Craft Us Crazy - Challenge #1

It's so exciting....it's time for the first ever challenge at Craft Us Crazy Challenge Blog!  The first challenge is Anything Goes!  I'll talk about my project here in just a minute, but first I want to tell you about all the sponsors and prizes available. 

First up is one of Craft Us Crazy's monthly sponsors:  The Cutting Cafe! 

 The prize is three digital sets!  Check out The Cutting Cafe - lots of great digi stuff there.

The second sponsor Stamps Alive is also a monthly sponsor.

  The prize is a set of Spellbinders Nestabilities Dies.  How awesome is that?

There are also two weekly sponsors.  Digital Delights and Meljen Designs. 

   Welcome to Digital Delights, a magical place filled with little digi creations from all walks of life. We have a wide range of digital stamps which are delivered straight to your email 24/7!In addition we also have a growing range of "Delightful Piecings" which are paper pieced files designed to be used with your cutting machines or for hand cutting.  Fancy a new blog makeover, header or new watermark, then stop by our sister site Delightful Custom blogs.  Digital Delights is giving three digital stamp sets (winner's choice). Very cool!

Meljen's Designs is a lovely stamp company owned and illustrated by Melissa Jenkins. She illustrates whimsical rubber and digital images inspired by her kids and family.  Meljen's Designs has new releases along with a new challenge every Thursday, freebies every Monday and a Guest Designer each month at the Meljen's Designs Blog. Please visit the Meljen's Designs line of stamps at the WHIMSY STAMPS STORE to browse and enjoy Melissa's wonderful images.

  Meljen Designs is giving four Digi images.  Very nice!

I created a card for the Anything Goes challenge.

  And it actually was a bit of a challenge!  I wanted that cute little red cuckoo bird to be on a spring and stand off the card.  However, it looked funny just to print an extra bird and pop it off the card, because the original bird could be seen.   This is the original card:

So....I used the cloning tool and got rid of the bird entirely, then I copied and flipped the left shutter so I could have one on the right.  

 Well, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. You can see I used the words from the original tag and added some hand-dyed ribbon and red/white twine. I wrapped wire around a button and used tape and glue to attach it to the bird.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  The vintage card is darling and now it's fun, too!  Head over to Craft Us Crazy to check out the rest of the design team's Anything Goes projects and to link up your creation!

Recipes and Paper Issues

Hi!  I'm at home today, because Oklahoma is having blizzard conditions!   When the wind gusts, it blows straight across the windows.  It's really pretty looking out from inside, but it's hazardous out there!  The party Sunday was so much fun, great turnout, lots of orders to keep me busy over the next months.  Several people inquired about recipes, so my friend Mika, who has a cooking blog, Mika's Pantry, has posted all three recipes:  Oreo cupcakes, Sugar Cookies, and Mini Strawberry Tarts. 

 Yummy!  When you visit Mika, take a look at her new blog...especially the darling avatar that makes her look like a Disney princess! 

This sweet nutcup is one of my projects for Valentines this year.  Over at Paper Issues, the topic is Valetine projects, so I'm linking this up there.  One of the things I recommend if you make one of these, is to use two nutcups...it's a lot sturdier.

  I used a mixture of vintage forget-me-nots and brand new roses to fill in the nutcup.  The little couple is so sweet! 

 If you're in Oklahoma today or somewhere else where the wind chills are below zero, I hope you're home and warm! 

Heartfelt

A heartfelt thanks to all of you who stop by and visit!  I appreciate all your sweet comments and emails!  I'm off work today...cooking, cleaning, and finishing projects for my party on Sunday.  It's so fun to have old friends, new friends, and soon-to-be friends over for treats and showing my new creations...a heartfelt thanks to all of you, too! 

The pretty heart on this card is made with the Love Struck Cricut cartridge.  I couldn't wait to use it...it's so pretty!  I found the lace at a wonderful antique store in Wichita when we were visiting Lauren.  Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Hedgehog Sweeties

Aren't these little guys cute?  I've been trying to make an effort to use more of my stamps - I have some wonderful ones that are just sitting there!  Of course, time is a problem.  Hard to get around to putting all the ideas in my head into an actual project! 

 This cute heart was part of a package I picked up at Michaels.

 Hedgehogs are so cute.  My son-in-law had them as pets growing up and we had them in the science room at Cleveland Elementary.  My first introduction to hedgehogs was through the children's author, Jan Brett.  Her little Hedgie is the sweetest!

Love Box

Hi!  It's getting closer to Valentine's Day.  I love all the sweet cherubs, heart doilies and ribbon that are a part of Valentine creations.  I remember how fun it was to take a shoebox to school and decorate it.  This is a little gift box that could be filled with all kinds of goodies.  I'm thinking chocolates or jewelry, of course! 

 I got these cool glass domes from Kristen Krafts on Etsy.  So easy to create magnets or decorations - just select an image and attach to the glass with Diamond Glaze. 

January Sketch Challenge at Pixie

Kirsty has come up with a great sketch again! 

 All the details for the challenge are on the Pixie Dust Paperie blog.  For my take on the sketch, I turned it 90 degrees and made the bracket the bottom.  

Love that sweet kitty!  I have a kitty boy of my own and I find that I am more drawn to kitty pictures since he adopted us.  I pretty much like him - a lot! 

Candy Cone

I've been wanting to make a candy cone ever since our trip to Paris and I saw some in a shop window. 

 I decorated this one with a Godey's Fashion plate.  Isn't she pretty?

  It will be easy to add a little tag to the top...it could say "Mom" or "Friend" or someone's name. 

 I wanted to add a little more red, kind of connect the top to the bottom, so I added a little red chandelier drop. 

 Now, do you know of any fancy wrapped candies that would be perfect for the inside?  I may have to do some looking...