Pinspiration Sunday

It's been a lovely, long do-nothing sort of day today and since it's closing in on midnight, I'll keep this one short and sweet.  Go grab your hot beverage of choice and enjoy the photo love.

Currently:

* reading - Papercraft Inspirations (August issue)
* making - slab quilt blocks
* drinking - water
* wearing - PJs
* weather - partly cloudy, 16C
* feeling - excited to be starting two scrapbooking classes tomorrow (more info soon)
* wanting - to do everything and nothing at the same time
* needing - to get to bed
* planning - how best to rework my space & better organise my scrapping supplies
* thinking - not much right now
* loving - having spent the day playing Sims 3 (geek alert)
* enjoying - my summer holiday

Just One Slab

I have officially started sewing/collecting my own blocks for this project and should shortly have the last of my donation blocks ready to post to Alberta to assist in the recovery project.  Again, if you're a quilter and would like to get rid of your scraps and help others in need, please check out this awesome initiative.

Hedgehog Pincushion

OMG, how freakin' cute is this hedgehog?  I *love* hedgehogs (they're right up there with owls and cats).

Hello Jane by Paige Evans

This page reminded me that I've been wanting to use triangles for a while now and have yet to do so.  I have one final photo unscrapped from a quilt exhibition trip last  year so this could be the perfect inspiration.  I have some plans...  I've just not been very good about follow-through lately.  *sighs*

Washi Tape Brads

And a follow-up on the washi tape buttons idea from last week, how about covering brads with washi?  Love it (although it seems very fiddly, considering the average size of most brads).  However, I do have some extremely old - as in, one of the first scrapbooking supply kits I ever bought old - large brads in drab not-me colours that could seriously benefit from this idea.  We shall experiment.

Photoshop Tutorial: Remove Tourists

Okay, I haven't actually tested this yet because I don't have a series of photos for it but this sounds reasonably awesome for those of us who travel regularly and sometimes you just want that perfect shot without people you don't know standing around in it.  If you try it, I'd love to know what your results are like.

Kelly Perky Foody Stamps

So I've been catching up on listening to PRT and in one of the semi-recent episodes, Amy Tan and Kelly Perky were on discussing scrapbooking food.  Now, if you know me you'll know that my girl friends and I go out to supper every Thursday during the academic year and we love to take and post photos of our food.  Yeah, we're foodies all right.  So you know I'm interested in these awesome stamps.  I also know there's been a lot of chat lately on the 2Peas board about the generally not great service at Simple Simon Stamps but I just have to have these (there's a second set, too).  I'm thinking I'll order them sometime before Christmas and have them shipped to my parents in Canada, thereby cutting down on the shipping cost and if someone in the family wants to claim it as a gift for me, everyone's happy.

All right, the cat's freaking out and I need to get to bed.  Cheers and sleep well, folks.

Pinspiration Sunday

Hello, everyone!  It's been a fabulous summer day today - clear skies and warm temperature with a breeze so I've been enjoying it embroidering out on the balcony.  Sheer bliss!  So go grab your hot beverage of choice and enjoy some photo love.

Currently:
watching - Heart of Dixie
making - embroidery quilt blocks
wearing - jeans and a tank top
weather - sunny, clear and 22C
feeling - fidgety
wanting - to eat popcorn
needing - to go grocery shopping tomorrow
planning - another set of coasters
thinking - I should buy that second hand bicycle from Blocket.se
enjoying - the weather; hope it lasts!

Taking Turns quilt - I just love the cleanness and graphic design of this quilt and the white sashing.  It sort of reminds me of an interesting cobblestone pathway.

These Flip Flap bags are so lovely!  I have a weakness for handbag patterns, although I'm sort of rubbish at actually getting around to sewing them...  But since I'm a cyclist, I prefer message bags and extra pockets are always a bonus.  I also just love the buttons - I have some giant buttons that could really work with these.  Pattern is also available as a download so no shipping charges!

I really enjoy a lot of Corrie Jones' work and this page, Me - May 8, is no exception.  I like the idea of choosing one day each month when you can just stop and take stock - just for a few minutes - and reflect on yourself and your life.  I also love the stripes of washi tape, the black and white photo, the typed vellum, the embellishments - so, pretty much everything.

And by extension, I also love what Amanda has done with Corrie's prompts for her own version, About Me Right Now.  Her choice of The Pier 6x6 papers is awesome (love those bold, bright colours) and the retro 'squares', the frame, the arrows, the wood veneers.

Over on the 2Peas discussion board, you might have seen this great idea to use washi tape to cover buttons - brilliant!  Wooden buttons have been suggested but flat plastic ones would work well, too.  I might try this with some clear plastic ones I have laying around.  I love how flexible washi tape is for DIY embellishments and design.

And following on the washi love, some ridiculously simple washi tape paper clips.  I like doing this with ribbon but haven't tried it with tape - yet!

OMG - I *have* to make some of these!  How awesome would it be to send not just a card but a slice of CAKE to a loved one for his/her birthday?!  A very simple DIY involving a sponge, caulking, spray paint and a postcard - awesome!  And you can really post it (photo evidence included in the tutorial).

And finally...

I have never tried quilling but how unbelievably amazing is this wall-sized quilled map of the world?!  It really is a must-see.

What's been inspiring you this week?  Cheers!

Pinspiration Sunday

Hello, everyone!  My apologies for being MIA the last few days.  As I mentioned in my previous Sunday post, my favourite computer game, The Sims, released a new game - The Sims 3 Island Paradise - last Thursday and I've been glued to my laptop playing that (awesome - totally recommend if you're a fellow Simmer!).  Here's a little peek at what I've been up to in-game:

Mermaid Rajan and his adorable toddler mermaid daughter, Coral - so cute!

Right, back on topic.  Go grab your hot beverage of choice and enjoy some photo love.

Currently:
listening - Mix Megapol Top 20 (Sarah Larson)
making - stuffed 'chooks'
wearing - PJS
weather - windy & rainy, 13C (totally depressing)
feeling - hungry
wanting - summer weather & temperatures
needing - to catch up watching 2Peas videos
planning - what to pack to visit friends at their cottage
thinking - I should be glued to the laptop less
loving - playing The Sims 3 Island Paradise
enjoying - having cold running water during daytime hours again (plumbing construction)

I've had these gorgeous citrus felt coasters bookmarked for years now and still haven't made them but I have decided I'm going to change that!  I've finally bought the felt and I'm going to take it with me to the cottage later this week and start stitching.

Another great take on the ombre trend - paint chip placemats (complete with embroidered paint colour names, even!) - love 'em!  I can totally see these in my kitchen and they'd be super quick and easy to sew up.  These versions use the solid ombre fabrics from Moda Fabrics but you could substitute broadcloth in four shades if necessary.  Or, if you're really adventurous, hand dye the broadcloth yourself!

And here's another fun sewing/scrapbooking cross-over: washi fabrics!  A number of online retailers sell this collection online; just Google it if you're interested.

This site is really neat, and having just finished watching the latest episode of Glitter Girl 76: Not Just Geography, perhaps you're looking for a way of incorporating maps into your next project?  Well, this site could help - enter a location, choose a map filter and viola!  Instant map that you can print and use, either with your home printer to make custom map papers or why not print as a photo enlargement to really give your scrapbooking page POW!  The watercolour filter is especially lovely.

There are so many great little details about this grid page by Tonya for the MME blog.  I really love how she ran the journaling around the box and used tiny number stickers to match up the list items with the photos.  I also really liked her use of the black postage stamp-edged mats under the photos and the enamel dots in the grid joins.

I also really liked this page by Nicole Samuels on the SC blog.  I'm one of those scrappers that often holds onto even the tiniest scraps of paper (and actually uses them!) so the idea of using these thin paper strips to make a woven-type frame is right up my alley.

And finally, a bit of colour palette inspiration for you.  These soft, delicate pastels just made my heart swoon.  If you use this palette, I would love to see what you do with it!

So, what's been inspiring you this week?  Enjoy your Sunday!