LollyChops

CHuggieA Poos!

2010-07-29T07:00:00-04:00

This is it! My last post from CHA! I am pretty much ready to come home now. I loves me some crafts but I miss my RonChops and DogChop's big time!!!

As I am writing this it's SUPER late and I need to get up early for my flight so it's mostly going to be pics (but I could not NOT post ya know?!?!?!)!

So that pink explosion of flowers is another project I did for CHA. I covered this little wooden box with felt leaves and loads of floral goodness (Lolly style). The base flowers are all painted with Shimmerz Paints and are completely stunning!

I did not get that many pics of the project before it was packed up (things have just been too insane these past few weeks)! I will be getting this one back, so if you want to see more details, just let me know! I'll snap a close-up!

Tomorrow I'll share how the little wire buggy (my last project) turned out... my little baby eyeballs are too tired to track that fella down right now!!!

Now on to the show pics (and sorry they are so few and far between)!

I am just crazy tired girls!!!!

From The Girls Paperie... I loved this little spooked out dress form!

...with matching hat!

BOO!

I thought this little house was incredibly sweet too!

...and RonChops I might just be moving into this place in the near future.

This place was filled with canvas and burlap products... I'll share more details on them later!

I was just lovin this booth to pieces!

I thought the layers of paper and fabric and moss in this piece was simply stunning (and it's HUGE too)!
I have two big bags of this moss at home and cannot wait to dig into it and apply it to a project like this! Such a neat idea!

Need I say anything at all here???

...or here...
I mean really.
I was torn on risking craft arrest of over the theft of the giant orange button pumpkin or this wall of rose ribbon!

I actually joked with my friend yesterday morning about stuffing the giant pumpkin under my skirt and feigning pregnancy!
(I would have looked like I was gonna pop at any minute cause this thing is HUGE).

It might have worked if it were not for that blasted stem!

Shucks.

Me think I'll need a loan in order to buy enough buttons to do something like this...
(RonChops would be ok with a second mortgage on the house for buttons right???)
(If I were RonChops I would totally be ok with it!!!)
(I mean this is darn cute folks!!!)

The new Tim Holtz configurable boxes...
I want these! Soooo fun!

Moving on from Mr. Distressed and Grungy to Mr. Purple Bear Pants...

(A perfectly natural progressio. Really.)

(Mr. Purple Bear Pants is the sweetest thing ever and could totally fit into Tim's line of products... don't cha think???)

This has nothing to do with CHA. They are just plain ole tealtastic.

They were in the hotel gift shop where I stopped for my daily health infusion and revitalization therapy session. The session consisted of a $5.00 bottle of electrolyte filled water (for brain balance and well being) and $4.00 chocolate something or another (for sanity and antioxidants).

Thank goodness chocolate has good stuff in it... that cancels out all the bad stuff (I read that on the internet so it must be true right????)!

This pretty little sprite is my sister (VikiChops).
She lives in Chicago and came to hang out with me at my hotel room yesterday.

She's stylish and metropolitan (and single and 29... hint hint!!!!!!!!)
(did you notice the teal toenails... are you too horrified over those insanely high heels)!!!
(who wears stuff like this folks??!?!?!)

It's Little House on the Prairie meets House of Prada.
(is she wearing teal earrings????)

...and...

She brought her knitting...

It's teal of course.

But it's not for me!!!!

So I kicked her butt back to the other side of Chicago!
(after stealing her teal scarf of course)

Don't even ask.

This might be one of the new line of embellishments coming out in August...

Nighty nite everyone!

Tired (and goofy) Lolly out...

I'll announce the winner of the Sizzix giveaway tomorrow and share more CHA pics!

P.S. Thanks for hanging out with me this week. Having you guys along for the ride made this even more fun! XOXOXO!

Warning :: Gratuitous Crafts Alert

2010-07-28T07:00:00-04:00

Holey smokes folks! What a day I had yesterday! My grand plans to take my list of places to visit (at your request) and photograph them all were well intended but just not realistic (eeks)!!! I am gonna see what I can do today now that the shock of it all is starting to wear off! What's sad is that I can't even remember all of the places that some of these photos came from (eeks again)!!! Since I have a whole day tomorrow to try it all over again, I'll see if I can document things a little better!

So let's jump right in shall we?!?!?!?!

I decided to start by showing you guys the three trees I made for Crate Paper.
I love these trees... love love love love love them!
I think the middle tree might possibly be my very most favorite project ever!

The night I finished it, I brought it into our room so I could look at it before I went to sleep.
I didn't want it to be sad in the craft room all by it's lonesomes either.

You've heard of sleeping with the fishes???

RonChops and I were sleeping with the trees...

I had to love on them for as long as I could... cause after CHA I'll never seen them ever again.
(bye bye trees... Lolly loves you!!!)

Do you guys like ribbon????

I don't mean ribbon...

I mean RIBBON!

I wanted grab the ends of ALL of the ribbon and run down the hallway!

...I think I could have gotten to the doorway at least...
Don't you???

These little wood shapes from Kaiser STOLE.MY.HEART!
I am sooo gonna do something with that tree this Christmas!

I just loved this.
It's simple yet completely stunning...
...and anything with 3 trillion rhinestones is a winner in my book...
(heck... anything with 3 trillion anythings is a winner in my book)

Speaking of trillions of anythings covering somethings...

Get a load of this GIANT button covered pumpkin!!!!
(ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
I loves it!
You will be seeing something like this from me.
I dunno what yet... but I gotta cover something BIG with buttons.
I did the bridal clutch... but we MUST go bigger folks!

This twirly vine wall hangy thingy covered in plain paper butterflies...
A.Mazing!

I thought this was neat too.
But you guys know I love anything with flowers AND birds!

ummmm and it was BIG! Like several feet across!

I do remember that this was the top of a shelving unit at the Graphic 45 booth.
I am gonna go back there today and drool a little more (and get more pics too)!

This beauty was at the Prima booth.
I could stare at this ALL day long!

These new elements from Pink Paislee are totally cool!
I got some of the winter release parts and pieces and they are just the funnest thing ever!

I thought it was neat to mix Halloween themed stuff with flowers!

...and I loved this wreath (from Cosmo Cricket)!
We will be making something like this girls!

Here is a pic of some of the new Sizzix dies...
They have these new mini originals that are about half the size of a regular original... but they are the thicker ones... so you can cut EVEYRHING with them!
wowsers!
The Tim Holtz dies are also totally unreal.
They also have some new mini album dies coming out too... so darn cool!
I promise I'll get many more pics and post them tomorrow!

I'll end with a pizza shot... this was possibly the best pizza I have ever had in my whole life!

I can't remember the name of the place... but it began with a "G"... and had some "L's" and "O's" in the name too.
Sorry the pic is so bad but I wanted to share it anyway... it was KILLER pizza!

So... what's your favorite project from the ones I have shared? Are you loving that pumpkin as much as I am or do you wanna cover something with 3 trillion rhinestones instead?????

XO's,

P.S. Yesterday I met Jing-Jing (This Little Art of Mine), had lunch with Amy (Mod Podge Rocks), Candi Cooper and Christine Middlecamp (Retrospection) and ran into Erica and her mom (Your Scrapbook Stash) (so many times it was becoming comical) and said a quick hello to Donna Downey and Cari from Prima. I spied a bunch of other friends who were much too busy to talk (but I gave them hugs from afar)!

Today I get to give some HUGS to Juliana (17 Turtles) (she's the one who taught us all to make THESE fabulous flowers) and Eileen Hull (designer of my Sizzix giveaway die). I can't wait to meet these fabulous women!

P.S.S.T. THANKS for the teal luggage links... I was cracking up as I was reading my comments from yesterday! You guys are the BEST!

Boxes boxes everywhere.... (and some teal too)!!!

2010-07-27T07:00:00-04:00

Hi everyone! I am here in the windy city at CHA! So far it's been extremely cool! Within just a few minutes of being here I saw Tim Holtz & Suze Weinberg and my hero Julianna from Sizzix! It's kinda neat to see the people you only know online up close and in person (and be able to give them some HUGS too)!

Everyone was super frantic yesterday setting up booths and getting product and designer's projects out! It was intense!

Packing light are we Lolly???
I had to include a picture of my bags... cause I came loaded down like a donkey! I had a giant duffel bag, rolling suitcase, laptop bag (in teal of course), purse (in you guessed it... teal) and camera bag. The reason for the excessive packing was because I carried all 5 of my CHA projects with me (and I can honestly say that I'll never ever do that again). Ever. Oh and if anyone knows where I can get a teal suitcase, teal camera bag and teal duffel... let poor old Lolly know! I gotta match folks!!!

So the show floor was a complete mess.
Sadly I am not allowed to show any cool product or project pics just yet cause it's all hush hush!
BUT... I can show the giant wooden crates and unpacking messes...!

YAY?!?!?!?

Ok so maybe not...

But I'll show them anyway in case you guys want to see what it all looks like!

The crates were HUGE!

...big enough to do crafts in...

...and with all the supplies that are at this place...

...I would be pretty much set for the rest of my life....
.seriously.

Remember the brown paper tree form from a few weeks ago...?

Here is a little peep of how it came out...

...and another little peep...

I'll show the whole thing tomorrow!
(but if you look real close in one of the pics up top... you can spy it and it's cousins sitting on a crate)

So lastly.. and mostly cause I never travel and get a kick out of these types of things...

I have the coolest bathroom... EVER!

I feel like I am in a magazine or something over here!

Oh and here's a pic of me peeping around the corner at the Crate Paper booth...

Peeka Lolly!!!
(Christine snapped that one of me)

Sew... That's all I gots for today!

I'll have LOADS more to share tomorrow!

P.S. After RonChops dropped me off yesterday morning I sent him a text asking what he was doing...
(it was a deep conversation... let me tell you)

...and this is the response + picture I got back...

Well... at least I know he won't starve.
He has a brand new 24 pack of waffles and a gigantor bag of marshmallow mateys.
The man is totally set!

P.S.S.T. Thanks for all the super sweet and funny comments on my Sizzix giveaway!!!!
I am still laughing!
That's a whole lotta hugs you guys!!!!!
(thanks)

Sizzix Giveaway...

2010-07-26T07:00:00-04:00

Hi everyone! I'm super happy today because as you are reading this I'm either on my way to Chicago, IL for the Craft & Hobby Association SuperShow... or already there basking in crafts galore (or if it's Thursday evening I'm at home dead on my feet and cuddling with my RonChops who I will have missed ever so much)!!!!

The super fabulous folks at Sizzix have offered to sponsor a giveaway on my blog today to kick off this week of fabulous crafty fun!!

But... before we get to the free stuff... let's get crafty!

Owl Bag Class
I taught my Edna the Owl Bag project to 7 lovely ladies (and 1 lovely young lady) this past weekend! There were 4 LollyChops readers in the class (some gals drove over 3 hours to get there)!

It was pretty amazing to finally meet some of you guys in person!

Let me introduce you to a few of them...!

This is Lynn... she's a wee bit of a perfectionist...

When we got started with the class my advice to everyone was to kinda randomly place your leaves in rows and alternate colors so you had a nice random pattern going...

"Random..." being the key here folks...

R.A.N.D.O.M.

Sew...

Here is an example of a nice random pattern...

...and here...

...we have Lynn's leaves...

..another nice example of pure randomness...

...and...

...Lynn...

Random on the left...

...and Miss Lynn Pattern Pants on the right...

You see... I'm allowed to tease her cause I'm the same way.
(we are sisters in OCD and attend the same support group (or would if there was one))

I know what she's saying with her hands don't you???

"ahhh... perfect... now that they are in order... I can get started"

This is Nancy (from Loves to Create) and her finished Owl bag!
She's been a LC reader since waaaay back!

She wore teal.
I loves me some Nancy.

Here are Stacey and Courtney (from Hand me a Stamp).
They are bonding over the heat guns!!
(and standing in front of a nice teal-ish wall)
I loves me some Scrapper's Boutique (and some Stacey and Courtney too)!!!

...and heck...
(why not)

I loves me some teal too!!!!

This sweet girl and her mom came to the class!
They both totally rocked the owl bag!!!

So... all I need to do now is win the lottery so I can fly ALL of you in for a mega craft extravaganza!
If anyone out there has a winning lottery number hookup... let Lolly know o-kay?

The Owl Bag Class Supply Boxes
Because there were so many small parts for the class (and because I had recently purchased the amazing 3D box template from Sizzix (designed by my buddy Eileen Hull)) I combined the two into a fabulous supply box for my class!

As I was putting the boxes together I decided that I needed to make a SCAL template to go along with the box to dress them up some (of course)! I'll share the template in sec... let's check out the boxes first!

I started with thick mat board that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. I found it in the framing section in HUGE sheets (the one I got was something like 4 feet by 4 feet). They have smaller pieces but it was waaaay cheaper to buy the mega huge piece. They were having a sale and I practically stole it for $4.00!!!!

I cut the mega sheet into manageable pieces that I could run through my Sizzix.

I used the Sizzix ScoreBoard XL Rectangle Box die and cut out 8 boxes!
You can see the die HERE.

The neat thing about this die is that it cuts and scores fold lines at the same time!

I used my SCAL/.svg to cut out patterned paper pieces to cover the little box!
(I'll share the .svg and a PDF at the end of this post)

The little papers cover the holes that you need to put the box together but that's ok!
All you have to do is just use a 1/8th hole punch to punch through your pretty paper cover!

I used double sided tape on the flaps of the box so I could basically glue it together.
It's SUPER easy to assemble!

I also punched additional holes in the front so I could add a little bow to close the flap!

Here is where I placed my double sided tape!

Here is the back flap secure with sweet little brushed silver mini brads!

...and the inside with the ribbon knot I tied to close my front flap!

...and POOF!
Crafty cute little box for owl bag class supplies!
(wow... that was a mouthful)

I made an assortment of boxes using GCD Studios papers!
(GCD Studios generously sent them to me to play with!!!)
You can see the whole line of GCD Studios papers HERE.

I honestly love these papers!
They have foil, flock, glitter and embossed accents!
I'll be doing more projects with them soon to keep your eyeballs peeled!!

You can download the SCAL/.svg template to cover these boxes HERE.

...or...

If you don't have a Cricut/SCAL, you can download the PDF to print and trace the covers HERE (see... Lolly really does love the lot of yas)!

Sew.... wondering what Sizzix has given me to give to you????

Me too...

Just kidding.

It's a DIE!!!

Yep!!!

You can win the die to make the cute boxes I made for my owl bag class!

Don't fret if you don't have a Sizzix.
This might be just the push you need to get yourself one...

...or you could try another tactic...

Practice saying this with me...
(out loud cause it's more fun if folks catch you talking to yourself)...

You: "but honey bunches of tenderness snuggle wuggle sugar bear... I NEED to get a Sizzix now... I won a really cool die from LollyChops... and the only way I can use it is if I have a Sizzix..."

Honey bunches of tenderness snuggle wuggle sugar bear: "what's a LollyChops...?"

All you have to do to enter is leave me a few HUGS.

Lolly loves her some HUGS!!!!

I'll randomly draw the winner and announce who it is in my last CHA post this Friday...

If you don't want to enter the Sizzix giveaway but want to leave some hugs anyway... that's ok too.

HUGS are just awesome regardless don't ya think?!?!?!?!

I'll be posting tomorrow from Chicago so drop back by to see what mischief I've been up to! I am going armed with a mega list of places I need to drop in on (and projects I need to take pics of for you guys)!

See you tomorrow!

P.S. Big thanks to GCD Studios for the lovely papers and the super nice folks over at Sizzix for sponsoring this giveaway!!

P.S.S.T. I love teal. Fur reals.

YOo HOo!!!

2010-07-12T07:00:00-04:00

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to share my first Donna Downey DT project with you guys today!

When Donna sent me two of her stamps to work with I knew immediately what I was going to do and got started right away!

Let's get started with the supplies list first:
Donna Downey "Wayward Blooms" stamp - HERE
and "Trust" stamp - HERE
Shimmerz Spritz - Jeni-Be-Bleu - HERE
ColorBox Ink - Chalk/Prussian Blue - HERE & Pigment/Turquoise - HERE
Versa Magic Ink - Chalk/Aspen Mist - HERE
Various colored card stock papers (I highly recommend shades of teal!!!)
Zing Embossing Powder - Metallic Teal - HERE
Cricut & Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) - .svg file HERE
Picture frame

How I came up with this project...
In January of this year I saw Donna’s Inspiration Wednesday post HERE. She had used some of her floral design elements and cut them with her Silhouette. I remember seeing the project open up on my screen and literally gasping!

I immediately bookmarked it, starred it in my RSS reader, sent it to my mom and crafty friends and even printed out a copy of the photo and tacked it to my inspiration board! I was completely smitten!

I knew that someday I would do something like this with another floral element and when Donna asked me to create something with her fabulous “Wayward Blooms” stamp… I knew this was the perfect opportunity!!!

I started off with a simple picture frame from Walmart (it was less than $10!!!).
This is the third project I have made with this exact frame!
I really love how big it is and the 3D mat board inside can be used for so many neat projects!

I removed all of the elements from the frame (I’ll use them in another project) and then spray painted it with Kilz in a can spray paint!

This is my new favorite spray paint as it completely covers just about anything with just one coat!!!

As the frame was drying I stamped Donna’s beautiful “Wayward Blooms” image using black archival ink on a piece nice white card stock.

Once it was good and dry I scanned it into my computer and tweaked the outline and filled the insides in Adobe Illustrator and saved it out as a .svg file.

You can get the .SVG file HERE.

I imported the .svg into Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) (you can learn about it HERE).
I then re-sized that same image multiple times and proceeded to cut them with my Cricut!
(at this point I might have been jumping up and down cause I knew this was going to come out exactly as I had envisioned it (I just love it when that happens!!!)!

To accompany the flower outlines I was cutting I also wanted to include some of the fine detail from the stamped image so...

I stamped the blooms on vellum paper using chalk ink and then cut them out by hand!
(which was well worth the effort because I ended up with the most delicate and beautiful stamped images ever!!!)!

Instead of having a plain or patterned paper for the background, I decided to use one of the cut out flowers as a mask and then proceeded to lightly spray my background paper with Shimmerz Spritz (in Jeni-Be-Bleu).

Since I used a lightweight paper as my background, it wrinkled and bowed a little but I was very happy with how it came out!

I wanted as much texture in this piece as possible so there was no place for perfectly flat and boring backgrounds here!

I layered all of my elements in the frame using 3D adhesive!

The stems were a little tricky but cutting the adhesives into smaller pieces made it a breeze!

The other stamp I used for this project is Donna’s Unity stamp called “Trust”…

I started by stamping on a piece of plain white paper and cutting the image it out...
(I used ColorBox pigment ink in Turquoise)

Then I stamped it again on a piece of canvas and cut just the heart out...
I smooshed it up but good...

...and then...

I decided that the word “trust” did not stand out enough so I stamped it one more time... only this version was stamped on vellum using VersaMark ink.
I heat embossed it using Zing embossing powder in metallic teal
(one of my very most favorite colors EVER!!!)

I cut out the word and layered the whole thing together to make a textured element that I could pretty much use on any project!

I continued putting the project together... layering the stamped and cut elements together...

Until I had something that looked like this!

I love the layers and textures in this piece!
(and I especially love how Donna’s stamp and past project inspired me to create something completely beautiful using just plain pieces of cardstock and my Cricut)!

So there ya have it!

I hope you are inspired to do something similar!

Nextly... I wanted to share a silly story about a MomChops Craft Project...

I was looking on MomChops FB page last week and she posted a picture of a needle holder she had made....

I thought it was pretty cute and was the perfect way to hold her needles...

I figured it was your typical needle holder... roughly 2.5 inches x 3 - 4 inches MAX...

So when she came to pick me up for breakfast this past weekend she had it with her so I could check it out...

**AND**

MomChops made a KING KONG SIZED needle holder...

You could fit something like 800 needles in this thing...!!!

Ok maybe not...
...but compared to all the cute little needles holders I have seen out there...
...this thing is MASSIVE...

We had a good laugh about it all morning!

MomChops also made a little holder for her crochet hooks...

...and in typical MomChops fashion she made it MEGA sized...

Did you even know there were that many different sized crochet hooks?!?!?!

I mean good gravy train!

The woman can make anything from doll clothes to an afghan with those puppies! :)
(I think she's taking requests but I can't be sure)

So last to lastly... you girls gots any CHA requests???
I mentioned last week that I am going to be going to CHA July 26 - 29. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a mega craft and hobby convention (a.k.a. craft supply heaven).

I am going to be there 4 solid days (drooling all over everything and doing a make and take with the Shimmerz girls)!... My goal is to post pics from the show each night that I get back to my hotel room!!!

Sooooo... I want to know what you want me to look out for! If you want pics of certain manufacturers or products... let me know in the comments here and I'll take a list with me and post the pics for you guys (hopefully each night and then for sure when I get back)!

I am over the top excited about going as this will be my first time ever! EEKS-O-RAMA!!!!

Crafty CHA Project Updates...
I finished one project (the cart thing from last week), started on another one (the doll dress form) and will have a 3rd one in the works for Crate Paper (I should have the new CP collections this Tuesday and I am OVER the top excited about them)! I am going to be using this little form as the base for the project... I think this one is pretty easy to figure out right????

I love the lot of yas!

P.S. I'll be taking next Monday off from the blog (RonChops and I are heading out of town for a bike ride) and then I'll be posting Monday July 26 - 29 daily! There's gonna be a whole lotta Lolly around these parts the last week of July!

P.S.S.T. I am WAY behind on emails (like 3 whole weeks behind). I am so sorry you guys! I promise I'll get through them ASAP! XOXOXOXOXOXOXO's!