My Favorites from 2010

I just can not believe that it is the last day of 2010!!! I have lots of reflecting to do on the last year... and to begin with i want to share my favorite 10 projects of 2010... So in no particular order, here they are...
I lied... I did 11... one for good luck in 2011 I guess! :)

WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY: This page is about Seth, my 2 year old. I ADORE this photo of him. I ADORE this paper line from Pink Paislee! And of course, I ADORE this little boy!

THANKFUL: edited to add...(THIS PAGE IS BEING PUBLISHED IN CANADIAN SCRAPBOOKER'S FALL ISSUE!!
I did this page for the Helmar Blog Hop in October. I love how I was able to incorporate a photo of each of my children, as well as lots of different papers and embellies.
SLOW DOWN: This page is of my one and only daughter. I love the pink and the circle design. The photo of her is so beautiful. The page is about how i want her to slow down and not to try and grow up too fast... it's happening fast enough on it's own!
PERFECTLY CONTENT: This is another page done on Seth. This is one of my favorite photo's of him. He is 6 months old here. It was Justin and I's anniversary and since I was nursing, we had to take him along on a weekend getaway. He was SO good!! Espescially since Justin and I BOTH ended up sick with the flu most of the weekend!! :)
The design was so fun to create! I love the fence and clouds from Magistical Memories. And Prima goodness... how can you go wrong!?!?
MY FUNNY MAN: Camden... the family comedian. I LOVE this photo of him! It summs up his personality to a T!! The bright colors work perfectly here!
LIL' DANCER: This is the first time I worked with GIRLS PAPERIE papers, and I loved them! The photo is from Jazzy's dance recital. She did so awesome! I love how the colors in this paper compliment the photo so well!
HUSH LITTLE BABY: Another Seth page... I love the simplicity of this design. Simple stamping complimented the page. Love the teal and red color combo. And those pictures... breathtaking!
HEARTBREAKER: This is my Sammy... This page is so special!Somehow, this page just came together, and I absolutely love it! I love the photo...... I love this boy!
CAMERA SHY: Another Jazzy page! This page was created to remind her not to be shy of the camera. She is getting to the age where she is a bit self consious... and it shows... She has no reason to be! She is simply beautiful! And of course, Pink Paislee created the perfect papers for me to use on this page!
BIKER DUDE: Another page of Sammy. I LOVE the film strip look on this page. And the Lily Bee papers are so bright and fun! I love that I could add so many photo's in this design!! I still think I want to add a mushroom to the left of my title... :)

ADORED: Such a simple page, and yet I love it. The photo is of Seth and his cousin Miranda. Such a sweet photo. And the simplicity of the product and design help to keep the focus on the pic.

Thank you for stopping by to see some of my favorites of the year!! I greatly appreciate you stopping by and thank you for your sweet comments!!! :)

Now to spend the evening with the kids! Back later with reflections of 2010....
Hope you enjoyed my review of my favorites!!

Paris Creativity Project #4

Well here I am with my 4th and final project for my Guest Design spot with Paris Creativity! And I think this is my favorite project of the 4!! I am so pleased with how well these papers worked for this one!! :) Check it out! Then I will give you a tutorial so that you can complete one for yourself!! :)

I just love making these rolled paper flowers! You can find them on many of my projects... (including this altered cookie tin)... While creating the tin, I had this brainwave to create more Christmassy themed projects with them... and this is what I came up with! The flowers are not at all difficult to make, but they are a bit time consuming. Especially if you are making approximately 50 of them... like I did for this! :) However... it is well worth it! In real life... this is stunning, if I do say so myself! :) Would you like to learn how? Sure you would! Here goes!! Here's what you need...

Supplies:
Patterned paper: I used Paris Creativity Rock Star Diva collection theme pack.
Strong adhesive: I used Helmar liquid scrap dots
Stickles or glitter glue
1 Styrofoam ball
Long stick pins with a large head
2 inch circle punch
Silver thread, ribbon or something to hang it with

How To:
1. Using punch, cut out several circles from patterned paper.
2. As shown in the photo, cut a spiral from outside to center.
3. Starting from the outside, roll tightly to form a flower bud. Tuck final but under and around to form the base.
4. Now, set the flower down, allowing it to uncoil some and relax.
5. Open the bottom flap and apply a nice fat dab of Helmar's liquid scrap dots. If you don't have any... get some! LOL! But for now, you could try a hot glue gun... or another really strong adhesive. Press the flower into the glue and hold for a bit until set.
**At this point, I would set the flower aside and create another... the liquid scrap dots will need some time to cure. There are lots of flowers to be made... :)
6. Once flower is well set, apply a dab of liquid scrap dots to the bottom of the flower and stick to the Styrofoam ball. To hold in place, i stuck a pin thru the center while the Scrap dots cured. Again, if no Scrap dots are available, you could use a glue gun or other strong adhesive.
7. Repeat step #6, adding flowers tightly to each other, thus reducing the amount of Styrofoam visible between. Using a light colored paper helps it to be less visible. If you choose to use a darker colored paper, you might want to paint the Styrofoam before you begin.
8. After the entire ball is filled with flowers, I added a stick pin to the top and tied a silver thread to it. You could use a ribbon or whatever you like for this step! :)
9. Allow the ball to sit overnight to be sure all adhesive has time to set. In the morning, remove all stick pins.
10. Add stickles to each individual flower in a swirling circular motion. Don't be too fussy... it's going to look fabulous when it dries! (You will notice that i had done this before letting it sit overnight. It made a mess on my pins, but if you're ok with that it does cut down on drying time!)
Once this is dry, you are done!! You're ready to gift it... or display it! I had initially planned to hang it on my tree... but it is a bit heavy... so it's more of a kissing ball for me... taking the place of my mistle toe! :) Regardless of where you hang it... be SURE to hang it where it will be seen! Any project that takes that much work deserves it!!
And there you have it!! My Rolled Flower Christmas Ornament!! I do hope that you have found this tutorial helpful! I would LOVE to see any projects that you create using these rolled flowers! I did not come up with the idea for these flowers... there are lots of people who make them... I'm just one person who ADORES them!! So THANKS to the person who first stumbled upon this idea!! :)
Anyway, I gotta go get some gifts wrapped!! They are not going to wrap themselves!! :)
I hope to get back online before Christmas... but in case we miss each other... I want to wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thanks so much for being a part of my life... ((HUGS))]
Until Next Time...
Haooy Scrapping!
~TINA~

Paris Creativity Project #3

Hey!! I am back with another project using the Paris Creativity Collection!! This time, I created a layout! I used the Rock Star Diva collection... along with some bling! I started with the cardstock sheet of borders and frames... the page came together from there!! So simple! Check it out!!

BEST FRIENDS

I used my Helmar Liquid scrap dots to adhere the butterflies, the dimensional stars and to create the flower! I LOVE this stuff!!!
Thanks for stopping by! Tomorrow I will be sharing my 4th and final project for my Guest Design spot! Drop by and check it out! It will be Christmassy... i lied whtn I said todays was... I got inspired to create a layout instead! :)
Until then...
Happy Scrapping!!
~TINA~

Paris Creativity Project #2

Hey all!
I'm back with my second project done with the Paris Creativity Collection!
For this project, I used the ROCK STAR DIVA collection theme pack. This is a fun collection which includes bling, epoxy accents, cardstock frames and borders and epoxy alpha's... along with the papers! How fun!
I created 2 Christmas tree ornaments this time around! They are SO simple, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE them on my tree!!! Check them out!!

These are SO much cuter in real life! The glitter is not showing in the photo's... but trust me... they are so cute!
Want to know how to make them? Here is a quick tutorial... (See photo tutorial below)

1. Cut 2 strips of paper 1 1/2 inches x 12 inches. (for smaller one... wider for the larger one)
2. Run one side of each thru a border punch.
3. Using a stylus, score the papers at 1/4 or 1/2 inch intervals. I determine this depending on the border punch I use.
4. Fold the paper into an accordion.
5. I adhered the 2 pieces together using Helmar's Premium Craft Glue. Glue the other ends together as well to make one big circle.
6. Turn paper on it's side to create a circle as shown...
7. Adhere a small punched circle to the front and back of this circle.
8. Embellish as desired.
9. I added stickles to the folds to create a beautiful shimmer to the ornaments.
10. Tie a light string and you're ready to hang them on your tree!!
Aren't they simple? I'm DEFINITELY making a bunch more of these! I'd love to see you give them a try as well!!
Tune in again on Friday as I share my last project for my Guest Designer spot!! Let's just say we'll be keeping with the Christmas theme!! :)
Until then...
Happy Scrapping!
~TINA~

Paris Creativity Guest Designer

Hello all! I hope you are thoroughly enjoying getting ready for Christmas! I know I am... even though it is very crazy around here!!
This week I have the awesome opportunity to be a featured Guest Designer for Paris Hilton's Creativity Collection! Yeah, she has a scrapbooking line! How cool is that eh? The fabulous Deb Famularo sent me some yummy goodies to play with! This week I will be sharing my creations!
First up is a fun and funky Holiday Diva Wreath!

Paris Hilton Creativity Collection Holiday DIVA Wreath

A girl has gotta love all things Diva..., don't you agree? The Flashes and Stars paper pad was total DIVA eyecandy! And with the holiday's approaching, I just had to create a DIVA inspired creation... Take a peek!

To create this holiday DIVA wreath, here's what I did!!

*I reused an old cereal box for the base of it. I cut out a large circle as my base of the wreath.

*Using several sizes of circle punches, I punched lots of circles from the papers and the same # of circles from another cereal box.

*Using Helmar Premium Craft Glue, I glued the paper circles to the cardboard circles.

*I then Sanded the edges to give each circle a finished look.

*Starting with the largest circles, I created the base of the wreath. Then i popped the next size circles using Helmar Zapdots to give the wreath it's fabulous dimension! More and more circles until I had achieved the desired look!

*I added some snowflake eyelettes, some Paris Creativity bling, a chipboard DIVA from my stash, and ribbon to hang it from!

*I decided to add a backround to my wreath, and added some punched snowflakes to top it off!

*Voila!! A Holiday Wreath sure to please any diva!!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to drop in again this week to see more Paris Creativity creations by Your Truly! :)
Until then...
Happy Scrapping!
~TINA~

Helmar USA Blog Hop Winner

I appologize for the delay in posting this! It's been insane around here!!! :)

And our winner is....

floridagirl said...

ok I am now a follower - your blog is amazing - I spent way too much time here!! Love the little box too!

Email me at tinamcdonald(at)xplornet(dot)ca with your name and mailing address and I'll get your RAK out to you in the mail!!!

Helmar Holiday Blog Hop!

Hello and WELCOME to the Helmar Holiday Blog Hop! I am so thrilled that you are here!! If you just happened upon this post and knew nothing about the hop, well boy are you in luck!! Go to the beginning and start at the Helmar Design Team Blog! There are so many gorgeous blogs for you to visit! So many beautiful projects for you to admire!

If you've been following along from the beginning, you have arrived here from the talented Lolly Chessie's blog! Boy has that gal got talent, eh? And after you leave my blog, you will be traveling on to the blog of Aussie designer Leeann Pearce and that is SURE to be a treat!
But, now that you are here... at my blog, sit back, put your feet up, grab you favorite drink and have a peeksie at what I have created for you!
I had the thrill of using Helmar's Acrylic Sealer for the first time! WOW! I ADORE this stuff! Since then, I have already created another project with it! It can be seen here on the Helmar blog! Helmar Acrylic Sealer seals & protects your arts & craft projects with a clear gloss finish.Use on paper, wood, plastic, tin, glass, terra cotta, decoupage, paper tole and many more! I also used my favorite Helmar product... the Liquid Scrap Dots!! Anyone who has used these knows why they have been dubbed HEAVEN IN A TUBE!!

In creating my project for you for today, I decorated an old cookie tin. I absolutely love the finish that the Acrylic Sealer gave to it! Check it out!

I began by trimming my papers to the proper size. I then coated around the tin with a generous coat of Acrylic Sealer. I then added the strips of paper around the edges, pressing firmly and thoroughly to be sure there were no bubbles. I then used a paint brush to apply another coat of sealer over the paper. This gives it a great shiny finish and helps to seal and protect the tin.
Next I decorated my cover! This is always the fun part!! I began by adding a thin strip around the outside as seen in the above photo. I did this using the same steps as mentioned above. Then I started on the top. I cut a circle from the red paper slightly smaller than the tin cover. Using Helmar's 450 Quickdry, I adhered the lace trim to the underside of the circle. Then I coated the top of the tin with Acrylic Sealer, added the paper trimmed with lace, and gave it another thick coat of sealer. I even used sealer on the edge of the lace to help it stay in place.
Finally I decorated it! That's where the Liquid Scrap Dots came in!I created the beautiful spiral flowers and held them together using the scrap dots! I love that the glue seeps up thru the layers of the flower holding each part exactly in place! Perfectly! Then I adhered them to the tin also using the liquid scrap dots!
Love how it turned out! Not sure if I can give this away or not! :) But it was so easy, I think I could probably make a few for gifts... just maybe! :) They would be beautiful filled with cookies, fudge, candy... SO many ideas!!
And there you have it!! My project using Acrylic Sealer and Liquid Scrap dots! Thank you so much for stopping by! I am really glad you came! And as a THANK YOU and a MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, I'm going to give away a nice little prize package!! All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment! That's it!! One comment per person please. And don't forget to follow my blog... if you don't follow, you can't win! :) And spread the word!! If I get over 150 comments, I will draw for 2 prizes!!! Yep!! All kinds of goodies looking to be given away!
So, now that we have that straigntened away, head on over to visit the fabulous Leanne Peirce!!



And don't forget to "like" Helmar on Facebook!! They are giving a TON of stuff away on Facebook and Twitter today as well! SO MANY chances to win! And so many fabulous sponsors and partners as well!!
Thank you for stopping by!
Until Next Time...
MERRY CHRISTMAS and
Happy Scrapping!
~TINA~

Glittery Goodness!

Hello All! I can not believe how long it's been since I blogged! It's that time of year where things get busy... and i've been feeling totally drained! Bad combination! :)
However, I have been crafting! Yes... scrapping AND crafting! :) Here is a project I shared today on the Helmar blog...
To create this, I used the Helmar V2 Vellum Adhesive to adhere the glitter. Then, I dug out the Helmar Acrylic Sealer to seal in the glitter! It worked SO WELL!!! Check out the Helmar blog to see the details...
Also... don't forget that Helmar is hosting a HOLIDAY BLOG HOP tomorrow! I can't WAIT to see all of the gorgeous projects that will be shared! AMAZING Guest Designers... like Well, you'll just have to drop by to see! :)
So, drop by tomorrow and you will have a day FULL of excitement...
So, until then... Happy Scrapping!!