Family Mini album

Today I am over at eclectic Paperie, sharing this mini alum in the works.  Be sure to stop over for supplies used and a bit more detail.  

Thanks for stopping in.

Mary-Ann

Watercolor Flower

Today I am sharing a watercolor flower card created using Gelatos, stamps and Bazzill paper over at The Rubber Cafe.  I used this months Creative Cafe Kit of the Month.  Be sure to stop over and see how easy it is to create such a lovely card for any occasion.

Mary-Ann

My Work Space

Every once in a while I decide that I would like to share a small glimpse of what is in my workspace. The idea is not my own, I have followed Marcy Penner and a few others and have jumped on board with this whole Wednesday thing.  Often I wonder if my space is even worthy of sharing but this time, I think it is.  I was rummaging through my favorite local antique shop and they had just received a box of glass test tubes.  They were not even priced yet!  Just a couple days before, I had received my order of sequins from Studio Calico.  If I could insert a lightbulb here for effect, I would!  I had an idea to display my new gems in these really cool tubes.  I wish they would of had a rack to go with it but they didn't.  I also kick myself for not buying the bottle brush that was there, could have used it three times already:o(

I did buy an old coffee tin, which look great with the test tubes in the store.  Once I got home, washed them, and filled them, the sequins sat too low in some of the tubes you couldn't see them in the coffee tin.  I quickly changed that out for an old crock I had a plant in.  I must say, it was really really hard to wait for two days why the test tubes dried after cleaning.  There was nothing that I could insert to help speed the process.  These colorful guys would have stuck if the inside was even the slightest bit damp.  It was definitely worth the wait.

How do you small your sequins?  I would love to know.

Mary-Ann

A Flair for Buttons blog post - pool

It is my turn over at A Flair for Buttons.  I am thinking summer!  Not sure how long it is going to be before it gets here but the snow is clearing off of the pool and I can actually 75% of the cover.  We are ready for some warmth.  It has been a cold snowy winter here in New England.  Opps, got off on a tangent there for a second!  All this warm weather thinking made me dig out my Swim flair Shelley sent me and some warm photos.  This was a fun layout because Roman had his own party after school got out last year and planned his own menu for it.  Here is what I created.

I used Studio Calico, Chic Tags, Freckled Fawn (Oh Deer Me kit), a free printable from Anna-Marie Wolniak.

Thanks for taking a look.

Mary-Ann

Happy Mail

It is amazing how a little tiny package of goodness can make you happy for days.  I have so much to do on my to do list that these little guys are taunting me.  I have them on one of my mini platters my handsome husband brought me back from Spain.  I try to display them on something different every time I get a package.  Lord knows I have too many choices since I have such a dish fetish.  I have an obvious flair fetish too!  Thank you Shelley Haganman for helping get a fix!

Do, this is what is on my desk right now for Marcy Penner's Workspace Wednesday.  Along with a pile of things to do!

You can get your flair at A Flair for Buttons.

Mary-Ann

You're Beautiful

Hey folks, today I am created a couple of tags that are up over at The Rubber Cafe blog.  Be sure to stop on over and see what other designers are doing with this months Kit of the Month.

Mary-Ann

I Love Science

I think grandparents purposely give children presents that they would never of given their own kids!!  You know, things like drum sets!  My parents arrived after Romans birthday with a Science Experiment book.  Yes, fun to look at!  Not fun to clean up after.  However, I must say some of the things we did were really interesting and fun! We stripped a raw egg of its shell, we changed the colors of pennies, we layered liquid and learned about density, some of us (not me) foamed at the mouth with baking soda!  We even tried to suck an egg down into a bottle.  That we were not successful at.  Of course I lingered around while all these experiments occurred, I couldn't miss it!

Not long after playing with science, I had some really cool cards in my recent Project Life kit from Studio Calico.  They matched my vision perfectly!  

You can tell from this photo, just how much fun my boy was having.  The flair from A Flair for Buttons, works perfectly.

Thanks for stopping in.  Next project, exploding a bar of Ivory Soap in the microwave!  I have a board on Pinterest, with just Science Experiments if you want to check it out!

Mary-Ann

Christmas in March

Just kiddin!  Actually, I'm kinda kidding.  I am going to be out of commission at the end of the month for a while and have a list a thousand miles long to accomplish before then.  I have been wanting to create something to contain my Christmas card pictures that I have received over the last few years.  It has become such a popular thing, sending out photo cards and I just can not bring myself to throw any of them away.  I do not keep the card cards but I do the photo cards.  This project needs to be able to contain 2008-2013.  I have very few from 08-09 but then they started flying in.  Over at eclectic Paperie, there is an e Picks Challenge "do something with a Bag."  I remember seeing someone create a mini album with a gift bag.  So, down to the basement I go, digging through all my Christmas bags. I was looking for silver but don't have one.  So, I found a shiny red that works perfectly.  

I started by collecting papers that I wanted to use on the cover.

I cut my bag apart very carefully.  If you look close, I removed the complete bottom of the bag and the sides.  Leaving the larger part of the bag and the handles.

Feeling that my bag was too flimsy, I folded over the sides that were still attached to one side and added chipboard cut to size to the other.  You can apply chip to both sides if you want.

I created a clump of papers, tag and my title.  

Attached this to the front of my bag and threw it all in my sewing machine.  I did this so that my title would not come off in the next few years from being handled.  It also reinforces the whole front of my bag.  Nothing is gonna fall off this baby!

The trickiest part is creating a template and punching all of your cards.  I tried to arrange mine all in a certain order and by date.  It was tough.  

So people, in the future, add the date to your photo cards, makes it easier for people like me who don't want to throw them away!

Thank you for stopping by!

Mary-Ann

  

Family

It is my turn to post over at eclectic Paperie today and this is what I shared.....

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving last year, my mom, my sister and I were together.  It wasn't until last minute, when the sun had already gone down that we decide to capture a picture.  With the wrong lens (cause the right one was 4 hrs way!) I had my friend snap a few.  Even dark and dimly lit, you can tell that we were happy to be together.  I thank God daily for blessing me with two of my best friends.  

I created this layout with the amazingly beautiful Botanical Tea by Graphic 45.  You can probably tell by now, that something like Graphic 45 most often intimidates me.  This line, however, has got to be the best they have ever made.  It is stunning.  You have to see it to believe it.  Of course it is for sale in the shop!!

You can see here where I added a little gelato with water to create a small pink watercolor effect.  I also colored my Maya Road Butterfly with green gelato and water.  The stamps that you cut from the paper, are just delicious, back with foam tape for embellishment.

I added a few leftover Fancy Pants Resin Flowers and metal trinkets from Farmhouse Paper Company that I had in my stash.  A few drops of paint and my layout was complete.  

Thanks for looking.

Mary-Ann