Tammy Tutterow

Happiness Project: Finally some cards and some 7g Love!

When I first started papercrafting, one of the first die hard product loves I developed was a crazy mad love for all things 7gypsies.  For a very long time I had "I dream of being the 8th gypsy" in my signature line at 2peas.  I have been very blessed in my career as a designer to get to make projects and samples for some of the absolute best companies in the industry, including my other absolute all time favorite, Tim Holtz (seriously, I still pinch myself when I think about that one!).  So imagine how I felt when I got an email from Debbie Crouse, who, if you don't know is one of the gypsies.  She told me that they had seen my Happiness Project Library Tray and would like to display it in the 7gypsies booth at CHA.  Needless to say, I said yes (and maybe did a little dance)!  I can not tell you how amazing it felt to go to CHA and have samples of my work at not only my usual places (this marks my 5th year at BasicGrey) but to also have work displayed with Tim AND 7gypsies.  Seriously, I thought I could faint.

Since I had been so busy in January I hadn't gotten to make any cards yet for the tray so I kicked myself into high gear and scrapped some of the photos I had been snapping since the start of the year.  I was thrilled to get some finished and added to the drawer in time to take it to California for the show. 

I thought it would be important to add a card that would introduce the object of the project.  I had originally planned to do all of the text on the cards using my vintage typewriter since I love the look of the type and since it is a very sentimental piece to me.  I decided though that I needed to include some of my handwriting too.  Handwriting is very personal and since this is a very personal project, I decided that I needed to include a mix of both.

For this group of cards, I used mostly 7gypsies products, including some journal tags that have been in my stash forever!  It felt good to break some of the items out that I have been hoarding for way too long. (paper, journal card, reinforcer, die cut bird: 7gypsies; mini clip: Tim Hotlz)

I also decided that I should include a photo of myself just as I am in my normal everyday way so I snapped a shot of myself with no make up dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and favorite hoodie.  This is me, every day.  I am not fancy, I am just me.

I am pretty shocked at myself for not only putting that age down, but also putting it on display at a trade show and on my blog.  Seriously, how did I get to be 40?  It is so adult which I am certain, I am not!

(paper, bio tag, small red label, butterfly: 7gypsies; mini clip: Tim Holtz; staples: Tim Holtz; flowers: Making Memories Vintage Findings)

For my vintage category, I made a card about my typewriter.  Looking at it makes me happy when I think about how I used to dream of becoming a great novelist using that typewriter.  (paper, card: 7gypsies; memo pin: Tim Holtz)

This girl and her sweet smile can really turn around almost any mood.  She just has the sunniest disposition.  She is rarely mad and almost always happy.  (paper, die cut card: 7gypsies; journal card: Crafty Secrets; flowers: Making Memories Vintage Findings; mini clip: Tim Holtz; staples: Tim Holtz)

That hat, oh how that hat on that girl makes me smile.  (paper, journal tag: 7gypsies; leaves and felt branch: Prima; flower: Maya Road; foil die cut trim: Red Lead; mini clip: Tim Holtz)

Oh yeah, if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you knew there would be a card about my beloved Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade.  (paper, ATC card, mini ephemera card: 7gypsies; staples: Tim Holtz)

Teaching and sharing a passion for paper and creating is such a blessing.  Being able to call it my job makes me happy!  (paper, journal tag, butterfly die cut: 7gypsies; journal card: Crafty Secrets; white butterfly, flower and leaf: Prima; metal leaf, bling brad: unknown)

Is it wrong to make a second card about Starbucks in the first month?  Technically, this one is about the combination of Starbucks inside Target.  The combination of both in one stop is total happiness! (paper, journal card: 7gypsies; die cut foil trim: Red Lead; flowers: Making Memories; leaf pins: Maya Road; staples: Tim Holtz)

Snow, really?  Certainly not with the temperatures and ice we have now or if I need to drive somewhere, but a fresh soft fluffy snow, yes.  When there is a fresh untouched snow fall the world feels so silent and still and everything looks so pure.  Then of course the dog wants to go out. . .   (paper, journal card, die cut card, and brads: 7gypsies; snowflakes: Heidi Swapp; staples: Tim Holtz)

All cards and elements inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. 

Happiness Project: Random

Whew!  The last card, can you believe it?  If you have stuck with me each day through the sharing of each of these cards, I want to give you a big "thank you"!  I hope it didn't get to redundant.  I just really felt like some would get something out of taking a closer look at each card.

I think I managed to create a category that just about anything and everything could go in to, but decided that for the last card, that maybe a catch all category would be a good choice.  I hope that by the end of the year that there are some things that will surprise me and make me happy, things I didn't anticipate with a category.  I really believe that once I start focusing more happiness and on little things in life that add so much to my life that I never thought about before that there will end up being discoveries that I just couldn't see from this starting point.  I think it will be filled with some really good surprises.  At the end of the project, I think this will be a category I will treasure most because it will be one filled with things I didn't anticipate.

For this card, I wanted it to be pretty simple.  I combined two of the 7g ephemera cards with a journaling strip and then topped them off with a flower and trinket pin.  As I did with the other ephemera cards, I distressed the edges and then inked the edges.

I added some curves and bends so that the pieces would lay up off of the card.  As explained yesterday, I added minimal adhesive so that they would be attached but look very free from the base card.

The journaling strip on this card really sums up the category.  There is no rhyme or reason to what is in it, it is just totally random things.

Okay, that is it!  That is the last of the category cards.  I have one last post on this project tomorrow, a few images of the tray itself for those that wanted a closer look at how I covered mine.  So until tomorrow. . .

----------Supplies---------- 

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Aviary
• 7gypsies Mini Vintage Ephemera Cards
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: People

I am just honestly blessed with having a life that is touched by the most amazing people.  I have people near and far that truly enrich my life.  I think it is a given to say that members of your family make you happy but what I am thinking here are the people outside of family who never fail to make you laugh or bring a smile to your face.  There is the co-worker who makes you laugh until you cry despite being crazy busy at work, the beloved UPS guy who brings you the best boxes of goodies, and the old guy who is the school crossing guard that smiles and waves at every single car that goes by.  They each make my world better so I have a section just for them.  I hope that it will challenge me to think more about the impact others have on my life and how what they do makes me happy.

The bottom layer on this card is another of the Jenni Bowlin journaling cards.  It is a diploma style card.  Although the center of the card didn't really fit in with the theme of my project, the colors in the border did.  To remedy that, I simply layered a second journaling card (Crafty Secrets) over the top of the first one.  Each were distressed with the Tonic Distresser and then inked.

When I adhered the different layers, I added adhesive only to the centers of each card.  I wanted them to stay in place but still look as if they were just laying on each other held only by the staples on the journaling strip.

I added a journaling strip across the bottom of the top card.  Like all of the other cards, the text was typed on pattern paper using my typewriter.

I incorporated the same flowers as used previously as well as a green leaf trinket pin.  The base under the flowers and pin is a diecut bird shape from the Jilly Bean Soup Corrugated Shapes.  These corrugated pieces really take ink well and add a cool texture to the project.

I left the journaling strip extra long so that I could curl it so that the color on the back would show just a bit.

Okay, just one last card to blog tomorrow, which is all about randomness.  See you tomorrow!

----------Supplies----------

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Feather, Aviary
• Jenni Bowlin Family Tree Journaling Cards
• Crafty Secrets Vintage Photos Double Sided Creative Scraps (colored with markers)
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Jillibean Soup Pasta Fagioli Corrugated Shapes
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Songs

I am not sure that "songs" really needs much explaining, everyone knows how a great song heard at just the right time can make you really happy!  I love the way music can move you and transport you through time and space.  This section will be about the soundtrack of my Happiness Project.  Whenever I hear a song that speaks to me about the project, makes me smile, or takes me back to a special time or place I will chronicle it here.  At the end of the year, I think I will make a CD and a playlist of all of the songs. 

The large piece of sheet music is from the Aviary piece of patterned paper.  I love that it has a bee on it since I have a thing for bees (images of them that is, not the real thing!).

I have always said that Vintage Photo Distress Ink was my hands down favorite go-to brown distress ink.  I have to say though, after doing all of the elements of this project using Walnut Stain, I think there may be a tie for favorite.  I really love the softness of the brown in Walnut Stain.  It is dark when you want it to be but blends and fades into such a nice soft shade.

I think the quote I found for this card is so perfect for it, especially since it follows the "words" card in the tray.

To "attach" the elements on this card, I used one of the Maya Road Trinket Pins to "pin" the paper in place.  It pokes through to the back of the card and back out the front.  This made my card bow so I bent the pin after it was in place until the card laid flat again.  The pin still looks flat on the front but has a slight curve on the back.

Tomorrow I am taking a quick break from the Happiness Project sharing for a Christmas post.  I have a great vintage image I will be posting and also have a little story I want to share.  I will be back to the Happiness project the day after tomorrow for the second to the last card.

----------Supplies----------

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Flora, Aviary
• 7gypsies Mini Gypsies Ephemera Cards
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Jillibean Soup Pasta Fagioli Corrugated Shapes
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Clips
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Words

"Words are the voice of the heart".  -Confucius

Isn't that such a great quote?  I love good quotes- ones that make you have those light bulb moments or ones that say what is in your heart when you can't find the words yourself.  Sometimes it is almost as if a really great quotes find you and whisper in your ear what you need to hear, sometimes even before you even know you need to hear it.  That love of words (from the girl who once dreamed of being a writer) explains what the "words" section is all about.  It is about celebrating words by others that speak to me and my heart, quotes or phrases I happen to stumble upon that make me smile and move me.

I really love this Jenni Bowlin alphabet card.  It is so classic and vintage looking.  I am sure it must be based on a real vintage card she has found.  (Have I mentioned how much I adore Jenni's vintage treasures and style?)  The second card is from the 7g ephemera collection.  I love when two random bits from different brands go together like they were made for each other.

I layered two different small Prima flowers on top of a Jilly Bean Soup Corrugated Shape.  I added a scrap of ribbon and a Tim Holtz Trinket pin to hold my journaling strip.  On this card especially, the words being typed on my old typewriter seem especially appropriate.  It was this typewriter that as a kid I dreamed I would write a great novel on.  I laugh when I think about that now.  Can you imagine typing a whole novel on a small portable manual non-electric typewriter?

I always like to "attach" my pieces to the cards in some way.  I don't like them floating.  I want to look at the card and have it make sense that the objects are on in and staying in place.

Okay, next up tomorrow, songs!

----------Supplies----------

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Butterfly, Aviary
• 7gypsies Mini Gypsies Ephemera Cards
• Jenni Bowlin Family Tree Journaling Cards
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Jillibean Soup Pasta Fagioli Corrugated Shapes
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Trimmings (colored with Glimmer Mist)
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Memo Pin
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Clips
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Places

When I was making the categories for my Happiness Project I thought about how fun it is to go to new places.  I enjoy traveling and seeing new places so I should make a section for it.  I have a list of places that I hope to visit someday.  What I didn't think about is that although I enjoy travel, I doubt that this upcoming year will bring much travel and that I probably won't mark any of my dream trips off of my list.  I will have some travel for teaching but otherwise I doubt there will be any vacations.  

So, I thought to myself that I had messed up and created a category that wouldn't end up with out much in it.  I couldn't un-do it or change the theme and since I liked how it looked, I decided instead to change my thinking about what "places" meant.  Sure, the first thing I think about is travel and new places when I look at the card, but what about places that aren't new, places I visit regularly that make me happy. . .  a favorite artsy craftsy shop, Target, a favorite park, etc?  They are "places" and they make me happy, so since the goal is to find happiness in everyday life, I need to not think so big and grand and focus more on what is here in my world.  These places just may be down the street or over in the city and may not be extravagant but they make my heart sing.

The layer directly on the card is a piece cut from the Butterfly patterned paper.  I used the Tim Holtz Tonic Distresser to add some texture to the edges of the paper before inking it.

I added a band of ribbon over the top of it so that it would look like it was holding the bits of ephemera below it in place.

I really love that the 7g gears have crystals in the center of them.  I love the touch of bling that it adds.

The ribbon is crinkled seam binding colored with Glimmer Mists like I show in my video tutorial.  I attached the ribbon using the Tiny Attacher.  I love that tool so much.  I don't think there are many projects that I do that don't get a tiny staple or two from it!

Next up is "words"!  I hope no one is getting too bored looking at this project.  I promise, the end of it is almost here and then I will be on to some other fun things I have to share.  Hang tight just a little longer! {wink}

----------Supplies---------- 

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Butterfly, Aviary
• 7gypsies Hardware: Gears Gems
• 7gypsies Mini Gypsies Ephemera Cards
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Trimmings (colored with Glimmer Mist)
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Clips 
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Treats

Mmm, treats, I love good treats.  That is what I call anything yummy to eat or drink, a treat.  Treats totally make me happy.  I am willing to admit that I am using the presence of this section in my Happiness Project for an excuse to visit the local cupcake shop and Starbucks a little more often.  Is that wrong?

This card is super simple, it has just the bare bones of the elements that have been on each card.  Sometimes it is easy to get wrapped up in making elaborate projects with layers and layers of papers and embellishments when just a few do the trick.  I like lots of stuff and elements, but this time just the few felt right to me. 

Like I shared before, this yellow flower is from a larger flower by Prima.  I used just the center so that the size would be consistent with the blue flower used on the other cards.

I layered one of the 7g ephemera pieces on one of the Crafty Secrets Creative Scraps cards.  Each were distressed with the Tim Holtz Tonic Distresser and then inked.  The journal strip, flower, and pin keeps the card consistent with the formula of the others.

Next up tomorrow, the Places card. . .

----------Supplies---------- 

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Aviary, Feather
• 7gypsies Mini Vintage Ephemera Cards
• Crafty Secrets Vintage Photos Double Sided Creative Scraps
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Blooms

My flower garden, oh how happy I am playing in my garden.  I couldn't possibly do a project about the things that make me happy without including my garden.  I have to confess that I am what I consider a fair weather gardener.  Once the heat starts coming in my garden gets more and more neglected.  During the spring though, I love to be out there digging and pulling and looking for new blooms each day.  I love taking pictures of the blooms so I anticipate making lots of cards with photos of flowers.

If I could, I would change this card a bit and move the journaling card up a bit.  I think I would have liked it a bit more centered.  I glued it down really good so it is going to have to stay put.

The botanical image is cut from one of the patterns of paper.  The neat thing about this paper collection is that quite a few of the pages have really interesting collaged images on them that can be cut apart and used and focal pieces.  I love when you can get extra mileage from a piece of paper like that.

The journaling card is another from the Crafty Secrets Creative Scraps sheet.  I used the Tim Holtz Tonic Distresser to distress the edges before inking.

I used a 7gypsies rub-on for the ladybug.  A ladybug just isn't a ladybug without her flashy red wings so I used a Copic marker to add red to them.

Tomorrow is the Treats card. . . 

----------Supplies----------

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Butterfly, Aviary, Flora
• 7gypsies Rubbings: History (image colored with markers)
• Crafty Secrets Vintage Photos Double Sided Creative Scraps
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Jillibean Soup Pasta Fagioli Corrugated Shapes
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Clips 
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Family

Today I am sharing more images of the Family card.  I will be putting things in this section that have to do with family.  I imagine that there will be lots of cards about my kids and husband and probably my pup too.

On this card I layered one of the Crafty Secrets Creative Scraps with a piece of patterned paper.

As with the other cards, I used my typewriter to place text on a strip of patterned paper.  

I placed the strip over the card and added machine stitching to the ends.  I rolled and curled the ends a bit to give them a little extra look of wear.

The yellow Prima flower was a part of a larger piece.  It originally had a ruffle of yellow fabric under the flower.  I was able to pull the pieces apart and use the center alone.

You can see where the trinket pins are under the journaling card here.  After I took these pictures I decided that I didn't care for that so I pulled them out and re-did them so that the silver part of the pins were on top of the card instead of under it.

As I shared on a previous card, the image on the card was a single color line drawing.  I added color with light colored markers (Copics) and then brushed over the image with Distress Ink (Walnut Stain).

Tomorrow's card is the Vintage card.  I hope you will stop back by to take a look!

----------Supplies----------

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Butterfly, Aviary
• Crafty Secrets Vintage Photos Double Sided Creative Scraps (colored with markers)
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)

Happiness Project: Home

Today I am sharing a little more details about the Home card from my library drawer Happiness Project.  This section will have cards about things in and around my house and anything about my house that makes it a home and a reflection of our family.  Since I gave the garden and vintage their own sections, this one may be a little more of a challenge since those are two elements of my house that I especially love.  I think it will be a fun challenge to look beyond the garden and the vintage decor to find things about this little yellow bungalow that make me happy.  Maybe I will even look at the bigger picture and think more about what "HOME" itself means to me.  We'll see where the art takes me on this one.

For this card, I used another of the Crafty Secrets Creative Scraps.  This card was already in color with a cluster of Forget-Me-Nots and the word "remembrance".  I didn't want the word to show so I placed my typewritten journaling strip so that it would cover it. 

As with almost all of the other cards, I included a flower and a leaf trinket pin.  I like the unity it brings to all of the cards to have a few similar elements repeat through each card.

Under the journaling card, I placed a strip of lace from Websters Pages.  I love this lace, it is so vintagey looking and the perfect shade of blue.  I dabbed a little Walnut Stain Distress Ink on it with the Ink Applicator Tool to give it a little bit of age.  

I added a few Mini Pins to each end of the lace to make it look as though it was pinned to the card.

The Prima butterflies are really a great item to have in your stash.  They come in colors, but I prefer the white ones because you can easily colorize the paper wings with ink to match any project.  I brushed a bit of Stormy Sky Distress Ink on this one and then brushed the edges with Walnut Stain.

I have a post for Glitz tomorrow (gasp, a LAYOUT!) and then will be back to the Happiness Project day after tomorrow with the family card.  I hope you will stop by again to take a peek!

----------Supplies----------

• 7gypsies Conservatory patterned paper: Flora, Feather, Aviary
• Crafty Secrets Vintage Photos Double Sided Creative Scraps
• Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins: Green Leaf
• Webster's Pages Scrapbooking Ribbon: Dusty Blue
• Prima Marketing flowers
• Prima Marketing Butterflies: Papillon (inked with Stormy Sky Distress Ink)
• Making Memories Tiny Alpha Stickers
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Pins
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Stormy Sky
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
• Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Distresser
• Therm O Web Mounting Adhesive Sheets (covering the cards with paper)
• Helmar 450 Quick Dry (for all embellishments)