Hydrangea Hippo

We've moved!!!!!!!!!!

2013-04-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

Please visit out new blog, on our website! Thanks!

http://hydrangeahippo.com/blog

Here We Go Play Wallet

2013-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello I am back again with yet another project

created with the Hydrangea Hippo March kit, Pack Your Bags and Scoot!

This is play wallet that made for my son.

What do mean by play wallet?

Well, it is not really meant for serious use even

though I made it quite tough.

My son LOVES to draw and when he is finished he

is always looking for that certain special little

place to stash his latest creation.

This is it!

Here We Go Wallet

Inside I have created four pockets in which he

can use. He can even put a few dollars in there which

I know he would love as well.

I glued and then hand stiched on top of

that between the pockets to make sure they

would not come apart so quickly.

Lastly I cut in a little line so that the closing tab could
slip right in there to help it close.
There you have it! A complete play wallet to enjoy!

Thanks again for popping in and I hope to see you back
real soon!

Embroidery Hoop Wall Art

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite color combos is orange + gold + royal blue, and though it might not be totally on trend with this year's emerald green Pantone color, I find that this rich color combo is easy to work with and always produces great results!

When I inherited my grandmother's sewing notions, I was delighted to discover a cache of wooden embroidery hoops. I don't know why she thought she needed 18 embroidery hoops, all the same size, but finding such a large number of these allowed me to fearlessly experiment with turing them into anything BUT embroidery hoops.

This project is farily simple to create in just about an hour using a doily, embroidery hoop, and assorted ephemera. Create a memory piece for a family or an inspiring reminder to yourself - mine is to just "be" happy with what is.

To create this project gather the following supplies:

Connie Crystal Product:

Other Supplies:

May Arts Silk Ribbon
Wood Embroidery Hoop
Intricate Doily
Ticket
Copper Wire, in 2 sizes
Chipboard butterfly
Copper hinge
Alphabet stickers
Hot glue
Old crochet doily that can be cut up
Smooch Spritz in Candle Glow, Navy Twinkle, and Gold Glow
Basic Necessites Jumbo Spritz Bottle, filled with water
ColorBox Fluid Chalk Cat's Eye in Chestnut Roan
Color Catcher

Assembly:

Insert the intricate paper doily into the embroidery hoop as if it were fabric and tighten. Trim the edges of the doily.
Spray a horizontal line of gold ink across the top of the hoop. Next, spray a horizontal line of orange ink across the middle of the hoop. Finally, spray the bottom of the hoop with navy ink. Spray with water and allow the lighter colors to drip downward towards the navy part of the hoop. Dry with a heat gun.
Tie a piece of blue silk ribbon into a bow and hot glue to the top of the hoop.
Spray a chipboard butterfly with orange ink and distress the edges.
Wrap the center of the butterfly (body) with copper wire. Thread one bead from the Suncatchers onto the wire each time it is wrapped, for a total of 3 beads.
Cut two pieces of crocheted doily and adhere to the top and bottom of the center area of thehoop.
Adhere the butterfly between these two doilypieces.
Tear a ticket in half, ink with ColorBox Fluid Chalk ink in Chestnut Roan, and tuck under each wing of the butterfly. Hot glue into place.
Add the hinge and sentiment to the bottom of the hoop.
Twist wire around the screw end of the hoop to make a hanging loop.

I hope you enjoyed this fun little artsy project. Do you have any remnants from the past that you could upcycle into wall art?

Fun With Fantastic Felt

2013-04-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the gorgeous new pack of felt in the Hydrangea Hippo shop? It features rich, jewel toned colors that are perfect for a multitude of projects. When I got my felt, I wanted to create bows right away. My daughter's are obsessed with cute hair accessories and I'm always willing to go out on a crafty limb to indulge them. Here's what I came up with...

I made a larger felt bow out of the purple felt. I used hot glue to assemble the bows and they went together really quickly. Cutting the felt took about 20 minutes, and gluing them only took about 10. I usually pin bows of this type in their hair with bobby pins, but all of my bobby pins have magically disappeared. I'm sure I'll find them in the baby doll bin later.

This bow is my favorite. I used a pom pom flower tutorial for ideas, but I used a longer and wider strip of felt to make a fuller flower for an older girl. I've already gotten requests for more colors from my daughters.

If you make your own bows, I'd love to see them linked in the comments!

Crafting with Cousin Slide Bracelets!

2013-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Come hop along with me and the Designer Crafts Connection peeps and see the cool bracelets we're creating with Slide Bracelets elements from Cousin Corporation of America.

Leather and charms are IN and these slide bracelets allow ANYONE to create a totally custom, statement jewelry piece in about 10 minutes. You don't have to know how ot make jewelry at all to create one of these and, they have to look of Brighton or Pandora brand bracelets at a fraction of the cost. Plus, there is the pride of making it yourself!

I created two bracelets, one from Cousin's Slide Bracelet Collection and one from Cousin's Trinkettes collection. These can be worn together or separately. AND, the Trinkettes bracelet can match any outfit by changing the ribbon, beads, or charms on the bracelet--they easily slide on and off.

To create the bracelets, gather the following supplies:

Cousin Corporation Supplies (available at select Joann Stores):

Metal Hook Clasp, Silver 3470-003
Metal Butterfly Slide Charms, Silver 34740-007
Metal Space Slide Charms, Silver/Gold 34740-035
Bicast Leather, Red 34740-062
Trinkettes Orange Flowers Mix 34699-041
Trinkettes Beach Mix 34699-014
Trinkettes 8.75" Silver Bracelet 34699-001
Crystazzi Bicone Beads in Jonquil 7722009

Other Supplies:

Ribbon by May Arts
Cocoiro Letter Pen by Kuretake Zig USA
Duck Tape by Duck Brand
Heart Pendant, Red Crystal Beads by Connie Crystal
Jump Rings by Bead Factory
Wire by Beadalon

I created a handy dandy little video showing these bracelets from start to finish! I hope you enjoy it :)

And, here is a detail shot showing how the Beach Charm is set between two jumpo rings, which hold the Heart Pendant:

Thanks for stopping by! To continue on the hop, please click the "forward" link in the DCC button:

Designer Craft Connection
[ Hop back ] [ Hop forward ]

NEW Scrapbook Room Studio Tour!! March 2013!!!

2013-04-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

I just want to share my latest vid of my brand new space!!!! Thanks for going on this journey with me to

Operation Write Home HOP today!

2013-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am not on the hop, but, I do want to share about it with you :)

Operation Write Home's mission is: Supporting our armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on.

Start here to get in on all the action: http://operationwritehome.org/spring-training-bloghop-masculine-card-tutorials/

Every year, volunteers from across the nation create blank, handmade, masculine cards (no glitter please!) to send to military serving overseas so that they can write int he cardas and send them home to loved ones. The task is simple:

Are you game?

mixing things up with a mixed media layout

2013-04-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

HEY ALL!

Holly here to hop along with Susan K. Weckesser and share a layout using the beautiful papers from Susan K. Weckesser AND the amazing Sweet Girl - April 2013 Kit from Hydrangea Hippo! The two sources of mixed media goodness worked absolutely perfectly and a quick, easy, and FUN layout came out of me playing!

First off, as soon as I laid eyes on this background paper, I knew that it was THE ONE! Look at all those colors and how natural it looks. Once I had that down, I started adding a few layers. I used acrylic paint with Susan K. Weckesser's stencil to create little flowers and the brush strokes.

Although I love all of the color that the paper brought to this party, I needed to tone it down a little. So, for my next layer, I double stamped (where you stamp the same stamp twice with out reinking) a film strip where my photo was planned to go and again at the bottom of the layout. I like how this technique adds a shadow feel. I use it pretty much a lot on my mixed media projects.

Once the inks and paints were dry, I assembled a few more layers of paper with my photo. I find that when I have papers I really love I tend to use a little bit of everything, that way I get to see it repeatedly!

I didn't really plan nor want to do a lot of journaling on this page. So I didn't. And that's perfectly ok. I did, however, use part of the Susan K. Weckesser stamp set and stamped the word "smile" over my layers to add a little more expression to the page...

The final touches include lots of goodies from Hydrangea Hippo's April Kit. The little felt hearts are a big hit with me this month, but i ALWAYS just adore Hydrangea Hippo's Trim. You can check out more mixed media goodies in the Hydrangea Hippo Etsy Shop!

Have a super Friday!

sunshine&bunnies,

holly*

Supplies List:
Sweet Girl - April 2013 Kit from Hydrangea Hippo
Papers from Susan K. Weckesser: Bouquet, Color Burst, & Live, Love, Create
Stencil by Susan K. Weckesser
Stamps by Susan K. Weckesser
Tiny Attacher
Black Ink

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Art Plug with Susan Weckesser!

2013-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone Candice Elliott here!

Today I am sharing a project that I have been

wanting to do for quite some time.

I altered this planner specifically to help me

keep track of all of my crafting goals,

deadlines, and even inspiration.

As we all know a crafters mind is

quite full of ideas and this is the one thing

that help keep this crafters mind some what

organized.

Of course, what is a crafter's planner without

a wonderful cover to go along with it?!

I have used a combination of Hydrangea Hippo goodness along

with the most lovely paper from Susan Weckesser.

Art Plug Organizer

I needed to keep this design for the most part grounded being

it is going to handled quite a bit.

It remains to be flat with a little bit of texture.

The cover is still very light to go along with the whimsical

feel of the paper and design.

All in all I am so happy to have had the chance not

only to create with both Hydrangea Hippo products along

with Susan Weckesser but

to also finally have a planner all my own.

This project was such a delight to create!

Thanks to everyone for letting me share a piece of

my creativity with you!

Supplies:

Hydrangea Hippo Green Punchinella Trim Ribbon (for masking)

Hydrangea Hippo Wood Grain Sequin Solid Trim

Susan Weckesser Live, Love, Create Paper

Susan Weckesser Beautiful Daydream Paper

Susan Weckesser Bouquet Paper

Susan Weckesser Color Burst Paper

Color Box Cats Eye Pigment Ink

Donna Salazar's Mixed Media White Embossing Powder

ClearSnap Clear Embossing Powder

Color Box Crafter's Teal

ClearSnap Emboss Gloss

ClearSnap Smooch Pink Sprinkles

ClearSnap Smooch Candle Glow

Bo Bunny Jewels

Basic Grey Letter Stickers Obscure

Reminisce Snow Globe Letter Stickers

Misc. Stars from past Hydrangea Hippo Kits

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hydrangea Hippo & Susan K. Weckesser Day 3

2013-04-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Nancy here today and I am so excited to be part of the team up with the Susan Weckesser team. I was so fortunate to receive a package full of the gorgeous papers and a mask. The minute I saw these goodies I just knew I wanted to do a mixed media project.

I began by creating my background with the super fun papers adding a few fussy cut flowers and a bit of paint stippled on through some punchinella as well as a bit of mists and pens.

My girl was made out of a bit of book paper and more of the gorgeous papers with the addition of some black rhinestone trim, some beaded pearl trim and a few black flower sequins all from Hydrangea Hippo.

A bit of work with my water soluble crayons and the Susan Weckesser stencil, a flower in her hair, and.....

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to hop over to the Susan Weckesser blog for more inpiration.

Hugs.

Nancy

Supplies:
Hydrangea Hippo - Green Punchinella Trim Ribbon
Hydrangea Hippo - Mini Black Sequin Trim
Hydrangea Hippo - Pearl Beaded Trim
Hydrangea Hippo - Black Floral Sequins
Hydrangea Hippo - Light Blue and White Baker's Twine
Hydrangea Hippo - English Tea Pink Mini Rose
Beautiful Daydreams patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Bouquet patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Color Burst patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Live In Color tags by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Live, Love, Create patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Stencil by Susan K. Weckesser

Liquetex White Acrylic Paint

Golden Fluid Acrylics

Faber Castell Pitt Pens

Clearsnap Smooch Spritz

DecoArt Decopauge

Ranger Black Enamel Accents

NeoColor Water Soluble Crayon

Book Paper

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hydrangea Hippo and Susan K. Weckesser Team Up! Day 2

2013-04-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

I was really happy to be asked to participate in Hydrangea Hippo's hop with Susan K. Weckesser this week. I made a mixed media art piece that I plan to frame and hang in my daughter's room. This photo is from the first time I met her. As an adoptive Mommy, you can imagine how important the picture is to me. I decided to frame it with the fabulous frame from the Susan K. Weckesser "Insta-Cute" stamps available at Unity Stamps.

The photo is layered on top of a lace doily envelope that I sprayed with mist. The sentiment "Tickled Pink" describes my emotions on that day perfectly!

I cut various elements out of many of the beautiful patterned papers and I popped them up on foam dots to add a little dimension to the project.

I couldn't resist creating a something with the stencil as well. I made a birthday bag for my son a few weeks ago, so I decided to make a girly version for my daughter's birthday. Her favorite colors are pink and purple so it was really easy to make product choices.

Here's a closer look at some of the layers. The J is her initial and it's pink too! I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Supplies:

Susan K. Weckesser's Insta-Cute Stamp Set from Unity

Beautiful Daydreams patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Bouquet patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Color Burst patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Live In Color tags by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Live, Love, Create patterned paper by Susibee Studios for Want 2 Scrap

Stencil by Susan K. Weckesser

Hydrangea Hippo Burlap Bag

Hydrangea Hippo White Bridal Mini Roses

Hydrangea Hippo Summer Feather Assortment

Hydrangea Hippo Purple Sequin Stars from the Pack Your Bags And Scoot Kit

Hydrangea Hippo Purple Pearls and Pink Lace from the Everyday Eclectic Kit

Hydrangea Hippo Doily Lace Envelopes

White Acrylic Paint

Cotton Candy Pink Stickles

Beacon Adhesive Zip Dry Glue

Black Staz-On Ink

Offray White Ribbon

Studio Calico and October Afternoon Mist

Scotch ATG Permanent Adhesive

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hydrangea Hippo and Susan Weckesser Team Up!! DAY 1

2013-04-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to be creating with our friends from Susan K. Weckesser all this week!! I met Susan a few years ago and she was just so full of life, with a vibrant smile that I just instantly knew I'd love her work! Her paper line, stamps, and overall style is whimsical and fun -- it makes you smile, just like Susan!

Today I created a layout that could be used for Easter, spring, or even a "new home" scrapbook page.

I combined papers from Susan's line with Want2Scrap, one of her new Want2Scrap stencils, Susan K. Weckesser Stamps by Uity Stamp Co, and a few Hydrangea Hippo elements!! To create this layout on your own, gather the following supplies:

Supplies:

"Painted Sentiments" by Susan K Weckesser for Unity
Color Burst patterned paper by Susiebee Studios for Want2Scrap
Live, Love, Create patterned paper by Susiebee Studios for Want2Scrap
Hydrangea Hippo Hollyhock Flowers
Hydrangea Hippo Pink Pearl Beaded Trim
Hydrangea Hippo Cream Lace
Hydrangea Hippo Bling Sparklers
Hydrangea Hippo "Sweet Girl" Mixed Media Kit
Hydrangea Hippo Wool Felt Assortment
Clearsnap ColorBox for Stephanie Barnard Premium Dye Inkpad in Chocolate
Clearsnap Smooch Spritz in Cashmere
Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pen in Brown
White Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush
Scissors
Bazzill Tape Runner Adhesive
American Crafts Foam Dots
Hot Glue

I made a little vid here for you to share how to create this fun and easy layout:

Head on over to the Susan K. Weckesser Team Blog for more inspiration. And, one more thing....you know how we roll---we love to do giveaways!!

Just use the widget below to enter to win an assortment of Susan's paper, her stencil, and some HH goodies!! Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Heart Bling in Spring...

2013-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for the Craftcation conference in just a couple of days and they issued a challenge to all of their attendees to create wearable art to wear to the conference. The challenge is still active on the Kollabora website and I thought I'd whip up a quick and easy blingy bracelet with a couple of new Connie Crystal goodies.

For the last year or so I have seen lots of "bling sheets" - a wide ribbon of bling pieces connected together in a grid. I am so excited that Connie Crystal is now offering their own brand of this fun product! These "bling sheets, aka Crystal Sheets, are available in white and black and can be easily cut to any size or length with a pair of craft scissors.

Here's how to create one of these beauties in a matter of minutes:

Gather the following supplies:

Connie Crystal Crystal Sheets, White
Connie Crystal Heart Pendant

Other Supplies:

White Crinkle Ribbon by May Arts
Nickel Ribbon Clamps x 2
Nickel Jump Rings x 4
Pliers
Scissors

Assembly:

Cut an 18" length of crystals from the sheet, 4 crystals wide. Measure the length of crystals around your wrist. Cut the strip 1/2" shorter than the diameter of your wrist to allow for hardware and a clasp.
Attach Ribbon Clamps to each end of the Crystal Sheet strip. Press closed with pliers.
Attach a Jump Ring to each loop of the Ribbon Clamps.
Attach one more Jump Ring to one of the other Jump Rings so that one Ribbon Clamp has 2 Jump Rings and the other has one. Thread the ribbon through the rings and tie in a bow.
Attach a Connnie Crystal Heart Pendant to one of the Jump Rings using the final Jump Ring. Close with pliers.
Wear and enjoy!

This bracelet would be great for bridesmaid gifts or even for a craft for a girl's birthday party -- dress it up with a nice gown or weared dressed down with jeans and a T-shirt. Get your diva on this Spring!

The Good Stuff

2013-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello out there to everyone!

I hope that you are having a fantastic start

to spring.

It is one the most wonderful seasons I think.

Today I am sharing a boy project!

YES!

For March Hydrangea Hippo has the most

perfect kit for boys.

Pack Your Bags and Scoot

I don't really get the chance to create for boys that often so it

was super fun.

I thought about my son the whole time while

creating.

This particular project I called

The Good Stuff.

When working on this project I

had thoughts of all the wonderful, and some not so, little

things boys like to collect.

I know my son is always collecting something

and stuffing them into little bags and pouches.

The mini compartments in this shadow box reminded

me of that. All the good stuff!

Each enclosed compartment can be opened and shut using the looped
ribbon opener attached to the tops. I couldn't make up my mind whether
or not to make this a tray or a wall hanging for pictures so I went with
both options. Just so much fun this was to do. Now I am a little afraid
to pass it along to my boy. Can you say rough! LOL!

I hope you have been inspired! Please come back real soon for yet
another project created with this wonderful kit!

Thank you!

All Things Altered Day 3

2013-03-24T12:50:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone! Nancy here today to share with you another altered project using the gorgeous goodies from the Hydrangea Hippo store.

1. Pam - http://pammejo-scrapbookflair.blogspot.com/

2. Pinky- http://www.blueyecicle.blogspot.com

3. Debbie- http://studiobeecreations.blogspot.com/

4. Betty-http://scrappybetty.blogspot.com/

5. Gloria - http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

6. Jess B. - http://thatzuneek.blogspot.com/

7. Angela Holt- http://www.angelaholtdesigns.com

8. Christine - www.scrapbookingtechnique.blogspot.com

9. Barbara - http://blackholeartstudio.blogspot.com/

10. Irit - http://iritshalom.blogspot.co.il/

11. Candice - http://candicewindhamdesigns.blogspot.com/

12. Jennifer - hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE!!!

I found these great frames at my local Michaels for just a few dollars and couldn't wait to use them for my home. With a bit of cork mounted to the back, a bit of paint, and some gorgeous trims and flowers from the store I came up with this.

Thanks for stopping by! Now, head back to Pam's blog to finish out the hop!

Pam - http://pammejo-scrapbookflair.blogspot.com/

Hugs.

Nancy

Big Hopes & Dreams (Spring Blog Hop)

2013-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Heather here, and I'm sharing an altered notebook as part of the All Things Altered Spring Blog Hop.

1. Pam - http://pammejo-scrapbookflair.blogspot.com/

2. Pinky- http://www.blueyecicle.blogspot.com

3. Debbie- http://studiobeecreations.blogspot.com/

4. Betty-http://scrappybetty.blogspot.com/

5. Gloria - http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

6. Jess B. - http://thatzuneek.blogspot.com/

7. Angela Holt- http://www.angelaholtdesigns.com

8. Christine - www.scrapbookingtechnique.blogspot.com

9. Barbara - http://blackholeartstudio.blogspot.com/

10. Irit - http://iritshalom.blogspot.co.il/

11. Candice - http://candicewindhamdesigns.blogspot.com/

12. Jennifer - hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE!!!

I'm going to a birthday party for my niece this weekend and I wanted to make her something special. As we all know, ten year old girls are full of hopes and dreams. (After all, they ARE in the double digits so they're nearly grown. Right?) I thought it would be neat to make her a journal to record her thoughts. I used the gorgeous Everyday Eclectic kit, and a hot pink feather from the Hydrangea Hippo Etsy store to complete my project.

Here's a closer view of the title work. I decided to feature some of the punctuation from the Echo Park alphabet set as centers in the sequined flowers. The paper all came from the 6x6 paper pad that was included in the kit. I used the leftover scraps to create a quilted look on the front of the composition book.

I hid the ends of the feathers under a little plastic dish. I wanted to make the dish look like a flower so I adhered a yellow coated metal button in the center. A turquoise ribbon flower finished the embellishment cluster nicely.

Thanks so much for hopping along with us! Now, head back to Pam's blog to finish the hop. http://www.pammejo-scrapbookflair.com/

All Things Altered Spring Blog Hop!!!! Day 1

2013-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another All Things Altered Blog Hop!!!!! I am so thankful for Pam putting these together every season--it is so much fun and inspiration and we do it just for the heck of it! Sharing is caring, right?! LOL

Here is the hop list:

1. Pam - http://pammejo-scrapbookflair.blogspot.com/

2. Pinky- http://www.blueyecicle.blogspot.com

3. Debbie- http://studiobeecreations.blogspot.com/

4. Betty-http://scrappybetty.blogspot.com/

5. Gloria - http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

6. Jess B. - http://thatzuneek.blogspot.com/

7. Angela Holt- http://www.angelaholtdesigns.com

8. Christine - www.scrapbookingtechnique.blogspot.com

9. Barbara - http://blackholeartstudio.blogspot.com/

10. Irit - http://iritshalom.blogspot.co.il/

11. Candice - http://candicewindhamdesigns.blogspot.com/

12. Jennifer - hydrangeahippo.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE!!!

Today I am sharing a very special altered mixed media canvas to benefit the survivors of the Sandy Hook tragedy. Charity Wings spearheaded this effort to create a canvas, contirbuted to by 10 mixed media artists! Prints of the canvas can be purchased from Charity Wings and the proceeds will benefit the Sandy Hook Fund. 

Here is what the canvas looked like when I received it from Suzi Blu:

And here is what it looked like once I sent it on its way to Marilyn Huerta in San Diego! 

The canvas will then make its way to Elena Etcheverry, founder of Charity Wings, for a finishing addition and then off to be printed!!

It was definitely a challenge to find somewhere to add something to this piece but I managed to get in a few of my (now) signature book pages! 

I punched hearts from a vintage copy of Jane Eyre and added them to the canvas using Collage Pauge Decoupage Medium. Then I sprayed some Pink Paislee/Heidi Swapp chipboard resist butterflies with ColorBox by Stephanie Barnard Sprays! in Bubblegum. I added a dab of Smooch Accent Ink in Ocean to the center of each butterfly body and mixed it with the spray ink with my finger. Then, I added Smooch Accent Ink in Green Olive to the layers of punched book page hearts on the wings of the angel.

Please support this effort and get a fun art print for your home or for a gift! Just click HERE to get all the info.

Thanks for stopping by! Now, head back to Pam's blog to finish out the hop!

Pam - http://pammejo-scrapbookflair.blogspot.com/

A Band of Girl Scouts Get Crafty [Bands]

2013-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun to lead our troop in a bracelt-making night with the kits and tools from Crafty Bands!! I printed out a ton of pics of Hello Kitty, Spongebob, mustaches, rainbows, and a few oneDirection images and we got to work. The girls loved being able to make their own cusotm bracelets!! Here's what we made:

Didn't that look like fun? It was!! And the cherry on top is that now I have a giveaway for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Crafty Bands was so super generous to give me a whole Starter Set of Crafty Bands to giveaway!!! Just enter using the handy dandy widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have gone to trim heaven....

2013-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey All!
Holly here and I have some super cute projects to share using the "Pack your bags and SCOOT" kit!

First off, I MUST express my amazement at the incredible trims that are in this kit! I was blow out of the water and used them extensively on all my projects. They add an incredible texture and detail to each or my projects, making them truly unique.

The first project I have to share is a "prize box". Its could be used as a gift box or as a box to give a prize in. I plan on using it to store little goodies for our son when he earns a reward.

To create the box, I found a box with a lid that would be suitable for my goodies. Next, I picked my papers and measured my sides. Leaving a little room on each edge (the box itself is a beautiful shade of orange) I cut and adhered my paper to each side of the box.

Adding trim on the edge added that little bit of texture and color that pulled the papers together. For my topper, I used a few of the playing cards included in the kit, cut the little "v"s in the orange ribbon and made a super fun rosette out of the grey fringe ribbon, an accordion folded strip of cardstock and one of the cardstock stickers. LOVE IT!

Continuing on my obsessive use of trim, I have a layout to share. I'm totally digging these grid layouts! They work with any size or number of photos and you can mix it up with papers and other bits and pieces.

I love the variation of the textures that are in this months kit! BUTTONS! FEATHERS! SEQUINS! OH MY!

I continued to use pits of trim through out the layout on various squares. Included in the kit are these great little frames that happily fit my layout!

A lot of times when a layout has a lot of action going on, some of the details get lost in the mix. When I feel like I'm getting to that point I like to repeat a color or a trim so it stands out.

I hope you enjoyed today's projects using the Pack Your Bags and Scoot Kit that you can find here in the Hydrangea Hippo Etsy Shop!

Sunshine&Bunnies.
Holly*

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

2013-03-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hope you are having a wonderfully "green" day today :) Here's a green layout I did a few years back .... Enjoy!

Resist on Glossy Paper? I Think I am In Love!

2013-03-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

With my new crafty set up, I have not even had a real chance to even take advantage of it and really create. Right now, it is still mostly coverd with paperwork for taxes (ugh, I am so not leaving it until the last minute for 2013!!) and that is boring boring boring. Not to mention, NOT the kind of paper I want on my craft tables!

I always see the Clearsnap Creative Team doing all kinds of fun stuff with glossy paper and, when I got a box of stamps from Viva Las Vegas Stamps last night in the mail, I was suddenly inspired to create! Here'a little sneak peek at one of the things I made, using Clearsnap's ColorBox Chalk Ink to create a resist image on the glossy paper:

Have you ever used glossy paper when stamping? Please share your links on my Facebook Page http://facebook.com/hydrangeahippo or tag me on tiwtter (@hydrangeahippo)

I hope to have more experiments to share soon!!

Happy Creating, Friends!!

Thrifty Thursdays: Starburst Mirror

2013-03-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

I love the look of starburst mirrors but have not bought one because of the price tag--the ones I like are always over $100! Plus, the finish is never exactly what I want-- too bright of a silver, too gaudy of a gold...I have been looking for one of these mirrors to put in my house since they started getting popular a couple of years ago.

Over the summer I bought three round mirrors on clearance at Target for $3.24 each. They have been collecting dust while I was figuring out what to do with them--the deal was too good to pass up even though I did not have a plan.

Over the holidays, Xaver and I went to several thrift stores looking for good things to alter, stuff for our house, etc. It is silly that I was dropping off loads of stuff to get rid of in the back of the store and then going inside to buy more stuff but hey, it was an efficient visit to each thrift store!

In Salvation Army, Xaver spotted several tubs of silverware, each sorted by type, on sale for 5 for $1. Once we saw the knives, we knew they would be perfect for the mirror! I've seen mirrors like this created with plastic spoons but honestly they look like plastic spoons on the finished mirror and I wanted something a little more unique.

I hung the mirror over our mantle with a couple candlesticks around it -- it was a perfect fit there! This was easier to do than I thought it would be and cost under $30! Between assembly and painting, the mirror took 2 days to create.

Here's how to make it:

Remove all the hardware from the back of the mirror to create a flat surface for the knives to adhere to.

Lay out the knives in a pattern around the mirror. Make sure to vary the patterns and the long and short handles.

Use epoxy or hot glue to adhere the flat part of the knife to the back of the mirror. I tried E6000 and it did not work so well.

Once all the knives are in place, cut a piece of wood or chipboard to to the size of the mirror to cover them. This "sandwich" will help make the mirror sturdier. I tore the back off one of the other mirrors and glued that to the back of the first mirror.

Next, tape off the center of the mirror to prep for painting. I wove wire around four of the knives to make a "X" across the back of the frame to create hanger. Once the mirror is painted, the wire will not be noticeable from the front anymore.

I used Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic Paint & Primer in Aged Copper to paint the mirror--two coats is all it took! The paint has a glittery shimmer in it that I thought was really cool. It adhered really easily to the plastic and metal too--my new fave spray paint!

Supplies:

Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic Paint & Primer in Aged Copper = $7.69
Mirrors @ 2 x $3.24 = $6.48
50 knives from Salvation Army = $10
Wire = $1.99
Cardboard, tape, screwdriver, hot glue not figured into cost

TOTAL = $26.16

I saved over $100 making the mirror myself! Hope you're inspired to make something crafty AND thrifty this week!!

Jennifer

Thank you!! (and here's 10 bucks!)

2013-03-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Pack Your Bags for Variety

2013-03-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Nancy here today to share with you a few projects I made with the new Pack Your Bags and Scoot crafting kit from the Hydrangea Hippo etsy store.

When I saw this kit I loved the fun colors and embellishments and couldn't wait to start creating. In the end, I was amazed at the variety of projects I was able to create.

Although this line seems geared toward younger children, I found the colors and embellishments to be perfect for my older teen and started out with a 12x12 layout.

And then, since I couldn't resist all the train related stickers in the kit, I had to cut a train shaped mini album to document a cross country train trip we took when the children were younger. The super cute embellishments in the kit were just perfect for my travel themed mini. I love the buttons, ribbons, sequins, oh my!

And finally, for something completely different I decided to create this rose topiary as a bit of home decor, using the papers in the kit to make the roses, lots of the gorgeous trims...and for the butterflies, I punched into the playing cards.

I still can't believe the variety of projects I was able to make with this kit. From beautiful, spring, home decor, a project for an older teen, to a mini album filled with photos of my children when they were younger, this kit offers something for everyone.

Be sure and grab your kit today and get started creating.

Hugs.

Nancy

Buttons and Buttons and More Buttons....Galore!

2013-03-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I agreed to do a fun blog hop with some other designers and the folks at Buttons Galore and More... I love a good button, don't you?

With Easter just around the corner, I decided to make some Easter-ware for my kidlets. A couple years back I made a boutonnierefor my son Matthew, using paper flowers I created. Matthew is a mini rico-suave, dapper little dude, who regularly wears a blazer and shirt from a suit his grandmother bought for him last summer. I knew he'd be wearing that suit for Easter because that is just how he rolls.

After I took some photos of Matthew modeling the boutonniere (which took little to NO coaxing), he asked if he could keep it pinned to his blazer to use for Easter. Guess I scored a home run! LOL

Whether for a boy or a girl, this lovely flower pin is perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, or just spring! Here's how to make it:

Gather the following supplies:

An assortment of Buttons Galore and More... buttons
Wool Felt from the Hydrangea Hippo Shop
Hot Glue
Pinback
Scissors

Now sit back, and watch the how-to vid here:

Easy, right? I'd love to see your take on this project -- please share a link with me via twitter or Facebook!!

Designer Craft Connection
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Be sure to check out all of the other designers today participating in the Buttons Galore and More blog hop! Enter for your chance to win a Viewtainer, packed with buttons and ribbon, by simply entering a comment here, on the organizer's blog. Good luck and thanks for stopping by! Come back for more inspiration daily, here on the Hydrangea Hippo blog.