Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

A crafty weekend

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

I normally take the weekends off from blogging. With busy kiddos (my little one is crawling now and has discovered the dog’s water bowl and the stairs!) I have my hands full. My hubby is an accountant so this is a busy time of year for him, which means he’s working a lot of weekends. But, I decided I wanted to share some of the projects I’ve been working on. I’m obsessed with Glimmer Mist and canvases right now. I completed one canvas on Friday night and I have been working on three other projects this weekend with the help of my five year old (she loves all things crafty and has an amazing eye for design).

Here’s the first project I finished. I used this tutorial as a guide and then went to town. I used some Crate Paper chipboard shapes, a variety of Glimmer Mists and Maya Mists, Thickers Alphas, and I made/painted the sun myself. I also cut come of the words out from a newspaper.


Here’s another prject I’m working on. It’s a present for my daughter’s kindergarten teacher. As Shelby watched me make my “Here Comes the Sun” piece, she wanted to make something of her own. She decided it should be for Miss Burns and she told me what it should say .. “The more you learn, the more you grow.” She said this was because Miss Burns helps her learn! Isn’t that the cutest?




Shelby helped me with every step of this canvas. She sprayed Glimmer Mist. She spread Gesso. She helped me paint chipboard letters. We added Glimmer Mist to some white, glitter Thicker letters. It’s not quite done … but it’s coming along. Shelb also made a little canvas that says “Miss Burns, I love you.”



 

We layered the canvas with a bunch of different Glimmer Mist colors. I think this was Shelby’s favorite part. It was a little tough to get her to stop! She wanted to spray. Spray. And spray some more.



Here’s a look at where the projects are now. We still have to actually glue all the parts down. And add some more embellishments. But they are looking quite cute if you ask me!





**********************************

My mom sent me a link to a tutorial to make the cutest flower hair clips (see photo below). Go Mom! I love this idea. I was at my mom’s house last week and she was admiring the hair clip Shelby was wearing. I bought the clip from The Pleated Poppy … the hair clip has now become one of Shelby’s favorites, but they are a little expensive for a 5-year-old who had a tendency to misplace her hair bows! Instead, I want to make her some that I don’t mind if she destroys, misplaces or generously gives to her playmates. This tutorial is both easy and cute.



**********************************

Have  you been to Heidi Swapp’s blog lately? She is our guest designer for April and has started to create with a few of the goodies from that kit. Check it out! And have you ever watched Heidi’s live Web show? If not, I suggest you check it out. It’s really awesome and you come away from it with tons of ideas and inspiration.

Hope you’re having a great weekend. I’d love to hear what crafty projects you’re working on!




DT Guest Post: Inspired By …

Friday, March 5th, 2010

INSPIRED BY…

By Amy Kingsford


 

Thursday evening my husband and I went out to dinner and a movie for our 4 year anniversary (an eternity I know…lol)! We also did a little shopping. And as I was perusing the racks at Anthropologie, I stumbled upon this gorgeous necklace …. I was in love! But not in the way that you’d think.

To be honest, there was nothing in my closet I could wear with this piece and it didn’t really speak to my personality, but I just couldn’t stop staring at those beautiful flowers and thinking … wow they would look great on my next lo! So I studied them carefully and when I got home that night I gave them a try. I was so pleased with them that after I made my first one, I tried them out using several different mediums, including, lightweight paper, muffin tins, and of course fabric …



I get my inspiration from all different places … Sometimes, I look to my fellow scrapper’s work … Sometimes I look to their blogs for fantastic tutorials and project ideas … and sometimes, inspiration is staring back at me from the pieces of my everyday life!

How about you?! Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you find yourself looking to the same places, time and again? A particular community’s online gallery, or maybe your favorite magazine?! Or… are you in constant search of new resources for inspiration? I must admit that I am a sucker for “familiar haunts“… my favorite Mongolian BBQ joint or the quaint little coffee house just down the street from my home. But there is definitely something to be said about stepping outside of your comfort zone — especially when it comes to searching for inspiration for your artwork.

Inspiration can come in all colors, shapes, and sizes — in a variety of formats, and mediums. And once I realized this … the opportunities for artistic growth and expression became virtually endless! I challenge you all to look at your everyday life for new ways to express yourself creatively. It could be anything from an advertisement whose design inspires the perfect lo, to a funky vintage apron, whose colors and motifs inspire a great page addition to your art journal.

So with that in mind … get out there and ask yourself … WHAT INSPIRES ME?!

 

Design Team: Meet Mara

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Marvalous Mara. I think that’s what I’m going to call Mara Campbell from here on out! Mara is one of the new Crazy Daisy Design Team members and we are thrilled to have her. When she responded to our design team call, Jennifer texted me right away and told me to check out her blog. We were enamoured with her from very early on. We are super happy she agreed to join our team.



Here’s a little bit about Mara.

Hi Everyone! I’m Mara and I’m very excited to be part of the Crazy Daisy team. I live in Southern California with my 2 active children and my homebrewing husband. I work full time as a molecular biologist for a biotechnology company by day and I love to scrap and get crafty at night. I’ve been scrapping for over 15 years and I love the creative outlet. Give me some patterned paper, paint, chipboard, and buttons and I’m a happy girl! I am also very interested in photography and have slowly been trying to develop my photography skills. I love being outside, working out, camping, hiking, running, and chasing my family around with my camera. I also enjoy being in the kitchen, baking, eating and trying new recipes.”


1. I can’t imagine my life without peanut butter M&M’s, my beautiful family and shopping at Target.

2. My least favorite chore is emptying the dishwasher. EWWWW!

3. I would love to win a shopping spree to Target or my favorite cake decorating supply store.

4. My must have treat and music when scrapbooking is red licorice and itunes on shuffle.

5. When scrapbooking, I love to use buttons, patterned paper and flowers.

6. My favorite creative project is everything. Can I answer everything?? I love making layouts, cards, gift packaging, home décor … I love it all!

7. I thought I would never bribe my kids with candy to get ‘one more good photo’ … but I’ve been known to do it.

8. My worst habit is hitting the snooze bar on the alarm over and over and over …

9. My favorite scrappy or crafty web site is … Today’s Creative Blog, Bake at 350, and the other 200 scrapping and baking blogs I have bookmarked!!

10. You would never guess it, but I am a National Champion Swimmer!

To get to know Mara a little better, visit her blog. And of course, we have to show you a little of Mara’s work.


 




 

Design Team Tuesday

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Tuesdays will be all about our Design Team and let me tell you … they are fabulous. I have been reading their blogs and I am in awe. These ladies are super talented and beyond cool. My husband especially likes Miss Katie  … because they happen to have the same taste in music. And yes, my husband has been to all the design team member’s blogs. His response, “These ladies are professionals. They should really do this professionally.” You all have my husband’s approval!

In my attempt to keep things streamlined and consistent (my life is neither of those things) Tuesday here at Crazy Daisy are now going to be Design Team Tuesday. Eventually, our Design Team will be posting on Design Team Tuesdays … but for now it’s me, posting about them … on Tuesdays!

Over the course of the next few weeks, we’re going to be introducing you all to the ladies of our design team. To kick things off, I want to start with Amy Kingsford. I’m picking Amy first because, well, umm … my sister’s name is Amy. Seriously. That’s why. Every time I see Amy’s name, I think of my sister. So, why not?!



1. I can’t imagine my life without … my son … he has truly been a blessing in my life. 

2. My least favorite chore is … doing the dishes … luckily my hubby loves me enough to do them for me!

3. I would love to win a shopping spree to … Dear Lizzie, I could shop for hours in that store.

4. My must have treat and music when scrapbooking is … Diet Coke, Almond Joys, and some Killers in the background.

5. When scrapbooking, I love to use … the packaging from my supplies … what can I say, some of that stuff is WAY too cute to simply throw away! 

6. My favorite creative project is … altered art … I just love turning everyday things into something special!

7. I thought I would never … buy a Blu-ray player … of course I said the same thing about a DVD player and an MP3 player … so much for NEVER

8. My worst habit is … never letting things dry!  Many a projects have met there demise due to my impatience!

9. My favorite scrappy or crafty web site is …. Get It Scrapped!  I love the atmosphere and the classes, and all of the women there are fabulous and inspiring!

10. You would never guess it, but I … have three tattoos, I know … not all that shocking, but other than that I think I’m fairly predictable! ugh. 


And of course, let me show a little bit of Amy’s work … which of course blew us away! It is her scrapbooking that made us want her on our team .. not just the fact that she’s cute and cool!








Member Spotlight: Susan E.

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Another new addition to the Crazy Daisy Blog will be weekly member spotlights.

In order to do this, we need your help. Send us pictures of what you create with out kits. We’d love to see what you do, share it with others and be inspired by your craftiness. Please! Share! We all want to see what you do with the kit! Email me  and I’ll get you on the blog.

This week we are excited to introduce you to Susan Eldridge.  I was so excited when Susan answered my call for members to send in their work. Before I even asked for members to send in their creations, I have been to Susan’s blog and thought she was pretty cool. Now all of you can think she’s cool too!

So, here’s a little bit about Susan …


1. I started scrapbooking … about six years ago because I love crafting and I finally gave in to scrapbooking. I haven’t really been a fast scrapbooker, but I’m hoping to pick up the pace this year.

2. My favorite scrapbooking product, tool or manufacturer is … I don’t think I could scrapbook without my ruler and xacto knife. I’m always impressed with the papers from Basic Grey.

3. My favorite thing to scrapbook about is …  my girls. Probably 95% of what I scrapbook is about them, but this year I’m trying to include myself and the hubs more.

4. I scrapbook because …  it’s my creative outlet and my de-stresser. I love capturing the memories for my girls and hope they love my scrapbooks as much I would have loved to have some from my mother.

5. I am the happiest when … I’m looking back at old photos and recall various memories from that time.

Check out more of Susan’s work and get to know her a little better on her blog. And her are some layouts Susan created using the Crazy Daisy February 2010 Main Kit.
 
 

 




Things I’m lovin’ right now

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

There are some cool things out there on the Internet. I could spend all day just surfing away. Luckily, I have way too much to do … so I have to limit my Web time. On top of being generally busy, I currently have two sick kiddos. My daughter started vomiting yesterday (I know, too much info!). She’s never sick; so when she is, everyone in our house is miserable. Now, our baby is sick too. It’s so sad to see him in such a crummy place. His nose is running. He’s burning up. And he’s just cranky! So, in my short power surf, I found some cool stuff online, all of which are inspiring and include lots of projects to add to my list of future projects.


scrappy_heart_pincushion


Aren’t these scrappy pin cushions adorable? There is a tutorial on the Craftzine blog. Have you checked out Craft? There are some awesome ideas and really cool inspiration on the Craftzine blog.

I’ve started listening to a new podcast, Paperclipping Roundtable. It features a panel of professional scrappers, including Noell Hyman, Ana Cabrera and Stacy Julian to name a  few. It’s informative as well as inspirational. Download it and listen to it while scrappin, driving or working out. You won’t be disappointed.

While at CHA (actually, the consumer SuperShow before CHA), Jennifer got a new sewing machine. We did a bunch of fun make ‘n’ takes at various booths sponsored by the National Sewing Council. We both left itching to sew more. I really want to make my daughter some fun little skirts and hopefully teach her to sew, just like my mama taught me. I think I’m going to try this skirt (picture below).


skirt

I was reading a bunch of tweets today (I’m a Twitter junkie … you can follow me @crazydaisykits). Someone mentioned this old blog post of Ali Edwards‘ that caught my attention because the link to the post was proceeded by “one of my fave posts of all time. refer to it all the time.” Now that I’ve found it, I will be refering to it often as well.

Another one of my favorite scapbooking blogs that I read regularly is Donna Downey’s “Simply Me.” She’s a phenomenal artist. Her regular Wednesday feature, “Inspiration Wednesdays,” always leaves me in awe. I love, love, love everything Donna does. You have to check out yesterday’s post and the canvas she created.

Last but not least, I am really loving Craft Gossip. It’s a one stop shop for all things crafty. They find all the cool tips and tutorials around the Web and post them in one convenient location. Looking for inspiration or ideas … head to Craft Gossip.


Today’s inspirational thought

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Jennifer and I text a lot. We are both VERY busy, but we can always manage to fit in a little time to send a text or two (or three … ). Today I got a text from Jen that shared the following inspirational thought:

“Stop thinking. Thinking is the enemy of creativity.”

Amen sister. Isn’t that the case for a lot of us? We over think. We over plan. We stress ourselves out. And in the end, we either don’t have time to be creative or we get stuck at the starting point.

Last Saturday, Jennifer and I took a class from Stacy Julian. In the course of the 2-hour class we started and FINISHED a 6×6 album. Stacy calls the technique “Finish Line Scrapbooking.” I call it brilliant. In the most basic terms, you simply take all the hard work out of scrapping and just scrap. You think simple, plan less and just create. How wonderful is that?

I took some notes from Stacy’s class, which I promise to share. But they are buried in my CHA bag and right now my kids need a little mommy time …. actually, mommy needs a little kid time :)

So, check back tomorrow. We’ll talk fast scrapping then. And I’ll also tell you a little more about CHA, our February goodies and the future!

Happy Wednesday to you!

Aren’t they adorable

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

SweetCoop


My litle boy is growing up so fast. I can’t believe he’ll be 10 months old soon. I was pretty sure I wasn’t cut out to be a mom to a boy. I had gotten used to having a girl, since my oldest is a girl and there is 5 years between my kids. I have been amazed at how easy it has been to adapt to having a boy and a new addition to our family.

This is a time in my life I never want to forget. My children are healthy and happy. My husband is doing amazing things with his family’s business. And I have the opportunity to both travel and be involved in a creative business with my best girl friend. How awesome is that.


ShelbHeart

This doesn’t have much to do with Crazy Daisy … other than I’m one half of Crazy Daisy and I have been reminded a lot lately of how blessed and lucky I am.

I’m grateful to see the goodness in the world. To watch my adorable baby boy grow. To laugh at the silliness of my very grown up five year old. To hold my husband’s hand as we watch movies or watch our kiddos. Life isn’t so bad. Actually, it’s great.

Here’s hoping you have a wonderful Friday. a fabulous weekend. And you take the time to find the goodness in your life. It’s there. Just stop for a moment and look.


BestOfFriends



Design Team Call 2010

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

DesignTeamCall


Ladies and ladies (unless there are some male fans of Crazy Daisy out there who aren’t my husband or Jennifer’s hubby … and we wouldn’t want to exclude you) it’s time to submit your Crazy Daisy Design Team 2010 application.

Who: All you fabulous scrapbookers out there (current design team members are allowed and encouraged to apply)

What:  Be a part of the Crazy Daisy Design Team 2010

When: Starting today, we’ll accept entries until Sunday, February 7th. We’ll let you know if you made the cut by February 15th. And then, we’ll ask that you get started designing with Crazy Daisy Kit Co.’s March 2010 Main Kit.

How: We want to see three layouts (whatever size you want to create) and a mini-book of some sort. When you’re all done, take pictures of your projects and email those pics to info@crazydaisykits.com.

What’s required of you: If you’re selected to be a member of the Crazy Daisy Design Team 2010 you’ll be asked to create 5 layouts a month and a mini-book using the mini-book provided in the current month’s kit. Additionally, we ask that you place a Crazy Daisy blinkie on your blog or Web site; as well as post something on your site regarding Crazy Daisy and your design team work at least once a week.

What do you get? In return for your hard work, you’ll receive an awesome Crazy Daisy Main kit for six (6) months (March 2010 through August 2010), great exposure on our Web site and heaps of praise from the Crazy Daisy team. We might even toss in fun gifts along the way!

If you have any questions, please send them our way … info@crazydaisykits.com.

What inspires me

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Coop


I would classify myself as a searcher. I’m always looking for things that inspire me, move me, motivate me … I read a lot of books. I visit countless web sites. I listen to just about any podcast I can get my hands on. But I had an epiphany this morning. I’m searching too hard. The things that really inspire me are with me all the time. The colors I see. The stories I hear. And most of all the people I love.

This last weekend my daughter was taking a shower. Showers for her are a very elborate process. She can play in the shower for hours if I let her. She has such a fantastic imagination and I always see it at work when she’s playing make believe in the shower. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t realize anyone is watching (or listening), but for whatever reason she just lets go and has fun. I walked into the bathroom this last weekend, toting my baby boy (Cooper) with me. I set him on the floor while I brushed my teeth; Cooper could hear Shelby in the shower and scooted over to the shower attempting to get a better look. He was enthralled by what was going on in there. As I picked him up and started to leave the bathroom he got super upset. He didn’t want to leave his sister.

I put him back on the floor and watch him scoot back over the shower to attempt to open the shower door. I asked my little guy if he wanted to get in the shower and as if he really understood me he smiled and started pumping his chubby little arms in excitement. I was pretty busy at that moment, but I threw caution and schedules to the wind. I stripped both Cooper and myself down and we joined Shelby in the shower. You should have seen the pure glee both Shelby and Cooper experienced as they played together under the gentle “rainfall” of the shower.

These two amazing little people inspire me. Their love of live inspires me. Their love for each other inspires me. Their fearlessness inspires me. I never want to forget what it was like to watch them together, playing in the steamy shower and simply enjoying each other. I want to tell their story.


cupcakes


This morning, as I was feeling a little overwhelmed with life, I reminded myself of our shower moment and tried to focus on the little thing in this world that inspire me; add joy to my world; and bring me peace. Yesterday that little thing was a box of cupcakes. It’s amazing what a $3 cupcake can fix! I ordered two dozen fancy cupcakes to be delivered to one of my customers. They’ve had a rough go at it as of late and just needed a little pick me up. You should have seen the joy on their faces as they partook of these yummy treats. Who knew all it would take was a cupcake. Find the joy.