The Grassy Grove

This week I took out the set, Grassy Grove and made some fun cards with it.  For my first card, I used the cut out as the front of the card.  The designer papers are placed on the inside and the deer are peeking through.  I got the idea for this card from Sherry Roth.  She has a video on how to do the inside of the card.  You can watch it here if you'd like to learn more.  

All of the ladies (including me) loved making this card.  I used Winter Meadows papers for my cards this week.  

I got the idea for this next card from Brian King.  I cut out part of the die cut image using a circle and then added the scalloped background to it.  This really give the dies a lot more versatility!  I stamped a moon and stars to make it look like night time and added a small silver deer.  

This paper with the trees is one of my favorites!  It's great for outside, wintry and scenery cards.  Alhouth this card is pretty simple, I just love the look of it.  

For my third card in this series, we sponged some Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron inks onto a white background paper using a rectangular mask.  Then I added the grass, trees and birds in the sky.  I used sayings from the Hills of Tuscany stamp set because I liked the sweet sayings and font.

After I stamped the saying, I ran the piece through the emboss machine using the Subtle folder.  Then I added it to a blank scalloped rectangle, and added the two deer.  This idea was from Diane Vander Galien.  

After playing around with the Grassy Grove set, I decided that it can be used in so many different ways. You may even see the deer family again in a Christmas card.  :)

 

Artistic Dies

 Last year Stampin Up had a nice die cut set called Artistic Dies.  Sadly, I never got to use it before it retired and went out of the catalog.  The other day I found it and decided to make a few things with it.  

I cut out the leaf in gold papers and added them to the Expressions in Ink papers that were part of the suite of products.  

I added a ribbon, a saying framed in gold and a couple of butterflies. I thought the cards came out quite pretty.  

The second card uses the Stitched Greenery die for the background and a different cut out from the set for the main focal point.  

I added a ribbon, some gold sprigs and an oval saying with a bow.  I got the idea from Karen Young on Pinterest. 

My third card uses the negative image from the die cut to show off some pretty papers.  I got this idea from Juleen Henderson.  

I loved using the Artistic Die set.  I will definitely put some of these pretty die cut images on more cards.  :)

Woodland Grocery Tote Bag

My quilt guild meets for the months Sept to June.  Six of those months are in-person meetings and I make a homemade project to be raffled off for each of those months.  This year for September I made another Grocery/Tote bag using a woodland print that I got at Joann's.  I love the forest animals and the soft colors in the print.  

I used indoor-outdoor fabrics and put a piece of fleece between the top fabric and the linings.  This makes the bag a bit stiffer so that it can stand up, but not too think so that you can fold it.

I made the front and lining pieces and quilted them together and then assembled.  I use a zig-zag overcast stitch to cover the edges of the seams and to finish them off inside the bag.

The handles have webbing in them to keep them sturdy through a lot of use.  

The large buttons are from Stampin Up from a few years back.  They make a great embellishment to the front of the bag.  

When I was making this bag, I cut out for two bags, but haven't finished the second one yet.  I want to make another one for myself.  :)

 

Irish Chain Quilt #2

This week I had a chance to put the binding onto the Irish Chain quilt that I am making for my daughter.  Last year I gave her a table runner that was made in the same colors. So the quilt will coordinate with it.  I hope that she likes it!

The color of the fabric is a bit greener than what the photo shows.  It's more of a celery green than a beige green.  I started this quilt last year and am proud to get it done in a somewhat quick period of time!  

For the back of the quilt, I found a pretty paisley print that had different greens in it and I thought that it gives some interest to the quilt.  Of course, you could display it either way.  

The quilting has free motion daisy flowers in it.  I love how it turned out.  I hope my daughter likes it as much as I do.  :)