Friday, February 27, 2015

wonderful canvas

It's time for another challenge on the Frosted Designs blog. The challenge this time is: "Handmade Flowers and Recycled Materials".

I created this 4x4 canvas for the challenge. I cut the hearts from a piece of cardboard, exposed the corrugated parts and then added some white paint atop. I created the flowers by rolling them.




supplies:
canvas
Martha Stewart paint
texture paste
pp: Dear Lizzy
wooden butterflies, stencil and pearls: Michael's
chipboard: MME

Head on over to the Frosted Designs blog to see the gorgeous work from the team as well as for your chance to win a great prize! 




Thursday, February 26, 2015

I can do this- mini album

Hello! :) I am sharing another of the wonderful new CHA products from Clear Scraps. This is a cute little Mini Mixable Tiny 3.5x5 Album.






supplies:
pp and stickers: Webster's Pages
twine
sequins: Hazel & Ruby
enamel dots: MME
punch: Martha Stewart

Monday, February 23, 2015

jute-trimmed mason jar

Today I am sharing a mason jar project featuring the 1" Natural Jute and Coffee Jute String from the Jute Ribbon & String Pack which are available in the 3 Girl JAM online store.



supplies:
Mason Jar
paint: Martha Stewart
trim: 3 Girl JAM (see above for links)
flowers: Prima

You can use the code RB10 to receive 10% off your entire purchase in the 3 Girl JAM store. There are so many beautiful ribbons, trims and more to stock up on. 

Don't forget to check out the 3GJ challenge blog for your chance to win! 


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

thanks {card}

It's time for challenge #12 at the Scrapy Land blog. The challenge this time is Splat! Use spray mists, ink, paint, etc. along with any die that the Scrapy Land store sells.


I used the negative space of the Lawn Fawn Scripty Thanks die. For the Splat! portion of the challenge the background and doily were misted with Tattered Angels Cork mist.

To take a look at what the other amazing designers created for this challenge and see how you can enter this challenge head on over to the blog.


Monday, February 16, 2015

Summer album

I am up on Clear Scraps today sharing another of the super new CHA releases. This is the Mixable Beach 8x9 Album. I just have to say it, I absolutely love the end result of this album! The mixture of shapes are fun and it's big enough to be able to add those extra details while not taking away from the photos. This was on display in the Clear Scraps booth at CHA and I cannot wait to have this one back in my hands, :)




I created the sand effect by using texture paste and multiple colors of ink pads. It looks just like real sand. 



supplies:
pp: Kaisercraft Sandy Toes collection
texture paste
ink
twine
shells





Friday, February 13, 2015

Love This so Much

Hi! There is a new challenge up on the Frosted Designs blog today.  Get Messy x2 is the challenge and you guessed it, you need to use at least two of the following, ink, paint, mists, molding paste, gesso, ect. 

I applied gesso over a template to create the circles on the background and then scribbled some blue and gold Gelatos a top which I then smeared around with a wet paintbrush. (I wish I would have taken a photo of the pp prior to adding everything- it was so pretty!) I also added a few spots of gold mist to give it a little extra something. 



supplies:
cs: Hobby Lobby
pp: MAMBI and Kaisercraft
stencil: Michael's
Gelatos: Faber Castell
Gesso
twine
cork circles
gold mist: Heidi Swapp





Monday, February 9, 2015

I Love You wall heart plaque

I wanted to create something a little on the fun side to give Skylar for Valentine's Day and this is what I came up with. I used some of the beautiful red crinkle ribbon from the Red, White, and Blue bundle and some of the silver cording from the Holiday Trim pack. These are the perfect finishing touches for this project! 



supplies:
ribbon and cord: 3 Girl JAM (see links above)
acrylic heart: Clear Scraps
pp and sticker: Echo Park
button

Don't forget- if you place an order in the 3 Girl JAM store you can use the ode RB10 to receive 10% off your entire purchase!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Feeding Tube Awareness week



Today marks the beginning of Feeding Tube Awareness week. I had no idea what a feeding tube was until 4 years ago when Ashlyn received her first of what would become a long journey of several ng tubes followed many years later by more permanent g-tube.


I thought that only the sickest of people, like cancer patients. were the only people to ever have to use one, and never thought of my daughter being sick enough to ever require something so invasive, but she did. She was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2011 and her case has been extreme as she is not able to absorb nutrition from food. That first ng tube was a blessing in disguise as it saved her life, but it was also the starting point of something that would come to define how she would be able to survive and live life to the fullest.


To make a long story short, the only times that Ashlyn has been able to grow and flourish were due to her tube. She has not had any food of any kind in a year and she has thrived because of this; she has gained over 30 pounds. It is odd to any outsiders because seriously- who does not eat?! It is what sustains life. Ashlyn eats, but it is in a different way; she relies upon a highly specialized medical formula to provide her with everything she needs to survive and thrive and thrive she does! It is so difficult for people to comprehend, and I know that if I didn't live it day in and day out I would have trouble trying to comprehend it, but it works and my girl is all the better for it. In fact, she is better in every way imaginable because of it. I know deep in  my heart that if she did not have this medical intervention that she would not be alive today.



ƒThere are myriad medical conditions which impair a person’s ability to eat or drink enough to sustain life, grow, and thrive. ƒTube feeding allows for proper nutrition and hydration while:

  • Children grow out of their condition/Adults recover from a procedure 
  • Children and Adults grow stronger for medical procedures 
  • Children and Adults battle their disease 
  • Children and Adults find safe foods to eat 
  • Children learn that food doesn’t have to hurt them 
  •  Children and Adults learn how to swallow/eat safely ƒ 
  • Tube feeding is a life-saving and life-sustaining medical intervention. ƒ Tube feeding can be used as a supplement for Children and Adults who cannot eat on their own. ƒ Parents of tube-fed children are often thought of as not trying hard enough to feed their children, when often they have tried everything. The most basic of instincts is to eat and to feed your child. When a child is tube fed, parents often feel like failures for not being able to nourish their child. Moreover, medical complications can be a challenge to navigate, making it even harder on parents. 
It is not easier to have a child who is dependent upon getting all their nutrition via medical formula a tube. I cannot count the number of times i have left the grocery store in tears because I had no idea what I was going to feed my child. I felt like a failure. I am thankful to have had the support of a nutritionist who came to our home weekly to assist in our struggle. Many are not as fortunate as we are. 

Ashlyn has not eaten food in over a year and there is no talk of her starting solids again in the near future. I know that her feeding tube (g-tube) is probably going to be her sole source of nutrition for many years to come. She may never be able to live without one,  and that's OK. She is alive. That is all that matters to us. It is an incredibly emotional journey that we live daily. There is no getting away from it not even for a minute.



The next time you see someone with a feeding tube- don't be quick to judge. Show some empathy and compassion. It is not an easy road. While we are four years into it, there isn't a day that goes by that I wish  I could "just feed her" and she would be "OK". This is a journey that I never would have imaged we would be walking, but we are blessed none the less. She may never be able to survive without the assist of a feeding tube and as heartbreaking as that is, all that matters is that my baby girl is alive. Her feeding tube has led to a "thriving and normal" life (among other medical interventions such as chemo medications to control her IBD) and I am beyond blessed and thankful for it. <3 nbsp="">


Her beautiful smile speaks volumes. :)

Saturday, February 7, 2015

love you {banner} Clear Scraps

I am up with Clear Scraps today sharing a love-themed banner. I used the Acrylic 5 Piece Banner as my base and the Mini Heart Album for accent pieces. 

Love you banner {full}

Love you banner one






Love you banner detail


supplies:
pp and stickers: Echo Park 
flowers: Michael's
wooden hearts: Studio Calico
mist: Heidi Swapp
twine: Maya Road and The Twinery
die: PaperTrey Ink