February Calendar Page

Hello friends.  It's Thursday and it's time for me to play along with a new challenge over at Mo's Challenge Blog.  The challenge this time is to use lace and/or ribbon on our projects.

Since tomorrow is February 1st I made the calendar page for my holder.  And since Valentine's Day is in a couple weeks I decided to go with red, pink, white and hearts.

 I chose the very adorable Odette for this month.  I think she is so adorable and she even has a heart on her leotard!  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils and added Stickles to her tutu.

   The DP is from Hobby Lobby.  I love the vintage look of this paper.  I used a MS border punch for the hearts under the image.  The lace and ribbon are to the left behind the image...kinda hard to see here.  I also added pearls and roses.

Here's the whole calendar page.  I used the same border punch at the bottom and added more ribbon, a bow and a rose.

I am entering my calendar in the challenge at:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Lace and/or ribbon

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

12 Months of Christmas - Update

Hello again!  I'm just popping in to show you that I finished my sewing from last week.

If you remember I posted a zippered pouch I made as a Christmas present.  I wanted them all done by the 25th but I ran behind with the cold, snowy weather we had.  However, these were very easy and I did one or two each day and I have all 8 finished!

See?  All done!  In my first post here I gave a link for the tutorial (which is excellent).  

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #87

Happy Tuesday, friends!  We have a GREAT challenge at Shopping Our Stash this week.  This week we want to see Valentines/Love/Red/Hearts.  Your choice!  Easy peasy, right?

I chose Valentine, love and hearts!

 I started with this sweet image from Beatriz on etsy.  This is from the set My Love.  Isn't she cute?  It says: "To the one I love  I'm waiting for a sign, From you, my own dear Valentine"  How cute is that??

 My background paper is from Bearly Mine Designs.  I think the collection is Floral Fantasy.  This was from my "stash".  I bought it months ago and hadn't used even one paper.  The twine is also a stash item.  The pin and beads are from my daughter's stash of beads that lives in my sewing room!  The lace is new, I couldn't resist it at my local fabric shop.  That piece of khaki fabric is actually a small scrap of needlework fabric I had saved from a piece I had stitched.  The count is so large it's hard to stitch anything small on it but it's great here!

 The inside is plainer than usual but I didn't want to use more ink to print paper.  The sentiment is from a dollar find at Joanns.

Now that you have seen my card using a bunch of stash why don't you dig into your stash and make a fun Valentine for someone dear to you!

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Pretty Sophia!

Hello friends!  This post is so late!!  Something happened to our power line and we lost power in half our house today.  Very strange!  But here I am!

Today I have a card using a new image that I am absolutely in love with!!  I was blog surfing about a week ago and someone had made a card with a new image from Funky Kits.  This little cutie is called Sophia.  She is so lovely!

Look at that face!  I colored this darling girl with my Prismacolor pencils.  I had so much fun coloring her.  It is such a gorgeous image!

 I picked this beautiful paper at Joanns.  It has beautiful glitter snowflakes and tone-on-tone writing.  Just gorgeous!  The blue lace is from my stash.  Very old!  I used the last of it making this bow.  I added silver glitter to my rose and couldn't resist the feathers.  I love those things!  The white snowflake brads were from my stash and I used the last 3.  I added a silver pearl to the middle of each one.  I cut and melted the tulle behind the image.

 This paper was so wonderful I just wanted to highlight in here, I only added a writing panel.

I used the paper on the back too.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Bows

Top Tip Tuesday - Lovely Layers

Creative Inspirations - Anything + Optional Flowers
The Sugar Bowl Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

"Be Still" Ornament

Happy Saturday friends!  I hope life is lovely where ever you are!

Today I have (in my opinion) a lovely ornament/tag using a a digi stamp from Daydream Designs.  I chose a verse from the set Dream Team Scripture Set 2.  Diane asked each of us on her team to send her our favorite scripture and she designed beautiful digital sets with them.

This is a fairly simple piece but I think it turned out rather lovely.  I used some dies from Amazing Paper Grace for the top and bottom of the tag.  The DP was a scrap in my stash that I simply love.  It's hard to tell but it is quite sparkly.  I used green seam binding for the hanger and bow and added green pearls to the die cuts.  The flowers are from my stash (from Wild Orchid).

The scripture set from Diane has several verses to choose from.  I'm sure you could find something for your next project!

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

12 Months of Christmas

Hello friends.  I have a different project for you today.  I was going to try this idea last year and life got in the way.  I kept the idea in the back of my head and I'm getting a start now.  Christmas can be such a busy time of year and some people can be hard to buy for.  Also, with a rather large extended family I usually run of time to make things in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I decided to make a gift basket for each of our extended "families" and make something to go in them each month of the year.  I've been going through all the ideas I have found and picked one for January.  

I was browsing Pinterest (love that place) and found a link to this great little lined, zippered pouch.  Her directions are very clear and her pictures are very helpful.  Here's my first one:

This one is for my sister-in-law.  I really want to make things this year using the vast stash in my sewing room/studio.  The only things I had to buy for all 8 pouches was zippers.  I had all the fabric and the interfacing.  These are a great size and the seams on the inside are fully concealed, very professional looking.  I was hoping to have all 8 done by today but this week has been bitter cold and snowy.  I had my fabric cut out but had no intention of venturing out for zippers.  So after a long day of shopping and housework I put this one together in about 45 minutes.  I think I will work on more after I  mop the floors  ;)

I think that's about it.  I'll be back next month on the 25th with another project!  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Another Digi Garden Valentine

Hello friends.  This post is a bit (ok a lot) late, but here it is!

I have another small project using another sweet image from The Digi Garden.  The store is getting more and more full.  If you haven't stopped by lately you really should.  Jacqi has been very busy and there are so many cuties to choose from.

 Here's one of the new Valentine girls she whipped up  ;)  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils and added pink Stickles to her hearts.

I made a small treat holder for a friend's daughter.  She is very "girlie" and I hope she likes it.  I made the banner with stash!  I stitch a lot of Christmas ornaments and I almost always add home-made cording to the edges.  Whatever few inches are left I knot off and put in my stitching stash.  This piece of cording was the exact size I needed.  I have a small canning jar I use for small bits of ribbon (I throw very little away and I try to put it to good use).  These ribbon bits were in that jar.  I notched one end and taped them around the cord.  The heart brads are not only the perfect color they are stash busters as well!  The adorable DP was another scrap.  It fit perfect with a small piece left over.  I used a Nestability die to cut my oval.

 Here you can see how I folded the paper around the small bag of candy.  The back has a small notch to keep the top closed.

I am entering my "card" in the following challenge:

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Hearts

Fairytale Challenge Blog - Use Your New Stamp

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle  

Shopping Our Stash #86 - Ribbon

Good morning blogging friends!  It's Tuesday and we have another great challenge for you over at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want you to dust off your oldest ribbon and use it on a card.  Simple right?  I'm sure you have some that's been waiting for a very long time to make an appearance somewhere....anywhere!!  So check out what we made for you this week then get busy!

I put together a fairly quick card and I used more than just ribbon that has been hoarded away in my stash.  Wanna see?

 I used some beautiful scraps from a Susan Winget stack that I just love.  There's hardly any of it left but I intend to use every piece!  This paper has been around for about 3 years.  I used 2 different ribbons.  First I picked the cream ribbon at the bottom.  It was a small piece that didn't fit across the bottom of my card, so, after deciding where I wanted my sentiment I cut it into appropriate size pieces and attached it.  Viola!  I bought that ribbon about 20 years ago!  The ribbon in the upper corner was the only piece left.  I honestly have no idea where it came form or how long I have had it.  I always save any ribbons on gifts or packages and that's probably how I acquired it.  The string of pearls was in a baggie I discovered not long ago....age unknown.  The brads and the chipboard are easily 4 years old.  The flowers are the youth here at about 2!

(Yes, I know the pic is crooked....not sure what happened.)  I stamped my writing panel with a scroll die I haven't used in a while.  I kinda forgot about doing this and I like how it looks.

 This DP is from Kaiser but it matches the others really well.

And another shot.

I hope you are inspired to dig deep into your stash and create a beautiful project to share with us this week!

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Daydream Designs January Blog Hop with a FREE DIGI

Good morning friends!  We have a fun blog hop going on at Daydream Designs.  If you arrived here from MariLynn's blog you are on the right track.  If you stopped here first and want to join in the fun head to Diane's blog where this party got started!  The theme for this hop is "hearts" and Diane is graciously offering a $20 gift certificate to her store for one winner that comments on every blog in the hop.  There are some super cute things over there so hop along with us and maybe the winner will be you!  (If you are looking for the fun FREE DIGI scroll to the bottom of this post where you will find it.)

I had fun working on my project for you.  I hope you like how it turned out.

I chose to use one of the Bingo cards from Sweet On You Bingo Cards.  I am really liking the variety of these little guys that Diane has, you can use them on so many projects.  I printed mine on cream card stock and inked the edges with black.  I used a red pigma pen and put a heart around the number 14.  The lovely papers are from Hobby Lobby.  The flowers, pearls, beads and feathers are all from my stash.  I inked the edges of the DP with black and sewed around the perimeter twice with black thread.

 Here's the inside.  The writing panel in on the left this time because the right side has a small box to put some candy in.  I used a MS border punch in several places including the small piece of pink on the spine.

This is the box.  I used the MS punch again.  I like how it looks on here.  I didn't embellish the top of the box so you could see the cute paper.

The box is only 1" tall.  Just right for a small treat.

 Here's the other great DP.

Here you can see I punched another piece for the outer spine.

Your next stop on the hop is Miesje.  If you get lost along the way start back at Diane's blog, she has the whole list there.

Diane
Amy
Beth
Debbie
Helen
Jenn
Jerusha
Karen
Kris
MariLynn
Michelle (me)
Miesje
Sandie
Stephanie
Traci
Vicki

So Sorry, the FREE DIGI has expired.

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Snowbuddy Loves You Like I Do

Happy Sunday to you all.  I hope you are blessed where ever you are.

Today I have a project I created just for fun.  I love the images by Christy Croll from Tiddly Inks but I haven't used one in a few months.  I really missed them and joining in the challenges over there so I'm hoping to jump back into the game.

This time I chose a super cute new image called Winter Wryn.  I love Wryn's skinny, skinny arms and legs.  She is so cute.  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils and added tinsel glitter to the fur on her hat and dress.

I decided to make something besides a card.  I filled a small canning jar with M&M's (my favorite) and "built" a holder around it.  The very glittery polka dot paper is from MME (LOVE their paper!).  I added some white tulle (from my sewing stash) behind the image and some pearls in the corners.

The top of the holder comes together and wraps over itself.  I punched an oval in the top and added 2 (very, very old) brads to keep it closed.

I used the sentiment that came with Wryn on the inside.  This would even be great for Valentine's Day if I changed out the colors....

I am entering my box in the following challenges:

Tiddly Inks - Anything Goes

Cupcake Challenge Blog - Anything But a Card

Papertake Weekly - Baby It's Cold Outside

City Crafter - Winter Blues (hence my color scheme!!)

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Sending My Love

Hello again.  I have a card using some great images from Daydream Designs.  

I'm still working on some Valentine projects and this one is a bit more elegant.

The images are from Sending You Love Outline Digi Set and Sending You Love Sentiment Set.  I printed them and inked the edges with some Tim Holtz Walnut Stain.  The paper came from Hobby Lobby.  The lace is ancient from my stash.  (We have been in our house 13 years and it moved here with us.)  I used the great sketch from Sketch N Stash where they have an optional "Vintage" theme.  I am hoping I accomplished the "vintage" part.  The flowers are all from my stash.  They are all from Wild Orchid and since I did not place an order with them in 2012 they are over a year old.

I chose to only use the DP on the left panel and just added a writing panel on the right.

I am entering my card in the challenge at:

Sketch N Stash - Sketch & "Vintage"

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

You Warm My Heart

Hello friends!  My posts have been a bit scarce lately but I think I am getting back on track.  It's Friday and that means another project using the super cute images from The Digi Garden.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching I wanted to make some things to give away to some friends and my family.

 I chose Molly's Heart Peeker for this project.  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils and added pink Stickles to her hearts.

 I cut her out with a circle die.  I trimmed around her heart and hand first so they would "peek" outside the circle.  I mounted her on red, then a a paper doily.  I had just enough of the ribbon for the 2 corners and a double loop bow.  I used a MS border punch along the bottom.

This is actually a "matchbook" holding a packet of cocoa on the inside.  I made the sentiment on my computer.  I thought this would be a sweet gift for someone on Valentine's Day.

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

A Pink & Brown Birthday

Hello friends.  It's Thursday and that means it's time for me to play along with the challenge over at Mo's Challenge Blog.  This week they are asking us to use embossing on our project, either wet or dry embossing.

I don't actually have an embossing gun anymore.  It bit the dust a long time ago and I've never replaced it.  When I wet emboss I actually use an open flame.  Yeah....I know.  Fire + Paper = Not a great combination.  Don't worry....the sink is nearby!  However, I chose to dry emboss this time.  No flames were used!

This time around I decided to use this most adorable image called To Grammy's.  I just love her clothes, her boots, her dolly tucked under one arm and her sweet little suitcase.  She steps out of a time when little girls looked like little girls, so very sweet and feminine.  I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils.  I haven't colored in a while and I loved working on her.

I used the beautiful sketch from the CLP challenge blog.  I love the buttonhole stitching in her coat so I decided to add some to my card somewhere.  I used dark brown pearl cotton and stitched around the image.  I embossed the pink layer and added a small doily die cut.  The little pink roses were all the last of their kind in my stash.  The pearls by the yard have been around forever.  The dark brown seam binding made a great bow.  The packaging fell apart when I opened it and the label said $.25.  Now that's some old stuff!  The eyelet has also been in my stash forever.  I took the binding off the top and ironed it flat.

 I used the same basic sketch for the writing panel.  The other side just shows the great DP.

Here I think you can see the embossing a bit better as well as the bow.  The drape of this seam binding is wonderful!

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Embossing

Divas by Design - Make it Girlie

Creative Inspirations - One for the Girls

Digi Tuesday - Flower Power

CLP - Sketch

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #85

Hello friends!  It's Tuesday and that means it's time for another challenge over at Shopping Our Stash.  This week we want to see you use two things on your card that start with "T".  Think turtles, tea, tigers, tags, treasure...you get the picture.  Make sure you tell us in your post what your "T" things are.  K?

My first "T" is an image from Tiddly Inks.  I love her images!  They are so sweet and I love to color them!  

I chose Lilli Claire - Make a Wish.  Doesn't she have a great face?  Look at her feet!    I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils and added lots of glitter to her wings.

 I used a sweet lavender DP  and added two laces from my stash.  The snowflake is the last one from The Paper Studio.  The "T"ea roses are from my stash.  The medium and small roses were the lasts of their kind.  The "T"ag  is a Spellbinders die and I added some "T"ext to it.

This is an easel card.  I haven't made one in a while and I like how it turned out.  I used 2 pink brads from my stash and 2 snowflake brads, the last of their kind.  The pink paper is old, old, old stash.  The narrow lace was the last of its kind.  I had a great time putting this card together and using up bits and pieces from my stash.

Now it's your turn.  Dig into your stash and find anything that starts with a "T", then create something beautiful and share it with us!

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Master List #9

Guys?  I am on a roll!  This is crazy!  I am so excited to be finishing the list that's been in my sewing room for months.  And my boy that inspired me to finish things is blown away that the list is almost done!  I don't think he realized how much he motivated me!

I started today's project about 3 years ago.  I finished the first one and didn't like the bottom so I put it down.  For 3 years!  Terrible excuse I know, because when I put my mind to it I fixed the bottom of the first and knitted the second in a week.  Crazy, right?

(Yes, my legs are very pasty....sorry bout that!)  I saw these leg warmers on Patternfish and loved the detail.  I love knitting cables!  These also have beads, lots of beads actually, but you can't see them.  The pattern is called Continuum and includes 2 shorter versions.  My shoes are a great new find from Kohls.  They were on the clearance rack and they had to come home with me!  Aren't they great!?

Hopefully I'll be back next Wednesday with another project.  I'm working hard on a small quilt.

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

Shopping Our Stash #84

Happy Tuesday!  Today we have a new challenge for you over at Shopping Our Stash!  We all have a stash right?  Why not dig into yours this week and join us for our "Button" challenge?  We want to see you add buttons to your projects this week!

I needed a baby shower card this week and buttons are perfect aren't they?

I used this most adorable image from Janet from By Digital Paper.  You can find this set here.  I had a great DP from Kaiser Craft that I wouldn't have expected to match this image but it really does.  I sewed my layers on the machine and hand sewed all the baby buttons to the corners.  The pink trim I found at a flea market this summer.  It is ric rac sewn to matching bias trim.  I was able to tuck the image into the edge and tape it down.  It looks like a trim that would have been on a vintage baby dress.  I really wanted to add flowers to this card but the mom-to-be is keeping the gender of the baby a secret until the shower this coming Saturday.  So, I skipped the flowers and tried really, really hard to keep this not too girlie.

 OK...the inside is girlie, isn't it?  The floral paper is from the same stack as the blue so I put them together.  Forgive me  ;)

There you have it.  Those buttons have been in my stash for years.  What do you have in your stash this week?  We can't wait to see!

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle

January Calendar

Hello lovely friends!  I am running very late with this post today, but at least it's still Monday!

Today I have a project for the challenge over at Mo's.  Since this is the first challenge of the month the challenge is "Anything Goes".  I chose to do another page for my calendar using the fun image Irma and Vieno Skiing.  These two little girls are so cute, they just make me smile!

Aren't they happy??  They are just so adorable!  The colors aren't quite so subtle in real life but they are a bit paler than usual.  I stayed with pinks and blues and lots of bling!  I added stickles to their underskirts and tinsel glitter to their hats and boots.

 I punched the corners of the pink paper with a MS corner punch.  I used some light blue ribbon with white stitching on the edges.  The brads are from my stash.  The white pom pom trim is from Joanns.

As I look at this I think I should have embossed the pink layer, but its all glued now.  Next time I'll think it through a bit better.  I used a Memory Box die with some added rhinestones on the bottom of the calendar.

I am entering my calendar in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything

Divas by Design - Anything

Cute Card Thursday - Something New (my image is new)

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

Blessings & Hugs,

Michelle