Little Somethings to Share Today

It’s been another fairly busy crafting week, mixed in with appointments here and there. Here's one of this week's projects.

A friend had asked  if I would make her some cards like the one I had sent her congratulating her on her new home—she loved the lace die cut edging and the smaller size (these are 3-1/2" x 5").  So I got out my Big Shot and my Papertrey Ink edger die (the same one I used on the "Feel Better Friend" card in an earlier post) and cut away.  Thinking I would make an extra or two to fill my own “ready to go stash” basket, I cut 5 cards and matching papers.  When I emailed the pics to my friend to choose the ones she liked, she liked them all...so all 5 she got!

Here’s the card that started it all:

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2     Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Out of Print Collection    Die Cuts: Spellbinders Labels Two and Fancy Tags dies    Pearls & Resin Rose: Prima    Seam Binding: Hug Snug    Butterfly from local craft store    Mini house made with various papers and lace strips from stash    Sentiment printed on printer

And that led to these...starting with a card for any occasion.  I played with a new crackle medium (new to me, that is) on this card - it's by DecoArt and it's a one-coat process.  It's easy and fun and I think I'll be using it a lot more!  I inked the chipboard frame with Distress Ink first, then did the crackle coat and finished it off by rubbing Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the cracks to emphasize them just a bit.

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Out of Print collection    Chipboard Frame: Tattered Angels    Crackle Medium: DecoArt    Paper leaves & Pearls: Prima    Lace Applique: Jolee’s    Rayon Seam Binding: Hug Snug    Flower from the craft store, vintage image from the Internet

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Paper: Echo Park For the Record collection    Felt doilies: MyFavoriteThings Die-namics Decorative Doily Duo Dies    Pearls: Recollections      Felt Rose: MyFavoriteThings Die-namics Mini Rolled Rose Dies    Sentiment Stamp: Hero Arts    Ribbon for ribbon flower, cotton lace from the local craft store

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Papers: Crate Paper Portrait collection (b/w stripe), My Mind’s Eye Stella Rose Hazel collection (pink)    Dies: Spellbinders Labels 10 (pink) & Fleur de Lis Accents (sentiment block)    Sentiment Stamp: Fiskars    Cotton lace and velvet leaf: Prima    Rosebuds: violamahr on Etsy

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Papers: My Mind’s Eye Stella Rose Mabel collection    Die: Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Motifs    Paper flower, Pearl Flourishes: Prima    Mini Pearls: Recollections     Felt Rose: MyFavoriteThings Die-namics Mini Rolled Rose Dies     Sentiment Stamp: Hero Arts    Edge Punch for Sentiment Tag:  EK Success Parisian    Wide lace for flower and background from local craft store   

I love making my own flower embellishments, and the flower on this next card was no exception.  I used some cotton lace yardage from the craft store as a base. Over that is a flower that I crocheted with cotton thread, and in the center, three tiny Prima roses and pearls.

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Papers: Echo Park Victoria Gardens collection    Die: Spellbinders Labels Four    Sentiment Stamp: Papertrey Ink    Edge Punch for Sentiment Tag: EK Success     Flower made using craft store lace, handmade crocheted flower, 3 Prima mini roses and 3 Prima pearls    Leaves: Prima

Have a wonderful weekend!

Only another crafter would understand my delight

I haven't had a project to post here for a week, since I'm working on a few projects that I can't post for a while, and the personal cards I've made haven't been sent to their new homes yet, so I don't want to risk the recipients seeing them here before they see them in their mailboxes.

However, I do have a fun thing to shout to the rafters.  I'm one of thousands of people who still enter contests for products I like knowing that other people will win them, and not me. But I like the products, and nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

This past weekend, my non-winner streak was happily broken by Spellbinders (click the link to read the details)... and yep, I still go to their weekend email, and now the blog, to make sure it's really me and I didn't make this up in my mind. If you scroll down past their blog post announcing the win, you can start to see all the die sets that are included in this prize...it's CRAZY FUN!

Only another crafter would understand my delight...

It's the nature of crafting...

As you're creating away, and the mojo is working like it should, you realize you're really liking the way things are turning out. (And why doesn't it happen this way every time? We'll talk "throwaways" another day.)  In fact, you like it so much, you're starting to reconsider if you just want to keep it around for a while and admire it...not give it away as was the original intent.  That's what happened with this card.

Logically, it's a small collection of papers and lace and ribbons and flowers, glued and attached together to form a single card. When it was all finished,  the emotion it evoked  (at least in me) was the exact feeling I hoped it would when I started pulling the supplies I wanted to use. I guess it's that Crafty Secrets vintage image that just made me think "awwww...so sweet."  

It came together naturally, and felt "right" when it was done. That doesn't happen with every card or project I finish. I like them all, but in varying degrees, depending on how much experimentation I did in the process, and how well those experiments turned out. More often than I'd prefer, the experiments either turn out very different than I imagined - good or not as good -  or they never see the light of day because they're (I have to admit this...) just really bad.

I did decide to put this card in the shop, and it's gotten its fair share of views and hearts, and I can only hope that if it does sell and go to a deserving home, it's one where it doesn't get tossed in the trash after a week or so. LOL


Supplies: 
Vintage image & quote:Crafty Secrets 'Vintage Photos' set;  Cotton lace:Prima;   Pink paper:BasicGrey Sweet Threads collection;  Cream paper:BoBunny Gabrielle collection;  Pearl Flourishes:Prima;  Stamps & Edge Die: Papertrey Ink

Better late than never

I know...I'm just a few years behind the rest of you who started blogs years ago, while I sat around and admired your creativity. Just blame it on my lack of confidence with my computer skills, which will be evident to all, I'm sure, with these first few blog posts. But I'm going to give this a go, and hope that I have enough interesting things to say and show that someone might find it fun to visit now and then!

So, with a little bit of trepidation, let's see how this first short post goes, and if I can even do something as simple as add a photo to my post. I made this fun little card a few days ago to add to my Etsy shop, using a Glitz Designs vintage bingo card die cut as the focal point.

With luck, I'll get this blogging thing down, and get the design ironed out, and have some fun things to share with you.  In the meantime, if you happened to stroll by and find me before I'm ready to announce this little blog even exists...well, thanks!