It's all in the package!

Hola!!!!



I am out of the island a few days... went to Miami for a business meeting and had my husband come with me to celebrate our anniversary... Yes, my wedding anniversary. I'd never combined business with pleasure but it was just a great opportunity for us to relax and have a little getaway!



So, if this scheduled post works well, you should be receiving this during the weekend...



I think I haven't told you how much I love paper piecing. I really have a lot of fun creating some shapes without any stencil, or recreating shapes from other things. It's just that it sometimes takes so long, and there are a lot of new and exciting tools that make that work so easy, that sometimes it's not worth it, right? But since I still don't have much of that technology, sometimes I like to go the old fashion way.



I wanted to share this little project I did with tea packages...



Let me explain step by step what I did...



First of all... I saw these tea packages in a hotel I was staying in Miami last month:



I am not a tea drinker so I had to read and inspect the package to realize what it was. I found them cute and cool to recreate... hahahahaha...

So I carefully de-assemble the package and put aside the herbs.

I placed it with the outter side facing the back side of the patterned paper / cardstock I chose to use for my project.

... used it as a stencil and outlined it, including the lines to be scored...

I cut it. Since when you outline from an existing shape, you are basically drawing the shape a little bit larger because you are outlining the outter side, I try to cut right in the line.

Then I scored what needed to be scored...

Separately I stamped and painted an image in a white piece of cardstock.

Since I wanted to imitate the original package leaf that came out from the top of the triangle, I bent the cardstock so when I cut the image I got another blank shape. This way I then had two pieces where to hide the ribbon I would use.

I secured the ribbon inside the already scored template, before putting it together... and that's it.

I did this first one with the Santa Claus face, then I did another one with solid red cardstock and added cotton to emulate Santa's hat.

And it ocurred to me these can be party favors filled with candies... or maybe confetti. What about hidden messages like in the fortune cookies? Maybe you can use them instead of table place cards in a party, and put the names instead of my Santa's face. Fill it up with scrapbooking little goodies... or use them as Xmas ornaments. Place dollar bills inside and give as money holders instead of using the traditional flat envelopes. What about hidden clues for a game? And if you use them for the 25 days of Christmas filled with little treats for each day? Wouldn't that be cool?

And this is not all... You can use these little pyramids as Birthday favors... simulating Birthday hats. Add eyes, nose and mouth to make faces... Easter bunnies, little buddies with hats, all in different colors...

Oh... the beauty of creativity. I am sure you can come up with lots of ideas to develop further.

Everytime I go to Marshall's or other places where to find kitchen goodies or treats, I love to look at the packagings to inspire for more ideas... Here are some other packaging I photographed and am sure you would love to imitate in your projects...

Hope you liked the inspiration... Make sure you don't throw any packages you might want to use to recreate or to help you finish up that idea you've had in your mind for a while.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend... and thank you for reading me...

Me, Myself and my Blog...

Well, well, well... How are you? Are you enjoying 2011 so far? January is a nice month... yeah, yeah... It's a fresh start for everything... It's in January that usually people start dieting, or implementing a resolution. It's a beginning of something... I've got married in January... 13 years ago... It's been very cool to be married... I am very happy... But I don't want to talk about marriage now... hehehe... Let's talk about being a blogger.

I was thinking the other day, that this January is also nice because I'm a blogger. Sounds crazy? I know... but it's cool for me knowing I am starting this year with the blog I said last year I was going to have...

It's been 6 months already and am very happy. Just 24 followers so far, but I like the idea of knowing someone is reading my posts, maybe getting inspiration, laughing about them, or just out of curiosity, they find them interesting.




I am a blogger. And it's cool. And if you know me, you know I had to put it in a layout.




I tried to express what being a blogger means to me... It's like I have a lot of things in my mind I want to say, but this is the internet... I have to be careful. Hahahahaha...


Being a blogger is about me, and also about others... the readers, other bloggers, the followers, all who is somehow touched by my blog.

It's about writing, expressing, explaining, describing, saying... Have fun while learning, sharing, and just be you...

The layout needed to reflect my imperfection... no simetry... human touch with handwriting... Since the page is about the blog, I used a photo of the computer monitor showing my first post... but the Basic Gray paper with the woman silhoutte is just perfect because is like I'm represented by it... and all the things in my mind with the paper design showing different symbols and shapes...

I liked the way I could use a portion of a packaging to interrupt the paper paper at left and adding interest and balance. The title is imperfect... different shapes and sizes of the letters... because being imperfect is one of the things I always mention in my blog.

So I hope you liked my layout expression of me being a blogger... and celebrate with me the first 6 months of Wine, Cheese & Scrapbooking blog.

Are you a blogger?

Why?

Tell me about it.

(patterned papers: Memory Stor, Basic Grey; cardstock: Bazzill; chipboard letters and shapes: Fancy Pants, Color Box; ribbon: KI Memories; ink: Color Box, Portafolia; pens: Sakura; stamps: Inkadinkado; adhesives: Scotch, Scrapbook Adhesives; bling bling: Heidi Swapp; stickers: The Girls Paperie; miscellaneous: portion of The Girls Paperie stickers pad packaging)

Last Project of the Year and Cheers!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Hope you are getting ready for the party tonight and to welcome a great 2011 full of surprises, happiness, love and much more.

Year 2010 was a pretty good year for me... different things happened... good and not so good... great and little... wished and unexpected... happy and sad... but all of them made me be the person I am now to receive 2011.

One thing that happened is that I decided to have this blog to express myself and share scrapbooking projects with you, my friends. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope I can continue posting information relevant to your needs and interests... maybe it's a project, maybe just a word, and just something that makes you laugh... Please continue visiting me in 2011. Tell your friends about my blog... maybe they'd like it too.

And I hope 2011 becomes a great year for you too.



Let me share this last project of the year I made a couple of weeks ago. It's a very simple project. You just need a tin and according to the size of it, you make your project. I had this octagonal tin with lid, of about 7". I cut a circle to fit in and embelished to use as frame for a 6"x4" photo. It's like making a little layout for one photo.

I used chipboard and covered with patterned paper and embelished with Xmas details.




Before applying glue or adhesives to all, I made sure to include two ribbons between the two chipboard sides, and attached with brads. These would serve as handles for a wood stick as you can see in next photo.




It serves as a nice gift for someone. You can include a photo, or leave it without it so the person can place the desired photo.
Place all in the tin as a Xmas gift.




The models in the photo are a nephew and two nieces. Hope you like it!!!

(patterned paper: Basic Grey, Memory Stor; embelishments: Fancy Pants; brads: Portafolia; ribbon: EK Success; others: Adhesives, chipboard, Martha Stweart punch; wooden stick, tin)


And... because tonight you will need something to drink in a glass... I will tell you about this recently discovered sparkling wine... Well... should I call it champagne? Yes, It's from Champagne, France. And there are several things I like about this champagne.

#1: It's not expensive... we bought it for about $10...
#2: It's from France... Most say best champagnes are from France!!! There are great cavas (sparkling wines from Spain are called cavas; just the ones made in Champagne, France you can call it champagnes), and other sparkling wines I love... but it's France, the mother of them!!! hahahaha)
#3: It's not made from the traditional grapes used for sparkling wines, which are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay... It's from Tempranillo! Yes, you read it right... Tempranillo....
#4: Tempranillo is a grape most popular in Spain... it's like the national grape! But this delicious liquid in a bottle was made from tempranillo... in France... crazy crazy...

This champagne tastes a bit stronger than others in terms of body... without losing the refreshing and bubbling sensation of a great champagne... If you like sparkling wines, you should also try this one... If you like tempranillo you should definitely try this Veuve du Verney... I don't even know how to pronounce it, and maybe I'm not giving you expert tips about it... but believe me... it's good.




And... if you are looking for a cava for tonight... and you like rosé, try Segura Viudas... very economical too... you can find almost everywhere... and will never let you down.

Cheers!
Happy New Year!
Let's celebrate the joy of being imperfect and be proud about it!!!

:)

Ready to welcome 2011?

Woooo hoooo hoooo! It's almost 2011... Yes, it is. A new year is always a reason to be happy. You can make your new resolutions, plan for the future, be determined to change something... it means change, a new beginning, forgetting about the things you want to leave behind... It means time, growth, experience... it's life! It's like you have an opportunity to start again. It's like a mandatory date you use to measure your accomplishments and mark something in your life. Try to see your new year as an opportunity to be a better person. I'm sure you are already awesome, but you know... we can always improve this and that. After all, we are imperfect (and that's fun... but gives you the space for improvement)...

Try to think of all the things you've done... and those you still haven't! All you've said, and you have not... Become new with the new year.

Hope you have wonderful New Year's Eve and Day celebrations... and enjoy life.

And... change of topic. I wanted to share with you this layout about me and my dog. It's a very simple layout in terms of design and technique. However, it means a lot. And you know, it's only a dog... he doesn't know how to read... but I needed to express that I'm here for him. When he's sick, sad and in need to play with a ball... I'll be there. He's a very special dog and I have no doubt he's with us for a reason. This day I was kind of nostalgic and need to make sure it was clear I'm here for him... and I wanted to document the feeling.

So the journaling is written like I'm talking to Malbec, my dog-son, and I'm telling him: I'm here for you...

I really loved the way the tags looked and worked for the base for my journaling. I'm very glad I used them because I've had them stored for a while. I think those are part of the first things I adquired when began this hobby about 3 or 4 years ago. And now I've been the last 4 or 5 months determined to use materials I have instead of buying and buying new things. The tag in the middle was scored several times and then inked for texture. I also distressed the borders of almost everything in this layout... as much as I could. I also liked the way you can use a patterned paper for base in your favor. I think the swirl in the bottom left corner helps my page have some balance with the rest of elements.

Hope you like it...

Have you made a layout for your pet like you are talking to him/her? Tell me about it...

(patterned paper: My Mind's Eye, We R Memory Keepers; letters: American Crafts; cardstock: Bazzill; ink: Color Box; heart embelishment: Meri Meri Accents; adhesives: Scrapbook Adhesives, Scotch; pen: Sakura; miscellaneous: tags, scissors, trimmer...)

Blessing!

Hello.... I know I know... it's been a while. I have just a few followers yet but hopefully they miss me when it's been a while and I haven't posted anything. Hope you are fine. I've been incredibly busy at work... so busy that I really haven't done any Xmas shopping... (not that I will spend a lot or are used to buy a lot of presents because remember it's the 3 Wise Men the ones who mainly visit my house, but still I haven't had the time for any of that... but I believe in magic!!!!). Anyways, I made this layout to somehow reflect what Xmas means to me.

I used a photo of the three of us and the title is "Blessing"... and in my journaling I tried to explain that there's a lot of things we thank God everyday, but no matter all obstacles in life, or how you feel, it's in the Holidays you think most about God's blessings, because Christmas is magic!!!

I used some pre made embelishments but I also made some with stamps, and distressed circles of different sizes, and so. I hope you enjoy it and at least make you think of your own blessings.

(Patterned paper: Basic Grey, My Mind’s Eye; Chipboard shapes: Fancy Pants; Stamps: Inkadinkado, The Angel Company, Portafolia; Inks: Color Box, Vibrance; Adhesives: Scotch, Generations, Glue Dots, Scrapbook Adhesives, Glossy Accents (Inkssentials); Paper punches: Martha Stewart, Memory Makers; Miscellaneous: buttons, cardstock scraps, gel pens, fiber/feather, scissors, paper trimmer)

I also wanted to share with you some photos of us participating of the Operation Christmas Child. It's an activity coordinated by a non profit organization. They ask people to donate Xmas gifts for children in need around the World. It's fun to do it, a process you enjoy, and especially if you have children of your own I would think it's a great activity so they can understand the value of giving to other children in need. These kids from other countries will receive a gift from your kids and or families in a very cool way. I am very happy we were invited to participate and had the opportunity to do it.

Let me explain more... You have to use shoe boxes. Decide age and gender of the kid destined to receive your gift. Wrap the box, fill it with nice gifts that you can accomodate in the box, identify it and you are done.

We decided to make 6 presents; 3 for girls and 3 for boys at the three ages groups provided. So we went to buy nice things to fill the boxes.

We then coveed the boxes and lids with nice Xmas wrapping paper.

We also covered the inside of the boxes with Xmas scrapbooking paper.

Some members of the family tried to call our attention while we were working...

We filled the boxes with the nice things we bought (personal care, school supplies and toys).

And we also included a Xmas card and a photo!

Closed the boxes...

... Identify age and gender with the tag provided....

And ready!

Six children will receive gifts from us... and it felt great to do this for little persons we don't even know but we feel they are going to be very happy....

I told you! Xmas is magic!!!! Merry Christmas...

Oh, Christmas Tree!!!

Is the first week of December already gone? Wow! I need to get conscious about time going so fast and start partying.... My husband and I said that this Xmas we should go to more parties... hahahaha... So if there's nothing to do one weekend, we should make it happen... Yes... make it happen... Even if it is just the two of us enjoying a bottle of wine, or going to the movies, or just hanging out... make it happen... and make it a party. And you know what? That's kind of what we should have in mind all the time. MAKE IT A PARTY. Make your life a party. Enjoy every second of it... Even if you are living through a tough phase of your life right now, try to see the positive side of it, be conscious that you are breathing and have your senses working, and simply you are alive. I know it is easy to say so when you are not the one going through the situation, but most of the time one doesn't realize the value of the experience until it has already happened... So have patience and in the meanwhile... MAKE IT A PARTY... woooo hooooo!!!

Anyway... let's talk about Christmas trees... Here are two more Christmas cards to remind us of this beautiful Xmas season...

The first one is a little card featuring a red Xmas tree. Why does it have to be green, right? The phrase "ho, ho, ho" is cut from a patterned paper and then I applied some Glossy Accents. Hope you like it.

Then there is this other card, also with Xmas trees. The featured one here is chipboard and I framed it to be the star of the card among the other trees from the patterned paper used as base. I liked the result very much... Hope you like it too.

(patterned papers: Flair Designs, My Mind's Eye, DCWV; chipboard: Fancy Pants; ink: Color Box; miscellaneous: ribbon, paper punches, adhesives, Glossy Accents, Cricut Expression and Stretch your Imagination cartridge)

And talking about Christmas trees... Remember I said my Xmas tree was special? Surrealist, creative, different, extraordinary, unexpected.... hahahaha... I really like it.

Let me tell you about it... Since we are kind of saving some money and trying not to spend a lot lately, I knew I had to use the same ornaments I've had for several years. And last year I'd said that this was the year I was going to buy new ones... Yeah, right... Well... long story short... I told my husband that I wanted to add a different touch to the tree. Since it was going to have the same ornaments, we had to do something that made it stand out from the previous years. It was magical.... because we were thinking and throwing ideas... and then we saw a Xmas garland in a store with a triangular shape hanging in the ceiling and we looked at each other and said at the same time: "Let's put it upside down!!!!!".... yeah! And that's what we did.

Here I share the steps that I follow, in case you want to be monkey see monkey do...

Step 1: You need to have a loving husband who is willing to do the hard work.

Step 2: Make sure you enjoy the process... love and be loved while working...

Step 3: Let your husband work and do not be such a pain... but be in charge of the finishing touches.

Step 4: If you are too tired, continue the work the following date... but have your assistant always beside you.

Step 5: Enjoy and don't get mad when people call you "crazy", because it's true.

And now... tell me about your Christmas tree... Did you already have one at home?

Giveaway from Robert's Arts & Crafts and DCWV

Hello friends...

Just stopping by to alert you about this amazing giveaway sponsored by Robert's Arts & Crafts and DCWV.

Die Cuts with a View is one of the favorite brands and I'm subscribed to their blog... and I just found out about this giveaway. There are several ways to enter, but please click HERE to read more about Robert's Arts & Crafts and the details of the giveaway.

Good luck!