happiness and love.....

hope your weekend is full of it!

my week off with the girls has been magical and i can't wait to sit down and make sense of the bazillion photos we took.

conclusion: i think i've fallen more in love with them.........if that was even possible. :)

(ps.....this is what spidergirl chose to wear bowling. how could i say no? i couldn't stop smiling.)

TUTORIAL: Little Yellow Bicycle + May Arts = PERFECTION

while i catch my breath, how about a few crafty shares? it's been a whirlwind of a week, this week of spring break. i, uh, we, haven't gotten much accomplished around here other than staying up late, sleeping in, and making a mess. but sometimes that's needed, ya know.

heck, really, it's been a whirlwind of a month, if i'm being honest. i suppose it's quite obviously with my hit or miss blogging routine as of late. but i'll make up for it soon.

anywho. in between the moments of being lazy, i've stolen away some time to get some deadlines met and craft a few projects for the May Arts/Little Yellow Bicycle blog fest!

so, while i catch up on organizing the bazillion photos i've taken and try to convince my brain of all the little details that accompany those photos, i thought i'd share a few projects and the instructions to go along with them. sound good?

oh, and while i have your attention..........you can win some awesome Little Yellow Bicycle and May Arts goodies just by visiting and commenting over on the LYB blog &/or the May Arts blog. :) good luck!

and now for the projects....

Bloom Card
Supplies:

• white cardstock
• EP - 102 Bloom Bands paper (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP - 135 Favorite Pieces Cardstock Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP -305 Paper Flower Kit (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP - 219 Flower Button Dots (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP - 161 Paper Lace Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP - 220 Fabric Favorites (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• Green Twill ribbon (May Arts)
  
• May Arts Teal Sheer Line Edge Ribbon (May Arts)
• May Arts Grey Satin Pleat Ribbon (May Arts)
• Pink Felt Flower (Maya Road)
• SuperTape (Therm O Web)
  
• Zots (Therm O Web)

1. Cut white cardstock to 7" x 10". Fold in half to form card base.
2. Cut EP - 102 Bloom Bands paper to 5" x 4". Adhere to card front.
3. Apply SuperTape strips just above and just below the paper.
4. Apply May Arts Green Twill ribbon along the bottom of paper. Trim overhang.
5. Apply May Arts Grey Satin Pleat ribbon along the top of paper. Trim overhang.
6. Adhere "bloom" sticker from EP - 135 Favorite Pieces with dimensional foam tape.
7. Create accordion folded blossom from EP - 305 Paper Flower Kit.
8. Adhere one flower embellishment from EP -219 Flower Button Dots on top of accordion flower and another just beside it.
9. Adhere green lace sticker from EP - 161 Paper Lace Stickers.
10. Cut 10" of May Arts Teal Sheer Line Edge ribbon and tie in bow. Adhere with Zots.


11. Adhere pink felt flower from Maya Road using Zots.


12. Adhere three additional flowers from EP - 220 - Fabric Favorites.



You Are Loved Layout
Supplies:

• EP101 Sing Song I (Little Yellow Bicycle)
  
• EP104 Fuchsia Flower Dot (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP103 Tiny Lattice Teal (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP102 Bloom Bands (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP201 Canvas Border Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP135 Favorite Pieces Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP140 Fresh Verse Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP134 Journaling Cards (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP220 Fabric Favorites (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP165 Chipboard Sticker Embellishments (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP197 Jewel Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP195 Dimensional Butterfly Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• EP185 Epoxy Stickers (Little Yellow Bicycle)
• 1 yard Green Twill Ribbon (May Arts)
• 1 yard Orange Solid Center Stitches Ribbon (May Arts)
• 1 Gingham Fabric Blossom - Green (Maya Road)
• Zots (Therm O Web)
• SuperTape (Therm O Web)
  
• needle
• green thread
  

1. Cut 1/2" x 12" strip of EP104 Fuchsia Flower Dot and adhere to bottom of EP103 Tiny Lattice Teal.
2. Cut butterfly strip from EP102 Bloom Bands and adhere directly above Fuchsia Flower Dot.
3. Cut yellow strip from EP102 Bloom Bands and adhere directly above butterfly strip.
4. Cut 7" x 7" square from lower right section of EP101 Spring Song I and adhere above yellow strip, right aligned.
5. Adhere 5" x 7" photo above yellow strip, left aligned.
6. Adhere white/grey scalloped border from EP201 Canvas Sticker Borders above photo.
7. Layer quote sticker strip from EP140 Fresh Verse Stickers along the straight edge of canvas border.
8. Adhere pink scalloped journaling card from EP134 along lower right corner of photo.
9. Layer stickers onto top of pink scalloped journaling card from EP135 Favorite Pieces, EP140 Fresh Verse Stickers, and EP220 Fabric Favorites.
10. Embellish further with tiny dot stickers from EP185 Epoxy Stickers.
11. Gather 1 yard of May Arts Green Twill ribbon down to 12" long using lime green thread and a long running stitch.
12. Adhere gathered ribbon along the top edge of the yellow strip of patterned paper using SuperTape.


13. Adhere Maya Road Green Gingham Fabric Blossom using Zots.
14. Embellish EP101 Spring Song paper with additional stickers from EP185 Epoxy Stickers as shown.
15. Adhere "love" sticker to the pre-printed bracket along the far right edge of layout from EP135 Favorite Pieces.
16. Double up 1 yard of May Arts Orange Solid Center Stitches ribbon and wrap around top of layout overlapping the grey/white scalloped canvas border. Tie in bow, trim ends.

17. Embellish the butterfly strip along bottom edge. Butterflies from EP195 Dimensional Butterfly Stickers, EP165 Chipboard Sticker Embellishments and EP140 Favorite Pieces.
18. Embellish butterfly bodies and upper right corner of layout with rhinestone stickers from EP197 Jewel Stickers.


Enjoy! i'll be back soon with lots of photo shares of the past week, including Easter egg dye, ashlyn's new favorite person, Easter day, crafting, spidergirl's first time roller skating, our visit to World of Bounce, fun at the park, and maybe even a little Royal Wedding celebration girlie style. it's been a fun week around these parts.

spring break entertainment...

here's some of the awesome things i've gathered to keep us busy during spring break....i highly recommend all of them. (no, i haven't gotten paid to promote any of them)

Doodle Journal by Klutz - this journal retails for $16.99, but we got lucky and found it at Michael's, during a sale for $5.99. so CUTE!

Do A Dot Art Markers - these retail for $14.99. we got our Rainbow set in one trip for 40% off at Michael's with a coupon, then went back the following week for the Brilliant set with another coupon. well worth the money and they don't dry out like markers do.

Do A Dot Art Activity Book - there are so many of these books, so we picked one that seemed to have a mix of images from all the books. retailing for $4.99, these books have 25 images printed on heavy-weight cardstock like paper and are perforated for ease when tearing out. we plan on using the images in the book as templates and making copies onto our own cardstock. you can get these at Michael's also, or online at Amazon or at CSN Stores.


Funky Groovy Tie Dye Kit - i added this kit to our craft cabinet. it comes with the three primary colors which you can mix to make the secondary colors, gloves, rubber bands, and instructions. it dyes 5 shirts---maybe more if they're all kid sized. we have our stack of shirts ready to go and can't wait to share the results.

Beads, beads, and more beads! we've got ourselves lots and lots of beads.


Sharpie, 24ct pk, fine point - who doesn't like a Sharpie? i prefer the Ultra Fine point tip for myself, but ashlyn has quite a liking for these fine point ones. she loves to draw so these will get lots and lots of use.

Low-Temp Mini Hot Glue Gun - they each got their own low-temp glue gun so we don't have burned fingertips. this addition will make crafting so much less frustrating since the glue dries in seconds.

B. Pop Arty Beads - we got ours at Target, but you can also order on Amazon, and are perfect to fill up a tupperware container and take for crafting on the go. (i.e. waiting at the doctor/hospital, long car rides, etc.)

among many other things like:
unfinished wood frames
potholder weaving looms
bendaroos
every color of craft paint you'd ever need
google eyes
craft foam
playdoh
and
my scrapbook supplies :)

it's gonna be a funnnnnnnn week! starting tomorrow.

from the archives...

Easter, from the archives. 4 years ago, to be exact. Spidergirl, looking more like a Smurf.

this was....
before we knew she had severe allergies
before all four of her surgeries
before medications consumed our lives
before Mom died
before i lost friends
before i lost trust
before ashlyn's diagnosis
before bitterness was such a recognizable emotion
before i started working outside of the home again
before my brother was a familiar part of my life again

a lot can change in four years.

and i sit here wondering exactly when things changed.

conclusion: today is just a rough day. that's all.

kidART....

it's just the best thing ever, is it not!??


i'm quite fond of this little girl and the little girl who made it. :)

speaking of which.....we're heading to Children's Hospital in just a few minutes for her to have her second dental appointment with sedation. this one will be a little more rough on her than the last one where they just filled some cavities. this one involves pulling a damaged tooth and inserting a space maintainer appliance.

i might have a funny story or two to share as the effects of the sedation & laughing gas wear off. in the meantime maybe say a little prayer for us, if you would?

making me smile today....

several weeks ago, i came home to the most thoughtful gift tucked inside a small priority mail package from a beautiful & talented friend of mine.

she sent me this gorgeous color wheel bracelet from Nest Pretty Things and i'm pretty sure i cried over how thoughtful and kind it was of Amy to send it my way. along with it she tucked in a note letting me know she's thinking of me. the kindness of people i've met online completely amazes me.

just looking at this bracelet makes me smile. lucky me, i get to wear it too!

another thing making me smile is these sweet pictures of my girls with Mr. Easter Bunny.

we've never been to visit the Easter Bunny at the mall before, but i thought the girls might enjoy the novelty of it all, so off to Easton we went. Mr. Bunny was whispering in her ears to tell her to have her sister join them for a picture.

as you can tell, ashlyn was quite embarrassed about having to sit on the Mr. Bunny's lap. when did she get so old?

that's cool though. spidergirl thought i was the bee's knees for taking them to visit. :)

and you wanna know what else is making me smile?????

at 5pm, i'll be leaving work and i won't be returning for....

10.whole.days!!!! :)

Video & Tutorial: Altered Spring Birdhouse (Elizabeth Park from LYB)

goooooood morning friends! do i have all my Little Yellow Bicycle fans reading this morning? i hope so, because i have the results of my creative mess.

i tackled an unsuspecting unfinished wood birdhouse from Hobby Lobby and turned it into something beautiful using Little Yellow Bicycle's Elizabeth Park collection. there's something so wonderful about making something from nothing.....dont'cha think?

what do you think? i quite like LOVE it! so much so, that i'm gonna say it's my most favorite altered project EVER!

here's a little side view for you. remember, clicking on any of these images will open it up larger.
there are so many simple little details on this project, but i have to say my favorite is a tie between using the paper flower kit pieces that were meant to make accordion flowers to form a double layered fencing and the dimensional detail on the roof. both of which i describe in the video and PDF download.
of course, here's an overall view of the other side before getting into the closeup detail shots.

the fencing and blinged out stick pins! it's amazing how a simple little jewel can make these stick pins even more charming than they already were.

and a detail angle showing the dimension on the roof that i mentioned.

small snippets of craft moss pinched together and hotglued in place makes the perfect little grassy area to tuck your flowers in to rest.

more layers of craft moss resting on the bottom ledge. kinda reminds me of what birds would use to form their nest.

and lastly a view showing lots of bling. i blinged out the stick pins, the die-cut flowers, the butterfly body and even put tiny gray bling over the pre-printed eyes on the birds from the fabric favorites pack.

enough of my jabbering! LOL.

download the complete supply list and instructions: Altered Spring Birdhouse by Tania Willis
watch the video supplement that goes along with it! :)

i wish for you....

I wish for you...Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

such a beautiful wish to wish for someone, don'tchu think? i'm feeling sappy today.

i wish that for me......and for YOU! :) happy monday sweet friends. make it wonderful.

i can see clearly now....

the rain is gone.
i can see all obstacles in my way.
it's gonna be a bright.....
bright.......
sunshiney day!


conclusion:
1. positive thinking is a powerful thing, is it not?
2. whenever i see a photograph, my brain always has a song to go with it.
3. time to break out the shades! i think the sun is officially here to stay.
4. it's april 15th peeps! the worst of tax season is *almost* over!!!!

:)

this mess here.....

was created last night while making one of my most favorite projects EVER. it was for an upcoming video tutorial i'll be sharing really soon----like hopefully the first of next week. :) the mess is way worse than this picture lets on, though. i'm kinda lost as to where to start to even clean it up. eeeks. in other news:

• i'm stoked that there are only 4 more days of crazy at work. for those of you who don't know, i work part-time at an accounting firm.....but lately have been working full-time hours because the tax deadline is upon us.


• those extended hours are the very reason this blog has been lacking in the new post department lately. oy! but there is an end in sight!


• those hours are also the reason that my entire body feels like one big knot. i need a massage, like yesterday!


• i'm excited for next Friday!


• why you ask? well because it starts a 10 day vacation for me!!! well, glory be! i'm beside myself excited for it. i haven't had a vacation in 10 years.


• it's just me and the girls that'll be home, and we aren't going away, but there are lots of adventures planned for the week. :) i'm sure you'll hear about them all after they happen.


• i plan to exercise my camera well.


• also, in preparation for their Spring Break, i've stocked their crafting cabinet and have a ton of ideas pinned on my kidART wall on Pinterest. :)


• we'll be trying our hand at Tie Dye shirts too. i'm quite giddy about that!


• i'm working on taking pictures of their entire crafting area and storage. i think it's always fun to see they way other people handle/corral art supplies, so, hey, i'll share mine too for those that are interested.


• of course there will also be the usual Easter egg coloring, and hunting, and celebrating.


• one bummer we'll deal with on the first day of break is going to Children's hospital for ashlyn to have her second dental appointment with sedation to have a tooth removed and a space maintainer appliance put in. :(


• otherwise, there's not much else happening around these parts...........just busy, busy, busy!


• i'm working on getting back into a daily posting routine though. thanks for hanging with me through the quiet times. :)

happy tuesday......or wednesday...........or whatever day it is! (they are all blending together lately)

she tells me....

she tells me, as of today, her favorite food is mom's chicken pie-pie. she loves playing basketball more than any other sport.

she tells me there's no better show on television other than Design on a Dime. (although a few months ago it would have been the Bachelor).

she still thinks mom and dad are the coolest people on earth. she tells me she's awesome at Math and it's by far her favorite subject.

she tells me if she could chose another name she'd choose Emily and if she could go anywhere right now it'd be California. she didn't tell me why.

she assures me that her favorite color is green, NOT pink. and she tells me when she grows up she is going to become a brain surgeon.

she thinks we are far too strict about doing chores (i found that laughable since she doesn't have assigned chores. it's just everyone pitch in and get done what needs done around these parts).

she is smitten with the band Green Day and the book Because of WinnDixie, which she's currently reading. she just finished Dork Diaries.

in three words she describes herself as: friendly, humorous, and popstar (what the what??)

she tells me she remembers when she was little she used to lick cheese off Cheetos and put them back in the bag. ewwww.

her favorite season is Spring and the snack she could live on is bananas, but ravioli makes her want to wretch.

she tells me she currently has four besties and they are: Jessica, Jillian, Katelyn, and Shahed.

and she tells me if she had one and only one wish it would be to make her family healthy so they can be off all their medications.

gosh, i love this kid.

she tells me, as of today, her favorite food is cheetos with the tiger guy on the front. and she loves playing tennis more than any other sport.

she tells me there's no better show on television other than Brain Surge. (although this kid will watch just about anything that's on tv and tell me she loooooooooves it and it's her favorite ever).

she thinks Justin Bieber is the coolest person on earth. she tells me she's awesome at watching tv and she can break the world record for doing so. she also tells me that counting by 5 is her favorite thing to do in Kindergarten.

she tells me if she could chose another name she'd choose Hailey and if she could go anywhere right now it'd be Chuck E Cheese.

she assures me that her favorite color is blue. and she tells me when she grows up she is going to become a dentist. (wow, a brain surgeon and a dentist.....i'll be set for life!)

she thinks we are far too strict about not giving her enough visits to Chuck E Cheese.

she is smitten with the Taylor Swift and the book Green Eggs and Ham, which has quickly become a favorite now that she can read it all.by.herself.

in three words she describes herself as: popular, energetic, and funny. (all are so true. she gets in trouble in school for talking too much.)

she tells me she remembers when she was little she used to take baths in the kitchen sink.

her favorite season is Winter and the snack she could live on is Cheetos with the tiger on the front (why, of course!), but the thought of eating cherries makes her want to wretch.

she tells me her bestie is Isabella.

and she tells me if she had one and only one wish it would be to not have allergies to cats so she could have one as a pet.

gosh, i love this kid.

(and dang if ashlyn didn't smile.......again, and they posed spidergirl looking like she can't wait to go use the loo....again. what is up with that Lifetouch??? gah, i hate school pictures. all for posterity. *sigh*) vent over. :)

VIDEO Tutorial featuring Elizabeth Park from Little Yellow Bicycle

hello, hello! i have a another free tutorial download using one of Little Yellow Bicycle's newer collections called Elizabeth Park. :)

the collection is SO pretty with lots of delicate touches and pops of color against grey and white backgrounds. totally reminds me of spring!

when looking at my photo wall the other day, i thought "hey, why can't i try the same concept on a layout?" and thus the reason i've clustered all but one frame from the package of Fabric Frames onto this layout. they make me happy. :)

in the corners of these frames, i've clustered many different types of embellishments from the collection, but the video will show you my tips/tricks for putting together the accordion folded "pinwheel" flowers that come in the Paper Flower Kit.

this kit is the best time-saving embellishment purchase! the flowers come already die-cut and pre-scored so that you can fold them on the score lines to create a wonderful dimensional cluster of posies. :)

layered together with the texture of the Fabric Frames and the Flower Button Dots, and you've got magic happening right there on your layout!

for the butterfly's antennae, i just used the Stick Pins and trimmed them shorter with my wire snippers, put some dimensional foam tape on the back of the chipboard butterflies that i layered one on top of another and stuck the antennae right into the foam tape. those puppies will stay put with no additional adhesive necessary.

below, is another one of the accordion folded flowers made from those long strips you see in the picture above of the Paper Flower Kit. you can probably imagine how much of a time saver it is since you don't have to create all those score lines every 1/4" down the entire 12" strip. trust me, it's perfection, every.time. :)

the instructions have these same images, a complete supply list and step-by-step instructions. and the video supplement not only gives my tips/tricks for assembling these flowers but also goes into my detail about the other accents on the layout. :) ENJOY!!!

FREE Download: Hello, I Love You Instructions

so, how's about a photo share...

so, i'm having a little fight with youtube at the moment, so how about i share some random photos while we wait for those technical upload glitches to get worked out?

these are random things i've found on my phone or camera as of late....

rainbows in the sky....

and on the ground....(artwork by ashlyn)

this one was a surprise sent via texting. ashlyn was sleeping over with a friend, i was invited out with some girlfriends, so daddy was stuck with spidergirl. they went on a little date and sent me this photo from their dinner table. i was laughing so hard i almost peed my pants.

then about an hour later i got this picture. hahahahaa.

and i'm not sure if i mentioned it for the grandparents yet, but spidergirl can read books all by herself now! she's super proud and her favorite is Hop on Pop. it makes waiting for the doctor pass much more quickly now.

on her table.....(spidergirl's mess)

on my table.....

and the results on her thumbprint art.... (you saw my finished layout yesterday)

ashlyn look way too grown up. i'm guessing that spidergirl took this photo for her.

sidewalk chalk by spidergirl.

littest pet shops eveeeeeeeeeerywhere throughout my house. i find them in the cabinets, in the pantry, the bathroom, my studio.

they've never really played with barbies, but they'll play with pet shops for hours.

doug's truck being towed away. it's a long story that i didn't share on the blog. just another thing we were dealing with in the midst of all the other chaos. long story short, his tie rod broke, blew the values and ruined the engine. $1800 to fix. so we junked it instead. after we paid $287 for them to tell us what was wrong with it. and $75 to renew the tags just the week prior. and $16 to get a title that still had a bank lein on it even though it was paid off 3 years ago....only after going round and round with the bank for 21 days. oy. a nightmare i'm glad is over. but doug's sad his truck is gone.

a message emma left on the wall of remembrance at Lifeline of Ohio for her big grammy...

and a little sneak peek at what's to come with this video tutorial..... :) thanks for your patience (because i think mine is running out, LOL.)happy thursday!!!