Jeremiah Was a Bull Frog

Good Morning Everyone!

Have you ever walked into a store and had something "call out to you"? Well, that's what happened to me a few days ago. I walked into HomeGoods and saw a lamp that I just had to buy! Was this lamp created for me or what!!!

The pompoms came in it and they don't come out. Well, maybe they'd come out if I loosened the hexagonal nut at the base of the lamp, but other pompoms wouldn't coordinate with the shade. Do the colors coordinate with my dining room which is where I do my crafting? No, not at all. Do I care? No, not at all! The lamp was just too cool to pass up and adds a fun touch to my crafting area.

My daughter, Marie, has been creating the most awesome things. Cupcakes, cakes, the watermelon turtle that I shared with you a while ago, different flavors of popcorn, and most recently candy. I bought her a Wilton chocolate melter and a few nights ago she was dipping everything in the house in melted chocolate...rod pretzels, tiny pretzels, popcorn, raisins, craisins, marshmallows, cereal, and more. Yesterday she made some peanut butter cups for Lisa's birthday and wanted to make a box for them. We found a "Timeless template" on PaperTreyInk's web site called Captured card case, purchased it, downloaded it, and created some boxes.

Here's the window box I created. I used one of my oval nestabilities to create the window.  I used a piece of a transparency for the "glass" in the window. 

The box is perfect for candy.  The box is also perfect for A2 cards! My sister, Pam, ordered 50 Christmas cards and 25 gift tags. The boxes hold about 15 embellished cards and their envelopes. So in addition to cards and gift tags, Pam will be getting some boxes that she can use as storage for small gifts.

Pam wants an assortment of cards.  She lives in California and would like them to arrive some time next week so I must settle down and get to work. Do you remember the song, "Joy to the World" that Three Dog Night sang back in the Seventies? The opening words are "Jeremiah Was a Bull Frog".

While I was exploring the Addicted to Rubber Stamps web site, I saw the "Xmas in the Pond" stamp from Penny Black stamps, I thought of that song and knew I had to use it on some of my cards. I found a "Joy to the World" stamp at Michaels. I mounted the frogs and text on musical patterned paper from this year's dcwv small Christmas Combo block. I used watercolor pencils to color the frogs.

I may post again in a day or two, but in case I don't I hope that all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving. Remember to save room for dessert and hot tea of course.

Carol

 

More Ornaments

Hi Everyone!
I haven't abandoned you!  As I said a few days ago I have been as busy as one of Santa's elves.  Today I will share photographs of a few more of the ornaments I created. 

Tootsie roll lollipop ornaments are easy to create.  They're made from a 1.5 inch styrofoam ball, a lollipop stick, and a 6-inch square of fabric.  I used the pinking blade of my fabric rotary cutter to help me cut the fabric squares.  I used a hot glue gun to attach the lollipop sticks to the styrofoam balls.

I threaded a piece of gold cord through the center of each fabric square and created a loop so that the lollipops can be hung on a tree.  Then I draped the fabric square over the styrofoam ball.  I wrapped and tightly tied  a 10-inch length of thin ribbon around the fabric on the ball. 

I've had a box of small embellishments sitting on one of my shelves for years.  I used them to decorate some tiny wreaths.  The wreaths can be hung from a tree or used as napkin rings. 

When I was out shopping the other night I saw a pop-up sort of card that I liked and decided to make one of my own.  The outside of it has some snowflakes that were created from a Marvy Uchida giga snowflake punch and the words "A gift for you."  Those words were created with clear alphabet stamps from Lawn Fawn called Harold's ABCs.  I LOVE those stamps.  I've only had them for a few weeks, but have used them so many times when I had a message that I wanted to create, but didn't have a stamp with that message.  After I took a picture of the card and studied the picture I decided to add some rhinestones to the snowflakes just to make them sparkle a bit more.

It's a bit hard to see the inside of the card.  I used a Sizzix Bigz Spiral/Garland die and cut 2 spirals.  First I glued 2 sheets of decorative paper inside the card.  Then I added the 2 spirals.  I embellished the spirals and the decorative papers with snowflakes that I paper punched and cut from some dies. 

I created and printed some business cards that say, "Place any gift card here" so that the people who purchase the card will know it's a gift card holder.  I used some photo corners to attach the message card to the card.  The card was a little labor intensive especially since I had to play around for a while to figure out how to create it.  Now that it's done, I really like it. 
Tomorrow is the craft fair at St. Joseph's Parish in Wakefield.  I'll be there with my drum, wreath, lollipop and knitting basket ornaments; my tea light cupcakes, my hostess candle and matches sets, and hundreds of cards for all occasions. 
Have a great night!
Carol

Santa's Workshop

Good Morning Everyone!


Shhh! I'll tell you a little secret. Santa's workshop isn't really at the North Pole. It's here...in my dining room...in Massachusetts!

I have been as busy as Santa's elves. While I was coloring some of my "warm winter wishes" cards I had an idea. I thought of an ornament I made years ago that was a basket of knitting. After tracking down the little baskets I made a few of the ornaments and took them to the craft fair in Acton. They sold immediately so I have been making more of them for the next 2 craft fairs. I used some of my paper crafting ribbon to edge the baskets.

I had such a good time making the knitting basket ornament that I decided to make some other ornaments too. These drums are my favorite. As you can see they are made from small papier mache boxes that are covered with scrapbook paper. The drumsticks are made from tiny craft sticks with a pony bead on the end of them. The boxes can be opened, but I am going to discourage people from doing that because the cording that I used for the drum hangers makes the covers fit very tightly on the boxes. If you make these drums and don't plan to use them as ornaments, skip the cording and the boxes will open easily.


Will be back again in a day or two to share some other ornaments with you. Have a great day!
Carol

Just Checking In

Hi Everyone!

I know that I haven't posted in quite a while so I thought I would stop by to say hello.  I have been in Craft Fair mode so I have been busy creating duplicates and slight variations of cards I have already posted on this blog.   I will be at St. Joseph's Craft Fair in Wakefield on November 20 and at the Polar Bear Fair in Reading on December 11. 



I was asked to create an oversized retirement card that measured 8.5" x 11" when it was folded.  I was told that the retiree loves the beach.  One of the books I own, Fast and Fun Folded Cards edited by Tanya Fox, has a card in it that I referred to as I created my card.  This book from Annie's Attic has photographs and directions for a nice variety of folded cards and gift card holders. 

I followed the simple folding technique directions that were in the book and created the umbrella that you see on the card.  I have used those same directions to create tiny umbrellas as well as oversized ones for a bulletin board.  The sand is created from pieces of torn sandpaper.  All of the other pieces are embellishments that I had in my stash. 





Have a great day!
Carol