12/31/2013

Happy New Year 2014



Hello,

I want to wish everyone a very happy and healthy new year 2014!!  Hoping this new year brings us many blessing, great memories and new friendships along the way.  I'm grateful for all the past experiences this past year has given me, it has made me stronger.  I'm also grateful for reconnecting with old friends which I hope will be in my life for many years to come.  Ring in this new year enjoying it with family, friends, great food and drinks.  May it come to each of us filled with blessing and prosperity!!




Until next time,
Ana 
xoxo

12/22/2013

Keepsake Box and Mini Album

Hello all,

Wow, have I been busy getting together all my photos for my albums.  Thanks to Kathy's contest from Paper Phenomenon I have forced myself to finish making her wonderful tutorials, print my photos and display them inside the mini albums. Well, I wouldn't say forced because I enjoy making Kathy's album so much I practically have at least 11 albums done plus over 6 that I have given as gifts lol.

Kathy's contest is running until today so if you are participating you must hurry.  You can check out the rules for the contest at Paper Phenomenon.

Once again I have another finished album I want to share with you guys.  I have chosen Kathy's tutorial called "Keepsake Box and Mini Album".  For this album I have placed photos of family get-together and snap-shot moments that I wanted to remember.  It also has photos that my family has emailed me since I live far from them and they know I want to be caught up in their every day lives.  I truly love this album...it was suppose to be given as a gift but I kept it...shhh don't tell anyone lol.  This album has at least 140 photos believe it or not!

The following are some photos of my album.







Here is my YouTube video.




I hope you enjoyed my video, thank you for watching.  Be sure to check out all the other participants at Kathy's blog Paper Phenomenon.  They all have great talent and ideas that can inspire you to create. Wishing everyone good luck,

Until next time,
Ana
xoxo

12/19/2013

Carry-On Travel Mini Album

Hello,

I'm back to post another mini album for Kathy's contest that I did using Kathy Orta's tutorials from Paper Phenomenon.  I had lots of photos from all our site seeing expeditions throughout Puerto Rico and I chose the Carry-On Travel mini album tutorial to showcase them.  I loved the small flaps and pockets that this tutorial has and knew right away that all my wallet size photos, which I love to print out, would fit perfectly in it.  I showed pictures of our adventures through two caves here in Puerto Rico and the others were of our trip to a lighthouse in Rincon and of our walks by the shore in Aguadilla and Aguada.

The rules for the contest are in my previous post and you can also read them at Kathy's web site Paper Phenomenon.

Here are some photos of the mini album.







Here's my YouTube video.



Thank you for watching my video, I hope you enjoyed it and please vote for me.  Please leave a comment on my blog.

Until next time,
Ana
xoxo

12/18/2013

Win Big!!!!

Hello everyone,

I'm so excited to share with you some great news!  Kathy Orta from Paper Phenomenon is having a contest. The prize is 3 months membership to her kit club.  I have finally done my very first YouTube video : /  so be sure to check it out and vote for me please.  I chose Kathy's tutorial "Enjoy the Journey" to showcase my photos of a trip my daughters and I took last summer to New York.  We had a great time visiting with my family and site seeing all around the city and enjoyed such great food.  I hope you enjoy the video as much as I loved creating this album..

Here are some photos of my Enjoy The Journey album.





The following are the instructions and rules to enter the contest:

How to enter the Win Big! Kit Club Membership contest?

Post a completed Paper Phenomenon Project. You must post a picture and video of the project to your blog and use the Linkz system below to complete the entry. If you do not have a blog, follow instruction below.
Any Paper Phenomenon project will be accepted. Multiple submissions are also accepted.
To be eligible to win the following is required:
All points below are required to enter the contest. Submissions omitting any of the below will be disqualified and deleted from the voting process
  • Your project must be complete with photographs showing the memory keeping aspect of the project. updated 10/18/2013:  I think I need to elaborate, if you are submitting a mini album for the contest, your album MUST be complete with photographs.
  • Your blog post must contain the following:
  • List the name of the Paper Phenomenon Tutorial you used to create the project.
  • Post a photograph of your project. Post a Link to the YouTube video showing the project. You do not have to speak in the video. You may use music if you prefer.
  • Title your You Tube video: Phenomenon Win Big, Kit Club Membership Contest
Then Linkup your post in the Inlinkz system below
No Blog, No problem!  In the InLinkz system below:
  • Title your You Tube video: Phenomenon Win Big, Kit Club Membership Contest
  • Enter the URL of the video (from You Tube)
  • Link-up a picture of the completed project
  • In the Name/Description box, enter the name/title of the tutorial you used to create the project
    How will the winner be picked?
The winner will be picked by our fellow crafters. Vote for your favorite project. The project with the most votes wins the contest. You will each get 3 votes- so use them wisely. You may use all your votes for your own project.
Contest will end 12/22/2013, 12PM CT and voting will begin. Voting will end 12/31/2013 at 12PM CT.   You have plenty of time to enter. Happy Crafting and Good Luck to everyone!!!
Winner will be announced on January 1, 2014
In the event of a tie, I will pick the winner.
Enter the contest and Win Big!  Win one free membership to the Paper PhenomenonKit Club Jan-Mar 2014


I hope you enjoyed my take on Kathy's tutorial "Enjoy The Journey", don't forget to vote.  I wish everyone the best of luck.

Until next time,
Ana

12/16/2013

Moments

Hi all,

I hope everyone is having a great day.  We are nearing the holiday festivities and I have to confess that I haven't bought any gifts yet : (  I am very late this year, I did make some mini albums that are for gifts, so I guess that should count for something lol.  Well I hope you all are doing better than I am on being prepared for the Christmas holidays.

As promised here is a layout I made of my girls.  The pics were taken at my nieces wedding, what better way of my girls letting me snap photos than a wedding.






I hope you enjoy my layout, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.  Thanks for visiting me today!

Until next time,
Ana
xoxo

Products I used:

"Miss Caroline" My Mind's Eye paper collection, 
Title & Journal tags, Frame
Ranger Distress Ink "Walnut Stain"
EK Success border punches
Tim Holtz "Grungeboard Shapes"
Tim Holtz Tickets
Bazzill Basics "Thread"
Prima "Gems"
I made the large flower at top left hand using EK Success Retro Flower punch
Stamp My Mind's Eye
Bazzill Basics Medium Pink and white flower lower right hand side
Prima Teal Flower
Deco Art Paint

11/11/2013

An over due Hello!!

Hello all,

Oh my has it really been since April that I haven't posted anything?!  Shame on me.  My goodness how fast time is flying by us.  Don't know about you but I keep saying to myself I will write on my blog tomorrow, then I'm too busy, don't have the time and I keep putting it off.  By the time I realize it months has gone by and I'm amaze how fast each month approaches.

Well Thanksgiving Day is upon us and I know we are all thankful for many things in our lives.  I'm thankful for my family, friends and for this wonderful hobby of scrapbooking that keeps me sane lol.  I will be posting some layouts and cards that I created, hopefully soon.  I have to start my creative juices flowing lol. 

Until next time,
Ana

4/18/2013

"Prima Design Team"

Hello all, hope you're all doing well.  I'm super excited and nervous today because for the first time I'm participating in a Designer Team contest yay : ) !  Prima is looking for new designers 2013-2014.  It's a great opportunity to be able to showcase my creations and push myself in designing great projects...push myself!...who am I kidding, scrapbook is my PASSION since my youngest daughter was born.  I know there will be many super talented people out there competing and I feel blessed to be a part of this, hopefully many more to come.  I just felt it was my time, at this moment that I will be fortunate enough, for others as well as for myself, to showcase my work.  

Prima has always been my favorite company, mostly because of the beautiful flowers...of course having three daughters wouldn't have any influence on that right lol.  I just love sticking a flower on all of my projects...and with their crystals...all I have to say it's a must have on your stash. 

So before I show you what I created make sure to check out their blog for details on the contest.  Here is the link http://prima.typepad.com/prima/2013/03/primas-annual-design-team-call.html


Project #1
Together - Altered Canvas








Project #2
Memories - Mini Album







Project #3
Time - Chipboard Album










There you have my three projects, wish me luck.  I hope you like them, please feel free to leave a comment.

Until next time...take care,
Ana

4/17/2013

"Graphic45 Contest"

  Hello all, First I would like to say how sorry I am for the horrific terror attack that struck Boston, my prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims.  May God give you strength in your time of grief.


On another note, have you all heard about the contest that is going on at Graphic45?  If not this is what you have to do!



unique papercrafting graphic 45


 


 Now for my take on the challenge...


This is an 8x10 canvas which I altered.  Everything I used are from the Secret Garden Collection...papers, chipboard pieces, accent pieces and some of the flowers are cut using this collection.  The first step I took was to paint the canvas all around the sides with a peach color acrylic paint.  After it dried I stamped the sides using a swirl stamp from Inkadinkado.  The ink is Walnut Stain from Tim Holtz.


 I then glued on top of the canvas a piece of paper for my background "Secret Garden".  On top of that one I used the paper called "April Showers".  I let it dry completely and then I covered it with Mod Podge all around the canvas.  The next step, I cut a strip of the paper "Secret Garden" to make my border, the border punch I used is from Martha Stewart.  I covered my tag with the paper "Seed Fairy" and inked the edges.  The quote card is from the paper "Springtime".  Since the quote didn't really have anything to do with the photo, I chose to place a sticker on the top and a chipboard piece covering the quote.

These two flowers you see on the top photo were cut using the Silhouette Cameo as well as the small white and blue rose at the bottom left corner.  All my flowers and leaves were sprayed with silver glitter mist from Tattered Angels, it gives it a nice glimmer shine to them. 


I punched out the yellow flower from the paper "Leafy Treetops" using the Retro Flower punch from EK Success.  All other flowers and gems are from Prima.  My chipboard title from Dusty Attic was inked and embossed which I think turned out nicely.  The swirls were cut out using the BigShot (sorry...not sure the name of the dies).

Well I sure hope you enjoyed my creation...please leave a comment, I look forward
hearing from you.

Until next time,

Ana

4/06/2013

Birthday Card

Hello friends,

For some, spring means warm weather, more sunshine and everywhere you look things are blooming.  While for others it means runny nose, sneezing and allergies galore.  That's my oldest daughter, poor thing, thankfully there are pills and injections lol.  Well another thing or rather someone who is shining and blooming is my youngest daughter who just celebrated her 15 birthday...WOW, I feel old : (  The good thing is I keep creating and making beautiful things for each of my daughters, which they love and cherish.  Here is the birthday card I made for my baby.  She likes things that are rare, unique not ordinary.  I guess being an April Fool's Baby has something to do with that, lol. So right away I thought about the "Olde Curiosity Shoppe" Collection from Graphic 45.  That described her perfectly!











I cut my card into a 5 inch circle and placed a 5 1/4 inch scallop circle on top.  I fussy cut all the elements and borders.  The borders are glued down with pop dots.  I inked all the edges with black soot distress ink.  The crystals and phrases that are on the 15 tag are from Prima.

Well there you have it, I hope you enjoyed my creation.  Would love to read your comments.  Hope you all have a great day.

Until next time,
Ana

4/02/2013

"My Life Art Tag" - Inspire

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a great Easter.  I finally finished my tag...thought I wasn't going to be able to upload it at my blog (always way behind).  I have to start getting my mojo going lol.  I have noticed that at least in my case if I take breaks between creating, my creativity slows down and I get stumped in trying to come up with new ideas.  The more I create,whether its tags or a layout the ideas keep flowing in.


This is what I came up with for my tag.  I chose to stay with the same word as Natasha and Mistra. On all my tags I glued them on chipboard to make them sturdy.  The paper collection I used is "Beautiful Moments" from Carta Bella.  The journal tag, large flower and crystals are from Prima.  The alphabet stickers is from Echo Park Paper "Times and Seasons".


I distressed the edges using Tim Holtz distress tool and inked the edges with walnut stain distress ink.  The eyelets are Making Memories.  The smaller flowers and ribbon I got at a craft store.


I hope this gets your creativity going.  Make sure to stop by Natasha and Mistra's website to get more inspiration.  Thanks for stopping by.


Until next time,
Ana

3/11/2013

"My Life Art Tag" - Journey

Hello all,

Hope everyone is doing well.  Spring is almost here, yay!  Soon you will see flowers blooming, hear the birds chirping and feel some warmth from the sun, that's a good thing.  Today I'm sharing tag #2 with you all.  If you haven't stop by Natasha's and Mistra's web page be sure to do so, their tags are awesome. 

The word I chose for my tag is "Journey".  I hope the journey my daughters take throughout life be filled with blessing and wonderful experiences. 


The paper I used is "Trunk in the Attic" from Donna Salazar, love the lace corner.  I distress all the edges with walnut stain distress ink from Tim Holtz. 



The green journal card is "A Ladies Diary" from Prima, the black border dot is from Simple Stories and the small tag is from BasicGrey.  I used a border punch from EK Success, love their punches.


 
 
I pleaded the washy tape around one side of my tag, the tape is from Tim Holtz. The trim I purchased at a craft store.
 
 


I also purchased my flowers from a craft store.  The letters are "Romance Novel" Prima and the wooden button is also from Prima.  The brad is from Carta Bella.




On the back of my tag I placed a small envelope.  The journal tag is from Simple Stories and the clock cut out is from BasicGrey. 

I hope you can create a tag and share it with us, we would love to see it.  I'm sure you have lots of scrap pieces lying around your working space so start creating.  I do hope you like my tag.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Until next time,
Ana


2/21/2013

Happy Birthday!

Hello everyone,

Today my daughter turns 21!  I can't believe how fast the years go by, our kids grow up way too fast :(  Her father, sisters and I want to wish her a very happy birthday filled with many blessing and may all her dreams come true.

I would like to share with you the birthday card I created with the help of Arlene from Butterfly Kisses Designs.  She has a great tutorial in creating this card and many other projects.










I cut my card using the Cricut cartridge "Art Philosophy" from Close To My Heart.  The papers are from G45 "Ladies Diary" and the swirl crystals are from Prima.  The border punch is Martha Stewart and the distress ink is Walnut Stain from Tim Holtz. Hope you like my card, please free to leave a comment, thanks.

Until next time,
Ana

2/19/2013

"My Life " Art Tags One Word

Hello,

My friend Natasha and Mistra came up with a great idea of creating tags.  The tags have one word and on the back they write what the words means to them.  They will be creating a tag twice a month so be sure to visit their web site.  I decided to play along and chose the word "Hope".  Here's my take on "My Life" Art Tags One Word.



I chose to go along with Natasha's size of the tag, 4" x 8".  I think it's the perfect size to place the word and embellish the tag nicely.  You also have enough space on the back to journal and place a small photo.  I cut the letters and swirls using the Cricut cartridge "Art Philosophy" from Close To My Heart. The stamps I used throughout the tag are PinkPaisley "London Market" and "Spring Jubilee" and from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Two "Everything".

   



The paper is from Pion Design "For Mother".  For the letters, I painted them with DecoArt metallic paint, Rich Espresso and on the edges I used FolkArt Tapioca acrylic paint.  I distressed my tag using Donna Salazar mix'd media inx in patina and chiffon.  I also used Tim Holtz distress ink in crushed olive and walnut stain. I purchased the flowers in a craft store and I don't know which company they are from. The doily is from Wilton Enterprises.



On the back of the tag I created a small envelope with the journal card inside.  The arrow, brads, word ticket, staples and hole reinforcers are from Tim Holtz.


This is my take on the tag.  I "Hope" you like it, please feel free to leave a comment.  By the end of the month I will have another one for you.

Until next time,
Ana