Sweetheart Giveaway

Heather at Fabulous Fun Finds had contacted me and asked if I wanted to help sponsor a Sweetheart Giveaway. I donated 5 cards, they all had to be Valentine related so I chose 3 of my newer chipboard cards, and 2 older cards, a collage card and a friend card (It had red in it) that I had made a few years years ago. You can enter at
Fabulous Fun Finds and scroll down until you see the Giveaway for Paper Bistro. All the sponsors have Etsy shops. There are some beautiful items from the other sponsors and you can enter all of them. (I suggest Niki D's Peppermint Chunks Giveaway - Yum!!)
Please stop by this site if you get a chance, you might want to bookmark it as there are always fabulous giveaways and it is a great place to find wonderful on-line shops.

I have an extra little something to give away, my first little blog candy, a set of brand new clear stamps by Inkadinkado. It's the Bird Assortment by Amy Smyth and they have the cutest expressions on their faces, I just love them! I apologize for the photo, they are still in the package and I couldn't get a decent picture without the glare. If you click on the photo, you can see them a little better. Just leave me a comment on this post through Feb. 2nd, midnight Eastern time and I'll have Terry pick a random number and I'll post the winner on Feb 3rd.

I am keeping my fingers crossed once again as there is a little of the white stuff in the forecast again for next week! (Depends on which channel I am watching, I'll stick with the one that says it will snow - hee hee) Yay!!

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Annette

New and Old

One new thing to share and a few older cards. The first one is a felt cupcake gift card or money holder that I recently made. The top opens up where it is tied at the bow, then you slip a little something in it, then tie it back into bow. I made a little matching flower tag to go with it which has a paper backing so someone could write on it.


These next 2 cards were posted on the old Paper Crafts site which got erased in the transition. I used Basic Grey Periphery papers on the first card which has three little pockets, each with a pull out tag.
On the second card I used Anna Griffin papers, a rubber stamp window and an image from Design Originals Epherma Book. I definetely would of done the little curtain different, I made it too thick (too many layers of paper) and it was really hard to gather and get it even. I sewed a long stitch on the sewing machine across the top of the paper, then pulled the threads hoping that they wouldn't break!


This last project is a painting that I painted about 10 years ago. The original inspiration was a note card set that a friend had sent me and I thought it would make a nice painting so I set out to see if I could replicate, or come close to the original note card. (which I don't have any left or I would post it). Before I had the painting framed, I took it to the copy store and made some black and white and also color copies which I shrunk to a card size. Then I cut them out and adhered them to cardstock and made them into cards which I have sent to friends over the years. I only have 2 cards left, a black and white and a color and I would have to take the painting apart to make anymore copies so they are hard to part with! My parents in WA had professionally framed it for me so it isn't that easy to disasemble. I posted the painting over the card as the original image shows up better than the card copies.


The Valentine giveaway that I am part of will be on the 30th - 31st and I will post the link in the next couple days. I'm so excited to be able to share some of my things!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Annette

Finally!

Got a little snow! Not much, maybe about an 1 - 1/2 inches but it is still pretty! The flakes were really small and the snow is dry so no snowball fights for Terry and I. The roads are clear and the wind is blowing the snow off the trees but, there is good news, they have more snow in the forecast for next Tuesday, I would love about 6inches!! I did manage to get a few photos of some birds and of course my favorite bird, the cardinal. I took these outside of my back door, first a male showed up, then a female so I was really happy! The bird feeder is on my back porch and I filled it with bird seed, then pulled up the kitchen blind so the cats could have a peak out!



Just one little craft project to share that I worked on yesterday, a set of felt bird tags. I drew the bird myself and cut them out of felt, then glittered some Maya Road chipboard for them to sit on. I added some trim and a fabric flower and fabric bow and did the same wing thing again with the silk flowers a little glitter. Papers are Melissa Frances.



Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Annette

Maybe snow?

I was watching the weather today and they have snow showers in the forecast for Sun, Mon and Tue. I will believe it when I see it because every time they put snow in the forecast they take it away and then my little heart just breaks. I will just keep hoping for a few snowflakes!

Just one card and another set of bunny tags.to share with you today. On the card, I crackled the birdhouse, the bird and the butterfly sticker when I made my Shabby heart I posted some weeks ago, and then I put them away, knowing I would do something with them but wasn't sure what. I decided to put them on a card and to use soft colors to give it a shabby look. I got the wooden birdhouse and the bird from Michaels, which came unfinished and the fence is from Michaels, which was already painted white. I just twisted the wire ends around to the back so you wouldn't see them, let alone cut yourself on them as they were sharp! For the wing, I cut some petals off a flower and painted it a light pink, then glittered it and did the same technique with the little crocheted flower. On the flowers on the birdhouse, I just painted a little glue on the edges and dusted them with some Martha Stewart glitter. My stepmom made all the little crochet flowers and my friend Jennifer in WA made the little leaves and I just love all of them! (That was my Christmas present from them, lots of crocheted flowers)! I tried my hand at crocheting and it was an absolute disaster!

Papers are Melissa Frances and ribbon is Martha Stewart. I had the card all finished and even took some photos and was ready to post but I was at Hobby Lobby today and saw these cute little eggs and I knew I had to put on in my little nest and it fit perfect so I re-took the photos with the new addition.
(click on photos to enlarge)



Here is another set of bunny tags using pastel colors. I made the bunnies with cardstock instead of felt and highlighted around them with a fine tip zig marker and then chalks. The eyes are black seed beads and the nose and hearts on their feet are felt which I highlighted with pink stickles. I call them my Lovey Bunnies!


I also wanted to thank all of you for your sweet and inspirational comments. You have no idea how much I appreciate each and every one of you and how much your comments mean to me. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful people through the world of blogging!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Annette

Sweet Valentine

I love making cards and tags for Valentine's Day! There are so many fun colors and embellishments to use, it is hard to pick which ones to use for each project! I have lots of Crafty Secrets Cloth Scraps and fell in love with this image. It reminds me of old Hollywood so I had to glitter it up! I hand stitched around the image, then attached to the card. The frame and hearts are chipboard which I painted, then glittered.


I just got a new sizzix die of an adorable bunny and I knew I had to do it in felt! I think it would be great for Valentines day but it would definetely work for Easter. I attached the felt bunnies to cardstock, cut around each one, then hand stitched. I highlighted the ears and hearts with chalk and I love how it turned out. I posted these tags in my etsy store but wanted to share them with you.



(click on photos for closer look)
I've been asked to sponsor a giveaway where I'll be giving away some of my Valentine's cards that I have made. Please check back later for the link as I am not sure when it is going to start.

Have a wonderful day!
Annette

Happy New Year!

I packed up the little trees and decorations and Terry took them to storage today, safe for another year. The house is back to normal and I have a vanilla candle burning, reminds me of sugar cookies. Its cold outside and rain is on the way, the perfect weather to hibernate and make crafts!

I used Making Memories papers and a page from the Spiral Journaling Book, a Jennie Bowlin mini bingo card, Prima flowers with Making Memorie rhinestone centers and the heart is pink fleece cut with a sizzix die and I did a blanket stitch around the edges.

Next I have some tags I have been working on. I used one of my new Sizzix dies and cut it with chipboard, then cut again with My Minds Eye papers and glittered the inside of the cutouts. I painted the keys a metallic silver, let dry then covered the fronts with a metallic paper and distressed with some black ink.



I have a little pocket heart pattern that I got from a cute little rubber stamp waterfront store called "The Rubber Soul" in Poulsbo, WA. I've had it for over 10 years and I think this is the second time I have used it. I only used the heart part of the pattern and cut two hearts out of felt, then used a decorative stitch on my sewing machine to make the hearts across the front, I also used the blanket stitch on my machine to sew them together. The flowers were cut with a sizzix die (can you tell I love my sizzix!) then sewed on individually. They open up at the top like a pocket, perfect to hide a little Valentine treat for someone special!



I hope this New Year brings love and happiness to each and everyone of you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Annette