Family Traditions Hop with Glue Dots

I'm so excited to be back!!!

I took a crazy long hiatus from blogging because so many things were changing around the Deeply Rooted house that I needed to spend some dedicated family time. I changed jobs, which, ironically for the hiatus, gives me a lot more time at home and a lot less travel. Both kids started back to school, the youngest for the first time, and the hubs began working at the kids school - his first step back into the 'working outside of the home' world since our oldest was born 6 years ago!
I've been dedicating a lot of time to the kids, which has been great for our family. I've also made the decision to put myself first in several areas of my life, including my physical well being! I've thoroughly enjoyed the process of regaining health.I can hardly wait to keep talking about that aspect of my life, but I'm also super excited to tell you about my continuing adventure as a DOTTESS!!

I've been with the Glue Dots® Design Team since 2011, and I'm super, super, SUPER excited to be joining them again this year! With all of the craziness that life can bring, being a Dottess keeps me grounded in crafting, which in turn keeps me grounded in my passion. I love that this year I'm going to be getting back to some of the basics with some good ol' 12x12's and 4x6's, as well as pushing my creative boundaries at times and exploring new artsy ventures.

To kick off the 2014-2015 Dottess year, we're celebrating Thankfulness and family traditions with a fun blog hop through the team. More than ever, I'm incredibly thankful, first and foremost, to God for blessing me with much more than I've ever dreamed to deserve. He's blessed me with an amazing life full of love, laughter, and some hilariously funny kids, who always make great photo subjects!

Through the years, you two have always loved playing outside in Fall.
I pray that you'll never grow tired of jumping in the leaves and exploring the world together.

 Without fail, every Fall the kids love to escape into nature to play. Swings flying through the crisp air filled with squeals of delight, little bodies shooting down the slide into a pile of crunchy leaves, and my hubs and I unashamedly playing along with an unexplainable joy. While I'm afraid there will come a day they'll not think that running through the leaves and swinging on a tire horse with their mom and dad isn't cool anymore, I pray that their playful sense of abandonment will take over and this tradition will continue for generations to come.


Materials:
* Cardstock
  -12x12 - Crate Paper
  - 6x6 - My Minds Eye - All Spice
  - 4x6 journaling card - We R Memory Keepers
* Cardstock and canvas stickers - Little Yellow Bicycle
* Die Cut Cardstock - Jillibean Soup
* Photos


Tools
* Ultra Thin Glue Dots®
* Mini Glue Dots® 
* Sewing machine
* Typewriter
* Black pen

Directions: 1. Use Ultra Thin Glue Dots® to adhere 6x6 cardstock to 12x12 cardstock base.
2. Type journaling onto card using typewriter (or print from computer), adhere with Ultra Thin Glue Dots®.
3. Reinforce cardstock and canvas stickers using Mini Glue Dots®, adhere to layout.
4. Using sewing machine, add stitching to layout using several types of stitches.
5. Add handwritten journaling.



Here are a few tips I always like to follow:
-When using materials that are purchased already adhesive backed, always reinforce the adhesive with the appropriate sized Glue Dot®. You'll thank yourself years in the future when you don't have to go back through your albums and reattach your pages!
-Always include your handwriting on a layout. While you might not appreciate your handwriting, I promise that your child and grandchildren will! If you're not the best at penmanship, use a computer or typewriter to accomplish the majority of your text, and then add personalization where you can.

The other talented Dottesses have great projects for you to check out, as well! Head on to Grace's blog to check out her amazing work!

Dawn 

Donna

Erin (you are here!)

Grace (head here next!)

Glue Dots Blog

I'm so excited to share all the new things that are in store around here...next time! 

Keep yourself DeeplyRooted! 

A Hop with Marion Smith Designs and Glue Dots

I could not be more excited!! I love discovering designers I'd never seen before and getting to use their ah-maz-ing products!! Glue Dots® teamed up with Marion Smith Designs to bring you this Spring blog hop. Her designs are retro-vintage-chic, and I AM IN LOVE!! Visit Scrapbook.com or BlueMoonScrapbooking.com to buy her products.
My mind went racing when I got this box of goodies to play with, and I couldn't decide on just one project to share with you! I knew I wanted these pretties displayed around my house, so I made two different wall hangings for today's projects.

First, I went to the store and picked up three pretty inexpensive frames (Michaels, $2 each). All I had to do for this is cut my favorite pieces of the Marion Smith Designs paper to size and 'frame' them. I used my Craft Glue Dots® to adhere her amazing little trinkets from the Junque and Gems line onto the papers, and hang!!

Next, things got a bit messy with a canvas!

I decoupaged pieces of the Marion Smith Designs paper onto my canvas, added paints, stencils, and rub-on's to get it to the look I wanted. I added my Marion Smith Designs resin flower (swoon!!) to the canvas with a Craft Glue Dot®.

I loved a sheet of the Never Grow Up line that had dolls to cut out. I couldn't resist fancy cutting this gal and her party dress!!

Love the depth of the resin flower!

 I couldn't think of a better phrase to add to the canvas but the name of the paper line!! Never Grow Up!!

You can find Glue Dots® products, including the new Desktop Dispenser, online at Jo-Ann.com or at your local Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.


Now, on to the blog hop!!

Here is a the Glue Dots blog, and here's a complete list of the line up of the Dottesses:

Dawn Barrett

Donna Budzynski

Erin Bullock - You are here!!

Joy Dickson

Jessica Griffin

Danielle Hunter

Samantha Taylor

Grace Tolman

Here is Marion's blog, and here are all of her gals!!

Angela Carter
Tonya Gibbs
Peggy Baker
Aneta Matsuzuska
Maggie Armstrong
Colette Nederhoff
Ana Paula Leal

Now, the giveaway!!! Enter here!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!!!

 

 

Easy Baby Shower Decor with Glue Dots

Not only can these easy ideas be used for a baby shower, they're extremely versatile and can be used for any event you're planning!

Project Life-type scrapbooking is such a big thing right now!! Get some cards that guests can write advice, encouragement, or wishes for the baby and then easily fit them into a scrapbook of the pregnancy!

Paint a simple wooden box (Hobby Lobby), and add ribbon using Continuous Glue Lines®. Add a sentiment or instructions on the front using Mini Glue Dots®. Simple!

 These can be used as table numbers, place cards, or along the food station labeling all of the goodies and sweets! Papers were adhered with Ultra Thin Glue Dots®.

 To make a simple drink fancier, use a mason jar! These are fun to drink out of, and make great favors! The doily was adhered using Micro Glue Dots®, the paper was adhered with Craft Glue Dots®.

A variation on the drinking cup, mason jars can be used for neatly displaying straws, pencils, or anything else for the party.

Fun party decoration doesn't have to be tedious and painful! I made all of these projects in under 30 minutes!

I'm having a bit of fun with these projects and entering one into the Anything But a Card challenge blog. This challenge ends tonight, but check them out for future challenges!!

I wrote this blog post while participating on the Glue Dots® Design Team

Easter Cross Card with Glue Dots

Ok, so how is it that I never did a blog post about this card?!? I made it two Easters ago, and it's been perusing Pinterest pretty heavily ever since! It might just be one of my favorite cards I've even done, and I love how easily it came together...and it was SIMPLE!
I started with a the floral paper from K&Company (Paper Doll Die-Cut Paper Pad). The paper pack was already curved around the edges, which went perfectly with this card. That was adhered to the
5x5 blue cardstock card base using Craft Glue Dots®.
Next came the paper doily. If you've seen my other work, you know I love using doilies! I've been known to snatch up pretty doilies on our restaurant plates before the soup spills onto it (or after...whatever...) to reuse. I conserved this extra pretty one and just used the small pieces that are showing around the 'sun' and adhered it with Micro Glue Dots® (one of my personal favorite sizes!!!).
The purple 'sunburst' was made from extra paint swatches! We got several samples when we were repainting our daughters bedroom, and I never, EVER throw them away!! I cut these at an angle and adhered them with Craft Glue Dots® - the back of these were a bit slick, and I used the Craft style to make sure they were stuck down for good! The yellow circle and the green ribbon were cut and adhered also using Craft Glue Dots®.

I had a TON of fun draping the purple ribbon, I think it just MAKES the card. I used a combination of Mini and Micro Glue Dots® to get it to stick in just the right places. Those Minis are perfect for getting into tiny spots, but still having the hold that you need!!
Lastly, I put on the wooden cross (Hobby Lobby) using Pop Up Glue Dots®. The Pop Up Dots get the cross up off of the page so the draping has room to, well...drape! I did a watered down wash of white craft paint over the cross to give it more of a uniform color.

It might have taken me two years, but I'm glad I'm finally sharing this card with all of you! If you make your own version of this card, I'd love to see it! Leave a link in the comments so I can check it out!

I wrote this blog post while participating on the Glue Dots® Design Team

'Hello' Card

Less than a month since the last post...not my worst stretch! Things are getting pretty active around the Deeply Rooted house. I've been taking trampoline aerobics classes since the beginning of January, and let me say, if you have a facility close to you (or not close...I drive an hour to my class!!), try it!!! Our class is an hour of cardio and strength training, but come on, you're on a giant trampoline!! We've also signed up for a membership at our local YMCA. The kids will be starting soccer and gymnastics very soon through their programs, so we went ahead and joined as a family. I'll be the first one to call myself cheap thrifty, and if I'm paying to be a member, I'm going!! I've done a few of their classes, and I'm starting to think this healthy lifestyle isn't so bad after all!
So while I was out today before my Y class, I stopped by Michael's and checkout out their latest offerings (aka- clearance section!). I picked up a MME 6x6 paper pack for $3 and some super cute wooden cutouts for $1. While my kids were sufficiently distracted this afternoon, got to play for a bit!! I've had a friend who's been on my mind recently, and I sat down to make her an 'I'm thinking about you' card with my new stash.

The butterfly paper is from the MME stack, and I couldn't help but pair it with some adhesive backed cork (I believe this is DCWV).

See that clean, sealed edge of the ribbon? I used my i-magicut, by Imaginisce. Love it!!!

Next I added my wood piece. At first, I had it right up against the butterfly background paper, but the pattern didn't read well through the letters, so I dug out a left over paint chip to use behind it. And, as always, it's all held together by Glue Dots® (minus the adhesive cork...but I think that might be a little self-explanatory)!!

This is headed out in the mail tomorrow. Hope it brings a smile to her face! 

Crib to Toddler Bed Layout

Merry Christmas from the Deeply Rooted house!!!

Uh...ehm...what??

That's right, folks! We're busy getting the house re-decorated for Christmas! Our youngest kiddo's 4th birthday party is tomorrow, and she wanted a Christmas party!! I am IN LOVE with this idea! Not only can we recycle so many things from last Christmas, but we scored everything extra we needed to decorate during the after Christmas sales! SCORE!!

I was taking a mom-minute and reminiscing over the last 4 years of this hilariously exuberant kid, remembering all of her 'firsts' so far, and started thinking about how much she's grown!! I saw this page in her scrapbook when she transitioned from her crib to it's toddler bed form.

Close up of before

Close up of after (not the best picture...oh well!)

Journaling card

I can't wait to celebrate my little cutie's birthday tomorrow!!! I'm sure pictures will be coming soon!

Write Your Story on my Heart

I *finally* had an opportunity to get to my craft desk, and I've been wanting to do another canvas for so long! I started with one idea, didn't like how it was headed, and started going in a completely different direction. This piece originally wasn't going to have a girl on it, but once the background was done, it just seemed right.
I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled with this background. I started by decoupaging a map patterned paper onto the canvas, which was too busy of a choice, I think .I tried to tone it down a bit, but then it just started looking muddy. I prefer to start with a more simple background and add more dimension and texture through layers rather than a busy background. Lesson learned!

 My new favorite song is called Write Your Story on my Heart by Francesca Battistelli. I love it's message and the reminder to be open to God's voice and leading in life. I love using song lyrics on canvases, because looking at them brings me back to that time in my life and reminds me how far I've come!

 

Another publication!

Hey everyone! I have to let you know about this awesome new online class I've signed up for. It's hosted by the one and only Christy Tomlinson (swoon!!). She is sharing videos each month explaining her crafty goodness, and I can't wait until I can watch the first video (hopefully that's on the docket for tonight!!). Check out the link to the class here!

This is a project published in this month's Hobby Lobby's Stamping, Stationary, and Scrapbooking Magazine. It was super fun and easy to make, especially since Glue Dots® were holding everything together!
My biggest suggestion for making cards or scrapbooking pages that coordinate but still have a ton of interest is to use papers out of the same stack. You're guaranteed a finished product that stands out from the crowd! I used The Celebration Stack by DCWV for every paper on this card!

I used a lot of stitching on this card: around the blue cardstock, and adding a little detail to the top of the pennant banner. The candle is a paper straw that I cut to size.
I added a little depth to the center by cutting out the same shape that was already on the card and adhering it with a Pop Up Glue Dot®. The Happy Birthday banner is also popped up to match the depth of the paper straw.

No birthday party is complete without a party hat, so I made one of those, too! Using a piece of cardstock from the same paper stack, I made the base of the hat, using Continuous Glue Lines® to adhere the edges together. I made a pom pom from some old yarn to stick to the top.






I was already feeling pretty high on the creative totem pole, so I went out on a limb and decided to sew some crepe paper for the bottom. I wasn't sure how my sewing machine would tolerate the fragile paper, but it went through like a breeze. I stitched a straight line down my folded paper, then used my fringe scissors to cut the edges.


 So I know for a lot of you creative, crafty folks, a magazine publication isn't the biggest deal in the world, but to me, this is huge!! I can't bring myself to actually give this card to anyone for their birthday...maybe some day I'll get over that, but no time soon!

Mom + Me = Love

Here's another page that I did on my scrapbooking weekend last October. Like I said in yesterday's post, I was trying to get a bunch of older pictures finished and onto pages, including these from my daughter's birth.
I came across a sketch from Creating Keepsakes that I followed for this layout. I love the two completely different patterned papers working together here. I've said it [a million] times before, and I'll probably say it [a million times] more: using paper that comes from the same paper pack takes the guesswork out of figuring out what 'goes'. Too matchy-matchy isn't my style, but getting unique papers to coordinate makes a page work!

 Here's a close up of that fabric flower. I love it!! My mother, who totally knows my style, bought a ribbon of these fabric flowers (joined by a mesh-type backing) from Stampin' Up!. I LOVE THEM! I used the Stampin' Write markers and colored it with the brush tip. Completely customizable and pretty!

I've been on a doily kick for quite some time now, stealing them from under cups at restaurants (classy, I know! LOL!), buying any and every style I can get my hands on! I used them on this page for not only visual interest, but journaling spots, as well. I didn't want my journaling to be too bold on the page, so I used a soft colored marker to write in my text.


Whew! Two days of blogging in a row! Someone call a doctor...I might have a fever!!

I'm alive. I promise!

Wow.

A two month hiatus.

Seriously?!
Whew!


The holidays around here went quick and were super busy, but we had a great time visiting family out of state and close by, as well. The kids had a great time all month with their special elf friend, Chippy (Elf on the Shelf).

Back in the middle of October (sheesh...that was a long time ago!!) I went to a scrapbooking retreat with my great friend, Kasey, and my mom, Marty. It was just us, a big house with ample space, and our crafty supplies for three whole days! We had a ton of fun, and I'm really excited to be able to set something up again soon!

While I was there, I got a TON of layouts done. I went back to when my daughter was born (she's almost four now...lol!) and got a bunch of those hospital pictures done. Feels good to get things finished!! Over the next few days, I'll be posting about random pages I got done while I was there. I didn't take the time to write down paper packs and designers, so I hope no one minds!

I played with a million different layouts to fit all 11 pictures, a title and journaling on the page. I love how it turned out!

This is a page that had no kids on it...I think that's a first! Before we moved states, we tried to have pretty regular game nights with our friends Scott and Jennifer. It was always a hilarious time with lots of food, laughs, and usually at least one of us making a food of ourselves. The night of these pictures, we were playing a game called Quelf, which lends to our crazy antics with the very nature of the game.

The title is a mixture of three different Thicker styles.

Here's to hoping for more regular posts!!
Happy New Year!