Quick Card Share & welcome October

Hi friends!! It's been entirely too long since I've updated here. Life has been hectic to say the least! I got a big promotion at work and with me transferring stores I've got a much longer commute- which means less crafty time at night & earlier mornings. I'm happy where I'm at and I know it's a move in the right direction for us financially. We are still hoping to buy our first home the end of next year if all goes well.

A few weeks ago i made this birthday card for a co-worker of mine, Nina. She loved it! I am really happy with how it turned out considering it only took me 35 mins in the mornjng before work. I used a pre-made tag from scrsp convention a few years ago. I added some more flowers and buttons, vintsge of course. I love sharing art i have made with other people, especially for their special day.Here are a few pics:

Well, that is about all for today! I'm off to finish my Halloween decor and msybe start on Tim's Tags for 2014... yep im almost a year behind! I might skip around and just do the October one. I hsve so many projects i want to start, just less time now to do them.

Hope you have a great week! Check back tomorrow for more inspiration.. i promise to not be away for so long again!!

Vintage Travel Guestbook

So I'm getting really excited about heading back down south in 2 weeks for my best friend's wedding in New Orleans. It will be a nice break from work, I will be able to enjoy staying in NOLA for 3 days,and then home to Mobile to catch up with friends and fam for 4 days. I can't wait to see everyone!! It will be one of the first times I've traveled by myself, I mean I have flown plenty of times but usually had to keep up with a group (for work trips) or had Jimmy with me. Not that I'm scared or anything, but it will be a new experience for me.

I volunteered to make her a custom guest book for the wedding and I came up with a pretty good idea. I bought a cream-canvas covered Heidi Swapp album about 8x6 and decorated the outside, then made some inside pages that guests can add to. It will be set up next to the photo booth and guests can add pictures and write a message using jars of washi tape and pens! I haven't found the right jars yet but I did finally finish the book and the little sign with 'instructions'. Here are some pics....

And a few closies of the embellshments I used. I used alot of paper from a K&Co travel stack that had these cool stamps. I cut them out individually, inked them with TH Vintage photo, and then heat embossed them. After I had the placement right I added vintage buttons from my stash, flowers, and some cut enamel brads. 

Elephants are a central theme for the wedding too, since it's at the Audobon Zoo and also the wedding logo is elephants. I tried to encorporate that on the front cover as well as using all stamps from places that are part of H &J's story...Mexico, Alabama,  Texas, &  Louisiana.

Here are a few pictures of the inside pages I did for guests to add pictures and write on!

Next is a cute little frame that I found (along with the one used on the front cover). In the dollar$ bin at Michael's...All that's left is to distress it and add the 'instructions' for guests. Also I am letting the Bride-to-Be decide what pic she wants on the front cover!

This is what the mini frame looked like before:

And after! I 'distressed' the detail work with TH ink in vintage photo and some of my Faber Castel Gelatos in gold using a wetted brush, then added the flowers and brad at the bottom.

Here's the 'instruction' part:

And inside the front cover:

Last page of the book,

I had so much fun making this little interactive album that I hope once I bring it down there for the wedding some of my other friends may want one...I could see myself doing any theme. Its basically a scrapbook for the photo booth pics! All that's left to do now is make the jars and buy some washi tape and paint pens in the right colors. I really enjoyed sharing this with you today & love reading your comments...have a great week!

Until Next time~ VV

'memories' auction layout using Crate Paper

This is a layout that for Scrapping Frenzy convention that was put up for auction for the weekend. I really loved the papers and colors I used for a super vintage look. I think they are Crate Paper. So whoever won the auction is one luck gal with this one! I did a lot of embellishing of course!! Sorry for the pics...I took them under fluorescent lights at the convention, and they didn't rotate either!! 

(apologize in advance for your neck problems!)

 A few close ups of the little clusters I did. Combining wooden buttons, flowers, pearls and bling as well as some Purple Pumpkin goodies!

that's it for today! Hope you enjoyed my share and your weekend! It's the start to another week and one day closer to Thanksgiving :) my favorite holiday because of the yummy food!! until next time friends, peace y'all~ VV

{an unbreakable bond}

Good evening, friends!I hope everyone enjoyed their Friday the 13th!! Since my last post was SUPER LONG, I have a nice little short one for you this time!! LOL! Tonight I am here to share with you a new LO I did a few nights ago for the sketch challenge over at Frosted Designs. 

It is for Sketch Along Tuesdays #32. This was the original sketch:

And this is my take on the sketch:

  and without a flash...can't see colors as well.

 and a better shot with the flash. This photo is of my Aunt and Cousin, Debbie and Kate. They both are such beautiful women and I'm very grateful to have them in my life, also they remind me alot of my Mom in many many ways and of course our genes and the dark hair...runs in the family!

 and here are some closies:

 for the paper roses I folded some punched circles that I inked in 2 different colors. Then I attached them to strips of Basic Grey paper. I thought it was a cool effect and added some visual interest to the top of the page.

 I used several different sticker hearts and doodled swirls around them in Glitz stickles in sequins.

 some closies of the fussy cutting I did on the flowers I used along with some small red prima flowers.

 I like this shot, it shows all the different textures going on in the background overlapping papers, the quote block, the crochet doily from PP, and the buttons and brads. Very girly colors but I wanted to tone it down so I used just splashes of green and the background paper is dark brown cardstock.

That is all for tonite! Just got to finish watching my new fav show, Grimm because we DVR'd it earlier and now since this post is finished I think I'm gonna VEGG out for the rest of the night... ( as Julia Roberts) would say in  Pretty Women! LOL "lay like broccoli!! Until next time, Peace Y'all! ~V V

Supplies List:

cream& brown cardstock- Recollections Holiday Traditions paperstack

pink heart paper, polka dot paper- Me & My Big Ideas Valentines Kit

fuzzy cut flowers- paper from stash?

pink and brown cheetah print ribbon- Celebrate It 'fit to be tied' ribbon Michael's\

brown sheer polka dot ribbon- Making Memories trims in 'animal crackers' collection

vintage floral paper- Tim Holtz paper stash 'Lost and Found' collection

quote/sentiment- Melody Ross designer inspiration cards 'Homespun Chic'

pink crochet doiley- Purple Pumpkin Crafts

med red fabric covered button- Purple Pumpkin Crafts

Tim Holtz distress ink in 'fired brick'

'Glitz' stickles in 'sequins'

Colorbox chalk ink in dark brown

green flower stems- Basic Grey 'Origins' collection

Smooch Spritz in 'cherry ice'

mini stapler and staples

Glossy Accents liquid glass

Tim Holtz paper distresser tool

tape runner & glue stic

small red flowers- Prima No.9 Essentials collection

pearl brads, vintage buttons, heart stickers, metal heart brads- stash