Girly Girl and Lots of Layers

I tried several new (for me) techniques and since Totally Stampalicious asked us to use a new technique this will fit their challenge.  One new technique was paper piecing.  I really like the effect and think it's one that I will be using a lot even though it takes quite a bit of time. 

The other new item is the crepe paper flower.  I love how soft and delicate it looks but one thing I learned is that I would not recommend the inexpensive crepe paper you get at the party store (which was the only place we could find it; do you know how hard it is to find crepe paper? I have to thank my dear, sweet husband who hunted it down for me).   As soon as I added the glue the paper fell apart.  Since it was all I had I was determined to make it work but it became very time consuming and for someone who has a short attention span, that was not good, LOL.

I actually had seed beads that were the same color and even stickles; would you believe?  We live at least 25 minutes away from the nearest craft store and if I don't have what I need it's just too bad.  But this time I was lucky.

Shelly's Images was asking for lots of layers; I made it up to 6.  I wanted to add one more but I ran out of room.  I used a sketch from Beary Sweet Challenge; I hope it's still recognizable after all the layers!  Totally Paper Crafts specified pearls and lace; the bottom of her skirt seemed just the right place to add some lace.  Tammy Miller provided this adorable image at A Day For Daisies.  The charm is for One Stitch At A Time and Card Cupids is making it easy with anything goes.

I'd like to thank everyone who makes these challenges available.  Your hard work is so very much appreciated!

supplies
paper:  Colorbox; Anna Griffin
punches:  EK Success scallop and corner punch
image:  A Day For Daisies
Prismacolor pencils
stickles:  waterfall
crepe paper, pop dots, charm, ribbon, lace, pearls, seed beads

challenges: 
A Day For A Daisies:  image, girly girl
Beary Sweet Challenge:  sketch
Card Cupid:  anything goes
One Stitch At A Time:  charm
Shelly's Images:  lots of layers
Totally Paper Craft:  pearls and lace
Totally Stampalicious:  new technique

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

Celebrating Thoughts of Spring

I'm glad to see so many challenge blogs asking for spring cards.  It just makes me feel happy to work with these fun colors. 

I have had this Sonburn Pink/Lavender Floral Row paper for a long time and I immediately thought of it when For Fun asked for these exact colors.  I cut out the diamond shapes to use for tags which Tuesday Throwdown and A Spoonful of Sugar both asked for.  This sweet image is a freebie from sliekje stamps.  You'll have to visit her; she has many more gorgeous images.

I have no idea what possesed me to sew seed beads along the edge.  It took For.Ev.Er!  My eyes just are not good enough for such tiny work anymore.

Lollipop Crafts and City Crafter both called for spring creations and Digital Tuesday said "Celebrate".  Believe me, I am celebrating the anticipation of spring, LOL!  Papertake Weekly said "anything goes/old".  (paper)

I want to give this card to a friend who is going out to dinner with us tonight.  She is such a sweet person and always enjoys a handmade card.

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown:  tags
Papertake Weekly:  anything goes/old
Digital Tuesday:  celebrate
For Fun:  purple, green and yellow
City Crafter:  spring fling
A Spoonful of Sugar:  tag
Lollipop Crafts:  spring

supplies:
paper:  Sonburn Pink/Lavender Floral Rows
stamp:  sliekje stamps
Prismacolor pencils:  910,912,914,932,938,942,943,994
crystal stickles, glass seed beads
tools:  MS punch, Cuttlebug swiss dots

Vintage Lady

A Day for Daisies is offering a gorgeous image called Vintage Lady.  I wanted to do a very soft, romantic design and so I pulled out my chalks, which I hardly ever use, to color the image.   I created the background with distress inks and stamps.  Two opposite corners are done with the emboss resist technique.  I then knotted some ribbon to give a little more interest. 

I also added a handmade flower,some lace and beads.  I don't think I like the position of those; design is something I'm still trying to improve.
The lace under the flower and the brown background paper are my "old".
Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

challenge
A Day for Daisies:  very vintage
City Crafter:  spring colors
Papertake Weekly:  anything goes/old

A New Flower

Today I wanted to try a new flower I've discovered.  It's made of cheesecloth and mod podge.  SACrafter has a video on YouTube that demonstrates how to make them.  Yay!  Finally a flower that I can make, LOL.  It looks very lacy and makes a beautiful flower.  The cute image is from Tiddly Inks

                                          It's edged with puffy paint and glitter

I will enter this in the following challenges.


2 sisters challenge:  embossing  (sentiment and diecut)
one stitch at a time:  no square
ribbon girl:  cream,pink,brown
incy wincy designs:  punches or dies  (nestibilities)
card makin mama's:  birthday
stamping with dragon:  birthday
if the shoe fits scrap it:  birthday

supplies
paper:  Hot off the Press; CK Daisy Stripes
digital stamp:  Tiddly Inks
rubber stamp: 
Prismacolor Pencils
tools:  cuttlebug
DecoArt Twinkles,Sparkling Pink; pop dots; pearls; pink crystals; mod podge; Tulip puffy paint

Thanks for visiting, have a blessed day!

Card Cupid Red, White, and Blue Challenge

Card Cupids challenged us to use a color scheme of red, white, and blue.  This card turned out totally different than what I had envisioned at the beginning.  I really wanted something more elegant.  But that didn't happen!   Instead, she turned out a little more fun and playful.

I used a sketch from Papercraft Star.  This is the first time I've worked with a sketch and I found it challenging.  I'll have to do this again to become more comfortable with it.

The digital stamp is from Pink Cat Studio.  She is colored with Prismacolor pencils.

I took some white tissue paper, scrunched it up, and then spritzed it with my homemade glimmer mist.  I then adhered it to blue cardstock and then used a Martha Stewart border punch.  I really like how it turned out.  I also used it on the pocket. 


I didn't think I would ever use those tiny flower dies that came with my cuttlebug but that's exactly what I used to make the flowers for her hat.  I seem to be on a feather kick these days;  I stuck one in her hat and then used pop dots to adhere the hat.


There's Crystal stickles everywhere, even in her eye shadow!

The tag is embossed with a cuttlebug heart embossing folder and edged with metallic red outline stickers.  The fun red fibers are threaded through a heart eyelet.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:


Card Cupids:  red, white and blue
Papercraft Star:  sketch
One Stitch At A Time:  make it pretty
Paper Works Co:  hearts
2 Sisters Challenge Blog:  hearts
Incy Wincy Designs:  several coloring mediums
Totally Stampalicious:  bling
Tuesday Throwdown:  pockets

Thank you for visiting.

supplies

paper:  DCWV Pocket Full of Posies 
stamp:  owl, fashionista; Pink Cat Studio
coloring mediums:  Prismacolor pencils; Crystal Stickles; glimmer mist made with Pearl Ex
tools:  Fiskers paper trimmer; Cuttlebug/heart embossing folder, flowers; Martha Stewart border punch

And the WINNER is... and a recipe

First, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who visited and left comments.  I love meeting all of you, you're the greatest! 

and now, using random.org, our winner is Janice

Congratulations, Janice!  If you will send me your snail mail address I will get this out to you. 

Yesterday I promised you a recipe.  I do a lot of searching for recipes so I don't know how I missed these.  There must be at least a thousand recipes for these!  So why am I adding 1001?  Just because I can, LOL!  Well, that's what my husband would say.  Actually, I'm going to start a page for recipes even though that isn't my main focus for this blog.  And just maybe, there's one other person who hasn't tried them.  Believe me, they're worth trying.  And they're not overly rich.  And they're super easy! 

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
ingredients:
1 pkg. nutter butter cookies
1 butterfinger candy bar
12 oz. tub whipped cream cheese
2  cups good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
for coating:
2 cups good quality milk chocolate chips (if you use inexpensive chocolate you might need to use 1 tablespoon shortening if they don't melt well)
heart sprinkles

Place cookies and candy bar in food processor and reduce to fine crumbs.  You want 3 cups crumbs. 

Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwaveable bowl and microwave on high, stirring after each 45 seconds, until the chips are melted.   (Chocolate will quickly go from melted to burnt in the microwave.)

Combine the melted chocolate chips and cream cheese until well blended. 

Add the crumbs, mixing well.  Place in the refrigerator for about 30 min. to make them easier to roll.

When well chilled, roll into small balls.  I got about 75; of course, we did a little sampling along the way, just to make sure they were good!

When you're finished, place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  No exact science to this, you just want them cold.

Now melt your chocolate chips, same as before.

Remove balls from the freezer and dip in the chocolate.  Place on waxed paper, sprinkle with sprinkles quickly before the chocolate hardens.  I use a fork to dip them; don't pierce them, just lay them on the fork.  I should have taken a pic of this, sorry.  Doing recipes for a blog is hard!

Here they are in all their glory!  I'm going to put them in the freezer and limit us to one a day.  Wish me luck!

variations:  use mint oreo cookies and andes mint chocolate
almond bark instead of chocolate chips
coat with colored sugar, ground nuts, other sprinkles
make up your own combination

I hope you can make sense of these directions.  If you have any questions, just ask.

These are so easy that they make a good project to do with children.  Enjoy!

TP Valentine Mini

I wanted to share a TP mini I did for my husband but I hesitated to do so because I haven't been able to get my light box made yet.  "sigh"  One of these days my back will get better!   The pictures don't even come close to capturing what it looks like IRL, s-o-o, I'll just close my eyes and share it, LOL.

The charm on this page is an old earring I had.  Would you believe I have had that lying around for 20 years?  I always knew I'd use it some day!

This picture has a lot of glare on the acetate but it is my favorite page.  Last year we spent the weekend at Landoll Castle in Ohio and it is a fabulous place.  It truly looks like a castle and the accomodations are amazing.

Each pocket held a tag with a picture of  a special event.  Were we really ever that young!? 

I'm so glad that I made this several weeks ago since I wouldn't have been able to do it now.  I really enjoyed making it and he loved it.  And that's all that matters, right?

So come back tomorrow when we do the drawing for the prize and I will post a recipe for a Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter Truffle.  Yum, yum!  They are delicious!

Card Cupid Blog Hop

Welcome to the Card Cupids Appreciation Blog Tour!

If you have just hopped on the tour, please go to the first stop, Card Cupid(http://www.cardcupids.org/blog). 


If you have arrived from Corina then you are in the right place.  Thanks for stopping by!

Card Cupids mission is to provide encouragement and joy by sending Card Cuddle Care Packages to children who are facing difficult challenges in their young lives regardless of their economic background.  Card Cupids believes that every child needs to know that they are loved.  A stuffed animal to hold, along with cards that share a positive message can help lift the spirits of children that are faced with difficult challenges.  Card Cupids collects handmade cards to be sent to children along with new stuffed animals, coloring books, activity books, crayons and markers.  Card Cupids hopes to provide numerous Card Cuddle Care Packages to children in hospitals, foster care, homeless shelters, as well as children facing difficulties.

Our Blog Tour theme today is Valentine's projects for children.  For today, I created a treat card for a very special granddaughter.  I was thrilled to find the owl stamp at Michael's $1 bin. Her mother loves owls so I had to incorporate this stamp.  Two prima roses, some Crystal stickles, glossy accents on the hearts, rhinestones and some stitching around the candy box completed the front.

 The Cuttlebug embossed folder on the right I left blank for her grandmother to write a message.  The image was colored with Prismacolor pencils.  This adorable image is from Ingerharding Design.

You can find the tutorial for the box/card at SCS

supplies:
digital stamp:  Inger Harding Design; Owl, Michaels
DP:   Colorbok, pattern stack
Prismacolor pencils
tools:  Cuttlebug; Martha Stewart scoreboard; Photoshop Elements; HP printer
Prima roses; Glossy Accents; Crystal stickles
inks: Tattered Rose distress ink; Memories. black
my stash:  ribbon, cellophane

I also want to share some blog candy with everyone who is taking the time to enjoy Card Cupids blog hop. I have included some dimensional stickers, glitter, clear epoxy stickers, my handmade stick pins, some crocheted flowers, 2 little mimi albums with some charms that I made as book thongs but you could take them apart and use them however you want to.  So what do you have to do for a chance to win?  Just the 2 usual things:


1. become a follower
2. leave a comment
by Feb. 14, 2011--11:59 PM  EST
easy, peasy! 

I will announce the winner (picked by random.org) on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.

Thanks for stopping by today!  The secret word from my stop is "of ".   Remember, to win the Blog Tour prize, you have to email the secret sentence to info@cardcupids.org by 11:59 pm February 14 with subject: Blog Tour Prize.   If you would like to donate handmade cards or care package items, please visit Card Cupids (www.cardcupids.org) for more information.

 

Now hop back on the tour bus to visit your next stop, the very talented Amy at http://amycreates.blogspot.com/   Come back and visit real soon!

Card Cupids is collecting handmade cards, new stuffed animals, coloring/activity books, crayons and markers for Absolutely Incredible Kids Day on March 15 as well as cards for Kate and Christopher and their siblings.  If you would like to donate handmade cards or care package items, please visit Card Cupids (www.cardcupids.org/blog).

Life Happens

I had such big plans for this week.  I was planning to post a new valentine project each day.  But my back had other ideas.  It decided to take a vacation and I had to go along; so my plans are lying on my crafting table waiting ever so patiently until I can get back.  Although by then they won't be valentine projects anymore, LOL! 

Life happens.

However, this gives me the opportunity to do some blog hopping and searching for tutorials. You know, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade!  So I'm going to make a list of tutorials I will want to try in the near future.  Maybe you can find something in this list that you will find useful.  Till later, have a great day!

Crafting with Class;    pizza box with a border
Joani's Cards Made by Hand:   the cutest bunny box
Flowerbug:   love the calender box and lots of others
Stampininspirations:   love the multi-flap pocket card
Splitcoaststampers:   this will keep me busy all year!
Farm Fresh:   fan bag plus lots of others
Farm Fresh:  wet wipe sunset, just so I don't forget
Paper Pleasing:  flap box
oodabugalley:  tilt card (hip hip card)
michelle's rubber room:   lots of good tutorials


more to follow, I got side tracked with all the awesome blogs I found!

Card Cupid 3D or pop up challenge

This week the challenge at Card Cupid is to make a 3D or pop up card.  This is an easel card I made for a grandson.

The image and quote is from Fred, She Said Digital Designs.  It is pre-colored and prints out beautifully, even with a less than perfect printer.

The large outside diecut is Spellbinders shapeabilities pendant, contemporary hearts die. I was thrilled to find it on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  The other scalloped circles are the Spellbinders nestabilities classic scalloped circles, large.

The heart actually says "I love you" but I changed it in Photoshop Elements to grandma and grandpa.

supplies:

paper:  bazzill cardstock

digi stamp:  Fred, She Said Digital Designs, Catch Your Heart

tools:  cuttlebug, Spellbinders nestabilities, classic scalloped circles, lg. ;  Spellbinders shapeabilities pendants, contemporary hearts

            Martha Stewart score board

            Fiskers cutter

            Photoshop elements

            HP Printer