New Catalog Kick Off

Every year when the new Stampin' Up catalog comes out, I have a New Catalog Kick-Off Party.  I always try to think of something special to make or do for my stampers.  This year I made desktop mini totes for each of the ladies from canvas and pretty fabrics.  They are sized to hold standard cards or a package of envelopes, etc.  I added the Statement of the Heart to the front of each one.  To love what we do and share what we love- I guess that's why I make crafts.  :)

I designed the little frame and had each of the ladies made this for their desktop as a reminder to love what they do.  Of course, it doesn't have to be stamping or crafts (I can't imagine why not), but just as an encouraging reminder to enjoy the good things in our lives.  

The little bag in this photo has Stampin Up fabric on it- did you recognize that?  And can you guess the color?  It's olive green.  

What sort of things do you love to do?  Make crafts, gather with friends, enjoy time with your family, read, sew or play Word Crac?  Those are some of my favorites.  :)

Baby Blanket & Accessories

A few weeks ago I bought a new desk for my sewing room.  The old one was very narrow and didn't fit my sewing machine very well.  So now that I have a nice place to sew I have been in my sewing room working on things and actually finishing up some projects!  I know, don't faint.  Sooner or later I do finish things.  Mostly the later.

One of our family friends had a baby last week and I made this cute little quilt for her.  I started it about a month ago and didn't finish it in time for her shower, but I feel good that the baby is only a week old and I have the gift done! 

I had all of the fabrics in my stash.  I used the girl with the fox image on the fabric as the focal point and worked in some cutesy colors to coordinate with her. 

The pattern was pretty simple and it went together in just a couple of days.  I would definitely make this pattern again. 

And then in my spare time (!) I made some matching bibs with terry cloth on the back.

I found a pattern for some little shoes and decided to try it out.  They came out cute, but I think they took as long as the quilt did to make!  They were very tiny and I had a hard time fitting them und3er my sewing machine.  Mostly I had to sew them by hand.  They may be the first and the last pair that I make -ha ha. 

Here are the bibs with the shoes.

And here is the entire gift.  I hope she likes it! 

Tiny Flags

Today is Memorial Day when we remember our servicemen and those that gave their lives for our freedom.  My dad and my brother were both in the Navy.  My dad served in WW II and my brother was in the Vietnam War.  While they are both gone, I am still proud of their accomplishments and service in the military.

Today I'm posting these cute little flag pins that I made a few years back.  I found some fabric that had flags on it and fussy cut them.  They are sewn together as tiny quilts with a pin on the back of them so you can wear them.  They measure about 2" lengthwise and 1 3/4" in the width. 

Are you working on any patriot crafts today? 

Making Birthday Photo Cards

Stampin Up has some pretty designer paper with photos on it called Picture Perfect Party.  I was avoiding getting it for a while, but I saw some cute ideas online and decided to take the plunge.  This week I made 5 birthday/celebration cards with it.  I used the Picture Perfect stamp set for the sayings.  I love the colors and how the simple images look on a card. 

The paper with the donuts on it can be used for much more than birthday cards.  And we all know someone that loves donuts, right? 

For each card, I mounted the papers onto black background to make the sayings stand out better.  Then I added some of the new colored pearls and cute stamped images to tie in the colors.

All in all I made 5 cards.  And to my delight, I found that they all matched the envelopes from Sale-a-Bration!  They make a cute set, don't they?

I like them all but I think the donuts "take the cake" today.  :)

Making Microwave Bowl Holders

Some of the groups that I belong to on Facebook are ones that have to do with stamping or sewing projects.  (Hmm...Does that surprise you?)  One day I saw a photo of someone who had made some of these microwave bowl holders.  And she had a whole stack of them!

Anyway, I got that photo in my head and wanted to make some of these cute holders, so I took out some fabric and away I sewed.  They are so much fun to make, quick and easy and make a nice gift given with a bowl and some soup or something.

You can find the pattern on youtube- there's a lot of people making them.  I used mostly teals and some coordinating colors so that mine would match my kitchen.  Only problem is, I don't want to use them and get them dirty!  Ha ha!  I would just like to display them near my mircowave.  :)

Well, I might pick one to use.  If you get them dirty you can wash them in your washer.

Here is my "stack."  What do you think? 

Love What You Do (Part 2)

The month before the new Stampin Up catalog comes out, SU picks a stamp set and matching designer papers along with the embellishments that go with it and allows customers to purchase it as a sort of "Preview" of what is to come in the new catalog.

This year, they have featured a set called Love What You Do.  I has such nice sayings in it and the paper to coordinate with it is SO beautiful.  This photo doesn't do it justice at all.  The papers are a bit thicker than normal and they have a glittery sheen on them that highlights the flowers.  I can't get enough of it.  

Here is a sampling of the cards that I made using it this week.  Sorry I didn't take individual pics.  I found some of the ideas to make these cards from Facebook from Michele Jutrisa and Laura Milligan.   

In order to get the Statement of My Heart stamp, which I really needed (okay, wanted), I had to order a bunch of other supplies and it came with the set for free.  You won't be able to purchase the stamp so the only way to get it was to order the bundle.  So essentially I had to pay $127 for this stamp!  But I wanted to make something for my craft room with our Statement of the Heart on it.

I made this cute framed project with a frame that I picked up from Michaels for $1.  It was my turn to host the demonstrator meeting that I belong to - The Upstate Stampers - a wonderful group of fellow demonstrator ladies in my area.  We get together once a month, rotating homes, and make a couple of projects, share ideas, talk and stamp.  

I knew that the other demonstrators would want the Statement of the Heart for their craft rooms, too, so I made this as the stamping project.  I painted the frames with craft paint and prepared the cut outs for them.  All in all, about 14 ladies made the project with me today.  I think they all loved it as much as me.  So it was worth it, right?  

I didn't get a photo of the ladies while they were all here, but here is one of my tables set up to make the craft.  What a lovely afternoon that we had crafting together.  I'm looking forward to our meeting next month.  :)

Love What You Do

This month Stampin Up came out with a stamp called The Statement of My Heart.  It's the vision and heart of why I enjoy Stampin Up so much.  "To love what we do and share what we love..."  For 15 years I have been a Stampin Up demonstrator and have loved all of the creative aspects of it.  I've made so many wonderful friends and opened my home to many wonderful ladies that love stamping and creating projects like I do. 

I've even shared my stamping projects with ladies and other people around the world.  In 2005 I brought my stamping supplies and stamped with the nannies at an orphanage in Bejing, China.  It was a little hard communicating, but once the ladies figured out what we were doing, their smiles said it all. 

In 2008 I went on a Missions trip to Monterrey, Mexico and brought stamping supplies with me.  I had purchased some Spanish stamps before I went and on our journeys along the way, the teen girls and I stamped "Gracias" cards for all of the people who helped us.  They loved being able to be a part of making cards for the people in Mexico, especially in their own language.

In 2015 I traveled to Uganda, Africa to teach ladies how to sew.  I stayed with a missionary couple from my church.  I brought along a stamping class for my friend Patty to have in her home so that she wouldn't feel "left out" from all of the get-togethers that we have with our friends that we take for granted here in the US.  She invited over all of the other missionary ladies that she knew and had a "girls' craft night" in her home.  She was so blessed that I had thought to do this for her.  It was a special night indeed.

A few years ago on one of my travels, I even hosted a stamp class for ladies who couldn't hear.  My friend, Catherine, who is an audiologist in Rochester, NY, has a lot of deaf friends that she thought would love to craft with me in making some cards.  So off I went and held a class for her friends.  I had to speak slowly and make sure that the ladies were looking at me when I gave them instructions so that they could read my lips.  We sure did have a lot of laughs that night. 

Anyway, I'd have to say that Stampin Up has enriched my life and I'm so glad to have been on this adventure of life with them for the past 15 years.  As I look through the new Stampin Up catalog due to come out June, a bit of excitement rises up in me.  I have given the "thumbs up" sign to the ladies who come to my home for classes.  Yes, I will commit to stamping and having classes for another year.  Who knows what adventures may come.