Everybody Wants to "Bee" Loved...

Friday was the last day of school, and to go out with a bang the school always has a wonderful talent show. My little Jack who is 8, sang and played his heart out to the beautiful song by Ingrid Michaelson, "Everybody." His daddy and I are so proud of him. Being a musical talent himself, his daddy was quick to download his performance on you tube! (If you could stop by and check it out, Jack would love you for it.)

The chorus of the song is..."Everybody, everybody wants to love; everybody, everybody wants to be loved..." In honor of such a beautiful message and inspiring performance from Jack, I decided to create this card with the same sentiment. Made with lots of beautiful paper from My Mind's Eye Follow Your Heart Collection, it fulfills the perfect background for the stamped "bee" image from Tim Holtz. Why a bee you ask? Because starting today, Paper Issues has unveiled the newest theme: Honey Bee! I hope you will share some of your beautiful creations with us, because not only will you inspire others...there is a fabulous giveaway at stake! Be sure to check it out at Paper Issues for all the details.
As for the card, I think I will either give it to my mother for her upcoming birthday or to my in-laws for their 50th Anniversary. Inside, I plan on putting one of those handy little recorder gadgets with Jack singing this beautiful song. Won't that be sweet?

As always, thank you dearly for stopping by and your sweet, supportive comments.
Have a great evening!
Amy

Teacher Appreciation Trophies!

A few weeks ago I shared with you a tutorial on some Easter Trophies I made for our annual egg hunt. Because of the major interest in these on Pinterest, I thought I would make a different version of them for Teachers Appreciation Week!

On the hunt for "trophy cups" I stumbled upon these at Target a few weeks ago. I originally was going to cover them all in silver glitter, but let my boys decide instead. Jack chose the aqua glitter for his 2nd Grade Teacher, and Sam chose red & silver for his Pre-K Teachers. Using Martha Stewart's glitter glue and her super fine glitter, it was very easy to cover the cup portion of the trophy. I created the accordian rosettes out of October Afternoon Road Map Paper and an ABC file folder from Cavallini. The ribbon hanging down is my favorite part. I wanted to add color, and this was just the place to do it. I have tons of ribbon in my stash. Don't you love the yellow ruler ribbon? I think it is the perfect fit. The fun label at the base of the trophy is a free printable from Megan at BalancingHome.com. Her website is filled with wonderful ideas and she has such amazing graphic prints in her shop too, so definitely check her out!

To finish, I added some cream tissue-paper garland from Melissa Frances to the top rim of the cup. Not only does it look cute, it acts as a barrier for the polished red apple nestled at the top! Yes, I used real apples on the top of the trophies, and yes they were a hit!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantabulous weekend!
Amy

NEVER Give Up On Your DREAMS...& New Theme over @ Paper Issues!

Do you remember me declaring my obsession with Ormolu? Awhile back I shared a card with you, titled "Ormolu Inspired." At the time I had only admired Ormolu from a distance. Well guess what? I couldn't wait any longer, and went on an Ormolu shopping spree as an early birthday present to me! :) In fact, as I write this post it will officially be my birthday! I have been so busy lately, my creating time has been on the back burner. Well, that was until I received my Ormolu goodies earlier this week. I have been a busy bee creating several calendars using lots of the Ormolu 2-day hooray collection.

The calendar that I am sharing with you this evening, is hot off the press! This is a big boy, measuring appx 18"X18". There is a rather large sentiment that says "NEVER Give Up On Your DREAMS." What a wonderful goal to keep don't you think? It would be perfect for the graduating senior, or for anyone who wants that extra reminder to try and achieve their goals each and every day!

As for materials, I created the background using lots of different patterned papers from KaiserCraft, The Paper Studio, Prima, Cosmo Cricket, Simple Stories, K & Company, Crate Paper, & Jenni Bowlin. I even created the fun chevron squares from Ormolu's Line & Letter Chevron Tags. The days of the week are some of Ormolu's fabric swatches. I love the added texture these add to the piece! Most of the numbers are vintage trinkets with the exception of a few. Check out #11...I must say I LOVE the Studio Calico wooden people...too cute for words! :)

Now onto another important subject at hand: Paper Issues has the newest theme up on the blog: Let's Go Abroad! Whether using some of Studio Calico's newest collection "Abroad" or whatever "Abroad" means to you, we would love to see your creations! Maybe documenting your travels or something as simple as using some of your favorite "map" paper. (I used some map paper in my calendar. Do you see it?) You can link up your "Abroad" projects through May 12, so get busy!

Now I'm off to get a few zzzzz's before my big day begins. Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me....

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Easter Egg Hunt Trophies!

Every year we do a big Easter Egg Hunt for all the kids and it seems to get bigger and bigger as more kids come along! Rather than doing the regular prizes, I decided to spice things up a bit. Last fall I created a repurposed/recycled trophy into something new and glamorous for my pre-teen niece for winning 1st place in her soccer tournament. I thought why not do something like it again, this time for the Egg Hunt. I went searching for some old grungy trophies at a local junk store and found parts to create 3 different trophies...the biggest for finding the most, the middle for finding the median number of eggs and the smallest for the least number of eggs found. Who says coming in last place doesn't deserve a trophy? That one was awarded to little 2-year-old Mya who found 10.5 eggs and 3 rocks! :)

As for the trophies themselves, I used trophy cups at the top. Let's just say they were the perfect place to "nest" all the eggs up top in all their glory! If you are interested in making something similar yourself, here is a somewhat brief tutorial on just that...

1. Find some old trophies and unscrew all the different pieces.

2. For the cups, totally cover the surface with Martha Stewart Glitter Glue and then immediately immerse the cups in tons of glitter! Sounds like fun huh? Warning, it does get very messy. I had glitter on my face for days following! :)
3. Paint any wood elements with robin egg blue paint, and then gently sand down to give it a gently aged look.
4. Assemble all the pieces back together, and then it's time to embellish!
5. Take your 3 eggs and cover them in old book pages with mod podge.
6. Glue some frilly blue/white tissue paper garland from Melissa Frances inside the trophy cup edge.
7. Make accordian rosettes out of paper. The paper I used is from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie Collection. The soft pastels are perfect for Easter.
8. Create centers for the rosettes. I used my computer, but using alpha stickers would be even cuter.
9. Add some fun ribbons to dangle from the rosette & glue to trophy.
10. Lastly, glue the eggs into their "nests" atop the trophy.

That's it! As many of you know, Teacher's Appreciation Week is just around the corner. I am thinking one of these trophies would be a great gift of appreciation. Perhaps putting an apple in the cup? I am sure it would put a smile on any teacher's face!
Thanks for stopping by!
Amy

He Is Risen!

I hope everyone had a delightful Easter full of wonderful blessings with family & friends. I did 2 fabulously fun projects for Easter this year. One is a set of prize Easter trophies I will share later this week, and the other is this wonderful wreath completely inspired and lifted from Rhonna Farrer. When I saw her wreath and the banner "He Is Risen" emblazoned across the top I was sucked into the beautiful design and what it represented from the get go.

To start with, I purchased her digital Easter Celebrations: Printable Sayings. I printed and punched the letters out with a scalloped punch. For added dimension, I put some silver stickles and robin egg blue chalk ink around the edges of the scallops. Wrapping the foam wreath in the burlap, I was ready to start adorning with tons of butterflies & flowers. I have lots of pins, and it was so fun playing around with placement of the embellishments on the foam wreath. I used paper & die-cuts from Crate Paper's So Random Collection. The straight pins & darling tiny clothespins are from Maya Road. Twine is from the Twinery & the blue trim is from Webster's Pages. The golden button flower & too cute for words robin's egg nest are from Prima. I got the fluffy feathered tail bird from Michael's as well as the gorgeous, thick aqua ribbon at the top. My favorite added touches at the end were the copper "believe" tag, the vintage millinery leaves & those crazy cute fringed flowers! I haven't made those before, but they were too much fun to make...starting out with the kraft, I loved the look so continued to add more out of the Crate Paper. You'll notice some peaking from behind the big kraft flower and some more of it just above the copper tag. I used my mom's shredding shears to create these flowers with...definitely on the top of my wish list now!

I hope you enjoyed stopping by my blog today, and I thank you dearly Rhonna for your wonderful digitals and fantastically inspirational Easter wreath!
Amy

The Candy Shop @ Paper Issues!

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to drop by and let you know that Paper Issues has the current challenge going on right now, Welcome to the Candy Shop! I would like to share with you an updated version of the Crate Paper "Sugar & Spice" Window I had created awhile back. This one is much larger than the first one I created, and it was fun to create on a larger scale. By doing so, I was able to make the mosaic fonts much larger & it allowed more of the beautiful patterns on the paper to show. Hanging over a baby girl's crib, I hope this window will bring much joy for the little girl and the proud mommy for many years to come!

As a reminder, the Paper Issues challenge is up on March 31, so be sure to share your amazing "candy shop" creations with us!

Ormolu Inspired

I am so loving the new scrapbooking company, Ormolu. I have yet to order any of the goodies as of yet, but they are definitely on my wish list! The fun colors and graphic images feed my creative appetite. Totally inspired by Ormolu's flair buttons and negative kraft tags, I created this "happy birthday" card for my cousin Nancy.

Incorporating lots of the hot trends right now...washi tapes, kraft, and the chevron pattern, I love the way this card turned out. I basically created the "happy" and the overall bracket shape using my Cricut Cartridges, Plantin Schoolbook & Storybook. Using foam tape added extra dimension to the overall piece. It also allows for you to see all the wonderful colors and patterns from the washi tapes underneath. I have been hoarding and collecting lots of washi tapes and this is my first time officially using them. Talk about fun! So easy to work with, it is great that you can remove it until you get it just right. As for the tapes I used, it is a mix of Martha Stewart, Hambly, Amy Tangerine American Crafts, Tim Holtz & of course the fun black polkadot from SMASH. After placing the tape just how I wanted it, I sewed it all down to secure it. I like the added texture the zigzag stitch makes. :) The patterns of the tapes althogether look beautiful on their own...

To create the circles, I used a 1.5" circle punch and created 1" buttons for the center of each. I created the buttons simply by using an old sewing pattern and stamped "birthday" with EK Success Image Tree alpha stamps. I like the vintage typewriter key look of the stamps.

This was so fun to create, I know that I will definitely be making more variations of the washi and the kraft together. I hope this has inspired you, and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Amy

Go Green or Go Home!

It's that time of year where everything is green! We at Paper Issues want to see what you've got...whether you scrap green or love to recycle, this theme is for you: Go Green or Go Home! New or old, recycled, upcycled, or St. Patrick's Day...it's up to you!

Even though St. Patty's Day is huge in this house, I have yet to create an "Irish" project as of yet. Instead I am excited to share with you, one of my repurposed/upcycled windows. Using lots of paper from Sassafrass' Sweet Marmalade, the sweet designs and colors in this collection are the epitome of Spring. Placing the paper beneath and the mosaic tile on top, this is my signature style. For added interest and texture I incorporated some of the Sassafras metal and chipboard blooms as well as some scrabble tile. To see many of my vintage windows, be sure to check out my windows gallery here...

Thanks for stopping by and for all the sweet comments...to each of you...you are my sunshine! :) Don't forget to link up your projects by March 17. Have fun with it!

Amy

Thank You Card & "Fantastic Finds" Challenge

A few weeks ago I made this card for a dear, thoughtful friend. I am currently obsessing over the very centered, layering trend everywhere I look. Grabbing lots of my die-cuts and embsossed cardstock, I created this! Just a crazy concoction of colors, textures and patterns, don't you think? I played around with the placement, did some stitching to finish it off and voila...I love the outcome!

As those of you who know my style, I always love incorporating "fantastic finds" into my creations. To me, those types of items are the one-of-a-kind vintage items that make it truly unique. On this card, those finds are the yellow flocked wallpaper, the red tickets & the lotto card from the early 1920's I die-cut into the crest shape in the center. The Kraft Journal is currently hosting a Kraft "Fantastic Finds" Challenge, and what a perfect time to share!

Since there are many layers, I used lots of different products ...Cardstock: Crate Paper Farmhouse Sunday Dinner & Emma's Shoppe Accent Cuts, kraft; Die-cuts: Crate Paper Portrait & Emma's Shoppe, Collage Press Knave of Hearts, Maya Road Kraft Doilies; Brad: Basic Grey Indie Bloom; Stickers: Making Memories Shimmer Alphas; Tim Holtz Vagabond: Regal Crest Die & Bingo Texture Fade; Cricut: Storybook Cartridge; String: The Twinery; Vintage Other: flocked wallpaper, red tickets & lotto card...

Thanks for spending a little of your time with me this evening!
Talk to you soon!

Amy

"Tape It Up" @ Paper Issues & 100th Post Giveaway Winners...

Paper Issues has issued the newest theme, "Tape It Up" any how, any way. It can be washi, dymo, packing, fabric, masking, scotch...it can even be duct tape...if you can dream it, we want to see it!

For my "Tape It Up" project, I would like to share a card I made for our great niece's 1st Birthday. The fabric tape is from Making Memories I have had in my stash for a long time. I used it for the binding at the top of my card as well as to create the "happy birthday to you" flags. In addition, I used a Quickuts letterpress plate for the embossing on the frosting. The clear pokkadot acrylic is from Creative Imaginations. The alphas are from Studio Calico's Countryside Stickers and some sweet American Crafts Thickers. Other supplies used were some kraft & aqua cardstock & hot pink sewing pins.

Now onto to the good stuff....since I was late in announcing the winner of the mushrooms, and you all are such supportive friends...I have decided to giveaway TWO of them! :)

The 2 lucky ladies, courtesy of my sons drawing them out of a hat are....Lindsi & Stephanie!

Even though I don't have mushrooms to send to all of you, I do have some exciting news to share. Cassie, our fearless leader at Paper Issues has assigned the design team members discount codes that you all can use all the time for your scrapbooking needs! Isn't that fabulous! Be sure to check out the Paper Issues Shop at Etsy and receive a 20% DISCOUNT every time you use the discount code: CURLYQ

As always, I thank you all for continuing to encourage me in my artistic endeavors!
Amy

Steampunk Paper Doll Valentine Swap

I occasionally like to participate in swaps as an excuse to create outside of my comfort zone and style. So when my favorite scrapbooking destination, The Paper Crown in Oklahoma City decided to host a Valentine Paper Doll Swap, I was totally in. The main guidelines were to create a festive paper doll in honor of Valentine's Day. I knew that I wanted to incorporate red and wings, but that's it. So, into my huge cabinet of vintage goodies I went. I am always on the hunt for these unusual findings, never knowing when the right project will come along. Lots of times, I get these items in large quantities like the metal stand, the ceramic head & wings...perhaps I need to start selling some of my vintage and unusual oddities in my etsy shop. Do you think these are items people would be interested in purchasing? Perhaps to offer as a kit? I would love any ideas and/or suggestions you might have. Whatever I do, I want it to be unique. :)

Onto the paper doll...

I would definitely say this is my first attempt at doing anything with a "steampunk" feel. Don't get my wrong, I love the unusual style of steampunk imagery. I just never find the perfect place for it in my projects. After searching for valentine's images on etsy, I stumbled upon a gorgeous digital set from Ceremony. Out of the Netherlands, Julia van der Werf creates the most succulent steam punk digital images...you will definitely want to check them all out for yourself. :)

I started with a metal stand and glued the ceramic head on top. I played around with the images and decided on the red dress. The red is so intense it almost looks like crimson velvet cascading down! I have lots of fabulous Dresden wings in silver, copper & bronze...by using several of them, it allowed the different metallics to tie in together nicely. The embossed copper at the bottom of the dress I created using a damask letterpress plate in my Vagabond...I love the texture it adds to the overall piece. At the very bottom I added a ruffle made out of an old sewing pattern. My finishing touches were all the wings and the functional heart lock...with the keys nestled around the base. I truly hope whomever receives this doll in the swap squeals with delight upon receiving, as I will do the same when I receive an original from one of them. :)

Since LESSology has a fun theme "Flights of Fancy" going on right now, I am going to enter this into their challenge. I think with all the wings, she is a perfect fit!

Thanks dearly for stopping by! Also, don't forget: you have until tomorrow to be entered into my giveaway! I wish each and every one of you lots of luck!
Amy

100th Post & Giveway!!!

This is officially my 100th post, and as promised it comes with a giveaway! To welcome the coming of Spring, I would love to give one of you lucky people a Curly Q original! I created many of these mosaic mushrooms awhile back and only have 4 left. If you are the winner, you will get to pick whichever one you like best! It would make a great gift, or you can keep it for yourself as a whimsical decor piece. I will have it nicely packaged and nestled in a kraft box filled with krinkles!

There are several ways to win...
1. Become a follower & leave me a comment as to which one you like best if you were to win. (1 entry)
2. Share this on your blog or facebook. Be sure to come back and let me know that you did. (if you do this, thanks in advance!) (this is worth an additional 2 entries)

I will announce the winner next Friday, February 17 so you have plenty of time to enter!
Have a great weekend!
Amy

Carnival Birthday Card

A few week's ago my boys and I attended a dear friend's birthday party for her adorable Evangeline. Turning 5 going on 20, she is one smart little cookie and such a beautiful child inside and out. :)

For her birthday, her mother planned an elaborate party in the "Vintage Circus Room" of Pinkitzel in Oklahoma City. It has to be the fanciest cupcake destination on earth! They have rooms decked out in such beautifully decadent decor, it almost takes your breath away. (If you ever come to OKC, it should definitely be on your destination list.) Check out the photo gallery of this place, if you get a chance.... and be prepared to drool!

For Evangeline's card, I wanted it to serve as an embellishment for a big "E" I painted to garnish the top of her kraft wrapped packages. My mom had recently purchased me the Cricut Lite Carousel Cartridge, so I figured it was time to bust out the Cricut and put it to some much needed use. The images on this cartridge are so fun, I found myself cutting out all kinds of circus imagery. I finally decided to use the ferris wheel in the background and the elephant in the foreground to accentuate the "E." Coupling the images with My Mind's Eye's Kraft Funday/Happy Days/Everyday Collections and some twine, I think everything tied together perfectly.

Supplies I used are...MME Kraft Funday Happy Day Layered Stickers, Die-Cut Borders & Icing Paper, MME Kraft Funday Everyday Fun Wood Banners (I love these!), Luxe Cocktail Dress Mojito Paper, Colorbok Wine Cardstock, Maraschino Twine from the Twinery, kraft paper, red/yellow tickets and certainly not least the Carousel Cartridge. As for the "E", I recently scored appx 350 letters and numbers at a sale...they are vintage marquee letters ranging in size from 8-10" tall. Pretty cool, huh?

I hope this card/gift presentation has inspired you to create this weekend! Check back soon as I will be having a giveaway in celebration of my 100th post!

My Mind's Eye Challenge & A Sweet Gift for Cindy...

My Mind's Eye has Card Challenge #31 going on over at their blog, so I thought I would play along. I am recently obsessed with all the glitter MME has been using on lots of their papers.  Lost & Found II is so beautiful! I also adore the new FunDay Collections, I think I must have purchased every single bit of it. The kraft paper and the wood veneer banner pieces are the coolest! As for the card itself, the springboard for my creation is that of Anam Stubbington's amazing sketch. I used to work on her design team at Twisted Sketches, and I loved every second of it. Anam's designs always "push" me to a new level of thinking with my creativity. She always couples it with a theme to make it extra challenging. :)

My cousin Cindy's birthday was on Wednesday, and what a perfect excuse to create such an elaborate card. :) I used lots of different MME products to create this little gem...

MME Lost & Found II: Sunshine "Memories" Blossoms Paper, Rosy "Everything" Acrylic Stamps
MME Lost & Found Christmas: Peace Paper
MME Lost & Found: Union Square Brads
MME Kraft FunDay: Everyday Fun Wood Banners, Happy Days Die-Cut Borders

There is lots of layering on this card which includes machine stitching and foam dots for extra dimension. (I told you I would be showing off my new found sewing skills!) Love, love, love the feel of a sewn card. It has such a finished look that seems to "hold" everything together. :)

In addition to Cindy's card, I found this sweet "hat box" purse at an estate sale a year ago. I have been hoarding it since then to find the perfect way to update it with a little extra. I created the big flower on the front using burgundy and red dupioni silk. I did lots of layering underneath to give it a more rounded, realistic look. I also added a Webster's Pages Berry Bouquet & some black pokkadot feathers. On the inside I added a baroque frame around the mirror. I filled it with fluffy kraft krinkles and a journal with matching red houndstooth pencils for a finishing touch. I love the way the gift "ensemble" turned out. I know I get a little crazy with the way I coordinate my gifting, but to me the presentation is the most fun. :)

I thank you again for stopping by and always appreciate your comments. You all inspire me to continue doing what I do. Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!
Amy

All We Need Is Love @ Paper Issues!!!

 Valentine's is officially one month away, and what a great time to start preparing for the love!  Paper Issues' newest theme is "All We Need Is Love."  From now thru  February 14 we will be celebrating the upcoming holiday by featuring some "sweet" creations made by you!  Be sure to link up your images and share the love!  :)

To get your creative juices flowing, I would like to share with you some of my Valentine creations...


"Wings of Love" (pictured above) has to be one of my favorite mosaic creations I have made to date.  I made it a few years ago and thought I would share it with all of you!  Basically what initially inspired it was the very ornate embossed heart in the center.  It is the lid of an old ceramic jewelry box...one of my many treasured estate sale finds.  I created the wings from a vintage vase.  The background paper is from Paper Mojo.  The damask aqua & copper were the perfect dramatic backdrop.  Don't you agree?


 Also, here are two of some of my rather intricate Valentines I created this past year.  The XOXO card was created for a Valentine Swap.  The red heart on the wings is actually a functioning heart lock.  Isn't it the cutest?  The LOVE card I made for my husband.  You are probably wondering why I added the kelly green?  He loves all things Irish, and I thought it would add a nice personal touch.  :)

I hope to create lots of Valentines sweets to share with you over the next month.  Won't you share your sweets with us?  http://www.paperisssues.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Sewing Love & ELEVEN83 Designs Giveaway!!!

I was at my mom's house the other day and decided it was time to just hang out and piddle around with her sewing machine.  There are lots of you creative geniuses out there who drive me nuts with your sewing capabilities, and I have been very anxious to "try" and sew on paper like many of you do.  I took home ec like 20 years ago and I don't recall anything about sewing other than it was extremely frustrating...needles breaking, string tangling up like crazy, sewing hideous darts and zippers.  No thanks! 

Basically I have not attempted to sew anything with a machine since then.  My mother is a sewing guru, so I have always just gone to her with any sewing projects.  Three years ago my mom got me a sewing machine for Christmas and I had yet to take it out of the box.  Yes you heard me right, three years!  After tinkering on her machine for 3 hours the other night, those days are over!  I just took it out of the box this morning, and I must say that it looks beeeuutiful!  I need to clean and better organize my craft area and find it the perfect home...permanently on my crafting table for quick access.  Plan to see lots of sewing on my creations in the near future...it is so addicting and fun!  Check out what I did on mom's machine the other day...I think I did a pretty good job following the curves if I do say so myself!  :)

Now onto the really good stuff!  I have a dear friend, Ms. Lindsi who is extremely creative and rather new to the blogging world.  I encouraged her to start a blog awhile back and she took the plunge!  Won't you stop by her amazing blog and show her some love?  Let's welcome her to this crazy blogging world we all live in!  :)  When you are there, be sure to check out her gorgeous Valentine's canvases...Valentine's canvases...she is giving away TWO of them!  Lindsi's blog is ELEVEN83 Designs.

That's all I have for now.  Stay tuned on Saturday, as we reveal the newest theme over at Paper Issues!
Amy

We've Got Your Number & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Paper Issues has unveiled the latest theme, "We've Got Your Number." What a perfect time for me to share another one of my most recent calendars. :)

Since Jack has been in Kindergarten, I have presented each of his teachers with a handmade calendar for Christmas. With Jack being in the 2nd Grade now, this is the 3rd one. Trying to get custom orders completed for the impending Christmas deadline, I always run short on time for this special gift. Jack really stressed as to whether I would get it done this year. It was two days before Christmas Break and I still hadn't even started it. To ease Jack's mind, I approached his teacher and told her that Jack would be bringing his gift to her the next morning. She smiled and said that she was really looking forward to it. (She had been told by Jack's 1st Grade teacher that the calendar she had received last year had to be the best teacher's gift she has received in 20 years of teaching!) Needless to say, I knew a gift certificate wouldn't suffice so I was determined to burn the midnight oil until complete.

I created this calendar using lots of my typical vintage ephemera with some scrapbooking pretties thrown in for extra color. The background paper is from the Rosy "Remember" Lost & Found Collection Two by MME. I LOVE the glittered damask border and the imagery at the bottom. When photographing the calendar, I really tried to capture the "sparkle" but unfortunately these photos don't do the paper justice. In addition to My Mind's Eye, I used some Jenni Bowlin, Pink Paislee, Maya Road, Prima, Fancy Pants & Martha Stewart to name a few.

I truly hope that Ms. Estes adores her new calendar. I know Jack was beaming upon presenting it to her, and that makes me happy. :)

As for Paper Issues, we would LOVE to see what you have to share! What do "numbers" mean to you? Please link up your projects here! Also, be sure to check out Paper Issues on Etsy. Loads of fun goodies currently on sale for 20% off! Just use code LOVE20 at checkout.

Thanks for stopping by; but most of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR'S 2012!!!