Basic Hand Papermaking--adding dried flowers

Here is a video on how I made the paper pictured below by incorporating dried flowers I picked and pressed this past Spring. 

Spider Halloween Card 2013

2013 Spider Halloween Card for my great niece and nephews.

I used DCWV Ghosts & Goblins stack paper; Tim Holtz distress ink and markers, sticky black vinyl and Cricut Doodlecharms to cut the spider at 2.5 inches.

For more details on how I put this together, I put together a video you can link to below.
I put the cut sealed with a fish stamp on the back of the card and colored it with Distress Markers.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Amy

Beginning Beekeeping 2013--1st jar of honey extracted

I started Beekeeping this year and here is a picture of the first jar of honey extracted from Runaway Honey Farm.  Luckily, the bees knew what to do despite me being a novice.

Vintage TV/bed tray update

Vintage TV/Bed tray

I found this cool vintage tv/bed tray with spring loaded fold-down legs and a top that rises to five different settings.   Here are some before pictures.   It was a little dirty and one of the side rails was broken and had been repaired with some kind of nasty tape that I couldn't get off without a whole lot of scraping.  The rose applique was not removed either--same issue.    The side rail has been repaired in the picture below.

I removed the top and glued the side rail back on.   I spray painted the bottom with black spray paint.  I used spray paint because I didn't think I could brush on a nice finish on all the dowels and little pieces of wood. 

I painted the top with Martha Stewart Vanilla acrylic paint, used embellishments from the Graphic 45 French Country collection, some yellow gingham card stock on the sides to cover the ugly tape marks and to reinforce the thin side rails from breaking off again. Tea Dye Distress Ink was used on all of the paper edges.  I used Mod Podge to glue on all of the paper pieces and well as putting multiple coats over the top and on the legs.

I tried a lot of different paper ideas and embellishments before I settled on the simple line at the top and bottom.    I have been known to go crazy overboard and not know when to stop.

 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.  Amy

Finally, after 10 years or more, my Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa) has bloomed and has Wax Flowers. 

Garden markers made from Shrinky Dink and upcycled wire.

 

I cut the Shrinky Dink paper into approximately 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches; used Staz-on black ink with a Stampers Best flower stamp and bee clear stamp.  I rounded the corners with punch and used a standard size hole punch.    Using a Red Sharpie, I wrote the veggie names on and then used my heat gun to shrink them down.  Then I used some upcycled wire from an old hanging flower basket, cut it and twisted it with a jewelry pliers (a needle nose pliers would work too).  Now I have garden markers I can use from year to year. 

Mother's Day Card 2013 inspired by CardMaker magazine

on page 75 of the magazine is a Mother's Day card with a mono color theme.  Here is my version of th card:

I used Cuttlebug paisley folder, tumbled glass Distress Ink, Prima flowers, Martha Steward corner punch and CardzTV Happy stamp.    I make the blue/black ribbon by gluing regular blue ribbon to black bias tape. 

Get well card

Graphic 45 French Country Paper, Tim Holtz stamp, Prima flower, Lost and Found butterfly brad.

Coin Purse sewing project

I was at my Mom's house for the past week after she had some surgery.   During my time there (and away from my craft room---ahhhh) I did some sewing.   Some years ago I purchased a coin purse from my Mom's neighbor who made them at the time.  I was able to get the pattern from her and made some of my own.

I made four purses; two large and two small.  I only had one zipper at the time so these still need to have zippers put in.    I have or will post some videos on YouTube showing how I made these. They were fun and easy and I'm going to make more for gifts and things.

Purse patterns below, are scanned on 8 1/2" x 11" paper.

Save to your computer and print image without using any size adjustments.

Print a standard 8 1/2" x 11" picture.     It may come out a little bigger or smaller but it doesn't matter too much.  Play with the print adjustments on your printer and re-size them to whatever size you want.  

  Part 4 video, sewing in the zipper, is posted below. 

 

large purse pattern

small purse pattern 

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 Amy

Just a hello. . . card

I love this simple layout. I used a Lost and Found telephone stamp and just saying hello stamp (can't remember what company it is from) and colored with Distress Markers.   I used Cricut Elegant Edges for the scalloped circle and shadow.  I need to make a bunch of these scalloped circles--I just love it.      White lace and white Swiss dot on black paper and a piece black card stock behind that.  This is a standand A2 card measuring 5 1/4 x 4 1/2.     

Graphic 45 altered wooden cigar box

Altered wooden cigar box with Graphic 45 Products (paper, stamps and coordinating cardstock banners).  

This paper is perfect for me because I am going to start 2 bee hives this spring---bees will be here in about a month and I would like to raise some egg chickens beginning next year (2014).    Also, the paper has "Mon Amie" or "mon ami". (my name in French which means "my friend")

Most things I make and give away but this one I made for myself. 

I started by painting the box with Martha Steward paints and crackle finish. Other items I used:
Distress Ink black soot
Tim Holtz key hole
key trinket
Glossy Accents
Prima Flowers
Staz-on black ink
pinecones
black and white bakers twine
new hinges
red spray I made with the red paint
and Mod Podge

Card Maker Challenge "Time"

This week's (2-19-13) CardMakers Magazine Challenge was to incorporate something to do with time.    Here my version.  I used the cascading card from the cover of the current magazine as inspiration because I wanted to made the cascading card too.

 The Grandfather clock is cut from French Manor Cricut Cartridge and colored with Distress Markers and a metallic brass marker.

All of the flowers are Prima.  I used Tim Holtz embosing folder,

 stamps, inks, markers and  gears, 

 StampersBest Stamp

StazOn Black ink

Glossy Accents

small brads and foam squares

I also used actual watch gears. I will identify that below.

Shrinky Dink paper, see picture below

I used the same embossing folder for the paper clocks on the left and the shrinky dink paper on the right.

I used actual watch gears on this stamp and covered them with Glossy Accents.

 

The black and white rectangle was made from Shrinky Dink paper and Tim Holtz enbossing folder. 

I stamped all of the images on water color paper and colored them with Distress markers. 

YPP Rolodex Swap Feb 2013 "Cherries"

Hi Crafters,
Here is a picture of my cherry themed Rolodex card for the Your Paper Pantry (YPP) February 2013 Rolodex swap.   This was a bit of a challenge as I found a lot of strawberry, raspberry and apple stamps, themed paper and embellishments, but not much for the cherry.  I found one cherry stamp at Hobby Lobby but no paper or embellishments.   At this point I didn't want to take the time to track down the couple of paper packs that are out there that do have cherries.  I ended up using some Shrinky Dink to get the job done.

I cut out the Rolodex (2 1/4" x 4") in a red card stock and ran it through the Cuttlebug with swiss dots folder.   I layered a white Rolodex with the red one to make it thicker and more stable.  I used a red card stock with white dots on a layer of white for the background.  The corners are rounded with a 1/4" round corner punch and the edges are inked with Distress Ink fired brick.

The stickled cherries and the word cherry were cut from the Cricut Preserves cartridge.  I used some white lace and a couple of white Prima flowers (a flower and a bud) tipped with the fired brick ink as well.    There is a Tim Holtz round fastener to hold another Rolodex card with my information on it to the back.
I cut a Rolodex shape (the same size as the red Rolodex card) and a scalloped rectangle that measured approximately 2" x 1 1/2" from the Shrinky Dink.  I punched a standard size hole in the corner of the scalloped piece so that I could use a brad to fasten it to the Rolodex card and it can be positioned on the brad.   I added a red bing on the brad and in the other upper corner..  I used a journaling stamp and cherry stamp on the Shrinky Rolodex card and colored them before I heat shrank them. The Shrinky Rolodex card is on foam squares.  The corners were punched with a Martha Stewart corner punch before being shrunk.

I think that was it.   I had a lot of fun putting this together and working with the Shrinky Dink.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
Amy