Let's Celebrate - Birthdays!

This week at The Sisterhood of Crafters the challenge is about Birthdays. It can be a birthday card or a gift you made for someone's birthday. Although my birthday card stash is running quite low my project is for a birthday gift. My neice's daughter turned 10 this month and I decorated the letters of her name to go up on her wall. This is more of a gift for the mom due to the fact that her daughter is blind and mentally challenged. Although Ariona may never see the decorated name I made for her I made sure it was tactile so she could feel it.

Here is a close up of the "N". Her mother's favorite saying is "Love is Blind", so I wanted to include that in there somewhere. But I also wrote that saying in Braille at the top of the "N". I used someothing similiar to Dew Drops to write it out. I also included some of these dots on the other letters just as decoration.
I really enjoyed making this for Ari. She's a sweetie and I have a soft spot for her since I also have a special needs daughter.

Please join us this week at The Sisterhood of Crafters for a challenge about Birthdays. Some lucky participant will win a stamp set from Shabby Chic Stamp Company.

I am entering this project in the following challenges:
Allsorts - Say it with Flowers
Cupcake Craft - Going Dotty
Paper Pretties - Stripes
Quirky Crafts - "For a Special Lady" plus Circles, Flowers and gems/pearls
The Squirrel & the Fox - Love -- Love Is Blind
There's Magic in the Air - Kid`s Birthday

Polka Dots

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge for this week is POLKA DOTS. I covered a composition notebook and made a match birthday card. My son gave it to his teacher for her birthday last month. I added her name in the top section but forgot to take a picture of that.

Birthday

The challenge for this week at Lollipop Crafts is a Birthday theme. Create a card or any project that is birthday realted.

I made this birthday card for one of my daughter's teacher. It was for his birthday so I made it into a gift card holder.
HERE are the tutorital instructions for making this card.
The sponsor for this week's challenge is Stamp and Create. The lucky winner of the challenge will receive a $25 gift certificate to the their store.


See what the other Lollipop Girls did for their birthday creations at Lollipop Crafts.


I am entering this card in the following challenges:
2 Sisters - birthday
City Crafter - 'Get your digi on' (Digi by Meljen Designs)
Crafty Catz - spots and stripes
Creative Card Crew - punches (SU notebook edge punch)
Creative Cottage - embossing (green paper embossed with dots)
Fairy Tale - anything goes
Paper Take Weekly - for boys / men

Stamp Insanity - punches (SU notebook edge punch)

C.R.A.F.T. - Dry Embossing (green paper embossed with dots)
One Stop Crafts - Embossing

A "Boo"rific Halloween

At The Sisterhood of Crafters this week the challenge is "Celebrate the Holidays". The holiday we are celebrating is Halloween. It's less than 2 weeks away.

For my Halloween project I decorated up these small plastic pumpkins and filled them with candy for my kid's teachers.
All I did was add some paper to the eyes and nose and colored in the teeth. I just stamped a tag and added ribbon. Very simple.

This was what the pumpkins looked like when I got them. I found them at the dollar spot in Target. There were 6 of these in a bag for a buck, I couldn't pass that up. They also had black witches caldrons and white skulls.

Now see what my Sisters did for their Halloween project at The Sisterhood of Crafters.

I am entering this project in the following challenges:
2 Sisters - halloween
Aly's Sunday Challenge - halloween
Baby Bud Designs - fall or halloween
Corrosive Challenges - no white paper

Craft Your Passion - orange, purple, black
Crafts and Me Challenge - Halloween
Creative Belli - pumpkins
Creative Cottage - halloween
Creative Craft Challenges - Trick or Treat
Creative Inspirations - Halloween/Fall
Dutch Dare - use a tag
Fab 'n' Funky - halloween

Fairy Fun Friday - Tickets or Tags
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Halloween
If the Shoe Fits - Holiday for the Holidays
Just Inspirational -Anything Goes
Let's Ink It Up - NO DIGI STAMPS and use halloween colors
Little Red Wagon - Something Old, Smething New (new pumpkins, old ribbon)
Lots to Do - Plain & Simple
Moving along with the Times - Halloween
One Stop Craft - halloween
One Stop Craft Challenge - Halloween
Paper Cutz - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - pumpkins or spider webs
Pile it On - Kd Themed Halloween
Really Reasonable Ribbon: Halloween.
Stamp Something - halloween
Stamp With Fun - Halloween
Stampin' Royalty - halloween
Stampin' for the Weekend - halloween or fall
Stamptacular Sunday - anything but a card
Sweet Stampin - ribbon
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - No Cards Allowed (make anything but a card)
The Crazy Challenge - Halloween
The Paper Variety - project that incorporates treats
Wee Memories - Anything that is celebrated (Halloween)

Simply Handmade

This week at the The Sisterhood of Crafters the challenge is "Simply Handmade".


This is a small plaque that I made into a door hanging for my neice's baby's room or she can put on her front door when the baby is sleeeping. I used the same paper that the invitations to her baby shower were made from.
Check out what the other Sisters did for the Handmade projects at The Sisterhood of Crafters .


This project is being submitted to the following challenges:
Crafty Calendar - blue and optional to use flowers
Just Inspirational - theme is Baby
Ooh La La Creations - stripes
Order of the Opus Gluei - Alphabet Soup (use letters)
Paper Pretties - brads or eyelets
Paper Sundaes - Use at least 3 types of embellishments
Shirley2Girls - (critters theme) spots and/or dots
Stamp Insanity - use elements in threes

1-2-3 Recipe Challenge

This week The Sisterhood of Crafters is continuing the new challenges and this one is a 1-2-3 Recipe. Thank goodness no real cooking is involved. Cooking isn't something I enjoy but I did enjoy cooking up this project for you. ; )

The 1-2-3- Recipe is 1- Ribbon, 2 -Patterned Papers and 3 Flowers. I made another bookmark for my project this week. Since I made a couple for my son last week, Kaitlyn wanted her own bookmark too. So this one is for her. The 2 patterned papers were from scrap and I stacked the 3 flowers.
I had a hard time getting a clear picture of this. If you click on the picture you can see more detail.
I hope you will go over and check out what the other sisters cooked up and join with us on this recipe challenge. : )

Anything BUT a Card

After a small break and some changes in our challenges The Sisterhood of Crafters is ready to start challenging you again. This time we are focusing our challenges on trying to help you accomplish things that you need to get done. We want you to create something you need and will use. For the challenge this week you are to create anything BUT a card. So if you have a LO that needs to be done or gift that needs to be made go for it. Get R done!

I made a couple of bookmarks for my son, Austin. He is in 2nd grade this year and he is starting to read for enjoyment. He needed some bookmarks and I asked if he wanted to make him some. He said yes but make them something I like. I was going to make them boyish but then he said like "Tom and Jerry". He loves that on the Cartoon Network. So I went online and found these images and just printed them out. No coloring on this at all.
If you didn't notice the book that I'm using is "Shiver". I was told about this from another Twilight fan. They said I'd like this if I like Twilight that I would like this and I did. I have since bought "Linger" and started it but then loaned it out to my sister. Hopefully I'll get it back soon and can finish it.

The next is a corner bookmark. I found this spider image and just printed it off and did color it a little. Then I just glued it on on a corner bookmark that I made.

Now check out what the other DT's did at The Sisterhood of Crafters. They made some great projects this week.

Stamp by Step - Guest Designer

This is my last post for Stamp-By-Step as their July Guest Designer. I have really enjoyed working with Cheryl and doing these projects.

SCUBA Birthday Wishes
Stamps: Changito Scuba (Stampendous)
Paper: Fly A Kite (October Afternoon)
Embellishments: AC Button, Ribbons

I love making paper bag cards. They are so easy and when you include coffee, tea or some other little goody on the pull out it's a little gift too.

Paper Bag Coffee Card
Stamps: Changito Coffee (Stampendous)
Paper: Fly A Kite (October Afternoon)
Embellishments: Ribbons

I just wanted to thank Cheryl at Stamp-By-Step for asking me to be their Guest Designer this month. I would love to work with her again, it was a lot of fun. : )

Stamp by Step - Guest Designer

I'm going to share a few more things that I made for Stamp-By-Step as their Guest Designer for July. This first one is of my daughter and it was a school picture from this past year. It's pretty simple design for me because I usually don't leave so much blank space but since I really liked the pattern of the paper I didn't want to cover it up too much.

"Kaitlyn"
Paper: Fancy Pants Clair de Lune
Embellishments: Flora Studios flowers, Ric-Rac Ribbon,
Flower Brad Accents

This next one is a friend of mine's daughter and neice. I loved this paper and wanted to use it for LO but did not have any pictures that would work for it. I was scrapping with my friend and she had these pics that went well so I scrapped this page for her.

"Cousins"
Paper: Fancy Pants Clair de Lune
Embellishments: Sheer Organza Ribbon, Twill Tape
Buttons by American Craft, Flowers

Covered Composition Book
Paper: Fancy Pants Clair de Lune
Embellishments: Flora Studios flowers, Ric-Rac Ribbon,
Twill Tape

I've got a few more projects that I will share next week. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out all the cool products that Cheryl has over at Stamp-By-Step. : )

Teacher's Gift

I can't believe it's been 2 months since I've blogged. It's been that long since I've been crafting too. I am beginning to miss it now so I'm going to get started again real soon.

Thought I'd share with you real quick about the only thing I have created in a while and it's not much. For teacher appreciation I got these roses.
The only thing I did to dress it up a little was stamped on the card and add a little ribbon to it. Then on the front of the pot I added a flower. Simple, yet the teachers loved it.

That's is for now. We are going on a family vacation to Play Del Carmen, Mexico this Saturday. I'm so excited. This is the first time the kids will ride in a plane and their first beach experience. Nothing like spoiling them with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!!

I hope to start creating again once we are back from vacation. I want to get back in the game and start playing along with my sisters over at The Sisterhood of Crafters.

Altered Composition Notebooks

One of my favorite gifts to make for people is to cover a composition notebook. I try to buy a lot of them after school starts and you can get them for around $.25 each. But if you can't find them on sale they are only $1 regular price.

This first one was for a friends daughter who is in high school.

This next one I have made but haven't given it to anyone yet. I see there was a smudge on the camera lense when I took these pics because it is on each of the pictures. Ooops!

I like to add a bookmark to each of these too.

Ideas for Kids Schools Pictures

After my last post for the SSDS design team, I took a little break. But I'm back now and have several things to share that I did for Christmas gifts and never posted.

I have made these frames in the past as gifts to the grandparents. I take the wallet size of the kids school pictures and mat them with coordinating paper and slide into a double 5x7 acrylic frame. It's quick, easy and inexpensive.
The buttons and the flowers in the corners are attached on the outside of the frame but the rest is protected under the acrylic. So far these have been a hit when I make them for the family. This is good if you don't have enough of the big size pics to go around. It makes the wallet size look more substantial.

Baby card and Gift

I've had people ask me many times if I sell the stuff I make and the answer has always been no. Well I finally decided I'm going to start selling some of my things and take specific orders. I already have sold some cards and have an order for some Christmas cards and I'm making 2 scrapbook albums for Christmas gifts. I may have gotten in over my head on those but I'll let you know when I'm done.

This is a card and paper bag album for a baby gift. I made it for the lady who cuts my hair. It's for one of her customers and in exchange she will give me credit towards the services she gives me. I'm also going to be doing a scrapbook album for a trip she is going to be taking.

This is only the second paper bag album I've made but I enjoy doing these. I think they are fun and pretty easy to make. All the paper in this project and for the card is from Fancy Pants, it's called "Little Sprout".

She knew the baby was going to be a boy so when I found some pink in the paper I tried to cover it up. Like with the brown flower at the bottom. Yes you can use flowers on boy's pages, especially when they are babies. It may get harder as they get older but when they are young, go for it.

I just used 2 paper bags for this ablum so that made for 2 opening that I had for pull out tabs.

I used ribbon to connect the bags together instead of rings because it made it less bulky and that way she could toss it in her purse for a take along brag book.

I have thought about opening an Etsy shop to sell my cards but I just don't know if I want to deal with shipping or not. I like doing thing local so there is no shipping involved. Who knows maybe I can make enough to support my own scrapping addiction. ; )

Thankful for Friends of Faith ~ SNR Blog Hop

This post will stay on top until noon on Monday, November 16th. Please scroll down to see more recent posts.

Welcome, today we're out in force on the internet -- showing our faith and giving the glory to God. United, we stand as Christian paper crafters and blog owners to make a presence on the internet for all to see. We're celebrating the theme of friends and we're happy to share our projects with you based on the verse:

"Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,

his friend can help him up. "

Ecc4:9-10a

You should have just arrived here from Maria Matter - Joyful Stamper. If not you will want to start at the beginning of the hop which is at A Faith Perspective. Layers of Color Stamps, Gina K Designs Stamps and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, together with SNR Magazine have donated some wonderful prizes for today's blog hop. (See prizes and how to win at the bottom of this post.)

As soon as I heard about this hop I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I am so blessed to have some wonderful Christian friends in my life. I've recently had several conversations with my friends about how great the people in Oklahoma can be. I think we came down to the fact it is because we live in the Bible Belt and that plays a big part in how friendly the people are around here. I live in Tulsa, which has been called The Buckle of the Bible Belt. I use to complain about the weather around here and wished I lived somewhere else but the older I get the more I appreciate and come to realize I'm just where God wants me to be. If you are not familiar with Oklahoma weather, Will Rogers said it best, "If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, stick around a while and it will change." It is not uncommon to see the "high" and "low" temperature predictions for a day spread out over a thirty-degree temperature range or the "high" temperatures on one day being forty degrees hotter than on the next day. A Saturday may bring temperatures of sunny eighty-degree weather, followed by a stormy Sunday and a snow-falling Monday. Probably a little more than you wanted to know about Oklahoma weather. : ) Sorry, I got off track. hehe Back to my wonderful friends!! Besides the friends I have here, I have also have met many online Christian crafters too. I love when I come across a blog and can tell right away they are a Christian. So to all my Christian friends here and online THANK YOU!!!

Here is a lunch sack card that I made and will give to one of my dear friends.

I just made a card very similiar to this about a week ago. I used the same papers and really liked the colors so decided to use them again it's from My Minds Eye ~ Out and About. The image if from Stamping Bella and I used Copics to color it. I also went over the sentiment with the same Copics. The coffee came from a women's conference I went to about a month ago where Jennifer Rothschild spoke. She is amazing! This is some coffee that they sale and it's called "Girlfriend" blend coffee. I don't drink coffee but I have plenty of friends who do.

Thanks so much for dropping by and now you are off to Karla Kellum - Life Song Kreations.

To enter, simply hop to the blogs of all of the participating staff members of SNR Magazine, take note of the staff member's name, and leave a comment on their posts. Then send an email to games@scrapbooknewsandreview.com listing each of the staff members who participated in today's hop. All entries must be received by Monday, November 16, 2009 at 12 noon, EST and three winners will be randomly chosen to win.

PRIZES ARE:
One $100 gift certificate from Layers of Color Stamps & a 6 month subscription to SNR Magazine.
One basket of goodies -- four stamp sets from Gina K Designs & a 6 month subscription to SNR Magazine.
One set of digital stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps & a 3 month subscription to SNR Magazine.
In addition, every participating staff member of SNR Magazine will offer a free one-month subscription to the magazine to one of their lucky visitors by simply leaving a comment on their blog.

SSDS Challenge Blog - Anything But A Card

This week the challenge at Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturday challenge blog is "Anything but a card". That leaves the field wide open. Everyone one should be able to do this challenge. Look at it as a chance to get something done you need to do. I bet you have some Christmas gifts or possibly teachers gift that need to be made. Well make one then enter it in the challenge. Who knows you may just end up winning the prize and you will have one more thing off your list of to dos.
For my "anything but a card" project I covered this organizer for a very good friend of mine. She bought this for only about $5 and loved how it is laid out to work with each day but the cover was just too boring. She asked if I would "work my magic" on it and yes I do believe those where the words she said. hehe Didn't know I had magical powers did you? Well I do. You should see what happens in my scrap room at night. Paper flying around, glitter magically appearing on everything and scissors disappearing before my eyes. LOL Ok, back to the project.

Here is the before picture:

And here is the after:

The paper is from K&C Company, a paper pack called Wild Saffron. I use a plain old glue stick to adhere the paper to the front and I think it works great. I had some brown chipboard letters that I used for her name but I added some white rub ons to them to add some interest and make her name pop just a little. Then add lots of ribbon to the sprial rings. Christa is not a really girly girl so I had to be careful and not make this to frou frou for her. The only thing she asked was that it not be pink! : ) So I actually held back and didn't add as much ribbon as I probably would have and I didn't bling it up either. She said it was just right.

I love adding a bookmark to planners and journals. I think it's a neat touch and I know I use it on mine.
I used a tab punch and added a tab for each month so she could flip easily to any month she needed.
Christa loved her new and improved organizer.

Does this motive you to go and make a gift for a friend? Well if it does be sure to enter it into the challenge at SSDS challenge blog. Go check it out and see what the other DT's did for their "anything but a card" project.

EDIT: I scheduled this post a while back and in the meantime The Cutting Cafe became our sponsor for this week and gave the DT some fun stuff to play with. So I used the Square Box with Dividers Template and made this fun birthday box.

I used cardstock for the bottom of the box and used some thin patterned paper for the lid. I suggest you DON'T use thin paper. It just wasn't sturdy enough. I added a piece of paper to the inside top of the box to give it a little more strength. It will work find to give as a gift but next time I will use double sided heavy cardstock.

I used my circle Nesties for the sentiment. Then some flowers, bling and ribbon and ta dah!! Not sure who is getting this or what is going inside of it but it will probably be chocolate. : )

So NOW go and check out SSDS challenge blog and get in on the action. The Cutting Cafe will give the challenge winner their choice of 3 of their cutting files!