Personal Blog of Ashley Cawthra

The 09 december daily

It's here. I almost forgot about it.  The completed December Daily for 2009.  What isn't here on the blog is on flickr. For a full view, click here and check it all out!

This is one of my favourite pages I made with leftover scraps from the cover.  Its a felt pocket.  I stitched on the buttons after I sewed the pocket so that it would for sure fit through the sewing machine.
 I love the mix of colours and styles on these two pages of the book.  I also really like how the stitching turned on out Dec 17.

Going through the album I had a chance to reflect on the process.  I learned that:

- I document way more than I take photos

- I really love to play with paper, designing mini layouts without pictures was so much fun!

- I like the layers of paper with only a few embellishments

- Having all my holiday items in one placed worked for the most part except when I went on the hunt for non-christmas things

- Alpha stickers and rubons were fun but I also enjoyed making my own from chipboard

- Next year I want to stick to the same size or 8.5X11 but nothing larger

- I cheated quite often by simply journaling and the completing the page later depending on my schedule

To check out the rest of the album click on the flickr link in the left sidebar or click here!  If you're wondering about my exciting news update is.. check back around 5pm PST.. it's going to be exciting!!!
How did you holiday album turn out?

Ashley
 

Making the holidays pretty

One of my favourite parts of the holidays is decorating.. if you haven't noticed!!  I've got more ways to pretty up your place - even your work place.  The first thing on my list is felt ornaments.  I love making them - they are quick, easy and cute.   

 

For this ornament you need two felt circles, a die-cut or punched shape, a button, and thread.  Make sure you sew on your button and punch out first (you can use glue to adhere the shape).  Next  put your ribbon inside, you can use a glue dot or two to hold it in place and then stitch both circles together.  

 

For the paper ornament I used a leftover journaling shape and instead of two felt circles I just used one.  Once I stitched it together I punched a hole and threaded it with ribbon.  These ornaments are great especially if you have little ones that like to touch and grab everything. 

Next up some gift wrap options!  With all the paper and consumption during the holidays it's hard to do your part.  Especially for me - I LOVE to wrap things but this year we're making an effort to do much better.  One thing you could do is make your own gift wrap.  All you need is old papers you want to get rid of. They could be old text book pages, newspaper, instruction manuals, phone books, pamphlets - the opportunities are endless.  Aside from the base you need a few stamps, some ink and a bit of time. 

You can make your wrapping paper as complicated or a simple as you like - it's a great way to practice your stamping. 

 

 
 
 

Make sure before you get out your paper and stamps that you measure your gift and get the right sized paper.  Newspaper is sometimes the best option!  Finish it off with some ribbon and a tag and you're good to go.  

At our house this year, in an effort to reduce all the wasted paper we are using some old cardboard boxes from Costco.  I wraped them up pretty and tied them with bows. 

They sit hollow side down so that we can pop our unwrapped presents underneath them.  The best part is that it looks like we always have gifts under the tree!  I'm sure if you have little one's it's not as exciting - part of the fun is unwrapping gifts - I agree!
 
 Happy friday - the last friday before Christmas!!!
-Ashley 
 
 

So grateful part 2

 
"So do not let time pass you by without being aware that once it has passed, it has gone forever.  This is something you should keep in mind..."

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of what we're grateful for.  It's easy to forget especially when you've got work and family and friends and life and finances and.. the list really never ends does it? I bought a 6x6 acrylic book a little while ago because it was a fantastic price.  I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with it but it's been sitting in my inbox.  And then the idea struck me.  Make art.  It's very simple and doesn't require a whole lot of supplies - use what you've got!

 
Supplies:
-pattern paper, double sided is best
-ribbon
-embellishments
-acrylic shape (squares are easiest.. mine looks brown because it still has the protective covering on it)
-hole punch if your acrylic doesn't have holes
-adhesive
-a daily reminder typed out, hand written, whatever you prefer!

The trick with acrylic is to hide your adhesive.  What I did with this project was use two pieces of pattern paper.  The floral piece is on the front of the acrylic, glue this on first.  The striped paper is on the back, glue this on second. When you glue on the back piece use your front piece as a guide to see where to put the adhesive.  Basically I just traced the outline with my tape gun.

Once you've got the paper on, the rest is up to you.  I recommend using leftovers from your stash - I love finding pieces that mix and match.  Tie it up with some ribbon again leftovers are perfect and all that's left to do is find the perfect spot to hang it!
 
 

Check back on the weekend for the last part of So Grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the USA and happy everything to everyone else :)

 

memory album here at last

Finally the day has come!  I've been working on this - trying to get it done before December!  It's ready.  34 pages, fun embellishments, journaling tags, stickers, mini envelopes and die cut shapes.  I'm planning on using one as a December Daily at least at this point.  We'll see how that goes though it won't fit into my current monthly album.  Updates to come!  Here's a sneak peak: 
 They are available in my shop - there is only a limited number of them, so get them while they are available.  More photos of all the pages to come. 

I have less than a month left of school thank goodness.  I also registered for classes today.  It's one of my favourite parts of school.  Going through the class search and looking at everything and anything I can take.  But then reality sets in and I realize that even though I'd like to take 7 classes a semester it's not possible.  There would be no time for crafty things.  And I think I would go crazy.  None of that.  Only 3 classes next semester as we head into the 6 month countdown to the wedding. AHh!!!

More update and so grateful on it's way.

Holiday Mini Album Project

 After putting together the classic christmas tag kits, I've got all sorts of leftovers and opps pieces that I couldn't handle just throwing in the trash.  Instead I thought I would put together a cute project.  If you have a classic christmas tags kit what I used was:
-2 large manilla tags
-2 pattern paper tags
- little and christmas text pieces on cover and joy, love and peace throughout the book
-any other odds and ends that you feel like adding in
-miscellaneous embellishments, I love crystals

I decided that the theme of my book would be goals, wishes, plans, dreams for the new year.  I decided on simple statements that may be elaborated on later and tried to find pictures from my leftover stash to go with.  If you haven't noticed I'm a huge fan of distress ink right now. It's a little insane.  I inked almost the entire book and used a dabber on the front and back cover too!

I cut up one piece of cardstock to fill in the pages of my book - I only used 8 but you could make as many as you need.  When you're cutting, to get the most out of your cardstock, cut your 8.5x11 in half length wise (at the 4.25" mark) and then cut 2 3/8" from the two halves. 

 
I hope you enjoy it!  Send me a picture or two of your project - love to see it!
enjoy, ashley

Feeling at home

Fall has a funny way of making the indoors much more cozy (and inside spaces on campus far more noisy).  It feels nice except when the weather says you need to pull out old coats, scarves and mittens. These photos make me feel warm and fuzzy and remind me it's almost November!

Happy fall!
-Ashley 

Christmas begins at craftlove

It's been a few hectic days around here but I am so happy to announce the roll out o my christmas line!  Hooray!  First out of the gates are classic christmas tag kits.

 
 The kits come in two sizes and include all of my favourites!  I especially love the deer.  I custom cut a bunch of the die cut shapes for the kits and of course handstitched them!  They are perfect to do with family or girlfriends and work well as christmas tree ornaments as well.  Here's a few tags that I have made so far! 

  
 What else is on its way? Look forward to an embellishment kit (perfect for a December Daily), felties embellishment set and text sets.  It gets better.  I have plans to complete a winter themed set as well, just incase Christmas isn't your thing or you just like snowflakes and adorable snowmen too!  I'm so excited that this project is finally complete.  I also can't wait to get to work and make my own christmas tags. 

Get ready for lots more holiday lovelies.. they are on the way

From one season to the next

So a few days ago I was all over the halloween but really I'm more of a christmas kind of girl.  It's a great time of year! I love..

• going to craft fairs
• baking all sorts of yummy goodness
• decorating
• making cards and gifts for friends and family
• christmas lights, driving by all the pretty houses
• having a break from classes
• spending time with friends and family

With new embellishments that are posted in my shop, I thought I would post some items made with them.  The first one for you is of course, a christmas card.  holiday tradition embellishments might be my favourite so far.  They just say christmas to me!

 

The card itself is pretty easy.  I put the pattern paper on first and the green 2" circle.  Then I punched through both layers with a smaller 1 3/4" circle. I wrapped the ribbon around the card and then used an embellishment to cover the seam.  And for good measure I added one more!

Playing Catchup

Where does the time go? I would love to say that I've been just too busy to blog or get anything crafty done but that wouldn't be completely truthful.  I spent the last few weeks of my winter break sort of enjoying the snow and spending time with family.  It was a nice break, maybe a little too long - I did not want to go back to school.  Good news however, I am going to the CHA next week {OMG, next week} and to Disneyland with work friends.  I'm VERY excited, mostly to go to Disneyland, seeing as the last time I went I was 7 or 8.  There will be pictures to come. 

Though not as much as I'd like, I have been working on a few things.  I hope to have them up before Valentines Day, as that was their original intention but we'll see.  Photo Albums/Express Scrapbooks without a better name is what I've been working on.  My biggest problem is that I need the actual plastic albums.  I haven't found a supplier and I haven't been able to get to the store that I can buy them from. Gah!  So what I have is a bunch of half done projects that need the most important part to be finished.  In time.  I've got some Valentine's Shaker boxes in the works. If I can get them done in time, that will be the question.  I forgot to mention, on top of going to Disneyland, we're doing some house cleaning and shifting at my house.  When I'm away my room is going to be magically transported to another.  So on top of the regular everything and trying to make up for missing classes - let's just say things are busy even though I am pretending they aren't.

More photos are in order. And something new and exciting, yeah?

Ashley

Working hard, real hard.

The count down to my first craft fair is on. I have 2 weeks til its over and done with. What do I have left to do? Everything!  Okay maybe not everything but plenty.  Today after a tough 7 hour shift on a sale day at the store I came home to make 6 cards and 12 popcorn sliders (2 different designs), in just under 3 hours.  Now maybe that doesn't seem like a lot so I should mention that it involved a few minutes of this weeks episode of Sisters & Brothers, walking to and from the crafty closet and a search for some missing stickers. AND for the last 20 minutes (before I actually turned on my machine and started typing) I tried to organize all my new purchases and supplies to finish up these last couple cards.  Pictures to come.

The worst part of my evening was dropping a BIG 12 x 15" paper container (full of paper) on my foot.  It hurts. The funny part is that I sat and watched it swell up, thinking to myself what was actually going on inside. 

In other news, mainly supplies - I really love the new crate paper collections, LEMON GRASS is wonderful.  I am also enjoying my minds eye christmas. bee-u-tiful.

I'm feeling a bit better about my prepardness for the craft fair my foot aside.  I've got plenty of ideas and things to work on just NO TIME.  The good news is that school is done in exactly one month and then I get to craft away.

Time fer bed.
Hearts+Crafts,

Ashley