BFF Open House Link Party

OMG I definitely have post surgical brain and they left that part in! I started this in PLENTY of time to have it posted on time and my brain went for a walk. Yowza! Maybe it's because I was so excited to get my bandages off today. TMI? 

Hope you've all had a wonderful week. As much as we needed the rain here in the Southwest, I'm not going to lie and say I miss it. It's been a great week with a visit from our son. 

Let's take a look at what you've been up to the past couple of weeks!

It's almost PUMPKIN season! I don't like to eat them but I do LOVE to decorate with them. Masterpieces of My Life has five inspiring ideas to get you started! 

The House on Silverado has a beautiful furniture makeover with a Milk Paint finish. Gorgeous! 

Maybe you took a beach vacation this year and found some seaglass or maybe you just want to create that beachy feel just because. Fresh Vintage by Lisa S has just the way to do it with this Faux Sea Glass Trinket Bottle tutorial! 

Finally, I haven't had one of these in years but growing up they were a staple! From Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams, make your own classic Hostess Cupcakes at home! 

Now let's see what you've been up to this week !

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Hi all and Happy Friday Eve. Thanks for all the well wishes and thoughts last week. Surgery went well and recovery is going OK. Glad to have had some other life stressors put on pause for the time being. Definitely listening to the medical team and not getting ahead of myself or trying to be Superwoman. She's on indefinite vacation. 

This is going to be another week of all party no features! Wishing those of you who are in the throes of back to school whether as teachers, parents, or both, safety above all!! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all! This will be a week where it's "all party / no features" since it's been a crazy week and by the time this posts, I'll have had some surgery today. Best laid plains of having had this scheduled with features all done and all that...

So...party ON! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve and Happy August! Enjoying a break from our Summer Monsoons which I guess are supposed to be back. We do actually get rain in the desert and during Monsoon season that can mean flash floods, muddy roads etc. Necessary, nature, and not my thing! 

My creative contribution this week was to get another batch of Birthday Cards off  To Box of Balloons, an organization that works to ensure children who might not otherwise get to be celebrated on their birthdays. 

Lots more wonderful and creative ideas shared at last week's party so let's take a look at a few! 

It's never too soon for Christmas projects...we just celebrated a whole month of "Christmas in July". This Clock Frame Makeover from The Apple Street Cottage is such a wonderful idea! 

I love this LOVE frame from Makeable Crafts! The buffalo check in the heart is such a perfect accent but other patterns would work just as easily. 

I love a good Dollar Tree creation and this table...yes TABLE...from Life As A LEO Wife is so cool! 

Finally dessert, and shocker...it's not chocolate...but Mr. Chocolate is a BIG bourbon aficionado so this Bourbon Pecan Cheesecake from Not Entirely Average definitely caught my eye! 

Time to see what everyone's been up to this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Papercrafting: More Cards For Box Of Balloons !

 

I wrote in May about an organization called Box Of Balloons that works to ensure that children get to be celebrated on their birthdays. They were then partnering with several of my local Starbucks locations to collect cards, wrapping, decorations etc. and as a Cardmaker and a Mom, it was right up my alley. I did it for the sheer joy of combining those two loves and because I want every child to know the feeling of being special on their birthday. 

I was honored and humbled to receive the following email from the local chapter President, Amy:

"I'm so impressed with your handmade cards and gift tags and wanted to say THANK YOU so much for your wonderful donation.

I've been putting a card and gift tag in each birthday box I've been creating and it adds such a personal touch to each box. Thank you so much for donating these as I'm sure they took a lot of time and energy to create. They're so beautiful and made so well and I'm just blown away and grateful :) "

I was thrilled they were happy and would be put to use and immediately planned on making more! As I've written about (probably ad nauseum!) June was a bust for creating between prepping for a planned move and spending an unplanned week in the hospital. So once things had settled ( somewhat...life is life!) in July, I wanted to get back to it and on Saturday dropped another three dozen cards in the mail! 

Supplies:

• Birthday Themed Papers (American Crafts, The Color of Memories Collection from JoAnn and Happy Cake Day stack by Recollections from Michaels)
• Cardstock
• Birthday Themed Washi Tape ( Park Lane, JoAnn) 
• Glitter Papers ( Recollections, Michaels) 

 This time around I used some American Crafts birthday themed papers I found at JoAnn along with some Park Lane birthday themed washi tape I scooped up on sale there. 

Like some of the sheets from the Recollections "Cake Day" stack, this sheet had panels I cut up to use as the focal for the cards, matting each with coordinating glitter papers. The washi tape coordinated perfectly with the colors (and it didn't hurt that it was an additional 50% off clearance). 

The Balloon background paper is from the same American Crafts collection. I kept things simple, matting the image on glitter paper, then another coordinating paper ( great way to use scraps) and attaching to the card with foam squares. 

Since I still had plenty of papers from the "Happy Cake Day" stack I previously used (and may or may not have bought another stack when Michaels had another buy one get two free Hot Buy sale which is my kryptonite) I made some more using those. 

Unintentionally, I usually make my cards in a portrait vs landscape orientation...no reason...just do...but since these panels didn't lend themselves to that, made some that way too. 

It's very fulfilling to feel like doing something you absolutely love can make a difference. Especially now. Especially in a child's life!