Monday, December 8, 2014

Mid-December Crafting

I made some cards a few weeks ago and thought I would share them here. 

Photo above: 
I was so excited to receive my Sizzix Die and Embossing folder set.  It cuts the shape and you can then emboss it with the look of a comfortable overstuffed chair. I inked the raised up part to help define the chair. Wouldn't you just love to sink into this chair next to a roaring fire with a good wintertime book? Of course....when I went to find the really special paper I bought this summer in anticipation of one day owning this die and folder, it was no where to be found! I know I will find it. The question is when? It looks like plush velvet, but it is paper!

Because I am posting from my smart phone, I dare not try to move things around to look better. I can't really be at my desk just yet, where I can maneuver around the computer screen, because I am recuperating from surgery.  Since I will need to spend several months in the recovery mode, winter in Western New York will be a good time for that...as long as I can stay inside and watch it snow from inside my cozy house!

I have been bitten by the hexi bug. I will do a little show and tell in my next post.  They are easy to make. I am grabbing all different fabrics from my stash and I don't even know yet what I will make with them! 

Photos below:
Gatefold Christmas Card
Birthday Card Front and Interior
Gatefold Card with a Belly Band to keep it closed

That is it for now...I will try to post weekly because I plan to be very productive during my recuperation and get lots of unfinished projects done! Stay tuned . . .   :-)

I am grateful for the good weather we had for my trip to and from the hospital. Here in WNY, we can get lots of snow overnight.  In fact, on the day after my surgery,  there was a foot of new-fallen snow on the ground! Luckily it melted before I was discharged 7 days later, so I got a ride back home in our Mustang...which was easy for me to get in and out of. My husband has been a gem attending to my every need and is my number one cheerleader. Your prayers, cards and good wishes have meant a lot. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ♡

And until we meet again,  may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Happy Birthday Divas!

Just a quick post today! I am in an online group called Craft That Divas on Facebook. The group just celebrated it's first year and we were given a challenge to make a Diva-worthy cake. Below is a photo of the cake I made. I used DCWV The French Country Stack to make the cake slices, which are actually little boxes. I also made the flowers from the same paper.

There is a little story that I need to tell you about the flowers. I have never made paper roses before and I never intended to make them for this project; but when I went to my local Michaels store to buy some ready-made flowers, there were none to be found! I asked where they had been moved to and I was told they were taken off the shelves to make room for the Christmas merchandise! It was my only chance to get them, so I had to come up with a plan . . . and that was to make them. I started with the 10 large ones, and it just needed more . . . so I then made 20 small roses to fill in and make it look better. It still needed more! I ended up making 30 small roses in addition to the 10 large ones. I certainly know how to make paper roses now!

I made a video which you can see on my YouTube Channel.
Click on the link below if you would like to watch the video.






 I used my grandmother's cake plate for display. I never make real cakes, so I am happy that I can put this paper cake on it!

Thanks for stopping by . . . and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

December Greetings!

I am feeling more productive than I have in the past few months. I know that  my time is limited for making things because I have been ill this past summer and fall. So, that means when I have a good day or some extra time in the day, I head into my studio. Even if it is just for a few minutes, I try to pick it up and put things away and work on a project. I think it is keeping me sane, too, which I am sure makes my husband happy!

I actually managed to take all the fall décor down AND packed it away, so now we can begin decorating for Christmas! Our biggest wreath (a fake green one) has had the same ornaments and floral spikes on it for a few years now. I am going to cut that all off. I put it on with floral wire and I think it could withstand a tornado! I admit, I tend to overdo it sometimes when I am constructing something! :-) I want to put it over our living room mantle this year, so I need to coordinate the trims with our tree. Not hard to do because I seem to have an abundance of Christmas decorations. It is a weakness of mine and when we travel, especially after the holidays, we stop at some of our favorite stores along the way and find the after-Christmas sales. I have scored some lovely ornaments on those trips and cherish each and every one. When I take the tree down every year, I wrap the ornaments carefully and try to put them in the boxes they came in. I label them so I know where and when I got them, so when I unwrap them the following year, it is like I am getting a gift! It is one of the quirky things about myself that I like!!! (There are several other quirks that I have that probably nobody likes!)

I am planning to make some Christmas gifts in the coming weeks, so I may not post any photos until after the holidays...except cards! In the meanwhile, below are some of the cards I made this past week.






Now that Advent is here, it is my hope that you and yours enjoy the season of peace and joy that Jesus' birth brought to the world.

And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Emmy