Friday, April 29, 2011

Royal Wedding

The Royal Wedding was beautiful!  I only watched a short part of it this morning before having to get ready for work...and I didn't get up early since I knew I had a busy day ahead.  I know there will be clips all day long on TV.  But this brings me to my question for you.  What do you think the Royal Couple with get as gifts?  How do you wrap those gifts?  As papercrafters we need to be creative.  How do you wrap your presents for family and friends?  Do you just use paper and a bow?  Or do you place your gift into a bag with some tissue?  Let me know how you wrap your presents? 

Here is how I wrapped  Emily's gift from the Pittsburgh shower.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Wedding Card

With the Royal Wedding coming on Friday and my cousin Emily's wedding coming on June 4th., I feel I have been in full wedding mode lately.  Wouldn't it be fun to make a wedding card that is out of your comfort zone?  Well, that is what I did today!!!  After, a long stressful day at work, I needed a little stamping therapy. :)  So I was playing with the stamp set "Precious Love" c1444.  Then I found myself grabbing some Bliss paper,  Gray Wool cardstock and Vineyard Berry cardstock, ink and ribbon all from Close to My Heart.  I hand pleated the ribbon under the stamped image for a little punch of color.  I am totally lovin' this one!!!  I might be giving this to Emily and Kyle on the big day or maybe I will mail it to the Royal Couple in England :)  I wonder what a card with the cake would look like???? 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Family

As many of you know I will be standing up in my cousin's wedding in just 6 weeks.  Her next shower is this weekend.  My family is looking forward to this big event of the wedding!  Great food, great dancing, great times with the relatives that we only see a few times a year, and the great car ride to Pittsburgh, PA.  The photo is my Aunt Amelia (mother of the bride) and Emily (the bride).

I am looking forward to the wedding as a time for taking more pictures.  I really enjoy photography.  I think I get that bug from my dad.  He is a professional photographer.  His pictures are fantastic!   This is one of my favorite pictures he took of Nathan from his First Holy Communion a few year's ago.
I try not to let to many things slip by without taking pictures.  While we were in Pittsburgh for Emily's first wedding shower, I took some pictures of the family making the centerpieces and the shower favors.  This is a time for all of us to remember.  I will be printing these photos out for her after this upcoming shower.  One of her gifts was a handmade 9x9 accordion album placed inside a memory keeper box all done in the Sophia paper collection.  I also made 25 monogram cards for her.  Then I put them all into a pretty hand decorated giftbag.  I think she really liked the personal touch I put into my gifts.
When we create gifts from the heart our family and friends know we really care! What types of gifts do you make?  Do you create special things for showers?   

Monday, April 25, 2011

Chairs to You Card Tutorial

This is the first tutorial I am trying.  Hope it turns out well and in order.  I designed the card for today using Close to My Heart's paper pack Mayberry (x7136b), Chairs to You stamp set (D1456) *this is the stamp of the month for May*, 2" scallop circle punch (z1311), ink colors Smoothie and Cocoa, and of course my favorite the finger dauber.

Here is the finish project.


The first thing I did was cut my cardstock for  the card base.  I used a piece of honey (4 1/4"x5 1/2") to cover.  Then cut the Mayberry stripe piece to (2"x4 1/2") and the Mayberry tiny yellow flowers piece to (1"x5 1/2").  Next I punched the 2" scallop circle.  I daubered the Mayberry papers and scallop circle in cocoa.  Finally I stamped the chair in smoothie on the scalloped circle.

 

Begin by gluing down the stripe piece first.  Next stamp the saying "Chairs to you!" in cocoa in the lower left corner.
Next put the Mayberry tiny flower piece across the top, down about 3/4" from the top.
Finally glue down the scallop circle over the yellow flower and strip connection.  I placed mine on the diagonal for a little bit of eye appeal.

I hope you enjoyed this first tutorial.  If you have any ideas of other things you would like to see, please comment and let me know.    What would you design with chair stamp??? I look forward to hearing from you!!!!!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter to All

I would love to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Easter.  May you enjoy your family and friends today and create traditions and memories.  We will be celebrating with our family here at our house with brunch.  I love Easter and the time that we spend with our family.  I especially love the laughter of the my nieces and now my nephew.  Listening to all of the adult talk is fun also.  I sometimes just sit and watch it all, for just a few minutes and thank God for it all.  I am truly Blessed!  Have a great day today. 

hugs, Holly
P.S. I am going to try to post a tutorial tomorrow afternoon.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Newsletter

Good morning,
I have been working on my May's Newletter for the past hour and a half.  It is almost finished.  Just need to take pictures of the artwork for the upcoming workshops that will be going on in the month of May.  I can't believe we are almost in May.  When will Mother Nature let the weather catch up to the calendar.  I am ready for the sunshine to be here daily and birds to be singing.  The main thing I am looking forward to is sitting by the pool at Park Colony and scrapbooking.  I need to finish last year's Close to My Heart convention in Washington DC before I go to Disneyland this year for Convention.  Well I will give you another sneak peak at a project that I have been working on.  This will be the May 20-21 workshop at my home.  It is called the Mix and Mingle. This is only one side.  You will have to wait till you get your newsletter to see the other side or sign up for the class.  Please let me know what you think of it.  Call or email for more details.

Friday, April 22, 2011

The sneak peek of the new May special

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myK0CzfXL70&feature=player_embedded

This promotion goes live May 1st.-May 31st.  Call me for the details!!!!
Hope for Japan

You have until April 30th to order this beautiful stamp set for $5.00 plus shipping/handling and tax.  You can place the order right on my website http://hollyvalerius.myctmh.com/  All of the profits will be going to the American Red Cross for the relief in Japan.  The consultants are giving up all of our commission on this stamp set so that we can help with the relief efforts.

Welcome to my blog...

Hello everyone,
   I have decided to hop onto the blog world.  Hoping this blog will grow into many things: tutorials, photo galleries, lessons, ideas, and a simple place to give suggestions.  I'm not quite sure what I am doing so it may take some time to get things really looking great.  I am just thrilled that I have overcome my fear of the blog world.  Today will just be a simple post.  No artwork today, since I really should be cleaning my house and preparing for the Easter company that will be here on Sunday.  I would love to wish all of you a very happy and Blessed Easter!
Hugs,
Holly