Quill Paper Leaves and Flowers

Purchased some quill paper to make leaves and tendrils for cuttlebug quill flowers.  Adds a nice touch, don't you agree? Blog absence due to finishing up several swaps for the month of January.  Made a mini Christmas Album for the first time.  Thank goodness for youtube tutorials.  Also altered stackable boxes (they are not stackable any more!) and embellished with blinged up car keys. Have some valentine tags to share with you and completing BD tags along with  cuts from Zoo Balloo for an ABC swap. So busy creating  this month and enjoying  interacting with lots of new internet friends as we share our creations,celebrations, daily grind, celebrations and more. . .

Styrofoam Boiled Coffee Cup Basket

My favorite styrofoam creation, a little  basket. Perfect for party favors and filling with treats and trinkets.  It's not done yet, going to alter the surface. To make this, just put the rubber bands where you want the indentation, place in pot of boiling water with a weight.  In just a few minutes it will transform into it's chosen shape.  Remove with tongs, dry and decorate.  The handle is the top of the cup that I remove before dunking.  I like to remove the top on all my creations, as I think the shapes are more interesting.  Also, if you cut wavy curves on the top, you get a very femine and delicate effect.

Styrofoam Boiled Coffee Cup Vases

More stryofoam coffee cup vases. Going  to alter surface with decoupaged tissue paper and then play around with gold leaf accents. Maybe even wire some beads around it.

New to the technical aspects of blogging and despite my computer challenged skills, was finally able to delete that nasty HTML code and all is well again in the blogosphere. Crafting has expanded  my  skill set, and I have been thrust into techno-weenie stuff in order to post comments in craft forums,  post pictures on-line and create this blog.  It is a new journey , wrought with countless conundrums, but I am taking it on and feeling more at ease each day.  Today I am finishing  ten clean and simple cards, along with 8 card fronts for a swap I am in. I would like to post these pictures today, depending on my crafting progress.  I have also joined an altered key swap, and would like to share my first altered key.  I am trading quilled flowers, and looking forward  to creating 6 tag designs  and a valentine pin cushion before the end of the month. Swapping is such a wonderful way to meet wonderful craft artists, learn new techniques, and provide a structured crafting schedule complete with deadlines , guidelines and specific parameters. It catapults you into unfamiliar territory, creating in styles you may never have even been aware of,  and gives you an opportunity to learn and create for someone you have never even met .  If you have never tried one , but would like to check it out, go to  http://www.cricut.com/  and explore the forum.

Hello everyone, this site is under construction, but you're welcome to join, if you scroll down to the JOIN THIS SITE icon. 

More to come soon, so check back again  :)   and hopefully the construction signs will be down. Happy Crafting and remember to design, be inspired and embellish your personal journey in a style that brings you joy, and then spread the joy   :)

A friend sent me a quill flower kit to use on my cuttlebug. Very relaxing and a fun way to use small amounts of paper.

We use to make styrofoam coffee cup vases in my classroom years ago.  DIY has a wonderful tutorial on pressure cooker vases. I used a pot of boiling water . Additionally, you need a cup, rubberbands, tongs, and a weight. Such an easy project, so save your coffee cups and upcycle them into home decor.

Playing around with quill flowers and devised the quill cut from the Walk in My Garden cartridge, which is just below this post.  I enjoy the  process as much as the finished project, so you will see lots of pics of designs that are still in the incubator stage. Playing around with my camera and staging shots is something I love to do as well.   I placed the quilled flower on stash paper with a pretty little bird.  Sometimes , I like to post pictures without commenting and just maintain a visual journey.



Quill flowers created in Design Studio and Walk in my Garden.  Blossums were welded onto a strip (elongated rectangle) and rolled on a pencil, no fancy tools here.  Think of the possibilities. . .



Have you ever completed a project for a challenge, but was unable to post the picture due to computer, camera or user issues?  Well,I missed the challenge deadline because of all three. . . After I sort it all out, I will attempt to share what I designed. I will use it for a card front swap I am in, or send it to someone special.

Winter Wonderland

I am creating a project for Cricut Exploration. The theme is Winter Wonderland.  There are some awesome projects there now. Go check it out, and if you have time, join in.  I think the deadline is this Saturday , 9 pm eastern.  Will post pic here when it is completed.