Treasured Memories

This week the challenge at Sentimental Sundays is Treasured Memories.  When I saw their free sentiment it made me think of my mother so I made this card in memory of her.  I want to make a shadow box frame for this and display it in my guest room.

I used papers from K&Company "Life's Journey".  The papers have been distressed with my trusty little sissors and then I used tea dye distress ink.  The flowers are handmade.  The large flower is colored with Lindy's Stamp Gang "Rudolph's Nose Red" and "Medieval Gold" and has some Crystal Stickles added.  The small flower is made from the DP and also has stickles added.  I designed the background for the quote in PSE and then used a Spellbinders die and added some faux stitching.

I tore the rose paper, punched some holes, and threaded with yarn and beads.  The panel is on pop dots over a post card DP.  I then finished it with some ribbon and lace.

As is so often the case, when you start remembering things from the past, one thought leads to another.  The post card made me think about the letters mother sent me when I was doing some volunteer work in another state.  The rose paper made me remember the gorgeous roses my mother grew.  Strangers would stop and comment about her roses.  I added the cross to remember her love for the Lord and her desire to always live a life pleasing to Him.


Thank you for visiting and have a blessed day!

Challenges
Sentimental Sundays:  Treasured Memories and a sentiment
Papertake Weekly:  Truly Dimensional
DDH challenges:  stitches
Woodware USA:  anything goes
My Partner in Crafting Crime:  at least 3 layers
Card Makin' Mamas:  embellish it
Totally Stampalicious:  anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown:  sparkle and bling
Mami Doodles Challenge:  punches or diecuts
Truly Scrumptious:  Vintage
Fresh Brewed Designs:  flowers

Spring at Creative Inspirations Paint

This week our challenge at Creative Inspirations Paint is "SPRING".  I've never made a banner before so I thought I would make one for my craft room.

I used crepe paper to make the ruffle at the top and then sewed it and the rick rack onto the pennant.  The crepe paper and doily were painted with CIP "Fairy Dust".

The letters were painted with white acrylic paint and then painted with CIP "Winter Frost".  I then added some extra bling with Diamond Dust.

Those bright colors have certainly brought some cheer into my craft room which is sorely needed since we have had a week of dark, rainy days.

Thank you for visiting and have a blessed day!
Hugs, Sarah

Romantic Spring

I decided to try something new and different (at least, for me).  My house is seriously in need of some spring decorating and so I started with a shelf in the dining room.


I started with a yogurt container and some vintage sheet music.  I tore the sheet music into small pieces, distressed them with tea dye distress ink and then glued them onto the yogurt cup.  I then stamped a butterfly and a bird and embossed them with gold embossing.  I mixed some Creative Inspiration Paint, Blush+glazing medium+water, painted it over the embossing and then wiped it off. I then went over it with CIP, Winter Frost, leaving a beautiful shimmer. 

I adhered them to some ribbon and lace.  For the first time ever I tried some quilling.  Don't look too close, I know they are very amateurish!  But they were a lot of fun so I think I will pursue this and try to become better.  The tiny flower under the butterfly is a rolled tissue paper flower.  The flowers have a coating of CIP, Winter Frost.

I made a handle with pipe cleaners and added some beads, pearls and ribbon.  Who knew pipe cleaners could be so glamorous!  Pink and green have always been my favorite colors. 

I then added a little bird on her nest of eggs.  The two things I love most about spring are the flowers and hearing the birds singing.


Thank you so much for visiting and have a blessed day!

Challenges
Our Creative Corner:  Girl Power, handmade paper flower, ribbon and bling
The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge:  butterflies
One Stitch At A Time:  3D
Corrosive Challenge:  pastel colors
Craft Your Passion Challenge:  anything goes
Crazy Challenge:  Just add flowers
Tuesday Throwdown:  Spring
Papertake Weekly Challenge:  anything goes
Scrap-Creations:  recipe, (ribbon, flower, pearls)
Spoonfull of Sugar:  at least 2 different textures

New Beginnings

Yesterday's mail brought some very anticipated mail.  The first was an awesome blog candy prize from Stampin' Mindy.  Thank you so much!!  I've been so thoroughly enjoying the Magnoli-licious magazine that I haven't even inked up the stamps yet.  But I will!

And then I received the paints from Creative Inspirations Paint!  I did have to dip my paintbrush into those immediately.

So much fun!  Right now I'm just playing, doing some very basic things, learning all about the paints.  Just a tiny amount of paint can yield such awesome shimmer!  I've been checking out all the tutorials that Kassi has posted (48 of them!);  they're going to keep me busy for a long time!
 

Isn't this such a sweet young lady?  She's from My Grafico, as is the tag, I just changed the words.  The flower is made from a cupcake liner.  See the shimmer on her apron and hat ribbon?  Oh, yes, she is supposed to have a basket of apples but I erased the stems and made them into eggs.  Don't they look like eggs?  I thought so, LOL.

O.K.  I've kept the best till last.  Creative Inspirations has asked me to be on their DT!  I am totally blown away;  the other ladies on the team are so way ahead of me!  I am in awe of their creations.

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day! 

I will be entering her in a challenge
Digital Tuesday Challenge:  for the kids

Christmas for the Boys

The OSAAT challenge this week is a card for the boys.  And it's also Christmas card week.  I used the sketch and free image from ABC Christmas Challenge and then combined the recipes from Corrosive Challenge and Christmas Cards All Year 'Round since they are very similar.

Since this is a card for a young guy I thought I would get a bit industrial and included some hex nuts under the brads and used a washer for a charm.  I think my days as an industrial designer are numbered!  I'm way too much a girly girl.

There is a ribbon threaded through the plaid paper and the bear is paper pieced digitally. 

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

Challenges I will enter
OSAAT Christmas Challenge:  for the boys
 ABC Christmas Challenge:  sketch and free image
Corrosive Challenge:  3 papers, 2 ribbons, 1 image
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round :  3 patterned papers, 3 brads, eyelets or gems

Lavender and Lace Christmas

This week the challenge at Die Cut Dreams Christmas Challenge is to use lavender and lace with Karen's sketch.

The stamp is an old one from Hero Arts.  The papers have all been distressed with Tea Dye and I used a MS punch for the scalloped border.

The ruffle and center of the flower is crepe paper which I stamped on with Dusty Concord distress ink.  The center of the ruffle has microbeads.  I used Crystal Lacquer to adhere the beads and it flowed a little too freely. I thought I would have to discard it and start over but now I think it looks like snow.  So I decided to keep it.
There is a silver snowflake in the center of the flower.

Thank you for visiting and have a blessed day!

challenges I would like to enter
Die Cut Dreams:  lavender and lace and sketch
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge:  silver
Sentimental Sundays:  sentiment
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge:  sentiment

An Altered Tea Box

I've been wanting to make a box for the TP valentine mini I made for my husband, which you can see here.  This little tea box is just the right size.

I followed the same design as the mini; painting the edges in black and using paper from the Deja View global treks pack.  I cut a window in the front and used  a piece of acetate I had saved from some packaging. 

The acetate is clear; it's just picking up the reflection from the doily.  And see that little bit of trellis behind the box?  I'm outside on my deck.  Such a beautiful day!  So glad for some warmer temperatures.

The frame for the window is a digi stamp from Sugar Creek Hollow.  I have an embossing pen that I haven't used in years which I used to emboss the frame.  Amazed it still works!  Added a small rosette with some Prima bling.

The top has some recollections swirls, a handmade flower which I learned to make from Tracy, and a tag made with my Cuttlebug.  Love, love my cuttlebug.  Both are sprayed with Lindy Stampgang starburst spray.  And here is the box with the mini inside.   



Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

supplies:

paper:  Deja View  global treks

digi stamp:  Sugar Creek Hollow

Lindy Stampgang starburst spray:  Rudolph's Nose Red

recollections swirl, Prima bling, clear embossing powder

tools:  Cuttlebug, Rubber Stampede embossing pen

challenges I will be entering

Sugar Creek Hollow:  anything goes

The Secret Crafter:  anything but a card

Our Creative Corner:  don't throw that away

It's Spring!

And time for a change of wardrobe!  Time to think about sleeveless shirts, shorts, sandels, sunglasses, and fun in the sun.  And this young lady looks like she's got everything under control.

I followed the sketch at The Corrosive Challenge.  The image is from Digi's With Attitude.  I used a Spellbinders die and then used glitter glue around the edge sprinkled with more glitter for extra sparkle.  I also used some rhinestone brads that I've had for ages.  I used an MS punch on the pink border and embossed it with the Cuttlebug swiss dots.  I love using the Spica pens for makeup.  It doesn't show in the picture but her eyes are all nice and sparkly.  "Happy spring" is computer generated.

Thank you for visiting and have a blessed day!

supplies:
paper:  DCWV It's All About Girls
image:  Digi's With Attitude
flowers:  Prima
ribbon:  JoAnn's
colored with Prismacolor pencils and Copic Spica
my stash: pop dots, feather, pearls
tools:  Cuttlebug, MS punch

challenges I will enter
Corrosive Challenges:  sketch
Pollycraft Monday Challenge:  teens
The Crazy Challenge:  brads or eyelets
Scrap-Creations:  anything goes
The Beary Scrap Design Team Challenge:  spring
The Creative Cottage:  spring
Stampin with the Dragon:  spring
Charisma Cardz Challenge:  to "die" for (die cuts)
PaperPlay Challenges:  embossing
Southern Girls Challenge:  flowers
Shelly's Images:  anything goes
Amber's Crafts N Stuff:  stash/anything goes

A Little Green Card

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here is a little green card to celebrate. 

This is the first time I tried a diamond fold card and I love how it turned out.  However, I'm also learning what photographs well and lots of angles just don't do it. 

This little black and gold charm is actually an old earring.

Last fall I made some jewelry to participate in several craft shows and so I have lots of beads which I love using in my cards.

All the supplies I used for this card were just things from my stash.

Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!

challenges I will be entering
Card Cupids:  green
Tiddly Inks:  green
For Fun Challenges:  green
Scrap-Creations:  anything goes
Creative Card Crew:  green
Fab 'n' Funky Challenge:  green
Rainbow Lady's Challenge:  St. Patrick's Day
Shelly's Images:  Anything goes

Congratulations

I need a gift for our neice who just graduated from college and since I'm no good at buying gifts for someone else I tend to fall back on gift cards.  That way I know they'll get something they like.  So that means I need a card for the gift card.

The cute digital image is from Paper Pretties.  I colored it in PSE.  I cut it out with my Nestabilities die, sponged around the edges with distress ink and then did some faux stitching.  It doesn't show in the picture but I used a Copic Spica glitter pen on top of the stitching.  Adds a little extra sparkle.  I need to say a big, big THANK YOU to Papercraft Star for the Copics I won several weeks ago.  So exciting!  And then I added a ribbon flower,  paper doily, some rhinestones for bling, and a feather, just for fun.  I printed an extra sentiment, cut it out, and added it with pop dots.

The base of the card is made with an envelope folded in half.  The flap on the top half is glued down and the gift card is placed in the pocket of the bottom half.  Before I adhered the paper on the outside I added some ribbon to tie it closed.  I just need to add my personal greeting to the inside.  The paper pack is from K&Co., Sweet Nectar.  The papers have lots of sparkle and glitter.


And then I needed something to put the card into.  In my search for gift boxes I discovered Mel Stampz.  Oh my goodness, if you need a template, check her out.  There's at least 180 for purses plus lots of other types of templates.  I finally chose this one.

It was very easy to make.  The top is the same Nestabilities die I used for the card.  It tucks into the flower brad on the front. 

I added another feather and a little ribbon rosette that I made on the handle.  The card tucks in perfectly.  I think I'll add some tissue paper to the inside.

I hope she likes it as much as I enjoyed making it for her.

Supplies
paper:  K&Co Sweet Nectar
digital stamp:  Paper Pretties
distress ink:  tea dye
Copic,Spica, lilac
brad:  The Paper Studio, antique flower brads
tools:  Cuttlebug, Nestabilities die, MS score board
my stash:  flower, ribbon, doily, feathers, rhinestones

Challenges I will enter:
Corrosive Challenge:  green
Creative Inspirations Paint:  green
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge:  You Lucky Duck/congratulations
Paper Pretties:  ribbon
Paper Play Challenge:  green
Shelly's Images:  green
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges:  green
Aly's Sunday Challenge:  anything goes
Simon Says:  anything goes