Unconventional Vacation Memory Crafts

I am definitely a memory crafter but not in the traditional scrap booking fashion.  I enjoy turning vacation memories into home dec pieces that become keepsakes.

Join me today on the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop and explore a few different ways to keep, display and gift vacation memories!

First up is a cool shadowbox filled with shells collected on our many trips to Sanibel Island, the shelling capital of Florida!  Around the edge is a bit of journaling along with stickers and other embellishments.  Think about the memorabilia that you bring back from a vacation and display it in a unique way.

I also enjoy up cycling everyday day items, so I have turned ordinary glass food jars into picture frames.  Embellish on the outside, then roll up your photo and slide inside the jar before replacing the lid.  Great gifts for family and friends!

This wooden block memory tray is something that I made for my Mom.  The base is a simple wooden tray and 8 wooden blocks from the craft store.  I sized photos from childhood family vacations, and decoupaged them onto the blocks, the carefully cut the blocks apart with a sharp craft knife.  I stained the tray, embellished with stamps and added handles from the home improvement store.

Next up is another project I created for my Mom (she's my biggest fan!). I purchased a craft store collage frame, removed the backing and glass, then painted it bright white.  I glued in a starfish as well as some strands of shells and sea glass.  For this project I scanned vintage family beach vacation photos, printed them black and white, then colored in key elements of each photo.

I hope you have enjoyed my unconventional vacation memory crafts today!  Now it's time to HOP around and see what all of the other talented Designer Crafts Connections designers have created with their vacation memories. Please use the DCC navigation box on my right hand toolbar to HOP FORWARD and HOP BACK!

Thanks for stopping by!  -Beth

Eileen Hull Inspiration Team Blog Hop with Stencil Girl & Craffiti!

Good Morning Hoppers!  Today it is my turn to share the project I created with products from Eileen Hull Designs (for Sizzix and Craffiti) and Stencil Girl!  I am so excited!  There has been so much creativity from this group of ladies that I have been on the edge of my seat each day waiting for the new round of inspiration!

Now on to my project!

Materials:
658983 Sizzix Scoreboard XL Die - Block/Cube/Bank 3D
657120 Sizzix Scoreboard Die - Bird 3D
656492 Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board
657900 Sizzix Big Shot
Stencil Girl S126 Mimosa 6 Stencil by Cecilia Swatton
Craffiti Direct Eileen Hull's Barn Wood Stamp
Colorbox Blends Ink by Eileen Hull - Nutmeg and Bay
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue by I Love to Create
Tombow Xtreme Adhesive Runner
Americana paints by DecoArt in Hauser Medium Green, Hauser Light Green, Moon Yellow and Spa Blue
Paintbrush, palette knife, moulding paste, Flora and Fauna Ephemera, rhinestones, lace, letter stickers, buttons, twine, scissors and grapevine bird's nest.

Instructions:
1. Die cut Bird (1) and Block (2) from mat board. 
2. Base cost Block pieces with Hauser Medium Green.

3. Place a small dollop of moulding past on a paper plate, mix in a few drops of Hauser Light Green with a palette knife.  Place Stencil over Block and lightly spread tinted moulding paste.  Peel up Stencil, allow to dry and repeat with second Block piece.  Set aside to dry.

3. Base coat Bird pieces with Spa Blue.  Ink Barn Wood with Blends Hydrangea and stamp on Bird Pieces.

4. Assemble Block and Bird, according to their package instructions using Xtreme Adhesive.

5. Distress Block with Blends Nutmeg.  Color canvas letters, flowers butterfly and leaves with Blends Green, Bay, Sunshine, Nutmeg and Hydrangea.  Embellish four horizontal faces of Block with letters, flowers, leaves, pearls, rhinestones, lace, letter stickers and buttons.

6. Glue bird's nest to Block.  Fill nest with bits of lace.  Place 2 small black pearls on either side of Bird's head for eyes.  Paint Bird's beak Moon Yellow.  Glue Bird in nest.

StencilGirl Talk
Janet Joehlin
Maria McGuire
Beth Watson - THAT'S ME!
Pam Keravuori - GO HERE NEXT!

There is also a PRIZE for one lucky person, but you have to leave a comment to be entered to win!  All comments left for the entire week August 18th – August 22nd on all blogs in the hop will be eligible for the giveaway. One comment per blog post.  Comments close Sunday, August 24th @ 11:59PM Central Time.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 26th.

For more information on Eileen Hull Designs and her product lines please visit Eileen Hull website, 

Eileen Hull for Sizzix  Eileen Hull Facebook  and Craffiti Direct (Stamps)

For more information on StencilGirl products, check out their StencilGirl Website   StencilGirl Facebook

 or StencilGirl Google+

Thanks for stopping by! -Beth

Smoothfoam & Clearsnap BLOG HOP!

So, excited to be participating in today's Blog Hop with Smoothfoam and Clearsnap!  Both companies have great products that work together wonderfully! 

Welcome to the Clearsnap and Smoothfoam Blog Hop! Hop along to each blog in the hop list to see inspiring ways to use Smoothfoam with Clearsnap’s ink, created by our teams of designers. Be sure to comment on each blog in the hop, then use the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post to enter to win a prize pack of Smoothfoam and Clearsnap goodies!

Materials:

Smoothfoam 12" by 12" by 5/8" Scrapbook Page Mount

Clearsnap Dye Ink: ColorBox® Archival Refill in Mist, Golf Course and Wave 

Clearsnap Decoative Fine Glitter by Donna Salazar in Sugar Shimmer

Rebekah Meier stencils for the Crafters Workshop - Byzantine, Ring Doily and Rosetta

Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue® and Aleene's® Crystal Clear Acid-Free Tacky Spray™ by I Love To Create

Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Melange Tissue Wrap Paper

Golden Soft Gel Medium

Golden Moulding Paste

Hot Wire Cutting Tool, Paintbrush, paper plates for palette, pencil, ruler, palette knife, starfish, sand dollar and/or large sea shells, large and small letter stickers, scissors

Instructions:

1. Measure and cut Smoothfoam 12" by 12"  scrapbook mount into four 6" by 6" pieces.  Apply tissue to front and sides with soft gel medium, let dry.

2. Tint three small dollops of moulding paste with a few drops of Colorbox Archival Refill in Mist, Golf Course and Wave.  Place stencils on "canvas" and randomly apply tinted moulding paste with palette knife, set aside to dry overnight.  Remove stencils and rinse with water to remove moulding paste before it dries.

3. Apply thin layer of Tacky Spray Glue to starfish and sprinkle with Clearsnap Sugar Shimmer Glitter, let dry.  Apply a second layer, if desired.

4. Attach starfish to "canvas" with Tacky Glue, let dry.  Apply letter stickers spelling out RELAX and enjoy the journey.

5. Repeat with remaining "canvases". Give as gifts or hang and enjoy!

Hop List:

Smoothfoam Blog

Clearsnap Blog

Suzanne Austin - What's in a Lousyananut

Julie McGuffee - Life in the Craft Lane

Jennifer Priest - Hydrangea Hippo

Lisa Fulmer -  Lisa Liza Lou

Meihsia Liu - Simply Paper Crafts

Anita Scroggins - The Flamingo Chronicals  

Steph Ackerman - Live Laugh Scrap

Carmen Flores Tanis -  Flores Tanis Studio

Tami Sanders - tami sanders * paper crafter  

Beth Watson - Beth Watson YOU ARE HERE! 

GO HERE NEXT!  Sabrina Alery - The Honor Roll

Marilyn Gossett - Marilyn Gossett Designs

Denise Hahn - In My Blue Room

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!  -Beth

Vintage Ruler Frame Tutorial

I cannot believe that June and July are gone and we are welcoming August!  Kids will be going back to school soon, so the Designer Crafts Connection theme this month is Crafting with School Supplies!

There are so many out-of-the-box things that you can do with school supplies.  My first attempt was to carve stamps from red rubber erasers - well that was a huge CRAFT FAIL - and a lot more difficult than I imagined!  

So, on to Plan B.  I had hoarded collected these cute vintage inspired rulers from Seven Gypsies several years ago and they have been waiting in my craft stash for just the right project.  Now is their time to shine!  This project was completely crafted from my existing stash!

On to my project:

Materials:

• Seven Gypsies School Rulers - Black, White, Light Brown and Dark Brown.  They have been retired, but I found them at Simon Says Stamp
• Aleene'® Tacky Glue® by I Love to Create
• Americana Paints by DecoArt - Lamp Black and Chocolate Brown
• Mid-West Products Easy Cutter Ultimate - I got mine at Dick Blick
• Paint Brush, Water Basin, Palette, Paper Towels, Burlap Flower, Vintage Button, Black Twine and Unfinished Wooden Frame - 5" by 7" - Craft Store.

Instructions:

STEP ONE:  Paint the unfinished wooden frame with Lamp Black, let dry.  Distress the Black and White Ruler pieces with Chocolate Brown, let dry.

STEP TWO:  Measure and cut your sections on ruler, then dry fit on the frame.  Once you are pleased with the layout then glue all pieces in place with Aleene's Tacky Glue.  Set aside to dry.

STEP THREE:  Thread black twine through vintage button and tie in a knot.  Attach button to flower and burlap flower to frame.  I inserted a piece of dictionary paper with BACK TO SCHOOL written on it, since the kids don't go back for another 2 weeks!

Now it is time to HOP around to the other Designer Crafts Connection blogs to see all of the wonderful projects they have designed with school supplies!  Just use the DCC navigation box on my right hand tool bar to HOP FORWARD or HOP BACK through the Blog Ring!

Thanks for stopping by!  -Beth