Peonies and Paper Chains

Monday Mini...a lullaby pinwheel!

We're starting this week with a mini card friends! It has been awhile since I made a mini card and these are truly one of my favorite types of cards to make. It measures just 3 x 3 inches and packs a whole lot of sweetness in a small space!

As you can see, I echoed the "bravo" sentiment from the A Dozen Thoughts stamp set on the card and envelope. One of the things I love about 3" mini cards is that there is a coordinating envelope available from Stampin' Up!

Now before I go on, a serious UGH moment. It wasn't until after I photographed this and began typing the post that I realized this color of twine is no longer available. It somehow did not get pulled from my supplies. So the link I will be giving you below is to the Baked Brown Sugar Thick Baker's Twine...it would be just as fabulous as this starfruit.

With every card, the details really count and with a mini that is no exception! The Baker's Twine had to be divided to work as the tie for this Very Vintage button. And there is just enough contrast between the vanilla color of the button to work against the crisp white in the Lullaby Designer Series Paper. Baked Brown Sugar ink and card stock in Crisp Cantaloupe and Crumb Cake complete the card.

Would you love you to know how to create a pinwheel like this in any size? it is quick and easy with no "fussy" cutting or die cutting required. Please leave a comment to let me know! (If you are reading this post via email, simply click the post title or the "view in browser" message at the top to head over an leave your comment).

LAST DAY - DON'T MISS OUT! $55 in genuine Stampin' Up! products for $50 plus local tax...and they ship free (a savings of $6.95). Purchase your $50 starter kit today and enjoy a 20% discount on all your Stampin' Up! products through at least October 2014. Click here for more on the benefits and to order a kit.

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Work of Art for Five on Friday

Happy Friday, friends! About to show you both the latest Five on Friday combo and my latest creation featuring these very colors. This is my favorite weekly post...how about you?

While putting the combo together on MDS, my thought for a name was "bright delight" and then when I played with paper, the softer, cooler tones of the colors seemed to come through. I'll be curious to hear what you would call this combo! Take a look...

and in action using the Work of Art stamp set:

What do you think? Please be sure to leave a comment and let me know! I love reading your comments.

And one more thing...the design of this card was inspired by the latest Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge (PPA209):

 

INSPIRATION IN YOUR INBOX Just yesterday, Rosemarie C. commented: "What a creative use of the June paper pumpkin! Love your adorable patriot model!! Keep the inspiration coming to my in box." -- happy to keep the inspiration coming, Rosemarie! If you'd like to join Rosemarie and others, click here to sign-up for inspiration in your inbox! 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Paper Pumpkin Pretties June 2014

Thanks to the June 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit, my Celebration Basics Banner got a facelift!

And the girls will be completed decked out for the Fourth of July...pinwheel pops, necklace, pinwheels, and...

pinwheel headbands!

And, as much as this little model was all for having her picture taken with the Paper Pumpkin Pretties, she did not want to stay still long enough for me to get a slew of photos!

A few tips for these projects...

For pinwheel pops, use a 1/8" handheld punch to make the pre-cut holes from the Paper Pumpkin kit larger before you got to insert a lollipop...skip this step and you are likely to simply tear up your pop.

For the "Fourth of July necklace", cut a single straw into 5 or six pieces and then string onto some White Baker's Twine. Add ribbon between some or all of the "straw beads" to add more interest and color. You could also alternate the "staw beads" with buttons and/or colorful wooden beads.

For the pinwheel head band, cut a strip of scrap cardstock approximately 1/2" x 2" - adhere the strip to the underside of the headband and then use several Mini Glue Dots (in the kit) to attach pinwheel.

For the banner, use some cuts from your 1-1/4" circle punch and several glue dots to attach the pinwheels to Baker's Twine. Alternately, you cold punch holes in your pinwheels and mount them right along your celebrate banner pennants...since my banner has been up since Januaruy and we have no plans to take it down, I went for the option of a seperate sting just for the pinwheels. 

FUN FACT: Stampin' Up! is currently making past Paper Pumpkin Kits and refills available to subscribers only. These items are only available while supplies last. If you are not yet a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, subscribe so that you can take advantage of getting some of the amazing past Paper Pumpkin kits! See what is available here, subscribe today, and then contact me to purchase past kits or refills.

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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P.S. Hands down the Celebration Basics Kit is the product from the spring Occassions catalog that I was most excited to see carried over in the new annual catalog. The banner has been hanging in our home since Januaryu and we enjoy looking at it daily and finiding things to celebrate each and every month! Order your Celebration Basics Kit today!

Pinwheel Pops and More!

It has been so much fun creating with the June Paper Pumpkin kit! The girls are most excited about the Pinwheel Pops that you see above. So festive and sweet! I'll be sharing the full set of Paper Pumpkin Pretties tomorrow...be ready for some red, white, and blue goodness!

If you simply can't wait until tomorrow to see the full kit contents, check out this video direct from Stampin' Up!:

 

Also from Stampin' Up! are some new sweet weekly deals, including 3 sets of Framelits...

What a perfect time to add some Framelits to your paper crafting supplies! 

And, as we near the end of June, I want to be sure you are aware two Stampin' Up! offers...one that ends real soon!

GIVE OR RECEIVE PAPER PUMPKIN in 3, 6, or 12 month pre-paid subscriptions! What an incredible way to share creativity with others or to enjoy it yourself! More details (and my May Paper Pumpkin Pretties) here.

LOVE TO PAPER CRAFT OR WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY? Test drive the incredible benefits of Stampin' Up! being a demonstrator! You get a fabulous deal on the kit and a discount on your Stampin' Up! purchases through at least October 2014. There's no obligation to purchase anything beyond the kit and no penalty to drop.  

Until June 30th, select up to $55 in products for $50 plus local tax OR select up to $125 in Stampin' Up! products for just $99 plus local tax when you buy a starter kit. Both options are perfect for the hobby crafter! Learn more about the benefits here!

 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Best New MDS Feature!

Happy Monday, friends! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Ours flew by so quickly and included some fun family time (there was housework too, so not all fun). One fo the things I did this weekend was to pull together an MDS creation using the Pixel Maven Retreat's DigiChallenge for inspiration and I am sharing it with you along with what I think is the best new MDS feature...

Can you take a guess what this is?

It is my soon to be posted 4th of July Facebook cover image!

In my book, the best new MDS feature is a pre-sized template for creating custom Facebook cover images! Super cool and means there is no longer a need to Google what size to use for these! 

A few times a year (especially around holidays), I design an image in MDS to use as my cover image rather than a photo itself. This is an image that is verstalitle enough to use for all the patriotic holidays during the year. Here it is again:

 

Love the layering of the stars that was called for in the PMDC-048 sketch:

As we gear up to celebrate Independence Day here in the US, I'd like to extend my thanks to Nicole Watt, the Pixel Maven herself, for her service to our country and to her husband Brian who is about to retire from the military. Thank you, Nicole and Brian! And, thank you to all your fellow service women and men! 

TEST DRIVE MDS FREE FOR 30 DAYS! Have yet to try digital? No need to hesitate...you can download a free 30-day trial version! This is a great way to give digi-design a try! As much as I love traditional papercrafting, there are times when MDS/digi-design is just the right medium to use.

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Earth Inspired...a New Five Color Combo and Card!

Happy Friday, friends!

Hope you are ready for the weekend to be here and perhaps have something special in the works! I'm going to finish playing with the June Paper Pumpkin kit...I shared a peek at it via Instagram last night! Absolutely love this kit.

It's time for a new five color combo and this one has an earthy feel and contains several of the 2014-2015 In Colors:

This combo works anytime of year when you want a soft, earthy feel. It definitely contains some autumn tones and I can see this as a very popular combo for October and November.

You get to see it in action in this little card: 

We made this card at my June paper crafting event. The focus was on using Aqua Painters for water coloring...it was lots of fun and it was wonderful to put the new In Colors to use for this! The card was made using:

Crumb Cake Cut & Ready Card Bases

$4.95

Watercolor Paper

$4.95

Aqua Painters

$16.95

Blended Bloom Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$11.95

Jet Black Stazon Ink Pad

$7.95

Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Paper Snips Scissors

$9.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

  

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Thanks, PPA!

Today I'm dedicating my Pals Paper Arts project to my fellow PPA designers. It dawn on me just the other day that this month marks my one year anniversary as a PPA design team member. A big thank you my fellow Pals for the honor of creating projects along with you. I am so fortunate to work with such an incredibly talented group of paper crafters. Do you agree that the other design team members (all 19 of them between the two teams) are amazing? If you do, be sure to leave a comment to thank them all for sharing their creations!

This week we have a sketch challenge for PPA208:

 

Such a fabulous sketch from Margaret Moody!

Here's my full take on it:

 

This card makes use of the Lullaby Designer Series Paper...it is equally as beautiful on the "blue" side as it is on the "pink" side!

For those who did not recognize the "thanks" image right away, it is a part of the stamp set exclusive to the Hip Hip Hooray card kit. Want to quickly make a whole set of cards? Purchase the Hip Hip Hooray kit...you'll have everything you need to make 20 cards in no time!

Be sure to visit the Pals Paper Arts site to see the creations form the other design team members!

Have a creative day!

 

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Wonderful Wisteria! Stampin' Up!

How fun to see the Wisteria Wonder Chevron Ribbopn on the new weekly deals list! This is fabulous ribbon. There are several other sweet deals as well!

Take advantage of these great specials and SHOP NOW!

 

While you are shopping the deals, don't forget to add a Paper Pumpkin Pre-Paid Subscription...your subscription can count towards Hostess/Stampin' Rewards!

 

Tomorrow you'll be seeing my latest Pals Paper Arts design team project -- it is based off a really fun sketch! And, I've got a brand new color combo for you on Friday. 

 

Have a creative day!

 

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The Perfect Summer DIY Project!

Several weeks ago my sister sent me the following text message:

My response was "Great idea! That is very cool".

And my next response was to look for a few towels to use for making these bags.

And I say bags because I was thinking that my sister was perhaps dropping the hint that she'd like one of these.

Here's the first bag I stitched up:

It is an exceptionally generously sized bag! I have had aboslutely no trouble at all fitting in four (4) beach towels plus cover-ups to change into after swimming. You can tell from the scale of my [very crooked photo] that from shoulder to bottom, is nearly 1/2 the length of a standard door. 

The link my sister sent me has the basic instructions for making the bag. I decided to add the washcloth pocket on my own. I especially love this feature! It is perfect for holding keys and a cell phone and then some...like the bag, it is generously sized!

If you decided to tackle this project for your own use or to give away, here are couple quick things I learned:

• 1 yard pieces for the straps is quite long. If you are short (like me), I suggest decreasing the amount of webbing that you use.
• Sewing together a folder over towel means some serious thickness -- be sure you are set-up wioth a strong needle and your stictch size all set. WARNING: Being a relative novice, I was not particulally paying attention to this until I managed to bend a needle and my machine would not work at all. No long-term damage...a quick needle swap saved the day!

Yesterday I shared the tag that lists out the essential pool/beach supplies for my family to pack. I made it with an O-ring so that I can easily remove from the bag for washing...each time I have used the bag, I'd simply unloaded the wet contents and washed with the bag. So quick and easy after an afternoon of swimming fun!

Tell me...what do you think of this bag idea? I do think it is the perfect summer DIY project!

PAPER PUMPKIN PRETTIES! My June Paper Pumpkin Kit arrived yesterday...it is abolsutely adorable. Hands down, my favorite to date! I feel like I am saying that a lot lately...the kits truly keep getting better and better. Stay tuned to see what I create with it! If you want to get in on Paper Pumpkin, purchase a pre-paid subscription and then head on over to my Paper Pumkin website to sign-up! 

Already a subscriber? Consider switching over to pre-paid! With 6 months pre-paid, you'll save $1 per kit or save $2 per kit with a 12 month subscription. 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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P.S. And, Ali, if you are reading today, I've got a super fun towel for your bag and hope to stitch it this weekend!

 

Stamp Review Crew: Life in the Forest Edition

Welcome to the latest Stamp Review Crew blog hop! So happy to be participating today as the last few hops I did not have the stamps. Today we are sharing ideas for the Life in the Forest stamp set and it is available as wood mount, clear mount, and digital stamp brush sets...so many choices!

I'm sharing two digital creations with you -- a tag for our swim bag and a "checklist" for the girls morning routine. Both were created quickly and easily using My Digital Studio and after making them, I used my #PLxSU (i.e. Project Life by Stampin' Up!) corner rounder and my Purple Cows laminator to finish these projects up. Here they are:

The tag contains a quick list of all the items that are essentials when we head to our local pool or to the beach in the summer time (well, actually, we skip the swim noodles if we head to the ocean..but they still made the cut for the list). The mushroom stamp image that I used for this matches perfectly with our super easy DIY swim bag. I'll be sharing the swim bag tomorrow -- it is not a papercrafting project, but I am confident that many of you will love it!

 As so many of us know, it can be a little hectic to get everyone ready for the day. We also know that young children love routine. Given this information, I decided to put together a "checklist" that covers essential things to do in the morning all before breakfast time.

The girls just saw the movie Pocahontas for the first time this past week and the minute Britt saw this list, she pointed right to the racoon and said "that's what Pocahontas has" -- she was so excited to see "Meeko" on something for her room!

Now before I send you along on the hop, my apologies for the less than stellar photos. It was a fun weekend with lots of family time and none for photo taking until after the sun went down.

Be sure to visit the other Stamp Review Crew members to see what they have created using Life in the Forest! Here's a handy list to help you navigate through the hop:

1. Nancy Smith 
2. Debra Burgin 
3. Adriana Benitez 
4. Shana Gaff 
5. Dawn Tidd  
6. Yapha Mason  
7. Kerry Willard Bray -- YOU ARE HERE
8. Tanya Boser  
9. Lisa Young   
10. Jill Coleman  
    
11. Wendy Weixler
    

 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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