in pieces...

Well, howdy...happy Wednesday...hope you are having a wonderful week thus far!  I have been flipping through some older issues of Scrapbook Etc. and finding paper piecing patterns...got me thinkin'.  So I pulled up to my scrap paper bin and had a little paper piecing fun for myself while adding my Precious Remembrance stamps...

It is easy.  With how many stamps, dies and stickers I have seen...paper piecing just takes a little imagination.  For the owl I simply cut out the body first, followed by the belly, wing (which can also be perfect for a bird) and nose.  The eyes are another story...I used a die cut for these (Quickutz Flower and Frog).  The tree limb and leaves are also hand cut.  Great thing about creating your own is each one can be unique.  Had so much fun with this one wanted to make something else..

A cute little bee...even easier!

Just cut out the body (adding small strips of yellow to create the stripes), head, wings, wire antennas and glittered heart.   Make them large or small!  Hope this inspires you to create your very own cute character...

Andrea 

pretty little thing...

Here today, sharing what I should have shared yesterday...oops!  What a house full of boys and a long weekend will do to my brain.  So, celebrating Epiphany Crafts this week with The Twinery!  Worked on a few ideas and found that crocheting the flower was the one I liked the best.  A fun mix with this adorable girl sticker from My Little Shoebox.

For a tutorial, easy to follow video for creating this flower check out YouTube HERE.  This is what I used for the basic steps, although I altered the length and scallops a bit on mine.  Don't be afraid of trying to crochet.  Once you learn the basics the rest is easy...and thanks to the pause option on the videos!

Just a little something I have been working on using a few dies that have been ignored lately.  This little mug and leaves from Quickutz.

Andrea

all you need is...

How about a sketch from Got Sketch today to get the week started?  Sketch #144 is up and ready!  For this sketch I mix and matched papers from Crate paper, from the borders to the buttons.  Used some fabric and Prairie Bird Boutique wrinkle ribbon to give it a soft touch.  And rediscovering some rub on transfers, this one on the bottom of the card from Fancy Pants. 

Enjoy your Monday!  Be back many times this week to share a few more May projects before the end of the month!

Andrea

love bug...

Joinin' the Papertrey Ink Challenge today...yeah!  Colors that I wouldn't normally put together, but love it...

Supplies: Pink Paislee (Spring Jubilee), Heidi Swapp (Sugar Chic), Lily Bee, Crate Paper (button), The Ribbon Girl (ribbon, stick pin), Want2Scrap (pearls), Papertrey Ink (stamps, ink, die), felt.

And some buggy love just for fun...

Supplies: Authentique (paper), Lily Bee (paper), Dear Lizzy American Crafts (letters), Papertrey Ink (stamps, ink), My Mind's Eye (stamp), twine, ribbon, burlap.

Well, to a wonderful weekend...have fun!

Andrea

time...

time to play,
time to create,
time to rediscover,
time to just have fun...right?

Well, although I am trying to take a few days off of crafting...I just couldn't last night.  I am trying very hard to keep myself out of the pantry and focused on other things to keep me busy.  After a day of cleaning, hangin' with the boys...it was just the obvious thing to do.  Not easy to cut out sugar and snacking without replacing it with something else...well, that is how I feel so far :)  As the days pass, and hopefully things will get a little easier, I will get back to that break.  Until then...

Spent some time last night working on a few digital invitations for a friend and looked over at my crafting area to find my Cricut Expression had been collecting a bit of dust.  So began sorting through paper, looking through my options and came up with this little set.

Supplies: Doodlecharms (Cricut Cartridge: ice cream, cupcake, jar), Crate Paper (paper), Heidi Swapp (paper), Pink Paislee (Prairie Hill papers), Lily Bee Design, Dear Lizzy American Crafts (vellum), Papertrey Ink (stamps), Fancy Pants (felt embellishments), My Mind's Eye (stamp), Prima (button), Prairie Bird Boutique (Etsy: wrinkle ribbon), Precious Remembrance (fabric tape), Studio Calico (tape), Epiphany Crafts (heart punch), Want2Scrap (pearls).

So check around your craft room and find something that hasn't been used in awhile and just go for it!  Wanted to also share a second project with you from Riddersholm Design, which is posted on the blog today.

A pocket full of vintage goodness.  For a complete list of supplies and amazing vintage project and products, head on over HERE.

Andrea

P.S.  I had a question the other day regarding the cutting of felt.  I use a Provo Craft Cuttlebug for almost everything I do...love it!  To cut several layers of felt at one time I use the larger Sizzix dies.  For just one sheet of felt I use everything from Spellbinders, Papertrey Ink and Quickutz.  Hope this helps.



delightful...

What is today going to bring...not quite sure at this point, but ready for anything.  Think it may be time for a little crafting break...a couple of down days to get some non-creative things done.  How quickly a house can fall to pieces if not managed daily...right?  So before I sign out for a couple of days, time to share a couple of projects...

This week Glue Arts and Want2Scrap is teaming up to bring one amazing blog hop.  Loved working with their products!  For a complete list of supplies, enter to win a prize pack and see some amazing projects head on over to Glue Arts for more details!  Also...today is Wednesday and time to share my Precious Remembrance project for this week...

Had fun combining Pink Paislee, Heidi Swapp, Lily Bee, Prairie Bird Boutique ribbon and felt pieces for this tag and card set.

Finding ways to incorporate these felt pieces from Fancy Pants that I collected awhile back.  Love the soft touch, color and dimension that it brings to each piece.  Also found that the heart stamp from Precious Remembrance fit perfectly in this little girl's hand from Pink Paislee.  Well, that is it for now.  I will be posting in my Etsy shop over the next couple of days.  I will post my Etsy link on the side bar when I begin listing.  Have a wonderful day and be back on Saturday with a giveaway!

Andrea

dressed up...

In the crafting world it is all about how you dress it up, right?  Today I wanted to share a fun post and tutorial to dress up your next project HERE ...

Although I attempted this a couple of times and it still does not look exactly like the tutorial, loved creating it all the same.  Used Dear Lizzy American Crafts vellum for the top layer of the skirt, vintage lace to line it and Crate Paper for the dress.  Also added Glitz, Lily Bee, Pebbles and Pink Paislee papers to the mix.  Stamps from Pink Paislee (Spring Jubilee) and Precious Remembrance.  The things you can learn from You Tube and Pinterest is amazing!  Now onto a card made for the MIM Papertrey Ink challenge this week...

Mixing those patterned papers from Glitz, The Girls Paperie, Authentique, Melissa Frances and Lily Bee.  Also included a button and tag from Chic Tags...and not complete without a Papertrey Ink sentiment and buttons!  Off to fold something new...thinking boy card?

Andrea

remember today...

 

Waiting for the sun to go down a little before we get to head out and play today.  Poppin' in to share a new blog with you...and a challenge!  I was recently asked to join the design team over at...

...and it didn't take long to say "YES".  One look around the shop and I was in love!  So today I am starting things off with an introduction and challenge that just went up today to get inspired and go vintage with pinks and creams!

(photo)

I pulled out my Riddersholm Designs paper, Pink Paislee (London Market), Crate Paper soft pink button, vintage buttons from dstrove.etsy.com and Prairie Bird Boutique wrinkle ribbon...



A challenge you are sure to love and amazing projects on the blog as well to get you started! 

Andrea



vintage tea time...

Time for a cup of tea, wind down and enjoy the weekend to come.  Spent much of the week sorting through boxes, bags and containers of scrap goodies that haven't been seen in a while, including a tea chipboard set that was just too cute to pass up.  So today's project comes from my Vintage Street Market post found HERE. 

This set is made up of one card, tag and pocket and heart wall hang.  All of the supplies can be found on the post on Vintage Street Market blog HERE.  I have loved incorporating wire and beads into my projects lately and practicing that wire wrapping that can be difficult at times...think it is for a more patient person, but fun all the same.

To give the chipboard pieces a more rustic look I simply removed the top, smooth layer of each piece and slightly inked the edges.  The ink does get soaked up by the chipboard, but leaves a darker border. 

The heart tag piece on the card and tag are from Cricut Expression Doodlecharms cartridge.    I will have a new giveaway here over the weekend hopefully and also be listing in my Etsy shop next week.  Have a few more goodies to share before I do though.  Have a wonderful, adventurous weekend!

Andrea

tut, tut...

First...and long overdue, the winner of the magazine and home wall hang is Sheri (PaperCrafty)!  Contact me at andreascreativepapertrail@hotmai.com so I can send this out to you.  I have spent the last few days clearing out my craft room and working on a new giveaway in the next few days so stay tuned...Now, on to a little tutorial and project share...yeah!  Ok, so I keep everything.  I can't seem to get rid of scrap pieces of paper, ribbon and especially felt.  There is something that seems so wrong about throwing them away.  So I force myself to think of ways to use them...and here we go.

This is where it begins.   Although these may seem quite large in the photo...some are just teeny, tiny.  In this tutorial I am going to create some jewelry...perfect way to use scaps, be creative and coordinate with your wardrobe.  Before you begin choose your colors and pattern.  I am using two circles in the same color as I would one bead.  I began  by die cutting several tiny circles using Sizzix Flower, Build a Flower die.  Love using Sizzix with fabric and felt as you can do several layers at one time. 

I die cut as I was stringing them to make sure I had enough.  Next, add the clasp to thread or wire and tie or attach using a crimp bead.  Add bead between clasp and first set of circles.

Begin to string your felt circles.  This photo gives you an idea of the size.  I then added a bead between each set of six felt pieces.  This gives the pieces a little more weight.

Just make sure to finish the piece as you started with the bead and clasp.  There you have it.  I used a magnetic clasp for both the necklace and bracelet.  For the necklace I used wire to create the felt piece and added it to a chain.  Would love to make one in white or cream as well.  Hope this inspires you to use those tiny scrap pieces!  Now to share two projects with you.  The first for Epiphany Crafts today.  A butterfly photo holder and card....

  

Next, my Momenta card set post this week...

And lastly...

(photo)

Andrea

so true..

Do you ever watch or read something that speaks to you, something that says "this is me"?  Catching up on the Brave Girls Club posts the other and there it was a post HERE about waiting for the other shoe to drop...oh my goodness, does this describe me.  A habit that has developed over the past six years that I wish would just vanish.  To recognize it daily, shift your train of thought and just be in the moment is something that can be difficult to do...however, I am willing to try.  So my project today is just that..."Enjoy Today".  Things may go wrong, people may not agree with what you say or do (which often consumes me), but just be here now. 

This card set was created for my Wednesday post with Precious Remembrance.  So many sentiment stamps that work well together.  Also added the felt flowers using the heart border from Papertrey Ink for this week's MIM challenge.  If you haven't checked out Brave Girls Club yet...do.  I am sure you will find something that speaks to you.  I know that I promised the tutorial today; however, I am not getting good photos,  the sun is hiding...check back tomorrow as I am sure the sun will be making an appearance then :)

Enjoy today!

Andrea

beautiful butterfly...

Have you ever watched Bug's Life from Disney?  There is a character in this movie that is just too cute...that cute caterpillar, who eventually turns into a butterfly at the end..."I'm a beautiful butterfly" (but in the most adorable voice).  Spent some time weeding, trimming and planting today just hoping to attract a little butterfly like this one, but I am thinking it may take some time.  Each year we attract less butterflies and trying so hard to get them to come around.  I have planted all of the right flowers, but realizing that fewer and fewer are even around our neighborhood. So sad, but until then I will be happy scrapping with a few.

This card and house set are posted today on Riddersholm Designs.  My first post there and so excited to share.  The papers, designs, images and colors are just so beautiful.

Spent the day cleaning out the ol' craft room...long overdue and I am sure you can all relate.  Once it is clean and organized I am sure it may take only ten minutes to mess it up again, but all worth it for the time being.  Before I go, I will announce a winner of the giveaway tomorrow with my tutorial.  Also, my Etsy shop will be open this weekend.  Nighty, night!

Andrea