I YuDu? Du Yu?

Hahahahaha...that's so funny LOL. My hubby was able to find me a YuDu for $99 at his store (after having 5 different stores in the Dallas area tell me they didn't have any!) so I got to play with it today. I.LOVE.LOVE.LOVE. it!! I know a lot of people get so frustrated with this machine but it's so simple to me! I guess you just have to really take the time to read the intrusctions and also to watch YouTube videos because that is what helped me :)

My son is having his 7th bday party next Saturday and he wants it Spongebob theme so I thought I would make him and his brother and sister some shirts! I printed out the Spongebob from a coloring page I found and then burned the image to the screen! I would go through all the steps here but i'm soooooo tired after dragging 3 kids to all my errands today! Haha

Enjoy the shirts!

First VLOG!

Hey guys! :) So I thought today I would post my first ever VLOG. I have always wanted to actually "talk" to you guys and then I discovered the webcam on my laptop! LOL. Sorry the quality is not all that great, I hope to be upgrading to a Macbook in the next few weeks but for now, this will do! :) Also PLEASE excuse my hair and the fact that i'm not wearing any makeup. I did this quick video right after I put my daughter down for a nap and I worked out so it's not my best look. LOL

Really quick, this video is just an opening for what I will be doing from now on. I started the Body by Vi challenge last Thursday and wanted to show all of you my progress as I go throughout the weeks and also, show you guys some scrapbook layouts I have made while MIA.

Don't forget to become a subscriber to my YouTube channel to get more updates on my Vlogs. I will do my updates over there and try to keep this blog crafty only :)

**If you wanna jump ahead to the "Cricut" talk, it's about minuter 5:00. :)**

Magical Memories layout

So awhile back I learned a cute little trick for "designing" your own pattern paper on the Imagine. I can't remember who exactly came up with this concept but it originated when the Cricut Everyday cart came out and people wanted "Cricut Circle" paper. Someone got to work and figured out that if you autofill an image to any size paper, voila, you can make your own pattern paper. EASY! And if you want every other color changed, all you have to do is make the first image on color, and add the same second image with a different color THEN press autofill and there you go. :)

So today after dealing with a VERY cranky 19 month old (she's teething) and my husband being away for training I finally sat down to make an 8x8 page for my son Jacob's Shadowbox. I have 3 shadowboxes that Chris (my husband) helped me etch with each of our kid's names and I just add a scrapbook layout to them. So I try to periodically change them the older they get, or by season, whatever but after the headaches I have dealt with this past week I just was not in the mood to make something extravagant. I cut down a red 8x8 piece of cardstock, black 7.75x7.75 and my pattern paper at 7.5x7.5. Then I made a little border, added some acrylic "buttons" and of course, for the title used Emma's Fun in the Sun stamp set. :) Simple and now I can go back and finish watching my all time fave show, 48 hours. =)

Teresa Collins Scrapbook Layout

Hey guys! Sorry i've been MIA for the past week! I've been super busy moving my scrapbook area over to my dining area (more room PLUS now I can scrap all night since I wont be waking everyone in my bedroom up!) and just busy with my 3 kiddos. I'm so excited for them to be going back to school, I LOVE my kids but it's time they go back to learning! :D

As many of you know, I recently began teaching myself how to sew with a pillowcase dress in mind so the pictures of my daughter in this layout are of her modeling her dress made by yours truly. ;) I also had to make her American Girl doll, Kit, her own dress to match them up. Let's just say that this was a hit! (Oh and thanks to my sis (my kid's call her TIA) for gifting Kit to Julianne!)

This scrapbook layout was made using the Teresa Collins Sophisticated cartridge and Baby Boutique Imagine cart. Have I told you guys how obsessed I am with them?! Now you know ;)

Directions:
12x12 White cardstock
11 3/4x 11 3/4 black cardstock
11x11 pink cardstock

8 1/2 x 11 black cardstock
8 1/4 x 10 3/4 pattern cardstock

Border:
12x12 black cardstock
2x11 3/4 pattern cardstock

Pictures were matted according to their individual size but usually I mat them at 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 :)

Cuts from:
Beautiful- Sophisticated 2.75"
Crown- Baby Boutique 3"
Journaling square- Baby Boutique 3"

Then faux stitched around pink cardstock and added some Viva Decor pearl dimensions to crown and popped everything up with pop dots. :D





This is a close up of the crown that I cut from Baby Boutique. I added the "pearls" using my Viva Decor pens to give it some dimension. Isn't it adorable?!


Hope you guys have an amazing weekend! My hubby is off to a week long training trip so I'll be on FULL TIME mommy/daddy watch next week! Wish me luckkkkk!

Layout and first Pillowcase dress

So this past week I have gone back and forth between doing scrapbook layouts and also teaching myself how to read patterns and work on my stitching so really quick I wanted to show you guys what I made!

The layout is CRICUTLESS (I know, shocker!)but it is scraplifted from a post Teresa Collins made on her blog. (I don't know if she came up with this layout or if she had a guest designer, either way, THANKS for the inspiration!). I used thickers for my title and cut out the butterfly from the same paperpack (that wasn't actually scraplifted though!) The flowers are actually fabric flowers with some gems in the middle and that was it! So easy :)

**Please excuse the horrible picture angle. My camera is out of battery so I had to use my FLIP.**



I have been working my way up to trying to make a dress for my daughter so yesterday I finally ordered a pattern from the Crafty Gemini for a pillowcase dress and got to work! I made a blue and brown dress and it came out awesome but I definitely learned A LOT! Practice definitely makes perfect when it comes to sewing! ;) So after using cheapy Walmart material I finally went to Hobby Lobby and bought some beautiful fabric that reminded me of Teresa Collin's Sophisticated cartridge in my favorite color combo, pink and black! Doesn't it match my scrapbook layout?! :D



Have a great week :D