Instagram Wednesday: V is for Veggie

A "V" shaped carrot in my lunch today. Oddly shaped food is kinda funny. Don't ya think?

...until next time...

-Sam

Flashback: MySpace

Ah, MySpace. 

Everyone remembers the days of friend ranking, comments, layout changes, meeting new friends. I kinda miss it. I met some pretty awesome people on MySpace, including my husband. 

Take that, Match.com. 

So, before the husband and the Just Darlin' days, I was pimpin' out Myspace layouts. I even had my own MySpace layout page called Sweetness and also worked on someone else's page designing snags and layouts. It was pretty awesome. I really did enjoy it and I wish that Facebook was as easy to change. How awesome would that be? 

Thanks, Mark Zuckerburg, for making all individuals the same. Way to go putting us in a non-color, timelined, blue & white box. 

Tonight, I'm sharing my layouts and snags with you for nostalgia's sake.

This was probably my favorite one. I love what I did to edit the photo and make all of these bright colors just mesh together. My Photoshop Elements skills have really slacked since these days and I couldn't tell you the first thing about how to do this. 

A crosshatch brush and a little bit of text magic, voila! Of course, a stock photo is always good to have. 

I think this one speaks for itself.

I also did the images that everyone had on their profiles. I just didn't dabble in layouts. See for yourself.

Pretty fun, right? 

I just wanted to share these with you. Just because. I actually found my Photobucket account login over the weekend and found all this stuff I forgot about. 

I probably should have cleaned up my craft room a little sooner. 

What long lost thing have you found while cleaning?

...until next time...

-Sam

GIVEAWAY!

Happy Thursday!

I'm going to give something away. How does a set of free coasters sound? I have quite a few of them made and they are all sitting in a huge box in my craft room just taking up an obscene amount of space, not including the mess that I have scattered all over the floor. It always get messier before you really get organized.

Here's how to enter:

1. Follow me on Facebook

2. Follow me on Pinterest

3. Follow this blog

4. Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you have completed the above tasks and which set you would like to have! I will announce the winner Saturday, September 1 by Random.org.

You do not have to do all of the tasks to be entered into the giveaway but by doing all of the above it gives you more opportunities to win! Good luck to all those who enter and don't forget to tell your friends!

The photos below are the coasters that are up for grabs.

Black & White Damask

Glitter 

 Pink Paisley

Purple Garden 

Red & White Damask

 

Tan Lattice 

Simply Smashing Friday: Issue No. 8

(Insert TV Host voice here - maybe a little Martha Stewart-esque)

Today we will be having a new guest on the show, Samantha from Just Darlin', and she will be showing us how to make our own homemade journals! Welcome, Samantha!!!

(Insert the crowd applauding and cheering here)

Me: (Waving and smiling) Hey everybody! I'm so glad to be here today! I wanted to share with you a journal that I have in progress made out of a few simple elements that most hoarders of the crafty sort have lying around their craft room.

Martha Stewart TV Host: Wow! That's beautiful. What a great job you did on that! Tell us more about this.

Me: Of course! So, the first thing I did was to paint the kraft cardstock with yellow paint. I didn't do it neatly because sometimes messy turns out better. Then, I added the blue and tan border with the doily attached to the tan washi tape down the right side. The striped border is a cardstock sticker as well as the hot air balloon. I had to come up with a title and those letters are just some alphabet stickers that I had lying around. The last thing that was done on the cover page is the punched border. 

Audience: Ooooooo, ahhhhhhh!

Martha Stewart TV Host: Can we see the inside of this homemade journal now?

Me: You sure can! 

Martha Stewart TV Host: That is very interesting. I see where you placed some envelopes and what it up with this popcorn box?

Me: Haha! I used up some popcorn and I just thought that instead of throwing the whole box away I would use the front of it and place it in a homemade journal. It could be used for a movie night page or a girls' night out page. Whatever you want it to be. That's what Smash*ing is all about. It doesn't have to be the best or the neatest. You can just use the things that you have around you. You can even use a composition book. All you have to do is dress it up a little bit or you can also use an old hardback book.  The options are endless. 

Martha Stewart TV Host: Is this book completed? What would you change?

Me: No. I have several more things I want to add like a back cover, of course. Haha! I would also like to get more binder rings. The one that I have in the middle is too big so I would like for them to be a bit smaller. There is quite a few more pages than what I have shown you. A lot of the paper that I have isn't two-sided so I doesn't really make for a pretty picture. There is definitely a bunch of blank canvases in this book to make what you want out of it. 

Martha Stewart TV Host: Samantha, it was great having you on the show today. I'm sure you have inspired many people to create their own homemade journal or to go out and purchase a Smash* journal. 

Me: Thanks for having me. I loved being here. One more thing, I just want everyone to know not to stress about their book. If you like it, that's all that matters. Your personality should shine through your pages. 

Martha Stewart TV Host: That's great advice! Everyone give Samantha a round of applause. You can also find her creations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jdgreetingcards!

Audience: Woooooooo!!! (Clapping)

Me: (Waving and leaving) Goodbye!!

Washi Tape Giveaway: Purple Pumpkin

I am pleased to announce a giveaway over at the Purple Pumpkin. How does 10 free rolls of Washi tape sound? Head on over to their blog to enter. Good luck to all of you!

...until next time...

-Sam

Simply Smash*ing Friday: Issue No. 7

I know, once again I'm late on this series. I've been busy all weekend and on Sunday mornings I don't really do anything. So, that's why Friday always seems to be on Sunday. 

I've completed another page in my Smash* journal this week. This one is about Relay for Life. 

I included some things that I picked at Relay for Life this year to include on my page such as the pin in the bottom left corner of the picture,  a luminary bag and the plastic string with the beading tied through the binding. 

I hope the rest of you Smash* happy over the weekend!

...until next time...

-Sam

Current Projects

I want to keep everyone updated on what I am currently working on. So, keep your eyes peeled if you follow me on Facebook for new things!

Over the past several weeks I have been cutting up scrap paper in 8.5"x11" sheets and piling it all together. Why am I doing this mundane task you ask? 

...to create one of these. Of course, this isn't my journal but it is a bit of inspiration.

 [source: The Creative Place]

It's a homemade Smash*/art journal. I can't wait to compile more paper to throw into this thing. It's so easy. I have tons of patterned paper, an overlay, envelopes and a luminary bag from Relay for Life and part of an old popcorn box.

I haven't made the front or back covers yet. I can't wait to share the finished project with you!

Yesterday, I started to make Washi tape magnets but they aren't made out of Washi tape at all. They just look like it. 

[source: Little Lovlies]

These are so easy to make and you can find the very simple tutorial at the blog pictured above. I found this idea on Pinterest and I'm so glad that I stumbled upon it.

Other projects include coasters, magnets, Smash* journal (which I worked on last night. I finally got around to Smash*ing Relay for  Life that happened in June!), organzing, printing printables (which I am totally addicted to doing!) and there are some other random things that are thrown in there as well. 

To be updated on all the new stuff going on please follow my Facebook page. You won't be sorry! I would love to meet you!

...until next time...

-Sam 

Instagram Wednesday: My Day

I have a new phone app and it's called Instaframes. If you don't have it, I highly recommend that you get it. You can take the photos on your phone and combine them in a collage. You can also import them to Instagram and play with the filters. It's awesome! 

The pictures today are items on my desk. These are a few things that I use at work. 

...until next time...

-Sam

Goals of the Crafty Sort

I'm having one of those days where I want lock myself in my craft room and stay in there. I'm not sure if it's because it's Monday or what. I'm just having crafty thoughts today about how I want to change my blog, organize my craft room and search online for crafty ideas, supplies and printables. 

I want to outline my goals today. 

No, not life goals but crafty little snippets that I would like to try or need improvement on. 

1. Learn how to sew. My grandma is the best seamstress. I used to watch her sew all the time. I should know how. Pathetic.

2. Be more efficient with Photoshop. I really don't know the ins and outs of it and I only have the Elements version.

3. Organize my craft supplies. My craft room is a disaster. It literally looks like my drawers threw up.

4. Finish a Smash* journal. I'm one of those people that never really finish a huge project. I have curtains on my bedroom floor that have been there for a really long time.

5. Finish those curtains. 

6. Make my own art/Smash* journal.

7. Be more organized with my photos and print them out. 

8. Learn how to make jewelry.

9. Carry a notebook with me and keep ideas down at all times and write down events that happen so I can Smash* them.

10. Learn photography.

11. Have little shops around town sell my cards and other stuff - I don't want to really want to be turned down because they don't like what I make. So, I haven't asked.

12. Use my Cricut more. 

13. Find fabric to reupholster my pillows and also to cover the canvas that I bought so I can finally have something hanging on my walls. Procrastination and pickiness kick my butt everytime

. 

14. I really need to set a schedule. For example, during the first week of the month I would make coasters and during the second week of the month I would make cards. I tend to get stuck making one certain thing all the time. I think I need to break it up a little bit. 

I think that's all for now and plus I have to go back to work. 

I'm going home to organize once 5 o'clock rolls around. I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully, my organization will benefit my creativity.

What are your craft goals? Let's hear them!

...until next time...

-Sam

Simply Smash*ing Friday: Issue No. 6

I'm so excited right now and I'm pretty proud of myself. One of the wonderful ladies over at SMASH*aholics on Facebook told me how to compress files.

I made some free printables you can use for your Smash*ing or Project Life. These are my very first attempt and I know they aren't the best out there but I hope you enjoy them!

I plan on making more because they are so easy and fun! If you use them please remember to give me credit. I would really appreciate it!

...until next time...

-Sam 

Instagram Wednesday: Sunny

Meet Sunny. 

Sunny lives in my kitchen window and dances. He gets all of his energy from the sun. His other favorite thing to do is smile. 

You can find your own Sunny at your local Dollar Tree. 

...until next time...

-Sam