I Ruff You

Today I have a fun card to share with you that features a cute little alien fighter pug.  He's from the Alien Fighters file created by Marjorie Ann Designs.  Years ago I rescued a Pug and a Puggle (and last year added a Terrier mix to the family) so when I saw this file I fell in love.

 

After piecing my little Pug together I had to find the perfect background paper.  I had two different outer space prints and couldn't decide which one to use so I thought I'd layer them and what you see is my final result. 

 

The stamped sentiment is from the Cardz TV Stamps set titled Lucky Dog.

 

The skittles used are the meadow color from DoubleClick Connections.

A Boy and His Owl Burp Cloth

It's been a few days since I've sat down to make a burp cloth and so I thought I'd share one of the new ones I just made with you. 

 

I found this great chevron print flannel over at Joann's and had an inkling that it would make a great backdrop for some burp cloths.  Not really knowing what I'd stitch on them I decided to pick up  a couple yards.  During this same trip to Joann's I decided to really stock up on some flannel since I don't get by there often.  By the time I was done shopping I literally had a cart full of fabric bolts.  You see, I'm addicted to fabric much like I am to my scrapbook paper. 

 

After arriving home with my new fabrics, I quickly set about getting them washed and dried so I could begin cutting what I'd need for the next round of burp cloths.  While waiting for them to launder I sat down to find the files I wanted to use for embroidery. 

 

It didn't take long to decide to stitch this wonderful Harry Potter and Hedwig sketch I found at Thanks 4 the Adventure.  I love the way that this sketch stitched out against the chevron fabric.

 

And there you have it, another burp cloth to add to my collection. 

Some Bunny Special

 

This Easter will be my granddaughter's first Easter, and we can't be more excited.    So of course being the grandma that I am I had to sit down and make an outfit for her.  I didn't want anything fancy - after all Ocean is a beach and sand baby.  (In case you couldn't tell by the name)  For that reason I wanted simple and cute.

 

Using one of the cap sleeve dress blanks from Hobby Lobby I chose to applique the dress with the Easter Bunny Applique from Stinkin' Cute Applique.   Okay, well, I didn't choose.  My daughter did.  I sent her pictures of a few different bunny designs and this was the one she settled on.

 

My daughter also loves to put headbands on Ocean.  Not the ones with the bows as big as her head, but the small, simple ones.  And they look great on her.  So with that in mind I had to make this adorable bunny ear headband I found over at the Applique Corner to go with the dress.  To ensure that the two went together I used the same fabric for the Easter basket on the dress as I did for the headband.

 

 

But wait, that's not all.  😁  I also made an Easter card that matches with her outfit.  That's right.  Marjorie Ann Designs has an SVG file titled You're Eggstra Sweet that compliments the applique.  Pretty nifty, huh?

 

The stamped sentiment on the card is from the Jaded Blossom stamp set titled Honey Bunny.

 

Yep, I just love it when my crafting passions can collide so wonderfully.....

Super Birthday Wishes

I am happy to announce that today I am a guest designer over at Die Cuttin Divas.  This week it's Challenge #310 and Anything Goes.

 

For my project I decided to create a special birthday card for my I Run 4 Buddy who's birthday is this week.  I Run 4 is a group where runners are paired up with those who are unable to get out there an run.  So those of us who can run or just love being active get out there and do it for them.  When we do organized races such as our Spartans or marathons we send them a medal from that race.  And when we're just out there in the gym or hiking or whatever we let them know that we were out there getting it done - in their honor.

 

Now back to my card.  My Run 4 buddy is a big fan of Superman so I decided to use the Superman from the Super Chubbies Super Heroes file from Marjorie Ann Designs on his card.  Of course Superman has to stand out and for that I thought this paper from the Little Man mat stack from Paper House would be perfect. 

 

To finish off my card I used the Super Hero 2 stamp set from Jaded Blossom for my sentiment.  On each side of the sentiment I added a single red skittle from DoubleClick Connections.

 

Now that you've seen my project for this week's challenge, be sure to create your own (remember Anything Goes), link up and play along with us.  We can't wait to see what you create.

Pulp Fiction Wall Art

 

My husband loves the movie Pulp Fiction.  So, when I saw this file Pulp Fiction file over at Cuttable Designs I knew that I had create something with it.  Now hubby is not the type to wear something like this on a shirt so it would have to be something different.  Something he could display.  Since he has his own game room I thought I'd create a piece of wall art for him.

 

He recently went through a bunch of boxes he's had in storage and one was full of nothing but different award certificates he had framed.  Given that he's not been with that company for almost 10 years he decided it was time to take them out of the frames.  And when he did I snatched a couple of them to "recycle".

 

After cleaning the glass and allowing it to dry I grab my bottles of Purple Twilight and Stream colored alcohol inks.  I applied a couple drops of Purple Twilight to the applicator felt and began stamping across the glass.  I then applied a couple drops of blending solution followed by the Stream color and started stamping across the glass in the opposite direction.  As I did this I ensured that I filled in any spots missed while stamping the purple.  Then I decided to gentle smear the colors together on one side of the glass to add more textural look.  Once satisfied with the ink coverage I allowed it to dry overnight.

 

Once the ink was cured, I added a sheet of white paper behind the side that was inked and closed the frame.  Then, on the outside of the glass I applied the vinyl design.

 

And now, my hubby has a cool and unique piece of art to hang in his room.

Hello Sugar Angel

Happy Friday everyone!  Today I have a cutie of a card that I'd like to share with you. 

 

I woke up pretty early this morning and thought I'd play in my craft room while the hubby was still sleeping and I had some time before having to get ready for work.  After going through a couple of files I decided I'd used this Sweet Sugar Angel from Marjorie Ann Designs as the focus of my card.

 

Then using Mojo Monday's sketch #442 I pieced together my card.

 

The stamped sentiment is from the Jaded Blossom stamp set titled Hello Hello.

 

I also used some watermelon colored skittles from DoubleClick Connections as the center of my bows.

 

And finally, over at Cut It Up challenges the current challenge is to use either faux or real stitching on your card.  As you can see I opted for faux.

 

Now I'm off to enter my card into the following challenges:

 

Cut It Up - You've Got Me in Stitches - Ends April 5th

 

Hiding in My Craft Room - Designer Paper x3 - Ends March 25th

Sitting Bunny

 

Today I have a cute bunny burp cloth that I'd like to share with you.  This one features a relatively recently released applique from the Applique Corner titled Bunny Sitting.  The one thing that I really loved about stitching this one out was that it required only three pieces of fabric.  This made the creation process faster and the cutting so much easier.  Yes, I could have used my Embrilliance software along with my Silhouette and pre-cut my fabrics, but I still need to get the hang of that.  Right now I prefer to do it all myself.

 

For this cloth I used another flannel that I picked up from JoAnn's.  It's called I Love Mommy - although it clearly also says I Love Daddy.  Initially I purchased one yard of this fabric which has yielded about 2 1/2 cloths so I need to get back there and buy some more while it's still on sale.

 

And when I go back I think I'll keep an eye out from some French Terry fabric because I'm thinking about making my own baby bibs instead of using pre-done blanks.  Hmmmmmmm

Niffler and His Diamond

We are just a week away (minus a day) from the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on DVD, and I for one am excited......along with the other who knows how many Harry Potter fans.  So in honor of the upcoming release date I thought I'd play around at making a small t-shirt with one of the creatures that just steals the show (and a great many other things) - the Niffler.

 

These little creatures have a penchant for anything shiny.  Thus his holding onto his diamond treasure. 

 

I made a onesie with this Niffler a couple months ago.  Only then I used a different holographic HTV for the diamond.  That one didn't show up as well since it was on a color other than black.  I was so bummed out by it that I went in search of a better holographic that I was confident would work.

 

And my file?  Well, it's one that was share in one of my Harry Potter FB groups. 

 

Now to wait for Tuesday to get here so we can re-watch this wonderful addition to the Harry Potter collection.

Sleepy Bear

I found this Snuggle flannel fabric in my stash the other day.  I completely forgot I had it because my current cabinet is so over packed and I can't see half of what I have.  (But that's going to change very soon.  More on that at a later date.)  My original intention was to use this fabric for a scarf liner but then I never got around to making those scarves.  In the long run that works out better for me because this fabric is perfect and much better suited for the burp cloth craze I've found myself in lately.

 

Since this fabric has little bears printed on it I thought it would make sense to use a bear applique.  So I chose the Bear Sleeping Girl Applique from Applique Corner.  She stitched out beautifully and compliments this burp cloth well.

Happiness Enclosed

 

I have an Easter card that I'd like to share with you today.  I made this one using the Easter Bear file from Marjorie Ann Designs.  I've had this file in my stash since last year when it was given as a freebie in her FB group Free SVG's ~ Games & More ~ Marjorie Ann Designs.  Not sure why I waited so long to use it because it pieces together nicely and he's cute as can be.

 

When putting my card together I decided to also pull another sketch from my stash to use.  It's another one I've had for a while but haven't used until now.  At first I wasn't sure if I like the colors and such but the more I look at the card the more I like it.

 

The stamped sentiment I used is from the Craftin Desert Divas stamp set Happy Thoughts.

Superhero

 

Tomorrow is my first Spartan Race of the season.  And while I won't be able to do many of them this year, this one always holds a special place in my heart.  Not only is it my first race every season but it's one I run every year with my oldest daughter and this year one of my son's will be running it with us as well.  I hear a lot of people say they couldn't run a race like this but I'm here to tell you that if people that are blind, missing arms/legs and all other sorts of 'health' issues can do it anyone can. 

 

Knowing that I'll see adaptive athletes out there on the course tomorrow I thought it fitting to end this week with a superhero project.

 

So today, I'm sharing a Superhero card I created using the Little Heroes set from Marjorie Ann Design.  My boys have always had a thing for superheroes, and some of the still do to this day so I find myself drawn to them. 

 

The sentiment on my card is from the Jaded Blossom stamp set Super Hero 2.  And as I often do these days, I added some skittles to my card.  These are the stream color from DoubleClick Connections.

 

Not only that but I found this great applique to match over at Stinkin Cute Applique.  This one is called Little Superhero 2.  Like the other appliques I've stitched from Stinkin Cute this one was easy and fun to put together.  And I love how he turned out. 

 

Together this combo will make a fun baby shower gift for any mom who's expecting a little boy.

Hey Look, It's Woody

I was strolling through Etsy the other day when I stumbled across this shop called Thanks4theAdventure.  The owner has all sorts of great designs for applique and embroidery and what I found most intriguing was that she has "sketches".  I've never stitched anything like that before but I was willing to give it a try to see how I liked it.

 

Knowing that I had this green, plaid looking fabric I needed to turn into a boyish burp cloth I searched for what I thought would be a good file to try.  That's when I found Woody.  I thought the colors needed would be perfect for this fabric, and after getting it all stitched out I'd say I was right.  🙂

 

I really liked the way that this sketch stitched out.  It didn't get lost in the fabric and you can tell who it's supposed to be.  Yep, I do believe I'll be stitching out more of these type files on my projects.  Best of all I love that it brings another variation to the crafting table.

Deathly Hallows Shirt

My husband and I will be celebrating our 15th anniversary this coming Monday and this year we told each other we'd take a belated trip to Universal Studios as our gift to each other.  So as we count down the days until our trip (we put it off to May when the weather is warmer) I have made my first shirt.

 

I don't know how many of you are Harry Potter fans or how many of you may have read the books or at least watched the movies.  Throughout the series Harry comes up three different 'mythical' objects that together are known as the Deathly Hallows - the cloak of invisibility, a wand that cannot be beaten and a stone that is said to bring the dead back to life.

 

So when I saw this file for the Deathly Hallows shared in one of my FB groups I thought it would be a perfect one to use for my shirt.  I thought it would be more difficult to weed than it was and so I was pleasantly surprised with how easy this was to create.

 

Now I just have to wait to be able to wear it.....

A Bear and His Friends

I didn't get much sewing done this past weekend because I bought a new china cabinet to use for my fabric storage.  Before I could begin using it though I had to do a lot of clean up because the lady I bought it from had it sitting in her garage.  Then after I got it cleaned up I had to make room for it because it was a bit wider than her description said.

 

So while I didn't get much done I was still able to sew and today I would like to share one of the burp cloths I made.  For this one I decided to stitch out another new file from Stinkin Cute Applique.  This one is called Bear & Turtle Friends.  As soon as I saw it I knew it would be a perfect design to use with this green flannel I picked up.

 

This was another great project to stitch out, and I had a lot of fun with this burp cloth.

 

Speaking of fun, do you ever wonder where some of the fun fabrics I use for my appliques come from?  Several months ago we had a new fabric store come to town called TJ's Fabrics.  Best part is that you can order online and they have more choices available online.  And I have to say that after years of buying fabric from Hobby Lobby and Joann's this stuff is top notch.  Now that's not to say I won't buy from the others because I will.  It just means I'm more selective now.  And with cute projects like this Bear and his friends you gotta have the good stuff.

Hopping By

Easter is only a month away so I thought I'd get started on some Easter projects.  Today I'd like to share a card I made using the recently released Ginger Loves Easter set. 

 

If you've followed my blog over the past year or so you have probably noticed that I am a sucker for Marjorie Ann Designs' gingers.  There's not a single ginger that doesn't scream out "make me! make me!".   😀 

 

For this ginger, I decided to use a card sketch that I've only used once before (and that time it was an Easter card too).  I thought it would be perfect to showcase this svg design and I think that it did so beautifully.

 

Now I will admit that when I decided to use this particular card blank I had no idea that I was going to be in for some trouble.  (Guess that'll teach me that all deals are really deals.)  After putting my card together and adding my sentiment I noticed that the ink was not drying.  I let it sit as I always do, but it still smudged after several minutes of dry time.  That meant I had to add some extra elements to my card that I did not originally anticipate.

 

My sentiment is from the Jaded Blossom stamp set Honey Bunny.  As you can see I ended up stamping it onto a piece of regular cardstock and then adhered it to the card.  I also added some blue skittles from DoubleClick Connections to finish it off.

 

So while these elements weren't planned for my card everything turned out okay in the end.....

Rainy Day Duck

Today I have another burp cloth that I'd like to share with you.  This one features a cute little duck in her rainy day outfit complete with umbrella.  She's another great applique design from Stinkin Cute Applique titled Rainy Day Duck.

 

This was a fun and easy file to work with and I love how it stitched out.

 

If you've just recently found my blog and this is the first post you've read and are wondering how I made my burp cloth (that's right - it's not a pre-purchase burp cloth) let me share that with you.

 

Before I began my burp cloth adventure I thought about using the Gerber brand diapers.  After all so many are made that way.  But then I decided that I didn't want to be like the "so many others" and decided that I would make my own cloths from start to finish.  So off I went in search of a pattern until I found this one from Simplicity sitting in the pattern drawer at Hobby Lobby. 

 

For my fabrics, I settled on using flannel and then using a soft batting in between to help give it some thickness and absorbency.  I found my batting at Hobby Lobby, it's a cotton batting and it lays out very well with the flannel.

 

 For this burp cloth I found this great nursery print baby flannel at Joann's.  Both Hobby Lobby and Joann's has some great choices for flannel and I will be building up my stash from both.  Especially as I find new designs to play with.

Blah Blah......Coffee

 

Coffee.  It's what keeps most of us running.  It lures us in with its scent as it brews and then we take that first warm sip and we're hooked.  Once the caffeine kicks it, forget it, we're like addicts who need more.

 

Kind of like this morning.  My internal alarm clock woke me up about an hour early again.  I don't know, maybe my body is trying to prepare me for the time change that's coming this weekend.  And if that's the case it can just stop.  In the meantime though, I find myself sitting here feeling blah as I wait for the caffeine to kick in and wake me up.

 

That's why today's project is such a perfect one to share. 

The coffee cup is one that I picked up from the Dollar Tree and altered myself.  I found the coffee heartbeat from a google search and simply traced the image to add with the verbiage.  I cut the everything from Oracle 651 vinyl and adhered to the cup.

 

The card was created using the Morning Coffee file from Marjorie Ann Designs.  For the sentiment, I remember seeing this saying on a sign in Cracker Barrel sometime ago.  However, I've shortened that to what you see on my card. 

 

Now I just need to add some candy - like coffee M&Ms - and gift it to my daughter who is a coffee addict like none I've ever seen.  🙈

Giraffe Heart

This past Sunday I sat down at my embroidery and sewing machines for several hours working on building my stash of baby burp cloths.  Out of the few things that I have embroidered I have found that I enjoy making the burp cloths more than anything.  And I guess that's a good thing because they sure do take a while to make.

 

From cutting the fabric, to embroidering the design, and finishing the cloth by sewing it all together takes about one and a half hours.  And that includes working on cutting or sewing together others while the current one is being embroidered.  🙂

 

A couple days ago I shared with you what pattern and batting I like to use for making these cloths, and you can find that post here.  For this burp cloth I found this great nursery print baby flannel at Joann's.  When I purchased this fabric I purchased two yards and boy am I glad that I did because I discovered this past weekend that one yard will yield three cuts.  That means I can make one cloth using the same fabric for the front and back but the second cloth will need to be backed with a solid fabric.  Now in the grand scheme of things that's not a problem and will actually provide more variety - it's just not what I had originally envisioned.

 

The applique for this burp cloth is from the Applique Corner and it is called Giraffe Heart.  (Imagine that - lol)  I bought this design for Valentine's Day but never really found anything to make with it.  But I thought this design would be perfect for a baby girl burp cloth.  And I really love how the yellow and pink pop against that grey flannel background.  I was a little afraid of the design getting lost but it turned out beautifully.

Calling All Heroes

 

I don't know about you but I love it when I find two of my crafting passions collide.   I know, I know.  Collide doesn't sound like a good thing but trust me, in this case it is a good thing.  Remember how I shared last week that my friend Marge had opened a new shop on Etsy called Stinkin Cute Applique?  Well the designs she's using to create these wonderful appliques can also be found in SVG for at Marjorie Ann Designs.

 

That means if you're like me and you love to papercraft AND you enjoy embroidery too you can coordinate some of your crafting. 

 

For example, I created today's greeting card using the Little Heroes file at Marjorie Ann Designs.  The stamped sentiment is from the Calling All Superheroes stamp set from Craftin Desert Divas.

 

 

Then I made this fun burp cloth using the Little Super Hero 3 applique file from Stinkin Cute Applique.  This little cutie was a lot of fun to stitch and I absolutely LOVE how he turned out.  Even with my limited newbie skills I couldn't mess this hero up. 

 

Now you put the two of these cuties together and you have a cute little gift set to give for a precious little boy.  See?  Crafting passions collide.  LOL

Spring Wishes

I am happy to announce that I have rejoined the Marjorie Ann Designs design team.  I took a couple months off for various reasons but they were crazy enough to take me back and so here I am.  😀 

 

With Spring around the corner I thought it would be fun to create a springtime card.  I mean I don't know about you, but I'm ready for those wonderful days of beautiful sunshine.  I hate the cold. (Even though it doesn't get that cold in Florida compared to other areas.)  But I love the sun and the heat and being able to be outside doing what I love.  That's why when I saw these Spring Bonnet Girls I knew they'd be perfect for my return project.

 

I searched through my collection of card sketches and decided to use this one to showcase my bonnet girl.  It's a fun sketch that has some great versatility.  And it was perfect for this card.

 

The sentiment I chose for my card is from the Garden Cuties stamp set by Craftin Desert Divas.  And to finish off my card I chose to use a couple of meadow green skittles from the DoubleClick Connections.

Love Monkeys

I have a flour sack towel that I'd like to share with you today.  I found a set of three of these at my local Michaels around the section where they have all their Gildan T-shirts.  I wasn't exactly sure what I'd stitch on them, but I knew that the flour sack towels are pretty popular in the embroidery groups I'm in so I figured I'd pick up a couple to play with.

 

When my friend opened her Etsy shop, Stinkin Cute Applique, I knew this Love Monkey file would be a fun applique. 

 

Now I'm still not at the point yet where I've gotten comfortable stitching on actual shirts or baby clothes.  So while I'm working on that I thought I'd stitch these cute monkeys out on one of the flour sack towels. 

 

I'm pretty glad I did too because I love the way that it turned out.  The file stitched out beautifully and is one that is perfect for using on shirts, towels, and even a baby's burp cloth.  Yep, I can see some fun projects in my future with this wonderful file full of love....

Walking Dead Ornament

I realize it's only March but I have several boxes of ornaments screaming to be altered and turned into something other than clear glass.  Since I've been playing with using alcohol ink for wall art I thought I'd try my hand at ornaments as well.  This is just one of the half dozen I've inked.

 

Creating the ornaments was easy.  I gently added a couple drops of ink into the ornament, allowing it to run down the side and then swirled ever so slightly.  Then using a can of compressed air with the straw inserted I gave quick taps to allow the air burst to spread the ink inside the ornament.

 

Once dry I looked at how each ornament turned out and when I looked at this one I knew it was perfect for turning into a Walking Dead one.  The file I used for this ornament is one that was shared in one of my FB groups.

 

And there you have it.  My very first Christmas ornament AND project for 2017.  😁

Cloudy with Dragons

I wanted to try my hand at making something new this weekend.  Something that would also help rejuvenate my lost love for sewing.  You see it's been an off and on love - hate relationship.  I'm just simply not that great at it.  As a child my mother used to sew everything.  Then in 8th grade I took home ec and somewhere in my high school years I was gifted with my first sewing machine.  But then I got married, started having kids and cast my sewing aside.  Heck with six blessings I cast any crafting I did aside - for a while.

 

As the kids started to grow my desire to get back to my crafting grew and one year my husband surprised me with a Baby lock sewing machine.  Unbeknownst to me, my mother was upgrading her machine and instead of selling or trading in the one she had she sold it to my husband.  I still have that machine - for now.  It's been giving me fits off and on and right now it's sitting in the local repair shop so I imagine it's not too long before I'll have to replace it.

 

Before it died on me though I was just able to complete this project.  My first ever baby burp cloth.  I didn't want to use Gerber diapers as my base for the cloth and so I went out in search of a pattern so I could sew my own.  That's when I found this pattern from Simplicity sitting in the pattern drawer at Hobby Lobby. 

 

For my fabrics, I settled on using flannel and then using a soft batting in between to help give it some thickness and absorbency.  I found both of these at Hobby Lobby as well.  The fabric is a cloud print and the batting is a cotton batting.

 

Of course this fabric required just the right applique to be sewn on it.  When I saw this adorable dragon from Stinkin Cute Applique I knew it would be perfect.  The applique was easy to stitch and I think the end result is beautiful.  I'm just thrilled that my machine held out long enough to get this one finished.