Family | Copic in the Craftroom

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Michelle

Love is in the air

Last week was Valentines and my oldest made her last official Valentines box! Over the years we have gotten quite grand with our boxes and Sara wanted to finish with a bang. She and a group of friends decided to make Minions from Despicable Me. I did a quick search on Pintrest to get some ideas and we were off to the races. The result:

We used a cardboard box as the base and I built on the curved top with cardboard and hot glue. (We have built quite a few fancy shaped boxes at the is point so I have quite the system) Sara covered her creation in Yellow duck tape and started cutting all the foam pieces for teeth, eye, arms, legs, hands and feet. I started work on the overalls. Sara had an old pair of jeans that got sacrificed for the occasion. The waist band became the straps, the 5th pocket became the small pocket on the front of the Minions overalls. I used chances from the legs to create the rest. I did splurge and buy the overall fasteners to give it a little more realism 🙂 The overalls were completely done with hot glue no sewing involved. The one eyed goggle is a mason jar lid with black elastic, again attached with hot glue. Sara attached all her parts and pieces, she added the eye and goggle then created the hair and added it on top. Needless to say he was a big success!

On to Lori! She scanned Pintrest for some crafty inspiration and found an owl valentine craft that she really loved so we did a little more Pintrest research and came up with the following:

What I think I love most about Lori’s box is that she did EVERYTHING! I helped wrap a cardboard box then she painted it. I showed her how to create the tissue ruffles and she went to town ruffling her friend. She designed, cut and added the eyes, wings, horns and beak that of course opens and closes, all out of foam. She even finished her all off with all the little bows. I am so proud of her!

In the mean time I am putting the finishing touches on my current on-line class, teaching a few art lessons at the school, keeping up with the Creative Team at Get It Scrapped and new tutorials for the site as well. In general keeping busy and out of trouble. Swim season is wrapping up in two weeks and gymnastics competitions are in full swing so the Houghton’s are hopping!

Happy Saturday!

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Michelle

Sprinkling

Another layout for Get It Scrapped! This time we were all “sprinkling” our layouts. We created a trail of embellishments in a sprinkling formation. It is a fun technique that can take a little time but is worth the efforts. Check all the layouts out HERE

Sara’s B-Day by Michelle Houghton | Supplies: cardstock and chipboard letters; American Crafts, patterned paper, doilies, flowers and brads; SEI, ink: Sharpie

This is one of those quick and easy layouts. I used product from one line, SEI, with touches from my stash. The brads are ones I have had forever, you know the kind you find and think ooooh so pretty I just know I will use these right up! Then you take them to every crop and pull them out as possible accent on numerous layouts and never use them. He He. Yep these are THOSE brads. So I was thrilled to have an opportunity to use so many of them. The sprinkling became my primary embellishment so the layout just did not need much more. I love how the mimic the sprinkles that Sara added to her cupcake. 🙂

We had gotten the cupcake at the bookstore when we found out at the check out that she could be a kids club member and get a treat on her birthday. It was in fact her birthday that very day, that was why Grandma and I had taken her to the bookstore, and they made a special exception for Sara so she could go straight to the Starbucks counter and get her treat that very day. She picked a vanilla cupcake and decided when we got home that it needed sprinkles and Grandma decided it needed candles too. So it became a mini birthday cake surprise 🙂

Yep a perfect day and a fun layout to remember it by!

Happy Saturday!

Posted on January 23, 2014January 22, 2014 by Michelle

Loving on Grandmas

Taking a little break from the CHA chatter. I got to participate in another podcast with Debbie Hodge this past week, this time we were gabbing about photos of Grandmas. All of us shared a photo and stories from not only those photos but about Grandmas in general. We talked about how we might like to scrap the photos or have scrapped them and the stories we don’t want to forget to tell. Check out the podcast HERE. In honor I pulled out two older layouts that I made of my Grandma. Both were done a few years back so I no longer have supply lists so I apologize.

This layout shares all sorts of little tidbits about my Grandma. Each of the envelopes opens to reveal a small story, a memory.

Gram was always “big Gram” to us. Not because of her size which I would guess most would assume, in fact that is what I believed for much of my childhood. But because I dubbed her that in my toddlerhood. This layout shares the story of her naming 🙂

Happy Grandma scrapping and have a great Thursday!

Posted on January 16, 2014January 16, 2014 by Michelle

Telling Stories

I am back from CHA with lots of stories to tell so I am going to do a few blog posts over the next couple days. I also have had some fun goings ons at Get It Scrapped so lots of fun news to report!

On arriving in Anahiem I started right off teaching my very first class for Imagination International, the US distributor of all things Copic. I had 5 wonderful Copic lovers come to play and learn all about my mixed media apron and to create one of their very own. We had a great time!!

Debbie is starting a new series of podcasts all about sharing the stories that go along with our photos. Often there is not a layout yet but just the plans for one and the story that you are ready to share. Really it is just a group of us getting together to share our stories and how we might scrap them. I got to visit with Debbie this past week about photos I took at Disney land with Lori and her favorite car character Mater and in the Car ride!

It was fun to talk about the adventures we had on our trip and in particular the lengthy journey we took to finally get to ride on the Car’s ride! Of course talking through the adventure always sparks new ideas and new ways to look not only at these photos but others that might tell other stories that are related to the original.

Make sure to stop by Get It Scrapped and check out this new series. It will make great listening during your own crafting time!

Click HERE to listen to the first podcast!

I will be back very soon with more details from CHA!

Posted on December 28, 2013January 16, 2014 by Michelle

Oh My What Happened?!

I think I fell off the face of the Earth! My last post was after our return from Thanksgiving break. Here is what has happened in a nut shell since then;

3 weeks of school, 3 doctors appointments a lot of phone calls and several runs to the pharmacy for Sara, a talking Canvas presentation for 5th graders, a holiday party with 2 crafts for 125 5th graders, Mom and Dad visiting for a week, girls out of school for Christmas, a tree and decorations, Christmas cards off and away, John off for a few days.

Now John has a few more days off, the girls have one more week off, we are headed to a basketball game tonight, the zoo tomorrow and bowling on Monday then new years and John back to work, girls back to school, I have a class starting on-line on January 8th and I get on a plane on January 8th for Anaheim, CA for 5 days of CHA fun, where I will be teaching a Copic class to a very small group of Copic enthusiasts.

Woosh it does sound like a lot. No wonder my house looks this way 🙂 Of course life has continued as well and I have had a few things post at Get It Scrapped. Here is a peak at those;

Breaking the rules:

Summer Haiku by Michelle Houghton | Supplies: cardstock, Bazzil Basics, sticker letters; American Crafts, ink; Sharpie, paint; Golden

I have been enjoying the Haiku writing and thought it perfectly suited a smattering of the flower photos I took while in Breckinridge, CO. The challenge was trying to purposefully break rules of design on your scrapbook page. Click HERE to read more about the rules I broke and the others that tackled the challenge as well.

I also had a tutorial posted on using gold foil and leafing:

Click HERE to get all the details and the how too. I was particularly inspired by the 3 other ladies that posted with me this month. They each used the gold techniques so completely differently! I l over seeing their work and I am so glad they joined me for the challenge!

Lastly there is a fun article about using circles on your layouts. I LOVE to use circles so this one is right up my ally.

Wet and Wild Ride by Michelle Houghton | Supplies: cardstock and chipboard letters; American Crafts, patterned paper; Basic Grey, small sticker letters; October Afternoon, ink; Sharpie and Copic, journaling tag; Maya Road, dots; Mark Richards, trim; unknown

Another layout that I really love I think I like this one because of the great family photos, I know the are blurry but boy those faces, they just melt me. The other scrappers that contributed to this article took circles to a whole new level. It is definitely worth a peak, check it out HERE

OK I better close there. I will attempt to stay on top of it again even for quick check ins 🙂 Thank you so much for tuning in and checking out the latest doings in Des Moines!

Merry Christmas a few days late and have a Happy New Year!