So much to do, so little time.

I wish I could create all the things I want to create!  Or at least get them all done in a timely manner!!

This is one of my favorite things I've made stuff out of.  Have you seen this before:

This is insulation sheathing.  It's pink at Home Depot and blue at Lowe's - so don't go to Lowe's and ask for 'pink' insulation sheathing.  They'll sort of laugh at you and point out that theirs is blue. This comes in big 8x4 sheets and it's an inch thick.  Lowe's has it for around $12.00.  Pretty good deal considering you can make all of this from it:

The above is an A - an Alabama A for those of you who may not be fans of the University of Alabama!  I actually made about five of these at once - a few to give away and two to keep.  This one is usually in our living room - the only Alabama stuff in there.  The other one is in Jason's office, with all the rest of the Bama stuff.

This rocket was on the wall in Cole's last room at our previous home.  He had a whole Buzz Lightyear thing going on.  He wanted one for his door, which I tried to make, but made it too big - so it wouldn't fit on the door!  We topped it off with this:

I cut out lots of stars, too and painted them to match - they were on the ceiling and in a few places on the wall, around his room.

I think these are my second favorite creations (the Alabama A being the first).  I cut out tons of triangles - long and skinny - painted them and covered them with glitter.  This was the mantel at our last home (the same home with the rocket on the wall).  I did a few circles, as well, just to have a different shape.  Here's a close up:

Orange, black and silver - all gathered together with a purple feather boa - great Halloween colors, right?

Now this is what I'd like to make next:

I'd like to do some W's for my sister-in-laws wedding in October.  They colors are blue and silver, so I thought it would be pretty to do W's for them and cover them in glitter.  And I'd like to cut out a large C and paint it red for Cole's room.  And I'd love to make a large T to hang on the front door - but I'd have to paint it and seal it somehow to protect it from the weather!

Okay - that's enough or I'll be running to Lowe's to get another sheet!  Oh, and a tip for you - if you want to make anything out of this stuff - a friend (who I originally got this idea from) used a heated knife of some sort and it cut super easy.  Her edges were super smooth.  I didn't have one, so I used an X-acto knife.  I made a mess - but it worked for me!

Lisa

Have you ever seen anything so fabulous:

So, I've been spending some time hanging out here Noel Mignon.  The forum there is a lot of fun!  You should go check it out.

She also has fabulous kits each  month.  I don't get the kits yet, but I sure do want them!!  Look at this:

That's a sneak at the next kit!  I love the colors!!

Lisa

I have to rant a bit about Idol

I really hate to fuss about this, but it's bugging me.  This is really only the second season, I think, that I've watched every episode.  In the early Idol days, I would wait until there were about five contestants left and then watch.  During the Carrie Underwood season, I'm pretty sure I didn't watch until the top two.  Most of the seasons, I skip all the trash talk in the beginning - hate seeing them make fun of so many people.  But this season, I watched it all and was pleasantly surprised that it seemed like they weren't quite as mean. 

I've liked Lee from the beginning.  Crystal was great, too but I don't really like the style of music she gravitated to.  Lee sang songs I loved and he just had a great voice.  Crystal needed a break - a better life for her son.  I get that.

The problem is I've seen a ton of posts on Facebook today about how Crystal should have won and the posters are blaming the voters.  People are saying Crystal is more talented than Lee, etc.

Here's my beef.  First, I'll say I've voted for Lee all along.  I voted A LOT Tuesday night.  We watched the series finale of 24 after Idol and I pretty much called in and voted through the whole two hours of 24.  (Sorry Jack Bauer)  I voted for Lee because I thought he was good.  I thought he grew the most throughout his IDOL journey.  I think he consistently improved over time.

Crystal didn't really improve any - she was great from the beginning.  That's not necessarily a bad thing - I'm just saying she was good all along.  There weren't many bad nights for her.  BUT, with that being said - she didn't sing songs I loved, she didn't have a voice I wanted to hear over and over.  She was good - great even - and I won't turn off the radio when she comes on, but I knew I wouldn't run out and buy her CD the day it's released.

Is it wrong that I voted for Lee because I preferred his taste and music over Crystal's?  I don't think so.  Did she give a better performance than Lee on the last Tuesday night?  Some think so - but again, if it's not my taste then I'm probably not going to think she did better. 

It just bugged me that people think you should vote on the 'best performance' instead of the person you actually like because honestly, what I think is a best performance is not going to be the same as someone else's best performance.  People vote for their favorite - they watch and love a performer for whatever reason. 

I guess this is the first time I've seen such a large amount of people saying things about the winner.  Or about their favorite that didn't win.  Thank social networking for that I guess.

In the end, I'm just bummed that people aren't happy with the winner.  In the end, they'll both get a record deal.  More times that not, the contestants that don't win still have a great career.  I mean look at Kellie Pickler - she's having a great career right now and didn't make it to the top 2.  Bucky Covington isn't doing too bad either.  Danny Gokey - same thing.  I think, either way, the top two will be something one day. 

I know people have a right to their opinion and I don't care if they share it - in the end, I'm just surprised about it!  There were seasons where my favorite didn't win, but I didn't blame anyone else.  If anything, I thought I should have voted more!

That's all - just had to get my thoughts out and didn't want to do it on Facebook!

Lisa

I love Cole's room!

I really love Cole's room!!  It's just too cute.  We've been in this house a little over a year and he doesn't want to change it yet - that's always a good sign!!  Here's a reminder:

The clouds were painted with plain old white craft paint - I think I got it from Walmart.  I also bought some of that plastic you can make a stencil out of and some sponge brushes - the round kind that work well with stencils.  I used an adhesive spray on the back and just stuck it up on the wall and painted away.  I tired to make a decent pattern just by eye - and didn't do too bad at all, if I do say so myself.

His room has really never been this clean since then.  He's now got a red rug in the floor and I moved his toy chest to the end of his bed.  And of course, there are now Buzz Lightyear's and Woody's all over the place! 

Next on the list for his room is this super cute banner my friend, Virginia, made:

 It's so cute and perfect for Cole's cowboy room!!

Do you know about this?  I can't wait to see what everyone else paints!

Thanks for reading!!
Lisa

The last days..........

These are the last days of school!! Most of Cole's class wasn't there yesterday. They have 21 kids and only 12 were there. He's so ready to be out of there, but still wants to go and see his friends. He's torn, poor thing! After yesterday, I was actually thinking that would be it and I wouldn't send him the rest of the week. They aren't doing any real work and probably not taking attendance either. But yesterday, Cole left his yearbook in his desk - so he's there today. I'm also going up there after lunch to see if I can help his teacher out any with packing up stuff. They have so much to pack up!!

Speaking of classrooms - this time of year totally makes me sad. Not because it's the end of the school year and Cole will be home - because that's the BEST part. But, I just wish I had a classroom of my own and I was packing up all my stuff for the summer. I've spent so much time in the last four years (my last year of college and three years subbing) checking out classrooms and all the fun things they have displayed and how the flow of the room goes. I look for ideas everywhere I go! I have tons of things packed away in storage containers in the garage, just waiting for it's own place. I know I'm not the only one - I know several people in the same position as me - waiting for the job. It's so frustrating.

Ok - that's enough of that. Moving on...........

I mentioned my Chip Clip Rack - here's the final project:



I hung my aprons on one end and then hung some of Cole's artwork that had been on the fridge forever and some photos, too! I like it!

And I did this two weeks ago:



Here's the before:



I made this about three years ago - from a little video that was on SISTV. It's a frame, with the glass in, but the back out. I added the paper and not have a dry erase board of sorts. I eventually took out the red sheet of paper behind the Jenni Bowlin paper. I also stuck in Halloween paper during October but that's it - I've never done anything else with it. The Jenni Bowlin paper still matches the area I have it hanging in now - but I really wanted to get the houndstooth in our den! When I did Cole's silhouette for my mom, I thought an elephant would be cute on houndstooth. I did it in a 5x7 frame and it was too small - didn't look quite right. I did this thinking I would frame it in a 12x12 frame but I didn't have one on hand, so I stuck it in my dry erase board. I like it a lot!

Okay - off to do some laundry and get ready to run a few errands. I have awesome coupons that I need to go use asap!! So, have a great Tuesday!!

The teacher gift was a hit and a little home decor!

I really love when I make something from the heart and someone else loves it!! Sometimes it just doesn't happen. We've had teachers in the past that just didn't care for the homemade stuff - which was a bummer since that's what I like to do. So, all in all, it was a success!! I did go back and add the teacher's name in vinyl along with some polka dots. Polka dots are always good, right?

My next project is with a chip clip rack. I mentioned that I really wanted one of those chip clip stands - the red ones that sit on the counter in a convenience store with chips hanging on them. I just said I'd love to have one to use - either for pictures, or crafty things, etc - I'd find a use.

My dad goes online and finds one - bids on ebay and wins. It shows up at his house and it's not the same one he bid on - at all. The original one was red, with three rows of clips and a stand, so you could set it on a counter, dresser, whatever. This one has four rows and hangs. This one is better!! I had already picked a spot for the one with the base and had planned on rearranging a little in my kitchen. NOW, this new one fits in with other plans I had and just couldn't work out. I've been looking for a way to display Cole's art work he brings home from school and the stuff he does at home. I've seen many great ideas and just haven't had the space for them, or the money to buy what it takes to create it. I also wanted a place to hang some of my aprons in the kitchen - just a hook on the wall, or something. I only have one place they can hang but I only have three or four aprons, so the space needed something else there as well.

So, in comes the chip clip rack. Now, I can hang it on the wall, attach my aprons on one end and hang Cole's art work from it, along with anything else cute I see. I'm so excited about it.

The problem is I need something to hang it from - I'm hoping to find a curtain rod today that can be cut down to the right size - the rack is 18 inches wide and the space I want it in is about 24 inches wide. Most curtain rods are 28 inches and that's too wide! So, we'll see how the hunt goes. I hope to have it up and cut by next weekend!!

Teacher gifts are DONE!!

Okay - I was a crafty girl yesterday and got all these projects done - check it out:

Just a little spiral notebook I personalized with her initial and added to small composition notebooks because they colors matched my overall color scheme.



I covered an empty canister with paper and decorated it - it says yummie snacks - and yes, i know yummy isn't spelled with 'ie' but i didn't have another y - so this is what i ended up with and hopefully the teacher won't mind!! :D



A sticky note holder made out of an acrylic frame:



This is a tool box for her, with tons of little office supplies inside and candy and stuff - tacks, paperclips, binder clips, tacks and such, too!



This is my favorite part and I hope she really really likes it:



This is a little mini album with pictures of the kids inside and each child is holding a letter and they spell out "We love you best Mrs. Moore".



Here's Cole's page:



Here's a sign with magnets that she can put up outside her room. I noticed most of the teachers on her hallway have one, but she doesn't - so problem solved!



It all fills up this cute rubber tub! I'm going to cut letters out of white vinyl and then stick them on the bucket!



I have to put the treats in the treats canister and add some candy to the tool box and it'll be good to go!!

Crayon Monogram

I found this great idea on several blogs and thought I'd give it a try! I had a hard time finding a step by step tutorial so I just jumped in. I took some shots along the way, so maybe it'll help someone else make the same thing.

First you'll need a piece of cardstock, a template for your letter of choice, 2-3 boxes of crayons (depending on your letter and the size), a shadow box, hot glue gun, adhesive for the cardstock, a cutting board and a knife. Oh, have an old towel on hand, too.

Before you start, go ahead and stick your crayons in the freezer. I know this sounds crazy but my friend Virginia suggested this and it helped so so much!!

Print your letter out in your favorite font. Keep in mind the size of your shadow box and make sure your letter will fit inside. A simple block/basic font is the easiest. Cut your letter out and trace it lightly on your cardstock. I even went back and erased lots of my tracing so nothing would show up in my final project.



I took my template and just eyeballed the size of the crayon pieces I would need. Cut your crayons to your desired lengths and then hot glue in place.

To cut your crayons, you'll want to take them out of the freezer and dump them on your workspace - I worked next to my kitchen sink, with a smaller cutting board on top of an old dishtowel. Then I let my tap water get super hot and just left it running while I cut the crayons.

Run your knife under the hot water for a few moments and dry off quickly and cut your crayon. I only had to saw back and forth a little bit before the crayon just popped in half. I got a super clean cut this way. Before I tried the hot knife/cold crayon approach, I just cut each crayon with a regular knife (from an old set of kitchen knives), on the cutting board. You can see here the difference between the two types of cutting:

regular cutting:



hot/cold method:



So, here's the difference between the two ways - the regular old saw it with a knife way left me with rough edges and a mess on my cutting board. This meant there were bits and flakes on the crayon itself on the cutting board. That meant the little bits and pieces stuck to my crayon and just made a mess.

The hot/cold method left behind almost no little bits and pieces - so those crayons just looked a ton better!! I know you can't tell much in my photos above - but believe me, the hot knife and frozen crayons worked so so much better!

Okay - back to details. Once you have all your crayons glued down, go ahead and trim your cardstock to match the backing to the shadow box. I applied adhesive to the edges and through the middle of the backing and placed my finished cardstock on top. I wanted to write the teachers name but you could print it if you wanted on your cardstock first.



So here's the finished project:



I really hope she likes it!! I'll show you all her other goodies tomorrow!! Lots of fun stuff personalized just for her!

A challenge or two

So, I love a good challenge but rarely have the follow through to DO the challenge!! Terrible, huh?

Well, noelmignon.com has a challenge up this week that my friend Virginia did - check it out!!

Here's my take:



I also totally copied the idea for all the circles from my friend Carol - see her original layout here!

And there was a challenge at Simply Obsessed to use a song title as your page title - the lyrics to this song have been bookmarked for EVER - waiting for a layout to come along to use it on! This challenge was right up my alley, especially since I would say 50% of my layout titles or journaling come from songs and lyrics! Here's my layout:



Thanks for looking!!

A do-over

Okay - so I've posted a few things here lately that I've decided I wasn't happy with - so here's the before and after shots of each:

First, we have the tutorial on framing a frame.
Guest room wall before:



After the redo:



I think the wall looks much better with both frames being framed in the same way!

Now, here's a redo on a Mother's Day present for my mom:
Here's the before:



And the after:



Much better, I think. Jason said Cole's nose was wrong in the first one and I thought the bottom needed to be fixed - so I took more pictures of Cole and did this redo!!

How many times have you wanted to redo something you've done? Did you do it, or just live with the results?

My Sweet Niece

She's adorable, isn't she?



So sweet!!! I used my April Scripts Kit to make this layout. It was mostly pink and that's perfect for this sweet bundle of joy!!

so excited about this

I love a good challenge and this looks like it'll be right up my alley!

are you going to play along with the CSI project?

The rest of the Mother's Day goodies!

I finished my mom's stuff Thursday - here it is:



I hope she'll like it.



I really wanted to do this but Jason said it doesn't look like Cole, so I think I'll have to try again today and take another shot at it. Jason thinks the nose is wrong! And I think the bottom needs to be shaped better. So I'm off to try again!

My finished Mother's Day projects - for one mom at least:

Haven't finished the stuff for my mom yet - but here's my finished stuff that I shared last week:

here's the one for us:



Here's Jason's mom's:



(you can't really see the gray on the dots in the photo, but you can see it better here:)



And here's the wreath:



I completely forgot to take a picture of the cross art I did - bummed about that. I'm working on my mom's stuff this week (obviously since Mother's day is this weekend) and I'll get it posted when I'm done!

Thanks for looking!