Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Happy Birthday

Hello Peeps!

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!  Mine has been lacking in sleep, but I guess that is what happens when you convert a crib to a bed, effectively letting your child out of 'prison.'   Now, if the little bug wakes up at unthinkable early hours, he figures it is time to get up instead of falling back asleep.  I guess we have a little teaching to do or we'll have to start going to bed earlier ourselves.

We have an upcoming birthday for a friend's two year old daughter, so here is the card I made for her.   It didn't turn out how I envisioned, but I can live with it.  I am happy to say that for once, all the papers and card were scraps!  Hurray for using up scraps!  This one looks better IRL, as the camera deepened the orange cardstock a bit.

Supplies:

Stamps - Sugar Nellie (Cute and Cuddly - I left out the other little critters) coloured with Prisma pencils and sentiment from Stampin' Up Look Who's Turning set
Papers - all from my stash - sorry I don't remember who they are by
Dies/Punches - Cheery Lynn Designs French Pastry doily and Martha Stewart edge punch
Other - lace from Kaiser, brads and ribbon from my stash, glossy accents on the balloon.

This card was inspired by the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp - Spots and/or stripes (second entry)
One Stop Craft Challenge - On the spot and ribbon
Winter Wonderland - birthday
Sketch Saturday - for the sketch
Totally Papercrafts - Spots and stripes (also my second entry - I couldn't find anywhere that said if this was allowed, so if multiple entries are not permitted, please remove this one :)

Thanks for stopping in and enjoy the rest of your week!

Hugs,

Dawn

Sunday, January 15, 2012

January (Let it Snow...)

Hello Peeps!

Hope everyone is having/had a wonderful weekend!  After having a very mild December, winter decided to show up this weekend.  It is very cold today and the ground is finally covered with a white fluffy blanket.  I guess that goes well with the project I have made for today!

While browsing in blogland, I have come across a few really gorgeous calendars and I knew that I wanted to make one (or a few hee hee) myself.  This one will be a gift for my mother (she never visits my blog) at Christmas, which is why it says 2013.  My thinking is I will make a page each month, making it ready for Christmas without too much last minute pressure.  We'll see how that goes...

Enough blabbing then - here is January:

The base is made from a Want 2 Scrap chipboard album, making it mice and durable.  I didn't like the placement of the wholes (it originally had three down the side) so I covered them with paper and punched a new whole at the top for hanging it.  The design allows this calendar to be reused each year, as the actual calendar sheet is encased within a little pocket and can easily be removed and replaced.  Alternately, a photo could be placed inside of it, turning it into a little scrapbook.


Over the holidays, I finally learned how to crochet!!!  I have been wanting to learn for a very long time, so over the 'break' my mother taught me how to read patterns and make sense of all the confusion.  So, for this project, I crocheted a couple of snowflakes!  I am thrilled with how they turned out!  The patterns are from Leisure Arts Leaflet 3013 called 99 Snowflakes and I used cotton which had a little iridescent thread through it, giving it a nice shimmer. 

A little borrowed humor - I saw a card on a blog a long time ago that had 'let it snow' on the front and 'make it stop' on the inside.  Unfortunately, I do not remember who's blog it was, so I cannot give credit.  If I find it, I'll add the link later.  (Turns out the creative gal is Brenda and here is her blog).  I thought my mother would get a chuckle from it, so I tucked the little tag inside the pocket behind the calendar.  The shimmery glitter on the snow is from Lindy's Stamp Gang - scintillating silver Glitz Spritz, painted on with a brush.  I think you can see it if you enlarge the photo.

Other Supplies:
Stamps - House Mouse Mice Snowball (*new*); Let it Snow is from Amy R Snowman Sayings
Ink - Stazon and distess inks (pumice stone, stormy sky, weathered wood, tattered rose, black soot)
Paper - Bo Bunny Midnight Frost
Punches - Martha Stewart border punch and Marvy tag punch
Other - yarn from stash, calendar was created in on my computer using a table in Word
Sketch is adapted from an old Sweet & Sassy Saturday sketch

This project is for the following fun challenges:

Crafty Catz - Use something new
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Something new
Simon Says Stamp - Spots and/or stripes
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything goes with blue
Sweet Stampin' - All that glitters
Totally Papercrafts - Spots and Stripes

My something news are the House Mouse stamp, new year and new technique (crochet snowflakes).

Thanks for stopping in and for taking the time to leave a comment!  I really appreciate them and love having the chance to visit you too!  Have a great week!

Hugs,

Dawn

Monday, January 9, 2012

A Cheesy Birthday Card

Hello Peeps! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and that you all managed to get in a little relaxing crafting time!  I stole a little time to play with some of my new toys and made a birthday card for my SIL's upcoming birthday.  She has an extraordinary love of cheese, so I thought this image was perfect for her!


Details:

Image - House Mouse (new), coloured with my new Prismacolor Premier pencils (a Christmas gift from hubby!).  They were an absolute delight to work with, though I think I might have to up the contrast a bit for photographing.  Looks better IRL.
Tools - Martha Stewart edge punch (new - a Christmas gift from my mother)
Paper - Bazzill and Stampin' Up DP (retired)
Other - ribbon, brads and flowers all from my stash; sentiment computer generated.

This card is for the following fun challenges:

Simon Says Stamp - New something
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes (sorry, no tip this time :(  )

Thanks for stopping in and for taking the time to leave a comment!  I love to hear from you and it gives me the chance to visit you back.  Have a great week!
Hugs,

Dawn

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year & Top Five

Hello Peeps!

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's eve and that 2012 is off to a great start!  Hopefully you will all have plenty of time to indulge is making crafts this year.  I already have several projects on my 'to create' list for the year, so hopefully I will have time to make them all...

I thought that it might be fun to look back at 2011 and choose my top five cards for the year.  However, the task was a bit daunting, so instead my hubby offered to pick his favourites.  Turns out he couldn't do it either and ended up with a top nine.  So, from his top nine, I chose a top five.

#5:


#4:




#3:



#2:




#1:



Have a happy, healthy & creative new year! 

Hugs,

Dawn