Practical Scrappers: Pinterest Inspired

It's official. I have made my first Christmas craft for the year. That means it's really time to start thinking about the holidays. I can't put it off any longer. It has been so warm here that it doesn't feel like November is almost over. We finally had our first real snow yesterday and the temperatures plummeted so I guess reality struck there too!

Today we are sharing our Pinterest inspired crafts on the Practical Scrappers blog. (sidenote: Practical Scrappers was having some domain issues so be sure to click on the link I provided for the new web address and update any readers you may follow in.) I don't know about you, but I have to limit my time on Pinterest or I will find hours of my day just gone without even knowing it! While browsing the fabulous projects the other day I came across this little beauty.

Simple yet for some reason it just grabbed me. I liked the depth brought in with the different shades of paint and how the background had almost that woodgrainy feel to it. I have just recently started playing around with mixed media and painting and I thought this might be a fun painting to replicate for my Christmas decor. I wanted to keep the simplicity of it and work more on achieving some of the depth and texture onto my own canvas. This is what I came up with.

Please bear with me on the picture! I told you it was snowy yesterday and getting a great picture proved to be an  impossible experience. I will try to get a new one and update without the glare and hopefully with better representation of the color soon. Anyway, I started by applying gesso to the canvas to prepare. I then used a layer of gel medium. While the gel medium was still a little wet I applied my first layer of red with a 2 inch bristle brush. This allowed me to get the paint lines I wanted to see and create some of that woodgrain feel. When that was dry I added a small amount of black paint with a dry brush to add a little darkness in some areas. I didn't like how that looked so I went over it with a slightly wet brush that I had dipped in water to spread the black out a little. I finished by spraying a little bit of red Tim Holtz distress stain on top and brushing that in to get an even deeper shade of red in there. Finally I cut the word Joy using my Joys of the Season Cricut Cartridge and applied it with gel medium. 

Overall I am happy with how it turned out. The final layer of stain added a sheen to the canvas that I am not too excited about but I guess that is a lesson learned. I love the simplicity which will go well with some of the other decorations I have. 

What do you think? Do you have any Pinterest inspired crafts to share or any on your list to make this year?

Lisa

Count Your Blessings

Happy Weekend! I can't believe it's the middle of November already. Fall was beautiful this year and the weather has continued to be pretty nice tricking me into not really thinking that Christmas is right around the corner. I love fall. The gorgeous colors, the still nice but not hot weather, football...there are just so many fun things about fall. Today I have a page I created for S.W.A.T. using both a sketch and the twist of feathers. I cut the feathers from my Cricut machine for this layout rather than using real ones. First, here is the Page Maps sketch we are using for this challenge:

And here is my take on it using a gorgeous picture I took during a recent ride we took on the Cog Rail to Pikes Peak.

I am also linking up to Paper Issues for their new Grateful issue and Creative Embellishments November Challenge. Check out their sites for more information and a chance at some fun prizes.

Have a super weekend.
Lisa

Corn Queso Dip

I'm back for a quick post and this time it's not about scrapping! There's a new favorite appetizer recipe that I've been promising to get out to the other football moms. I figured it's such a hit I would share it here. Not only that, but it is extremely easy and we love easy, right?

Corn Queso Dip
2 Cans Sweet Kernel corn
2 Cans White Shoepeg corn
1 Can Rotel
8 oz. cream cheese cubed
1 C. shredded cheese- I have used different kinds, usually whatever I have on hand
1/4 C. butter
Salt, pepper

Combine together and bake at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes, stir. Bake another 20 minutes. Most of the time it is a little runny but thickens up as it cools. Serve with tortilla chips.

See, super easy and way too addictive. Enjoy!

Lisa

You @ 15: S.W.A.T. Sketch Drill

I'm back today with my take on the mid month drill for S.W.A.T. I love the sketch we worked with by Janessa Franco. The added twist this month was to use wooden embellishments. I immediately had a picture in mind and idea and have to say it came together super easy. Probably one of the fastest layouts I've put together in awhile.

Don't you love that sketch? Here is my take on it.

Yes, that is my awesome boy. I love this kid. He is growing up so amazingly fast. In two months he will have his license and a new sense of freedom. I am both dreading it and looking forward to it. Less trips for mama to make but at the same time I spend a lot of time talking with him and his friends in the car and I will miss that. This was a favorite snapshot I was able to capture while he sat in the Husker stadium with his friend Noah waiting for all the parents (minus me!) to finish their half marathon this last May. I love the smile that just shows him loving life at the moment.

Don't forget to head over to the S.W.A.T. blog and check out the other designers takes on this sketch. Then link up your own take for a chance at an awesome prize. And don't miss the fabulous changes made to the blog while you are there. The blog's been given a facelift and it turned out awesome!
Lisa

Pinterest Inspired with Practical Scrappers

Happy Friday! The kids have been out of school all week for fall break and it has been busy. I also have been interviewing and filling out paperwork for several schools for substitute teaching positions. I will officially have my first day back in the classroom next Tuesday. I hate to admit it, but I am rather nervous and hoping it all comes back to me the minute I walk in to the class.

Today is all about fall inspiration on the Practical Scrappers blog and where better to be inspired than Pinterest? I try to limit my time on Pinterest because when I do get on, I get lost. Time seems to disappear and before I know it I have pinned and drooled and laughed for way too long. Anyone else feel me? I created a card today to send to a friend. It is Halloween color inspired even though it isn't a Halloween card per se. Unfortunately I had a difficult time getting a great picture and my battery died before I could try for a different one. Hoping you can look past the odd angle. :)

My inspiration came from the photo below. I love the mix of gray, orange and black. I happened to spot the perfect washi on clearance yesterday as I was walking through Michaels with my son. I mimicked the layers by stacking my washi and used circles instead of pumpkins.  It's a loose interpretation but isn't that what is so fun about inspiration? What I see may be different from the next person, and what speaks to me may not really hit the next person as something they would enjoy.
                                                  
So how about you? Where do you find your inspiration? Are you a Pinterest addict, an occasional viewer or have you never pinned? Leave me your name or a link to your Pinterest page in the comments below. I'd love to follow you. And I would love if you followed me here as well.

I'll be back tomorrow with October's second drill for S.W.A.T.  It's a fabulous sketch that you won't want to miss.

Lisa

Practical Scrappers: Fall Equals Football

I have to admit that one of the reasons I look forward to fall so much is because it means football is here. Growing up it didn't matter so much, but as a mom with a kid who loves every aspect of the game it has grown on me and I can even say I understand a good deal of what's going on on that field! Now that Nathan is in high school and playing for his school it has become even more fun to watch him play and to be involved in something that is so important to him. I admit the late and long practices, the time commitment, the injuries, the stuff that adds the extra to our life during football season can be stressful and take a lot of work, but the pay off of watching him do what he loves worth it in the end. Last night I sat in the kitchen with other parents from the team as a roomful of boys watched the video of the game they had just finished. Seeing him interact with this amazing and fun group of guys and watching them hanging out and being part of a team made my heart so happy. He is part of something he loves and he is growing up so fast I know that I need to enjoy it now before he is gone and taking that next step towards independence.
Anyway, today I was featured on Practical Scrappers and shared just a couple of the layouts I've made since Nathan started playing football. If you are coming from there, welcome! If you are just joining me here you will have to head over there to check out what I shared there.
Here is the latest layout I've just finished. It is from last year of high school ball for Mountain Vista. I dug deep into my stash and used part of an older Little Yellow Bicycle line that I had. I love the fun design of the paper and it lent itself perfectly for the larger professional photo I had from the year. I had a few pictures (just some of the over 400 I have sitting on my computer from the season! and that's widdled down after deleting and sorting through loads of pictures to keep the really good ones.) printed that showed him in action so I chose to turn this into a two page layout. I'm loving how it turned out.

And a few close ups. Got my Heidi Swapp arrows that I sprayed to make green and cut out my title several times with my Cricut to layer so that it pops off the page a little.

Do you see those awesome hashtag chip pieces? One of the friends that I have met through this fun craft just started a business with her husband making some amazing chipboard and wooden embellishments. It is called Creative Embellishments and they have made some very cool designs and more are coming in each day. I made the "mistake" of following them on FB and they keep posting their newest sets. Let me tell you it is not helping me with the idea of being content with what I have...just saying.

I'm off to bed and hopefully to sleep. I'm on my second wave of whatever nasty bug has gotten ahold of me. I have been taking some antibiotics and thought maybe I was on the mend but I guess I was wrong. I'll be checking in with the dr. tomorrow for sure.

Have a super Monday!
Lisa

Fussy Cutting with S.W.A.T.

Hey there and happy Saturday! I just got back from my son's football game where I froze even in my layers. Wow- football weather is here and I'm not ready for it. It was a great game though and a very decisive win for our team which was awesome.

Today is drill day at S.W.A.T. and we are challenging you to some fussy cutting. For those who aren't sure what that is, it is simply targeting and cutting specific pieces and patterns out of of paper or fabric. You can see some great examples of this by the design team on today's post. You often see this done with large flower patterns where the flower is cut out, but it can also be smaller pieces that you may not think about. For my layout I chose a piece of chevron pattern paper and cut individual lines of the chevrons out to make borders for my title block.

For the middle, I cut a thicker piece with three of the chevron colors and then cut an orange piece out as well and popped that up to add a dimensional layer to the border. Cutting the chevrons doesn't seem like a very big deal and that's the fun of fussy cutting...it doesn't have to be intricate or complicated. It really is about using what you have and seeing how you can use left overs or paper that may match your layout to enhance what you have. It is a cheap and easy way to add that extra to your page.

Why not give it a try?  If you do be sure to visit us on the S.W.A.T. blog and link it up. Creative Embellishments, a new laser wood and chip cut company with some amazing pieces, is sponsoring this weeks drill with the chance to win some great designs from their store. I just loaded up on a few of their designs and am anxious to use them. I got this awesome lighthouse piece that is perfect for so many of the pictures I have of different lighthouses we have seen on some of our vacations, something I love to do.

Lisa