Gossamer Blue December Memories Blog Hop

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog hop that's all about documenting your December Memories. I am especially excited about about it this year because Lori and her talented artists at Gossamer Blue did an amazing job with the kits, creating EXCLUSIVE papers and embellishments and an incredible album while mixing in the best of the best Christmas goodies from several other manufacturers.  Take a look at what's in this kit...

 Amazing, right? And it all comes packaged in with love and care.

Merry early Christmas to meeeeeeeeeee!  I did not see a "Do Not Open Until" date so I dove right in and created my album cover.

Doilies. Wood Veneer. Puffy Letters. Sequins. Enamel Dots. Acrylic Shapes. Vellum. Acrylic Words. Cardstock Shapes. Oh, I am in Heaven here.

Joy banner? Yes, please. Add sprinkle a cute little snowflake on top too!

Might as well remind my family what their last name is and add a year to it while I'm at it.

I'm off to Barcelona and Paris now. My parents will be watching our kids and our 2 ferocious dogs at our house while we are gone. Our police officer neighbors will be too so don't get any funny ideas. 

Anywho, I'll have lots of fun documenting to do of our trip but also the special time the girls will be spending with their grandparents so I'll update my album when I get back. 

If you care to follow along on our European Adventure, follow me on Instagram (@heatherleopard).

Now, head over to Jessica Lohof's blog. She is sure to amaze you! 

You can visit the Gossamer Blue blog to see the full list of bloggers participating in this blog hop.

The Thankful Tree

I thought it'd be fun to create a DIY decor element throughout the month that can also be a fun activity for the family for Thanksgiving. During Thanksgiving week, we'll each write something on a leaf that we are Thankful for and then read them aloud on Thanksgiving day.

 I created this tutorial for the American Crafts blog today and I figure, why not share it here too???

Step 1: Gather some little tree limbs from the great outdoors. Cut leaves and circles approximately 1.5" wide. Make sure to add punched circles at the top.

Step 2: Bundle the limbs together and wrap with twine. Insert them into a pretty vase.

Step 3: Add the punched leaves and circles to the tree limbs.

Supplies: Haunted Hollow - (368904) 12x12 in Medium Weight Paper Pad, Be Merry (368910) Christmas Cards 12x12 Paper

The Good Life Layout + Sketch Planner

Today I'm highlighting a really cool concept from Simple Stories.  I'm sure you've all read about and seen the new Life Documented planners and collection and are just as excited about it as I am.  I had a strong need and desire to organize my life and I'm am just overjoyed to have such a great solution now!  

While I was putting my planner together to keep track of all family activities, do my meal planning, track deadlines, I came across the Planning Inserts.  Imagine a light bulb going off. No, even better...the clouds cleared and birds starting chirping.  I was that excited.

Do you see that cool little grid in the photo and the section below to plan out your photos, supplies, ideas, journaling???? Genius! I stopped everything I was doing and started sketching.  Take a look at how I used this cool feature of the planners.

I started by selecting the photos I wanted to scrap. Then, I pulled out my Life Documented supplies and started sorting through them, looking for the perfect papers and embellishments. I jotted them down along with a few other items I knew I wanted to use.  I didn't have any memorabilia this time. We ended up donating my daughter's hair to those in need but once we get the confirmation letter back, I will add it to the page somewhere, maybe behind.

I love that I can use this to plan everything out in advance so when I'm ready to scrap, I have my plan and I'm ready to go.

So, let's see how it all transpired into an actual layout...

I really wanted to use the awesome paper with all the words.  The words were soo fitting for what my daughter was doing.  She grew out her hair and it took her a while to make the decision to cut it but she did and I am soo proud of her.  She felt soo wonderful knowing that she was helping another child in need.  It was definitely a FABULOUS, EPIC, AWESOME thing for her to do.

I toned down the words on the paper by adding gesso and then I added the graphic section to the bottom, lining the dividing line with tags and banners.

I created the title using a combo of hand cut and die cut words.  I am still deciding what exactly I want to journal about but I do know it will go right there in the empty section near the title.

So, if you are thinking of getting one of these incredible planners, I highly recommend you get your hands on one now because I just know these will be flying off the shelves.  It is that amazing!

Supplies: 

4036 6x8 SN@P! Faux Leather Album -Teal

7048 Life Documented Planning Inserts

7042 6x8 Plastic Bookmarks

7051 Designer Washi Paper Tape

7054 Sticky Notes

7001Paper Kit

7016 Thinking Out Loud Designer Cardstock

7019 It's Your Life Designer Cardstock

7017 Words to Live By Designer Cardstock

7027 Bradz

7030 Insta Squares

7041 Label Stickers

No Reason Breakfast Place Cards

It's place cards week on the American Crafts blog. My instinct was to create some fall-ish ones for Thanksgiving but I really wanted to do something a little different.  I figured, place cards don't have to be for special occasions only.  In our house, every new day is a reason to celebrate so why not serve breakfast in style?

I decided to jazz breakfast up a little bit one day.  I didn't actually create a grand meal but I did serve pancakes, bacon and powdered donuts in style. I found some adorable milk bottles at Target the other day and just knew they'd be perfect for an idea I had. I quickly ran over to the paper plates section and found some clear plastic plates. The idea was coming together very quickly throughout the aisles of Target!    

How to: 

• Grab your favorite American Crafts supplies.
• Measure the inside bottom of the plate and cut a circle out of coordinating scrap paper. Adhere to the bottom of the clear plate using Mod Podge.  
• Create little banners by running coordinating paper through your manual die machine, using the banner die in the new Shimelle collection.  Add a contrasting colored paper behind the heart to make it stand out.  
• Download a feather cutting file and place your names inside the feather prior to cutting it out.  Cut and adhere to the inside of the banner.  Wrap around your straw and staple together.  
• Insert straw through powdered donuts and serve alongside your favorite breakfast.

Supplies: Shimelle collection - (368156) - Leavitt paper, (368152) - Haynes paper, (368139) - Hurley paper, (368141) - Hopper paper, (368147) - Harding paper, (368151) - Baxter paper, (368179) – dies

Sweet Little Wildflower

Hi everyone!  I'm thrilled to bring you the second edition of the monthly Gossamer Blue Design Team Blog Hop.

We had just visited a local pumpkin patch that has an amazing flower garden.  My little princess just happens to love and I mean LOVE flowers so naturally, we took a stroll through the garden.  These beautiful magenta flowers drew us in and it was so fun to watch her inspect them all (and smell them too).

The flower paper included in this month's kit was just too perfect for these photos.  Admittedly, I usually shy away from papers like this because I find them harder to create with, or I fussy cut it.  I embraced it though and using my gold pen from a previous kit, I went to town, adding a little more doodling.

I kept it rather simple around my photo, using a grid type design. I doodled on the flower paper around the photos as well.  I added a title above and journaling on the back to complete the layout.

I hope you enjoyed this little layout tour.  Now, head on over to Jill Keller's blog to continue the hop or start from the beginning by visiting the Gossamer Blue blog.

Grateful Mini Journal

I saw the new Amy Tangerine STITCHED collection from American Crafts and I thought it would be fun to create a simple mini journal to document life's little moments that I am grateful for each month. Now I just have to decide whether to go back and fill it in for 2014 or save for 2015.

How to: Cut the Felted paper into 3 strips so that the months stay intact. Accordion fold the papers. Adhere the edges together using washi tape on the back so that all months flow together from January through December. Apply adhesive to the very edges of the back side of the folded edges. Fold it all up tight. Cut a 4"x12" strip of paper to use as your cover. Adhere the Felted paper with the months to the inside spine of your cover. Poke 3 holes with your paper piercer and add embroidery floss to help secure it together even more. Leave enough embroidery floss to wrap around the cover to tie closed. Add the "GRATEFUL" sentiment to top cover. I left enough on the right side so that it could fold over as a cute little flap.

 

Supplies: Amy Tangerine STITCHED - (368958) - Felted paper, (368962) - Dobby paper, (368980) – Bits Die Cut Cardstock Shapes, (368967) – Lucky Thickers, (368969) – Everyday Thickers,