Snowball Boys

Happy Monday!  I've got a couple birthday cards to share today.  They are cold-weather inspired and boy centric. :)

I have had these boys for AGES!  They have been sitting half done in my pile of goodies forever.  I finally assembled them onto these cards last winter. Last. Winter. Ugh.  Then I noticed that I hadn't colored the cuff of the hats.  So there they sat for another year.  Seriously?!? Well, they are done now. :-)

So what have you had sitting unfinished for a while?

Hen's Den Freedom Hop TODAY!

 July 1st is finally here!  I can't believe that school just ended for us this past Friday and July 4th is THIS WEEK!  The Hen's Den Design Team has come great tutorials and tips for you.  Here are the deets:

Hop to all of these places and leave a comment at each one between July 1st and July 6th.  On July 7th we'll pick a lucky commenter from random to win a TON of crafty prizes.

Anita Mulcahey

Moriah Macdonald---that's me!

Carolyn Lontin

Janet Bagnall

Nicolle Kramer

Charlie LaBonte

Facebook Page for The Hens' Den

If you hit all of our blogs and leave a comment not only are you are in the running for some great prizes, but you also get to see all the wonderful things my teammies have created and learn some new tricks.  It's a real win-win!

Charlie sent us all some great papers from the Anthem line by Bo Bunny.  I thought I'd share a paper-piecing home decor project with y'all today.  Grab a glass of lemonade or iced tea (I myself will be hopping while drinking my Grandma Poppy's famous homemade sweet tea warm off the stovetop) and get ready to get excited for the 4th!!!

I have a love-hate relationship with paper-piecing.  I love the look, but I sometimes get frustrated with the fussy cutting.  Like a moth to the flame, I continue to play with this technique 'cause the finished project is always too cute!  This project will have us fussy cut a daisy "Americana" style.  The first thing I did was stamp the daisy on some white cardstock.  I quick-and-dirty colored the center with a couple shades of yellow Copics.

So my husband just looked over my should as I was typing and asked "Why are there red arrows on your picture?"  I bet y'all are asking the same thing!  Well, see the messiness?  They great part about the paper-piecing in this project is that all that will get covered up or cut off.  Love it!  No need to worry about those little uh-ohs. :)

Next I stamped the daisy again on all the Anthem papers that had patterns I wanted to see peeking out of the daisy.  This can be a hard step for some folks- myself included.  It might mean that the best part of the paper is in the middle, but it's worth it in the end.  The extra details that are in a smidgin of the paper can really pop in the final piece.  Let's face it folks, the paper was meant to be cut. ;)

Once you've stamped out the daisy on all the papers, you'll need to begin cutting.  I can't emphasize how important it is to have good light and sharp scissors (in that order!).  I started cutting as the sun was setting and really should have turned on a light sooner! ;)  Matching up the petals to the black and white image was a little tricky until then.  My eyes just aren't what they used to be.  LOL!

My husband just piped in again and asked "Why did you stamp the whole daisy if you were just going to use a small piece?"  Good question (don't tell him I said that!).  You don't have to do that.  I wanted the flexibility to play around with the patterns and switch things around if it didn't quite jell.  The other reason, I was pretty sure I could use the leftovers to make a bunch of cards or tags.  Waste not, want not. :)

For me it's the petals with the blue/star/red splotch that are my favorite & the ones that were the hardest to cut.  The design was like 1/4 of the way in and 1/3 of the way up.  But then again, now that I've made the first cut I will really want to use the paper more!  Saving myself from paper hoarding!!! :D

Okay, okay, I digress.  More about the daisy!  As I cut each part I puzzle pieced it to the daisy.  I would recommend removable tape.  I kept bumping everything and then having to start over matching it up (again lighting- if I had turned the lights on sooner...).  I didn't glue as I went because I wasn't sure I wouldn't switch some petals around in the end (and I did).  Once I had it the way I wanted I glued the base of the petals- NOT the top.  Why?  I didn't want to fussy cut all the tops of the petals again.  Instead I kinda peeled the petals up and cut about 1/4 of the way down of the white underneath so that essentially there is a white circle shape under this daisy.  (This pic is from BEFORE I cut the white)

A new Homegoods opened up nearby.  Dangerous I know!!!  I decided to check it out last week and there in the clearance aisle was this lovely frame- $3.50!  I knew exactly when I saw it (and then whe I saw the price) that I was going to use it with this project.  Ahhh, love it when everything comes together.

I mounted everything to a 4x6 piece of the "Country" paper from the Anthem line.  I added the stars in circles from the sticker paper and the sentiment from the chipboard.  I love the Americana feel of this and had a vision of having a bow so I added Mon Ami Gabby burlap ribbon to top it off.  I am seriously crushing on this creation!!!  I still have more to play with and may have to make a banner or wreath to add to the collection. :)


Now don't forget leave a comment here and then head over to Carolyn Lontin.  You'll love what she has in store for you, I know I always do!

I've got my flag and am singing my way here:
ColourQ- Challenge 196
Simon Says Stamp- Patriotic

 

Scooting By...

It's been a bit crazy this week!  Poor Amy has been up and down with how she has been doing with her cancer and I've been on the phone with the vet a few times, DH was on travel in CA all week, I'm trying to clean out (read weed out) my classroom to get ready to move at the end of June, and there is a stomach bug going around (which I thought I might be getting yesterday).  So for sure I have been scooting around all week!  T-G-I-F!

DH is back and things are settling down a bit.  Sounds like a good time to squeeze in another set of cards I made using the May 2013 Kit Club kit I got at Ink About It.  Loving those polka dots and that giant chevron!!!

Isn't this scooter so stinkin' cute!!!  I'm sure I saw it on Jessica's blog The Paper Parade ages ago and HAD to get it (I search her blog for an hour and can't find the post, but I'm sure it was one of her cute cards that got me inspired in the first place :) )  This scooter is part of the set that includes the golf cart I love so much too!

I had so much fun creating this set!  I'm in the process of making a more girly/flowery/pinkish set. :)  So what are you up to this weekend?

My Fashion Plates

 (image credit)

Do you remember that toy, Fashion Plates?  I came across a post by Kim at her blog ART & INSPIRATION.  Her post is so spot on for how I felt about that toy.  I wanted them in the worst way for years when I was a kid.  I finally got them probably 6 months before I was "too old" to play with them 'cause it wasn't "cool" anymore. Wish I knew where they were!  Luckily I have found a new version (at least it makes me think of a newer version of FP's).

The left two tags I made way back in February at a class at Ink About It.  The one on the right I made, gosh maybe early May at a "reunion" crafting get together.  The girls were so popular that by the time any store had gotten the stamps they were sold out- I never was able to get the stamps until about a week or so ago!!!  These are soooo much fun to dress up. :)  I'm trying to get some other projects done so I can make a few more!

(image credit)

This is the only image I could find of all the girls you can get to play with from Prima.  I got 3 to start.  The 2nd in from the left & the last 2.  I haven't played with them all yet, I've been busy crafting though.  Hold on to your hats!  I've got lots of posts coming up this week!!

Pile o books

More paper piecing!  These were fun (and work!).  The different patterns and colors make me so happy. :)

Of course the fact that she is reading while sitting on a stack of books doesn't hurt my love for her either. :)  Top Tip Tuesday is hosting our last Anything Goes Challenge of 2011, so dig out a fav image of yours and have at it!

Best wishes on catching up on all your reading this week,

Sorry I have been AWOL

Where does the summer go?!?  I had all these plans to get some much crafty work done!!!  I have yet to set foot in my studio to clean the mess from the end of June (I just grab a couple things and walk out) and have posted exactly 3 things since the beginning of July.  Alas, I did get to travel to Quebec, my disgusting basement is significantly less disgusting after the massive clean out, and this week I finished the most awesome games making class.  Really I can't complain.

It was the most inspiring teacher class I have taken in quite a long time. :)  About 20 of us spent the entire week making educational games to use with our students and the instructor is the most creative gal!   Each day she gave one or two presentations (~1 1/2 hours) focusing in on games that could be created.  It was amazing and so overwhelming that the last two nights I had lots of dreams about making games.  LOL!  We had a giant show and tell at the end of class today so we could all see each other's creations.  My classmates are so talented!!!  I took so many pictures in hopes of lifting their ideas for my students too. :)

Here's a quick little mini notepad.  I'm also hoping to create a set of note cards to coordinate with this notepad.  I'm so exhausted after this class though, who knows. :)  We'll see how long it takes! LOL!