Christmas Countdown

Happy December Krafters!

Ah the holiday season is upon us and today I am sharing over at She's a Sassy Lady. Thanksgiving was last week (which was awesome to spend with the family sharing stories and eating great meals) and by the time this posts, Christmas will be 22 days away! Eeeek! I started Christmas shopping, the tree is trimmed, stockings are hung, but something was missing! I decided to make a countdown calendar. I add little treats or notes each day until Christmas! Side note, the song "Final Countdown" is in my head...thanks Europe and thanks Geiko!

Anywho, I purchased the file (3D Countdown Box Calendar) a couple of years ago from the Silhouette store. Lori Whitlow, the creator of the file, has a wonderful tutorial on how to assemble it. I made this before, so I was able to do it easily by memory. For this project, you will need:

1: 4 12x12 sheets of cardstock or pattern paper for the base 

2: 9 12x12 sheets of cardstock for the boxes

3: 1 12x12 sheet of pattern paper as the decorative parts for the boxes (I used Winter Combo)

4: 1 sheet (scrap piece works fine) for the numbers

5: embellishments to decorate the calendar (optional)

It took me approximately 1.5 hours from start to complete the project. I recommend starting with the frame first so it can have time to dry (liquid glue is best) as the boxes cut and are assembled. 

I was able to get three boxes on one sheet to cut. 

As the sets cut, assemble the boxes and add them to the frame. 

Once all of them are assembled, add the decorative front to the boxes and numbers. 

I decided to just add the penguin (Lawn Fawn) to the 25th and a sentiment to keep it very simple (since the children will be handling this). However, this box can be as dressed up as your imagination allows. 

Well I hope you enjoy today’s project and that you will give it a try! Until next time….sing your favorite holiday songs and be creative! Krafthead~

Sweet Birthday SASL DT Project

Happy October Krafters!!

Can you believe there are only three months left in the year? In the month of October, there are a lot of birthdays in my family. My mother-in-law’s birthday is today and my son’s is tomorrow. I have an uncle, cousin, and a few friends who will be celebrating birthdays this month. So I am going to share a birthday card!

Let me tell you; this card is completely different than what I intended. When I first started off, I was just going to do a simple watercolor background using distress inks add happy birthday with a few sequins and call it an evening. However, the markers (Chameleon) were calling my name and the stamps (Lawn Fawn’s Baked With Love) said, “Play with us Kenya, play with us!” Before I knew it, I was coloring and masking off stamped images to give a layered look. 

Chameleon markers are fairly new on the market. I have had them for about three months and colored with them just a hand full of times. There is a learning curve, but I really do like them. I used this card to further play with color layering and how to fuse the colors correctly. I can sit here and cry about all of the mistakes, but I would rather focus on what I do like. I like being able to have one marker make smooth transitions between colors. But again, this can be tricky. I really like how the bowl turned out as well as the butter and eggs. 

After I finished coloring the image, I used Avery Elle’s Wonky Rectangles to cut out my watercolor layer as well as the colored layer. I was going to put the sentiment on the inside with the piping bag, but decided at the last minute to put it on the outside instead. The sentiment is up a little higher than I would like, but overall, I think it still turned out ok! 

To add a little more shimmer, I added Wink of Stella Clear Pen to the bowl, and hearts (stamped with LF’s Lobster ink). 

That’s it! I hope you were inspired by this project…imperfections and all. That is all apart of the crafting process! Remember to stop by She's A Sassy Lady Blog to check out the talented DT. Have a great weekend, Krafthead~

Thank You Very Much SASL DT Project

Hello Krafters!

It is my day over at She's A Sassy Lady! Today's project is two-fold. First, I have to admit, I do not want summer to end! School is back in session for most student which means fall is a couple weeks away. The card has a summer feel to it and I like that. Secondly, I was treated to some crab cakes. Hence the crab! I wanted to show my appreciation…they were SO good!

This card was created using scraps of cardstock (Bazzill, Core’dinations, Paper Trey Ink, and Neenah Solar Bright). For the different cuts, I used Life’s a Beach (wave) and Create a Critter (crab) Cricut cartridges. I also used the Wonky Rectangle from Avery Elle and Puffy Clouds from Lawn Fawn. The sentiment is a CTMH stamp (Just Saying) which coordinates with the Artfully Sent Collection. 

Putting this card together was easy. If you have been following me for a while, you know I do a  lot of 10 minute or less cards. This one took approximately 15 minutes because of searching for the right cuts. As the Cricut was busy cutting, I cut each layer with the Wonky Rectangle die. I ran the wave through as well for the cut to be uniform with the others. I added a little texture to the crab with the crimson Copic marker. I tore the sand for more texture and interest to the card. 

That is it! A cute way to say thank you and a great way to use my scraps! Remember to visit She's A Sassy Lady blog for more inspiration. I hope you enjoyed today’s project! Thanks for stopping by, Krafthead~

Reach for the Sky

Good morning Krafty people!

I’m here to share another 10 minute or less card. This one actually took me 14 minutes. That was because I kept changing my mind through the process. Anywho, this is a graduation card for a young lady at my church who is also transitioning from elementary school to middle school. While a lot of people don't see the significance in this, I believe this is a major step in a young person’s life and it should be celebrated. Everything they knew is no more. New adventures, experiences, discoveries, and maturity are ahead. That is HUGE!

I used the “reach for the sky” sentiment for a two fold reason. First to keep God in the midst of everything and when you reach for the sky, there is no limit to what can be done. She can do anything she puts her mind to. 

I wanted to keep this card quick and simple. I used two different Lawn Fawn stamp sets for the image. The images were colored in using Copics. Side note: I really need to buy more Copics! Being able to blend out colors is important. Moving on, I used a piece of scrap paper for the image matting. To finish the card, I stamped the sentiment and used Wink of Stella to go around the sentiment, bird and part of the balloon. What I did not realize is that I grabbed the wrong color of Wink of Stella, but it worked out in the end. 

On the inside of the card (not pictured), I stamped the little birdie and wrote my message. 

 I hope you enjoyed today’s project! Thanks for stopping by, Krafthead~

~~~Supplies~~~~

Paper Trey Ink (White)-card base

Bazzill (Blue)-mat

Neenah White Card Stock (White)-images

Copic Markers

Wink of Stella-Silver

TH Distress Ink-Faded Jeans

~~~Dies/Stamps~~~

Lawn Fawn- Blue Skies, Sunny Skies

MFT-Rounded Stitched Rectangle

Way To Go

Happy Wednesday Krafters!

I know several people who has recently graduated or will be in the next few days. My oldest daughter will have her completion ceremony next week from elementary school. It is hard to believe she will be going to middle school next school year! Her teacher graduated recently in hopes in becoming a principal. Although she is new to the school this year, we have a really good rapport. So I wanted to share the card I made for her with you!

I wanted to have a little fun with this card. I used Design Space to layout the card’s design. I deviated from my original template just a little bit to add “movement” or the allusion of the caps being thrown in the air. I’m glad I did!

The caps and the buildings in the background was cut with the Cricut. While those were cutting, I used Lawn Fawn’s Large and Small Stitched Rectangles (you might get tired of seeing them but hey they are my new favorite1) for the matting. I also used the Stitched Hills and the Blue Skies (Clouds) dies from Lawn fawn. 

In the middle of the caps for interest and to make the hat look a little more realistic, I used brads I had in my stash. They were different colors,  so I colored them with the black Copic marker. Once the card was assembled, I added Wink of Stella (clear) to the clouds for a subtle shimmer. I also used a stamp from my stash. 

For the inside, I stamped a sentiment and a graduation hat to tie in the inside to the front of the card. That’s it!

I hope you enjoyed today’s project! Thanks for stopping by, Krafthead~

Supplies:

Wink of Stella- Clear

Brads

Paper Trey Ink-White Cardstock

Recollections Cardstock- Black, Blue & Green

Bazzill Cardstock-Glitz Blue

Copic Marker-Black

Stamps-unknown companies

Momento Black Ink

Tools/Dies:

Lawn Fawn-Stitched Rectangles (large& Small), Blue Skies dies, and Stitched Hills

Cricut Explore

Cricut Design Space-Going Places & Locker Talk 

Fiskars Fuse

10 Minute or Less Thank You Elephant Card

Hi Krafters!

If you have been following me for a while, you know I do a lot of 10 minute or less cards! One of the main reasons why I do them is because I can get something accomplished. This is especially true with having an infant in the house. Time is of the essence! I can do what I love to do (craft) and leave the lab (craftroom) with a completed project!

Today I am sharing a quick thank you card. A lady from my husband’s job bought the baby an outfit. I wanted to make a thank you card. Side note, I am in the process of reorganizing stamps and rediscovered stamps. Since the card was for a baby gift, I used a baby image. I was also able to play with Copics. I also discovered I need more Copic Markers :/ 

Anywho, this cute little elephant came from a set by Inkadinkado (Welcome Baby). When I first started out, I was dumb and did not label the sets when I stored them years ago (thank the Lord for internet because I found the name). I used the Large Stitched Circle and Rectangle dies by Lawn Fawn (yep, you know it, my new fave!!). The pattern paper is an older paper from DCWV (Nana’s Nursery-Boy). It went perfectly with the colors I chose for the elephant. The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn (Scripty Sayings) and the banner is a Spellbinder’s die. To add a little something, I inked the edges and added iridescent sequins. That’s it! 

It really did take 10 minutes or less because the image is small thus making it easy to color. The Lawn Fawn dies made the mat easy and everything else fell into place. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s project. Thank you for stopping by, Krafthead~

Mother's Day Cards...Butterflies

Hello Krafters!

Let me start off by saying I hope each of you had a good Mother’s Day! Secondly, let me apologize in advance for the horrible photos. My camera battery was charging and I was in a rush….yep so I used my cell and it looks a bit grainy for some reason…and the lighting wasn’t the best. The cards were inspired by Dawn and Nichole. 

I used the Stitched Rectangle from Lawn Fawn and a butterfly die by Spellbinders for the base of the card. The paper is the Secret Garden 6x6 paper pad. I like it because one side is solid and the other side is a print. I ran the dies in the machine together. I used turned the butterfly to the opposite side and mounted it in the negative space. It worked perfectly because the die is symmetrical. The purple card is a flat shaker card and the other is not. I added bling to the bodies and a few in the corners. I heat embossed the sentiment with Lindy’s Stamp Gang embossing powder (Sheba’s Silver) and WOW (White). Done!

This was truly a 10 minute or less card!! I like how simple it is but it has a little something extra. Again, I am sorry for the pictures…hope you enjoyed the cards. Thanks for stopping by, Krafthead~