Valentine's Corner Bookmarks

Can you believe it is February already? Glad I got a jump start on making some Valentine's Day gifts. I made a set of corner bookmarks for my students and for my son's classmates. He picked up some paper last week to make some for his teachers--a pack of the MME 6x6.

Here are a couple of up close and personal pics of the boy and girl reading. They are from the A Child's Year cartridge. I cut the top layer and put it through the cuttlebug then inked and spritzed it with Glimmer Mist.The border punch on this one is from Recollections.

The Spellbinder Lacey Circle anchors the image. I used my Sakura black gel pen to stitch an outline. On this one I actually inked around the circle prior to removing it from the die. I cut the bottom using the Scalloped Spellbinder heart.

The bookmark itself is cut from an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper to measure 4  1/2 x 4  1/2. The leftover 2 inch strip is what I used to emboss the hearts border (cut down to one inch). Waste not want not.

I cut the initials using the Zooballoo font and placed them inside a heart from the Love Struck cart. I stamped the paper using a candies heart rubber stamp. You can find all of the complete information on the YouTube Vee-dio.

I truly enjoyed making these for my students and my son's classmates. I know that they will enjoy having their own personalized bookmark and lucky for me that the two kids with the same initials were a boy and a girl. No way to confuse those bookmarks. LOL

It's not too late to crank out a set for your co-workers or for your own family. Give those folks with a Nook or Kindle something to envy!!!

Until then.

Fleece Scarves

Hello Everyone. In an effort not to ignore my blog, I am posting some scarves that I made and gave to my students this past Christmas. The idea came from my good friend Kathy. She told me that one of her son's teachers gave her students these as gifts. I hurriedly ran to JoAnn's and picked up some of the no pill fleece fabric. It was 50% off and I got enough to make 20 scarves and this extra bit for my model.

Can't you see how thrilled he was to pose? I like to wrap back to front and to the back again for the kids. This way the ends are inside the jacket and does not get in the way of playing.

I cannot recall the width of the fabric but I cut the scarves to 8 inches wide and kept the length but just removed the selvage. It is the white piece just under the fringes. To keep it simple I did a sports theme for the boys and a floral motif for the girls.

Aren't these flowers pretty? Love the solid white background. These looked so cute on the girls.

Once I cut the fabric, I used these really cool Fiskars ergonomic scissors to cut it. I tried doing two layers at a time and it was slow going. I elected to cut each layer separately and let me tell you that the fabric cut like butter baby.

Next I tied off each fringe into a small knot.

Initially, I was unsure of whether I wanted to leave them as is or tie them off. I decided to tie them off. I think it makes them look more finished.

A final picture of my model. He really liked it tied this way as it made him resemble a Ninja. I really like this one and tie it that way for my students. Their nose, mouth, ears and neck are covered. Gotta keep out the cold that is now warm. LOL. Mother Nature is being fickle at best. I will take these warm days we have been having. We will be in the low 60s next week.

So, if you are still looking for a cute Valentine's Day idea. Pick up some cute no pill fleece from your local fabric store and crank out about 20 in one night. Pretty and practical.

Until Then.

Happy Birthday Dr. King

Happy Birthday To You!!!!

Today we celebrate and reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Such an emotional day for me. I think back to when I was a little girl and what life was like for me growing up in Alabama. Living under segregation and the still very present Jim Crow Laws, you often wonder how you got over.

I remember when the county integrated the high schools. My sister cried for days. She wanted to stay at her old high school with her friends and teachers who loved and cared for her.

The elementary schools were already integrated. There was a huge furor and push back on both sides. This is a picture of the Little Rock 9--Tennessee, just north of us. 

We have come a long way since those days but we still have yet a long way to go. In Dr. King's Drum Major for Justice Instincts he speaks about his living not being in vain. From my viewpoint it has not been in vain.

There are so many people out today seeking justice for all.  Although many have been kicked out and groups disbanned, the DC government is presently allowing the Occupy DC protestors in Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square to remain where they are. Just what are they protesting against while enduring the frigid temperatures and rat infestations? Wall Street, Corporate greed and Income Inequality.  Like Dr. King says if we don't stand up for the disenfranchised, who will?

Remember the Woolworth sit-ins?


The more things change the more they remain the same.

It is hard to soften a man's heart that has turned to stone. Notice I say hard not impossible. Paul, one of God's greatest apostles, was once one of his ardent enemies. If God can change the heart of Saul/Paul nothing is impossible.

As a matter of fact the Bible tells us that all things are possible with God. Matthew 19:26.

Although Dr. King is no longer walking with us, his legacy is. It is easy to say what we would have, could have done were we with him in Washington, Montgomery and Memphis. The question is, what will you do now? Do you say, I am going to mind my own business? Let everyone fend for themselves? It wasn't me. On which side will you stand?

Joshua says it better than I ever could. 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Donnie McClurkin sings, I've got my mind made up and I won't turn back. As we go forward let's keep the main thing the main thing. I agree with Suze Orman's people first, then money, then things.

Zachary's father shares the same birthday as Dr. King. Like Dr. King, he also was gone too soon. Happy Birthday Ian!!!

Until then.

Welcome Home

Now that I have had a time to catch my breath, I wanted to share with you a card and gift that I received from fellow crafter and friend Laura at scrapaddict4life.blogspot.com .

She sent this to me just prior to Thanksgiving and I wanted to wait and post it when I had time to give it justice. Don't you just love this card? Laura has appeared as guest designer on the websites and blogs of a lot of companies and you can see why.

As you may know I moved over the summer and Laura made this sweet mini for me. Don't know what paper she used--she will let me know and I will post it here (the Echo Park Life is Good collection--love me some EP Paper!!!).

The cover is acrylic and she expertly covered it with this luscious paper line.

These are two of the inside pages.

I love the great detail work that she put into the pages.

The color combinations are fantastic and again that attention to detail .

I thought this paper was fabulous especially with the numbers and then the journaling to go with it. Again, FABULOUS!!!!

 These are the final two pages of this sweet mini album.

I love how she incorporated the twine. The color is just perfect.

And this is the back of the house mini. 

I cannot say thank you enough to Laura. She is a very talented crafter and extremely creative. Thank you Laura for thinking of me and creating this spectacular mini to commemorate my new home.

Until then.

Christmas Lights

Well, on Christmas Eve I found myself out running errands late into the evening. On one of my shortcuts through the neighborhood, I came across this magnificently decorated home.

This is what I saw as I drove up to the stop sign. This home sits on the corner. As I drove past I was able to get a view of the side.

 All I had was my camera phone and I got busy snapping photos, attempting to drive and avoid other cars. We were all being looky loos. I went to the cul de sac turned around came back and was able to see the decked out deck and backyard. 

 

Can we all say professionally done? I don't think I would have attempted to put up lights were I one of their neighbors. Many of the houses were beautifully adorned, but the white and clearness of this home just caught my eye.

This is the final view I got as we drove away.

Absolutely love that blue sky and it is the one I tried to capture on my Christmas cards. There is nothing like the real thing.

Here's to a happy and prosperous New Year!!!

Until then.

2011 Christmas Card Reveal

Teasing Time is OVER!!! It is finally here--- the 2011 Christmas Card Reveal. It took a bit of doing but I was able to pull it off and get them into the mail in a timely manner.

 

This is just a small sample of the outside of the cards. As you can see each panel is a bit different. I initially wanted the panels to cover the entire front. Since this is a 6x6 card it was going to be increments of 1/4 inches. So I took what was left over and used it on the other cards but adjusted them so that they sat towards the bottom of the card leaving room for those gorgeous pearls on top. Therefore, not a lot of scraps. I used them . lol Here is another one.

Ok, now I get to admit to my error. On a couple of my musical ones, I glued the insides so that it was upside down. I used the "It's Christmas Time" to cover the print. tee-hee. I think it is more noticeable on this one. Will most likely try to do the same by covering the 'fine'. I was able to lift up the middle piece but I used the Scotch quick dry adhesive on the side panels and once down it was down. So had to improvise.

Hey, we can't all be perfect and I am first in that line. lol. So ready for the inside? Well, here it is. All of my inking punching and paper piecing came out to be this.

 

Can we say labor of love? That is certainly what this one was. I will use all of that valuable real estate on the back of the card to write and mat my handwritten message. 

I think they turned out well and will definitely do something super simple for next year. Every now and again I do love to go with the flow. 

Terri asked what punches I used. Here is a pic. 

They are all MS border punches: gingerbread, holly and ivy, pine needles, skyland snowflake, and presents.

Ok. So I snapped a few pictures. Here is another view.

When you untie the ribbon and open the card the steps move forward and sits beautifully. Every side is decorated. Now that I have had a chance to see T!m's Lamppost die, I definitely want it. This one is an Inkadinkado stamp colored in with Sakura glaze gel pens.

Oh, the ribbon is Anna Griffin...gorgeous.

Thanks for coming back to have a final peek at my 2011 Cards.

Until then.

2011 Christmas Cards Teaser 4

It's almost time to begin the ten day countdown to Christmas. Hope you are ready!!! Could not resist one more teaser before the final reveal. I am sure you will be able to put two and two together to come up with the finished project. So, here goes. This is the stamp set that I used to create santa, his sleigh, and his reindeer. I stamped him over the moon into the darkened sky. 

I added some snow dots and some of the Martha Stewart chunky glitter for a snowy effect to the base of the house.

These are my completed paper pieced friends. They are from the Joys of the Season's Cart--the Carolers and the Girl with Presents. Again, paper piecing is not my thing, but I think they turned out pretty well. What do you think?

 

This will be the outside of card. I decided to use as little ornamentation as possible. 

 

Now, just trying to decide on what to put on the cover and how to close the card. Have a couple of options up my sleeve.

 

Someone asked about left over scraps that I have. As you can see, I maximize all of my paper to the fullest. If it means altering the design a bit, that is what I do so that I don't end up with a lot of scraps. 

Come back in a day or so and I should have the finished card posted. Thanks for stopping by and always remember to get inky in the Name of Love.

Until then.