Crafty Secrets DT challenge (Party Theme)

"Party Theme" is a fun way to start the week huh? Well today is the Crafty Secrets Design Team Challenge day.. and the girls have some great party ideas to share.    I chose to use the Artsy Banners stamp set and the "Girlfriends" Image and Journal Book for my party goodies.

By now .. you know how I LOVE this banner set. lol   I saw a cake done with banners strung across it some time ago, and the idea just stuck in my head.  I put two wooden bead on the ends of two small wooden dowels and glued them on. Then painted them with this pretty blue.  I stamped the "celebrate letters (ABC Top Hat set ) and strung them across using string and then attached them to the dowels using pretty ribbon.  They will be so easy to wipe off and pack away for use the next time I need them.

I also used the banner set for creating this card.  I'll show you in steps at the end of this post, how I created the little flower , using one of the borders in this set.

The image above on the card and the "Party Time" on the package below, are from the same page. (In the "Girlfriend" Image and Journal book)

I used a plain blue piece of tissue paper, folded it and cut the edges quickly with my large scalloped scissors, then stamped randomly with the crown stamp from the artsy borders stamp set. I used a number of the border stamps from this set on the front of the gift bag.  This is officially my favorite stamp set :)

Okay.. here's s quick how-to for  making the flower.

Stamp with the large scalloped border ..enough that you will be able to cut 6 individual scalloped pieces.

Cut them apart , leaving a little extra space at the top of each scallop.  (just seems to make it a bit easier to put together with that extra bit at the top)  Go ahead and ink the edges if you want now.

Make one fold down the middle.

Then you will fold again on each side of that, as seen below.

So you'll have 6 pieces like this (below)

I like to use a hot glue gun, simply because it dries so quick , I don't have to hold them in place and can keep going.   You assemble like this.

Put all six together as shown below

To close up the hole in the middle, just push them together as you put a spot of hot glue in the center.

And a button for your center and ... tah dah... a pretty little flower!

Once you've done one...    you can put them together in a snap.

Okay.. now be sure to pop over and check out what the other girls came up with for this challenge.. They never disappoint!

 

  
Vicki Chrisman Team Leader ( already here)



Pam Hooten


Heidi Blankenship


Linda Duke


Michele Kovack


Melissa Phillips

Flo Teixeira 

Julie Campbell


Mary Hamer

Heartwarming Vintage Blog

Crafty Secrets Website



Enjoy!!

What warms your soul?

 A differet sort of post today.   I was totally inspired by a post and a video on a site I told you about being one of my favorites some time ago.   Kind Over Matter.

I hope you go watch the video.. it's awesome.    You'll understand my post even more if you check it out. Something to think about.......

What warms your soul?

Just a few things that warm my soul....

Memories of my dad, seeing my sons happy, a beautiful sky, how my Aly pup stays by my side,  my sissy's voice when I need it most, people you meet on the street.. who smile and look at you, instead of looking away, the smile on my momma face when she's happy, riding in the car with the windows down listening to good music on a gorgeous day.  Knowing someone is honest, trustworthy and true blue, People being nice to eachother.  Seeing my boys be friends, being with my family, long meaningful hugs, remembering my childhood, knowing I am loved , people who help strangers for no reason without expecting anything in return. Summer mornings, puppies and kittens, ahhh.... how I love puppies and kittens .lol   Seeing people do what they really love, seeing my boy in love, the thought of my dad looking down and smiling at all his grandchildren and and great grandchildren and seeing what amazing people they are becoming. Seeing patriotisim, silly things little ones say, Hymns, watching Wes play with molly out in the front yard, listening to my mom and her sister talk about "the good ol days", thoughts of my friends, and how lucky I am to have them.  Getting to see my faraway family, watching a baby being born,... compassion and understanding ...simple things...
something new everyday.



What warms your soul  ???
come on .. dont be shy.. it's just us

Waiting for spring

You know me.. I always love bird images, but now that I patiently awaiting Spring, I find myself drawn to them and wanting to use them even more.  Crafty Secrets has the most gorgeous Bird images.  This one is from the Birds and Blossoms Creative Scraps.

The colors are always so beautiful on these images.

This next card is none with the new  "Wonderland Tea" Creative Scraps

and

"Tea with Alice" Clear Art Stamps

You can keep up with all the latest products and beautiful projects by the design team on the Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Blog.

And we'd love to have you become a friend on Facebook and post your creations made with Crafty Secrets Products on our facebook wall HERE.

*******************************************************

My mom is getting stronger and less sore everyday!  Molly lays at the bottom of the steps when I'm up in my room working in the afternoon, so she can keep an eye on mom and still see what I'm doing.  lol Silly dog.

While I've been down stairs with mom I've been doing some cleaning and moving things around.  Who knows .. maybe I'll even take on dusting the china cabinet today??? hmmmm    I've had some little things I've been wanting to paint .. so I've also done that.  odds and ends of things I can do while watching tv or chatting with mom.  I'm not one to just sit and watch tv.  I like to watch or listen ..but while working on something else. (drives Dan nuts) lol.  If I just sit to watch.. I'll most certainly fall asleep :(

Most of my house is done in warm colors..but.....

I did feel the need to get out some more "springy" arrangements  recently.  I'm going to  have Spring soon, one way or another! ha!

I have to tell you about this photo. I took it,    to tell what mom said to me about that branch on top of the entertainment center.  I don't know why I love that branch ..but I picked it up a long time ago.. because the shape of it is really cool.   Mom looked up there the other day and said... "whats that up there for?" , "Is that were you keep your switch"?   lol

But the funniest thing about this photo is that ... if you look at the tv you can see this funny old guy. ( mom is   sitting in the chair watching tv, just off to the side) . Well I was going to come up stairs to work for a while so I said to Dan, "Why don't you put in a movie for mom",  We asked mom what she wanted to watch and decided on The Ten Commandments.   Well, that was a VHS tape and Dan couldn't get the VCR to work so he put a movie in the DVD player instead.   I sure home he told mom , because she is watching "Darby O'Gill and the Little People"...... a far cry from  "The Ten Commandments".  lol

Poor mom  she probably wonders what kind of crazy house shes in  here. lol

Time to head back down .. so until later. Take care friends!







                                                   hugs!

Tattered Angels Chalkboard paints

Hey Everyone!  Had few minutes here ,thought I'd do I quick blog post. Good thing I have lots of things saved up from CHA projects to share, because I haven't been in my room all week.  Miss being creative up here..but loving spending time with mom.   She is doing better every day. This sore but improving! YAY!

Again.. thank you all for all your sweet caring words. I read them all to her.

*******************************************

Wanted to show you some of these banners I did for the Tattered Angels booth for CHA. They are all Acrylic (Clear Scraps)  with Tattered Angels Chalkboard paints used on them.

Aren't these new vibrant colors gorgeous??

Love the way they can blend.

Friday was supposed to be our Art group meeting, and thought about Jan and I skipping this one ,but I think mom enjoyed having a couple of hours to go through her mail , ect.. so we decided to go ahead and go.   It was a good time ...as you can see.  These girls are a hoot!

 Crazy Jess.. :)  Love that girl!

Among other goodies ...She made this Louisiana Caviar, and it was DELICIOUS!

I haven't finished my project from the day together yet..but I will soon and then share it here.

**************************************************************

Tonight Jarad and Kate are coming for dinner and bringing a movie for us all to watch, so I'm looking forward to that, and I know mom is also.  

It's been such a nice week to spend chatting with mom and just spending time with her.  I love it when she talks about her childhood, or when Dad and her were first married and starting out.  Raising kids, relatives I never had the chance to meet, places shes lived,... just all that stuff. 

Thankful for a nice week, my moms health, my super supportive family, great friends.. and so much more!

Hugs,Vic

Popping in to say hello

Just wanted to pop in quickly and say THANKYOU all ,for all your sweet thoughts, comments and prayers for mom. I have read her every single comment and message, and I know how good it makes her feel. (She says.. "you have such nice friends". and I say "I know" :)

She is doing better every day! 

*****************************************************

While I'm here.. sharing a  project I did using Fancy Pants "Love Bird Stickers"

You can see this and other DT projects using these here

on the Fancy Pants Blog

                                I will be back posting regularly soon.  Thanks again everyone!
                                                                   

                                                                      {{hug}}

Todays Post

****************************************************

Hey friends.. just a quick minute to pop in and say I'm taking just a couple days off from blogging. Yesterday was a scary day for our family...as . mom was in a car accident.  She is okay for the most part. Very bruised , sore and one broken bone in her hand, but it could have been so much worse .. so we are all SO THANKFUL she is okay. Please keep her in your prayer for quick recovery okay? Thank you so much!

****************************************************

I had a blog post scheduled HERE on the Vintage Street Market Blog... so please pop over and check it out if you have time.

Thanks Friends!

 

Happy Valentines day

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Would you like cookies??

or muffins for your sweet treat today??

I do love to bake, just have to be sure to give it away , otherwise "I" will be the one eating it :(   Wes was home this weekend so I sent things back with him, took a plate of cookies to Jarad and Kate,to mom, and the rest to friends.  Can you believe I love to bake.. and my husband doesn't eat sweets?  (probably why he's so darn skinny).  Oh... not liking sweets? I just don't get it?? lol

*********************************************************

I really am on a kick with frames these days.  Especially, $ store frames or super good deals.. because that just makes it sweeter!   These three frames were ones that I had picked up, and were already  in my "alterables" box. They are deep enough to be a sort of shadowbox.    Well, they called to me the other night when I couldn't sleep. lol  So ..something quick and simple ..and new to look at for the kitchen wall came to mind.

Isn't it funny how ssometimes the simplest things and smallest changes can really cheer you up.

I like the long rectangular picture that usually hangs here, and eventually I may even put it back up, but for now these three, $ store frames, some scrapbook papers, buttons and simple things I had in the drawer

..are making me pretty happy.

Speaking of new cute things to love...   Look at this super Little Girl Stamp Set from Crafty Secrets.  I was so excited to use it, I used to make a Valentine card, buy cutting a little heart to put in her had.

Once again, CS has done such a great job creating all kinds of fun stamps that work together.  Look at all the things the little girls can hold.

Isnt she just the sweetest!

I stamped her hair , sweater and dress on different colors of cardstock and added them to the stamped image on white paper.

Loving that cute border too!

The little boys set it just as sweet.

I couldn't let this Valentines post go by without of photo of these two sweethearts.  My mom and dad.  I smile every time I see this, because it's "SO" my dad.  That frame that he put up in front of them to kiss my mom for the picture.. is actually a styro foam packing insert from a microwave us kids had given them. ( photo was taken at Christmas)  Yep.. my dad was always the jokester.   ( actually the really cute thing about this photo is the fact that if you look close at my dads hand.. you can see that one of the grandkids hands is on top of his).

I've posted this photo before, but I just can help but think about them on Valentines Day.  My Dad would always buy my mom a beautiful box of chocolates and a huge card.  I mean HUGE card. lol  I always remember thinking, does he always just go straight to the biggest cards they have at the store?? lol

The candy box and the card.. were always over the top. It was so sweet.

They were so lucky to have eachother.

________________________________________________

Happy Valentines Day....

xoxoxo

It's the little things" Fancy Pants Banner

Oh my goodness, you wouldn't even believe how many times I've started this blog post and had to save it ..just to open it and start again. geeezzz... I've never had such a hard time just getting one little blog post done. lol   Just one of those days, I seem to just keep being pulled away for other things.   I'm here now! and committed to finish. yeh!

I've been wanting to share some of the new Fancy Pants lines that were released for CHA. This one is now my very favorite!  "It's the little things"

  Fancy Pants also has new chipboard banners..but the ones I used here were just one I had cut out of the box my goodies came it. :) ( I didn't know at that point they would be releasing new banner shapes).   But.. with a little paint and Glimmer Mist.. these still turned out kind of pretty..huh.

Below you can see lots of the Artist Edition    oh...... *L*O*V*E* it all!!!    You can see the different shapes of banner pieces here and also the new "Filter Flowers" that I used on this banner.

Color......   well..that was provided by Glimmer Mist and Tattered Angels Chalkboard sprays.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been working on kitting classes (yes still).  Any of you who have kitted classes, you know how time consuming it is.  2 buttons , 4 brads, 12 inches of ribbon, 4 pieces of paper, and a couple of pieces of chipboard (for example) doesn't seem like much at all right??  Okay now times that by 20, 50, or 100, sort it and put it all into little bags. (no mistakes now :) .... and suddenly for some reason, it seems like ALOT of stuff to sort and bag. lol      not hard.. just time consuming.

Below is my quickest way ( I could think of ) to white wash 120 clothes pins.   hey.. it worked.

I did take some time off from kitting to do a little "finding"( junk'n) with my sis again.   My sis and I were talking the other day while we were out.. about how "vintage" and "Junk'n" has become so "in".  Vintage is hot right now..there's no doubt about that.  My sis and I laughed, and said.. hey... "we were junk'n before junk'n was cool!".  lol

If you love a good deal , repurposing, or the thrill of the hunt.. that's a good start..but....

If you are one of those people who is "vintage" at heart..you'll know what I mean. ......

 If  when you pick up something old, and you stand there wondering what it was like when it was first new to the person who owned it, who owned it? , what life was like when it was used?, or if it could talk..you'd love to hear the stories it would tell. If you look at old photos sitting in a bin..( because no one knows who they are  anymore), and wonder about them, and what their life was like.  Or if you pick up a doily, a tatted or embroidered piece of handy work,  that is tossed  in a big box with 100 others ..marked $2, and feel a bit sad , thinking about all the hours of work someone put into them..  OR.. when you set something out in your home...that may seem only beautiful to you, because of the history you see in it. (when others might wonder "Why in the world would she have THAT in her living room"    Well   Then.. you know.. Vintage is not a trend for you.. it's truly what you love!   

Junk?? I don't think so.. way too pretty!

 

Check out this fun piece of fabric.  $1   It was all rolled up and sealed, so I almost didn't pick it up. Thanks to my sis, I took the $1 gamble.  So glad I did.

All vintage finds don't have to been deep and meaningful either.. because to me .. that is truly one dollar worth of FUN at least.

Oh.. and speaking of fun...

Love driving down the road and finding some unexpected fun.  Creative farmer huh?

love it

Good to know... people can find creativity anywhere

too cute

ENJOY your weekend!

A little ATC fun

Hello friends!  Getting the week off to a good start. I've been busy putting kits together for upcoming classes.  If you live anywhere near here, I'll be teaching at the Albion NE crop April 9th.  Five Classes this time.  A CREATE banner, and Mixed Media mini album, a Crafty Secrets Recipe book, a  two page layout and a Canvas class.  If there are any extra kits they will  post them for sale here on my blog.  If you  will be attending the Albion Crop, I will also have a couple of tables set up to sell left over kits from other classes, if you are interested.   Time to clean out my supply closet :)

If you live near and haven't attended this event before, you should. Its BIG.. and alot of fun, great girls, lots of classes and tons of goodies to buy. hee   You can contact Kami at kami.warner@hotmail.com  for more information about the event.

******************************************************

Sharing some more projects I did for CHA using new new dies from AccuCut, stamps from Crafty Secrets and Tattered Angels mists and paints.

This is a cool new ATC die set from AccuCut.

 

Just happened to have this oh so perfect stamp set from Crafty Secrets to use for this project.

SL29 Art Studio

Below you can see all the pieces to this set.

************************************************************

Speaking of AccuCut dies.  (happy face)  I have to show you a couple of my die projects that are in the Spring issue of  Paper Creations Magazine.   I have this issue sitting here on my desk, and I've really been enjoying looking through it. So nice to look forward to "Spring like" things!

Images and Stamp used on these shadowboxes are all  from Crafty Secrets.  (you can get a complete list of instructions and supplies in the Spring 2011 issue of Paper Creations.

************************************************************

Well  Valentines day has to come before Spring can .. so better start there.   Decided to make some of these little hear shaped cherry pies with the fun little pocket pie mold Neely gave me a while back.  It's so cute!

I have a friend who loves cherry pie and has a birthday on Friday.  These got packed up and mailed.  Sure easier to mail than a whole cherry pie, for sure. I'm hoping they arrive in one piece.

Since this post is about as "random" as it can be, I might as well go with it at this point. lol

I had to share this little poem.  It just tickles me!!

My sweet friend Julie, gave me some vintage goodies that used to be her moms, a while back.  One of them was this wooden file box, just filled with little sayings and poems. You can tell her mom was a teacher, because it was all so organized. Poems and sayings for each month/and or season all filled neatly.

It is just a sweet adorable collection of children's poems.

On the inside there is a card that is typed, that says

" Poetry Collection"

Children's Literature

by

Lenore McCracken

( and then in handwriting just below that, it says "This is a useful, and attractive Collection")

I JUST LOVE this little treasure... THANK YOU JULIE!

I'll be sharing lots more from this little box, in my upcoming posts..but for day... this little bit of sweetness.

ENjOy  YoUR DaY FRiEnDs !!!