Friday, December 30, 2011

Christmas Ornaments

I'm still a complete noob when it comes to posting on my blog.  One of these days I will get it.
For now I am going to show a some crocheted Christmas ornaments -- just a sampling because I added embellishments to so many of them.
Either way - I got the free pattern from Good Knits.  It is called the Simple Statement Ornament.
It was the first time I have crocheted with beads - my own addition - and I even made some of the ornaments to match what Linda Permann did on her blog.

So on to some pictures .....
ornaments -- a couple blocked and one waiting .....
waiting for embellishments ... you can see the different designs I used
whoa!  What a close up!!

Not as polished and beautiful as the ones over at Good Knits but I had a lot of fun making them.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Thanksgiving Cards

NOT - that I have been a good blogger mind you, but I decided I needed to get back in to blogging -- with a purpose of course.  I have been "pinning" quite a bit over at Pinterest -- not maniac pinning but when I find something I like, or I see something someone else has "pinned" then I pin it too.
So, there I am finding all these things to pin -- but what happens after that?  aaahhh!! That is what I am going to do!  I'm going to create a board on my pinterest of the crafts that I have done and where my inspiration came from ... so here we go .... Thanksgiving cards!


supplies - magazine, stamp, ink and lace

supplies - paper, cards, thread, buttons, craft borders

So to get started - I gathered all my supplies.
The inspiration card:  see page 23 of Stamper's Sample - Take Ten - Autumn 2011 magazine.  I often get inspiration for cards from magazine's.  I never said I thought up designs on my own!
I used my new Technique Tuesday "Give Thanks" which was October's stamp of the month - specifically the sentiment - happy Thanksgiving.
The ink, a brown Versafine.  The lace -- thank you Lori H! for giving me your lace.  I dyed it from the bright white is was to an off white using coffee!
Continuing on ... I just purchased the cards from Hobby Lobby, they are a craft paper brown.
The paper -- 3 odd sheets from my stash.  Two of them are Creative Memories papers and one is a Cosmo Cricket paper.
Buttons from my button stash and some very old DMC off white embroidery thread.

I need 14 Thanksgiving cards to send to parents, siblings and children.  I learned from a friend to make an extra card, so I was planning for 15 cards.  First --- count out the cards, then cut the paper .. 3.5 x 5 inches.  Next stamp and trim the sentiment using a cream color card stock.  Cut the lace into 4 inch pieces and add thread to all the buttons (that took a while).  Here are all the supplies ready to go.


Step 1 - adhere the background paper.
Step 2a - add the lace.
Step 2b - add the craft border -- STOP -- after realize the craft border is not going to work. {sigh - Put the craft borders away.}
Step 3 - start to add the buttons and realize - yeah it needs something more.
Extra step ---- get out the pre-punched leaves and play around a bit and realize --  I need leaves.  Find the right color paper and punch leaves (the punch I used was a Creative Memories punch I have had forever)
Step 3 -- add the leaves --- ahh that looks good.
Step 4 -- add the sentiment
Step 5 -- add the buttons.  Get one card done ... hmmm.... add the buttons to another -- NOPE!  It's not working ..... rip the buttons off.  Dang!  They won't come off  the one -- ok -- one card now has buttons. {sigh -- put the buttons away }

DONE!!!!!!!  Don't they look nice? See the ONE with the buttons?  I think I'll just keep that one.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Time to Reorganize

We are back from our short spring break trip.  In fact, we had a huge thunderstorm last night.  Seems that spring has really arrived!  It's now time to get organized and get off my bum --- which actually may mean fewer posts and challenges.  It all depends on how well I can manage my time.
One thing I want to do is take another look at my craft room and see if I can take it one more step in cleaning and simplifying it.  I recently used the book: Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker (available from Amazon my FAV place to shop!) to reorganize my scrapbook room.   I personally think this book would help any kind of crafter.  The one thing I definitely learned about myself is that I am an "open & visible" kind of crafter.  This means I really need to see what I have in order to remember that I have it and use it.  Maybe a 'duh' comment from you to me, but I was struggling with my room's use.  I have reached a relatively happy place in there so far, but need to review my room a bit more.  I know I'm not happy with my paper storage right now so that is one thing I want to change and soon. 
For now -- here are some before pictures of my craft room.  Hopefully some after pictures will be on their way!
I told you it was messy!!!!!
I definitely need to glam it up a bit.  It really is almost working -- a few tweaks and I need those tweaks to be cheap!  I really have reused items from around the house.  No new furniture - except the office chair I purchased.  Must think ......  if you have suggestions let me know!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Paper Bag Album

I've been showing off my latest paper bag album.  I thought I had better share a few pictures here too.  While the occasion was somber - family pictures after my father-in-law's funeral - it was momentous because my husband and his most of his cousins had not been together in years.
I used the last of my paper bag album "blanks" but I will use this tutorial again to create more.  I may try some other ideas I've seen too but I love how Jessica creates and I regularly haunt her blog Kids Napping I'm Scrapping!.




One thing I like about these albums is that you can take a relatively small number of pictures and create something.  10 pictures in the main album.  I then use the bag openings for pull out pages where in this case I have 6 more pictures.
I've learned a lot making these types of albums - such as the need for a super-sticky tape. 
Let me know what you think. 

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Card Patterns: Sketch 106 - It's a birthday kind of week!

Last year I started making birthday cards and anniversary cards to send to my family.  I did Thanksgiving cards and our Christmas cards.  I've continued this year and have made birthday, anniversary, wedding shower, baby shower, and Easter cards (those are not quite done yet). 
So, it's not that I don't make different cards, but April is a busy birthday month, so for this next card challenge I made more birthday cards.
Before I started doing these challenges, I tended to get my ideas, inspirations from card crafting magazines.  Now I'm using the blogs.  I also tend to make an extra card and I document who I made it for, where I got my inspiration, etc.  It's been very fun - and time consuming.
For the Card Pattern Sketch 106 challenge, I made three cards - three birthday cards.  At least two will be destined for two of my nieces for their April birthdays.
Here are all three:
Hmm... I thought this photo had turned out better. 




  Here's card 'A':
This was actually a better concept then execution.



Here's card 'B':
I'm very happy with this one.  :)  yeah!



 
Here is card 'C':
Not bad, a little uneven - but definitely usable.



Here's what I used to create these cards:
Cream colored card stock, the square background-split triangles are all from K&Co. - Amy Butler patterns.  Fiskar's Birthday Party clear stamp for the main 'happy birthday' and Stampendous "Cupcake Numbers" for the 'make a wish' & 'it's a sweet day' sentiments - all done in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
The yellow glitter cardstock is from core'dinations and I used some leftover light green paper.  The flowers on cards B & C are Prima Flowers that I have inked with Close to My Heart ink - buttercup and pear.  For card A, I made a paper bag flower using the Amy Butler Iris pattern.  The inks were CTMH.  The large brad on card B is an Amy Butler from K&Co.  And I'm disappointed the bling I have on that card is not sparkling.  All other items were in my stash of unknown origin. 
whew!  Are you tired yet!  I am.

Monday, March 14, 2011

GS#78 -- shhh!! Don't show my dad!

This week's Get Sketchy #78 challenge provided me the opportunity to make my dad's birthday card.  But I need to make sure he doesn't see it.  His birthday isn't until next month - so this is a super-secret post!  (hah!  Like I could tear him away from Free Cell to even try and learn to surf the internet and find my blog.)  I think I might be O.K. 

I actually made two cards.  This one is my favorite and will be the one I give my dad.  Here are both of the cards I made.




Materials used .....
Cream colored card stock.
Die cut alphabet
Close to my Heart Brown Bag Ink
Fiskars Stamps
Buttons from my button stash
Tags from Office Depot
The striped paper is from a Creative Memories set.
The brown stars paper -- in my stash FOREVER from a paper stack
And finally wool suiting material in a wonderful houndstooth pattern.

Now I just have to find the write (hah!) words to put inside.  I think my dad will like it.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

One Layer Card Challenge

A card challenge I have found is definitely a challenge for me.  It is to make a one layer card.  Card stock and inked images - that's it.  No ribbon, no layers, no buttons or brads.
Up for the challenge I'm playing along for this week's OLW#44 over at Simplicity.
Part of the challenge was to go to Pinterest, specifically for items posted by a certain individual - Marta.  I have selected from Marta's Logo Love & Design for my card's inspiration.

I've used white cardstock.
Close to My Heart & Fiskars stamps.
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.


That's it.  Nothing else. 
On a side note - the part of these challenges that is tripping me up is keeping my supplies labeled.  Something I have never worried about.  I tend to throw away the labels and containers that my items are in when purchased.  I'm going to have to do better in order to credit my supplies.  You live and learn.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Celebrating the Green!

For those who know me and have visited my house, I have this pre-lit (Christmas) tree that is potted -- in an urn?  I don't know - but what I do know is that I decorate it for the different seasons/holidays.  Not every holiday, but I'm getting darn close.  This year when Valentine's Day was over and Lent was still 3 weeks off I knew I couldn't get out the Easter decorations.
That left me with nothing.  Not that we don't get a little bit of our Irish on for St. Patrick's Day, I just had never really had a reason to decorate for that single day in March.
Now I have!  As any good crafter would do - I googled "crochet shamrock pattern" and went to check out images as I have found that is one of the better ways I find what I'm really looking for.
I found a wonderfully easy pattern at Skip to my Lou - CLICK HERE to see the pattern and original post.  With out further ado -- my season tree showing the shamrock garland.
















No, I cannot take credit for the little shamrock decorations either.  Can't say where I exactly read about them, but the super easy instructions can be found on the Martha Stewart web site.
So, I finally have another set of decorations for my tree - and all hand made by ME!
And NO - I haven't figured out yet how to get the #(#*&%&*$#( photos lined up.  Of course, I cannot swear - I gave that up for Lent!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Another Challenge

I have another card for another challenge.  This time over at Get Sketchy.
Card making is one of my new passions.  It's really a lot more fun then I ever thought it would be.  I will say I still struggle to get cards done ahead of time but that is part of the fun isn't it?

Here's my card for the GS#77 challenge.
I started with a cream colored card stock.
The paper is an Amy Butler pattern.
Sheer ribbon with vintage lace.
The office tag is stamped with Close to My Heart stamps and inks.
The corsage pin is an embellishment I did on my own - and I believe that one has stones that I have up-cycled from an old bracelet.

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Monday, March 7, 2011

MME Challenge #21

Can you say nervous?  I'm doing my first blog challenge ....  I love me some card making so I'm stepping it up and entering challenges that occur around the web. 
It may be hard to do  some challenges as I have tried to put my self on a supply diet - trying to use items I already have or recycle materials.  We will see how that goes.
Actually, I have done both for this card.  My Mind's Eye Meadowlark Dawn paper and die cut that I had in my stash were used for the card.  The flower is fabric & buttons that I've had around forever .. the fabric is actually from an old top.  The trim is vintage and I'm not quite sure how I acquired it.

I'm giving it a try to do the challenge at My Mind's Eye.
Here's my card for My Mind's Eye Challenge #21 - enjoy!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Have I been a slacker or WHAT!!??

I'll admit - I started the blog and then burned out -- promptly right after school started.  Now that the school year is on the downside I'm starting to think I should pick up the blogging again.

And realize - it's not that activities are slowing down - I just seem to be getting my act together.  (yes, 8 months after the fact.  story of my life.)

Check back soon, hopefully my pitiful bum will have posted again this week as I am going to attempt a couple of card challenges here in blog-land.

Oof - a wolf .....

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