Designer Craft Connection - How Does Your Garden Grow

These days, my garden consists of small potted plants, hanging baskets, and container plants for the summer.  Space is limited now and I am beyond the work of a large garden, rose beds and perennial gardens.  Those are things I now enjoy at other locations, like the yards of my three children!

With Mother's Day just a few days away I crafted a floral pin that can be given as a gift.  

For the two flowers, begin with two pieces of fabric that are fused together with a double sided iron on interfacing.  (NOTE: Use something like Steam a Seam or Heat n Bond lightweight.)  Do the same with a green fabric for leaves.  The larger flower was die-cut, using Eileen Hull's Flower, Trinity die (658443), the smaller flower uses Scrappy Cat die, Flower, Rose 3-D (658504).  Leaves are cut using the medium and small size from Eileen Hull Leaves die (657119).  (NOTE: All dies are from Sizzix.)  

The edges of the flowers and leaves are shaded by applying some coordinating Distress Ink colors to the pieces.  Form the flowers according to directions of twisting them into the flower shapes and glue in place.  Iridescent beads are glued to the center of each flower.  Arrange them together as in the photo along with the leaves.  The assembled arrangement is glued onto a 1 1/2" circle of green felt.  Attach a pin back to the felt circle.  

The card background is cut using a Silhoutte Cameo.  The white card design is backed with small yellow circle to accent the centers of the corner flowers and then finished with a pink card stock cut to fit.  Punch two holes to hold the pin in place on the front of the card.  

Use the pin as an embellishment on a headband, a purse, or scarf for a little something extra!  As the saying goes - "Say it with flowers"!

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Been busy with many different things lately.  My family has been keeping me on the go and occupied.  I'm having a difficult time keeping my schedule in order.

This past Saturday I shared a very enjoyable experience with our two youngest grandchildren.  Santa & Mrs. Claus made a special visit to their house to see them and a few other friends.  Mrs. Claus read two stories for us with the help of Tess.  We sang some Christmas songs before each child got to talk with Santa.  The looks on their faces was truly priceless.  The innocence of children is just so sweet to see.

Last week I spent two days baking some Christmas cookies.  Because of recent situations and schedules, we had to forgo the "baking marathon" we had been doing the past few years.  Hopefully we will return to enjoy the craziness of that next year.

The baking brought me to the reason for this post today.  As I have said in the past - I love Sizzix stuff. To give a sample of my baking to friends, I wanted something handmade to pack them in. Using a recent purchased die, Bigz™ Box #3, I will be making my own gift boxes.  This box holds one and a half dozen cookies.  

I lined the box with a decorative tissue paper that had the edges cut with pinking scissors.  After filling with the cookies, mittens (Original Mittens-38-0240) hold close the tissue.

A wide, gold mesh ribbon was cut to fit around the box and secured with double-faced tape.  A small scraps of light green burlap was brushed with Tim Holtz Forest Moss Distress Stain before die cutting with Holly & Berries #2.  The holly leaves were then glued on a medium size oval die-cut (Ovals #3).  Berries were die cut from a scrap of red painted metal, then glued to the center of the leaves.  A small scrap of glossy cardstock was embossed, using the verse from the Winter Set by Rachael Bright.  The raised lettering was carefully wiped over with Ranger Ice Stickles, using my finger, then put in place using a glue dot.

What a sweet way to give a very "sweet" and completely handmade gift this season.

Back to the Big Shot!

PS - Happy Birthday to my brother Jim today!  Also all the other December birthdays in the family - Bill, Rachel, Amy M., Mary Kate, Rosalia, Alexandra, Colleen, Mary & myself. 

NOTE:  Please check out the "Sock Monkey" challenge on the Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop.  Start with this link and hop on through the others to seeing some creative "monkeying around".  There is another give away this month.  So many clever ideas again from the group that participated this month.