Friday 30 October 2015

Fabscraps High Tea Paper Collection: Teapot Mini Album

The second mini that I created with the paper was actually the one I started with. I loved the whole idea of the teapot shape and the cute embellishments. Somewhere though along the way I lost my mojo on this project. Luckily I have great inspiration on tap from the Facebook Group 4 Gs (Girls, Grins, Glitter and Glue)  They came up with some brilliant additions to finish this project off.

Here is where it sits now:




Don't mind the shaky hands. I have an anxiety disorder and sometimes I am a bit shaky. Also I saw on a video by Crafter 45 once that people are distracted by wounds that are unexplained. The scratches are from my big sucky King Shepherd Titan who thinks he is a lap dog. At 120lbs I beg to to differ with him.







Thursday 29 October 2015

Fabscraps High Tea Paper Collection :Chipboard Mini Album

I admit that I am a paper hoarder. Honestly though, if you are going to be a hoarder, don't you think scrapbooking supplies is a wonderful thing to collect?

This week, well the last couple of months on and off really, I have been enjoying the fabulous Fabscraps High Tea Paper Collection. No really, I bought the whole collection.

Uhmmmm, two of the collection really but who's counting. I love the theme (come on High Tea...My Grandma's Teacups) and the designs are so beautiful. 

I have only worked my way through a small portion of the first kit and have already created two really fun mini's.

This is the first. It is an 8x8 chipboard mini.




Wednesday 28 October 2015

Christmas Card Club Designs from last week

Oh my goodness, I swear I think I am losing my mind. I had intended to put these pictures up on the blog last Friday. I don't know where my mind is these days. In a positive light, I am getting them posted prior to Christmas so that is a plus.

We were working with the Docraft Ultimate Vintage Diecuts Pack (sorry its sold out). There are 60 pages of vintage images in this set. We have decided to use it over 3 clubs as there is just so much in this kit. We also used the cream, textured 5x7 card bases from Anita's. This is the first time I had purchased these cards and they are really good quality.They come in a package of 20 cards and envelopes.

We made 10 cards total. 2 each of 5 designs.



We used a little bit of glitter glue and a pinch of glittery washi tape to glam up the cards. Some of the ladies also used embossing folders and distress ink. The card with the Angel is best completed using medium thick foam squares. My first one had really thick squares and it was really bulky looking.

Our next card club is not until the end of November so you will have to check back to see what else we cook up.

In the meantime be sure to follow my Cardmaking board on Pinterest for lots of inspiration for your own cards.


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Monday 26 October 2015

Guest Design By Denise Marchetti : Prima Doll Calendar

One of the absolute best parts of having a craft business is that you meet the most talented people. The other day I was fortunate enough to have Denise Marchetti in my studio. Denise was telling me about this amazing calendar that she had created using her Prima Stamps. I was intrigued and she promised to share pictures of her masterpiece as soon as possible. Well guess what, she sent them to me Thursday. So knowing me as as you do, of course it took me until now to to get everything organized to share them.

Here we are: Denise Marchetti's Prima Doll Calendar.


January, is birthday theme as my daughter and granddaughter are 
both January babies I used anything I had on hand that 
would go with my theme.great idea to use scraps and from your stash!

February: Valentine's Day


March: Easter is in March 2016



April: Vacation theme
May: Bring in May flowers from stamps I have

June: Used stamp of the month from close to my heart 
and SU lovely as a tree

July was paper piecing to create a scene at the beach


August is stickers from leftover packages I had
September is back to school


October: My favourite one is large spider web stamp embossed 
with black and then spiders are from die and so are pumpkins

November: Leaves falling (some distressing and inking)

December: Waiting for Santa santa in window is fussy cut from paper 
and then place behind acetate and then window die cut.

 I used copic for most skin tones but 2 are done with watercolours.


Thank you for sharing your beautiful calendar with us Denise. It is wonderful to have a chance to see the versatility of these adorable stamps.






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Saturday 24 October 2015

Vintage Teddy Mini Album Using Fabscraps Chipboard Album

It's so sad that I have made such a cutie patootie album and have no new babies in my life. I thought I would share how cute it really is before I send it off to ebay land hopefully to the delight of some new Momma.

Here is what I used:

Fabscraps Baby Bear ChipBoard Album
Fabscraps Baby Bear Paper Line
Thick mulberry paper
Googly eyes
Close To My Heart New England Ivy
Recollections Green Velvet Trim
Reclaimed Lace from My Grandmother's Sewing Box



It took about 3 hours to turn this


Into this:



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Wednesday 21 October 2015

On the Road with My Grandma's Teacups

When you have a blog you tend to read a lot of information about blogging. Its so much more than just typing random thoughts onto a blank white screen and hitting publish. Well, for some people I guess that is what they do but I am interested in the actual art of blogging. You know the creative process wherein other people invest themselves in your content because they feel that you are providing them with value, knowledge, inspiration and sometimes just a smile. This post I hope does the latter.

On Saturday I packed up my 1/3 of my craft store and hit the road to be a guest at the crop of Angie McColeman in Kingston. I agonized over what would be the best selection to take to show all the talented croppers in attendance. I must have packed 6 times to get ready. A little Graphic 45, a little Julie Nutting, a splash of Kaisercraft so the ladies could recreate our Magnolia Grove layout from last week....I even took a couple of Colouring Books for Adults. As a last minute idea I threw in my box of fabscraps chipboard pieces  which turned out to be a huge hit.

I took a quick glance at google maps thinking that I knew whereabouts the crop was being held. By 8 am I was packed and ready to leave. My hand packed lunch that my 12 year old son provided for me in hand. By 8:12 I had my copilot picked up and loaded. We were off on another whirlwind adventure.

Well, as it turn out I did not know where I was going as well as I had thought I did. We ended up somewhere north of Odessa at a lovely Free Methodist Church. The parking lot was filled with well dressed ladies....that tipped me off that perhaps I had taken a wrong turn in Albuquerque (is that a real place) No offence ladies but we all know we dress for comfort when we are heading to a crop and this high heal wearing, matching scarf and purse crew seemed a bit to put together to be planning on spending the day playing with paper.  I consulted with my cohort and we decided to seek assistance from our friend that was already at the crop. Of course she was too busy cropping to check for our SOS texts. We resorted to asking the first person that walked near enough to hear our pleas to give us directions to our destination in Kingston. She actually pulled out a paper map which honestly I don't think I have actually seen anyone use for directions in years.

Thankfully it was a short jaunt to get us back on track and we managed to make it to the crop a mere 15 minutes late.

We were welcomed with such warmth and hospitality that I wondered why it had taken me so long to decide to make the trip. It was a wonderful day of chatting with such creative minds. I felt like my craft tank was overflowing with inspiration. I also made some wonderful connections with local crafters that will be guest posting their projects on the blog. Yay for us!

The very best part of the day was reconnecting with a dear friend that I had not seen in years. I forgot how much I missed chatting with her.

This wonderful experience has motivated me to take my little shop on the road more often. If you are looking for a mobile craft store for your next crop give me a holler. I would love to get out and meet all my you crafty ladies.








Thursday 15 October 2015

I've moved over to the dark side : +5 reasons you should too


The Spectrum Noir side that is!

This article contains affiliate links which if you purchase the product I get a small commission.

Last week my new collection of Spectrum Noir Markers arrived. All except the cool greys which are on backorder....I guess a lot of people are busy drawing the dreary skies. I was unsure whether I would like them as well as my Copic markers or my ShinHan, but now I am convinced that this is the maker collection I have been dreaming of. You dream of markers too right, it's not just me?








#1 There are all these beautiful colours to use





#2 The reinking system is so easy

  • Each bottle has a dropper cap and will refill pen at least 5 times.



#3 You can get different styles of nibs to suit your colouring style. 

  • These next generation replacement nibs fits in the chisel nib end of the Spectrum Noir markers.

#4 They are less than half the price of Copic and ShinHan Markers



#5 They offer free instructions and video tutorials to get your accreditation. This is very cool as it costs allot of money to take the courses you need to get Copic certified.  They give you a certificate and a blinky to show off on your blog.



+ bonus # 6


They feel really nice when you work with them. They are large enough that you feel like you have good control while you colour and the grip is very comfortable. I really like the nibs that come with the pens so i am unlikely to switch to the brush nibs. The colours are deep and vibrant and the colour palette is wonderful. 

I don't regret switching over to the dark side at all and I don't think you will either.



Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Spectacular Spectrum Noir on Pinterest.

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Wednesday 14 October 2015

I forgot to post pictures of the finished dolls.

So yesterday's post was discussing using your cricut cartridges to find cute accessories for your Prima Dolls. I was so excited to share the post I forgot to include some of the finished dolls. That happens to me sometimes. My excitement gets ahead of me and and I push the publish button too soon.

So here you are without further adieu, my Prima Paper Dolls: Accessorized.


I know its not nice to play favourites, but I am so in love with how this one turned out. I love the parasol.


They are all listed in my ebay store. I have to keep letting them go so that I have room to make more.






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Tuesday 13 October 2015

Paper Dolls: Accessories

I hope you had a chance to read my two part article on how to turn your Cricut explore into a paper doll cutter. If not your can read Cricut and Prima Dolls #1 and Part #2. But my friends, what is a paper girl without all her accessories. I dusted off some of my old cricut cartridges and found a ton of cut items that are perfect for my Prima Dolls Stamps.

My best finds were in:

Paperdolls (Everyday Dressup)
Kate's ABCs
October 31st
Country Life
Rock Princess









It's very easy to resize the accessories to work with the dolls. Some required a tiny bit of clipping to be a perfect fit but turned out to be very cute.



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Friday 9 October 2015

Club Layout For October 8: Kaisercraft Magnolia Grove Collection

Last night we worked with the beautiful Kaisercraft Collection Magnolia Grove. The muted blues and pinks were a joy to create with. This collection lends itself to my style of vintage crafting. I have included a list of most of the supplies that we used. It was one of those grab what inspires you from my stash kind of nights.

This layout consisted of a lot of paper distressing. We used the Close To My Heart Paper distressing Tool, Close To My Heart Sanding Tool, a wire brush that looks like a toothbrush that I found at Canadian Tire one day when my hubbs dragged me there. (Insider's Tip: Canadian Tire has allot of tools that we use and they are a fraction of the cost.) We also used Tattered Rose and Walnut distress inks. We finished of with a sprinkle of Tattered Angels mist in Old Lace.

This is the beautiful paper line.










I have finally decided to put that print then cut feature of the Cricut Explore to work for me. I downloaded some vintage public domain images to add to our design. It is the area that I put a big red X over in the paper doll tutorial. Go check it out Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter.







A little bit of shaping with my Susan's Garden Tools from Sizzix and the blooms just seemed to jump off the page.


 







 I loved this collection so much I am going to order it again and play some more.

I hope you enjoyed our layout. Please share it on your Pinterest and Facebook. If you enjoy these tutorials and projects please subscribe to our newsletter.

















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Thursday 8 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter Part 2

Well, did you get your Prima Paper Doll Stamp all set up in your Cricut Explore? Of course you did! I knew you could do it. If you need to go over what we did this is the link.  Now comes the really fun part. I hope you remembered not to drink your coffee near your precious paper.....oh the horror....but that's another post.

Making Your Prima Paper Doll


You know that plastic 12x12 box that you use to collect all those teeny time pieces of paper that are just too good to throw out. Yah, the one on the shelf collecting dust. Go grab that. This is a great opportunity to put those itty bitty scraps to work. (and your husband said you would never need them......be sure he sees you using them, as though you had this planned from the start....seven years ago when you began saving scraps of paper.) 

For the small layers like the dress, shoes and stockings I try to find scraps that coordinate in the approximate sizes I want.


 You will need to use large pieces for the doll base and backer.

 Small confession. I made a horrible paper choice for this project as I chose a slightly shiny surface that does not hold the ink well. A flat finish would have worked much better.


 Remember to think about where the shadows on the dress would fall. The area that flares gets the most light and the creases are darker.



I used a wet glue. I just find it easier than messing with popdots or foam squares. You can choose your favourite adhesive and I won't judge you harshly.

 As our friend Rosiland Burch taught us earlier this week. A girl's accessories are very important. So go ahead and bling her up. Then we are done. Yay, see how much fun they are!
Be sure to follow my Prima Doll Pinterest board for plenty of inspiration on ways to use these adorable creations.

Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Prima mixed media dolls on Pinterest.

Wednesday 7 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Focus On You Series: Confidence under stress



You  may be wondering why I am writing this series of posts on focusing on ourselves. Well I think it falls under the old adage of:


And it's true right? If we don't feel well, or are having a rough day it sets the tone for the entire house.

My husband tends to be the stern one in our household but if I get grumpy the kids know it's a big deal. It means they crossed some magical invisible line and they are quick to reassemble on the other side.

The purpose of these posts are in fact just to help us focus on little things that we can do to make sure our cup is just that much more full? fuller??

Transitioning from summer activities to the business of fall can be very stressful and added to that the beginning of shorter days and dreary skies it important to be extra kind to yourself (and everyone else if at all possible.) My plan is to share small things that we can do to boost our self esteem and overall demeanor.

It would be wonderful if we could all just go check ourselves in for a day of pampering at St. Anne's Spa. Realistically I doubt many of us have the time or the funds for such royal treatment.

So here is my quick tip for the day: Find a really great deodorant.

Seriously. You would not believe the difference you will have in your day if you find the right deodorant. There is nothing as distracting as wondering if you smell sweaty. These days it politically incorrect to douse ourselves in perfume so our deodorants need to be that much more dependable. I have tried the rollie type that go on wet and smell nice but make you feel like you need  to flap like a bird for the first half hour its on. I have tried the spray ons that I find don't last. I have used the clear gels that feel like I have jello under my arms and I have tried the white bars that I like but find that I am using them a few times during the day. Which I may add is strange because I don't usually work very hard and don't sweat much :)


My latest Buzzkit was from Secret.


 I use secret anyway so this was a good gig for me. It was for their new clinical strength deodorant. I don't get paid for sharing my opinion...which is just wrong....but that is for another day....I received a trial size sample. Guess what. The stuff really works. I used it this weekend. As you know I have been ill for the past few weeks and this weekend I knew I was staying home in y comfy clothes. I put it on after my shower Saturday and it was still working when I decided to get dressed Sunday afternoon. (Don't judge me...lol). Usually I would have reapplied my deodorant several times in that much time. I have a phobia of smelling sweaty. So if you are looking for a quick boost to your overall feeling of well being, I would suggest trying Secret Clinical Strength...I used the solid so I don't know about the gel one.



Find the little things that will help you feel your best....and be a good friend and share them with us.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

My Grandma's Teacups: Turn your Cricut Explore into a Paper Doll Cutter

So it's no secret that I am totally crazy about Prima Marketing's line of Julie Nutting Dolls Stamps. It seems I talk about them allot....ok...really really allot. But they are so fun to make. Some of my friends were less then excited about the stamps because they did not enjoy spending the time cutting out the multiple layers that make these dolls come to life. This diminished my joy somewhat as I wanted everyone to love them as much as I do.

Then one afternoon it struck me (not literally) but I figured out that if we eliminated the fussy cutting around the various layers the ladies could just enjoy the process of stamping and colouring the dolls. Bravo, I have my moments of brilliance. So I set to work creating cut files for my Prima Dolls. Some people will be aghast that I would suggest this. I am aware that some people will use this technique for evil and do the print then cut but I need to remind those folks not to get too excited because that feature only works on white paper. So follow along with the doll stamp of your choice. It;s a long process but you will only need to do it once and then you will have years of enjoyment dressing up your creations.


So the first step is to get an image of your stamp:

You could be very ambitious and scan your stamp or you can just google the stamp and borrow an image to use.


Now then, time to get to work. Log into your Cricut design space and start a new project.





























Select all the layers for your doll and bring them into your design space. You may notice a few extra specks you missed when erasing. Take a moment and clear them up using an extra shape and the slice tool. This also works to straighten up any wiggly parts that you did not get a perfect image of. ( I get this allot because I have shaky hands). Remember to work with a duplicate of the piece you are working on so that you can have a fallback if something goes wrong.








The rest of the tutorial will be in the post on Thursday! 

Go Ahead, Its already posted