Wednesday's Card of the Day

Today's Card of the Day for the
Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group

 is another book paper card. 

My friend, Lynette helped me make this card at Monday's Stampfest!

It features Michael Strong's Mini Cloisonne Wings

and a tiny bunny rabbit from his Seasonal Silhouettes set (see card on left).

Lynette and I cut a piece of book paper 4.25 x 5.5 inches to cover the card front.

Using a couple of "greenery stamps" and certainly celery ink

we stamped a background on the book paper.

Our Mini Cloisonne Wings- butterfly, bird and dragonfly

were stamped on separate cardstock, fussy cut, and attached with dimensional foam.

 Lynette added a strand of fibers from her stash to the book paper layer, 

folding the edges underneath.

I added a "paper banner" with fibers to my card.

Materials

Stamps: Michael Strong, Hero Arts, Stampin' Up! and unknown company

Inks: Distress broken china, seedless preserves, 

Stampin' Up! summer sun

Versafine onyx black

Distress marker spun sugar to color bunny rabbit

Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday's Card of the Day

It was a very fun Stampfest Tuesday for me!

Lynette was happy to help me with my Card Captain cards!

Lynette's card is on the right and mine is on the left.

Same theme, different expression.

We used Mike's mini cloisonne flower stamped in Scattered Straw

both on the background book paper and on the flower layer.

For Mike's  leaf stamp we used Certainly Celery ink.

Our cardstock base is a very soft yellow.

On top of that we have a border punched green cardstock layer.

Our book paper was cut so the text is diagonal.

Then we fussy cut the flower and the leaves and attached them with dimensional foam.

We added Viva Decor pea green glitter pen to the flower and leaves.

 Thanks for visiting!

Monday's Card of the Day

Happy Monday!

This week I'm card captain at the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group.

Today's card features Mike's Cloisonne Flower and Leaf.

Plus book paper for my background. I love the printed page!

I have a few discarded books from the library that I keep for my crafting.

Starting with creamy cardstock, I added a green layer, then the book paper layer.

Stamped Mike's Mini Flower in shabby shutters on that.

Then on a separate piece of cream cardstock,
I stamped the Mike's Cloisonne Flower in dried marigold

and stamped Mike's leaf using crushed olive marker.

Fussy cut these, then sponged the edges.

Added a gemstone brad to the center of the flower

and attached the pieces with dimensional foam adhesive.

Cut a small paper banner, stamping the background with the mini flower

and wrote my sentiment by hand.

 

On the inside I stamped Mike's Mini Flower in marigold and shabby shutters, 

leaving some room for writing a personal message 

for my friend whose birthday is Friday! 

Yay, I've completed a card ahead of time!

 Materials

Stamps: Michael Strong, Printworks

Distress Inks: shabby shutters, dried marigold

Distress marker: crushed olive, black

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Easter 2015

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

 It's been a little tradition in my family to have a lamb cake for Easter.

I use my mom's recipe for pound cake and her aluminum lamb mold.

It takes awhile...preparing the cake, baking it and letting it cool,

making the frosting the right consistency and applying it.

I'm always kind of surprised how he looks when I'm done!

Newborn Baby Gown

Made this newborn baby gown
for Emily and John's baby boy who is due at the end of April.
We are soooo happy and and excited!!!

I found a great pattern and tutorial at Virginia Lindsay's Gingercake blog.

She has a free download and great photo instructions.

It was quick and easy to sew.

For a baby boy, I used a crew neck trim.
After the placket was sewn, I trimmed the neckline down about 1/2 inch.
 From cotton ribbing fabric I cut a piece 2-1/2" wide by about 9" long.
To finish the ends, I sewed a 1/4" seam on both ends,
turned to right side,  and pinned finished ends to the placket areas.
Then pinned the center back or the rib trim to the center back of the gown.

With the ribbing on top, I stretched the ribbing to fit and sewed with a 1/4" seam allowance.
Stitched a 2nd time in the seam allowance to reinforce. (or use serger)
This is the old Stretch & Sew technique I learned way back in the 1970s!

Just a note about the Dritz snap fastners that I bought. 

They now come with a blue plastic fastening tool. Wasn't sure I was going to like that. 

So, I dug out an old metal fastening tool in my sewing stash.

Used that with my small hammer and self healing mat while I watched 

Wendi Gratz's YouTube How to Use Hammer-On Snaps

Amazing how you can find patterns and tutorials online!

Thank you Virginia Lindsay & Wendi Gratz!