A Valentine Treat Box

So I played in my craft room tonight and came up with two projects. One of them is this cute little treat box for my sweetie for Valentine's Day

I was aiming for the stars with this one -- several challenges combined:
- VSJAN10B from Verve to make a Valentine favor or treat box
- Stamps and Smiles Project Tuesday challenge to make a one sheet box AND
- PaperWorksCo Sunday Sketch #15 ( I flipped the sketch and replaced the oval with the punch out heart and sentiment)

ALL of the supplies I used for this little project are from the January PaperCard Kit from PaperWorksCo.

I think my sweetie will really enjoy getting this little treat box filled with chocolates on Valentine's day!

Another pretty card from Steph

Hi there....

well, I wasn't feeling like crafting tonight so I figured I should snap a pic of a lovely card I received from the super-talented Stephanie. Now, my photography skills aren't doing this card justice -- I snapped the pic in my craft room under less than optimal lighting conditions -- hopefully I'll get around to retaking the pic and updating this post...

Steph always makes the prettiest matching envelopes to go with her cards. I wish I was so patient to do the same! Now look at that card! Don't you just love the snowflake borders? And the gems in the centres of all those pretty snowflakes - even on the envie! I'm thinking I may have to steal this idea for some of my Christmas cards for this year....and the layout....scrummy!

Cards from Sunday's workshop at Jenn's

Hi there! Well, I think it is safe to say that a good time was had by all at Jenn's card workshop on Sunday. I thought I would show the cards we made.....all are Jenn's design, I just coloured and assembled these cuties...

Since  I don't have kids of my own, I think  I will use this as a welcome baby card or I will have to give it to someone else to give to their child....

I think several of these cards could actually be multi-purpose - not just for Valentine's day.

Wouldn't this one be great for a good friend?

Or your parents?

Definitely for my sweetie....

And I have already given him this one with the cute owls...

it was in his lunch today.

So...if you like what you see, stop by Jenn's blog where you will find a link to her CTMH online shopping and you too can fill your stash with these yummy papers and new stamps - all out in the Spring CTMH catalogue that was just released!

Just a quick post

Just had an email from Pink Cat Studio and they are launching their new digi paper piecing projects. To celebrate they have a freebie and a contest. The details are all here.

Just thought I would pass along before I get sorted out before heading over to Jenn's for a card-making workshop.

thanks for stopping by!

For Jenn's little one

Hi all,

well, I am at home now after attending the first of the family baby showers for the fabulous Jenn. I think it is safe to say that much fun and laughter {and food} was had by all. We all got to oooh and aaah over all the pretty girlie outfits and generally cute baby things. There were two AMAZING baby diaper cakes gifted and I am sure that those will come in very handy in the coming months. Dearly beloved and I went the safe route and shopped from the baby registry for a play yard (which dearly beloved insists on calling a BABY CAGE!!! - you have to know him to appreciate his humour) as I am hoping to deliver the nursery coordinated quilt for baby's arrival. Hoping!!! Fingers crossed!!!

Anyways, as expected, I was kind of .... umm... what the heck kind of card do I make for a baby shower....for the uber crafty Jenn of all people? eeep?....Well, I didn't want to do traditional, cutesy baby shower so I went looking through some of my CTMH papers to see what might work. I happened upon a much loved but not often used (okay....hoarded) collection called Key to My Heart. It was perfect for what I had in mind - a twist on last week's Verve Sketch that I used for my Dad's birthday card.

I used the sketch but flipped it on it's side, added a ribbon and switched out the circles for some scalloped nestabilities petite ovals that would fit this simple "baby dear" stamp. Note to self - need to scour through my stamp collection (physical and digi and maybe the cricut cartridges) for something I haven't used yet for next week's baby shower. If anyone local has something that I could borrow...I would be willing to travel!!



Thanks for stopping by....hope your weekend is going well. I get to craft tomorrow -- under the tutelage of Jenn with a bunch of fellow crafty peeps. How neat is that!

Card Details:
finished size 6 x 6 inches
papers: CTMH Key to My Heart
ink: CTMH Juniper
embellishments: CTMH Juniper Ribbon, Sorbet brads
stamp: unknown but it is a clear acrylic stamp. Possibly a studio G Single I picked up at Michaels (?)

goodies!!!

okay, after that last downer of a post I just had to write that my spirits have been lifted.....courtesy of the arrival of my goodies from PaperWorksCo.

Just as soon as this busy weekend is over I am going to be inking up some new stamps and playing with some new papers! Yippee!!!

Two days of cake making...

And I am VERY disappointed but I WILL share just to show you that yes, we ALL have our off days when things just don't come together as envisioned.

By way of explanation, friends of ours have, so far, asked me every year to make their daughter's birthday cake. Well, this was number three and I'm thinking this might be the last time I get asked. This year's theme is "Disney" because they are going to Disney in Florida in early February. Not Disney princess (I wish it WAS!!) but CLASSIC Disney! You would think that would NOT be a problem right? Quite the opposite. See, I was bound and determined not to do a Mickey or Minnie shaped cake - I wanted Disney "inspired". In retrospect -- a three year old would probably have LOVED a Mickey shaped cake. But what do I know? IMAGOOBER!!!

Anyways, I first wanted to do a topsy-turvy cake with the classic Disney character figurines walking up the path around the layers of cake. Well, I could not find a SINGLE CLASSIC disney figurine in all of Ottawa. Grrrr...

So, on to inspiration idea number 2. A Minnie Mouse outfit inspired cake. You know what I mean - her cute little polka dot dresses and bows! And since I wasn't going to be there to put the cake together (going to Jenn's baby shower #1), it had to be preassembled - no onsite engineering like last year.

Well....this is what I finally wound up with.....

and why I'm not happy with the end result?

• the bottom layer was SUPPOSED to have Mickey Mouse "ears" in black fondant scattered all around. Well....don't EVER try to work with black fondant. That's all I have to say.
• the "ears" on the top layer were supposed to be sculpted from rice krispies squares and covered with black fondant. See above note. In retrospect - black fondant + little kids would have been messy. So I think it was a good thing my black fondant was not cooperating. I may try making little penguins out of it ... or something.
• those missing ears were going to have a BIG Minnie Mouse bow - out of the pink fondant. But, well, no big ears, no big bow.
• I have over 6 lbs of fondant on my kitchen counter - white, pink and black and have no idea what to do with it now.
  

I also made 36 little matching cupcakes to go with the cake....

why so many? Well, the cake dilemma was compounded by the numbers attending the party - 20 children plus their parents. ummmm. Since the cake is only

• 2 twelve inch layers on the bottom (with white buttercream frosting and pink fondant polka dots) and
• 3 eight inch layers on the top (with pink buttercream frosting and white fondant polka dots)
  

there had to be cupcakes to go with. Since I did the Minnie ears on the cake out of chocolate wafer cookies, I did the ears on the cupcakes with mini-oreos....mini....minnie....get it? oh....and the M works well for the birthday girl ---- {M}aliah!

Anyways, the bright light at the end of two very long days of disappointing cake craftsmanship is that I did make an okay birthday card for the birthday girl in (for me) record time.....

Cuppy is from Stamps and Smiles and is coloured with PrismaColor Pencils to match the CTMH Emporium papers I used. After a couple of rough days, I think my card is okay. In making it, I realized I really don't have enough kiddie papers for birthday cards....hmmm....any recommendations for a good line to have on hand?

Anyways, I still have to clean up in the kitchen and prep for the baby shower tomorrow so that's it for me for tonight! See you sometime soon!