Mini-album for One Year Old Boy

"A kitten is chiefly remarkable for rushing about like mad at nothing whatsoever, and generally stopping before it gets there."
                                                               ----------Agnes Repplier


Hi, Friends......

I am back with the mini-album for my grand-nephew, Kaden, who

#1 - Front cover - KADEN

is turning one year old.  You might recall my album of similar
design that I made for his cousin, Siobhan, here.  I tweaked it a little, but still followed the general directions from this wonderful mini-album tutorial from PaperHaus.


Kaden's mommy, our niece, mentioned she hoped this would be ready by Kaden's party so the guests could write notes and greetings in it.  So you will notice throughout that I left lots of room on the pages for journaling, photos, and greetings.

#2 - "Celebrate" and "Here Comes Trouble"

Anyone who lives where raccoons are common knows how apt the little coon on the "Here Comes Trouble" page is!  Ha.  This little fella looks like he has already been into mischief!!

#3 - "Hello" and "So Much Fun"

I used paper and embellishments from  Authentique "Delightful" and DCWV "My Sunshine" stack, plus various things from my stash.  The little critter stickers came from some JoAnn clearance goodies.  :) 

#4 - "Naptime" and "I Love You Everyday"

This "Naptime" page is one of my favorites.  Love the sweet little
sleepy owl in the tree and the clock next to the text!

#5 - "My Favorite Things" and Froggy with Bug

I have in mind for some of Kaden's favorite things to be journaled around the title on this page.  

Isn't the little froggy cute?  He's all excited about the bug he spies!

#6  Fox with Flowers and Hedgie in the Sun

I tried to group things so the inner corners of opposite pages would coordinate, too.....like the sun and the pot of flowers. 

These are more pages for photos or greetings.  Isn't the little hedgie adorable?  His spines echo the ridged edge of the sun.

#7 "You Are My Happy" and "Top 10"

I couldn't do a mini without including a banner I made on one of the pages.  (The one on page 2 doesn't count!)  I used 6-strand golden yellow embroidery floss for the string.

#8 - Back Cover

I like to place a strip or two of washi tape over the outer edge of the binding  for extra durability. 





Hope you enjoyed seeing Kaden's mini-album.  Happy Birthday, 1-year old Kaden!!!  

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this mini-album in the following challenges:  
1.  4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #195 - No Stamping Zone
2.  Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #178 - Spots and/or Stripes 
3.  The ABC Challenge - L is for Lots of Layers 
4.  Created With Love Challenge #82 - Lots of Layers 
5.  Going Grey With Scrap Creations - Celebrations

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CAT STATUS UPDATE:
Poor Andromeda and Othello have to spend the next couple nights outside while we are gone for Kaden's birthday party.  I always worry when we have to do that, but that is how it is.  Aliyah has been on the hunt against Othello lately, so maybe this will cool her jets not having him inside with her for a couple days.

Did you see that amazing news video of the kitty who ran off the dog that was attacking her little boy?  You have to see it!!!  It's tuna for that kitty that night.
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Birthday - Giraffe with Gleaming Gold

Hi, Friends.....

I have a card to share today that was a lot of fun to make.  It's a belated birthday card for a friend who likes animal print decor.  I had found a couple animal print items to give her as gifts and decided to make a matching theme card....the Happy Birthday sentiment is inside the card.  My concept for this card is "Mementos from a Trip to Africa"  with the "photo" of a giraffe and the little "treasures" in the corner.

As you see, I made the gold embossed giraffe the focal point, adding gold photo corners and framing it for accent.  I've had this giraffe in my stash for years and don't remember what brand it is.  I will try to figure that out.  The patterned paper is DCWV Safari Chic and the black cardstock is Coredinations.

Here's a close up of the "gold" and the wooden heart in the corner.  These are "rediscovered" pieces, as I like to call them, that I found at thrift stores.  I LOVE them on here.



The gold punchinella was from my Mom's stash.  She's passed on now for a number of years, but it gives me warm feelings to use her things.  :)



 Here's a close up of the little clothespin (from a set my hubby bought me as a surprise <3 ).  I stained it brown with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The little bird is from  Maya Road Vintage Kraft Bird Pins.  I didn't use the pin part.  Instead, I inked with the Walnut Stain and glued the halves together.  Then I sprinkled gold embossing powder on and shook most of it off to leave it only speckled....and heat embossed as usual.  Love the speckled look.

Here's another shot at an angle so you can see the gleam of the gold elements.   LOVE IT!!


I finished up the card with a natural fiber bow and mounted it on a square kraft card base.

Fortunately, I won't have to mail this chunky card since my friend lives locally.  :)
<3
Janis


 I am entering this card in the following challenges:

1.  My Time To Craft Challenge #242 - Wildlife 
2.  Just Add Ink # 209 - Just Add Layers
3.  The Artistic Stamper  April Challenge - Embossing and Texture 
4.  Eclectic Paperie ePlay Challenge - Wood 
5.  Miriam's Crafting Blog 11th Monthly Challenge -- Texture 
6.  Stamplorations April 2014 Challenge -- Stamps & Technique

Runway Inspired Challenge #55

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Sunday (Mar. 9) is the last chance to enter my GIVEAWAY!!!  For extra entries, please comment on any or all posts from this past week, including this one!
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Hello, Everyone.....

I hope you remembered to change your clocks.....spring them forward an hour.  (I know that not every place observes Daylight Savings Time, but we do in Idaho and I love it!!)  I thought before I did that spring chore, I would post my interpretation of this elegant challenge.  Are you familiar with the Runway Inspired Challenge blog?  I have seen many amazing interpretations by craft bloggers of the RIC fashion models and marveled at their beauty and creativity.

When I saw this particular one, I knew I wanted to give it a try, also!

So here is my interpretation of this elegant and shimmery photo:

This card went together quickly (for me!) because I used a pre-made glittery card from DCWV Solid Glitter Box of Cards. I pick these up when I see them on clearance at JoAnn's or DCWV Deals.  I especially like the glitter ones or the solids.....so I keep my eyes open for them. 

I also used a David Tutera Celebrate Metallic Silver Starburst from a package I got on clearance at JoAnn's.  (Do I like clearance craft items?  Oh, yes, I sure do!)  Amazingly, Joann.com still has them in stock---unfortunately, not on clearance---but I got them at my "local" (2 hrs away) JoAnn store. 

I was trying for a shimmery pastel pink with the silver and glittery black colors, but my pale pink star sequins don't show too well.  And, actually, my shiny silver starburst doesn't look very silvery, either.  I still have a lot to learn on photography!!  

I heat-embossed my "Thanks" with silver embossing powder on DCWV black cardstock and mounted it on some pastel pink printed cardstock, also from DCWV.  I adhered this to the card front with 3D Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives.  I topped it off with a delicious bow with ribbon I won in a prize.  I am sure it must be May Arts because it is decadently rich and lovely to work with.

Thanks for visiting my blog and for your wonderful comments.   I have been very delighted that a number of new people have come to look around and enter my giveaway.  Thank you so much.  Remember that you can still get an extra entry into my giveaway by commenting on this post.

And.................


I have this humongous smile on my face because some of you have decided to be followers!!!  Thank you!!!
:)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)

Have a lovely weekend and don't forget to "Spring Forward" by changing your clock an hour ahead, if it applies to you. You probably better not try it if your area doesn't do it!  Ha.  It's also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke alarms, whether or not you do DST. 

<3
Janis

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  Runway Inspired Challenge #55
2.  Stampin' for the Weekend -- Sparkle and Shine
3.  Brown Sugar -- Make it Sparkle


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CAT STATUS UPDATE:

I subscribe by email to the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. A couple of days ago, the day's word was:

froward --  habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition.  

I was pretty sure I already knew what it meant and also pretty sure I could find a place for it in my cat updates!

Interestingly, M-W used a quote from the Lewiston Morning Tribune (a newspaper from a neighboring town here) to illustrate the usage of froward.  It was talking about grackles (birds), but it sure seemed applicable to young half-grown cats:

"By the end of the trip I was happy to be rid of them—pushy, froward little party-crashing beasts that make rude, high-pitched squeals and constantly invite themselves to dinner, filching from unattended plates."

If you've ever had a litter of half-grown kittens, you probably know exactly what I am talking about!

Our sweet little Night-Sky kitty, Andromeda.

At 2 years of age, Andromeda is virtually full-grown, but she is froward, nonetheless.  Early this morning, everyone in the house heard a clatter from the kitchen.  (It is significant, I suppose, that none of us bothered to get up to investigate....lol...)  It was later discovered that Andromeda had opened up the tea cupboard door and dislodged a tin of Raspberry Earl Grey tea, sending it clattering onto the countertop below.   Fortunately, the noise seems to have startled her out of doing any additional mischief, since all seemed to be in order and she was asleep when I finally did get up.  Naughty little kitty!  :)

What noises and bumps in the night signal that your pets are up to no good???
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Cock-a-Doodle-Doo -- From Ad Flyer to Birthday Card

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Don't forget that I have a GIVEAWAY coming up this week!!
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Hello, Friends!!

Here's a fun one for today.  My dear husband brought me a flyer from N. Idaho advertising some feed manufacturer giving talks on chicken nutrition, etc.  He wasn't sure if they would also be doing it here locally,  but thought I might be interested in at least seeing the ad.  Well.....I was very interested, but not in the way he thought!  I took one look at the adorable illustrations on this flyer and thought:  CARD!!!!!!   :)  

Here's the flyer.  Isn't it cute?????

I just so happen to have a friend who also likes chickens and has a birthday near mine.....so I thought "I'm going to make a birthday card for her out of this!"  She already knows I am a bit nutty, so I wasn't going to blow my cover doing this crazy stunt.  :)

So here's the not-quite-finished card:

I took all my photographs.....close ups and everything.

Don't you think the gold punchinella looks kind of like chicken wire?  :)

I didn't really have any country paper designs, but I used a couple pieces of patterned cardstock from the DCWV Gilded Orchard Matstack (4.5" x 6.5") and some green polka dotted corrugate from the brand-new DCWV Spring & Summer Corrugate Stack (6 x 6)....which is completely fresh and pretty.   (Printed corrugate!!!  Are you serious???  I am crazy over it!!!)

I fussy cut around the rooster's head and slipped my "friendly hello" banner into the slit.  I like the country look of the gingham ribbon bow and the kraft for the card base.

An

 I was feeling pretty good about the way this wacky card idea was turning out, and then it hit me.....I meant to add a feather!!!!

So here is the final result:

What do you think?  Should I have left well enough alone?  Or is the feather the final touch of whimsy that this chicken card needed????  Sometimes I add too much, but I thought this card was already such a crazy project that a feather might be okay....besides I really wanted to.  Ha!

Happy Birthday, Pam.  :)

<3
Janis

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  Keep it simple! #34 Things with wings