Home Sweet Home

I've just been thinking so much about how thankful I am for the roof over my head.

People left and right are losing their homes, and last year, we almost lost ours , my husbands strokes in the beginning of the year just started a domino effect of events .. but Praise the Lord we were able to get back on track and now all is well ..

I live in a humble little house, and its dated, we've been here for 3 years now... and the 1970's original wallpaper and stuff is still up in the bathroom and kitchen.. ya know avacado green, burnt oranage, yellow ocure, big giant 70's flowers and stripes.. just picture.. LOL My friends tell me though, that my house is modern, all that stuff is back in style.. LOL I'm not so sure.

Well, we knew when we bought the house the changes we wanted to make, but it seems like no sooner did we move in here when thing after thing after thing happened that has prevented us from doing what we had planned thus far.

We are about to paint the walls finally -- and that is exciting to me, the bathroom and the kitchen will have to wait..

but that is ok.. it doesn't really bother me anymore.. I am thankful for the home the Lord has blessed us with.. it's warm and cozy and best of all the people that I love most in the world are here with me.... its good to be content.

Well that brings me to my project.. I actually made this months ago - its just a quick little cartoon sketch of my house, it hangs in my entry way when you first walk in my house..
The heading at the top reads
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15.

Be Blessed

Kelli

Good Bye Country Home!

Wow.. I just got to look through yesterday's mail and I got my April issue of Country Home..Well.. there was a note on the cover that said Country Home Magazine is no longer going to be publsihed!! UGH!! I am so bummed..

I get to live out the rest of my subscription however, with Family Circle Magazine, its ok I guess, but I really loved Country Home and I am really sad to see that magazine go.. I suppose its all part of the ailing economy...

well its not so bad as they still have their webite..

http://www.countryhome.com/


Be Blessed
Kelli

I changed my mind!!

Well, I changed my mind, you will find that I do that often :)

I decided to keep this blog, because .. I love it and I just wanna keep it and still blog here about things that I do that don't necessarily have to do with my Memory Works biz.

:)

So.. a sneak peak.. I just purchased a Making Memories Slice Machine! I'm so excited.. I haven't even gotten it in the mail yet.. sooooo.. Stay tuned for my review on that!! Its gonna be fun fun!!



Slice Die-Cut Machine Starter Kit


Be Blessed
Kelli

New Beginnings!!

Ok.. this is officially my last post at Off The Page Paper Crafts..

I've really been doing alot of thinking about things and its time for me to do what I want to do, instead of sitting around wanting to do it.. and playing around here half heartedly wasting my precious time.. seriously!

I am setting up my Memory Works Website and going to start a new blog with a new name called
drum roll please.........

My Paper Heart.. which is the perfect name.. why.. well.. my heart is really really thin .. LOL like paper and it tears easily... .. and ironically.. my favorite thing is cutting paper and not only cutting it.. but I love to glue back together or on to something else !!

So when that name came into my head.. (and heart) I felt like it was the Lord telling me that would my perfect name to do my thing under..

:)

I have created a facebook group for now.. and you can find that here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=49557494495&ref=mf

or by searching the Facebook groups and looking for My Paper Heart

Well..
See ya soon and I'll will leave this here indefinately and also leave a link to where I have moved my blog too..
I'll probably just make another blogspot.. but I am not sure.

love
Kelli

I'm a Scrapbook Consultant and I haven't done a thing with it!!

About a year ago, I became a Scrapbook Consultant for Memory Works.

http://www.memory-works.com/

I have not done one single thing with this!!


I really don't want to be known as a Scrapbook consultant though,
I want to be known as a Paper Craft Expert.. LOL

I am really feeling like I want to get going with this and start having workshops.

I'm going to make my website -- they give you a good deal on that through the company -- and well I feel like want to just jump into this now and get going.

AC Moore wont hire me, and neither will Michaels.. their loss... I would have been an awesome worshop teacher for either one of those stores... but they wont even give me a chance.. LOL

So I'm going for it on my own..

I am so not good with marketing, especially myself. I am a really good "behind the scenes person" I am not so good as an upfront leader type person... unless of course its like teaching a craft or something, then I have no problem... its the marketing part, the selling of the product and the convincing of the people they need to have a scrapbook party and then buy my products..that I have a hard time with... LOL .. that is my issue.. so this is another challenge for me..

This is why kinda, besides that alot has happend last year.. I wasnt' able to really concentrate.. I have been putting this on the back burner of my life for a year, cause I'm nervous of failing.. of this not working out..

but well, they say that its better to have tried and failed then to never have tried at all..


Pray for me and send me blessings on this!! LOL


and don't forget that I'm your friendly neighborhood Memory Works Consultant!

I'll let ya all know when my website is finished..

:)

Kelli

I Know!

I so know that I have been so slacking in my blog posts..
not that I think anyone is really reading it anyway.. but
I just keep plugging along with it, because God is teaching me how to not get discouraged and to keep going with things in my heart that I want to do and not give up and quit when I don't get a response that I want.



Usually I will get discouraged and just stop or delete .. this time I'm not doing that.

But really, I just get busy with other things and this always seems to get forgotten, and it has to be because of that reason, that I just think its a waste of my time, but its not.. I'm learning new things and I enjoy it.

Well, since my last post, I have finished a scarf that I knitted and I have re-started a baby blanket.

I love my knifty knitter knitting looms, once you get the hang of the stitches, the process goes really fast and you can finish a blanket in just days.

I am posting a pic of the scarf below.. I think its awesome, the best part about it is the satisfaction that I get knowing that I made that!!

I'm telling ya, if you ever wanted to knit or crochet but were completely intimidated by it, go get yourself some looms, its easy and fun and very therapeutic.. LOL

I can't wait to finish my baby blankets and then I really can't wait until I have a bunch of them to bring to the hospital! Sometimes I think though I should be making baby quilts and not knitting. And that could be why I just haven't finished a baby blanket yet!!

I pray that the Lord really just blesses that ministry that he has put on my heart.


I also designed the wall mural for our children's program room at church.

I'm so excited that it was accepted, that makes me feel really good about my work and gives me more motivation to keep going!

The challenge now, will be to make that little piece of art, a wall mural!!


I'm a bit intimidated by the thought, the wall is very big!!
This is very new territory for me.

So this is my design piece:

This is just basically a rough draft of what will go on the wall, I already have more ideas to add to this.. so excited to get started..

and here is my beautiful scarf! It came out almost perfect!! Just like if I would have bought it in the store, but its better cause, I MADE IT! I love making things!

Well until next time,

God Bless

Kelli

My Newest Products

I realized that I haven't written about any new product purchases lately --

Well since I last posted about products I have purchased I have gotten 2 sets of Martha Stewart Markers -

One is the dual tip makers, set of 6 for 8.98 (think, I know its 8 something -- and the other is the opaque spring color markers that comes as a set of 5 markers for the same price -- I got the opaque markers for my birtday last week (Dec. 5)

I love them both, they are both easy to write with -- the opaque is a pigment ink and the dual tip markers are dye inks. The dual tips -- one side is kinda like a fine pointy paintbrush that is good for flowing doodles and coloring in... and the other side is rounder firmer tip that is better for fine writing -- I just love these markers.. I purchased both sets at Wal mart for that price. I just love the fact that Walmart has Martha Stewart now!

The Opaque markers are a round firm tip and you have to push down on the tip gently to flow the ink out...but becareful or you will get a puddle of ink.. also there is a mixing ball in them so you have to shake them well before each use.. these are awesome because you can layer the colors on top of each other and write on dark papers.

The tips flow well and they are easy to write with. And they are good to use with stamps too.

I definately recommend them both.

Here are pictures of them -- sorry if they are not that great... I am having issue with my camera i have taken several pictures and they keep coming blurry..

but you get the idea.. I hope anyway..

Here are the Opaque Markers:

Dual Tip Dye Markers:

I also purchased MS Clear Glitter Stamp Kit for 17.-- at Walmart.. I really like that kit as well.. It came with a bunch of stamps 3 jars of glitter an acrylic block and a glue pad with a little glue refill.

it was worth it!

Enjoy

Be Blessed

OH, One More!!

I almost forgot.. on last craft for now..

I made this little caddy -- it is holding my CD's. I'm in the process of making more of these to hold some of my craft tools.

This is from another printable craft kit.. but is a kit called the Diva Spa Collection from

http://www.aimeeasher.com/

I just LOVE this kit and I can't wait to make it for a gift -- but for now it makes for really cute storage for my craft supples and CD's! It looks like a tool box.. LOL

I printed out the parts of the kit I wanted to use, cut it out and built it with decoupage medium (modge podge) which makes paper projects like this very sturdy and hot glue!!

Sometimes modge podge can be streaky, but its not that bad and it actually gives the project a bit of texture and character is what I always say to that!!

I put on a flower embellishment that is clipart from the kit.. there are two parts to this flower, the petals and the center.. I cut them both out and decoupaged them, then I punch 2 tiny holes in the center and tied some emboridery thread in it, and then used pop dots to attach the center and then the whole flower to the box.. then I traced around the word diva and some of the trim with my Martha Stewart glue pen ( which I tell you I just LOVE that tool!! ) I got it at Wal-Mart for 3 or 4 dollars...) then sprinkled on some, of course Martha Stewart glitter!

Also purchased at walmart for about the same price..

I think it came out great and I love that it sits there out where I see it all the time!!

Be Blessed

ok, now a little chat!

I didn't do much crafting between September and just these past few weeks!

Life just got a little bit crazy and I just couldn't concentrate on much.
But I have been busy lately and I'm glad, because I really miss crafting.
I just feel so relaxed and at peace when I'm in my craft zone.

I haven't even knitted to much at all either. But I am getting back on that because I had started a blanket, a very special blanket at that and I want to finish it.

Once I started to learn to knit, The Lord really put on my heart to make baby blankets for stillborn babies and their mothers. Why?

Well, 9 years ago, our daughter Emily was stillborn and my most treasured possesion is the hand crocheted baby blanket that they had her in at the hospital and then gave to me afterwards.
It is so special to me and has always just helped me feel connected to her and helped to fill those empty arms in some odd way. I want to give that to other moms that suffer the unbearable heartbreak of stillbirth.

So when I finish my blanket I will post it.. I actually am making it with the knifty knitter that I posted about. I love that knifty knitter..
I really hope we get snowed in this winter, so I just sit here and knit and craft all winter long!!

Well thats it for now..
Have a very Merry Christmas
and don't forget the true meaning of Christmas, that its about the gift that God sent from Heaven for us all -- Jesus. So just think on God's love and peace this season and get it deep in your heart to last you all year long.

:)
Be Blessed

Paper Christmas Tree Ornaments

These are real cute.
I did this craft with the Missionettes at church ( a girls club kinda like the Girl Scouts).

I think this craft was quite a challenge for them.. but that is a good thing.. they managed to make them and they came out really great, some of the girls made really cool ones.

These were mine that I made. These are actually boxes, but you can make them so they don't open.
But the great thing about them being boxes is that you can hide a small gift for someone in it and hang it on the Christmas Tree.
Here is the link to where I got the template
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11797186&postcount=1

The only thing with this template is, is that I thought it was backwards.. when I first printed it out and made a box --it was awkward for me.. so I just opened it up in my paint shop pro and mirrored the pattern.. and it was so much better and the box opened and closed on the right side and I was happy.. :)

Enjoy

Be Blessed

Decoupaged Picture Frames

These are a couple of the frames I talked about a while ago that I got at Kmart for 1.00 each that were tattered ... and I made one for my granddaughters picture..

With these I made them the same way -- I just decoupaged some scrapbook paper on them and added some letters and they look really great!

Be Blessed!

Snowman Poop!

Well these are cute.. I am making several of these as gaggifts/favors for our ladies Christmas get together at church....

It is a printable craft kit from -- http://www.daisiecompany.com/

It is a downloadable project that you just printout and put togehter..
I added a Snowman poop poem to it -- I coated it really good with decoupage medium (modge podge) and put it together with hot glue and then coated it again with the medium.

I punched holes in the top and added ribbon so it can be hung.

the insert is a snowman reading the newspaper -- and you insert a box of tic tacs into that and then put it in the outhouse.. so the snowman poop is actually tic tacs... cute.. :)

The poem reads:
I hear you've been naughty,
so listen here's the scoop
I'm running out of coal this year
so you get snowman poop.
Love Santa.

I made an extra piece of the roof with the poem on it and decoupaged it to the top..


I think these will be a hoot!

Be Blessed!

My latest Card Crafts --

I made these cards for my friends little girls Elissa Joy and Sarah Grace to celebrate their adoption.

Tucked inside the little tiny envelope in each card was a necklace for the girls, one was a cross necklace and the other an angel.






I had so much fun making these and giving these to these beautiful little girls.. :)

Be Blessed

Kelli

Kniffty Knitter Looms

The knitting saga continues for me...

However, I have layed down my needles and picked up some looms and I just love them!

There are different brands of looms out there, but the ones that I purchased are made by Provo Craft and are called Kniffty Knitters.. they come in a bunch of different styles and there is even a weaving loom as well.

I purchased 4 different sets so far -- The circle looms, the purple long loom, the flower/tube loom and the tube loom. I have not purchased the long loom kit yet. But I will! They all come with a plastic needle and a hook that pulls your yarn through the loops.

You can make anything on these, the smaller ones are good for belts and handles and things like that. I am making draft blockers with mine and stuffing them with shredded paper and plastic grocery bags!! I will put these by any doors and on any windows in my house that has a draft coming through in the winter!

These looms are very easy to learn to use, and once you get the hang of it they get even easier and your work just seems to flow fast!! If you have carpel tunnel like I have, and knitting or crocheting gets to your wrists, these are great! No pressure on your wrists at all. At least not for me!

Learning the stitches is real easy and not as complicated as traditional knitting. Which, if you don't have a naturally mathematical brain it can really be confusing .. LOL! And that would be me!

Shown in the picture below is work I was doing on the purple loom making a scarf... see the beautiful result with such little effort!

So I definately recommend these looms to anyone who is interested in making crochet and knitting crafts, but just is having a hard time with the using the needles and hooks.



There are a ton of websites out there with how to videos, articles, and free patterns! Just google Knifty Knitter or Loom knitting...

Be Blessed
Kelli

Its been while!

Hey.. its been a while since I blogged here.. its been a while since I did any crafting really..

Its been pretty busy since the kids went back to school.. I have been working on some loom knitting though -- not so much, but here and there.. I really love it..

I am hoping soon to be back to blogging regularly.. take it easy and see ya soon..

Be Blessed
Kelli

Learning How to Knit!!

Well I decided that I want to learn how to knit... I kinda know how to crochet.. nothing great.. but I can make some simple things like circles and scarves and maybe I could even make a simple blanket. All I know how to do is go around or back and forth and I'm probably not even doing that right, but I seem to be able to entwine the yarn together.. LOL..

My grandmother taught me how when I was a little girl and I remember sitting there with her making dresses and hats for my barbie dolls.. It was fun and I guess I never forgot how to do it!

I've been wanting to get back into crochet and I even thought about knitting too.. I see these big knitting kits at walmart with the circular knitting looms and I've been contemplating on getting them. A few years back I got one for my niece for Christmas.. I've been thinking I would like to have one too... But anyway.... During the city wide yardsale last month, I found a huge box of yarn for 3.00!! woo-hoo what a treasure! And well there just happened to be a pair of knitting needles in it.. so I decided that that was my que it was time and I was going to learn how to knit.

Well I have to say that its not as easy as I thought it was going to be! It took me a while to learn how to cast on.. even watching the videos over and over and over again.. but finally I saw what I was doing wrong and now I know how to cast on with one needle !! Yea!! .. however, I'm kinda lost as to what to do next... I suppose I'll figure it out though.. I'm good at that when I'm determined to do something!

There are two websites that I have been going to to learn and I think they are great and wanted to share them with you:

http://www.theknittingsite.com
and
http://www.knittinghelp.com/

Here is a picture of my first knitting work! Believe me it was work too and I think I did a good job.. now I just have to figure out how to add on to this !!

Be Blessed

Kelli

Magazine Rack Make Over!!

Well, in the middle of july there were tons of yard sales around here... and I got so many great things. My city had a "city-wide" yard sale.. it was a great day!!


I picked up this magazine rack for 2.00 -- I forgot to take a before picture of it.. but to give you an idea it was white and very dirty and chiped.. it had character then.. but it wasn't my style..


So I painted it with acrylic paint and then cut up scrapbook paper and decoupaged paisley all over it and then spotted it with dots of glitter paint.. I also sprinkled fine glitter over it while the decoupage was still wet... yes, now its my style.. gotta have a touch of bling !! :)


I am not finished with it yet, as I just did the front, and I want to do put the paisley all over it... I haven't had the chance to get more paper yet!

HOWEVER............ I love it also just the way it is.. really ...I just LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

My New Grandson!

My new grandson was born on July 24, 2008!

Welcome Deacon Lee.. :)
He's so sweet:

I'm not picky, I have style... :)

I would have to say that I have a very eclectic style in scrapbooking -- I have a very eclectic style really in everything in my life!! Decorating, fashion, when I home schooled I was like that, and even with the preschool program at church that I organize.. I can't ever follow someone elses curriculm, I gotta make my own!! I always just have to do my own thing or put my own twist on something... I just love a variety of different styles -- there is probably something about every style out there that I like, except maybe like goth or something like that.. but then again, I do like black, so .. perhaps... so anyway.. I just kinda throw it all together somehow, and it usually works out just fine!!

I really do love that about myself!! If I love it, I use it..

I remember my scrapbooking days from when I was a teen and my scrapbook-- it was huge! It was full of Beatles pictures and stuff from Tiger Beat Magazine, like Leif Garret , John Travolta, and KC and the Sunshine Band, The Bay City Rollers, and Parker Stevenson, yeah I didnt like Sean Cassidy.. it was Parker for me ! I also had another album that I kept pictures of my friends and stuff in it with captions and other little mementos ... I have that one still, but I don't know what ever happened to that Tiger Beat scrapbook, but I loved to make those books. Another thing that I loved to do when I was a kid was doodle, I have always been a doodler... I can remember filling up pages and pages with doodles in class at school and even at home, I would listen to music and either work on my scrapbook or doodle.... and still do it, usually if I'm on the phone or listening to something if there is a something to write with and something to write on, I usually have it filled up with flowers and swirlies...

But anyway -- I love to scrapbook, I don't like so much digital scrapbooking --digital scrapbooking is good for pictures that I would put on my website and then it's usually a quick page... But for an archive of memories, its gotta be in an album for me and something I made! I just have to do it the old fashion way... and I do absolutely LOVE all the supplies that I have, I love collecting paper and I love making my books. There is just something about cutting and gluing paper for me that is so satisfying, I can't describe it!! Some sort of fetish maybe.. ... I just love to do that!!
That was my favorite thing to do when I used to work for a newspaper -- I loved to work on the layout and cut and paste all the ads and pictures on the paper !!

But anyway.. that's me that's my style ...paper, scissors, glue -- And a little bit of everything..
and Put it all together and well, that's me.. :)


Have a great day.

WooHoo.. Martha at Wal-Mart!!

I went into my local Wal-Mart last week and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the whole scrapbook aisle was totally FULL of the Martha Stewart Create craft line!!

I definatley am a Wal-Mart kinda gal --and definately LOVE Martha just as much... so this was just so exciting for me .. :)

I was jumping for joy in the aisle.. :)

So, I bought the glitter stamping starter kit, with some extra glitter and some brush markers for my first purchases of MS from WalMart .. :) What's on my wish list..

ummm..........EVERYTHING !! :)


Have a great day..
Kelli