Sparkly Train

What's All the Buzz About

2017-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I think I have mentioned before that my husband's interest have extended to bee keeping. That being true, of course, my interest has extended to Bee stamps, papers and charms also dies and embossing folders. So basically if I find something to craft with and it has a bee on it, I'm good to go.

I also love the bees and bee themed crafts because I connect them with one of my favorite bible verses "How sweet are your words to my taste sweeter than honey to my mouth" Psalm 119:103

I was browsing through ebay for bee stamps and came across this one and couldn't resist it.

The image was die cut to fit the frame. I love that it is a nice big stamp, big stamps are so fun to color. So often, the really spiffy stamps are so small or don't have much detail. I used several layers and fussy cut the bees and used glossy accents on the wings and the eyes. I really like how the little beady eyes came out. The comb took lots of time to color with a number of different pencils, I think somewhere around 9 or 10 maybe more.

Just a little tip. I gave up using the adhesive on adhesive jewels and glue them down with a dot of wet glue. I personally like Art Glitter's designer adhesive. I despise finding having my jewels fall off.
Until you tomorrow. May you beeee blessed.

Leftover's

2017-03-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

I like leftovers. I like leftover food, ready for the next meal. I like leftover flowers from fancy arrangements, I like leftover seeds to see what grows. I like leftover crafty bits to see what they will create.

Today, I made a card of leftover crafty bits. I knew as soon as I punched out a piece of cardstock for another card that I really wanted to use the negative piece leftover.

I added a few bits left from some other cards and voila, it's a card. There was no die cutting and no stamping only a few embellishments sometimes. Quick and easy is just fun and fabulous.

Popping in for Tea

2017-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

There are two things I really love, OK, actually there are a lot more, but; today we are talking about two. One is tea and the other is making cards so when I can bring these two loves together. It's always a good day.

I am particularly thrilled with the tea cup stamp I used for this card. It has a lovely blue willow pattern and is particularly large.

The really spiffy part about this card isn't just the card front, inside it's a pop-up

It was incredibly fun getting to use so many of my tea stamps for this card; five stamps in the inside and the one on the front.

This card makes my little frou-frou heart pitty pat with all it's tea goodnessy girlieness

Fairy Silhouette Pocket Letter

2017-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I am enjoying pocket letters? Yes, I think I did. Sooo, be prepared to see them popping up here quite often.

This pocket letter I made a little while back for a friend from my house mouse group who seems to be as taken with fairies as I am.

I learned a few things making this one, like how to glue something to the front of a pocket letter. I think I must have tried a dozen glues to get these to work. I finally settled on #E6000.

This time a have a picture of the back where I added all the fun bits and bobs.

For this pocket letter I tried to keep most of the embellishments in a purple and black theme. I did add some silver leaves which I love using in lots of different projects. I always buy lots of them during the Christmas clearance sales. I also couldn't resist adding the pretty butterfly post it notes - So fun, I ordered those from China.

Blessings Be.

Lucky Find

2017-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Being part Irish, I am of course obligated to celebrate. When the children were little, every meal was as green as I could make it. Green eggs, green oatmeal, green butter on green toast (yes, I made the bread myself). Lunch would be more green bread with green egg salad with lettuce or alfalfa sprouts, and finally green dinner, it could be green pasta with green pasta sauce, green rice, of course a completely green salad and green jello with green veggies and one year green breaded pork chops made from the leftover bread crumbs. We even had green milk or koolaide. I really miss those days.

This year, being just a tiny bit more organized than last, I managed to make and send some cute little St. Patrick's Day cards. I used my favorite St. Pat's stamp from my vast collection of House Mouse stamps.

I have to say, Spellbinders has made creating cards so much fun. I love all the beautiful dies that are now available in the card making world. The embossing folders are equally fabulous, although, I must admit, Anna Griffin's folders are my all time favorites, oh, and the original dotted swiss.

I couldn't find a design paper that appealed to me for this card so I just edged a piece of white card with a delightful washi tape. It added a perfect touch. The gold paper also has a lovely shimmer.

For the first time in a long while I decided to join in on the House Mouse Monday Challenge HERE The theme is Party and on St. Pat's that is what it's all about.

Happy St. Pat's

Wintertime Gorjuss Pocket Letter

2017-03-16T13:25:00.003-07:00

Oh my, I hadn't realized how long it's been since I posted here. Well it looks like I am back. My children have asked me to keep posting so, here I go again.

I recently began swapping pocket letters. I have to say, I truly, truly enjoy these. They are not only fun to make, but choosing the little treasures to fill it with is filled with such fun decisions. Should I use this little item from my stash or that one. What will my partner like, will I stick with a theme or be random. I also enjoy creating little bits for the letters, little paper clips with cute embellishments, pretty stick pins, coloring cards, and so very many ideas.

Receiving one is like receiving a wonderful birthday gift in the mail filled with tiny treasures. Sometimes I use the little treasures sometimes I just leave them in the pocket to be admired again and again.

The world of pocket letters is definitely a like a teaparty with Alice, enchanting, exciting and filled with whimsy.

This is a Gorjuss pocket letter I created for a swap party in England. It's actually the second pocket letter. The first on didn't get photographed and darn it all the it never reached it's intended. I think the post office gremlin snitched it.

So without further ado, here is my Gorjuss wintertime pocket letter.

These sweetly shy little girl images tickle my heart. I love having an opportunity to share them.

MY King Fisher

2016-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

OK, yep, I know, the title is corny but, hey, it makes me smile and I know my Johnny Luv will like it. (You do don't you Sweetie?) My Johnny Luv always keeps tabs of what's going on here on the blog.

This is a fun layout I created using Cricut Air and an Anna Griffin cartridge and die cuts. This layout is the first one I have ever made using a Cricut Air or any other Cricut for that matter. I used the Cricut Air while at a Anna Griffin event in Georgia and fell in love with the ease of it. It is way kewl. I will be doing this often. Well, not this exactly, but something using Cricut.

Faux wood vinyl was used to make this. It had three background layers and then a photo of Johnny Luv on his first fishing trip at our friend's farm. Each layer is popped up. I used some fun masculine embellishments also all popped with dimensional foam and a feather that I found while at the farm.

This is the first time I have not matted my photo before adding it to a layout but I really wanted this one to feel more like a collage of "man stuff".

Treasure Box

2016-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have a huge collection of cigar boxes waiting to be altered. I decided that the time was right to alter one since I needed some embellishment storage.

I love creating pretty storage that can be displayed in the craft room. It keeps things handy but beautiful all at the same time.

This box was crated to match the crown I recently made. I display them next to each other.

Of course, this is a staged picture but I like seeing them on top of one of my storage cabinets. It makes me happy and that's what it's all about.

Little Bird

2016-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Lately you have seen quite a bit of my oldest daughter featured in different layouts. Today, I'm sharing a layout featuring my youngest daughter.
She is perched in my mother's shade tree like a little bird. This tree has been special to my family. We have pictures of every single grandchild and many of the great grandchildren in it. In fact, we were talking about that this past Father's Day while we all sat under its' very welcome shade.

This layout continues the quilt them using a star pattern this time. I had lots of fun creating this and was kind of sad to cover it with the photo and embellishments but it came out really well in my mind.

I'm thinking that if I can find some of this print in fabric, I will make q quilt using this pattern.

Wedding Ring Layout

2016-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I recently began quilting classes and absolutely enjoy them. It is so much easier than I envisioned. However, I couldn't help myself, I had to start taking my quilting patterns to my paper.

This is a layout featuring a wedding ring quilt pattern. I cut all the rings out and then cut each one into sections to create each ring. The rings were interlocked and attached to a embossed background to create a quilted look.

The top and bottom border are pleated in a matching paper and I used a pretty grey that was in the rings as a border.

The photo was cut into an oval and matted with the same pink as in the pleated border and then I pleated a seam binding around the entire thing.

I used a bunch of pretty floral die cuts and gilt flourished to soften the edges of the frame and added a little bit of the same floral to the top corner to balance the layout.

Now as always there is a lot of dimension added to this project with foam tape. But there is no bling at all - weird for me, right?

Oh by the way, this is a picture of my oldest daughter, Bonita-chan, for those of you who know us.

Pop up Primroses

2016-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I admit, I cheat. I cheat when I'm making cards. I don't always stamp anymore. Sometimes, I make a quick card using Anna Griffin kits. This is one of my quick cards. I love that you would never know it. They look totally awesome and there are millions of combinations you can put together to create each card so that they are still personal.

The front of the card is very simple.

It's when you open the card that the magic happens

I love the beauty of the antique reproduction die cuts and the beautiful gilt florishes. Of course, the butterflies are very pretty too. The hardest part of creating these cards is deciding on what you want to add and isn't that a pleasant dilema?

Gilded Patchwork

2016-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share another scrapbook layout with you today. I was tickled to find this photo of my father-in-law and his mother and her second husband among a bunch of old photos and wanted it to have a special layout.

The scrapbook layout I created was begun at Anna Griffin's Create event last year. I used four different foil gilded papers to create the background. Next I layered lots of gilt die cuts to frame the photo and added some flower die cuts also. Die cuts also draped the top of the layout and framed the corners.

Hang It Up

2016-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love displaying my scrapbook pages after I make them and I finally found a good way to display them after they are finished. I altered a wooden slacks hanger.

I painted with cream paint as a base and then added gold filigree die cuts and after that layers and layers of flower die cuts and butterfly die cuts. Next I added lots of of glitter and bling. The finishing touch was a pretty pink silk ribbon around the metal hook.

What's on Your Work Desk Wednesday

2016-06-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have played along with WOYWW but here goes nothing. My desk and craft room are in a state of flex. I have not finished organizing everything since I moved into my new space. I have tubs of stamps and craft materials all over. I'm missing curtains and table skirts and artwork on the walls. However, all this doesn't stop me from crafting and making a bigger mess to clean up.

I look forward to the day when I can post pictures of a finished craft room.

If you have never heard of WOYWW or you have and haven't joined in the fun of peeking at other crafty spaces join in by adding a photo of your space here.

Butterfly Blues

2016-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

OK, so the butterfly on today's card only has a little bit of blue on it, but the card does actually have a blue and white color scheme. I love blue and white, red and white, yellow and white, green and white and white on white. Hmmmm, seems to be a theme here.

After stenciling a card using my dies the other day. I decided to do it again. This time I used two new background die that have just been sitting on my desk begging to be used and one of my favorite butterfly dies. (I have more butterfly dies than I care to admit I actually own and my Johnny Luv and Paulie Darlin' keep buying me more.)

I used a darker blue die to stencil in the vines on the furthest die cut and the butterflies wings. The center lattice work die started out as white card stock that I inked with a pretty turquoise blue. The blue back ground mat is actually white card stock that was inked with the dark blue so it would be an exact match. True to my sparkly-pop esthetic everything has been popped with dimensional tape (wish I owned stock) and multiple rhinestones were attached, which was rather time consuming with the tiny ones.

Mayflowers and Butterflies

2016-06-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the latest trendy thing in the paper community? That's right I am talking about pocket letters. What you haven't heard of pocket letters? They are happy mail exchanged between crafters. Using a 9 pocket baseball card holder, a person fills each pocket with little bits and bobs that they enjoy and share with another crafter. Sometimes the fronts are decorated and the backs are filled with stash treats. Other times the fronts are the decoration and stash treat all in one. They always include a note from the originating crafter along the lines of a pen pal. Pocket letter exchanges can be a one time exchange or a long term pal.

I was introduced to pocket letters by a friend in my House Mouse group. They have slowly been creeping up on me and stealing my attention. So much so that I have actually joined an on line exchange group. My first swap was themed Mayflowers and Butterflies.

Here is the pocket letter I created.

I chose a pretty piece of design paper with some lovely flowers to be my background paper. I then stamped and colored four butterflies and popped two together and then popped them onto the background paper. I added glitter to the Pink flowers and then cut it into 9 even 2.5" x 3.5" pieces. Next I took a second piece of the same background paper and fussy cut one of the flowers out and added to the outer front corner of the pocket letter, again adding glitter.

Washi tape was added to the side. Finally I added a ribbon tassel through a hole in the plastic card holder and tied on a bunch of fun butterfly charms and pony beads.

Now for the back

You can see the ribbon tassel much better in this picture.

I filled the pockets with some fun embellishments. Across the top I have a set of pretty little butterfly tags with glittered butterflies and edges tied up with a bit of pretty lace, next are a selection of butterfly die cuts and in the third pocket is a magnet I made from a drink can.

In the middle pockets are more die cuts in white so that they may be colored in to match a project, hand made stick pins to match the pink and yellow butterflies in front, and a variety of paper flowers that can be used singly or together.

The bottom row has a pretty envelope with a note to my partner, a glassine envelope filled with transparent butterflies, and some white butterfly and flower stickers that can be colored to match a project.

I am anxious to hear back from my partner. This is my second pocket letter and I am very excited about the entire thing. I received my pocket letter and was delighted with the design and embellishments. It is like receiving treasure and smiles in the mail.

Every Queen A Crown

2016-06-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every woman deserves a crown. I believe that, I really do so....I made a crown for myself. It took me a while. I knew I wanted to create something special and I looked around on the internet for inspiration. A woman I worked with had made one using Graphic 45 papers and it was fabulous, but, I needed one that reflected me. Since it had to reflect me, I, of course, used a crown from a Burger King kids meal for my pattern.

I covered it in beautiful floral paper on the outside and pale blue card stock on the inside. Next time, and I'm sure there will be a next time, I will not use as many layers of card stock. Three is too many.

Next I added lacy gold die cuts space evenly around and then added popped flower die cuts over the entire thing. A gold butterfly was added to the top point of the crown and more flowers to the rest.

After looking at the crown, I decided to add a few more gold die cuts underneath each point and then added lots of crystal Stickles and diamond rhinestones.

Here's a front view

A side view

And finally a close up

By the way the head holding up the crown was a old foam wig head from my mil's basement. I decoupaged it with some text printed tissue left over from a gift and added a pearl necklace.

I like how the came out (aside from the heaviness factor) and intend to wear it to a big craft event I am attending this fall.

Flowery Flip Card

2016-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I think your really going to like this next card. It's a small card with a big punch. Anna Griffin recently came out with a new flip card kit with lots of pretty die cuts. (By the way, she also sells a die set for a flip card with different shaped insides and embellies.)

This is my first card. As Anna says more is more and I kept adding more and more flowers and butterflies to this card. To me, the inside of this card needed to look as good as the outside. I don't like seeing the back of my die cuts sooo..I added more die cuts to the back. I just grabbed my little scissors and snipped until they fit the way I liked them. I also added flowers around the inside edge of this card and backed a butterfly with another butterfly. The interior of the frame was also covered with a frame cut from another card. Of course, the obligatory glitter had to be added, gold around the frame and crystal on the butterfly wings.

Golden Geisha

2016-06-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

The second part of this gold layout is a reverse of the previous papers. I used the same embellishments and gold paper as mats.

Just a little note, after searching for this paper for years, Michael's has started carrying the bold and white plum blossoms recently.

Geisha Gold

2016-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Time for another Baby Geisha layout. This one is all gold and white. I just love it. I only used minimal embellishments with this. The paper is just so pretty I didn't want to draw attention away from that and the photo.

I am particularly fond of this photo, I love the way the sleeves are swinging as Baby Geisha turns. The long sleeves are traditional for young Japanese women before the age of 27. This picture was taken in the Japanese garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It's one of our favorite spots. Baby is also known as the Garden Geisha by many of the regulars there.

Royal Geraniums

2016-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

My grandmother's favorite flower were white geraniums and as a girl growing up in Spain, I was surrounded by multicolored geraniums everywhere you turned, gardens, pots, windows... My mother always had geraniums in planters around the house and would save the roots every year to replant them in the spring. I guess that's why I always love geraniums now.

When I saw this geranium stamp I just couldn't resist it. It came on a sheet with the crown and even though they don't go together, I just couldn't resist putting them together.

As you can see I did my usual glitter and pop on this card. What you can't see is the beautifully embossed background. I used an Anna Griffin embossing folder for the background and a different one for the trim. I think she has the prettiest embossing folders on the market.

Wish I could send this card to my own Momma; but, since she isn't here any more, I guess I will have to send it to one of my sisters.

Oh So Feminine

2016-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Back to my favorite thing, making cards. Don't get me wrong, I love paper crafting, be it scrapbook, altered booking, atc's, pocket letters or altering things but card making is my absolute favorite. There is nothing better than getting a little bit of happiness in the mail; something that is not a bill. I have been very remiss this year and have not sent out nearly enough cards. I am hoping to do better the second half of the year.

Here is today's card. I started by embossing a pretty lace pattern on vellum and then gluing the vellum to white paper to give it some substance. I then layered it with a soft yellow paper as a mat.

I love the intricacy of the gold die cut behind my central panel. I keep a lot of these die cuts ready to go in my stash in either antique gold or white.

The central focus of this card is a beautiful floral stamp ad a couple of butterflies. I stamped them in black several times and then popped them with dimensional tape. They were finished with some crystal Stickles to really give this card some sparkle.

I am not sure where this card is going to be sent. I have a couple of options so if your someone close to me watch your mailbox.

More Baby Geisha

2016-06-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

As promised yesterday, here is the second half of my scrapbook layout.

I just love the paper for this layout. I was tickled to death to walk into Anna Griffin's Create event last year and find it there, I had been searching for it for quite a while.

The only thing I added to this layout was a little bling for the corners. I just noticed that some of the bling on the photo is off a little. It must have happened when I was moving the layout around. I am going to have to go fix it asap.

I think the two pages really compliment each other.

Baby Geisha

2016-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

As anyone who follows my blog knows, My oldest daughter who I have dubbed Baby Geisha, love Japan. She has an incredible kimono collection that has been featured at art galleries and private shows. She loves to wear them and is always looking for the right occasion to wear one; Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Japanese festivals, Wednesday....

I have been intending to scrapbook her for the longest time and I have finally started. Today I have a page that I started at Anna Griffin's Create event last year and recently finished.

This is a picture of when we had a small tea ceremony in our backyard. It was when we wee hosting a traveling teapot. It was a very special time for me having my daughter celebrate this ceremony for the two of us. I will treasure this memory the rest of my life.

The beautiful papers are from one of Anna Griffin's paper lines. As is the overlay. The symbol in the left corner is also part of an overlay that I cut apart. I used more of this overlay on the second page of this spread which I will share tomorrow.

Wedding Wishes

2016-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

My husband-in-law, Paulie Darlin' recently asked me to create a card for a friend's wedding. It had to be special for two of his very good friends. No pressure there, and by the way, he told me the night before he wanted it.

After looking at him like he was a crazy man, I started brain storming and decided to to something sort of new for me. I die cut and embossed a card but this time I added some stenciling to create soft color. I have never stenciled using my dies before but I really like how it came out

here is a look at the side so you can see the dimension.