Day 17: a fresh start for Christmas!

A little dollar store craft never hurt anyone!
For my return--- a craft that cost me one buck!

This is a styrofoam cone from the dollar store. It's typically used for making floral arrangements, but this time its a paper tree! AND-- as a bonus, I get to use some of my Christmas paper scraps. You just can't get cheaper and more green than that-- well-- stryofoam isn't very green.. but-- it's really cool. hahaha !!!

I've been gone..

Yes-- I have already broken my year commitment, but for a very good reason.

**For the last 4 months, I have been participating in core training. It's been an enriching and very enlightening experience. I am grateful to my friend for sponsoring me and asking me to go.
This training is intense and haaaaaaaaaaaaaard. BUT-- I am not a graduate of this core training and I am proud to say-- I made it through the hardest insights of my life.

Now things are almost back to normal... so bare with me-- I will pick this back up on Sunday- and new projects will be in the works soon!!

Melli

Day 16: What's in my head???

In my dollar store stash, I just happened to have a small bag of skull heads. lol
Well-- add this to a wreath, and this is what you get... I think I will add more to it--- but for now, it's kind of cute. -- I plan on adding some black tool if I can find some. How cute will that be??

Day 15: It was music to my ears

So-- for day 15, I have nothing visual to post. Instead of making something that you can see, I made something you can hear... but not yet. lol I will just blog about it instead.

Here's the dealio:
I 'm taking a core training series called Pathways for the past 4 months now. It's been a really eye opening experience. I have been working hard at finding some keys that unlock the doors to my success. HARD WORK! But, I have a feeling that if I keep at it, this work will pay off. I just have to keep these lessons in my heart and my head.

So--- for my graduation this up coming weekend, I decided to write our class song. I volunteered to do this because I really wanted to give something back to the class, facilitators, and everyone who volunteers with this organization which has done so much for me. I find that my music is my own personal and unique way of saying thank you.

Having said all that-- HOLY MOLY, I had no idea it was going to be this much of a challenge for me. I have been working on the song for about 2 months and have had many beginnings to songs that I am just not happy with. Then, last week, when I was thinking all hope was lost and this song wasn't going to come to me, it finally hit me! Exciting stuff. As a songwriter, the music that is good really comes to me in a flash. Davine inspiration? maybe so...
This time, I wrote about half of it in about 15 to 20 minutes, waited a couple of days and sat down and just finished it. I was leery to play it for very many people- because a) it is very personal and b) I'm always self conscious about what I write. It's that tortured artist in me.

Now-- the song has been written, I have played it for one of my musician friends whose musical opinion greatly respect. His response: "Melli, this is the best song you have ever brought me." Those are some mighty powerful words. We have recorded another song together that we both feel is radio worthy and a great little tune... but this one, this one is a little more meaningful.

As a songwriter, it's a happy moment for someone else to acknowledge your talents. It's a proud moment for another musician to compliment your writing style. It's an exciting moment when you hear that perfect voice accompany you. I have to admit, when this guy sings with me, I just fall in love with the song. Our voices lend themselves to each other like crazy. And when my buddy picked up that guitar to play that song with me, and started harmonizing, my heart just jumped up and down. This is truly exciting stuff.

I would love to post the song, but I am going to wait for 2 things: a proper recording, and for my class to hear the song first. I really want this song to be a surprise. I'm performing it at our graduation, which should be interesting. I'm really hoping that it pulls at the heart strings of the people most important to me, and they are able to use this song in any capacity that they want. I just really hope that they like it as much as my friend did. Wish me luck!!!

Have a great day folks!!
Melli

Day 14: simple but cool

This is a pretty simple day, I'm feeling a little more like playing music than visual arts, so this is a quick card to suffice the day's challenge. Then, I'm going to go play guitar! lol

This is just layers of ink on a simple stampin' up white card stock, which just happens to be the best white card stock ever. All the yellow and orange inks are just sponged on over a staz-on black stamped tree branch.

Hope you like it simple too!! :)
Have a great Holiday weekend! See ya tomorrow!

Day 13: Falling in love with this invite???

I've been commissioned to make some invitations for a house warming party. They hadn't really thought of a theme, so I suggested "Come FALL in love with out house". *I ripped the idea off of my cousin's wedding last fall, been sitting on the ideas until now. --Let me also say-- I've always wanted a fall themed or winter themed wedding. So-- this appeals to me highly.

I used a cream color vellum to lay over scrapbooking paper layers. I also Gold dry brushed the bottom layer as well as the vellum. I decided to rip the bottom edge and gold tip it as was well .

Usually I would tie it all together with raffia, but suddenly I got this great idea.. sewing machine!
I bought some fall leaves at the dollar store (150 for a buck) and I decided to sew them to the top. Cute huh?? This was my sample to show them before I started the printing. The one thing that I wanted to change: the thread color. It's now gold. I thought it needed to be a little less harsh.

I'm pretty happy with the finished product.

Day 12: Wanna Polka... dot?

Can I get a Woot Woot? Cooooome on! I sewed something-- and it's actually kinda cute!!
Ok-- so there a few flaws .. but I'm kinda proud how it came out!! I have some ideas to improve on this new lil iPhone cozy-- but it's a great start don't you think.

Don't ask me for instructions on this-- all done on the fly. Had to think hard about construction... but all in all this bad boy took me less than 2 hours. For those of you that know what you are doing around the fabric and machines-- it will take you FAR less than that!

All in all-- I'm kinda happy with it-- will master it later-- and probably find some batting that is a little less thick.. this one was kind of hard for me to work with ...

ENJOY!

Day 11: Christmas time.. already???

Today's project is all about getting ideas for Christmas! I know, summer just ended, but when the holidays come around, I am always searching for ideas for gifts and decor.

This is a really cute but simple idea to share your christmas cookies and treats!

Materials:
Paper lunch sack
Rafia (you can use nice ribbon as well)
Crimper
holiday stamps
scrapbooking paper
scalloped scissors or scallop punch by Stampin' Up! (my personal fav)
Your favorite stamp pad colors
(SU's Pear Pizzazz

This is pretty self explanitory. The only thing that makes this super different is that I used a crimper to give the sack a little extra pizzazz and I added a piece of scalloped paper between the fold to give it a punch of color. I also rubbed the paper on the stamp pad for a little extra deeper color!







And below are two of the cards that we made last night!

Happy crafting you guys!!

Day 10: Stamp Club!

These are a four of my favorite crafty friends (there is one more missing-- Hi Drady!!) heheh
This is Stamp Club.

One night a month, my friends and I gather at my house and make about 3 projects. I'm not just a super star blogger, I'm also a Stampin' Up Demo. Yep, that's right, I get to sell the best scrapbooking and paper crafting products out there!

This is the scrapbooking project. There are also two other cards. Will post them later :)

This what the table looks like when we are all working. Good stuff huh? hahah