It's been a big, big, big, big day

Today, my one and only turned 13.  As I'm picking out a cake from the store, 90 minutes before party time (because I neglected to be on top of things) I also remembered that I failed to make a card.

Me.  A cardmaker.  One who makes cards, failed to commemorate this big day with a special card for a very special guy.

To put the literal icing on the cake?  I ran out of adhesive a couple days ago.  Not only did I run out of my favorite adhesive but I also ran out of the backup adhesive, and the backup to the backup while working on my last project.

I rush home and with 10 minutes to spare before party departure, I made this card.

A little washi tape to hold the base down, some pop dots and glue dots.....whew!  The stress was totally worth it when my son opened his card, asked me if I made it, then rewarded me with a great big smile when I said yes. 

Thank you, to everyone, who had a hand in making this day so special for my son.

Supplies: Unity Stamp Co Birthday Jubilee sentiment, Pretty Little Studio ice cream cone die cut, Pinkfresh Studio cloth pocket and wood arrows, Tim Holtz brushed corduroy distress ink, DCWV Vintage Essentials tissue paper (embossed), Darice musical note embossing folder, Queen & Co polka dot washi tape, Glue Dots mini dots, Pop dots

Disclosure:  If you decide to make a purchase through my affiliate links, Amazon will pay me a commission for it. This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free.  Thanks.

#cre8time #gluedots #dcwv #unitystamp

Wedding/Anniversary gift box

I recently received some products from DecoArt to test and decided to try out the Paper Effects paint and Glamour Dust to make this pretty gift box.   It's just the right size for a small gift such as an ornament or decorative plate, or plenty of room for a gift card and note.  And what a lovely keepsake as well!

First, I embossed this Darice Fancy Cake Embossing Folder, 4 .25-Inch by 5.75-Inch  

image on white cardstock, using my Cricut Cuttlebug Machine, V2 Green .   

                   

The accompanying DecoArt fine-point tips are a definite must for this delicate work.





I worked in sections, painting and then sprinkling glitter as this is a quick drying, non-tacky paint.

                 Look at the close-up, the way it sparkles.  I love it!  It's simply gorgeous in person.

The paints that I used were the DecoArt PE08C-7 Paper Effects, 1-Ounce, Pink Pearl and DecoArt PE02C-7 Paper Effects, 1-Ounce, White Pearl , then the DecoArt DAS37-3, Glamour Dust, 2-Ounce, Crystal  .

I wanted to keep my box simple, to show that anyone can do this.  I used some old craft lace and tacked it with Tombow Xtreme Adhesive  , then added May Arts Wired String with Raffia Bows, 0.625-Inch by 50-Yard, Pink and placed random Glue Dots Mini Roll in places for the raffia bows. 

 

 You can find all the supplies mentioned above at your local craft store.  Don't have the tools to do embossing?  Find a crafty friend who does or better yet....dive in and give it a whirl. 

It's easy and fun!

#decoart #gluedots #mayartsribbon #cre8time

Birthday card trio, upcoming blog hop and a giveaway!

I'm working on a custom order of all occasion cards and wanted to show you this sweet trio using the Unity Stamp kit, Birthday Jubilee. I adore this versatile set and was lucky enough to score it on a super sale not long ago. This set actually didn't take long at all to put together.

I used my Tim Holtz distress markers and did some water coloring on the lettering and balloons and added some Ranger glossy accents to the balloons as well. I wanted to have all the cards alike, with a pop of different colors on each card.
As you can see, the buttons match the balloons!

We've got an upcoming blog hop and giveway at Mountain Plains Crafters on Nov. 13-14 so be sure and check in. We'll be featuring Unity Stamps and Tombow Adhesives and there's a fabulous prize up for grabs! See you then......

Additional supplies:  May Arts Ribbon jute, mini Glue Dots, washi tape from Target

#gluedots #unitystamps #mayartsribbon #cre8time #washi #buttons #timholtz

2014 Halloween Popcorn Box Blog Hop

Welcome to the 2014 Halloween Popcorn Box Blog Hop Party, hosted by Laura Kelly Designs.   Around 30 participants were invited to take an ordinary cardboard popcorn box, provided by Laura Kelly, and make it their own. 

Up for grabs is a fabulous prize which includes: a $50 Fandango Movie gift card, a pack of popcorn boxes from World Market and $45 worth of I Love to Create craft supplies to decorate with.  Comment and show some love to all the bloggers below, then enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

But first, let me tell you how I made this Bubbling Brew box and my tribute to the Wizard of Oz!

If you know me, or delve further into my blog archives, then you know I'm a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do;  a spin on the Wicked Witch.  Check out my tutorial below which includes the foaming brew and making your own colored glitter mesh filler:

Ingredients for this Bubbling Brew box:  1 popcorn box, Laura Kelly Design buttons (Buttons Galore), 4-5 feet of white mesh ribbon (May Arts), Black/white twine (May Arts Ribbon), DCWV Amber Autumn Stack 12x12 paper, October Afternoon Sprinklers Witches Brew paint misting spray, Wow Iridescent Key Lime glitter powder, Adhesive runner (Tombow Xtreme), Heat tool for crafting (The Paper Studio), Unity Stamp Co Halloween Chatter kit (witch hat/sentiment), Versamark clear watermark ink, Black embossing powder (Ranger), Adhesive glitter tape (American Crafts, medium Glue Dots, Scotch foam dots

Optional to embellish cauldron:
Tulip Beads in a Bottle fabric paint in gold
Marvy snow marker

1.  Create a template of one side of the box and make a duplicate sheet.  Adhere to the box with tape runner.

2.  Add a few spots of adhesive on the ouside of the papered box.  Wrap the mesh ribbon all around the box, about 4 times in a random criss-cross pattern, making sure it sticks to the adhesive in places.   Cut and tuck strip on backside of box.

3.  The fun part?  Melting!  How can we have a wicked witch without some melting going on?  Take your heat tool and use a side to side motion over different sections until the mesh starts to melt (burn).  Be careful!  You don't want to overheat and set your crafty domain on fire. 

4.  Adhere swirly twine circles.  These were formed on the medium glue dots. Lollipop Guild!  Another ode to the Wizard of Oz!

5.  Adhere embossed witch hat and stamped sentiment with foam dots.

6.  The cauldron: this was super fun to make.  This image was fussy cut from the same DCWV stack.  Embellishing is optional but here's what I did:

Run a snow marker where you want "foam".  Before the heat process, I added a touch of October Afternoon Sprinklers Witch Hazel droplets over the snow marker ink.  Take the heat tool and dry in a side to side motion.  Once it starts drying, it will then begin to foam.  I heated it a bit longer to get a nice burned look.  Add the Tulip Beads in a Bottle fabric paint in gold.  This stuff dries amazingly quick!  I love the texture and dimension of my bubbling witches brew.  Don't you?

7.  Make homemade green glitter mesh filler: Take a plastic zippy bag and add several spritzes of the same October Afternoon paint and mist some water as well.  Add about 2-3 feet of the white mesh ribbon in the bag and work all of it together by squishing outside of sealed bag.  Add a little more paint and water as need to get desired color.  Lay the damp ribbon on craft mat, sprinkle with glitter, and let dry overnight.  

Check out the other Halloween boxes from the amazing artists and designers, comment at each stop and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below.  Good luck!

An InLinkz Link-up

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#wizardofoz #halloweenpopcornbox14 #Cre8time #wickedwitch #unitystamps #mayartsribbon #dcwv #gluedots

10 Crafty Ways to Recycle your Coffee Cup

You know that moment when lightning strikes, that "ah ha" moment?  That's what happened while enjoying my morning coffee.  I thought to myself, " I bet there's a lot of ways I could get crafty with this thing."

So, I proceeded to make a list of things that immediately came to my mind.  Here are the resulting projects:

#1 - Decorate it.  Fill it with shredded paper, put a gift card in it, samples of coffee, whatever.  Your coffee loving friend will love it!  I know I would.

#2 - Make a card.  YES!  Is this not the best idea ever?!  Plus, it knocks out #3 on my list .....make confetti.  Oddly enough, this confetti actually looks like coffee beans.  I used a hole punch and Glue Dots to adhere.  You could actually punch out a bunch and use in lots of different ways: a shaker card, decorative confetti on the table, use for googly eyes, etc.

#4 - A Megaphone.   Decorate it in school colors, wrap it in washi tape.  I guarantee my child will want to take this with him to the next pep rally at school.

 Giant #5 - Giant Googly Eyes.  Let the kids have fun with this.  They could make silly faces, stick a piece of magnetic tape on the back, put the fun on the fridge.

#6 - Yes I did.  A coffee cup Christmas tree.  PLEASE USE LED LIGHTS so you don't burn the place down!

#7 - Bowling!  Put the lids on, turn them upside down and let the kids have a bowling alley in the kitchen.

Lastly, 8, 9 and 10.  Not pictured but still, fun ideas.  

#8 - Make a gift tag.  If you have a large circle punch, punch out a section (or draw a circle and trim with scissors) then use a small hole punch to run ribbon or string through.  Use a sharpie marker to write the name on the back.

#9 - Another rainy day kids game.....fill multiple cups halfway with water and have a fun coin toss.  This will keep them busy while you enjoy another cup of coffee.

#10 - Make a coffee cup snowman.  Turn it upside.  Take a Styrofoam round ball and stick to top with a toothpick or glue.  Poke stick branches through the side for arms and decorate.  *Tip - the lid makes a cute hat!

Have fun getting crafty with these recycled ideas.  I can guarantee you'll create some great conversation pieces!

(Please note, the company that promotes this cup does not endorse this article.  To date, I have not received a response from a certain corporation to be granted permission to promote their branded cup)

Update:  McDonald's tweeted.  They like my project.  :)

#gluedots #cre8time #Christmas #recycle #upcycle #DIY

Disclosure:  If you decide to make a purchase through my affiliate links, I may receive a commission for it. This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free, so thank you!

Halloween treats and tags w/Unity Stamps & Spellbinders Celebra'tions

Besides crafting, one of my favorite things to do is buy clearanced treat boxes and bags at Target, in particular, at 90% off, haha.  It's usually the seasonal ones that I go for.  I'd rather buy super cheap, pre-made boxes and devote more time to creating treats to go in and outside the box.

 

 

My Pinterest - click here

So, I snagged a set of these Halloween boxes last year for, oh, 39 cents!  And, this shiny white bag was from a Christmas sale last year.   I picked up several of those as well.  I thought it would be fun to stamp a fun Halloween image on the bag, but, I wasn't sure if ink would adhere to this material, so I decided to heat emboss, being very careful not to overheat and burn this thin material or cause excessive puckering.

 

I grabbed this cute witches hat from the Unity Stamp Halloween Chatter set and used Versamark clear ink, then sprinkled black embossing powder, tapping the excess through the material onto a scrap piece of blank sticker paper.  After putting the excess powder back in the jar, I put the paper back in the bag to keep the heat away from the other side of the bag.  I then added a thin strip of orange glitter adhesive tape to the hat.

The tags were made with the brand new Spellbinders SWEET TREATS matching stamp and die tag set.  Let me tell you, these stamps and tag dies are HUGE!  Spellbinders was kind enough to send me this set in the mail, after my guest blogger stint at the CHA Paper Arts show in Atlanta last month (thanks, Dave!)  Who can say that they received personal instruction from Richard Garay himself, the designer of this kit?  I can, that's who!  #grin 

 

I used everything you see below, embellishing with May Arts Ribbon twine and Freckled Fawn neon dots.  Those cute bats were also heat embossed, fussy cut and held in place with Glue Dots.  This stamp set is one of my fave from the Unity Stamp Co, Kooky Spooky and Batty set.  Have I told you how much I love Unity Stamps?  Well I do and if you could see my stash in my craft room, you would know! 

 

I plan on entering my project in the Unity Friends with Flair challenge and the Simon Says Anything Goes Wednesday Challenge.  

 

Come and join in!

Additional Supplies:  Spellbinders Celebrations Odacious Orange ink, Basic grey black candy buttons, Memento luxe black ink, Zing black opaque embossing powder, American crafts glitter adhesive tape, heating tool 

 

#CHASHOW #RICHARDGARAY #CRE8TIME

Cutting Edge Blog Hop @ Pretty Pink Posh

There's a pretty cool blog hop going on over at Pretty Pink Posh, maker of all things sequins, dies, stamps and general cuteness!  When I saw all the fun going on and the sponsors, I had to jump in.

As luck would have it, I just got this new stamp set from Waffle Flower last week.  It's their brand new "A Homemade Christmas" set.  When I saw that they were a sponsor for the hop I decided to break in my new stamps.

I'd been pondering what to make, and all my crafty thoughts went straight into this gorgeous teal/gold panel card.  One of the requirements is that you use a die, so I went for my Lil Inker Designs Stitched oval mat frame.  The rest of my supply list can be found below.

Follow this link to the Cutting Edge Blog Hop with Pretty Pink Posh and check it out.  Even if you don't enter a project, you might still win a prize.  Be sure you read the rules for the hop entries.  Good luck and I'd love it if you leave me some bloggy love!

Supplies:  Pretty Pink Posh yellow sequins, Waffle Flower A Homemade Christmas stamp set, Lil Inker Designs stitched oval mat frame, Spellbinders Golden Glow ink, Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass distress ink, Inkssentials mini blending tool, Memento Luxe black ink, Stickles yellow glitter glue, My Mind's Eye 6x6 Remarkable paper pad, We R Memory Keepers large enamel dot, Zing aqua embossing powder, Versamark ink, American Cradts adhesive glitter tape, Glue Dots, May Arts Ribbon natural twine, pop dots