Mom's Memory Album

For my mom's over 80 Birthday I made her a memory album and want to share it with you here. The front and back covers are chipboard covered with quilt batting and fabric. The rest of the pages are made out of cereal or other food product boxes. I made copies of a bunch of old pictures and tried to cover the span of years from the time her and Dad got married up through their 60th anniversary this past year. Here's a peek inside some of the pages:

 The layers below are made out of an upcycled junk mail envelope.

 The tags are upcycled manilla folders.

 That's me in the Army uniform with my mom, grandma and grandpa (her parents).

Isn't this the cutest picture below of my daughter at my college graduation in the WSU Shocker outfit I sewed and then there she is as a graduate. How time flies!

Slide show of Dad's 80th

Come Help Me Pay It Forward

 I found the this post over at Yolie's blog, Just Yolie, Just Create and decided to join her in  the Pay It Forward.  Here's how it works:

"Pay It Forward" is the idea of blessing someone with a random act of kindness without expecting anything in return. It’s passing on a kindness, hoping that your recipients will do the same, and forming a never-ending chain of goodwill. But it isn’t only kindness, it is also a means to connect and share.

"I promise to send an original creation to the (1st) 5 people who leave a comment here. They must, in turn, post this on their blog, and send something they make to the 1st 5 people who comment."

Here's what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment on this post. I will send a handmade gift to the first 5 commenters.

2. Create a post on your blog offering the same.

3. Send a handmade item to your first 5 commenters.

4. It must be sent to your 5 people by end of the year.

Please do not sign up unless you are fully committed to making your 5 items!

Upcycled bowling shirts lap blanket for my Dad

For years my dad has been asking me when I was going to make the blanket out of his old bowling shirts. Well my sewing room is in as bad a shape or worse than my craft room and I just simply had NO idea where those shirts were! I've recently started making tote bags out of upcycled t-shirts and noticed two of my boxes marked, "old t-shirts". Hmmm, wonder what THAT means? well duh! Yup, you guessed it! Amongst all those old t-shirts waiting to be recycled was a clear plastic upcycled bag containing squares cut off some of my dad's old bowling shirts! PHEW!!! Since he has his 80th birthday AND Father's Day this month I decided it was high time I dusted off my sewing machine and make that blanket. He uses a wheelchair to get around so I made this lap-size. All I did was iron on some paper-backed interfacing, peel off the paper and iron the squares on to a big piece of blue terrycloth that I got from my mom's fabric stash when she quit sewing years ago. The terrycloth is pretty thick and soft, so I didn't add any other layers. I think he'll like it even though he can't see much anymore. Oh, then I zigzagged around all the squares. There's even some pockets he can stick things in! You've GOT to zoom in on the picture of the single square and read all those sayings. It's SOOOOOooo my Dad!!!

My project is featured on Scrapbook News and Reviews today!!!

This is such an honor to have my embossing folder holder featured today on Scrapbook News and Reviews! This site is a great place for tutorials and reviews of all things scrapbooking and paper-crafting. If you haven't been there yet please go take a look and I'd really love some lovin. Who said public displays of affection were a bad thing? Not me! :-)

Birthday Card for my Mom

I made this card for my mom's upcoming birthday. It is also part of my month-long gig as a guest designer for Fresh Brewed Designs. If you look very closely at the lettering you'll see the font is made up of coffee beans! Perfect for the java theme of the coffee flowers! The ribbon ruffles and bow are made using seam binding.

I'll be a guest designer this month on Freshly Brewed Challenges!

Tomorrow the card below will be featured on Freshly Brewed Challenges which is run by the lovely Heather who creates these awesome and adorably cute digi and rubber stamps. You can find them in her shop Fresh Brewed Designs. I had so much fun with these two digi sets that I can't wait to make my next one! Hop over to see what her design team has made and join in her monthly challenge For the Guys.