Kodomo Japanese Style

Here's my latest ScrapFriends review.  I was lucky enough to play with some Japanese style products from Kodomo Inc.  I made a vase from this really cool thin wood sheet called Edo Ori Bako.  I also had the perfect opportunity to use some of the Mizuhiki cord I purchased a while back.  

Take a look at the other projects that people made, they are amazing! Here's the link to the review.

  

We just finished Midwinter break over here.  I studied for the first time in a week.  Hey, and my living room is clean thanks to company we had on Saturday.  Now the challenge is to keep it clean...

more later.  Until then...

A hui hou! 

How to Beat the Winter Blues...Simply Spring

Well, there comes a time (all season long for me) when we all want some relief from the cold dark winter.  Here are some projects I created with Tinkering Ink's Simply Spring stamp set.  I wrote a review on them, you can find it here.  I learned a lot about clear stamp materials and why some stamps are so cheap (Studio G) and some so expensive.  It might be interesting to you.  It was educational for me. 

I have re-discovered my Sakura Glaze Pens.  I love the way the ink flows so nicely.  I used these to color in the flowers and flourishes on my layout above and the card below.  Can you guess what my favorite stamp was?!  LOL. I just love those crows.  I used some Black Stickles on the crows in the card below to make the crows stand out.  

This last piece is an album made from a Love Elsie house album.  I created a header page and two photo pages for each season.  I used some of my hoarded Club Scrap paper for this one.  I love that paper so much, but it doesn't do me any good to be sitting in my accordian file.  And I also used some of my scraps from the Ice Skater Albums (love that Prima paper!). 

Happy Scrapping! 

A hui hou!

February Sketch

Here's a sketch that I just posted at ScrapFriends for the long weekend.  You can find more sketches in our layout and card sketch gallery, and post any of your creations in our sketch inspired gallery.  I hope you like it.   Remember a sketch is just a jumping off point for your creativity!  Go for it!~

Hey, check out the Flair Blog, my paper roses were on there along with some other really cool projects!  Thanks Flair Designs!  

Have an awesome weekend!

A hui hou!

Another Sketch

Here is the last sketch I created for January.  With so much interest in Project 365 and its variations, I decided to share a two page layout that I created one year for a New Years feast we have at our friend's house each year.  Here mother comes up from Hawai'i to cook a stupendous feast for us.  All the traditional Japanese Oshoogatsu (New Years) food and more!  

One year I took pictures of all the foods and wanted to create a layout.  Well, I take close up photos, so cropping is not an option.  I came up with this one to highlight the subject and my food pictures.  I hope you can find some use for it.  

Have a great day! 

a hui hou!

Mixed Media Arts

  
I don't often do much with mixed media.  I am lazy for the most part.  I love the look, but not the involved processes.  I enjoy much simpler things.   I was "forced" to create with mixed media this past month for a review of a new book "Exploring the Latest Trends In Mixed Media Arts".  This is one of the fun things about being a review team member over at ScrapFriends.  I have to stretch my creative muscle.  By the way, the book is a great one for finding recipes for all sorts of projects.  I think it is best for intermediate to advanced crafters though, unless you are a really motivated beginner. 

I have to say I was super excited about one project, a little Starbucks mint tin of all things.   You can read all about process here, but to make a long story short, I finally used a copper antiquing kit that I purchased with good intentions of using many many years ago!  I was tickled pink at how it turned out!

 

One more project I created were these pretty cool fabric/paper postcards.  The great thing about this project was that I used many of the little scrap and mismatched things that had lying around from other projects (I have a hard time throwing anything out).  I haven't actually sent one in the mail yet, but I have always been fascinated by mail art and can't wait to be a part of it.  In fact, this reminds me that I should go and do that right now! LOL

Hope you enjoyed these projects! 

a hui hou! 

How To Make Paper Roses

I created a "How To" over at ScrapFriends for the paper roses shown in yesterday's blog.  You can find it here.  I included a template for the petals and leaf in case you want to create it to scale.  You'll find it at the bottom of the page.  

While you are there check out the other really great tutorials on every topic.  One of my recent favorites is Tammy's Homemade Shimmer Mist.  It really works! 

LOL, I couldn't make a post without a photo.  this is DS doing his homework minutes before he asked me to get him a regular sized pencil LOL.  Cracks me up! 

A hui hou! 

Take care! BTW, we have snow again.  Can you believe it?! 

Sincerely Yours

Since it's close to Valentine's Day, here is another new paper collection I think you'll adore!  Sincerely Yours by Flair Designs.  I am really impressed how many manufacturers are creating their theme paper so that it can be used for more than just one thing.  What does that mean?   Case in point.  This collection can be used for much more than just Valentine's day paper.  It can be used for everyday layouts and heritage layouts and more.  

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My review for this collection over at ScrapFriends is a bit (very) wordy, (I'll have to work on that) but it includes the story about these paper roses (above).  

Just in case you want to learn how to make them, I have created a tutorial that will be posted soon on the ScrapFriends site.  In the "How To" I included a template for the petals and step by step instructions.  I'll post the link when it comes available.  They are really fun!  They take some time and patience, but it's worth it in the end!  

For those of you who would like a custom rose or two or three...I have some listed in my Etsy Shop and can make them to order.  

 

By the way , you can get this collection at Memory Villa.  They have tons of Flair Design items. 

a hui hou!!!

Word of the Year

With the encouragement of Tammy over at ScrapFriends I finally decided to "do" the "one little word" exercise for this year.  I did some "research" on Ali Edward's blog and came up with a wonderful word for myself. 

Noa is a Hawai'ian word meaning "Free." I have also heard it translated as "Boundless".  These two meanings really struck a chord with me.  I created this canvas with papers from the Basic Grey Bittersweet Collection, and I plan to hang it in the kitchen above the computer.  I think that I will also make another one for my bedroom.  

One technical note, if you look closely, you'll see some paisley designs on the light pink background paper.  This was created using watercolor crayons on acrylic stamps.  I colored the stamps with various colors using watercolor crayons, then spritzed it gently with water from a sprayer and stamped.  The images on the stamps were very thin, but I love the detail of the design.  

This project was created for my Scrapfriends review of Basic Grey Bittersweet Collection.  You can read more about the process here. 

Is it February Already?!

 

 

Where has the time flown?!  

I have created and reviewed and lived and enjoyed for the past few months.  I've jumped on the band wagon and am creating a 365 album with the focus on journaling.  I don't always take photos on the day of, nor do I write on that day, but I will end up with 365 journal entries (hopefully this year) of all the little things I don't usually get to write down. 

I'm starting a new schedule and have not blocked in a time for blogging, that's something that I'll have to change.  I have some really fun things coming up so I hope you will check back.  

Meanwhile, here is some of the work I did in January...

 

ScrapFriend Product Reviews: 

I have been very fortunate to review some new products in January.  With every review there are five opinions and projects to go with them.  Each review has brief information on how the projects were created.  I hope you will check them out for inspiration or information.  

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I got to play with Basic Grey's Bittersweet Collection.  It's a fun one!  I loved the patterns and colors!  The great thing about this collection is that it is not a Valentine's Day only set, you can use it for a variety of themes.  Click here to view the reviews and projects.

I created the little puzzle piece album (header) and the Christmas Layout with this collection.  Tomorrow you can see the last project I created with this great paper! 

This is the first of two January sketches created for ScrapFriends.  There are tons more if you ever get stuck and want some inspiration.  Renee does wonderful card sketches as well. 

  

That's enough for today.  Hope you have an awesome weekend!  

a hui hou!