end of the school year

field trips.

end of soccer season. tournaments.

year end parties.

final gymnastics classes. final swimming classes.

summer busyness.

b-r-e-a-t-h-e.


however, it has been very fun. we have all managed to stay healthy - aside from seasonal allergies! i am really looking forward to the next few days when we can relax and slow down for  a short time.


in the meantime i thought i'd share some other projects i've made and we've given away!






this began with a plain wooden shadowbox from Dollarama. i painted and distressed it.

i have an old Dent's atlas...i cut the banner from one of the pages. then threaded it with plain white buttons in between. easy and i love the simplicity,



i added the words using Basic Grey's basic alphabet in brown. just a regular manilla shipping tag.

the scissors were from Maya Road...actually their sewing mini chipboard set. some alcohol ink to the handles. then diamond glaze to give it the puffy and shiny finish! the dictionary page punched heart with the pin in the centre is one of my favourite embellishments these days!! i thought it was appropriate with this frame.



then i dressed it up! added some ribbon, lace, key, prima flowers, rub-ons......






this frame was given to Kiara's playschool teacher last month. we've seen her a few times since and she always mentions it. i'm pleased when i finish a project that i'm happy with. however i am thrilled when the receiver of the gift is happy!


i also made a teacher gift set for a class at Urban. it was done with it being given to a teacher....however it would work for any school or educator or even a student! or yourself!! Aidan came out and assisted me that night for the class. it was a special class for kids and their scrapbooking moms! the kids were so pleased with their projects. it is a lot of fun teaching crafts to kids. they really allow their own personal creativity to come out and you get some interesting results. Aidan had a fabulous time too. he figures he should help me work every night. he also thought he would be working with me until midnight!! ha!



these were the gifts they learned to make. so simple, yet you could totally personalize them as fancy as you like.


at this point i asked Aidan what he wanted to give to his teacher. he really wanted to do the frame. i did not argue! i enjoyed the frame and wanted to try another one!!



amazing how you can employ the SAME techniques. SAME artist. but yet it comes out soooo DIFFERENT!!

i wanted to use the JenniBowlin TEACH bingo card and the cor'edinations embossed cardstock. the rest of the frame came out from there.

this time the banner was made from some October Afternoon paper. it had the alphabet on some of the sections.

the yellow flower is from Maya Road. except i added a Tim Holtz button in the centre.

and there is that dictionary paper punched heart again!



we used the Maya Road library envelope journal tag. Aidan added a personal thank you in his words and writing.



i had the banner and ribbon draped from the opposite end. since there was the little personal letter, the frame needed to be able to be opened for access. this meant my little key and pin dangle had to hang from the banner.

i used coloured buttons that coordinated with the banner paper this time.

apparently she also loved it. she is a very special teacher to us. i subbed for her just before Aidan was born. i used to be really intimidated by classes younger than grade one. it was her class and her encouragement that got me hooked! it was the first time i realized why kindergarten teachers often stayed with that grade. lots of work. but so much fun!! i am very much in denial that the year is ending and we don't get to have contact with her on a daily basis! i find that most hilarious that i think that way....and i would be laughing, if it weren't for the tears. how fortunate Aidan was to have her as his first school teacher.



we decided on a clipboard for his teacher assistant. she often has one that she uses for tracking kids and schedules. we made it super fancy for her!

the clipboard was from Dollarama. before i started, i spray painted the back in white. then i painted on some gesso.  the paper on the front is Prima. i had to do some careful measuring and cutting for the top, but it is the same paper! the little frame in the bottom left corner was printed on the paper, so that made it easy!!



a tattered angels mask and some carribean blue. and a squirt of coffee. the white was simply too plain.



the flower is the same technique i taught for a class in May. canvas and fabric. tulle. the centre for this one is one of the Prima flower centres. i am still in shock over how well everything coordinated in the end.

i also did not like the bluish tinge the metal clip had. so i inked it in some caramel alcohol ink! just the front. loved how that worked for me.



then just a simple tag from Staples, dressed up with patterned paper, a button and some more pins.

i also added some microbeads to a pen. the blue does not match. but there wasn't enough hours to go and search for a perfect match. maybe the contrast was a good thing?!

some simple cards.....






tattered angels glimmer mist works wonders on those plain white prima flowers.



i just used a stamp on the American Thickers letters. those letters are so versatile!!



and one of my new favourite flower techniques. punch out several contrasting layers of paper with a scallop circle punch. crumple and ink. poke a large brad through the centre. fluff a bit. done!


i made a cute card for Aidan's morning bus driver and forgot to take a photo! i used the Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride papers. it is meant for travel...but worked sooo well for a bus driver! the saying on the front was "Are We There Yet?". Aidan and i thought it was funny!

i also have been making some homemade envelopes these days. so simple. yet they look great. {in my humble opinion! lol!!}

one of my students last Thursday commented that she has so much patterned paper that she will most likely not be using. her idea is to make some envelopes from them. Urban Scrapbook has several envelope die cuts to choose from to make it even easier. i LOVE her idea and think it is so clever. now just to remember to take some patterned papers with me when i go.


i also just finished the next layout for the July class. i'll post that very soon. i can't wait to share!!

i plan to get started on the August class right away. i know July will fly by and i don't want to be rushed with it. i am soooo excited about this layout. i say that every month. call me crazy.



not long ago Studio Calico had some blog posts about searching for inspiration. and also giving credit for where you may have found that inspiration. i try to attribute my inspiration where i can. in some cases, there are several projects that display the new creative idea. who do you credit then? it is also a challenge to remember where some inspiration or ideas were seen. i certainly don't want to suggest that i have perfected the crediting aspect of this craft....however i do try. sometimes it is in the description of the project when i add it to my 2Peas portfolio, or here on the blog. i have also e-mailed or commented that i've used a particular idea of the designer. i figure they might like to know!

all in all, so many scrapbooking ideas are not exactly new ideas. most of it goes in cycles of twists on old ideas. it's art. i'm sure writing is the same way. artistic interpretation.

imagine my shock when i came across a project on 2 Peas that was pretty similar to a project i made a few months ago. given it was posted on the same gallery where my project had been posted, it can pretty much be assumed that it was first seen there. it is flattering to be copied. {as i've said before i am usually very happy with a project after i'm done...and i am always thrilled to learn that someone else liked it too!} but i was sad to see no mention of my name. or even a "wish i could remember where i saw this" comment.

it was a good reminder to myself.

copying to the exact detail is flattering. copy away!!

but please be kind to point to where your inspiration came from. or even admit that you wished it was your idea! and you can't recall where the inspiration came from.

and that is my soapbox rant for today. ha! thanks for listening!!