some ac digitals love.

geez.  I feel like I have been out of it for a while!

I have been working away at project life.  it is a blast!! 

(more on that later..)

for now, here’s some good stuff from ac digitals:

this is all ac digitals “soho garden”.

well, except for the stitching..

stitching:  anna aspnes frames no. 3

the next two kits are on sale this week at ac digitals!!

go grab them!

this layout was mostly created with pebbles “with love”  new today in the store.

here are the exceptions:

chevron paper:  pebbles “walnut grove”

all stitching:  anna aspnes (circles no. 2, white no. 3, and frames no. 1)

frame:  katie pertiet “curled photo frames”

ric-rac:  splendid fiins “feedsack” elements pack 2

pink photo corner:  splendid fiins “feedsack” elements pack 1

twill ribbon:  katie pertiet

staple:  dani mogstad “chasing rainbows”

rhinestones:  dani mogstad “a lot like christmas”

date stamp:  liv.edesigns “needs + wants it’s a date stamp”

font:  “my type of font”

this is all ac digitals, “city park”.

well, with the exception of the stitching, again..

stitching:  anna aspnes (white 1, loops white 1)

AND liv’s brownbagger paper.

fonts:

“bebas neue”

“pea sugar noodles”

snow much fun and more brownbagger.

have I ever mentioned how giddy I get when I see vol. 1 following any of my favorite digi products?

I do.

I get downright giddy!

I was so excited when liv created her first brownbagger paper, and then followed it up with that ‘vol. 1”.

every week when new products were released, it was like christmas eve!

well, she’s done it again!

brownbagger vol. 4 is a collection of our favorite brown bags, tattered, some even torn to perfection.

(click on layout for full list of credits.)

and that is not all for this friday, liv does not disappoint!

here are some darling kids, that I would claim as my own if I could.

these cuties come in both sketched and water colored varieties.

I was a little disappointed in myself with the lack of snow pictures I have this year, and even last year, so I dug through older pictures, trying to find something that was just right.

I found just what I wanted in my january 2008 file, that was after going through 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007..  talk about a trip.

I was left feeling a little homesick for my little girls, and simpler days..

(click on layout for full list of credits.)

go grab them while they are on sale this weekend!

knock on wood.

don’t you just love that phrase?

it kinda gets me excited, you know, when someone shares something good, something exciting that is going to happen?  then they follow it up with a, “knock on wood”, just to secure the deal?

well, there’s plenty more to be excited about with those three words.

liv’s new paper pack.

I would love to have these printed off in vinyl to use as backdrops..

quite delicious!

and here’s my layout with one of these gorgeous papers:

(click on image for full credits.)

I hope you like it!

knock on wood.

cozy kindle

or is it “kindle cozy”? 

my words are getting so mixed up what with all the FREEZING weather we have been having.  today it is supposed to reach 19.  that is warm considering the other day our high was 3.

don’t believe me?

take a gander at my porch:

there is NOT A THING I can do about this situation.

not a single thing.

ice melt..

pffft.  three times a day.

I have even tried a hammer and a garden hoe.  that method helped the top step and the walkway, but not the bottom guy there.  merrill already has a home improvement project lined up for when there isn’t so much snow outside. 

two words: heat cable.

we already have it on the roof, but he’s going to put it in the rain gutter and the downspout.  this is where the problem lies frozen..

yes, my porch is a death trap, but that is not what I am really here to blog about.

onto the kindle cozy!!

lynnie-lou got a kindle fire for christmas (I am dropping hints like crazy as to what someone can get my for my birthday…) and the girl LOVES it.  she is our bookworm.  we also got her a case, which is awesome, but darn pinterest!  I saw the most darling kindle/tablet/nook/iPad cozys there and I HAD to make one.

I used amy tangerine digital papers from AC digitals, printing them off on inkjet fabric sheets.  I did the same thing for the embellishments I used, adding some heat and bond to the back making it just a smidge easier sewing those babies in place. 

I took the cute little corduroy button with the silhouette that looks amazingly like lynn, and using a button cover kit, covered a button to use as a fastener.

the construction was fairly easy.

first, I assembled the front pocket piece by ironing on my embellishments, and sewing where I wanted them sewn as well.  I stenciled the “L” using fabric tempered acrylic paint.  then I cut my pieces.  I cut 4 pieces of fabric, and one of thin batting, at 7 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches wide (big outer pocket pieces) and 2 pieces of fabric, and one of thing batting, at 7 1/2 x 8 3/4 (smaller outer pocket). 

I matched up my fabrics into the big pocket pieces and the outer pocket piece.  (I used the yellow chevron, green and white polka dot, blue sky with clouds, and the little paper dolls on grey.)  I then sewed, with the right sides of my fabric together, and a piece of batting on the bottom, just the top edge.  I pressed the seam open, and then flipped it right side out and pressed and then top stitched along the top edge so it would look pretty.  I stacked them with the outer pocket sitting the way I want it to, but had the main big pockets right sides together.  it is easier said than done, sewing down the sides and along the bottom, I had to adjust my tension and change my needle to a denim needle.

after they were all straight stitched, I overcast stitched the edges.  I kinda love an overcast stitch.

I marked the middle inside of the back piece and the middle front of the outer pocket.

I took a 2 and a half inch piece of elastic, looped it, and attached it to the inside of the back piece, letting the loop stick above the top of the piece.

I sewed a good few stitches to attach the button to the outside of the front pocket.

lynn loves it, and well, so do i!

if you love these patterns and embellishments as much as I do, click on the pictures to take you to the AC digitals store.

friday is the new monday.

no more “more in store mondays” at jessica sprague, the new releases are now coming out on fridays!!  improving your weekend one step at a time….

some of the most exciting news this year has to do with one of the creative teams I am a part of.

isn’t it amazing!?!

well, if that doesn’t quite getcha, go and explore her store. 

she has some of the digi basics that we all need..  stitches, eyelets, gorgeous textured papers, amazing brushes..

love. liv.

and her newest creation is just as awesome!

meet “loopies vol. 3 – here we go loopy-loo”.

and here is what I created with this little loopy of goodness:

all goodies are liv’s creations, but for a full list of credits, please, click on the layout!

I am looking forward to all the fun I will get to have with liv and her talents, not to mention the awesome group of ladies I get to work with. 

holiday cheer.

we had a wonderful christmas!! 

here’s just a few of those moments:

(links posted below each layout.)

the lights at ogden’s christmas village.

this song by mindy gledhill really speaks to me.  it is just how I feel about my kids growing SO fast!!  I also identify with it in the respect that I wish the christmas season would just.slow.down.

wood grain paper, snowflakes, and tabs from crate paper “peppermint”.

ric-rac and staple from dani mogstad.

stitching from anna aspnes (frame here and strip has been discontinued).

glitter sheet from shalin studio.

date stamp from liv.edesigns.

fonts:  “ostrich sans rounded” and “lobster two”

 

this one is priceless!!  these expressions were captured while they opened their main gift.  happy girls!!

paper, tab, and tape bits from crate paper “sleigh ride”.

glitter from sahlin studio.

staple from dani mogstad.

date stamp from liv.edesigns.

stitching from anna aspnes.

torn photo frame from anna aspnes.

fonts:  “bebas” and “pea snow”.

 

finally, here’s december at a glance, thanks to instagram!!

so many traditions and happenings pictured here:

- christmas eve wrapping party (a.k.a. no sleep for mom and dad.)

- sleeping around the tree on the 23rd

- wrapping sister gifts

- um, winter + utah = cold.  LOVE my seat warmer!!

- lights at temple square

- white chocolate peppermint m&ms (those had better be coming back next year!!!) #addicted

- seeing ‘the nutcracker” with my girls

- our elf christopher

- our book advent

- snow

- sugar cookies!!!

- my newest nativity

- favorite christmas carols

- stack o’ cards

- christmas village

papers, border, button and santa from dani mogstad.

staple from dani mogstad,

zig-zag stitching from anna aspnes.

circle stitching from anna aspnes.

vellum piece is actually a torn photo frame from anna aspnes with the opacity adjusted.

brown bag paper from liv.edesigns.

fonts:  “bebas” and “pea hilary marie”.

this layout is my last for the creative team at jessica sprague.  it has been a fun couple of years!!  it was a dream come true to be accepted as a part of this team.  I was scared to death to submit to the call, but thanks to the encouragement of one designer, I did it.  one of the happiest days of my digi life was when I got an email from her congratulating me.  I’ve made some wonderful friends and have learned so much!  thanks for all the good times ladies!  xox

many great scrappy things are happening for 2013.. 

I will stay on creating and loving all the goodness that is liv esteban (a.k.a liv.edesigns) at jessica sprague.

(yay!!!)

and I will also be creating and having way too much fun at ac digitals.

I also have MANY goals for the new year, and most of them are craft/scrap/photog related.  time to get back into an awesome routine and start to catch up!!

happy new year!!!

the most perfect family photo (and a very merry christmas to you).

 

(card credits:  main card background: Purdue Avenue Etsy shop; frame: kitschy digitals; leaves and red gems: design by dani.)

almost a month ago, before sickness and the hecticness of the holiday season bombarded our home, we sat down one sunday afternoon to take a candid family photo.

how did I do it?

well, for starters, I begged my family.  told them it was all that I wanted for christmas.

then I told them that they could wear whatever they wanted.

then I told them to bring something to do.  bring a book to read, a toy to play with, or a doll to hold.

I wanted candid…

then I set up my tripod, put my remote on my camera, checked the settings, then had to add my bounce flash to get the lighting just right.

then we were in business.

106 pictures later…

we got it.

and by “it”, I mean four that I could stitch together to make my perfectly candid family photo.

took merrill from here:

took lynn from here:

(the peyton + me combo here was a close second for the final cut..)

took ashley from here:

(for the record, this is the most pleasant expression I got out of ashley the whole 10 minute ordeal.)

and, well, peyton and I were perfect together here:

and we got this masterpiece:

(you know, after photoshop magic…)

and for your enjoyment, consider it a christmas gift from me to you, a couple of outtakes:

because sitting on the couch is SO overrated.

from my family to yours:

Merry Christmas!!!