Friday, September 30, 2016

autumn leaves - TGIFC75


Happy Friday everyone! Today I am designing for the TGIF Challenge. The challenge today is to pick your favorite designer, challenger or winner from the September challenges and create something that was inspired by them.


Last week, Sara Nell Langland created a cute autumn card with colorful leaves and stitching for TGIFC74. I was inspired to create my version of her card ... 





Did you have a card that you loved this month? Create and share with the TGIF Challenge! Everyone is welcome to play along!

Have a creative day!

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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Candy Cane Lane Party Decor - Fancy Friday September Hop


Creating party decor has to be at the top of my list of things to do. I recently used the Candy Cane Lane Designer Series paper to set a theme for my recent Stampin' Bingo night and I could not wait to share with you today for the Fancy Friday blog hop!!

This was our first make and take project for my event. Are these not the most adorable things ever? I found a video tutorial for the tag treat holders online from Tanja Kolar (she is an amazing designer from Germany).


I was on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and Raquelle Clifton shared this treat container. I had to give it a try and share it at the event for our second make and take project. Can you believe that this treat pocket does not require any adhesive?


I gave each guest these wrapped chocolates as a party favor. These 2" x 8" cello bags are from the annual catalogue and are perfect for Hershey's Nugget chocolates. You could do a million things with these treat bags. I seriously love them! They are the perfect size!!

Roll a piece of Designer Series Paper and slip it inside the cell bag. You can candy, a roll of coins, a rolled up bill, a love note, a small toy ... just think of all the gift giving ideas!


I had a festive candy bar and we sipped hot chocolate from these fancy cups. I cut a strip of Designer Series Paper to 2-1/2" x 12" and wrapped it around the paper coffee cup with Fast Fuse. The paper was a bit long and I did not want to take the time to trim it down so I folded it over. I love that it looks like a sweater collar and I added a button and twine to finish it off.


At my Bingo night each guest gets a swap bag with new Stampin' Up! products. I added these cute little tags to my bags for each guest.






Years ago Stampin' Up! had fabric to match our colors. I saved this and finally put it to good use. I tied to to a piece of Kraft Rope Trim and added strips of Cherry Cobbler 3/8" Silky Taffeta Ribbon. Even though Stampin' Up! does not have this fabric any longer, you could easily create this banner with a quick visit to a fabric store. Check the clearance bin for small cuts of fabric.


I love the twine around my candy jars. It ties the theme together. I used the Candy Cane Lane Baker's Twine, Very Vanilla Thick Bakers Twine and the Kraft Rope Trim. The tiny gingerbread house was created with the Sweet Home Stamp Set & Thinlit Die. In my party planning chaos I only had time to create one little house. They are so much fun to create but they take a little bit of love. A good Netflix binge and you could pump out a bunch, I am sure!


This was our hot chocolate/ coffee bar. My guests loved it! I thought it was really brilliant of me to put the K-cups in a mini muffin tin for display ... right?!


Finally, here are all of the prize's that were handed out for each bingo game. It is always a night of fun and excitement. I will definitely be doing another bingo night in January when we get the new Spring\ Summer Catalogue.

Don't stop here! Keep clicking through the Fancy Friday blog hop for Holiday Catalogue inspriation. Up next is the delightful Cathy Caines.
The Fancy Friday blog hop team will be back the last Friday in October ... come back and hop with us!

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Monday, September 26, 2016

Saying Thank-you - GDP055


As a crafter, I try to express my gratitude with a something handmade. That is a lesson my Mom taught me from a young age. You say your please and thank-you's, you send a thank-you card and you never show up to someones house empty handed. You take a bottle of wine or a host gift. This does not include the salad that you offered to bring. That too is well mannered, but not the same. You need to take something special to the host. Something for them, to tell them you are thankful to them for having you to their home and to tell them that you love them.

It does not have to be a $100 bouquet of flowers or a bottle of Cristal. (Although, you could bring that to my house if you really felt it necessary).

If you are reading my blog I would like to bet that you are crafty? I know my craft room holds a value as much as a wine cellar full of Cristal. Put it to good use! Make a handmade card, a gift tag for an inexpensive bouquet of flowers or treat container for their favorite candy or chocolate (I am sure you have a Pinterest board full of those kinds of ideas).

Our busy lives can mean that it is hard to fit it all in, I get it. Buuut ... don't you love a little surprise, don't you love to know you are appreciated and loved? We all do! This year I started sending Birthday Cards to my friends a family each month. It is on my to do list each month and I sit down and get it done. I can say that the payoff is worth it. I am constantly getting messages of thanks from the recipients. It feels so wonderful to make them feel special!

How often do you surprise someone with a thank-you or random act of kindness? Take the Global Design Project Challenge this week! You will feel so good and will be happy that you did!




It just happens that we have been invited to dinner at our friends home this week. They have a six month old little girl and I found the cutest little mittens at the dollar store. I will wrap these up with my card and I am going to pick up an autumn bouquet of flowers at the grocery store on my way over. 

I hope that you have been inspired to take the challenge this week. Have a wonderful week spreading some love my friends! Comment below if you have a story to share about your random act of kindness.


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Monday, September 19, 2016

Serene Scenery & Autumn Leaves - GDP054


A good Monday to you! Autumn is in the air and the leaves are all turning a wicked shade of Delightful Dijon and Crushed Curry. The colorful leaves at the cabin this weekend inspired today's card for the Global Design Project Challenge #GDP054 ... 


This card is a bit smaller than the cards that I typically create. I cut the Crumb Cake Cardstock to 7" x 5-1/2". Fold that in half and you get a card front of 3-1/2" wide x 5-1/2" high.


Are the leaves changing color in your neighborhood of the world? Comment below and let me know!

Click over to the Global Design Project to read more about the challenge. There you can see creations from the talented design team, submissions from our followers, and learn more about playing along with us.

Have a great week everyone! 

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Friday, September 16, 2016

Creating with scrap pieces of paper - TGIFC73


Hi everyone! Happy Friday to you! This was the first full week of school for us and it sure felt like a loooooong week. I am looking forward to the weekend for some downtime. 

With the kids at school, I have had my days open to create and catch up with my business. It feels amazing! After the week of stamping, I had a pile of scrap bits of paper laying in a pile beside my Big Shot and Stampin' Trimmer. (I have to admit this is one of my worst bad crafting habits. The scrap pile is huge and never organized). Anyway, the TGIF Challenge TGIFC73 was the perfect use for all of these scraps.



I used this color combo on the blog Monday. The word "love" was the negative left over from the card. How many times do you throw these away? And they could have made a cute card!


I gently sponged around the word "love" to give some texture. The card came together very quickly and was the prefect use for all of those bits of paper.

I am excited to see what this challenge brings. The TGIF Design Team is sharing project ideas on the TGIF Blog ... click over to be inspired to use your negative scraps.

You are invited to play along and share your creations with #TGIFC73. Read more over at TGIF.

Have a great weekend everyone and I will see you on Monday!


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