Happy in '72 Layout {Mother's Day}

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I'm sharing a layout today of a photo that was saved from the trash bin. This was one of those instamatic '70s shots that are hard, like shiny posterboard. It was somehow split in half, and then tucked in a box for 30-some years! I found it and scanned it and it's been sitting in my folder for two years now. 

With Mother's Day coming up, it was serendipitous that it reappeared. This is me and my mother. I love the glow of her skin, and the way she's looking at me. Many of the pictures of when I was young are like this. It occurred to me that it is such a blessing to even have a photo taken of you, and then to capture a moment that shows love! Priceless. I am loved.

I'm playing along with the Jenni BowlinCentipede Challenge again, and this time I'm covering more than one challenge.

• I scraplifted a Design Team member's layout. I was inspired by Amanda's layout, shown here.
• Using text on a page. The “happy” heart was punched from a vintage Little Golden Book.

Paper punches from an old baby book from Goodwill. 

Here are some details on creating my layout:

• Since the picture was practically split in half, I printed a scanned copy and tied the blue ribbon vertically down the split.
• Two little vintage buttons and the clock charm (Stampin' Up) represent me, my mother, and the passing of time.
• The edges and music lines are stamped with my Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint. Many people are using Gesso in crafting now, and I use this as a substitute. I can stencil, paint, colorwash, and stamp with it, and the drying time is almost nothing!

Do you have a photo to scrap that keeps calling your name? Go! Do it! I've waited so long to start scrapbooking again, and I can tell you, any time and any photo is perfect to get started with.

I'm also participating in a blogging event at Notes on Paper by Julie Kirk. I want to share the foremost good thing that blogging has done for me. I've been blogging now for going on three years, and here's my favorite thing about it...

Validation. The fact that I'm not alone, and someone, somewhere poked her head into my craft room and said, “ I like what you've done here, and I understand you.” Moving 500 miles away from all the crafty people I know last year, this is a tremendous blessing, my online bloggers. So many days, I'll finish a post, and a friendly comment will make my phone chime, and from wherever in the world, I got a high five! So thank you, to every one who takes the time to visit, for being a support to those you like, and not just me. You are a blessing.

Have a great week, my friend!

SUPPLY LIST:

Sahara Sand cardstock base, clock charm, and Pool Party seam binding ribbon, doily, vintage trinket safety pin, linen thread: Stampin' Up!

Jenni Bowlin April minibook kit: tag, patterned paper, ribbons, die cut tags, music stamp.

My stash: vintage buttons, heart from vintage paper. You can buy some here in my shop.

Starry Mason Jar Christmas Card - Merry Monday, Jenni Bowlin Centipede

Pin It Now! Even though things are blooming around here, it's a chilly, rainy day.  I made comfort food for dinner - a cornbread chicken bake (yum) - the heat is on, and I'm making another Christmas card!  I have a sketch from Merry Monday, and I'd like to show you how I stamped my mason jar onto glassine and stuffed it full of vintage stars!

Here's the card...aah, vintage. 

I've been seeing stars all over the place lately, and I happen to have a bunch of star sequins in my vintage supply tin.  I sprinkled some over the sentiment panel, and added a healthy pinch to the mason jar.

It's super easy to stuff them with whatever you want.  First, grab a glassine sack.  Need some?  Check here. Stamp your image with Staz-On and fussy cut it out, both layers at the same time.  

Use clear craft lacquer (Crystal Effects) to apply a very thin line along three sides of the back panel, but not the top.  Stick 'em together, they'll seal in just a minute.

 Use a stylus or pencil to work the top open, and add your sequins, flowers, glitter, etc.  Close the top with a glue dot.

Almost all of the elements of the card are surprisingly from Jenni Bowlin's April mini album kit, designed by May Flaum.  The patterned paper is Pink Paislee's Hope Chest collection, and I think the floral design on it is reminiscent of snowflakes.  The wooden bingo chip is heat embossed in gold to match the card.  This is the first time I've tried heat embossing wood, and it worked like a charm!  No pun intended. The ribbon and banner ends are also from the kit.

Inside, a die cut from Webster's Pages, stamped with More Merry Messages (SU). 

I made a countryfied (my word) version for a friend with a goat farm.  Here's the jar stuffed with flowers...

So check out the challenge over at Merry Monday if you're in the Christmas spirit, and see all the festive inspiration!

I'm also participating in Jenni Bowlin's Centipede Challenge!  This post goes under two challenges. "Share a Crafty Tip", and "add something shiny to your project".  You can join the JBS Mercantile Forum and join in the fun!  

Fresh Vintage Style Cards - April Jenni Bowlin kit

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Good day, friends!  I have a batch of super fresh cards from this month's Jenni Bowlin kit.  I subscribe to the mini album kits, as it has a variety of embellishments and styles from month to month.  This one was a beauty!  Lots of fresh spring blues and pinks, mixed with vintage die cut tags and luscious ribbons.  

I decided to break the kit apart, and rather than copying the kit instructions (which are awesome, btw), I thought I'd like to make a smaller tag album, and some cards.  I started by organizing my stash into a vintage muffin tin.  That way it's like an embellishment buffet, just poke around in each muffin spot and pick what you  want!  

And I can stack them when I need the space.

Need some?  I have a couple for sale in my Etsy shop :)

A lot of the paper, and the tags are set aside for the upcoming tag book.  

The first two cards share the same basic sketch, with the embellishments swapped out. This one has half of a mini doily, and the Dear Lizzy mason jar heat embossed in white on the Pretty Painterly patterned paper. It's sitting on one of the Webster's Pages tags, reversed, and stamped with my En Francais Stampin' Up! stamp in Early Espresso.  The pink ribbon and Mom stamp are also SU (1-1/4" two tone ribbon in Pink Pirouette & Family Reunion stamp). I drilled a hole through the butterfly bingo chip and added some ink and clear sealant to make it match :)  And I love the blue and white cardstock, it's SO thick and sturdy.

Second verse, same as the first!  Yellow crochet lace...is that not the best?! The little butterfly charm is tied onto the mason jar top.  

Movin' on, I used some more of that luscious lace to make a glassine bag gift card holder.  Carta Bella paper bow, and I painted another bingo chip with Annie Sloan chalk paint.  Linen thread is looped around the back and hot glued in place.  The flap still opens so you can stick a gift card inside.  Or a wad of cash ;) Broccoli, as my son calls it.

My last card was a 5" square, featuring a section of squares from the Carta Bella paper.  I stitched horizontally and vertically along the squares to make it look like real quilting, and added layers of doily, a pleated medallion, and a ribbon and lace flower in the center.  Thickers at the bottom, they're so sparkly, yet still vintage style...so so pretty!

I'm loving the kit, and am definitely getting my mileage out of it.  The tag album is coming soon :)

I'm linking up to Jenni Bowlin's Centipede Challenge - using vintage supplies for storage.