Stylin'

In the friendly blogging community, there is a lot of encouragement to keep writing, even when you feel too tired to continue.  Crafty Girl and I have been challenged lately.  Our creative sides were admittedly put on the back-burner while we tried to tend to life's other matters.  So, a big thank you to:
cristie-itsjustmyimagination.blogspot.com
She passed along the Stylish Blogger Award to us this week.  We needed a little pat on the back.  We are just about to hit the road for a crafting retreat and we're looking forward to feeding the creative part of our brains and sharing the work of others we meet.  Until then, we are following the rules for award winners by linking back to Cristie.  Also, sharing seven things about ourselves.  Then, sharing 15 other blogs that we enjoy (awarding them) and letting them know about the gesture.  The problem is...we're sure they've probably gotten the award before because they are so amazing.  Thank you!

Crafty Cat:
1-I'm not really a cat.
2-I love Indian food more than almost anything.
3-I'm known in my circle of friends for having wild purses and necklaces.
4-I could track my family down on Ancestry.com all the way to the 1200's.
5-I've been to about 20 countries across the world.
6-A lot of local people know who I am because I've had a very public job for several years.
7-I just quartered a chicken for the first time in my life this evening.

Crafty Girl
1- I love being my kids mom- even when they're acting fresh.
2- I am sleep deprived- but only drink one cup of coffee a day and then it's usually water.
3- I'm way over-scheduled and over-committed, but have a hard time saying UNCLE.
4- I would rather be in my sweatpants with no makeup, hair up, and my glasses on....
5- ... but every day I must dress nice with full hair and makeup because it's a requirement for my job.
6- I am a Cha Cha and Waltz dancing womens champion from a local competition.
7- I like surprises- giving them and getting them- although people can rarely pull one off on me!

More Fun Blogs:
1- http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/
2- http://www.mortalmuses.blogspot.com/
3- http://www.ashleysisk.com/
4- http://twocraftingsisters.blogspot.com/
5- http://www.capturedmomentsblog.com/
6- http://applesandrubies.blogspot.com/
7- http://letmeshowyousawn48.blogspot.com/
8- http://www.abeautifulmess.typepad.com/
9- http://frecklednest.typepad.com/
10- http://racheldenbow.blogspot.com/
11- http://bloggingbradleys.blogspot.com/
12- http://www.theinspiration-studio.com/
13- http://photographybymichelle81.blogspot.com/
14- http://melaphoto.blogspot.com/
15- http://quaypocooks.blogspot.com/

We hope you give these fun blogs a second look.  Thanks again cristie-itsjustmyimagination.blogspot.com for finding and sharing us with your readers.

Crop A Lot!

Crafty Cat and I are ecstatic! We're hitting the road for a last minute girls weekend!! We're heading to Saratoga New York on Friday for a weekend scrap booking retreat! Really- we're pretty crazy about going to these things and we love every minute of 24 hour scrap booking for the weekend. Believe me- there is pain! But we've learned how to cope with it. Seriously- we buy hot packs, pain pills, snacks (the good kind) and we bring lots of money- because even when you have everything in the world- you still want more!

If you've never heard of Crop A Lot- the ladies are WONDERFUL!! They do such a great job and you should come out and have fun with us! If you can't--- don't worry- we'll post lots of pictures!! Heck-- on the road blogging! How fun is that???

Baby Blessings

Crafty Life and Style would like to announce a baby blessing for our Shutterbug Sunday contributor, Mary Nichols.  Between her busy preparations and oh...delivering a baby, Mary still managed to get us her blog post over the weekend.  Mothers are fierce.  We're sure to see amazing photos of this bundle of joy as Mary tests her skills and teaches us what she learns along the way.  So, this is a crafty cause for celebration.  I mean, can you imagine what her scrapbooks will look like with this being a typical photo?  Congratulations Mary.  Your child is beautiful.

And if you'd like to see examples of Mary's work....just scroll down to the next blog!!

Shutterbug Sunday: Natural Light

I positioned them so the sun was to their backs.

Since spring is just around the corner (fingers crossed), and everyone is itching to slip on their flip flops, I thought it would be fun to think about natural light. Believe it or not when I first was starting out and clueless, shooting in manual mode using natural light seemed so intimidating to me! I was more than happy to keep using the basic P mode on my camera, but thankfully my husband encouraged me to branch out and LEARN! You have all seen those pictures. The ones where the everyone is sitting perfectly and its close to being a perfect photograph, except for one HUGE problem. All of the subjects faces are squinty and distorted from the direct sun. I made this mistake many times back in the beginning!

Shady spot with a tree as a natural reflector.

When scheduling summer sessions in NY you never know what you’re going to get for weather. I have had clients ask me on several occasions if we should reschedule due to the overcast gray skies. From a normal persons perspective a cloudy day does not seem like a good day for pictures. Due to our severe lack of sunny days around here we consider a perfect day to be warm with lots of sunshine. But for the rest of us behind the camera, a forecast of cloudy skies is music to our ears! On cloudy days the sky acts as one giant soft box which makes almost any outdoor location ideal. On sunny days however, let’s just say my job is a whole lot harder! So what do you do when the sun is blazing and you want to avoid those squinty eyed and scrunched face pictures? Concentrate on shaded areas, try using natural reflectors, and pay attention to how you position your subjects. The first thing I do is look for areas with shade. The shade will provide you with the break you need from the sun, but will still allow for you to shoot your subjects with natural light. The second thing I for look are natural reflectors. This could be almost anything that works to softly reflect the suns light onto your subjects. It could be a wall, a tree, or other object in the area. Lastly, if your chosen spot is short on shade, and placing people in direct sun is your only option, position them so the sun is either to their backs or their sides. This should also help to eliminate the harsh shadows and scrunched eyes. So the next time you’re out taking pictures in the hot sun, try to use natures natural soft boxes and reflectors. It might just make all the difference!

Shady Spot

For some great info on using natural reflectors check out this blog post from Jasmine Star, and amazing “GO TO Photographer”. http://www.jasminestarblog.com/index.cfm?q=reflections+%3A&x=0&y=0

Enjoy your day!

://www.marynicholsphotography.com/

Guest Blog: Looking at everyday objects through "papercraft glasses"

Hi!  This is Maura - one of the "two crafting sisters".  My sister, Sheila
and I love everything papercrafts! We are always challenging each other with new
ideas and projects and have been scrapbooking and stamping for years.
Since we live far away from each other, we often decide on a long distance project
to work on and then mail them to each other-it brings a whole new meaning
to "you've got mail". In July of 2009, we decided to start a blog - TwoCraftingSisters, so we could continue
to share our ideas with each other and also with anyone else who is interested in
crafts.  It has opened up a whole new world for us!

We are very excited to be invited as guest bloggers on this site!  It's a first for us!
  Now the challenge was on - design a project that could be done in a relatively
short time to meet our "deadline".  I love mini albums and have been inspired
by Sheila's re-purposing of Starbucks items in her Etsy shop. So, with the idea of making an album, going through
my stash, my husband's birthday coming up soon, and a little inspiration, I got to work.

Found some great papers and stickers in my stash to put to good use!

I have been trying the new Via from Starbucks and on a recent trip to BJ's bought
a bulk pack.  Over the last few years, I find my mind works in a new and
different way.  I see objects differently now -such as how they could be used in a
project.  So, when I looked at my empty pack, I thought, this would be great as the
base for a mini album.  Always better to re-use than throw away! I took the coffee
out of several more packs, and set to work.

 
It really was simple.  All I had to do was open up the pack, lay it flat on the
patterned paper, and trace the shape and adhere it to the Via pack.  I always like to
ink the edges of my papers for that distressed look, and this project was no different. For
the top section, I just measured the width and wrapped the patterned paper around it.

Perfect opportunity to try out my new Christmas present - The Cinch!

I have to say, I love this for binding books.  It was very easy to use, and as you can
see, it does a beautiful job of punching the holes for binding.  I decided to make
my book so the pages lifted up, so punched the holes at the base.

I measured and made inserts to fit in the middle, added photos and then a tab to make it
easy to take out.

 

Final step - add some cute stickers to the photos.  When the mini book is about

your dog, how can you go wrong?  Shhh...don't spoil my husband's birthday
surprise!

 

Thanks for giving us the opportunity for a new adventure!

Check our blog for more great ideas! TwoCraftingSisters.

Organize It: Taxes

I must confess-- I have been procrastinating about EVERYTHING lately. I am so over winter. It is dragging on far to long for my neck of the woods. Despite my attempts to get in the gym and get my endorphins flowing- I am beginning to hibernate. I know- spring is not too far away, but I'm doing it anyway. As a result- my weekly menus haven't been planned for a few weeks now. The mail is piling up. Crafting creativity is hard to come by and I'm just wanting to eat!  Yesterday I went to the store and did two weeks of grocery shopping, cleaned the fridge and planned 2 weeks worth of menus. Honestly- I was on a high!

But taxes are that black cloud that sit over my head every year- until the very last minute. Last year I filed an extension and didn't do them till OCTOBER! And YES- I was actually getting a REFUND!! I know- crazy. So this year I am determined to make a change. I grabbed my tax organizer from my accountant- yep he makes it as easy as possible for me. I sat down with all my collected papers and I began plugging in numbers.

That was easy enough- but now I have a to-do list worth of documents and information to find to complete them. Today I celebrate the little victory of organizing what documents I do have. Tomorrow I will begin my mission of completing the to-do list so I can complete my taxes on time! Wish me luck!

Tasty Tuesday: Nana's Banana Bread

Crafty Girl here--- I've had a real sweet tooth for the past week or so. It's probably because I'm trying to shed my winter weight and I'm staying away from the sweets! Yesterday was a snow day for the kids- and instead of trudging to the gym for a work out--- you guessed it--- I baked! LOL Listen, the kids were couped up inside! I had to do something!! hehe So, here's a recipe I can't take credit for- it's actually from a card I got at the grocery store. The only thing I did different was substitute some white chocolate chips for the walnuts it called for! I figured- if I was going there, I'd go all the way!

Ingredients:
5 tbs butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup mashed, very ripe bananas
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used 2% milk)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I used white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of 9 x 5 x3 inch pan with nonstick spray. Beat butter till fluffy. Add sugar and brown sugar. Beat well. Add egg and egg whites and vanilla. Beat till well blended. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl then alternate adding the flour mix and milk into the mixture. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Use a toothpick to test it. Leave in pan for 15 minutes then transfer on to a rack for cooling!

ENJOY! Crafty Girl

Organize It: Deep Freeze

Listen, there is nothing crafty about this.  I know that.  But, frankly, my house has no organization at this moment...except for this tiny space.  So, I am celebrating this achievement.  I have organized my freezer.  Small victories are still victories...and I wanted to share it with my best blog buddies.  When I feel overwhelmed by everything piling up around me each day, I go stick my head in my tidy freezer, until I cool down.  It makes me feel better for a few minutes.  They say you can tell a lot about a person from their refrigerator/freezer.  I'm afraid to ask what this says about me.  I think it says, like every woman, I try to eat low calorie, microwavable lunches and I am not a vegetarian.

Guest Blog: Mini Book Made From Scratch

Hi, Sheila here-the "other" crafting sister from Two Crafting Sisters and before we get
started I'd just like to say thank you for asking Maura and I to do a guest post. We are
both honored.

I like to do two things when crafting---1. Make mini books and 2. Use items already in
my stash. This little expanding folder mini book does just that. It is easy to make from
scratch and you most likely already have everything that you need. I started with little #1
coin envelopes that measure 3 1/2" x 2 1/4". A simple search on Google or Amazon will
give you lots of choices-you can also find these at your local office supply type store or
in a pinch, simply cut down an envelope to size and seal the cut side to form the pocket.

 You will also need heavy chipboard or cardboard pieces to make the box. Cut two
pieces that measure 3 3/4" x 2 1/2", two pieces that measure 3/4" x 2 1/2" and one piece
that measures 1 3/4" x 2 1/2".  Also cut your pieces of patterned papers in these
same sizes as well as one long piece that measures 2 1/2" x 12" (you will trim off the
excess once your pieces are adhered down.)

Adhere the patterned paper to the chipboard pieces. If you want to distress the edges or
ink them, now is the time to do that. Then adhere these pieces to the long patterned piece
as shown in the photo leaving about a 1/16" gap between pieces. You'll see why next.

Now, gently bend the box into shape.

You can also distress the front side of your box now if desired. I used a red Distress Ink
to cover the chipboard sides and also used a bit of sandpaper around the box edges.

Gather your coin envelopes. Cut inserts out of cardstock that measure 3 5/8" x 2".

Apply adhesive down the center of the back of the envelopes and adhere them one to
another to form a stack.

By only adhering down the center, you will get this accordion effect. Now with the last
envelope, apply adhesive on the entire back of the envelope and adhere the stack to the
back panel of the book (and in this photo you can also see the magnets I used to close my
book. Now is the time to add those if you so choose so that the one will be hidden from
view. However, you could also close these with Velcro dots or a ribbon. Your choice.)

Also apply adhesive to the entire back of the front envelope. When you stick it down to
the cover, run your finger along the envelope edges to make sure it is adhered.

Here is the inside of the mini book. I punched out circles, folded them in half and stapled
them on the inserts for pull tabs.

Once I got started on these, I couldn't stop! This little mini book used envelopes that were
even smaller at 2 3/4" x 1 3/4". I covered them with dictionary papers before adhering
them together and I made tiny little library cards for the insides.

And on this one I cut the flap to make a tag and had it oriented differently.

 The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Patterned papers-Tim Holtz and Cosmo
Cricket

Blog-http://www.twocraftingsisters.blogspot.com/

Guest Bloggers: Two Crafting Sisters!

I'm excited to introduce you to two amazing women who will be offering some beautiful craft D.I.Y.'s for the next two Thursdays!!!

Maura and Sheila started off a number of years ago stamping, and both of them loved

to make cards. It always feels good to send a handmade card to friends and family to

celebrate a special occasion, or to get some real mail in your own mailbox. It feels like

sharing a bit of sunshine and they still like to do that, but then Sheila started

scrapbooking too. Maura wanted nothing to do with that for a number of years - she
liked stamping. Well, Sheila finally talked Maura into it, and they haven't stopped

since!

They've always shared ideas with each other even though they live in Ohio and New

York. The sisters find ways to do projects long distance and share them. Usually by

setting a due date for the project, then ship it off, and set a date for opening the boxes at

the same time to see what the other has created. Once a year, they try to meet and get

some "in person" time together- at a crop or even camping.

These sisters can start with the same materials and end up with two very different

projects. Sheila has a nice clean, graphic style, while Maura likes to play with

patterns and colors. Sheila has been published in Paper Crafts magazine, while Maura

likes teaching classes at her local scrapbook store. They've discovered that crafting

becomes therapy in times of stress, it's a great social outlet, and keeps both sides of

the brain connected. Sheila and Maura have also discovered through their shared

passion for crafting, a great way to keep connected since they live hundreds of miles

apart - through long-distance projects, and on their blog, TwoCraftingSisters.