Bella Bombs = More Writing

Ok that is a harsh title.. but I was sad that I was not chosen for the Bella Team. BUT that is part of putting yourself out there is learning that rejection is not a bad thing.  I just didn't fit THIS time... RIGHT!  Of the layouts I submitted I agree they are not my best work.  I love Bella but I am not a ONE line kind of scrapper. I like to mix the manufacturers up. I did like the layouts but didn't LOVE them!

ON the flip side, I did get some feedback from my Creative Writing professor!  So the good with the bad.. I think the writing is more important to me too, so maybe I need to learn to stick with what I know!  NAH.. where is the fun in that?

ANYWAY, here are some of the layouts I created for the Bella DT call.. Thanks for hangin in there with me. I have a lot more fun stuff to share and a few (anyone that knows me sit down) Halloween crafts.. YES I am doing a few Halloween Crafts this year!  Why.. because I have kids that want to do them!

Be Your Own kind of Beautiful By Erika Hayes

Her Futures so Bright She's Go To Wear Shades

So Very Loved

ALL of the above layouts are 99.9999998% Bella Blvd Product. I will say this, the product IS timeless!  It never goes out of style.. some of the papers used are from several years ago!!! (I used the Lovely line for the first time since I bought it.. and it worked just lovely hehehe) 

OK that's all I am off to class.. See you friends... 

I am getting closer to having the challenge blog set up.. I would appreciate if you share the fact that I am moving that direction soon... 

Be Blessed! 

xoxo

e

Baby's got BACK!

So I created a new quilt top.  The story in a nutshell - I purchased 2 yards of  this fun Green/Black fabric one day about 8 or 9 months ago from Hobby Lobby using my 40% off.

I returned the next day to purchase the a couple yards of the coordinating white/black/green butterfly fabric at 40% off

-- side note: I love that Hobby Lobby let's me use my 40% off everyday!--

 I had some black fabric at home and threw them all together for a "someday" project.  Haha- that is most often the kiss of death- cause I collect fabric just like paper, ohh it's just too pretty to use!  I had all but resigned to this fabric joining that pile of too pretty to cut fabric.... BUT  I happened to grab it as I was walking out the door to a quilt retreat I mean there is a chance I may use it.. or at least show it to my quilting friends.

On this retreat I was going to finally use some of the MANY Jelly Rolls (a collection of fabric that has been cut in 2.5' strips) that I have had sitting around and I asked my mom if she had any good patterns for a Jelly Roll Quilts.....
Well, my mom had a fun book for "Jelly Rolls"    The book is called Jelly Roll Quilts  --

Some fun Jelly Rolls

The Book I borrowed from my mom
if you want it, click the title in the
post and it will take you to
Amazon 

As I was looking for a quilt to make, I decided I wanted to use my green/black fabric and I would make my own Jelly Rolls.  So while a traditional Jelly Roll is filled with many different fabrics, mine would not be, so I was a little nervous on how it would look when it was done!  

Here is the result!

Thanks to my 6'2" son for holding mom's quilt up
so you can see the whole thing.. see how careful
he is being with the edges so not to stretch the
fabric... you are awesomesauce Brad!

FYI:  I used the Garden Trellis pattern.. seriously took a day to complete this nice sized Twin Quilt top.. 

NOW for the Baby's got BACK-- Yesterday I went to Hobby Lobby, seeking to find fabric for the back of my new fun quilt.... I walked over and there was the fabric I had purchased almost 8 months ago... with an additional fabric from THAT line that I had not seen before... Imagine how fun that will be on the back, here is a sneak peek at the fabric and once I have the quilt finished I will post the final product. BUT what fun right!  I am excited to get this quilt ready for quiltin'! 

I am hoping to get more Scrapbook/Cards made this weekend and have lots to share over the next few days.  I am very much considering making a challenge that will mimic the ISSUE challenges again... Just need to know if there is enough interest!  Let me know what you think...

Blessings

e

REMEMBER!!! Its the little things that make life awesomesauce with a side of coleslaw... so get out there and find your little slice of joy for today! 

Print and Cut and fall in LOVE

If I have not said this already let me say it again... I LOVE MY SILHOUETTE!  I have a friend that had a baby very recently and I wanted to give her a welcome baby card at church last Sunday.  I was going to do the traditional stamp it, color it and assemble a card-- then it got late.  You know how life...
...dinner
laundry
cleaning up after dinner
folding putting away laundry
sweeping and straightening before bedtime
prep of Sunday School
cleaning....

HAPPENS!  Time was short and I wanted to make something pretty AND I wanted to make it FAST!  SO I went to my little heaven here at home (AKA my crafting space) and went to the computer to get some inspiration.  WELL I popped onto the silhouette store to get a "Baby" svg cut that I wanted and I always check the "new designs" category and it usually distracts me for about 45 minutes (this is truly how the creative process works - 20 minutes of work for every 45 mins of goofing off-- well that's how it works for me!)
SO whilst scanning the new stuff I saw a fill pattern that I loved so I downloaded it.. then of course I saw a few other things I loved and downloaded them...
all this time the clock keeps matching on..
When I was done scoping out the new stuff I realized it was almost 11:30 -- probably need to get busy on the actual reason I came up here!

I went to my silhouette studio and was thinking about that fill pattern.. it was SOOO cute I wanted to use it. So I started playing.  Oh and in that time I was working so diligently to find fun stuff to play with I downloaded a bundle that had a fun new font in it.. so I wanted to use that too.   I really loved the design I came up with but as you know time was slipping by and I didn't want to spend all night putting the giraffe bodies together.
THEN I remembered.  OH I can make this cut file a print and cut by simply filling in and removing the "cut" lines. SO easy.  In about 10 minutes I had the giraffes colored (and the cute heart which was another fun fill pattern I downloaded)  and sent this bad boy to the printer. -- with registration marks of course.  Then off to the silhouette to have the card front made.  I then realized I needed a matte to set off the printed and cardstock pieces. I just used the print and cut and used the offset function to make the matte to perfectly fit my printed card front.. SO easy then cut it from contrasting cardstock added a little bow stuck it down and in less than 15 minutes I had a super cute one of a kind card.

Here is the final result!  OH and this here is why I LOVE my silhouette.. there is ALWAYS a solution and it is always fun and exciting to create with it!

Welcome Baby Card by: Erika Hayes 

Busy bee.. that's me. Bella Blvd I love you!

So I missed a few days there. Well I have been creating but I just have not been able to share the stuff I have been creating.. let me give you a hint...

 

Yup, I am creating some layouts to submit to the Bella Blvd Design Team! I never like to tell when I submit to Design Teams because just like everyone else, I get nervous!  It takes a lot of guts to have your work judged.  I do know this.  I have tried to make many teams and don't make it. Sometime I do, but this particular team is really nerve-wracking.  I love Bella Blvd, and I have decided that it is time to just go for it.  

So I hope you will also go for that special team that you really want to be on.  I also would LOVE to be on the Silhouette team, but its the tutorial thing that I think I am struggling with.  I do love silhouette and I use it ALLLLL the time in fact the NEXT blog post is about my Silhouette! I made a super cute card that I can share with all of you!  

That's all I have tonight, I have to have my layouts done by Tuesday, only have one more to go.  I hate two of them, but that is because when you are trying to highlight a product sometime you lose yourself.  ONE reason I hate DT submissions.  BUT I do love that I have been able to work with such fun product. I pulled out some of the older lines and it just proved to me one reason I love Bella Blvd is that it NEVER ever goes out of style.. the older lines still ROCK and WORK with the newer lines.  Stephanie Hunt is my paper superhero! 

Night friends

e

thoughts on Selfies...

OK I admit it... I sometimes like to take selfies.. Here is how it started.  I wanted to put on some lipstick and I for whatever reason I couldn't find my compact so I grabbed my phone and used the self-portrait like a mirror. Once my lipstick was on, I took a photo of my new hair cut and sent it to my hubby... and thus my selfie photo collection started.  SO today as my wonderful hubby was on the phone in the car, I was bored and took a few selfies.  I liked them so I thought to myself. Why?  OH I know one reason.. I have lost almost 33 pounds since March.. that helps.. but I realized that I don't have a lot of photos of ME because I am usually the one behind the lens.
So I decided (back all those months ago) to start taking more photos of myself.  I like self portraits, they let me be silly...

How about you.. when do you take self portraits? Do you always share them or like me do you have a little stash of them hidden away on your hard drive!

Here are a few of my favorite selfies

Sometimes they are with my hubby

Sometimes cause I'm bored

Some are sent to my brother

Some are cause I want to remember something special

Some cause my kids rock

Some cause I feel pretty that day

Doesn't happen all the time so if you feel pretty take two! 

Some cause I just got my hair done and want to show my hubby

But it all started because I needed to be sure my lipstick was straight! 

SO anyone else feel a scrapbook layout coming on... I sure do! 

Night! 

xoxoxo

e

Stitch Much??

So I HAVE been scrapbooking but I can't share those layouts with you just yet... sometimes that's how it goes!  I have been doing other stuff too!

So my mom and I went to a quilt show a few years ago and I found this beautiful quilt pattern that I wanted to make. For some reason I got it in my head that I wanted to cut it by hand, stitch it by hand AND quilt it by hand! LUCKY for me my mom said she would help.  Since we moved, I have been sewing a lot more.  I like to sew, I forget how much sometimes, but I really do love it.  I have dusted off my hand work and here is what I have been doing.

Cut with scissors, stitched by hand.
One of several I have done.   

My mom told me my stitches need to be small and tight.
I hope this passes her test!  :) 

So I will keep working on it. It has been my experience that when I have several projects going I am happiest.  They must be controlled and able to be put away but I love having hand work to do when I am not in the mood to bust out all the stops. So like I said before... many works of art make for a balanced mess.

Tonight I am crafting a character inventory for my Creative Writing Class. It is fun because I get to look up all kinds of interesting information.. LIKE did you know that there are several very expensive Irish Whiskey's.. yeah there are and if you want you can find out how they taste.. even if you don't drink! :) 

OK my friends thank you so much for stopping by and sharing life with me.  I love hearing from you! 

Be blessed and make a mess! 

e

ZEN again...

Me I have just started a new school semester, and that can be bumpy as it adds new stress to life.  Schedules change and we moved recently so I still have the rest of those boxes that seem to "loom" and you are positive that you put that stuff in that box away yet when you look in the box, there is more stuff!
I am sharing all that to say.. LIFE can be stressful!  Being creative is a great way to relieve stress. One of the things I LOVE to do when I am stressed and just need my brain to have time to recoup is Zenthangle.. or Zendoodle...

Here are a few of my Zens

Zenthangling is pretty easy you just kind of doodle in a shape, now there are a lot of doodle ideas for zenthangling and I find that they are very helpful if you need a little inspiration.  

Here are a few so grab several different pens with different tips and get to doodlin!

Thangle Patterns

Zenthangle.com


Get creative somehow everyday... remember many creative outlets makes for a balanced mess! ;)