Oh Deer, Winter . . .

~ photo heavy ~

Howdy, and welcome back.  Yeah, some days I craft, and craft some more, and other days, I am busy with life's chores.  Lucky for me, this weekend has been one of those craft, and craft some more days {smile}.  Now, before everyone gets too excited, it's snowing like crazy here, and the wind is blowing harder/faster than a ________.  (I'll let you fill-in-the-blank)  So, I have re-arranged my running schedule: todays run will be run tomorrow, and tomorrows run will be run on Tuesday.  The treadmill work will be done . . . . not sure at this moment, but I need to get some miles done.  So, I am focusing on that.

Ok, now for some crafting!  I am working on a few holiday themed orders, and entering one of them in three (yes, 3!) challenges:  Catch the Bug Challenge, Time Out Challenge and Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  Now, I believe that the last two challenges are 'new-to-me' challenges, so this will be fun!

Let's start with Catch the Bug Challenge.  I see their sketches a lot, and have wanted to play, so I am not one hundred percent that I haven't played with them before.  But, just look at this current challenge sketch!  How beautiful!

The first thing that catches my eye about this sketch is the simplicity: aka easy to work with!  You can do so much with it, or leave it clean and simple.  Me, I'm more on the more is better.  And if you haven't fallen in love with this sketch yet, simply look at what the design team has created, and you will be running to your craft room.  (just like me!) 

Ok, now on to the Time Out Challenge.  Their current challenge is to be inspired by words.  Their words.  Here is their graphics:

I went with: Gift & Open it

Ok, I don't know about you, but this screams gift card holder to me.  Or how about Birthday, or a Thank You gift, or . . .  another endless possibilities challenge.  Oh, and don't forget to see what the design team has created.  Super fun!

And my last stop, is Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  Another fun, and creative group of folks.   This may be a regular challenge for me.  (smile)

I went diagonal: light blue, ribbon, and sequins

and here is what I made:

and another view:

This over-sized card, is actually a 'packaged' gift card holder.  It's for those gift cards that are purchased that have these think wrappers.  So, instead of ripping apart the packaging to get the gift card out, simply slide the whole package into the pocket of this gift card holder!  Ta-Da!

Recipe:  I used Cocoa Bean card stock from Paper Trey Ink.  Love the heavy weight of their card stock, it gives these types of projects stand-up power!  I used Pool Party card stock by Stampin' Up! for the matts.  I just love this shade of pale/light blue.  The pattern papers I used were from the same collection: Oh Deer! by Close To My Heart.  (It was from 2016)  and yes, I hoard saved my scraps.

I did some machine stitching to hold the layers of paper in place, along with some adhesive.  The gold satin ribbon and cream crochet trim are also machine stitched to the cover.  I thought the gold satin ribbon matched the music pattern paper beautifully.

The sentiment rectangle is actually a journalling square that was cut down and matted with a scrap of Cocoa Bean card stock.  I added a retired mini paper clip to the top left corner of it, and a pair of silver sequins to the right corner.  It is adhered to the card front with foam tape to lift it off the card front.  

The paper blossom is actually from the Sweet Peppermint collection by Prima Marketing.  I just love how it adds just the right amount of contrast to the blue, without looking too gold.  

I painted and glittered two silver jingle bells, and tied them with some silver and cream bakers twine.  I then tied a triple-bow with the same bakers twine, and tucked it under the paper blossom.  I added a retired Stampin' Up! snowflake charm to the knot.  I added one lone silver sequin just to the left of the paper blossom to help repeat the silver accents.

The three banner pieces peaking out from under the pinecone pattern paper are simply scraps of this beautiful collection.  I flagged the ends with a pair of scissors.

Since my focal piece is the sentiment, I decided to add some embellishments to the lower right corner, instead of a sentiment.  So, I took two silver foil embossed pinecone die-cuts from the Oh Deer! collection and adhered them.  The top pinecone is adhered with foam tape, so that they wouldn't be smashed on.  I tied some of the same silver and cream bakers twine to a snowflake charm, and hot glued it to the stacked pinecones.  

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you have been inspired to play along with any/all of these challenges.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Hope to be back soon {fingers crossed}.

Say Cheese!; Card

Howdy and welcome.  Today is the first day of the Rubber Stamp Show, here in Albuquerque, NM! Yahoo!   This annual event is a great opportunity for rubber stamping companies from all over the United States to set up shop and sell their wares.  The show runs from 9:30a to 5p today and 11a to 4p tomorrow, I believe!  

During the show, they have a card contest.  Two contests (one of each day) and I entered this year.  It's actually a big accomplishment, because I always say that I will enter, and then life gets in the way, and I don't.  But, I actually sent in a card for this year!  I entered Sunday's contest, that has the theme 'Say Cheese".  [Saturday's contest theme is 'Across the Miles'.]

Sunday Card Contest theme: Say Cheese

My card was selected as their First Place winner!  I received $100 in 'show bucks', to spend at the Rubber Stamp Show.  I'm super excited and very proud of my work!  A huge 'Thank You', to everyone who voted for my card.  I appreciate it!
This card is the typical A2 size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2").  

When I read what the theme was, I instantly thought of a camera.  And I have a camera stamp.  So, I set out in my craft room to see what I could create.  The only stamp I have with a camera, is this one from Paper Trey Ink: Shutterbug.  It's a 'vintage' camera, but so perfect for me, right!  I stamped the camera onto very vanilla card stock three times.  Yes, three times.  And then I fussy cut it out.  One whole image, and the then two downsized portions.  I used foam tape to stack the images on top of each other, to give the illusion that the camera is coming out of the card.  Perfect.  but now I needed paper.  

Since my camera image is 'vintage' why not pair it with 'vintage' paper.  Tilda, came to mind.  It's a craft company from Scandinavia and the pattern papers are just vintage, shabby chic perfect!  I layered three different pattern papers (large floral, tiny floral, and polka dots), and adhered to a Taupe card stock matt, by Amuse Studios.  I added a single, simple border stitch with my sewing machine.  Wrapped some crinkle seam binding, and crochet trim.  I didn't want to add adhesive to the trims, so I machine stitched them to the card front, using a zig zag stitch.

Adhered the card front to an A2 size card made with Crumb Cake card stock by Stampin' Up!  I just love the heavy weight of this card stock for the base of my cards.  

Tied a multi-loop bow, added a simple bow made with metallic bakers twine just under the seam binding bow, and topped that piece with a small, simple paper blossom.  Not too fussy, just simply pretty!

The Shutterbug stamp set has this adorable sentiment: Say Cheese & Eat Cake.  So I stamped it onto a scrap piece of very vanilla card stock.  Used a hand-help circle punch to create the sentiment tag.  I added a single faux brad to the top of the circle and adhered it to the card front with foam tape to get it over the edge of the camera.  I also made another sentiment tag, 'happy birthday'.  Its from the Tiny Wishes stamp set by Stampin' Up!  I just love the typewriter font.  I hand cut the sentiment out into a rectangle.  I sponged the edges of both sentiment pieces, to help convey the 'vintage' look and feel.  And it helps give the sentiment pieces some dimension.

Thank you for looking, and here I am with my fingers crossed, hoping I win, place, or show.  {smile}

[Win, Place, Show - are horse racing terms.  Win - 1st place, Place - 2nd place, and Show - 3rd place in horse racing.   The rubber stamp show is held at the Albuquerque Fair Grounds, which has a horse racing track.]  The prize for having your card voted 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place is receiving 'show' bucks to use at the Rubber Stamp Show.  It's like free money! {smile}

Vintage Butterfly

Welcome.  I opened a pattern paper purchase, I have been saving.  Yes, saving.  I imagine all of us who have a passion for paper crafting, we save special, pretty pattern paper for just the right project.  And, I really need to use what I have.  {smile}.  

This pattern paper is Maja Design, and Pion Design, both companies are from Sweden.  Yes, I ordered paper from a cross the pond.  And yes, paper is heavy.  But, I am truly happy with my purchase from almost 2 years ago.  {smile}  Vintage Spring (butterfly pattern paper), Vintage Summer (floral pattern paper), pattern papers from Maja Design.  The text paper is from Pion Design.

Ok, so back to my crafting.  I wanted to make several items with these papers, but needed a little inspiration.  So, I stopped by Cardabilites to get a peek at their current challenge.  The design team really craft some gorgeous paper crafts.  You should check out their creations.  {smile}

here is the card I made using this sketch:

I am also entering the challenge over @ Just Add Ink.  Their current challenge is to use sequins.  I love adding these little sparkly gems {smile}.

I also covered and decorated a mini composition notebook.  The notebook is also lined with this beautiful blue floral pattern paper.  The text paper was added to the barrel of the pen. {smile}

I used a  thread cutter to rough the edges of this heavy weight pattern paper.  I sponged all the edges with corduroy distress ink.  I did machine stitch these pattern papers together.  I just love how home-y machine stitching gives a craft.

The fancy oval frame I stamped onto vellum card stock and used pewter (card) and antique gold (notebook) embossing powders.

I used a pale pink seam binding to make my double loop bows.  The greeting card also has a pale cream seam binding bow tied around the pink bow.  I tied a button to each multi-loop bow.  I also added these faceted pearls.  On the greeting card, I added pink and marshmallow sequins to the card front.

The butterflies are actually cut with an embossing die.  I used some retired wood sheets from Stampin' Up! for the added rustic charm.

Thank you for looking.  I will try to get some beautiful photos of the gift card holders I crafted, using these pattern papers.  And yeah,  these items will be for sale at my Spring Craft Fair Saturday, May 2, 2015, in Albuquerque, NM, @ La Cueva High School.  My booth assignment is M-31.  Main concourse.  Hope to see you there!

Appreciation : Card

Welcome.  If you are stopping by for the first time, please take a look around.  I love paper crafting, but mostly I make cards.  Not always.  My style is typically vintage country chic.  Its a mixture of shabby chic, vintage, and country charm.  You would almost think I live (and work) on a farm.  I don't.  I'd love to have some chickens and tend to my own bee hive.  But, maybe in another life, or when I retire {fingers crossed}.

I have a craft fair coming up, so I am spending my day in my craft room.  I want to make some gift card holders.  But, wasn't sure on the format.  So, I stuck with a card.

The super creative and talented DT over @ Brown Sugar Challenge have a wonderful current challenge:  distress.  I think I can do that {smile}.

here is what I created:

Let me start by saying, I just couldn't make up my mind on the sentiment.  So, I have added several.  Each sentiment has double sided tape on the backs, so you simply remove the protective strip and adhere the sentiment across the white bar on the decorative piece on the little goodie bag.  Super clever, huh?

Recipe:  I started with my favorite kraft card stock from Paper Studio.  I added two different pattern papers for the main panel.  Love the mix of texture and text.  I sponged the edges of the paper with a brown ink.

I added a strip of cream crochet trim and a strip of soft sky seam binding by Stampin' Up!.  Yeah, they are machine stitched.  I also stitched around the text paper.   I made a multi-loop bow out of the seam binding, and added it to the top of the card.  

I found these super cute tiny bags at a major discount store; I purchased them about 6 weeks ago.  I printed these beautiful digital image seed packet covers onto whisper white card stock by Stampin' Up!.  Cut them out, distressed the edges with my thread cutter, sponged brown ink on the edges, and adhered them to the bags.  

I tied a vintage button with kraft twine and hot glued it to the bottom of the bag.  

I purchased a box of these decorative small paper clips (regal clips) from a big box office supply store about 12 years ago.  (yeah, how ridiculous is that?  Anyways, I think you get 100 of them in a box, and I have a few left.)  I tied some soft brown bakers twine that I picked up in the dollar bin at a big box craft store.  Made a tiny tag, and tied this together onto the Regal clip.  

The digital paper I have, has 6 of these seed packet covers, so I am making 6 of these cards.  Each card will have a different color scheme that coordinates with the seed packet cover.  Each card will come with 4 of the sentiments below: happy birthday, thinking of you, thank you, and happy mothers day.  And then at least one other sentiment that goes with the word at the top of the seed packet.  

These little gems will be for sale at my booth at the craft fair at the beginning of May.  Stay tuned.  I will post photos of each card on my Facebook page, when I finish them.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you get a chance to play along with the ladies over @ Brown Sugar Challenge.

Book of Prayers

~ photo heavy post ~

So, if you tuned in yesterday, you saw a card I made with this wonderful pattern paper collection from American Crafts, Polka Dot Party.  It has these wonderful patterns in a soft aqua color, and this peachy pink color.  The patterns have this worn hue to them.  Just shabby chic heaven to me!  So, I wanted to keep playing with this paper, and I have a new creation to share with you! {smile}

This new discovery came when I was looking for a challenge to play along in, and I stopped by a favorite spot:  Word Art Wednesday.  This weeks challenge is anything goes, but these lovely, talented ladies always include a scripture.  You aren't required to use the scripture in your project, but I really want to!  Its a beautiful verse from John 15:9, talking about the Lord's love for his children, and how we all should show the same love toward each other.  I think that would help everyone be a better person.  So, I have used it!

and here is what I made:

I altered a mini composition notebook.  I thought how wonderful would that be, to have something beautiful to jot down notes, write out dreams, sketch layouts, or simply have a beautiful place to write down prayers, scripture, or anything else your heart desires! {smile}

This mini composition book measures approximately: 3 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Recipe:  The black spine of the book is covered in Coastal Cabana card stock, by Stampin' Up!  The striped pattern paper is adhered to the cover.  I added the same pattern paper to the back of this book.  I also stamped my branding on the back cover.  That way, when the recipient needs another book, they know how to contact me/where to shop! {smile}

I used my Crop-A-Dile to create the eyelet holes, and to set the eyelets.  

I used a vintage cream twill ribbon, by Paper Trey Ink, as the mechanism to hold the book closed.

I added a small piece of the polka dot pattern paper to the inside of the barrel of the pen.  So, it all matches.  That's my OCD shining through!  But, doesn't it look 'complete'?

For the center panel of the book cover, I used a piece of the floral pattern paper.  I just love these blossoms!  I used my thread cutter to rough-up/distress the edges of the pattern paper.  I matted the floral pattern paper onto a piece of crisp cantaloupe card stock, by Stampin' Up!.  I used my thread cutter on the solid card stock, too.  Then I ran this matted floral pattern paper piece through my sewing machine, to add a simple sewn border.  I adhered this piece to the center of the book cover.  To add a little softness, I tucked in a scrap piece of cream crochet trim I had laying on my craft desk.  (It's such a small piece, I believe it is the cut off piece from another project.)

I printed the scripture onto whisper white card stock, and cut it out.  I matted it onto Coastal Cabana card stock, by Stampin' Up!  I simply adhered this sentiment piece onto the book cover.  I want to keep things as flat as possible.  

Now for the focal piece!  {ok, it doesn't support the 'keep the cover flat' mind set.}  I have a few skeleton keys left over from a Christmas project:  Santa Keys.  And I wanted something unique, pretty, and relevant.  Hum.  Key to my heart, key to success, key to happiness.  These are my mind's thought process as to why add the key.

So, I tied this beautiful peach-y pinkish seam binding around the key.  Made a multi-loop bow.  Added a bow made of white tulle behind the key.  Tied on a white/clear vintage button from Paper Trey ink, to the center of the bow, and viola!  

I hot glued this focal piece to the front of the book.

I also lined the inside of the book.  That way, you don't see the twill ribbon on the inside of the book. Yep, that OCD is really working for me! {smile}.  I used the Cantaloupe and dark grey polka dot pattern paper for the inside.

Well, thank you for stopping by!  I hope you like my little book.  And I hope the photos weren't too much!  I haven't quite decided if I am putting this book in my Etsy shop, or not.  I am crafting to increase my inventory for this year's Spring Craft Fair.  So, we will see what all I get completed.  The Spring Craft Fair I am selling at is May 2, 2015 @ La Cueva High School, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  If you are in the area, please stop by!  I'd love to see you!

Simply Thank You

Busy, busy, busy.  But I imagine you are too!  So, this post will be a bit short, and to the point.  I will have more to share soon.  {smile}
For those who have been waiting on my Explosion Box Card, ugh.  That project has been push to the back burner.   Not that I don't want to make this project.  I am just second guessing my products for this year's Spring Craft fair.  Sorry.  I hope to either finish it, or make more.  {smile}
I need to make a few more items for my Etsy shop, here.  So, I broke out some beautiful pattern paper from Poland: Lemon Craft: Forget Me Not.  I used the current sketch from Mojo Monday.

sketch:

and here is what I made:

here is the recipe:  I used Lagoon card stock by Stampin' Up! for the card base.  Love this color of blue, and I think it really works well with the blue blossoms on the pattern paper.  I adhered the pattern paper of forget me not blossoms and white music scores to the same size whisper white card stock, by Stampin' Up!.  I then added a simple machine stitch border to this paper.  I wrapped a strip of gold satin ribbon around this panel and adhered it to the front of the card.

The smaller/focal panel was created with a different pattern paper.  I matted this paper onto a pool party card stock, by Stampin' Up!.  I added a simple machine stitch border to this panel, also.  

I had a left over canvas tag on my craft table, and a scrap piece of a thin cream crochet trim, so I sewn them together. {smile}

For the blossom, it is actually made from Very Vanilla satin ribbon, by Stampin' Up!  It is twisted and tucked.  I added two card stock leaves to this blossom.  I hot glued the blossom to the canvas tag.  I tied a multi-loop bow with pool party seam binding, by Stampin' Up!.  I added a short length of crochet trim behind the bow and tied to the tag with a thin piece of white tulle.  I used the tulle to tie the white vintage button, from Paper Trey Ink.

The banner piece was made with a 1/2" short piece of shimmer white card stock, by Stampin' Up!.  I used the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, and inked with Soft Suede classic ink, both by Stampin' Up!.

And to give my card its finishing touch, I added a trio of marshmallow white faucet sequins.

Thank you for looking.  I am heading back into my craft room, to work with some beautiful pattern paper from American Crafts.  It's not a company I work with, a lot.  But they have this gorgeous pattern paper I am anxious to work with.  {smile}