Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Bridal Tea Invitation

I am in the middle of making party favors for the bridal tea that I am co-hosting for my daughter-in-law's sister. The party favor blog will come later, but how can I share that when you haven't even been included in the invitations.



I made one invitation, then took it to my daughter-in-law's house for approval. When I started making 30 of these, I asked myself, "What were you thinking?!?" There are a BUNCH of little pieces to glue onto each of these invitations.

Materials:


Cardstock solids: ivory, dark brown and smoky blue
Die-namics Die Set: Always Time for Tea



Fiskers: Heart Hand Paper Punch
Darice Embossing Folder: Wood Grain
Brown/White Twine
Markers: Tim Holtz: Antique Photo marker
                Copic Markers: G24 B45
                LaPlume II: Brown
Boot Outline: http://www.kidskat.com/printable-cowboy-boots-coloring-pages/



 
Fonts: I Love What You Do (Tea Party)
           English 1111 BT (Brides Name)
           Baskerville Old Face ( Everything else)

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Snowman Soup

From the title of today's BLOG, you might think that I have slaved in a hot kitchen all day. If you know me, you know that this is not my favorite place to be. I actually started my day in my favorite place - my craft room. I decided to make some "Snowman Soup" for Huey's 4th cousin, Dylan, who lives near Oklahoma City. He is 4 years old and in need of a little extra attention.

I started with this snowman pattern by Jamie Lane. I cut it out the components on my Cameo Silhouette. Of course, any snowman will do. The font for the label is Grilled Cheese. I glued both of these onto red card stock that had already been printed with the ingredients and directions.





Ingredients:
Chocolate Flavored Freeze-Dried Snow
1 Orange Snowman Nose
2 Snowman Eyes
3 Red Snowman Buttons
15 Extra Fluffy Snowballs

Directions:
Mix all ingredients with approximately 10 oz. extremely hot water.
Stir with candy stick until mixed. 
Add cool milk to keep from burning your tongue.
Stir briskly and sip slowly!!!


The chocolate flavored freeze-dried snow is homemade hot chocolate mix.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Hershey's cocoa
2 1/2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

 
I used 5 tablespoons of chocolate mix for each package. For the orange snowman nose, cut an orange M&M in half. The 3 snowman buttons are 3 red M&M's. Two chocolate chips look like a snowman's charcoal eyes. 15 marshmallows can be tossed in as snowballs are intended to be tossed. The candy sticks were purchased at Cracker Barrel, where there are MANY flavors to choose from.



I packaged the ingredients in a sandwich bag and the marshmallows in a snack bag. I stapled the two baggies and the label together, then taped the candy stick on the outside.


With all of this crazy cold weather that is happening all over the country, these hot chocolate packets should be the perfect beverage this month.

Oh . . . the best part . . . it's gluten-free.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Mickey's Party

Little Man - my grandson - Lucas, is having a Mickey Mouse birthday party. I have made 30 invitations from a pattern I found on Pinterest. The cool part is that I was able to cut out almost all of the pieces on my new Cameo Silhouette that I got for Christmas.



I made the 3 circles for Mickey's head. The program allows me to weld the them together(no inner lines). I copied the circle from Mickey's head and pasted it into a new document. I used the straight line tool to cut it in half. Shazam - a pocket that fit perfectly. The Silhouette software comes with a button pattern, so I didn't even have to make my own. The finished card is approximately 5 1/2 x 6 inches.
I downloaded the "Mickey" font and used it on choice words. The when and where details are on the back of the circle. For the envelope, I punched Mickey heads out of sparkly black specialty paper.

The party is going to be a picnic with family and friends. Can't wait to see Lucas running around on the playground. HOT DOG!!!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Owls in the Tree

I am a member of the Die-Cut Club at Scrapp'n Savvy and have a card swap due next week. I decided to share my accordion flip card as well as the A2 card I made for those who prefer a standard card. The rules: we must use the Bo Bunny “Head Over Heels” paper collection and it must be an accordion flip card.


I cut 2 of the base card from solid apple green card stock as well as 2 from the light brown. For the light brown cut-outs detach and save only the swing portion of the die. Pass the light brown cut-outs through the Wood Grain embossing folder. Cut a 2 ½ x 2 ½ in. piece of light brown to place behind the girl owl. Emboss this piece as well. Cut an oval (scalloped is optional) approximately 1 ¼  x 1 ¾ from one of the light brown die cuts.

Distress embossed pieces with “Antique Photo”. I also used a smidgen of “Peeled Paint” to give more interest to the tree trunk.

Cut dark brown and apple green (2 of each) vines. Trim the apple green leaves from the stems and adhere them over the leaves on the dark brown vines.

Punch the owl bodies and eyes from Head Over Heels “Boyfriend”, the gentleman owl’s vest from geometric pattern (there are two nice geometric patterns in this collection) and the lady’s dress from Head Over Heels “Only You”. The lady’s hair is made from 3 hearts, but after I finished assembling her, I realized that I could have used her feet since they are not visible.

Stamp sentiment on white and trim to fit over apple green Word Window punch out.

Assemble the accordion using red line tape. (Most other adhesives are not strong enough to keep this particular card together.) 

Materials

Bazzill Card stock Solids: Light Brown, Dark Brown, Apple Green, White
Bo Bunny Back to Basics: Head Over Heels, Only You & Boyfriend, Geometric Pattern-your choice
1/8 or ¼-inch red line tape
Die-cutting machine
Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Antique Photo, and Peeled Paint
Sizzix Die: Album, Accordion Flip 3-D
Stampin Up: Owl Punch
Sizzlit Die: Bird & Flower Set
Spellbinders: Big Scalloped Ovals
Darice Embossing Folder: Wood Grain
Stampin Up: Word Window Punch
Darcie’s Clear Polymer Stamps: Older and Wiser "You & Me Owl-ways"

A2 Version



Inside of Card

 Additional Materials

Kraft paper card base: size A2
Apple green: 4 x 5 ¼
Light Brown: 3 ¾ x 5 – embossed and distressed
Stampin up: Aviary and Take Care Stamp Sets


Saturday, January 11, 2014

Getting Started

May of 2012 - I retired after 33 years of teaching. I spent the next year filling my time with exercise classes. sewing projects, TV watching, reading . . . actually flitting from one activity to another. Never really staying for long with any particular routine or project.

February of 2013 - I ordered a "Kit of the Month" from Annie's Attic. I chose to try card making. I completed the projects that were sent to me - March - April - May.

May of 2013 - I purchased a paper trimmer, couple of punches, two stamp sets, a Big Shot, and made some nice graduation cards from YouTube tutorials. I realized at this point that the Annie's Attic kits weren't going to leave me enough room for creativity.

Graduation Card I Made - Link to Tutorial I Watched


June of 2013 - I spoke to my niece, Michelle Hoffman, a Stampin' Up demonstrator. From her I ordered, 3 more stamp sets, the dress-up stamp set, framelits, and pop-up die. I spent a week in Hot Springs, Arkansas where I wandered into a paper crafting store called R U Stampin' and Scrappin'. The owner, Joyce, was so sweet and told me lots about card making. I walked out of her store with several!!!!! framelits.

July of 2013 I started taking a Thursday evening class from a Stampin' Up demonstrator at the Hobby Lobby. She taught many fun techniques. I found myself getting more and more involved in trying to create my own cards.

August of 2013 Every time I put "paper crafting in Spring Texas" in as a google search a place called "Scrapp'n Savvy" would come up. It was only 1 mile from my house, but when I drove by it was just a house - it didn't appear to be a business. The first weekend in August Scrapp'n Savvy was having Karen Burniston in as an instructor. I couldn't resist. I decided to take a chance and signed up on-line for the class. The class was amazing, but the best part was that it wasn't just a house. It was a complete scrapbooking store.

Since August I have taken many classes at Scrapp'n Savvy. I am learning many inking techniques, coloring with Copic Markers, and even though I said that I would never scrapbook, I have even taken a scrapbooking class and am signed up for 3 more in the coming weeks.

In less than a year I have settled on a new hobby that has totally taken over my thoughts, energy, and budget. My once "Sewing Room" is now a "Craft Room". Every time I start a project the paper starts flying. Hence, the name higgledy-piggledy. (This was a bonus spelling word every year in my third grade class.)  The room gets a little trashed during projects, but I straighten, organize, and clean, then start all over again.

I decided to start this blog to share my adventure with paper, ink, markers, stamps, etc. I hope along the way I might use some of the inspirations that I glean from others to create my own masterpieces and ultimately inspire others. Maybe I'll even make some new paper crafting pals at the same time.