Heart Butterflies

Hope you've enjoyed all the fun projects for the Paper Sweeties May Release!  One of the sets, Fun Shapes, has a really cute heart.  Well, it turns out if you put 4 hearts together, you've got a butterfly!

So 3 butterflies later, sentiments from Beautiful stamp set, and some doodling this is what I came up with:

The butterfly bodies are a circle and oval hand punch.  The antennae are flower stamens.

Visit the Paper Sweeties Blog for the last day of the May Release projects.  It's always fun to look!

Supplies

white cardstock    |    copics    |  pearl pen

A Novel Apple

Oh, it's soooo hard to cut up a book!  Even for a favorite thing like an apple.  This book happens to harken back to when I taught 3rd grade and a student beat up the cover pretty badly.  So...I decided I could stand to cut this one up...  This is also a testament to why I tend to hang on to things - I really do need them!

The new stamp set, You Are The Most Wonderful, from Paper Sweeties May Release inspired this novel apple/gift card holder project.  Love the font on this set and it's cool how it works.  One stamp says "You are the most WONDERFUL" and then you can add any of  the other stamps like Mother, Father, Friend...  or in this case:  TEACHER.

The sentiment here is heat embossed in white and then I stamped the Teacher sentiment again, just slightly offset, with white ink so it looks a little like chalk.  Then I just smudged it with some more white ink.  A handcut little apple from the book (with the strategically placed children) ties it with the Novel Apple.

This apple is really easy to make.  You can draw your own template or you could use a file, like this one below from The Cutting Cafe.  I made quite a few pumpkins like this a couple of years ago, so I figured it out and just changed the shape to make the apple.

Print out or draw half an apple.  You don't need a stem.  Mine is about 3 inches tall.    Tear off the covers of your book.  Cut out your apple pattern and place it on the spine of the book.  

  Draw around it and begin to cut out pages.  To keep the apple somewhat consistent all the way around, it's best to cut only about 4 pages at a time.  I also continue to use the template for each set of 4 pages, instead of drawing around the pieces I've already cut.

Tear the pages away as you work.  When you've cut all the pages, hot glue the spine edges together.  (Now for a little secret:  sometimes you will have bare spots when the pages fan out.  You can cut out some extra apple shapes from the scraps and glue them into the bare spots.  Depending on size, it may be necessary to cut them from another book.)  I used distress ink to highlight the edges and some of the pages.  I hot glued a stick from my yard and a book page leaf on the top.  You could add a tag, tie on a ribbon...  And you'll have an apple fit for the most wonderful teacher!

Go by the Paper Sweeties blog to see more DT ideas and the Paper Sweeties store to see the entire May Release.  

Thank you for stopping by!

Supplies

gift card holder file    |    fired brick distress ink    |  shabby shutters distress ink

pink apple paper    |    black cardstock

Spring Luncheon Invitation

This Paper Sweeties birdhouse is just perfect for the invitations for a ladies group that has a spring luncheon to set their goals for the year.  They've asked me to do their invites for several years now.

This invitation is oh, so simple.  And oh, so sweet.   I printed the invite on heavy cardstock and stamped a flower at the bottom.  It's simply wrapped in a doily.  To make it a little more interesting, I colored up birdhouses and birds and glued them to a gray and white straws tied with seam binding ribbon.  All the images are from the new Sending Springtime stamp set.  Everything is held together with twine.  I've heard from several of the ladies that these invites were a huge hit!  (Always glad to hear it!)

Visit the Paper Sweeties blog to see more wonderful creations using the May Release stamps.  Hope you enjoyed this sneak peak!

Paper Sweeties May Sneak Peek

"Thank you from the bottom of my flowerbed!"   I think that sentiment is so cute.  It will be available as part of the Paper Sweeties new release on May 15th.

Look at that cute outfit on Abigail.  I part paper pieced it and part colored it with copics.   The flowers in and on the windowbox, as well as the watering can are all part of the new release. I cut off Abigail's right arm (I know - that sounds terrible) and then glued it back on bent just a little so it would look more like she's holding the watering can.

Join us at the Paper Sweeties Blog to see more sneak peeks of the May Release. 

(I'll share this at Make it Monday.)  Have a wonderful week!

Supplies

window cut file    |    leaves die    |    copics

Happy Mother's Day!

I had lunch with my mom and dad on Friday and gave my mom some monogram cards for Mother's Day that you've already seen here.  I said, " You've already seen them, Mom."  And she said, "I don't care - they are so pretty!"  I thought she probably already figured out they were for her (with the K on the monogram for Karen), but she was still really good at being surprised and pleased!

This little tote was a request that I filled back in January (smart girl to ask EARLY).  

Did a little zigzag, along with the stamping before gluing it together.  (I'll share this at Make It Monday.)

Nicecrane Designs is celebrating Mother's Day with 40% off!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

Supplies

tote cut file    |    heart stamps and dies    |    Mother stamp
pearl pen

Caretaker of Wonder

This very night,

while you lie in your bed, 

open your eyes.

Now, look out the window!

For even at this yawning hour,

so many of your friends 

are working to keep

the world magical.

That's the opening of Caretakers of Wonder by Cooper Edens. 

 (Darn, I  just found out when linking this book that it is now out of print.)  I absolutely love this book.  It was always a joy to share it with my students, who would ask to hear it again and again.  My daughter loved it, too. It's about some of the mysteries and wonders of our world and how it's important to take care of it.  The story seems magical - about those who button up the night against the cold and keep the sky and horizon tightly fastened to each other.   And the one's that collect yesterday's raindrops and mend old clouds.  

This little sweetie reminded me of the Caretakers of Wonder.  (In the original image, he is painting words in the sky.  I took the words out and decided that he is taking care of painting the sky blue and hanging the clouds.)

I don't know why he's doing these things with a bare bottom, but I guess little baby bottoms are cute!  You can find this image and a whole lot more at Nicecrane Designs.  He is part of a set called Twelvetrees Babies.  Here's the set:

So...let's all be Caretakers of Wonder!

Supplies
cloud die    |    pearl pen    |    Glitter Ritz    |    copics
heavy cardstock

Bookplates for Charlotte

Some of you may remember little sweet Charlotte (my daughter's niece) who was born very early on Christmas morning.   I'm really no relation to her, but I tend to think of myself as a great-aunt.  I get to keep her on Monday afternoons while her mom goes to work.  She's a very sweet baby and I really enjoy getting to see her. 

Something we always do is read - Dr. Suess, Mother Goose, Golden Books...  I read to Lauren from the very first day we brought her home and I see reading as bonding and learning.   My first gift to Charlotte (even before she was born) was books!  When I first saw this image from a Mother Goose collection at Nicecrane Designs, I thought "that would make a darling bookplate!"   This collection is available in its original form (already colored) as well.

I colored one up and then thought "oh, no!  I don't want to color a zillion more!"   Even though it was fun to color.  You've probably already figured out the solution, but I had to think about it for awhile.  

Scanner+Computer+Sticker Paper = Easy Bookplates!

I scanned in my colored image and reproduced it to get six on a page, added the text, and printed it out on sticker paper.  Cut apart the bookplates and wow, that was really easy!

I framed the original and Charlotte has a nifty little decoration for her bookshelf!

Here's one of the bookplates in action - making sure everyone knows this book belongs to Charlotte!

And here's some good news:  Nicecrane Designs is offering 25% off today and tomorrow for National Scrapbooking Day!

Just use the code NSD for your discount at checkout.

I'll link this up at Make It Monday.

So glad you stopped by!  Have a wonderful week!

Supplies

sticker paper    |    copics    |    glassine bag

frame