Creating Me

Welcome, Little One

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Anita

It’s so fun to welcome new little ones into our world! This card does just that with these adorable pull toys!

You can find this cute Pull Toys stamp here at Great Impressions. The sentiment stamp is and older one from A Muse Studio – use what ever sentiment you have! The Dots embossing folder is like this one from Sizzix.

I stamped the pull toys with Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink on white card stock and colored the images with Copic markers. It’s a little hard to see in the picture, but I shaded the bottom of the panel with a light gray marker and the top with a very pale blue. Then I layered the stamped panel to blue card stock. I stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink on white card stock and punched it with a label punch. (This particular punch is discontinued, but there are some similar dies in this set.) Then I layered the sentiment to a larger label (you can find a similar one here.)

To assemble the card, attach a panel of yellow card stock to a white card. Emboss a piece of brown card stock with the Dots embossing folder and attach to the card over the yellow card stock. Attach stamped panel to the card, overlapping the edges of the brown card stock. Attach the sentiment to the card with foam tape. Finish it off with your choice of 3 gems – you can find some ideas for different types of gems here.

This would also make a great birthday card for a sweet toddler!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping | Leave a comment

Crochet White Cotton Ribbed Dishcloth

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Anita

I love using crochet cotton dishcloths. They are generally thicker than store bought ones and last a lot longer. My favorite cotton yarn to use is I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby. It is so soft and easy to work with. And in case you didn’t know – they have been putting all their yarn on sale for 30% off about every other week!

Here’s a simple pattern I created that works up super fast and can be made in any color.

White Cotton Ribbed Dishcloth

Stitches used (US terms):

Chain – ch
Double Crochet – dc
Back Loop Only – blo
Single Crochet – sc
Slip Stitch – ss

I Love This Cotton Yarn in White

H/5mm hook

Ch 25

Row 1: Dc in 3rd ch from hook and each ch across, turn. (23 stitches)

Rows 2-3: ch 3, skip 1st dc. Dc in back loop only (blo) of each dc across ending with dc in top of ch 3 of previous row, turn. (23 stitches)

Rows 4-6: ch 1, sc in each stitch across, turn. (23 stitches)

Rows 7-9: ch 3, skip 1st stitch. Dc in blo of each stitch across, turn. (23 stitches)

Rows 10-12: Repeat rows 4-6 (23 stitches)

Rows 13-15: Repeat rows 7-9 (23 stitches) DO NOT TURN at the end of row 15

Border:

Round 1: ch 1, sc evenly around dish cloth, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with ss to 1st sc.

Rounds 2-3: ch 1, sc in each stitch around, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with ss to 1st sc.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finished size is about 7 1/2-inches by 8-inches.

I hope you enjoy this simple pattern – Happy Stitching!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Gifts | 3 Comments

Vanilla Bundt Cake

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Anita

Sometimes things don’t always work out quite as well as we hope they will. Case in point – my first attempt at making this Ridiculous Vanilla Cake by Cookies and Cups. Don’t get me wrong – it was easy to mix up, my kitchen smelled amazing while it was baking, and it looked beautiful in the pan when it first came out of the oven!

And that is when things turned out quite differently than I hoped. 😜 The cake didn’t just slide out of the pan like it should have – it really stuck in several places! So it sure didn’t look as pretty as the one by Cookies and Cups!! But I managed to get most of it out of the pan and piece it back onto the cake. My icing also didn’t turn out as pretty as hers – and I probably put it on the cake too soon, but I chopped my white chocolate chips and sprinkled them on top anyway.

And here’s my finished cake! Not as pretty as I had hoped, but it tastes amazing!

So here’s what I will do the next time I make this cake. The recipe calls for the bundt pan to be liberally greased, I obviously didn’t grease it enough since my cake stuck in several places. So I will grease the pan – and then grease it again, and maybe even a 3rd time!! The white chocolate chips in the batter were the culprits sticking to the pan – but they also make this cake so tasty! So grease, grease, grease your pan! 😀

Don’t let my mistakes keep you from trying this amazing cake!! Happy Baking!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Clip Clothespin Pushpins

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Anita

I make cards – lots of cards. 😀 Sometimes it’s fun to display my favorites for a while on a little cork board I have in my craft room. But I don’t want to use a regular push pin and put a hole in my card. So I decided to make some pretty clips using wood, spring-type clothespins.

All you need to make these cute Clip Clothespin Pushpins are wood, spring-type clothespins, scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, thumbtacks, and strong, clear glue. I used E6000 glue – it is my favorite glue to use when I need something very strong.

Simply cut strips of scrapbook paper to fit the clothespins. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the clothespin and attach the strip of paper. After it has dried, brush another thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of the paper, let dry. Using the E600 glue, adhere 2 thumbtacks to the back of the clothespin.

And now I can display my cards with pretty clips! So fun and easy to make!

Don’t need pushpins? Add magnets instead to hold notes on the fridge. Or just use them as clips to close chip bags or to organize papers.

I also used these clothespins (without the thumbtacks) to make a wreath for my laundry room in this post and for a cute votive holder in this post. I also painted clothespins to make this Patriotic Wreath in this post.

Easy, inexpensive, and so many uses beyond the laundry room! Use your imagination and I’m sure you’ll come up with more ideas using clothespins!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Decor, Gifts, Organization, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Scrub-ology Dishcloth

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Anita

Have you tried this yarn yet? It’s called Scrub-ology Cotton by Yarn Bee – it’s available at Hobby Lobby in several different colors. Once it’s worked up, it has a terry cloth-like texture and adds a little extra scrubbing power to your dishcloths.

I decided to give it a try by making the simple dishcloth pattern below. I used Scrub-ology Yarn in Snow Drifts. This yarn does take a little getting used to working with – the stitches can be difficult to see. That’s why I chose to create a simple pattern for my first attempt. 🙂

Scrub-ology Dishcloth Pattern

Finished size is approximately 8-inches by 9 1/2-inches

Scrub-ology yarn in Snow Drifts

4.5mm hook

Stitches used (US terms):

ch – chain
hdc – half double crochet
ss – slip stitch

Chain 2 counts as stitch throughout

To begin dishcloth chain 26

Row 1: hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn (25 stitches, 2 skipped ch at beginning count as a stitch)

Row 2: Chain 2, skip first hdc. Hdc in each stitch across, ending with hdc in top of chain 2 of previous row. (25 stitches)

Rows 3-5: Repeat Row 2 (25 stitches)

Rows 6-7: Chain 2. Skip first hdc, hdc in next stitch, ch 1. (Skip next stitch, hdc in next stitch , ch 1) across to last 3 stitches. Skip next stitch, hdc in next stitch and top of ch 2 from previous row. Turn. (25 stitches)

Row 8: Chain 2. Skip 1st stitch. Hdc in each hdc and ch 1 space across, ending with hdc in top of ch 2 from previous row. (25 stitches)

Rows 9-12: Repeat Row 2 (25 stitches)

Rows 13-14: Repeat Rows 6 and 7 (25 stitches)

Row 15: Repeat Row 8 (25 stitches)

Rows 16-19: Repeat Row 2 (25 stitches) DO NOT TURN at the end of Row 19.

Border:

Round 1: Without turning, work a row of sc evenly around dishcloth, working 3 sc in each corner. Join with ss to 1st sc.

Round 2: Ch 3. Skip next stitch. (Hdc in next stitch, ch 1) around, working 3 hdc in each corner. Join with ss to 2nd ch of beginning ch 3. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Since this is cotton, it could also be used as a face cloth – the texture will gently exfoliate.

This is just a simple pattern that could also be worked with plain cotton yarn like I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby or your favorite cotton yarn. I hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Gifts | 1 Comment

Triple Thanks

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Anita

Today I have a quick and easy thank you card for you. Triple Thanks – because it’s always good to say “Thank You”!

The “thanks” stamp is from a discontinued set from Stampin’ Up. As I’ve shared in other posts, if you don’t have the particular stamps that I’ve used, take a look at what you do have. I’ll bet you have something in your craft room that will work to give you a similar result. Any thanks or thank you stamped on card stock and punched with an oval punch or die – or even trimmed to a rectangular shape – would work.

The punch I used for the center strip is from Martha Stewart – I’ve had it a long time. But here is a link to a similar punch by EK Success that I think is so pretty! Here’s a link to an embossing folder from Sizzix similar to the one I used.

To make the card, stamp thanks once with coral ink and twice with mint ink. Punch with a scalloped oval punch or die. (This looks like a great set of dies at Scrapbook.com!) Emboss a panel of coral card stock with the swirl embossing folder and attach to a white card. Punch a strip of mint paper with the edge punch and attach over the embossed panel. Attach the 3 stamped images with foam tape. To finish the card, attach 3 pearls to the upper right corner.

And that’s it! Quick and easy! Change the sentiment or color scheme and you can use this layout for anything from birthday to thinking of you to new baby to congratulations.

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping | Leave a comment

DIY Farmhouse Natural Wood Bead Garlandl

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Anita

Have you seen the cute Farmhouse Bead Garlands in all the places that sell farmhouse decor? I’ve seen them in colors from natural to white, black, and all colors in between. Some are distressed and some have tassels. There are lots of different types to choose from – or you can make your own like I did!

All you need are some wood beads and twine and in a few minutes you can make your very own farmhouse wood bead garland.

I decided to keep my garland natural. I found these beads and twine that were just what I had in mind. I wanted to use 2 different sizes of beads to make my garland and this bag included both 20mm and 12mm beads.

I started out by making a tassel for the first end. I wrapped twine around my fingers 20-25 times to get the size I wanted. Then I tied another piece of twine tightly near one end.

Trim the loops at the opposite end and your tassel is ready.

I cut a long piece of twine – about 6 feet – and threaded one end through the loops at the top of my tassel and tied a double knot. I used a crochet hook to help make it easier the get through all of the loops.

I threaded the other end of my long piece of twine onto a large-eyed needle and started to string the beads onto the twine. I threaded the short end from the knot on the tassel through the first few beads to help secure it. Continue threading beads onto the twine in whatever pattern you like until your garland is the length you want.

When you have your garland the length you want, make another tassel for the other end. I wrapped the twine around my fingers 20-25 times and then threaded the twine from my garland through the top and tied it as close to the last bead as I could.

Then I took another piece of twine and tied it around the tassel near the top. I trimmed the loops at the bottom to finish the tassel.

And here is my finished garland! I love the way it turned out! My garland is about 57-inches long not including the tassels.

There are so many ways to change this to make it your own. You could paint the beads any color – or buy beads in your favorite color to save time. You could use just one size bead. You could leave off the tassels and put hanging loops on the ends. And of course you can make it any length you want!

This garland is so fun! Should I put it on my mantle, or maybe drape it on an old wooden window in my bedroom, or around a farmhouse pitcher, or maybe a basket? So many possibilities!! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Decor, Gifts | 12 Comments

Spring Trees Thinking of You Card

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Anita

It’s the first day of Spring!! I love when everything is in bloom – new and fresh! Here’s a simple card to welcome the warmer weather and longer days.

The tree and grass stamps are from an older Stampin’ Up set called Totally Trees. It’s no longer available but you can use any fun tree stamps you have in your stash. The sentiment is also from Stampin’ Up. It’s from a set called Teeny Tiny Wishes and you can find it here. I use this set all the time – it has 24 different sentiments that cover so many occasions. The embossing folder is Dotted Lattice from Taylored Expressions.

To make the card, stamp the grass several times with green ink on a panel of white card stock. Stamp the “leaves” of the trees 3 times, twice with green ink and once with yellow-green ink. Stamp the trunk and branch part of the trees with dark brown ink, centering the branches in the center of the “leaves”. Lightly sponge around the trees with blue ink. Layer this panel to green card stock.

Emboss a panel of yellow-green card stock with the Dotted Lattice embossing folder. Attach to a white card. Attach panel stamped with trees to the card. Stamp sentiment with green ink on white card stock and punch with a label punch. (The one I used is discontinued, but you can find a similar one here.) Layer to another label punched from green card stock. (this one is discontinued, too 😦 , but here is a link to a very simple set of dies that I think would work great with a card like this or maybe this set…) Attach the label to the card with foam tape and add a couple of gems.

You could also change the color scheme and this would make a great Fall card!

Happy Spring!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Cards, Stamping | Leave a comment

A Glimpse into the French Quarter in New Orleans

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Anita

We recently went to New Orleans for a few days. While my husband was in his conference, I strolled around the French Quarter taking in the sites and enjoying the atmosphere. We’ve been here 3 or 4 times before, but it’s still fun to see all the beautiful, old buildings…and, of course, eat some amazing food!

I am by no means an expert on New Orleans, but here are a few of the pictures I snapped while we were there.

Jackson Square is surrounded by beautiful old buildings, including the St.Louis Cathedral, which is breathtaking by day or night!

A few of the gorgeous buildings as we walked through the Quarter…

And no visit to the French Quarter is complete without beignets from Cafe Du Monde!!

Of course, music is everywhere…

We hopped onto the Algiers Ferry to take the short ride across the Mississippi River to Algiers Point – something we have always talked about doing and finally did this time! We took a short walk around the neighborhood and stopped into a little pub (which I forgot to take a picture of) before heading back across the river.

The spectacular view of the Quarter as we headed back from Algiers Point…

The textures to be found are simply amazing!

Oh, and did I mention that NOLA is 300 this year?

These are just a few of the sites around the French Quarter…there is so much more to this amazing city! We didn’t even get to the Garden District this time with the beautiful plantation style homes…

Happy 300 Years New Orleans!! I’m sure we’ll be back!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

Springtime Hello – Published in Take Ten!

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Anita

So excited to have this fun card published in the Spring issue of Take Ten Magazine!!! I also have 4 more in the same issue!! 😍 How fun is that?!?!? The other cards are on pages 38, 100 (2 on this page), and 104. You can get your very own copy of this inspirational magazine here. 🙂

I did a post on one of the cards in this magazine, Snowballs 10 cents, back in January of 2016. I love how Take Ten surprises me every now and then by publishing a card that I’ve almost forgotten about!

This card brings Springtime to mind with its bright green and orange. It’s super simple to make and of course you can change the colors to your favorites.

The swirl stamp is from the Keep Wild set from Unity Stamp Company and the “hello” stamp is from Paper Source.

To make the card, stamp the swirl twice with orange ink and once with green ink on white card stock. Punch with a circle punch and layer to green and orange card stock circles using foam tape. Stamp hello with orange ink on white card stock trim and round the corners.

Layer 2 different patterned papers to a white card. Attach a strip of orange card stock to the middle. Attach the swirl circles to the top of the card. Attach hello to the bottom of the card with foam tape. Add a tiny button to the center of each swirl.