CHA peeks

This year’s CHA projects (well, it’s now called the Crop N Create Tradeshow but I can’t quite seem to switch to the new name) are some of my favorites that I’ve created to date.

I just couldn’t wait to share some of them with you…

…a sweet and shabby miss you card, of course featuring some great new Maya Road product,

…a masculine card design showing off a gorgeous new airplane charm,

…and a peek at an altered clipboard. I had an absolute blast creating this one. Loads and loads of layers and goodies.

I’ll be back at a later date to share the full projects and the others I haven’t shown.

If you’re looking for some more Maya Road inspiration…check out today’s blog post! Full of amazing projects and the full catalogue reveal. Sooooo many jaw-droppers!

For those of you lucky enough to be able to go to the tradeshow, safe travels and enjoy! I think I may be just a little bit jealous. Take lots of photos so I can experience it second-hand.

bon voyage

I’ve been busy getting inky!

I love stamping and travel too! Today’s fun card combines the two as my thoughts are with a friend who is on vacation.

Paris!

Imagine!

Lucky girl…safe travels, my friend!

I’m in the CLASSroom with a tutorial and step outs. Feel free to join me!

Have a fabulous weekend!

vintage post

Life is flying by at an alarming rate.

I feel like summer is almost half-done already! I’m taking a big deep breath with all my CHA projects mailed and delivered. I’ll be able to share some of them shortly but in the meantime, how about a vintage thank you card…


I made this card last month for a Maya Road/Fiskars blog swap. Love the Fiskars Postage Stamp Punch! It puts a great spin on the classic rectangle and here I’ve used it to make a fun background. It’s a great way to use up your scraps.

It’s that time of the year again! Time for summer release sneak peeks! I’m excited with what I’m seeing out there.

I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on these…

Gasp! I can’t wait till they hit the stores!

Make sure you stop by the Maya Road blog! Each day this week they have some AWESOME new goodies up for grabs. Check it out here…

Supplies:

punched florals

The circle punch is an amazingly flexible tool to have. It’s really one of those must-haves. The circle is a classic design shape but it’s almost impossible to hand-cut well. A punch makes it super quick and easy to incorporate circular elements into a design. And while it makes lovely circles, it can also make spectacular flowers!

This  card was created a few weeks ago for a Maya Road and Fiskars blog feature. You can find it here. The flower is created by piecing together 8 folded punched circles. It’s hard to explain in a few words so stay tuned for a tutorial in the near future.

It’s layered with all kinds of wonderful Maya Road goodies and I’m pretty sure  the paper is by Cosmo Cricket. Evangeline, maybe? Sorry! It’s been awhile!

Keep creating!

Supplies:

the envelope frenzy

I have a new toy.

The Envelope Punch Board.

Love, love, love it!

You can make a myriad of sizes and use so many unique papers with it.

I’ve created a tutorial for it that I’m sharing in the CLASSroom. I hope you’ll join me here.

Thanks for stopping by!

share the story

It’s never too late to scrapbook.

Go back and pull out those old photos and make a mini album. I used to think that I had to scrapbook consecutively and I had to document each and every photo.

Well that is just a recipe for stress and can totally take the fun out of a hobby. In fact it stalled me and for quite a few years I quit scrapbooking altogether.

Today I scrapbook what I want, when I want. Lately I’ve been addicted to mini albums. So small and sweet and I can embellish as much as my heart desires.

This mini album is one I finally created for my daughter using her elementary school photos. She’s about to start her third year of university but that’s ok. Better late than never.

Today I’m sharing this mini album on the Maya Road Blog. Stop by for more photos of the project.

Have a creative day!

Where in the world is…

Where in the world is Julia Stainton?

Actually, I’m still here! Same place as always. Thanks for being patient with me.

Now and then life hands you way more than you really wanted to take on at one point in time.

From planning bridal showers…

my lovely daughter baked the cupcakes

..to working on CHA projects

so excited to work on a wedding album for my son and beautiful daughter-in-law   (photos by Kirkman Photography)

 

…to living in a renovation

one bathroom gets remade into two

my current dining room

In what moment of madness did I agree to renovating 6 rooms at once?! Hubby is a gem and so insanely talented though. It’s going to be worth it when it’s all done.

…to trying to keep up with the weeds

using a low number (large opening) aperture is perfect…it blurs them out of the photo, making me look like a better gardener than I am 🙂

…trying to keep my kiddos out of trouble

my two youngest have a knack for finding it right now

…and of course, the ordinary day to day minutiae, the ongoing sinus headaches and a few other things I have up my sleeve. I’m really not sure if I’m keeping up with anything at all. I admit there are days when it’s so overwhelming. I feel worn. It’s no wonder this has been my favourite song lately…

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zulKcYItKIA[/youtube]

So if you did happen to miss me over the past month, that’s a quick snapshot of my life right now.

I’m hoping for a little more peace and quiet and time to enjoy the very short summertime. I promise there will be more posts than there have been, even if they are short and sweet.

Take care and enjoy the summer!