Hand Stamped Sentiments #123 - Paper Pleating

It's all 'in the pleats' this week over at Hand Stamped Sentiments...paper pleats that is! Grab FOLD of this technique challenge, it's entirely way too much fun and link up over at the Hand Stamped Sentiments blog! (and yes, I spelled hold with an 'f' for a reason!)

I'm still plugging away, thinking ahead and getting ready for our move the end of this month, eeeeekk! Since I'm not sure how long it will take us to unpack, reorganize and get settled and we've got a wedding to attend the end of July, I decided to use this challenge to make two cards for the bride and groom. Their wedding colors are hot pink and green, so I pulled some colors from my stash and got to folding...

I followed this tutorial HERE

 and the flower tutorial HERE

This challenge really was so much fun, I love the HUGE impact a few folds made on both of my cards AND another plus, they are still mailable! yipee! Don't forget to check out the cool folds the rest of the design team has pleated up especially for you!!

SU! products used:

Stamps - So Happy For You

Paper - Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery

Ink, EP - Craft White, Basic Black, White Embossing Powder

Punches - Large Oval, 1-3/4" Circle, 1-3/8" Circle

Other - Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Dazzling Details

Hand Stamped Sentiments #120 - Anything BUT A Card

This week over at Hand Stamped Sentiments, we've stepped completely out of the box with an 'anything BUT a card challenge'

Once I had the felt, thread, needles, scissors, buttons, SU! goodies and hot glue gun out, you obviously can see that I couldn't stop with just ONE piece of wearable art! My lovely daughter happily modeled each piece for me and couldn't WAIT to wear them all to school, although I had to ask her to wear just one and not ALL at once, haha!

The ribbon, pearl center, and crocheted flowers are all SU! although I'm sure retired...

I can't keep track anymore! 

If you're feeling like you'd like to step out of the box we'd love to have you play along over at Hand Stamped Sentiments. Come check out what the design team has whipped up this week too!

Hello Spring

This week at The Shabby Tea Room, they posted the inspiration photo below, along with the theme 'Spring is Near' to drum up some creative inspiration. The rules are to use at least three colors from the picture and use dry embossing...and this is what I came up with.

STR#105

I used the inside stamp from the center of the frame (normally would be thrown away) to create the checkerboard background pattern. Dry embossing over top of that with the Elegant Lines EF. 

I found this tutorial on Pinterest to make the paper flowers, but after rolling them, I cut 1/2 of the bottoms off, so they would sit lower on my card. I also didn't draw the spiral first, just cut freehand. and then added a bunch of mini glue dots to the bottom of each flower. Hot glue would've worked as well. Hand cut leaves were easy to create with my paper snips and I didn't want them too perfect, which is why I didn't use a punch or die cut to make them.

 SU! products used:

Stamps - Elementary Elegance SAB

Ink - Versa Mark, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party

Paper - Whisper White, Lucky Limeade DSP, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party DSP, Island Indigo

Punch - Scallop Border

Other - Gold Embossing Powder, mini glue dots

Pinterest inspired Wreath

My new obsession with Pinterest has actually caused me to be even MORE productive if you can believe it! I made this sweet yarn wrapped wreath, felt flowers included, by checking out this fab tutorial HERE. Only one blister was had and I LOVE the results, the best part is whenever I see this wreath, I can proudly say, "I made that!" which I've been doing over and over again in my head, hehe...

 (a close up shot of the felt flowers and leaves)

I'm entering my DIY fall colored wreath in the following challenges this week and hopefully I'll inspire others to pull out their own yarn and felt as well!

The Shabby Tea Room

is asking their readers to create a "Homespun Fall" themed project using the above photo as inspiration. I think I took the homeSPUN quite literally since I spun my yarn, around and around and around my wreath!

The Paper Players
are hosting an "Anything Goes" challenge this week and our projects are to contain a fall element.

I've also linked my little wreath over at the Fall Pinterest Challenge at Young House Love and you can check out Sherry's cool Pinterest inspired ornaments, 38, to be exact. Also Katie, Ana & Erin have some awesome projects to check out as well as the rest of the Young House Love followers who have linked all of their lovely creations!

Happy Fall Y'ALL!

Mama Mojo

My Mom has been staying with the kids and I for two weeks lending an extra pair of loving arms to help around the house. As she drove away, little knots started forming in my tummy, knowing that I would be going at this deployment alone once more. So, what better way to fix those silly knots then paper craft! This weeks Mojo Monday was the perfect inspiration to get started and when I paired my Moms two favorite colors together and added a handmade flower, I have to say I was quite pleased with the result!

MOJO157 sketch

I used Pretty in Pink & Wild Wasabi throughout the card, including the DSP. My handmade flower was created using the faux suede method of punching out a shape (in this case, circles) and breaking down the fibers in the paper with my bone folder until I was able to pull the paper apart into two layers (or 3 per the case in one of my circles). I used the Scallop Trim Border punch along the side of my long Wild Wasabi paper. My flower was made with the 1-3/4", 1-3/8" & 1-1/4" Circle Punches. I used a brad to hold them together and fancied it up with a large piece of pink bling. My sentiment is from Well Scripted. The three little circles are punched out from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and I did the "pulled apart" faux suede effect on them as well. Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz added a bit of sparkle to my flower and 3 small circles. And a piece of Pink ribbon to finish the complete sketch. This weeks Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge just so happens to be Handmade Flowers, SWEET!! At the last moment, I corner rounded the ends of the card, which I felt gave it softer lines...

Thank you Mom for all of your loving help with the kids & house! We're going to miss your cooking, talks and uncontrollable laughter! Love you TONS!! Can't wait till Christmas!