Frilly & Funkie Challenge #4- Interactive Fun... As Guest Designer !

     When my Tag was chosen as a Winner for that first Challenge (F&F Challenge #1 in Articles), and the invitation was made to be a Guest Designer...well, you guessed it: I was excited to say the least! Humbled, came first, actually, followed by the excitement...and then the eventual nervousness of "How am I going to do this?" and "WHAT am I going to do?!" But, when it comes to MY projects: my way is usually 'go BIG' or just toss in the craft rag! I'm usually one to never skip the little details when I do something. So saying....hold on to your studio chair and take a load off your mind for a few! Let's get down to basics here...
                                 First off, meet our Wittle Peanut, Cole! He's our first Grandbaby altogether, but since we have 2 sets of couples kids, he's the first of hopefully TWO 'firsts' since we really don't wanna stop with ONE- this Grandparenting Thing is too much FUN!! It certainly IS worth all the waiting, since you definitely want your kids to be settled in as a couple, and having  good jobs and a house of their own (like we did) is a major bonus! Both our girls expressed hope to be stay-at-home Moms if possible, and Cole's Mommy (our older Daughter) is able to still further her College Degree at the same time being full-time Mommy. Our younger Daughter is a HS Teacher, so I think our Grandkids will have THE BEST MOMS- EVER! We were only able to have our two boys, so if they all choose to have more than we did- or less than we did- it's totally up to them. But as far as THIS Grandma goes...I'm soft putty on this first one. Stick a fork in me. :)  So this project has been in the works for the past 6 to 8 months and finally posting it up just for this Guest Designer spot- PERFECT!
        The featured part of this Challenge is detailed (about midway) down this list of photos. The rests of the photos are just for showing you the entire Folio (Tim Holtz Large Folio) and the other crafted parts of the project. I've even included photos of the Treasure Box that will store this, as well as other items I will save or craft for Cole. I'm hoping to keep up the same thing for each Grandchild that enters into our family. (Hey, I can PLAN, can't I?!)
         S0... by all means, let's take a lookie! There's even a VIDEO at the end of this post, also!
       

Here's the part with the chosen Interactive Element feature for this Challenge #4...

The right page shows what is actually TWO pages- one in front of the other. The tab with the airplane is supposed to be pulled over to the right side of the book...

The Tim Holtz Remnant Rubs are used here- to tell the reader "don't forget to fly" the airplane over to the right side of the book...

...and a fold-out page is shown with the details of Cole's geneology- from his Great-Great Grandparents on down. This is a hobby of mine since we were married; adding names and dates of family events to a diary/book. I have quite a file of all sides of our families, and I hope to supply each Grandchild with their own information; who they are and who they come from.

On the backside of the folded page is space for photos of the family members listed. This helps match the name to a face. Since Cole has already lost 2 sets of Great-Great Grandparents, as well as a Great Grandma and Great Grandpa on his Paternal side, and just recently lost another GGGrandma... these photos will help him know them.

The older couple set of kids popped the news on us while helping me take my sailboat out of the water. I'd been out on her all that afternoon, singing Crosby, Stills, & Nash's fine tune while tilling her out to the wind to spend that one last afternoon on the lake before taking her out for the winter.  Since they chose a maritime theme for Cole's USNavy Mommy (& her oldest Bro USNavy and Grandpa Rick- her Dad- is USMarines)...this page was fitting!

      I definitely have A LOT of work yet to fill this all out for Cole's first year. This is only a smattering of  Cole's 1st year photos, so I think I'm gonna need another TeraByte Book in the future of more kiddies! And then....well, we'll see what crafty things are next on the agenda!
     After all, Spring will be here and it'll be time to get ye ole sailboat back out. Aye; she'll be yare a'fore the breeze with a clean wake aft o' her!!


         Lastly, there's a video for those of you who want to see the entire thing in motion.

Meemaw had a lotta fun, Peanut! And from the looks in the photos on that tray....

(a mixture of photos from Mommy, Daddy, Grammy& Grampy, Meemaw&Papaw, 

as well as a few official selfies Cole himself did)...

looks like YOU -& lots of your family- did, too!

I need to mention that you can find a little bit about me on the "Meet the Guest Designer" https://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.com/2018/03/guest-designer-lyla-larimore.html 

& that you can check out all the inspirational entries, as well as 

several bonafide awesome Designers' own takes,

 on the  & Funkie Challenge Blog 

These Challenges are open to everyone !

Who knows? Maybe YOU will come up with the next WINNING ENTRY

to be chosen as Guest Designer!

Or, perhaps your project could be chosen to win a fabulous PRIZE from

The Funkie Junkie Boutique !!

But, you'll never know unless you give it a try. :) 

THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL & FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN TAKING TIME TO VIEW THIS CHALLENGE POST!!!

And a HUGE TANX! to those of you leaving such KIND notes!! <3

Even just looking at the number of people popping in to take a peek at things

can really be a big bolster for a Crafter's imagination to work on making paper take a shape, 

so THANKS VERY MUCH, EVERYONE!!

BE SAFE & HAPPY BLOGGING!!

"HOME" Book Gifts- For Our Kids...and Our Wittle Peanut !

      I found these books on a Craft "DeStash" event by invitation from Candy Colwell and as promised; here they are for everyone to see the finished look of both. The younger couple kids' book is in still photos, while the book for the older couple kids is in video format. (I made two versions of the video, since one version will remain private just for Wittle Peanut; our Grandson, Cole). I had a lot of fun making these and even more so, choosing the
photos that went inside each! Since these books already come in a bound-back form, all that is needed is covering with your favorite papers/cardstocks and embellishments.  What an easy, affordable, PERSONAL gift...anyone can make!
     Please have a look.... I'll start with the photos of the 'Shabby Chic' of the younger set, then add the video of the older set's.

Covering and making the outside covers of both books first, then adding extra touches as I went.

I chose to do all 7 Gypsies cardstock papers for the youngers' book, and bright/pastel colors for the olders' book. And there, you see a naked baby! Made from Sizzix Doll Body and coordinating clothing Sizzix Dies.

Choosing the photo for their front window was EASY- the ones here were some of my very fave!

You will notice that all the photos so far are in black and white format.

My plan was to have only the very last pages in color- their page for being FINALLY HOME.

She started out on Scholarship to UMBC in Maryland...and he began (also on Honors Scholarship) at Purdue- both doing their own thing. But the pull was there and pretty soon, she transferred, & transfers back into Indiana colleges go back to the bottom of the totem pole, unfortunately...while Brett was at the top of that same pole. Within a year- she had moved up and PAST that bottom... to graduate only 1 semester behind him (but in the same year 2014) WITH DISTINCTION!

All four of our kids have been Honors Students....

and we are VERY PROUD of their hard work and achievements !!!

That last year of Purdue University- they were married August 10, 2013....

celebrating 5 years this year !!! Time is flying way too fast.

There is still one space here at the left- for that first home up in Minnesota. 

That photo is around here SOMEWHERE.....grumble, grumble, grumble.....

I swear, I WILL get that into their book the next trip up!

The first rented house in the downtown of Red Wing. 

Across from the Police Dept and Fire Dept....

and this house actually matched this book's papers in colors and tones- very pretty indeed !!

Her fave holiday is Christmas- family gathering time. So that is the reason for the stockings hung by the chimney- with care! Thanks, again, to the ladies who had the DeStash Event- I was able to also add this TH Alterations Die- Stocking and Candy Cane.

Their final move (so far, as they may choose to move more in their future- who knows?) is the HOME they purchased ! It is huge, and very nice- lots of space inside w 2 levels- and outside for the FurryKids.

                                     

The backside- just plain easy-does-it.

Just a little last touch to 'lock it up' to keep it closed.

Now the video of the 2nd book. This one took me longer because there were more elements to the structure of adding the doll to the house. Plus: drool-proofing the doll and the photos.

I used plain old laminating for the photos and if you'll turn up your volume, you'll hear the rest of the make-it details. (Since I am deaf, I cannot remember what it says, lol! So if you have Qs for me to answer, please be sure to mention which part in time of the video you are asking about.)

         Thanks for stopping by, once again! I'll be busy getting more of 2017 crafted items posted on my blog, while keeping up with new Challenges on the Frilly & Funkie Challenge Blog.

Stay Safe & HAPPY BLOGGING!!

Frilly &Funkie Challenge #3; "Dare to Resist" (Using Resist Techniques)....One Of A Kind; Humble Beginnings

        Whew! February has been slipping past me too quickly! But that could be because I actually have 3 'deadlines' more than usual. Nothing like a deadline to make you procrastinate and then cram it all in on one all-nighter. Gets the blood flowing, hehehe.
         A huge THANKS! for all the sweet comments on my "All You Need Is Love" Beatles Card from Challenge #2 !! There were over 70 extremely talented entries that really put the punch into "WOW!" And while my card didn't win, I have a plate full of other things going on & promptly forgot all about it- until nice notes arrived in my Email (and I finally went in to download it all), Looking at the winners- I have no envy on the Judges to pick them out!! Such inspiring extreme CRAFTS!!!
        So, let's get down to Challenge #3....and this one is another close-to-my-heart kind of thing. Keep in mind that while I wanted it to look great put together, I wanted a LOT of 'shabbiness' going on in this. The entire point is a home where wealth in money was not had. It had to be EARNED- the hard way (downright manual 50-60 hours a week of back-breaking labor in which the worker was only paid a scant wage. But he had 7 children to support, and his wife was legally blind. The oldest of those children, a boy, was named Donald Frederick Rush (The First of 3)- his middle name from his Father, Fred Rush. Fred was the Grandfather I never got to meet. He died at the too young age of 43, from the same type of cancer that would later claim that Son- my Dad- at age 87 in April 2016. I was 7 yrs old when he met and married my mother, and she had 4 of her own to add to his 6 kids from his first marriage. When my mother left us, I chose to stay with my Dad. And the rest- as often is said- is History! But, while he made sure he met all his financial obligations (for ALL his 10 kids he raised), he also made sure we often got things he never had.

Some of the stories he told me (the short versions)..... He learned how to cook at the age of 5 yrs old, to help his Mom who was blind......He always said he quit school at 6th Grade because he "didn't want to repeat it for the third time", but in reality; he got a job to help his Dad support the rest of the family....There were 2 pairs of socks- total- for 7 kids & if you asked him who got to wear them, he'd answer "The first two kids who woke up. Now you know why I get up so early!", but in reality with how our Dad was; I always wondered if he just went without so one of the younger ones could have the socks.  Another thing I remember is from Dad retiring from his factory job (back when Indiana factories had really good retirement plans complete with medical benefits and not fakey, flakey 401K plans), and he'd showed me his Social Security work record of earnings: he'd made $9 total his first year of working. Yep- you read that correctly: NINE WHOLE DOLLARS for a FULL YEAR of work. Now, with all those stories in mind...... you'll be able to have the perception needed to view this project.

     I'll start with each part and the finished piece of that section.....

Just as this Challenge was posted- a trip for another Blood Draw had me finding a SWEET SCORE on this purchase!

I cut some recycled cardboard that is much thinner, but I still used my Big Shot instead of my Vagabond...

 Choices of cardstocks from my paper drawers...

And added some of my own touches to one of the papers I finally chose to match the outside of the house. (The real home was 2 story and before it was torn down, it had been through various colors over the years, but in my early years, it was white. I chose the lighter yellow for some dimension, instead of white.) And the peeled paint look was very spot on! It just needed to look like the boards were smaller- down to scale.

I used chalk to make the windows look a little dirtier than plain cardboard. Then added some vellum paper for the 'glass'- which COULD have also been at one time, a greased-like older glass.

Then I set the cardboard aside to work on the paper layers. Just for refresher,  I got out Tim Holtz;s Compendium of Curiosities Books I, II, & III to make sure I was going to use as many different techniques of the Resist as I could. I certainly had enough surfaces to try them out on with four sides just to the walls of the outside of this house...then 4 inside, and the roof, too !

 So, here you can see where I actually made this paper into 'my own look' with the Distress Paint and Embossing Powder.
"LOVE" is on both inside halves of the house- the one showing up better (in bottom) stands for the 'hard" kind of love we give our children- the kind that says "NO, you will NOT do that. Because I love you and know what is best for you." The softer kind of love (in the upper half with the doorway) is just barely readable- the kind of love that hugs, laughs, and has fun with your kids. From the way our Dad had a huge sense of humor....I am sure he got a fair share of BOTH kinds of love from his parents in this house! I am very blessed to have grown up with his gift of laughter and joking. SO many FUNNY memories living with that man !!

Seeing the inside of the house with "newspaper" insulated all over the roof and walls...
using Resist TH Tape (Dictionary?? I think!)

Here, you see the outside halves getting some 'weather treatment' with those Distress OXIDES !!! What FUN those things are and now I am going to want a few more colors than the two I started with!!!
(My very fave Vintage Photo, and Iced Spruce, so far. Sitting among the rest of the stash of regular Distress Inks and Paints.)

I even got in there with my Spritzer and some Peeled Paint Distress Marker....to look like mold on the side of the house.

Each side has something different and a diff kind of Resist Technique.

This is the only side that just has Distress Oxide play.... but 'problems with the mold'!

I wanted some insulation showing...as if the siding were pulled off and the Celotex blue insulation was showing. I know that is a newer type of insulation, but the effect worked for me.

So I came up with my own version (or so I thought) of Resist: I took a piece of white cardstock, put a few rows of runner tape on it, then added some Ranger Foil Sheet rub-on in blue. Then I went over it with Distress Inks in Salty Ocean and Chipped Sapphire...then scraped off a bit of the Foil.....and the white came up perfectly sound from underneath !!!

COOL!! A new technique...unless it's been done already. If so.... "Great Minds think alike!" 

After cutting out a chunk- here's the final result on that side.

The roof choice was easy; Tim's own  Resist Stash Cardstock!!! I love how that embossed shines through and the pattern on the paper was perfect for shingles on the roof !!!

I made both roofs look different- as if one were replaced sometime along the way. So one had more tan and then other more of a silvery black like soot was all over it from the chimney... speaking of:

The chimney included another Resist- using the TH Bricks Stencil over the paper with some emboss  again here.

The 'soot' on the inside is Unheated embossing powder using Black Soot- aptly named!!

I decided to leave it without heating it so it would look and feel gritty. Yes- we used to have a wood burning stove in our house many years ago when our boys were young. Now the younger couple set of kids have one in their home!

 Paint Resist was used for the bottom ground....

...and Vintage Photo Distress Oxide and some water spritz....

...ending with some regular Distress Vintage Photo on the edges... and a Gold Distress Paint- edged "One of a Kind" gave this little house the perfect touches from the ground up.

 And with my TH Alterations Tiny Tabs&Tags Die... I cut some good old Kraft Glassine Paper!! I still have plenty of that stuff and still LOVE IT!! So I crumpled it up and typed/printed out a bit of my own words for "humble beginnings". The front door is Resist with those wonderful TH Resist IdeaOlogy Remnant Rubs- both WORDS and NUMBERS types.
The Paper Doll stash has plenty to choose from, and those babies are SO ADORABLE!!! I would imagine that every boy has had a dog. At least; in THIS HOUSE, we have. So I put one there for Dad- he DID have his soft spot for animals though he never wanted anyone to know it. He always had to LOOK tough. And he always had to be the one to take care of things.

It was a rough job to do with these RA inflamed fingers during all the rain we've gotten...but getting the tiny cuts from the ruler paper in the TH Dapper Paper Stash....was well worth it!

I've had this teeny tiny weensy Lincoln penny for a while- from a Bestie in a box of goodies. With a couple of TH IdeaOlogy Mini Gears....it gave the thought that this little child was going to be expected to work for anything he was going to have in life. And he did. And he taught that same work ethic to his kids- to me. And I know Dad was proud of my ChiefHubby for taking care of me and our family in that very same way.

(While he always teased that he was paying David to keep me.... Ha. Ha, Dad. Veeeeery funny.)

Beneath the front step...which I purposefully re-cut to be uneven and slightly leaning as if the cement were sinking into the ground... another piece of the Kraft Glassine Paper and a couple of Chit Chat words...

...to pay my dues to the one I miss very, very much.

Thanks for the inspiration, Dad!

And, just for fun....

on Instagram @dblll 

These Challenges are open to ANYONE! You don't need to be a long-time crafter to do any of these, and I always say; if you've never tried it, you gotta start SOMEWHERE!

THANKS to everyone who visited A Chief's Wife's Heart's A'Fire since I've been back!

If you get a chance, you should DEFFINITELY pop over to 

The Frilly & Funkie Challenge Blog

and take a look at some of the wonderful projects that will inspire you to your own type of craft!

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

has tons of things you can choose from to help you get started making your own choice of brands from the tons available. (And, the FJB is sponsoring PRIZES in each of these Challenges!)

I'll be seeing you in the near future on the F&F Challenge Blog -

as a GUEST DESIGNER!! I am sooooo excited!!

And, in the meantime;

Stay Safe & HAPPY BLOGGING!