May You Be Blessed.....

Rosh Hashana is finally here.
Apples dipped in honey.
May you have a sweet year.
Full of Hatzlacha and Bracha.
Nachas.
Health.
FAMILY!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Blessed...

Have you ever felt uncertain

By the twists and turns of life

And it seems that there’s a curtain

Across the heaven’s skies

Don’t you know there is always One

Looking out for you

You’re an only child before His eyes

And He knows what you’re going through

Chorus:

May you be blessed

May you see His Grace in everything you need

May Hashem fulfill your every heart’s desire

Yimalai Hashem Mishailos Libcha Letovah

Have you stood at the bedside

Of a young and ailing child

And you wonder when the day will come

Will you ever see that smile

Have you found the one whose soul you share

Built a family of your own

As you stand under the canopy

You pray for peace in your new home

Chorus

Does the promise of redemption

Ever seem remote and far

Your faith is strong but it’s been too long

You can't take it anymore...........

Chorus

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chanale6

The Little Things - They Matter!

As you learn how to scrap you will always have little scraps left over.
You can throw them away.
Or you can collect them all in a seperate container and make good use out of them.
Over time I will show you several ways to make wonderful layouts out of very little.
Here are just a few to get you started.

If you look closely you will see a few extra elements I will teach you about later.

Like machine sewing.

Inking.

Making a perfect circle.

Writing fun journaling.

You can use a circle punchie.

So many possibilities with that idea.

Keeping  to one combination of colors in the border makes this layout uniform.

Using pictures of a delicious baby makes it cute!

Look closer.

See how each picture is backed with a solid cardstock?

Makes them stand out more.

I really think you can do this.

Try it.

No one will see it but you.

When you feel more confident you can show off like me.

Open your heart...

I believe much trouble would be saved if we opened our hearts more.

I love love.
I love being in love.
I love writing about love.
I love reading about love.
I love seeing people in love.
I love scrapping about love.
The great thing is that love is everywhere.
Just open your heart.
There's more there than you could imagine.
Scrapping with hearts is one of my favorite ways.
Because it always looks great.
It's always appropriate.
After all we scrap out of love.
So here are some ideas.
Make a heart out of anything.
Toothpicks.
Coffee filters.
Or just plain old paper.

Look closer.
Most of this layout is plain old paint.
As you can see I DO NOT know how to paint.
You probobly think you don't either.
But anybody can make this.
I think I did this with my finger.
I kid you not.
Couldn't find a paint brush.
The backround paper is Martha Stewart.
And it looks great.
It's art.
If you think it is.

Simple layout.
A very 'not simple' moment.
Acrylic hearts trimmed with sharpie.
Very fitting for this moment.
You can see straight through our hearts to the love we have for each other.

And when you love your friend the way I do a heart is the only way to go....

And last but not least by any means.
A new and blossoming love.
Sure to give me many occasions to scrap hearts.

Must haves for scrapbooking

How much stuff does one need for scrapbooking?
Just a few.
Maybe a little more than that.
Ok. TONS!
But truthfully it's like getting dressed.
Some people like it simple.
Some like it overdone.
Ther are a few items that are a must though.
I'll start with the absolute necessities.
As I'll blogg I'll keep adding more.
And more.
And more......

   1.Paper Trimmer 
An absolute must.
Unless you want to use a scissors and ruler.
Which takes forever.
And never comes out perfect.
   2. American Crafts Albums
Not expensive.
A great way to save your layouts.
   3.Bazzil cardstock.
These come in every color.
You can get these in any scrapbooking store.
Michaels.
Amazing Savings. (New York)
Big Lots.
   4.Glue Stick
No Mess!
Works with almost everything.
Even ribbons.

So these 4 items are a definite must.
All the other thousands are a matter of personal taste.
You'll see as you go along.
Just don't go shopping alone.
You might need someone there to control you.
I know I do.

You might think - how can I scrap with so little?
I will show you how.
Look around the house.
Find something.
Anything.
Crayons.
Sharpies.

Come on. You can do this!

It's called DOODLING!

Don't take it too seriously.

Just do it!

Here I painted an orange circle and doodled totally freestyle.

This is One I worked on today.
Just to show you how easy it is.
Inspired by my  first scrapbooking love ELSIE FLANNIGAN.
In her book 52 scrapbooking challenges.

Here it is from close.

If you layer your cardstock you can add interest to your layout

The point here is that you can get started just as soon as you decide to.
No excuses.
Don't wait.
It's really easy.
And then you have a memory enhanced forever.
All because you gave it a chance.

Earth laughs in flowers

There's nothing I love more than flowers.
On everything.
Dishes.
Furniture.
Cloths.
Headbands.
Scrapbook layouts!
Bring me fresh flowers and I'm a happy girl.
So many of my layouts have flowers.
I also love to take paper flowers and change it up a little.
Use your imagination.
There's no right way or wrong way.
There's only your way.

So simple.
Take plain white paper.
Use water color paint. (even the cheap stuff works)
Doodle any which way you like.
Custom made.

You can use cupcake holders to make flowers.

Delightful!

And look how great these Heidi Swapp plastic flower embellishments look with a a touch of sharpie.

And you could even use crayons if you like.

It's totally your call.

Just try it.

Challenge yourself

So I decided to put together several papers and different elements.
The challenge is to create as many layouts as I can using only these embellishments.

This is so simple yet so cute.
The picture was edited in photoshop.
(no I don't know how to use photoshop. I'm good, but not that good!) one of my girls did it.

To me this is what scrapbooking is all about.
Not always is the picture perfect.
But the memory is.

I used the green striped paper to create the little leaves.
Clever me!

 Hidden journaling is a great way to journal and have privacy too!

Once upon a time there was a young girl who fell for a young 'bochur'.

That girl was me.

This picture is with my late grandmother 'Bubbe Sarah'.

At my In-laws the night of my engagement party.

 This paper really works with pictures from the 80's

I love the different ways each layout turned out.
So go ahead.
Don't wait to be challenged.
Challenge yourself!

If I can do it so can you

A few summers ago I had a little time to myself and one afternoon I decided to paint a small mural on the wall in my kids room.
I kid you not.
It was totally impulsive.
I figured the worst that could happen is that I'll just paint right over it.
Anyway the girls were in summer camp and I had freedom.
So i did it.
Everybody loved it.
So then I painted the desk.
That worked out great too.

(Buy yourself a used desk in a thrift shop so you don't feel bad if you ruin it)

You Will Need:

a white wall

painters tape

paint

flower stamp/stickers

butterfly stamp/stickers

sharpie

Carefully put the painters tape onto the wall  in the shape of a fence. 

Shape the tape to make the top of the fence.

Paint a mixture of blues and whites for the sky painting over the tape.

As soon as the paint dries you will peal the tape off and the fence will reveal itself.

Same goes for the bottom green colors.

Use stamps or stickers and decorate to your delight.

I used a sharpie to draw little lines for the butterfly path.

I want to tell you all that I absolutely do not know how to draw. 

I can craft, but drawing is not what i know.

The only thing I know for sure is

DO NOT TRY THIS WITH KIDS AROUND.

You must have a couple of hours completely to yourself.

Then you definitely have a chance to do this.

Don't discard those little cut up pictures.

When my children were small I made collages with them, hoping I was teaching them how to be creative.
Now it horrifies me to see how many pictures we destroyed.
All  with good intentions.
I decided I would make an effort to save as many as I can.
What do I have to lose?
It is actually fun challenging myself to make it work.
This picture is about 25 years old!
25 years.
Really freaks me out!

See what I mean?
I love saving these little pictures.

Headbands

Making headbands is another fun way to dress up little girls.
When my girls were little I started making headbands.
Then I had grandchildren and made some more headbands.

Of course I scrapbooked one of the pictures

.

These are my now two teenage daughters modelling the floral headbands I was creating by the dozens in early 2000.
I saved these for years and a couple lasted well enough for my granddaughters to wear.
Little girls and flowers go together so perfectly.
When floral headbands came back in 2009 I was quite proud of myself that I had been so ahead of the times.

1997
                                                      

2011 - TODAY!

TODAY 201
I wish I could tell you my girls loved wearing them but they were much more into sleek ponytails then my headband extravagazas.
After a lot of convincing i finally got my girls to wear them.
Just for a while, anyway.
I made sure to take pictures.
For scrapbooking of course..

And then there were the knitted headbands.
Anthropologie was all over that fad last year but I took it to another level knitting dozens of styles and colors some with matching scarflets.
Here I made a headband with a matching neckband for an infant. Warm and cozy!
I actually sold quite a few.

When you put an adoreable little girl and an adoreable headband together this is what you get.

As long as I have a creative outlet I am a happy girl.

Yarn. Paper. Flowers. Buttons.

Keeps me going for days and days.....

Most of the time somebody has to remind me to STOP!

A Mother's Nachas

I am so so proud of my magnificent daughter.
She is a self made family photographer and today she was featured in Professional Photographer September 2011 magazine in an ad for Asukabook.com.
Rachel has been my personal photographer from the begining of her career.
Most of my scrapbook pages are created around her brilliant photography.
She is my memory keeper and one of my biggest art inspirations.

Knitting is clothing made in spare minutes

    

Knitting is relaxing and it has no age boundaries no language barriers. Anybody can learn to do it-Kathy Zimmerman

One of my passions is knitting. 

My mother showed me how to knit when I was about 8 yrs. old. 

I fell head over heals in love with this craft immediately. 

Very few memories of my childhood are as clear to me as when I showed my mother an outfit I knit for my Barbie doll. 

She was so proud of me. 

I felt great about myself. 

Till today nothing makes me feel as peaceful as knitting.

I don't remember when I learnt how to crochet but I love it just as well.

When I saw this afghan in crocheted afghans I knew I had to make it. 

It took me about 3 months of 1-3 hrs a day to finish it.

A labor of love.

My daughter, a photographer, took pictures of my grandchildren and my blanket.
One passion of mine wrapped around another.
My good friend Elizabeth taught me how to make the most lovely afghan by combining yarns of different textures and weights.
The fun part of this  project is that you could use all your leftover yarns from previous projects,
 or go to your local knitting store and go through the sale bin and just do your own color design.
Sitting in my kitchen with my afghan project.
This is my happy place.

This Layout shows my now adult daughters in their handmade sweaters.

I made these exactly 25 years ago.

My brother got married in Australia and I bought this beautiful project of sweaters for three of my daughters. It was a true work of love.

1987

                                                                                                                                                 

A work of love lasts forever.

september 2011

As Cute As A Button

Hi. My name is Faygie Fellig.
This is my story.
And I'm sticking to it.
Most people I know go to thrift shops for a good find in clothing or such.
I go to find buttons.
I am in love with buttons.
All colors. All sizes.
Just go to your grandmas house and bring me all her old buttons.
ESPECIALLY if she was a seamstress.
That would be a gold mine for me right there.

Meanwhile this is my collection so far.
I want to organize them tonite so I know how many of each color I have.
I'm guessing black will be the winner with white coming in as a close second.

One of my favorite uses of buttons is in scrapbooking.

My daughter while inspecting this page noticed how every button is handsewn onto the page.
I didn't say using buttons is always the simplest option but c'mon, how appropriate is the mother-of pearl button for this page about my mother-in-law?
(Faygie's Advice: Mother-in-laws deserve your time and patience. They may be complicated and "push your buttons" but if you put in the effort you will develop a more beautiful relationship down the road.)

To make the tree I used a printed tissue (from anthropologie) painted some modge podge on the paper , then added a few red buttons to match the girls lipsick.
Same for the tree, except I painted the trunk brown , 
I think this simple layout is totally fabulous.
Mostly because of the buttons.
Faigy's Advice: Don't be in such a rush to grow up. Red lipstick doesn't look that perfect on old wrinkly lips.

This layout is simple but the smattering of pastel buttons add both a softness and adorability factor that perfectly suits my grandaughter who as you can see is as cute as a button.

I had all these little  tiny pictures from my daughter's Bas Mitzvah party.
AND I wanted to try my new water color pencils.
The buttons give the layout boundaries and that's good 'cuz when you're twelve, boundaries are all the rage!

When I started scrapbooking, my kids were interested all over again in their discarded pictures that had been laying in drawers around the house for years.
Ma, I love that picture, they'd proclaim.
The scrapbooking really drew attention to their pictures in a fresh and exciting way.
Here, I have a tiny picture from the Bas Mitzvah party of my daughter holding her neice.
The frame around the picture really helps you focus on the photo.
A mix of brads and buttons, flowers and stripes, and some doodles for good measure, is a combination as interesting and unpredictable as my daughter is.
I really love the pleated paper too.

The possibilities are endless.
Add just a few buttons....

Or add a whole lot of them.

Fun

Happy

Cheerful

That's what buttons do for your layout.

Call your friends.

Your family.

Your neighbors.

Start collecting buttons.