Craft Love - my top 10 for 2010

I've been in the mood to go through my project files for 2010, so I thought I'd also share some of my favorite things made in 2010.  I actully had to edit this a few times.  I love several layouts and projects created in 2010 that I didn't even add here!  I also have a couple things out for publication that I just adore but can't share at this time.  Maybe next year!

The first is this layout of Morgan at age 6:

This was one of the very first layouts I made in 2010.  I was feverishly preparing for CHAW10 and had to create one more layout for my Studio Calico gallery, when I gazed at this Crate paper print and those pretty roses.  I experimented with scraps and then recreated them myself.

I've submitted this layout a few times but, alas, it has never been picked up.  That said, I've seen tutorials in the big magazines a few times on how to recreate these flowers, as well as products from manufacturers with templates, etc.  There's even some canvas flowers in the current Studio Calico kit.  You can find a tutorial I posted on my blog here. 

One of my summer assignments for Scrapbook and Cards Today was to create a mini album with this canvas pendant album that had to do with Mom.  I admit, the shape of the album threw me off a bit when trying to come up with something, but what I ended up with is a treasure for my girls that I'll always be grateful for.  (this is the only photo I have.  I just snapped it really quick for editorial approval before dropping it in the mail.  You can see it and a few inside pages in the summer issue of SCT). 

I don't know if it's normal for mother's to do this, but I sometimes have bad dreams about something happening to me that takes me away from my kids.  It's such a scary thing to think about, a worst fear, so I don't know why I do it, but creating this album helped a little bit.  It's full of advice and love for my kids.  It even includes vintage items, like that buckle and glass buttons given to me in a large box of baubles from Steve's grandmother's estate. 

This next one is all about the photos, and it's a 3 page layout too:

Payton had outgrown this bouncy seat, but after I donated it to Goodwill, I wanted to go to the store and take it back so bad.  It's filled with so many memories for me of my sweet girl as a baby.  She was in or around it for her first 3.5 years.  So I went back through my photo files and picked out just about every photo that included both her and this chair in it, even if it was just in the background (like a photo of her on her first birthday with her dad, opening presents. You can see just a wee peek of the "blue chair").  I used every photo I could find.  It's not the prettiest chair, so most of the time, it would be moved out of the way when a photo opportunity came along, but I'm so happy to have all these photos that included it. 

::sigh::   babies. 

I'm in love with this photo so this layout had to be included:

We live on 2 acres and have a pond that was full of polliwogs (tadpoles.  Baby frogs).  My girls grabbed this wee net from their goldfish bowl, and decided they were going to go down and catch a couple.  So they grabbed the net, a bucket, and a gallon bag, and headed out.  This pose is all Norman Rockwell to me, and that day made me laugh so hard.  Those polliwogs were sure hard to catch!  But the kids had a blast.

This was made with a Studio Calico kit and when I saw that WRMK paper with the little characters on it, I knew I had to use it.  I was also inspired by a quilt I had seen, as well as an old piece of OA patterned paper, so recreated the cathedral quilt technique with paper for this layout.  This is another layout that has been submitted but not picked up, but I pulled my own strings to ensure this technique was published with my name on it first after the flower incident.  I know you put your work out there for other people to use, I know, and I'm happy to do so, but if it's going to get published, it should have my name on it first.  I'm just onery about that, I guess. 

I had a lot of fun making this layout: 

The Fiskars apple punch and Studio Calico's Elementary line were meant to work together!  I also really wanted to use these photos together, of Morgan's first and then last day of Kindergarten.  Boy is the sass that she learned quit apparent in that photo, lol.  I had fun with this one so it had to make the list. 
I just recently made this layout, for the Crate Paper blog. 

I combined my favorite line from Crate in 2010, Brook, with the Snow Day line on a very fun layout. It's fresh and juicy and I love it all the more because that day was fun and fresh, so it captured it so well.  I loved my falling snow and the hearts which lead you to that cute chipboard snowman.  I had fun with my stitched scallops too, which I used to carry the scallop from the patterned paper down the page.  That was a really fun day, and this layout came together really fast.

Another fun day, and a layout that mixes Crate's Restoration with a Studio Calico kit, was this fun fall layout:

This one came together easy too, and I was able to use punches of color with that scalloped square punch and Crate's Restoration line.  I have been wanting to use more maple leaves in my work this fall, and found this template deep in my stash, so I traced it on the back of Claudine Hellmuth canvas and trimmed out the leaves.  I then used some JBS ink on a couple of them to change their color.  I just love the whole feel of this layout.  That was another fun day we had this fall too. 

This next one was made for the SCT Calendar.  This is little miss September:

The stitched grids and the birdies melt my heart.  I also ADORE this color palette, and have always loved these pics of my girl.  I was so honored to be included on this calendar and had a lot of fun with the sketch I was given.  I was really able to make it my own. 
Earlier this fall I was asked to participate in a Halloween event at 2peas.  I needed to create a Halloween layout, but didn't have a lot of Halloween product in my stash, so purchased one of the previous add-ons from Studio Calico and only used it and the polaroid stamp for my layout:

I had taken hundreds of photos that Halloween, and actually enjoyed going through my files and choosing those that told the story of that day the best.  That little buttefly fairy princess.  And her dog, Spot.  Spot even drew a great big spot on her dog tag, because she didn't believe me when I told her that it said Spot on it.  ha!  I love how this layout looks Halloween with only having a couple of themed products on it. 

This last one is my favorite project of 2010:

I was assigned to do the Christmas/winter projects for the winter issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today.  I LOVE getting assignments because it gives me the creative freedom to do what I want.  The first thing I knew I wanted to make was a pretty canvas for a mantle to display over the holidays.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to use that Cathedral quilt pattern technique on an altered project, and also a chance to use some Christmas photos I took of my girls in 2006.  I am in love with this project. (you can see a better photo of it in the SCT too).  And now Christmas is over and I'll be taking this down soon.  It is such a treasure and I can't wait to get it out year after year to display in my home. 

One of my favorite decorating ideas these days is to display themed photos of my family.  I have a couple of frames in my living room that I've been changing out as the seasons change.  This fall it had a photo of me pregnant with Morgan, showing my belly and holding a pumpkin in October.  Then it had a photo of Morgan sitting with Santa in 2004.  These photos get a lot of lookie loo' s from family and I love that.  Now it's time to find a winter photo to put in that frame.  hmmmm.

So that's it!  Some of my favorite projects created in 2010!



Happy New Year!  The kids are going to the dentist this afternoon, and then we are going to party at a friend's house, at least until 8:45!  Steve is on shift today so it's just the girls, out on the town.  Be safe and have a great night!  Davinie

P.S.  I'll be back tomorrow with Project 12, 2011!