Summer Birthday DTC#61

Hi there!  Welcome to my blog.

This morning I sat down at my crafty dining room table to make a card for the newest Double Trouble Challenge.

They have a Tic Tac Toe Puzzle Challenge 

to get you started

and are partnering with Cupcake Inspirations Challenge.

 

 I needed one more birthday card this month, which gave me a theme.

I almost forgot to mention that Twisted Sister would like to see a lot of bling.

 Keeping all of that in mind, I started to make my card.

I always look around my table first to see if there are any scraps I can use.  There sat a pile of fabric scraps, leftovers from some masks I've been making.  I picked up a piece of material with pretty summer daisies on it and proceeded to put together this card.

I think I'll send the mask along with the card.

It has a pretty green fabric lining and is reversible.

My friend will like it, I'm sure.

Challenges:

Double Trouble Challenge #61 - TicTacToe Puzzle (I used the middle column, summer, flowers, die cut balloon and frame, punched butterflies.) /Bling/also entered  CIC#497

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #497 - Flowers with Pearls/Sequins

613 Avenue Create Challenge #235 - AG option of Sentiment as the Focus

Allsorts Challenge #579 - Summertime 

Alphabet Challenge - G is for Glitter and Gems
Aud Sentiments Challenge #254 - Summer + a Sentiment
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Bright and Cheerful
Crafting Happiness Challenge #56 - AG option of Things That Fly (balloon and butterflies)
A Place to Start July Challenge - Flowers

Get Creative Challenge #93 - Birthday

Birthday Bash at Bugaboo Day 3

The 10th Annual Bugaboo Birthday Bash 

is already on Day 5.

I'm still on Day 3, an ABC Challenge, Anything But a Card. 

For today's Down on the Farm Birthday event, I've made a Thank You which could easily be placed in a cupcake or stick out of a take home goodie bag.

 I printed the Bugaboo digi on glitter paper before coloring. 

Then I die cut it, glued it to the designer die cut, adhered the straw to the back and the banners to the side, and then added another designer die cut to the back to cover the ends. 

 Day 4 is a Bingo Challenge.  

Back to the craft table for me!

Pom Pom Monster & Welcome Baby Card

My grandsons spent the day with us today.  As always, Matthew wanted to make a craft.  He really wanted to make a batch of puffy slime.  Unfortunately, I did not have the ingredients.  (Broke my heart!)  His second choice was this Pom Pom Monster....

 Matt made the 3 pom poms using my Craft-Dee Bowz tool.  It's much easier than wrapping yarn around a piece of cardboard!

Cute little monster, don't you think? 

 I am going to enter it in the August Craft-Dee Bowz Challenge.

Matthew isn't the only creative young person in my life.

Two days before we left for vacation I received a priority envelope from my BFF's daughter.  Inside the envelope, were three sheets of paper with drawings her daughter, Layla, age 9, had done.  

(I think my grandson, Matthew, and my BFF's granddaughter, Layla, would make a perfect pair!

But, they are only 9 and 10.  So, I have lots of time to work on that project.)

 One was a stork carrying a baby; one was a dog; and one was a cat on a pillow.  There was no explanation in the envelope.  Just the drawings with small notations on each one: baby, Aunt Eileen, and G G Bday, respectively.   I had a feeling Layla wanted cards made.  I've used her drawings before.  So I got busy.  I scanned, cropped, and then saved the colored drawings as JPG files, creating 3 digis to make the 3 cards.  It was much more fun making cards for Layla than cleaning and packing for vacation.

Here is the center step baby card I made using Layla's stork: 

 We are all excited about this baby's expected arrival in September!

I am entering this card in the following challenges: 

Cardz 4 Guys Challenge #176 - Fancy Folds 

Use Your Stuff Challenge #276 - New Beginnings 

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge for Aug. 22 - Anything Goes

Pile It On Challenge #133 - Recycle and/or For a Child 

Fussy and Fancy Challenge #194 - Things with Wings

I'll show you the other 2 cards I made with Layla's drawings another day.   

Thanks for dropping by.

Playing with Popsicle Sticks

What a wonderful day I had with my two grandsons while my daughter-in-law attended a teachers' seminar and spent some time getting her classroom ready.  The boys assured me they had new shoes and all the pens, pencils and notebooks they would need for the new school year. 

They arrived early with a box of donuts.  Once all the sugar kicked in, we played a fun game of Kerfuffle, similar to Quirkle only you might have to whistle while you take your turn or do the Chicken Dance if you can't make a move.  Next we headed to the local arboretum and spent an hour or so hiking the trails and being bitten by bugs.  (Forgot the bug spray.  Duh!)

After lunch it was time to craft.  I had just picked up 2 bags of popsicle sticks on Tuesday and Matt is very familiar with Pinterest when it comes to finding a project.

Here's project #1:

A miniature bow, using a toothpick for the arrow.

The bow is a small popsicle stick with half of a hair clip hot glued to each end, washi tape to reinforce the middle, and baker's twine stretched end to end.  The darn thing works pretty well, too.

 

Break time for a game of croquet.  And my DH got home from golfing just in time to join us. 

 

Project #2 was a bit more involved - a pencil holder for Mom's classroom,

 with a little spot for paper clips at the top and a place for a pad of post it notes on the side.  We were just placing the last popsicle stick when my daughter-in-law arrived to pick up my two charges.

The plan was to spray paint this teal when they got home, to match the classroom color scheme.

 

No cards to show you today.   But one post down you'll find two fun folds I made for the CTMH Joyful Stars August Blog Hop.

 

 

 

 

Christmas Gifts

Cookies cooling, more dough chilling, wash drying, 

Debi resting, 

at least resting long enough to drink the cup of tea (that I've already heated in the microwave 4 times) and post some little Christmas gifts I made.

For my gal pals at card class I crocheted these little dresses with a sachet packet inside.

 And my mother has been looking for a hat box for her Red Hats.

I picked up this box at AC Moore and then fancied it up the lid with some washi tape, 3 rows of lace, ribbon, pearls and bows.

 Dryer buzzing, no more loafing!

80th Birthday Card

My "old" high school librarian, back in the late 60's early 70's, will turn 80 in August, and his family has organized a card shower for him.  I wonder how many cards he will receive.  This is my contribution.

 The sentiment is a CTMH stamp and the numbers and letters are cricut cuts from the CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge.

Challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #209 - Anything Goes 

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge #114 - Use a number 

Bitten by the Bug Challenge - Birthday 

Between the Fold Challenge 26B - Creative Cuts 

When I left you Wednesday,

 I was in the middle of reorganizing my ribbon stash.

Here's a photo of just some of the mess, dumped out on my sofa.  I spent the last 3 evenings, while watching TV, untangling, unwinding, winding, sorting and discovering treasures.   My husband, when seeing the empty sofa this morning, remarked that he didn't think he'd ever see that sofa again. 
Check out my ribbon stash now....

The 2 plastic containers on each side fit perfectly inside the drawers for storage. 

And all the small pieces, not long enough to wrap around a card, are in my handy ribbon canister.

It sits close to my work area and is my first stop when looking for a ribbon for a card.

I am so pleased with the results, I'm "thinking" of tackling my stash of yarn.

Joyful Stars July Close to My Heart Blog Hop

Welcome to the Joyful Stars July blog hop, where a group of talented Close to My Heart consultants, and me, gather to share ideas with you in a fun blog hop.  

CTMH's  newest Seasonal Expressions catalog is full of new products.  For my card, I've used paper from the Magical paper pack and the Amusement Park stamp set to make this very interesting Twisted Treat Box and gift tag.

I first saw this box on Sue Reynolds' blog in the Color My Heart Color Dare blog hop.  Fortunately, Sue supplied a link to a You Tube video with the instructions.  
Here are a few more photos from different angles:

View from above of medallions (CTMH Cricut Artiste cartridge) and gift tag.

Inside of tag.

Inside of top section of box.

 The dp under and behind the box are also from 
the Magical Paper Pack.

Now, since this is a blog hop you might have arrived here

 from Andrea Sherman's blog.

Your next stop is Crystal Davis's blog.  The hop is circular.  So if you are just starting here, simply continue hopping until you find your way back, making the full circle.  If you get lost, the complete list of participants is on Joyce's blog.  I've made my way around the circle and I think you'll want to, too.

I am entering this twisted box in these challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs Challenge - Fancy Folds

Creative Moments Challenge #97 - Anything Goes w/ option ribbons or bows

DL. Art July Linky Challenge - Anything Goes

Polkadoodle Challenge Week #26 - Ribbon or twine

Great Impressions July Challenge - Anything Goes

Decorate to Celebrate Challenge - Anything Goes

Split Top Card Box & CTMH Class 4/19/16

This morning's agenda did not include making a Split Top Card Box.  But the SCS Weekly Inkling arrived in my inbox,  just taunting me to give it a try.  

Papers are CTMH.

box with belly band

bottom of box

inside of box

Challenges:
Clear It Out Challenge - Nature ; stash item - greenery ( It's all from the stash, the embellishments are left from making a bridal box several years ago.) bits and pieces of dp glued together,embossed and die cut; and ribbon I won ages ago.)
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #262 - Earth Day (I hate to toss even little scraps of paper.  The die cut rectangle is composed of bits and pieces of dp glued together and embossed.)
Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Anything Goes
Craft Dee Bowz April Challenge - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge #172 - Anything Goes w/ option recycled materials (paper scraps)
Crafting for the Craic Challenge - Anything But a Card
As You Like It Challenge - Favorite Non Card Project  (I enjoy making pretty boxes. My cousin makes handmade soaps.  The boxes are perfect gift packages for his soaps and my cards.)

Now that I got that out of my system, the day's agenda still waits, and I have to add 'clean up the mess I made on my craft table' to the list.

**********

Below are the 4 cards we made at Joyce's CTMH card class yesterday.

Her Spring Extravaganza is coming up, if you live in this area.

Movin' on Mojo Monday

Lots to do today.  The sun is out.  The weeds are growing.  Time to get the flower beds in shape for the annual mulching.  

Here's my card for Mojo Monday #444.

Everything on this card went together easily with coordinating CTMH Pemberly papers (now retired); the CTMH sentiment; and a couple OohLaLa stitched circle die cuts. 

And then I opened the card....

Thank heavens for my bottle of Un-Du! 

I managed to loosen the glue and spin the sentiment circle. Otherwise I would have cut the card in half and made it into an easel card.  So this is the actual finished card.

Challenges I am entering include:

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #444

 

Crafting From the Heart Challenge # 108 - Always Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge #308 - Always Anything Goes

Love to Scrap Challenge #76 - Anything Goes

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #179 - Mother's Day Flowers 

Polkadoodles Challenge Week 14 - Floral Frenzy

 

*****

Saturday I spent a wonderful day with friends at a Crop benefitting their Relay for Life team.  I worked on favors for my Mother's Day luncheon.  It was a productive day.  I came home with all the baskets made and added the finishing touches yesterday.

Check out the shrinky dink charms I made.  Joyce came up  with the idea. This CTMH stamp worked perfectly.  

Thanks for visiting.  Have a wonderful day!

Something Different + CTMH Class 12/15/15

Today I thought I'd show you something other than a Christmas card.  This headband was perfect to wear to the Red Hat card class I taught during my birthday month.

I started out with a plain silver CTMH headband and followed 2 tutorials, one to make the flower and one to cover the headband.   In the center of that purple satin ribbon flower is a glittery red button and white pearl.  

Challenges: 

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge Dec 15th - Always Anything Goes

2 Creative Chicks Showcase #5 - Anything Goes
Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #131 - Shimmer & Sparkle

**************

Yesterday's class was the last one for this year.  

Here are 3 of the 4 cards our little group made:

I had a little problem with the 4th card and decided I would finish it when I got home.  We stamped the tree image on a 5.25 x 4 " piece of white cs at Joyce's and then added the background color with daubers and sponges.  I just didn't like how mine turned out and, without going any further with the card, decided to bring it home and die cut the center section with the tree and make my card altogether different...

I still need a few Christmas cards for guys and this one will be perfect.
Challenges:
2 Crafty Girls Challenge #8 - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #154 - Snow 
Vintage Stamping Challenge #39 - Winter Trees
A Snowflakes Promise Challenge #12 - Anything Christmas/Winter 
Paperminutes Challenge #413 - Winter Greetings
 

AHSC + H2H + Day # 25

First- 

This Thank You Card is for the Heart 2 Heart Give Thanks Challenge, following the sketch for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 135.   The stamps, papers and puffy stickers are all CTMH.

Additional Challenges: 
Fussy and Fancy Challenge #152 - Thankful 
Jo's Scrap Shack Fun Day Friday Challenge #115 - Gratitude 
Kitty Bee's Aloha Friday Challenge #61 - Thanks 
Amusing Challenge - Thanks
Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #33 - Thank You
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #32 - Inspiration Photo (I was inspired by the bright colors; a nice change from the colors of Fall and Christmas.)


 

Second -

Here is my card for Day #25 of Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards, where Using a Freebie is the theme.

 This is a recent freebie, Santa Rock, from Gerda Steiner Designs; the papers and stamps are CTMH; the black detail embossing powder is from SNS; the stitched circle die cut is by La La Land; the embossing folder is Cuttlebug by Provocraft.

Additional Challenges:

Gerda Steiner Share Your design Challenge #9 -  share a design using a GS stamp

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Embossing 

Through the Craft Room Door Nov 24-30 Challenge - Always Anything Goes 

Always Playing with Paper Challenge #52 - Christmas Card

Cards in Envy Challenge - Put some extra layers on

Craft it up & Link it up Desert Divas Linky Party - Christmas

Sparkle N Sprinkle November Challenge - Anything Goes w/ embossing powder 

Quirky Crafts Challenge #24 - Christmas

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge - Embossing

Third - 

My grandson, Matthew, spent the afternoon making more Minion projects....