"B" is for Barnyard Buddies, Birdhouse, and B-Side!

In honor of the Reminisce "B-Side" Challenge, I have a project to share that uses only the B-sides from Reminisce patterned papers...well, and a few other supplies, too. But all the papers are strictly B-sides!

Coincidentally, this B-side project uses product from a Reminisce collection named with 2 words that start with the letter "B"...Barnyard Buddies! And, the project itself has a "B" name...Birdhouse Barn. That's pretty un-"B"-lievable! OK, enough with the punny stuff...on to the project.

I started out by painting the wood birdhouse white, except for the base which I painted green. I then covered the sides and roof with Reminisce paper...all B-side paper! Finally, I added plenty of farm critters around the barn using Barnyard Buddies stickers and pop dots. A few shreds of raffia gave the finishing touch on the birdie perch in the window. Here are a few more photos so you can see the sides and back of the Birdhouse Barn:

Don't forget...today is the last day to get your entries in for the Reminisce "B-Side" Challenge! Get your B-Side project linked to the Reminisce blog for your chance to win some great prizes from Reminisce! Good luck!

Reminisce "B-Side" Challenge!

Reminisce is hosting a fun challenge with prizes on the Reminisce blog!

The details: Your challenge is to highlight the B-sides of some of your favorite Reminisce papers in a paper craft project -- a layout, a card, an altered object, your choice. Post the project to your blog or upload to an online gallery and load the link onto the Reminisce blog post so everyone can enjoy your inspiration! You have until next Monday, February 28th at midnight (CST) to link your project.

The incentive: One creative participant will win a Reminisce prize pack and have their image (and link) featured on the blog. Another random challenge participant will win a Reminisce prize pack too!

Check out the Reminisce blog to see some projects by the Reminisce design team using B-Side papers!

I can't wait to see what everyone creates!

You've got mail!

Valentine's Day is almost here...I guess you'd have to be living under a rock not to know that by now, lol! Signs of "love day" are everywhere...
Valentine decorations and displays in the stores...heart-shaped cupcakes and cookies in bakeries...commercials on the radio and TV, hawking everything from flowers to jewelry as the perfect gift for your special someone.

Speaking of gifts, I have a project to share that makes a great Valentine's Day gift...or it could be a gift for a loved one at any time of the year, really. Ever seen those adorable little mini mailboxes? That's the basis of this project, which not only makes it very cute, but also very inexpensive, too!

This particular mailbox is made of a heavy cardboard material and I got it from Oriental Trading. (I actually purchased multiple sets of these as a craft for my son's class Valentine party at school one year. They were perfect for the kids to decorate and put all their little valentines in!) I have also bought metal ones from the Target dollar spot and the craft stores. They all work great and are so fun to create! On this version, I used patterned papers and stickers from Reminisce. They have lots of product lines that are great for Valentine's Day and love-themed projects like this! Check out Be Mine, Crazy in Love, Flirt, The Love Collection, The Love Collection 2007, and Valentine's Night. 

I also added some large glittered flowers, ribbons, and a scalloped border. Here's another photo so you can see what the other side of the mailbox looks like:

I made a tag to look like a little letter and tied it onto the ribbon. I also included a love-themed quote: "For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it." - Ivan Panin

So, I said this would make a great gift...but I guess it also doubles as a gift-wrap, too! There are lots of ways you can use this cute little mailbox. I already mentioned that it's perfect for holding the class valentines given to your school-aged kiddos. It would also be a great way to package a gift card! How about filling it with candy or other treats for your sweetie? You could also get a bit more creative and make some special "love coupons" or small cards to put inside. You could even put a mini-album in it!

I think it still works as an anytime-gift for a loved one, too. You could leave little love notes or trinkets in it when they need a pick-me-up, or when you want them to know you're thinking of them, or even on random days "just because." How fun would it be to see the little flag raised up on your mailbox letting you know that...you've got mail!

Hope you enjoyed this little project...have a LOVE-ly Valentine's Day!

Winter outside my window

So here in Indiana we are among those who've been hit by this big winter storm. As I look out my window, I can see everything is covered in snow and ice, as it has been for quite awhile now! The kiddos are on day 3 of being home due to school closings, and I think we are all getting a little stir crazy! There is a ray of hope, though (literally!)...the sun is shining today, and it looks like the ice and snow is beginning to melt.

You'd think that I would take this opportunity to hunker down and work on some scrappy projects, but instead, I am spending some quality time with the kiddos and just hanging out. I guess the idea of being trapped in a winter wasteland is sapping my creative energy.

I do want to share a winter themed layout in honor of this crazy winter storm...which has pun-tastically been referred to as Snowmaggedon, SnOMG, the Blizzard of Oz, the Fast and the Flurrious, and the Snowtorius B.I.G. (hmmm...those could make some great titles for scrapbook pages, don't you think?). Anyway, since the creative juices haven't been flowing as much as the de-icer around here, the layout I'm sharing is an oldie (but still a goodie to me!). It's called "Winter Outside My Window" and it features a photo of my daughter at age 2 looking out the window at a snow-covered scene much like today.

It's hard to tell in the photo, but I used lots of glitter on the chipboard letters and snowflakes...I really wanted to create that look of sparkly white snow. Here are some detail shots that show it a bit better...



 
I added snowflake transparencies and gemstones for even more shine and sparkle. The small snowflake shapes are actually miniature Christmas ornaments with the hanging part cut off from the top. They had a shiny, glossy finish on them, and I thought they were perfect for this page. I love it when I can find a way to use unique, non-scrappy items on my layouts!

Hopefully, the weather will break soon and my scrap mojo will come back. If you're in the middle of this storm, too...stay safe and warm! And, if you're lucky enough to be enjoying warm weather right now, please send some my way!