Graphic 45, Teresa Collins and Craft Warehouse...doesn't get much better!

Hello Lifers!

I am so excited to finally be sharing my project for Craft Warehouse today on their blog!

It features Graphic 45's "By the Sea" Collection and Teresa Collins Design's Basically Essential Stencil

Here's a sneak peek!

For more pics and a full tutorial, head to 

Craft Warehouse Inspiration Blog

Until next time friends...make your art intentional...not an afterthought.

XOXO

KERI

New Layout and FIRST time on the SNR Blog!

I am so excited to be featured on the Scrapbook News and Review Blog today for their Color Palette of the Week.

This week SNR is focusing on the color NAVY!

Navy is such a classic and versatile color. Just by what you pair it with, you can go masculine...feminine...sophisticated or fun!

Here is this week's color palette:

I have to admit..the quilt is not something I would ever have in my house...it's just not me. LOL!

But, when I saw this color palette, I INSTANTLY remember a collection by Teresa Collins called Now and Then. 

To me, the collection was a muted, feminine version of the color palette I had to work with. The only thing missing was that golden/camel color at the beginning. So, I added a little My Mind's Eye Lost and Found hexagon paper and some Pink Paislee Wooden Letters painted gold.

Here's a quick tutorial on the flowers!

1) Cut your flowers from whatever die or punch you have available in 3-4 sizes. I used Tim Holtz's Tattered Flowers by Sizzix. The die has 4 different sizes on one block, so it made it super easy to cut a lot a one time.

2) Lightly spray your flowers with water and then scrunch them up.

3) Let them dry completely (hit them with a heat gun if you need to speed it up!)

4) Once they are completely dry, ink them if you want and layer them up! Plan out your flowers BEFORE gluing because you don't want to get to your last flower and realize you have 2 that are the same size or pattern.

5) I added 7Gypsies silver studs for my centers, but you can use buttons, crystals, stickers...what ever you have on hand. 

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post! I can't wait to show you more of my Creative Life!

NEW Memories...NEW Project...NEW Series!!

It's time for another round of NEW-ness here at The Creative Life!!

NEW MEMORIES!

This past Saturday I did something NEW...I ran my first 10k!

 I started running back in August with the app Count-to-5K for 2 reasons: (1) I wanted to be an example of a healthy lifestyle to my kids and (2) I had my SILs and some great friends who had started running and I was totally inspired by the confidence it had been giving them.

So I just...started running. The Couch-to-5k (and eventually the 5k-to-10k app) really helped hold my hand through the process. Being someone who's never been "sporty" I had no clue where to start.

I had a lot of cheerleaders like my SILs Kelly and Leslie, my sister Leslie, and my friends Kristen and Kelly, but my biggest was this girl right here!

My friend Deana has already run a half-marathon and a full-marathon and was my go-to person for all my questions, my "OMG...what am I doing?" moments and my confidence builder when I was injured a few weeks ago and wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to run at all.

We ran the 10K together and even though she finished about 10 minutes ahead of me, she made her way back on the course after she had crossed the finish line to run the last 1/4 mile with me. 

Here is my first metal:

And here is where my family and I went for my "victory" breakfast afterwards!!!

So what next? Well...this race was my "practice" race for a half-marathon I am scheduled to run in just 2 weeks. Since my injury put me behind on my training schedule (I had to take 2 weeks off), I am a little more nervous now than I was when I ran 10 miles 4 weeks ago, but I'm not going to give up!

NEW PROJECT...NEW SERIES!!!

Heidi Swapp's Color Pop is one of my FAVORITE new things out there in the paper-crafting world. I've always loved the "resist" products, but where as all other products resist white, Heidi has taken it up a notch and made her resists BRIGHT Colors and Fun, Bold Patterns.

In her Color Pop Collection, she has her trademark Memory Files in all sorts of yumminess like Teal Chevron, Pink Polk-Dot and Black Diagonal Stripes, shown here in front, which is what I used to make MY first ever Memory File!

I decided I wanted to do a fun Yellow and Black color scheme, so I used Tattered Angels' Jingle Bells Glimmer Mist on my folder.

I wanted my Memory File to be all about my hottie hubby and me, so I had this really cute picture my SIL had given me of us from a few years ago. From there it was just all about adding fun. I popped a lot of it up to give it a lot of depth and allow me to "tuck" embellishments here and there. (See below for a complete supply list!)

So fun, right? 

You can join me over the next few months in my NEW SERIES as I add to my File and join me in building more memories!

Until then my friends...enjoy YOUR Creative Life...where ever it may lead you.

Complete Supply list of today: Memory File: Heidi Swapp; Patterned Paper: Echo Park, Glitz Design and My Mind's Eye; Chipboard Arrows: Pink Paislee; Washi Tape: Sandy Lion and Recollections; Enamel Dots: Teresa Collins; Lace: May Arts; Title Card: Glitz Design; Stamps: Fiskars; Glitter Dots: Mark Richardson; Button: Teresa Collins; Gem: Paper Studio;  Paint: Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Jingle Bell; Misc: Harlequin Felt (had it so long....no idea who made it! LOL!)