Happy Hexagons

There's a fun challenge over at Moxie Fab World-Happy for Hexagons. All you need to do is make something with hexagons on it. I love hexagons! They are so symmetrical, which is what I tend to gravitate to.
I got to use my My Favorite Things-Open Hexagon Border Die-namic. I used some gold Recollections card stock to make my little open hexagon runner and some of the hexagons. Next, I used a few 6x6 patterned papers from Wild Rose Studio-Butterfly Garden and used the hexagon centers to fill in my open gold hexagon runner.  I put a few "loose" hexagons to add a little interest, along with some sequins from the Paper Issues Store.
I stamped my Unity Stamp Co. sentiment stamp with Tim Holtz Embossing Ink on vellum and used some Inkadinkadoo Gold embossing powder and heat embossed.

I thought I'd whip something else up for Unity's Friends with Flair, but my daughter was over helping me purge through papers and get some binders made for anything important, so I've been cleaning instead of crafting-what a concept!!! This will have to work for this week.

A Valentine Welcome Home

My mother-in-law is hopefully getting out of the hospital today. She had pneumonia, blood clots in her legs back in early January and has been in the nursing home/rehab facility for 3 weeks. Earlier last week, she had cellulitis on her legs so she went back into the hospital. She's 91 and not exactly healthy, so every week is a gift! Her memory is failing her too. She still knows us most of the time. Sometimes, especially in the evening, she thinks that we are relatives/cousins from her younger years (Sun downers syndrome).
Anyway, I wanted to make her a pretty valentine--sort of old fashioned, but with bright, cheerful colors. I am really loving the Doodlebug Design Sweethearts papers. I also had one of these hearts left that I had made using a Unity December Kit of the month stamp-from 1Corinthians (Love is not easily angered…) and some black embossing powder.

Other products: Recollections card stock and flower, Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink, Ranger Glossy Accents (on top heart to adhere the glitter and to cover the glitter so it doesn't flake off), DecoArt Glitter, doily from stash, Glue Dots, Tombow Mono permanent adhesive, Scotch ATG permanent adhesive and a piece of black cording that I cut off of a new shirt or dress (those strings that they put on the inside of the shoulders to hold the garment on the hangar).


I used this sketch from Viva la Verve (Verve Stamps) Weekly sketches-Week 2, although I flipped it a bit. I will link up for a chance at a Gift Certificate to Verve Stamps. I'm also linking this to Simon Says Stamp-Monday Challenge:We Love Stamps, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge-Get Krafty for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to SSS and Repeat Impressions Stamps-Designers Choice Challenge: All Heart.
I'm also linking this up to Unity Friends with Flair. I thought I might get something else made, but my furnace is not working and if I get that working, I have some other projects I need to work on.

Unity Challenge

Here's a quick card I made for the Be Inspired challenge at Unity. I used some washi tape ( Doodlebug and Teresa Collins), Glitz paper Love You Madly, Barn Door Distress Ink, a Chalk Studio tag from My Minds Eye, some gold ink from Color Box, a Sakura Gold pen, a Unity stamp from Jillibean Soup Favorite Sentiments and a few sequins from the Paper Issues store. I punched some hearts out with Creative Memories Heart punches and covered and adhered them with Ranger's Glossy Accents. The ribbon came from some packaging. I used a few Glue Dots and some Scotch permanent adhesive and here we go! Too bad I missed getting this posted to the challenge by about 5 minutes! That seems to be my pattern this week!
Oh well there's always Unity Friends with Flair. I am also linking this to Ribbon Carousel-Washi Tape Challenge.

Here's the challenge inspiration board

Valentine Mojo

I got to use some Doodlebug Designs Sweetheart paper. I love this combination of pinks, kraft, reds and whites.
I also used some ribbon from the January monthly ribbon club pack at Really Reasonable Ribbon that matches one of the Doodlebug papers. How fun! The twine is also from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I inked the edges of my papers with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink. A little Glossy Accents and some glitter from my stash on my hearts add just enough bling. My sentiment stamp is from the Unity January Kit if the Month.

I'm linking up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-Love Notes, Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge-Sweethearts,  Mojo Monday-331 and Amazing Mold Putty's-For the Love of...

All in the name of love

I found this sketch over at My Favorite Things-Get Sketchy Weekly contest. It was the kind of sketch I like. I am trying to make a few "Thinking of you" cards that are sort of valentine-ish, but they are for my Aunts and my husband's sister-in-law, who just lost her hubby. I stayed up late last night to finish it so that I could post this and link up by the deadline, but I ended up with a migraine this morning, took some meds and went back to sleep. Needless to say, I did not get this linked up so I guess you can say that I made it in the name of love! I am linking this up to a new Challenge blog called Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog-What's Your Style?. I have several styles, but since I do like sketches, uniformity, FLOWERS and some BLING, I will say that this represents my style the best.

I used Prima Optimist 6x6 paper, black card stock, Really Reasonable Ribbon, Recollections flowers, sequins from Paper Issues, doily from stash, Unity stamp from the January Kit of the Month, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, Glue Dots, Tombow Mono Adhesive permanent adhesive, Scotch ATG permanent adhesive.

Fishing for love

I'm still trying to get my valentine cards made. I used a fun sketch from Lucy's Cards (not me--a different Lucy!). She has 5 sketches that are really cute and rather simple and she is giving out some blog candy to participants if you post your entry by 2/14. I needed a sketch to give me inspiration to make my grandson's valentine card, so I'll link this up.

I used some paper from the 6x6 Amy Tangerine Yes Please line, stamps from Unity Stamps Hello Little One set and the January Kit of the Month, Tim Holtz Distress inks and pens, Ranger Glossy Accents, Doodlebug Washi Tape, Confetti Hearts Chipboard by Um Wow, Creative Memories Heart punches and my Scotch ATG permanent adhesive. I wanted cute, but not too frilly, since he's in 1st grade now. I thought about adding some Stickles to the water, but I think that the Glossy Accents gives it enough "bling!"

I'm also linking this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog-Have a Heart, Little Tangles-Celebrate Love and Amazing Mold Putty's-For the Love of…

Count the Waves

The groundhog saw his shadow. Winter is not over, much to our dismay! I am so glad that I don't have to be out driving in rush hour with all of the wintry mess since I'm still recuperating from my bunionectomy. I can't do too much, but I can sit with my leg up on a chair and craft in small sessions. (Grin!) It's February so, I made a card for my husband's birthday. He enjoys boating and fishing. I wish I was somewhere by the sea or a lake! That would be wonderFUL! I am linking this up to Paper Issues-Fill 'er Up Challenge.

I saw this fun "net" to make out of twine by tying knots. Here is the link to the blog where I saw this technique twine net on Timeless Twine blog. My natural jute string came from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I'm linking this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes with Twine or String.
The chipboard anchor is from Um Wow Studios. I just used some Distress Walnut Stain and Rusty Hinge to ink it up and quickly added some Recollections Clear embossing powder to emboss it. Here's a link to a quick You Tube tutorial that show the process easy distressed chipboard It looks a lot more "real" in real life. The combination of the Walnut Stain and the Rusty Hinge inks really makes it look like a rusty anchor.

The image is a stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs-Waves on the Sea set. I love their stamps! They are high quality purple rubber, made in the U.S.A. and there are some very inspirational stamp images, verses, sentiments and quotes, as well as animal, floral and recipe images and sentiments. They also have a nice selection of metal dies, some made exclusively for ODBD by Spellbinders.
Anyway, I used water color pencils to color the image, then used damp paper towel pieces to dab and blend the colors. I like the softness this gives to the image.

I used paper from Kaisercraft 61/2 x 61/2 Base Coat pad, Die Cuts with a View (6x6 Burlap Paper Stack) and Recollections flat glitter card stock (the copper card stock). The blue brads are Basic Grey.
I used Glue Dots to adhere the netting and anchor, Therm O Web 3D Foam squares to raise the framed image above the netting and also to raise the sentiment from the image. (It's a good thing I didn't have to mail this-it was oversized and overweight!). I also used my Scotch ATG permanent adhesive.
Stay warm and dry everyone!