BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve, Happy Mothers' Day Weekend, Happy May! Once May rolls around, the already fast moving year seems to speed up doesn't it? Schools let out, graduations start, Summer's upon us. Summer's already upon us here in the desert and I'm still never going to get used to wearing shorts in April. You can take the girl out of the Pacific Northwest but she'll still think shorts don't start until July. 

Hope you've all had a wonderful week and thanks for understanding my technical difficulties last week. I did manage to get Mother's Day cards made and sent to friends and family. I remain obsessed with layered cut files. 

Some really creative ideas that caught my eye from last week's almost didn't happen party so let's take a look. 

If you're in need of a last-minute Mother's Day gift or just want to brighten up your own kitchen, these Boho Flour Sack Towels from Creatively Beth will do the trick! So cute. 

Spring is a time to refresh and renew which is exactly what Junk Is My Life did with a foot stool she found. Stunning transformation! 

If however, you don't want or need to re-upholster, how about paint? Artsy VaVa did just that with this equally beautiful transformation! 

Finally, whether for a special Mom or just because, this Glazed Chocolate Chip Toffee Coffee Cake from Cindy's Online Recipe Box is sure to brighten someone's day. Including your own! 

Wishing everyone celebrating Mother's Day this weekend a very happy one! 

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

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Papercrafting: Layered Butterfly Mother's Day Cards

 

I always wait for confirmation from recipients that they've received my cards before sharing them. Maybe it's silly, but...

I always make Mother's Day cards for special women in my life. The Mumster, aunt, friends. And since I discovered layered cut files, I continue to be obsessed by them. These Layered Butterflies from Creative Fabrica are no exception! 

Disclosure: I am a Creative Fabrica Affiliate so if you decide to purchase  this collection and use this link, I do receive a small compensation. 

Supplies:

• Spring Inks Paper Stack (Recollections,Michaels)
• Shimmer Paper Stack (Recollections,Michaels)
• White 110lb Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Gold Foil Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Foam dots and Spray Adhesive
• Cut File and Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut Explore 2)

I already had the Shimmer Stack on hand but found the Spring Inks on a recent trip to Michaels and love that many of the Recollections stacks coordinate. No idea if this is intentional but they do! 

My cards as almost always 5.x7 so I cut the white cardstock to size, then cut panels of the Shimmer and Spring Inks papers to fit and layer. For the butterflies, I cut two layers from the solid papers and layered using foam dots. 

I did different color combos to coordinate with the variations in colors of the Spring Inks papers. 

The star of these cards though, is the top gold layer! The Recollections metallic cardstock cuts intricate details BEAUTIFULLY! 

They're so ethereal! Given how delicate this layer is, I used a spray adhesive to adhere these to the layered butterflies. 

The  gold top layer picked up the foiling in the papers so perfectly! 

Between the detail in the butterflies and the beauty of the marbled and foiled papers, the only embellishments I added were some tiny rhinestones on the wings. 

Sharing At: 

BFF Open House "What Day Is It" Edition

 

Happy Friday. I think. Not as in I'm questioning the Happy part, but the Friday part because I've lost the plot. Between attempting to play tech support for my Mom, and then joy oh joy, ending up with my own technical malfunctions resulting in me having to reset a bunch of things, missed my own party planning, feature selecting, scheduling time. So...all party / no features and late! 

I can't believe it's the end of April already. Mother's day is around the corner and before we know it for those of you with littles, Summer break will be here. YIKES! 

Let's see what everyone's been up to and apologies!!!

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BFF Open House

 

Happy almost last week of April if you can believe it! I hope everyone had a nice Easter and Passover as it winds down. Seems like Spring is doing it's usual "am I in or am I out" in some places while here in the desert, I'm still not used to starting to wear shorts in April but with temps nearing 100, that's where I am. 

Lots of wonderful fun ideas shared at last week's party so let's take a look at a few of them! 

I was entranced by the world of Harry Potter from the time my husband brought the first book home from a bookfair for our son. I've also loved the "Fantastic Beasts" movies and look forward to seeing the newest one. If you're unfamiliar with them, one of the characters is a a baker and Me and My Inklings has the cutest project inspired by the movie: Bowtruckle Bread with printable labels! 

Who doesn't have a used jar candle they've stared out wondering how to repurpose? Sum of Their Stories has a great upcyle project with the details on how to turn it into a useful pincushion!

Pinatas are so much fun to have at parties, whether for kids or adults. Artsy Fartsy Mama shared how to make this adorable DIY Donut Pinata! 

Finally and to paraphrase Duff  Goldman from Spring Baking Championship "There are a lot of bad brownies out there. This isn't one of them" when he was giving feedback to a contestant. These look like EXACTLY my kind of brownies which I've found are harder than it seems to make from scratch and get the same gooey texture as some box mixes. From Treat and Trick! 

OK, let's see what everyone's been up to this week and as always, thanks for sharing your creations here! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all. Big weekend ahead for everyone celebrating Passover which starts tomorrow, and Easter. Spring is humming happily along. Next up we'll be preparing for Mother's Day, Graduations, etc. Hope you've all had a great week. I know there have been some crazy weather swings. Saw a hail storm in Seattle and my son told me it was like the Wizard of Oz in his neck of the woods. 

Here are a few of the amazing and inspiring projects that caught my eye from last week's part! 

How cute are these Bunny and Chick Beanbags from Creatively Beth?! These are huggable size. 

I love paper flowers and they can be used for so many different things. Love this pretty Spring Wreath from Crafts a la Mode! 

One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to change up your decor is making a DIY Canvas like this one from Studio 27. All of the craft stores have stock up sales throughout the year and I make sure to do so! Paint and vinyl and instant wall art! 

Confession: I am not a Sushi fan. Want to be. Have tried to be. Just can't. Our son loves it, as does everyone we know it seems. But Oreo Sushi? Now, this has my name on it! From Drugstore Divas. 

Thank you to EVERYONE who linked up and WELCOME to first-timers. 

Now let's see what you've all been up to this week! Again, whatever you may be celebrating this weekend, Happy Happy! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve all! Survived April Fool's Day without falling for anything...woo hoo! Wish I was surviving allergies as well but I think switching up meds is helping but I did scare someone in the grocery store parking lot with a loud sneeze! 

I hope you've all had a great week and are enjoying Spring. A week from Friday begins Passover and then Easter is that Sunday so next week is a busy one with lots of preparation. 

I had a lot of fun making a gift for one of my younger cousins who's expecting a baby this month. You can see it here: Layered Rose Monogram and Coordinating Baby Card

More wonderful ideas shared at last week's party so let's take a look at a few. 

Artsy VaVa shared the cutest Bunny Trail sign done with perfect vintage aging! 

Creatively Beth shared this gorgeous Watercolor Bunny that is so cute! 

Looks like another trip to Dollar Tree for me because I didn't see these little houses last time I was there are they are too cute! From Life As A LEO Wife!

Finally, if you're looking for something amazing to add to your Easter table, you can't go wrong with these Blueberry Buttermilk Scones from Claire Justine!

Thank you to all who linked up and let's see what you've been up to this week!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Handmade Gift: Layered Rose Monogram and Onesie Card

 

I've been in a bit of a slump lately, but I snapped out of it when I learned that one of my favorite baby cousins is having a baby! She lives in another state and I was so excited to see pictures from her baby shower which inspired this gift idea to go along with the really cute outfits I bought! 

Supplies: 

• 8x8 Box Frame (Michaels)
• Coordinating Scrapbook Papers (Recollections, Michaels)
• Digital Monogram Cut File (Creative Fabrica and Cricut)
• Foam Tape (Dollar Tree)
• Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut)

I had all of the colors I needed in my paper stash...the one that Mr. Chocolate thinks cannot be added to...HA! I pulled out the colors that coordinated with her shower and then downloaded a Rose Monogram from Creative Fabrica where I'm a subscriber. 

Initially (ha ha monogram nerd joke) I was going to go with these as shown but I switched out the pink for a pale orange so no, your eyes aren't deceiving you. I used the watercolor paper for the background and then orange, light turquoise and cream for the layers of the Z. 

After downloading the SVG file from Creative Fabrica, I uploaded into Cricut Design Space and sized to fit the 8x8 frame making the letters about 5.5x5.5. 

I cut each layer and then assembled by using foam tape to apply the middle layer to the bottom, then used spray adhesive to apply the top layer. 

I measured the watercolor background paper to fit the frame and then attached the monogram using more foam tape. If you're not using a shadow box type of frame, you can use spray adhesive to keep the layers flat for a regular frame. 

But a gift isn't complete without a card right? Used some of the leftover paper from the monogram and another piece of the watercolor paper to make the card.

I used a Onesie design from my library in Cricut Design Space and replicated the layering from the monogram. The card measures 5x7 with the panels 4.75x5.75 and 3.75x4.75 and 3.25x4.25.

Very happy with how these turned out!  And dang! There are some cute baby clothes out there!