C2 | Poppy Paperie

Hello Wednesday!! :)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and my family and I are looking forward to spending time with loved ones and gathering together for some good food and good times. I know that for the most part, I will be running around attending parties from one side of the family to another, but overall, it will be worthwhile to reconnect with close and distant friends and relatives. Most of all, it will be a time to reflect and be thankful for so many blessings that we've been so fortunate to have, something that I try to do on a daily basis, but Thanksgiving definitely puts our lives on pause for a day to be reminded just how blessed we really are and gives us the chance to express our appreciation to those around us, whether it be towards someone close or towards a perfect stranger... For me, it's a day that instills this sense of peace and security because it causes me to remember how far I've come and the many things I've had to survive to get to the place where I'm now, so I then remember to always be thankful for each day that I am still alive and well and for my husband and family who have enriched and touched my life in such an indescribable way. It also stirs up a certain desire in my heart to reach out to others and give what I have to those who don't have, especially children. My heart is with them, wherever and  whoever they are. I may give donations of food, clothing, money, etc., but deep inside I long to hold a child's hand and hold them close, wipe their tears, and tell them they're going to be okay. It pains me when I think of how so many are without a loving parent(s) or family to care for them. What I'm destined to do, I don't know, but I do know that I will someday fulfill that calling...

Oops! I didn't mean to go this far and deep in expressing my thoughts... Hope you didn't mind me sharing!
Thank you for reading this far. :)

When I started to prepare for this C2 | CREATIVE CONNECTION post, I was going through my blog list and remembered how much I loved handmade cards. It was the first paper craft obsession that got me started on this journey. Cardmaking was my thing as I was growing up. I was addicted, and still am, to stationary, paper, rubber stamps, stickers, embellishments, ribbons, EVERYTHING... You name it! In fact, I have one whole side of my two door closet, dedicated to paper craft stash. I've been dreaming of my own craft studio, but that hasn't happened...yet.  :) Still dreaming and believing it will come true, but for now, I have a small little corner space in my sons' bedroom, cluttered and crowded with just enough room for my printer and laptop. *sigh*.

Okay, moving along... I would like to share with you this wonderful blog: POPPY PAPERIE owned by Lisa Johnson. 

You will love reading and browsing through her beautiful creations she has made using Papertrey Ink's products and her Clear stamps designs that she digitally designs for the company. It's card heaven for me. I also love the fact that she digitally designs clear stamps, something that I remember wanting to do at one point in my creative journey, and still something I think about doing. I have a huge collection of rubber and clear stamps to this day and it all started when I was in my elementary school years that I began my rubber stamp hobby collecting Hello Kitty and other Sanrio stamps. I also remember never wanting to share them with anyone..LOL! Oh the memories...

Visit her gallery portfolio of her published art and you will be amazed at all the fabulous cards that were so beautifully made through Poppy Paperie.

Here is a few of my favorites:

 

If I ever find the time to dig around for some cards that I've made in the past and be brave enough to share them with you, maybe it will rekindle that flame I once had to make cards again... It's not that I don't care for it anymore or lost interest, it just found itself pushed aside for a little while as my life got busier and full of demands. But, just like I mentioned earlier...one day my personal and devoted craft studio will eventually exist somewhere in my household or maybe, just maybe.... in a bigger and new house.... Then, making cards are definitely a priority in my creative to-do-list. Here I go dreaming again:).

Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!!

DIY Wish Lists | Photos

 

Yes, I'm done! I didn't realize that it would take me a whole day to work on this, but I had the absolute best time just decorating the finished WISH LISTS. After printing them out, I thought it needed something extra and it led me to dig through my huge stash of supplies that I've collected over the years. I couldn't believe how much supplies I had at my disposal to work with and create so many things. I guess you can say, I've been the addictive type when it comes to scrapbook stuff, buying every cute and adorable thing there is at a craft store, but never wanting to use it for anything for the fact that I can't let go of such cool paper, stickers, punches, stamps, etc.... Well, I'm finally seeing that I can no longer live this way and my creativity is limited when I choose not to create and play and make beautiful things that I and/or others can enjoy... We only live once, right?

So, what I ended up doing was pasting my wish list onto colored cardstock, giving it that matted border around the edges, as well as giving the paper more support. Then I punched small holes at the top and added ribbon which can be used for hanging or pinning up on the wall. After that, I found some buttons, glittered felt, and beads to add a little dimension to it. Voila!  I especially loved the cute snowman. :)

The great thing about hybrid is that I can reuse the digital kit over and over again and print out different things to make with it, without having to repurchase everything all over again, like I would have to if this were all completely made with supplies bought at a craft store. See why I love this? :)

Next, I'm going to try making an advent/countdown calendar using Michelle Filo's ::Hybrid Magic No.15 Advent Christmas Calendar Template:: . Hope it turns out as good as this last project!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Tomorrow is Creative Connection Wednesday, so be sure to come back for more inspiration....

Cheers!

Fun DIY Holiday Projects

Hi there!

I want to apologize to those of you who came to check my blog last Friday to discover that there wasn't a freebie from me. :(  There's no other excuse except that I wasn't feeling my best. I think maybe my body was fighting against the flu and it's been quite a battle. A virus has been invading my household, off and on, for the past couple of months. So, I just couldn't get around to finishing up my free download which wasn't quite finished as I had expected it to be. Then, the weekend came around and I had to baby sit three nieces of mine for a night. Talk about pure exhaustion!

Anyways, I thought I'd share some creative inspiration that will hopefully get you inspired to create some fun, do-it-yourself, projects of your own this holiday season. I just love it when I see what our Creative Team (@ Little Dreamer Designs) manages to get done with products from the shoppe. Hybrid scrapbooking and crafting is something I have been wanting to do more of, especially now that I have a professional inkjet  printer (Canon Pixma Pro 9000) which has been calling my name to put it to good use, which I have, but only a few times for small projects here and there. Let me just say, you'll be seeing more of that coming from me in the near future.:)

So, here are some tidbits of Hybrid (DIY Crafts) from the Inspiration Gallery @ LDD. And if you go through this post, all the way to the end, you'll f ind a recent project that I've just finished and will be printing out. :)

Holiday Gift Card Wallet

by gingersnaps

+ click here for credits +

2010 Hybrid Calendar

by soaring2him

+ Click here for credits +

Winter Wishes Hybrid Card

 

by supertwinkle

+ Click here for credits +

Christmas Tags

 

by PatriciaSartini

+ Click here for credits +

Muffin Treats

 

by lteather

+ Click here for credits +

Hybrid Gift Jar

 

by soaring2him

+ Click here for credits +

Christmas Countdown

 

by RuthsKris

+ Click here for credits +

And now for a peek at one of my first hybrid projects that has not yet been printed, but will be sometime tomorrow (photos coming soon). It's really nothing more than a typical layout, but because I need to print it and have it hung on my wall or fridge, then it becomes a hybrid project! :) Also, I need to give some copies of them to my sister who I hope will love them as much as I do...

 

 

 

 + Click here to go to my gallery  +

These cuties are custom WISH LISTS for each of my boys and three of my adorable nieces, personalized with their individual head shots! HAHA! Aren't they super cute? :) I used Michelle Coleman's yummy HOLIDAY JINGLE MEGA KIT and CD Muckosky's  JELLYBEAN TOES ALPHABET STAMPS, all available @ Little Dreamer Designs.

Thanks for letting me share and hope you enjoyed some of these fabulous projects that will maybe get you thinking about making them for yourself or for someone special.

Stay tuned for actual photos of my printed WISH LISTS. :)

C2 | Jib Jab E-Cards

Oh boy... it's late night and I am just now posting a late Wednesday CREATIVE CONNECTION feature... But, no worries... I have something that I think is super funny, cute, creative, and inexpensive if you are someone who is into saving the planet and making more effort in being a Green advocate... OR if you simply love a little laugh and want to share that with others, then keep reading. :)

Some of us like browsing greeting card aisles for the perfect card to give to a special someone. I know I'm one of them and not only do I like the card aisle simply because I'm looking for a specific card, but because I love to get inspired by the designs and pieces of art, let alone the inspirational or humorous messages, that they often bring. Yes, I do get sentimental or maybe even teary, over the corny inscriptions. LOL! Or you can be the crafty type who doesn't think it makes sense to spend a few bucks on a card when you have all the supplies you need to create one handmade. After all, handmade cards is a sure way to show someone that you really do care by putting your thought, time, and effort to create something unique and straight from the heart, something I personally love to do, but more on that another day...

Anyways, today's CREATIVE CONNECTION is about an online e-card site known as JIB JAB. 

I discovered them a year ago through a promotional ad by Office Max around this same time. It was an interactive video that allowed you to upload your own personal photos to plug into individual characters that were part of the video cast. In this case, it was a holiday video of little elves that danced to music. I found myself so amused and at times laughing hysterically as I took a peek at some of the other e-card videos on their site. Here's a sample of one that I created today that I just have to share, check it out:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

What I found very interesting and quite fun for those of us who like E-Cards or that sort of thing, is that you can personalize the e-cards and videos with your own photos. And if you want to go further, you can make some really neat gifts as well. It's a really cool way of sending someone a greeting for those special occasions in an instant and be able to save a little considering how much we spend on purchasing cards for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's, Christmas and so on a year...well, you know what I mean.

JIB JAB is definitely something to consider for a quick and easy card giving tool, especially when we're pressed for time in such a busy world. ( Don't worry I still love making handmade cards..hehe ) And if you're seriously interested, now is a great time to take advantage of their limited time offer of ONE YEAR UNLIMITED ACCESS MEMBERSHIP of $9.99.

Of course, it may not be for everyone, but there may be some out there who are looking for something out of the ordinary that will not only bring out a smile, but some laughter out of that special someone. Laughter is good. Good medicine for the soul... If you're not too excited about joining, there's also some free selections to enjoy just like the video I created above. So check it out!

Before I go, here's another one I couldn't help making, especially because my boys and I could not stop giggling :)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

C2 UPDATE

Oh my... did I forget to post yesterday's CREATIVE CONNECTION? By the way, I decided to abbreviate Creative Connection to C2, just because it's short and easy to remember.:)

Yesterday was definitely one of those days where time slipped right by me and realized later that I forgot to post it the moment I laid my head down on my pillow. Happens to us sometimes, right?

Well, I do know that I need to make up for it and I will definitely get to work on it today, but I also want to remind you that tomorrow is FREEBIE FRIDAY and I will need to expire my previous freebie today, so grab that while you can. :) I'm currently working on some holiday products for the store, hopefully to get it done by this weekend!

By the way, did you check out today's Holiday Preview post on the LDD blog featuring some of the new holiday kits that are in the shop and some holiday layouts created by our CT? It's never too late! Also, if you read on, you'll find that their giving away $10 Gift Card to the shop and all you have to do is post a comment with your favorite holiday recipe! Can't wait to check those recipes out!

Okay, see ya back here soon!



~DAHLIA