Welcome to the Pals monthly blog hop. We’re so glad you’re here! January is all about making “Art from the Heart,” featuring projects for Valentines Day, Thinking of You, Get Well, or Sympathy. You…
Welcome to the December Stamp of the Month blog hop! More than 60 Close To My Heart consultants are sharing their creations, so be sure to "hop" all the way around! This month's hop features the stamp set "Notice the Details," available December 1 - 31, 2009 only. This is a darling set of 41 stamps, perfect for cards, calendars, and journaling! If you came here from Lori Brown's blog, you're on the right path! At the end of this post, you'll find a link to the next blog on the hop. You can keep going all the way around until you come back to my blog, if this is where you started. I used the stamp set to make a dry erase board. It is super easy to do! Make a 12 x 12 page, and place it in a scrapbook page frame. I got mine at Michael's. They go on sale pretty often, so I usually pick up a few when they're 50 percent off. Write on the glass using a dry erase marker. Items used: Notice the Details - December Stamp of the Month X7102B - Notebook Level 2 Paper Packet Ink colors: Desert Sand; Black Z1300 - White Daisy Variety Pack Just Blooms Paper Flowers Z1216 - Winter Cozy Brad Assortment Scrapbook page frame I hope you enjoyed the visit to my blog! Now hop on over to Sarita Schraeder's blog to see the beautiful work she has posted. Enjoy the rest of the hop! I'll see you back here next month for the January Stamp of the Month blog hop. The Spring Idea book will be available January 1, so you won't want to miss the hop with all the new products!
Are you ready to hop with " Tech Talk "?? I've got candy tonight, plus an original template I've designed as a free gift for ALL of you , f...
Hello stampers, it's time for week 5 of the Colour Creation Blog Hop with the Art With Heart Team. Every week we have been featuring one of the beautiful Stampin' Up! colours in alphabetical order starting with the 2024-2026 In Colours. This week it's time to feature Summer Splash. Today's card is a variation of a pull card that we saw demonstrated at the latest Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Event. I used the Racing By stamp set for the racing car image. The race car outline is stamped in Memento Black Ink and the solid image is Summer Splash and the star is Real Red. There is a slit in the front of the card that allows the center tab to be pulled out, making the race car move. The card base is Summer Splash and a center panel in Smoky Slate. The Smoky Slate piece has been embossed with the Metal Plate Embossing Folder. I'm very pleased with how this card turned out, the little race car is so cute. I have a couple of other cards I have made with this set that I will share with you shortly. Now it's time to see what me stamping friend Kathryn Ruddick has to share with us. If you encounter any issues with the links in our blog hop please head to Cathy's blog as she is the wonderful host of our Colour Creations Blog Hops and has a complete list of tonight's participants. Thanks for visiting, Rachel Product List Racing By Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [163748] $34.00 Summer Splash Classic Stampin Pad [163809] $15.75 Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084] $15.75 Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $14.00 Summer Splash A4 Cardstock [163798] $20.25 Card Stock A4 Smoky Slate [131291] $20.25 Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] $23.00 2024–2026 In Color™ 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [163777] $21.75 Metal Plate 3 D Embossing Folder [160766] $17.50 1" (2.5 Cm) Circle Punch [119868] $21.00 Add All to Cart
Thank you, thank you, thank you Carol over at Just Let Me Quilt for coordinating this very fun blog hop. I signed up thinking I'd make o...
Are you ready to hop with " Tech Talk "?? I've got candy tonight, plus an original template I've designed as a free gift for ALL of you , f...
Hi there! Today I'm taking part in the Crazy Crafters Blog Hop with special guest, Debbie Henderson! I love Debbie's creations and there were so many amazing ideas to CASE (Copy and Selectively Edit) but today I chose to CASE this card. I love the layout of the card and how Debbie used embossing paste to create the background. For my card I decided to keep the layout similar but rather than use embossing paste, I used the Softly Falling Embossing Folder. I used a combination of Real Red and Whisper White cardstock for my layers and the Layering Circles and Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies to create the scallop and circle. The little house and trees are from a new stamp set in the Holiday Catalogue called Hearts Come Home, and I stamped the images in Real Red, Smoky Slate and Wild Wasabi. The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Sentiments stamp set. This was a quick and easy card to make but I love how using something as simple as an embossing folder can step things up a bit. I hope you've enjoyed todays card. Don't forget to leave a comment before moving on to check out the rest of the blog hop! The full lineup is listed below. Thanks for stopping by! Sarah
It's Thursday again BUT it's the last one for 2018! Can you believe it? I, for one, am glad to kiss 2018 goodbye and begin anew. I always look forward to January 1 because it gives me another chance to work on the resolutions I've been making forever! I resolve this year to keep the craft room neat and orderly...ha! and perhaps to become more than a "hobbyist" demonstrator. Thanks for stopping by. Our team has a color challenge today and they are three of my favorites. Take a look see... My layout comes from the sketch at Atlantic Hearts Challenge. et voila.... My card base is Very Vanilla. I stamped my Gray Granite mat in the matching ink with the car stamp and gas can from Geared Up Garage. This stamp set will be available in the upcoming Occasions catalog, along with its matching dies. I cut mats of Blackberry Bliss, Pear Pizzazz, Gray Granite and adhered them together with liquid glue. On a piece of Very Vanilla, I stamped the sentiment in Blackberry Bliss (second generation). Using the Garage Gears Thinlits dies, I adhered two gears with glue dots. For the inside... I cut mats in Pear Pizzazz, Blackberry Bliss and Gray Granite. I stamped the sentiment in Blackberry Bliss full strength. I stamped the car using Gray Granite ink on a piece of Pear Pizzazz and used a die to cut it out. I used another die in the set to cut out the three gears (which is one die). I hope you have enjoyed my card today. There are more beauties to look at by clicking on the "next" button to hop to the ever-so-creative Julie Johnston and/or click on each name listed below for our other talented team mates. Happy hopping! Amy Koenders Shelagh Freemantle Mary Deatherage Kristi Gray Jaimie Babarczy Sue Prather Karen Finkle - you are here! Julie Johnston
Applique word quilt- fun (and inspiring) way to use letters and words in quilts
Today, we're ON THE ROAD home from a few days at the beach! It's the only vacation we'll do this summer, as hubby still hasn't found a job since he lost his IBM job, plus my in-laws are in bad health. We go to my friend's beach house (that she rents out) at least once
Welcome to our Stamptacular Blog Hop! We will be featuring February's Promotion, Stamptacular. If you have come here from the amazing artwork of Melissa Robinson you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog. This month we have approximately 17 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's promotional stamps and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go! I planned on working with more of the sets found in the sale, however life got in the way, aka my kids got sick and my crafty time got put on the back burner. I did get to create using Perk Up Stamp set and Thin Cut collection. I'm also going to share some artwork using this set from the fall collection, and some other examples of artwork made using sets found in this month's special. Perk Up Angel Hugs (stamp only) Paper Pals Christmas Hawthorn Cardmaking (sold out) Now "Hop" on over to the always cleverly crafty Cat Nowak to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, this special is only available until February 29th! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount! Always craft with <3
Welcome to another Art With Heart Blog Hop. This month we are featuring Stampin' Up's! versatile range of Embossing Folders. There are new Embossing Folders available in every Stampin' Up! catalogue and they are an inexpensive way of adding WOW! to your projects. Currently there are 24 different Embossing Folders in the range. Tonight we plan on showing you ideas on how to use these folders. The card I have for you tonight uses two Embossing Folders, Subtle 3D Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and Stylish Scroll Embossing Folder. I almost missed the Stylish Scroll Embossing Folder as it is in the Holiday Catalogue with the Halloween stamp sets, on page 53. I'm not really into Halloween, but I intend to use this folder for many other projects. For best results when using the Stampin' Up!'s 3D Embossing Folders; use the 3D Embossing Folder Plate; it adds a little more oomph to your die sandwich to make those 3D designs pop. The front panel of the card was cut to fit inside one of the Stitched Rectangle Dies which I used to cut the Gold Foil shape. This panel was embossed using the Stylish Scroll Embossing Folder. Another piece of card stock, 10x 14.3cm, forms the background of the card and was embossed using the Subtle 3D Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. The large bauble from the Christmas Gleaming stamp set was heat embossed in Gold embossing powder on Gold Foil. The small bauble and the holly sprig were heat embossed in Gold on Very Vanilla card stock. Both bauble were punched out using the coordinating punches. The holly sprig was coloured using an Aquapainter and was then hand cut. For the base of the card I used the Very Vanilla Thick card stock as it is less flimsy than the standard Very Vanilla card stock. I cut one A4 piece in half length wise and then scored at 14.8cm and 7.4cm to form a Z fold card. The card front was then attached to the base. The greeting was heat embossed in Gold on Very Vanilla card stock, hand cut and attached with Dimensionals. Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoyed my card. Next stop on the blog hop is the very talented Rebecca Jacovou. If you find a broken link or have come to this blog hop from a different entry point, you can view all the participants below: Kate Morgan Rachel Woollard Rebecca Jacovou Sharon Davern Vicki Boucher Tina Gillespie Claire Daly Catherine Proctor Caroline Manwaring Rachel Palmieri Andrea Sargent Sujatha Harding Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoyed my card. All of the Stampin Up! products used on this card are listed below. If you have any questions please contact me and I will be happy to help you. Happy stamping, Rachel Product List Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143706] $17.00 Stylish Scroll Embossing Folder [150665] $13.00 3D Embossing Folder Plate [149658] $17.50 Christmas Gleaming Bundle (En) [153006] $86.25 Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock [106550] $17.00 Very Vanilla A4 Thick Cardstock [144238] $14.25 Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $8.75 Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129] $10.50 Stitched Rectangle Dies [148551] $61.00 Aqua Painters [103954] $20.00 Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [147083] $13.00 Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [147089] $13.00 Heat Tool [129056] $50.00 Paper Trimmer [152392] $44.00
Hello and welcome my friends, My name is Vicki Boucher and I'm from Melbourne, Australia, actually I'm on holidays up at the Sunshine Coast, QLD for a family holiday. Today, I'll be sharing with you another colour for Colour Creations blog hop and we are now at week 13 with the Art With Heart Team in Australia. The next colour is Boho Blue, which is part of the In Color Collection for 2023-2025 and this would have to be a very beautiful blue. Boho Blue comes in Cardstock, Classic Ink Pad, Ink Refill, Embellishments, Designer Series Paper and other Stampin' Up! products. I've been wanting to show off this card for a number of weeks, because if you remember a while ago, I mixed up my blues and made this card for the Balmy Blue blog hop. I used the sketch challenge "THIS or THAT" for the month of June which Stampin' Up! had shared on their social media. The good thing was I had a card already completed for this hop. I used the Cheerful Daisies Stamp Set and coordinating Cheerful Daisies Dies for my card this would have to be an all-time favourite of mine. I just love it! I die-cut out a few of the daisy elements from the dies and added Boho Blue ink to the center of the daisy with the Blending Brush. Leaving some white space to give it some depth. For the main daisy I used the embossed resist technique by heat embossing the daisy and then apply Boho Ink with the Blending Brush. I like to wipe away any excess ink with a tissue. To go with the daisies, I decided I wanted a Scandinavian look and the beautiful paper from the Country Woods Designer Series Paper was perfect for my card. I actually cut out the strip of Pool Party using the Paper Trimmer and layered the two pieces together for the background panel. Country Woods Designer Series Paper Next, I used another piece of Country Woods DSP and die-cut it out using a circle die from the Spotlight on Nature Dies. Then I stamped the smaller daisies in Boho Blue onto the circle. I created a fancy bow using the White Diagonal Trim, unraveling the ribbon into thin strands and then tie it into a bow. The Distressed Tile 3D Embossing Folder suited the background panel embossed in Basic White Cardstock. Thank you for visiting my blog today, I would so love to hear your thoughts on my project by leaving a comment below. Now for the next blog please visit the very talented Kate Morgan click on the link below. If the next button link is not working or you'd like to see the entire list of participants go to Catherine Proctor's blog. Please email me if you would like a copy of the 2024-2025 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue send an email to me here. If you live in Australia and don't have a demonstrator, you can purchase any of the Stampin' Up! products by shopping with me at my Stampin' Up! online store here. Make sure you follow me on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Happy Stamping Vicki Boucher
First comes A I am so thrilled to be one of the first stops on the Spell it with Fabric blog hop. I was assigned the letter A for this project. I was absolutely thrilled because I really wanted to get all A's in school. For the blog hop I was given some questions to answer so you can get to know me a little better and All my Answers have the letter A in them. My letter is.... A What are your initials? AJ American Jane One of my fav patterns, Stock #AJP328 Red Daisy My favorite quilt block......... Ohio stAr. My favorite memory about school....
Welcome to Virginia! Virginia is for Lovers Bloggers! A bunch of us Virginia bloggers are bringing in the new school year by extending a bit of southern hospitality. You can follow along the blog hop to visit 20+ Virginia teacher blogs for terrific teaching tips and fun freebies to help get your new school year off to a great start. At the end of this post, you'll be able to see everyone who's a part of this blog hop! Pick one of us Virginians to start with and roll through all of our blogs to collect a ton of great freebies, ideas and resources! The freebie I have today is one that is perfect for back to school! The activity is simple but it's a great way to kick off the school year in writing. I always start the year by reading and passing around a book called "Amelia's Notebook." It's a great mentor text for writing because it's fun and shows how students can tie in their personality to their fiction and nonfiction writing. The kiddos have really been excited about writing when we start off the year with this book. This is Amelia's Notebook and it's a series so there are multiple books! So then the next step is for the kiddos to begin their writing notebooks. I know that an empty notebook can be daunting to a fourth grader, so the first page of our writing notebook is our Heart Map. We fill in each space of the heart with something that is important to us that we can later reference to get ideas for a story. The example on the right was made by one of my students that was so creative but told me on the first day of school that he hated writing and reading. I like to think that starting the year off with a fun, artistic activity made him hate writing just a little bit less. Click on the images to grab this freebie from my Teachers Pay Teachers store! I love receiving feedback on freebies, it helps me make my freebies even better! You can also enter into this giveaway to win 3 products from my TPT store! That's right! You win, you choose! Here's some of the products you could grab for free if you win! Beezus and Ramona book companion with tons of vocabulary study! Word Study or Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe for independent student practice with weekly words Math quick check cards- put them on a binder ring and quiz your kiddos during transitions! See the blog post about these useful little things here. a Rafflecopter giveaway The next stop on the hop is Nikki from Teaching in Progress! She is the hostess and organizer of this whole blog hop sha-bang so you can't miss her blog! Be sure to check out all the blogs below too!
Helping K-2 Teachers Like You Save Time, Grow Instructional Skills, and Teach With Confidence!
Weekend Quilting Book Weekend Quilting: Quilt and Unwind with Simple Designs in No time is a brand new quilting book by Jemima Flendt of Tied with a Ribbon. I was thrilled to participate in this Book showcase as I’ve been a long time follower of Jemima on Instagram. This book is full of quick and […]
Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month, we are featuring Close To My Heart's Ice Cream Dream stamp set. If you have come here from Chris Robertson's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog. This fun birthday card was created using the ice cream cone stamp from Ice Cream Dream. The ice cream cone was stamped 3 times on white daisy cardstock, then hand cut. Using the blender pen and exclusive inks, the scoops were transformed into strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream! The stamp set is available only during the month of June. It can be purchased for only $5 with any $50 purchase. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my Ice Cream Dream card. Here is a list of Close To My Heart Products used to create this card: S1506 - Ice Cream Dream Stamp Set Z1939 - Paper Fundamentals, Basics Assortment Z3035 - Extra Thick Twine, Pixie 3174 - Blending Pen Z1849 - Shimmer Trim, Bronze Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape Z1151 - 3-D Foam Tape Z3042 - Sequins, Coral Reef G1095 - Workshops on the Go Blossom Cardmaking Kit CTMH Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Black, Pixie, Cotton Candy, Desert Sand, Chocolate, Cocoa, Whisper and Lagoon CTMH Cardstock in Kraft, Glacier and White Daisy All items can be purchased through my CTMH website. Now "Hop" on over to Tamytha Jenkins' Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas!
Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop This is a Blog Hop! - I've collaborated with several of my teacher colleagues to bring you a series of super blog posts that include a Free Resource just for you! Click on the grade level that interests you and hop on over to the next blog. In a
Weekend Quilting Book Weekend Quilting: Quilt and Unwind with Simple Designs in No time is a brand new quilting book by Jemima Flendt of Tied with a Ribbon. I was thrilled to participate in this Book showcase as I’ve been a long time follower of Jemima on Instagram. This book is full of quick and […]
If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a big fan of Kate Spain’s fabrics! I first fell in love with Good Fortune, and only just finished that quilt a couple of weeks ago! Then I found Flurry, which was hoarded and treasured until I […]
Hi, hello! I’m excited to be joining the Altenew October Release blog hop today! You should arrived here from Vicky Papaioannou’s blog, but if not, click back to the beginning of the ho…
Welcome to the Heart of Christmas blog hop - a Monday night "institution" for the next few months! We are all Stampin' Up! demonstrators ...
Timeless Tropical | Stampin met Monique | stampinupnederland | stampinup | Stampin' Up! | stempelen | kaarten maken | bloghop | Creatieve Harten
The "Go with the Flow" Super Scarf has a nice drape and a wonderful texture made with a combination of front and back crossed double crochet stitches. Worked lengthwise, this scarf will be a quick project that you will love crocheting and wearing!
Hello stamping friends, we’re back with week 2 of the Heart of Christmas. This week I am very excited to be sharing a project I made usin...
This guide tells you all you need to know about machine appliqué with clear examples of different styles and lots of tips to give you confidence.
Welcome to our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop featuring this months featured pack called Workshops Your Way® No Worries Scrapbooking Kit. If you have arrived here from Maz Wood: aMAZing Close To My Heart Creations then you are in the right place. If you landed here another way, please join in by following the link at the end of this post. Follow the links, check out all the amazing ideas and eventually you'll come right back here to where you started. We are all creating with the Workshops Your Way® No Worries Scrapbooking Kit. This kit is featured by Close to My Heart in June and is available until the end of the new Seasonal Expressions Ideas Book. Product Description Kit contents: 1 – No Worries paper packet (X7220B) 1 – No Worries Complements (X7220C) 4 – cardstock sheets (4 White Daisy) 1 – No Worries sequins (Z3322) 1 – white burlap ribbon (Z3323) Use the materials in this kit and the online instructions found on all consultants websites (click here find the instructions if you don't have a consultant) to create three coordinating scrapbook layouts. I made the pages first using the cutting guide and then the cards as per the instructions except for a few minor changes that made a massive difference. As I usually do, I use a variation of the cards and pages just by turning over the double-sided papers. I wasn't a huge fan of the large print palm trees, so I turned those sheets over and the pages turned out quite different. I love them. I also used my scraps plus some Kraft cardstock to make another set of 2 pages, giving me 8 pages in total. I haven't shown them here because I haven't added photos and they look a bit plain without anything on them. I really love the natural look of the timber and thatched paper and how fun and playful the blue striped paper is. The pictures below are from the CTMH head office team and are shown in the catalogue. I also made the cards as per the instructions (using two sides of each paper to create different samples) but didn't use the stamp set as instructed because I don't have anyone I know retiring. So my cards are waiting on titles and empressions on them. They are perfect for a masculine card or gender neutral option. So after making 8 pages and 6 cards I still needed something I could show everyone on the blog hop. I LOVE the wooden paper and using one of the Picture My Life cards of wood I cut the 4x6 card down to 4x5.25 to have a border on my 4.25 x 5.5 sized cards (4 1/4" × 5 1/2" White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack). Then I added True Love Stamp set with the solid heart stamp in Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad and then I stamped over "This card is a PAPER HUG" with Black Memento™ Ink Pad on 12" × 12" White Daisy Cardstock offcuts. This stamp set True Love is the Operation Smile stamp set so $7 US dollars from the sale of every set of this stamp set goes to Operation Smile - operations in third world nations on children to repair cleft lip and cleft palette issues. Its a truly amazing stamp set. So sweet and versatile. To finish off my card I used 12" × 12" White Daisy Cardstock offcuts to cut out a thin cut heart. I adhered the thin cut hearts with Bonding Memories™ Glue Pen and the title with 3-D Foam Tape. I will finish the 8 pages and 6 cards I've made and post them at a later stage. So please come back again soon to view my Blog and see all the things I've made with this kit!! Remember Workshops Your Way® No Worries Scrapbooking Kit is only available for a limited time. Go to my website www.vandra.closetomyheart.com.au or your consultants website and order today. Thanks so much for dropping by to check out my latest projects. I'm really interested to hear what you think about it, so I'd love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop on our Australasian Blog Hop which is Lauren Moore.
Kirsten, who blogs at Gemini Stitches, tagged me in the Around the World Blog Hop last week. I met Kirsten, if not before, in a pillow swap. I was the recipient of that beautiful pillow that she made. The blog hop has some questions to answer. 1. What am I working on? This weekend, and generally in the last few months, I have been working on developing some quilts that are my own design with an eye to making patterns for them. Although I have many ideas, it is remarkably difficult for me to "design" a quilt and then write a pattern for it. My goal with patterns is to add something new to the options for the pattern using quilter, not just to give them my take on something that others have done. Finding that new thing is not that easy, at least for me. Today specifically I have been designing that block you see above and some quilts that use it to submit a project to a magazine. I put a picture of my first prototype of the block up on instagram and asked if people saw it as a modern block. I was overwhelmed to receive 87 comments and 355 likes to date. I guess People think it is modern and they like it too, and it is so nice that they took the time to let me know. 2. How does my work differ from others? Although I am fairly certain that many of you would say that I have a clear quilting "style" I am not totally convinced that I have found it, or all aspects of it, yet. Many of my quilts fit comfortably within the current concept of modern quilting. I often refer to my approach to quilts as industrial modern and I use that term in reference to all aspects of a quilt - the design, the piecing, the choice of fabrics and substrates, the quilting and the fact that the texture from washing and drying is also a design element for me. I want my quilts to be technically well made and to be durable and usable blankets, and I also want them to evoke a feeling of an old warehouse, a comfortable pair of blue jeans, the sunbleached beach, or a winter snowstorm. Technically good, but not perfect, just a little edgy, urban, and interesting. Besides all that, I also continue to explore far more traditional quilting designs and techniques. I see my development as a quilter as a journey, and it has barely begun. 3. Why do I write and create? For fun. Seriously, for fun. The process of making a useful blanket - of making a useful thing, is very rewarding for me as in my work I think and talk and write a lot but there are no "things" made at the end. So quilting - and also knitting, sewing, needlework, embroidery, weaving, spinning, and other fibre arts - fills in a big gap for me. I love creating, being creative and working with colour and design too. Quilting is a perfect way to do that and still make a useful blanket too. Why do I write about quilting - again for fun. My blog, instagram, flickr, other social media with quilters allows me to make and stay friends with quilters around the world. I have now met a surprisingly large number of them in person too, something that would not have been possible if I had not been here, writing about quilting and participating with you all on line. 4. How does my writing/creating process work? I almost never write a blog post for a later date. Only when there is a blogging event and I know I will be pressed for time. For example, I am writing this post minutes before it will be published, even thought I knew I had to post it today a week ago. I approach blogging like much of my other writing - I figure it out in my head and then when I sit down the words just spill out and it is done. This approach has meant writing some posts while fighting to keep my eyes open when there was a deadline, but oh well. My creating process is also much the same. I think about something I want to make, or I am inspired by something and then I make it. I seldom do sketches first, except if I am not able to work with fabric directly like when I am on vacation. I am trying to do more sketching, but we shall see if that actually happens. I like to try new things and I am happy to make a quilt that I like several times. I am also prone to working through creative ideas in a series of quilts. I think that this approach may be part of why I don't see any one quilt as that precious - I could always make it over should it be harmed in some way, I have plenty of fabric. Enough about me, I asked some friends and two have agreed to be tagged next. My friend Felicity, who blogs at Felicity Quilts, is a fellow Canadian who I have had the pleasure of meeting in person. She is smart, funny, creative, lovely and likes great shoes (like I do). My friend Lynz, who blogs at Domestic Light and Happiness, lives in Scotland, has been a blogging friend from the time I started blogging and I have yet to meet her in person. She is also smart, funny, creative, lovely and likes great shoes - and I did not realize I had picked such similar friends to tag until just this minute. Watch for their posts next week. The Around the World Blog Hop is meant to allow for connections to happen between bloggers and readers of blogs. I am going back to my new design. I think that unless someone tells me that they have already given that block an official name, I am going to call it Allium - with a big thank you to Krista - Poppyprint for the reference when I was mentioning it reminded me of a dandelion. If you already know that block, please let me know. Just because I designed it surely does not mean that many others have also already done so too. Best, Leanne
Welcome to day three of the Sweet Treats Blog Hop, hosted by Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts and sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop {there is a giveaway too…so keep reading!}. The goal of the blog hop is to show a variety of cute little projects that can be made with Moda’s newest precut {you...
I don't know what happened, but my creative mojo has completely vanished. One minute I was humming along, ideas popping all over the place, and then WHAM! - I hit a brick wall. I don't know if it's because this is post number 203 for this year, and last year I had 176 posts for the entire year. Maybe I used up all my ideas for the year? Do we get a set amount on New Year's Day? If so, I need to up my quota for next year! Sometimes it helps knock things loose if I break the routine and play with some "contraband", also know as SOB (Some Other Brand). And that's what I did here. Gina K. Designs just released a new stamp and die set called Merry & Bright. Well, you can tell by the name that it's holiday-themed, and it is awesome! If I counted correctly, it's a 35 piece stamp set with a coordinating 23 piece die set. Anyway, this was the first thing I came up with, and I actually have ideas for more! See? Sometimes you just need something new to shake up those neurons in the old brain!
Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Australasian Blog Hop. This is a circular hop. If you arrived from Doreen’s Blog, you are in the right place. ...
Welcome to the much-anticipated TOTALLY AWESOME 80'S BLOG HOP!!! I am in LOVE with the 80's...so much so that it's playing in my car! I hope you'll be inspired by the projects you see on this hop featuring the Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons cutting files! If you came here from Kathy's Blog, you are in the right place. If you just stumbled upon this post and would like to start from the beginning, please visit the Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons Blog. We are creating Totally Awesome 80's themed projects using Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons files. I don't know about you but ROLLER SKATES were a BIG part of my childhood and as soon as I saw the 80's Child Cutting Files... --------------------------------------------- I just LOVE all the layers that Lisa includes in her PPPR Cut Files...it creates so much dimension. Even though I pop-dotted some of the layers with some Thing 3D-Foam Tape, the other layers didn't need it because of them being designed to layer on top of each other... ---------------------------------------------------- I duplicated the image twice, hid all the top layers then welded the extra two black bases to make a card base...can you see the peek at the sentiment inside??? ------------------------------------------------------ I used the Totally Awesome 80's Cutting Files for the RAD sentiment on the inside... ----------------------------------------------------- The blog candy for this hop is a $15 GC to the PPPR store. For a chance to win, you must be a follower of each blog and leave a comment on each blog. For extra chances, you can also "LIKE" Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons on Facebook and/or sign up for the Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons Newsletter and be notified of NEW Files and Friday FREEBIES!!! A random winner will be chosen for the prize on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. This week's FRIDAY FREEBIE is only FREE through Saturday and would fit perfectly for any 80's project!!! Vintage Sneaker Cutting Files - FRIDAY FREEBIE Don't forget....you can pick up the BLOG HOP FREEBIE on Saturday & Sunday of the hop...after that, it'll be available for sale in the store! You can play along our PPPR 80's Challenge. The projects can be anything that remind us of the 80s and that feature Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons files. Here are the RULES and where you will link up your project! One random participant will win $20 to PPPR. Next up is the VERY TALENTED, Leah...hop on over to her blog and see what she has to share! Here are the files I used...the links to them can be found above! Thanks for stopping by!!! Don't forget to hop all the way through and see all the other TOTALLY AWESOME projects!
Helping K-2 Teachers Like You Save Time, Grow Instructional Skills, and Teach With Confidence!
I don't know about you, but when I saw this line of fabric from Quilting Treasures, my heart skipped a beat! Yes, it was hard to find, but well worth the search for sure! I seem to be in an "old as new" frame of mind recently. Maybe it's those dreams of making this old body new again! But I realized that ship has sailed! LOL!! So next is best. I've long be captivated by these dish washing tab containers from bulk food places like Costco and Sam's Club. They are such great containers... and a nice size for a little trash can in my sewing room! A perfect place to show off those adorable ladies! Did Madame Samm not just announce a ruffle blog hop recently? Hey Samm, does this count? :-) Oh never mind, I know the answer already! tee hee! In the interest of sharing everything, the good the bad and the ugly, I must admit, that once it was done, I was a little disappointed in myself for not backing my piece before putting it on the bucket. I did not want to line it, since it was a trash can. It would make it too hard to get all the little strings and things out, but I am not wild about seeing thru it once it was done. Oh well, I guess I really don't spend a lot of time staring into my trash can anyway! But it's a good lesson for next time! Next up was to re-dress a wooden doll that was in my sewing room. My little pin cushion helper so to say. These little 2 foot tall girls were the mainstay of my crafting career. I can't begin to tell you how many I made over the years. All I know is, I curled raffia hair with a curling iron for hours on end and burned out at least 10 of the darn things over the years! LOL! I still had some of this delicious fabric left, so it was time to take it out of the sewing room. I love these Professional Totes. UPDATE: Here is a link to the pattern from The Creative Thimble So many have asked... http://pursepatterns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=124 So many cool pockets and these great snug up side pockets that are perfect for so many things. Like water bottles! I travel with them all the time, and the travel strap on the back slides right over the handle on your luggage. Makes it a breeze to get thru the airport with. My favorite part of these bags, are all the compartments and zipper pockets. They are so hard to show once the bag is made... The photos below show the compartments in the center as your putting it together. If you have never made one, this looks very strange, I know. Trust me, when it gets stitched into the side seams it all makes perfect sense. More pockets Key clips, and pen pocket Cell phone or camera holder! Really they have thought of everything in this bag and it's all secure with zippers and velcro. WHEW, this post is long! So glad you stuck with me thru it all. Give a way time. Snap tape bags! Just one more thing I did with this great fabric... How'd you like to win one of them? They area a big 14"x17", perfect for all those projects you might need to tote. Just leave me a comment, and I will be picking 1 winner on Feb 6th. (sorry, the rest of em have been spoken for) LOL!! A big thanks to Madame Samm and Carla, for a fun filled couple of weeks. These are my fellow bloggers anxiously waiting to share their creations with you today. Make sure you drop in and say "hey"! :-) February 4th Just Let Me Quilt Hill Valley Quilter Sew Much 2 Luv My Whittle Adventures Kids and Sewing . Moosestash Quilting I Piece 2 Mary
Good morning, y’all! It’s Thursday – which means it’s time for another Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop. We’ve got a sketch challenge to work with and I’m …
Welcome to our Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop featuring this months featured pack called Workshops Your Way® No Worries Scrapbooking Kit. If you have arrived here from Maz Wood: aMAZing Close To My Heart Creations then you are in the right place. If you landed here another way, please join in by following the link at the end of this post. Follow the links, check out all the amazing ideas and eventually you'll come right back here to where you started. We are all creating with the Workshops Your Way® No Worries Scrapbooking Kit. This kit is featured by Close to My Heart in June and is available until the end of the new Seasonal Expressions Ideas Book. Product Description Kit contents: 1 – No Worries paper packet (X7220B) 1 – No Worries Complements (X7220C) 4 – cardstock sheets (4 White Daisy) 1 – No Worries sequins (Z3322) 1 – white burlap ribbon (Z3323) Use the materials in this kit and the online instructions found on all consultants websites (click here find the instructions if you don't have a consultant) to create three coordinating scrapbook layouts. I made the pages first using the cutting guide and then the cards as per the instructions except for a few minor changes that made a massive difference. As I usually do, I use a variation of the cards and pages just by turning over the double-sided papers. I wasn't a huge fan of the large print palm trees, so I turned those sheets over and the pages turned out quite different. I love them. I also used my scraps plus some Kraft cardstock to make another set of 2 pages, giving me 8 pages in total. I haven't shown them here because I haven't added photos and they look a bit plain without anything on them. I really love the natural look of the timber and thatched paper and how fun and playful the blue striped paper is. The pictures below are from the CTMH head office team and are shown in the catalogue. I also made the cards as per the instructions (using two sides of each paper to create different samples) but didn't use the stamp set as instructed because I don't have anyone I know retiring. So my cards are waiting on titles and empressions on them. They are perfect for a masculine card or gender neutral option. So after making 8 pages and 6 cards I still needed something I could show everyone on the blog hop. I LOVE the wooden paper and using one of the Picture My Life cards of wood I cut the 4x6 card down to 4x5.25 to have a border on my 4.25 x 5.5 sized cards (4 1/4" × 5 1/2" White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack). Then I added True Love Stamp set with the solid heart stamp in Whisper Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad and then I stamped over "This card is a PAPER HUG" with Black Memento™ Ink Pad on 12" × 12" White Daisy Cardstock offcuts. This stamp set True Love is the Operation Smile stamp set so $7 US dollars from the sale of every set of this stamp set goes to Operation Smile - operations in third world nations on children to repair cleft lip and cleft palette issues. Its a truly amazing stamp set. So sweet and versatile. To finish off my card I used 12" × 12" White Daisy Cardstock offcuts to cut out a thin cut heart. I adhered the thin cut hearts with Bonding Memories™ Glue Pen and the title with 3-D Foam Tape. I will finish the 8 pages and 6 cards I've made and post them at a later stage. So please come back again soon to view my Blog and see all the things I've made with this kit!! Remember Workshops Your Way® No Worries Scrapbooking Kit is only available for a limited time. Go to my website www.vandra.closetomyheart.com.au or your consultants website and order today. Thanks so much for dropping by to check out my latest projects. I'm really interested to hear what you think about it, so I'd love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop on our Australasian Blog Hop which is Lauren Moore.
When you look at your reflection, what do you see? Do you see your flaws? Seeing yourself as God sees you means you look past the flaws into the interior beauty of the heart.
I am really proud to be participating in the Sew Red Blog Hop. In case you haven't heard about it yet, it is a blog hop that has been going on since February. Those of us participating in it are trying to raise more awareness about Heart Disease (which is the leading cause of death among women in the US). Leah from Burgundy Buttons is the mastermind behind the Hop and she has asked a bunch of bloggers to design a 12" block, share a tutorial for it and then donate two of those blocks to her and the girls over at B.B. so they can put them into a finished quilt that will be auctioned off! You can click HERE for more details! So my little creative juices got to flowin' and here's what I came up with: I kinda like this block because you could put four of them together and make a great little table topper (with lots of blank space in the middle (to showcase some fantastic quilting or applique!) The fabrics I am using (along with the rest of the Blog Hop contributors) is called Chemistry by Cosmo Cricket. But of course, this little number would look cute in lots of different color ways. These instructions make two 12" finished blocks. P.S. WOF stands for width of fabric (which is approx. 42"). P.S.S. Make sure you have an accurate 1/4" seam allowance. MATERIALS: 1/2 yard white fabric for background 1/4 yd. red fabric for stripes (1) 1-1/2" x WOF strip of pink fabric for 9-patch border CUTTING: From the white fabric cut: (4) 1-1/2" x WOF fabric strips (2) 6-1/2" x 7-1/2" rectangles (2) 1-1/2" x 7-1/2" rectangles (2) 2-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles (2) 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" rectangles From the red fabric cut: (4) 1-1/2" x WOF strips From the pink fabric cut: (4) 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles (4) 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" rectangles ASSEMBLY: Sew together two white and one red 1-1/2" x WOF strips with the red strip in the middle (WRW). Carefully press the seams towards the red strip, like "sew": Cut off the ends to make a straight edge. Then cut two 1-1/2" rectangles from that WRW section. These are for the middle row in the 9-patch blocks so you can set these aside for a little while. We'll get back to these later. Next, sew on one more red and one more white 1-1/2" x WOF strips to this WRW section to make it a WRWRW section, like sew: Press the seams towards the dark fabric (carefully - don't stretch!) Then cut two 1-1/2" rectangles and two 6-1/2" rectangles as shown below. Set these pieces aside. Now sew together two red and one white 1-1/2" x WOF strips with the white strip in the middle (RWR). Press seams towards the red fabric. Then cut six 1-1/2" rectangles and two 6-1/2" rectangles. Here's what you should have from those strip sets: Now let's sew all the pieces together! To finish the 9-patches, sew together two pink, two RWR and one WRW 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles in this order: Press. Then sew the two 1-1/2" x 5-1/2" pink rectangles to each side. Press seams towards the pink. Sew a 1-1/2" and a 6-1/2" WRWRW strip set unit onto either side of the 9-patch block, like sew: Finally, make the top and bottom sections (see photo below). Press the seams towards the red fabrics and then sew all three sections together. Repeat these steps to make your second block. Piece blocks together any way you'd like :) Quilt, bind and enjoy! I hope you liked this tutorial and I do hope you'll stop by the Sew Red Blog to find out more information about Heart Disease and what you can do to help raise awareness. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Amber