Marvelous Possibilities

It's been such a busy weekend, and I should be baking pies, but I just had to get into my craft room and make something for Easter.  I really haven't had a chance to create anything this year, and I was just so inspired, or should I say challenged.  Yesterday, before I ventured to my craft room I looked for some challenges to give me inspiration, and I found lots to do with bunnies and Easter, and I thought I would make a basket with a bunny.  I used a similar bunny design for my recent scrapbook pages, so I just recreated it in a larger version.  I decided to make one for my sister, Sally, who is hosting Easter dinner tomorrow, and it is also her birthday on Tuesday.  So, she gets an egg-shaped Tootsie Pop bouquet.  I just punched a bunch with my blossom punch, and doubled them up.  Photo just can't do it justice.  Even my husband said he was impressed, and he never says that! I made the rabbit from assorted oval and circle punches, and used the large scalloped

Keeping it clean and simple is kind of a problem for me.  I just enjoy blinging it up so much that even when I attempt simple it ends up more elaborate than I intended.  This card is a great example of that.  I was making cards for a craft sale, and I knew that I wanted some religious cards that could be used for any occasion, and so I took out my Crosses of Hope stamp set.  I have not used the set much, because I am always trying to improve on the beautiful simplicity of the crosses in this set, and make them a little more special with added embellishments.  In this case, I added butterflies from my new stamp set Papillion Potpourri.  I used a butterfly inside as well as a sentiment from God's Blessings (retired).  I also tried a new technique that I found here on using the Framelits to add embossing to the card.  This worked great for framing the cross. I added a few beads and rhinestones to the cross and butterflies for the challenge at Less is More to use beads.  The Pink

Hello, Baby, I'm back!!  I feel like it's been forever since I had time to get into the stamps and do something creative.  I have been very busy over the past week.  My dear father-in-law passed away last week, and we had so many activities to deal with, but also family that came from out of town and stayed with us for a week.  The fact that he would have turned 94 years old on Saturday says that he lived a long, happy life, and we could all celebrate that.  It was nice to take the time to look at old photos, tell stories, and visit with family and friends.  I am glad that things are winding down now, and I finally feel like I have my life back on track.  So, while my granddaughter napped this afternoon, and my husband was out running errands, I took a little time for myself.  We have a craft sale coming up next week, and I knew that we needed to make some cards for the sale that fit certain occasions.  I decided to start with baby cards today.  I decided that I would mak

I made this card recently for a masculine birthday card.  I wanted to try something monochromatic, which is just not my usual style.  I turned out really cute, but photographed really badly, so I was not going to show it off.  Today I thought about trying to remake it to my liking, or to try to rephotograph, but decided that I like things the way there were, and you would all get the idea.  I used the bird from Betsy's Blossom stamp set, and the salutations are from Bring on the Cake, with a little cake inside from Happy You.  The paper is Summer Smooches print with Not Quite Navy and Island Indigo.  A little birdie told me that there is a birthday boy who will need a card on Easter :)  Hope they like the birdie card over at Papercraft Star Challenge #137  this week. Come back again tomorrow, 'cause I am heading back to the craft room. Mary Alice

      Scrapbook Class Saturday, March 23 10:00 to 12:00 $10   Come join us for a scrapbook class on Saturday, and make two 2-page layouts.  This is my Easter pages, and Debby has a fun layout with an outdoorsy theme.  We will have everything cut and ready for you to assemble.  You do not need to bring photos for class, you can add those later.  All supplies will be provided.  Please RSVP by Wednesday, March 20,  so that we can have kits prepared for you.  We will provide rolls and coffee.   All Day ScrapAThon Noon - ?? FREE   Come for the scrapbook club class and stay all day, or come later just to scrapbook.  Bring your photos and personal equipment and work on getting those photos into a book.  Don't let your photos spend their life in a computer file.  Print them, and enjoy sharing them in a book.  Journal their story, and celebrate the event forever.  You will need to supply your own equipment for this event, howerver, you may borrow anything we

Here comes the bridal party Today is the big bridal shower, and I have a lot to do, but I wanted to show these favors to you.  These are for the bride and her maids.  I have not seen the dress, but heard that it had big flowers down one side, so I thought I would attempt something like that for the bride's favor.  The bridesmaids are wearing black, and each got to choose their own dress, so I made each of the favors different.  I sure hope the bridal party likes them. I had to show off the back of the brides dress, too, because I added a big bow and a flower to the back to glam it up a bit.  And, I added exagerated gems to the dress, just to bling it out a bit. The wedding invitations asked the guests to come dressed in black, white, or gray, so I guess I have an excuse to go shopping.  I shopped last week for a dress to wear to the wedding myself, and ended up bringing home two dresses.  I did the same thing last fall for my nephew's wedding, and I do not regret my cho

I wish I could have a closet full of pretty party dresses, but I don't.  So, I guess I will have to settle for a table full of pretty party dresses.  I used the Dress Up die to cut all the dresses, carefully cutting the shoulders so I could hinge them.  I then added a little 1 1/4" square box between the two dresses to make a little candy favor box the right size to hold 3 Dove chocolates.  The idea for this project came from Mary Smallidge, who showed off her project at our recent demonstrator's meeting.  Thanks for the great idea, Mary. I can't wait to enter these in the challenge at Crafty Boots this week.  They are looking for Wedding Related entries "something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue, and I hope these qualify.  They are for a bridal shower "old" tradition, and they are a "new" design, I "borrowed" the Dress Up die from a friend, and some of the dresses are "blue".  I am so ex

  I have been busy preparing for a bridal shower that I am hosting on Friday evening.  I have been so busy doing housework, some really deep spring cleaning.  I even washed all the china and crystal and polished the silver, and cleaned the diningroom cabinets inside and out.  I rearranged all the serving pieces, which is something I have wanted to do since I bought my new buffet 4 years ago.  I finally have all the cabinets in order, and so now I can spend the last day baking and decorating. During naptime today, I slipped into the craft room to tidy up after all my shower projects, and decided I would make a shower card for the bride, before cleaning up.  I wanted to use some of the dresses that I had cut with the All Dressed Up die.  For this card I used an idea from a previous shower card that I made using the Domestic Goddess DSP (retired). I love all the appliances, and the retro look.  I made a little housedress (like my grandmother wore), and a fresh apron (that I am sure

  I had a little time to create a card this afternoon out of some Amazing Family stamps that I have been dying to use.  I did a little experimenting with the beautiful filigree scallops, so that they fit withing the oval, and after playing around with the spacing, I am quite pleased with the results.  It is such a shame that my camera cannot capture the colors and textures to their true potential.  I used a palette from the CAS- Colour and Sketch Challenge #15 , but from the photo you would not believe that the colors are Rich Razzelberry in the printed paper, or Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery.  You will just have to take my word for it. How about this one? Can you tell that we had Blueberry Pancakes?  Why do the colors come out so good in this photo?   Little Miss Owl is really enjoying the big girl food now that she has a mouth full of teeth.    You all enjoy your weekend, and hope you find some time for yourself to craft.    Mary Alice        

RESCHEDULED   Card Club Class Sunday, March 10 3:00 - 6:00     There is still time to join us.  Just leave a comment and let me know you are coming.  More information for class was given here . 

POSTPONED - Watch for rescheduled date and time.     CARD CLUB CLASS Thursday, March 7, 6:30 - 8:30 Cost $8.00   We will be making 3 beautiful cards, one of them an Easter card, and one 3D Easter basket project (shown above).  We will have everything prepped and ready for you to stamp and assemble.  All supplies will be provided.  Class will be held at 101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes.  Please contact for directions.    

  I have been working on invitations for a bridal shower for my niece this week.  It's funny how you start out with a lovely idea, and end up with something entirely different.  I had seen a card made with the Dress Up die cut wrapped with a doily for the skirt.  When it came to the doily wrap, I was not quite satisfied with the doily that I had, so I went in search of new doilies.  After checking 3 stores, and finding nothing to my satisfaction, I decided to emboss the dress, and I used the Fancy Fan EF to give it a frilly effect.  I agonized over how I wanted to make the oval portion.  Use the oval or label Framelit?  Cut out or layer over?  Pumpkin pie or Calypso Coral?  How could I still incorporate the doily into the card?  Paper flowers or ribbon flowers?  I finally bought some little roses to save me time. I sure spent a long time agonizing over this card.  You know, my niece is a special person to me, and I wanted Lizzie's invitations to be very special.  After wasti