How to make paper look Vintage technique

Hi everyone.
I know that I can't be the only one out there that hoards collects loves Pattern Papers. I have a ton of it. So I am now determined to use up my stash. (no matter how pretty it is)

With that said, I have been working on a 6x6 mini flip album. While I was in the process of changing the look of the papers that I was using I thought I would share with you all how I do it. Now I know that there are a lot of different techniques and products that can be used to get this affect. This is just how I achieve it. (also without spending a lot of money to do it)

Here is the difference once you have finished "antiquing":

 

You can see the difference in the two samples.

I will put up a video of the book once it is completed.
Hope you enjoy the video!!!

Cricut® Artiste Easy Instruction

Close To My Heart has a new Cricut Cart!!!! It is full of 3D items and instructions! The possibilities are endless!!! Not only do you get this amazing cartridge with 700 images (Themed projects, Cards, Font, Shapes, and not to forget.... 3D items!!) you also get 3 coordinating stamp sets and 3 Dimensional elements chipboard coordinating shapes (one set can be used to make a mini album!!!)
This Cartridge coordinates with dozens of Close To My Heart's stamp sets just like our Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge! It's a must have for Holidays, Birthday's and anything you can dream up!!! What a great way to show someone you care by giving them a special something in a hand made box or other great 3D item from the AMAZING Cricut ARTISTE Collection!!
This Collection retails for $125.00 but you can get it for $99.00. That's a savings over 20%.
Contact me today to get yours or head on over to my Online Shop Here.

 

Join My Close to my Heart Family for just $49!!

CTMH is awesome!!!! Now you can join my team for Just $49 and you get all this!!! You will receive all the products below that have a retail value of approximately $130! Wow, what a savings!!!

Not to mention that you will also receive a FREE (yes, I said Free) Damask Tote bag worth $50! This fantastic bag fits 12 x 12 papers and so much more. You can wear it over the shoulder, as a back pack or wear it as a messenger bag!

 This offer runs for the month of August or While Supplies Last, so sign up now! Sign up and become a member of my team and I will send you a special gift in the mail!!! Just click the link to join!! Join the C.I. A. Family: Crafters In Action!! 
You can join as a hobbyist and be welcome here!!

Damask Tote Bag Features

• 17" × 17" × 6"
• Large exterior pocket for 12" × 12" paper packets
• Huge interior can hold a 12" × 12" album and more
• Small, zippered interior pocket
• Fabric is coated-canvas for durability and easy cleaning
• 2 water bottle pockets
• Wear on the shoulder, across the chest, or as a backpack
• Large flap snaps closed

The Autumn/winter 2012 idea Book is now live!!!

I am super excited to share with you all of the fantastic new items that Close To My Heart has to offer in their NEW Idea Book! From our new Paper Packs to our bran spankin' new alcohol markers that come with coordinating shades to our Display Tray, My Creation Bracket Frame, My Creations Cubby and new Workshops on the Go. Not to mention our New CRICUT ARTISTE COLLECTION!!! Wow there is so much to look at!
To take a peek inside the new Idea Book please click on the link now. http://reneewichert.ctmh.com/

To get your copy today place an order of $30 or more and I will send it to you in the mail at no additional cost to you!

The tote is done!

A While ago my Mother In law and I went to one of our favorite quilt stores. While we were there I found this cute tote pattern and thought it would be perfect for my trip to Dallas this summer. I fell in love with it. The fabric that came with the kit is yellow and while it's not my favorite, I really like it. It is a fast and easy project.

The project called for a ruffles trim. So I bought some ribbon and made the trim. I remembered to take step by step photos to share so you can see how it's done and make your own. This technique is great for making ribbon flowers too! (photos at the end of this post)

Fold right edge under and pin.

Then Fold the ribbon over to the right side overlapping the previous fold.

This is where you determine how big you want your pleats. While holding the ribbon with the previous fold at point where it meets the edge of the ribbon underneath, Fold the ribbon back toward the left making sure to keep the top and bottom edges straight. pin in place.

This is how it should look after  repeating the previous steps a few times.

 Once you have your determined the length of pleats that you want. Take your strip to the sewing machine and sew along the top edge. I used a zipper foot so that I could see the very edge. I know that it's not the proper foot to use but it's what I prefer.

Here is the final result. Perfectly pleated ribbon.

You know those cute pillows that you see in the store that look like a big flower...... This is how they make it. They pleat the ribbon then roll it in a circular pattern over the fabric tacking it down by stitching as you go. The results are beautiful. Here are a few photos of a ribbon that I have rolled!

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Have a Fantastic Day!!

Stella

I have to admit, I wasn't to fond of the Stella Paper Packet at first, but after playing with it for a little bit... I am in LOVE! I wanted to post what I have created so far, and there will be plenty more. I am having way to much fun with Stella to stop now!

All supplies are Close To My Heart unless otherwise noted.

Paper: Stella B&T, Colonial White Cardstock, Cocoa Cardstock

Stamps: Just For You

Inks: Cocoa, Olive, Sunset, Tulip, Lagoon, Black

Die cuts/Punches: Mini scallop boarder punch by EKSuccess

Other: Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge, Waterbrush, Pearl Paint, 3-D Foam Tape, Score Pal (marthat Stewart), Sponge, ATG Double sided tape (Scotch).

"The Philosophy of Fun"

Happy March! The daffodils are in bloom already and spring is on it's way!!
If you love crafting, cherish relationships or ever wanted to start your own business, then I have just the thing for you!
During the month of March, when you join my Close to My Heart Team you will receive the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection Free with your Consultant kit. What's that.... you already have the Art Philosophy Cart? No problem, you can choose to receive $100 in select Product credit instead!
The Art Philosophy collection's retail price is $99.00 which is the cost of the New Consultant Kit alone! What an incredible value!!
 Here is what you'll be getting, not to mention the additional add on's if you choose!

And This Free!!

What a deal!! This is by far the single best offer that CTMH has recently offered!.
Just click this link to Join My Team Now!  Oh the Fun we will have!!
If you have an questions just Contact me!

Habbits......

What are they and how do they become a form habit?
We start off doing something and think to ourselves that "this is just temporary" or "it's nothing."
Nasty habits seem to happen over night. You know.... the not putting the cap on the toothpaste because your running late and it never seams to make it back on or leaving a basket of Laundry to be folded for days and then later looking for your favorite shirt or spending that money on a magazine that you really don't read when you could be putting it into savings for something special for yourself. We are quick to spend money and complain that we don't have enough. While good habits seam to take some real effort to form not to mention they take FOREVER to get to the second nature point.

Weather is something that you want to incorporate for your health, organization, finances or just plain Ole Peace of Mind, you can start to change them by picking one thing to change at a time. It usually takes about 28 days or repetitive action for something to become a habit. So start with something small and work your way up to your bigger goals. Write a list of what you want to accomplish. Then break that list down into sections, "what can I work on now", What can you do to reinforce this habit and most importantly what will you reward yourself with once you have accomplished your goal.

I am no expert on this matter, but I do know that this does work. So let's work together on forming healthy habits ( it can be anything you want it to be). You'll be surprised at how much better you'll feel.

My list of habits to start with ( I have many more but I won't over do it which can make you feel overwhelmed and uninspired) When possible... have a visual of your goals.That always keeps you motivate!

Healthy Habit #1...... Eating Breakfast every day! This is a biggie for me. I often skip out on breakfast, not because I don't have time to eat or anything like that. To be honest I have all the time in the world and I don't know why I don't.
Healthy Habit #2........ make time to work out. Get physical as Olivia Newton John once said. lol A little LMFAO "I work out" inspiration inserted here ;-)
(thanks to my son that song gets stuck in my head more times than I'd like to admit.
Healthy Habit #3.......... keeping my calendar updated! (not to mention my blog!!)

Healthy??

I have posted that I would keep track of what I have/have not been doing to get more healthy.
Well this past week I have been keeping track of what I normally eat. No changing my diet or daily routine.
I can tell you that I am really disappointed in myself with my discipline.
 My daily eating habits: Hot Tea with 3 heaping teaspoons of sugar and whole milk for breakfast.
 Lunch was essentially non existent.
 Dinner was what ever I made, Chicken mostly, or pasta, and yes I am ashamed to say this, canned veggies.
It is what I grew up on and was used to it. I do know how to cook and steam fresh veggies. I would make them maybe every 2 weeks. Other items on the menu, frozen pizza(which is ashame since I do know how to make fresh pizza dough and all the fixings)
I would snack on the most unhealthy things all day long, Stuff like potato chips (my favorite, sour cream and onion). My sweet husband would go shopping and buy it because they were on sale and he knows I like them, (same thing with Soda) even after I would express that I was the one who would be eating it all. (In my defence I didn't want the money spent go to waste ;-) )
He has gotten better with his purchases but we would still buy it for the boys b-day parties or if we knew company was coming over. Now I am thinking that we owe it to our company to have something that is better for them besides chips, buffalo dip, crab dips, Chips.......

I know that this is going to be a long journey for me and I am willing to do the work!  It is going to be hard to get into the habit of eating more meals (smaller portions) each day.

As far as exercise, I have continued to take my walks. My goal is to be able to work up to a nice jog. I use my walks as a warm up to my warm up. I just need to push myself more and learn more about properly executing the movements for various exercises. I have a pretty general idea, I used to work out a lot when I was younger and i feel that I can do what ever I put my mind to.

I also have to say that my 18 year old hasn't had soda for a little over a year now. I am so proud of him. He does make it a point to say something to me when I have some. It is good to know that he is concerned and there to remind me of what I am trying to accomplish. Although it may not feel that way in the moment. lol

Next week I hope that I'll have some better news to report on my progress. Thanks for listening and I hope that you take a moment to reflect on what you can do for yourself and your family to make a healthier lifestyle.

Eating Healthy???

This is such a big thing for me. I want to eat healthy, it's just hard for me to get there. I know that I am like many of you out there who have no clue as to where to start. All I can offer up is do some research.
I found this great website via Pinterest. Michelle is a very encouraging person who does care about your health. She has posted some of her favorite Healthy recipes. She is a fitness trainer with some awesome workouts!!  Here is the website: http://lifeplusfitness.blogspot.com/

I thought that I would be able to start her 8 week program, and when I attempted to do the warm up..... I got extremely winded and heart pounding. (I haven't done any real exercises in almost 8 years! Yes I have done walks and sporadic workouts every now and then. But I really want to get into the habit of doing it on a daily basis! What I am saying is that I want to be healthy and set a good example for my boys and husband!

So here I am pouring my guts out to you all about something that is hard for me to talk about. I am not proud of the way I eat (or lack of eating) or the way I exercise( or don't) but I want to change that and the first step is to admit it and talk about it.
So what I am going to do is start to blog about my daily eating/workout habits. This way I can be held accountable for my actions.. (even if no on reads my blogs.... I know it's out there and can't be taken back!)
Please feel free to comment or even join me in the quest for a healthier lifestyle and we can hold each other accountable!

Making the bag!

Good day to yo all!

I have been making this really cute yellow bag. Now yellow isn't really my color but I just loved the fabrics. My Mother In-law picked up the kit for me at one of the quilt stores. Because of copy right laws I can not post the steps to creating this bag. So I will just post my progress as I make it. I am hoping to create on of my own to share with you all.

I have so much fabric that I really need to start using before I buy any more.  Now I know it's not as much as most of the quilters that I know but it's a lot for me and I don't want to have tons of stuff that I'll never use. With that said, I have projects to finish up before starting new one like the bag. But I promise that I will make one and post step by step directions on how to create it for yourself.

Spring/Summer Idea Book is Here!!!

Stella Art Work

Florentine Art Work

Cruisin' Art Work

Lucy Art Work

The Spring/Summer Idea Book

To see more wonderful art work and products just click on the Idea book image on the right side bar to flip through the pages of the Idea Book.

Lost Post!!

Holly cow... I thought I posted this a while back. I do apologize! I made these post-it note hodlers for my guests at the crop back in July. (I told you this was a lost post) I really love these things! They were so much fun to make, and each one is different, just like the lovely ladies that attended the getaway! I also made a photo holder out of binder clips to match. I made a name card and placed it into the photo holder and placed the set at each persons designated spot. These are super easy to make. I just used the clear acrylic frames made by mainstays and CTMH papers.
How to recreate your own post-it notes holder.

Supplies: 3x5 acrylic frame (I got mine from Walmart for $0.99)
Pattern papers of your choice
 1 3/8" Circle punch
1 1/2" Circle punch
2" Scalloped circle punch
Ink pads
Stamp Images of your choice

Cut your pattern paper to 3" x 5" Slide it into the frame. If you are like me and like to change things up, this is a simple thing to change out!
Adhere the sticky not pad to the bottom of the frame. I used my ATG and it worked great!
Decorate the top anyway you like. I used cardstock to create a ribbon effect.
Using the 1 3/8" circle punch, I stamped an image.
Adhered it to the 1 1/2" circle.
Using foam tape I placed the circle combo onto the scalloped circle.
Then adhere to the frame.

I would love to see what you create!

My little man is now 18

I can remember the day he was born. I was very young and happy to have him in my life! He made me a better person just by being in my life. Joe has always been a sweet child. He has a heart of gold and he loves with all his heart. I remember him being a curious child. Always wanting to know how things worked and "why". I remember a time where I was coloring my mothers hair and giving my grandmother a perm that Joey wanted to have his colored and curled too. So I filled the bottle up with some hair gel and water and put it on his head. Rinsed it out and he really thought that it turned his hair a darker color. He still insists that I colored it. Then he had to have it curled, so curlers went in, and that is how he got his wavy hair... according to him.  I wanted to post some pictures but I have to respect the boys wishes. No pics on here.

The time just flies by. You really don't know how fast it goes until you realize that you little boy is becoming a man! Now he is someone I am extremely proud to say is my son (as I have always been). He is loyal to his friends and stands up for what he believes in. The future is open wide for him. I am very proud of the person he has become. Just because he is older doesn't mean that I will stop worrying about him. He will always be my baby, my child, my son! Happy Birthday Joe! I love you soooooo much!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

I want to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year! I have so much to share with you all, but first let me share this great new special from Close To My Heart. It's called Rock the Block. This is a fantastic 3D item, My Creations Collage Cubes. It includes 9 cubes that you can use your imagination to decorate with papers, pictures and what ever you can dream of! The possibilities are endless! Not only do you get the blocks but you get the "tray" that holds the block that once again you get to decorate and coordinate with your blocks, you also get an E Size stamp set that includes stamps that fit perfectly onto the blocks! How cool is that? It's super cool!

How do I get this amazing set you ask........ Well all you have to do is place a $25 order and you can get this set for just $15.00. Wow... that's a savings of $29.95!! It's like getting the Stamp set Free!!!!

Here is a peek at the Stamp set. This set is only available through this promotion only. So grab yours today!!

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Our December activities are like most every one else has. Shopping, baking, wraping, decorating and parties.  Mike and I were invited to his firends for an "Ugly Sweater Party". "Oh how fun" I thought. I have the perfect shirt. (Ofcourse it's not my shirt) I wanted to borrow my mom's sweat shirt that has a huge Christmas tree that lights up! Yes it lights up. But unfortunatly the lights were dead and needed to be replaced. So Mike and I were off on a mission to find some ugly sweaters. We went to Thrift stores and found nothing. In True form to my husbands last minute doings... we found a red long sleave shirt for him at wal-mart and a cute sweater for me. But Renee, you said that it's an "Ugly Sweater" party, you ask?

Here is a pic of the before, Sorry I thought that I had one of Mikes shirt too:

Not too bad right?!

Here is the pic of the shirts/sweaters after! 

   

Here is a pic of the whole gang!!

   I want to thank our great hosts for having us for a fun time!!!

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My Brother and Sister in law came up from Florida and I was lucky enough to watch my niece Katie!

We had tons of fun together. We made cookies and bread. She would watch the oven waiting for the bread to get done. Who would have thought that a three year old would want the bread more than the cookies!

She is a great baker too!  Hmmm I think she gets that from her Daddy!

Sorry about the quality, these were taken from my cell phone.

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Christmas Eve was the Farkle Feast of the Two Beefs. For dinner we made Pot Roast and Veggies and Pepperoncini Beef. (it is supper delish and easy to make)

Then after dinner, Katie took the Reindeer food and sprinkled it on the lawn so they would be able to find her!

But as the day was just beginning, Katie Saw that Lawdy the elf had come back from the North Pole with some gifts for her,her mommy, Chutchie and Gram. Her face just lit up.

She brought Pj's for Katie and Slippers too!

Mommy, Gram and Chutchie all got slippers but Katie's was the best they matched her new PJ's!

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Christmas Day! All the anticipation and preparation has come down to one day! Katie was sooo cute and wanted mom to help her open her stuff. WE thought for sure that she would gasp at each gift that she opened, (only because she would gasp at her gifts from Lawdy before they were even unwrapped) but nothing..... Not until she opened up Matthew's gift her.

Matt was on the ball with his gift giving this year. He even made Grams day by giving her a step stool!

So that's what's been going here. I can't wait to get back to creating!

Happy New Year!!