Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everyone (well it will be tomorrow night)!! I am so excited for the New Year to come, this past year has kind of been a rough one for me. I have been doing a lot of crafting over the holidays!! I have been trying to keep up with my December Daily, I got behind a few days, but I am catching up now, it is really great to be able to print my pictures right at home, it has helped me to keep up with it more. I am hoping to be able to share my December Daily with you guys in the next few days. It has been so much fun doing the December Daily this year, I have so much planned for the next few months, I have mini albums planned, one for my son when he was just born using Graphic 45 paper line, then I want to do a family mini album using Bo Bunny Timeless paper line, and I want to do a recipe mini album with all of my grandmothers hand written recipes in it. Plus I have so many other ideas going on in my head, I am hoping to come out with at least a video a week this year starting this January 3, I was thinking about posting a video every Monday, since Monday's are always the hardest day of the week, it will be nice to post a fun video to have a pick me up :)

Anyway, that is enough rambling from me!! Talk to you guys next year!!

Hugs,

Mila

Welcome to the Christmas 2011 Blog Hop!!!! 

If you've just happened to come across my blog please check out each of the super talented ladies blogs below. There will be some fun prizes along the way, AND there will be some AWESOME ideas!

Have fun and thank you for attending our blog hop.

I am so excited to share a few projects that I have been working on!! Many more to come throughout the weeks. I have been so busy working on my December Daily this year (first time attempting this) and I am actually keeping up, so excited, trying to keep it simple. I am working on a video showing what I am doing with my December Daily, I am hoping to have that up sometime next week. How many are attempting the December Daily this year? So far, i have found that keeping it simple is really working for me, I don't stress if I can't work on the page for that day, I do make sure that I journal quick notes through out the day and take a picture,  so then I can just work on it the next day or over the weekend. I have a simple format for each day, a little spot for journaling and then above that goes my picture, I will show you guys everything next week, can't wait to share that with you. Now to my projects below:

I altered this frame for my Etsy shop, it was a deep brown color before, but I wanted to make it a Christmas frame, I painted it with some gesso first, and then I painted over that with an acrylic red paint. I love the distressed look that it gave, it looks like distressed wood. I then took some gold smooch spritz and spritzed all over the frame. I took a clear stamp from Crafty Secrets and stamped a greeting at the top, with some gold acrylic paint. 

I used Stampin Up supplies for the next two cards, I love this stamp set, it is so cute and you can make so many variations of cards with it. It is called "Snow Much Fun" the # for it is 122562

The next few cards are using some Graphic 45 papers that I created in a class, so cute. Love Graphic 45!!!

Add caption

Again thank you for visiting with me and now please make sure that you stop by Sheila at  http://shesasassylady.blogspot.com/

1. Pam - http://www.thebugbytes.com/
2. Jeannie -  http://nonnasscraps.blogspot.com/
3. Jen - http://3catsandabug.blogspot.com/
4. Carole - http://www.onmycraftroomwall.blogspot.com/
5. Lisa Brooks - http://thejourneyoflisaslife.blogspot.com
6. Audrey - http://cuteandsome.blogspot.com/
7. Mila - http://milamemories.blogspot.com/ 
8. Sheila aka sassylady - http://shesasassylady.blogspot.com/
9. Elizabeth - http://217creations.blogspot.com/
10. Kelly Millet - http://www.kamscraftyplace.blogspot.com
11. Dayna Sabrina - http://www.sabrioletdesigns.blogspot.com/
12. Lori - http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com
13. Denine Vajja - http://pumpkinspiceblog.blogspot.com/
14. Melissa - www.melissamade2.blogspot.com
15. Allison -  http://goodybagdiva.blogspot.com/ 

Fall / Halloween Blog Hop

Welcome to Milamemories in the ...Fall / Halloween Blog Hop!

If you've just happened to come across my blog please check out each of the super talented ladies blogs below. There will be some fun prizes along the way, AND there will be some AWESOME ideas!

Have fun and thank you for attending our blog hop.

I am so excited this Halloween because this is the first  year that my son is actually dressing up and is excited about it!!! The past years, he has wanted nothing to do with Halloween, so this past weekend we were at the store looking at costumes and he saw this one. I asked him if he would wear it for Halloween and he was so excited and said yes!!! Later that night i had some friends over and he could not wait to show everyone his costume, I just had to take a picture of him showing off and being all excited about it!!
 
I used a sketch from http://sketchythursdays.blogspot.com/, I started off with a 12 x 12 piece of patterned paper, then took another piece of 12 x 12 patterned paper in orange and tore the top and bottom ends off, about a 1/2" - 1" from each end. Then i took some black lace and placed it underneath the orange paper. I then cut an 8" x 8" piece of Stampin Up card-stock and distressed it with some Tim Holtz inks in Dusty Concord and Orange Marmalade, i used those colors to distress the edges of the torn paper as well as the note sheet that i did my journaling on. I then took some Glimmer Mist in Pearl and sprayed each sheet of cardstock along with my journaling sheet to give it an awesome shimmery effect. It also blended the distress work a bit more and makes it look smoother. I cut out the Caution sign with Cricut, and of course no layout could be complete without some Prima bling and flowers (yes even for boys LOL)!! Such a super simple and quick layout!! I love using sketches!! Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions!!

Again thank you for visiting with me and now please make sure that you stop by Dayna at http://sabrioletdesigns.blogspot.com/


Here is the complete blog list!!


Jen from http://3catsandabug.blogspot.com/
Lori from www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com
Jeannie from  http://nonnasscraps.blogspot.com/
Audrey from http://cuteandsome.blogspot.com/
Kymberlee from http://www.thepapermidwife.com/
Allison from http://goodybagdiva.blogspot.com/
Kelly from   http://www.kamscraftyplace.blogspot.com
Debbie from http://debseclecticthoughts.blogspot.com/
Carole from  http://www.onmycraftroomwall.blogspot.com/
Kate from http://sassyandscrappykate.blogspot.com/
Amylynne from http://www.amysscrappyspace.blogspot.com
Mila - M& M  from http://milamemories.blogspot.com/
Dayna Sabrina from http://sabrioletdesigns.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth from http://www.217creations.com/

Halloween Mini Album

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

I am a little late in the week with this week's How To tutorial, but better late then never LOL. Hope everyone had an awesome week!! It has been a busy one for me.

This is another Halloween mini album that i made for my Etsy shop, it was so much fun to make and to try a few different techniques on it. I will have a detailed video on my blog tonight, including how i put the base of the mini album together, and then going into the details of the embellishments and the pockets.

I tried not to do much to the cover of the mini album, since i found it very busy already, but i just loved all of the characters on it, especially the pumpkins and the cat. I put Crystal Effects on all of the candy corn pieces, so that it would give it an awesome 3D visual, then I fussy cut the pumpkin in the center, the black cat at the top and the green Frankenstein character, then I popped those up using dimensionals, i die cut some flowers using my big shot, and then put Prima centers in them. I also used a glitter pen to add some shimmer to the centers of the flowers and of course no cover could go without some Prima bling (can we say addiction).

On the first page, i used my Cricut Expression (October 31 Cartridge) to cut out the pocket Pumpkin Patch, so simple, yet so cute!! The second page has a pocket that I created out of thin chipboard, it was really interesting and fun, i tried to do a few different techniques with it. The first thing i did was used a mask by Tim Holtz for the witch, while the mask was on i used Peeled Paint distress ink and covered the whole pocket with it, then when i took the mask off, i was left with a white part on the chipboard, so i took some Dusty Concord distress ink and colored in the witch and the bat. I took a tree rub on and placed it over the peeled paint distress ink, and then i colored in the rest of the chipboard piece with the peeled paint again to make it darker so that it would look like the moon is shining down on the tree, which has a lighter halo around it. Then there are some tags in the pocket.

The next page has a frame (medium weight chipboard) that i die cut with my big shot and painted black, then i painted it with green acrylic paint, and the last thing i put on it was some distress crackle paint. I love how it turned out, you can see bits of the black behind the green paint. The next page is just an acrylic pocket that holds (3) photo mats.

The frame was die cut with my big shot, i did so much distressing to it and tried a few new techniques.  I took some purple and orange acrylic paint and just made some brush strokes with the paints, then i took a flourish stamp, versamark ink and silver embossing powder, I heat embossed the images, the last thing i did was took some distress stickles in Rock Candy and rubbed that all over the frame. Once that dried really well, i took some Dusty Concord distress ink and rubbed it across the frame straight from the pad to the frame, it gave the stickles this deep purple color, but yet they are still super shiny, i love the way it turned out, so unique and original looking. Can't forget my flowers and black bling!! The next page is an envelope pocket that i cut out using my Cricut, it holds (3) photo mats, the acrylic skull keeps it closed, i really like the way the bling made it look, i think it helped it tie into the previous page a little more. I also used my I-Rock to give all the skeleton heads some blingy eyes.

This is a neat page that holds a little mini within the mini. There are 5 pages that are held together by some  tabs that i cut out using my cricut, you can flip through the little mini album (so cute!!), then i used a border from the collection, but it was too orange for me, so i distressed the top with Dusty Cocord distress ink and tried to blend it into the orange, i like the way it turned out so much more then it was. Of course some black lace is need along with bling and a flower. The frame on the right hand side of the picture was cut out using my Cricut Expression (Happy Hauntings Cart), I fussy cut some of the pumpkins from the collection and put Distress Crackle Paint in Rock Candy over them, to give them a nice shine, and lastly i hand painted the purple flower to give a bit more touch of color.

These pages are really neat looking, the file folder was cut out using my Cricut Expression, it holds some files and tags inside for pictures and journaling. I used a sizzix scallop frame to die cut the green frame and then applied some Distress Crackle paint (Peeled Paint). I really like the way it turned out, added some Prima bling and flowers, applied Crystal Effects to the cat (fussy cut that from the collection), and the last page is an acrylic pocket that holds some photo mats and tags, the cats are a felt material on this page, i thought it looked so cool with the acrylic pocket with the bats and fence.

Thanks for coming in and visiting with me today!! This mini album is for sale on my etsy site Milamemories Etsy, please let me know if you have any questions on any techniques that i used for the mini album. Make sure you watch my detailed video that will be uploaded later tonight.

As always i love your encouraging and motivational comments!!!

Hugs,

Mila

Exciting News!

Well it's exciting for me LOL. My 4 year old can read a few words, he can read the words, "look, see, oh and Jane??". I am so proud of him! I am pretty sure he is getting encouragement through me telling him if he does not do well in school, i won't let him play his new leap pad. He really has done better since i said that.

Anyway, on to some scrappy stuff!! I am so excited to be almost done with my second Halloween mini album this season that i will be putting on Etsy! It turned out so cute!! Lots of pumpkins and black cats in it, ugh LOVE IT!! I should be posting that sometime this weekend!

So, i never new this existed until a few days ago, are you ready for it!! A portable printer to print out 4 x 6 pictures (or other various smaller sizes). I really have noticed that i have a problem with not getting my photos printed, and when i do i usually get about 300 printed at one time and then i feel super overwhelmed because I'm like wow, i have to scrap 300 of these photos, i do want to, but I feel like it takes me longer, because I have to scrap last falls photos this year in the fall, because that is when i am inspired to scrap fall photos and i need to be in the mood. It may sound weird LOL, but I think that this printer will resolve my issues and i will be able to print a photo with in seconds of taking it now, so i can even scrap it that night if i fancy. Here is a picture below:

That's it for now, so excited to be getting my printer!

Hugs,

Mila

Scrapbooking Halloween Stampin Up Candy Wrapper Die Favors

Halloween

Hi Everyone!! Welcome to this weeks How-To tutorial! I was so excited to get my last Stampin Up order the other day, because i had finally ordered the Candy Wrapper die for my Big Shot! I started playing with it right away of course! In addition to the article this week, I also made a video taking you step by step live. Here is the link for the video: Milamemories Youtube Channel! Enjoy! Materials: -Sizzix Big Shot -Stampin Up Candy Wrapper Die -Coordinations Cardstock -Tim Holtz Distress Inks -2" Circle Scallop Punch -Stampin Up! Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder -Bone Folder  

The first thing I did was cut out the die cut using my Sizzix Big Shot and the Premium Crease pad. The crease pad really gives your die cut crisp creases, so that you just have to run

This is the Stampin Up! Candy Wrapper die!! It is so much fun!! The actual part that cuts out is about 6 x 6

I used shims along with a thin piece of paper at the bottom of my sandwich so that my score marks would come out better.

The next thing I did, since I had my Big Shot out anyway was emboss a piece of Black/White Coordinations paper. I like this paper for embossing because you can create some really neat effects with it. The one technique that I used on this project was embossing it with a Stampin Up! embossing folder and have the core of the white show through

This is how it turns out after using the embossing folder, I set this aside to put the wrapper together

I used my bone folder to make sure that all of the folds are super crisp and then I took my hot glue and glued the sides together. I would normally never use a glue gun for the inside of my candy wrappers or anything else that will house food inside, but for the purpose of the video I had to. My ATG gun was sick with some glue stuck to the sides. It has since then healed up and is ready to go!! :)

In this picture, I am again making sure that my folds are super crisp, this will make it so much easier for me to put the end tabs together and be able t close the box without any adhesive

You need to play around with the tabs a bit for them to give in and bend easily, after a few times, it is really easy and the box is put together

After I am done putting the box together, I go back to my embossed piece and sand the black core of the card stock just a bit more. I do this so that there is more of the white core showing up

In this picture you can really see more of the white core as opposed to the picture above

The next thing I did was take some Spiced Marmalade and Dusty Concord distress ink and, use a direct ink to paper technique. It is just the way it sounds. I took my whole ink pad and rubbed it directly on to the paper. I did the same for both colors

In this picture you can see the above technique, parts of what used to be the white core are now colored in with the distress inks

I took a 2" scallop circle punch and punched the middle section of the embossed image

After I punched out the scallop circle I adhered it to my candy wrapper using hot glue

Here is one of the finished wrappers fully embellished with a stamped pumpkin image on it.

Thanks for visiting today!! I hope that you enjoyed my tutorial on how-to make a candy wrapper favor for Halloween. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. A set of 6 of these super cute boxes are for sale in my etsy store at Milamemories Etsy Hugs, Mila

Scrapbooking Halloween Mini Album Stampin Up

Vampire Mini Album

This is my favorite time of year! It’s starting to smell like fall, and I am getting in the mood to make apple pie! I have been slowly starting to look at Halloween decorations and have been getting so inspired I just had to make a few Halloween mini albums for my Etsy store! I have had so much fun making this Vampire mini album. I loved trying to make some of the pages look like they had blood splattered on them!! I just love it!! I glimmer misted all of the pages with Old Lace glimmer mist by Tattered Angels. This is one of my favorite, most used mist. It is almost clear with just a hint of glimmer. Enjoy!

Materials

• Metal Book Plate
• Cricut Expression
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Sentimentals Cricut Cartridge
• Fabulous Finds Cricut Cartridge
• Happy Hauntings Cricut Cartridge
• October 31 Cricut Cartridge
• Prima Bling in Black Pearl
• Prima Mini Roses
• Prima Lace
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Wheat Fields and Old Lace
• Crafty Secrets Halloween Stamp Set
• Tim Holtz Odds and Ends Stamp Set
• Claudine Hellmuth Black paint
• Stampin Up Crystal Effects
• Tin Holtz Crackle Paint – Rock Candy
• Stampin Up Basic Black and Whisper White Cardstock

The first thing I did was cut out 6 pieces of medium weight chipboard and colored the end of each edge with black acrylic paint by Claudine Hellmuth. Then I took the pattern paper and cut that with the baroque die by Tim Holtz as well. For the front cover I used a metal book plate along with some Martha Stewart die cuts of the vampire and the moon. I stamped the bats and the cat on Stampin Up cardstock, shimmer painted them and then coated them in Crystal Effects. Next, I used a stamp by Crafty Secrets, cut out some of the pattern paper, and of course it could not be complete with out some Prima bling and flowers.

For the second page I used an acetate chandelier die cut as a pocket to hold some tags. The tags are from the Happy Hauntings Cricut Cartridge and they are cut at 3.5″H x 2.47″W

For this next page I used my Cricut Expression and the Happy Hauntings Cricut Cartridge (I just love this cartridge) to cut out the frame. I then used Stampin Up silver embossing powder to emboss the frame. I was going for the look of a frame hanging on the wall. Next, I had an acetate die cut of a chair and scratched up the legs a little bit to give it more of a worn effect. Finally, I wrapped lace around the seat of the chair and then put some bling on it to give it a cool effect.

This is another page that I used the Sentimentals Cricut Cartrige on, I cut out the folder and then I took some lace and distressed it. The picture of the lady is cut from a Graphic 45 collection, “Le Romantique”. I distressed the image and then covered it with Rock Candy Crackle paint by Tim Holtz. For the left side of the page, I scrunched up some vintage lace and hot glued it to the side of the folder, then put some Prima bling behind it to give it some color.

The next two pages are pretty simple; I used the Happy Hauntings cartridge to cut out two frames. On the first one I used distressed Rock Candy Crackle Paint. The second frame I wanted to try something a little different, so I took a paint brush and some silver paint and brushed the frame in a few places. I let it dry, and then put Crystal Effects over it to give it some strength and a super awesome look!

This next page is so super simple, I loved the red paper so much I did not want to cover it so I used another acrylic acetate piece from Martha Stewart. A few tombstone tags give it a great finish!

The tombstone tags were so cute and I love the commentary on them, so I decided to make a pocket out of three of them. I used Crystal effects to glue the middle sides together, then I popped up the pocket with some Stampin dimensionals.

This is probably one of my most favorite pages out of the mini album because I love how the frame turned out, and I adore the shape of it! Plus, I got to use some rosettes and more Prima bling (you will see I am an addict when it comes to this stuff LOL)! I cut the frame out using the Happy Hauntings cartridge again, then I took some VersaMark and Cherry Cobbler Stampin Up embossing powder and embossed some splatters of blood. I wanted it to really stand out and look dimensional, so then I took some Crystal Effects and covered the whole frame with it. I love the way it turned out. I then used an adage ticket I had that said the word Twilite on it (yes, I know it is not the same spelling as Twilight the movie – Woohoo Team Edward, but I still thought it was neat!)

This next page is super interesting, I am hoping that my idea in my head (LOL) came across on this page! It is an envelope pocket to hold some tags and pictures, when you open it up, it says “Velcome”, which I cut out using the October 31 cartridge. Let me know what you think about this page!

The second to last page is for some tags. I cut out the spider web using the Happy Haunting cartridge, then I applied Crystal Effects to give it some strength and an awesome shiny look. I then had this acetate die cut of a mask, so I thought I would put some lace behind it and then put some red paint on the lace so it would look like blood in the background.

The last page of the mini album leaves room for my signature on a little adage ticket.

Hope you enjoyed my tutorial! Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

This mini album is for sale on my Etsy store Milamemories.