Monday, April 25, 2011

Best Creation Inc Blog Hop - its all about PUNCHES!!

It is Hip Hop time again ladies so grab your Bunny Ears and come on a fun hop with us to learn lots of incredible techniques to use all those fun border punches that you have.

Our first stop on the Hop was the talented Jodi Wilton and as your are being inspired be sure and pick up the mystery letters on each ladies blog as you go to spell our mystery word. Send this to teresa@bestcreation.us for a chance to win our grand prize and leave comments on our facebook and all of the design team for 2 more chances to win your choice of a pack of glittery goodness.

You have come from the fantastic project that Sarah created for you. Now its my turn :)  I chose to show some multiple uses for a simple circle punch.  My project is a 7 inch wooden embroidery hoop and I have used my circle punch to create the trim around the circle, the banner and the flower!  And I used Best Creation Inc newest line, Ballerina Princess!

I would love to share with you how I made the flower:
First you punch your circles, I used the Best Creation Basic Glitter Dot paper.  then you pinch a pleat into each circle:
 Next I used the tiny attacher by Tim Holtz to staple the pleated petals to a center circle:
When they are all attached you will have something that looks like this:
 I added an additional layer to the inside, following the same instructions as above and stapling the extra petals to the middle.  Once those are in place you can add a center, here I used the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio to make a large epoxy using Best Creation Glitter Cardstock and attached it with Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots:
 And you have a very dimensional flower to add to your project!!  I dipped the edges of the petals into some Helmar Acid Free Glue and then dipped them into a container of glitter.
I also added a banner to my project which I created with circles once again.  I punched my circles from the Best Creation Inc Glitter Cardstock:
 Simply fold the circles in half and then attach them to a ribbon or string or in my case I used tulle, with a staple.  I took a length of tulle and knotted it every few inches then added the half circles:
 Now your banner is ready to decorate!
 In my case I added the letters of my granddaughters name:
And lastly I punched more circles from the glitter cardstock and glued them in layers to the edge of the wooden circle so I got a great trim around the edge!  Helmar 450 quick dry works great for this!

One more flower you can make with circles...I actually found this thru Pinterest but cant remember the blog it came from so I apologize for that.  I have used it on a few projects lately but I will share a Ballerina Princess layout that has one:
 and a close up of the flower:
Once again you start with punched circles and you fold two sides in so that you have a pointed shape at the bottom:
 Using an unfolded circle, staple the points as shown until you have a complete circle:
 It will look like this: You could also use glue if you wish, I knew I would be covering the center completely so stapling was quicker and easier, love my Tim Holtz mini attacher :)
 This is the reverse side and you could actually use the flower like this too :)
 Add a center:
 I couldnt resist adding a matching Epiphany Crafts custom button, lol!
 And there you have a beautiful handmade flower made from simple punched flowers!
Ok, Ok, I know you are doing a hop and I cant monopolize your time so I will let you move on to Brittny's blog for your next stop.  The letter you need from my blog is: R.

Dont forget to leave comments on the design team blogs, Facebook and the Best Creation Inc blog......there are prizes to be had people!!!!  Grand prize is both the new collections, Robot and Ballerina, other prizes are one of the collections...cant beat that :)

Saturday, April 23, 2011

A very Special Layout to share

When my kids were growing up and we moved to Simi Valley I enrolled them in a local preschool, Kids 'n Things.  Kari was 3 and Katy was 2, they are 29 and 28 now, lol! Anyway that is where they went while we worked, it was actually right up the street from us.  After Rachel was born I did not go back to work because the difference between my salary and the child care was $100 a month.....definately NOT worth it, lol!!  Kari was in kindergarten by then and we kept Katy in the preschool two days a week.  I loved that school and the teachers and the owner, Shirley, and before too long I began to work there, bringing Rachel with me and my other two came after school.  I remember Rachel racing around the school in her walker...she was quite the terror!  But I digress, my story is about the owner Shirley.  She owned this school and ran it with her daughters.  I became very close to Carol and worked with her for many years....we are only about 2 weeks apart in age.  I worked there about 8 years.  I loved that job!  Eventually it was time for me to move on once my kids were older and I left.  About 4 years ago I returned with my grand daughter Jenna, not to work, but dropping her off and picking her up.  It was like coming home.  So many of the teachers that I worked with over 20 years ago were still there.  Jenna graduated and now Trevor is there about to graduate as well.    Shirley was an awesome person to work for.  She always had a smile, she never got mad...she was always there...for everyone.  Carol eventually took over the school but momma Shirley still had her hand in.  A few months ago I learned from Carol while visiting with her that Shirley was having some medical problems.  Though we all prayed for the best she was taken from us this month, just a few short months from the time she got ill.  She touched so many people and she made such a difference in so many peoples lives it has been a difficult loss.  During her fight with cancer Carol posted a photo on Facebook of her and her mom and her daughter which I fell in love with.  I knew I would use it, I just didnt know it would be as a Tribute.  So I would love to share with you a digital layout I did using that photo from Facebook.  I created this digitally, printed it and then added some elements to the print, and then framed it and added more elements to the frame.

This is the digital layout:
 And this is the layout framed:
 Added details to the printed digital file:
 Elements added to the outside frame:
I couldnt resist adding a tricycle to the layout :)
So Carol...if you are reading this...I will get this to you sometime next week...even though Trev is on vacation :)  Love ya!!!

Credits for the layout:
All digital files are from Webster's Pages - Lifes Portraits; Tickets from Country Estates; Tricycle from the Lullabye Lane collection; Ladies & Gents, stickers and buttons.
Ribbon flowers: Cosmo Cricket Glubers (digital)
Trims, flowers, birds, pins, cameo and fabric ticket by Webster's Pages.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Graduation and Ballerina's by Best Creation Inc

Yep....Best Creation Inc came out with 3...count them.....3 NEW LINES this month!!!  I got the chance to work with the Ballerina Princess line and the Graduation line and I have to say they both ROCK!!!!
For the Ballerina Princess line I reached out to my friends for some Ballet photos!  I had one of Jenna...but just one, so I felt like I really wanted to have some options!  So for this first layout my friend Jenn sent me some super cute photos of her little ballerina, Reagan:
 I love love love that Best Creation is now making a sticker sheet that has die cuts from the graphics on the papers.......and A MINI ALPHA!!!!
My friend Erin also sent me some photos of her daughter Rhiannon....I loved this photo the first time I saw it, her form just looks so good!!
 I just love the journaling spots that Best Creation included with this line!!!  The flower here I saw on Pinterest and figured out how to make it....its made with just circles!  I also made some custom buttons with Epiphany Crafts Button Studio, love that I can have matching embellishments whenever I want!!
And then Best Creation came up with an awesome Graduation line!!!  Everyone has graduation photos...and this is perfect for any age!  I scrapped my granddaughter Jenna's Preschool graduation photos and then I scrapped her aunties graduation photos from her Masters graduation!  So Jenna first:
 The chipboard and stickers that come with this line are awesome!!  And the glitter cardstock is perfect for that extra added bling :)
This next layout is of Jenna's auntie Alexis who graduated with her Masters just days apart from Jenna's preschool graduation and I love that the colors in the photo were perfect for the colors in the line of papers so I couldnt resist doing an extra layout!!
 A fun way to add a dimensional border is to punch some circles, fold them in half and adhere just on half of the folded circle in a row...works great with double sided paper as you get a little peak of what is inside.
While one of the layouts was drying I put together a super simple card using the scraps on my table......
Best Creation teamed up with Clear Scraps this month and I was lucky enough to receive a camera shaped chipboard mini album!!! The front of the album had an opening where the lens would be which created the perfect frame for a photo:
 The front cover is covered with the amazing Best Creation glitter cardstock in black and I followed a simple theme inside covering each page with paper and adding a black glitter cardstock circle to the place where the lens would be inthe camera shape:
 I cut out some silhouettes from one of the papers and did my journaling and then covered them in Glossy Accents, I love doing journaling on black paper with white writing!
 Adding a few flowers through out that are the same helps pull it all together.
 I love that the Best Creation glitter cardstock cuts so nicely in the Cricut...the stars are perfect!!
I also want to mention that the adhesives I used here were Helmar!  The Helmar 450 Quick Dry works perfect with the glitter cardstock, and I love the Helmar Acid Free glue for adhering the papers to the chipboard....no wrinkles!!!  One other of the Helmar products I love and used here is the Liquid Scrap Dots...just perfect!!

Well I have to say thank you for visiting with me and checking out the new lines from Best Creation Inc...with a little added Epiphany Crafts, Clear Scraps, and Helmar adhesives!!!  Also a big shout out to Jenn and Erin for letting me scrap their adorable little ballerina's!!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Winner!!!!!

Thank you so much for sharing in the fun of my publication and thank you for all of the wonderful comments...you guys ROCK!!!  So I promised I would do a drawing this morning and I did!

So here is the master list....I like to do it the old fashioned way if there are not too many names :)

Cut them up and fold them over and put them in a bowl and all ready for a little hand to select a winner:

My little helper this morning is Trevor who is little bit under the weather but he did pick a winner:
Poor guy!!!!  But the winner is

Blogger weze said...
Congrats! It must be so exciting to get published!
April 7, 2011 5:19 AM

So.....Louise Johnson, email me your shipping addy and I will get this issue of Create by Scrapbook Trends out to you!!!!!  Congrats!!
Contact me at Juliesaddiction at gmail dot com

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Published in Scrapbook Trends!!

When I arrived home this evening after a fun dinner out at the local Pizza place with my mom and my daughters family there was a familiar looking box on my front doorstep........from Scrapbook Trends!!!  Its always so fun to get your project back and the copies of the magazine that it is in.  And usually so long ago you have forgotten about it, LOL!!  So this time I have a card...yep a card, me with a CARD of all things.....in the Create: Quick & Easy Scrapbooks and More special issue from Scrapbook Trends!! 
Check it out...this is the issue:
And this is my card...which I created using Best Creation Inc papers:
Its so exciting to see your creations and your name in print!!!!  When they send back your project they also send 2 copies of the magazine and some other scrapbooking goodies.  I always keep one of the magazines and give the other to which ever kid is in it.....but....in this case there isn't a kid in it......so........I AM GOING TO GIVE AWAY ONE COPY TO A PERSON RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE COMMENTS LEFT ON THIS POST!!!!  Sound good?  Ok,,, just leave a comment by Sunday April 10 and on Monday I will randomly select someone to receive this awesome magazine :)