Paper Pinwheel Tutorial

I will start by saying I am by no means a paper pinwheel expert! I know there are various ways to make them, but I'm going to show you the funky ones I made here:

Cut your patterned paper into 2 squares. The smaller of which should be half an inch smaller than the big one. Here they are cut 2.5 and 2 inches.

Cut from the outside corner to the middle of the square, stopping just short of the center. Do this on all four corners.

You should be able to fold it up like this:

Fold each section of each side into a triangle. Make sure all your triangles are going the same direction. This is what it will look like from the front:

Backside:

I use some mini glue dots to fold the triangles together. Layer them and you have your pinwheel!!

You could leave them as is or put any number of things in the center. Here I chose some pretty brads.

If you have any questions PLEASE leave me a comment and a way to contact you and I will do my best to help! And if you do create some, link me up. I would love to see :)

And remember in my last post I mentioned Paxton took a nose dive...

Wipe out.

Cherry Blossom

Freehand Scraps May kit is truly delicious.

The papers yummy.

The alphas perfect.

The embellies sweet.

Yep, you're gonna want this kit for sure. How about a chance to win it? Ah.. I have your attention now ;) Head on over here and grab the Freehand Scraps blinkie, put it on your blog and then hop back over and tell Heidi where she can come look! One lucky person will have Cherry Blossom delivered right to your door! Promise if you win you'll share your creations, ok?

Hello Darling

I am loving the new October Afternoon lines.

LOVE.

I cut these ladies from The Thrift Shop line and added some pretty shoes, a brooch and a neat-o purse. Then I saw this sketch from Page Maps and decided to add the girls to a card instead of the layout I had planned.

Some more Thrift Shop line love and vintage sewing pattern ruffles across the top and they were good to go!

We have had a case of the sickies around here this weekend :(

Here's to a more spring-like, sick-free week!

It's Oct 1st...

...and you know what that means :)

Lets' take a drive down Arbor Drive shall we?

This kit was so well put together. It all blends beautifully without being too "matchy-matchy". Know what I mean?

Cut these flowers from the fun Fancy Pants paper and added a little bling from a friend, a little sewing, a little vintage book and a little "hello" from my typewriter.

Both my boys LOVE to be outside and anything to do with nature. He actually kissed the toad after this picture was taken :) I miss using pink on layouts and it was fun to throw a bit on this one. The flair from American crafts..oh my. LOVE the woodgrain!

I've had this "L" for awhile and wanted to alter it a bit before hanging in my craft space. A great way to showcase the American Crafts deer paper I LOVE and that Lily Bee tulle flower. I actually took the sequins off the flower to use them on a layout and put buttons from the kit in it's place using stickles...it glued the buttons together and i really like how the glitter seeped thru!

And I knew when I saw the kit these jumping photos would go *perfect* with a layout about the "chicks" and our weekend getaway! Those jumping shots are TOO FUN!!

Here's where I used those sequins. Just randomly placed on the layout. Stuck down with stickles :) I think I really like that stuff :)

And apparently I like to use these :) :)

A card for a friend with a new home:

The felt in this kit was great--so many different ways it could be used and I adore those little houses! And buttons. A girl (or project!) can never have too many ;)

And then a card for my husband (which means I get to keep it!) for our anniversary coming up. 10 years! Yep, we're still quite the "pair" ;) Cheesy? Yes. But fun! Love that pear paper.

And did I mention the buttons? :)

This kit is full of embellishments..and you KNOW I love the embellishments! :) I was able to create 2 layouts, 3 cards and an altered item and could seriously STILL make more! Heidi packs so much into each kit. Be sure and check out the gallery. I love when the first of the month rolls around to see what the other talented dt members did with the same kit! If you get a kit please share your stuff. Link me up! I would love to see it.

A week & new favorite

Has anyone else had a super crazy week? 

Seriously. I feel like I've lived 2 weeks worth...and it's just friday night!

Let's take wednesday as an example:

 Aven is back into his getting up early routine. so rise and shine at 530 a.m.

 wanting breakfast. He will starve and shrivel into nothing if he does not have breakfast this very moment.

 So breakfast for him...while I stand bleary-eyed and waiting for boy #2 to awake....and he does.

 crying. 

and fit throwing as I change the diaper because apparently he enjoys the pee-leaking thru getup he is sporting thank-you-very-much. 

breakfast #2 made. Apparently Aven isn't really that hungry after all and just wants to play. Pax doesn't care for eggs today so they end up on the floor. 

And we are dangerously low on milk because if there is ONE THING my children WILL consume it is milk. 

Decide to add that to the ever-growing grocery list and also decide today is the day I will tackle Wal-Mart with both boys (I do realize my folly in this line of thinking...and yet I continue with my plan to increase the gray hairs on my head). 

By the time everyone is dressed, teeth brushed, kitchen semi clean, eggs off the floor and kids loaded to do that doomed grocery store run it is 930a.m. 

Not bad I think. PLENTY of time. 

Mistake #125394845596045. 

Go to Wal-Mart. Silently, or not so silently whisper this is seriously THE LAST TIME I try to shop for food with 2 children in the car.

 and they are out of small juice boxes. And we need them because the most important thing in the world of 3 year olds is the day they are the snack leader. and that glorious day for Aven was thursday and HE MUST prevail with small juice boxes. Why Wal-Mart? Why must you do this to me? 

Check out and run to store #2. Get the juice boxes and a tall pumpkin spice latte (cheap therapy my friends!) and the boys are being good. 

And it's only 1130 so let's be a nice mommy and go to the park. 

The park really was fun--we were by ourselves and besides the creepiness I got at the thought of all the germs living and multiplying on the steps my youngest has decided to lick, I'm feeling pretty good. 

Time to go. 

Apparently I'm the only one wanting to go.

Finally get the kids loaded and back home. 

Carry in only the cold groceries because both boys are tired and hungry by now. 

Make 2 lunches. 

Get 2 boys down for naps and...freedom! Right?! Umm..not exactly...

Start doing some laundry and realize I haven't made my lunch yet. Do that and hurry and eat because I need to take a shower for the day...let's be honest...for the last 2 days. It's like a mini vacation for me. 

But first I need to run downstairs and respond to some emails. 30 minutes later I remember that I need to finish my bible study for that night's class..appropriately titled "victoriously frazzled!" (HA!!). 

Finish my 2 lessons and remember I need to check the mail because it might rain and I am suppose to get my next Freehand Scraps kit and the mail lady leaves boxes out by the mailbox in the street instead of the last mail lady who would bring them up to the door.

 Wonder what happened to the nice mail lady. 

Check the mail.

 

No kit. Bills-yuck. 

See that the vehicle hatch is still open with 6 more bags of food to carry in.

Unload the groceries and put away.

Remember the laundry I've forgot. 

Wasn't I suppose to be taking a shower? 

Get in the shower and there's Aven awake and asking for bubblegum. 

Start getting ready for church. 

Fix supper and coax boys into eating a little something because we need to hurry and leave and then I hear...a drip.

drip.

drip.

the dishwasher is leaking. 

seriously.........

and then today there was poop on the deck.

And I won't go into how it got there, but suffice to say it was NOT from wildlife.

I KNOW I'm not the only one with crazy days like that...right?!?

I have a new favorite layout to share:

I have always loved this saying! Maybe it's because I've always loved theatre/drama :) But when I got the new Sassafras Lass embellie prize and saw this picture of Paxton--soooo upset and distraught at the complete unfairness of his momma not allowing him to EAT DIRT!!!!!---well, I was inspired to scrap.

And scrap getting messy with ink and paint. And beautiful new products.

And trying a new layout size for me, which I LOVE.

And then I wanted to make a card for the sweet people at Sassafras thanking them for the ultimate box of goodies:

And then I decided to use a Jillibean Soup paper line that wasn't holiday-ish and turn it into a Christmasy card:

And then I got my Freehand Scraps October kit---and WHOA NELLY is it SAAAwEEeEt!

And then I remembered...God is good.

And LIFE is good. 

really, REALLY good.

even with poop on your deck.

a delayed "tomorrow"

remember in my last post I was suppose to share some good mail...like the next day? Well, thanks to Mr. (or maybe Mrs.? Ms.?) internet's hiatus from last friday until today, that didn't happen...until now :)

My happy mail was this...

just a box..right? A seemingly ordinary, unpromising box.

Or is it...?

Could it be.....

an awesome box full o' Sassafras scrapping goodness? 

As in EVERY SINGLE new embellishment from their newest CHA releases? Almost too good to even break into...almost ;)

And then this sweet Bo Bunny prize arrived too. The same day!

I started snipping that paper up right away and whipped out an owl shaped halloween card. Because as you might have guessed by now, I do love me some owls :)

Super fun to make! Just drew the outline on some cardboard and paper pieced the hoot together. Stitched her eyes (yes it's a "she"...notice the flower!) and the "Happy Owloween", glittered her stripes, inked her edges and flocked the black Bo Bunny swirls on her wings!

Feeling like a pretty lucky girl lately :)

Pun anyone?

There's a challenge over on the October Afternoon blog--create a card using a pun. Perfect time to break out the newest Road Map goodies I have been hoarding and make something!

(also a perfect time to break out the high school english book and remember what a pun is! ha! Just kidding Mrs. Montgomery )

*You Are A Trip* card. All supplies are October Afternoon, except for the woodgrain paper and buttons. Had fun stitching on this and punching out the little road signs. Broke out my travel design card on the Slice for the loaded down car...yep. Looks like some road trips I've been on! :)

Does anyone really say "you are a trip" anymore? I doubt it.

Anyone going on any fun trips soon? Thinking I'm taking a trip to bed. Night.

Smile

So many reasons to smile this week.

Connecting with the ball, no "t" involved.



Sweet Mr. McSmiley...what?...you don't swing the first week of August in your Christmas p.j.'s?






Popsicle breaks.




Sweet mail from a new friend.
And then today...this.




His preschool orientation. He couldn't wait. You would have thought today was his birthday and the gifts were school supplies. He had a death grip on these new treasures!



When I saw this picture...*sigh*. Mommas, watch out--I'm afraid he might be breaking some little girl's heart someday. Seeing him look so big certainly is breaking mine.

Old & New

Some old and new shares today...

Giving a little brotherly love...as opposed to the brotherly smack downs we have been having lately ;)


Cards







And a couple layouts






I'll have a few Freehand Scrap sneaky sneaks up soon. Until then, check out the sneaks from Samantha & Heidi!



Anyone else have anything sneaky to share?


*and might I just add that the pictures of my older layouts look pixelated! Weird. What is up with that?*