Altered Photo Frame

Wow I haven't updated in awhile! I haven't been crafting much until yesterday, last night and this morning so I haven't had much to share. So what's new with me? I am dropping off my application to Joann's ETC. today and filled out an application for an internship at Conner Prairie (historical outdoor museum of sorts). My to-do list is huge but I'm getting there!

So aside from the 11 post-it note holders with pens I made, I altered this photo frame for a swap on scrapbook.com called Operation Handmade Blessings where all items are sent to a nursing/assisted living facility for the residents.

For this project I used:
White wooden frame from Joann's
Lots of flowers from I Am Roses
Paper from the Patio Party paper collection from Stampin' Up!
Lace from Hobby Lobby

I can't seem to stick with one name stamp...I keep redesigning it!

Ok, I'm off to work on my to-do list, hope to update soon!

Sketch #1

Hey stampers and scrappers! I haven't done many sketches, but I have one I designed just now to share with you. If you use it I'd love to see your interpretation of it!

The idea for the photos is to have them "pop" off the page with dimensionals or pop dots. You can also split up one photo into four squares for a fun look! I will have an example up soon of my own!

Gardener's Hand Scrub - MUST Try!

I've been working on craft fair projects to fill my time. Thankfully my carpal tunnel has died down a lot. But I recently got second degree burns from being out in the sun with inferior sun block and that has slowed me down a lot. It's certainly been very painful, but the final scabs and blisters are on their way out so the ordeal is almost over! :)

One craft fair project is gardener's hand scrub. This stuff is AMAZING. I found out how to make it from One Good Thing by Jillee HERE. It's easy and fast. Here are my jars, $4 for a pack of 4 at Meijer.

I used half pint Ball Mason Jars and tied ribbon around the rims. I made the label
in Photoshop, printed it on adhesive-backed paper, and punched each label out with
a circle punch.

I put them back in the original packaging so getting them to the craft show will be easier.

The directions are straight from Jillee's website on how to make this wonderful hand scrub!

Isn't the pink color so pretty?! And it smells heavenly. Not to mention your hands will be baby soft after using it. So whip yourself up a batch and enjoy it after those dirty jobs...or just when you need to wash your hands ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Five Petal Fabric Flower Tutorial

Hey scrappers and stampers! I have a DIY project for you today! You may  have seen these before, but I'm sure many of you have no idea how to make them. So I'm going to show you how!

Available in my Zibbet shop HERE.

First off, materials:

- Fabric
- Strong thread (I suggest embroidery thread)
- Button or Brad
- Sewing needle
- Circle Template (I used the ring of a bowl)
- Marker or pen
- Scissors

1. Trace or draw five circles on the BACK side of your fabric.

2. Cut out the circles. They don't need to be perfect at all, just do your best!

3. Turn your circles over so the back side is facing up. Fold the circle in half so the front side is on the outside. Thread your needle and push it through the far right corner, through both layers.

4. In a weaving fashion, thread the needle through the whole top curve of the circle, being careful not to pull the thread all the way through until the end.

5. Push the needle all the way through the first circle, which I will now call a petal. With the thread still attached, do the same thing you did to the first petal to the second petal. When you get done with them, they will look like this:

6. Right now the petals are fanned out, don't worry about that. We'll fix that. Continue to do the same thing to the remaining 3 circles.

7. Right now your needle and thread are coming from the last petal you just made. Without unthreading the needle, pull on both ends of the thread (seen here on left and right). Then push the needle from the last petal through the first petal on the other end.

8. Pull it tight (be very careful not to pull too hard or you'll break your thread) and thread it back through the opposite way you just threaded it to secure the flower. Unthread your needle and then tie the two ends of the thread a few times and trim the excess ends of the thread.

9. This is what you should have now!

10. Add what you like to the center: a button, brad, pearl, etc.

Voila! You have a beautiful flower. Stay tuned for a video tutorial!

Faux Scrabble Tile Technique (Tutorial!)

I made this card a few months ago but thought it was worth a repost for my new followers! The scrabble tiles are handmade from paper and chipboard. I LOVE the faux scrabble tile technique. I did a tutorial on YouTube:

And here is a card I made using this technique, I just love it!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to comment so I can follow your blog!

Christmas in July Cards!

I worked on a few cards yesterday that I CASEd from Cristena Bagne and Mary Fish. I used Stampin' Up's Chock-Full of Cheer stamp set that I am really loving. My Cherry Cobbler and Green Gumball card stock has come in really handy with my Christmas cards! I'm not sure yet if I'll be doing a club for Christmas cards or just a class. I'm learning towards just a class since I'm so new.

Here are the cards I made:

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to leave a comment!

Baby Block Madness!

Hey friends! I have a special project to share with you! A childhood friend of mine approached me on Facebook about making baby blocks spelling out her expected child's name, Spencer. She wanted bold colors and she liked animals. So here is the final result!

 Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to comment and follow! :)

WOWing Customers from your Online Shop

This post is for those of you have an online shop or business. I have found that personalization is everything in returning customers. I have a wonderful customer that we'll call Betty that has returned over and over again because she was delightfully surprised by the care I took in packaging everything and making it personal. I cannot tell you how valuable a customer she is!

What I do is make sure that my product is packaged neatly. Nothing is crammed into bags, it's all packaged as if it were on display at a store. You don't have to go as far as tissue wrapping everything, but if you can do that with some ribbon, that's always a memorable thing for me when I receive packages. I just wish I could wrap with tissue paper better! Another important aspect is the thank you card. I hand make every thank you card that goes into my packages now. And they're not just an embossed piece of card stock with a thank you sentiment, I actually decorate it and make it look genuine. Some of you may not have time, but if you can get one simple design figured out and make several at once assembly line-style, you'll have a stash to go to when you make a sale.

This next part is controversial and TOTALLY optional. I like to include free gifts. If it's a first-time customer I include something small and relevant to their order. If it's for a repeat customer I get a little more generous. My customers truly appreciate this and it has gotten me repeat business, well making up for what I've sent in free product.

Finally, I always message my buyers and let them know when their package has shipped and the tracking number. I want to make sure they know I am on top of things and care about their experience with me and my shop.

Hopefully this was helpful to some of you!

New Catalog Special Price!

Need a catalog? Why pay nearly $12 when you can get one from me for just $7? I am offering 5 brand new catalogs at $7 each, and that price includes shipping! Use the button below to purchase!

Quantity

1 2 3 4 5

Corner Bookmark Fun

If you've never made a corner bookmark, you're missing out! They're fairly easy and are quick to decorate. If you're interested in trying one out, see the tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers HERE. If you're a visual person, there is a video tutorial at the bottom of the page. Here's one I made today:

The cute cherries are from the Button Buddies stamp collection from Stampin' Up. I used Festive Berries Distress Ink for the color -- I was surprised that I could stamp so clearly with distress ink! But Stampin' Up stamps and cardstock are just that amazing!

That's all for today's short post, hopefully I'll have more to share soon!

New Zibbet Shop Supplies!

Not only do I sell Stampin' Up, I sell my own product in a Zibbet shop (Zibbet is like Etsy). My store has handmade items for non-scrapbookers and scrapbookers alike. I also have supplies for scrapbookers and card makers! Here are a few of my new supplies:

And that's not all! Just click HERE to visit my Zibbet shop, Ignite the Light Scrapbooking!

You can also find one-of-a-kind handmade embellishments and gifts. So hop on over and see if you find anything you like!

Alright, I'm off to get some bagels from Big Apple Bagels! YUM!

New Workshop Card

Last night I used more of my starter kit items to create my second card for my upcoming workshop! Let's get right to the pictures.

I made this card with a bit of a distressed look. I did this by simply tattering the edges of the Whisper White card stock background with a Tim Holtz distressing tool. Then I inked the edges with Tim Holtz Aged Mahogany Distress Ink. In my workshop we will be using Cherry Cobbler ink instead.

 This is a close up of the distressing.

I used the Designer Vintage Faceted Buttons for an extra kick. The ribbon is the new 1/4" grosgrain stitched ribbon in Early Espresso.

The argyle pattern paper comes from the Patio Party collection, and the pig stamp from the Button Buddies stamp set.

The sentiment hails from the useful Made for You stamp set. I was thrilled it only took one try to get it stamped right! :)

That's the beauty of Stampin' Up...I am an experienced stamper, but my stamping has always been horrible. So now I consider myself a beginner stamper, and even I can do it! So if you think you can't be creative, all it takes a little inspiration and some time to play with your paper, stamps, and embellishments! You can't go wrong if you're having fun!

If you stopped by be sure to leave a comment! If you follow my blog let me know and I will follow you back!