived here from Julie's Blog . Read on for how to win some blog candy.

I was going to make some fabulous Easter project for you, but time got away from me and I was just not very Easter inspired the last couple of weeks. I happened to talk to a friend that spents $12 on a headband for her daughter to wear with her Easter dress. Well that seemed crazy to me when she could have made some flowers and glued them to a headband. I decided to see if you could make inexpensive flowers for headbands. I have seen many of the satin flowers and have seen that there are a variety of direction on how to make them and what fabrics work best. Some people have said not to buy cheap fabrics, so it was time to experiment. I bought the cheap costume satin from Walmart ($2.48 per yard). I bought a quarter of a yard in four different colors and spent $2.48 and it was enough to make 64 flowers with scraps left over.

On to the flowers...

Step 1 Cut four sizes of circles. I used the Sizzix originals die Circles #2. I folded the fabric to the size of the die and it ended up being 16 layers of fabric. I was a little afraid that it wouldn't cut, but I wanted to see what my Vagabond could really do. It cut through the 16 layers of fabric. I was impressed.

Step 2 Heat the edges to melt the edges of the fabric. Here is where I have seen many differing directions from heat guns to candles. I used my embossing heat tool for the ones on the left and long lighter from the Dollar Tree for the ones on the right. You can see they gave different results. The open flame caused it to curl more. I tried to decide which one I like better and it depends on what I would be using them for. They both would have their uses.

Step 3 I used a piercing tool to poke a hole and insert a brad through the layers of fabric. I have seen some people say they sew them and others glue them. I didn't have the patience for either of those options. I poked and hole and used a brad....quick, easy, and no drying time.

Now, for the blog hop candy. In order to be eligible for my blog candy leave me a comment on this post and I will draw on Tuesday. I would love to hear how you would use these flowerws or what you would like to see in upcoming posts. I am offering a $10 gift code to http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/. That gives you about 65 different classes to choose from in that price range, or you caan apply it toward a more expensive class. I would love for you to become a follower. Have a super weekend and now head on over to Tiara's Blog.

Unscripted Sketches #102

It  is hard to believe it is Saturday again already. It has been a very busy week. Baseball season started and I was working on some projects. You mix in that it was high stakes testing week and internet issues it equals me not blogging in a week. Sorry girls, it will be better this week. Hope you enjoy this week's creation!

Well, I have a new love. It is called Yes Paste. It is wonderful. It used to be when I was doing an altered project I would use modge podge. I hate how it crinkles the paper though. I switched to Aleene’s Tacky Glue in the brush on bottle and watered it down a little. It was less crinkling, but still kind of messy. A wonderful friend on the Cricut Message Board mentioned Yes Paste and I thought I better try it. I tried several times, but M’s was out of it. When they finally got it in, I tried it to attach paper to a stretched canvas. It worked wonderfully, but you know me always trying to fix things that aren’t broke. I decided to try the modge podge again. I was very disappointed. The paper crinkled some. I was able to salvage it, but I definitely wasn’t as happy with the results.  Anyway….I learned from my mistakes and it is back to the Yes Paste for me.

I made this canvas using some Cosmo Cricket papers, but I really didn’t like the matte finish of the papers. This was for a little girl and even though the papers are in girly colors, I just wasn’t satisfied. I decided the paper needed some shimmer to it and I decided to try my hand at making some do it yourself glimmer glaze. I used a couple tiny spoons (like the size of the tasting spoons at Baskin Robins) of iridescent medium, a few drops of distress reinker, and water. I stirred it up really well and had this shimmery green liquid.

I used a brush and painted on all of the papers. Because I used only a few drops of the distress ink, the color was very sheer and not overbearing at all. I think this pic will show how shimmery the paper turned out. I loved the result, but didn’t think it was the same result you would get from real glimmer glaze. I was under the impression that glimmer glaze was thicker more like nail polish. I have since received a bottle as a gift and it is the same consistency. I am actually quite pleased with my glimmer glaze. 

The next technique I used was to redo this chipboard C. The C was in a pattern that wouldn’t match the canvas. I had seen a video where Tim Holtz did this to metal letters, so I thought why not chipboard. First I gave it a coat of white paint and let it dry. Next, I painted it again in white and then covered the wet paint with clear UTEE. I used the heat gun and melted the embossing powder.  I wanted a smoother thicker finish, so I pressed it into my embossing pad and covered it in UTEE again. When I melted it this time it was much smoother.

Unscripted Sketches #101

Here is this week's sketch. I hope you enjoy!

Well, it is finally here! My first official sketch as a member of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team. I had fun with this sketch. It is the perfect sketch for a quick easy layout you can't help but love. The papers are from Echo Park's For the Record collection. I used my photos to follow the sketch. This layout would have been much different if I had used patterned papers where I have the photos and then added my photos on top. If I can find the time this weekend, I am going to use this sketch again and see how different it comes out.
I actually have multiple photos of the layout, but I keep getting system errors while trying to post. Please go to the Unscripted Sketches website to see what I and my fellow designers made with this sketch.

Long Time No Post

It has been a crazy week. I just have not been on posting. Sorry everyone, I promise to be better this week. First I never posted the winner of my blog candy. With the help of a random number generator we have a winner and it is joydee1963. I sent you an email. I will get it out to you ASAP.

Tomorrow is the new sketch from Unscripted Sketches. Make sure you come back to see what I made. I will give you a hint. It uses some of my favorite papers. Can you say Echo Park?

It's A Party!!!!

I am glad you stopped by today, as I have huge news to share. There is a party going on over at Unscripted Sketches. There is a blog hop and prizes. There is also a reveal of their newest design team members. Did you see the new gadget over on the left. Yes, that's right! I am one of the new design team members. I hope you decide to follow Unscripted Sketches and check back often to take part in the challenges and see what I am designing. Today though, go check out all the other great designers and leave them some bloggy comment love. Have a Super Sketchy Saturday!

I thought I would go ahead and share something that hasn't made its way onto the blog yet. This is a simple two page layout I did using the Echo Park For the Record collection. I LOVE ECHO PARK!!!! Can we say KathyJo's favorite papers (for now anyway). Okay these are some pictures Courtney took of herself. She is into this self portrait thing right now and for the record she took these in the bathroom. I thought this was weird, but she thinks this is normal. Like I said these are Echo Park papers which I think are very fun and lots of Primas. The little flowers brads are Making Memories and the yellow cardstock is recollections. I am trying to pay more attention to what I am using, so I can let you guys know. Have a super day!