Welcome Baby Girl

I've fallen behind again in recording what I've been working on. This card uses a Spellbinders die to create the card which folds flat for mailing. The small die cuts added as embellishments are from the same set, Baby Step Block Card S6-134. The print papers are odd pieces from my stash. This went to a sweet little girl in South Carolina that I haven't met yet. 

When PlayDoh becomes Play Dough

I have a long standing tradition of giving money to my great-niece and great-nephews on their birthdays, but never just cash inside a card. This year, one of the boys turned 17 a few days ago. His cash became dough (which I hope he understood the slang term for money) inside a small PlayDoh container. 

The die used to create the card is from The Stamps of Life Happy Fold-It die set. The word Birthday is part of Simon Says Stamp Birthday Wishes Circle sssd112098.

Valentine Candy Totes and Cards

Once again, The Paper Pixie (Video instructions here) for a win with these easy to make, no special tools required totes that will hold 4 Nuggets or Treasures candies. This first one was my test and came out so well, I gave it and a card to the woman who cuts my hair. 

A view from above. This reminds me of the cartons that hold 4 glass bottles of root beer 

or 6 bottles of long necks, my preferred way to drink real beer. 

These additional totes are for family members. The hearts were cut from a Gina K die

 that had a hole in the upper left where I placed the pearls and gems. 

The print papers are from miscellaneous sources in my stash. 

I made identical cards for my sons using a Tim Holtz Circuit Multi-Level Embossing Folder 665372 

My granddaughter's card used an image from My Favorite Things stamp set Unicorns and Glitter BB-100 on a background made using Altenew Stencil set Shattered Cubes. The popped out base instructions can be found at Jennifer McGuire's easy box pop 

My grandson is almost 12 so he is outgrowing some of the cutesy stuff but understands my love of puns and just plain corny stuff. I downloaded an image of a ruler to print on kraft-colored cardstock. The You Rule is a die from Spellbinders Pack It Up die set. 

The Blanket of Many Stitches

Here is the link to The Blanket of Many Stitches, Cascade's MKAL 2021-2022. Every two weeks, participants received three stitch patterns to work on. Most pattern sections were 8-12 rows in height, the total number of stitches on the blanket was 200, the yarn was worsted weight.  Most people who participated and posted on the Facebook page dedicated to this project used 4 colors of yarn throughout. I used one and only skipped the two pattern sections that required two colors within that section. I substituted a stitch pattern of my own and am happy with the result. I haven't measured the blanket, but it is definitely long enough! 

Lunar New Year, Sympathy, and other card components

January didn't produce as much as I had hoped, craft-wise, but if I look at the experimenting that I did with paper arts and the continued knitting, I haven't done badly. 

Sympathy cards are always difficult if you are making them when you need them. Not only do you feel a time crunch, but you are also emotionally involved which can delay or derail your creativity. I made this one using Gina K's Friendly Silhouettes which were from an online class where she was a guest instructor. There are other tree stamps that are similar. 

Playing with products produced this tree, a new purchase because it was on sale and I liked the layers of the Sizzix die set called Layered Christmas Tree, number 664712. I used white glitter paper for the snow and Stickles for the ornaments. 

A Jennifer McGuire video inspired me to apply ink to a stencil and run the stencil and paper through a die cutting machine as if you were embossing the paper. The embossing effort didn't go well due to user error while I become familiar with how my new machine works. This stencil, Bold Layering Stencils by Gina K would normally produce colored flowers on white paper or a colored paper of your choice which might limit the colors of ink you could use for the flowers. Yellow ink, for instance, over blue card stock would probably give you a green flower that was not your intention. Here is the link to Jennifer McGuire's Stencil Ink Press Technique

February 1st was the start of the Lunar New Year. I made this card for my neighbor, welcoming the Year of the Tiger. I used gold ink on red cardstock and a stencil called Lunar Lanterns by Clearly Besotted. The playful tiger images were prints that I cut and adhered inside and out. 

Birthdays, Blogging, and Blahs

The three weeks since my last post have flown. So much for my idea of posting more regularly. Once upon a time, blogging was a social outlet. I followed people and they followed me. Most of them aren't blogging now, some have died, and I suspect others have also. Instagram just isn't my fave and frankly, I seem to be too busy to even keep up with this most weeks. This isn't good or bad, it is just the way things go. 

The blahs aren't about blogging, it is just winter-itis with a heaping layer of pandemic fatigue thrown into the mix. Covid marches on, affecting many people, including some close to my heart. The good news is that they have all been vaccinated and their cases have been mild. I get out of the house but I don't go just anywhere, and I do wear a mask in most public situations whether the store or event mandates it or not. 

Birthdays....ahh...finally something fun to talk about. My younger son had one and loved his card shown here. A friend that I've known since kindergarten has a birthday at the end of this week. I made this card for her, using the Simon Says Stamp embossing folder Magnolia Branches. Coloring was done with Copic Markers, and the birthday sentiment was a Simon Says Stamp die. 

I recently made the same card in shades of pink with additional blossoms made from the Simon Says Stamp die Magnolia Blossom. The second photo shows the dimension of the additional flowers.

I am doing much better at keeping up with my journaling, just a few lines about the day done in what is sold as a planner. Each day is a column. My Sprocket photo printer creates the perfect size photos for those columns in portrait orientation. Last year I used a "serious journal" and my writing stopped being upbeat. While I do write for me, if someone reads the journals after I'm gone, I'd rather reflect on the positive things in my life and show how much I have always loved them. I use stickers and colorful pens, especially on days where there isn't much to say or that the sticker simply says it all. This is an intentionally poor photo as my son doesn't like his photos being shared (even if he is cute!). 

Impossible Box and Art Impressions' Beauty in Progress

The woman who cuts my hair shares my interests in paper crafts and knitting. I often take something with me to show her, and lately, I've been placing her payment inside a card or other paper creation.  This week she will be getting an Impossible Box which holds a container of Ice Cubes gum.

The directions, including a video for this box, can be found at The Paper Pixie.  

I haven't decided yet if this image, Beauty in Progress, from Art Impressions, will become the front of a card or perhaps go in a plastic easel frame. 

Not many sit under a dryer like that anymore, but we do remember them. Coloring was done in Copic markers and some Prisma Color pencils.