Saw Similar on Etsy

I've been spending too much time dallying on Pinterest (but really HAVE been doing things I saw there, from baking new recipes to making my own laundry detergent and shower cleaner). Yesterday a good friend sent me a text message asking if I had those little wine glass labels. I had several sets. Where have they gone? Did I get rid of them? Are they still packed?

Well, I had seen something on Etsy months ago. And I thought, "I can do that." And for cheaper than what the vendor was charging. But I get it...we all have to make our profits where we can. The ones I saw for sale were a plain scalloped circle in your choice of colors. I knew I had plenty of white CS, asked my friend what colors she would like to see on the wine glass labels, and selected some purples, as she requested.

I used the Cricut Art Philosophy flower#5 to cut a 2 1/2" flower then used another cutting system to cut the center holes (it really is good not to get rid of every other tool just because I adore the Close To My Heart products so much), random stamped some flowers (from a long-ago Aspiration stamp set; still one of my favorites) in Amethyst and Gypsy, leaving enough white space so people could write their names. Then I made a slit at a weird angle so the stem of the glass could slip in but not so easily slip out. Here's what the "final" product looked like:

I can see having fun at future parties. It's really quite easy to customize them for the type of party. Thanks, Etsy vendor, for the idea!

In progress

Was it more than two years ago that my friend Sally Simon showed up with a bag of photo frame inserts and said, "I think you might be able to do something with these!" They have moved three times since that day. But I hadn't forgotten them. And just recently, I actually started to DO something with these terrific tidbits that I just couldn't let find their way into the recycling bins before I had a chance to repurpose them. These are still in progress. Because I have some ideas but they aren't fully formed. Here are the pictures, thus far. The first one is the back side of the insert, showing that one could hang this from three sides or use the stand to prop it up on a desktop or shelf.

I inked the edges of this one. What was I thinking? I should have used Staz-On ink as the surface was semi-glossy. But this was an item that would have been discarded by any other. It's trial and error. Even with my errors, I will probably still display it. I'd hate for anyone to think I can only show total success (let's face it; I'd never have anything displayed if I were waiting for that!)! 

I used my own version of decoupage glue (yes, that's Elmer's with some water added in; stock up when it's back-to-school time!) to adhere the Key To My Heart paper I had trimmed to fit the front of this insert. It's only been three or four years since this paper was the CTMH National Scrapbook Month limited-edition paper. But I loved it so much I managed to procure several packs. You might have noticed this paper on some other projects I've done. Because I am STILL using it up! (It has some of my all-time favorite colors: Sorbet, Juniper, Creme Brulee, Tulip; and it looks awesome with my number one favorite color, Cocoa. You might think I was hungry when I selected my favorites. You could be right about that too!) I swear this is the last pack I have of this paper, and it's almost gone. We'll discuss my stash of Perfect Day paper some other time.

I was looking through some little container and found these three roses that I had created (from the Art Philosophy cartridge, of course) and distressed. All made from Key To My Heart papers. What had I intended to do with them? Perhaps it was merely an effort to practice making 3D roses. Perhaps I was going to create hair clips out of them or brooches to put on something. I have no idea. But they were hot-glued to this frame insert. My thinking was that it will be so much easier for me to see the end of my hoard of this paper if I could look up on the walls in my craft studio and see a little sample of it. Do any of you think it would be too much for this room to be painted Sorbet? Because that is really what I want. Or maybe I should go Creme Brulee on three walls and have an accent wall of Sorbet? I digress. It's a tendency of mine. I added some Creme Brulee ribbon to cover a bit of the flawed direct-to-frame inking of Cocoa that I had done on the edges. Somehow, I think it works. The piece needs something more. Perhaps a frame of some sort with a terrific sentiment stamped or pieced onto it. I haven't yet decided, so it waits to be completed.

This one was the first I attempted, with the new CTMH cardstock-weight Background & Texture paper from the Stella collection. I had wrapped this around the edges of the frame (cumbersome with the heavier paper...but it does give it a different finish that I like). I intend to cut some of the flowers like I had done on Elliana's weekly calendar (gift) and then perhaps put a chipboard piece letter E so I could send this to her parents to adorn her room. 

Here's the side of this one. Ooh...I'm so pleased that I had this ribbon in a collection of Chocolate ribbons. I love the rouching on it, and it just finishes off my awkward edges so perfectly! Elliana might not get this. After all, the colors are close enough to my faves; I might just want this to stick around! Oh wait...I'm trying to cull my belongings. I'll post when I get this done!

One last one, still with that Key paper. I'm thinking about cutting out little squares and then creating a crossword-like pattern to put all the names in our family. I saw something like this where they were Scrabble pieces. I just don't want to go through the effort to create all that. This definitely needs embellishing, some sort of interest. I could make a third panel to go with the first pictured item and have the three be one cohesive design. I'm just not sure. I might get bored if it's all in my face. But I'd like to use my paper crafting to do some decorating around the house. Just to try that out! I'll report back to you when I know better what I'm doing with all these bits and pieces. It's not just all final product, as you well know!

Posters Made Easier with the AP Cricut Cartridge!

I've made no secret of the fact that I have rarely changed my Cricut cartridge since I purchased the CTMH-exclusive "Art Philosophy". It is such a versatile set, with brackets and scallop-edged shapes, flowers and butterflies, 3D boxes and flowers. What else could I need?!

On occasion (a very rare one; so much so that I've even started selling off the cartridges I don't see myself using in the foreseeable future) I have changed it out for something specific. This time it was an Easter bunny/basket shape. Eggs (and layers of ornate decorations of them) are covered on the AP, just not the basket and bunny.

The awesome mothers' support group I stumbled into in the week prior to moving to our rental home in October 2010, St. Madeleine-Sophie Mothers & Others, puts on an Easter Egg Hunt for children each year, the Saturday before Palm Sunday. My good friend is the coordinator of the event, so she asked me if I could possibly replace the hand-drawn posters that had never been laminated. Keep in mind, folks, the event happens rain or shine, so some kind of weather protection is a must even for the signs!

I'm always happy to help my friends, and this is what I came up with for our sign:

This photo was taken on the eve of the poster's lamination. And I made two different strips indicating the possible room for refreshments and laminated them separately, so we could easily change our location (must tell people where the coffee and donuts are going to be!) if either room is scheduled by another group.

Despite the rain, the day was awesome! I'd post pictures of the event, but there are dozens of children in the photos and I wouldn't post those without permission from parents. I'm wacky like that! Seems like there is a science fair coming up...I should see if my hubby and son want to hire my services!