My Little Shoebox Design Team Call...

I know I am a little late to the party on this one... it something to do with moving, traveling, unpacking, not having internet... the list goes on and on but as my mother always says, better late than never but bring baked goods to smooth things over. Well, since we are in the blog-o-sphere and virtual banana bread isn't possible how about a prize instead? Leave me a post here on my blog simply saying which of the new lines from My Little Shoebox is your favorite and I will put together a lovely little sample of goodies as a giveaway!

If you are planning on submitting here are the itty-bitty details:

My Little Shoebox 2011 Design Team Call

My Little Shoebox is looking for talented, motivated, responsible designers who have time
to commit to design layouts and projects each month with our products and promote our
products online and at their local stores. We haven't set a specific number of designers for our
team. We welcome international submissions.
We are looking for:
1. Enthusiastic, creative people that love My Little Shoebox and are able to do monthly
assignments such as layouts, projects, and cards with our products.
2. You must post your work on 2 different galleries plus the MLS galleries
3. You must be able to commit to a 12 months term, which will be from
April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012.
4. You must be at least 18 years of age.
5. You agree to release the rights of your designs to My Little Shoebox for display on the
company website, blog, and in company publications.
6. If needed, your designs may also be needed for display at trade shows.
7. In addition, as a design team member, you will be contributing twice per term to our
company newsletter and be required quarterly to make a photo or video highlighting a
technique for the blog.
8. You may be required to contribute to the company’s blog during your term.
9. International submissions welcome.
In return you will receive:
1. Packages filled with plenty of MLS products to design with.
2. Your picture and bio on the My Little Shoebox website
3. Your own personal gallery on the My Little Shoebox website.
To apply please send the following to dtcall@mylittleshoebox.com (please use your full name
as the subject):
1. Full name, address, phone number and email address
2. 2 layouts, 1 card and 1 project representing your best never before seen work using MLS
products (jpeg files no larger than 500 kb)
3. A link to your personal blog and to the online galleries or message boards that you post on.
4. Design teams that you currently are on.
5. Write a paragraph about yourself telling us why you think you'll be a good fit for the MLS
team.
6. If you've been published.
7. If you teach classes.
Submission deadline is March 10, 2011
Our design team members will be announced on March 31, 2011.
We thank you in advance for all of your work and appreciate your entry!

GOOD LUCK!!!

My Little Shoebox Mini Alpha Flower Tutorial...

Greetings! Hope you all are having an incredibly creative day!!! For the past few weeks I have been in the creative-crunch-down mode, playing with all the bright new lines from My Little Shoebox and having an absolute ball!!! MLS has a special place in my heart because of the mini alphas that come in so many different colors... it's like candy without the calories!

SWOON!!!

To be honest I have my fair share of these little letters and one afternoon I was just playing around and using a variety of techniques from different classes I have taken over the past year, this little flower was born. I had fun just playing with my paper and my glue and thought it would be fun to make these as a gift for the girls going to CHA. Unexpectedly, the flowers were such a hit that a tutorial was requested!

MINI ALPHA FLOWER SUPPLIES:

1 full sheet of My Little Shoebox Mini Alphas {Red Lipstick}

6x6 inch square of Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky Back Canvas

Multi-Medium or Glossy Accents

Tattered Angels Glam {Rockin' on Sunshine}

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist {Candy Apple Red & Cherb Pink}

Large 3D Glue Dots

Scissors

Pencil

Non-Stick Craft Mat

STEPS:

1. Take your Sticky Back Canvas and Glimmer Mist it two different colors, set aside to dry.

2. Take the sheet of Mini Alphas and put them on your non-stick craft sheet letter side down. Chose a corner and start to peel back the entire back sheet, leaving the precut minis on the craft sheet.

It is best to go slow and if you run into trouble just backtrack your steps and then try going forward again.

3. Once you have the Mini Alphas face down on the craft sheet take your 6x6 newly colored Sticky Back Canvas and peel off the protected side. Place the sticky side onto the Mini Alphas, there will be some extra canvas on the sides that will need to be trimmed. Draw a spiral onto the Glimmer Misted side of the canvas.

4. Place the Mini Alphas letter side up and apply a nice layer of Multi-Medium or Glossy Accents, making sure to cover each and every letter.

Set aside to dry or use your heat tool to speed up the process.

5. Once the Mini Alphas are dry, using your scissors start cutting along the spiral leaving the center the size of a coin.

Place the newly cut spiral Mini Alpha side up and roll the canvas.

If you would like to add a little dimension, use your tiny attacher to hold a little pleat or two or three.

6. When you get the flower the way you like, place a 3D glue dot on the very bottom and then press the flower down to secure.

7. Using the Glam, apply the glitter to the tips of the flower and allow to dry.

VIOLA!!!

You can turn this flower into a ring, a broach, add it to a headband... you can do whatever you'd like with it!

PS. This could not have been possible without the brilliant creation of the Sticky Back Canvas! I was honored to have the one and only creator Claudine Hellmuth wear one of the rings during her demos at CHA! Thank you to Shelly and Pattie for helping to make it possible!

Now it is time to have fun and let your creativity run wild!!!

8 reasons...

You know you are creating for CHA when...

1. you have modge-podged your eyebrow

2. your two year old has Razzleberry Mini Alphas from My Little Shoebox on her little rear end!

3. you got a manicure after your projects were done, only to have this great idea which in turn messed up your manicure...oops!

4. you have cut open a bottle of Glossy Accents to get the very last drop... three different times!

5. you gave up trying to sew and just used your tiny attacher instead!

6. after getting your hands all glammed up with some Glimmer Glam you wiped your hands on your butt only to have glitter hand prints for all to see - NICE!

7. you made your "to do" list on scraps of sticky back canvas...

8. your kitchen table has looked like this for the past two weeks!

Thank you in advance to my darling husband who is prepared to play, giggle and even do the girls hair over the next few days! I love you honey!!!

design mode...

You know you are in full-speed-ahead design mode when you have to resort to this!!! All I can say is when inspiration hits, you go with it regardless of the obstacles...

I have to say, the new release from My Little Shoebox is going to blow your mind!!! Having this wonderful opportunity to create layouts and projects with this brand stinkin' new paper is AMAZING! The colors, the details and of course my favorite... the MINI's!!!

Here is a sneak of what my kitchen table looks like...

and yes, my hubby and girls have resorted to the kiddy table for all meals... can I just say that I have the best husband EVER!!!

Now go ahead... go make something!!!

Oh yeah, and one more thing, see the flower... an exciting tutorial is yet to come!!!

January Sketch...

Hello all! I have been on yet another crafting hiatus due to the holidays, out-of-town company, spending much needed quality time with everyone and have just now had a chance to play with paper in glue! The creative juices are a flowing so everyone better watch out... only kidding!

The extremely talented and fellow My Little Shoebox Design Team member Aphra created this sketch for all of us to run with for the month.

I am really starting to get into sketches, especially when scrappin' in a pinch! So, after printing out her sketch and then setting the timer for 60minutes {my littlest was still napping} this is the end result...

We have a tradition in our family to save all the wrapping paper to only throw the girls in the mist of it and snap a photo for our "thank you" cards. I loved the way this years turned out so much that it deserved it's very own layout. Thank you Aphra!!!

A close up of the presents...

They were backed with My Little Shoebox diecuts and then "wrapped" with double sided ribbon

So... feeling inspired to make your own?

Ready?

Set?

CREATE!!!

ringing in the new year...

I love the holidays for so many reasons...

it could be the music...

the food...

but most of all, I love spending time with the family!

Wishing you and yours a safe & happy new year!!!

PS. With the new year comes lots and lots of new creative collections from all our favorite designers!!!

I am getting excited, how about you!?!?!?

vintage ornaments...

It is almost time to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, CHRISTMAS!

A couple weeks ago, our card group got together to eat, scrap and exchange gifts. These 12 ladies are some of the most generous women I have ever met in my life. They are kind, supportive, creative as all get out and love love love to spend quality time together. Two of these dear friends, Pattie & Rocio, planned out an evening of new techniques which resulted in fantastic Christmas presents. These two ladies are extremely talented and such a joy to be around. I took the techniques that they showed us and turned them into little ornaments using whatever Christmas stuff I had lying around {trust me, there is ALOT!}.

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

old music sheet paper cut into 1 1/2 inch strips

Fiskars circle scallop punch

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

red & white baker's twine

Crop-A-Dile

Tim Holtz photo strip

Tim Holtz tiny attacher

Glossy Accents

My Little Shoebox Chipboard letters

Thickers

Stickles

other random letters left over in the alpha box

There is just something about little vintage ornaments that make me smile!!!

After attending an amazing Christmas party for my husband on Sunday night, I was just so full of energy that I was wide awake. I made 20 of these little gems in a span of 2 1/2 hours... it is amazing what you can get done at 3am!

Wishing you and yours a very

Merry Christmas!!!