Okay, I'll Start on Christmas!

 Some of you know that I resist making Christmas cards and projects in Aug, Sept and Oct.  But I've finally given in and taken out some Christmas stamps and papers!  My holiday classes have begun.

I used the new oval framelits to accent the saying on the card and on the gift bag.  I just love how the scallop oval frames the sayings.  I think it adds a lot of class to the projects. 

I love the little grapevine ornament!  I got the idea from the Stampin Up holiday catalog.  It's hard to see in the photo, but I put the musical note designer paper inside the wreath to give it a slight vintage look.  I used a circle punch for the circle shape and a glue gun to adhere it to the wreath.  The rest of the embellishments are held with assorted sized glue dots. 

The gift bag can be used to hold a cookie, a gift card or a note.  You could also put some cash in there for a special recipient.  Pretty much, anything small can go in it.  :)

I wasn't sure if I liked the card in the off-white colors, so I re-made the projects using white cardstock.  Usually I'm not a big fan of the vanilla, but this time I do like it better than the white. 

I used the stamp set, Peace this Christmas and got my ideas on Pinterest from Jennifer Frost.

Which do you prefer, the card and ornament made with the vanilla or do you like it in the white?

The Owls Have Flown In!

Remember the cute little owls that I made for a baby gift?  Well, I redesigned them to make them look more like a woodland decor item than a kids' toy.  He's cute, right?  Don't you love the little scarf that I crocheted for him?  And I even made a matching hexagon placemat to set him on!

 Here are a few more cuties adorned in fall colors just in time for November and Thanksgiving.  The two on the ends look like they're keeping watch over the others!

Here are a few more that flew in, dressed in more of a teal-colored palate, one of my new favorite colors to decorate with.

And this one I think is my favorite.  He's sort of plain looking, but I think that I like him because of that.

Which one do you like best?

Taking a Stroll Down Candy Cane Lane

This week I offered a stamping class featuring fun designer paper named Candy Cane Lane.  Doesn't the name of the paper just get you in the mood for making some holiday projects?  It features Chocolate Chip (dark brown), Crumb Cake (tan) and Cherry Cobbler red paper.  I had so much fun using these three colors and coming up with the cards and this cute little box.

The box is make using the Baker 's Box thinlits.  It went together very quickly and easily (no matter what the ladies who come to my class say!).   I decorated it with a house cut out from the paper and some stamped designs that I also cut out and added.  Although you can't see it in the photo, I added some Wink of Stella glitter to the snow on the top of the houses on all of the projects.

This card is a dimensional shaker card.  It has two layers on the front with a window and some "snow" inside that you can shake around the little house.  The house is a cut out from the designer paper.  I didn't have a square cut out framelit, so I used this shape that came from the pillow box thinlet set.  I actually think that I like this better because the shape adds some interest to the card.

This next card is pretty simple to make.  I embossed the white paper using the Softly Falling embossing folder.  This adds just a simple design to the background that then added some cut outs from the designer paper.  I copied the idea from Sandy Moll on Pinterest.  Okay, all of the ladies in my class grumbled about cutting out the pieces, but don't they look cute on this card?  After the card was assembled, they all liked how it turned out.  :)

My favorite card of the night was this cute card turning the little gingerbread house into a birdhouse!  I got the idea on Pinterest from Amanda Bates .  I love how she added some birds from the Thoughtful Branches stamp set.  I think that makes it so much cuter!

Which one of the projects do you like the best?  Majority vote from the class was for the shaker card.  But I am voting for the birdhouse card.  :)

It All Started With a Skirt

It's been a couple of months now since I've moved into my new home, and I'm still trying to set up my sewing room so that I can just walk in and sew.  Needless to say, it's not quite at that stage right now!

However, I had a birthday party to go to for a special friend turning one-year old and wanted to make her a little something.  It all started with this skirt.

I had her Mom measure her waist and then I took out some cute coordinating fabric that I had in my stash to make her the skirt.  I went out and bought some pink rick-rack to add to the bottom to make it even more girly.

Then I went in the stamping room to make a card to match.  To my surprise, I actually found designer paper that matched the skirt!  It was paper from Heidi Grace designs that had purchased it a few years ago and have never used.  I added the cute little owl stamp (because her party theme was owls) and love how it matches the skirt.  :)

Then while browsing on Pinterest, I came across some cute little owl stuffed toys and decided to make a couple of them to match, too!  The original idea came from CakeShop Craft, and I modified it so that a little child can play with them with no buttons that can come off.

Here's the whole set.  What do you think?

Now just to wrap it up and get it off to my little friend.  :)

Still More Summer!

Last week I made this card that I copied from Mary Fish.  I just think it's the cutest summery card ever!  I took out the Jars of Love stamp set, stamped the 3 jars first onto white cardstock and then onto the pretty Fruit Stand designer paper.  I used the framelits to cut out the white jars, and then I hand-cut the jars on the designer paper, cutting just inside of the second jar lines.  This makes the "fruit" look like it's inside of the jars.

I embossed the jar lids with gold embossing powders and then arranged the jars on the card using some dimensional dots on the left side of the jars, giving them the look like they are sitting on a shelf.  The saying is from Apple of My Eye. 

Seriously, can it get any cuter than this?  I'm off to make more.  :)

Ah, Still More Summer

 I just love the end of summer when the air gets less humid and the nights get a little cooler.  This time of year I love sunflowers and the mellow yellows and browns.  I saw this card idea by Kathy Beck on Pinterest.  I used the Awesomely Artistic stamp set to make it. 

My next card using the same color scheme is this Happy Day quick-and-easy card.  I used The Perfectly Wrapped stamp set and then stamped and punched out the saying using the 2" circle punch and the 2 3/8" scallop punch.  I colored some pearls with a deep yellow Sharpie marker for the centers of the flowers. 

Which one reminds you more of late summer?

But It's Still Summer!

Today I'm supposed to be working on coming up with some Christmas cards and projects for my next stamping class.  I just have such a hard time making holiday things months before the holidays are here!  I'm still wanting to enjoy the last bits of summer and early fall. 

While looking for ideas on Pinterest, I came across this little guy who caught my eye!  I just got back from a weekend at the lake and wanted to still make something "summery."  He came out so cute, that I made a whole batch of the little guys.  What a fun set - You're Sublime; it has cute single images in it.  I think the "googly eyes" made him come alive!  I used the Everyday Chic designer paper for the bottom portion - got the idea from Connie Babbert. 

Do you ever have a hard time making projects out of season?  Let me know what your secrets are for getting in the holiday "spirit" during August and September.