Red & Green Christmas

Oh my goodness.  I forgot to photograph my red and green Christmas card today.  Sorry, I had to take a few photo real quick, and edit.  I'm super proud of myself for creating a red and green card.  I don't typically make holiday cards with these colors.  Not that they aren't pretty.  It's just not my comfort zone, and so it takes a bit of time.

The pattern paper is from Yellow Bicycle.  And probably about 2 years old.  So, I don't know if you can still find this pattern paper at your local scrap book store.  The tree was purchased from a big box craft store about 3years ago.  The red ribbon is actually new!  Its the current real red ribbon from Stampin' Up!.  The sentiment is heat embossed in early espresso powder by Stampin' Up!.  The stamp set used is Love Lives Here Holiday, by Paper Trey Ink.

Thank you for stopping by!  I am finishing a few more items for the craft fair tomorrow.  If you are in the area (Albuquerque, New Mexico) please stop by Tramway Community Church on Manitoba & Montgomery, from 10a to 4p.  

Love Pink

Howdy.  Yeah, busy crafting.  {smile} I have to admit it, I really love it!  I enjoy the whole creative process.  But, I did want to take a break and share with you what I made.  It's small, and very sweet.  It is a magnetic wallet-size photo holder.  Before you say anything, let me explain.  You know those very unique and memorable school photos you have of your children?   You probably have a hundred.  You order enough for grandparents, neighbors, friends, and your children's friends.  But some how you always have extras.  Right?  Well, why not display them with pizzazz!  Either on your locker at work, or your frig, or how about providing a way for your child to 'frame' her BBF's pic?

And look!  I made a few.  And the others I made,  aren't so shabby chic, feminine, girly.  But, I really love this one {smile}.

I used Camilla pattern paper by Anna Griffin.  I just love how beautiful and elegant this paper collection is.  I cut a scallop trim piece from Silver glitter paper.  (Love the sparkles.)  And I took some pale pink scrunched seam binding and machine stitched them together (seam binding and glitter paper).  I also made a multi-loop bow from the seam binding.  

I made a blossom out of white sparkle clay, and distressed it with white paint and dazzling diamond glitter.  I also did the same distressing on the two white pearl vintage buttons.  

I added a little hand-stamped sentiment piece.  I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap piece of digital pattern paper in basic black classic ink.  Matted the sentiment circle with the same pale pink cardstock as the photo matt.  The sentiment is sweet, and fancy {smile} 'Absolutely Fabulous'.  Basically to 'match' the design and feel of the pattern paper.

Oh, I almost forgot.  The finished size of these little gems is 4" x 4".  Small and very sweet.

Thank you for looking.  Just a heads up, tomorrow I will post a few photos of a few crafts I created using red and green.  Yep, no kidding.  Traditional Christmas colors.  Real red and garden green.  See you tomorrow.

Pink and Gold Glitter

Howdy.  Sorry I have been absent.  I have been busy crafting for an upcoming Arts and Crafts Fair.  I purchased some gold glitter paper from Stampin' Up! recently.  And well, a friend had asked what I was creating with it.  Because this glitter paper is really sparkle-y and yellow.  I was actually surprised of the color.  But, I had some crafts I wanted to create with it, so, I set out to my craft room.

I made a greeting card, a gift card holder, and a card-box combo.  Now, the photos don't really do these crafts justice.  Please look with a kind eye.

greeting card

card-box combo - closed

card-box combo - opened

gift card holder

The pink pattern paper is from Echo Park.  I used both sides.  The cream and white pattern paper is from Anna Griffin.  The white portion of the pattern paper is actually flocked.   Its easily 4/+ years old.  I had been hoarding saving this paper for a special project.  {smile}  The card bases are pink pirouette yardstick.  The ribbons are white seam binding, think gold ribbon, gold bakers twine, and the new gold sating ribbon from Stampin' Up!  The buttons are blush by Amuse Studios.  The glitter paper is actually gold.  It looks way better in person.

The snowflake die is from Paper Trey Ink.  The scallop trim die and the leaf punch are both from Stampin' Up!  The poinsettia die is from Heartfelt Creations.  The sentiments are a mix of different stamps I had on hand.

Thank you for stopping by.  I'll post some more of what I have been creating soon.   Oh, I will have some of those flip desk top calendars for sale at my next arts and craft fairs.

Watercolor Wreath

~ photo heavy post ~

Howdy!  and welcome to my little piece of blog-land.  A place where I craft, cook, and share.  Ok, I share more crafts than baked goods here, but I do both!  (I post more food photos on Instagram.  Don't really know why, but I do.)

Anyways, I want to share with you a card I made.  It's a Christmas/Holiday card.  I know, you aren't really surprised, are you?  I wanted to try a technique I saw on Michelle Wooderson's blog: Mish Mash.  She calls it 'embossing + watercoloring'.  I think it's beautiful in a eclectic way.  It's basically emboss resist but instead of sponging color (ink) onto your paper, you use water colors.  Now, how gorgeous and fun does that sound?  So, I wanted to give it a try.  But first, I need a challenge to play along with.  So, I set out into the vast 'land' of the blog world and found TWO great challenges to play along with:  Just Us GirlS and Divas by Design .

So, the lovely ladies over @ JUGS, have a wonderful holiday theme challenge:  Wreaths!  Oh boy! right up my alley!  Here is there inspiration board:

For those of you who have not been to the JUGS site, they have changed their challenges.  So, this week, it is a word challenge.  I love the different format they have adopted.  It keeps their site fresh and new!  So, join them this week.  Make something with a wreath.  Have fun.  Craft.  and share!

The wonderful ladies over @ Divas by Design, have a fun and easy challenge: anything goes.  So, craft something that makes your heart happy! and share it with us!

Ok, here is what I made!

Recipe:  I used Aqua Mist cardstock for the card base.  I used the pattern papers from the Library Ledger paper pack, by Paper Trey Ink.  I used the Tasteful Trims die by Stampin' Up! to cut the scallop trim.  I did some machine stitching along the edges of the top panels.  I tied some gold bakers twine from Stampin' Up!, around the middle of the card.  I used a vintage button to add a little something to the bow.  (Aqua Mist button by Paper Trey Ink)

The ticket at the top is a digital download.  Love those little things: tickets and digital downloads. {smile}  The sentiment was hand stamped in Soft Suede classic ink by Stampin' Up!.  It paired very nicely with the rich chocolate browns in the ledger paper.

I stamped the wreath in versa mark ink onto the pattern paper.  I heat embossed antique gold embossing powder, for the wreath.  Love the subtle shine.  I used my aqua painter for the water coloring.  First, I just 'painted' plain water over the embossed areas.  It's like prepping your work surface.  This allows the paint to 'move' over the area.  For the 'paint' I used a few drops of the Pool Party classic re-inker by Stampin' Up!.  I dipped the tip of the brush into the 'color' and simply washed the embossed wreath with paint (aka: re-inker).  To add a little more depth, I splattered some more color onto the painted wreath.  I used crumb cake and pool party for the splattered colors.

I had some much fun making this card, I made some gift card holders with the same technique:

I had a lot of fun making these.  But as you can tell, once I start something it kinda becomes what I do.  And I want a variety of items at my craft fairs, so I stopped at 4 gift cards.  I don't want everything to look the same.  {smile}  Making these gift card holders really allows me to use my scraps in a fun, and festive way!  

Sidetone:  I had so much fun with this technique that I didn't (couldn't) stop to take a photo.  That's why these gift card holders are already packaged for sale.  Sorry for the glare of the clear bag.

Thank you for looking.  I hope I have inspired you to create something new, and challenging!  Why not try emboss resist but with watercolors!

Holiday Craft Fair

my next holiday craft fair!  hope to see you there!

I am busy working on some more gift card holders, gift bags, desk top calendars, a few houses, and hopefully more banners. 

Baby Girl Cube

~ photo heavy post ~

Welcome!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend!  I am!  I had my first arts and craft fair yesterday @ Grace Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and boy was it a good time!  I met a lot of super nice folks and I had the chance to chat with a few return shoppers and friends!  YAHOO!  what a great day!  

I sold out of a few crafts, so today, I am back in my craft room.  My task (originally) was to finish some baptism cards.  I picked up some metal cross charms, to get those on the cards, and well, my crafting took a different turn!  I started distressing some paper flowers, which lead me to a wooden block I had been working on.  And my focus went elsewhere! If you are a fellow crafter, you know you can get side tracked.  (I don't force myself to craft something I just don't have the mojo for, because it never turns out right. So, I typically work on something else, or take a break to change my focus.)  And well, my original task turned into this!  

An altered wooden block: for a baby girl

gentle wash

a fabric tag and brad

an acrylic piece

fabric blossom and fabric tag

top of the block

a drawer pull for a topper

a clay blossom to conceal the push pin
and acrylic pacifier tied with silver bakers twine

close - up of my push pin creation

Ok, here are the details!  Everything I used to make this decorative piece is from my stash.  My husband refers to my stash as a 'store'.  But, he really means 'collection'.  {smile}  I painted the wooden block with gesso and then white paint.  I sanded the block to make sure it was sooth.  I also knocked off the tips, so it would have rounded corners.  I think it adds a worn look.  I adhered the pattern papers to each side and sealed them with Mod Podge.  Yes, the bottom of the block is also finished.  The papers are from Teresa Collins, Authentique, and My Mind's Eye; scraps in my stash.

I used white, and pink pirouette seam binding, along with crochet trim from Stampin' Up! to make my shabby bow.  

The drawer pull is from the hardware section of a big box craft store.  Yeah, I had a different project in mind when I made this purchase almost 2 years ago.  (told you I hoard collect) {smile}  

The acrylic pacifier is from a craft show that my daughter and I attended 9 years ago.  We originally purchased the pacifiers for baby shower party favors, when she was expecting her first child.  But never used them, because we just couldn't get them to work.  The silver bakers twine is from Stampin' Up!.  The clay rose I made with white sparkle clay and a mold I purchased earlier this summer.

The push pin is from Maya Road.  The beads are a collection from the jewelry section of any big box craft store: crystal bead, pearl, and rhinestone spacer.

The fabric tags I purchased almost 7/+ years ago, when that was all the rage.  I keep a lot of old retired stuff.  That's one of the ways that my crafts are unique, and very personable.  You can't simply go out and copy them exactly, or mass produce them.

The pink brad with the fabric tag, is retired from Stampin' Up! (3/+ years).  I simply cut the legs off and used hot glue to glue it on.  

The acrylic sentiment piece was purchased from a big box craft store a few years ago, too.  I originally purchased the set with a different craft in mind, too.  Oh boy, I think I see a pattern!  Yikes!

The only hand stamping on this little cutie, is the tags.  I used a retired stamp set from Stampin' Up! and a mini stamp set from Paper Trey Ink.  I used the jewelry punch from Stampin' Up! (yeah, retired) to create the tag shape.

So, look for this at my next craft fair on November 14th and 15th @ Tramway Community Church Holiday Craft Fair, in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

Now, I really need to head make into my craft room and see if I can finish those Baptism cards.  Enjoy your extra hour today, and do something that makes you happy: crafting, baking, sewing, visiting with a friend, read to your child, whatever makes you HAPPY!