Peace & Joy

~ large photo post ~

Howdy, howdy, howdy!  Whew!  my craft fair circuit is done.  And I have to say, 'thank you!' to all of the folks who had stopped by my booth to look, investigate, and purchase my hand-crafted paper goods.  It really feels good, to have folks (other than your family) 'like' what you do.  It validates your efforts, your vision, and your artistry.  thank you so much! {smile}

I already have ideas for next years craft fairs.  How crazy, huh?  But, before that, I need to work on the job at hand: my Christmas cards.  Yeah, I haven't even started making them.  But I know what I am going to make.  And I have already calculated how much pattern paper and card stock I need to make my Christmas cards.  So, before I head out to the store, let me share a craft with you.

The wonderfully talented ladies over @ Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge want to see your holiday hoard collection being used.  I know you aren't surprised that I have quite a hoard collection.  So, let me share with you another craft I made.

These gift bags are made with a majority of Stampin' Up! supplies.  Yeah, I have a hoard collection of that, too! {smile}   The finished bags measure 3 3/4" x 8 1/2".  The bag inside measures roughly 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 2".  So, not a lot of space.  But, these are so sweet, that the bag also works as part of the gift.  So, small trinkets fit: lotion, candy, jewelry, gift card, gloves, perfume, etc.

Recipe:  The bag base is made with Pool Party card stock.  The matt is made with Lagoon card stock. I used the new All is Calm DSP (designer specialty paper).  I just love the blues (and greens) with white and silver sprinkled through.  So, I paired two 'similar in concept' (snow falling) pattern papers.  (dots and snowflakes).  

I did a single machine stitch border around the top pattern paper.  The bottom pattern paper is able to 'stand' on its own, with the large silver embossed font.

I stamped the sentiment in versa mark, and sprinkled with silver embossing powder.  And heat embossed: this creates a raised lettering.  

To hide the seam, I wrapped a piece of white lace trim around this piece, and topped it off with a piece of the lagoon satin ribbon.  I tied a simple bow with another piece of the lagoon ribbon.  To jazz up the bow, I tied another bow with a piece of thin silver cord and an altered jingle bell*.

For the top of the bag, I cut two snowflakes.  The large snowflake I used dazzling diamond glitter paper.  The second snowflake I used the silver/vellum pattern card stock.  I added a bermuda button and tied it with thin silver cord.

The angel is a free download found here.  I adjusted the size and printed onto whisper white card stock.  I used foam tape to pop the angel. {smile}

To finish the bag, I glued a piece of the white/silver pattern paper (from the same collection) to a small clothes pin.  I also added a long piece of pool party cotton ribbon (2 feet).  I used coordinating but different ribbon, to repeat the different colors of blue in the pattern paper.  

For the tag at the top, I stamped the sentiment in lagoon classic ink onto whisper white card stock, and matted it onto pool party card stock.  I used the cordinating oval and scallop oval hand-held punches by Stampin' Up!. 

The stamp set  used to stamp the bags is Snowflake Serenade.  The stamp set used to stamp the tags is Signature Christmas stamp set.  The die to create the snowflakes is the Fancy Snowflake die.  All of which are from Paper Trey Ink.

Thank you for looking.  I hope you all are having a great weekend.  I am off to town, to pick up the last few sheets of pattern paper, and rolls of ribbon to complete our family Christmas card. {smile} Don't forget to head over to Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge.  I'm sure you can whip up something with your precious collection of holiday crafting supplies! {smile}

*altered jingle bell: paint your jingle bell with acrylic paint (I used titan white). While the paint is still wet, dip the bell in glitter (I used dazzling diamond glitter).  Once the bell is dry, spray with Aqua Net hairspray.  This will seal the glitter to the bell, so it doesn't flake off.  

But Without Faith . . .

Welcome.  Come on in.  Sit a spell.  Take a look around.  I am happy you're here!

I hope you have something wonderful planned for this beautiful weekend!  Everyone deserves a chance to take a breath and recharge.   Work this week, has been . . . w o r k.  So, now lets take a moment to do something creative!  Paper craft!  But, lets see what some wonderful challenge sites would like us to create.  And use what we already have!

I first stopped by a new favorite challenge site:  Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog.  These creative crafters will sure to inspire you!  Very creative.  Very clever.  Just wonderfully talented.   There challenge this week:  #16 - who loves school and office supplies?  And who doesn't?!

The next stop I made, was over @ Word Art Wednesday.  These creative, talented crafters use bible scripture to inspire their crafts.  How super sweet is that?  They do provide a scripture that influences them, but you don't have to use that particular scripture.  But why not?  They create these scriptures with some beautiful fonts.  

And last, a well established sketch challenge site:  Mojo Monday.   This design team, has a variety of styles and use an equally diverse techniques, so I am sure that you will be inspired with their work, as well.  Here is this weeks sketch:

and here is what I made:

This card was a lot of fun to create, and to be honest, it really didn't take me a long time.  Easily an hour.  I used products that I love, and had on hand.  Which makes it very easy to create, no waiting for delivery {smile}.  Also, I did rotate the sketch.  My office supplies: staples, regal clip (paper clip), and a file folder.  I wanted a feminine card, and now the recipe {smile}.

The card base is Baked Brown Sugar (Stampin' Up!).  The aqua polka dot and ledger paper is from Library Ledger paper pack (Paper Trey Ink).  I did sponge the edges lightly with crumb cake classic ink (SU!).  The file folder is a die by PTI.  I used a digital pattern paper for that piece.  The sentiment (scripture) is downloaded from Word Art Wednesday blog.  I printed it on whisper white card stock (SU!) and matted it onto a scrap piece of pool party card stock (SU!).

I wrapped a piece of crochet trim (SU!) around the front of the card and tied it into a simple bow. I tied a cream button to the bow with some cream twine.  I added a trio of pearls on the sentiment piece, and I also added 5 clear sequins randomly, to give this card a more feminine look.  

I added a strip of aqua striped washi tape, and a fussy-cut, hand-stamped numeral washi tape to the lower left of the card.  I added a regal clip to this area.   I also added a trio of staples around the card.

Thank you for stopping by!  Hope you have a great weekend, and get a chance to do what makes you happy! {smile}

Blessed

WOW! what a crazy week!  Work, has been . . . work.   But the other time of my life has been busy with crafting, grandchildren, children, husband, and a few more!  Early this week, I looked at comments you all have posted on my creations.  And well, my heart was overjoyed!  Your words really do touch my heart, and give me joy! {smile}

And then late this afternoon, I went to see what this weeks challenge is over @ Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge blog.  And to my surprise, I was announced as their winner in the last challenge:  pretty flowers.  I am pleasantly surprised and super excited!!!  Me!  I won! How exciting and totally cool is that! {smile}  HERE is my original post.

I wanted to show you a different view of the card that I won with {smile}.  I just can't quit smiling!

Now, break out your office/school supplies, and play along with the talented ladies over @ Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge blog.  And create something beautiful!

I want to send out a heartfelt 'Thank You', to the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Design Team members.  You have made my month!  

Watercolor Steampumk

Happy Saturday.  I hope you have had a chance to craft.  If not, I hope you carve out some time tomorrow.  Nothing renews the soul like unleashing your inner artist!

I sell my hand-crafted items in my Etsy shop, and at local craft fairs.  From time to time, I stumble upon an Etsy shop that I make purchases from.  And today, I want to share with you a digital file I purchased a week or so ago.   Aurora Wings, has coloring digital files for grown-ups.  {smile} I really do love to water color, so it was a lot of fun to sit and color this image. {smile}  I am also entering this card in a few challenges.

The crafty gals over @ Sugar Creek Hollow have a fun challenge this time:  Word Play; you need to have a sentiment on your project.  

The wonderful ladies over @ Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog would like you to use all the pretty flowers you have been hoarding/collecting.
And finally, the talented ladies over @ Just Us GirlS have trend challenge this week: watercolor!

and here is my card

The card base is soft suede card stock by Stampin' Up!.  The first blue layer is a light blue texture heavy card stock that I purchased from a big box store.  The text paper is from Paper Studios.  I matted the text paper with soft suede card stock.  I used a scrap of G45 french country pattern paper for the scallop.  The scallop shape was cut with the Tasteful Trims die by Stampin' Up!

I wrapped the scallop trimmed pattern paper, a piece of pool party seam binding, and crochet trim around the front of the card.  I made a simple stitch with my sewing machine.  I tied a multi-loop bow with the same seam binding, and adhered the bow to the card front with my hot glue gun.

I printed my digital file onto whisper white card stock by Stampin' Up!.  I used my retired watercolor crayons and an aqua painter (both by Stampin' Up!) to water color the image.

I added some scrap pieces of Glisten pattern paper from Authentique, to the bottom edge of my matted watercolor piece.  I adhered this main piece to the card front with foam tape.

I created a tattered blossom with the tattered pinecone die by Tim Holtz.  I added some glitter to the petal tips.  I used a pale blue card stock for the leaves.  I used a die to cut the leaves.  Then I sponged soft suede classic ink, to the leaf tips.

I made a small tag to hold my sentiment: you mean the world to me   This sentiment is from the One Person stamp set by Verve.

Due to the bulk of the blossom, this greeting card will not fit in an A2 size envelope, so I decorated a large glassine bag.  I used some of the same papers and the same sentiment to decorate the bag.  

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you have been inspired to watercolor, join a challenge, or simply create something!

Endureth Forever

Welcome.  I'm so happy that you stopped by.  I have been busy creating, and I wanted to share with you my latest creation {smile}.

I recently played along with a great group of ladies over @ Word Art Wednesday, and well, I had such a great time, I decided to play along again this week.  Their challenge blog is very inspirational, and I would recommend playing if you can.  You will have fun, promise {smile}.  

This is this weeks scripture:

I found their words very inspirational and motivating:  'When we base our lives on the truths of God's Word, on His precepts and His plans, our lives are rich in purpose and meaning.  Our foundation is rock solid and eternal.  God Himself is our foundation.'   and in these times, we do need some sense of it ALL.   

I also stopped by the Craft Hoarders Annonymous challenge blog.  This week it is to use all those pretty flowers you have been hoarding collecting.  I don't know about you, but I do have quite a 'collection'.  I purchase what looks pretty to me, and in hopes use them on a wonderfully creative project.  {smile}

And finally, I stopped by Mojo Monday for this week's sketch.  If you aren't aware, the first Monday of each month, is a contest challenge.  That means that you can potentially win a prize if your card is randomly selected {yahoo!}

here is the sketch:

and here is what I created:

I used some more of this beautiful pattern paper I ordered from Sweden: MajaDesigns.  I love it!  The collection is called Vintage Summer.  And it is just gorgeous!

The paper blossoms are from a store in Poland: Lemon Craft.  I really do love the colors and the style of this collection of different blossoms. {smile}

I started with Pastachio Pudding card stock from Amuse Studios.  The card stock is not double sided, therefore, the inside of the card is white.  I machine stitched on both pattern papers.  I matted  the floral block onto bashful blue card stock by Stampin' Up!.  I also did a double stitching around the edges.  I printed the verse on whisper white card stock by Stampin' Up!.  And used some of the scraps of the the green and blue and matted with those, too.

The paper blossom petal tips are brushed with clear crackle paint and sprinkled with dazzling diamonds glitter.  I added a strip of light blue seam binding around the card, and created a multi-loop bow with it, also.  I added a trio of light green half faux pearls to the left side of the card.  I also added a faux green rain drop to the blossoms on the upper right side of the card.

This card is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop, HERE.  Also, stop by my shop to see more photos of this beautiful card.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you are having a restful weekend!