[Focus on Life] Week 24: Green

Welcome back!  It's Week 24 over at Ms. Sally Russick's Focus on Life and this weeks' prompt is GREEN.  Sally described the prompt as follows:  

GREEN:  the color of balance, growth and harmony.

GREEN:  evokes the feeling of calm and symbolizes self-respect and well-being.

I totally agree with her!  To me, it means life - natural and organic.

This is the photo that I want to share with you.  Can you guess what these are?

Doesn't it resemble a bamboo tree?  

Well, these are tissue rolls that I have been saving for whatever.  My husband would laugh at me when I ask him not to discard odd stuff for me especially when I tell him that I will be using them one day - I think he hasn't realized that I am just recycling and trying to save the environment.  Hahaha!

Well, the day has come for these rolls.  I mixed green and black acrylic then painted them to look like the bamboo trunk.  For added interest, I added a white paper quilled white flower matted on a textured yellow cardstock.  I like how it stands out, looks very fresh.

Now, let's head over to Sally's blog and check out the other "green stuff."

Have a wonderful weekend!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Focus on Life Week 11] The Possibilities are Endless

It's week 11 in Ms. Sally Russick's Focus on Life:  The Possibilities are Endless.

When it comes to paper quilling - the art of twirling paper - the possibilities are endless! 

Paper Quilling

 I love how colorful these papers are.  You don't need a lot of tools for this craft: - just a needle tool and glue.  You can used a needle tool or a slotted tool or even a barbecue stick.  I make the basic shapes while watching tv or when I feel like I need to relax... oh yeah, it soothes me.  

Paper Quilled Flowers

It'll be officially Spring in a few days so here's a bunch of flowers for you!

Have a good one, my friend!

Blessings!

♥  Michelle  ♥

[Bead Soup] What's Cooking?

Hello friends!

It's time for another Bead Soup Blog Party over at Ms. Lori Anderson's BLOG.  There were over 400 participants and I'm thrilled to be part of the third reveal on August 25.  

This is my second BSBP and I have a new partner / friend. She is Sonya Stille of Dreamin' of Beads / SAS Jewelry.  Sonya makes beautiful beaded necklaces such as this piece with a focal made from

 polymer clay.  I love how she made the intricate beaded design using peyote stitch.  

How I wish I had the patience required in making such beautiful pieces of art in jewelry.  

Head over to Sonya's BLOG to see more of her designs.

Here's Sonya's Bead Soup ingredients ready to be mailed.  

Gave her one of my paper quilled flowers and a polymer clay heart.

The party required us to give a focal piece and a clasp.  I made the focal using polymer clay using a combination of stamping and mica techniques.  Her soup also included coordinating beads

 (stones, crystals and glass beads) and metal findings.

I am eager to see what she will cook with these.

See you soon!

♥  Michelle  ♥

Twirling Paper once again [Paper Quilling Floral Arrangements]

Like many crafters, I have accumulated so much stuff over the years. I spent the past several days sorting through my boxes of hidden treasures and found my paper quilling materialas and tools.  Suddenly, I was back to twirling paper once again.

I was introduced to paper quilling in the Philippines several years ago.  Basically, it's just twirling paper through a needle or a slotted tool.  There are so many things and designs that you can make out of it:  flowers, leaves, animals, party stuff, etc.

I found my kit from Lake City Craft Co.:  Pretty Fringed Blossoms #215 designed by Jane Hui Cuan Wu and decided to make 2 of the arrangements.  The woven baskets are just pretty.

I love the colors and design of this second arrangement - it's so cheery!

I am thinking of designs that I can incorporate in our thanksgiving and Christmas cards. 

Have you tried paper quilling?  Give it a try and share it with me too.

Enjoy!

Happy crafting!

Gifts for the ladies [Christmas 2010 Gospel Bracelets]

This was a "handcrafted filled" Christmas for me.   I combined jewelry making with paper quilling and handmade packaging... yup, labor of love lots-of-love ♥.  This was a Gospel bracelet comprised of 2 pairs of  7 colors of Swarowski crystals:  yellow, black, red, green, blue, white and lavander.  Why these 7 colors you ask?

Yellow:  represents GOD'S PERFECT LIGHT.  1 John 17 says:  "But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."

Black:  represents SIN.  Romans 3:23 says:  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Red:  represents the BLOOD of Jesus Christ shed ont he cross for us.  Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Green:  represents ETERNAL LIFE.  John 3:16 "Fod God so loved the world that He gave Hhis one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Blue:  resresent obedience in BAPTISM, being immersed in water to show the "death and resurrection" in Christ.  Baptism does not save you, but we do it to follow Jesus' example.  (Matthew 3:13)

Clear:  represent RIGHTEOUSNESS, a new or a clean heart.  Once we accept Christ, we become a new creation (2Cor 5:17).  God saves us instantly through our faith in Christ, He washes away all of our sin and makes us white aas snow before Him (Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18).

Violet:  represent the CROWN OF LIFE.,  The Bible says:  "Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev. 2:10)

It is nice to be able to share God's word and be a blessing to other people.  To complete the gift, I made copies of the gospel message and glued them to a #1 envelope.  To make the dimensional envelope:  I started with a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2" Bazzill cardstock and scored 2" on 2 opposite sides and 2 1/2" on the other 2 opposite sides.  Cut the corners then fold the sides and trim the edges using a corner rounder.  I then added brads on the lower half of the envelope and a paper quilled daisy on the top flap.  I added embroidery floss used to close the envelope.  

Oh, it's so dainty and very girly.  I love it!

Thanksgiving 2010 [Handmade Cards]

We don't have an official "Thanskgiving Day" in Manila so this would be my first one in the US.  I have always wondered why Americans, in particular, look forward to celebrating it.  What is it all about? 

I found a very interesting Thanksgiving website that you might want to check out.  Here are some portions of their article.

'"Thanksgiving is America's preeminent day. It is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. It has a very interesting history. Its origin can be traced back to the 16th century when the first thanksgiving dinner is said to have taken place.

Journey of the Pilgrims
The legendary pilgrims, crossed the Atlantic in the year 1620 in Mayflower-A 17th Century sailing vessel. About 102 people traveled for nearly two months with extreme difficulty. This was so because they were kept in the cargo space of the sailing vessel. No one was allowed to go on the deck due to terrible storms. The pilgrims comforted themselves by singing Psalms- a sacred song.

Arrival in Plymouth
The pilgrims reached Plymouth rock on December 11th 1620, after a sea journey of 66 days. Though the original destination was somewhere in the northern part of Virginia, they could not reach the place owing to winds blowing them off course. Nearly46 pilgrims died due to extreme cold in winter. However, in the spring of 1621, Squanto, a native Indian taught the pilgrims to survive by growing food.

Day of Fasting and Prayer
In the summer of 1621, owing to severe drought, pilgrims called for a day of fasting and prayer to please God and ask for a bountiful harvest in the coming season. God answered their prayers and it rained at the end of the day. It saved the corn crops.

First Thanksgiving Feast
It is said that Pilgrims learnt to grow corn, beans and pumpkins from the Indians, which helped all of them survive . In the autumn of 1621, they held a grand celebration where 90 people were invited including Indians. The grand feast was organized to thank god for his favors. This communal dinner is popularly known as “The first thanksgiving feast”. There is however, no evidence to prove if the dinner actually took place.

While some historians believe pilgrims were quite religious so, their thanksgiving would've included a day of fasting and praying, others say that the Thanksgiving dinner did take place.

Turkey and First Thanksgiving Feast
There is no evidence to prove if the customary turkey was a part of the initial feast. According to the first hand account written by the leader of the colony, the food included, ducks, geese, venison, fish, berries etc.

Pumpkin and Thanksgiving Feast
Pumpkin pie, a modern staple adorning every dinner table, is unlikely to have been a part of the first thanksgiving feast. Pilgrims however, did have boiled pumpkin. Diminishing supply of flour led to the absence of any kind of bread.

The feast continued for three days and was eaten outside due to lack of space. It was not repeated till 1623, which again witnessed a severe drought. Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of thanksgiving in the year 1676. October of 1777 witnessed a time when all the 13 colonies joined in a communal celebration. It also marked the victory over the British.

After a number of events and changes, President Lincoln proclaimed last Thursday in November of thanksgiving in the year 1863. This was due to the continuous efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor. She wrote a number of articles for the cause."

Each one of us have our own reasons to give thanks for:  family and friends good health, provision, work, blessings, etc.  Everyday is a day to thank God for all His blessings and this special holiday makes it even better.  I made and mailed my first thanksgiving day cards today.  I had fun creating these cards. 

I used HeroArts rubber stamps (F3585, F3586, F3587, F3590), HA clear pumpkin stamp, falling leaves and sentiment.  My SIL had a nice rubber stamp block with sunflowers and a table spread of fruits - i colored them with Derwent watercolor pencils and burnished it to give texture and definition. 

I love all of them and hope that it brings the reader a warm smile as well.  The inside of the card reads: 

"For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations." - Psalm 100:5

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!   

Potted beret [Gift packaging idea]

My sister-in-law's birthday is coming so I made her a green beret.  The next thing I had to figure out was how to uniquely package it.  Hmmmm... I looked at my craft nook and saw a ceramic pot that I bought a few months ago.   So there...

Materials needed are as follows:

Cardstock

Quilling paper, slotted quilling tool

Scissors, craft tweezers, glue

A lot of creativity and love ☺ 

Steps:

1.  Prepare quilled flowers.  I made a balloon, white daisies, yellow buds and weaved brown paper to serve as a flower pot.  {Click if want to learn paper quilling}.

2. Once the flowers are ready, it's time to arrange them.  This is where the excitement begins. I used glossy accents - I love how the tapered opening makes it easier to get into small spaces.

3.  Attach the finished bouquet onto the base cardstock.  You may use double-sided adhesive.  Then, tape a stick behind the card - be sure to secure it properly (you wouldn't want your tag to fall off the stick and ruin the surprise ☺)

To avoid injuries, make sure you trim the pointed end of the stick.  This is important especially if you are making projects with the little ones.

There you have it!  This card will make your potted gifts extra special.

Since summer is over, I opted to use a colorful ceramic pot to "plant" my handmade crocheted green beret.  I formed it into a rose and wrapped it in tissue paper before placing it in the container.  Then, I added the finished gift tag.  Tadaaaaa!

The inside of the card reads:  "May God continue to bless and embrace you with the warmth of His love.  We love you.  Happy birthday."  ☺♥☺

DeNami Design Product Challenge: Glitter. Cards # 2 & 3

Here i am once again. 

For this card, i made a "modified gate-fold card" using a pink cardstock that i stamped with

DeNami Vines rubber stamp using Memento Rich cocoa ink.  I used the same ink to stamp the DeNami Tree branch and filled in the branches with a brown watercolor pencil.  Sakura quickie glue pen and WHITE Fine Glitter were added to the leaves.  I then used Fiskar's scallop punch. 

I layered brown metallic cardstock and positioned the scalloped tree branches. 

To finish the card, i placed a tiffany blue ribbon.

The sentiment was stamped inside the card: 

 "The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. 

 They must be felt with the heart. - Hellen Keller."

I made a third card that is also a modified gatefold that shows a mixture of different papercrafting techniques.  The card base was yellow green which i layered with 3 blocks of white paper inked with Memento Rich cocoa and stamped with DeNami Vines.  WHITE Sparklets were added as accents.  During the CHA, i was able to buy brass stencils so i decided to give it a try and add it to my card - i added Sparklets in lime green and blue on the flowers.  To assemble the card, i placed an MS edge punch in mustard cardstock; cream ribbon was added and stamped and heat embossed the sentiment:  "i hope you know how much i care".   Finally, i added a fringed flower to

show my love for paper quilling.  It's a cheery, summery card.  I lahvet! 

Thanks for stopping by.. i hope you know how much i care.  Blessings!  ♥

July 2010 cards for Hero Arts

Hero Arts July 2010's theme was food and travel, plus bookmaking techniques. It was quite challenging for me because i thought i had a "craft brain block". You know... there are days when i get dehydrated of my creative juices. Does it happen to you too? I stare at my cardstocks, paper, stamps, ink, paper trimmers, scoring pad, ruler and scissors and i just go

B-L-A-N-K. It must probably an episode of absence seizure were one just stops and stares unconsciously into nothing.

After hours that turned to days of thinking, these are what i came up with. Not exatly the best work. I used Muffin polyclear stamps and Sweet wood stamps that i bought from a craftstore in Galena. I added paper quilling in one of the cards - i loved how it turned out.

Thanks for looking, friends. Blessings!

Hero Arts Card #2

I love going to gardens and see all the flowers in bloom. I particularly like daisies, mums and sunflowers. I love them because they make me smile and feel lighthearted. I love seeing them sway with the gentle breeze.

Flowers give me so much inspiration in making cards. Most of the cards that i have made have flower themes. In this card, i made paper quilled sunflowers. Aren't they cute? It was quite a task to fringe the flowers but i adore how they turned out. It took me some time to complete this card and i'm happy with the finished product.

Thanks for looking. :)

A HEROic day!

I have always loved doing crafts and needlework... a little of this and a little of that. I have tried scrapbooking, counted crosstitch, paper quilling & stamping but never took it seriously. Until now... hahaha.

I came to the US to be with my husband and discovered the great and wonderful world of crafting. My sister in law took me to a couple of stores that sells merchandise for "crafty people". Yup... that's me. I was overwhelmed by the loads of stuffs that they carried. Then, i checked out websites and some blogs and wow... i was much more overwhelmed! So, to cure my curiosity on these matters, i put up my own blogsite and called it: "Cabbycraft".

A few days ago, i bought a clear stamp set from Hero arts and decided to check their website. I was so encouraged to make my own cards so here's what i came up with. I look forward to making more and learning new techniques. I am a newbie at this but hey... it's never too late to learn. Besides, i believe that life is a process of learning.

I made 2 cards using Hero Arts "Thinking of You" clear stamp set. I used the butterfly and the greetings. I stamped and embossed them with black embossing powder. I quilled sunflowers and mums, added an edgepunch arch lattice design from Martha stewart and some designer paper. I used red and white cardstock for the base and green for the matting.

Voila! Here are my cards... thanks for reading and i hope you enjoy viewing them.