Leap of Faith

Lovely cats

I created this mini layout for a baby album I was commissioned to do by FickleZeal Photography. As you can see I love using Bling and flowers.

Inspired by Donna Salazar

First versionFinal version I am currently creating a commissioned accordion album and used one of the techniques i saw on Donna Salazar's Blog. She is such an inspiration! - She has shown me how using a doilie can add an extra element of vintage to a project. The scalloped-edge doilie I used was an embossed floral design with silver and white on the front. Since I did not like the silver and white for this cover, I turned it over and used some chalk inks to customize it. I love how it came out!! - After a few fortunate accidents I changed the look of the cover and I believe it was for the better. The final version to me is softer and cuter. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Look-alike

Last night I went to a Martini bar in town and while there enjoying the music and chocolatey martini (my first one, yum!)... a lady next to me turns and tells me I remind her of the actress who plays Ugly Betty (America Ferrera). This is the 3rd time someone has told me that I look like her. I am a big fan of the actress ever since i saw her in the movie "Real Women Have Curves". I consider it a great compliment and i accept it gratefully.

Coming soon

This is a close up of one of my latest creations featuring HELLO KITTY. I will be posting a full picture soon. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo but I am still left with only my camera phone to take pictures. I never thought I would miss my digital camera so much.

Joy layout

I created this layout as a scraplift of one of Melina's layouts. Using the Jenni Bowlin paper and scalloped cardstock was alot of fun. I also added journaling with my favorite (Signo white) pen. The tag was personalized with a piece of a Charlotte Russe label. I took the picture of my foot on new year's eve. I thought my foot looked so HOT, but maybe it had something to do with the fishnet stockings too!

Prima lover

Going back three years ago I began a collection of Prima flowers, which continues to this day. After taking Michelle Van Etten's classes that collection became an OBSESSION. Every single collection Prima keeps redefining their products with different materials, more BLING, and edgier colors. Here is a couple of the items I currently received from Cafe Prima. The customer service by Jennifer Wright and the rest of her team is outstanding. Enjoy!

Prima Fancies - Mesh

Prima Fancies - Silk

Check back soon for layouts featuring these new purchases ;)

Early CHA favorites

I have just been browsing the lifetime moments message board and found that I already have some early favorite products. Here are a few from the collections of American Crafts, Heidi Swapp, Cosmo Cricket, Basic Grey, Luxe Designs, Creative Imaginations, Jenni Bowlin, Scenic Route, Tim Holtz, and many more.

American Crafts Details

Basic Grey chip stickers


Cosmo Cricket RUBY blackboard


Creative Imaginations Cream collection

Heidi Swapp chandelier crystals

Heidi Swapp mirrors

Heidi Swapp RUNWAY papers

Jenni Bowlin die cut label paper

Jenni Bowlin journaling cards

Jenni Bowlin printed tickets


Karen Russell Fontwerks FLITTER

Luxe Designs Sundress papers

Making Memories 5th Ave line

Paper Salon Lace (up) paper

Prima ALL collection
Prima 2008 catalog (cover)...YUMMY!

Queen & Co felt scroll ribbon

Scenic Route clear album

Scenic Route flower rubons

Tim Holtz journaling tickets

Tim Holtz word keys

Unity Flower stamps

Hmmm, it looks like I have a serious ADDICTION.... LOL!

I love PBS!

Last night while channel surfing I had this serendipitous moment when I found the program African American Lives 2. Each person received their ancestors' information in a scrapbook and each page brought more and more surprises. It truly inspired me.

I am SO into genealogy and scrapbooking so this was right up my alley. The segments highlighting Morgan Freeman's turning the page to see the still existing gravestones of his ancestors literally made me cry. Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr did an amazingly thorough job of telling each ancestor's story. He even found a distant cousin (of sorts) in Kathleen Henderson. She was one of thousands of viewers who applied to be on this installment of the program. I did not catch the initial version of the program in 2006, but I am sure it must also be a masterpiece. The richness in knowing where each of them came from could be felt through the screen.
PBS leads the way in bringing priceless programming to the american people. I believe we should all treasure our histories and beyond that share it with our children and grandchildren as a priceless heirloom.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Cheeky

Looking back at an old photo taken of me.... I'm guessing I was 3 or 4 years old from the baby teeth, LOL! - Cute red sundress handmade by my grandmother who was a talented seamstress. My parents loved taking pictures and this one was taken in paradise, no really, that's where i grew up... my grandfather's beach house in Juan Dolio (Dominican Republic). I cannot even begin to express what a fun childhood I led there with my younger sister and brother. We were constantly surrounded by grandparents, greatgrandmother, uncles, aunts, and carloads of cousins. At night we would build a big bonfire in the yard and the grown ups would make it a point to scare the wits out of the kids by telling SCARY stories. Sometimes I think back and smile at how simple life was then. I never remember worrying about what was on TV, goodness knows we were usually exhausted by the time nighttime rolled around anyway. I miss that silence where the loudest sound you could hear was the symphony of crickets calling out in a background of ocean waves. I just felt I had to create this blog entry to document this feeling. Thanks for reading.

Marquetry masterpiece

On January 19th I posted a little taste of this project. I am always on the lookout for new material to work with and last month while shopping at an educational supply store I found these gems. They are double-sided marquetry (wood veneer) pieces which you can arrange in whatever way you want. I created this for my cousin Jenna Palomino and her family. Each corner was separated to make individual mini albums with each family member's initial. The mini album is held closed with a Stampin Up circle clip and attached to the canvas with a Making Memories decorative brad that makes it swivel open. The center I embellished with one of the new We R Memory Keepers grommlets (used the new CROP-A-DILE BIG BITE), Doodlebug rhinestone, and MAMBI rhinestone word (FAMILY). This specific project i mounted on a canvas and then wrapped the edges with 7Gypsies gaffer tape. I found using gaffer tape makes an unfinished canvas look framed.

Another crop creation

This is a layout I did with my great grandfather's photo. I have been told he always wore white. In this FORMAL picture he wore a pristine white suit with black shoes. It is real interesting that even though he ran a dusty cacao farm he was always dapper. I loved using Heidi Swapp products (clock & bling). I also used metallic acrylic paint to distress the tag.

Scrapbook Central Crop

I created this HOPEful layout while at the Scrapbook Central crop yesterday. For an inside peek of what a real crop looks like check out Melina's Vlog.
We had an awesome time catching up with all the girls there and seeing what everyone was working on. Thanks Michelle, Andrea, Tawni and the rest of the crew @ Scrapbook Central.
I used the Tim Holtz distress crackle paint on the chipboard heart (since I could not find grungeboard). I love how easy the crackle paint is to use. I recommend it to anyone who wants to add that little something to their embellishments.

It's about the little things

I am one of those people who does not wait for a special occasion to give my loved ones a gift. This was a papier mache box I bought at Walmart (YES i sorta live there, LOL). I embellished it with acrylic paint, Darico Finishing Accents (also from Walmart) and a paper yellow rose from the notions section. Inside is a small heart pendant I bought my Mom. I think she will really like it.