Chocolate Matchboxes

I made a couple of matchbox style treat boxes, ready to be filled with Easter chocolates. Cut with the Silhouette.

An adorable digital bunny stamp from the Crafty Secrets Spring Bunnies set was colored with Copics and a little bit of gold foil. 

Each is wrapped in ruffled crepe, and embellished with a bit of moss and a tiny egg.

The image was cut with the Silhouette using the offset function, my favorite way to trim an image! It does take a little time, but no more than fussy cutting and far neater!

As you may be able to see I am still honing in on my attempts at photo styling...in some ways this is as enjoyable as creating the project itself. I do love the view from the lens. Let me know if you like this type of photography! 

Oh and I ate all the chocolate. Yep. that happened.

Until next time~ Shantaie 

Make happy days.

I was determined to set up a new photo styling area with good natural light.

mission almost accomplished

I do have some shadowing, but the bright white and perfect colors are exactly what I had hoped for. 

downside: I ended up scrubbing my vertical blinds after I finished up the photos! LOL

 This was a bigger job than I ever bargained for, it took me around 2 hours (sigh) however they are a seriously sparkling and crisp white! I mean if someone pops in for a visit I will be showing these babies off like they are newly acquired paintings hanging in the MOMA :)

back to the reason you are here, the card! I'm going to have to sing my own praises here because I love this card LOVE it! I have it on my desk and it is just so happy! I also love the pure girlishness of it! It's a mix of the Teresa Collins Sweet afternoon and crate paper oh darling collection. A sweet doily from SRM and a Heidi Swap frame. layers of sweetness I tell ya'

 The best part of this card {for me anyways} is that I made it while searching for my muse on another project! This fell together in record time with barely an effort, maybe that is the way I need to create all the time!

Go make something pretty, but more than this make happy days! XOXO Shantaie

Nautical shaker window

Am I jumping too far ahead in my quest for spring? No? oh good! I didn't think you would mind an early Nautical project! Here in Florida it's always the season for shore themed cards.

If nothing else, I dedicate this card to all of you who are planning a cruise in the near future!

The shaker window rests on a doily that is stitched just on the edge, the window filled with colorful sequins is trimmed with thin cording that looks like rope! Cute. cute. cute!

While out shopping for a crafty project for Chelsea we "detoured" into the paper isle and we both fell in love with this navy and gold paper pack and I knew I had this awesome stamp set I got last spring from Stampin; Up! that would be perfect...and it is!
sooooooo expect to see lots more of the Nautical stuff!

No worries, I will sprinkle them in between all the other posts! Too much of a good thing and all that nonsense! :)

Junking Adventure

I don't know about you, but from time to time my mojo goes dry, my creativity runs away from home to join the circus, and I feel the alarming urge to bond with yoga pants. That is no good for anyone! 

When that happens I know it's time for a field trip! Last week I journeyed out with no particular goal in mind other than to go junking, eat something yummy, and play my music as loud as I wanted! I had a great time, and recharged my "fancy" in the process. 

I warn you this post is photo heavy, and is full of delightful {sometimes silly} eye candy! this was my day!

I got up early and swiped on a coat of navy blue nail lacquer, my outfit was pale pink, navy and ripped jeans.... no NOT yoga pants! disaster averted!

This organic Ginger beer is delicious but not for the faint of heart it has a serious ginger kick! The bottle is so pretty, and I am a sucker for good marketing! :) Packaging is everything!

Candy coated malted milk balls are my Kryptonite, my absolute all time favorite candy and look at all those pretty pastel eggs! I found these at The Fresh Market and I can't wait to fill Easter baskets this year!

I traveled to a few little thrift, antique, and specialty shops here are a few of the cute things I spied! 

I fell in love with this giant "S" I already have a few big S's {really is that how to say S in the plural?} whatever...stay with me here.  This thing is huge, 4 feet tall! Its pretty Ssssssspectacular! 

I. Love. This. Crown.

This little divided unit is adorable, but I had to resist. I didn't even notice the bowling pin until I was editing photos, and I ACTUALLY collect those! What a shame that I will have to go back to this cute shop to get it..... so upsetting 

{sarcasm should be leaking through your screen right now!}

Bow Ties are cool!

I love these weird glove forms, they are so fun!

Giant spools! perfect for ribbon or fabric, or just because I love them! :)

Who doesn't love lunch trays?!

Too big for my home, but its just so lovely!

Of course I will have to make some of these super gorgeous flowers, these are quite large and form a long garland. I love that they are tied together with old bits and pieces!

I shopped, I walked, I got dirty, and I listened to lots of good music! I love adventuring!

The end of my shopping day was rewarded with a little bottle of diet coke, the first time I had one of these aluminum bottles was in L.A. at CHA with provocraft and the Cricut circle girls. I think of my dear lifelong friends from that team whenever I have a bottle! :)

 

Life is Good. 

SRM Kraft boxed card set

Yay! I'm on deck today at the SRM blog with a set of four Brilliant and Kraft birthday cards embellished with half circle doilies and multicolored ribbon medallions, all boxed up in a sweet kraft window box .

Please hop on over to the SRM blog for the full post, lots more photos and all the details and list of supplies. Remember to "Make" your day your way!

XOXO~ Shantaie

Hello Life IS good

It rained all day yesterday so my solution was to make a sunny and warm card! 

The new line of stamps by Jane's doodles at SRM are so adorable and there is seriously no way to use them and not smile the whole time! I used this weeks mojo Monday sketch to get my shape going! { thank goodness for sketches, they are life savers!}

I stamped the images directly onto the newsprint paper and outlined them with a white paint pen, I really let myself "play" here and didn't worry too much about perfection in the tracing and the coloring which was done with the watercolor crayons from Stampin'up! that I have not used in.... shoot I can't even remember the last time I used them!

I added a few tiny splashes of glimmer mist and some stitching and of course my obsession  with sequins continues! I'm like an addict, I have always loved sequins and I hope this trend lasts for a long looooong time!  Those little round sparklies make me absolutely giddy! The sentiment is from SRM we've got your sticker Hello and is one of my all time favorites!

There is a half doily behind that swirl of yellow tulle trim and all the deliciously delicate embellishments clustered there. The twine is a striped seaweed and more stickers from Hello on a chipboard arrow from the crate paper oh darling collection.

I'm taking a much needed day off and plan to hit a few vintage shops, and have a yummy lunch! If I find anything fab-tastic  I will share photos....who am I kidding of course I will find some goodies...I won't stop until I do! :)

Happy creating, XOXO Shantaie

Happiness is handmade

Making and crafting and "doing" are all  extensions of a lifestyle, a choice to create an environment that is personalized, and hands on, and just a little more beautiful. That is, until you get hot glue in your carpet... that is a story for another time!

I am a crafty girl.  I am a handy girl. I feel just at home with power tools as I do with a frosting bag, or a tape gun, I actually used a chop saw a few weeks ago to "repair" a broken eyeshadow pencil! {true story}

My intentions are to take everyday things and make them a little more special. I do this for me...I do this for the people I love....I do this because it is the simplest form of art, the art of living a created life. PLUS I need beautiful things around me to buffer me from this harried life of alarm clocks, and traffic, and responsibilities. 

{especially to ward off the evil spirits of grouchy people} you with me on that one? ;)

A sweet delicate vintage pitcher of roses sits in my daughters room, a welcome greeting. 

You know how "gorgeous" those cellophane and rubberband wrappers they come in are.... yeah go ahead and throw that stuff out and transfer them into a pretty container! 

Bingo instant beauty!

Last night I made tacos and a big batch of fresh salsa, {and heck yes they were yummy!!}

I love to cook as much as I love to craft

.... except you can't eat my cards, I mean you do not want that much glitter in your teeth! ....ever

Bottom line, this is my place to share, and honestly I feel like I only share one tiny dimension of my real lifestyle, and what I really love. So in the days, weeks and months ahead 

I plan to get real up in here.

I want to write about and share my complete lifestyle. The life that I create. 

I hope you like to giggle, and learn, and look at photos because I mess up, {a lot} I try new things, and I love this thing called life! 

 Stay with me people, it's about to get good and crafty around here!