Frosted Designs Project...

Hello Everyone!  Lydia here with a fun home project for you.  I have had a blank wall in my kitchen for almost a year and finally found came up with an idea for that blank space.  I found this frame at our school's fair.  Now....I didn't care for the leopard picture but knew the frame would be perfect for what I was thinking.

The first thing I did was to take the print out of the frame.  I attached chicken wire to the frame with a staple gun.  After the wire was attached, I spray painted the whole thing.

I found these frames at a second hand shop for $1 and knew they would be perfect for the inside of the big frame.

After a coat of spray paint, they were ready to be hung with thin hobby wire.

My best friend Lynne, gave me these glass tubes for my project.  They are perfect because they already had a hole in the back to be wired on.  I was wanting something that could be attached easily and yet be changed out if I wanted.  Thanks, Lynne....love them!!

(With the tubes being clear glass, it is really hard to photograph them well.)  

I added just a wee bit of water and fresh flowers from my garden.  I can change out the flowers or add wee shells or something in the tubes as I feel like it.  

I love the end product!!!

So for just a few dollars, I have a great piece of art to display on my wall.  

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!  While you're here, check out the current challenges and chances to win great prizes.  

Happy Crafting!  :)

Lydia

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!!  I can't believe its been two weeks since I posted anything!  That tells me summer holiday break is in full swing.  :)  The boys are home 24/7....or more correctly...I'm out at a park or beach with them and friends for most of those waking hours.  I'm finding myself scrapping at night to stay caught up.  Like tonight..... :)

Frosted Designs has another great Fabulous Friday challenge.  This time around it is "something new".  A new product or a new technique.  I thought this was quite appropriate for the new year that is just about to begin.  I'm looking forward to more new challenges in 2012.

My sister-in-law Michelle sent me some paper clay that I had been wanting to try and thought this would be the perfect challenge.  I found a button in my stash with good texture and pressed the clay into it.  I tried to make them fairly flat but they curled up some when they dried, making them challenging but still fun to work with.  I painted them with acrylic paints and then glued them on my layout.  You could put a clear coat of sealer or mod podge on them to make them shiny and more finshed looking.  

Make sure you check out the other designer's projects on the Frosted Designs blog.  They are amazing!  I hope you'll try something new for this challenge.  Make sure you link it up on the blog for the chance to win a great prize and so I can check them out!

Happy Crafting!!  :)

Frosted Designs...

Frosted Designs has another Fabulous Friday Challenge up.  This time around its "Ribbon".  I have held onto this velvet ribbon for ages.  Just love it and didn't want to use it up.  :)  But it seemed right for this project.  I took this picture right before my parents got on a plane to go back to Iowa.  That was 7 months ago.  I really wasn't sure what to title this page but every time I looked at it, I saw love.  My love for them, their love for me, loved having them here.....It just seemed to be a fitting title.

I'm looking forward to the day I get to see them in person again.  Only 5 months to go.....

Hope you will join us at Frosted Designs for the ribbon challenge.  Also check out the sketch challenge and card sketch challenge.  Lots of fun challenges going on over there and cool prizes to be won.  Make sure you link up your project for a chance to win a prize and so I can check it out!

Happy Crafting!

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  This week's Fabulous Friday challenge at Frosted Designs is "music/song".  I wanted to use these photos of Ian getting a guitar for his 10th birthday.  I found this guitar on a necklace at a jewerly store for $2 and thought it would be a perfect embellishment for this page.  When Ian found out he was getting a guitar for his birthday, he could hardly contain his excitement.  I love the smile on his face.

Make sure you link your project to the Frosted Designs blog for the chance to win a prize and so I can check it out.
Happy Crafting!!

Scrapbookers Anonymous...

I can hardly believe that its December already!!  My youngest son Aden, has been counting down for many days now as his birthday is on the 11th.  Each morning he tells me how many days till the big day.  :)  I have to admit......when it was my birthday month I did the same thing....only in my mind.  lol....

December means a new monthly challenge at Scrapbookers Anonymous.  The challenge this month is "Glitter, Tags and Holiday Themed".  Any way, any how.  I decided to use library book tags and glittered die cuts.  I had not scrapped pictures from Christmas 2010 and thought I should before I had pictures of Christmas 2011 waiting as well.  Last Christmas was an emotional one for me as it was our first one here in New Zealand.  Not only was I adjusting to the thought of a summer Christmas, we are thousands of miles away from our family.  I am so thankful for Skype that brought Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins into our home.  We even played our traditional bingo on Skype.  Made trading presents a wee bit hard though.  :)  I wanted to use those photos and make a mini book about some of our old and now new Christmas traditions.

 Decorating the tree has been a family event since the boys were old enough to handle the ornaments carefully.  Well, Dad doesn't help but the boys always get excited to put it up.  Christmas is in summer here in New Zealand so bare feet and short sleeves were perfect.

 The boys were so excited to run down the stairs with their stockings.  First year to have stairs to run down and no winter pjs.  :)

Slip n Slide on Christmas day???  Sounds like an awesome new tradition!!

Christmas crackers.....cardboard poppers with trinkets inside.....will become a part of our Christmas traditions.  Inside are these tissue paper crowns, a lovely fashion accessory.

We loved playing Bingo with our family back in Iowa.  It was great to enjoy that tradition even though it did make me feel a bit lonely knowing they were all together.

Bingo presents, cans of soda, and Mom's lace table cloth.  All means Christmas....

The boys were more than excited to open presents from family while that family watched on Skype.  Shorts and tshirts as the day was WARM.  No snow here!

Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa Gilmore with Great Grandma Hoschouer in the background.  Have I mentioned I love technology???

Making sugar cookies has been one of my traditions from when I was a little girl.  I love that my boys look forward to it every year.  Its one of my favourite traditions!

Going to the beach with new body boards.  Fun to get summer themed presents and be able to use them right away!

I hope you'll dig in your stash for glitter and tags.  Make sure you upload your project to Scrapbookers Anonymous for a chance to win a cool prize and so I can check them out!
Happy Crafting!  :)

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  Its time for another Fabulous Friday Challenge at Frosted Designs.  This time around the challenge is "Metal".  I have had this tin lunch box around for a very long time so I thought I would give some alcohol ink a try.  I really had no idea what I was doing but it seemed to work out well in the end.  The word "blessing" is metal as well.

To be honest, I'm really not sure what I will do with the box.  I do think it would make a nice gift box for someone for just about any special occasion.  I will enjoy the box until the right person/occasion comes along.  :)
Make sure you link up your project up to Frosted Designs for the chance to win a prize and so I can check them out!
Happy Crafting!!  :)

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  Its time for another Fabulous Friday Challenge over at Frosted Designs.  This week's challenge is "Die Cuts".  The die cuts can be either ones you make yourself or ones from your favourite manufacturer.  For my project I used my cuttlebug die cuts.

I just love this picture of Aden.  Those eyes get me every time.  They are so full of life, mischief, love....they really are the windows to his soul.

Make sure you upload your die cut project to the Frosted Designs blog for a chance to win a prize and so I can check them out!
Happy Crafting!!

Scrapbookers Anonymous...ABC Challenge...

Hi Everyone!  Just a quick card for you today.  Time for the letter "D" challenge over at Scrapbookers Anonymous.  I had a really hard time with this one!  (Not to mention life is super busy right now.)  Anyway.....I used DCWV for the base of my card and added a simple misted doiley.  Quick and easy.

Make sure you link up your "D" project for the chance to win a prize and so I can check them out!
Happy Crafting!

Frosted Designs...

Hi Everyone!  This week's Fabulous Friday challenge at Frosted Designs is "Family".  I decided to use photos from my parents visit in May.  We took a trip south through the Catlins, which is in New Zealand's southern scenic route.  This area of New Zealand is about 5 hours worth of driving with many places to stop and see beautiful scencery, waterfalls, and wildlife.  Its such a beautiful, raw part of New Zealand.  We are truly blessed to live in such a wonderful place and call it home.

On this particular day, it was my Dad's birthday.  He had said that for his present he just wanted to see wildlife.  Well, see wildlife we did!  The first beach we stopped at had two large sea lions on it.  One male and one female.  My dad was thrilled!  We walked down to see them and take some pictures.  I definately get my photography gene from my dad but I must have got my good sense gene from my mom.  :)  I kept reminding my dad that these were wild animals and that we were in their home.  My dad.....love him to pieces.....he kept getting closer and closer to those sea lions.  I have not seen my dad's photos yet but I am pretty sure he got some amazing shots.

I am glad that I got my photography gene from my dad.  My mom used to say to us as kids "if you ever get lost, just tell them your dad is the one with the big black nose (his camera)."  I think my boys could say the same about me.  :)  In this case, I'm thinking a bigger lense for my camera is a better idea than getting as close as I can to a wild animal!!  :)  But I sure do love my dad and am thankful for his photography gene.

I'd love to see your Family projects.  Make sure you link them up to Frosted Designs for a chance to win a prize and so I can check them out.
Happy Crafting!!  :)

Scrapbookers Anonymous...

Wow....how did we get to November already?!  Its time for another new challenge over at Scrapbookers Anonymous.  This month's challenge is to use (at least) 7 different kinds of ribbon on your layout.  I really had a hard time with this challenge.  Not for my lack of ribbon....because....well, I have a few more than 7 kinds.  :)  In the end, I was really, really happy with the way my layout turned out.

This is Charlotte.  She is the daughter of my best friend here in New Zealand.  I just love Charlotte to pieces.  She is my favourite 5 year old girl!  :)  I absolutely love this photo of her.  She is just as wild and loud as my boys and yet she is also just as soft and sweet.

I used lace and pom pom trim along with some ribbons from my stash.  I folded some thin ribbon to add a little more oomph to it.

I want to say a huge thank you to my sister-in-law Michelle for so many goodies on this page.  She (and my brother) sent me a BIG box of scrapping goodies for my birthday!  It was so fun to dig into them and of course I wanted to create straight away.  I LOVE these prima alphas she sent.  *swoon* I must find some more of them.  They are already my favourites.  

I hope you will dig in your ribbon stash and play along with us at Scrapbookers Anonymous.  Make sure you link up your project for a chance to win a prize and so I can check them out.  Now off to play with my new goodies.....

Happy Crafting!  :)

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  Time for another Fabulous Friday challenge at Frosted Designs.  This time around the challenge is "Food/Candy".  I took the liberty of using my favourite drink for this challenge.

New Zealand is the land of coffee.  Ok, maybe I've dubbed it the land of coffee but there seem to be just as many coffe shops as there are sheep!  :)  Which is a great thing if you love coffee.  Well, I happen to not love coffee....not only not love but not even like coffee.  Grabbing a coffee with a friend is very much a social outing here.  I felt socially ackward not having a hot coffee in my hands (and I'm really not a tea drinker either!).  I have found a hot drink that I just love.  Chai latte has become my friend.....yum!

A chai latte is a cinnamon/spicy milky drink.  My husband says its like drinking a Christmas candle.  :)

I hope you'll join us at Frosted Designs for this weeks challenge.  Make sure you link up your project for a change to win a prize and so I can check it out.  
Happy Crafting!  :)

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  This week's Fabulous Friday challenge over at Frosted Designs is a color challenge.  You can find the inspiration photo here.

I used 3 of the 4 colours on my layout.  That purple was a hard one for me!  :)  

Any time Aron falls down, he hops up quick and says "I'm ok!"  And then takes the time to see if he really is.  Cracks me up every time! 

I hope you'll play along with us at Frosted Designs.  Make sure you link up your project for a chance to win a great prize and so I can check them out.

Happy Crafting!  :)

Scrapbookers Anonymous...ABC challenge...

Hi Everyone!!  Its time for the "C" challenge over at Scrapbookers Anonymous.  For this challenge, I used Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird collection.  I have always loved this line and well.....have a couple sets of it.  :) So perfect for not only this challenge but for Scrapbookers Anonymous....where we are encouraged to use up our stash!!  :)

This is a chipboard mini album that I used to record my mom teaching my boys how to make my favorite cake.  Its called spice chiffon which is like an angel food cake with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in it.  Yum!  The boys were quite keen to help my mom make this cake.  I decided it was a perfect opportunity to record this memory.  After the cake was baked, the boys declared it "the world's best cake" so I decided to use that as my title for my album.

I had these wee bottles and thought they would be just the right accent for this book.  They are filled with cinnamon, flour, and sugar.  I used glossy accents to glue the corks on and baker's twine to tie them on.

Each page shows steps to making the cake.  I love having photos of my mom teaching them.  They were so careful to measure everything out just right and do what my mom had to say.  It was fun to see them learning from her.  I love this collection and its "old" time kitchen gadgets.  It just seemed perfect for this memory.

The last page is a picture of my mom's recipe book.  I really wanted to include it with all the smudges of cake batter on it.  Its been around for as long as I can remember.  With my birthday in just a few weeks, my boys and I will be making this cake soon.  And I'll be having thoughts of my mom teaching my boys.

Thanks for stopping by to have a look.  I hope you will dig in your stash for "C" products.  Make sure you upload them to Scrapbookers Anonymous for a chance to win a prize and so I can check them out.

Happy Crafting!  :)