Its a BOY!

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I’ll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I’ll show you love
I’ll show you everything

With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I’ll show you everything …oh yeah
With arms wide open..wide open
-Creed

No-no, not me! Sooooooo not me! hahahaha Those days are long gone, sadly… But I can still delight in other people’s blessings 🙂 Babies, to me, are a new beginning, a new little world forming and bringing with it, the promise of a bright, new future.

This little mini-baby book is all boy! My daughter is my one and only, so her baby days were filled with pinks and purples and all those girly colors, so it was fun to venture into that other color scheme to see what I could come up with that was boyish but still sweet.

What I Used:
eCraft/eCraftshop Pro Software
eCraft Die-cuttable paper aka WorldWin CutMates
-Blue Potatoes
-Butternut Squash – Giraffe
-Creamy Butter
-Molasses Cookies – Teddy Bear
-Olive Oil
-Sea Salt – Overalls
-Spring Water – Elephant
-White Flour – Hanger
Jen Allyson ‘Designs’ SD card
Unity Stamp Itty Bitty stamp phrase
K&Company Embellishments (Walmart)
EK Success Stickers (Walmart)
Polka Dot Buttons (Walmart)
Peachy Keen ‘Funshine Shine Face Parts’ stamp set
My Mind’s Eye Vellum (Remember When…Scrapbooking, Valencia, CA)
My Mind’s Eye Antique Dots stack (Hobby Lobby)
Scotch ATG
Scor-Tape
Zig Glue Pen
Chipboard
Various Ribbons
Embroidery thread/large embroidery needle
O-Rings
Foam glue squares
Glue Dots
Unscented Baby Powder or Cornstarch
Baby Clothing Tag (Remember When…Scrapbooking, Valencia, CA)
Scissors, Craft knife, Ruler
Red Chalk – Teddy Bear cheeks
Ink pads – black, green & pearl
Twine
Printer

How I Did It:
The mini book covers were designed/created in eCraftshop Pro using just a rectangle and some circles in varying sizes. I used the template to cut the chipboard and the color cardstock covers and used some basics shapes to cut out the little sections of the book. Because I wanted to use a certain style of font, I printed the writing on the cardstock instead of using the pens in the eCraft (I did use them for the journals though). Hopefully, as more and more crafters start cutting their own embellishments, those with font creating talents will make more fonts geared towards us. I never knew that 98% of the fonts out there were hollow – great for cutting, but not for writing.

This is one of those projects where scraps reigned supreme! Because of how mini this book is, I was able to pull scraps from previous projects to avoid having to yank out a fresh FULL piece of cardstock. Especially since I am seriously coveting this particular cardstock. This stuff cuts like a dream *sigh*

The pages are simply a collection of embellishments, combined with a poem and space to jot down a few memories. This is my first time using Peachy Keen stamps and I must say, I LIKE ‘EM! Super cute, crisp clean lines and no strong odors – super important for me and my other 2 sidekicks; Asthma and Allergies. Those are 2 sidekicks that I’ve been trying to ditch for years, they just don’t seem to get the hint!

The super cute Baby clothing tag is proof that if you see something really cute, BUY IT! You may not have a need for it at that particular time, but one day – you will. I bought that little package (set of 2 tags) about 5 or 6 years ago, it was too cute to pass up. I just placed it in my ‘boy’ bin along with the velum and some other items I picked up along way. So if you were looking for a way to justify – there you have it!

I just love the expression on the teddy bear’s face! He’s quite ready to curl up with his favorite quilt for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow is a brand new day for him to lay claim to and make it his own!

Trucks just aren’t for girls, you know! lol Every now and then you gotta let the boys play with the cool toys or they get grumpy and go fishing or something along those lines. 😉

See those letters up there… Those are stickers. So is the rattle, the onesie, the ‘sleep tight’ phrase. Just cuz its sticky doesn’t mean we have to stick it to something! Just dust the back of the sticker lightly with some unscented baby powder or corn starch and With a Rebel Yell (thank you Billy Idol), your ‘sticker’ is neutralized. Pretty cool, huh!

And no book is complete without the perfect ending… Can you tell that I’m totally in love with this stamp?!?!?! lol Its hard to see it, but I used green ink on the stamp first and did a sort of colored watermark background and then with the pearl ink, I put the message clearly in the center. Obviously my photography skills rank lower than my stamping skills! LOL I know, I know…practice, practice, practice.

What technique are you working on right now?