12 Months of Christmas

Hello, friends!  This post is coming several days late.  My creativity has been on vacation I think.  Maybe it's just waiting for spring.  But, I finally completed something for my 12 Months of Christmas project.  

I found a great pattern for a cowl.  Several years ago I purchased some beautiful chunky yarns at a sidewalk sale at a great yarn shop.  They were odd balls in various colors, nothing that really went with each other, so I haven't used them.  Finally, FINALLY, I figured it out!

This is my gorgeous daughter, Katie.  She is modeling the cowl I made for my sister-in-law.  I have several more to make for my other family members, but this is a start.  Because the yarn is so think it is worked on very large needles.  It only took one ball and it fits perfect!

So, there you have it!  My next project!

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #95

Good morning!  Happy Tuesday!  It's time for another great challenge at Shopping Our Stash!  There is great satisfaction in diving into your stash and making a great card (or other project) with supplies long forgotten!  This week we want to see your creation that says "Fruity and Fun".  Its a good time of year to think about fresh fruit.  I know I'm waiting for it!

When I saw what this challenge I instantly had an image in mind.  A Spanish woman in a long skirt with a hat covered with fruit.  Can you picture it?  Me too.  So I set out to find my image.  I checked one of my favorite artists, but no luck.   (Maybe I should mention it to her because I know she could rock it!)  I spent several hours searching digi images to color, but could not find anything that inspired me.  At this point we move to Plan B, right?  Right.  Only, I had no Plan B.  Just Plan A.  *huffy breath*  Now what?  I wasted several days thinking Plan A was the best and I certainly COULD NOT come up with something else.  Then I remembered something I read by Thomas Kinkaid.  I don't have the exact quote but the idea was that sometimes we don't know what we are going to create.  Sometimes we just have to get in our studio and get to work.  And then the ideas come.  Just because we are creative, just because we are artists, doesn't mean the ideas are endless or that we don't get a road block.  But, the best way to get past the road block is to get busy.  Get busy doing what we love and it will happen.  Now, I'm not in any way comparing myself to Mr. Kinkaid.  His work is amazing!  However, I applied his advice and I got to work.  I pulled out some papers, pawed through my embellishments and found some things I thought would work.  So, here you have it.

The DP is at least 4 years old and its from K&Co.  I used a border punch from MS.  I have no idea where the ribbon came from, and the cute cherry sticker is as old as the paper.  The sentiment is in a set from Fiskars I bought several years ago.  Really digging into the stash this time!

 Here's the inside.  Same sketch and I added a writing panel.

 Another fruity and fun paper on the back.

There you have it.  This was not Plan A.  If I ever find that image I will make my fun card with it, but for now, Plan B isn't too bad!  Now, won't you consider digging into your stash and joining us for this fun challenge?

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #94

Good morning, dear friends!  I have been a bit MIA lately.  I think the continued cold weather and overcast days have set my little creative fairy packing.  She seems to be no-where to be found!!  I wish she would hurry up and get back!

Today it's time for another new challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  It's a fun and easy one this week.  We want to see your card or project that features Easter or Spring!  Maybe if we have spring inside the weather will cooperate??  I'm hoping!!  (I really have to talk myself into running when its 25 degrees out there....that's Fahrenheit not Celsius!)

OK on to my card!  I had some great ideas in mind.....and my card looks nothing like them!  I like my card, don't get me wrong.  It's lovely (if I do say so myself) but I kind of wish I hadn't steered off course.  The card in my head would have fit so well with what my teammies came up with (they are all lovely by the way!) and this one sticks out like a sore thumb!!

 The background papers and focal image are all from a set by Beatriz at iralamija.  This set is called Bella Rose Background.  I isolated some of the sections and printed them separately.  I need to work on that, my technique isn't so great, but I do love ALL her images and I really like how my Spring/Summer card turned out.  I inked my layers and sewed them (my favorite techniques I think).  Then I added some stained cheesecloth (stash), green flower trim, pearls and flowers (also stash).  Also, I've had these images for probably over a year so even though they weren't printed I consider them stash too cuz I didn't have to buy them!

 I LOVE how vintage this image is!  Simply Gorgeous!

 The gingham paper is from the same set.  It turned out a bit blurry but I actually think it works with the vintage sort of feel to this card.

I didn't add a sentiment, but I think you could use it for any number of occasions.  Now it's your turn!  Dig into your stash and join us for our Easter/Spring challenge this week!

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #93

Hello hello!!  It's Tuesday and time for another amazing challenge at Shopping Our Stash!  This week we have a very fun challenge for you!  We want to see your sassy, snarky or "lol" cards or layouts.  Something to make you and the recipient (or viewer) laugh!  

I went with sassy/risque for my card.  This is the first thing that popped into my head so I went with it.

 I went with this fun image from Saturated Canary.  She is called Cali Girl and I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils.  (Does she make you sing??  ....She wore an itsy bits teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini.....  Yes?  I know I am.)

I used some great papers from MME.  Aren't all their papers great?  The brads and seam binding were deep in my stash and I made the sentiment on my computer.  I also used a border punch from MS that I have had for a couple years at least.  I kept the embellishments to a minimum since I have a certain guy in mind for this card.

 And the sassiness comes in on the inside, it's very "him" and his birthday is coming up.  I used the same sketch for the writing panel.

I am entering my card in the challenge at:

Sketch N Stash - Sketch

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

It's Your Day

Howdy friends!  I haven't been very creative lately but I did manage to finish a card for a new young friend.  He had a birthday a couple weeks ago and turned 10!!  I decided to make him a little card with a treat inside.  It's also time for me to play along with the next challenge at Mo's Challenge Blog

I found out my new friend loves super heroes, so this great image from Mo is perfect!  He even looks like my friend!  I colored him with my Prismacolor pencils.

I added a small sentiment from PTI.  These circles can be perfectly cut with my Spellbinders circle die and they have several sentiments to fit inside.

I made a band to go around the card to keep it closed.  It stays on but easily slides off.

 Here's the inside.  Lots of fun, bright papers and a pocket for some candy I understand he really likes!  I only added a small writing panel since I figure he will be more interested in the candy!

The papers are all from Basic Grey and I have almost used them up!  I didn't add embellishments, he's 10, I don't think he wants any!

I am entering my card in the challenge at:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #92

Good morning, friends!  It's Tuesday and that means another challenge at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want to see you use a border punch.  More specifically your oldest border punch!  Pull it out, blow off the dust and put it to work!

 Here's what I came up with.  I used an image from Janet at bydigitalpaper on etsy and you can find it here.  Her designs are beautiful and I love using them.  My border punch is an old Fiskars one I haven't used in quite a while but I think it fit the sketch form CLP pretty well.  The papers are all MME.  The lace is a small scrap from my scrap jar.  The digital images has little images on the sheet as well so I used them to make my banner.  The pink and green brads are at least 3 years old.  I figure it's time to stop saving the pretty things and use them up so others can enjoy them too.  The bows are made from vintage seam binding.

 The inside shows off the great papers and I used the same sketch for the writing panel.

I am entering my card in the following challenge:

CLP Challenge Blog - Sketch

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Happy March

Hello again, friends.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I have been busy lately and haven't been paper crafting too much.  But today I have something to share with you.  I always love to play along at Mo's Challenge Blog and that's what I'm doing today.

I chose Georgia this time.  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils.

 I used papers from MME called Where the Heart Is.  They all have glitter on them!  Then I added peach rhinestones for more bling.

Here's my calendar.  Not as many embellishments this time but I like it.  This little girl is so much fun I just wanted to highlight her.  I added a small strip of paper at the bottom that I punched with a MS border punch to match the polka dots on the bottom layer of paper.

I am entering my calendar in the challenge at:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Bling

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle