Dragonfly Watercolor

When I first saw the dragonflies stamp set and framelits in the Occasions catalog, I didn't think that I needed them (Ha ha).  But after seeing so many pretty cards and projects, I decided to get them.

Last week I took out the framelits and made this interesting card.  I started with watercolor paper and colored streaks with the watercolor pencils.  Then I added some water with a paint brush and made the background look like watercolor.  Then I added the dragonfly cut-out.

I have to say that it's not my normal "style," but I just love how it turned out.  It was sort of like eating Lay's potato chips, I couldn't make just one!  Here are some more color options.  I found this idea from pattystamps.com.

This card isn't your style?  Try taking out the watercolor pencils and giving it a try anyway.  It was a lot of fun to make.  What color scheme can you come up with?  What other framelits or shapes would look good on this kind of background?

Avant Garden

Here is another card that I made using the Avant Garden set.  I don't usually pair Pacific Point color with Perfect Plum, but I like how these two colors go together in this card.  And what really makes the card is the shimmery silver paper that is used for the scalloped oval frame. 

I added some designer paper to coordinate and used the Petal Burst embossing folder for the background. I found this idea from stampnlinger.com. 

Do you like the shimmery paper?

Hey, Chick!

Another fun stamp set is "Hey, Chick" that features some funny looking chickens strutting their stuff!  Here is a card sample that I made using one of the chickens.  I stamped the arm twice, cut it out and then raised it using a couple of glue dot so that the chicken looks like he's holding the sign.

They are both the same card, only using two different sides of the designer paper, giving them each a very different look.

Which one do you like better? 

The Sheltering Tree

I've always liked images with trees or paths in them.  The other day I took a stamp set that I've had for quite a while and have just never used, The Sheltering Tree.  I made this card using mint macaron color for the leaves.  I just love how it came out.  I ended up making several of these cards, but quickly gave them away before taking a photo of them.  You can't see from the photo, but the green leaves have some Wink of Stella on them to give them a glitterly sheen.

I got the idea from the a card that I've seen on Pinterest by Lisa Pretto.  I changed the colors to reflect more of a spring-time look.  It's like a tree that is still bare from winter but hoping for the green leaves of spring to come quickly!

Next I made this thank you card using the same color, mint macaron.  It's definitely one of my favorite colors.  This card has more of an elegant look to it.  I like the stitched shapes framelits used on this card for the square cut-outs.  The edges of the squares look like they have stitching on them.  They don't really, it's just how they come out of the Big Shot.  It reminds me of sewing.  :)

The image is from the Avant Garden set that was featured in the Sale-a-bration catalog.  I also like the cut out leaves as accent pieces.  I found the idea on the Chase and Main page.

Here are the two cards.  Which one do you like best?

How to Make a Vision Board

 This past January I had the idea of making some Vision Boards to help keep me on track of my goals for 2017.  I invited some friends over for a Vision Board night and we had so much fun encouraging each other and working on our boards.

I had so much to "say" in the form of magazine photos and words that I ended up making two Vision Boards to include everything!  One is for mostly for my home and family life and the other reflects my creative and crafty side.  :)

To keep them from getting ruined, I bought some frames at Michaels to hang them on the wall in my craft room and keep me inspired.

To plan my Vision Board Night, I bought a foam poster board for each person and some glue sticks.  Then I cleared off several tables for us to work on.  Everyone brought magazines to share that we used for cutting photos and words from.  I also had some scrapbook papers for the background.

Here we are pouring over magazine photos and ripping out pages.  We shared our goals with each other so we could help one other find the pictures of what we liked.  It was fun because we would find cute ads and then ask each other things like, "Who wants to be thin in 30 days?" 

 Once we gathered enough photos from the magazines, we placed them onto the boards and started gluing them down.

Everyone finished their board in a little over 2 hours.   They were so much fun to work on together and to share our goals with one another.

Some of the girls had more photos and some, like my friend Julie, had more words.  It just depended on what people were looking for.  There aren't really any rules.  And if you don't have any goals, it's still fun to cut out photos of things that you like from the magazine, sort of like an "All About Me" page.

Each person's board was so creative.  And so much like them.  At the end of the night, we were all proud of our work! 

Would you like to make a Vision Board?  They are really very easy.  And you could even invite some friends over to work on it with you.  It doesn't have to be January for you to set goals.  :)

 And guess what, I've found that I have actually been accomplishing some of my goals for this year already!

Let me know if you make one and how it comes out. 

Winter Outside, Spring Inside

This morning I started out wanting to make a spring Easter-looking table runner.  Ironically, I have another day off from work due to the Blizzard of 2017.  It's snowy and the wind is howling but I'm warm inside making spring items and taking out the Easter decorations!

 Last week while I was in Joann's just buying a spool of thread, I couldn't help walking by the new Easter fabrics.  They were so spring-looking with their beautiful pastel colors.  I noticed the sign that said they were on sale, so I stopped to talk a closer look at them.  Hmm, what could I make?

Just then one of the girls who work there said that all fabric was an additional 20% that day.  I guess that was all that I needed to hear and started putting fabrics into my cart!

Once I got home, I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with them.  So I looked on Pinterest, and saw this angled table runner.  I didn't have a patterns, so I took out some paper and worked a little with the angles to make a template.

I quickly cut out some of the fabric and "whipped" this up this morning.  I just love how it came out. I added a quick Easter decoration, and already the house is looking pretty spring-like!  Now I need to make more of them for the remaining tables and counters in my house.  Too bad it's back to work tomorrow! 

What To Do With Strips of Fabric

A friend of mine recently had some surgery and I wanted to make a little something for her.  While I was getting my steps in and doing my daily walking at Hobby Lobby, I noticed this really bright and cheery fabric that was on sale.  Of course, I had to get some! 

The first thing that I did was to cut it into strips.  Then I had the idea to make a couple of cosmetic-type zippered bags with it.  There's no sense in just making one, so I made three of them.  I lined them with felt and it was just the right thickness to make them sturdy without being too stiff.  I just happened to have zippers to match on hand, so I used those.

I was going to sew small tabs on the sides of them, but was sort of in a hurry and decided against it.  Now I wish that I had taken the time to do it.  I think tabs make the zippered bags look more finished.

Then with some of the remaining strips, I sewed this hexagon centerpiece.  Can you see the flamingos in the fabric?  I just love them!  I think it came out so cute.  So cute, that I went back to Hobby Lobby and purchased more flamingo fabric!  I'll take that out and use it on another day.  :)  Stay posted.