The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight...

Good morning, blog friends! I hope you had a fabulous weekend...I sure did! The weather here is finally getting cooler, and I start getting ready for the upcoming holidays. Last week, Elizabeth challenged the Elzybells design team to create a special box, wrapper, or container for gift giving. I had this wooden box from Hobby Lobby in my huge stash of alterables, and I thought it was perfect!

 

First, I painted the box an off-white color. Then I covered the sides with Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy paper. YUM!  I stamped the Bethlehem image on Cream shimmer paper in Memento Rich Cocoa ink, then colored it with Copic markers.Here is a closer look at the image:

After I colored the image, I trimmed it down and added a scalloped mat. I set 2 Jumbo eyelets, one on each side to thread my ribbon through, then popped up the image. The ribbon really does coordinate with the dark pattern on the paper in real life, I promise!

To finish off the box, I cut the word "noel" out of chipboard using my Cuttlebug Red Tag alphabet. I used Jen's idea from this stinkin cute project and painted the letters with acrylic paint, then dipped them in glitter before it dried. Like the ribbon, the letters coordinate too, even though my photo doesn't really make it look that way. *sigh* Then I wrapped chocolate ribbon around the handle of the box.

I think this will be a really cute box to hold a little gift for a friend, or also to hold holiday cards as we start receiving them. You can see all the fabulous projects the design team created HERE.

 Have a fabulous Monday!

And all I wanna do is let it be and be with you, and watch the wind blow by...

Today is Caleb's last day of second grade...where did this year go? And true to form, I was up super late (after partying with the girls at the MFT Cocktail Release Party!) finishing up gifts for his teachers. Here is the finished product:

Inside the cute little basket is a set of 6 cards using the newly released Annie LaPoint Images from My Favorite Things Presents, packaged in a clear box from Papertrey. You can see a card detail pic below. Also included is an altered notebook I got at Target, and a little tin with chocolates in it (tin from Gina K Designs), and a thank you letter from Caleb.

I was very proud of how the notebook turned out. I separated the wires, removed the front & back covers, and covered them with Sweet Blush card stock (also from Papertrey). The Spiral punch matched up perfectly with the holes for the wires. I covered 2 chipboard coasters with Crate Paper and cut out the word "Notes" with my Cuttlebug & Red Tag Alphabet. (Near CRISIS....my B Plates BROKE! Both of them!! But I got the letters I needed first...whew!) Some layers & stitching, and then I added some of Stamping Bella's new DOTS to finish it off.

You can click on the pic to enlarge and see those yummy dots up close...these are the Pink Orchid (I think?) Glitter Dots. They are the smallest of the 2 sizes and they are just gorgeous! I will be working on a few more projects with them in the next few days, but I just wanted you to see them. YUM!

And here is a picture of the cards. I wanted them to be simple (quick & easy!!), cute, and easily mailable. The images were all stamped with Brilliance Graphite Black ink, colored with Copic Markers, and then cut out with the largest rectangle in the Small Classic Rectangle Nestabilities set. Matted with black, add some ribbon and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, and voila! A cute set of cards that took me just under an hour, start to finish.

I think these stamps were my favorite of the new MFT Releases, which can all be found HERE. There will be more in the coming months, so stay tuned!

Thanks for coming to visit today...I hope you have a fabulous Thursday!!

Yes, Another Paint Can!

Finally done with the paint cans...I had to do 2 this weekend. This one is for the daughter of a lady I work with, and she's having a girl in about 4-6 weeks. Yeah, I know this one looks remarkably like the one from the other day, but when it works, it works! I used my Tres Jolie paper from Eclectic Paperie on this one...it's just sooo yummy. Stitched around the edges and used my cuttlebug for her name. I painted the chipboard letters with Deco Color Pigment Ink, and then embossed them with Irridescent Ice embossing powder. Ribbon is from May Arts and grosgrain from Michaels.

Inside the tin were these stamped onesies...how cute are they?!

Stamps: Sweet on You, Big Blooms, Think Big, Wild About You, Headline Alpha, So Very, Mike's $1 Stamps, Small Sayings, Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps

Ink: Real Red Craft, Chocolate Chip Craft, Colorbox Pigment Ink, Deco Color Pigment Ink

Look, Ma!

I SEWED!!!!

I am so stinkin proud of myself I could just PIMP. Seriously. Let's rewind.

About 4 years ago, my darling husband went and bought me a second hand sewing machine. I am a firm believer that they don't make household machinery like they used to (ie. dryers, washers, mixers, sewing machines, etc.)...they are meant to break after 3-4 years so you'll buy a new one. This is an old Brother machine from the 70's, and it even had the manual, thank the LORD. AND it was $40. You just can't beat that.

When he bought it, I tried sewing for about 2 minutes and gave up. Haven't touched it since. But today I had another moment of brilliance. My girlfriend had asked me to make an altered paint can for her sister's baby shower gift, and I decided to sew on it!!

Notice the time of my post. It is currently 1:48 am. But that's not totally my fault, I've had a kiddo with a tummy ache...but I digress. I dug everything out of the closet so I could get to my sad lonely machine. I got it out, found the manual and all the paraphernalia, and actually threaded it on the first try! My granny would be so proud...it's kinda like riding a bike!

It really didn't take long before I was sewing the pink & green DP onto the white piece. I was instructed to not be too girly, no bows or sparkle (boo...) so I just matched the colors of her fabric. I cut out the baby's name (BRIA...what an awesome name!) using my Red Tag Alpha & Cuttlebug, painted the letters pink, & mounted them on white Giga Scalloped Rectangles. I used my Cropadile to put in some eyelets, and threaded my white grosgrain through and tied it around the can. Pretty simple!

But then, of course, I gotta make a matching card! I really just wanted to sew some more. So I cut 2 more pieces of DP (I'll list my recipe in the morning too tired now) into 4" x 4" squares and staggered them on a 5 1/8" square piece of Papertrey White Cardstock. Stitched around the edges, and tied a ribbon around. The sentiment is from the Mike's $1 bin, and I stamped it first in Regal Rose and then again in Palette Hybrid Noir, using my Stampamajig to make kind of a drop shadow with the pink. I punched it out with my 2" Marvy circle punch, and glued it onto this ginormous clear button from Bazzil. Stuck the button onto the card and I was all done!

Time for bed now...g'nite!

One Word

So I got this email from my mom a few weeks ago, and it said, "If you had to describe me in one word, what would that word be?" One of the replies she received inspired this card. I think her friend just made it up, but my mom said she probably just didn't have her glasses on. All it said was: INDOMTABLE. ??? Since then my mom has decided that it's French for "brave." LOL

So before I show you what I made for my indomtable mother, I challenge you to make up a word to describe me. How fun is that?!

This is the card I made for my mom. Inside it just says "Happy Mother's Day." Very simple (since I waited till the last minute-SURPRISE), but I kinda like it. I used my new Karen Foster Snap Stamps that I ordered from Cindy (love them!) and one of my brand new favorite papers - Cosmo Cricket Wanted Collection (get it here). This one is Slim Jim. I layered it on a sage shadow panel and then onto a Chocolate Chip card base. Tied a bow, and BAM! (sorry) ;-)

I found this box at Recollections tonight, and it was $5! Can you believe it?! It measures about 6" deep x 7" wide, and I covered it with the Cosmo Cricket Wanted Collection as well. I used the Slim Jim, Kissin' Kate, and Buffalo Bill papers on this one, in addition to fibers and ribbon (for that "cowgirl chic" look). My parents live on 5 acres and have 2 horses and a donkey, so Mom is really into the cowgirl stuff. I stamped her 5 Flour Sacks with my Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and B-Line Designs Cowgirl stamps, with sayings like, "My heroes have always been cowgirls" and "Does this saddle make me look fat?" They are so cute but weren't dry and honestly I'm too tired to wait to take a pic. Love you all but seriously I'm tired. I'll post them tomorrow, I promise. They're super cute, and will go inside this awesome box. She's going to love them!

Ok, so I'm off to bed. Don't forget, post a reply and make up a word to describe me! G'Night!