Eat Cake and Celebrate!

I have a fun birthday card to share with you today.  This is for my sister's 50th birthday today.   She's a cancer survivor and very happy to be celebrating this milestone.   

It features lots of fun elements including a washi tape tiered cake, twine pom-poms and a fun stamped background.

I started by stamping a panel with my Craftin' Desert Divas Celebration Word Art stamp all over, sideways, criss-cross (you get the idea) in Spellbinders Celebra'tions Golden Glow and Pretty Plum ink on my tag.  The tag is also from the same Spellbinders line and has a slit, top and bottom, for poking fun things through, like the straw and topper that I made.

I used my Pinkfresh Studio washi tape which is a wide pink and yellow ombre, placed it on cardstock and trimmed for a tiered cake design.  The little candles were made from a cut, flattened piece of my yellow paper straw, trimmed and topped with glitter glue.  The cake was decorated with DecoArts Paper Effects Paint in Pink and sprinkled with glitter and all pieces were adhered with Tombow Power Bond adhesive.

I made some fun twine pom-poms using the fork technique and May Arts Ribbon yellow 2 mm bakers twine.  I've wanted to make these fun pom-poms and when I saw Lia Griffith share her technique, I thought I'd give it a try as well.  It's super easy and you can see her tutorial here:

http://liagriffith.com/diy-mini-pom-poms-from-bakers-twine/

Happy Birthday Sis!

Additional supplies:  May Arts Ribbon scallop adhesive ribbon, Queen & Co pink striped washi tape, Core'dinations Pink Bright & Smooth A2 card,  DCWV Prism Play cardstock (for banner), Spellbinders Celebra'tions rectangle pierced die, Doodlebug Designs Lily White sugar coating glitter, yellow striped paper straws from Dollar Tree, Ranger Tropical Tangerine glitter glue, Ranger Neon Flamingo glitter glue, white gel pen

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links so, if you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in the affiliate programs linked above because they are products that I use and love. Your purchase price is not affected in any way, by using my links.  Thank you for your support and helping me keep my content free!

May Arts Ribbon Design Team Call Submission 2015/16 Round 1

 Count me among the many crafters that are super excited to apply for the amazing May Arts Ribbon Design Team!  This is the first of two rounds in the selection process.  I'm charged with showing a minimum of three projects.  Of course, I can't just choose three, so I'll share a brief photo and links to some of my favorites.  I hope you like them too!  To begin, I'm sharing a new creation specifically for this post, along with a tutorial (tutorial is required). 

As of this writing, my sister is about to hit a milestone birthday; 50 years.  In addition, her youngest son just got married.  I wanted to do something super special, so I made a vinyl cut silhouette picture of my nephew and his new bride, with my Cricut Explore, and dressed it up with lots of May Arts Ribbon.  As you can see, I'm going with a monochromatic theme here.

To begin decorating my vinyl cut photo, I'm going to create a floral focus with May Arts Ribbon 2 mm bakers twine (for a looped accent and twine leaves),  trimmed rosette ribbon and mini adhesive rosette ribbon.

Starting with the looped accent:  you can use a toothpick or needle and Styrofoam, however I'm using a paper piercer and the piercing section of my Sizzix Stamper's Secret Weapon.

 1) Apply medium adhesive dot to a small punched circle, approximately 1/2" or fussy cut a circle from paper or cardstock.  Adhesive should be face up.

2) Poke toothpick or paper pierced through center of adhered circle.

3) Begin looping twine around the base of your piercer to make 6 loops (3 large loops and 3 smaller loops - approximately 2" for the large and 1" for the small), pressing down onto your adhered circle as you cross over with each loop. 

When finished, top with a medium or large sized adhesive dot.

Next, I'm making some twine leaves, also with the May Arts Ribbon 2 mm black/white bakers twine.  I've cut several leaf shapes using my Cricut, however you can use any leaf punch or hand cut this 1.5" shape.  Experiment and try different patterns of your own choosing, if you wish. 

1) Add adhesive to the top of your leaves (I used my Xyron sticker maker)

2)  Trim 4" of twine, per leaf, placing one end in the center of the adhersive side, dragging straight down to the bottom center edge,  Follow the outer edge of the leaf shape, filling inward.

3) Finish by trimming at the last gap, pressing edge firmly onto adhered leaf.

 

 The final piece to my floral centerpiece are the centers trimmed from the May Arts Ribbon 1.5" sheer white rosette ribbon.  I've taken 3 trimmed rosettes, and added foam squares to the back, bunching them together as a trio.  Top with the floral loops, adhering with more adhesive dots, and add a large enamel dot and the twine leaf accents.

Lastly, I used the May Arts Ribbon 5/8" adhesive mini rosettes to outline the acrylic stand-up frame.  The top, upper edge of the adhesive ribbon strip was pressed onto the backside of the frame, so that the outline of the flowers stands out.  I placed a tiny drop of silver glitter glue inside each little bud, and also on the centers of my larger rosettes for the centerpiece.

I have to say, these little mini adhesive rosettes have become my new favorite!  They go with so many of my projects and can be cut, stacked in bunches, colored.... the options are endless.

Additional supplies:  Clear Scraps Acrylic Book Stand, Tombow Adhesive Dots, Studio G Silver Glitter Glue, Xyron 2.5" sticker maker, We R Memory Keepers large enamel dots, Tombow Foam Tape (trimmed squares)

Now on to some of my favorite May Arts Ribbon Creations from 2014-2015:

This decorative Halloween popcorn box features MAR 1.5" sheer white mesh ribbon that has been colored with ink, and swirly baker's twine circles.  The entire theme is an ode to my love of The Wizard of Oz.

http://wavingmywand.blogspot.com/2014/10/2014-halloween-popcorn-box-blog-hop.html

This is the card I gave my Mom for Mother's Day this year.  It features four different MAR products, including the sheer white mesh listed above, the butterfly ribbon, the mini gingham adhesive hearts,  and the 1.5" frayed thread ribbon

http://wavingmywand.blogspot.com/2015/04/mothers-day-shaker-card-and-my-story-of.html

I won the Tombow 2015 Baby Challenge with this card.   One MAR satin ribbon, cut 3 ways; flat strip, rolled strip and a pretty bow.  Sometimes, a little simplicity is all you need to make a statement.

http://wavingmywand.blogspot.com/2015/03/baby-girl-shower-dress-card.html

Next up is a rockin' card, created for the May Arts Ribbon Retro Challenge, I went waaaay over the top with a rock n roll theme.  It's finished inside and out.  I really, really love this one and am so happy that it won top honors.  It features 4 different MAR ribbons that you can find at the link below.

http://wavingmywand.blogspot.com/2014/03/may-arts-retro-color-challenge-unity-be.html

Lastly, here's a recent creation using May Arts Ribbon 1.5" Parrot Green Net ribbon and natural burlap string to embellish a colored candle. 

http://wavingmywand.blogspot.com/2015/03/handmade-gift-giving-it-is-thought-that.html

Thank you Bethney and May Arts Ribbon for your consideration in Round One.

I would love for all my fellow MAR fans to come and follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/wavingmywand - 

Good Luck to all the entrants!

#cre8time #mayartsribbon #twine #dtcall #designteam #tombow #xyron #adornit #unitystampco #cdd

Polka Dots and Flowers and Washi Tape Bonus Tip!

 Here's a sweet little stamp set from Craftin' Desert Divas called, "Just For Mom".  I like that this set offers so much diversity.  For example, the card below can be used for a multitude of events, not just for Mother's Day.  I plan on giving this to a good friend who just had surgery.  She's always there for everyone else, and I want her to know that her friends will be there for her too.

I colored this cutie with Tombow Dual brush pens, colored pencils (flesh tone) and a white gel pen.  I also paper pieced her dress and bow with Graphic 45 Come Away With Me pink polka dot paper.  The theme throughout is Polka Dots.   I've included some fun ribbons from May Arts Ribbon, the pom pom and chevron.

Here's a close-up

The washi tape circular background was made by laying this fun Queen & Co polka dot tape on cardstock, then cutting a 3.5" circle with my Cricut Explore.  The trick to getting perfectly lined polka dots here?  Alternate your layers by turning every other layer in the opposite direction, to line up the half circle polka dots.  There's your bonus tip for the day.  :)

I'm entering this card into these challenges:

Craftin Desert Divas Mother's Day Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge "Coral"

Queen & Co National Scrapbook Day challenge #2

Additional supplies: Tim Holtz distress tool, May Arts Ribbon chevron and pom pom, Marvy Le Pen ultra fine black, quilled flowers, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Prang colored pencil (flesh tone), Ranger Adirondack black ink,  Cricut cut paper ribbon, Marvy Sunset multi-colored ink, Ranger blending tool

#cricut #cricutexplore #cricuteverywhere #cdd #queenandcompany #mayartsribbon #tombow #ranger #timholtz #graphic45 #washi #ssswchallenge #mothersday #cuttlebug #provocraft

Mother's Day Shaker Card and My Story of Infertility

 I adore making cards for special occasions and Mother's Day is probably my favorite special occasion of them all.   I'm one of those "late in life" moms.  My husband and I endured a lot of agony over the years with numerous miscarriages.  It was so difficult, that I couldn't even bring myself to attend baby showers for the longest time.  After finally giving up on the dream, imagine being surprised, 18 years into our marriage, to find that I'm pregnant again.  This time, immediate steps were taken by my doctor to put me on hormone medications to keep my levels up.  That day, I started the medication that ended up saving my child, allowing me to have a full-term pregnancy and, praise the Lord, a healthy baby!

I share all this with you today because Mother's Day is so precious to me.  There are so many women out there who have struggled with infertility.  I once saw a news report of a woman, a YOUNG woman, who gave up on the dream and was tired of the endless disappointment and had a voluntary hysterectomy.  How sad.  Had I done the same thing, we wouldn't be blessed with our 13 year old son.  We, as women, make hard choices in life sometimes.  Had I not gone to the doctor that day, (uh, thinking I was pre-menopausal??!!) I may have not gotten the lifesaving treatment for my baby in time. 

My doctor is a true lifesaver and we have a very special relationship.  He had already retired from delivering babies but because of my history, wanted to see me through my first trimester before handing me over to another doctor.  Dr. Frank Page, in Birmingham, AL, you are my hero!

I sent HIM flowers upon my son's birth.  A very small gesture of my thanks and appreciation.

I didn't intend this post to be about me, I actually intended it to be about my mom but sometimes you feel led in another direction and maybe someone is struggling and needs to hear my message. 

Now, for the crafty details of this card!  I used a lovely stamp set called "Just For Mom" from Craftin' Desert Divas and colored the image with my Tombow Dual Brush pens, doing a touch of water color blotting on the lettering.  Those awesome, sparkly flower sequins are also from Craftin' Desert Divas (CDD).  The outline of the sentiment in the upper right corner was cut with my Cricut Explore.  It's a big plus in my book, that CDD has free coordination svg files to go along with their stamps.   The ribbons are all from May Arts Ribbon, pretty pink plaid adhesive hearts, the butterfly, the white mesh.... all those pretty ribbon and fabric accessories are from May Arts Ribbon, my absolute favorite ribbon company!  The designer paper is from Graphic 45's A Time To Flourish line and is the perfect compliment to this panel shaker card. .

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there and my prayers are with the Mom's who are yet to hear those precious words from a child's lips....God Bless You!

I'll be linking this sweet card up to these challenges:

Craftin' Desert Divas Mother's Day Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Anything Goes 

Additional supplies: Pop Dots, Le Marvy Le Pen ultra fine point black, 6"x6" white card from the Paper Studio, purple sequins from Hobby Lobby, Lavender cardstock from Simon Says Stamp, Tombow Super Bond adhesive runner, Lil' Inkers Design oval stitched mat die

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links so, if you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in the affiliate programs linked above because they are products that I use and love. Your purchase price is not affected in any way, by using my links.  Thank you for your support and helping me keep my content free!

Thanks Grandma

Look at this little blue eyed cutie.  It's getting close to that time of year, when we recognize the women in our lives.  My mom has been a God-send and always there when we need her.  I colored this little man to resemble my son and he'll give her this card for Mother's Day.  I imagine a few tears will probably be shed.  Happy tears, though.

These stamped images are from the Craftin' Desert Divas "Just For Mom" set.  Click that link and check out all the fun goodies that can be yours.  Shipping is super fast too.  Can we say bonus?!  I do believe that if you shop right now, you can get 10% off using code April so there's another bonus!  Enjoy shopping.....

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Additional supplies: Funhouse Carnival designer paper, felt flowers, Tombow dual brush pens, Ranger Adirondack black ink, Foam squares, Tombow Power Bond adhesive runner, scrap ribbon, Co'ordinations purple A2 size card

 Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links so, if you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in the affiliate programs linked above because they are products that I use and love. Your purchase price is not affected in any way, by using my links. Thank you for your support and helping me keep my content free!

Stranded Crafter Makes Card!

So, what do you do when you're dog-sitting for a week and don't have a craft room on wheels?  Well, first thing you do is make a quick trip home, if you don't live too far away (10 minutes) and grab some stuff.   Oddly enough, I'm at my mother's house.  I turned her to the dark side a couple years ago.  Yes, I dragged her kicking and screaming into my crafty world....guilty as charged.  Normally, I'd be able to work with some of her supplies.   Unfortunately, all her stuff is still boxed up from the last crop she went to. Ack!

I ran home and grabbed adhesive, stamps, ink, twine and and a bag that was still brimming from the last crop I went to.   My intent was to make a birthday card and use a stamp I recently received from Craftin' Desert Diva's.   I'll be using the Celebration WordArt today, found here:

Craftin' Desert Divas WordArt

I also plan to enter this card into a couple challenges listed below.  But first, the details.....

I used DCWV cardstock from the Blossoms and Butterflies stack including the flower die cuts which were cut from the stack, as well.   The balloons?  I hand-cut them from the same DCWV cardstock and embellished with my Laura Kelly Designs buttons from Buttons Galore and May Arts Ribbon pink natural burlap string.

I used my Tombow Dual Brush pens from the Bright Collection and directly inked onto the stamp.  Once stamped, I then re-traced with my pens for additional coloring.

Oh my golly goodness, I have discovered Gold Stickles glitter glue!  I am in love!  If you could see this card in person, the cupcake liner looks just like those gold liners you buy in the store.  I colored with my yellow Tombow pen, then added the Stickles.

Here is the crafter-math, on my mother's dining room table.  It's not too bad, is it? 

I'm entering  these challenges:

Craftin' Desert Diva's Anything Goes Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Birthday"

Sister Act Card Challenge

Additional supplies:  Thermoweb Medium Zots, Marvy ultra fine point Le Pen black, Tombow Mono Super Bond adhesive runner, Ki foam squares, American Crafts Taffy ink, Ranger blending tool