Paper Pieces Galore!

So ... I am often lazy when it comes to my crafting, and I don't feel like stretching my creativity. Well, this week over at The Outlawz, our Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge is to create a project using paper piecing, with no coloring. Paper piecing is one of those things that I have always shied away from - but, sometimes you just have to step up to the challenge. So after several days of pondering over what stamp or digi I could piece, I finally decided on this beautiful flower digi from A Day for Daisies. Of course, then I had to figure out how I should print onto which patterned papers, how to cut out and arrange all the little pieces, etc. But I like the way it turned out, and I hope to try this some more and get a little better at it.

Stop on by at the Outlawz and have some fun with us, and maybe stretch your creativity too!

Thanks for stopping by, and big hugs to you!

Flower Power

We had temperatures over 70 degrees for the last 3 days in a row - in February - and it was so wonderful! Even though it's back down into the 40s and 50s for the next week or so, I enjoyed it while it was here. The winter has been so mild here in southeastern Virginia where I live, that there are already some daffodils blooming in front of my house, and I've even seen a few of the flowering trees in bloom. So in honor of all this lovely out-of-season weather and the flowers that are trying so hard to show themselves, this week's theme is Flower Power. Over at The Outlawz, our Saturday Paper a la Mode challenge is to create a project that uses flowers, so this is my design for the challenge.

I made this card using a digi from A Day for Daisies and colored it with Prismacolor pencils and Copic markers. I colored and cut out a duplicate of the larger flower to make it have a 3D effect.

I hope wherever you are that you have beautiful weather soon too! Thanks for stopping by, and big hugs to you!

Dreaming of Spring

Old Man Winter hasn't been too unkind to me here in Virginia this year, but that still doesn't stop me from dreaming of Spring. I love when the birds start returning home and the flowers show their faces, and everything starts to warm up a bit. And of course, I love bunnies! So this week I made a card with a new bunny digi from A Day for Daisies and added in the quote myself before I printed it out. Isn't he the sweetest little thing?

Our challenge this week at The Outlawz for the Saturday Paper a la Mode is "Dreaming of Spring", so this is what I created. It's a simple little card, but sometimes simple is most effective. I colored the design with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.

And speaking of Prismacolors, I am taking a class in May with Marti Wills so I can learn some real coloring skills. I am also taking two Copics classes with Suzanne Dean. Now where am I going to be getting all this crafty goodness at you ask??? At our first ever Outlawz Rodeo Retreat!

If you have never visited us over at The Outlawz, please stop on by and say hello. We are going to have a great time in May, and the more the merrier! We hope you can join us!

Thanks for stopping by, and big hugs to you!

I Heart You

Hi everybody! Well, here it is February, and of course I have been procrastinating as usual! My son is at the end of wrestling season - this is his senior year and I am the Team Mom, so that takes up almost all of my "free" time, but I love him and all of his teammates, and I don't know what I'll do with myself next year when he's off at Virginia Tech doing his college thing. But for now I just try to enjoy it. The newspaper had an article about Chris and two of his teammates last week - I am so proud of him - this is the photo they had in the paper - Chris is in the middle:

My love abounds for him and his entire team. And in honor of all that love, we are doing an I Heart You challenge over at The Outlawz this week. The challenge is to create a project that uses at least two hearts, so I made two cards, because I just love hearts and can't get enough of them (and I didn't have time to create something more elaborate).

Thanks for stopping by! I am off to the district wrestling tournament - Chris is wrestling in the finals today, along with 7 of his teammates - that's 8 of 14 guys in the finals - a huge accomplishment! Wish them luck!

It's January - time for a White Sale

Happy New Year! Well, here it is January 2012, and this is my first post for the year. It isn't quite so obvious these days, but when I was younger, January was always the month when retailers held their annual white sales. I guess that was the time when housewives purchased their new sheets and towels and other similar items, and of course, back in the day there weren't quite as many color choices and pretty pattterns - everything was mostly just basic white.

So this week's Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge over at The Outlawz is the "White Sale" challenge - create a project using mostly white. I have to admit that's a tall order for me - I typically do not use a lot of white in my projects. But I decided to make a card, and I went a little CAS this week. I added just a touch of color with some alphabet stickers.

One of these days I've got to work on getting better photos. The lighting in my house is terrible, so I need to create a light box for myself. This picture isn't very good - I think the card is a lot prettier than it looks here.

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope 2012 brings love, health, and happiness! Big hugs!

All Buttoned Up

Oh my, what a week I had! Busy, busy, busy - but I guess we're all in that boat! My son, Chris, is a senior in high school and captain of his wrestling team. Wrestling season is BUSY, and yesterday was an all day tournament at another high school, where Chris placed 2nd in his weight class (182). I know we aren't supposed to brag, but I love bragging on my children! Here's a cute pic of him I took while he was chatting in the stands before his final match - I love my handsome boy!

And this is him with his medal:

Okay, enough of my proud mom act! On to some craftiness!

This week's Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge over at The Outlawz is "All Buttoned Up" - make a project that features buttons. I chose to make a button tree. I have seen photos of several of these over the years, and finally got myself in gear and got one completed. I have the supplies to make a couple more, but I just haven't found the time to get them done - at this rate, it will be next Christmas before I make them!

It's just a styrofoam tree base, which you can get at any craft store, and lots of buttons and pins. I dipped some of the pins in glue and then microbeads to add a bit of texture.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope everyone else is doing better with their Christmas preparations than I am. Gotta get busy and get some shopping done this week! Big hugs to you all!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Whew! I don't know where the time has been going. I have barely been in my house this past week. So I am, as usual, trying to play catch up. It's wrestling season now for my son who is a high school senior, and I am the team mom, so that's almost a full time job, on top of running my two businesses, so I don't have a lot of time for being crafty these days! I have so many projects I want to do, but there just aren't enough hours in the day!

Our Saturday Paper a la Mode Challenge this week over at The Outlawz is to make an ornament or a card with an ornament on it. I decided to make an ornament using a paper rosette that I already had made for something else and never used. I added a variety of other elements to it, and voila, a handmade ornament for the tree!

Thanks for stopping by a sharing my time woes! Hope you are having a better time managing your 24 hours each day! Big hugs!