StarLitStudio

remodel taking up life

Happy Thursday! 

I have found that undertaking a kitchen remodel, even a partial one, is incredibly time consuming. 

Please bear with me as the store, running/exercise, this undertaking of the kitchen, schlepping the kids everywhere, plus life in general is not allowing any creativity to happen.

Pinterest has been a lifesaver with this 'minor' remodel - being able to show contractors a photo, or send a link from my pinterest board...a picture does indeed say a thousand words.

I promise to share before and after pics and a few of the transition ones...it has been fun so far...let us hope that continues!

 

 

stitched patterned paper

Love the Tin Pin - used some sheet music from my latest find, and Attic Trunk...

...and simply machine stitched a zig-zag stitch on the patterned paper.  Easy peasy.

Wood hearts and linen thread, along with some black silk ribbon.

Hero Arts sentiment.  Hope you're having a great week!

you are amazing

Used a PaperCrafts layout for today's project.  Zva taupe pearl - Lovely style.  Vintage sheet music is from my stash (thank you ebay), and the red silk ribbon is from Creative Impressions - we used to sell these by the spool, and I've used so much silk ribbon lately I am considering carrying those spools again.  They were economical as well if I remember correctly.

Sentiments are from Paper Smooches and patterned paper is October Afternoon's Farmhouse.  The antennae are flower stamens; butterfly and card base dies are Spellbinders.

Spellbinders Grand Nesties are great for card bases - I use (some of) these with my Big Shot Express.  I will not purchase another die cut machine until Sizzix comes out with a 12-inch wide electric version that is compact for the home crafter.  I don't care about the price point - just make it electric please.  One can dream, eh?   Happy Monday!

inspired by store-bought

I received the above, tri-fold stationary piece with a note from a neighbor - and it inspired this:

My neighbor's notecard unfolded like this:

I cut a patterned-one-side-solid-the-other-side piece of cardstock to 10.5-inches in width and 5-inches in height - scored at every 3.5-inch interval:

American Crafts Blue Skies patterned cardstock was used for my interpretation - finished, folded size measures 3.5-inches x 5-inches.  Martha border punch for the side.  Memory Box PoppyStamps meadow leaf die used.  Happy Sunday!

thank you snow much

My dear children are in the process of writing their holiday thank you notes to aunts, uncles and dear friends - three individual notes per recipient...I wanted to come up with something clever to house their notes in.

Using Paper Smooches Swanky Snowdudes set, a snowman image was stamped several times onto white cardstock, each colored with Copics then each cut out.  Sentiment is from the Chit Chat set.  The label-style die is from Papertrey Ink.

Using a notebook paper bag I folded down the top two inches, then covered the flap with patterned paper and trimmed. 

A Big Bite tool punched the holes and set the eyelets for the clasp. Fine red burlap string was inserted through one of the punched holes prior to setting the eyelet to hold the string in place.

The notecards for the kids' thank yous are simply white cardstock trimmed to fit the bag, embellished with a strip of Holly Jolly patterned paper and a quote strip from the Holiday Style Word Stickers.  I may add black Enamel Accents (Ranger) to his buttons - we'll see how much time allows...hope you're having a great weekend!

holiday tags & ink pad organization

Before putting all the papers used for holiday gifts & such I gathered all scraps, and Mish-style assembled them quickly into tags.  Adhered each layer with a smidge of 2-way glue and allowed to dry, then machine-stitched down the center of all layers chain-piecing style.

I'll put the holiday stuff away now...lol.

I posted this on Ranger's Facebook wall today - Ranger's is looking for organizational ideas for their products, and I had this created by a local woodworker/artisan to easily access each Distress ink pad, blending tool and reinker.  If I like a product I'll naturally want to use it frequently, so speed in access and visibility is important to me. 

Happy Friday & best wishes for a great weekend!

happy new year!

@ Sergeantsville Inn, New Years' Eve, 2011

at Philly airport - waiting to depart to Atlanta...everyone was so quiet - I looked up from my iphone, and lo and behold, everyone was on one...lol.

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best in the New Year!!

three-page card for multiple gift certificates

My youngest daughter has an amazing and incredible fourth-grade teacher, and we collected enough funds from the entire class for two gift cards - one was credit-card sized and the other was slightly larger.

I created a holiday card for this teacher that featured various-sized pages to house each gift card.

First page was the smallest pocket, to house the credit-card sized gift card...

...and the second page housed the larger gift card to a restaurant. All chipboard, stickers and patterned papers are from Holiday Style.

The last page featured my attempt at a whimsical font, my inspiration gleaned from the many incredible calligraphers on etsy. 

Pillow boxes housed Visa gift cards for the two aides.  Miniature wooden spools and burlap string.  Amazing staff at an amazing school.  Best wishes for all the best in the New Year!

latest find and button cards

Old church hymnals from the 1920's - lovely...eldest daughter says I 'need therapy intervention' due to my desire to rip up old books...

The obverse side of Button Box from October Afternoon's Farmhouse collection features 3x4 button cards in a vintage style.  When Papertrey came out with their take on attaching buttons to cards I never got into it, but having created a few of these I now understand the affinity of it - they are indeed, quite fun.

The OCD adult in me demands the buttons be lined up prior to stitching in place.  Using Glossy Accents I adhered each button first...

...allowed the adhesive to dry then stitched the buttons in place using a sharp darning needle and ivory crochet thread.

A few more.  Like I said, very entertaining.

Added to a decorated card base (Robin's Egg from Memory Box) with a doily and twine from the Farmhouse ribbon wrap pack:

Memory Box Robin's Egg envelope was lined using their plastic template....would loooooove a die for this....my holiday wish for 2012. Happy Friday!

farmhouse sympathy & sushi

Sympathy card using Memory Box Dove cardstock and October Afternoon Farmhouse papers.  Spellbinders label die, 7gypsies velvet leaves. 

Pearl pins are from Maya Road.  The lovely pearl stamen are here but need to be added to the store - will do next week.  Button is idea-ology.

Our dinner this evening:

Avocado cucumber uramaki rolls.

Plain cucumber on the right - my son does not like avocado...pretty blue soy sauce bowls are from M.N.John on etsy. 

Making uramaki rolls is easy once you've practiced a while - I youtubed videos and memorized them, and we have sushi once a week or more.  Kids love to take it to school for lunch.  Once in a while I add bits of cooked meat or fish but nothing raw - one must drive to NYC to obtain sushi grade product and that's an hour drive away.

Thanks for stopping by today!