BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all. How we're already halfway through January, I don't know! For everyone continuing to be snowed in and/or frozen, I hope you're staying warm and safe. 

This week, I unboxed my new Brother sublimation printer and got it all set up and ordered some sublimation blanks I hope to play with this weekend. Maybe an "elder moment" or just a tech ignorance moment, but took me a minute to figure out that I can't use the Artspira app that works with the Brother printer on my Windows laptop since you can't download from the Google Play store. At least I already knew you can't use the Apple App Store! No biggie since I will be using things I create in Procreate on my iPad which works great with Artspira. FYI...

You've been off to a busy start to the year so let's take a look at some great ideas!

You've made or chosen a gift. Wrapping it should be as special as what's inside and Crazy Little Lovebirds has some Creative Pretty Giftwrap Ideas! 

Perfect for snow days with littles, Fun a Day shared these great Day and Night Canvases. 

Creatively Beth shared another fun project, a Dollar Tree Pixel Heart! 

Finally, since not even I can live on chocolate alone (sigh) and I've been in love with Spanakopita from the first bite I took at a Greek Festival in college, these Puff Pastry Spanokopita Bites from Drug Store Divas are a must try! Phyllo dough is the usual pastry but it's very temperamental to work with! YUM. 

Thank you to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what you've been up to this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

BFF Open House

 

Happy second week of January Creative Peeps. I hope that the month and the year are getting off to a good start. I have several January birthdays/anniversaries so have thus far made several cards and looking forward to getting started on some Valentine's projects. I'm also super excited that late January / February brings Tucson Bead and Gem season and hope I'm less overwhelmed than last year. There are HUGE venues aound town and I'm torn between going to those I got to last year and those I didn't. 

I hope that those of you dealing with severe weather (which seems to be everywhere) are faring well. When you wake up in Souther AZ to 28 degrees...YIKES! 

You've been busy getting 2024 off to a creative start so let's take a look at some wonderful projects. 

Steph Creates transformed a metal can into a beautiful Shabby Chic Keepsake. Perfect for Valentine's / Galentine's or just because. 

House feeling bare after the holidays? Ann's Entitled Life has a beautiful Winter Pear and Floral Centerpiece that can fill the void! 

A Ray of Sunlight shared this STUNNING furniture makeover using Black Chalk Paint. LOVE!!

Big, chewy, cookies remain popular. Cindy's Online Recipe Box shows you how you can make these Dark Chocolate Espresso Chip Cookies at home! 

Thank you to everyone who linked up, first timers and regulars alike. 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 2024

 

Happy New Year and welcome to the first party of 2024!  I'll start features with next week's party and just take a moment for a few refreshers, goals etc. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and is getting off to a creative start to 2024! 

BFF Party

• For those who don't know or remember, the BFF started out as "Blog Feature Friday" and still is but also it applies to the more colloquial use because you are my Creative BFFs! 

• The party will continue to go up Thus afternoons (Pacific Time) and run through the following Monday.

• I may not get around to commenting on every post but try to do as many as I can.

• I usually do four features one of which is something chocolate

• Each feature includes a Pin to my BFF Party Features Board on Pinterest and a link back to your specific post. 

2024 Goals

I like goals better than resolutions. May be a distinction w/out a different, just my brain. My goals for 2024 are: 

• Learn Sublimation (since I got a Brother Sublimation Printer for Christmas!) I know I'm behind but can't do have everything all at once, right?
• Put myself out there more. I am an introvert who's never likely going to be on Tik Tok. I realize that limits opportunities to engage with brands, grow my audience. The struggle is real.
• Work on Affiliate and Brand relationships. I have had some stops and starts and haven't bothered for a while but I feel like I'm in a place where I can start again. Some brands I would love to work with. If anyone has contacts...

Cricut

Xtool

Plaid

Michaels

JoAnn

• Remain authentic. I can only "do me" so I will never work with a brand that isn't really me
• Grow 
• Be...present in the moment, not dwell on missed opportunities

What are your goals or resolutions for 2024? 

 Let's make 2024 the most creative ever! Visit each other's links, bring friends, have fun! There is always a warm plate of virtual chocolate chip cookies waiting for you. 

 

 

 

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Welcome 2024

 

Happy New Year! I hope everyone who celebrated had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I don't make resolutions per se anymore. I found that as the quote goes "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans". I do have some goals for 2024:

BE...present, mindful, creative

LEARN...new techniques, skills, tools

FOCUS...on the present

DO...what brings joy

CONTINUE...the things that I love, like hosting my weekly party

LEAVE...things from the past I can't change or things I can't control

Wishing all of you good things in the year to come. We've GOT this!m

BFF Open House

 

Crunch time! And I'm not talking about candy canes. Three to four days depending on if you celebrate Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Are you ready? I have a few small things to pick up and then, baking, but otherwise, I'm as ready as I'm getting!

I also think I'm going to follow the very smart lead of my friends Kathleen and Cecelia who host the weekly Vintage Charm Party at Our Hopeful Home and leave this party up through the end of the year!

This week I shared my 2023 Christmas Cards 

and a Framed Snowglobe I made as a gift. 

Before we take a look at some of the wonderful features from last week's party and since this will be the last party of the year, THANK YOU to all of the Creative Peeps who've been with this party from the beginning; those who joined along the way; and those who may have joined for the first time. I enjoy hosting this each week to see the creativity of others who get as much joy from Making as I do. Truly, you all give me gifts each week. Wishing everyone a happy Yuletide, Christmas, day off...whatever, and however you celebrate! 

Master Pieces of My Life shared these Dollar Tree Faux Gingerbread Houses I'm putting in my 2024 to make file! It will give me time to pick up a bunch!

The Apple Street Cottage shared another fantastic transformation. We've all seen these retro Ceramic Trees or even have them from family.

Steph Creates shared how to transform a plain Bamboo Tray into a work of art! 

And finally, 3 Boys and a Dog shared these mouth-watering Mini Oreo Cheesecakes that would be a perfect addition to any holiday dessert table!

Now, let's see what everyone's cooked up for the rest of the year! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Gift Making: Framed Snowglobe

 

We live in a town small enough to see the same people regularly. We always go to the same Checker at the grocery store and every Friday we get takeout from our local Mexican restaurant. The owners live in our development, and when I call our order in (we are creatures of habit get the same thing each week) it's only a confirmation of "the usual". So I like to make a little something during the holiday season and this year, I saw something similar and knew what I'd make: A Framed Snowglobe!

Supplies

• Plastic Ornament that comes in two halves. Craft stores, Dollar Tree etc. 
• Frame
• Scrapbook Papers
• Mini Ornaments
• Misc Embellishments/Fillers

I cut the snowglobe base from aqua glitter cardstock and then a scallop circle and panel from Christmas scrapbook paper. 

I cut the Christmas paper to fit the frame (5x7) put the glass back in and put the backing back on the frame. This is a great project to use up things you may have from other projects or things that you picked up because they were cute and hadn't used yet, but I repeat myself. I found these cute tree ornaments at Walmart and had some stocking stickers in my stash!

I attached the scallop circle to the glitter background with foam tape to give it just a little dimension.Then I filled the ornament half with faux snow, seasonal sequins, and a couple of jingle bells. 

Then I went about constructing my snowglobe. The best part is, since you're only using half of each ornament you can make twice as many!

I had some mirrored snowflake rhinestones in my stash so I added one as a tree topper with another tiny rhinestone in the middle. The stockings were stickers from a previous year's cards. 

You'll be working upside down here. Run a line of hot glue around the edge of the ornament then flip your layered snowglobe over and attach. You have a few seconds to align if needed and don't worry if there are spots where the glue isn't totally attached. You may have a couple of things slip out if they're tiny like the very small red sequins but no worries! 

To finish (and to really make sure your contents stay in) run hot glue around the edge and attach a coordinating pipecleaner! TIP: Do this in small sections at a time so you can make sure your pipecleaner is good and stuck! Once that's done, use some hot glue to attach your completed snowglobe atop your frame!

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Paper Crafting: 2023 Christmas Cards

 

Now that I know my Christmas cards have been received and the Post Office hasn't sent me a cease and desist order, I can share the cards I made for friends and family this Christmas season. I previously shared the Hanukkah cards I made and said in that post that Mr.Chocolate thought I was nuts when I said I'd be quilling our cards this year. Here are the Christmas cards! I'm still old school and since cardmaking is my first crafting love, I love making them for those I love! 

Supplies:

• 110lb Cardstock for Card Base (Recollections from Michaels)
• Holiday Themed Papers (Michaels)
• Coordinating glitter and Foil Papers (Recollections)
• Coordinating Quilling Strips
• Coordinating Sequins

I was on the lookout early for the Recollections holiday papers this year. Frosted Juniper and Glistening Snow are from this year. Black and White Winter is from last year. 

I'm consistent in my card construction:

• Cut 110lb paper 7x10
• Score
• Cut chosen decorative papers in panels and layer
• Attach focal 

I didn't take pictures of the quilling process ( I need to grow more arms and hands), I used a random approach and cut out the base tree shapes using my Cricut Explore and then just started making coils and swirls! 

I like to make a few different versions of cards versus making the same card for everyone. Part of that is because I can never limit myself to one set of papers and another part is because I try to match cards to their recipients. For this set, I cut modern looking trees from gold glitter paper and used silver and gold edged quilling strips from Quilling.com and finished with mirror sequins and rhinestones.

I used the Frosted Juniper papers for others, matching the colors with green glitter trees and coils in blues, greens and whites, and then embellished with rhinestones and sequins.

I loved the Black and White Winter stack I got last year (so much so I bought another after Christmas!) and have a few friends who are black and white fans like me. 

For these I cut trees from glitter silver and white papers, and then used coordinating quilling papers. 

I get these ideas before thinking about mailing them and then wait with bated breath! 

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Sundays on Silverado