Thanks for joining me today for Operation Julie's Smile Blog Hop! If you arrived from Hera's blog, you're on the right bloggity-train to "Craft-ford station" *ha ha ha I crack myself up*. If not, you can start from the beginning at the Sweet Stamp Shop Blog and work your way through the 120+ blogs participating this weekend. (Wow right?)
So who is this "Julie" and what is Operation Julie's Smile? Well Julie is Julie Ranae Murray and for me personally, I got to know Julie through being on the same The Twinery Design Team. Julie is our DT Coordinator and wears that hat for many other design teams as well. Despite having to juggle so many teams and the work that comes along with being a Coordinator, she has been so sweet and encouraging to a rookie DT member like me.
Unfortunately, Julie has had to have some pretty major dental surgeries in her lifetime due to medication she had to take as a child. You can read the full story here but in summary, due to a recent chipped tooth incident that was not fixable by the dentist, Julie agreed to have her two front teeth removed only with the understanding that the $4K quote she was given would be for the services of removing teeth AND included putting permanent teeth in post-removal. Come to find out POST-REMOVAL that the quote they provided were just for removal! So poor Julie is now without her two front teeth and is "forced" into a situation of having to live without them unless she has $7K to return and finish the process. So the blogosphere is rallying around Operation Julie's Smile starting today and ending October 9th to help raise money for Julie to receive two front teeth and to help her to be able to smile confidently again.
"Please help Julie smile confidently again" Donation
So if I could ask that you kindly consider giving towards this effort by clicking on the Donate button. There are a variety of companies and design teams who are participating in this hop and there are over $2500 worth of prizes to be won. No amount is too small! Prizes will be drawn for the following:
1. from Blog Comments left
2. from PayPal Donation list
3. for Blog Hop Hosts
Now for my contribution to the blog hop, I was inspired by Julie's story and her plight and was also reminded as to how often we take our ability to smile for granted. So I started a mini album titled "smile" and the idea is to take some of my favourite smiling photos of my family and friends and add them to the mini album.
I collected scraps of paper, fabric, cardboard, chipboard, and whatever I could find. Then I covered some chipboard I had with pearlescent paper from Colorbok's English Moss collection, sanded down the sides, then layered glitter cut-outs and chipboard letters on top of the paper. Once I sized down the other elements that would go in as pages in this album, I used my trusty Cinch binding machine to bind the stack together to form a mini album.
Here is a page in the mini album where I incorporated some of The Twinery's baker's twine as the key design element. The page is shorter in width so as to let the previous and following pages peek through on the side. I took some Stone baker's twine and added them as "flower stems" to the page. Then I rolled some Carribean baker's twine (since the palette was turquoise, grey, brown) around my index finger, slipped it off to loosely form a rosette. Each rosette was then pasted onto the paper using a glue dot. Where the middle of the rosette was open and showing the adhesive beneath, I added a matching gem for the center of the flower.
Here's a closer look,
I also added a glitter dragonfly and a small paper tag that I printed from Fei-Fei's Coming Home digital kit that says, "SMILE EVERY DAY" in line with the theme of the mini album. :o)
Here are some other work-in-progress pages. The left page was made from corrugated cardboard that I had set aside from a package I received. The blue chevron page on the right is actually one of the many paper goodies from Linda & Harriett's outlet & craft bin sale awhile back. Love their craft bin sale!
Another page and to show you some of the colors and materials used. (Black die-cut paper from Colorbok's English Moss collection, Kraft Resist paper from Tim Holtz's Paper Stash collection - I applied a distressing effect here, American Crafts tags, The Twinery's baker's twine, and washi tape from Kawaii Goodies.)
I am looking forward to sharing this album once it's completed!
Thanks for visiting today and your next stop on this blog hop is with,
But before you go, please please considering donating so Julie can share a brand new smile with all of us soon. Also, leave a comment to earn 2 entries to win and don't forget to be thankful for your SMILE!
This is absolutely beautiful! I love it!
Posted by: Jingle | October 07, 2011 at 09:26 AM
What a gorgeous notebook! LOVE the blue!
Posted by: Lindsay Amrhein | October 07, 2011 at 09:45 AM
beautiful book.. love the twine flowers :) I "heart" Julie.. and donated! off to the next blog on the hop :) HUGS
Posted by: *Alison* | October 07, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Wow, beautiful work!
Hugs
Laura
Posted by: Laura Davis | October 07, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Beautiful book and what great touches on the inside!
Posted by: Miriam Prantner | October 07, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Love your lollipop flowers :o)
Posted by: Karen Day | October 07, 2011 at 12:36 PM
love those twine rosettes! clever idea and use.
Posted by: Lizscraps | October 07, 2011 at 12:39 PM
Terrific album! It would make a great journal cover, too! And thanks for making donating so easy peasy for everyone! Our days are just too rushed and crazy! Slowed down today for this great hop!
Posted by: Jan Garber | October 07, 2011 at 01:35 PM
hello ..
wonderful job
hugs
mallika
would love if you will visit my blog too
mallikakejriwal@gmail.com
www.missnotsogoodwithwords.blogspot.com
Posted by: mallika | October 07, 2011 at 02:45 PM
Love the idea of using twine to make a flower!!
Posted by: Marla H. | October 07, 2011 at 03:33 PM
Gorgeous book. Thanks for sharing today. Linda harris
Posted by: Linda Harris | October 07, 2011 at 03:55 PM
Oh my what a fun Project Grace :)
Posted by: Monique | October 07, 2011 at 04:06 PM
what a gorgeous book, and those twine flowers are FaB!
Posted by: Sarah Anderson | October 07, 2011 at 04:07 PM
very inspirational
Posted by: Tonya | October 07, 2011 at 04:51 PM
Awesome album! Love the details like the beautiful twine flowers!!! Thanks for doing this for Julie!!!
~Vanessa W
Posted by: Vanessa Wachlin | October 07, 2011 at 04:59 PM
This is so pretty!! I love all the fun elements.
Posted by: Amy C | October 07, 2011 at 05:10 PM
What a neat project!
Posted by: Vera W. Yates | October 07, 2011 at 05:14 PM
really like this project. TFS
mjblahnik56@hotmail.com
Posted by: Mary Jane Blahnik | October 07, 2011 at 05:39 PM
WOW - Gorgeous album!!
Posted by: Michelle Mathey | October 07, 2011 at 06:03 PM
wonderful book
Posted by: jan farnworth | October 07, 2011 at 07:29 PM
Love it!
Posted by: NinaN | October 07, 2011 at 07:33 PM
Love the *bright* colors of the book! Thank you so much for hopping with us! Big Hugs, N. Rixon
Posted by: Nicole | October 07, 2011 at 07:33 PM
Lovely album. Beautiful color, love how you created the rose with the twines.
Posted by: Zehra | October 07, 2011 at 08:42 PM
how creative Grace! I love the rosettes :)
Posted by: stephanie j | October 07, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Very fun and creative project!
Posted by: Lisa | October 07, 2011 at 11:31 PM