Mother's Little Helper

Cuppie Understands

Hola, amigas!  Como estas?  Me gusta comer.   

(Translation: Hello, feminine friends!  How are you?  I like to eat.)

Guess what?  It's... STOP! JiFFy time!  Yep, time for another monthly Just For Fun challenge between me and a few of my fabulous crafty muchachas.  Each month, one of us picks an image, but before she reveals what that image is, a different JiFFy girl sends everyone a bit of patterned paper.  Sometimes the paper goes well with the image, and sometimes it's a... er... challenge, but it's always JUST FOR FUN!

This month, Lori chose the image: sweet Crafty Cuppie from Taylored Expressions.  Michele sent us all swatches of 'Inspiration' from Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl line, and wouldn't you know it -- it's absolutely the PERFECT paper for a little cupcake getting his/her/its craft on.  Yay!

So here's what I came up with:

The sentiment -- 'Some people just don't seem to appreciate the cosmic importance of rubber stamping' --is one I picked up a long time ago from Viva Las Vegastamps, but never had the chance to use.  Cuppie definitely understands the global relevance of rubber stamping.  And I dare say the gender-bending confection would extend that understanding to clear stamping, as well. 

Cuppie and his Danish furniture (get it?  Danish furniture... *guffaw!*  I'll be appearing at the Chuckle Hut from February 29th through the 31st -- get your tickets while they last!) were colored in with Copic markers.  Some Nestabilities die cutting, a little machine stitching, a bit of trimming, and wa-la!  

Be sure to take a moment to visit my JiFFy girlfriends' blogs to see what sweet treats they came up with for your visual consumption:

Marvelous Michele Boyer

Lovely Lori Craig

Awesome Alli Miles

Kicky Kim Hughes, and

Jazzy Julie Campbell

Supplies used:

Stamps: Crafty Cuppie by Taylored Expressions; sentiment by Viva Las Vegastamps

Paper: 'Inspiration' from Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl line, New Leaf by PTI, Summer Sun and Blue Bayou (SU!)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Copic markers; sewing machine; Marigold Morning ribbon, New Leaf button, twine (PTI); Jody's Foam Boosters, Nestabilities, white pen, silver pen.

Shocking, I know...

Alert the media: I created a scrapbook spread! 

I've long been saying that I wanted to get back to my scrapbooking roots, but haven't actually acted on that in, oh, say a year or so.  And even then?  It was just a page here or there.  I'm not about to proclaim I've got my scrapbooking groove back, but a two-page spread is a better start than I've had in several years!

I was browsing through my iPhoto thumbnails the other day when I came across this past year's Christmas card photo session of the boys.  I must have taken 100+ pictures that day, trying to get just the right photo to mail out with the family holiday newsletter.  Though only one photo makes the card, there were lots of shots that were cute and/or funny, and I was kind of sad that they weren't ever going to be seen or appreciated.  So, I printed a bunch of them out at 2"x3" and decided the least I could do was scrapbook them.

As you can see, I'm a pretty clean and simple scrapbooker.  I really like to let the photos shine as much as possible, and when you have this many in a spread, it's busy enough without a ton of embellishments.  I'm also a big believer in the importance of journaling.  Maybe because I have a big mouth and lots to say?  Maybe.  But also because I think it really adds so much to the story you're trying to tell with your pictures.  Plus, it allows you to shape your family history.  For example?  I don't want my kids to just think of taking these photos as a tedious chore (which it is, when you're actually trying to get the photo made...)  Instead, I wrote this down and hope they'll see themselves the way I see them:

Each year, the first step in getting the BHN prepared and out the door is taking a photo of the boys to accompany the newsletter. This isn’t as easy as it sounds.  After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, I want to make sure the image going out to all of our family and friends conveys Truman and Carter as they truly are: sweet, funny, adorable, loving, kind, mischievous, bright, and happy.  That’s not so much to ask, is it?!  Thus, we end up taking lots of shots in various settings in order to find the one that makes the grade.  Here are a few outtakes from our 2009 BHN photo shoot. (Weds., Nov. 25, 2009)

Another personal rule with respect to journaling?  I really think if at all possible it needs to be in one's own handwriting.  Yeah, yeah... I can already hear you.  "But I hate my handwriting!"  I say: you need to get over that.  Very few people are crazy about their own handwriting. 

Indulge me in a little experiment, will you?  Say you're looking around in your cookbooks or recipe box and you find a recipe card written in your dearly departed grandmother's spidery script.  Are you critiquing her penmanship as your read it?  Of course not.  You're remembering how much you loved her, the smell of her chicken and dumplings boiling on the stove, and how safe and warm it felt at her house.  When you see her handwriting, you hear her voice.  Right?  Well, that's what your children will feel when they see your handwriting. 

I created the title with my Cricut (first time that thing has been played with in eons) using the Opposites Attract cartridge.  Then, after framing all the pics like a photo contact sheet on white cardstock, I bordered them with Prisma Blush Red Dark.  It was still a little bit too plain, so using the rule of 3's, I added three splashes of old olive: 1.) the wide rick rac (from one of Jody's ribbon shares) along the top of both pages; 2.) the frame for the journaling box; and 3.) the small stamped accent in the lower right hand corner.

The stamp is from the Photo Op! set from CHF's Rummage Bin line (was just looking for it to link it; I guess it's retired.  Too bad, because it's a great set).  It's popped up on Jody's foam boosters for a tiny bit of dimension.

See that shot above?  It was actually my favorite from the whole photo session, but alas... Truman's hair was cropped out of the shot by accident.  Wanna see the photo that actually made the cut?  Good, because I always appreciate an opportunity to show off my cute boys...

JiFFy Time!

(ETA: Ugh!  I have had a heck of a time trying to get this posted on various free Wi-Fi today.  Carter and I are in OKC, and the place we're staying doesn't have it's own Wi-Fi.  I tried to hop on a local hotspot from the apartment to no avail.  Then, I parked in a McDonald's parking lot for a half-hour, wrote a bunch of stuff, and the Wi-Fi disappeared without saving my post.  Thanks, Ronald.  I threw up my hands in despair and took Carter to the Lego store as I'd been promising.  Now, in one last attempt, I'm in the parking lot of Java Dave's (a regional coffee bar chain).  For the first time today, I'm showing four full bars of connectivity.  Now let's just hope I can get this posted before my battery dies...)

It's time for another Just For Fun Challenge with my JiFFy girlfriends!  This month, Julie selected the paper (Henna from Basic Grey's Origins line)and sent it out to everyone, and then Alli revealed the image of the month: oh-so-fun 'Charlotte' from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.

Here's what I came up with:

  As I've explained before, when I'm working with an image, I kind of talk to it.  As I was chatting with Charlotte, I started thinking of that fabulous old Bette Davis/Joan Crawford movie, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  Charlotte does seem to have a bit of a facial tick; it wasn't that far of a leap to imagine her as a grown woman lugging around her poor 'babies.'  Thus, the sentiment from River City Rubberworks.  Twisted, yes, but also interesting, no?

I wanted to make her 'babies' a little grubby well-loved, so instead of coloring them with Copics as I did the rest of the image, I used Prismacolors and odorless mineral spirits so they wouldn't be as bright, and I added a few 'dirt' smudges here and there.

 

Please be sure to visit the other JiFFy Gals to see what they've done with Charlotte and Henna.  As talented as these girls are, they don't have to rely on nightmare-inducing tricks like yours truly -- you'll get nothing but treats from

Michele Boyer

Lori Craig

Julie Campbell

Alli Miles, and

Kim Hughes

I wish for you a wonderful weekend with your babies and full connectivity! :)

Snow, Aliens, and Guinea Pigs

So, how's the weather where you live?  Here in Oklahoma, we've been covered in ice and the white stuff since last Thursday.  School was canceled on Friday and today, so the kids are happy.  Since we had plenty of warning the storm was coming, Carter and I stayed home instead of going to Lokomat therapy in OKC for our Thurs-Sat appointments (we'll just tack on a week at the end).  If one has to be stranded indoors, there's definitely no place like home.  Speaking of home, here's a pic of our abode as the snow fell on Friday afternoon:

Don't let that peaceful exterior fool you -- it's wild on the inside! 

One has to be pretty creative to keep an active five-year-old with cabin fever entertained.  At one point, I was in desperate need of about an hour of peace and quiet.  I made a deal with Carter: if he would sit and watch a particular DVD in its entirety, I would get one of Truman's old Halloween costumes out of the attic for him to wear.  (Carter LOVES hats, costumes, masks, and the like.  During the Christmas holidays, he wore a Santa hat every day, everywhere.  He still wears it around the house, and calls me out on my efforts to hide it away until next year.) 

As I read my book (current bookclub selection: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks), Carter sat quietly and absorbed 'Lilo & Stitch' for the first time.  For the rest of the weekend, there was an alien in our midst:

I'm beginning to question the wisdom of what I've done, as I predict I will be zipping him into this outfit daily.  Potty breaks with Stitch are an adventure, to be sure.

I actually have a couple of things to show you, believe it or not!  It's been a long time since anything remotely artistic has appeared on this particular blog. *sigh!*  But with today being the first day of the OK legislative session, that may actually change.  I find that my best crafting months of the year come between February and May.  'When the cat's away...'

With my home makeover, I've been thinking a lot about I put on my walls.  Some of the artwork -- prints, paintings, photos, what have you -- that we've accumulated over the years is still to my liking, but a lot of it, I'm sort of 'eh...' about.  One of the benefits of getting older is discovering what you really respond to, and what's just taking up space.  Aside from items of sentimental value, I find that the things I'm keeping have the following in common: bright colors, bold graphics, pop art imagery, and patterns.  And as a stamper/papercrafter, I also love one-of-a-kind, handmade items.  So how to combine all of these?  That's been on my mind. 

I think I've come up with a few projects I want to make for my home, but first I wanted to create a couple of 'rough drafts.'  And what better way to do so than to kill multiple birds with the same stone: I'd get my rough drafts made, and I'd bestow said rough drafts on a couple of dear friends as their Christmas gifts!  Friends, guinea pigs -- these terms can be synonymous when done with love...

On November 1, I sent the following email to my oldest friends in 'Green Country' (<-- nickname for NE Oklahoma; we've lived here since September of 1996, and I met Kayla and Joan my first week on my new job, when their boss forced them to take me to lunch):

"Hey Girls --

I've come up with an idea for your Christmas presents, and I want to get started on them.  But first, I need to know the color scheme of either your office or your favorite room in your house.  And, if the room of your choosing doesn't have a firm color scheme in place, give me a rough idea of your favorite colors and/or color combos, up to five colors. (And don't just say 'green' -- tell me sea glass green, kelly green, forest green, mint green, etc.)  Just so you know, your gifts will have a similar concept but will not be identical.  Aren't you intrigued?!"

The responses?

Kayla: hunter green, sage green, oxblood, and cherrywood

Joan: butter, sage green, black, and crimson

I bought the shadowboxes and decided on the images shortly after receiving their replies.  You'll be happy to note, however, that I remained true to form and did not complete their gifts until the morning of our gift exchange, December 23rd.  Despite the frantic rush as the end, they ended up being my favorite gifts to give, and I was so excited to see the gals open them. 

I knew I wanted to keep the images simple and bold, and that I wanted to heat emboss them for added depth, texture, and gloss.  And also, just because I love heat embossing -- it's truly the technique that made me fall in love with stamping.  It still seems magical to me how that funky powder transforms into whatever you want it to with little more than a hair dryer and watermarking ink. 

Because Joan has Buddhist leanings and collects Buddhas, I selected a wonderful image from Inkadinkadoo's Asian Influences set:

Each image was heat embossed, trimmed, and then popped up on Jody's foam boosters.  It's hard to tell from this photo, but the images do appear to float (which seem awfully enlightened of them).  Here's a close up:

Joan's shadowbox measures 12" x 12".

Kayla's image was a little tougher to choose.  I wanted to keep with the spiritual theme, and Kayla is Baha'i.  (Yes, I do see the irony in having a Christmas gift exchange with a Buddhist and a Baha'i... however, Jesus is the kind of guy who'd extend an open invitation to his birthday party, don't you think?)  I don't know a tremendous amount about the Baha'i faith (other than that followers include Rainn Wilson -- Dwight from 'The Office' -- and England Dan and John Ford Coley -- singers of one of the greatest songs of all time, 'I'd Really Love to See You Tonight'), but I know from Kayla that one of their symbolic images is the camel.  Well.  Good camel images?  Very, very had to find. 

Instead, I went with tea.  Kayla has given me a couple of tea-themed gifts over the years, and we've had many great conversations over pots of Jasmine tea.  Further, it's been said that tea soothes the soul.  So can you see how I might jump from a camel to a teapot?  Of course, it makes perfect sense!  Additional bonus was the fact that I had yet to use my PTI Tea for Two set:

Kayla's shadowbox -- which measures 11" x 14" -- actually opens from a side clasp.  Side clasps are very handy when you're trying to make last minute adjustments.  Don't ask how I know that.

And here's a close-up of the images:

I know copper wasn't one of her chosen colors, but I couldn't resist adding a copper tea kettle.

They seemed very pleased and touched by their presents, which was great.  I'm not sure if they've actually hung them up yet; I hope I'm not that person who gives a gift that's dragged out of the closet and propped up five minutes before she's set to arrive...  But no pressure, girlies -- even if they're collecting dust in an attic, I enjoyed making them and did so while thinking happy thoughts of you. 

And now I have a better idea of what I want to make for my own house.  I'll give you a couple of hints:

1.  think BIGGER!

2.  think ELVIS!

Supplies used:Shadowboxes from Michael's

Stamps: PTI Tea for Two, Inkadinkadoo Asian Influences

Paper: Neenah Natural White, Neenah Ivory, SU Handsome Hunter, CM butter-y patterned paper from my stash

Ink: VersaMark

Accessories: Ranger Super Fine Detail Embossing Powder in Black, Ranger Embossing Antiquities embossing powder in Verdigris, Powder Keg Wine embossing powder, Powder Keg Not So Tarnished Copper embossing powder, Jody's Foam Boosters