Love Hearts

The new challenge for the next two weeks at Sugar Creek Hollow is called YOUR FLAG COLORS.  We want you to make a vintage or shabby chic card or other paper-crafted project using only the colours of the flag of the country you live in.  Since I live in Canada my card is red and white while the ladies from the US and the UK that are on the Design Team have used red, white and blue on their projects since those are the colors of their flags. So now that you know how this works we want to see the colors of your flag.

We have a Guest Designer with us too this time.  Please make Sanja Grdinic feel welcome.  Oh and by the way, she is from Croatia and her flag is also red, white and blue.

I printed a bunch of different red and white papers from various digital files I had and used the Moroccan one for the background.  I also pulled out a few scraps from my stash.  Then I made a rolled paper heart from the various papers.  I also made a heart from corrugated paper.  The rolled paper heart is finished with some ric rac around the edge, a lace border along with a crinkled ribbon seam binding and a paper rose.  The other heart was inked with Fired Brick Distress Ink and then coated with Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle.  It too was finished with a crinkled seam binding bow and a paper rose.

The big flower was made by altering various sizes of paper flowers using Fired Brick Distress Ink and some Pearl Glimmer Mist and then finishing it with a paper rose in the centre.  The main band is red burlap with a narrower band of white crepe paper.  The little hearts were punched and then stamped with a little alphabet set and some red ink.

The supplies for this card are:

Card Stock:  Staples
Papers:  Corrugated Cardboard (The Funkie Junkie), Crafty Card Making, Mel B. Stampz & My Stash
Tools & Embellishments:  Alphabet Stamp (Hampton Arts), Paper Flowers (Prima & Recollections), Ranger's Fired Brick Distress Ink (The Funkie Junkie), Mini Heart Stamp (Marvy Uchida), Crepe Paper & Red Burlap (The Funkie Junkie), Ric Rac & Lace (My Stash), Red Paper Roses (Excelsior Wholesale), Seam Binding (Hug Snug), Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels)

Come Into My Garden

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is called MIXED MEDIA so we want you to use other things besides paper in your vintage or shabby chic project.

I don't think my project is either vintage or shabby chic and it certainly looked better in my head (don't you just hate when that happens) but it was fun to do.  I have a dear friend who is going to have knee replacement surgery in a couple weeks and I wanted to make something cheerful for her so I decided to make this canvas vignette. 

Here are the details but it is going to be a long post so if you are interested, I suggest you grab a coffee - or better still a glass of wine.

I started with an 8" x 8" canvas that I picked up at Dollarama and gave it a coat of Liquitex Gesso.  Then I took some Golden Light Molding Paste and spread it thinly over a honeycomb stencil that a friend cut for me with her Cameo and then peeled the stencil back.  I also dabbed some of the paste in a couple of spots - just because I could.

Once the paste was dry I painted it with Folk Art French Blue and then I covered most of that up (daaah) with different colours of Golden Fluid Acrylics (Yellow Ochre, Green Gold, Naples Yellow Hue & Burnt Sienna).  I thinned out some Golden Red Oxide and spritzed it over the stencil hoping it would land in the grooves and I suppose if you look really, really close you can see some.

The gate is made with corrugated cardboard that I coated with Mod Podge and then inked with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger).  The hinges are just black card stock and the handle is a shelf peg from my husband's tool box.  The fence was cut from Recollections Kraft card stock using my Cameo and was then inked with some Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain and Black Soot Distress Inks (Ranger).  The grass was part of the same file as the fence and I inked it with some Forest Moss Distress Ink (Ranger).

The plant pots were both made from foil tape used by heating & air conditioning techs.  The big one was embossed with a Tim Holtz Honeycomb Texture Fade while the hanging pot was just textured using an embossing stylus.  Both pots were coloured with a combination of Terra Cotta and Butterscotch Adirondack Alcohol Inks (Ranger).

The flowers were all made from paint samples that I grabbed from Home Depot and cut with a variety of EK Paper Shapers flower punches.  I used Making Memories brads for the centres in the flowers in the big pot, Dollarama gems for the little yellow flowers and Recollection pearl stickers in the flowers in the hanging pot.  The leaves are cut from some ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I made the sentiment in Photoshop and cut it using a Spellbinders Labels Ten die.  The Welcome sign was computer generated.  Both were inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger) and hung with some copper wire from Artistic Wire and a black brad from Making Memories.  The hangers were cut from Recollections black card stock using my Cameo and a corner file from Bird's Cards.

The sun was made with a Marvy Uchida punch and inked with some Rusty Hinge & Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger).  The butterfly was a silver charm from my stash and I dabbed it with some Terra Cotta Adirondack Alcohol Ink (Ranger) along with some bright green and bright blue that don't have names on the bottles (gee thanks Ranger).  The bee, lady bug and dragon fly are all buttons from Dress It Up.

Whew - are you still with me?  If you are bring your wine and join me in the garden - I like red by the way :)

Step Into Christmas

If you have read my blog lately you will know that I just returned on Tuesday night from a week in Maryland with the lovely Ann English.  I met Ann when we were both on the Phindy's Place DT  as well as through Sassy Cheryl's PCP group.  Before we left her house to head for the airport on Tuesday, I checked the challenge at Sassy Cheryl's and lo and behold Ann was the one who set the challenge this week (she keeps a secret well).  She wants us to create STEP CARDS so in between loads of laundry and ironing yesterday, I created this Christmas card.

I have never tried a side step card before so thought that might be fun to tackle.  It isn't difficult at all as long as you pay attention to where you are cutting, which I didn't the first time - dah.  The card base was made from Recollections card stock and the paper is from an old Provo Craft paper pad.  I raided my scrap bucket for the card stock to make the trees, which were hand cut, embossed with a Snowflake & Swiss Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug and then dotted with a few pearl stickers from Recollections.

The sentiment is computer generated and the Sassy Cheryl's image was a freebie once upon a time.  The snowflake was cut using the Create A Flake Two die from Spellbinders.  The ribbon started out as Chalk White Hug Snug Seam Binding but I transformed it by dying it with Weathered Wood, Bundled Sage & Broken China Distress Ink from Ranger.  The edges of the image & sentiment were inked with the Bundled Sage Distress Ink.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Sassy Cheryl's - Step Card
ABC Challenge - O is for Open
A and T Emerald Faeries - Dies/Punches
Country View Challenges - Die Cuts
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Use your favourite embellishments (Pearls)
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes (must be Christmas)

Father's Day Collage

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is a timely one - FATHER'S DAY.  Don't forget, we are a vintage and shabby chic challenge blog so we want to see a card or other paper-crafted project in one of those styles.

Ragnhild is joining us this week as Guest Designer, so please check out her card and the inspiration she provides along with the wonderful inspiration from our Design Team.

I decided to make a collage style card for my husband since my Father passed away 30 years ago. The background paper is from My Mind's Eye and I stamped the keys from a set by TPC Studio.  The horse is from The Graphic's Fairy and the clock is a digital element from Cuddlebeez (no longer online).  The car is a stamp from Indigo Blu and the sentiment was computer generated.

I cut the gate hinge with my Cameo using Tim Holtz Grunge Paper and then inked it with some Terra Cotta and Rust Adirondack Alcohol Ink (Ranger).  The butterfly was a gift from a friend and the metal washer is from my husband's tool box.  The lock, paper clip and the pin are from Tim Holtz.  The gear is from Bead Landings and the button was in my stash.  The bottle cap came from Labatt's after my husband drank the beer for me (I am a red wine or scotch gal) - LOL.  I made the insert using the same font as I did for the word Father and then added an open frame digital element from C. Renee.  All the distressing has been done with Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger)

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. - Father's Day/Male
Delightful Challenges - For Dad
Paper Crafting Journey - Masculine Cards
Happy Campers - Use Metal
Shelly's Images - Show Us What You've Got
Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
The Stamping Chef - Metal
Celebrate The Occasion - Fluttering By (must use butterfly)
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Auto/Car
Creative Craft Challenges 2 - For the Fellas
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Play Things

I don't usually get a chance to participate in Sassy Cheryl's Show Me Thursday but since my friend Ann English and I have been playing in her craft room, I thought I would show you the results.

As I mentioned in the post below we have been trying out my Gelli plate.  More practice is required and trying different paints but our initial efforts aren't too bad.

We used some stencils, die cuts, embossed pieces, corrugated cardboard and even bubble wrap.  Getting covered in paint was fun and in this case the print is really wild.

Day Dreaming

I am in Chestertown, Maryland this week visiting a lovely crafting friend, Ann English and we have been playing in her well-appointed craft room.  We have also made some day trips - one to Winterthur, which is a du Pont home and gardens - fabulous.  The other trip was to some craft stores and then out for a super dinner.  I had wanted try crab cakes while I was here and got my wish - yummy.

We have played with my Gelli plate and while we need more practice, we did have fun.  Then she let me use her supplies and I made this card for the current challenge at Sassy Cheryl's, which calls for STITCHING.  I have never used a sewing machine to do my stitching so this was a first and it is certainly easier than hand stitching as I usually do.

The image is called Better Than a Thousand Words and can be found here.  The papers are all from My Mind's Eye and the card stock is all from Ann's stash as are the ribbon and the brads.  I also used a Martha Stewart lace edge punch and the flowers were made using a Martha Stewart punch and a McGill Craftivity punch.  The leaves were made with a Punch Bunch punch.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenge:

Sassy Cheryl's challenge - Stitch Away with a Sassy Cheryl's Image

Spring Cleaning Time

The new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is called CLEAN IT OUT.  We want you to make vintage or shabby chic cards or other paper-crafted projects using items from your stash and scraps.  We don't want you to go out and buy anything new.

I decided to add to my Christmas card pile and made this card out of bits and pieces.  The image was a freebie from The Funkie Junkie.  The background paper was printed last year from a digital freebie (Cuddlebeez - no longer online) but I ended up using something else.  The ribbon from Fabricland has been hanging out in my sewing closet for a few years and the burlap came from an old project.  The poinsettia was cut from scraps of paper using a Marianne Creatables die while the flourish was cut from a scrap of card stock using the Spellbinders Venetian Motifs die.  The sentiment was computer generated, cut with a Nellie Snellen die and then inked with some Aged Mahogany Distress ink (Ranger).

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
Charisma Cardz  - No Digis Allowed
Milk Coffee Challenge - Shabby Chic/Vintage

Sassy Flower

I got busy this morning and created a card for the new challenge over at Sassy Cheryl's.  The challenge asks that you use lace and handmade flowers on your card and of course, you must use a Sassy Cheryl image.

I made this card using all sorts of scraps from my craft supplies, including the yellow and purple card stock.  The background polka dot paper, the stripe and the big flower paper are all from Provo Craft and the little polka dot paper is from Making Memories.  I don't remember who made the the paper I used to make the flower.  I did the bottom layer with a 1" circle punch from Recollections following a tutorial I found here but then decided it needed another layer and that was cut using an EK Paper Shapers punch.  All the petals were inked with Wild Honey Distress Ink (Ranger).

The Sassy Cheryl image is called A Simple Gift of a Flower and was coloured with Prismacolors and blended with Gotrick OMS.  Then it was cut using the Labels 16 die from Spellbinders and inked with Milled Lavender Distress Ink (Ranger).  The lace is from my sewing closet and the button came from Fabricland.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Sassy Cheryl's - Lace & Handmade Flowers
Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations - Flowers & Lace
Card Mania - Flower Power
Forever Friends - Pastels
Get Inky - Die Cuts
Love to Create - Flowers
Stamp with Fun - Selfmade Flowers

Spring Flowers

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is all about Spring Flowers and if it would just stays warm we might have some here soon.  OK, so there are a few crocuses and pansies around but not much of anything else yet.  The garden centres are starting to get stocked up and normally we would be planting annuals in 2 weeks but that may not happen this year.

Please note that starting with this week the challenges at Sugar Creek Hollow will be running every two weeks, which will give us all more time to create and to fit our lives in.

We would like to welcome a new sponsor this week.  Heather Hudson who just left our Sugar Creek Hollow Design Team has now come on board as a sponsor with her fabulous collage sheets that you can find here.

For this card I cut one of the hearts from Heather's Blue Hearts with Polka Dots & Pink Roses collage sheet to use as my focal image.  The background paper is from the Just Breathe digital kit by Vicki Stegall that I picked up as a freebie ages ago.  I added some cheesecloth from my kitchen drawer along with some white corrugated cardboard (The Funkie Junkie Boutique) that has been lightly sponged with Tattered Rose Distress Ink (Ranger).

All the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and I know you don't usually see roses in the spring, at least not where I live, I just love the look of them and of course they matched the image.  The butterfly was made with a Martha Stewart punch and has some Recollections pearl stickers added to it.  The pink fiber, the pearl and the double hearts were attached to a card I received a couple of years ago so I have recycled them.  The filigree corner came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique but I painted it white and then scuffed it up a bit.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Fresh Brewed Designs  - Flowers
Natalie and Amy's Challenge - Things with Wings
One Crazy Stamper - Flowers
Our Creative Corner - Anything Goes
Sandy's Crafty Creations - Anything with Flowers & More Flowers
The Cupboard Trilogy - Spring Flowers
DRS Designs - Butterflies
Crafts and Me - Floral Frenzy
Inky Chicks - Shabby Chic
Critter Sketch - Flowers
Fashionista Challenge - Shabby or Vintage

Vintage School Days

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called Numbers & Letters and we want you to make vintage or shabby chic cards or other paper-crafted projects with number and letters on them in any form.

As soon as I saw the name of this challenge, I immediately thought of school so that is exactly where I went with this card.  My Grandchildren were here yesterday morning and my Granddaughter saw the card and immediately said that she knew I had made it for my Grandson since he heads to Junior Kindergarten in September but I have a different card ready for that - she was actually disappointed.

I started with the background paper, which is vintage ruled paper from Sprouting Seeds (site is no longer active) and then I covered most of it up (dah) but not before I inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger).

I made the ruler paper from some digital scrapbooking elements from Fuzzimo.  Then I found the great vintage image at Vintage Fan Girl but the blackboard was actually a pale coloured ad so I changed it into a blackboard and then added the numbers and letters with a font called Learning Curve, although I wish I had made them more bold.

I found the flash cards online but forgot to mark the site (oops), the star is hand cut with some Card Candi (Craftwork Cards) added to it, the little paper clip was a gift but I think it is from Tim Holtz and the word Explore is a sticker from K & Company.

The apple border is something I created myself with my Cameo and inked with a bit of Aged Mahogany Distress Ink (Ranger) - I hope I have made my friend Shirley (The Cameo Queen) proud of me - LOL.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafting For All Seasons - No Stamps Allowed
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Free For All

Baby Face

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called Baby Face.  We want you to make vintage or shabby chic baby cards or other paper-crafted projects.

Starr Timmons is joining our wonderful Design Team this week as a Guest Designer.  Please check out her blog and her creations. 

I started by finding this fabulous image online at By Vintage Design and gave it a little distressing.  The paper is from my scrap box and it has been there for so long that I don't remember where it came from.  Since it was old, I decided to make it look older and added some Frayed Burlap Distress Ink (Ranger) to it and to the other elements.

The heart doily was a gift from my friend Shirley.  The seam binding, button and eyelet trim were all from my stash.  The corner is a Nellie Snellen die and I have added a few little Dollarama pearls to it. 

The alphabet blocks were created with my Cameo.  I started with a font and then broke it up so I could cut the frame and letters separately from the background in order to give them some dimension and make them look a bit more like real baby blocks.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - One Paper
A Little Bit Crafty - Anything Goes
By The Cute & Girly - Vintage
Cards Galore - Vintage
Cupcake Craft Challenges - Cute & Cuddly
Lexi's Creations - Lace and/or Ribbon
Corrosive Challenges - Life's Special Occasions

Sassy Santa

If you read my blog regularly then you know I love to get a head start on Christmas cards and today I have one featuring one of Sassy Cheryl's wonderful Santas.  This one is called Delivery Boy Santa and I am not sure if it is still available from the Sassy Cheryl's store but if it isn't be sure to check out her other wonderful images.

I made the card blank from some Staples card stock and the papers are all scraps from my stash. The image was cut with the Spellbinders Label One Nestabilities die, coloured with Prismacolors that were blended with Gotrick OMS and then I added some Mungyo chalk to the edges.

I found the ribbon a while back in a bag from White Rose but since they closed their doors 10 years ago, you know how old it is.  I pulled the centre thread to ruffle it and then added a charm from Arton Beads.  The little buttons are from Dress It Up.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Stampin All Year Long - Santa's Coat
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Christmas
Forever Friends - Die Cuts/Punches
Digistamps4joy - Anything Goes
Sassy Cheryl's - Anything Goes

Steampunk Birthday

Our challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called STAMP IT.  We want you to create vintage or shabby chic cards that have rubber stamping on them - no digi stamps.

I made this steampunk card for this challenge.  I found the papers online and I think they are from The Teapot Lady but I didn't identify them well enough in my files so I apologize if I have given the wrong artist credit. All the stamps are from a Hampton Arts set called Time Flies and have been stamped using Black Archival Ink (Ranger) and then the fussy cut stamps were sponged with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger).  A Tim Holtz die was used to make the swirly edge and then it was sponged with Crushed Olive Distress Ink (Ranger).

I found the quote online and then sponged it with some Peeled Paint and Crushed Olive Distress Inks (Ranger).  The metal gears and clock hands are from Bead Landings.  The wing was hand cut from metal foil tape stolen from my husband, textured using some metal working tools from Walnut Hollow and then inked with Terra Cotta and Butterscotch Alcohol Ink (Adirondack).

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Papercraft Star - Use a Stamp
Cards und More - Add Some Metal
Crafts 4 Eternity  - Wonderful Wings
Stamping with the Dragon - Steampunk

April in Paris

The challenge this week at Frilly & Funkie is called April in Paris and since I was the lucky random winner in their last challenge, I thought I would play again.  The project must depict springtime in Paris and include a French icon or word so I have made this shabby (almost gaudy) card with lots of flowers.

I had intended to stamp an Eiffel Tower since I have some stamps thanks to my enabling friend Sue but then found this great striped paper from My Mind's Eye in my stash so this became my starting point.  The french text paper was found online but I don't remember where (oops).  The butterfly image is from Imagenes Vintage and I coloured it with Prismacolors blended with Gotrick OMS.

The lace comes from stash and the crinkle ribbon is just Hug Snug rayon seam binding with a little button from my stash in the centre.  I used two different Martha Stewart punches to create the butterflies from some metallic card stock from DCWV and then added some pearl stickers from Dollarama.  The flourish is from the Spellbinders Venetian Motifs die set and was inked with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink (Ranger).

The flowers were all made from different materials.  The yellow one is Toile Paper (Recollections) and cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die.  I inked it with some Wild Honey Distress Ink (Ranger).  A Dollarama pearl sticker coloured with a Mustard Promarker makes the centre.  The leaves are Recollections card stock cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves Die and inked with some Crushed Olive Distress Ink (Ranger).  The pink flower was cut with a Marvy Uchida punch using paper from my stash, sponged with some Worn Lipstick Distress Ink (Ranger) and then has a little clear dewdrop from my stash added for a centre.  The tiny purple flowers were made from scraps of card stock with an EK Paper Shapers punch and have little Dollarama pearls added for centres.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Frilly and Funkie - April in Paris
Clear It Out - Theme - Spring, Stash - Flowers
Papertake Weekly - Bingo (Lace, Free, Blooms line)
Card Mania - Punches and/or Die Cuts
Lexi's Creations - Punches and/or Dies
The Pink Elephant - Spring Colors
Joanna Sheen - Spring Into Spring

Fabulous Flourishes

This week the challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is called Fabulous Flourishes and I have made this card to share with you.  Don't forget we want you to add flourishes to your vintage or shabby chic creation.

I cut the card blank using some grey card stock (Recollections) and then made the background by sponging Aged Mahogany Distress Ink (Ranger) over some of the same card stock using a flourish cut with a Venetian Motifs Die (Spellbinders) as a mask.  I sponged it lightly a second time and then added some stamped flourishes (Inkadinkado).  I wish I had stamped these flourishes closer to the corners but you can still see them peeking out.

The focal image (Create with TLC) is mounted on a fancy scalloped mat that I cut with my Cameo using a file from Monica's Creative Room as my starting point and this is mounted on top of another panel that has been embossed with a Victoria embossing folder (Cuttlebug) and lightly sponged with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink (Ranger).

The stick pin (Excelsior Wholesale) has a couple extra beads (My Stash) added to it and sits atop a feather (Dollarama).  Some little red roses (Excelsior Wholesale) complete the bow (Fabricland).  For one final flourish I added one made of black gems (Dollarama) to the focal image.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

365 Cards - Sponging & Embossing
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes with Ribbon
Delightful Challenges - All About Music
Shelly's Images - Use Scallops
Penny's Paper Crafty - Red, White & Black
Rhedd and Rosie's - Vintage/Shabby
Love's Rubber Stamps - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper - Black, White & One More

Rapunzel

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes and we want to see vintage or shabby chic cards or other paper-crafted projects that depict either a Fairy Tale or a Nursery Rhyme.

We have a lovely sponsor this week, A Day for Daisies, and she has the most wonderful selection of images in this very category so all of us have created a card with one of these images.

I chose this image of Rapunzel called Where Is My Love (A Day for Daisies) and decided a long card was required.  I struggled with this one a bit but after it was done and I looked at it a few times, it grew on me.

I made a card blank with some Bazzill card stock.  I have coloured the image with pencil crayons (Prismacolors) blended with OMS (Gotrick).  Then I mounted her on a piece of Bazzill card stock that has been embossed using a Bubble Wrapping Texture Fade (Tim Holtz), which gave it a bit of a castle wall feel.  Then I inked the embossing with Frayed Burlap and Wild Honey Distress Ink (Ranger).

The flower vine is a Memory Box die that I cut last fall at my friend Shirley's and I inked it with Wild Honey and Peeled Paint Distress Inks (Ranger).  The word Dream was cut with my Cameo, inked with Wild Honey Distress Ink and then stamped with a Shabby Chic Autumn Leaf stamp by Just Rite to give it a bit of interest.

The butterflies have all been created with paper-backed foil tape used by Heating & Air Conditioning contractors.  Once I cut them and gave them some texture, I covered them with black craft paint (Folk Art) and then sponged them with some Adirondack Alcohol Inks (Ranger).  Some pearl stickers (Dollarama) were added to the butterflies and vine as a final touch.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Creative Corner - Anything Goes
Creative Creations - Things with the Letter B (Butterflies)
Whoopsi Daisy - Use A Digi
Crafting by Designs  - Anything Goes with a Twist: Vintage Easter and/or Spring

Easter Treat Box

When I saw the current challenge to make an Easter/Spring gifts (but not a basket) at Frilly and Funkie the timing was perfect because I needed to work on some little gifts for my Grandchildren so I decided to play even if my mojo is still on vacation :)  This is for my 6 year-old Granddaughter and she won't be critical, especially since it contains some pink Easter straw and a whole bunch of Cadbury Mini Eggs like the ones in the photo.  I have also made a less vintage and more boyish version for my 4 year-old Grandson.

I created a little Milk carton box using a template from Images by Heather M.  Before I folded it, I inked it with some Wild Honey Distress Ink by Ranger and a Honeycomb Mask that my friend cut for me on her Cameo.  Then I did a little more inking with Worn Lipstick and Dusty Concord Distress Ink by Ranger.  The sides and back have some daisies inked on them with a stencil from Dollarama (you can't see them but trust me they are there).

I found the adorable image at Magic Moonlight Studio, mounted her on some Card Stock from my stash and placed her on top of a piece of a Wilton paper doily.  The little flowers were made using EK Paper Shaper Punches and the leaves were punched using a Martha Stewart frond punch.  Everything was distressed with a little Pumice Stone Distress Ink by Ranger and Recollection pearl stickers were added to the flower centres.  I printed a couple of the birds from the image and added them along with some pink seam binding and a little button from my stash.

I am going to enter this project in the following challenges:

Frilly & Funkie - Easter/Spring Gift but not in a basket
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - Anything But A Card
Hobby Cutz - Easter Gift Box

Santa Ornament

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called AN ALTERED STATE.  We want you to alter something in a vintage or shabby chic fashion.

The Design Team has created fabulous altered pieces for your inspiration and are joined this week by Sandy Mathis as a Guest Designer.  Check out their wonderful projects and then come back and show us your altered pieces.

I have altered an old CD to make another ornament for my Christmas tree.

My husband drilled a couple of holes in it for me so I could add a hanging cord and a tassle.  When I was finished with the ornament I didn't like the tassle so I cut it out and I will use it somewhere else.

I printed some card stock with a freebie digital paper from Miss Cutie Pie and then cut two scalloped circles with my Cameo.  The next step was to make the poinsettias using a die from Marianne Creatables.  The little ones were cut from music that I also printed on card stock and the large one is cut from metal sheets by Making Memories that I have had in my stash for a few years.  The little ones were sponged with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink by Ranger and the metal one was sealed first with Mod Podge and then inked with Cranberry Adirondack alcohol ink by Ranger and then sealed again. All the flowers have centres made of beads from my stash (leftovers from the days when I made headpieces and decorated bathing suits for my daughter's synchro competitions).

The flourish was cut from DCWV gold metallic card stock with the Spellbinders Venetian Motifs die.  It looked flat so I added some gems from Dollarama and pearls from Prima to it.  The image is from The Graphics Fairy and after I cut it out, I added gold Liquigems from Liquitex around the edge.

By the way, I discovered when I was making this ornament that occasionally something that goes wrong can end up looking pretty cool.  When I put the ink on the metal poinsettia, I didn't realize that some of the fiber was coming off the felt pad I was using until I started to seal it and all of a sudden there was this mess of fibers sticking to the Mod Podge.  I pulled some off with tweezers but couldn't get all of it off.  I almost threw it in the garbage and started over but when it dried, it actually looked interesting so I kept it.

I am going to enter this project in the following challenges:

Crafting For All Seasons - Anything But A Card
Emerald Faeries - Bling
4 Crafty Chicks  - Circles
Charisma Cardz - Die Cuts
Paperminutes - Real Metal
Artistic Inspirations - Use Some Metal
The Shabby Tea Room - Anything Goes

Vintage Easter

The challenge this week at Sugar Creek Hollow is called Vintage Easter so I have come up with this little card featuring a dapper looking Easter bunny sitting in his basket full of flowers. Your cards must include vintage Easter images.

My mojo has taken a hike so the best I could do was create some little flowers and a few layers of lace and lace punching.  I have made this flatter than I usually do so I can pay regular postage to send it off to my Mother-in-Law.

By the way, if you have seen my mojo, please send it right back here.  I promise to be gentle with it but if it doesn't get its butt back here soon I may get really angry - LOL.

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

DL. Art - Easter
D.R.S Designs - Baskets
Forever Friends - Lots of Flowers
It's All About The Vintage - Dreams of Spring with Lace
Sincerely Yours Creations - Easter
Avadares  - Easter or Spring
Jellypark Challenges - Bunny Hop Challenge
Polkadoodle - Easter
Simply Create Too - Easter or Bunnies
Stampavie and More  - Easter

Image:  Far Far Hill
Card Stock:  Cream (Staples), Green (Bazzill), Rose (Recollections)
Paper:  Laura Ashley
Tools & Embellishments:  Scalloped Circled Die (Nellie Snellen), Swirls Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Peeled Paint & Tattered Rose Distress Ink (Ranger), Frond Punch & Eyelet Lace Edge Punch (Martha Stewart), Flower Punch (EK Paper Shapers), Pearl Stickers (Recollections), Lace (My Stash)

Oriental Peacock

This week we have a PHOTO INSPIRATION challenge for you at Sugar Creek Hollow.  We want you to make a vintage or shabby chic card based on the photo below.  I have chosen to use the colours, incorporate the peacock feathers and give it a bit of an oriental feel.

I found the peacock image online and then built the layers around him.  The background paper (that you can barely see now) is oriental so I added some layered cherry blossoms and an oriental medallion.  I also found the text paper online and then added the butterflies as a watermark.  While the text paper isn't oriental, it is vintage looking (works for me).  I saw a watercolour painting of a peacock feather online and reproduced it using distress inks.  A little punching, some embossing and ribbon complete this card.

I have had an interesting week in my craft room - it seems that everything I tried failed.  I figure my mojo went out west with my husband when he went to visit his Mother for her 91st birthday.  He is back now so hopefully he brought it back with him.  

I am going to enter this card in the following challenges:

Created With Love  - Anything Goes
Stamp and Create - Fur or Feathers
Totally Papercrafts  - Punch It

Image:  Peacock (Weheartpeacocks), Cherry Blossoms (Beccy's Place)
Card Stock:  Recollections
Paper:  Background (Far East by DWCV), Text (Creavapeur.com)
Tools & Embellishments:  Edge Punch (Martha Stewart), Ribbon (Offray), Oriental Medallion (Gift), Tumbled Glass Broken China, Dusty Concord, Black Soot & Crushed Olive Distress Ink (Ranger), Branch Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug)