Reuse. Recycle. Reinvent.

Today's post covers two challenges - I had a lot of fun with this project and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  First of all, I used this week's challenge over at the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Blog - to use something recycled on our project.  As I started my project, I was looking for the perfect sketch to inspire me and found this week's Sketchy Thursday ESS126 over at Eat Sleep Stamp, and knew it would be perfect!  So, now on to my project!

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At the end of last month Brianna received the new comforter that she picked out for her new room - this is the packaging that it came rolled up in...

It's going to be so cute with her teal rug and teal sheets that I got for her! 

Anyway, I'm glad I opened it up carefully because as soon as I saw it, I KNEW I wanted to turn it into a mini album.  So, I folded it like this...and then stuck in my crafty 'TO-DO' pile ;-) and didn't touch it again until today.

I was thrilled when I saw this week's H2H Challenge - it was just the motivation I needed to get it done!  So this morning I got it out and got to work.  My biggest challenge was coming up with an album theme.  I was going to do a Sisters album, but none of the girly color combos and papers that I picked out were just right with the corrugated cardboard.  Then I remembered that I haven't had a chance to play with the new Lucky papers and they had the perfect colors in it since I also wanted to reuse the ribbon that came with the packaging as well.  This is what I came up with...

I used Liquid Glass to secure the fold on the cover and also to glue on all of my pieces - it's a pretty nice size, and very sturdy!  I wanted the orange color to match my ribbon so instead of using the Sunset color that is in the papers, I used the retired Orange - I tore the edge and sanded the paper to tone it down a bit.  I also used the following stamp sets - Rustic Alphabet, and the retired sets Legendary Moments and Doodle Alphabet.  I dressed it up with some Outdoor Denim Buttons tied with Olive Waxy Flax, and Orange Brads.  I also used a notebook edge punch and corner rounder on this project.

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do for pages for the inside yet but I will be sure to post them when I get them done!  I am hoping to give this to my brother and his wife when their little boy turns one in just a couple months.  For now this is what the inside looks like - I tied the ribbon loosely so I can untie it and use it if I need to in order to add my pages.

This is the spine of the book - I also added Liquid Glass to the end of the ribbons to stop them from fraying.  I love Liquid Glass, it has so many purposes!

As I was glueing my cover together this morning, I noticed this - I like the word reinvent, which is exactly what I did here!

Thanks for looking!

Super Hero Style

I wish I were a Super Hero! This has been quite a week/month/year - I hope I make it through! My computer has crashed, so I am using my super slow laptop (that hasn't been used in over a year since it's such a pain), but thanks to post scheduling, I won't be disappearing from my blog anytime soon. I still have the rest of this month's Design Team work to share, plus I have been scrapping a lot lately - it helps relieve my stress! Thanks for sticking with me even though I am not able to return the sweet comments.

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Just a quick (but not complete) update - yesterday the two youngest kids were scheduled for their yearly check-ups at the doctor. Brailee went to her cousin's birthday party after lunch and got home about 45 minutes before her appointment. Shortly after getting home she started crying about her ear - she was clearly in pain and I just knew it was an ear infection. Out of all our kids, she has had them the worst - when she was a baby she had a run of them about one a month. We thought we were past that, though as I don't think she has had one for over a year...until now, that is. Usually our doctor visits go so well (even with the shots) but yesterday was a different story. Brailee was hurting and tired (she fell asleep on the way to the appointment) so she was a pill at first, plus it was a fill-in doctor since ours is on vacation, and a new nurse, so I don't think that helped either. After a while she finally got happy again and played with her sisters...but then it was shot time. She only cried for about 30 seconds but she wasn't too happy with me for letting them give her a shot. Oh, and sure enough, it was an ear infection. Trysten wasn't too happy at the doctor's office either - his nap schedule was off yesterday so he was tired as well. He also has at least 3 or 4 new teeth coming in, and on Sunday as we were getting ready for church, he fell and bumped his mouth and tore his frenulum (sp?) so his mouth is pretty sore and makes him cranky! So he wasn't too happy at the doctor, and then he got his shots too - boy that made him mad! We were only there for about an hour but I was glad to get out of there! Luckily David was just getting home from work when we got out so I dropped off all the kids and went to the pharmacy for Brailee's antibiotic. So, anyway, sometimes I just wish I were a Super Mom who could make it all better ;-)

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Anyway, enough rambling - here is what I came to share this morning. This was a page I did for the last PageMaps Blog contest, but thanks to my computer crashing, I was unable to get it uploaded in time for the contest deadline. I just checked out the winners - they are amazing - I never stood a chance anyway ;-P Here is the sketch used - I rotated it once to fit my pics.

I love these Let's Get Together papers - but you'd never know they were a favorite of mine since this one and Brailee's Birthday Girl pages that I posted earlier this week are the first ones I've done with them - and I've had the papers for over a year now! I want to re-do my journaling spot - the buttercup ink didn't show the journaling lines as well as I would have liked, and my Garden Green marker is going dry so it all just didn't work well together. This was the first time I've used the new Irresistables Color-Ready Alphabets and they are so much fun. I do love these pictures of Kaylee - they make me smile! So I do love the page - just need to order a new marker and fix my journaling spot...eventually!

Products Used (all CTMH): Let's Get Together papers, Posterboard Alphabet stamp set, Doodle Alphabet stamp set, Comments stamp set, Simple Stitches stamp set, Irresistables Lots of Dots (sticker letters), sponged with Breeze ink, Autumn Garden mini medleys (Olive Corduroy Brads)

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Thanks for looking - and thanks for your sweet comments, they really brighten my day!

Emporium Clock

Here is a clock I made for my SIL Sandy - using the NEW Emporium Creative Basics Paper, my absolute favorite from the new Idea Book!

I ordered the clock through Oriental Trading - they also have square ones. Here are a couple more clocks I have done before...

Thanks for looking!

Teacher inspired cards

I had a gathering last week with a bunch of teachers, so this was the card I created for their Make & Take.

I also made this one about 5 minutes before the party just to show them another teacher inspired project, using a transparency. This was inspired by Michelle Zindorf, but I didn't use a brayer like she does, since I used the transparency to get the look she creates. I just used Black and Sunflower paper and White Daisy pigment ink. I LOVE this Creepy Cobwebs stamp set!

September Challenges

Sorry, I meant to have these post while I was gone over the first, but didn't get anything new done for the Reflections or Cherish Challenges before I left. So, today I quickly found some layouts I have done but haven't used the blueprint for a challenge yet and so here are the challenges for this month! I can't wait to see what is created!

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Imagine Challenge - Timeline - pages 30 and 31

These are Brianna's ultrasound pictures - I can't wait to do Brailee and Kaylee's now!

Cherish Challenge - Photo Shapes on pages 46 and 47

Sorry, I have posted these on my blog before ;-P

Reflections Challenge...Main Frame - Portrait on page 61