Have a Spot of Tea?

I made this darling tea holder on Sunday.  I got the directions from Andrea Walford.  She and her sister do a monthly newsletter called Sunny Stamping Project Ideas.  They have a great talent and I have learned a lot from her tutorials over the years.  Unfortunately, she recently got in trouble with Stampin' Up because of the newsletter and had to resign from selling SU.  She really offered a great resource to demonstrators.  Hopefully, she will continue to share her creative ideas with us.

Here is the teabag holder that I made:

 I used some sei DSP that I got at CK Convention last summer.  I colored the pearls with my Copics and on the sides, I put little dots of silver Stickles.

 Here's a view from the top.  I found some silk flowers and added a pearl to the center.

This stamp is a clear stamp from My Fav. Things that I colored with Copics.

I wanted to send this to Ashley to put on her desk.  She is a big tea drinker.  But, I was afraid it would get messed up in the mail.  So, I sent her the pieces so she could put one together herself! 

Alex Name Frame

I'm sorry I have been so sporadic on my blog posts.  I always have good intentions but end up putting it off until it is too late.  (or else, I decide I don't have anything interesting to say!!)

I made a "name frame" Thursday for Danny and Lisa's little boy (Alex) and started the name frame for Julia.  They are the twins that were born right after Christmas to Ashley's best friends.  I bought the frames in December and they have been sitting on my desk all this time waiting for inspiration!  Finally  fter coming home from the "Y", I decided there was no time like the present!  Once I get to going on creating something, I usually get on a roll.  It's just the "getting going" that gets me delayed usually!!  Ashley had told me that they were doing the nursery in a monkey theme with green, yellow and brown.  I have several monkey stamps so that made my job a little bit easier.  I really like how the first one turned out.  Remember - you can click on the picture to make it larger.

Sorry about the glare at the top - guess I should have taken the picture before putting the glass on. So, I used several monkey stamps.  The animals at the bottom are from DRS and the monkey above the "A" is Stampendous.  The other two stamped monkeys (parachute and holding bananas) are from Stampin' Up but they are retired.  The DSP is also SU - the top is a retired piece but the bottom green stripe if Pear Pizzaz.

Hopefully, I'll finish Julia's frame soon and I can share it with you.  I am trying to make hers just a little bit more feminine but staying with the theme.

Tote-ably Awesome Tote

I had a full day of playing today!  Most of the morning was spent getting every ready for tomorrow.  I am showing the Garden Club how to make the fabric flowers.  I think I have everything packed and ready!  I've got about 20 ladies signed up and a one of the gals from my Club is going to help me out.

This afternoon I made a this little tote for four of the cards I made last weekend.  This is Becky's Tote-ally Awesome Tote (Inking Idaho).  It took a little more time than I had planned so I don't know that I will be making too many of these.  But I thought it turned out cute.

These are little bookmarks or tags in the outside pocket.

This is the top closure (velcro underneath).

This is the box open.  I made acetate pockets on either side for the cards.

And here are the cards:

The DSP is called Urban Garden and I got it several months ago from the Clearance Rack.  The stamp set I used is Friends Never Fade.

Flip Flop Art

I thought you might like to see my flip flops that I made a couple of years ago.  I get comments on them everywhere I go.  Tonight we went out on the boat and stopped at a restaurant for dinner and several people wanted to know where I had purchased them.  I actually saw a pair of these flip flops at Myrtle Beach 3-4 years ago and told my family that I could make my own.  So I did!  I started out with a pair of rubber Okabasi flip flops in blue and green.  I bought a couple of bags of long skinny balloons at a party store and cut them in half.  Then I just tied them onto the top of the shoe.

Aren't they the cutest?  Of course, the flower on my toe gives it that little added touch!!  When Ashley was in town, myself, my mom and Ashley all had a pedicure and all had a flower painted on our big toe.  So, if you want a conversation piece on your feet, get you some balloons and tie them on!!  Wouldn't it be cute to do a 4th of July shoe with red, white and blue balloons???

I finished another CKC project today.  It was one of my favorite classes taught by The Button Farm.  We made a recipe book out of an acrylic album.  Here are a few pages of mine:

This is the cover.

This page has an envelope glued down with recipe cards inside.

This is the back of the book.

I'll be having this for sale (I think) at the Newcomers November Craft Fair.

Corkboard

 have started making things for a craft fair that I am going to participate in.  It will be in November and those who know me will be surprised that I am already starting to prepare!!  I am usually a last-minute gal!  Today I made a corkboard using a 12"x12" picture frame that I bought a couple of months ago.  My inspiration was my sister who made one of these last spring.  Hers was so cute!   Here is mine:

I painted the wooden frame with some green acrylic paint that I had - 2 or 3 coats.  I took the glass out and replaced it with the 12"x12" piece of cork.  On one side of the cork, I put a piece of designer paper and a piece of ribbon.  I did not glue them down so they could be changed.  I made a crimped flower using Poppy Parade cardstock.  The stem and petals are Kiwi Kiss that I ran through my crimper. 

I will be in downtown Charlotte the next few days.  Marianne, Sharon ("girlfriend") and I have rooms booked for Thursday and Friday nights for the CKC Convention.  Marianne and I have signed up for a lot of classes!!  Friday we will be taking hour long classes at 8:30; 10:00; and 12:30.  Then we have a 1 1/2 hour class at 6 pm.  Not sure when we will find time to shop and eat but I'm sure we will.  On Saturday, we are booked for a 2 hour class at 8:30 and one hour classes at 11, 12:30 and 2!!  After all our classes, we hope to get over to a scrapbook store that is in Charlotte.  We have never been but we have coupons that we got on Groupon that is burning a hole in our pockets!   Saturday night we will meet the family at Galway Hooker for some yummy fish and chips.  I'm sure on Sunday, I will be exhausted!!  So, I probably won't be blogging until Sunday or Monday.

Beach Book

My family - sisters and mom - just returned from a week camping at Myrtle Beach.  So, my pet sitting days are over!  Sonny was celebrating yesterday - he is not a cat person.  Sammie was definately a handful but she is just a kitten and she was fun to have around for a few days.

Before Marianne left, I gave her the BEACH scrapbook I had made for her.  She enjoys making these types of books and is always making them for others.  I thought I'd surprise her and make one for her.  Here are a few of the pages:

Hopefully, she took lots of pictures to put in her book!  If not, she'll be going back to Myrtle in a couple of weeks so she can take pictures then!

Mini Photo Album

I was playing around the other day with some paper scraps from a scrapbooking kit trying to figure out what to do with it.  I came across a tutorial on Splitcoast for a Mini Photo Album so decided to give it a try.  It turned out super cute! 

This is the front.  The "flip flop" is a punch out.  I stamped the flower from Tropical Blossom.

This is the mini book opened up.  The pages swing out from the Jumbo Eyelets.

This is the back of the project. 

So, you just need a couple of coasters, a couple of Jumbo Eyelets and some paper and you can make one of these little books too.  The tutorial for the Mini Photo Album is found on Splitcoast HERE .

I gave this little book to my sister.  She left yesterday for her annual 4th of July week at Myrtle Beach.  Thought this would be perfect for putting little pictures in from her vacation. 

Fifth Avenue Floral Gift Set

I made a card box a couple of months ago with some cards from Fifth Avenue Floral.  I've just realized I did not share them with you!  What was I thinking???  I used the set for a hostess gift.  I enjoy making a gift set of cards and a box to give away.  It always impresses the recipient.

This is the acetate box I made to hold the cards.  I used the paper from Night and Day DSP.

The roses are the watercolored roses.  You spritz the Shimery White Paper with water and use your Aqua Painter with reinkers.

Book Board #2

Here's the second book board I made this weekend.  Great for a teenager, don't you think?

I'm off early in the morning to do my thing at the Soup Kitchen!  Wish me luck.

Another Calendar - can you believe it?

Last week when we thought Ashley was going to be deployed ASAP, I quickly put together a Care Package Box to mail to her.  Ever since our return from Texas, I've been putting things in the box - books, stamp items I brought back with me (by mistake), etc.  So I decided to make her a calendar real quick to take to Haiti with her.  I had this great Silver Photo Flip Album (4" x 6") that was perfect for holding the calendar and looks really pretty sitting on a desk.  So I got to work and got these calendar pages done in about 3 days!  Looks like I could have taken my time since she is still waiting to hear when they will be leaving.  But, in the meantime, she found out yesterday that she passed her medical BOARDS!!  Now she is a Board Certified Infectious Disease Pediatrician!!  There was no doubt in my mind that she would pass but she was not quite so sure.  Needless to say, I am very proud of her.

Remember - you can click on the pictures to make them bigger - you just have to click the back arrow to come back to my blog.

This is the cover of the calendar.  I used a Northwoods stamp and a lot of glitter!

This is another Northwoods stamp and Stickles!

This is the Stampin' Up set - Love Bandits from the Occasions Mini.

This is by Great Impressions (I think!)

This one is My Favorite Things and I paper-pieced the dress.

These little owls are from Stampin' Up.

This is a retired Stampin' Up set.

These stars are punched with my SU star punches.

This is another retired SU set (boo hoo - I love it) - Scene in a Garden.

This is Vintage Vogue from SU's Occasions Mini.  Isn't this paper wild?

Here's the great Sock Monkey (SU).

Another retired SU set!  It was a hostess set last year.

This is Delightful Decorations from the Christmas - sure hope it makes it into the next catalog.  I also used the raindeer from the current SU catalog - Holiday Lineup.

What to do on a rainy Sunday?

Yesterday was a rainy day here in North Carolina.  Nothing to do except watch football and make a few cards, etc.  So that’s what I did!  I still had a few items from the CK Convention (last summer) that I hadn’t finished, so I pulled them out and worked on them. 

This is a “pop up” card.  The “Good friends ….” pops up from the little box but folds flat for mailing.  Here’s a side view to get the idea -

This is a box that holds an accordion type little photo album.

Here it is coming out of the box.  All it needs is a few pictures!

This is a sideways view.

This is a little photo holder made with chipboard.  I thought it turned out really cute.

I enjoyed watching the play-off games on Sunday also.  Since My Steelers weren’t in the running, I was pulling for the Jets against the Colts.  Our neighbors and good friends from Gig Harbor are die-hard Jets fans.  I know they were not happy yesterday.  In the later game, which I thought was the better of the two, I was pulling for the Saints.  I wasn’t disappointed in them although the Vikings really just gave it away.  Now, it’s time for Brett Favre to retire …. and STAY RETIRED!!  You know, last year this time, I was in Pittsburgh, elated that the Steelers were going to the Super Bowl.  Oh well, better luck next year!