Neglected But Not Forgotten

I'm currently working on a memory album for one of my lovely Reverie Creations customers, and it's rekindled that neglected (but not forgotten!) love of scrapbooking.  I'm ashamed to admit that it's been a year (or more) since I've scrapped.  Funny thing, whether or not I'm keeping up with creatively chronicling my little family's memories, we keep on making them.  ;)

  

When the girls were younger, I was able to design and create two to four pages every week, and with three girls there wasn't time to waste.   These days, I realize that the only way I'm ever going to find the time is if I make the time.  New Year's resolution?  

Anywho, here are some sneak peeks at a few of the completed pages...

This album is being gifted to the President of the LOWC, and I'm honored to be doing it for her.  It's become such a labor of love.

It's my hope to be finished by the end of November so that I can fully focus on holiday preparations.  Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?! 

Find time to do something you love.

M.

Hello October!!

My sister's birthday.  My daughter's birthday.  My father's birthday.  It's also the start of holiday preparations for Reverie Creations...not to mention Halloween.  October is a busy month.

Every year, I put together little bags of goodies for my girls and my nephews on Halloween.  Just a little something to put in their pillow cases at the start of their trick or treating adventures.  The tradition started with my Mom who did it for my sister and I.    

For this year's goody bags/tags, I based my design on the Tall&Skinny sketch over at Mojo Monday.

I started with splattering a small paper lunch bag with black paint...simple.  The tag was created by painting Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper (Moths & Butterflies) black and then adding orange splatter.  Washi tape, a Petaloo daisy and a vintage button were added to round out the look. 

Tied up with raffia and stained muslin. 

Simple and perfectly Halloween-ish for the kids.

All that's left is to fill them with all their favorite treats!

These are also available for purchase at Reverie Creations.

Have a fantastic weekend!

M.

Autumn Bliss

We've established that I'm not a fan of snow or being cold...ergo winter, but I am looking forward to autumn.  It's by far my favorite time of the year here in Maine.  You're surrounded by deep and comforting colors of the changing leaves, county fairs, warm days, cool nights, and lingering smells of apple cider.  Sweater weather as we like to call it.

Inspired by the challenge photo over at The Shabby Tea Room, I created this card for Reverie Creations.

The image is an old Italian illustration that I came across on the Internet.  I liked the that the pumpkin was white and it fit nicely with my design.

The paper is 7 Gypsies Avignon, and I also used Pink Paislee's Fall clear stamp set...both oldies. 

The buttons are vintage as is the paper that the image is printed on (graph paper from my Bampa's stash- I'm in love with the color it's aged to and the thickness of it)

I've also been working on another project based on autumn for Reverie Creations...here is a little sneak peek:

Distressed and shabby with vintage goodies and everything else that I love.

Take some time for yourself today,

M.

Let It Snow!?! Trash or Stash?

I.am.shivering. It is 68 degrees. 

My teeth are chattering...AND I'm in a complete outfit (+/-).  It's September.  I was born in Maine so to be wearing only two items of clothing while working (in my second story studio/office/laundry room/sweat box - I felt I should explain) wouldn't be a stretch for this time of year.  Yet, I just counted eight articles of clothing on my body at this very second.  

I'm going to have myself another brownie, and this time it's going to be the biggest one.  It's time to start on the winter chub. ;)

So it would stand to reason with all these clothes on that I'd be thinking of winter....and snow.

I don't want it to snow.  I promise.  Snow is evil  cold  pretty - for all of 5 seconds and then sand and salt get involved.

I dislike snow, and based on precedents alone it should be, at the very least, grey in color. ;)

*I promise there is a point*

I love this image.  I love everything about it...the colors, the story it tells me, and...how cute is that face?!  I used it for a project I was doing last Christmas, so I printed off two sheets in varying sizes.  The first run came out with the snow looking...dirty.  Personally, I loved the distressed tones but it didn't work for the project I was working on at the time.  I needed white... the "pretty" snow all the out-of-Staters refer to.

Now I have a printed sheet of 'ugly ducklings'...do I trash or stash?

*insert cricket noises here*

"Hi.  My name is Mandee and I'm a paper hoarder...."

I stashed them, of course!  From *ahem* 'ugly ducking' to ...

"Let It Snow"

Inspiration: shivering, a *dislike* of snow, an entire outfit in September!, some one's weakness for paper

Design:  based on Mojo Monday's sketch challenge #362.

I also designed a gift tag set using the smaller version of the 'ugly duckling' along with other little gems from my 'stashes'.

The magic of winter (for longer than 5 seconds) because I refused to trash it couldn't help myself .

Stop by Reverie Creations at Etsy for these new designs.  Get a start on ... snow?

....and while you're up can you get me a blanket?

Have a fantastic weekend,

M.

Inspire Dreams by Reading

Things around here are starting to pick up speed.  Gone are the lazy days of summer filled with sun, surf, ice cream for dinner and flexible bed times.  School has started and so have our daily rituals and routines.  Honestly, I'm more of a "let's see where the day takes us" kind of girl, but as a mother I realize (after a lot of kicking and screaming) that it's just easier with a schedule; especially when one has three girls in school and each doing their own 'thing' before and after.

Mackenzie first day of 3rd grade

My favorite time in the school day routine is reading with my youngest every night.  I have read to each of my girls since before they were born...and then one day out of the blue they decided they would rather read by themselves.  Kenzie still loves to read with me (and having her 1st day of school pics taken), and I cherish every second because it won't be long before she joins her older sisters and retreats to her bedroom to read on her own.

My little family's mutual love of reading inspired this card.

The image is from this week's challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room (week #234 Reading).  It couldn't be any cuter or more perfect!  

And the design came from Mojo Monday's sketch challenge #361.

Inspire Dreams

To keep the focal point on the image,  I used only a small scrap of neutral Colorbok paper and machine stitched the border.  I painted over the image with a fine crackle finish and sprinkled it with a course embossing powder for added texture and interest.

The 'cluster' is made up of a distressed and glittered chipboard heart (PinkPaislee) backed by a bit of rusted screen, an actual vintage book spine, and a vintage button.  The epoxy stickers are by K&Company.

This card can be purchase in my Etsy shop.  Be sure and stop by often...I'm always adding new items.

Inspire dreams by reading.

Have a wonderful day!

M.

**insert Prince's "Baby I'm A Star" music here**

Here it is...the.very.first.item created for this year's holiday collection at Reverie Creations...and it's August!!  

I'm a last minute kind of girl...always have been, and to think that I've actually started on my holiday inventory before November is remarkable.  Especially given how little time I have during the summer with the girls home.  But here it is...

A perfectly shabby holiday card in my favorite color combo - teal blues and reds.

The paper is BoBunny and Graphic 45...machine stitched together and distressed with Tim Holtz distressing inks in Antique Linen and Tumbled Glass.  The holiday berry sprig is Petaloo, with tulle and a designer button.

The design is based on Mojo Monday's tall&skinny sketch challenge #360.

Available in my Etsy shop along with a variety of NEW items for every occasion.

..."baby I'm a star.  You might not know it now, baby yes I are....I'm a star".

M.

August Traditions

August has been a blur of checking off lists and making last minute summer memories...following traditions we camped, school shopped, beached it and ate it (Family lobster cook-out).  I've spent the entire month running, so I'm especially thankful we're wrapping it up on Sunday with my Dad's traditional breakfast birthday party.  My sister and I bring the kids over at 9:30am for coffee, bakery fresh donuts and home.made.from.scratch German chocolate cake (my Dad's favorite!).  My Mom loves to bake (she's an artist really) so she has each of us choose what type of cake we'd like on our birthdays. It's a tradition I've loved since I was a kid.

I make birthday cards every year for my little family.  I enjoy designing them specific to each member, and the process reminds me of my great Bampa.  He used to draw his own cards, and I loved watching and listening to him tell the story created with each pen stroke.  

This is the card I created for my Dad's 65th birthday.

It's design is based on the tall & skinny sketch over at Mojo Monday's, 

and the inspiration came from a photograph of a father's bare feet with his daughter's.

I printed it on a "precious" piece of vintage graph paper (from my late Bampa's hoarded stash).  It makes the image personal and vintage-y.  I also painted over it with a fine crackle finish for that old photograph feel.  The chipboard frame is K&Company that I painted, crackled, distressed and stained just to make it look 'non-pretty' (my Madison's gentle way with words).

Vintage shabby perfection, in my opinion.

Then I loaded it up with everything that reminded me of all those incredible father-daughter moments we shared....a game tile, paperclip, vintage button, a bit of rusted screen, a metal sprig of leaves, a clock, a key, film strips, and a vintage slide.  The paper is DCWV and Colorbok that I hand stamped (Prima-Brick Wall is my favorite!) and clear embossed (the stars) for added texture and to balance out the grid paper.

Honestly, it could be indiscriminate black crayon on printer paper and my Dad would love it.  He cherishes tradition and has taught me the same.  I adore him for the man he is and for the person he's helped me to become.  

Happy birthday Daddy.

Have a wonderful day!

M.

UPDATE

I posted yesterday about a card inspired by my Mom's kindness and based on this week's sketch challenge over at Mojo Monday's.  In looking at the photos, it occurred to me that something was missing...too much of the same color?...not enough texture?...too big of an empty space in the middle?  I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it just didn't seem finished to me.  It happens...more often than not, and so I made some changes.

Before:

After:  

 I added some glitter to the 'white' in the spiral background as well as a sprig of metal leaves.

I'm happy with it now.  What do you think?  Was I on the mark or just being picky?  

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

M.

Kindness

You'll never believe it, but I'm telling you the truth....the proof is in the card (and this early post)!









I had a couple hours to myself the other day because my lovely mother took the girls school shopping. Guess what I did?

I hopped on over to Mojo Monday's and played a little with their weekly sketch challenge #357.  

My mother's kindness was inspiration for the design.  It's not nearly enough thank you though. Purchasing school clothes for three GIRLS (two are teens!) isn't an easy feat nor is it cheap.  My Mom helping lifts a lot of the financial strain on my little family this time of year.  

The paper is mostly Prima as is the resin bird and pearls.  Some crinkle seam binding, a vintage button and Webster's Pages and K&Company journaling cards finish it off.  You can purchase this card in my Etsy shop:  Reverie Creations.

Kindness goes a long way,

M.

Heart & Soul

It's been a busy week...

I created a couple of cards (listed for sale in my Etsy shop) based on the sketch over at Mojo Monday's.  I'm really loving this size...tall & skinny.  It's a lot smaller than the size I typically use for the cards designed for Reverie Creations, but I think it offers my customers a variety.  Same quality but smaller in scale; therefore, less cost.

I used quite a bit of my vintage stash for both cards.  This first one has vintage lace, and the flower is fashioned out of stained vintage atlas pages.  The center of the flower is a painted mini bell...left over from a holiday project.  

This is the first time I've used Prima's chalkboard cards.  I really love the feel they add to a project.  BTW the leaves of the flower were created using a paperclip.

I have to admit to loving this next card a lot.

The washi tape, crinkle seam binding and coloring are repeated, but I found this distressed metal piece in my stash and HAD to use it.  It's proportions worked perfectly on this tall & skinny size (3.5" x 5.5").

The 'heart & soul' metal sentiment tag is by Making Memories.

I typically leave the inside blank for personal messages, but because I used DCWV's Silky Smooth card stock in black I had to add a space for writing.  Both these cards fit into a standard envelope.

I was also asked to design and create a custom card by my very first customer on Fiverr.com (a site where you can enlist just about any thing - product or service - for $5.00).  I joined in hopes that it might generate some additional income during the slow summer months.

Her son is turning 4 and LOVES Superman.

Addressed and signed by Superman with a 'badge' for the birthday boy.

I hope it's a hit with Caleb.  I often wish I could see the reactions my creations give others since I put so much of myself into each one...my heart & soul.

Find some time for yourself today,

M.