Creating Me

Last-Minute Christmas Cards

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Anita

There’s still time to make your Christmas cards. No – really!! These cards come together in just minutes and they look so elegant.

All you need are embossing folders, sentiment stamps, ink, and card stock. And some adhesive to put it all together.

The embossing folders are from Stampin’ Up. They are discontinued, but there are so many fun folders out there – use your favorites! The Merry Christmas stamp is from the Old Traditions set from Unity Stamp Company.

To make the cards, emboss a panel of white card stock with the embossing folder. Stamp the sentiment with red or green ink. Layer to a panel of red or green card stock and attach to a white card. Stamp your sentiment on the inside and you’re done!

Take a few minutes and whip up some last-minute Christmas cards! You really do have time! 🙂 🎄

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Three Cards Published In The New Take Ten!!

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Anita

The Winter 2018 issue of Take Ten Magazine is out and I’m so excited! I have 3 cards published in this issue and they are all on the same page. So fun to have my own page in the magazine. 🙂

All 3 stamp sets are from Unity Stamp Company. I’ve said it before in other posts, but this is seriously the best company! They have so many great stamps and the quality is amazing – plus great customer service and awesome sales! You need to check them out! 🙂

Here are some closer pictures of each card.

The set for this card is called Love to Go. I’m not sure where my coffee bean embossing folder is from, but here’s a link to a similar one.

This set is called Hello Love. The Cable Knit embossing folder is from Taylored Expressions and the Swiss Dot embossing folder is from Cuttlebug.

And this one is Dream of Being. I used the Cable Knit and Swiss Dot embossing folders along with the Heart embossing folder from Hobby Lobby.

I just love Take Ten magazine. Every quarterly issue is packed full of inspiration from amazing artists – if you love to stamp, you will love this magazine!

Take Ten Winter 2018 — Available December 1st

Thanks for stopping by…

Anita

Posted in Stamping | 4 Comments

Joy Farmhouse Wood Sign

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Anita

Do you have a corner in your house that just needs something Christmas-y? Do you want to make something but are running short on time? This cute Joy Farmhouse Wood Sign may be just what you are looking for!

I found the slatted wood sign in the unfinished wood section at Hobby Lobby. It measures about 15-3/4 inches by 6-1/4 inches. The unfinished letters were just a few steps away in the same aisle. The tag on the letters say they are 5 inches but they are closer to 5-1/2 inches. And the chalk paint is in an aisle nearby…

I painted the front and sides of the sign with 2 coats of Lace Chalky Finish paint from DecoArt, letting it dry between coats. (You can also paint the back if you want to, but it’s not necessary.) Don’t worry – it doesn’t take long to dry! Then I very lightly dry brushed some Folk Art Home Decor Chalk paint in Rich Black on the sign. The letters are painted with 2 coats of Romance Chalky Finish paint from DecoArt and very lightly dry brushed with black. You’ll only need to paint the front and sides of the letters since they will be glued to the sign and you won’t see the back.

Once everything is dry, use a strong glue to adhere the letters to the sign. I like E6000 Clear Industrial Strength Adhesive. Be sure to get the clear/transparent glue and not the white glue! Trust me on this! 😉

This little sign is a cute farmhouse-style addition to your Christmas decor that you can put together pretty quickly! Hobby Lobby has lots of different unfinished wood signs/plaques to choose from as well as different styles of letters. You can easily change things to make your sign exactly the way you want it. 🙂

I hope your season is filled with JOY!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Decor, Gifts, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Cuddly Crochet Reindeer

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Anita

Here’s another sweet, cuddly pattern from Sarah at Repeat Crafter Me. You start with the same pattern used on this sweet Candy Corn I made in this post and this adorable Christmas Tree I made in this post and then add the ears and the cute red nose.

I used worsted weight yarn that I had in my stash in light brown, dark brown, cream, and red. The eyes are 12mm safety eyes that I purchased from Amazon.

This cute little guy can be stitched up in just an evening and is sure to bring a smile to a sweet little face – along with lots of cuddles!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Gray Crochet Infinity Scarf

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Anita

I found this cute plaid dress at this great little boutique near me called The Katie Grace Boutique. If you are local, you need to check this place out! It’s a great shop in a refurbished little house on highway 72 between Madison and Athens, AL. They have the cutest clothes with really reasonable prices. And they get new stock all the time! If you’re not local (or even if you are), they have a website you can find here at shopkatiegrace.com or they also have an app you can find in the App Store – just search for The Katie Grace Boutique. Here’s a link to their Facebook page – there’s a shop button on there, too. You’ll want to check out their online store for great clothes you can only find there – they ship very quickly or you have the option to pick up your order at the store if you are local. Can you tell I kinda like this little boutique? 😊

I’m not friends with the owner and I’m not getting anything for this post. I just wanted to share my favorite boutique with you!

Anyway, I decided I needed a gray infinity scarf to go with my new cute dress. I used Caron Simply Soft Yarn in gray heather with a J/6mm hook to crochet my scarf. By using the larger hook it made the scarf drape beautifully.

Here’s the pattern:

Chain 35 loosely.

Row 1 – Double crochet in 4th chain from hook. (3 skipped chains count as a double crochet). *Skip 2 chains. Double crochet, chain one, double crochet (V-stitch) in next chain.* Repeat from * to* across until last 4 chains. Skip 2 chains. Double crochet in final 2 chains. Turn. (9 V-stitches and 2 double crochet at each end)
Row 2 – Chain 3 (counts as double crochet). Skip first double crochet. Double crochet in next double crochet. Work V-stitch in chain-one space. Repeat V-stitch across to last 2 double crochet. Double crochet in last 2 double crochet. Turn.
Repeat Row 2 to desired length. Crochet ends together to make into infinity scarf.

I made my scarf about 70″ long so I would be able to double it once I put it on. I love it with my dress!

I paired my dress with my new scarf, black leggings, and ankle boots to make a fun Fall outfit. I can also add a sweater or maybe a jean jacket when the temps drop a bit more.

This pattern works up super quickly – I made mine in just a couple of hours – so you have plenty of time to stitch up some of these for Christmas gifts!

Stay warm!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Crochet Gift Bag

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Anita

Our family is at the age where gift cards or cash are on everyone’s wish list. I like to be a little creative when giving them – the little envelope from the store just won’t do!!

I found the pattern for this cute gift bag here on Ravelry at Maki Crochet. It’s really fun and easy to make. You can easily adjust the size by the number of beginning chains and the number of rows you crochet.

I used I Love This Yarn in mid green and Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in white and burgundy. I crocheted the bag with a G/4mm hook. For this bag I began by chaining 40. I crocheted the first 2 rows with green and then alternated white and burgundy for the next 11 rows, ending the pattern with white. The next 2 rows are done in white with the final row crocheted in green. I chained 80 to make the drawstring. The drawstring is woven through the first row of double crochet to cinch the bag closed.

This finished bag measures about 5-1/2 by 6-1/2 inches (but you can make it any size you want 😊). Plenty of room for a gift card and some yummy sweets!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Crochet, Gifts | 2 Comments

Christmas Deco Mesh Wreath

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Anita

Are you looking for a new Christmas wreath for your front door? This is such a fun and easy wreath to make – and it will only take a couple of hours from start to finish!

Here’s what you’ll need:

5.5-inch wide deco mesh in your choice of colors (I chose lime green, red, and red/green combo)
Wire wreath form – this one is a 16–inch form
Chenille stems to match your deco mesh
Some type of accent pieces like my glittery greenery stems with red ornaments
Wire cutters
You may also need thin wire or hot glue for attaching your accent pieces

You will need to cut 9-inch lengths of the deco mesh. I just measured and cut them with my scissors. There are 8 sections to the frame and I twisted 4 chenille stems around each section. Each chenille stem will hold 3 pieces of the deco mesh so I cut 32 pieces of each color.

I twisted the chenille stems around the wreath frame, alternating them by twisting around the 2 outer rings and then the 2 inner rings. Here’s a close up of one of the sections of the frame.

Be sure to twist them tight so they don’t slide easily on the frame. Here’s the wreath frame with all of the chenille stems twisted on.

Take a piece of the deco mesh and roll it up. I folded my ends to the center and then just folded it over so the ends were on the inside. Roll and stack 2 more pieces on top of your first one. Don’t worry about trying to make it perfect – it will look great once you are completely finished! Then place your stack of 3 pieces on the center of one of the chenille stems and twist the stems tightly several times to secure the mesh to the wreath.

Here’s a picture of one section of the wreath with mesh attached to each chenille stem.

I alternated my 3 colors of mesh in each little stack as I went around my wreath. After you have attached all the mesh, cut the chenille stems with wire cutters. Be careful to not cut too close – you don’t want them untwist!! Then just bend the ends of the stems down. Fluff up the deco mesh sections if you need to.

Attach your accent pieces using hot glue or wire – my glittery greenery stems had wire in them so I just wrapped that around the wreath frame and added a dab of hot glue to keep them in place.

And here it is all finished!

It measures about 22 inches across – such a pretty way to greet your friends and family over the Christmas season!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Farmhouse-Style Tabletop Christmas Trees

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Anita

It’s the day after Thanksgiving – the official start of the Christmas season! If you’re like me and not into all the crazy shopping today, this would be a great day to spend crafting…

I love farmhouse/vintage decor! The Christmas season is a perfect time to craft a little something farmhouse-y. 😉

These sweet little trees are so easy to make and will add the perfect touch to your table or shelf. All you need are some styrofoam cones (I got my little ones at the dollar store and the larger one at Hobby Lobby), some chunky yarn (I used Bernat Blanket Yarn in Vintage White), craft glue, and something for the tree topper. I used kraft card stock to make stars to top my trees.

To make the trees, begin by putting a thin layer of glue on the top of the cone. Attach the end of the yarn in the center of the top and make a little coil until the top is covered. Add a little more glue on the sides and continue wrapping the yarn around the cone until you get near the bottom, no need to add glue to the entire cone. I added more glue before I wrapped the last couple of rows. Then just cut the yarn making sure to glue the end securely.

To make my stars, I used my star dies and cut 2 stars from kraft card stock for each tree. I glued them together with a toothpick sandwiched between them. Then I added a button to the center of each star. Once they were dry, I pushed the toothpick into the top of the tree.

I used this same soft, chunky yarn to make the wreath below – you can find the details on how to make it here. These trees look so great with it! (It really is the same yarn, just different lighting in the photos 😊)

And here are my completed Farmhouse-Style Christmas Trees! I love how they turned out!

This would be a fun craft to make with the kids! The styrofoam cones come in so many different sizes – you could make a whole forest! 😊

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Anita

It’s Thanksgiving in the USA today. Take a moment and be grateful for all your blessings.

Thankful for you!

Anita

Posted in Fall | Leave a comment

Cuddly Crochet Christmas Tree

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Anita

This is another super cute pattern from Sarah at Repeat Crafter Me! It is the same basic pattern I used to make her sweet Candy Corn in this post.

I used I Love This Yarn in Mid Green to make the tree. I used worsted weight yarn from my stash in yellow and brown for the star and the legs. I’m not sure what brand they are – they were leftovers from previous projects and the labels have long since disappeared. 😊 The eyes are 12mm safety eyes that I purchased from Amazon.

Sarah attached little Christmas lights to her tree and it looks so cute! I opted to leave them off for safety reasons due to little hands.

This cute Christmas Tree is sure to bring lots of cuddles! 🎄

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Christmas, Crochet, Gifts | 1 Comment