Cook Up a Card Recipe Challenge!

Hello everyone.  I’m excited to share a card for the Cook Up a Card Recipe Challenge by Kat Scrappiness Blog. I have once again gotten into card making and I will share some others that I have made soon! Here is the recipe for this card:

And here is the card that I made:

I used Pebbles brand 12×12 Paper – “America the Beautiful.” This card was one of 15 that I created doing Kendra’s Card Challenge #14 – it’s sketch 8 of the series. This paper pad has a lot of red, white and blue (obviously), but I created other cards that are not July 4th related. Can’t wait to show you those!

Double Whammy – a recipe AND a craft.

This is an oldie but a goody…I made this a few years ago for a recipe swap that I participated in. So, lucky for you — you get an idea (to start a swap, to participate in a swap, to make a recipe book…) AND you get a great recipe! This is a simple design, but since I was giving a recipe for a cheese “ball”, I thought circles were the way to go. I love the textured paper in the back and I just cut different size circles to make this look:

If you are interested in swaps, check out http://www.fiskateers.com or http://www.papercraftsmag.com. It’s a great way to be able to “craft” with others without having to leave your home! You sign up, then send in the correct number of whatever you’re making (which may include everything from recipe cards, to greeting cards, to scrapbook pages) and, in return, you get the same number from other swappers. Very cool!

Enjoy!

Top o’ the Morning to you!

I can’t let a holiday get away without celebrating just a “wee” bit! I wanted to make a little something for the teachers at school…and I wanted to let my 3-year-old help. So, we made loaves of Irish soda bread for the teachers in his classroom:

I wrapped them up with Saran Wrap (now that I think of it, I probably had GREEN Saran Wrap somewhere!). Made a simple card and voila! I used a very easy recipe from http://www.mommiecooks.com (although I used a little less flour than she did, as the first loaf seemed really dry).

Then, I saw this cute idea from The Decorated Cookie. I didn’t have lollipop sticks, so I improvised, but I think they are pretty cute!

I used Wilton decorating sugar for the marshmallows. I used the scalloped heart punch from Fiskars to make the shamrock. And, God Bless whoever came up with the bag topper — it’s the best. thing. ever. I just used regular snack bags and dressed them up! Yahoo!

And, I’ll leave you with this: May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future – Irish Blessing

Enjoy!

Linking to:

Operation Write Home Bunny Hop (giveaway)!

Hi there! Welcome to my little stop on Operation Write Home Bunny Hop! For those of you arriving from Donna’s blog “Donna Inks,” welcome and I hope you took some time to look around — she has some amazing cards and I hope you showed her love, because she has an amazing giveaway!  If you’re stumbling onto the hop right now, you might want to start at  http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org to see all the great blogs! 

I have said it before, but I will say it again — I am absolutely thrilled to do my small part for such an amazing organization — Operation Write Home’s mission is to support our nation’s armed forces by sending blank greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them.   The OWH website has been redesigned and is amazing (www.operationwritehome.org) – please take the time to check it out — the stories definitely inspire me to jump into action to do whatever I can for these men and women serving our country!

And, if you ARE inspired, please consider making cards (or having your craft group, school class, or scout troop make cards!). Volunteering for this organization is easy — you can do it whenever you like and you can wear your jammies!  You can find where to ship the cards (it can be as few as one) and a few basic rules (size, design, etc.)  on the website.   My son also enjoys coloring in the printables they have for “Any Hero Letters.”   There are a couple of deadlines coming up…Easter Cards must arrive at OWH by March 18 and Mother’s Day cards must arrive at OWH by March 31.

Here is the spring card that I made for the hop…I love the flowers that came in a kit — they are distressed and just really beautiful!

This along with others will be sent this week to OWH!

On to the good stuff…leave a comment for me (and if you can, pledge to make and send a few cards).  On Monday morning, I will choose a comment at random and you will win a super, surprise prize (it will include some homemade cards for you to use and some crafty supplies).  So, show the love!

Now, on to Sheryl at http://sherylscraftingcorner.blogspot.com/.  Enjoy!

Craft Fair Goodies

I participated in a craft fair at my nephew’s school right before Thanksgiving…I like to concentrate on useful items, price them right, and kind of pride myself on knowing my audience.  So, I decided to concentrate on teacher gifts, sticking stuffers/Hanukkah gifts, and seasonal items.  It was a great success!  I love the little extra money to fuel my hobby, but I also love to hear positive comments about the quality of my work (which I pride myself on) and my ideas (most of which I have seen somewhere else and made my own ;).  Here are a few of the things that I sold:

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The “thank you teacher” boxes are boxes of paperclips, mini binder clips, and notepads which I found for…wait for it…ONE DOLLAR at Office Max, then I added a glue stick as well (there was a space empty).  The paper came from my stash, and Michaels/AC Moore.  The Post-it note pads are acrylic frames with paper inserted, then decorated — I get the acryclic frames at a local discount store for 2/$1.  I attached the Post-its with my tape runner.  I got the pens on sale at the time at Staples, but I have recently found packs of two at the dollar store (score!).  These were a GREAT way to use up scraps.  The bookmarks were super simple, and super cute if I do say so myself.  I got the large paper clips in packages of 6 at Staples.  Hope these inspire you…enjoy!

Welcome OWH Blog Hoppers! (RAK!)

Hi…welcome to my little stop on this amazing bloghop! For those of you arriving from Kristen’s blog “KAH-Wink-E-Dink Digi Stamps,” welcome and I hope you took some time to look around — she has some adorable digital stamps and VERY cute cards!  If you’re stumbling onto the hop right now, you might want to start at  http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org to see all the great blogs! 

I have said it before, but I will say it again — I am absolutely thrilled to do my small part for such an amazing organization — Operation Write Home’s mission is to support our nation’s armed forces by sending blank greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them.   I am an avid card maker and I always have more than I can use for family and friends.  I love to check out the website and the blogs  (www.operationwritehome.org) – please take the time to check it out — the soldiers that the cards go to are so grateful and it definitely inspires me to jump into action to do whatever I can for these men and women serving our country!

And, if you ARE inspired, please consider making cards (or having your craft group, school class, or scout troop make cards!). Volunteering for this organization is easy — you can do it whenever you like and you can wear your jammies!  There are only a few basic rules for cardmaking for OWH — no glitter (it can make soldiers visible at night), the best size that allows the most cards into a box is 4.25″ x 5.5″,  general card themes (I love you, hello, miss you) are best, and cards must be handmade.  You can find where to ship the cards — it can be as few as one — on the website.

We were asked to make a card using red, white, and blue to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend and Operation Write Home. This card is from scraps, which, really is my favorite kind of card…and the star is from a swap that I participated in (and it’s shiny, but NOT made of glitter, so it works!).   I am a simple gal, but I hope this card expresses the appreciation I feel for those serving for our country.  Here is another version…

 

On to the really good stuff…If you’d like to be entered to receive a surprise envelope of goodies from me (I can tell you that it will include ribbon, die cuts, paper, and some other crafty goodness), please leave a comment below. (If you are NOT a blogger, please provide your email address like this: name at server dot com and then I can contact you if you win! If you’re a blogger I can click on your name and leave you the news on your blog!).

Enough about me!  After you leave your comment, hop on over to JenMarie! Her cards are AMAZING and her stamping is really cool!  Click here to keep hopping — http://taylormadebyjenmarie.blogspot.com/2010/05/memorial-day-owh-hop-giveaway.html

 Thanks for visiting!

Amy

Just Beclaws

A quick post with an oldie, but a goodie…a hanging treat bag.  If you have read before, you know that I love puns.  LOVE. THEM.  So, I use them as much as humanly possible in crafting.  Here is another good example…cute, simple and useful.  I use these hanging treat bags on wine when I go to someone’s house, or for little gifts on water bottles for coworkers.  Very simple (I used a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.com) but really neat!  Enjoy!

You’re Fintastic!

Hey there — As you can see from the dates of these pictures, I made these hanging tags (from a tutorial on Split Coast Stampers) in November for a craft fair that I participated in.  But, I haven’t had a chance to take pictures of some of the other layouts that I did earlier this week, and I LOVE the idea of these hanging box tags and wanted to share.  So, here is one of the designs that I have made.  I have seen this saying on a lot of things, but I know that at one point Stampin’ Up had a stamp with it (I don’t own THAT stamp set, so I improvised).  I die cut the fish with my old school Sizzix.  I like to give these with chocolates (as pictured) or on water bottles with Crystal Light packets.  Great, little (and inexpensive) gift for co-workers, babysitters, and family members.  These are SO versatile and I have some that I will show you in another post that are birthday designs and holiday designs.  Enjoy!

A