Ann Butler Designs Blog Hop - Spring Bloom Topiary

I am excited to be a part of the Ann Butler Designs blog hop!  In the midst of all this snow and ice in North Carolina, I felt like I needed a little touch of spring so I designed this cheerful flower topiary!  Be sure to check out the other participating designers to see what they've created too!

Ann Butler http://www.creativitystirsthesoul.com/2014/01/ann-butler-designs-january-blog-hop.html

Amy Bowerman http://wp.me/p1xj8L-1ub

Candice Windham http://candicewindhamdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-do-i-love-thee.html

Cheryl Boglioli http://wp.me/p2zUiu-1cE

Eileen Hull http://www.eileenhull.com/2014/01/ann-butler-blog-hop.html

Jen Goode http://www.100directions.com/pretty-as-a-peacock-ink-colors-from-clearsnap-and-ann-butler/

Madeline Arendt  http://madelinesthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/ann-butlers-stamps-blog-hop.html
Sharon Rienhart http://smrdesigns.blogspot.ca/2014/01/delicate-valentine.html

Materials: 

Ann Butler Faux Quilting Stamps by Unity Stamp Company - 1” Leaves All Over
Clearsnap® ColorBox Crafter’s® by Ann Butler - Lilac
White cotton fabric 
Lavender embroidery floss, needle 
1 1/4” Smoothfoam ball 
Yellow Blumenthal Lansing button 
Wooden skewer 
Darice tin watering can 
May Arts ribbon - yellow print, green print 
Beacon Adhesives Tacky Glue 
Iron 

Instructions: 

Ink 1” leaves stamp with Lilac ink, stamp 8 times on white cotton fabric.  Ink stripe stamp with Lilac ink, stamp 8 times on white cotton fabric.  Heat set with iron. 

Cut out each stamped square, leaving approximately 1/8” on all sides. 

Place 2 leave images back to back, straight stitch embroider around image.  Repeat with remaining stamped leave images and striped images. 

Use fingers to gently remove threads around stitching to create frayed edge. 

Thread each square, through one corner, onto needle, overlapping.   Fan out to create flower. 

Place small amount of tacky glue on yellow button.  Place in center of flower.   Embroider through flower ot hold in place. 

Place Smoothfoam ball into bottom of watering can with hole facing upward. 

Place small dab of glue on top of skewer, wrap with green ribbon.   Place strip of ribbon around stem, tie, then tie ends in knot to create leaf.  Repeat on other side. 

Insert skewer into ball. 

Glue flower to top of skewer.  

Tie strip of yellow ribbon around watering can ending with a bow. 

Add Spanish moss to top of watering can opening to cover ball. 

Lost in the Moment Valentine Spinner Card

You can find instructions on how to create this Valentine spinner card in this week's Cindi's Simple Solutions at When Creativity Knocks.   Featuring TaDa Creative Studios papers, Blumenthal Lansing buttons, Clearsnap inks, and KellyCraft Jimbo Lojik stamps.

Burlap & Wooden Snowflake Ornament

I love burlap!  The rustic, country feeling it brings, the texture, and the neutral color that goes with any color scheme.   I've been having fun creating holiday ornaments this year with burlap and Smoothfoam™ - here's my latest creation!

Rustic Burlap Snowflake Ornaments 

Add these rustic burlap ornaments to your country Christmas tree for a homespun holiday feel. 

Materials: 

Smoothfoam™ ball 

Blumenthal Lansing Favorite Findings™ - Wooden Snowflakes 

Burlap

1” brown grossgrain ribbon

Jute ric-rac trim 

Twine

Hot glue gun & hot glue sticks

Scissors 

Instructions: 

Cut burlap square approximately 8” x 8”.  

Place Smoothfoam™ ball in center of square with hole on top.  Add hot glue around hole, fold four corners of burlap upward and mount to ball.  Fold remaining burlap over and glue to side of ball.  

Cut piece of twine for hanging ornament, hot glue ends into hole in top of ball. 

Gather edges of burlap, tie together tightly around twine loop with additional piece of twine. 

Mount brown ribbon around center of ball.  

Mount jute ric-rac centered on brown ribbon. 

Mount wooden Blumenthal Lansing snowflake in center over ric-rac. 

Flannel Yo-Yo Heart Ornament

Here's another quick holiday tree decoration I created for Cindi's Simple Solutions at

When Creativity Knocks!  Clover's heart yo-yo maker, and Blumenthal Lansing buttons made it easy! Find the instructions here.

Trim the Tree with WCK's All-Star Designers' Holiday Series

Another episode of the WCK All-Star Designers' Holiday Series is now live and you'll discover 5 fun ways to add a hand-made touch to your holiday tree!  We start with Jonathan Fong and a clever garland, then Mark Montano shares his "armored" holiday ball, Judi Watanabe brings us a beautiful golden ornament, Ana Araujo makes a fun snow globe, and I create a stuffed cardinal ornament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIdLiCy2R0s&feature=c4-overview&list=UU43BR4nhkkM43cM73d_X19w

Holiday Tablescape Ideas

The WCK All-Stars' Designer Holiday series continues with an episode full of ideas for using a wide variety of products to create a great holiday tables cape.  We've got a fun centerpiece created by Jonathan Fong, fabulous etched glassware by Mark Montano, beautiful place designed by Judi Watanabe, a tablecloth and matching napkins designed by Ana Araujo, and whimsical star party favor boxes I created for the table.   Products from our sponsors - Spellbinders, Rit Dye, Blumenthal Lansing, Etchall, Makin's Clay, Beacon Adhesives, JudiKins, Smoothfoam and Clearsnap are featured in this video and you are sure to find an idea to inspire you!

Burlap & Twine Holiday Tree Decorations

This week I'm sharing two ornaments with a rustic, country Christmas feel.  You can find instructions for this first one on the Smoothfoam blog.     Instructions for the smaller twine ornament with the cute Blumenthal Lansing snowflake button can be found in Cindi's Simple Solutions at When Creativity Knocks.  

Gobble, Gobble with Smoothfoam, Rit & Blumenthal Lansing

The second episode in the WCK All-Star Designers' Holiday Season is now live on the WCK site - Ana Araujo shares her cute idea for a Turkey treat holder  made with Smoothfoam™,  Rit Dye® and Blumenthal Lansing buttons!

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Mason-Jar-Turkey-Centerpiece

WCK's All-Star Designers' Holiday Series has Begun!

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Glow-In-The-Dark-Ghost-Card

When Creativity Knocks is excited to share the first episode in the All-Star Designers' Holiday Series - This week Judi Watanabe of JudiKins shares here adorable Halloween card featuring a glow-in-the-dark Makin's Clay® accent.   In the coming weeks Judi, Jonathan Fong, Mark Montano, Ana Araujo and I will be sharing many more creative holiday projects.

Special thanks to the great sponsors of this event Rit®, Blumenthal Lansing®, Smoothfoam™, Beacon Adhesives®, Makin's Clay®, Spellbinders®, Etchall®, Clearsnap® and JudiKins®.  If you sign up to receive the Creative Journal Newsletter on the WCK site you are entered to win one of 8 prize packages full of products from our sponsors!

Patriotic Basket Embellishment with ICE Resin®

My latest design for ICE Resin® is this patriotic basket embellishment!  Find out how I created this piece on the ICE Resin® blog - http://iceresin.com/icequeen/2013/06/patriotic-basket-embellishment/

Happy Fourth of July! - Cindi

Ladybug Tic-Tac-Toe with Smoothfoam!

I'm having a blast crafting with Smoothfoam!  My latest project is featured on their blog - Ladybug tic-tac-toe!  You can find the instructions here - http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/national-craft-month-ladybug-tic-tac-toe-game/.

The Art Bra for Charity Wings

Another of those insane things I did for a good cause!   Charity Wings had a Mob Flash this year at the start of CHA to benefit the Be Aware foundation for breast cancer.   We were challenged to decorate a unique art bra, wear it to the Mob Flash (while dancing in a very uncoordinated manner to a choreographed tune), and then we wore them to an auction hosted by Westcott to raise money for the Be Aware foundation.   Angela Daniels sold hers super quick - those little toy soldiers battling cancer were a big hit!  Ann Butler modeled a Westcott creation, and mine had Expo International golden fringe, a floral Blumenthal Lansing button, and hand painted Jacquard Lumiere flowers with beaded accents and glitter. 

I'll share the link to the video of our dancing bra extravaganza as soon as it's posted!  - Cindi

PEACE with Rit Dye

Let there be PEACE this holiday season - give the gift of "Peace Cookies" in a jar and a hand-made ornament featuring Rit Dye, twine from The Twinery, and a funky Blumenthal Lansing button!  Find the full tutorial on the Rit Dye site.

Graveyard Luminaria with Spellbinders & Rit Liquid Dye

The latest episode of Behind These Eyes on When Creativity Knocks is live and it's a spooky graveyard themed luminaria!   Find out how I used Rit Liquid Dye an Spellbinders to create this fun project! 

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/Behind-These-Eyes-Halloween-Luminarias
- Get your spook on! - Cindi

ABC Book Set on WCK & TLC's Craft Wars

My latest project for C&T Publishing is on today's new episode of When Creativity Knocks.  The Artful Fiber kit is stuffed full of mixed-media must-haves and we've used almost all of them in this cute personalized tactile ABC book set.  There's a downloadable .pdf with instructions and templates for the alphabet and the little critters too!

Ana Araujo and I also both reviewed the new TLC show Craft Wars which premiered last night.  Having crafting back on network TV is surely something to celebrate!   My complete review is here.

Check out the Ana's Creative Chaos blog to read her review, and see her cute altered composition book pencil pouch combo!

Recipe Book Re-Do - New Episode of Behind These Eyes on WCK

I'm excited to share my second episode of Behind These Eyes on When Creativity Knocks - Recipe Book Re-Do features fun retro kitcheny papers from Graphic 45's Domestic Goddess collection, twine from The Twinery, and some adorable hen & chick buttons from Blumenthal Lansing.  Best of all, there's a free .pdf download with stepped out instructions and some great recipes from the book itself! 

Birthday Cards

In my family, the birthdays tend to be clustered - several together in March & April, and then several more in October & November.   We just celebrated both my boys' birthdays, and my mom and dad's birthdays, and today I'm sharing the cards I made for each.  It's been a while since I've taken the time to make so many cards in a short time, and I have to say I've been bitten by the card making bug again and am anxious to make a few more for my stash. 

My mom's card was made with pretty papers from the TaDa Creative Studios Goody Two Shoes Collection. 

The daisies were die cut using my Craftwell e-Craft, then textured with a Sizzix texture plate and Big Shot machine.  Blumenthal Lansing buttons and a bit of embroidery with yellow embroidery ribbon were finishing details.   The verse was stamped in Cinnamon Versacolor ink which I discovered matches this paper collection perfectly!

Now for the masculine cards - Graphic 45's A Proper Gentlemen collection made it easy to make this antique auto themed card for Pop - he loves vintage cards and is currently restoring an antique pick up truck so this card was just his style.

My son Joseph's birthday was in March and we celebrated with a soccer themed family party.  His card has a 3 fold pop-out of the word THIRTEEN, which was hand cut and then stamped with Happy Birthday randomly.   Soccer patterned paper and soccer ball brads were finishing touches.   


For Thomas's birthday, also in March, it had to be camouflage.  His cake even had a real hand-grenade in the center.   His card was made with free form pieces of card stock which were stamped with assorted leaf stamps and Happy Birthday stamps.   The "BIRTHDAY" was hand cut, and pops out from behind one of the pieces when the card is open to it's 3 panels for a 3-d effect.  


Now I'm off to check my calendar to see who has the next birthday so I can whip up a few more unique cards......