Dare to bee Creative on Facebook.

Hi everyone! I think I forgot to mention that if any of you who follow my blog (and even the ones that don't! ;-)) have a Facebook account you can also find me there now! :-)
I recently created a page: Dare to bee creative , and my blog will now appear on it thanks to Networked blog's app. The old stuff isn't on there but the new one will.
I did post a full album of pics of my "craft corner" there, but didn't get a chance to post it here yet, I will soon for the people that are not into FB... ;-)

(There is also a FB link-button in my right margin)
Thanks for visiting me, I hope to see you soon!... :-D

In the spotlight: Mod Paperie

http://modpaperie.blogspot.com/  

If you're a familiar from my blog (are there any of you left? LOL) you might have noticed that my sidebar with all the blogs to visit disappeared. It's because it's too hard to keep up with everyone, and since my baby was born my "blog-surfing-days" are mostly over... :-S
If you were on that list it doesn't mean I don't like what you're doing anymore or anything like that!... ;-) I miss a lot of you fellow papercrafters, but there's only so many hours in a day...


Every now and then though, I run into a blog I really want to share with others, and I will keep highlighting those in my "in the spotlight" section! :-D
Today I want to tell you about Thienly's blog: Mod Paperie. She is my "SVG/S.C.A.L/Cricut Hero"! ;-D She comes up with the most beautiful projects, always using gorgeous coordinating colors and paying special attention to details, shading, depth...
Mary and Leo were right on it and made her the 1st SVG Cuts designer! :-) You can follow her papercrafting adventures on her blog and also on the svgcuts.com blog under "Thienly's spot" in the craft zone. By the way, if you haven't visited SVG Cuts' blog yet, you don't know what you're missing!... ;-)

In the spotlight: A Creative Mint

I LOVE this blog. Such gorgeous pictures, "vignettes of colors" as Leslie calls them. If you like colors and pretty pics, this blog is for you. Burst of instant happiness guaranteed!... :-D

http://www.acreativemint.typepad.com/a_creative_mint/

Enjoy! :-)

Melanie's blog-hop : my closet dividers

As I mentioned the other day, our dear Melanie is having a blog-hop to celebrate her blogaversary! :-) She nicely decided to feature the people that have been her guest-designers or have won one of her contests that past year! I was lucky to win (it was a tie with Donna) one of her contests so here I am! :-)

My project is closet dividers that you use to separate your baby's clothes by size. You might have seen those in baby stores, I used to think it was useless, but it is frustrating to put baby clothes aside because they are too big at the time, only to find them again when they are actually too small! ;-)

It's a simple project done using my Nestabilities, and Melanie's "Just so hippy", "Just so hoppy" and "Hip-hop accessories". I colored the images with Prismacolor markers (I didn't want to use OMS while pregnant), I made 2 of each so that they look the same on both sides, and I laminated them afterwards for durability and ease of use. You could certainly add little ribbons or other blings after laminating them, but I kept those simple since they are for my little one who should join us in less than 3 weeks now! :-)

{ETA: Not sure where my step by step pics disappeared over the years?... o.O But it's simple:

1- Cut ovals (I recommend layering 2 for durability or adding another layer like I did with the scallops.)
2- Punch out a circle at the top.
3- Color/decorate (keep it FLAT). Write the sizes.
4- Laminate.
5- Repunch the circle, then cut a simple thin slit (like 1/8 inch) on one side of the circle hole to be able to slide those on the hanging rod.
6- Decorate mote if you like, add ribbons etc...}

Melanie also asked us to answer a few questions so below are my answers:

Favorite technique: Paper dry embossing (I'm in love with my Cuttlebug folders ;-)) and I also love embossing with powder and my heatgun.
Favorite colors/color combo: I'm a rainbow kind of girl! The only color I don't like and use very rarely or in small touches is yellow. My favorite color is blue and I love pairing it with all kind of colors. Most of the time when I make a card or project it is with someone in mind so I get my color inspiration from the person or from the paper I feel like using that day, or the ribbon...
Favorite type of project to make that’s not a card: Anything with my kids in mind, and maybe giftcards holders. Oh and those mini albums I have been making lately...:-)
Favorite Gina K set by Melanie: It's hard to say, but I would go with "Have a cookie" and "Hand-in-hand" even though I have neither of them (yet! ;-))...
Favorite Gina K sets (from any illustrator): Same as above! :-)
Craft supplies I can’t live without: Well the basics: paper & cardstock, ribbons, stamps, coloring pencils and markers... for the "extras" I would say my Cuttlebug and the embossing folders and my Nestabilities... Of course Prima flowers and brads and... ;-)
I've been stamping for ...a little less than 1 1/2 year.
I get my inspiration from ...anything! But I am certainly influenced by all the crafty blogs I visit!.. ;-)
The most important things I’ve learned about stamping/cardmaking/scrapbooking are ...that's it's all about you! LOL! It's not about following rules or doing a perfect job or something that everyone will rave about, it's about having fun and expressing yourself! If in the process it makes someone else feel loved or appreciated then it's even better! :-D I started papercrafting to have something just for me that I enjoy and that relaxes me. It is definitely liberating and rewarding. I had no clue I would "meet" (over the net ;-)) so many wonderful people in the process! ♥...
Some of my stamping/crafting goals are: Make my kids' photo albums (much catching up to do in that area, years!!!..). Scrapbook more. Make a recipe book for my daughter with traditional french recipes from my grandmother. Maybe one day (years from now!) design my own stamps? Who knows?...
Some of my stamping/crafting accomplishments are: I still see myself as kind of a newbie in that field so my accomplishments are still ahead of me!... ;-)

There you have it, don't forget to visit Melanie's blog and check the talented ladies I was lucky to be featured with. Plus there are tons of fun stuff to win.... Now that's a celebration!!

Happy blogaversary Melanie! You sure deserve your success! :-)

Melanie's blogaversary.

Please go help Melanie Muenchinger celebrate a year of blogging and stamp designing over at her blog “Hands, Head and Heart”.
Melanie and her guest designers will be sharing cards and projects from all her sets released through Gina K Designs this past year and prizes will be up for grabs every day!
Sponsors include, Gina K Designs, My Favorite Things, Scor-pal, Paper Temptress, and Melanie herself, who is donating, among other goodies, a brand new box of Copic Ciaos! There will also be challenges, contests, and a Who’s Who “Where are they now?” on several of her past contest winners and guest designers!
Come join in the fun and help spread the word, see you there!

http://melaniemuenchinger.blogspot.com/

(I will post my "Melanie project" later this week... ;-)...)

It's been a year!!!!!

Tomorrow is my "card-making" first anniversary!!!!
I uploaded my first card in my computer a year ago!
Waow!! It seems like a lifetime ago! I can't believe what an incredible year it has been for me, discovering all kind of tools and techniques!!
I still remember how impressed I was the first time I saw the resist technique used on one of Erika's cards, or how excited my friend Sandrine and I were the first time we used embossing powder and a heating gun! Let's not forget the discovery of the Cuttlebug and it's wonderful embossing folders...♥ (Yes, embossing is probably my favorite thing to do with paper, it's magical to me.) And the brads, the eyelets, the ribbons... *happy sigh* :-)
Sometimes I just sit at my desk and open my drawers and look at all my little treasures, or go through my patterned papers... and it makes me happy!

So, it's been quite a year, and not just because of paper and colors and finding a new way to express myself. Looking back there were signs, in my photo albums, or my kids birth announcements, that papercrafting was right there, waiting to find a way out.... ;-)
But it also has been an incredible year because of the people I "met" who share this passion. A year ago I had no clue this "paper-crafting world" even existed and now I feel like I have this wonderful net of women who inspire me in so many ways! :-)

I just want to thank all of you, who have made this such an exciting experience!! I am not done learning and discovering, it's only the beginning!...
And I am looking forward to many many more years sharing that passion with all of you and getting to know you better! :-)