Flower Vases

I just love playing around with the rosette die from Stampin' Up!  It makes the cutest rosettes every time- and makes putting them together a snap!  So, I pulled out some scrap paper this weekend and went to town!  I have mini vases from all sorts of places- dollar stores, ceramic vases from yard sales, even vintage baby bottles!  What better way to highlight something one of a kind than with a holder that is also unique and special.

Beautiful Butterflies

Easter is such a transformative time when I always think about fresh starts.  I love the symbolism of butterflies in the story of Jesus' resurrection in starting something new and remembering that my chance for a fresh start comes from Him.  So when my mom approached me about her idea for the church cross, I knew immediately how I could help to create these butterflies!

I used a full pack of Subtles color card stock and the Beautiful Butterflies die for a Big Shot.  This made about 200 beautiful butterflies!

My talented mom used pussy willow and curly willow branches to create the the extensions of the piece.  We hot glued the butterflies to the willow branches as well as the center, adding more to this area so the butterflies seem concentrated at the heart of the piece.  For most of the butterflies, we made sure to fold them in the middle so they looked to be taking flight.

Planning Party

I've been cleaning out and organizing some of my thrift shop finds to make sure I know what all I have and can make some plans!

That means breaking out the folding table!  I've put out the items I want to work with and then started going through my craft room to find paper, ribbon, and anything else I might need for all these projects!    Then, I make a list of what all I plan to make and can set a timeline for each.  I tend to get in a frenzy and want to make it all at once, so this helps me slow down and tackle an item at a time!

Stay tuned for all the items that will come up! :)

Eggcelent Eggs

Easter is around the corner and I needed some eggcelent decorations in my home.  These eggs were easy and fun to make.  Let me show you!

I started with paper mache eggs from the local craft shore, and covered them with a quick coat of white craft paint.  Any color craft paint will do, but keep in mind that this will be showing through your layer of tissue paper.  Endless possibilities!  I knew I wanted the colors on my stamped images to pop, so I chose white.

I took one sheet of white tissue paper, several floral stamps and lots of spring time colors.  Laying a sheet of grid paper down first,  I stamped a small section of the tissue paper in a pattern.  You don't need much tissue to cover the egg, so I could fit 8 different patterns onto one sheet.  Just make sure you leave a little white space in between each pattern.

A note on tissue paper- be sure to press down with your inked image and lift straight back up.  Wetting the tissue with this image will make it easy to tear, so just make sure not to twist.  When dry, I tore out each patterned section of the tissue paper, and then proceeded to rip this into small bits for adhering.

Next, I broke out the handy dandy modge podge and used a thin coat on a section of egg.  Add the tissue paper to that section, and then dab down with your modge podge sponge applicator (craft sponge brush).  Work out any creases and make sure you have a thin layer on the top of the tissue, but be gentle- the tissue can tear if you get a little overzealous in your application.

When about half of the egg was tissued, I used baby food jar lids to prop up the egg as it dried.  Then, I coated the other side.  Finally once all sides were covered in tissue and dried, I added an extra layer of modge podge on top to seal it all.

Ink colors used: So Saffron, Pool Party, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, and Pink Pirouette

Stamp Sets Used: Happy Watercolor, Papillon Potpourri, Morning Meadow

Beautiful Bookmarks

I love to read.  Really love it! And, I have a veritable library in my home filled with books I love.  Some are textbooks from my counseling studies, some are classics, and others science fiction. A little eclectic, just like me!

Since I read a lot, I have to have something to mark where I am in my book!  I'll confess that sometimes ends up being a scrap of paper, but a pretty bookmark is all the more incentive to open a good page turner.  So to honor my reading obsession, here's a fun and easy project that's just perfect for a gift or to use for your own reading delight!

I found these bookmark bases on clearance at a local craft store not long ago.  Light bulb moment!  I could make something cute with these.

The packaging of the bookmark included dimensions of the inside of the bookmark oval as well as a picture.  I used the picture to cut out a template.  I then went through some scrap paper to find a few designs I liked!

You can't really see in the pictures, but the center of each bookmark base has a small lip, allowing for the base to be fillable with decorations. Once I decided on the center for each bookmark, I used Crystal Effects to fill the center.  After letting that dry overnight, they are ready to use!

Here's the list of items used for the bookmarks:
-Modern Medley and Etcetera Designer Series Paper for the Base
-Basic Black and Pear Pizzazz for the decorative embellishments
-Boho Blossoms and Bird Builder punches to use with the plain card stock for embellishment
-Rhinestone Basic Jewels for an accent on each bookmark
-Crystal Effects to create a beautiful lacquered finish

Enjoy!

Little Light of Mine

Found: Assorted glass jars and glasses.
The Dilemma: I wanted to make an easy decorative votive holder.
The Solution:  Washi Tape and Accessories!

These literally took 5 minutes.  I pulled out watercolor wonder designer washi tape, gold sequin trim, baked brown sugar ruffle trim, and glue dots.

I wrapped the washi tape around the surface of the jar or glass. Then, I used my finger nail (or a bone folder) to work out any areas where the washi tape needs to fit around the curve of the jar.  Glue dots were used to hold the sequins and ruffle trim in place.

It's All in the Box

I put together the Everyday Occasions kit with a few friends around the holidays and have held on to the box because it's so darn cute!  I love the honeycomb pattern to the box top.  So, I wanted to treat it extra special so it could hold an extra special gift in the near future!  Who needs wrapping paper?

Here's the supplies I used:

-Everyday Occasions kit box

-Papaya Collage Stamp Set

-Subtles Candy Dots

-Soft Suede, Soft Sky, and Crisp Cantaloupe ink

-Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper and Accessory Pack

-Whisper White card stock

-Floral Frames Collection

The inside of the box can't be forgotten either!  I decorated the top of the box with some more Sweet Sorbet paper and Papaya Collage stamped images.  The little do-dad in the middle of the butterfly is one of the great cork pieces from the Sweet Sorbet Accessory kit.