Using up Scraps!

 I had this paper pack that I had partially used but it was sitting around and I figured I should just use it up.  So these two videos show how I used up some of the papers.  I still have a few pages left but I felt very successful making 13 cards, 2 bookmarks, and a scrapbook layout.  

This video is in two parts.  

Part 1: 

And Part 2:

Thanks for watching!!

Time for Easy Valentine's Day Cards!

       

 It is that time again.  I was just looking back at an older post on this blog where I made a few Valentine's Day cards.  I remember making them years ago and I was so proud of my creativity.  However, I have come a long way!!!  I am even more proud of these!  I love the clean lines, the matting to give the card more thickness and stability! 

All of these little cards were made with the 6x6 inch paper pad and a pack of stickers that I purchased from Michaels Craft Store.  The paper pad is called "Sweetheart Day" and the stickers were a coordinating pack.  Both are made from Recollections.  

For these little cards I used 2 1/2" by 3 1/2" inch folded cards as the base.  I got a pack of these from Joann Fabrics.  The brand is Park Ave. and they come folded with matching envelopes.  

The Happy Valentines Day card (top left of photo) I cut a black base 2 1/4" by 3 1/4" and centered it on the front with 1/8" white border all around.  Then I used pop dots to adhere the sentiment sticker on top.  

The Be Kind card was made with a dark pink cardstock that I had in my stash and cut it at 2 1/4" by 3 1/4".  Then the heart candy patterned paper from the Sweetheart Day paper pad was cut at 2" by 3" and centered on top of the dark pink.  This gave me a double 1/8" border all around.  Then I used pop dots to give a raised look to the sentiment sticker from the sticker pack.

The XOXO card used a matching coordinating pink piece of cardstock cut at 2 1/4" by 3 1/4".  Then I put a 1 1/4" by 3 1/4" strip of white cardstock along the middle to hold the XOXO sticker.  I was in a pop dot mood so I popped this sticker up as well.  You can see the shadow from popping this sticker up.  I love the dimension it gives. 

The Flower bunch card (right of the XOXO card) uses a piece of glittery paper from the paper pad as well as a piece of acetate also from the same paper pad.  The glittery paper was cut at 2 1/4" by 3 1/4" and the acetate was cut with the same measure.  I used Art Glitter glue (dries clear) to adhere these two pieces together.  Be careful because the acetate and glitter paper are slippery together.  I let it dry before adhering it to the card base.  Then I used, yes,  you guessed it, POP DOTS to attach the sticker on top. 

The Single flower card (below the XOXO card) used a 2 1/4" by 3 1/4" piece of dark pink glitter paper as the base color. Of course, I pop dotted the pretty flower on top.  Super simple.  

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My CTMH Haul. Box Opening

 I love a good sale!  Close To My Heart had their year end sale and I was able to score a few things.  Here is a video showing you all I got.  

I can't wait to start playing with these yummy things!!

Check out my other videos here!

What are you working on this week?

What have you been working on this week?  I have a zillion things going on and to make it all just a bit more chaotic, I threw in a visit to a regional craft show on Friday!  Ack! So many great ideas!  They are all rolling around in my head now.

I was at church this morning (as we do most Sundays) and I was talking with our priest.  I told her (yes, she is a girl, we are Episcopal) that I had a prayer shawl for her.  She was so excited.  I can't wait to take it up to her on Tuesday to show her.  This is my Jacob's Ladder Prayer Shawl.  I will donate it to the church and when she is doing her "sick rounds" in the hospital or in our parishioners' homes or at the nursing home and she sees someone who needs one, she can give it to them.

I began working on a few coasters that I will put in my etsy store. Yes, I am resurrecting my etsy store.  We will see how it goes.  A friend of mine also asked if I were interested in setting up at a craft show too this spring/summer.  So they will go towards that if they don't sell in the etsy store. I got the coaster pattern here if you want to try your hand at them.  They are super easy and quick to make.

I also have been sorting some other projects and getting a list of things I need to either complete the project or begin the project.  I spent $40 at JoAnn Fabrics today on fabric remnants for some walker bags that I need to make as well.  I have an order for 8 bags and just haven't gotten around to it.

To top all that off I have begun working on a prayer lap blanket.  It is working up quickly but I think it will take me longer than I have patience for.  This pattern will be posted at a future date.  I am really enjoying creating new patterns.  It has been fun.

So what is on my list for the week?
1. a video on the Half Double Crochet (a favorite of mine).
2. a video on the foundationless stitches. (This will be such a great resource).
3. finish the prayer lap blanket (can I get it done before Tuesday so I can take it to church with my prayer shawl????)
4. get my etsy store back on line and a couple items in it.

So what are you working on this week?

What inspires you?

What inspires you? What is your go to place to find inspiration for your projects? How do you go about starting?

And the best question: how many projects do you have started right now?









The last question is easy for me.  Right now I have three projects started.

1.  I have a scarf with a pattern that when I saw it I grabbed a ball of yarn and my knitting needles and had to try it out. The yarn isn't quite right for this project.  It is a scarf and the yarn is 100% wool and a bit itchy.  I am not sure I will want it next to my neck for very long.  I will most likely pull it out and start over with a softer yarn.

2. I have a quilt that I am hand quilting.  It is on hold right now because it is a donation quilt and I haven't heard back from the people I am donating it to.  Once I hear back from them I will get on this project again.

3.  I have another scarf. It is an infinity scarf that I am crocheting.  I love love LOVE this pattern and I have several in different colors.  This one is in a bright pink/coral color.  It is fun and easy to crochet. I have two rows done and have 8-13 more before I will call it done.

I find that I draw inspiration from my yarns.  They talk to me.  Sometimes they scream what they want  to become.  Other times I have to live with it a while before it speaks to me about what it wants to become.

I also find inspiration from other blogs, patterns and websites with crafty ideas.  Pinterest is a great source for inspiration but sometimes there is just too much on there.  There are two sites that I love.

www.allfreeknitting.com

www.allfreecrochet.com

These two sites are awesome for inspiration.  The patterns are completely free and you can sign up for their daily emails.  These emails give me lists of similar patterns.  For example one day I find 10 free scarf patterns.  Or 10 free hat patterns.  I find myself clicking all the links and seeing what the patterns are.  I often find myself grabbing a ball of yarn and my needles to try out a pattern.  They often link to some great blogs and websites that I never knew existed. Other times the patterns are directly on their own site.

So what gives you inspiration?

My Paper Clamp Angels

I couldn't wait to try these paper clamp angels. They turned out so cute and it is so super quick to do. I would totally recommend making these for Christmas gifts either for a tag decoration on a gift or make a few for your coworkers or neighbors.





Not only will they work as Christmas gifts but also for first communion, baptism, or for a newborn or shower gift for a baby. Of course it is not a toy but the mom could hang it over the baby's crib or in their room.

If you want some and are not ambitious enough to make them yourself, I would be happy to sell you some. I am thinking a $1 a piece. Leave me a comment with your contact info and I will get in touch with you.

Can we start talking about Christmas yet?

I know that the stores don't have the Christmas decorations up just yet but I think I need to begin thinking about Christmas presents and decorations and such. This year will be a lean year in our household. The economy has decreased our household income by almost 50%. So I have begun to think about who I will be buying for and who will appreciate handmade gifts. I have begun making my lists and checking it twice (laugh) and assigning projects and gifts.

I was blog hopping today and found this blog: http://craftsonawhim.com/. It is so cute and has a great many easy projects. One of the things I like about this site is that it has a difficulty factor with each project.

Here are a few I love!

Beaded Angel: Check this out. I will be making a ton of these (going out today to get the supplies for it and will be working on them tonight). How easy are they??? I am thinking that these will be nice gifts for my co-workers, as gift tag decorations, for kids to make for their teachers and perhaps to sell at the next craft show I am doing.

I found these through a link from AMR that Nicole posted and love these little clothespin magnets. I am thinking that these will also be fun to make and sell as well as for little gifts. I want to make my girls bulletin boards for their room and if I use some metal frames for them they can use these magnets too.

And what about this idea? I love the idea of putting scrapbook paper in a tube of a pen. You could do Christmas paper and give as a gift. You could do fun paper and they can be a great first day of school gift to the kid going off to middle or high school. OR for the teacher, just make it a RED pen (laugh). Oh, I think I need to make some of these too!!!

So, what are you making for Christmas gifts? Leave me a link to your blog with the ideas you have or leave your ideas in my comments, but I will tell you I can learn best from a picture!!!

You leave me a comment with some ideas or other sites that I can go to for more great homemade stuff no later than August 16th at 6pm eastern time, and I will put everyone's name in a hat and get one of my kids to pull it out and I will send you a goodie.

So Frustrated....BUT new site...

Yes, I am so super frustrated. I have all week not working and I can't scrap one bit. I have my scrap stuff all over the place. I have a ton of pictures and I have no place to scrap. I am FRUSTRATED! There is nothing like a frustrated scrapper who can't scrap but wants to either. I mean, you can be a frustrated scrapper because you have no ideas and you sit down at your scrap place and.....nothing. Nothing comes to mind, nothing works, and you become frustrated. BUT there is something totally different about a person who has ideas, had pictures, has stuff, and can't because there is no place. UGH! I feel like I am going to go postal.

The other night I thought "well just scrap at the kitchen table" so I went and got a few kits that I have recently received in the mail and opened them up and took them all out of the protective wrappings and what happens? Two of the three kids come in with cereal bowls full of ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup. The plop down at the table and start eyeing all the yummy goodness I had just spread out on the table. Their grimy little hands just had to start touching and I couldn't get my yummy papers up quick enough. Yes some got a bit of chocolate on them. (tears) So no scrapping at the kitchen table.

I did accomplish a snapfish photo book for our Christmas pictures for this year. That was fun but didn't satisfy my craving for scrapping.

I tried to crochet, I tried to knit, I tried to sew but nothing can scratch that itch.

I think I am just going to have to take down this Christmas tree that is blocking my scrapping stuff and set my table back up.

Okay so I was guided to this website by my friends at AMR and I love the ideas here. So check it out for great gifts, downloadables, and such. I am going to put a link on my sidebar for it too. The site is Skip To My Lou.

Happy crafting today!

Taking Stock!

This year has come and gone. But not without crafty excitement, disappointment, and well stuff happened.

So I decided to take some stock in what I have accomplished and learned this year.

1. I started out the year with a goal to quickly get my Disney World album scrapped so I wouldn't forget a single moment. Turns out we took over 850 photos and well they were just so good. It took me 11 months and 3 albums to complete this project but I stayed true to my goal and didn't scrap a thing until I was done this album!

2. Since I decided to commit to completing the Disney album before I scrapped anything else, I had to find an outlet for my scrapping creativity. I mean there are only so many Mickey Mouses and princesses you can handle before you burst. SO I started cardmaking! This mini obsession turned into something oh so much more than I expected. Both good AND bad.

3. On the Ides of March (an omen???) I joined All Moments Remembered message board and have loved hanging out there. BUT it started and fueled this cardmaking thing. I saw so many talented people and their projects and well, they just looked so enticing that I had to try my hand. I pulled out the stamps (I hadn't stamped in years) and started playing. Well......that brings me to #4.......

4. I became obsessed with stamping. I seemed to have some old school stuff but nothing new and fresh. So I started shopping the $1 spots at Michaels and Joannes. Well, I became obsessed. I mean, they are only $1 right??? Well with stamps you need ink and with ink you need paper and then you need card stock and envelopes.... are you getting my drift????

5. When we started going to the river for a weekend retreat I never realized it would become a crafty outlet for me. They had a craft show and I signed up for it. I did well, but that led me to other things too.

6. I began making hair bows and selling them at the local pharmacy up the street (a good thing)

7. We got a dog and then I started making dog biscuits, fun but not a big seller and my dog can only handle so many cookies.... But I started making dog toys and pulls and tugs too, fun but I have a big box full of them.

8. I have knitted more washclothes than I care to count. BUT I use them all!!!

9. I have knitted a bunch of scarves, amigorami animals, and crocheted too!

10. Christmas balls, they were fun and I hope everyone likes them for Christmas.

11. Did I mention I finished my Disney album??? yes, just 1 month before we go again! I have also scrapped approximately 25 more pages for the family album too this year, BUT I am still 4 years behind and have only scrapped 4 years total in the 6 years I have been scrapbooking. I will never catch up!!! 4 years in 6 years???? Time is going backwards.....

12. I took over my daughter's bedroom when she moved in with my other daughter and shared a room for a while. The scrap space was nice but she wanted her room back and now I am relegated back in a corner of the family room.

13. I have learned that crafting for craft shows are fun but you never make any money, so it isn't a lucrative business, however I enjoy it and will probably do it again next year.

14. I have evolved in my style and breadth of paper crafting. I find I enjoy it even though I am not an artist or have any true talent, I can scraplift, cardlift, and basically copy others (not for sale) and enjoy the process.

Now I need to start thinking of some goals for next year..... more to come...

Have to share...

Oh my look at this!!! We can all SO do this! How easy is it to mimic???

It is felt and patterned paper. Oh the possibilities! I think I need another trip to the craft store...