Merry Monday-A 'Green' Christmas

Hello! I'm back again with something new(ish) that I'm hoping will keep me from panicking in December!  My dear stamping friend, Ann Marie starting making a set of Christmas cards each week.  I loved this idea and I'm hoping I can manage to keep up with this!!  Any extras that I can make before Christmas will be much better than last year!! Most of my cards were New Years instead of Christmas!

If you've been visiting my blog, you know that I've been attempting to set up my studio and get things organized.  One of the things I did accomplish was going through the Christmas cards we received this year.  The family photo cards, cards from very special people, and of course the handmade cards were saved.  I have a 'book' idea that I'm going to work on this summer to make these treasures easier to see!  There were some cards that got pitched (salespeople, business, etc.), but some were set back to have a new life!  Today's cards were made from one very pretty card that we received.  Two for one and it's even upcycling (hence the 'green' Christmas)! 

The first card was the front of the original card.  I just LOVE that glittery snow and the sweet house!  The second card was made from the back of the card and a piece of glittery snow cut off of the front.  Two super easy cards that will be mailed (again!) to someone special!

Thanks so much for visiting today and I hope you'll join me again next week! Maybe you can leave me a polite reminder if I don't make one each week! Ha!! Have a fabulous week!

Card Recipe: Paper-cherry cobbler, Accessories-used Christmas card

The Return of Throwback Thursday

Hello! I'm not sure, but I think I just might have my creative mojo back!  The cold weather and recent snow days allowed for some extra time to clean and reorganize my studio.  There is still a lot to be sorted, purged, and organized, but for now I can at least have a bit of room to make things!

A few years ago, when I posted more frequently, I started something called Throwback Thursday. These were creations using some of my 'forgotten' materials and techniques that hadn't been used in quite a while.  I hate to admit that in the past year, the majority of my supplies have been neglected and this has greatly increased my 'forgotten' stash.  So during my cleaning spree, I started a stack of things that I've had for a long time that needed to be moved to the front for use or for donation/disposal.  Anyone who knows me knows that disposal is the hardest thing for me! Luckily, my creativity kicked in and gave me a use for some of these mildly outdated items!

Today's cards are featuring some stickers (yes...these are from waaaaaay back...) that came in a kit.  I'm not positive, but they may have come from a QVC craft day marathon...  I also used two paper hearts that have been in a Valentines folder for who knows how long.  The stickers were part of a kit meant for scrapbooking, but I don't do much Valentines scrapbooking, so they were better suited to cards.  Luckily, the size of them made the card creation super speedy and now I have four Valentines ready to send!

The cards aren't anything fancy, but I think they turned out ok, and I'm sure the simple fact of receiving a Valentine in the mail will be more appreciated than the finished product!  I hope I've inspired you to dig into your neglected supplies and make something fun!  Maybe you'll join me in making and sending Valentines this year!  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Card Recipe: Paper-Real Red, Accessories-really old stickers!

Oui Four-It's a series now...

Hello! Yes, I am back again!  We've had a worse than average wintery winter this year.  I know...not exactly correct in the grammar department, but it's pretty accurate! The temperatures for January have been extremely cold, and while we haven't had record snow/ice accumulation, it has managed to do it during one weekend!  This meant a little more time for me to do a little tidying in my studio.  It's still not anywhere near where I want it to be, but it's a little more organized and my table is once again cleaned off and awaiting creativity to strike.  What does all of this have to do with my creating another altered yogurt jar?  Well, when I use snow days to clean and organize, it makes it a lot easier to walk into the studio and randomly create, especially when it's freezing outside, and a co-worker gives you more jars...

She was thrilled with her Christmas set and informed me that she now needs a set for each season and holiday!  I didn't make a wintery one because I didn't have any extra jars, but I did get one made in time for Valentine's day.  I even wiped the dust off my Cricut and cut some letters for this one! Of course, after cutting the letters, I had to do something with the negative space that was left!  It was the perfect excuse to make a Valentine card to go with the jar!

Series #4 Valentines

super simple-red tissue paper, pink pirouette cardstock letters, 

and a bit of pretty white ribbon

the 'scraps' from the letters made a perfect piece to

 attach to a card front for a super simple Valentine

I hope you enjoyed my post for today and if you choose to join me in altering yogurt jars, please let me know! I would love to see what others can do with these cute little jars!  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Oui! Take three!

Hi! I am so glad you stopped by today!  I have a little altered/green creation for today.  Before we get to the crafty stuff, I need to do some explaining lest you think I don't know how to count...  A few months ago, a co-worker jokingly challenged me to do something fun with her Oui yogurt jars.  I took home her empty jar and brought back a nice little fall decoration.  Little did I know the monster it would create.  A few days later she gave me a shopping bag with more jars in it...

I managed to make two really fun jars that were decoupaged with Halloween napkins and looked quite vintage by the time I was finished.  I also managed to forget to take a picture of them... So that was the second series.  Today, I'm sharing the Christmas/Holiday jars that I gave her for Christmas.  This makes three, hence 'take three'.  

I'm not sure how many more there will be in the series, but I'm already thinking Valentines, St Patrick's, and Easter!  If you are interested in seeing the first jar, you can see it here!

I am really bummed that I didn't get a photo of the Halloween ones, because I think the napkin versions were my favorites.  They just seemed to melt onto the jar and had a slightly translucent finish that looked great with the battery operated tealights.  The Christmas set was covered with some beautiful gift wrap that had red glittery ornaments on it.  I didn't take into account the weight of the paper and it was a bit difficult to work with at times.  Pieces didn't want to wrap and stay the way I placed them...  If you want to give this a try, I would suggest either distressing the paper first, or going with a lightweight gift wrap.

The holly leaves were bits that I had in my stash (probably from an old Christmas decoration), and I colored some large rhinestones with a red Sharpie to make the holly berries.  I also managed to sneak in some Christmas ribbon from my stash.  I wish I could say it made a big dent, but it didn't!  I swear that stuff multiplies sometimes...

My co-worker has been enjoying receiving her little gifts for each season and I swear she's eating that stuff simply to get more pretties!  Personally, I'm enjoying the new 'canvas' and it's been a great way to experiment with different materials and ideas.  Isn't that at the heart of any creative endeavor?  I hope you've enjoyed another recycled project and maybe you'll be decoupaging your own 'trash' soon!  Have a fantastic day!

Still using the Speedy Style...

Hello and welcome!  At the risk of boring you to death with more of the same, I'm sharing a few more cards I made using the Speedy approach.  It seems like I'm always needing birthday cards and I don't have a lot of thank you type cards either, so I quickly added a few cards to my stash using the 12x12 into 4x4 method.

I'm not going to go into detail again, but if you need the directions, they can be found here.  I used Well Worn DSP for a bit of a masculine touch, and Sunshine & Sprinkles worked perfectly for something a bit more girly!

Sentiment from Number of Years

Sentiment from Stampabilities (really old stamp!)

Sentiment from Apothecary Art

I love how these basic cards really showcase the fantastic prints of the papers and I've managed to eliminate a few pages from my paper supply (not that you could tell by looking...).

While I still absolutely LOVE Stampin' UP, I just couldn't justify attempting to keep my consultant status during everything I was juggling last year.  I am sure I will eventually go back because I love my Stamp Clubs and Classes and would love to do them again in the future.  Since I'm no longer pressured (yeah, that's the excuse word I'll use) into having all new product, I am making a resolution to make a massive dent in my paper stash this year.  Our church does a greeting card/note outreach program and I am planning on making several note cards to donate, and I'm considering doing something online to sell my cards and creations as well. 

During our move, I had an intervention type moment with my ribbon stash as well!  You really don't know how much you have in boxes and containers until you try to put everything in a new space... So I'm thinking there will be a lot of card making and scrapbooking that involves the use of ribbon as well!  Wish me luck!  Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a marvelous day!

Card Recipe: Paper-Well Worn, Sunshine & Sprinkles, crumb cake, river rock, daffodil delight, Ink-cajun craze, not quite navy, melon mambo, Stamp Sets-Number of Years, Apothecary Art

Speedy Delivery!

Hello and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Personally, I'm finding it hard to believe that 2017 is over! We bought our new home a year ago, spent a few months renovating and updating, DH had major surgery with a loooong recovery, DD1 graduated, Dad was diagnosed with colon cancer (had surgery, broke a hip, and is currently receiving chemo), and we still don't have our bathroom or my studio quite finished... I blinked and a year was gone!  I have also done very little in the creative area (other than decorating our home), and am really feeling the effects of not using this stress relieving outlet!

It was so busy that I finished my Christmas cards on Christmas Day and mailed them out a few days after Christmas.  Needless to say, I didn't put a lot of time into the making process.  I found a shortcut on Pinterest (sorry, not sure who it was-didn't pin it!) that made finishing the cards a lot easier.

Cut a 12x12 piece of pattern paper into 4x4 squares (9 squares total).  Then cut the 4x4 square on the diagonal and attach it to a card base.  Stamp a sentiment in the blank space and you're done! SUPER SIMPLE AND QUICK! 

I made two different sets of cards to mail out and then also made a third set into Thank You cards for holiday gifts.

Sentiment from Special Season

Sentiment from Curly Cute

Sentiment from Loving Thoughts

When I was trying to come up with a catchy title for this post I had the words flash, fast, dash, quick running through my brain, but none of the phrases ended up being fun enough. Suddenly, I went back in time to Mr Roger's Neighborhood and 'Speedy Delivery' was the winner.  It was a perfect fit since these did become speedy deliveries for the holidays!

We had a great Christmas with family and enjoyed a bit of 'down time' to actually enjoy the decorations and goodies in our own home. I am always reflective this time of year, but especially this year it has been so clear that it is so important to have our priorities in the proper order.  As much as I love my blog and creating, these weren't at the top of the list this year.  Instead, I've enjoyed time with my parents,  husband and children.  We've accomplished  a lot and are near the time of kicking back to enjoy the fruits of our labor without adding more to the work list.  I hope you found something inspiring here and that your new year is a time of renewed hope and filled with peace!

Card Recipe: Paper-Season of Cheer, whisper white, soft sky, Ink-Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Stamp Sets-Loving Thoughts, Curly Cute, Special Season

'Green' Christmas

Hi!  So glad you're here!  I'm not trying to jump the gun on the upcoming holidays or anything, but I'm in a bit of a panic that I do not have many Christmas cards made and it is the end of October...

Fall break gave me some much needed time to do some sorting, cleaning, organizing, and yes, creating in my studio.  I even managed to use something that has been in my stash for quite some time.  

My DH loves to give me a difficult time about the odd things I save for creative projects, and I LOVE when I use something and can show him that I really did need to save whatever it was that he laughed at!  Several years ago, my MIL used some beautiful textured paper to wrap Christmas gifts.  I saved the paper for future use and about a year later, she gave me the remainder of the roll to use as well.  I decided to use the pretty paper to make some wonderful Christmas cards.  The paper was a bit tricky to cut because of the texture, but I decided that imperfect edges would work well with the shabby style I was creating.

a little inky goodness to add to the shabby effect...

changing up the sentiment on this one...

I think they turned out pretty cute and I'm happy to share that I used all of the paper from the wrapped gift!  I still have the remaining paper on the roll that I can still use for something fun too!  When I showed the finished cards to DH, he just smiled and shook his head.  I'm sure I will never convince him that saving these goodies is a wonderful idea, but he's learning not to ask "What are you going to do with THAT?!", so I guess I'm making a bit of a change in him!

I would love to see what you save and reuse on your creative projects! I think the oddest thing I've used was some funky, crinkly packing paper from Disney World!  If you have something to share, leave me a message with a link and I'll check it out!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Card Recipe:  Paper-Old olive, very vanilla, wrapping paper, Ink-memento tuxedo black, real red, soft suede, Stamps-Star Studded Season (1st card), Stampabilities Blessed Christmas (2nd card)

A little play time

Hello! We have finally made it to our fall break at school and I couldn't be happier!  It seems like since we've moved, I find so many other things that require my time and I have little time to be creative...  But now I have an entire week off of school and I'm determined to get some things accomplished in my studio!  The past two days have been spent doing laundry and catching up with neglected projects, and, now my focus is on working in the studio.  This will include a bit of cleaning, reorganizing, and maybe even a trip to find more storage pieces! So excited!!

This afternoon, I was able to sneak a little time to make some cards for my stash.  My organizers are pretty empty and there are birthdays and anniversaries just around the corner.  I decided to focus on anniversary today and pulled up a design I pinned a very long time ago.  It was actually a quilt block design, but I love altering those to make some cute quilt like cards!  Click here to see the original design.

I used 1" squares of whisper white and rich razzleberry from the Sycamore Street dsp.  Some were kept whole, while others were cut diagonally to make triangles.  Personally, I find that it's easier to glue my squares/triangles to a piece of copy paper and then run that through an embossing folder.  I'm not sure how else to keep the pieces together...  

I decided to mix things up a bit.  I did the first one with the sentiment stamped on the side and decided that I didn't care for that as much as I originally planned.  So the next one was stamped under the quilted piece.  I also changed the patterned paper behind the quilting. I'm not sure which I like better.  I think the multi colored piece makes the heart stand out more.

Well, I really don't have much more to share today, but I am so glad you stopped by!  I'm going to try to be super productive this week and hopefully will have more to share with you in the near future!  Have a wonderful day!

Card Recipe:  Paper-rich razzleberry, whisper white, Sycamore Street dsp, Ink-memento tuxedo black, Stamp Set-Wonderful Words, Accessories-big shot, square lattice embossing folder

Decoupage-Challenge accepted!

Hello! I am so glad you visited and even more happy that I've been able to make something to share with you!  

About a week ago, a co-worker was eating Oui yogurt with her lunch and we all commented on the cute glass jar that it came in. We discussed the recycling vs. plastic trash aspect of the container and someone commented that it would be a cute jar to hold little things like paperclips.  Then someone else mentioned making it a candle holder.  I suggested decoupaging it so it would be even cuter.  Dead silence.... Finally... "Deco what?" So I gave a short tutorial on the versatility of decoupage and how many different looks one could achieve through this medium.  This led my co-worker to hand me her empty jar with the challenge of "make something".  They all laughed as I asked what theme she would like.  She responded that Halloween or Fall would be great.  Our lunch ended with people guessing just how that yogurt jar would be made over.

That weekend, I got busy.  I thoroughly cleaned the jar, removed the labels and dug out my left-over fall papers.

The cute little yogurt jar

Next I tore some burlap print paper into squares and triangles, and began to decoupage the papers onto the jar.

After everything dried, I inked the white paper spots with various shades of brown ink, smudging and smearing it onto the paper.  A glittery silk leaf and a burlap flower were added to give the jar a bit of flair.

 I used rubber bands to hold the leaf and flower in place until the glue dried.

the finished product!

Monday morning, I went to my co-workers classroom and placed the jar on her desk.  Her face registered shock and amazement as she slowly realized this was her yogurt jar!  She was very pleased and I passed the decoupage challenge with flying colors!  Now everyone is saving their jars for me... What have I started?!

I hope my project and story have inspired you to look at your 'junk' with new eyes and find a way to brighten someone else's day as well!  Have a fabulous day!!

It's almost fall, y'all!

While it's not officially fall in the US yet, today's weather is letting us know that it won't be long.  Seems the wind and rain from Harvey decided to bring colder temperatures with them. Today was a dreary, cold, rainy day, but I'm counting my blessings that it could be much worse.  My heart aches for all those who have lost loved ones, homes, and possessions to this.  I'm praying that sunny days and plenty of help are heading to Texas!

On a totally unrelated topic, I had always thought that as my kids got older, I would have more free time to create and that once I had my own room for crafting, everything would just fall into place. HA!  It's funny how even though I'm doing less running with my kids, I still don't have a lot of 'free' time, and I am still trying to sort through boxes of craft and art supplies.  I'm hoping that the long weekend will afford at least one day to organize a little bit more and maybe even allow for some creative time.

I did take a few evenings to work on a little project for my mantle (which still is not in place...) and I'm pretty happy with the results.  I found the set of MDF letters unfinished at Hobby Lobby and they were 40% off! Of course, since I didn't have all of my supplies unpacked, I HAD to buy some new fall papers and some wonderful burlap flowers to dress those naked letters!

I started with a taupe colored acrylic paint and painted the sides and backs of the letters.  The next evening,  I traced and cut out the patterned paper, glued it on and let it dry overnight.  The next day, I trimmed and sanded the edges of the paper, added some ink to cover any white paper peeking through, and added a nice layer of crackle medium.

The next day I was a bit disappointed to see that the crackle wasn't at all what I wanted it to be. I could barely see the crack lines... I'm thinking the MDF absorbed more than I expected, and I really didn't want to add another layer, so I got out my sponge and a crumb cake ink pad and grunged up the edges.  It wasn't the look I originally planned, but it turned out ok.

My final step was to glue on some fall colored silk leaves from my stash and top them with the adorable burlap flowers.  I think they turned out pretty good and with my bargain shopping, they were actually cheaper than if I would have bought something similar!

I hope you enjoyed my project and just  maybe I inspired you to create your own seasonal decoration!  If so, I would love to see what you created!  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!