Saturday, July 04, 2015

Angels We Have Heard on High






The theme this week over at The Sweet Stamps Blog is Christmas Tags and to me that includes angels. This one takes a bit, but it is wonderful.
 
Cover a tag base with Christmas themed sheet music. I buy lots of these in thrift stores. This is from a damaged hymnal.
 
I used the new Wrought Iron Stencil and a bit of  Sparkle Embossing Powder to add a bit more interest to the paper.
 
I then stamped the Face only of the 1900's Girl and the Dot Butterfly onto a blank page from the same hymnal.
 
Fussy cut the butterfly.
 
 
Now using a gear piece as a halo add the face to a gathered piece of lace and the butterfly as wings. Glue and clip together to dry.
 
Attach to the tag.
 
Add vintage buttons stacked with more of the  gears as the body of the angel. Glue into place.
 
As a final accent add coordinated Mini Medallion cuts to the tag.
 
Ready to add to that special gift.
 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

thrilled with this

 
 
so I had this idea.
 
And this denim toned blue yarn.
 
I wanted a true random insert blanket.

 
so I unwrapped the skeins of blue.
 
Reach into the bulk of each skein and cut three times.
 
Gathered up some scrappy bits in the colors you might find on a mountain lake property.
 
And started my yarn balls.
 
As I came to a cut, I tied on a length of scrap. Some were 20 inches, some were yards.

 
then I crocheted a rectangular granny.
 
I am IN LOVE with how this filled with random color bits.
 
baby Chase's mommy liked it too.
 
Here is a great pattern for getting started on the Rectangle Granny. Instead of ending with just a few rows, keep going until the blanket is the size you wish.
 
 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

long time - no see

No excuses.

I went MIA again

But here I am with just a bit of sharing for you 

32 skeins of yarn have been used from the stash.

Three baby blankets and this full sized beauty in blue, cream, tan, and brown.

and I have started one from yarn that I purchased but is NOT going into the stash, I've started that blanket. 

I'm also working working working on THE MOST INTRICATE cross stitch project I have ever done. 



This was a gift for my friend Renee. Well she's actually the daughter of one of my best friends. But since all the girls are now young adults, I can call her my friend, can't I?



We gave Miss Renee a bridal shower on Sunday afternoon. 

I used one of my crochet nests as the food table centerpiece. 

To see the exquisite nests that inspired me - go here
Vicki makes and sells beautiful knitted nests. 
She's a wonderful person and there is an amazing array of beauty at her blog. 
Get a coffee and spend some time.



Here's the bride-to-be with her mom and soon to be Mother-in-Love 
You can guess - but I will go ahead and tell you - her Mom is the one in pink.



A quick note about the Softball Princess.

it's over.

she graduates from college with her undergrad degree in Environmental Science next weekend.

She's graduating with honors.

and more than likely moving far away to continue school. 

I have EMPTY NEST SYNDROME

yes - those of you with small children are allowed to be jealous. 



I just want to know how this happened. 

She is supposed to just be a little bit bigger than THIS.



......



Friday, March 20, 2015

For This Child I Pray

Welcome to the SweetStamps.com Sweeties Spring Release Blog Hop!!
Who's ready for some nicer weather?
Here at SweetStamps.com we are super excited about our Spring release!


   
We have some fun new clear stamp sets, a bunch of great new Piccolos and some new stencils!! You can check out all the new products here!!

And if you missed us mentioning, we also now have our Glam Girls in Digital form!  Which can be found here!!

You should have arrived her from My Creative Rumblings blog!  If you haven't and would like to hop with us, please go back to the Sweet Stamps Blog to start at the beginning!

Be sure to follow each blog and leave comments along the way for your chance at winning!  We will randomly choose 12 winners from all the comments left!


Today I bring you a scrapbook layout featuring the Large Filigree Cross. 

This is a 12x12 layout and the cross is over 6 inches tall.

Meet Lucy. This picture is from her Baptism.

In addition to the Cross from the New items, I also used an Oval Frame from the Piccolos Product Group


Gilded Rose Gold Embossing powder covers the Cross Filigree Background and the frame. The Cross itself is two pieces and I covered the center solid form with the Autumn Leaves Cosmic  Shimmer Gilding Flakes.  I raised this center up when I glued this together.  

Add a sweet photo from the special day and I collect damaged hymnals, so I was able to add the Hymn selection and the Baptism Prayer from the ceremony section to the layout. 




Thanks for visiting.

I am the last in the Bunny Hop Dance line 

Don't forget to comment on every post --- there are goodies to be given away. 

You can go back to the SweetStamps Blog to see the entire list if you like or the individual links are listed below.

  
We hope you have been inspired all along the way! 
Check out all of Sweet Stamps "sweet" goodies here!
Happy Hopping
and...
HAPPY SPRING!
---------

Here's the entire list for the hop.






Thursday, February 12, 2015

It's Nuts but it works.

Wow - I haven't been here in quite some time.

Lot's of reasons that need not be aired publicly here.

I had someone make a comment about how much I accomplish creatively. She wondered how the heck I get so much accomplished. When she said it, I kind of downplayed it a whole lot. But on thinking about it, I thought I would explain how I do get things done.

I spend years "half-ass" doing stuff. I have LOTS of UFO's. I am simplifying my entire life right now and rediscovering those unfinished things had cause a tremendous amount of guilt and stress. 

(I uncovered Molly's unframed cross-stitch birth record. It is finished. Not framed. She is 24) 

Many years ago, I started blogging and that was the beginning of focusing on my creative side. I needed to make progress on things so I would have something to share. I am not, nor will I ever be one of the BIG bloggers, but I have my group of friends and we love and encourage one another here. 

Anyway --- back to how my "system" works.

I almost ALWAYS have multiple projects going. Which sound like craziness, but it really has worked for me. 

I have discovered that crochet and cross-stitch travel well - other stuff does not. 
The other stuff, is not addressed here - I do a few bits on those projects and leave them to dry on the work table. 

Now for the pick up put down explanations.

I have a crochet bag by my sofa - right now it contains a sunset colors inspired infinity scarf project. Yarn from my stash (yay me). I pick it up and put it down. The pattern is a no count required repeat, so I don't even have to make a stitch. This one will soon move to the car (reasons will become evident in a minute)



I leave early on Sunday Morning and spend time alone in the silence with myself and this project. It is a big blanket - stash buster project. Two worsted weight yarns held together. There is a kind of pattern repeat to keep this from getting too busy looking. This will ebb and flow with weather conditions, and will be a long time finishing. As the hot weather creeps in I'll put this in a Huge Zipper Project bag and hang it in the craft closet to pull it out when cold weather gets back. Also a stash project (yay me)


This sweet and soft bit of pastel goodness is a granny square baby blanket. Another stash buster project (the stash is wide and deep - please don't judge) It is my car project. I have it in a plastic tote and I can work on this while riding. Plastic tote allows me to sit this on the ground by the campfire or at ball games, keeping everything dry and clean of debris. (I tried a 31 tote for this and as much as I love that tote for other things, the soft sides just did not work out well.) 

I am close to finishing this one. Abby's final college softball season starts next week, so the long hours in the car and at the ball field begin. I'll finish this one and then move the scarf from the bag at home by the sofa into this project. Because.......



This has started as the detailed - must concentrate - project for by the sofa.

AND 

requiring reading glasses and the best light I can find. 

It is a cross stitch piece for one of our most special babies on the way. 
I'll be posting tips and bits about this as it progresses. If there are overnight stays for ball trips, this is organized in a plastic tote box as well, but it certainly is not a mindless, riding in the car, kind of project. 


A note on those car projects, after the blanket and the scarf are finished, I will go back to the stash (yes, there is still plenty of stash available) and start another something.

The cross stitch project will consume a large portion of my home time creating. But I combine that with prayer time, so this is a good thing. 

Now for some tidbit notes about this.
- I do not sit still well.
- I can be a terrible passenger in the car.
- I cannot read in the car or the sun without getting a headache, but I can crochet. 
- I have multiple crochet hooks in each size. 
- I think I have 50 pair of small scissors too. 
- Keeping things in a convenient to use and move container is key. 
-  When I pack up the big blanket for the summer, I will put an index card in the bag noting the hook size.
- MAKING at the ball field - or by the pool - or in the lobby of a hotel - has always caused people to ask what I am making. I always take the time to answer and I have met so many wonderful people this way. 
- Make sure the travel projects can be construed as mindless and either easy to keep count or effortless to recount after you have put them down and picked them back up.  (like granny square blankets or repeat patterns for cross stitch) 

My craziest softball crocheting story - Softball Princess played travel ball for many years as she grew up. One season I made 88 beanie hats. That means we played at least 88 games that year, because I could make a beanie every full length game. 

her college freshman season, I made 150 quarter sized crochet roses.

If you would like regular project updates and some mundane randomness, you can follow my instagram

I do hope you are all doing well. 

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL