My Garden Scrapbook

I started creating a scrapbook about 3 years ago that features the plants in my garden. I finally dug it out of stash and decided that this is the year I finish it.

For the scrapbook I am altering an old readers digest. Originally I was going to keep the cover as shown in this photo.

And yesterday this is what I did to the cover. I made the flower using some old cotton fabric that I had.

I must say forgive me for the quality of pictures. I can't find the disc that transfers the photos from my big camera to my computer so am using my phone for photos.

And here is a look at the pages I have done so far. I still have about 20 pages to go before it is finished. Getting this done is my goal for the summer.

This is the opening page underneath that confetti envelope I will put a small poem about flowers and the dates.

I will come back and do another post once I get the book finished. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and to look at my project.

Hugs ~ Sherry

Staying Focused

I don't know if it has to do with age, stages of grief , depression or the weather but I have a hard time lately staying focused on one thing. 

I was starting to find my way back to doing project life, scrapbooking and cardmaking and then WHAM nothing. No longer have my Mojo!

So I went back to sewing which seems to keep my mind occupied and my hands busy.

Here are a few projects from the past couple of weeks.

My knit dishcloths and scrubbies (not pictured) remain in high demand and I can't keep them in stock.

Large coloring activity totes are new for me this year. Last year I created the smaller version for young kids. 

A friend gave me a ton of fabric and a charm pack so I created some quilts for gifts and a few to keep to be used later.

More of my large coloring totes. I made 8 for our church bazaar which is held in December. I still need to add crayons to some of the bags.

And one last tote. This one was popular with the ladies at my church craft group.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to be back soon with some kind of paper crafts.

Enjoy your day my friends.

Sherry

ZenDoodle

This past Sunday I took a class at a local store and it was to learn how to ZenDoodle aka the Art of ZenTangle.

If you look up what this is you will find:

Zentangle is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being.

I myself who always says I can't draw a straight line also learned that I am not a doodler. I found it very stressful instead of relaxing. Others in class found it very relaxing, but they also told me that they are always doodling. Me, I never doodle.

Basically what it is, is that you make repetitive patterns inside a 3.5x3.5 square. Then you can move onto a string which is where you draw an image and then place your zendoodles inside that image.

Here is an example of a page of zendoodles.

And then here is what me the non-doodler created as my string. I just laugh when I look at it.

You can see some of my zendoodles behind my final piece. I am going to add some clouds to the design to finish it off at the top.

Okay, that is it for me today. I am off to my Craft group at church where I am working on Breadcloths for our spring luncheon.

Have a great day!
Sherry

Scrapbooking Mojo is back

I spent most of yesterday upstairs in my craftroom working on scrapbook layouts. I don't know what happened but I think my MOJO finally returned. With the help of some sketches that I had been saving on my desk for about 3 years.

This one here is my favorite as it uses messy watercolors which I have been playing with a lot lately in my art journal.

Splatter and circles for this one.

This was a fun layout to do but I think I went a little overboard and should have stopped about 4 steps in.

I wanted to try a layout with more than one photo which is out of my comfort zone.

Thanks for stopping by. Now I need to get ready I am taking a Zen Doodling class today at a local art store. Should be fun.

Sherry

I have missed YOU!

Just wanted to pop in today to see if I actually remember how. It's been a rough couple years since my last post, but wanted to let you all know that I am still here even though I don't post any longer. I'm starting to slowly create again and also to find new passions.

Here are a few of the things that I have been doing.

I learned how to knit a year ago and have fallen in love with it. Mostly I make scarves for BackPack Project Minnesota which supplies scarves and other warm items to homeless teens. I aslo make these dishcloths which I can never keep in stock at a local store.

At a local shop I have been working one Sunday a month (4hours) in exchange for classes. So far I took a glass fusing class and then recently I took a alcohol ink class.

We practiced placing the alcohol inks on the backside of photo paper and YUPO paper before moving onto the 6x6 tiles.

I love how the tile turned out. If you turn it just right you see (or I should say I see) a roosters head. Someone else said a blowfish. I just need to put 6 layers of a topcoat on it then I will hang in my kitchen where I keep all my roosters.

I have also learned how to sew so have been making kids activity totes complete with crayons and colorbooks. In addition to those I have made baby bibs, doll bibs, little girl pillowcase dresses, microwave potholder bowls, reversible tote bags, zipper pouches to name a few of the things.

Last but not least I finally started using my Silhouette Cameo after having it for about 4 years. At Christmas I made and sold personalized ornaments and now for Easter I am doing personalized Easter baskets.

And personalized Easter eggs.

And of course I am also making a few cards and working in an art journal. It is slowly coming back to me.

A few more cards and my Grinch mugs.

My art journal which is made from an altered 1963 McCalls Sewing Book.

Again thanks for stopping by my blog today it really means a lot to me. 

 ~ hugs Sherry ~

No Words

I don't even know how I write this so will just be saying that I am taking a blog break and not sure when or if I will be back.

We lost the love of our life, on Saturday, January 17th at 3:40 am.

Justin Robert Eckblad

January 24, 1977 - January 17, 2015

Hello ~ PoppyStamps Blog Blitz

Have you heard we are having a Blog Blitz over on the PoppyStamps blog?

Stop over and check it out!

 For two weeks we are giving away two of the newly released dies each day. Details are on the PoppyStamps blog.

Java Love ~ Ai #151

We have a new challenge starting today over on the Art Impressions blog and we want to see your coffee themed cards. This can be anything coffee related.

For my card I took the quick and easy route.

This card was so simple to make and used just 4 things.  I took the Coffee Cup image and stamped it using versamark ink and sized it a little smaller than my 4" square card base. Next I stamped the thanks-a-latte sentiment from the Coffee Keeper set and popped it up with some foam tape. Added a few enamel dots and my card was complete.

Make sure you stop over at the Ai blog and check out what the rest of the design team came up with.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today it really means a lot to me. 

Kate Ai

I am over on the Art Impressions blog today sharing a card.

Stop over and say hi!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today it really means a lot to me. 

PoppyStamps Blog Blitz

If you haven't heard PoppyStamps just introduced a ton of new dies and to celebrate it we are having a BLOG BLITZ running from January 12th - 27th!

Make sure to pop over to the blog in the morning and afternoon because for the next two weeks we are giving away TWO dies a day. 

Details are on the Poppystamps blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

What's New ~ Ai

We have a new challenge over at Art Impressions and today I am sharing my card.

For this our 150th challenge we want to see something new on your project. It can be a new stamp, a new technique or some new stamping supplies.

Here is a peek at my card using my new stamp called Sitting Polars.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today it really means a lot to me.

December Daily 2014 Day Thirteen - Day Twenty Five

As promised yesterday here is the rest of my December Daily album.

Day Thirteen

It was all about my first attempt at making cut out sugar cookies. #epicfail

Another pocket page with wood veneers, flair and sequin mix

Day Fourteen

Shows the ornament kit I got

Day Fifteen

My sweet little Micah by his tree

Day Sixteen

My MIL gave me this beautiful bowl and told me that her husband had given it to her the day my husband was born. So this dish is 61 years old.

Day Seventeen

Our Elf Hermey got into a little bit of trouble

Day Eighteen

Day Nineteen

Includes a little insert of my Great-Nephew Adrian and the little bit of snow that we got

Day Twenty

Finally got the tree decorated and a fun sequin pocket

Day Twenty-One

My Favorite ornament on the tree made by my son in 1981 (he was 4)

Day Twenty-Two and Day Twenty-Three

A photo of our Christmas cards bucket and gifts finally wrapped

Day Twenty-Two REVISED

I added a pocket filled with all the postage stamps that were on the cards we received this year.

Day Twenty-Four

More cookie making and my Great Nephews

More Day Twenty-Four 

My husbands immediate family missing 5 siblings and their families though

Day Twenty-Five

A quick collage of our day

This shows the postage stamp pocket before I moved it to Day Twenty-Two

That is a wrap on my December Daily for this year.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today it really means a lot to me.

 ~ hugs Sherry ~