Be Healthy & {THRIVE}

Last week, SRM Stickers honored Breast Cancer Awareness month on their blog. I'm feeling very honored to have had my card as one of the featured creations...

I used a sticker from the SRM Quick Cards 'Thrive' collection, along with pretty papers from The Girls Paperie 'Paper Girl' collection, Bo Bunny Double Dot paper & Tim Holtz tissue tape. Take a peek at the SRM blog to see all the wonderful Breast Cancer Awareness creations from the SRM Design Team and two other reader submissions.

October may be the official Breast Cancer Awareness month...but remember to do those monthly breast self exams...be healthy...and thrive!

Today I will...

Don't ya just love that saying? Quite simple, really. On this very stormy Tuesday, I've decided that's my motto for the day! I snapped that photo at the Ruffles & Rust show this past weekend. My sister and I, along with a few of my other favorite vintage-loving ladies, ventured out Saturday morning for some treasure hunting at this show in Monroe. It was vintage bliss!

Another happy thing...

Sneak peeks of the Hip 2-B Square October Hip Kits have been posted. Can't wait for this package to arrive at my door! You can find more details here.

Have a super day, friends. I'm glad you stopped by...

xoBC



So many things needed attention...

...there was laundry to fold, floors to vacuum, a guest room to spruce up for my dear sister who's coming to visit tomorrow (YAY!), a dog that was begging for a walk, oh yah...and dinner to get on the table. But I just couldn't resist taking some time out for the Crate Paper October sketch challenge!
Emily Pitts posted this fun sketch on the CP blog...

And here's what I came up with...

I used some Kaisercolour acrylic paint in 'yellow deep' (kindof a boring name for such a great yellow!) with a little bit of white pearl Smooch over it for a little sparkle...which, sadly, you can't really see in the photo. Two inch squares of fabulous patterned papers from Crate Paper's Restoration, Snow Day, Pink Plum and Lillian Collections create the grid - I do love how the CP collections work so well together even when they have such different themes & personalities on their own. I added a couple of vintage milk caps, a few Tim Holtz metal flowers and some other bits & baubles. A rub-on from the Pink Plum collection...'Life is Pretty Wonderful'...don't ya think that's true? It's so good for the soul to have a little creative break from the 'to do list' every once in a while. And don't worry...we did manage to eat, Miss Griffin got to go on a walk & the guest room bed has clean sheets!
xoBC

Only Martha

...would come up with this for a Halloween costume. The forecast better not call for wind or rain!

A Day Behind

Yesterday I woke up thinking it was Wednesday...which I blamed on the tea towel hanging from the dishwasher handle that said 'Mend on Wednesday'. But here's a confession...we often use the 'wrong' day of the week tea towel in this house. {Gasp} I know...so very NOT Martha. Anyway, because it's often the norm to have the wrong towel in use, I really shouldn't have taken it so literally. Afterall, if it's in the clean laundry pile, then it'll do the job! Same goes with those silly day of the week undies! Could never get those right either! NOW you're saying...'Why is this girl rambling on like this about silly day of the week linens & undergarments? Please just get to the point!' It's because I forgot to tell you about Tutorial Tuesday over at the Hip 2B Square blog!! 

Every Tuesday on the blog, one of the Design Team members will feature a tutorial that includes step by step instructions and photos focusing on a tool, technique or product. Last week Tricia shared a tutorial on distressing & sanding to create some fun Halloween home decor and the week before Deana shared a tutorial on how to make a super cute ribbon flower embellishment. Yesterday, which was indeed Tuesday, was my feature on paper pleating. 

Here's a Halloween card that I made using the technique...

Take a minute to go check out Tutorial Tuesday here and let me know what you think!

(And I promise to never ramble on about tea towels or undies on this blog EVER again.)

xoBC

Hip Kit Travel Journal

For September's Hip 2B Square Hip Kit, we were asked to create a travel related project of some sort. The kit included a sheet of Basic Grey's Sticker Elements from their Wander collection...which were perfect for a travel related project!

I decided to create a travel journal & knew I wanted something with pockets so various memorabilia could be easily saved along the way. I started with three 9x12 manila envelopes & my trusty sewing machine...

All the patterned paper in the kit was fabulous! There was a mix of My Minds Eye, Crate Paper and Sassafras. All of them coordinated so well with the Basic Grey stickers, brads & Small Details (those cool round embellishments with the metal hooks that I used on the cover!). This journal would be really cute in a school theme too, using the fun Crate Paper papers and Pink Paislee embellishments that are also included in this kit! How fun would it be to make this journal with more envelopes & make it into a perpetual birthday calendar? You could keep a stash of birthday cards in the pockets. So many possibilities...I just need more time in my day for creative play!
xoBC

How cool would it be...

...to be an honorary design team member for Cosmo Cricket in November?!?!! Did you see this post on their blog today? Oh my goodness! Besides the fact that I am drooling over the sneak peek of their new Circa 1934 product line...my heart went pitter patter at the thought of joining their design team, even if for one brief month! So...if you haven't nominated yourself or received bribes from fellow Cosmo Cricket lovers yet, here's my plea to you. Please, please, please go and leave a nomination for little 'ole me in the comment section of this post. Not sure how I could ever thank you enough if I was lucky enough to get picked, but I bet I could think of something! :) And when you're leaving a nomination in the comments, don't forget to tell them what you think of their sneak peak...'cause you could be a winner of some product from the line! Fun!!

xoBC

Hip 2B Square September Kit

How lucky am I to be a part of the Hip Kit Design Team? VERY!! The September kit is full, full, full of goodness! You can go here to see details of all of the amazing product in th Hip Kit & all the goodies in the Add-On Kits.

Melanie provided another fantastic sketch for our September kits.

And here's what I came up...
I had fun playing with some of my Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on this layout. Love that stuff!

On this next layout, I used some of the great Pink Paislee product from their Old School line that's included in the September kit...including the really cool canvas borders. 

I absolutely adore the vintage look of this Sassafras 'Free Spirit' paper from their Indie Girl line & their 'In A Stitch' blossoms! It was perfect for a layout using an old photo of my sister, dad and I. Also love the yellow velvet ribbon...

Thanks for letting me share my layouts, friends...tomorrow I'll be back to share the cards & a fun travel journal I made using more pieces from the September Hip Kit!
Wishing you a beautiful & creative day...
xoBC

Put on your party hat, my pretties...

...and celebrate the arrival of October & all of fall's goodness!
We're back from vacation & settling in. I love the change of the season between summer and fall. Bright pumpkins, dark crimson dahlias, chunky wool sweaters, crisp mornings & sunny afternoons. I pulled out some fall decor & am transforming the house into a cozy little nest. I don't have many Halloween specific decorations, but I pulled this from a shelf in my studio...

This hat that I created is definitely for a good witch...a very stylish, good witch! Some of the roses are made out of pages from an old french novel. And I love, love, love the green Dupioni ribbon from Midori that pops against the black & cream.

I'm excited to do some more fall nesting & get back in my studio to work on some fall crafty projects. And I guess it's not too early to start working on Christmas projects too! Hope to have some fun things to share very soon, including projects from the fabulous Hip 2-B Square September Hip Kit!

Enjoy your day my friends!

xoBC