Faux Prima Flower Tutorial

My friend, Shawna, and I were in the creative mood today and decided to try our hand at making some "Faux Prima Flowers".  These were pretty simple to make and once we got the hang of it...they were really quick...

Supplies:

scraps of synthetic, silky fabric

candle

decorative brad

scissors

tulle (optional)

Step 1: Cut circles of various sizes from synthetic fabric.  The fabric that works the best is thin, smooth, silky fabric.  We used different types of taffeta.  The circles we cut ranged from 1 1/2" diameter to 4" diameter.  You do not need to cut PERFECT circles, I didn't make a template or anything, just cut "circular" shapes.  You will need anywhere from 3-5 layers to make flowers like the ones pictured above.



Sample of a "not perfect" fabric circle.

Step 2:  Caution: be careful when executing this step!!!

  

just the edges are burnt/melted



Light a candle and hold the edges of the fabric circle next to the flame of the candle.  Since this fabric is synthetic, it will melt and it will melt really quick...therefore, just lightly place the edge of the fabric near the side of the flame.  Once the edge starts to burn/curl/melt, turn the fabric to melt a little further until you work your way around the whole circle of fabric.  This takes a little practice at first, but after you do a few pieces, it gets really quick and easy. 

   

     

entire surface is burnt/melted



For a little variety and texture, you can then hold the entire piece of fabric a few inches above the flame.  Once the fabric gets hot enough, you will see it begin to melt.  Move the fabric around a bit to get some melted "spots" on the whole circle.  IF you hold it too close to the flame, it will RAPIDLY burn a hole in the fabric.  PLEASE be careful doing this step. 



Step 3: Stack the layers on top of one another to form a flower.

 

edges burnt



edges and surface burnt



Step 4:  Pierce a hole through the center of all of the circles and place a decorative brad through them to hold everything in place.

 

Completed flower with edges only burnt.

 

 

Completed flower with edges and surface burnt.



Optional Layers:

As we were designing more and more flowers, we started adding extra layers of tulle.  We used various sizes of tulle...some had a very fine mesh pattern, others had a larger mesh pattern.  You DO NOT need to burn the tulle.  I think they all turned out beautiful. 

Although they look pretty thick and bulky, they are not, they flatten out and lay nicely on a scrapbook page.   Here is an example of my "test" flower on a scrapbook layout...

Have fun creating these flowers!!!

Tuesday's Titles: Title Ideas for "Animal" Pages

This week I'm including a collection of page titles for "Animal" themed pages.  I compiled this list using various websites, including http://scrapsayings.com/say-top.htm, http://www.theperfecttitle.com/, and http://www.scrapbook.com/titles.php.  Have fun scrapping those zoo and pet photos!!!

Animal Titles

A Bit Squirrelly
A breed above the rest

A Day at the zoo

A Day Among The Animals
A Zoo-tiful Day 

A Wild And Crazy Place 

A few at the Zoo

A "Zoo"per Day
A "Zoo"per Time

A Real Swinger
A Trunk Full Of ____
All Creatures Great And Small
Animals, Animals, Animals
Animal Farm
Animal House

Are We Watching Them Or Are They Watching Us. It's Hard To Tell
As Long As A Bunny Has A Tail, My Love For You Will Never Fail
At the Zoo

All dogs/cats go to heaven

A dog and his housekeeping staff live here.

A Healthy Diet Requires Lots Of Greens (animals eating lots of veggies)

A leopard cannot change its spots

An Elephant May Not Have Forgotten, But We Did
A Trunk Full Of Love

As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat,
Cats just tolerate us living in THEIR house.

As the bird/crow flies

Ask not for whom the dog barks ... It barks at thee.

Assistant to my dog/cat

Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Friends
Bear Bottom
Bear Hugs
Bad to the Bone (dog w/bone)

Bungle In The JungleBear Necessities
Birds Of A Feather Flock Together
Busy As A Beaver

Butterfly Kisses

Come On A Safari With Me
Come On A Safari With Me
Critter Country

Choo Choo To The Zoo

Cat and mouse

Cats /Dogs leave paw prints on your heart.

Cats are like potato chips - you can't have just one.

Chatterbox / Jabberwalkee (kids talking to each other - monkeys)

Choosing a dog may be the only chance you get to pick a relative.

Do reindeer really dash away?

Dogs accept you as the boss; Cats want to see a resume!

Dogs have masters - Cats have staff.

Dogs think they're Human and Cats think they're GOD!

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

Don't change horses in midstream

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched

Don't make me get the flying monkeys!!! (Wjizard of Oz reference)

Don't put all your eggs in one basket Dandy'lions
Don't Be A Bear... Smile
Don't Feed The Animals
Don't Monkey Around
Do The Zoo

Doctor Dolittle

Every Birdy Welcome

Every dog has it's day

Ewe Are LovedEverybody's Zooing it

Elephant Entertainment
Everything You Need To Know About Being A Monkey
Eye Of The Tiger
Frogs Rule, Dogs Drool
Foul Play Fun at the Zoo

Four Legged Friends.

Free as a Bird

Fur Ball(s)

Fur-Ever Friends

Funky Fur 

Getting In The Swing Of Things
Going Wild
Go dog Go! - Dr. Seuss (1904-1991 cartoonist of political satire and children's books)

Grin and BEAR it.

Grunt And Squeak And Squawk With The Animals 

Heaven's the place where all the dogs you've ever loved, come to greet you.

Hold your horses

Horse Chores

Horse lovers are stable people.

Horses leave hoof prints on your heart.

Horsin' Around

How much is that Doggy in the window?

Hangin' Around
Happier Than A Frog In A Rain Storm!
Horsing Around
Humongous
Happy As A Pig In Mud
Hogs 'n KissesI Zoo, Do You?
I Am Lion, Hear Me Roar
I Toad You So
I Work For Peanuts
If You Feel Froggy, Leap
If You Love Something, Set It Free
It's A Zoo Around Here 

I'm Just Wild About ____
I'm In The MOO-d For Love
I'm In The "Moo"-od For ___I'm Not A Pack Rat, I'm A Collector
In the Swing of Things
It's All Happening At The Zoo
It's a Jungle Out There
I am lion, hear me roar. Jump, Frog, Jump!
Jump'n Gee Hos-A-Fat
Just Ducky
Just 'Lion' Around
Just 'Lion' Around The House
Just Monkey'n Around

I toad you so! (frogs)

If I could talk to the animals -lyrics and music by Leslie Bricusse

If you want the best seat in the house, you'll have to move the cat!

I'm in the MOO-d for love. (cows)

In moments of joy don't we all wish we had a tail to wag?

In the Doghouse

It's a 3 dog night (an Alaskan/Inuit saying for a very cold night)

It's always dinner time. (dog eating, or with his bowl)

It's im-paws-ible! (lion, tiger, dog, cat stickers or paw prints)

It's really the cat's house - we just pay the mortgage/rent.

In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle, The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Jump'n Gee Hos-a-Fat (frogs)

Just hangin' out / around (monkeys-kids on monkey bars)

Kitten, kitten, who's got the kitten?

Lions, And Tigers And Bears, Oh My
Look Who's At The Zoo
Let's Get Moovin'Let me get this straight. . . my grandchild is a dog/cat.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

Licks of Love

Life without you would be un- BEAR -able.

LoonyToons

Lovable balls of mostly fur!

Mad as a Hornet

Man's best friend

Mommy, can we keep him/her?

Monkeyin' Around

My boyfriend said it was the cat or him ...Gee, I miss him sometimes.

My Cat Kneads Me!

"Mooey" Christmas
My Little Piggies

Meet Me At The Zoo

Monkey Business
Monkey See, Monkey Do!
Monkeyin' Around
Monkeying Around
More Fun Than A Tree-Full Of Monkeys
My Fur-vorite Animal Is ______
Never Try To Catch Two Frogs With One Hand
No Lion, The Zoo Was Grrreat!

No More Monkeying Around
Never put the cart before the horse

Never underestimate the warmth of a wet nose.

No outfit is complete without dog/cat hair.

Not a creature was stirring ...not even a mouse. - Clement Moore

Official Dog Walker Warning: we make frequent stops!

Our Little Monkey
Our Trip Was ZOO-pendous!
Our Private Zoo

Out of Africa

Old McDonald Had A Farm
Old McDonald Had A Farm... E I E I OPig Out
Pigging Out
Piggy Back Rides
Please Don't Hog The___
Party Animal
Please Don't Feed The Animals
Please Feed The Animals
Proud As A Peacock
Please don't hog the ................ (pig die cuts)

Proud as a Peacock . . .I wonder what makes peacocks so proud - it must be their kids.

Puppy Love

Quiet As A Mouse
Raining Cats and Dogs

Rodeo Queen/King in training

Roarin' Good Times
Safari Hunt 

So What Are You In For?
Someone Told Me It's All Happening At The Zoo!
Something To Crow About
Suburban Safari 

Something's Fishy
Strong As A Bull
Santa Paws / Claws (picture of cat or dog with Santa Hat)

Some Bunny loves you

Some days you are the top dog and other days you're the hydrant.

Something to crow about! (scarecrow)

Something's fishy around here.

Survival of the Fittest

The Bear Necessities

The Beary Best of Friends

The Beary Best Paw In all the Land (daddy bear and baby bear)

The Circle of Life (Disney's Lion King)

The early bird catches the worm

The pick of the litter ... Mom always liked you best! (ref. To the Smothers Brothers)

This place is a ZOO!

This place is for the BIRDS! (bird houses)

To the bat cave -- Batman!

Tuxedo Function/Junction (penguins / dressed up) Tall Tails
Talk To The Animals
The Eye Of The Tiger
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Facts Of Animal Life

This Little Piggy
This Little Piggy Went To The Market
The Reptile House

The Zoo Crew
The Mane Attraction
The New Zoo Review

Trip To The Zoo

Toadally Awesome
Urban Safari

Up on the WOOF top... (dog at Christmas)

Walk On The Wild Side
Walk With The Animals
Watch Out Zoo, Here We Come 

Where The Wild Things Are
We Belong In The Zoo 

Welcome To The Jungle
Welcome To The Zoo
What A Zoo!

Welcome To Our Funny Farm
What A Pig Sty
When Pigs Fly

Wild!!!

Wild Thing
Wild And Crazy Zoo Fun 

Wild Thing, I Think I Love You
Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing

Walk On the Wild Side

We are staying together for the sake of the dog/cat.

We have all four seasons:
Winter, Shedding season, Flee season, and Shedding season. (DOG or cat)

What chew lookin' at?

What happens when a duck flies up-side-down?...
He quacks up!

What time is it when the elephant sits on the fence?...
Time to get a new fence!

Where the Wild Things Are

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Whisky for my men, Beer for my horses. - Willie Nelson and Toby Keith

Who let the dogs out?? Who? Who? Who? Who?
Who's in the doghouse?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can make him drink.

You make my heart leap. (frogs)

You quack me up! (ducks)

You're not the boss of me ... my CAT is!

You're so dog-gone cute

You Can Have Any Color As Long As Its Green
You Have To Kiss A Lot Of Frogs To Find A Prince
You Make My Heart Leap
You Quack Me Up
You've Got The Cutest Little Monkey Face
You're My "Mane" Man!
You're The Best And I Ain't "Lion"
You're Un-'bear'-able

Zany Zoo
Zippitty "Zoo" Da

Zoo Crew

Zoo Day Fun
Zoo Fun
Zoo Hullabaloo
Zoo Life
Zoo Time
Zoobilee
Zoo'pendous Day
Zoo'pendous Time
Zooperstars
Zooper Zoo
Zoorassic Park
Zoorific 

Free File Friday!!!

In honor of the first day of fall this week...  The link to the file below is a .GSD file and anyone with a Silhouette can download and cut it.   Since there are some pretty small details, try not to cut it any smaller than the original file.   I created it using "QuigleyWiggly.TTF" and "JI Nature Bats.TTF" fonts/dingbats.  Enjoy!!!

Autumn Words

Tuesday's Titles: Title Ideas for "School" Layouts

This week I'm including a collection of page titles for "School" themed pages.  I compiled this list using various websites, including http://scrapsayings.com/say-top.htm, http://www.theperfecttitle.com/, and http://www.scrapbook.com/titles.php.  Have fun scrapping those back to school photos!!!

Graduation, School, and Teacher Titles

A Kid With Class
A No Brainer
A Second Chance
A Teacher Sees Tomorrow In A Child's Eyes
A Touch of Class
Adding It All Up
After School Special
All Booked Up
All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten
All Knowledge Begins With Wonder
An Apple A Day Keeps The Teacher Away
An Apple For The Teacher
Applause For A Great Teacher
Back To Basics
Back To Class
Back To School
Back To School Again
Back To The Books
Be True To Your School
Big Man On Campus
Black Board Fever
Black Board Jungle
Book Buddies
Books Are Food For The Brain
Brain Building
Brain Busting
Brain Overload
Brainiac
By The Yard It May Be Hard... But By The Inch It's A Cinch !
Caught Thinking
Class Of _____ (Year)Puzzling

Cruising the want ads.

Con GRAD ulations
Cool For School
Degree In Hand And Ready To Go
Degree In Hand And A Job In Your Pocket
Discover True Wild Life... Teach School
Do The Math
Education Is The Key
Ending? This Is Only The Beginning...
Explore The Genius Within
Fast Times At ________ High (Name)
First Class Teacher
From Diapers To Diploma
Glad To Be A Grad
Go Figure
Goodbye Dorm!
Goodbye School!
Good Old Fashioned School Days
Grad Night
Graduation Day
Graduation’s Here
Hard Work Pays Off
Hat's Off To The Grad
Hats Off
Hats Off To You
Hall Pass
Head Of The Class
Hello World
Hi Ho Hi Ho, It's Off To School I Go
High School Dance
High School U.S.A
Honor Roll
I Did It!
I Love School
I Made It!
I Think My Teacher Sleeps At School
I Use To Be Little, But Now I'm Going To School
In A Class Of His Own
Intellectual Property

It's hip to be SquareIt's As Easy As 1-2-3
It's As Easy As A-B-C

Just Hangin' OutLearn by doing

Land Of The Learning
Learning Can Never Be Erased
Learning Curve

The Learning ZoneLessons in Logic

Letter Perfect

Lessons In Logic
Let Your Light Shine
ife Is An Open Book, So Study
Line Up
Little Bookworm
Live And Learn
Looks Like We've Made It
Lots Of Learning Going On
Magic Bus
Make Your Mark
Making The Grade

Mechanical Reasoning

Make The Most Of Yourself
May All Your Dreams Come True
Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Mind Power
Miss Smarty
Music Teachers Are Really Sharp
Music Teachers Play The Right Note
My Class
My First Day Of School
My First Day Of School, My Mommy Cried, But I Went For A Fun Bus Ride
My Old School
My School Is Cool
My Teacher Has Class!
Neglect Not The Gift That Is In Thee
Next Step: College
Next Step: Real Life
No More Books

Number crunching/cruncher Now Willing To Consider C.E.O. Position
Old Teachers Don't Die, They Lose Their Class
Our Little Bookworm
Over Achiever
Pomp And Circumstance
Preschool Blues
Present Graduate... Future Millionaire!
Reach For The Stars
Readin' And Writin' And 'Rithmetic
Reading Rocks!
Reading Room
Ready For School
Ready To Move On To The Working World
Ready To Take On The World
Red Letter Day
Rock 'N' Roll High School
School Days
School Daze
School Is Cool
School Is Fun
School Is In
School Is Out
School Spirit
School Zone
School's Out!
School's Out For Summer
School's Out, Memories Past, Don't Ever Doubt, Our Friendship Will Last
Schoolhouse Rock
Sensational Student
Sharp As A Tack
Smart As A Whip
So Long Professor
So Long Teacher
So Many Books, So Little Time
Star Student
Still Learning
Stop The Bus
Study Buddies
Super Science
Teacher's Motto: If All Else Fails, Pray For A Fire Drill
Teacher’s Pet
Teachers Rule!
The Best Of Times, The Worst Of Times
The Bus Stops Here
The Dean's List
The Dream Is Now A Reality
The Freshman
The Graduate
The Harder You Work, The Easier It Looks
The Influence Of A Good Teacher Can Never Be Erased
The Learning Zone
The Magic School Bus
The Million Dollar Question
The Road To Success

Reach for the Stars

Reach high and touch the stars

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. So keep your mind limber - read more.

Ready to move on to the working world.

Realizing the dream

The roots of education are bitter, but the friut is sweet.~Aristotle

Sensational Student

Stop me before I volunteer again.

Strategy and Cunning

Super Science

Back to School/ the Books

A teacher should be inspiring, dedicated, creative, a leader.

A teacher with class (print the word class with ornate lettering)

Teachers bring the world into view

Teachers do the WRITE/READ/MATH thing.

Teachers - helping to shape great minds.

(Teacher's name) is a class act.

(Teacher's name) is in a class of his/her own.

Teachers light up our lives with love.

Teachers pet

Teachers Rule!!!

Teachers Touch Tomorrow/The Future

Teaching is an Art of the heart

Teaching is the work of the heart

Teaching with heart and soul.

The Tassel Was Worth The Hassle
The Wheels On The Bus
The Written Word
These Are The Best Of Times
This Day We Have Worked For
This Is The Day I've Been Waiting For
This Is The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life
This Too Shall Pass
Towering Achievement
Way To Go!
We Did It!
We Made It
Weekly Reader
Well, Ain't You Somethin'?!?
We've Only Just Begun
Whatever Happened To The Class of '___
With Honors

You Can Count On Me
You Can't Scare Me... I Am A Teacher
You Did It With Flying Colors
You Made It

Zany Brainy

Silk Flower Makeovers

I know the "Flower Rage" might be wearing off...but I don't mind...I still LOVE them on my scrapbook layouts!  My favorite thing to do is buy silk flowers stems, remove the plastic middles, and pull the layers apart.  Dollar Tree has GREAT ones every spring and fall.  I suggest examining them in the store to make sure each layer has AT LEAST 5 petals (they look funny when they are separated if they only have 4 petals).  Needless to say, I have 100's of silk flowers at a fraction of the cost of the ones found in the scrapbook aisle!  Rather than just using them "as is" on a layout, I like to dress them up.  Last night I came up with this quick "silk flower makeover"...

This is what the finished "flower makeover" looks like...

To create this flower, follow these steps:

I began with 2 scallop circle punches (2" diameter) and a silk flower(5" diameter).



I inked the edges of the scallops and cut 1/4" slits between each scallop.

I spritzed the scallops with a little water, crumpled them up, and let them dry.



Once dry, I uncrumpled the scallops, punched a mini hole in the middle, and re-inked the edges/creases.



I layered the scallops on top of the silk flower and attached them with a decorative brad.

Here are some other "silk flower makeovers"...

silk flower+felt+fabric+paper flower

Silk flower+tulle+fabric "roll"+rhinestone brad





Free File Friday!!!

I know it's a bit early...but with all of the Halloween decorations in the stores, I was inspired to create this Halloween design.  It is a .GSD file and anyone with a Silhouette can download and use it.  I created it using "TrickorTreat2.TTF" and "AddamsCapitals.TTF" fonts.  Enjoy!!!

spooky.GSD

Title Ideas for "Fall or Autumn" Layouts

There are hundreds of websites available that have lists of ideas for titles on your scrapbook pages.  I really like having these lists all in one place, so I don't have to go to 4-5 different sites to find them.  This week I'll include a collection of page titles for "Fall" themed pages.  I compiled this list using various websites, including http://scrapsayings.com/say-top.htm, http://www.theperfecttitle.com/, and http://www.scrapbook.com/titles.php.  Hopefully you will find it helpful to have this variety of "fall" titles in one place.  Happy scrapping!

Fall/Autumn Titles

A Festival Of Fall Color
'A' Is For Autumn
A Rainbow Of Autumn Colors
And The Leaves Came Tumbling Down
Apple Of My Eye
As Autumn Leaves Turn
As The Leaves Turn
Autumn Awareness
Autumn Colors
Autumn Days Are Here Again
Autumn Festival Time
Autumn Harvest
Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down
Autumn On My Mind
Autumn Splendor
Autumn Time
Autumn's All Around Us
Autumn's Here
Autumn's In The Air
Autumn's Palette
Awesome Autumn
Bonfires Of Autumn
Buried Treasures (Under Leaf Pile)
Bushel Basket Harvest
Can't Hide The Autumn Leaves
Celebrating Fall
Changing Leaves
Changing Seasons
Chasing The Winds of Fall
Chillin' in Autumn
Color Me Autumn
Color My World Happy
Colorful Autumn
Colors Of Autumn
Colors Of Fall
Crisp Days Of Fall
Crunchy Leaves Cutest Pumpkin In The Patch

Cow patties

Cow puncher

Cutt'n' Up (a pumpkin)

A day in the country is worth a month in town

Down on the Farm

Fall on the Farm

Falling Into Fun

Farmboy/girl

Farmin' Fun

Farm livin' is the life for me. - Green Acres

God's Little Acre

The Great Pumpkin -Charles Schultz

Grow 'em Big and Grow 'em Orange

Growing like a weed

Hay rides are for horses.

Hay seed (bib-overalls)

Happy Fall Y'all!!!

How many fieeelds dij-yall plant taday? (bib-overalls)

Leap into Leaves

Leeeeef Piiiile

Let's go cow tippin'

Nothin' beats fresh farm air (pig pen, horse/cow barn)

Old McDonald had a farm

Pick of the patch (pumpkin or strawberry)

Rough Neck

Seasonal Splendor

Share your bountiful harvest!!

Shine on, shine on harvest moon - up in the sky.

Thank God I'm a country Boy! -John Denver

There's a chill in the air.

Dancing Leaves, Falling Down On Me
Fall Colors Are So Bold
Fall Family Fun
Fall In _______
Fall Into Autumn
Fall Into Autumn Memories
Fall Guys
Fall On The Farm
Fall School Days
Fallin' Into Fun
Falling For You
Falling In Love Again
Falling Into Fun
Falling Leaves
Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Fence
Flavors Of Fall
For Goodness Sake... Grab A Rake
Found The Great Pumpkin
Frost on the Pumpkins
Glorious Days Of Autumn
Golden Days
"Hay" Fever
Harvest Happenings
Harvest Time
Harvest Season
Hayrides And Pumpkin Pie
Hayrides Are For Horses.
Have A Good Fall, Y'all
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off To Rake We Go
Hello Fall
I'm A Pleasing Pumpkin
In Search Of The Perfect Pumpkin
Indian Summer
Into Each Life A Little “Fall” Must Rain
It "Leaves" You Breathless
It's An Autumn Magic Day
It's Fall, Ya'll
It's Pumpkin Time
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Jump Into Fall
Just A Little Bit Corny
Kaleidoscope Of Colors
Leap Into Leaves
Leaf It To Me
Leaf Me Alone
Leaf Your Troubles Behind
Leaves Abound From All Around
Like A Graceful Ballet Dancer, The Autumn Leaves Flutter About
Lookin' For The Great Pumpkin
Love Those Leaves
Mommy's Little Pumpkin
My Little Pumpkin
Never Fear... Autumn Is Here
October Fest
October Fun
Orange, Brown, Red, And Gold
Orange, Yellow, Green, Red, Another Leaf Hit My Head
Our Basket Overflows With Autumn Memories
Pieces Of Autumn
Pick Of The Patch
Picking Pumpkins
Picking The Pumpkin
Piles Of Leaves, Piles Of Smiles
Piling Up The Memories
Playing In The Leaves
Pumpkin Faces And You
Pumpkin Hall Of Fame
Pumpkin Parade
Pumpkin Patch Princess
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkins Come And Pumpkins Go, But A Jack-O-Lantern Steals The Show
Pumpkins For Sale
Pumpkins 4 Sale
Punkin’ Patch
Rainbow Of Autumn Colors 
Rake, Dump, And Jump!
Rakin' In The Fun
Raking Leaves
Raking The Days Till Christmas
Scarecrows Are Too Cute To Scare
Scarecrow For Hire
Seasonal Splendor
Shades Of Autumn
Share Your Bountiful Harvest
Shine On, Shine On Harvest Moon
Silly As A Scarecrow
So Many Pumpkins, Which One Do I Choose?
Something To Crow About
Spring Ahead, Fall Back!
Summer Falls Into Autumn
The Apple Dumplin' Gang
The Apple Dumpling Gang
The Beauty Of Fall
The Golden Days Of Fall
The Great Pumpkin
The Great Pumpkin Caper
The Great Pumpkin Venture
The Perfect Pumpkin
The Pick Of The Patch
The Season Has Changed, Fall Now Reins
Too Corny
Turning Over A New Leaf
Way Down Yonder In The Pumpkin Patch
We Live For The Bounties Of Fall, But The Harvest Of Friendship Is Blessed Above All
We Rake, We Pile...We Jump!
Welcome To Our Patch
We're 'Haying' A Good Time
What Did One Pumpkin Say To The Other Pumpkin?
Who You Gonna Call, Leaf Busters!
You Color My World

Handmade "Vintage" Flowers

Sometimes I get on a handmade flower "kick" when I'm scrapbooking and I have to search the Internet for some unique handmade flower tutorials...I found this great YouTube video a few months back.  The narrator created the most beautiful flowers.  Here is the link to Part 1 and  Part 2 of the tutorial.  These are a little time-consuming, so I make a few at a time, so I have some extras.

Below are some pictures of my finished flowers...

 

Free File Friday!!!

Since I really didn't know what I was doing when I began my blog...only that I wanted it to be about scrapbooking...I decided today that every Friday I will put up a "Free File Download" for everyone to enjoy.  I have a Silhouette machine, so this week's download is a .GSD file. 

I decided since tomorrow is September 11th, that I would design a file to be used on a "memorial" page.  Since there are some "thinner" lines in the file, you may not want to size it down much more than it is in the file.  If you cut it at the current size, it's approximately 4"x6".

never forget GSD

Managing Memorabilia

Some of the most important items in my scrapbooks are pieces of memorabilia.  Ticket stubs, maps, programs, flyers, my 4 year old's artwork, wristbands, locks of hair, cards, all of these things and more I consider to be memorabilia.  These are the items I collect to use in my scrapbooks in addition to my pictures and memories...and sometimes these items can get out of control! 

A few years back (just after my daughter was born) I finally figured out a system to organize my memorabilia until I am ready to use it on a layout.  Before I utilized this system, I was constantly forgetting about (and misplacing) the memorabilia I had collected.  Inevitably, I would scrapbook a layout and forget to add the memorabilia to it.  This began to get very frustrating...and with a new baby, I knew I had to find a better system to organize my memorabilia.  This is the system I came up with...

Step 1:
I keep a hanging basket on my desk.  Every time I get a new piece of memorabilia, I date it (if necessary) and toss it into the basket.  This is a very quick, simple process, it only takes me a few seconds...so all of memorabilia ends up in this basket almost immediately after I collect it.

Basket full of memorabilia.

Step 2:
Every 6 to 12 months (when the basket fills up) it's time to organize the contents.  I empty the contents of the basket on a table...I briefly look at the items as I am emptying the basket, so I "kind of" know what I have in there. 

Everything that was in the basket.

Step 3:
I grab a stack of 6"x9" Manila envelopes.  You may need to use the larger ones...but these smaller ones work for me.  I use one envelope for spring, one for summer, one for fall, and one for winter (of each year).  If you have lots more memorabilia, you may consider having an envelope for each month of the year.  It really just depends on how much you collect.

Step 4:
I start going through all of the memorabilia, one item at a time, placing each item in its corresponding "season" envelope.  As I put each piece into the envelope, I write the date and the item description on the outside of the envelope. This list of "contents" makes it very easy for me to find something without having to dig through a huge pile stuff.  I also purge some (but not much) of the memorabilia I have collected at this time.  Usually I find one or two things that I just know I will probably never use in my scrapbooks, so I throw them out. 

Envelopes for 15 months of memorabilia...
with the "contents" listed on the outside.

This is an example of what is inside of one of the envelopes
(Summer 2010)

Step 5:
After my memorabilia is all in its corresponding envelopes, I place these envelopes into an expandable accordion file.  I can usually fit 2-3 years worth of memorabilia into the accordion file before it is "busting at the seams". 

Step 6:
There are some items that I do not include in these envelopes...
--When we go on vacation I keep all of the vacation memorabilia together in a plastic bag.  There is usually quite a bit of stuff and it would fill many 6x9 envelopes.  So I keep it separate.
--I do not keep the kids' birthday cards in the envelopes either.  Instead, I tie a ribbon around each years' cards and put the date and child's name on a tag on top.  I will not be putting all of their birthday cards into my albums...but I cannot bring myself to throw the cards away either :)

This is a bag from our Texas Vacation earlier this summer...
waaaay too much stuff to fit into the 6x9 envelopes!

Step 7:
Finally, I store my expandable accordion files full of memorabilia, vacation memorabilia bags, birthday cards, and old calendars on a shelf of my bookshelf.  It is all there, easy to find and easy to access when I am working on a layout...which brings me to my last point...how I incorporate the memorabilia into my albums without forgetting what I have.

My organized shelf of all things memorabilia-related!

Step 8:
I try to put a little note to myself on my "journaling index card" about what memorabilia I need to include on a layout.  This way I know to look for the envelope that corresponds with the date of the photos I am working with when I sit down to scrap.  If I forget to make myself a note on my index card, I can just pull the envelope for the "season" and year I'm scrapbooking and check the contents listed on the outside to see if there is any memorabilia to include on my layouts.

It might be a bit time consuming to set this system up...but now it takes me less than 1 hour to go through a year's worth of memorabilia, put it into envelopes, and write the contents on the outside.  It is definitely worth one hour of time now, than to dig through a cardboard box of ticket stubs, maps, and cards to look for a lock of hair from my baby's first haircut when I'm trying to get that page scrapped!!!