Sweet Rose, Book

Welcome.  If you stopped by yesterday, then you know that I really enjoyed myself with the current sketch from Mojo Monday.  I layered strips of trim with strips of paper to create  'rectangle' shape.   And, I did it again!  This time I used only trim.  

The lovely ladies over @ the Shabby Tea Room have this great inspirational photo, to guide your creativity.  And I just love it!

This photo is very inspirational.  I just love the weathered wooden structure, and the bike.  It's so sweet.  The banner and flowers really add a softness.  So, I set out, back into my craft room I went, and crafted another piece.  {smile}

So, this sweet little piece isn't a card.  I altered a mini composition notebook.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  Because this item will most likely travel along with you, I kept the front cover as 'flat' as possible.  But you know me, I'm no good at CAS (clean and simple).  This is about as much as CAS as I get. (smile).

Recipe:  Well, like so many (ok, 95%) of my crafts, I started with the beautiful heavy weight card stock from Stampin' Up!.  This sweet, soft, grey-ish green, is actually called Moss.  It is a retired color from several years ago, and yeah, I still have a few large scraps!  Anyways, I used this color of card stock for the spine of the notebook, as well as the matt for my sentiment.

The worn wood, botanical pattern paper is from a new purchase, by Our Daily Bread, Shabby Rose.  The paper 'pad' is 6" x 6", so I only used two sheets.  Yahoo!  One sheet for the front and back covers and then another for the lining inside the covers. {smile}

I added three different lace trims to the right front cover.  The strips of lace I had on hand were a bit too long, so I did a fussy ruffle machine stitch to help shorten their lengths.  There is a cream lace trim on the bottom, then a white lace trim over that.  And finally, a thin cream crochet trim on top.  

I hand stitched a trio of pearls onto the lace.  Two at the top and one at the bottom of this lace strip.

For my sentiment, I stamped this definition 'original' in going gray classic ink (slate, is the new name for this color), by Stampin' Up!.  I stamped the sentiment onto very vanilla card stock.  I wanted some  softer than stark white.  I used my small scallop rectangle die to create the shape.  I matted in onto a scrap piece of moss card stock, and then onto rose red card stock.  I wanted a pop of color that is in the roses.

To help give my piece a rustic look, I did a simple criss cross stitch with cream twine at opposite corners of the sentiment piece.

Then to finish off my notebook, I added a pen nib.   But the metal pen nib looked to plain, so I tied on a multi-loop bow made from some strawberry bakers twine, and hot glued this piece to the front of the notebook.  [I used hot glue, to give this embellishment a bit more 'staying' power.]

I used some cream twill ribbon, to hold the notebook closed.  I think this textured ribbon helps give a rustic softness to the notebook.  And finally, I had to include a pen.  I had a scrap piece of a blue pattern paper laying on my craft table, that really 'matches' the blue in the main pattern paper.  So, I rolled up a piece and stuck it into the barrel of the pen.  Now, who ever carries this little notebook, along with them, will have a place to jot things down, and an instrument to do so.  {smile}

This little treasure will be for sale at this years Spring Craft Fair @ La Cueva High School, in Albuquerque, NM.  On the first Saturday in May, 2015.  Hope to see you there! 

Had a Lovely Time

Howdy! and welcome to my little piece of blog-land.  I'm so happy that you could stop by, and have a look around {smile}  Have you ever been to a party that was just so much fun, that you really wanted to send the hostess a card/gift/something?!  I have.  Not recently, tho.  But I have.  

After perusing the internet, and stopping at a few of my favorite paper crafting challenge sites, I have been inspired to create a card for that very occasion.  

The wonderfully talented ladies over @ Retro Sketches have a super fun sketch for you to try.  Here it is:

I just love the different pieces and parts.  But you should really check out what the design team has done with this sketch!  Holy Moly are they a talented and creative bunch!

Then, I stopped by one of my all time favorite challenges, the Shabby Tea Room.  I visit their blog every Monday, just to see what the challenge is for the week.  Yeah, I don't always have time or the creativity to play along every week, but I stop by!  And yeah, sometimes several times a week.  Those ladies on the design team, are just so darn talented!  It's like window shopping for some inspiration {smile}.  Anyways, this weeks challenge is: Let's Celebrate, and you have to use pink, lace, and flowers.  Here is their inspiration board:

And here is what I created.  But first, the disclaimer:  my card is a 'thank you' for the hostess for throwing such a fabulous party.  So, I'm not sure if this qualifies for the celebrate, but . . .

For the recipe:  The card base is kraft card stock from Paper Trey Ink.  The wood grain pattern paper, the recipe collage pattern paper, and the sweet ticket at the upper right corner, are ALL digital papers.  How fabulous, huh?  I did (and always do) print my digital paper on Whisper White card stock by Stampin' Up!   Their paper has this wonderful matt finish, and it takes ink beautifully.  Oh and my printer has no problem accepting it into the feed.  Gotta love that!

The white lace trim is from my stash that I purchased last year about this time, for a specific holiday craft.  The cream lace trim is from Stampin' Up!, it's a new item this year.  The pink paper/tulle blossom is from Prima, and about 5 years old.  The single pearl loop is from the wedding section of a big box craft store.  (Originally, the loop had 3 strands.  I just cut one off.)  I added a lone pearl just below the simple bow.  I felt it needed something, and just couldn't get a button to work.  Right?  How crazy is that!

Oh, one last bit.  I matted the recipe collage pattern paper onto card stock and did a double machine stitch.  I added the white lace trim, and did a single stitch.  Then I added the cream lace trim and did a zig zag stitch to hold everything together.

Now, I don't have a cake on my card, but look . . .

  

My recipe collage pattern paper has a recipe for a Birthday cake on it {smile}.  How super sweet is that?

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope you have been inspired, but please check out those challenge sites.  I am sure you will find some inspiration there!

Text, Flowers, and Buttons

Oh my.   What a busy weekend.  Let me start by saying that my two passions in life are paper crafting and baking.  Both of these activities give me joy.   P u r e   j o y!  

I just love creating.  Creating beautiful things of the eye, heart and soul.  And beautiful things for the palate, tongue and stomach.

Sunday, I participated in a baking competition @ the Chocolate and Coffee Fest here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I made a dark chocolate cupcake, spiced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper, dunked in dark chocolate ganache, topped with a sweet cinnamon whipped topping, and drizzled with dark chocolate ganache.  I didn't win. {frown}  And I didn't remember to take a photograph of my cupcakes.  {double frown}

Today, however, I want to share a paper craft project I made as the Guest Designer for the Shabby Tea Room, this week.  I know, how wonderful to be a guest designer, right?  This week, we are asked to make a paper craft item, using the inspirational photo and required products:  text, flowers, and buttons.  I got this!

how sweet is this inspiration photo!

and here is what I made:

We (the family) were celebrating our mother's birthday this past weekend.  (yes, in conjunction with my baking competition.)  Our mother turned 70 on her birthday.  And that fact alone makes me feel super old.  Ok so back to the paper crafts I created.

Let's start with the card.  I used crumb cake card stock for the card base.  I matted the pattern paper onto very vanilla card stock.  I then ran this stack of card stock and pattern paper thru my sewing machine.  I just love this touch.  I used a running stitch.   

The decorative shape of text paper is from Melissa Frances.  I wrapped a piece of white lace trim around this text pattern paper.  I topped the lace trim with a kraft polka dot ribbon.  I added two white buttons to the ribbon, and then tied a kraft button to the bow with cream twine.  I added a small tag that was stamped and cut from very vanilla card stock.

I added a piece of floral grid paper on top of the text paper.  I just love the curves of this shape.  I added three paper blossoms to the left side of the blossom grid paper.   I cut leaf shapes from a different text paper.  I added a hand-made white glitter button to the left side of the large pink paper blossom.  

I stamped my sentiment in soft suede classic ink, using a stamp from the Water Color Trio stamp set.  I added a silver glitter butterfly, to add some sparkle.  For the final touch, I added a trio of cream diamond cut pearls.  I added the same decorative pearls for the body of the butterfly.

and the bag:

I used the same patterns of papers and the same shapes.  However, I changed the paper blossoms.  I used a cream large paper blossom.  The two smaller paper blossoms were white.  However, I wanted to change the color.  So, I sprayed the paper blossoms and then added glitter.  I also added a hand-made white glitter clay button to the left side of the cream paper blossom.  

I added a trio of silver glitter butterflies.  I added the same decorative cut pearls to the bodies of the butterflies and then a trio near the sentiment piece.  I also added a Maya Road butterfly pin to the trio of paper blossoms.

Finally, I added a 'made with love' banner to the bottom of the bag.

The bag is held closed with a painted and glittered clothes pin and tied with a wide kraft polka dot ribbon.  Inside the bag is a jar of home-made, rough-cut, vanilla-sugar cubes.

Thank you for looking.  I hope that we have inspired you to create something wonderful  using the inspirational photo.  Remember, you need to use text somehow, buttons, and flowers.  And join us @ the Shabby Tea Roon.  Can't wait to see what you create {smile}.

Tea Room Winner

Monday.  What a day.  Work was jammed packed with duties.  But it all seems right as rain, today {smile}.  I went to the Shabby Tea Room to take a look at this week's challenge.  I need a bit of inspiration to create some paper crafts due for this week.  And, well, I was last week's winner! Yahoo!  It was a surprise and my heart filled with joy!  Joy, because it is always so wonderful to have other's like appreciate your work!  Just ask the ladies at the post office.  I mailed my Mother's Day card today in a clear envelope.  My mom just loves it when I do that!  She says that she can never wait to take a peek at what I created.

So, I will be adding a new badge to my sidebar {smile}.  And I'll be heading into my craft room to create some more cards for Mother's Day.  I always make a card for my dear girlfriends.  There are six of us.  We are all moms and we really do put our families first. 

Thank you for stopping by today.  Don't forget, Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 12th.  I hope that you have a special someone to share this day with.

~stop by Sunday, May 12th, for your chance to win some blog candy~