I'm a Winner!

I'd totally forgotten that I had left a comment on the Mod Podge Rocks blog (one of 442!!) and I just heard that I was one of the winners of this:

I love Mod Podge but have never used the new formula for fabric so I will have fun trying this out. And, you can never have enough fabric...  Can't wait to receive my goodies - thank you so much Mod Podge Rocks!

Be sure to check out their blog - different projects are posted daily and it's a fun, fun blog.

Halloween Cards

The worst thing about hand-making cards is once you send a homemade card to someone, you're stuck for life and can never go back to buying a quick card to get in the mail!  Not that that is a bad thing, but sometimes you're in a time-crunch.  Since I had to get some Halloween cards off to my four girls TODAY, I decided to make them all alike and here's what I came up with.  I love that sentiment stamp (a new one this year from Michael's dollar spot), but thought it might not be appropriate for the two who are now married, so I added "and Ghys" after the Ghouls.  These were quickies, but they will all appreciate them.

Hot Metal Mamas

What is that? It's a monthly class at our Little Blue House which focuses on Ten Seconds Studios art metal, using different tools and techniques each month.  Tracy teaches this so I had the opportunity to be a student rather than a teacher last night.  We made a cool fall project using a gold charger, embossed metal leaves and alcohol inks.  Each one turned out different, depending on which leaves and embossing folders were used as well as which alcohol ink colors were chosen.  This would be beautiful for Christmas also and could be adapted using patterned papers in lieu of the metal. Great gift idea!

Here's a closeup showing the embossed metal details - sorry about the glare. It was pretty darn hard to take photos of this shiny, gold plate!

Catching up on Cardmaking

Lately I've needed many cards - sympathy, get well, birthday - and my "stash" has become depleted, so I've been making cards this week.  Some were sent out before I remembered to scan them, but here are a few examples.

The first two are similar except for coloration.  I stamped the background by stamping the flower several multiple times with different colors of ink on kraft cardstock.  This was sewn by machine to the solid cardstock layer, which I think adds so much texture and definition to the card.  I used a Papertrey Ink scallop die on felt for the scallop border.  This is topped with a crimped strip of cardstock and tied with a piece of twill.

This card uses one of my favorite woman images - it's a great one to use for those "special" birthdays and makes an elegant card. The sentiment stamp actually says "over 50 and fabulous" but I masked the "over" as my friend is just turning 50.  (Tip: get more mileage out of your stamps by covering portions or words on the stamp with transparent tape, ink up the stamp and then remove the tape before stamping.)  I used a black sparkly embossing powder for extra glitz and again used the scallop die.

I still have several more birthday cards to make as well as my Halloween cards.  And time is running out!

Bendy Borders

Bendy Borders are back in stock! Get these glittery fun borders for your layouts, cards or even for decorating candles or vases - at The Little Blue House!

Autumn Roses

Making paper flowers of all kinds is quite the rage right now. But how about making roses from autumn leaves?  The best part is that these colorful leaves are plentiful (unless you live in Texas like I do!) and free.  Beth at www.thestoriesofa2z.com made these beautiful roses below.

They are simple to make.  Gather your leaves, some wire and glycerin or hand lotion.  Wipe the leaves with the lotion to make them more pliable and help preserve them.  Roll one leaf tightly for the center.  Then, folding each leaf in half and keeping the fold at the top of the flower, wrap two or more (depending on the flower size desired) around the center and wrap the base tightly with wire.  There is a tutorial in Russian at this site - no need for translation as the photos are beautiful and self-explanatory.

If you make these, I would love to see them, so please share!

Another Scrapstashers

On Monday and Tuesday it was time for yet another Scrapstashers Anonymous class. This is such a fun class.  Students sign up without knowing what the project will be and receive a supply list to bring from their stash.  At class the project is revealed.  It's an inexpensive, fun class and students love the mystery as well as being able to use up some of their own products and learn new uses for scraps.

The class project this time was two iris-folded cards.  Students brought paper scraps in two colorways, one for fall/Halloween and one for Christmas.  These were the two cards I designed and taught.

If you've never tried the iris-folding technique, it's fun and much easier than the finished project looks.  Basically you cut your basic shape from your card front layer and lay this face-down over a pattern.  You then take approximately 1" strips, fold one long edge in about a third and lay alternating strips on the pattern.  There are lots of great patterns available - just Google free iris-folding patterns - or there are many books to buy as well.

Everyone in class went home with two finished cards and really enjoyed the process. Even though everyone brought in fall and holiday papers, it was amazing how different they all turned out. And I think everyone was amazed at how easy it was, despite the intricate-looking results. 

Halloween Bottle Cap

Last week our local art group met and Lynn had a great little holiday project for us. We altered giant 4" bottlecaps (I think from Maya Road?) which she had spray-painted black for us.  She also shared a huge selection of her Halloween papers, stamps, ribbons and "stuff" for us each to do our own thing.

Mine turned out fairly simple as I had taught class all day and was creatively exhausted.  I layered two patterned papers and overstamped with a stamp set from Artistic Outpost.  The pumpkins were stamped on scrap cardstock, cut out and layered over the fence.  I added Glossy Accents to the fence and Stickles to the inside pinked paper circle as well as the rim of the bottlecap.  A tiny silver moon sticker was added to the "sky."  Ribbon was knotted through a hole punched in the rim. This was a fast and fun project and will be a cute accent to my Halloween decor.

Another Class

My first "specialty" class at The Little Blue House will be held next week on Oct. 15 from 10 am to 1 pm and again on Oct. 30 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm.  Many of our classes are "buffet style", when many different projects are taught simultaneously during a four-hour time period.  But we also offer specialty classes for projects which require more time or more one-on-one instruction.


I am looking forward to teaching this vintage "art quilt" class.  Each student will create their own unique fabric and paper collage choosing from an assortment of fabrics, papers, laces, buttons and other embellishments which I will provide.  They may also bring any bits and pieces with special meaning to them to incorporate into their quilts.  A fabric transfer will be made from family photographs or vintage images for the focal point of the quilt. 

If any locals are interested in signing up for the class, please contact The Little Blue House at 817-431-7930 for more information.  

Scrapstashers Anonymous

We are continuing to teach our very popular monthly Scrapstashers classes at The Little Blue House.  This week we did a darling fall tree.  We supplied the die cut tree which our own Lolly designed!  Everyone brought their own supply of scraps, buttons, felt and paint and a canvas.  After helping with both the morning and afternoon classes,  I just had to make one too!

The canvas is 11"x 14",  painted with Espresso metallic paint.  The tree is a silhouette with the scrap papers glued behind the openings.  Thankful was cut with the Cricut Home Decor cartridge, combining letters from several words.

World Card-Making Day

What is World Card Making Day?  

World Card Making Day began in 2006 as National Card Making Day. Founded byPaper Crafts magazine to bring card makers together at the beginning of the busiest card-making season of the year, it was first held on October 7, 2006. The initial celebration involved the Paper Crafts magazine audience only; however, due to the positive response it received and the worldwide popularity of card making, the holiday became known as World Card Making Day from then on.

Celebrating its fifth year in 2010, World Card Making Day is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in October. It's a day for the card-making community -- hobbyists, retailers, and manufacturers -- to unite and celebrate the connection and creativity that is the heart of card making.


Did you make cards today?  I haven't yet, though I have several I need to make this weekend.  Below is the card class I am currently teaching at The Little Blue House.  These are three variations of pop-up cards.  The left card with the bat on the front opens to a "honeycomb" pumpkin pop-up that wishes a Happy Halloween.  The top center card has a spiral pop-up with die cut ghosties.  And the right card opens to a spinning spider.  All three feature some of the pretty Halloween "Toil and Trouble" line of papers from Girls' Paperie Co. 

If you are local and interested in taking the class, please call The Little Blue House at 817-431-7930 to sign up.