Homemade Baker's Twine

I found that I really liked using bakers twine, but didn't really have the storage space to have it in every color.  So trying to be resourceful and get more for my buck.  I found a way to make my own.  Using crochet thread, a ruler and my Copic Markers.  

Start by wrapping the crochet thread around a standard 12" ruler.  tape the beginning end down and wrap as little or as much as you want to make.  Make sure as you are wrapping the thread stays tight together and around the ruler.  After wrapping to the length you want, cut the thread and tape down the end.

Take out which ever Copic markers you want to use to match your project.  I used B29 and R29 on this one since I was using it for my design team project (stars and stripes).  As you can see you can use as many colors as you want.  Using the chisel side draw lines down across the thread on both sides of the ruler.

Since Copic is alcohol based it dries almost instantly.  You are ready to go for any project!

Our latest Mosaic Moments Design Team Challenge was to use black and white photos.  I took a trip out to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge early one morning to get some great shots of the wildlife.  We were also asked to try photo tinting, which I have wanted to try and never have.  I think it came out great and will definitely do it again.  You can see the full story on my Journella Page.

Our June literary inspiration for the Mosaic Moments Design Team was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  One of my favorite British Lit. Authors.  I love that she would include in her stories commentary on the local society and customs.  For this challenge, I decided to focus on Pride and what I was most Proud of... My Scouts.

You can see the link on my Journella page for the full story.

This was a special project for me.  At my son's elementary school his 3rd grade teacher had a wonderful idea to have a ladies tea for the 3rd grade girls that needed a little extra attention and instruction on being a lady.  So she suggested a tea and I asked if I could be apart.  She willingly said yes, not knowing what she was getting herself into.  LOL  I took a giant leap and was so incredibly blessed! The girls learned a lot and we had so much fun with them.  They really touched my heart and I am a better person for having had this opportunity to be apart of their lives.  

As a thank you gift for Mrs. Huttie, I started working on a project, about a month ago, using Graphic 45's Botanical Tea paper collection.  I used a small box I found at the dollar store and recovered it with different papers from the collection.  I used liquid glass on the teapot on top, some great metal embellishments and bits and pieces from the paper collection.  I painted small wooden balls and attached at the bottom like feet and sewed on a metal teapot and rose to the ribbon attached to the lid.  

I decorated inside the box as well.  On the inside cover is a small pocket that a tag fits in.  (my thank you note)  The quote "Keep Calm and Act Like a Lady" is the one we used through out our tea and had put on Tea-Shirts for the girls.  The box holds a mini tag book album I made with pictures of our weeks of tea as a memento.  It was a fun project.  I love altered art projects and mini albums, and this project combined them both.  

Oops!  Forgot to blog my last two Mosaic Moments design team challenges!!  Sometimes life gets so busy I lose track.  This was our 1st challenge for May.  We were to take our inspiration from the Book/Movie "Letters to Juliet."  The book is based on the real group in Italy called the Juliet Club.  They answer letters sent to Juliet of Verona, Italy.  Yes, that Juliet, from Romeo and Juliet.  People all over the world leave letters in the wall or mail them to ask for advice or to tell of their love story.  I wanted to tell of my grandparents love.  You can see the details and full story on my Journella page.

Our second challenge for the month was Flowers.  I have had these great sunflower doilies that I got from the dollar store a few years ago and I was just waiting for the right time to use them.  Creating this page really made spring seem as thou it had arrived.  You can view the full story on my Journella page.

G45 Botanical Tea

I have loved playing around with the new Graphic 45 papers that we got in the Scrappigators store.  I created the following card so that we had a project for our display board at our show this weekend, Stamp Scrap and Art Tour in Oaks, PA.  

I started with the following papers from the Botanical Tea collection: Love Notes, Spring Duet, Herbal Infusion and Hello Friend.  

I choose the Hummingbirds from the Love Notes page.  I measured 3.5 x 5.5.  I knew I wanted to layer so I went up .25" on the measurements with the Spring Duet paper and then .5" on the Herbal Infusion paper.  I also cut the Hello Friend from the border strip on the Hello Friend paper. 

 I inked all the edges first, then used my distressing tool (edge scrapper).

I wanted to highlight the breast of the hummingbird since they are, in nature, very beautiful, so I added diamond stickles to both birds.  Because the measurement of the largest paper was 4 x 6 I decided to make my own card base at 8 x 6 and scored it on my scoreboard.

On the card front I placed the Herbal Infusion paper then the Spring Duet.  I then took a paper doilly and using the same ink I inked the edges and cut it in half, placing each half on opposite edges of the card and off set them for a different look.  I put the Humming bird piece on next.  I then attached, using foam dots, the Hello Friend tag to give it some dimension and also on the butterfly I cut from the other side of the Spring Duet paper.  I found some decorative pearl embellishments in my stash and cut two curls out and placed them on the card.  

Glad you stopped by!  Stay tuned for more!  :)

I decided to do a tag for my Mom for her birthday this year instead of a card.  I really love the Graphic 45 Ladies Diary paper pack so I decided to see what I could do.  I used an old manila folder to make a tag (gotta love up-cycling) I took one of the patterned papers to cover the front of the tag and a different one for the back.  I used the image of the woman from one of the other papers to cover the front.  I cut out the stamps and used liquid glass on them to give them some texture.  I found another dogwood blossom to cut out and popped it up with a foam dot.  The roses I cut from another piece and used diamond stickles to highlight the petals and leaves.  I used foam dots to pop these up as well and then tucked behind the roses one of the small postcards that come in the paper pack.  I used momento ink to ink all the edges and also to antique up the small postcard.  

All items in blue can be found on the scrappigators website for sale.  If you don't see it there, contact us directly as we are constantly updating our online store.

Our 2nd challange for MMDT 2014 month of April was to take inspiration from the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.  The book is a great story of what happens to our environment went we don't care enough to take care of it.  I love nature and when the bypass was built here in Delaware I really had a hard time with it.  I rarely ever use it.  As you can see on the 1st page the highway has left our wetlands a deserted and dried up mess.  You can still see the beauty of the wetlands at the Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge which I have highlighted on page 2.  For the full story and how the page was created check out my journella page.

Our latest MMDT 2014 challenge was a spring scavenger hunt.  Spring's arrival has been long overdue and much desired!  With a list of 25 items to find I had to get a plan together to hunt down the items.  I visited the local Garden Centers in my area as well as I went nowhere without my camera just-in-case.  I even grabbed the picture of the Forsythia bush by pulling over on the side of the road, after dropping of the kids at school, rolled down the passenger side window and snapped the picture.  (I don't know who's yard it was in, but it was very pretty)  

I decided to go with Mosaic Moments Spring Green grid paper to add some more brightness to the pages.  You can click here to go to my Journella page to see the whole story about the hunt.

Our latest challenge for the MMDT 2014 was to take inspiration from the book A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  I think my over reactive imagination went too far left out of the box this time.  I've read the book and thought if the Margathean's built me a planet I would want Europe to definitely be there, since I traveled there with my french class in 1986.  So I figured A French Student's Guide to Europe would fit the bill.

You can go to my journella page to see how it was put together and to get the english translation to my journaling. (see link below)


  
http://www.journella.com/storyboard/fullview/id/12439/Travel-French-students-guide-to-Europe!  

Scout Day at the Zoo

 MMDT challenge #5 was to use the photo bleed (taking picture, or paper to the edge of the page) and overlapping at least 2-pics.  We were also asked to use burlap, material or felt.  I had a great time putting these pages together, since they reminded me of the great day we had at the Brandywine Zoo with the cubscouts.  You can see the full story on my Journella page at: http://www.journella.com/storyboard/fullview/id/12414/Family-Life-Scout-Day-at-the-Zoo

Forget the Queen, I'll take the King!

 

February's first challenge for the Mosaic Moments Design Team had us taking our inspiration from Hearts.  So, February = Valentines, Valentines = Hearts, Hearts = Queen of Hearts, Queen of Hearts = Alice in Wonderland, Alice in Wonderland = Mad Hatter, Mad Hatter = Johnny Depp, Johnny Depp = King of Hearts!!  All very logical.  LOL  Had a great time doing the layout. 
You can read all the details on my Journella page at: http://www.journella.com/storyboard/fullview/id/12341/Other-Forget-the-Queen,-I'll-take-the-King!

 The 15 pictures come from: 21 Jump Street, The Rum Diaries, Alice in Wonderland, The Lone Ranger, The Secret Window, Dark Shadow, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Platoon, Blow, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Tourist, Edward Scissorhands and Peoples Sexiest Man Alive layout.

Valentines Day is only 3 weeks away!  I put together a 3-card kit of Mosaic Moments RTC paper cards for the occasion. They will be available starting tomorrow at the Becky and Clare's crop downstate and thru Scrappigators.com.

Bonus card idea!  This great card has quilled hearts and kisses (x's).  In my quilling class last week I had the ladies make extra elements that we will be putting on this card when I teach this at our card class in Kenton on Feb. 3rd.  The hearts are made by attaching two teardrops together and the kisses are two v-scrolls attached together at the points.  Such a fun way to say I Love You!

You can see more card ideas on my Journella page at: http://www.journella.com/storyboard/index/story/author/authorid/1027

Our 2nd challenge for the Mosaic Moments 2014 design team was to take inspiration from the Hans Christian Anderson's 'The Snow Queen'.  We had a great snow day in January and I took some great shots of the pine trees with the wonderful blue shadow they cast.  For the full story you can go to http://www.journella.com/storyboard/fullview/id/12294/Family-Life-Blue-Snow!

 

                                       

My latest organizational project.







My first MMDT2014 challenge.  I was so excited to make the Mosaic Moments Design Team for 2014.  Our first challenge was 'all about me'.  So we had to introduce ourselves.  I'm not big on talking about myself, but I managed to rise to he challenge.  You can see the entire story with details at http://www.journella.com/storyboard/fullview/id/12202/Other-The-new-girl-on-the-block!  Stay tune for more.