The love of my life

"You're the reason I believe in love,

And you're the answer to my prayers from up above...

My dreams came true, because of you."

(Shania Twain, "From This Moment On")

Thank you Rejean for who you are, for all you do, and for all that I am~ because of you.

I love you always,

Shelley

Just buzzing by....

to wish all of you a bee-autiful day! :o)

Actually, I really wanted to share a little project I completed today. It's for a dear friend of mine who just celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary with her hunny. (that's what she calls him...isn't that sweet?). Truthfully, I don't know what she'll do with this, or even if she'll like it. She may think I've totally lost my marbles, but that's okay too. LOL Maybe she can use it on a layout of the two of them together.

Mainly, I just wanted her to know I thought of her today and am excited for her and this major milestone in her life.

So, here is the paper piecing I made. I put some red cardstock behind it, hoping it will show up better in the picture.

If you would like to make one of these little fellas for your own page, here is what you will need:

(2) 1 1/2" heart punch (wings--white cardstock)

(1) 1 1/2" square punch cut in two (corner to corner--black cardstock). This will be his...how can I word this in a refined, ladylike manner...his bottom. :o)

Coluzzle Oval --largest oval for body (using black cardstock). The yellow strips on his body are 1/2" . I adhered several strips to his body and then turned it over and cut around the black.

Coluzzle Circle--use the fifth circle from the center. This will be his head (black cardstock).

Coluzzle Heart--use third heart from the center. This will be for his face (white cardstock).

The item numbers for the Coluzzle templates are as follows:

Coluzzle Circle: 44-4001

Coluzzle Oval: 44-4000

Coluzzle Heart: 44-4005

I also used several EK Success Paper Shapers (or thumb punches) for this as well. These smaller punches are probably not as popular as they once were, but I find them extremely handy when doing my paper piecings. Here is a picture of the ones I used:

Pink smallest circle--2 black for eyes, 3 red (nose & cheeks)

Orange circle--2 black for tops of antennas, 17 yellow for around face (heart).

Swirl--1 black for mouth (trimmed down)

Heart--2 red for tops of antenna

**Before adhereing the white portion of the face (heart) onto the black (coluzzle circle), remember to adhere the yellow circle punches to the back to give the appearance of a "scalloped" border. You will probably have to overlap them a bit to make them all fit nicely.**

The antennas were made by cutting one 1/4" strip of white. Cut it to whatever length you like and then form a "v" with it before adhering it to the top of the bee's head.

Add any detailing you like with a black pen. Also using a white pen for the hearts on the antennas would be cute.

Enjoy your bee! :o)

The 3/50 Project

I want to call attention to the badge I proudly placed on my website today. It's not only to make you aware of something I feel is very important, but it's there also to serve as a reminder to me.

Yesterday I placed on my blog a link to a wonderful website with all kinds of discounts --perhaps to your favorite online stores. But I think there is another aspect here that I feel is just as important. That is, supporting your local small businesses.

There is something about the local Mom & Pop establishments that give you something that the major chain stores just don't offer to the same extent. One being the level of customer service. I don't know about you, but when I go into a small store with a friendly atmosphere and the store owner(s) know my name (perhaps even those of the rest of my family), that makes me feel like I matter...and that my business is important to them.

I realize that with today's economy being strained such that it is, consumers want to get the most they can when spending their hard earned money. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Discounts are great and if we can use them on especially pricier items, then we as consumers need to do so.

But when I do shop for those little things, I plan on visiting my local Mom & Pop stores first to see if they have what I might be needing. It's the places I find fellowship...and am among friends. And that is extremely important to me. My hope is that you will consider doing the same.

Wishing you all a fantastic day!!

Let the shopping begin!

See if your favorite online store has any unadvertised sales going on:

http://www.naughtycodes.com/

Happy shopping! :o)

Look what I found!

If you're looking for a fantastic sketch site, have I found something fabulous for you!

http://www.scrapsketches.blogspot.com/

Check it out! Her designs are beautiful!!

Friendship

It seems to me that there are many times we forget to say thank you to the very people who make our lives a better place to be. So, I wanted to tell you about some wonderful blessings I have received by some special people in my life.

First, I signed up to do the Secret Sister both at the Scrapbook Shoppe and also at our church. And can I just say that I have the best secret sisters ever?! Not only have they given me some very thoughtful gifts which I appreciate so much, it's the knowing that they are thinking of me that means the most.

My sister from church has given me some wonderful gifts...lots of chocolate (who wouldn't love that, right??), a beautiful devotional book and even a gift card to Hobby Lobby! :o)

And then there's my secret sister from the Shoppe. One Saturday I went by the store and received this darling hand decorated container filled with lots of neat things!! Now, I loooove anything homemade, so her putting the time and effort into making me something meant so much to me. I just had to take a picture of it to share with all of you....

And some of the fun goodies to be found inside....

"S" is for "Shelley"...or maybe it's for Secret Sister...either way...cute!


Adorable polka dotted flowers and little brads to match...



Scissors, also in the same lime green...love them!!

Some of the most gorgeous fibers that I have ever seen!
And some sweet glittery tags that will be perfect for my scrapbook pages.

Then there was my birthday. My sweet friends Cheryl and Elizabeth really went out of their way to make my birthday special and to put a smile on my face. They succeeded at both.


Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I have two major obsessions....gerber daisies and anything that is black and white. So, Cheryl gave me this adorable framed artwork for my craftroom:






LOVE the sentiment!! It's hard to see from the picture but the colors are so vibrant! And the paint has a shimmer to it...almost appearing as though there are dew drops on the flower.

Then, my dear friend Elizabeth gave me a beautiful journal covered with pearls and a stunning decorative metal box (that has the vintage look that I just adore). The box is magnetic and has such detail, complete with flourishes, beading and crystals inlaid. It's very hard to describe so let me share a picture of it so you can see for yourself just how pretty it is...




A huge thank you to all of you for your thoughtfulness! You all mean so much to me and I feel very blessed to have you in my life.

Something truly special

I found this in my online travels today. Ever since the first time I heard Miley Cyrus's song "The Climb" I've loved it. It's such an inspirational song. So, today I decided to youtube it. Aside from finding the original version, there was also a video from someone by the name of Leah Mertz. Leah is apparently from British Columbia...a fellow Canadian!! :o) And there's no other way to put it...her voice makes my heart melt. There is no doubt in my mind that we'll be hearing her name alot more in future!!

Here is her version of "The Climb". I hope you like it as much as I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHlS_BksGVU

Decided to edit this post to add one more song. This one is Taylor Swift's "Love Story" again, performed by Leah Mertz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBp_EdYguEU&feature=channel_page

Poll is almost finished....

From the poll results, it doesn't appear that there is a great deal of interest in those wanting to create a sketch book. So, I may post a sketch on occassion for you to use as inspiration in your own personal scrapbooks...but I don't think I'll make it a regular feature of my blog.

Things have been busy here. I've been trying to get some spring cleaning done as well as work on some upcoming classes. So, be on the lookout for them soon.

Oh, and just a quick reminder...there's still time to sign up for our "Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails" class this weekend. Class is this Saturday from 1-3 p.m. (kits are available if you're not able to make it to class). The deadline for registration is Thursday, so please don't wait if you would like a seat. We hope to see you there!

Helpful Hint

I'm sure most of you have probably heard of the very talented artist and scrapbooker Jennifer McGuire. She currently works for Creating Keepsakes and offers helpful tips and tricks. She has all kinds of wonderful tutorial videos on YouTube that you might be interested in. Here is a link to one of my favorites regarding placement of acrylic stamps for titles. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful in your own scrapbooking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8AWQJQXTPA

Thanks Jennifer for such an ingenious idea!!

Another money saving tip

I came across this and thought it was so helpful that I'm passing it on to you. I know many of you have a Cricut machine. Hopefully this method will help cut down on the expense of buying extra mats.

Click on the following link to find out what Cricut Dan has to say...

http://cricutdan.blogspot.com/search/label/Tips%20-%20Help

Thank you Dan for such a wonderful tip!! :o)

Money saving tip

We've all seen the cute papers out there that have the adorable decorative edging around it. However, many times the pattern or color does not go with the pictures we are working on.
Instead, buy one sheet of the paper you like and use it as a template for tracing. That way you have the versatility of using any patterned paper you like for your layout.

It would also be a great idea to keep all of your "templates" together by putting a hole in one corner of each sheet and using a ring....or perhaps you can just put them all in a page sleeve. Keeping them all in one place not only makes them easier to find when you want to use them~it also provides a quick reference for you to make sure you do not buy duplicates when you go shopping.

Just to clarify...

Before any more votes come in on my poll, I thought it might be important to clarify my earlier post concerning the sketch book.

The sketch book idea is a free service that I am offering on my blog. It is not a class you need to sign up for. And although I came up with this idea with my class participants in mind, anyone is welcome to participate. The only reason I decided to place a poll was to determine if instructions needed to provided, or if a picture alone would suffice.

That said, if there is enough interest, my sketches will be 6x6 in size and I will be using the Bo Bunny book (mainly because I want to decorate the cover as well as make some cute index cards to go inside). If some of you decide you want to do the same, please let me know and I'll consider doing an online tutorial on those portions of the book as well.

Stay tuned to find out whether or not this fun project is a go!

Added a new poll...

If you still would like to leave comments or suggestions based on the previous post, please feel free to do so. However, I added a poll to make it a little easier for you to leave feedback.

Have a great night everyone!

Would love your thoughts on this...

I have an idea in which I would love to hear your input. Nothing has been set in stone at this time, so please feel free to make suggestions, ask questions, etc.

Sketch books are a valuable asset to any scrapbooker...especially if you're anything like me and sometimes find yourself in a creative rut. My idea is to give you the option of making a sketch book based on the class layouts I've been offering at the Shoppe. Many of you have been so wonderful about signing up for my classes, I really wanted to do something nice for you!

I'm thinking a BoBunny 6x6 storage binder would work well for this purpose. I believe these albums are pretty inexpensive, as are the page protectors. I'm suggesting page protectors as well because not only will they protect your sketches, but it will also allow you to remove them from your book with ease. That way if you're going to a crop and you want to make a layout based on a certain sketch, you can just remove that page rather than having to carry your book with you each time. Also, if you use page protectors for your sketch book, you can take a picture of the class layout and enclose it with the sketch for reference later. I believe Cheryl can order the book and protectors if it's not something you already have on hand. (706) 321-0202.

After each class, I will list here the instructions on how to make a sketch based on the class layout. This idea will be great to use up some of those scrap pieces of paper that we all have waaaay too much of! The dimensions for the sketch itself will be provided here. Later, when you create your layout, you can then determine what size adjustments will need to be made for photo mats, etc. (depending on the size album you are working with). I made an example to give you a bit of a visual of what I am talking about:

And a close up of the sketch itself. I used all cardstock for my sketch, but you can use whatever scraps you have in your stash.

Okay, my picture is a little blurry, but hopefully you get the idea. :o) Rejean is the photographer in our family.

As time goes on, we may even be able to decorate some chipboard inserts to serve as dividers. Then we can organize our sketches according to themes, etc.

So, if you wouldn't mind, please let me know your thoughts. If there is an interest, then I'll look into adding this feature to my blog. You can either leave a comment by clicking on the word "comments" below this post or you can use my CBox which you will find further on down the right hand side of the page. Or, if you prefer, feel free to send me an email at shelleylee34@yahoo.com .

I look forward to hearing from you!

Product Review

My product review today pertains to the Spellbinder's Nestabilities Collection dies. These metal dies are designed to both cut out and emboss shapes.

The first concern is the price is a bit steep at 24.99 per set. Unless you have a coupon to use, the money invested in purchasing different shapes can quickly add up.

Second issue: no directions that I could find. I finally resorted to watching a video on You Tube to find out how to use them.

Third issue: Because these dies also have the capability to emboss your shape, you will also need an embossing mat (purchased separately for an additional $8.99).

To make a long story short, I tried my dies using my Sizzix Big Kick. Now, I have seen alot of reviews online raving about how wonderful this cutting system is. But to be honest, I was less than impressed with the overall finished look. In fact, I plan on returning my dies the very first chance that I get.

My advice is to save your $$ or invest in a nice cutting system with basic shapes such as circles, squares etc. I have several coluzzle templates and love them alot. Also, punches are a great investment...especially if you like to paper piece (like we do in many of our layout classes). They are also available in fancier cuts such as the scalloped circle or square. In my opinion, those would be a much better choice.

Just my two cents, for whatever it may be worth...

Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails!

This is a new class that is now open for registration. I'm really happy with the way it turned out and hope you all like it too. The snail paper piecing contains a secret opening...perfect for adding another picture or perhaps some journaling to your layout.

The class will be held on Saturday, April 25th from 1-3 p.m. As always, kits are available if you are not able to make it to class. Please call to register at 706-321-0202.

Hope to see you there!

Time for a change...

I decided today that my blog needed a change, so on the hunt I went for a new background. After trying several, I settled on this one. I like the vintage, yet girly feel to it. So, it's going to be my new look for awhile.

Speaking of new looks, if anyone knows of a great place to get your hair done, please feel free to leave a comment. Up until now, it's been mainly for a haircut, but lately I've been finding a few more gray hairs than I would like, so it may be time to take some serious action. (By the way, is it true that if you pull a gray hair out, two more will grow back? Please say no...please say no....please say no...)

Oh, one more thing before I sign off for now....

It's been brought to my attention that some thought if you click on the ice cream picture on the right, that a coupon for ice cream would come up. I hate to disappoint, but the picture is purely for decorative purposes. To be honest, as much as you know I treasure all of you, this is ice cream we're talking about (which I love in a big puffy heart kind of way). So, chances are I'd be hoarding any coupons I found for myself. Sorry folks, but that's the sad reality of the situation. Sometimes life just sucks that way. LOL

My funny for the day...