Creative Expressions by Michelle

Name Frame for a Wedding Couple

Here's a wedding gift I just made today.  For some reason, I just didn't get a move on until last night, the wedding was today!  I spend most of the night and up to 2 hours before the wedding getting this done!   I kept thinking "well, I have a year to give them a gift!"  But I kept pushing on, good thing I didn't have a watch.  I went to bed about 4am this morning. 

And this is where, at 2am int he morning, I'm grateful for all the BIBHUIY (Bought It But Haven't Used It Yet coined by a friend of mine, Marjie!), in my drawers!  However, personally I think there should be a 24/7 craft store open!  LOL  I'm not posting a picture of my table of the aftermath of my work but it will take the rest of tonight getting all this put away again!

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And here is the card I made for them.  Just a quicky, I only had a little time left before the wedding!

Childhood Amusements Fatbook page

Here's another Fatbook SWAP I was in, this one is "Childhood Amusements."  Very fun one to do, I chose to do a cherry tree with a girl swinging, little books by the tree and a German Shepherd Dog by my side.  All representives of my childhood.

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These pictures is an example of what it is like to assemble 17 pages for a fatbook!

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This is the picture of the help I was getting!

Rock n' Roll Fatbook page

Here's my entry for the fatbook called Rock n' Roll.  Something fast and quick, the "records" in their album covers, actually could out.  Where's the record player?  :)

Don't look if you're in this SWAP and want to be suprised!

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Microslide Pin - Anyone know about the word "overachiever?!?!?!"

I had wanted to make a special wedding shower gift of a rolling pin that was altered.  But alas the shower was today, and I wasn't done!  So for the hour between when church was over and when the shower started, I made this microslide pin instead.  Just to hold her over until I can get the "real" gift completed.  These are her favorite colors.

Victorian Fatbook Page

I simply LOVE these fatbooks!  I participated in another fatbook party the other day.  It's run like a Shoe Box party where we each bring our own design for a page, then all the participants work at creating the pages in true party-like fashion!  But at the end of the day, we bind it all together into a beautiful FAT book!

For my page, I bought fringe from the Upholstery section. I spent a little for it but it was worth it fo the design! I covered watercolor paper (140 weight but old cereal boxes would work too!) with burgandy cardstock then added the fringe.    For the frame, I bought cheap frames from the dollar store (made up for the cost of the fringe!) and framed a stamped victorian lady picture on vellum.  I colored her in abit and cut out areas I wanted her to show "fur."  Then I sandwiched in the picture and fur into the frame, and lined the inside and outs of the frame with a krylon pen.  Added a few burgandy roses and there you have a true victorian page!  I stamped a couple little pieces of holly just to make sure it was "Christmas!"  But this is how the Victorian Era people did their picture frames at the time.  This became more "authentic" as I found the treasures for my page!  I'm showing the backside here too but this time it wasn't very special. 

I wish I obtained permission to show the other artist's pages, the entire book is simply fantastic!  I've already looked through it several times and can't get enough of it.  And I even spent 11 hours putting it all together!  But if you know me personally, I know you'll be seeing it soon, I've just got to show it off!  ;)  A very special fatbook indeed!

I cranked out three ATC's in the last couple days too (67 all in all!) that I will be showing with you in the next couple days too!  And of course my stamp camp is around the corner so Saturday, you'll see what we did here (As well as my Holiday Stamp a Stack photos) So be sure to check back, I"ll be active for awhile! 

Afternote:  Why does my life get so busy that I have to butt up to deadlines all the time?  I'm not waiting for New Year's to start that Resolution!  Hope to fix it now!  But then comes along more commitments!  Single parenting is so relaxed and nothing much to do....NOT!!!  ;)

Spoiled rotten, yet again!

I always have the best Super sisters!  This time it's Jan C, and she sent the best little decorated can and card.  I just LOVE it!!!!  I'm taking it to my Stamping party today, it's too pretty not to share!

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And can you read the tag, very cute!

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And here's the whole package!  Thanks Jan, I LOVE IT!!!!!

My first Bind it All book Design!

This is a 40-page book I've created with my Bind it All.  It's for someone very special and soon to have it in their possession!  I love this new playtoy!  It's so easy to use and it looks so professional. I'll be doing many more projects with this really handy little tool!

And this was so easy, I basicaly found the perfect scrapbook page paper and dressed it up abit with some sparkly and vellum.  Then added some matching ribbons.  I was going to make a bookmark to go with the book but ran out of time.  I have so many other projects to do, you know!  So many more books to make, so little time!  ;)

Here's the front cover and the inside cover of the book.

Entry into an all year flipbook

My entry for an all year flipbook.  Quick and simple since I've run out of time!

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6x6 SB page for Lynn, a friend

Some friends are gathering SB pages for the family.  Lynn passed away last July and we will be presenting this book of thoughts about Lynn to her family on her birthday, Oct 18th.  Here's my page:

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The front of the pages says:

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The back of the page unties and opens.  It says:

If I know Lynn, she's infecting heaven with her smile and her happy spirit!  She was and is a gracious, wonderful human being.  It was an honor to have known her.  As a fellow Christian Sister, she shined brightly for Jesus Christ!  She was so gracious and so giving of herself.  I remember a time when she was asked to drive a group of people somewhere.  She was a bit nervous about it because she didn't know the area she was driving but she never told anyone about it.  She just jumped in and did the task.  She was like that with everything, always giving and never taking!

One of the last times I got to spend with her was when we attended the stamping retreat in April.  She was in a lot of pain but she told me that there was no way she wanted to miss being with her stamping buddies.  She was a bit more quiet than usual but you could see her taking it all in.  And it was very rare to look over at Lynn and not see her beautiful smile and bright eyes.  And it was a warm sincere smile too that spoke to your very heart.  I swear it was Jesus shining through!

The first retreat I attended in 2005, she was the first person to sit with me and talk with me.  She found out I had three boys and she started sending me some surprises in the mail for my boys like stickers and things.  Small things but it came packed with lots of care and love.  I also attended a smaller Shoebox Party (SBP) with her recently and I got to sit next to her.  I will now treasure those moments I had with her. ( I think I will be holding one to her project just a bit longer too)

She was a bit of a jokester too.  She had a dry sense of humor that would just catch you off your feet sometimes.  She'd say something that just would make you stop, then she'd flash that smile of hers and have you laughing with her.   And she was very tall, like 6 foot 4 inches, or something close.  Her body was very tall but her soul was at least 60 feet taller!  The Lord did very good with this soul, I pray I'm half what Lynn was here on earth! 

It just goes to show you that your time here on earth can be very long or very short.  But it's what you do with "the dash" that counts. In other words, between your born date and your death date on your tombstone, there's a dash, what does that mean in your life?  For Lynn, it spoke volumes!

The world dimmed a bit in July because Lynn is now longer on earth but heaven just got a whole lot brighter because she's up there dancing with the angels......and flashing her beautiful smile without pain!!!  I love you, Lynn and I can’t wait to see you again in Heaven!

Love,

Michelle McCarthy

Asian Fatbook

Oh my goodness!  Last weekend, I went to a type of Shoebox Party but this was focused on creating an Asian Fatbook.  Each of us designed a page for our book and when we got together, we created everyone's designed pages for our own book.  So by the end of the day, we had 10 pages for our Fatbook and the hostess designed a cover and back for the book as well.

Here is my page that I designed:

Front of page with screen closed:

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Front page with Screen open: 

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Back of page: 

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For the rest of the pages and book taht other designed, check out my Project photo album for the pictures.  They all were a treasure!