Wish me luck! And give me advice if you know how to gather!
I'm busy as a bee, crafting away with assignments and projects too. I'm preparing my first projects as a design team member for Scrapbook and Cards when it occurred to me I haven't shared some of my previous work with that magazine here on my blog.
I thought I'd share the layouts I created for my fall article on border punches.
This first one shows little paper frills using my favorite border punch from Fiskars, the Scallop Sentiment. I used Jenni Bowlin's lightweight papers for this one, because they allow more dimension when they are layered.
For this next one, I dressed up my tag at the top with my scallop punch, and then I used my effervescent border punch to make a faux ribbon trim, of sorts at the bottom of the layout.
For this last one, there is that scallop sentiment punch again, but this time I used my apron lace punch on the edge of a piece of paper and then turned it into a floral embellishment.
I also had a layout in the Reader's Gallery of this issue. I updated a layout I previously created for Pink Paislee and utilized some flowers that Morgan drew. I thought they were the perfect compliment for a layout about her and orange and school days.
She's such a great artist. In fact, she used to tell me all the time she wants to be a doctor when she grows up (Payton wants to be a swimming teacher), but after she heard mention of art as a profession, she keeps telling me she wants to be an artist. I wouldn't be surprised! That girl is craft. eeee. So very cool. I did tell you she got an Easy Bake Oven and a weaving loom and art supplies, etc., etc. She loves it all.Before I go I wanted to leave you with my latest layout with Studio Calico's Homefront line. I had made these yellow flowers with a previous layout but it was picked up by Scrapbook Trends for the May 2010 issue, so I wanted to do it again. This layout is going to be at the Studio Calico booth #3725 at CHA in a couple of weeks.
Yes, my little baby Oliver from my January kit layout is not much of a baby anymore, is he? Actually... he is. I have to remind myself that the kitties aren't even a year old yet, with some of their antics. But they both really are a blessing to have around. They do so well with the kids. No scratching at all, really. And at night if I'm looking for them so that I can put them to bed in the mud room, I know I'll find at least one of them nestled up with a small kiddo. That's really sweet.
That reminds me. One of my Australian friends was confused by the term "mud room". Is that a West Coast thing? It's basically an entry room in your home that is usually not the main entry. It's the place entry you have your kids come through if they've been playing in the mud, because you have tile floors and a sink nearby, etc. Mine has the washer and dryer in it. It's actually quite large because it used to be a single car garage. And I'm almost ready to share it with you. I just got notice that my entry bench is on it's way, and my stepmom recently brought me a big bag of drills that I'm going to turn into coat racks, a la Junk Beautiful. I can't wait to share some of our space as we get it fixed up!
That's all for me for crafty sharing today. I'll leave you with two things to contemplate.... what to do in the evenings, when your not quite 4 year old will NOT go to bed, and Skype. Do you skype? Tell me about your skyping. Can you skype with more than one person at a time? I need answers to both questions.
But don't forget about that gathering advice either, should you sew.
XOXO
Davinie
Gathering... ugg... go easy & gentle to not break the threads & have to start over. You want to do the gathering stitches with a very long (basting) straight stitch so that it will pull easily. Then use a pin at each end - wind the ends around one of the pins, at the other end, wrap only the bottom end around the pin to secure it, then gently pull the top thread and you should get your gathering to begin to go fairly easily. Get it approximately the size you need to attach to your other piece, then match up the notches & adjust the final bit to get it to all match up. It is a pain but looks so pretty when done.
ReplyDeleteSkype... I don't do it a lot but have some with my brother as he is in Iceland & I am in the US and we use it to our parents in Canada. As far as I know, you can only video skype with 1 person so far but text/audio skype with multiples.
Heehee! You sound like Bobby Bowden with the "dadgum"!! Haha! Good luck with gathering...show us a picture when you're done!! =D
ReplyDeleteso, a mud room, huh? I know what one is. I grew up in Michigan, and lived with my grandma for a while. she had a mudroom. Sorry that I cannot help with the 4 year old. I don't have children and it has been many years since I raised up my little siblings at that age. As far as Skype goes...When my man was overseas, we used it a little bit, but we had so many problems with it. It really wasn't worth it at all. We switched to yahoo messenger, and both got headsets. We were able to use webcams with the messenger, plus there is a call feature too. We just hooked up the headsets and called eachother. It really only works though if you already know the other person is at their computer. We had to set up specific times to be online together. It was way better than skype though.
ReplyDeleteLove the new lo!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous layouts! Love all the scalloped borders and trims.
ReplyDeleteBut my favorite has to be those hand drawn flowers. They really make the layout special :O)
All the layouts are beautiful. I absolutely love that scallop border punch, I have the same one that's made by Stampin Up.
ReplyDeleteI love Skype! My best friend and I use it all the time to chat in the evenings while we scrap. We have had "online crops" with friends with as many as 4 people.
What great looking creations! FUN and what a fun time of the year too with getting ready for CHA.
ReplyDeleteSkype? No idea
ReplyDeleteGathering? NO idea
Getting an almost 4 year old to bed? It must be the age because my dd has started "stalling" tactics when it comes to bedtime :(
So yeah no idea on that one either!
But thankyou for clueing me in on mudrooms, I think every home could use one. I know I wish we had one!
hmmm ... well i don't gather, at least not the sewing kinda, so i can't help you there. i have a mud room as well and i live on the east coast so maybe it's just a u.s. thing. and as for the 4 yr old? well i have a 3.5 yr old that fights us tooth and nail but i'm a stubborn mommy so after teeth brushing and a book it is lights out no ifs, ands, buts, or pouts about it. ;)
ReplyDeletei don't skype.. i don't have mud room either. the whole house is my 'mud room' since ours is so small. LOL. but.. I want those yellow flowers. they're so adorable!! *hugs*
ReplyDeleteSuper cute pages!!! Hope to see you at CHA ;)
ReplyDeletewe skype. mostly with grandparents as we live way too far away for our liking. i've never skyped with more than one "computer screen" before...but several people at once per computer screen. does that make sense?
ReplyDeletei gathered when i made the bed skirt for our baby bedding...that was a while ago. just pull gently and go slowly. can't wait to see a pic when you're done!
Beautiful layouts!!! Love your flowers!
ReplyDeletebeautiful work, davinie!
ReplyDeleteLove your LOs - there is always so much detail. Gathering - try cutting a piece of DMC pearl cotton thread the size of the fabric & zigzag stitch over it (don't catch the thread in your stitching) Then gently pull up the pearl cotton thread, secure at the ends & you have gathers. Match up the notches & sew in place. I know it sounds complicated but it works great for me.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful layous, as always. My son resisted going to be when he was about three. Wanted me to stay in his room or kept getting up, etc. I finally decided to make a paper chain for him. He got a ring every time he went to bed without a problem. We hung the rings from his door knob. I told him that when the rings touched the floor, we would go Toys R Us and buy him a Lego set as a reward. The beauty of this is that you can control how big (or how little !) the links are. My son ultimately needed about 15 rings for his paper chain to touch the floor. By night 15, he had developed a routine which was well worth the price of a small toy! Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried putting a thicker thread on the fabric and then zig zag-ing over it and then you can easily gather and stitch.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting used to skype with my parents and in-laws because we are moving overseas soon and want to be able to "see" each other still. I don't know if you can skype with more than one person but I will be looking to see if anyone else says you can because that would be great!!
Hope you will share the pattern cause I would love to see what you are creating!!
found your blog through Scrapbook & Cards Today (the Project 12 launch) and just started following in my Google reader.
ReplyDeleteI hope you've had success with your gathering! Something I've learned is to sew not one, but two lines of basting stitches along the edge you'll gather-- that way if one thread breaks, all is not lost! It always makes me so excited to hear about someone who starts sewing clothing!! woo!!