Handmade flowers

We're focussing on handmade flowers this week at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge. I made some fabric yo-yo flowers to adorn a cheap little tank top:

Catching up

I've a few personal issues to overcome lately and I haven't had a lot of time or energy to devote to crafting or blogging.  This is a layout I completed for C.R.A.F.T. Challenge last month:

 

Just a quick, fun 8x8 layout using some leftover bits and pieces, based on the sketch provided.  Memories of Harriet Jersey Caramel, who is no longer with us...

No designer paper...

When I first started scrapping, I tended to shy away from patterned paper, but now my collection is so huge and varied that I rarely make anything without it. So, this week's theme at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge did push me a bit to look beyond my papers and use NO DESIGNER PAPER:



I used: Cuttlebug 'Jules Jewells' EF, and Affirmations quotation card

I'm also posting my card in the following challenges:

# Allsorts ~ Free & easy February
# Crafty Cardmakers ~ Monochrome magic

Jasmine's card

Jasmine loves joining in as a Junior DT at CRAFT Challenge.  This week she made a Valentine's Day card for her best friend, using NO DESIGNER PAPER:

Jasmine used Bazzill cardstock and some foam hearts, which we found in our local craft store.

This card is also for:
#  Dream Valley ~ Valentine
#  Hooked on Craft ~ Hearts

Love, love, love...

All you need is love...

I've had a break from crafting over the past little while, due to some events beyond my control.  I really missed the peace and relaxation that creating something brings me, and it's fabulous to be able to return to something I love.

This week at CRAFT Challenge, we have a Valentine's Day theme.  I wasn't able to create a card in advance or to use any of our fabulous sponsor images, but I did alter a little gift bag to use for the occasion, using some fabric scraps.  Here it is:

 

I'd like to submit my gift bag for the following challenges:

# Hooked on Craft ~ Hearts
# Crafting for all Seasons ~ Love is in the Air

Grateful

 

"It is easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks."

I don't know the author, but the words resonated very clearly with me, and I wanted to share them.  The photograph is mine.

Today I am thankful for the obstacles and lessons of the past month, for the gift of life, and for the blessings I find in my life every single day.  I'm ready now to move forward.

Here's the full poem:

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something

For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations

Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge

Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary

Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

Another card

This time of year, I'm finding it so hard to fit in crafting time.  But I still managed to make one more Christmas card for C.R.A.F.T. Challenge.  The theme is "Christmas card with removeable item".  I made a double pocket card and added some flavoured teabags, for my husband's aunt: 



Our sponsor this week is Bows and Berries, and I used the adorable Warm Penguin image.  I also used:  Fancy Pants patterned paper, Echo Park patterned paper (for the paper piecing) and Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type alphabet stickers.

To make the card, I followed this tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers.

I'm submitting my card at:
# My Mum's Craft Shop ~ Cute and funky Christmas
# Paper Sundaes ~ Anything Christmas

A card sketch

This week at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge we have a sketch.  We have two wonderful sponsors and so I've made two different cards.

The first card uses 'Funky Flower' from Floppy Latte Designs:



What I did:
1> I resized the image to create several different sized flowers.
2> I printed the flowers onto patterned paper (Echo Park 'Victoria Gardens')
3> I cut out the flowers, crumpled them, then layered them.
4> I secured the centres - a Basic Grey brad for the big one, and a button for the smaller one.


The next card uses 'Asia' from Glitterbabe:



What I did:
1> I printed one image onto cardstock, and fussy cut around the edges.
2> I printed a second copy of the image onto patterned paper.
3> I cut out the patterned image and paper-pieced the kimono onto the first image.
4> I added some extra colour with gel pens, then assembled the card with embellishments.

I used: Scenic Route paper, Limetree Creations doily, Kaisercraft tiny alphabet stickers, and my own fabric yo-yo flowers.

I'm submitting this card at:
# Crazy Challenge ~ Anything goes

Guest designing

I'm guest designing over at ARTastic this month, and I'm also providing a RAK prize for one of the winners.

The December challenge is inspired by Thomas Kincade's painting 'A Blessing of Christmas'. The other criteria are: include a snowman, include a Christmas tree, include 'Christmas' in the title.

I have to say, I did find this quite challenging on a number of levels. First, I have hardly any Christmas photographs remaining unscrapped. Next, we don't have snow at Christmas in Australia, so combining the criteria was a little tricky!


Click to enlarge

I took inspiration from the soft lighting in the painting, which gives a kind of ethereal 'blurry' effect. I chose a blurry Christmas photograph from last year, and some dark papers. No snowmen for me, but I thought that the white spotty patterned paper did give a kind of 'snowy' effect... maybe? And the Christmas trees - I made them myself from some offcuts and added a little machine stitching and pearls:



I used papers from 7 Gypsies and Bo Bunny 'Mamarazzi', Lily Bee Designs alpha stickers, lace, Kaisercraft pearls, and some upcycled product tags from a recent shopping trip.

Something different

This week at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge our theme is 'Christmas Present' - perfect timing for sharing our Christmas gift crafting projects!  One of things I love about the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge blog is that any project is okay - it can be a card, layout, or any kind of hand crafted item.  We encourage young crafters to join in too - everyone is welcome.

I made something a bit different - it's a beaded bookmark:

Not so easy to photograph - in real life it looks pretty cool :)  This is how it's used:





The pictured book is How to Guzzle Your Garden - a non-fiction children's book by Australian author Jackie French.