Using Glitter and A New Tool

Hi there! Do you like using glitter in your projects? I'm a so-so user. In other words, I can do without it but mostly because of the mess it often time leaves.

I received a bottle of beautiful green glitter from Jenlee Schoolcraft which I was really excited about, and it also prompted me to buy a new tool...a glitter vacuum.

We'll get to that later, but first, the card!

Watch the video for the process, but basically, I used a combination of clear embossing powder and the Nuvo Pure Sheen glitter to create the card background. I heated two layers of the clear embossing powder before adding the glitter. In a sense, I am making my own glitter paper. The embossing powder absorbed the glitter so it has a slick finish to it.

Once that was complete, I colored and die cut these cute parrots for the focal images on the card. As an afterthought, I probably should have made these birds a different color, but the greens are different shades so it's still super cute! 

Products Used:

Glitter: Nuvo Pure Sheen Olive Green Glitter (Jenlee Schoolcraft)
Stamps/Dies: birds2stamp from The Stamps of Life

Clear Embossing Powder: Stampin Up!

Glitter Vacuum: Recollections from Michaels

Alcohol Markers and Cardstock from my stash

If you are interested in low cost, budget friendly crafting supplies, click over the Jenlee Schoolcraft website. You'll find an assortment of new and slightly used products that vary from stamps, dies, embossing folders, glitter, embellishments and so much more. Use the coupon code, Dorlene, for an additional 10% off your order

Product Review:

Yes, I love it! I made a mess of the embossing powder and glitter but this little vacuum had no trouble picking up all of it! This, my friends, is a great buy! Especially if you're like me and forget to put an under paper on your work area. I got this with a coupon and it was about $11 (normally under $15). Not bad at all!

Easter Sunburst Layout

I used most of my Easter/Spring patterned papers to create two 6x12 sunbursts for this two-page spread. Isn't it so bright and fun!

It took me a bit to figure out how to do it (watch the process video for a great tip), but once I did, it was so easy.

Once the sunbursts were done, all it needed was cute embellishments made from Printable Cuttable Creatables and the Cricut.

I used a cake topper that I made for 2024 Easter for the title. If you want to see more about that project, click HERE.

Will you try to make your own sunburst?

TGIF; Thankful Friday #405

Hi there and happy Thankful Friday. Another week is ending and another week to be thankful.

This week I'm thankful for family. I know I say this a lot but this time I mean my extended family. The other day one nephew texted me about a photo we saw and then last night I received a text from a different nephew about March Madness (Mayhem). 

I truly believe our annual virtual marathon has ignited closer relationships but also realizing that we are all so important to each other. Life is short why not communicate with those we love!?!

I know, a little cheesy but I truly am thankful for these random texts and comments.

What are you thankful for this week?

Go Bananas Layout; Scraplift Yourself

I am scraplifting myself with this two page spread of my granddaughter's first T-ball season. Do you do that? I mean why not?

It definitely makes it easier to complete a layout when you have a sketch in mind.

There are 8 pictures here. I think I'm mostly excited about using two washi tapes on it! The baseball paper is 6x12 on the left side and 4x6 on the right. I used Cricut cuts for the embellishments on the left side and to cut the circles.

This is a fun layout that really concentrates on the photos. I love that!

Watch the process YouTube video for this layout:

The other two HERE and HERE.

Stamped Background Card

Have you tried stamping your own patterned paper? It's so fun and easy. I received this older two step stamp set recently and knew I wanted to use it instead of patterned paper for a card idea.

Watch the process video:

When stamping a background paper, I usually start in the middle then fill the piece but for some reason, I just chose a corner and just went for it! Always start with the larger stamp and then fill in with a smaller one.

I cut this 5x7 piece into a 3.75x5 panel and then cut it at a diagonal. What I should have done is cut that diagonal below the right side corner but it wasn't an entire oops.

I ended up wrapping some twine and adhering a double loop twine bow to (sort of) cover it.

The card is so pretty I think even without the bow would have been fine.

What do you think about the yellow mat and twine? I originally wanted to use purple but couldn't find a shade that matched the ink. I think the yellow was a better choice anyhow.

And the second card which was created by cutting the leftover piece into four equal pieces. I added two pieces of scrap cardstock on one of the panels before adhering to the yellow base.

It's hard to tell but each card has clear Stickles in the center of each flower. It's so pretty!!

TGIF; Thankful Friday #404

Happy Thankful Friday! This week I'm thankful for the first baseball game of the season. Last night was my granddaughter's first coach pitch game and it's so exciting to be out at the field, listening to the crack of the bat, smelling the fresh cut grass, enjoying sunflower seeds and the bright sun.

My son is coaching the team this year and it's a bonus to see him on the field again. This is my favorite picture taken of the game:

Remember even if it's a little thing, there is always something to be thankful for! What are you thankful for this week?

Rainbow Crush YT Hop; Mint Green

I wasn't sure if I was going to participate in the Rainbow Crush hop this month but luckily I found mint green in my stash! Here's my layout and my video:

#scrapbooking #scrapbooklayouts #rainbowcrushhop #scrapbookprocessvideo

Welcome to Rainbow Crush – a Social Media hop where we share projects that feature a color of the rainbow each month! This hop is hosted by Tara on her Facebook Group.  Anyone is welcome to play along.  This hop takes place on the  2nd Wednesday of the month!  The color for March is mint green!

You can sign for the next month’s hop over on the The Paper Snob Community Facebook group: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thepapersnobcommunity/

INSTAGRAM:

Brandi:  https://www.instagram.com/scrappy.boymama/

Tina:  https://www.instagram.com/tinamcmmvr/

Simera:  www.instagram.com/scrappysimi

Laurie:  https://www.instagram.com/scrapbookingbits/

Tammy: www.instagram.com/handcrafterhaven

Here is the YOUTUBE PLAYLIST for this hop! All the videos in one place!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCfSqErOPJor_bX3Yr0VsTcZySabrMX4N

I went through all my wooden/brown embellishments to find something that sorta went with the theme. This was a hard one! I did find some mintish enamel dots that coordinated but luckily those triangles gave this layout all the love it needed!

Be sure to watch the playlist and leave a comment on the hop videos. There are some great scrapbookers participating!  

If you're interested in a fun, informative and easy going Scrapbooking's community, check out Scrapbooking the Day Away. You'll find a free and paid membership available. Click HERE to get there!

Double Z Gate Fold Card; Jenlee Schoolcraft

When I received the recent Design Team packet from Jenlee Schoolcraft, I wasn't sure how I would use the Santoro A4 Decoupage Pack. Boy, was I surprised when I opened the folder and found some beautiful 3D images. Well, what I should say, is the fixin's for 3D images.

These are beautiful and I couldn't wait to use them! I decided to use the little girl in the green dress since it is March and St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. I opted to create a fun fold card as well.

Measurements for the card is as follows:

• White cardstock: 5 1/4 x 11 scored at 1 3/4 and 3 1/2; turn to the other side and score at the same measurements and another piece cut at 3 1/4 x 4 1/4
• Color Cardstock: (2) 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and one piece at 1 1/2 x 5 (I used green)
• Coordinating Cardstock for mats: 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 and 1 1/4 x 4 3/4 (I used Metallic Gold from CutCardStock)
• Patterned Paper: 4 x 5 1/4 and 1 x 4 1/2 (very old Stampin  Up paper)

Watch the video for a better understanding on how to put the card together.

Isn't it so cute? I wish you could really see the 3D effect on the girl image. It's a WOW factor for this card!

The white cardstock Z fold mechanism is adhered only in the center area to the flat 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 base. It leaves plenty of room for a greeting/message.

If you are interested in cost effective craft supplies, look no further than the Jenlee Schoolcraft website. There are new and slightly used products available for purchase at great prices! Use my first name, Dorlene for an additional 10% off your total order. What a deal!

TGIF; Thankful Friday 403

Hi there and happy thankful Friday! This week flew by and I'm not sure why. This week I'm thankful for unexpected holidays. 

Did you know on March 3rd it was National Pancake Day? Me either! We took our granddaughter to her dental appointment and stopped at IHOP afterwards. Lo and behold they were offering FREE pancakes for the holiday!

I tried to get the girls to take a posed picture but they didn't want to stop eating! Ha ha ha it's all good!

What are you thankful for this week? Let me know in the comments.

Month in Review; Retreat Freebies

I had so much fun putting together this Month in Review two page spread. All the items with the exception of the cardstock bases are from the Freebie Pile at a retreat that I attended. 

I love the Freebie Table for two reasons, the first is obvious...free stuff and second, I like to contribute to get rid of my goods too. Win-Win

Each paper strip is 2x12 and I adhered them across the two bases. Most are crooked but there are a few straight ones. I don't know why someone got rid of these papers, they are so fun!

Once I added the strips and the photos, I created clusters to embellish. I used the Cricut to cut the FEB for the title on the left side.

Watch the YouTube process video to see how it was done!

LTCCB March; JJ Tag

Hi there. It's the first of March and time for another six week challenge at the Love To Craft Challenge Blog. This fun blog is for all kinds of crafters. You can submit any project as long as its a crafty one!

For this month's project, I decided to share the watercolored flower I created on a store receipt for my Junk Journal.

I love making something out of nothing or in this case, something out of something that would have been trashed.

Here's the piece:

And here's the video showing how it was done:

Isn't it fun! I even made use of the painters tape that was used to adhere it on the page. The majority of this tag was created by using watercolor paints. I also used a black ball point pen, some white acrylic paint to create splatter and white, purple and green paint pens for outlines and the words.

Now it's your turn. Create something...anything and link it to LTCCB. But before you do that, take a peek at the DT creations for some inspiration!

Link your project by April 15th!

Nat'l Strawberry Day Watercolor Card

Happy National Strawberry Day. I swear there's a national holiday for just about anything but hey, it gives me excused to make theme specific cards!

I created this card by adding red watercolor paint on a thick piece of white cardstock. Then, I created my own patterned paper by stamping two different strawberry stamps and some paint splatter around it.

Once that was dried, I heat embossed a sentiment on patterned vellum and adhered this panel to the patterned paper using four white brads.

Hello! This card has so much going on. Watercoloring, embossing, stamping, vellum and brads.

Check out the process video on my YouTube channel and follow the Instagram Hop starting on my IG account, @3sons_and_astar

TGIF; Thankful Friday #402

TGIF and Happy Thankful Friday! I'm back in Arizona this week which makes me thankful for not only the great sunny weather but also sister time. 

Now that we're spread all over the U.S., I know I need to take advantage of this time when it comes. Even when the crazy is present (it's mostly me), it's still good to be with them.

What about you? What are you thankful for this week?

Designer Deep Dive Challenge Layout & YT Hop

Join a fun group of creators each month as we take on the Designer Deep Dive Hop! Each month Tara from @thepapersnob will select a designer or manufacturer to use on a layout. There will be some alternatives for some of the designers just in case you don’t have this designer or manufacturer in your stash.   You are not required to use 100% of this designer!  

This hop goes live on the FOURTH SATURDAY of the month. We will have a hop on YouTube and Instagram to show how we each used the designer for the month. 

The designer/manufacturer of the month is: Creative Memories, Stampin’ Up, or Close To My Heart. If you don’t have any of those, use an old kit club that you have hanging around. 

This is my first time participating in this hop but since I was at a scrapbooking retreat, I felt I had plenty of opportunity to complete it!

Here's my layout:

Close Up:

And the deets:

The collection I used was called Free To Be Me. It was an anniversary collection from CTMH years ago. I actually have two sets of this collection because I loved it so much. It also means that I still have a lot of it left over. That's ok. I feel like these colors and the patterns can go with pretty much everything.

Be sure to Hop along to the different videos, leave some comments and hopefully be inspired by the designers. The YouTube playlist link is below:

playlist

And my video:

Nat'l Margarita Day; Stick it Down Sketch

I love the sketch by Stick It Down for February and loved how it worked turned on its side for this two photo layout.

As you can probably guess, I was determined to use all these festive stickers from this collection sheet that I've had for many years. I bought it on clearance for $.79. How could I resist?

Here's the sketch:

And my layout:

The top two images are a photo printed at 2x2 square and a margarita sticker from a completely different sticker set.

Stick It Down posts three sketches each month. A card sketch, two page and a single page sketch.

You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Making a Junk Journal with Aiyana

Have you ever wanted to make a junk journal? Well, I just made one with my niece and remembered to film it. There are some portions that didn't get filmed, but I still think this is a good one to follow along with if you're interested in making your own.

She piled 10 pieces of paper on top of each other and then folded them to create our signatures.  At that point, I used a sewing machine to keep them attached. Basically sewed right down the fold.

Luckily we found some upholstery thread to use to bind them into the cover. The cover was a box that held a frame. It was the perfect size thickness. 

I used a piece of scrap cardboard to create a template to drill the holes. You can see this on the video.

You can always ask questions too!

Check out the journal that Aiyana and I created with limited supplies. (I was at my sisters' and used items from her sewing room!)

TGIF; Thankful Friday #401

 

Hi there and happy Friday. It's another week to be thankful. I was reminded that I skipped a week and guess what, I almost forgot another one.

This week I'm thankful for being home and enjoying our new furniture. We bought a new couch, love seat and recliner. But the thing I'm mostly thankful for is that our whole family fills them up. We've been watching the Olympics and it's been nice rooting for the young athletes as they compete for medals.

What about you? What are you thankful for this week? Leave me a comment!

Docraft Cut and Emboss Hop; Jenlee Schoolcraft

I'm participating in a YouTube hop featuring Docrafts Cut and Embossed folders from Jenlee Schoolcraft website. Be sure to follow the hop, comment and complete the form (link below) for a chance to win $50 gift certificate to the Jenlee Schoolcraft website! 

Here's my card:

What I did: it took me a little bit to figure out the Sizzix sandwich but it was definitely worth it! This image is gorgeous! I decided to keep it plain and really add the colors to the air balloon. 

And of course the wow factor of the shaker!

My video:

YouTube Hop Playlist:

After watching and commenting on the four videos, complete and submit this form:  https://forms.gle/DJjihhsvd5v42GMu5

The form must be completed and submitted by February 26, 2026 and winner will be announced on the 27th.

If you're interested in high quality new and used products at low prices, check out the Jenleeschoolcraft website and use my name, Dorlene, for 10% off!

https://www.jenleeschoolcraft.com

Patterned Paper: Clouds of Hope from Seguras Crafts