Let's Catch Up!

Hey everyone! Long time, no see. I know. 

Lots and lots going on in my world...always. That never changes. I've lately withdrawn from social media for various reasons and also from blogging. As many of you know, I also have a homesteading blog where I share a lot of our real life home practices which includes a from-scratch lifestyle, raising a variety of animals for different purposes, and striving to maintain simplicity- all the while raising 3 young kids and being a "stay at home mom" who works multiple part-time jobs both inside and outside of the home. So I've realized the need to disconnect a bit more from my online life and focus more of my available energy toward the everyday demands of my actual life. Get what I mean?

So in an effort to maintain that balance, blogging has become rather secondary. I didn't mean to take this big of a break and I apologize. And I wanted to take the opportunity today to catch up on some Prima projects that I've done in the past couple months. I hope you enjoy :)

"Hello" Tag

This tag was created using my favorite of the new releases from Prima, the "Butterfly" Collection designed by Jodie Lee. To say I love this range would be an understatement.The patterns, images, and color palette are a dream come true. I'm really into purple at the moment, so this one is right up my alley.

I've paired the papers with flowers new and old, as well as some gorgeous embellishments. The frame seen here is from the new "Timeless Memories" trinkets packs.

"Fall in Love" Card

Another new release from Prima is Frank Garcia's "The Archivist" collection. In Frank's true style, you will find lots of neutral colors and awesome patterns. This is one of those collections that you just have to have as it is so versatile. 

I've used one of the new Prima Mixed Media stamps here to create the messy butterfly background. And the brown egg carton flowers are amazing- they are super thick and durable which makes them perfect for mixed media!

"Love is Beauty" Tag

The "Bella Rouge" collection is bold and gorgeous. I've paired the papers here with new flowers and new Finnabair Art Ingredients. Microbeads, glass beads, and new Color Bloom sprays add to the textured mixed media background here.

"Happy Moment" Tag

 Another project featuring the "Butterfly" collection. A bit of fussy cutting here brought this tag to life :).

Bedtime Story Mini Album

If you've got little kids, you've got to have the "Bedtime Story" collection! The vintage children's book theme offers diversity and so much interest to an album like this one. 

Lots of new flowers, brads, wood icons, crystals, and other embellishments helped me out along the way.

There you have it, folks! I hope I didn't overwhelm you too much- I know there's a lot of images in this post today. :)

And as the week enters the weekend, I hope life is treating you well. We've had some unusually nice weather around here- a week ago it was -20 F and now we're in the 40's. Although we have several feet of snow yet and March typically shows us our biggest snow storms, it's a welcome break from our always-too-long winter. I'm starting my seeds inside this weekend and have been anxiously planning for our biggest garden yet with so many dreams and plans to be fulfilled.

I wish you all the best. And I hope to see you soon!

xErin

Prima "The Archivist" Layout

Good morning! Hard to believe we're already half-way through January...although, being the first of the two coldest months of the year, I'm happy to see it go quickly :)

By now, you're well aware of the fabulous collections that Prima released for Winter CHA. "The Archivist" is one of them, and I'd like to share with you a layout that I created for CHA using this awesome new collection by Frank Garcia.

"Love"

Neutrals just simply do not go out of style! I love how versatile they are, especially for a rustic boy layout. My little guy Wyatt is simply in love with our many chickens, including this little girl who we affectionately call "Butterstuff". The vintage imagery available in this collection like the typewriters and clocks meld beautifully with the various florals, making it a range suitable for all styles and subjects!

Here are a couple of closeups:

Prima Products Used:

990220- Archivist Collection "Les Facons Dont Je T'aime"

990275- Archivist A4 Paper Pad

579524- Archivist Tag Me

579036- Archivist 4x6 Journaling Note Cards

578978- Archivist 3x4 Journaling Note Cards

579272- Archivist Clear Stamp

579395- Archivist Say it in Crystals

579586- Archivist Wood Icons

580469- Archivist Flowers

580506- Archivist Flowers

580476- Archivist Flowers

573836- Color Bloom Spray Mist- Tea Stain

573805- Color Bloom Spray Mist- Gold Foil

573829- Color Bloom Spray Mist- Worn Leather

961503- Art Ingredients Texture Paste- White Crackle

961596- Art Extravagance Glitter Set- Luminous

962562- Art Ingredients Micro Beads- Silver

962579- Art Ingredients Micro Beads- Copper

580001- 6x6 Stencil- Young Spring

962326- 7x9 Elementals Stencil- Dots & Stripes

 

 Thank-you for coming on over! I hope your week is off to a good start- take care of yourselves! :)

The Many Shades of Ombre Dreams

Good morning!

I'm here today to share with you three different projects I created this month using the gorgeous Ombre Dreams collection from Blue Fern Studios! I just can't get over how beautiful these papers are, and what a delight to put them to work! There's such a beautiful array of colors available in this range that I decided to spotlight a different palette in each of my projects...

"My Boy"

I LOVE the watercolor-y washed out seashore shades in the "Ginger's Dream" paper, which I chose to use as my background for this photo of my middle child at the beach. And layered in pieces behind my photo are some more blues from the "Susan's Dream" paper.

I chose to feature the Roman Clock Set- Small on my layout as well. This set can be split up into three different clocks (along with hands); I chose the largest of the clocks, cut it in half, dabbed it with white chalk ink, and used them to really set the design of my page.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:
Ombre Dreams: Ginger's Dream

Ombre Dreams: Susan's Dream

Roman Clock Set- Small

Other Products Used:
Prima Marketing: Flowers, Ribbon, Resin Bird & Clock, Bling, "Memorandum" ATC Card
Webster's Pages: Paper Straws

"Thoughts" Card

Next up, I went with two more fabulous papers that are predominantly purple, while offering hints of many other colors including green, blue, pink, turquoise, and more: Joyce's Dream and Dream Cards. It was very difficult not to use some mixed media on the background of this card, but I really wanted to show off the lovely delicate patterns :)

The butterfly piece you see here is from the "Tattered Butterfly" set, which features 4 butterflies in various sizes. I just love the intricate detail in this butterfly design. I decided to go with a random smattering of embossing enamel which was set with a heat gun. Embossing enamel offers a great mix of color and texture which catch the light beautifully! For even more sparkle, I added a pretty crystal to the center.

Since I had my Roman Clock pieces out, I went with one of the smaller pieces in the set here. First I painted it with a lilac shade of acrylic paint and, while still wet, dusted it with a sparkly white embossing powder to give it a pretty frosted look. 

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Ombre Dreams: Joyce's Dream

Ombre Dreams: Dream Cards

Roman Clock Set- Small

Tattered Butterflies

Other Products Used:
Prima Marketing: Flowers, Doily Die, Metal Clock Embellishment

"Discover" Card

Finally, we have some orange/peach/pinks to feature! The Shannon's Dream paper is full of tropical citrus colors and dreamy floral patterns. 

The Wild Flourish Bundle chipboard piece was just what I needed to set the foundation for my cluster on this card. It was covered with a pale yellow chalk ink, embossed with clear embossing powder, and accented with some bling.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Ombre Dreams: Shannon's Dream

Wild Flourish Bundle

Other Products Used:
Prima Marketing: Flowers, Metal Embellishment
Webster's Pages: Sticker Sentiment, Resin Leaves

Thank-you for checking out my post today!

We're nearing the end of the month- don't forget about our June Sketch Challenge~ if you loved some of the pieces in my post today, you have the chance to win a couple of them in this month's prize pack! Don't miss out :)

February PPP from Prima!

Hi everyone :)

Sorry for being so absent this month. My whole family has been sick for weeks and it's been a struggle to keep up. But I thought I would check in today with my February PPP sample for Prima. I hope you get a chance to join us this month!

"Be Happy"

I've used the Princess and Something Blue collections for this layout, which were perfectly dictated by this month's color palette:

Here's a closer look at some of the details and stunning new Prima products used on this layout:

 I've used a couple of different masks in the background here: the Flourish mask as well as the new Floral Rose mask.

I've had a bunch of painted Natural Bark Hearts laying around for quite some time, and this project seemed like a good place to use one of them. I simply flipped the hearts over to their smooth side, painted with gesso, and then painted again with acrylic paint. Before the paint dried, I sprinkled on some clear sparkly embossing powder.

Products Used:

950989 Princess Collection "Lily"
813444 Something Blue Collection "Wedding Planner"
814083 Something Blue 6x4 ATC Pad
814120 Something Blue 3x4 ATC Pad
572716 Princess Collection Flair Buttons & Clear Stamp
573676 Crochet Icons
572242 12"x12" Stencils- Floral Rose
950927 Delight Sugardots
571559 Le Mia
571535 Le Mia

Thank-you for coming by my blog today. I hope to get back into the swing of things soon- I still have plenty of projects to share and lots of catching up to do!

Take care :)

Blue Fern Studios: January Projects Part II

I'm back again today with the second part of my Blue Fern Studios monthly project shares. 

First up, another layout using the NEW Blue Fern Garden Paper Collection:

"Live Your Story"

I've taken the opportunity to show the masculine side of this collection with this layout. There are plenty of blues, greens, and browns in these papers which I've put to use here :)

I've added stamping and watercolors to bring the "Beaded Strings" piece to life.

Adding a darker pigment to the outside of the circles while dabbing away the middles helps add some dimension.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Blue Fern Garden Collection Papers

Beaded Strings

Secondly, I have a sweet and simple card to share:

"Dream"

I've used one of the sweet little "Petite Windows" pieces to give view to the pretty fairy beyond.

I first dabbed the edges of the window with a pale blue chalk ink and then used Glossy Accents and some white glittery embossing powder to create a frosted look over the rest of the window.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Petite Windows

I'm so glad you stopped in today :)

And in case you haven't yet, I invite you to join us for our monthly sketch challenge. There are still a few days remaining and we'd LOVE to have you join us :)

Take care!

"Oh, Brother": NEW Prima CHA Winter 2014: Everyday Vintage

GOOD MORNING :)!

It's been a while, I know. And it's not for lack of things to share- I have some projects backed up that I haven't had the opportunity to get on here. But I have been suffering with strep throat for well over a week and it's been pretty debilitating. 

Good news is- I'm on the mend :) So I'm back today with another Prima share, this time featuring the NEW Everyday Vintage Paintables :)

"Oh, Brother"

I've used the Paintables cards to add layers beneath my photo, some of them I've fussy cut the pretty intricate designs out of, and others I've torn and layered along the top left and bottom right of my layout.

I've added in some other new CHA goodies here as well: the paper and chipboard pieces are Stationer's Desk, and the canvas/burlap and gold rimmed flowers are new releases :)

I'm a sucker for anything black and white, so these paintables are right up my alley! I'm always looking for ways to add layers and interest to my projects, and these come in great sizes and patterns!

Prima Products Used:
813796 Stationer's Desk Collection "Captured Drama"
813963 Paintables
813970 Paintables
813987 Paintables
813703 Stationer's Desk Chipboard Pieces
990169 Cartographer Chipboard Pieces
990114 Cartographer Cling Stamp
572877 Stationer's Desk Wood Embellishments
563233 Sunrise Sunset Tiny Alphabet
574680 Tempting
574857 Bella
574826 Joyous
571566 Le Mia
557324 Charlotte Tiffany

Thanks for coming by! I hope you had a great weekend and are staying warm (in my part of the world)- or cool (if you're lucky enough to have that beautiful thing called HEAT!) ;)

Prima Marketing: Scraplift!

Good morning and welcome!

Today some of the Prima team members are scraplifting a Prima veteran: Felicity Wilson!

Felicity has a fun, textured, layered style and it was a pleasure to lift one of her fabulous layouts :)~ and I certainly hope I did her justice ;)

"Handsome Boy"

Some days, you take out the camera and got nothing. And then others- you get something great. I captured this great photo of Wyatt playing with his football recently- and couldn't wait to scrap it. Such a handsome boy- turning into a little man right before my eyes!

Here is the layout by Felicity which inspired my project:

I attempted to adhere to her overall design and made a few changes to make it "my own". The large pennant was turned vertically to better support my portrait photo, I applied some gesso and masking to my background and kept the banners and title placement. 

 I added lots of amazing Prima embellishments, both old and new.

Of course I couldn't help but apply plenty of the new Allstar Collection for this sporty photo of my little guy! I love the neutrals in this range- so versatile! And accented by the yellows of the Ladybird collection made it fresh and young :)

*NEW* 846251- Allstar Collection "Depth Chart"
*NEW* 846213- Allstar Collection "MVP Allstars"
*NEW* 846237- Allstar Collection "Memorabilia"
*NEW* 971106- All About Me Collection "Dotty"
*NEW* 570460- Allstar- Sugar Dots
*NEW* 569662- Allstar Tickets and Tags Set
*NEW* 570886- Allstar Flowers
*NEW* 960445- 12x12 Stencil: Orbs
*NEW* 571108- La Tela- Canvas Rose
*NEW* 571405- Scarlett

Thank-you for stopping at my blog today. Come back again tomorrow, okay? I have a step-by-step tutorial for you- so don't miss it :)

7 Dots Studio: "You're Special"

Good morning everyone :) I hope your week is off to a great start!

I'm kicking off my Monday with a canvas that I created for 7 Dots Studio, with a masculine take on the beautiful new Messy Head collection by Olga Heldwein.

"You're Special"

This super handsome guy is of course my oldest, Wyatt. I took this photo on his last day of Preschool and he has just GROWN so much over the past year! In just 9 days, he will enter Kindergarten. So hard to believe that I'm the mom of a school-age child. Just crazy!

I tackled the blues and browns in this collection and just love how they came together :)

 Plenty of goodies tucked here and there! I've used a Memory Box die to cut the frames behind my photo, using some papers from the Messy Head 6x6 Designer Pad.

 

The heavy weight of 7 Dots Studio papers makes playing with mediums a lot of fun! So nice to have papers that will stand up to whatever you throw at it ;)

Products Used:

Messy Head: Love Letter

Messy Head: 6x6 Designer Pad

Hopefully: Stickers 6x12 

 

Other Products Used:

 

 Wood Icons in a Box: Clocks and Gears

Natural Bark- Stars

Tatiana (flowers)- Oceana

Labelle- Tranquil

Labelle- Surfside

Lifetime Mini Rose Stems

Engraver Daisies

Avante- Blue

Thanks for looking :)~ see you tomorrow!