No Lion - Sweet Sunday Challenge 102

I love these Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenges! I thought this little guy would look so cute on a card. I colored him in with Sharpie markers and colored pencils and accented with some Stickles.  I highlighted the edges of the card with Distress Ink and added 3 fun heart brads to the top.

http://kgiron.blogspot.com/2011/01/sweet-sunday-sketch-challenge-102.html

Stamps: Close to My Heart

Bedhead

Amie's hair is definitely wild in the morning.... reflected by this scrapbook page!

Love the Cosmo Cricut papers!

Fabric Giveaway

I have always loved vintage... and Amy Barickman has a wonderful giveaway of her new Mother Goose fabric collection and book, A Stitch in Time. So, I just had to share...

Fabric Inspiration & Giveaway

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Many times I’ve been asked how I get the ideas for my books, patterns or fabric lines? And the short answer is lots of places.  My passion for seeking out vintage sewing treasures and collecting sewing books and ephemera has lead to many of my projects over the years. The Sew-it Book, Buttonware, Hankie Style and Vintage Notions are just a few of the books that I have created based on inspiring vintage items I’ve found and collected.
Through my travels, I always seek out antique malls, galleries or flea markets to rummage through. Often, I see something beautiful that catches my eye – colors, fabric textures, the shear artistry of a piece or the details in the stitching. It may just be an old book filled with gorgeous illustrations.

Many times this stirs my creative juices and I combine the inspiration with current trends in the market to come up with a new book or pattern idea. Other times, I find a vintage piece and realize the concept or creation would be interesting to today’s consumer and feel the need to “rescue” it from obscurity.

One example is my latest embroidery book, A Stitch in Time with Mother Goose. This book of vintage embroidery designs, along with my coordinating fabric line from Red Rooster Fabrics of the same name, was inspired by a darling baby blanket I found during my travels. The quilt was created from an old Butterick transfers pattern circa 1920’s. I’ve also discovered in my collection the original magazine ad featuring the pattern for sale. Below are a few shots of the original blanket.
I was toying already with the idea of creating a new embroidery book with a vintage feel and had some wonderful Mother Goose line art that I wanted to use, but the project had not yet come to fruition. I happened upon this hand embroidered baby blanket in bluework, along with the original vintage transfers and the entire project took shape.
Embroidery is really making a come back. The book includes 25 designs to be transferred to fabric and instructions for 7 different projects including two quilts. Here are just a few projects included in this book:
Another method of embroidery can be done with just the Mother Goose fabric itself. Two of the fabric line coordinates are “cheater” blocks. These two panels – one in red and one in blue – have the Mother Goose line art already printed directly on the fabric. All one has to do it thread your needle and following the lines. No transfers needed.
Enter to win A Stitch in Time with Mother Goose fabric bundle and book
For a chance to win a bundle of A Stitch in Time with Mother Goose fabric (one yard of many coordinate plus one each of the two embroidery cheater block panels – please note that only 19 of the 24 coordinates are available in this giveaway) AND a copy of A Stitch in Time with Mother Goose, you have five ways to enter the drawing.
1.    Post a comment to this blog post only letting me know what you would create with this collection.
2.    “Like” my Facebook page at facebook.com/amybarickmanstudios
3.    Sign up for my twitter account at twitter.com/amybarickman
4.    Repost this blog entry on your blog. Email me at amyb@amybarickman.com with the link to your post.
5.    Post this blog entry on your Facebook page. Email me at amyb@amybarickman.com with the link to your FB page.
A winner will be drawn at random from all entries. Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, February 1st at midnight and a winner announced on Thursday, February 3rd.
Good luck!!

 

Go directly to Amy's blog to post at: https://amybarickman.com/blog/misc/fabric-inspiration-giveaway/

Another Playing in Paradise Sketch Challenge 04

I found some stamped images of butterflies that I had colored a while ago with Sharpie markers and immediately thought of this challenge.  I used some pink Distress Ink around the opening edge of the card and layered ribbon and lace beside the cardstock.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre and embossed with white embossing powder.

I haven't gotten around to making a scrapbook page with this sketch, but I definitely will use it eventually!

http://scrapbookersparadise.blogspot.com/2011/01/playing-in-paradise-sketch-challenge-04.html

Winter Die Cut Card

I just found the Die Cuttin Divas blog and it is so cute! They are having a winter challenge card, so I used the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge for the Winter word and sled and the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge (the santa) for the trees. I used some Distress Ink to highlight around the outside of the card, and I cut the die cuts out of Co-ordinations paper and then lightly sanded the edges. I stamped the background snowflakes in Versamark and applied Perfect Pearls - I mixed some white into the blue for a lighter color. Then, I used some foam tape to pop up the sled and accented with Stickles.

http://diecuttindivas.blogspot.com/2011/01/bonus-challenge-to-kick-off-our-blog.html

Curls

Everyone asks where Amie gets her curls... We're not quite sure, but I do love them! She was in the tub in these photos so her hair was super curly, and I had some of her curls from her haircut, so I thought I'd combine the locks with the tub photos on this page.  I used some great Cosmo Cricut paper and chipboard stickers, and I die cut the word and circle with the Cricut (and then embossed the circle with a Cuttlebug embossing folder - and used some Distress Ink to highlight the embossed image).

Cool Monkey Birthday Card

This cute monkey was made with the Cricut and Paisley cartridge.  I needed a birthday card for a little boy and wanted to do a die cut card.  I used the Tim Holz distress inks to color the die cuts, which I cut out of white cardstock.  I like the rainbow effect I was able to get on the word and around the edge of the card.  I used some Stickles on the lollipop and adhered with pop-dots and put some Glossy Accents on the buttons.

Playing in Paradise Sketch Challenge 04

I really like the sketch challenge this week from Scrapbooker's Paradise! I have so many great ideas...

http://scrapbookersparadise.blogspot.com/2011/01/playing-in-paradise-sketch-challenge-04.html

I used Peel-off stickers and Coordination paper, which I sanded lightly.  I colored the stickers with colored pencils and added some glitter pen accents.

New Co'ordinations Giveaway

Tim Holtz has teamed up with Co'ordination Paper and you can win a new assorted pack!

http://pages.email.darice.com/core2/p?eKey=Gl10lgedRel7XSl

Click above to enter to win a new, unreleased Core'dinations assorted pack.

Gone Fishing!?!

I wanted to share one of my most convenient, favorite storage items.  Last Christmas I asked my husband to buy a fishing tackle box for me for.... all those little tiny scrapbook embellishments! I absolutely love it, and there is room in the bottom for toting larger items.  It is great too for taking along to crops, so I don't have to think about what I want to have beforehand, and I also love that I can see out in the open what embellishments I have.

Getting Messy

In these cute photos of Amie painting and coloring I wanted to use some bright primary colors, and decided to use the Cricut to cut out some words and die-cuts.  I used my Distress Inks to highlight the die-cuts and I actually like that better than layering colors of cardstock/paper.

Let's Play Dress Up - Challenge

This challenge totally made me think of girly things to dress up with! I used Spellbinders die cutouts for the purse, shoe and boot, as well as the decorative corner. I lightly rubbed them with Versamark and applied a coat of white Perfect Pearls to make them look almost as if they have a metal sheen. I cut out my ovals with the Cricut, George cartridge and embossed the centre oval with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, which I then highlighted with Pumice Stone Distress Ink. Of course I had to put some beads along the edge of the paper.  Now I'm feeling like a shopping fix!

http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/2011/01/lets-play-dress-up.html

Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #30

For this fun challenge I decided to use my 'vintage look' papers and a Close to My Heart stitches stamp set, along with some K&Company embellishments (the button and watering can).

Here's the sketch:

http://waltzingmousesketchchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/challenge-30.html

I used tissue paper for the gathers, which I then distressed with Distress Ink, and I added Glossy Accents to the button and the flower on the watering can.

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge SSSC100

After looking at all the wonderful creations for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge I've whipped something up to add.

This is the challenge- http://kgiron.blogspot.com/2011/01/sweet-sunday-sketch-challenge-100.html



I used a CC Designs stamp with a little girl holding a lady bug - how cute is that :) and I layered it on dark blue cardstock which I distressed around the edges with a paper distresser.  I used some K&Company paper for the circle and actually cut out the strawberry from the paper which is behind the stamped image.  The red gingham strip is a piece of paper that I punched a border along the top of, and then I layered the red polkadot ribbon over that.  The 'Make a Wish' stamp is Close to My Heart and since it is acrylic I was able to bend it to match the circle shape.  I love Stickles, so of course had to add some to the strawberry and the stamped image.

 Click on the link to the challenge above if you want to create your own!

Healthy Cookies!

It is hard to find a recipe for 'healthy cookies' looking online, so I was excited when I found a recipe for "Grainy, Seedy Cookies" in the Today's Parent magazine.  They were really quick to mix up and you only need to drop from a spoon onto the cookie sheet. I added a 3/4 c mixture of sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds, and I used chocolate chips in place of the raisins as Amie, at almost 4 years old, has decided she does not like raisins anymore.  Here's the link for the recipe: http://www.parentscanada.com/eating/yukyum/articles.aspx?listingid=759

Check out my recipe binder... I took one of those photo albums that have the adhesive pages that make scrapbookers gasp and used it to hold recipes I have cut out of magazines!

And, the consensus was that these cookies were really great - from Amie, hubby & me :)
Enjoy!

Happy Birthday - Little Girl

I love making birthday cards! I also have lots of stamped images I've colored in by various methods and haven't done anything with.  So, in the spirit of using what I have and using up what I have.... I put together this cute card with one of the C.C. Designs stamped images.

Valentine Tags

I decided to create some Valentine tags that could be used to attach to gifts or attach to the front of a card. I used distress inks to add color to the manilla office supply tag and then stamped on top.

I think the Bee one is my favorite.  I colored in the flowers and bees with colored pencils and added glitter to the middle of the flowers.

For the bird tag I stamped the birds and cage with distress inks and cut out the flower after stamping and attached with foam dot.  I added two heart brads in the corner.

I used Close to My Heart stamps for both of these, as well as a Spellbinders teapot die and tea cup brads for the tea tag.  I love the coffee ring stamp!  I used some stickles along the top of the cups for a sparkly liquid.

I overstamped the flower on the sunshine tag with Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder for a darker, shiny image.

Some of my favorite photos from 2010

Since January is a time for reflexion... I wanted to look back on my pics from 2010 and share some of my favorites.

Amie and her cousin, Sydney

Amie plays with her friend in the ball pit

Blowing kisses

Wild hair!

Peekaboo

Sliding at South Glenmore Park

What a stink face

Playing in the sandbox in the spring

Amie loves to swing! This was our first camping trip of the year. I miss camping!!

At the Calgary Zoo, in the butterfly exhibit

Eagle Lake, AB

Eagle Lake, AB

Look Mom, I got CANDY!

Slip 'n slide

Amie flies a kite

Bliss

Nothin' as good as an icecream...

At Waskesiu, Saskatchewan. I love these old fashioned looking bikes :)

So much wildlife to see in SK

At the waterpark

2 scoops!

The lake at Little Bow Provincial Park, AB

Kinbrook Island, AB - Sand angel

Horseback riding

Kinbrook Island, AB

My princesses

Amie and her friend (last car shown on R) at the amusement park

In Canmore, AB - So beautiful!

Summer treats

Love those toes

One of my goals for this year is to learn more about photography and take some really great pics.