It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS

This is the busiest time of year for Sun 7 Designs so I get very little time to create for myself.  If it wasn't for the time that I spend once a month with my scrapbooking girls, I would get nothing done for Christmas.
This year I created these adorable little ornaments using the inserts from the Tim Holtz configuration box.

So what do you do with the actual box that these little boxes came in?  You make a Christmas shadowbox.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2015.

The Bride in Issue 85

Scrapbook Magazine Issue 85 hit stands last week and this is my layout.

 A close-up of the tiny flowers tucked into the folded corner.

I used a lot of Prima and Kaisercraft embellishments as I wanted to make the page as soft and feminine as I could.

Chicken Wire {Vintage} Frame

This past summer I picked up this vintage wooden frame from an estate sale.   I had a roll of chicken wire left over from a previous project so I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

I used Annie Sloan chalk paint (Linen).  There was no prep work needed, I just started painting the original frame.  It took three coats of paint and took only two hours to completely finish.  I love how this paint adheres to the wood, it's beautiful to work with.

Here is the end result.  Simple and beautiful.  I added a brass chain to the back as my hanger and some mini clothes pins to hang the photos. 

 A great place for me to hang family photos in my bedroom.

Altered Flameless Candles

This is such a great way to dress up those plain boring candles that everyone has around the house.
I actually purchased two sets of these candles so that I could alter them for myself and my daughter.
I bought the set of three battery operated flameless LED candles at Costco (they sell them at Christmas time) for $29 and then rummaged through my stash of scrapbooking supplies and came up with some burlap and ribbon that matched our decor.

I got all six of them done in under an hour and I love how they turned out.

A couple of close-ups.  Love the cute little 3-pearl stick pin in this one.

The design is only limited by your imagination.  You can do anything you want with them and match any decor.  Perfect for a wedding, Christmas or just home decor.

Burlap Wreath

I've made several of these wreaths over the past couple of years and I just love how they turn out.

I created this one this past summer for a friend's birthday present and several of you have been asking how it was made.  I thought I would take you through it step by step.  It's really quite simple.
I purchased a large roll of this burlap with red stitching around the edges (it also comes in blue stitching), a large metal wreath frame (got mine at Michaels), 3 clip on flowers and a wooden initial.

You start by bunching up the fabric and putting each (approximately 6" bunch through the opening of the metal wreath.  You will notice that the ring has three openings.  You push through each of the 3 slots and then bunch it up against the metal so you can do it another three times.

Continue to do this and make sure that each bunch is extremely tight to the next one.  This is where the work comes in..... pulling and pushing so that the burlap is tight against each other and the metal ring as you don't want it to slip out.

It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.  The more burlap bunches you can squeeze into the ring, the nicer and fuller the wreath looks.

 Love it hanging on her front door! 

Scenes from the CCMA Gifting Suite

  

First off, I must apologize for being MIA for the month of August but I was extremely busy preparing for the Canadian Country Music Awards Gifting Suite.

I was honored to have been invited by Matt & Mark Harris from WOW Creations (aka Storage Wars / Kings of Swag) to attend the gifting suite for the CCMA's at Rexall Place in Edmonton.
The event took place on Saturday and Sunday,
September 6 & 7, 2014

We arrived on Friday morning at 10 am to begin setup and met Matt and Mark Harris from WOW Creations based in LA. They were the sweetest guys, so welcoming and wonderful to work with.
The gifting suite opened at 10 am on Saturday and as the celebrities and VIP's started coming in, Mark would ring the bell to announce someone important was coming through.

Our table was set up right beside the stage and we were able to go through the curtain and watch all the performers rehearse throughout both days.  It was a lot of fun to watch them perform and then meet them as they came through the suite.

Over the two days, we met 100 celebrities and had the chance to gift them a sample of my products.  I created 150 teething toys for the event and packaged them in a clear cellophane bag with a postcard and a business card. Sealed with a logo sticker.

Everyone was so appreciative of the teething toys that I handed out and I was able to gift a few blankets and owls as well as offer personalized baby blankets to a few celebrities expecting in the near future.  Several even took the time to ask me about "my story" and were genuinely interested in how I started Sun 7 Designs.
The interest in my product was overwhelming, to say the least. They loved my blankets and everyone took the time to pick them up and feel the quality.
It was a wonderful feeling knowing that my product was received so well by so many celebrities. I was star struck!

This past weekend was the biggest highlight of my business life. It was something that I never thought I would be asked to do and it was an experience of a lifetime.
Just yesterday I was asked by WOW Creations to attend the Oscars in LA in 2015, sadly I had to decline.  Maybe someday in the future though!

I will look back on the many photos and autographs that I got with a huge smile on my face. What an awesome experience!  Here are just a few.

Rick Mercer and Jann Arden Rehearsing

Beverly Mahood

 Small Town Pistols (formerly "The Wilkinsons")

Paul Brandt

Terri Clark

George Canyon

Lennon & Maisy Stella (from the hit show Nashville)

Brett Kissel

Kira Isabella

Michelle Wright

Jimmy Rankin (The Rankin Family)