Its Halloween Season!

 I can’t believe it’s October already! This year is just going by super fast. Have you decided what you want to be for Halloween yet?

Next week is already time our yearly community fall festival. I will be a volunteer again this year. It’s mostly for the kids but it’s fun to see them in all their costumes and we will be showing them a great time. Lots of games and candy to be had.
My friend Cheryl and I made these cute mini witch’s hats to attach to headbands so we can wear them at the festival.


 My camera phone didn’t do these justice but you can still see how adorable they are.

I also took some time to complete a Halloween mini book I started last year and set aside. I tend to do this a lot so I made it my mission to complete old projects this year. I took Amy Tan’s class “Get Your Creative Juices Flowing” at Big Picture, where she taught how to make mini books like her Daybooks.
Here are a few pics of my Halloween mini book. 



This was a fun and easy book to create and I used up some Halloween paper and embellishments I had in my stash.  Most of the papers were Little Yellow Bicycle. The Fence, spider and Spooky were cut with the Cricut. I can’t remember who made the journaling cards and the embellishments where from Fancy Pants, K&Co, etc.  (Don’t remember who made all of the items.) 

Well, I hope you have a Safe and Happy Halloween and get lots of candy!
Cat

Using up my old stash.

I was just popping in to say hello and share a couple of cards I made this week.  I hope everyone had a nice summer, labor day and an easy back to school week.  

This summer, I have been very project focused.  This year I was determined to go back to some old projects I never finished and complete them.  So far, I've completed 4 projects that have been laying around for quite a while. (Yay!)  And it was fun combining those old supplies with newer embellishments and paper.  

Anyway, these cards were made using the WRMK Elegant paper collection.  I also found some old Prima flowers from the Got Flowers? collection that were a perfect match for this paper.  If you are a loyal reader you know that I love combining old with new and these little flowers are probably 5 years old now.  Yet, I still have a ton of them and I don't want to get rid of them.  So how many jars of old Prima flowers do you still have in your collection?

The little pearls are actually made using the Viva Decor Pearl pen in Sunny Yellow.  The chipboard tag is also old and unknown now.  The stamps are KI Memories and the Hello sticker font is also from an old card making kit by Lisa Bearnson and Becky Higgings.   

I've been working on busting through my stash lately so you will see more projects that combine old and new soon.   

Are there any supplies you own that aren't "in style" anymore but you just can't seem to get rid of it? I have a bunch, like the foam stamps.  I still love the designs but just don't think to use them.  Please share some of your tips for using up your stash with me. 

All I ever see in scrapbooking and cardmaking blogs is new, new, new. And I can no longer justify (to myself) purchasing the huge amounts of scrapbooking supplies I used to.  It just seems like such a waste sometimes.

So, until next time...happy stash-busting!

Cat 

Another Magazine Bites the Dust

Well, Scrapbooks Etc. announced on Wednesday that they are shutting down production and August will be their last release.  
This saddens me because it was the only scrapbook subscription I had left.  
I let my Creating Keepsakes subscription lapse back in February because I was irritated by all their cutbacks and lack of inspiring new ideas. It just wasn't worth the money anymore.  
For more information, you can visit this article on Scrapbook Update.  They also have another article about the print industry and how it's affecting the scrapbooking and crafting magazines.
I left this comment to express how I feel about this news:

They say the cost of publishing is too much, but I just don’t see it. I would think publishing a scrapbooking magazine is way cheaper than it is for lots of other magazines in the market. I mean, aren’t they just taking pictures of pages that are submitted to them? It’s not like they have to find an exotic location, a model/s and a first rate photographer (plus assistants and other artists) like fashion and beauty magazines do. They also don’t have top notch writers writing in depth articles. Most have very little creative writing in them. It’s mostly instructional writing which is pretty easy.
And anything they use to create for an editorial is usually donated by manufacturers.

Why can’t they continue to publish digitally? Scrapbooks and Cards Today does it and it’s free!
I’m sad to see my favorite scrap magazine shut down but I’m mad at them for not trying harder even if just out of loyalty to its many readers. It’s easy for a big CEO to bring down the ax but they forget that it leaves a sour taste in all our mouths and that taste never goes away.

What do I care about any new publications they release now? (Insert expletive here) them! From now on I’ll use my dollars towards new supplies. I was also burned by Scrapbook Answers, Simple Scrapbooks, PaperKuts, Memory Makers and now, Scraps Etc. But that’s it, I’m done! No more magazines for me.

So, how does this news affect you?  Are you a current subscriber to Scrapbooks Etc.?


Cat

Christmas Projects at The Little Blue House

The Little Blue House is our local paper crafting studio.  They have beautiful projects you can create every season and I wanted to share some of the neat things I made at the House this season.
A glittered and blinged up washer necklace.  I’m going to make more of these.  They were lots of fun, Simple and make a great gift.















A cute magnetic post it note holder.  Adorable right?

A lovely lollipop flower.

               

And many more little gifts. 

We also made a gorgeous Origami Christmas Tree Canvas. All with our own supply stash!

 

Here’s a couple of close ups

These projects were great fun to make. So support your local scrap store and sign up for one of their classes today!
Have a great holiday! 
Cat
Linky Parties

Important Announcement & DIY Deco Tape

Hi everyone. Today I wanted to announce that I went ahead and changed this blog’s (URL) address to http://scrapbites.blogspot.com.  Please note the change in your readers (http://ohkianex.blogspot.com is NO longer active). 

This change not only better reflects the content of the blog but also reflects the title. When I started this blog, I didn’t plan on focusing so much on my crafting and yet, it took over.  Thanks for sticking with me even though I’m not a regular poster. 

Now, on to today’s DIY project. Deco Tape.  I’ve seen some bloggers create their own out of masking tape but mine is made from this stuff called Hinging tape by Lineco. I found it at Hobby Lobby on clearance but I believe it’s available online.  Anyway, it’s got a nice fabric-ky texture and is slightly transparent.  And you get 150 ft or 50 yards of the stuff.  It’s also easy to tear and acid-free! So feel free to use in your scrapbooks.

Okay, so on to my finished deco tape.  I colored them with permanent markers (Bics and Sharpies) and stamped them with ink and white paint. 

Now, I have a nice assortment of tapes to use and without having to pay $8 a roll for the stuff. And I still have more than half the roll left!I can also make them as needed, but for now I can use and play with these.

So have you tried making your own deco tape? If not, then get started. It’s quite a relaxing project.

Cat 

 

 

My First Blog Award & Catch-up

Yay! I was given a blog award by Jackie at Scrapping Latina! Thanks so much Jackie! I was super surprised since I am by no means a big wig in the blogging world. But I think this award will motivate me to post more and share more with other crafty bloggers.

The Liebster Blog award is given to bring new blogs to light. It's a great way to share blogs that might not otherwise be seen or ones you want to share with others.

As a recipient you must share the love and pay it forward by:
1. Creating a post where you blog about the Liebster award & reveal your 3-5 blog picks
2. Let them know you chose them
3. Copy & paste the blog award on your blog
4. Have faith that your followers will rally & show their crafty love back out to those you awarded
5. Have fun!

I had a really hard time finding newer bloggers since most blogs I visit have been around for a while and have a very large following. So I just picked three that I follow and I thought deserved some recognition.

1. Fabrizio at CraftingMad.blogspot.com

2. Kyle at TheGreenCricut.blogspot.com

3. Ginger at Memories-by-gn.blogspot.com

Enjoy your awards bloggy friends!

Now I know Valentine's is over but I wanted to share a pic of the LOVE banner swap we had over at ScrapaholicsQClub. And I wanted to say thanks to all the girls that participated. Everyone did a lovely job.

Next, I wanted to share a couple of layouts I completed that were started at a Little Blue House Page Builder's session. These were done using a Brenda Pinnick kit I got from QVC a few years ago. With some embellies from other suppliers such as Fancy Pants felt and Making Memories journaling spot and brads and rhinestones.

Sorry, these pics aren't the best. I just took them from my work table.

So that's all I have for now. Thanks again to Scrapping Latina for the sweet recognition.

Cat

Belated Happy Everything!!

Okay, so I missed wishing everyone Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. But I didn't forget to pop in and wish you a Happy Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Are you ready for it? Did you get all the people you love a token? We're not big on Valentine's but I do love all the cute products and ideas that are available for this holiday. So, when I found some great digital art, I decided to make cards out of them.


Now, I'm not a big digital designer, but sometimes I love the ease of just printing and creating with none of the mess. I just used some glitter, an Anna Griffin border punch, some twine and scalloped scissors and voila! Simple and cute.

These adorable digital prints were downloaded from It's a Crafty Life and Eighteen25. Thanks for the great art ladies!

Next, a friend and I decided to try our hand at making some milk cartons without the Stamping Up Die. We found a bunch of video tutorials on YouTube and managed to create our own and design our own carrier. Here's my take on them.




Aren't these precious?! And no die needed! I am going to fill them up with some Valentine yummies for my sweetie. Once I get a chance, I will post a tutorial for these on ScrapaholicsQClub in the near future. So keep an eye out for that if you want to make your own for Easter, Mother's Day or whenever. I used Little Yellow Bicycle Paper for this one and a Martha Stewart heart punch.

Next, I leave you with a scrap page I just created. Yep, these pictures are from 2003, but hey are you all caught up on your scrapping?


Here's a close up of the glitter and foil effects on the paper.
The paper was DCWV autumn stack and the die cuts were purchased at Michaels. I've had them for a couple of years now so I don't remember what company made them. I created the collage on my computer with Foto Fusion. I love their collage program; it's super simple and quick to make great collages. I purchased their program about 5 years ago and I still love it.


Well, that's all I have for you today. Stay tuned next time when I show you how to weave a basket out of corn husks... HA! Soooo, not happening.

Stop by SQC and say hello sometime!

The Little Blue House - Scrapstashers Anonymous

I'm so excited to share my latest discovery. This wonderful little paper studio opened up right down the street from where I live and they have the most amazing classes! It's called The Little Blue House.

Yesterday I took my first class with them. It's called Scrapstashers Anonymous. Each month they show you a project you can make with your scraps. And what's totally fun is you don't know what you are making until you get there!

Anyway, it was a blast and the time went by too quickly. Once I got home I added the finishing touches and voila! I have this awesome wall art for December. So here's a look at what I made.

Mine came out a lot busier than some of my classmates (which were gorgeous, by the way) but I love it! I couldn't help add more and more and now I just love to stare at it all.

This was so much fun we signed up for the next's month's class. You have to check it out if you are in the area.

Happy Mother's Day!

Just a quick pop in to wish all the Mothers in the world a wonderful upcoming Mom's Day.

In honor of Mother's day I created the following layout:


This layout was inspired by the Playing with Punches course I took at My Creative Classroom (Also, check out their Haiti Benefit Class).
All the scalloped circles and butterflies were punchies from scraps. Have you noticed all the butterflies in paper crafts right now. I just had to punch some out also. Here's a close-up.


I also made a cutsie Mother's Day Card. I used the Cricut Straight from the Nest for the birds and I stamped the ribbon. The three birds represent my Mother's three children.


Then I was in a card making frenzy and made a couple more cards just for fun. The one below is very dimensional but I didn't take a very good pic of it. The butterflies here were stamped and cut out, not punched.
This one was made with the Cricut Create a Critter. At first, I did not know what the accessories for this image were. Then I asked my DH and he figured out it was a skirt! I can't believe he could figure that out and I couldn't! I cut the band of the skirt and center of the flower out of foil paper. That's why it looks a bit strange in the photo and the mat looks lopsided. Anyway, isn't she just adorable?

These projects made me realize something very interesting about myself. I realized I love to scrap more than I like to make cards. Card-making is a beautiful craft and offers instant gratification but I feel I've accomplished something more important for me when I create a scrapbook layout. I will look at it again and again and admire it more so than I do a card.

You usually have to give a card away after you've worked so hard to make it. Do the people you give the card to truly appreciate the effort you put into it? Do they keep it forever? I can go back to my scrapbooks and appreciate every little thing I did on that page. I can remember my mistakes and what I did to correct them. I can remember how long it took me to find the perfect paper or the perfect embellishment to go with the pictures. And you know what? When you're gone, someone is going to treasure those scrapbooks. There's something so gratifying about that.

I've also noticed more blogs and challenges changing gears towards card-making, even when they claim they have scrapbooking or show scrapbooking in their menu. There's still a large group of us scrapbookers out there and we love to share ideas and see some of your ideas for layouts. Please don't forget about us.

There's a great little group of us at Scrapaholics.ning.com. We are in the middle of working out some changes but we would love to share ideas and shopping tips with you.

Have a good one!

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/wizard2_2.php#ixzz0nDWojQ9m

Random Thoughts, Scrap Projects and Oprah's Skype

I can't believe May is almost over already! This year is going by so fast. Oh no -- my birthday is just around the corner - again! So what do I have to show for myself this year? Not much.

I feel like I've been suspended in mid air. Not having a job and not having something to do everyday really begins to drag you down. It's too bad I don't have children to keep me busy. And I've tried to keep myself entertained by actually getting some scrapbooking done, going to crops, hanging out with friends and creating and maintaining this blog, but I still feel empty and melancholy sometimes. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what step to take next. And it's a battle to keep yourself from becoming depressed. But anyway, this post was not meant to be a killjoy so on to my next topic.

I wanted to share a few pages I made.

This first one was made with a Pink Paislee set I've had for a while now. At first, I didn't have a clue what to use the owl page for and then I came across these pictures. Also, a good way to use some of these old "typewriter" letters I've been holding on to. I love to mix old products with new. This is why I hold on to stuff because I know eventually I'll use it.

This next one I combined an old transparency set by MME with "newer" Fancy Pants embellishments (chipboards and pins) and Queen & Co felt border.

This one was also a combination of a newer 3Birds paper kit and tags with older embellishments. Greg's name was created with an old set of cheap foam stamps. I also used a Page Map for the design inspiration. This is not a great picture of the page.

And my last subject: Oprah is addicted to Skype.

Have you noticed how crazy Oprah has gotten over Skype? I think Oprah needs to take her own challenge and give up Skype for 7 days.

Skype is an awesome new way to communicate via video over the internet, but I think Oprah is abusing it. I mean, is it just me or does it seem like her show is losing the Oprah personal touch? Why are most of her guests on a video screen now? Isn't one of the pleasures of being a guest on the Oprah show actually getting to meet Oprah?

So, this poses the question: Is Oprah becoming untouchable or is she just trying to save money on airfare and accommodations? I don't think "little miss billionaire" needs to be hoarding her money during these times. In fact, she would actually be helping out the travel industry which is also hurting.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to say that Oprah should be out there throwing her money away. But if every billionaire and millionaire cut back drastically, wouldn't that also be hurting the economy some more? The Johnson & Johnson heir was on her show the other day talking about how the uber rich are cutting back because it's the "chic" thing to do. But isn't that selfish of them? I mean most people are cutting back out of necessity not because it's the "chic" thing to do. How annoying.

But I digress... Oprah needs to step back in time a little and try to remember what made people love her. It's okay to use Skype every once in a while but I believe she needs to get back to a more personal show.

A couple of weeks ago she stated that she had her feet on the ground. Sorry Oprah, but you've been floating on cloud 9 for quite a while now. I think that if it wasn't for the help of your producers & staff giving you some great topics for your show, I don't think I'd be much of a fan anymore.

Well that's my rant for this week. Tune in next week....or whenever I have something else to share.