Playing With Blocks......well not really...

Don't know if you've noticed the new "block" cards on Pinterest.  It only takes part of a 12x12 sheet of cardstock and a small amount of designer paper to make one.  Very thrifty!  Of course all the doo dads you add is something else.  I must not be blessed with three dimensional vision because I had this all put together and kept looking at it thinking I did something wrong.  The directions on You Tube were perfect.  But when you're finished, you sort of have to turn it up and over and then you see it! Ta Da!  So here are some pictures.

The first picture shows the "blocks" with all their little "fussies."  I used a Kraft paper and the new Tim Holtz Wallflower paper.  It is his most beautiful paper ever and very cleverly done so you don't waste any.  You need 15 little squares of DP to do this.  On the top step is a bee looking down at the flowers and leaves on the middle step. To the left is a clock and below all a Tim Holtz saying "Live in the Moment."  The bottom step is a teeny tiny paper doily stamped from PTI and inked with Vintage Photo. My little brass teapot and the tiny tea cup and saucer have been in my collection for a long time.  Don't even know the source but I knew I'd find the right project for them someday.  That's why we crafters pick up things as we go along.  It's not that we need them NOW, it's for LATER!!  LOL!

This shows the back of the blocks with a tag with a Tim Holtz saying on it.  Everything was distressed on the edges with Vintage Photo, my favorite Distress Ink.  For stability, I also used Tim Holtz metal corners on the bottom  And here's the surprise:

The whole thing is open and you can see through from front to back. The directions do not call for lining the inside with paper but I did anyway.  I'm a glutton for punishment.  The AMAZING thing about this whole thing is that it all folds flat for you to send in the mail.  Now before you ask how, I chose not to do that with this piece because I wanted to display it.  But the You Tube directions have you do all the cutting and then folding and gluing, lay it FLAT, put your pretty paper on, and then fold flat for sending.   It's really amazing that it folds flat!  You can use flat embellishments like a small bow, ribbon, flowers etc. if you want to mail yours.  And on Pinterest also there is directions for an envelope for it to go in.  The link is 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H6Kveu0ctc&feature=share

And someone sent me a funny group of cartoons and photos with jokes regarding senior citizens and the one below just made me fall off the chair laughing.  This is for those of you (like me) of a certain age who will appreciate it.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and find some time to be crafty!  Thanks for stopping by!

I have entered this project in:

http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/qkr-stampede-challenge-77-anything-but.html

and

http://cardmakinmamas.blogspot.com/2014/02/cmm81-stack-it-up.html

and

http://sassystudiodesigns.blogspot.com/2014/02/dtbst-218-flip-or-fold-it.html

and

http://7kidschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/challenge-94-anything-goes.html

and

http://www.inklingsandyarns.com/2014/02/inky-linky-46/

and

http://stampwithsarahkay.blogspot.com/2014/02/challenge-206-anything-but-square.html

and

http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com/2014/02/challenge-121-anything-goes.html

An Honor

I was approached by the Weekly Scrapper to give them permission to post a project I did some time ago....the steampunk accordian album.  Here's the link if you want to take a look.  It was posted 2/19.
http://weeklyscrapper.com/steampunk-accordion-mini-album/.

SALE: Ebay

Just thought I'd let my readers know that I'm having a big sale of quilting, papercrafting, clay and other craft books on ebay.  Stop by to see if there's something you can't live without!  Here's the link:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/primitiveseasons    Click on "Items For Sale"

Another snow.....and more coming!

Boy, have we been having the "dig out" of the century.  A record snowfall here on the East Coast.  We couldn't even go down our street.  Husband was out with the snow thrower all morning.

I wanted to ask, take sort of a poll so to speak, if any of my readers  have a printer they especially love.  For printing vintage images my printer will not even take regular card stock paper without having a major digestive episode!! LOL! and there are some things I'l love to use photo paper or artist's paper.  One that feeds from the back would probably be good but I know they are more expensive and take up more real estate on your work table.  I'm not opposed to them as long as I know I'll get good images.  So I'm asking if you or your friends could tell me about a printer you like, the brand, cost, etc.  Any information would be appreciated!  Stay warm!

The Nor'easter of 2014

We're digging out today here in Forest Hill.  We got about 14" during the night, then sleet and freezing rain and we are waiting for the next band of snow to bring another 2-4"  Just to give you an idea:

 The first pic is down the deck steps to clear off a spot for our doggie to do his thing which miraculously he did!  He doesn't care for not being able to see grass. And next you can see from the deck is my garden bench buried in snow.  The view from the front porch and the street hasn't been plowed yet.  And the swing on the front porch has a sign that reads "Simple pleasures are life's treasures."  This seems ironic today, yes?

Finally here's Sampson enjoying his usual daytime perch on my work table looking out the window.  Guess he thinks snow is a bore because he's falling asleep.  What a baby!  Stay warm and be safe!

Version 2 of the Easter Basket

This is another version of the stamp I used a couple posts down.  I stamped and colored two but using different colors.  This is a softer image.  The little punched strip behind the basket is from Poppystamps and is called Zig Zag Knit. It's such a nice die.  And my bow is another from the Zutter Bow It All.  I absolutely think this is one of neatest tools to come along in a long time.  I could never make bows but not any more.  This is just a simple one but you can do bows as large as 9" across, two layer bows, etc.  I haven't tried the more fancy ones yet.  I will tell you there is a slight learning curve.  I think I made 20 bows before I "got it!"  But it comes with an instruction book, a nice zippered carrying case and all the tools you need.  And there are wonderful videos on using it on You Tube.  The best ones are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  Go to You Tube and take a look to see if it's something you might like.  It's a little pricey but if you can't make bows and like to use them on cards, wreaths, home decor, etc., then it's worth it!  Treat yourself.  PS:  I have entered this card in the challenge at http://rheddandrosies.blogspot.co.uk/.

Thinking.........

I think cards for a friend are my favorite kind of card to make.  You can think of the recipient while you're working on the card and then have something personal to send.  This little card uses SU paper and a Penny Black image and sentiment.  Joann's carries a lot of these cute little images on line and often have big sales.  I colored with Copics which I love to do...so much fun!  The flower is from Recollections and the little doily "leaves" use a Stampin' Up! punch.  I edged the sentiment and the doilies with a little Scattered Straw ink.  I just love her little teapot!  Have a great weekend everybody!

Ice and Easter Eggs

Well, we here in Maryland are undergoing an ice storm and its aftermath.  It looks lovely and delicate on the landscape but does quite a bit of damage and makes the roads all but undriveable.  What's a girl to do but stay in with a chai latte and make a spring-y card to lift the winter mood.

My card is 5 x 7 and I used Stampin' up! white cardstock.  The background layer was embossed with a Cuttlebug Dots embossing folder.  Then using a Spellbinders die I cut a larger circle from the card and a larger pink circle to adhere behind it.  The stamp for the main image is Easter Egg Basket from Hero Arts and the sentiment stamp is from Easter Basket by Flourishes.  I colored the basket and eggs with Copics and, I don't think you can tell, but the doily has a little Diamond Stickles on it.  The ribbon is an organza swiss dot tied in a multi loop bow I made with my newest toy, the Zutter Bow It All.  I can do a lot of things but bow making is not one of them and I've had various aids to bow making in the past but this is the best.  The delicate butterfly on top the bow is a Cheery Lynn die called Dripping Butterfly.  I added a little stickles to it as well.

Below are a few scenes I can see out my windows.....beautiful but deadly.  Stay warm.

I have entered this card in the Think Pink challenge on Classy Cards and Such.  Her link is http://classycardsnsuch.blogspot.com/2014/02/ccns-challenge-18-think-pink.html and http://rheddandrosies.blogspot.co.uk/ as well as http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/ and one final one 

http://whimsyinspires.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/challenge-67-something-new.html.  This was also entered inhttp://craftyribbonschallenge.blogspot.com/ and  http://sassystudiodesigns.blogspot.com/.

What can I say? I'm a girl who loves shoes!

Back at the holidays when I made the little ballet slippers for two friends, I cut out a pair for myself and they sat on my desk in the " need to finish pile."  Do you have one of those???  Anyhow these were cut from Graphic 45 paper, being careful to place the images of the ladies in the heel portion. The soles are covered with a coordinating paper.  The FUN part is decorating the shoe.  Oh my,  pull out all the stops!  I didn't want to repeat the lace I used on the Christmas ones so for a little softness this time, I cut a little doily in my stash in half and sprayed it with Perfect Pearls Mists, Sunflower Sparkle and three of Diane Reavely's Dylusions sprays.  I gathered it across the cut side and glued it into the toe of the shoe then embellished with flowers, Stickles, some bling, and, because I thought this whole project looked sort of French to me, I remembered I had these little buttons with the Trefoil design on them which I used in the center. Two types of ribbon, a satin and a grosgrain were used for the ties and then an old scarf pin in the center of the ribbon finished it off.  Hope you're like me and like shoes too!  Also I have entered these in the challenge for http://cardsgalorechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.co.uk/as well as http://drunkenstampers.wordpress.com/. It was also entered in http://suzypantssmarty.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://www.totallygorjuss.blogspot.com/2014/02/challenge-221-sunny-colours.html and finally http://livelaughstamp.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/wordplaysaturday.  Also entered this in the Sunday challenge at http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/.  I also entered in the challenge at  http://dawngdesigns.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=8. Be sure to take a look at the work on all these sites.  Amazing!