Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Gold, White, And Sparkly Bunny Easter Cards

Back when my favorite paper store was going out of business, I found this gorgeous handmade paper that I knew immediately I would use for either Easter or Mother’s Day cards.

Easter Cards Handmade Paper

The pic doesn’t do this justice but it’s a gorgeous rough silk like texture with metallic painted flowers.

So that was a couple of months ago when I thought I had tons of time until either of these holidays, then the calendar sped up and life happened and EEEK! It’s time to make Easter cards!

Thankfully, printables can be re-sized so I used my HOP printable as my card focal.

Gold and White Easter Card

I used a cream cardstock for the card, then a gold speckled vellum for the background paper. Layered my handmade paper on top and then my re-sized printable, mounted on a coordinating panel.

Easter Cards Stickles

Since everything looks better with glitter, I went over my little bunny with Stickles glitter glue so Mr. HOP would pop.

P4024582

What’s a bunny without a little adhesive pearl cotton tail?  Other embellishments include punched flowers and more Stickles dots of glitter.

Gold and White Easter Card


Gold and White Easter Card

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on its waaaaaayyyyyy.

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Monday, April 2, 2012

BFF Open House Link Party #46 Wrap Up and Features

Happy Monday everyone. Can you believe it’s April already? Thanks for a great party on Friday. So much creativity! Here are a few of the  ideas that caught my eye but as always, everyone who linked up shared something wonderful.

If you’ve got a little one in your life who’s into cars and trucks, then has Michele at The Scrap Shoppe got a party idea for you!


I can’t do this party justice with just one pic so you really need to pop over to see the whole thing including the spectacular orange creamsicle cake. I love how bright and Spring-y this party is.

Another bright sign of Spring is this pillow from Katie at Creatively Living. Simple but bold at the same time.



You’ll never guess what she used for the flowers.

Who doesn’t love a new pair of shoes? Look no further than your own closet to transform a pair a la Anthropologie. Caroline from c.w.frosting did an amazing transformation. Here’s the adorable end result:


Who wouldn’t be in a good mood wearing these!

Being the huge fan of black and white that I am, I fell in instant love with these next two projects. Just love them!

First, Maggie from Midwestern Sewing Girl shared a high impact low cost project that looks straight out of PB, Ballard, or West Elm. Check out this tissue paper and stamped canvas:



I am on a hunt for the tissue paper she used.

Finally, with Easter coming, you have got to check out this wonderful take on decorating eggs. Jenn at Rook No. 17 shared these stunning silhouette eggs.



Again, thanks to everyone who linked up. I will get back on track w/ a blog feature starting next week. If you know a new or emerging crafty blog w/ less than 500 followers or are one and would like to be featured, shoot me an email!

Make it a creative week!

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Easter Decor: HOP Printable

I have done absolutely nothing for Easter. True confession time. I still had my St. Patrick’s Day printable in the frame that I change out each month / holiday! What can I say? Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans to decorate for Easter.

I couldn’t let it go another day  so I made a new Easter printable :

HOP Printable
The font I used is called Grolier Beveled which I downloaded free here.

And what’s the fun of making a printable if you don’t share? I went with the orange version here because I usually go so neutral and Mr. Chocolate likes orange. Plus what's a bunny w/out a carrot so he has a carrot orange background! True to form, I made a neutral version just because ….

Natural:
HOP Tan
Orange:
HOP Orange
Lavender:
HOP Lavender
Robins Egg:
HOP Robins Egg

Click on your preferred color to bring to full size, then right click to Save As. I re-sized mine to 5x7 to fit my frame.

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Polish The Stars

Thursday, March 29, 2012

BFF Open House Link Party #46 Getting Back to Normal Edition!

Haven't been much of a hostess the last couple of weeks but with the Mumster home and on the mend and things settling down, I am very excited to get back to "normal" ( whatever that is) . This will be another week w/ out the Blog Feature part which I hope to get back on track in April, but we definitely have the party part here and now!

I have slowly been getting round to visit this week and have seen such fun Easter ideas out there. I hope I'll see some linked up here! And I've seen some incredible chocolate temptations out there that I also hope I'll see here!

If you're new to linking up, the rules are super simple. If you made it, link it! Home decor, DIY, papercrafts, scrapbooking, jewelry, re-dos, thrift finds, recipes etc. Please link to your specific blog post and not your main blog page and no ads or shops please. Other than that....PARTY ON!




Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Gratitude: Floral Thank You Cards

My mom is very lucky to have some incredible friends. Not surprising, because she’s a sweetheart, but with her recent illness, these friends have really been there for her. I can’t thank them enough for the love and care they’ve shown her (and me)  and I was only able to come home because I knew they’d be there for her.

Edamame Thank Yous

I used a floral print paper from DCWV’s Indian Summer Stack as the background paper for the card. Cut to 4.75 x 6.75 ( card is 5x7) and then layered on cream cardstock panel and another piece of the floral.

DCWV Thank You

The colors went perfectly with K and Co’s Edamame collection which I’ve used in a few other cards. I used self adhesive scrapbook borders and die cuts, and layered some of the die cuts with foam dots to give some depth.

DCWV Indian Summer Stack

Accented with self adhesive pearls and the sentiment is a Hero Arts stamp ( that’s deliberately off set…I didn’t stamp that crooked!). I stamped the sentiment on a cardstock scrap and layered with more scraps from my focal paper.

Hero Arts Thank You

These cards don’t begin to cover my gratitude for their friendship to her and to me. But hopefully they’re a start!
DCWV Thank Yous

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Craft Therapy: Crocheted Wrap

First, thanks so much for all the thoughts, prayers, and well wishes for my Mom. After a couple of stressful and hectic weeks, she’s back home recovering nicely and I was able to fly back home yesterday.

Being a crafty person who is used to having several projects in process at once, and spending long hours sitting in a hospital does not a great combination make. Thankfully there’s crochet which is portable, productive, comforting and not something I always have time to do.

Crocheted Wrap

On the way home from the hospital the night I arrived to see my mom, yes…I stopped at Michaels!

What can I say? It’s a comforting place for me. I wandered the aisles looking for nothing in particular and then saw this yarn by Loops and Threads in Lavender Blues. Bingo. The Mumster’s always cold ( even living in Arizona!) so I decided I’d make her a wrap.

Lavender Blues Wrap

Pretty basic. The yarn is very textured so I just did a single crochet stitch. Something I could do without thinking while Mom was napping.

Loopes and Threads Wrap

The store I was closest to didn’t have enough yarn so when I needed more , thanks to my Michaels iPhone app, not only could I find another store but even get directions to get there and a coupon right on my phone!

It’s great to be back home, but it’s better to know that the Mumster is home and doing great!

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

BFF Open House Link Party #45: I Love Nurses Edition

Hi all,
Haven't been around much this week since I've been focusing on the Mumster who is recovering from some major surgery. I have always respected the job that nurses do but after spending several days witnessing them in action, they are even more AMAZING than I knew! I'm able to leave and go home at night because I know the skill, love, and care my mom's receiving.

I needed to do at least one creative thing this week which having the weekly party. Even if I'm not able to make anything, it will feed my creative soul to peek in on what you all have been up to.  Please link to your specific blog post and not your main page and no advertising or shops please. Otherwise, party ON!