Graduation!

It's that time of year to honor special grads! This year I have several!
Many of us see and buy specialty papers we think will be great for a project because of words, backgrounds or other neat things, then we get it home and "what WAS I thinking?" !!
I liked this one because it said "Recognition", has tiny "class of" in background, and a diploma, flourishes, and neutral colors. That's all great till you want to add photos. Then what do you cover up? !!

Daughter of a dear friend (for 30 yrs), obviously special, and so is the beautiful photo invite. I decided to simply mat the invite with CTMH cranberry cardstock, add some CTMH cranberry organdy ribbon to overcast the printed ribbon shadow, alter the paper with CTMH cranberry marker and add some bling with stickles and prisma. There is still plenty of room to journal, add 2009 or other bling, if we so chose. Congrats Taylor!

In Memory Layout

Alesha,
Today I scrap for you my friend.
You have left me wonderful memories,
midnight runs to my house because you just got
off work, retreats.
Your positive attitude when life was far from fair,
your giving heart, your great laugh, that smile.
Your drive to be the best Wife and Mother in
less than perfect odds.
Your courage to continually smile and
fight such unbelievable battles, and determined
to stay till Mother's Day.
God sent you to touch many in your brief time
here, you have more than succeeded.
Go in peace today, you will live in our heart.

May 13, 2009
(Tribute to Alesha Hartle who left us at the young age of 29.)

Photo Charms or Jewelry

Love Shrinky Dinks! Was playing around and wanted to do something a little personal for a tiny gift.
I took a photo and printed it from computer on Shrinky Dinks paper.
Be sure you use the textured side or lightly rough it before printing.
I used 4 x 6" photo because it will shrink to half size when you heat. Allow to dry about 10 minutes before touching the print area. I wanted a little color so I inked a Close to My Heart stamp with Moonstruck ink and stamped it directly on the photo (textured side of the Shrinky Dinky).

Regular inks will run when you heat them so I used Stazon on top of the moonstruck ink.
Cut around the outside of the flower or design and punch a hole to add an o-ring or string for a necklace, key ring, scrapbook page charm or whatever you like. I used a heat embossing gun to shrink. The Shrinky Dinky will start to roll up on you as you heat_ and that can be scarey, it will layout back out as it shrinks. Be sure to use a pencil or object that does not get hot to hold on to your charm while heat shrinking. Wala you have a personal charm!