Wonderland Mini

As you can see I'm still in Halloween mode and have another mini to share with you. It has taken me a little over a week to get this finished due to a sick little one and that pesky little thing known as my full time job.  All distractions aside, I love making minis. You can finish them in a short time and to me that is all kinds of gratifying. Plus, they make great gifts. I have this little problem, maybe you can relate, but when I buy paper, I almost always purchase several in the same collection and even some embellishments that coordinate for the sole purpose of making a mini album.  It's a sickness really. As soon as I see a collection I like, I can almost see the completed album in my head before I really even know what the design is. Does that make sense? Anyhoo.........

 The photo mat behind the Queen and Alice can be removed, so a photo can go on the page behind it and on the mat.

 A photo can go behind the "frame" on the page to the right

 This page is a pop-up when the book is laying down and the purple mat is removable

 The purple photo mat can be removed and the photo for the right side goes behind Alice

 These photo mats can be removed as well and again the photo can go behind the checkered stripe

 I used a magnetic closure under the tiny pumpkin on this envelope

 I love to do fussy cutting on elements from the papers, you just simply add pop dots to the elements in layers and it adds a sense of depth and dimension. It's hard to capture in photos, especially when you're using a phone to take pics with, but hopefully you can see it a little bit closer here.

I made this mini with a few interactive pages. Some of the photo mats can be taken out and photos placed underneath as well as on the mats.  The pages are made out of long envelopes, which made it easy to make tags to insert into the ends, making for even more photo mats or journaling space.  I used a binding system as well. That was a first for me. I usually use the bind-it-all or use a album that is already bound in some way.  If you get on YouTube there are a ton of videos on binding systems, just pick the one that will work best with the type of album you're working on.

Until next time.........

Altered Clock

I recently stumbled across a YouTube video of a very elaborate Halloween project using the Graphic45 Steampunk Spells collection.  Whereas steampunk is not my normal style, it does fascinate me. I like the idea of the altered aspect of it and how it lends itself to the whole mixed media art form.
Back to the video, it was made by an extremely talented artist named Anne. She is from Norway and is on the Graphic45 design team. I am in total awe of her work. It's detailed beyond anything I've seen before.  After seeing the video I had to stalk  check out her blog. Let me say, she does not disappoint! Everything she does is amazing.  Needless to say it inspired me.  I had seen the Wizard of Oz line from Graphic45 and loved it, so I really wanted to make something with that, unfortunately it is an old collection and I couldn't any anywhere.  So the next best thing was the Hallowe'en In Wonderland collection, which I found some on eBay and snatched them up quickly.  I only purchased a small selection of paper, just 6 designs. As soon as I received my happy mail I set off to work on my next project. I felt like an altered clock was the perfect canvas, an homage to the white rabbit you could say.

To start I had to paint 3 coats of gesso on the clock in order to make the paint stick. I then painted 3 coats of black.  To finish the outside I also lightly sponged streaks of brown paint on top of the black and it gave it an old look. I did some fussy cutting on some of the images and layered them with the help of pop dots.

I made the elements like a pop up card. I made stands using black card stock and glued the elements on top.

I used the glass vial from Melissa Frances, which I've had in my stash for a while now. I also used some moss I had on hand. Other than that, it was all the Hallowe'en In Wonderland Collection.  I love the paper in this collection and have another project to share with you next week. 

Until next time........

Hop Local and Win!

If you like winning FaBuLouS prizes...You better mark your calendar for this Hop Local Event! 

Prizes are being given away from some of your favorite Paper Crafting Stores, Retreat Destinations, and other Local Event Sponsors!!!

Check out this list of Give-Aways...

  The Little Blue House - Paper Arts Store & Studio:

 $60 Gift Certificate 

Whitworth RanchRetreat:

 2 Complimentary spots at a Mixed Group Retreat valued at $370

 Cat's CreationsScrapbooks: 
$60 Gift Certificate

  Craft Coach: 
Scraptastic Prize Basket valued at $50

Crafty CreationsRetreat: 

Vintage Altered Train Case and a $50 Little Blue House Gift Certificate

  ScrapbookCelebrations:
 $75 Gift Certificate

 Crafty Neighbor: 
$50 Gift Certificate and Embellishment Grab Bag

   Very Vintage Retreat: 
Half Price Weekend for 5 guests valued at $250

  The Crafty Scrapper: 
$60 Gift Certificate

Dallas Crafter's Marathon: 
2 spots at a DCM event to use by 4/30/14

 Craft-Inn Retreat:

 2 complimentary spots when you book a minimum of 6 guests

HOW to WIN:

Beginning Oct.17th through Oct.20th, simply visit each of the above listed sites, become a follower of their blog or sign up for their newsletter. Read the post and look for a Treat (a different treat will be mentioned at each destination). As you hop from site to site, you must collect ALL the TREATS! When you are done, you will send your name and treat List to: 

     alltreatsnotricks2013@gmail.com

Your email becomes your entry for the FaBuLouS

 All Treats No Tricks Prize Drawing!!!  

Great thing about this Hop Local Event...You never have to leave your home or office to WIN...You could hop in your jammies, on your lunch hour, or while the kiddos are napping...YoU can HoP anytime from 7am (central) on Oct. 17th through 12am (midnight) on Oct. 20th. 

ALL TREATS WINNERS will be announced on Wed. 10/23!

Good Luck to you ALL and 

THANK YOU for supporting Small Business

 and shopping (and hopping) local!

Until next time......

Back to School

This post is a little late, but I am a firm believer in "better late than never." This will be a short one, so I will get right to the point. My youngest daughter started kindergarten this fall and it has been an adjustment. Her teacher has been extremely helpful in keeping me informed in her progress and for that I am more than grateful.  In order to show her my appreciation I decided to make her a simple treat. During a retreat we hosted a few weeks back, one of the fellow retreaters named Stefani (and might I add an extremely talented crafter in her own right) had these awesome treat stamps that she allowed me to borrow. I used them to make this.......

They are from this great company called Jaded Blossom.  They have a huge selection of these treat stamps that are designed to be used on the bottom of chocolate kisses and peanut butter cups.  They specialize in treat favors of all kinds. They also have a ton of dies that coordinate with the stamps.  Don't forget to check them out! 

Until next time........