Spring Arrives

Wow what week we have had here weather wise!  It's officially Springtime by the calendar, but several days of 80+ weather brought us a very early arrival of buds bursting with green and other colors.  Call me crazy but I like a more gradual shift from spring to summer.  That shift seems to me happening much quicker these past several years.  I figured flowers outside would have to wait at least a few weeks so I would bring some flowers inside with a new project.  All my crocus' and dutch iris and daffodils are blooming like crazy! (Update: Tonight the temps drop again and expected high for Monday will be in the 40's.  When you live in the Midwest - wait a little while and the weather can shift.)

Anyway ... I completed a "blooming" banner for my mantle and would like to share it with you.  Out came the Sizzix Big Shot, DCWV papers, Eileen Hull dies,   other Sizzix dies and a couple of Sizzix embossing folders.

Once I decided on the words for the banner, I used the Sizzix die, Album, Scallop/Circle by Brenda Pinnick to cut a "circle" background base for each flower. One side of each base piece was painted with a green acrylic paint.

All the flower petals were cut from various shades of DCWV textured paper as well as the leaves. The flower petals were then embossed with a large dot embossing folder and the leaves embossed with a small dot folder.  My flowers used 8 large petals, 7 small petals and 2 large leaves. Another green paper was used to cut 12" x 1/2" strips for the stems.  Each is folded in half.  Circles for each flower are cut from the Original Circle die for the center of each flower from a handmade, textured brown paper.

NOTE:  I shaded the edges of all the petals and leaves with Antique Linen Ranger Distress Ink.  I didn't want the white inner core of the paper to show.  A darker ink could be used in place or a coordinating color.  It's your choice.


When all pieces are cut, embossed and inked the flowers can be assembled.  Glue the folded strip onto the background circle base at the bottom, opposite the little punched tab on this piece.  NOTE: Refer to photo.  Glue the two leaves onto the stem as shown in the photo. Use one of the center circles to mark the background bases center area as a guide for glueing.  Glue the eight large petals in place spacing them to your liking.  Layer on the smaller petals over the larger ones, again spacing them to your liking all around.  Glue the center brown circle in place.

I used leftover acrylic bubble letters from the Valentine banner I made last month, placing them onto the brown paper centers.  Just to add a little bit of glitz, Ranger Silver Ice, Ice Stickles was applied around each center.

Little clothespin clips hold the flowers onto a cord and a row of blooming flowers appear across the mantle for Spring!

Click on the "Sizzix Spring Linky" here to link to Eileen Hull's blog.  You are bound to find several wonder ideas for Spring and Eileen's dies from many talented people.   

http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/

Decorating For Spring

The calendar says March, our clocks "sprung ahead" this week-end, the tiny crocus' bulbs that poked through the earth, during a warm spell, weeks ago are now blooming.  (How can anyone not smile when you see these little blooms?)  I guess it's time to THINK SPRING!

Sharing a quick post of a new decoration I made the other day for this new Season.

I purchased a package of Creatology™ white butterflies at Michael's, using one of the coupons in their flyer, plus a forsythia garland that was also on sale.  To cover the butterflies, I used an iron-on material to back scraps of fabrics.  Ironed the fabrics onto the shapes and trimmed them.  Baby rick-rack was glued around the edges of each shape. Half of a gold tinsel stem was pushed through holes punched at the top of the butterfly and shaped into antenna. I made up a pattern for the body and head and cut them from felt scraps, then glued to the center of each butterfly. Using fabric paint, eyes are dotted on the head.  To add a little sparkle, I brushed each with a glitter glue.  The final step was to thread a clear monofilament at the top to hang the butterflies from the garland.  A very simple decoration to make and add some "springtime" to you house.

I will be heading outside for a little walk after this, to take in the sun and warmer weather that has arrived the past few days.  On returning, it's time to bring out the other spring decorations.  I also will be starting a new "banner" project for the mantle that I hope to share with everyone next week.

Hope there are signs of Spring where you live!

Designer Craft Connection - Springtime Crafting

The crafting has begun!  Several projects are on my agenda and look forward to sharing them.  Last week I spent the week working on two gift ideas for a baby shower that I attended this week-end.  I can share them now and announce that they were well received by the parents-to-be and other guests.

It seems that I must always try to include something handmade and not expected as a gift for showers.  This time I put together a collection of music for baby and parents to enjoy.  The lullabies can be used for sleepy time or just some quiet time.  The other music in the collection is easy to listen to and fun for the entire family.

Of course I like to find ways to reuse items in my projects.  So using some old empty CD cases, leftover mat board,  scraps of fabrics and papers and odds & ends I ended up with a unique and personal gift.  With the knowledge that the new arrival, several of the songs chosen are just for "daddy's little girl".  Music always makes a wonderful gift!

The second gift was made to fit the decor of the baby's room.  A hand painted tree was painted onto one of the wall in the room.  The bedding and accessories are from Pottery Barn for Kids with images of trees, leaves, owls and birds in an array of bright pastel colors.

A branch was trimmed from an outside tree; scraps of fabrics, mat board, trims and felt from my stash and those favorite stand by tools from Sizzix, were combined to create a mobile for the room.  Each of the birds were made using Sizzix die by Eileen Hull.  The birds main shape are die cut from mat board, four for each bird, one each for the wings. Note: two body shapes were glued together - using two doubled shapes for each bird. Fabric pieces were applied to Therm-o-web PeelnStick  adhesive sheets.  The birds shapes were then applied to the the backed fabric pieces and cut out with 1/4" to 1/2" extra around the shapes.  Note: Good idea to use teflon coated scissors for this cutting.  Wrap the fabric around the edges of the bodies and wings.  Snipping and trimming fabric if necessary.  When all shapes are covered, glue the two covered bodies together.  String clear monofilament through a hole in the top edge of each bird and knot.  Glue mini white rick-rack around the edges of the birds body shape. Glue the wings onto each side of the birds.  A small purchased nest is wired onto the branch.  Snips of shredded paper was glued into the nest and then a bird.  Tie clear monofilament onto the branch in any way to make the branch hang evenly.  Form an loop at the top for hanging.  Tie each of the birds onto the branch spacing as desired and different levels. Optional: Each bird was painted with a matching glaze, using a Ranger Adirondack Acrylic and water for a slight gleamer.

Please use the button at the top right to continue hopping through the other blogs for more and more ideas.

Now onto the next project - will share it with you all as soon as complete!

UPDATE ADDED:
I received the OK to post a photo of the tree that the daddy-to-be painted on the bedroom wall.  It is just too darn cute!  Beautifully done Jim!

National Craft Month

Happy Leap Year - one extra day to prepare for -

The month of March it is time to celebrate crafts.  Google crafts and the search will be endless. To get started I thought I would share some sites to check out for some information and inspiration.  Get crafting - get some friends or kids together to try something new or stick to what you like - but have some fun! Think about trying to push yourself to the next level. Think and work "outside the box".

If you were not aware of the industry that supports crafts, check out the site of CHA.  Twice a year there is a trade show to showcase the newest products and ideas with retailers.

Other sites that you may like to check out are from retailers and see what's on sale or download coupons for your craft purchases during this month long celebration of crafts. Use those coupons they offer to purchase some supplies to help celebrate this month long event.
Archivers

Michaels

Hobby Lobby

                                   

JoAnn Fabrics

Hancock Fabrics

Searching for ideas try these sites first for help for many:
 Favecrafts
 Crash Test Dummies
 Craftzine

If you spend anytime online, there are oodles and oodles of blogs to follow on any subject.  They can be specific to one area of crafting or many that share a variety of subjects.  Check out a few then visit other blog links that are listed as favorites.

Several manufactures of crafting materials also have blogs related to their products, with ideas galore.  Check them out!

On the Home Shopping Network this month there will me many chances to see crafting products for sale and ideas on how to use them.  Brenda Pinnick, who designs fabric, stamps and dies, will be featured on HSN, March 6th.

A new online site for taking craft classes is called Craftsy.  A new idea you just might like.

Unless you have been living under a rock, I'm sure you have heard of Pinterest. If you can't draw inspiration or the urge to get creative after looking at pinboards here - well, I just don't know what to say!  It has inspired in me ideas for crafting of course, but also decorating, sewing, writing, and cooking.

Coming Next Week

Monday, March 5th, is the posting day to the Designer Craft Connection blog. The theme this month is - what else - all about Spring!  Come hop through the blogs to see what the designers have come up with this time to interpret their ideas of Spring.  I'm working on several things. I'll share them with you through out this crafting month. March brings us the beginning of a new season.  This month starts the parade of family birthdays that continues on through April.  There are showers to attend and some "wearing of the green" to take place and the celebration of Easter. The days will bring us longer periods of daylight, plants will be popping through the earth and buds will be swelling with new life. Seeing green sprouts, crocus', daffodils and primrose are a lovely sight.  It's the time to open up and clean out - the season of renewing

Happy HEART Day!

"There's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger and your whispers softly echo.  It's the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me."
     -Gretchen Kemp

It's February 14th, the day that "Love" is celebrated each year.  I will be without my special love this year, the first time in 46 years.  I do miss you Michael.  There hasn't been a day that I haven't said your name or thought about you.  My heart may be sad but it still holds you very, very close.  I think about years past and when we were young and how our lives together continued to change and grow.  Life was not always simple and easy, but we faced it together.  Made me think of a old song by the Beatles, but this version is sung by Emmylou Harris and it reminds me of you - "Here, There & Everywhere"

Hearts, hearts ... I love hearts!  I thought it would be a good time to share with you one of my Pinterest pinboards.  It is titled "Heartful" and it shows my favorite shape in many, many forms.

Heartful pinboard

"The life and love we create is the life and love we live."

      - Leo Buscaglia

Designer Craft Connection-February - CHA & Pinterest

Last week many designers who are part of this group attended the CHA trade show in Anaheim, California.  This particular show takes place twice a year.  The winter show (the larger one) is usually in Anaheim and the summer show (some what smaller) is in the midwest, at the convention center in Rosemont, Illinois.

I have been unable to attend the winter show for a few years now, so I rely on those who I know that were able to attend to share what they saw and what they think.

Many of the designers are sharing "pins" on a group pinboard to give some ideas of what they saw or did at the show.  Comments and photos are still being shared since they all returned from the show.  There is nothing like being there and seeing all the wonderful new ideas the industry has to offer.  My hope is that the stores chose some wonderful new products to share with the consumers.  It's always amazed me how many things shown at the show never make it to the consumer or only a limited amount of new products get into the consumers hands.  It's kind of a shame!

Of course as always the papers that come out at each show are truly amazing.  A few of my "favs" are Graphic 45, Cosmo Cricket, and DCWV.  This is only three of the many wonderful companies that design papers.  I do very limited "scrap booking", I still do a variety of paper crafting, so I'm always looking at papers that can be used in very different ways then scrap booking.

The designs for new "dies" are always something I have a huge interest in.  So many wonderful dies are available from a variety of manufacturers.  The nice thing is that they are making many of them compatible with the various systems.  Smart move for the consumer!  My favorites are by Sizzix and Spellbinders.

Spellbinders

I noticed how knitting and crocheting are continuing to interest more and more people.  So happy to see this.  Though quilting will always remain popular I feel, but this show doesn't deal with this medium as much as Quilt Market show in the fall down in Houston or the spring show that is in various parts of the country each year.  I get the feeling that sewing is making a come back ever so slightly.

Of course the "Do-it-yourself" genre is going strong and the "eco-friendly" ideas are catching on and I just love that.

Ranger

Another company that I love is Ranger.  Their products are can be used by more then the "stampers" out there and for more than just paper. There are so  many other companies that make some amazing products for the creative people out there and way too many to share.

I can't go on with this post without mentioning PINTEREST.  I realize it's been out there  for a while now, but I was unable to see what this was all about because of what was going on around me last year.  Heard other designer friends talking about and didn't give it much thought.  I also wondered what and how can it would do for me to become interested in this.  Well anyone who has checked it out will probably say - "they are hooked"!  I have folders in my file cabinet with ideas of several topics, that I have saved, dating back many, many years.  Each time I get a "brainstorm", I go to those files and search for various things.  It's very time consuming.  Pinterest has put numerous ideas at my fingertips.  Love it!!!

So just after I discovered it I shared it with my daughter, daughter-in-law, other son's girlfriend, some relatives and friends - yes, they are all hooked.  We discuss ideas we have seen and shared.  Even the guys are interested in several topics.   If for some reason you haven't seen or heard of it here's a link to my Pinboards: http://pinterest.com/mjagrammie/

Showing My Heart(s)

With all the Christmas holiday stuff finally packed away, the house was looking a little drab.  With everything looking gray and brown outside for so long this winter I needed to think about some decorations.  (Though low and behold on Friday we received our first real shot of snow.)

The Big Shot was cranking out a variety of die-cuts for a few days last week.  In the last couple of days I finally got the chance to put together some decorations for the house.  The mantle here is the perfect place for hanging banners.  (In past posts you can see a few of the others I have made for various times of the year.)

This first one here, I used several Sizzix dies and once again went to the scrap bins first to see what could be reused.  There was pieces of "warm & white" batting for the background, fabric scraps for more hearts and the side bows, paper scraps galore for the flowers and leaves and glitter glue.  The red glittered fun foam sheet, glittered stickers strips, adhesive bubble letters and adhesive heart gems were all purchased on sale at a nearby craft store.  

The picture shows the placement of all the pieces used.  If you do not own or have access to a Big Shot or the dies, try making your own patterns.  I have seen kits available for banners and they go together pretty fast and easily, but I would rather take the time to design and cut my own.  

For the second "conversation hearts" banner, I did use purchased felt hearts. Once again I did get them with a store coupon to save a little money.  Simply punch holes into the sides of the hearts and thread torn strips of fabric through.  Tie bows to connect the hearts.  Letters were cut with a Sizzilets Alphabet strip and glued onto the hearts.  For this idea you could easily cut your own heart shapes and use store bought alpha stickers for the words.  Used some "on hand" wired white ribbon for bows at the ends of the banner.  Super simple!  I could go back at some other time and add some lace or rick-rack around the edges or some glitter glue embellishments if desired.

I made these heart ornaments last year and wanted to share them.  They could be given as a gift with notes or photos attached to the pages.  They have ribbon closure to hold it closed, but once opened the ties also hold it open to hang as an ornament.  Change it up by using different papers.  Fill the pages with love quotes or write a love letter to your sweetheart.

Make some hearts and share some love!

Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop-January-Journaling

The first challenge for the Craft Connection Group in this new year is "journaling".  I'm looking forward to seeing all the ideas the group comes up with.  With any tips that are shared and ideas for journals, my goal is to work on journaling my ideas better than in the past.

What I created is made from all scraps - cardboard, fabric, packing paper, paper & metal scraps and even paper towels used for clean up.  The only purchased element was the "ring binder" from the idea-ology collection by Tim Holtz.

Follow the general instructions given.  Any size journal can be made by just adjusting the sizes you cut the cardboards, fabrics and papers for covering and pages.  For the journal cover cut three pieces: 2 the same measurement for front and back covers, 1 for spine (the same length of covers and 1 1/2" wide).  For inside journal covers: cut 2 pieces 1/4" smaller then outside covers, 1 for spine (the same length of inside pieces and 1 1/4" wide).

Use a clear packing tape to join the outside covers to the outside spine.  NOTE: Leave approximately 1/8" space between the spine and each cover.  This will help the journal close easier.  A scrap of drapery liner was cut 1" larger on all four sides for the journal covering.  Use any type of paints or finishes to cover the fabric. Use any color combination of choice.  Allow the paint to dry completely before covering the boards. Use the same paints or finishes to also cover a large piece of brown packing paper.  If paper crinkles when dried, iron carefully between parchment paper to smooth.  Cut pieces to cover the inside boards for the journal. Again allow approximately 1" around the front and back pieces and 1/2" for the spine piece.  NOTE: Cut a piece from the packing paper about 3" to 4" wide and the same length as the outside cover.  Glue this piece to the inside center to cover the spine, gap and inside edges of the cover pieces.  Glue the painted fabric piece to the outside cover piece.  NOTE: Miter the corners in any fashion you like to use.  Glue the painted packing paper to the two inside boards and the spine.  Attach the ring binder to the paper covered spine using the paper brads.  Center and glue this spine piece in place.  Glue the two inside cover pieces in place, also centering them evenly.

Finish the front of the journal in any desired fashion.  I used a scrap of canvas and stained the edges with Distress Stains.  From a scrap of metal, I pierced it with an "M", for Madeline and then colored it with alcohol inks. I die-cut flowers and leaves from scraps and my clean up paper toweling.  All were then glued to the top cover.  I cut pages for inside from a variety left over pieces of papers.  NOTE: Jot ideas on the pages or clip or glue ideas found to the pages.  I printed some "creative" and "artistic" quotes found on Pinterest that would be inspiring to add to pages.  

Excited to see all the ideas about journals and journaling.  This blog has been a form of journaling for me.  Pinterest is a digital form with "pinboards" of inspiration.  I hope to create journals of all types and sizes this year - any form of journaling that would help me in my daily journey to continue to grow.

IDEAS:
Check out the "app" Evernote for helping to keep track of ideas.  With this app you can add notes in a variety of ways: written, photo, audio.


Make a journal the size of envelopes and use the front for journaling and slip photos or notes into the envelopes.

Cover $0.99 Composition notebooks for using as a journal.  Make one for each month if you journal a lot or make one for each season and decorate accordingly.