Eek! My October Calendar Layout...

I just love October and everything that comes along with this time of the year. Today I enjoyed Watching Sandra Lee's Halloween specials old and new episodes. I also purchased (Yay!) a Design by Dani Halloween digital paper collection which is what I use in my October calendar layout.

The paper collection is called "It's Scary"and it's the complete kit. Can be found here, http://www.snapclicksupply.com/its-scary-complete-kit/.  I love it being it's affordable and it includes papers and the embellishments and easy to resize in Microsoft Word.

Along with using the paper from the collection, I also used the embellishments, Tim Holtz glitter glue in Xmas Red, Clear Rock Candy, Gold, and Lime Green. I also inked around the edges of the embellishments with Tim Holtz Black Soot.

Here's some pics.

As I have a Brothers printer, I printed the calendar from the Brother Creative Center which came with the printer because it was just easier for me.

I had fun creating my October calendar layout. Hope you try something new today.

Happy Crafting!

XOXOXO

Mischief and Mayhem! Day 2 of Countdown to Halloween...

Lol! Almost successful in finishing day 2 of countdown to Halloween project but not quite. There's mischief and mayhem abound in our household. I, being grandma, thought it a great idea that we all make bat hands. It's simple and quick. I print, cut out the pieces and all that's left is to glue them together and trace our hands so we can glue them on for the bat wings.

I downloaded a few of the countdown to Halloween activities and found one that's perfect for a 20 month old and a three year old. It's called "handprint bat craft." I found it at http://www.dltk-kids.com/p.asp?p=http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/phandprintbat.asp. You can either print in color or black and write and comes with printed instructions. I printed the ones in color and cut them out ahead of time. I inked the edges with Tim Holtz Black Soot.

Here's a pic of the bat pieces.

However, that didn't go as smooth as I had envisioned. I put some Halloween music on from the Pandora app to get us in the mood. Had us all sitting at the table but Avah, my granddaughter, had other plans. She kept getting up and trying to take every ones bat pieces and trying to get the glue. Tray, my grandson, kept wanting to mess with the glue.

After a few minutes of trying to round them up, we were able to get Avah's and Tray's bats glued together except the hands. Well, almost, because Tray decided to get up and try and flush his bat feet down the toilet because he said coming out of the bathroom wiping his hands together, "Now, my bat doesn't have any feet, there." So comical but I was a little flustered because I wanted everything to be perfect but that was so unrealistic. I know, I know, I know...

Finally, we round them up again and I was able to help Tray trace his hands and his mama and I got ours done. Avah, not so because by that time Tray didn't want to participate anymore. He took his blue Playdoh and rubbed it on my bat in the glue and Avah just couldn't sit still.

We knew it was time to call a halt to all the activities. But here's the pics of our bats.

Tray's bat with no feet!

Avah's bat with no feet or wings!

Ashley's bat!

My bat with blue playdoh!

 So what came to be, of a perfect envisioned countdown to Halloween project, a not perfect but memorable, one of a kind, family time well spent and I know we'll look back on this and laugh. Life isn't perfect, things don't always go as plan and that's what makes life's moments so wonderful and great.

So today I learn there's no mistakes in crafting, just "Happy Accidents." as Bob Ross calls them.

Happy Crafting!

XOXOXO

Scrapbook Calendar Page, September 2016...

September is nearing an end and autumn has just begun. With apple picking, burning fires, leaves changing and warm sweaters announcing fall has arrived and time for harvesting. I love all the warm colors of fall, the cool crisp evenings, the smell of burning fires and getting out the warm sweaters to wear while apple picking, the raking of leaves and everything else that comes along with the autumn season.

Hence the reason I painted my scrapbook page calendar holder in rich warm colors. I also started the calendar with September 2016. 

I layered and matted the month on pattern paper and used stickers, cut outs and embellishments. I inked the edges in Tim Holtz Black Soot and used gold Stickles on some of the flowers and the "S" on September.

I will continue scrapbooking a month a day until I reach August 2017. I found the free calendar printables at http://www.imom.com/. I saved it as a PDF and resized it before I printed. I also went over the lines, dates and month with black ink to make it darker.

I only use what's in my stash and haven't bought anything new to craft with. I'm trying to use up a lot of my stuff before I buy anymore scrapbooking stuff. Also, being broke and on a budget keeps me on a shoestring budget. 

I hope this or one of my projects inspires you to make something whether it be for the season, holidays or anything else of your choosing. Crafting is relaxing, fun and there's no right or wrong. Do whatever makes you happy.

On that note, I hope you have a wonderful day or night depending on where you live.

Happy Crafting!

XOXOXO

Turkey, stuffing, STUFFED...All we have to give thanks for on Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving comes every year and each and every one of us celebrate it in our own way. There's no right or wrong. We give thanks for everything we have and the good Lord above. Here at my house we don't do anything big and fancy. We don't go anywhere. We all just stay at home, relax, eat, watch football and pretty much do whatever fancy us.

We had a great Thanksgiving meal. We ate turkey, Stove Top stuffing, pan stuffing, green beans, mac-n-cheese, macaroni salad and Hawaiian King rolls. We all got STUFFED!!!

                                                       Here's my plate. LOL!

 I also fixed Spirit and Weewaa Thanksgiving Dinner too. They love the giblets and broth from the turkey.

Weewaa

                                                                              Spirit


Everyone ate until stuffed then went  separate ways to relax and unwind. My husband doing the football thing. "Dallas Cowboys all the way!", he says. My daughter and grandson are gone to Wal-mart. My granddaughter took a nap but now playing in her walker. Lastly, myself, writing this blog and hoping to get in some CRAFTING today.

                                                                          Miss Avah

 Mr. Tray

Boo! My first ATB (Artist Trading Block) and my first swap.

Bored, I went on Facebook to see what kind of groups I could join. I joined at least 25+ craft groups. After a while I weeded those now to just a few. Realistically I knew there was no way I would participate in all the groups. One group in particular, Girls, Giggles, Glitter and Glue, ultimately persuaded me to participate. Originally I would only watch and comment. I participated in an ATB or Artist Trading Block swap with our choice of any theme. Names were drawn and I had a partner. I, myself, didn't have any particulars for making my ATB but my partner liked, pinks, purples and turquoise, girlie theme.

I've seen the ATBs but never really paid attention to them. After looking on Pinterest, I decided to do my with a Halloween theme. I made the box approximately a 4" cube. Used the papers from an old Halloween Collection, I think maybe it's My Mine's Eye, something, something, something. Dyed the lace with some homemade ink spray I concocted after watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M3Ac3QGUyI . Attached some ribbon on all corners, hot glued the lace around the edges, screwed in some blue glass knobs for legs inked with black Stazon, Ranger Stickles, rhinestones, silver chain, rhinestone sprays, WOC (Wild Orchid Crafts) flowers, paper bat and some cut-outs all used on the ATB. Once finished, I just hoped my partner would like it. You know when you make something, you're always worried they might not like it but she loved it.:) Anywho, Thanks for taking the time to read and posted below is pics of my project.

If you like you can also watch a short video of the ATB on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnGmjQBjhbk . Until next time, Happy Crafting!