Knitting, Squatting, Sprinting and Staging Through the Snow....

I was so bad! I admitted that in my last post that I had abandoned my blog for way too long and knitting was the reason.  Here's what I've been doing lately.  Thank you SO much Grandma for teaching me how to knit.  I love yarn! 

Also, on a personal note, this is my last week of Boot Camp. I signed up for a 10 week course that starts at 4:30 in the morning for an hour and it's been insane!  But I can proudly say that I no longer hate squats. I used to, they made everything hurt and tried to kill me, but now I really enjoy them and I'm so glad I did it.  Another 2015 resolution almost completed before the new year rolls around! 

However, in my absence of blogging, I also slacked in a fabulous challenge that I love to take part in every year and I left off on tag 3 of The 12 Tags of Christmas hosted by Linda and Sponsored by her store, The Funkie Junkie Boutique!!  Now she's on tag 8...oops!

So, guess what I've been doing for the last 2 days?  

Sprinting to catch up so, let's begin....

Tag 4

I literally love Linda's tags so I try to recreate most of her elements and personalize each little snowman star.  I've used her background design on this sweater vest and the holly tree and pinecone he's sporting for festivity.  

Tag 5

This guy is probably my favorite so far. I never dreamed I'd be making miniature skates (sized down to insane small on my Cameo and cut out from paper, colored, glued parts together, punched tiny holes and laced)  and that was a HOOT!  Linda's tag struck me as having a frozen pond feel and so I went with the colors, the line trees and well, skates...

Tag 6

Gorgeous tag and WOW, the possibilities, but I couldn't shake food. I loved the bell embellishment and it really looked like a decorated gingerbread cookie.  So, I went with that, the tree, and corrugated cardstock.

Tag 7

I loved the printed background but I am a sucker for song sheet, so I substituted my base with that. Linda's display of various colored snowflakes is striking and I wanted to duplicate that snowy feel. I loved the silver and blues together.

Tag 8

I'm finally caught up!!! WOO HOO

OH MY WORD...how fun is this whimsical tag of hers?  Where to begin with the tags on a tag, the trees, the swirls, the colors the stripes...it's so fabulous and captivating. I had to create a little snowman star holding a banner and Christmas signs.  The colors and patterns were great fun to work with too.

And that's that!

I am now caught up and already can't wait for the Tag 9 reveal next Monday sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

One last thing.

My mom and I finally opened our antique booth together at Once Upon a Find.

 It's been a long time coming and I'm so excited!!  We spent Saturday staging for the upcoming Holiday Open House weekend.

Well, that's been life lately.  A little crazy, but a lot of fun and I enjoyed sharing it with you.

I loved your visit and I thank you so much for your time spent here listening to me ramble.

Biggest of hugs to you and Happy Whatever you enjoy doing...

Lisa xx 

I miss my babies....

Helloooooooo! 

I'm so happy you stopped by my blog. Please excuse the cobwebs.  It's residual Halloween decorations and real ones. My grandmother taught me to crochet many years back and this last visit she taught me knitting and I haven't been able to focus on anything else.  I promise to visit and catch up next week.  In the meantime, here's my latest offering for The Cutting Cafe.

My baby girl will be 18 very soon and even though she's still a sweetheart who hugs me all the time and lets me kiss her in public and loves to cuddle and watch Netflix with me, she's not a little kid anymore and that's sad...

(Many apologies to my Mom for growing up too!)  

I decided to make her a girly card using this fabulous Candle Shaped Card, Assorted Banners, Birthday Number Candles, and 5 Petal Layered Flower Set.

Here's a fun little insert. 

Notice the 'due' date is highlighted.  That's what the doctor predicted and the 'date out' is when she was born.  

And that's that!

Again, please excuse my absence of late. I can't wait to come visit you all. Until then,

knit 1, purl 2......

Everything and more and even some VERY NEW ACRYLIC STAMPS coming soon to 

The Cutting Cafe. 

All DT projects are posted at The Cutting Cafe Blog on the 7th and 21st of each month. We'd love for you to visit and be sure to leave a comment for Regina. She selects one lucky person to receive 3 FREE files of their choice!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

12 Tags of Christmas 2015 Ornament # 3

I don't know....I don't know what's happened here.  

It began as a challenge where I selected a theme. A primitive look was what I was going for, but then you sew them up and put their little eyes on and before you know it, you're dressing them in a little knitted decorative sweater, sliding small paper colored boots on them and making a rad reindeer hat.  

I really feel like I've lost control here....

I suppose that means that I'm completely inspired and the muse has taken over.  Let's get real.  How fantastic is Linda's tag 3 here?  It's a warm sweater hug on a tag, is it not? It's got all kinds of crazy merriment and Christmas gaiety to make anyone smile!

 This little star snowman just wanted to be a part of that.

 

And when he's done spreading Christmas cheer, he has a cozy spot to rest.

Complete with holly and snowflakes. 

There's still so much time to join in this, so very fun, challenge at The Funkie Junkie, hosted by Linda and sponsored by her store The Funkie Junkie Boutique, so please check it out and see for yourself.  

Hugs and Happy Happy Crafting to you ALL,

Lisa xx

These kinds I like.....

BEWARE....spiders ahead!!

 "The itsy bitsy spider climbed down its sequin web

Out came the ghouls and tried to scare the kids.

Up came the moon and all the witches squealed

                         and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up his web again...."                   

He really does have a sequin web that he hangs from and so will all his other buddies as soon as I'm done AND they're also all shaker ornaments!! How fun is that? I mean really?  Too fun!!

Here's the link to find them in Regina's amazing store:

Three Halloween Shakers

yes, it's a set of 3...now I know you're curious!

Check them out here at

The Cutting Cafe.

All DT projects are posted at The Cutting Cafe Blog on the 7th and 21st of each month. We'd love for you to visit and be sure to leave a comment for Regina. She selects one lucky person to receive 3 FREE files of their choice!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

12 Tags of Christmas 2015 Ornament #2

It got silly... 

I saw Linda's second tag (below) for the 12 Tags of Christmas 2015 and the black background spoke "top hat" to me.  I think it should go without saying that when a top hat is present, so should a mustache be.  Am I right?

Staying with her perfect color scheme, I tried replicating them and then the essential Christmas elements of the tree and snowflakes.  

Here's the carrying case for this ornament.

Thank you to Linda and her shop, The Funkie Junkie Boutique for sponsoring such a kick butt challenge.  So much fun!

Hugs and Happy Crafting,

Lisa x

12 Tags of Christmas 2015 Ornament #1...

She's at it again y'all.  Linda at The Funkie Junkie is hosting her annual 12 Tags of Christmas and it's off to an incredible start.  I was stumped when I saw her classy poinsettia tag below and had no idea where her inspiration would lead me.  

Obviously, that vibrant yet rustic flower was a main focus but then I was so drawn to the background colors of her tag.  The combination of these two elements made it a no brainer. I had to implement them both.

If you follow my blog then this next sentence will be a regurgitation of past statements, BUT...still valid none the less.  Months back I purchased a creamy color table cloth at The Dollar Store and have found endless ways to use the mass amounts of material it provides.  Yet again, here is another one.  

Cutting out a cardstock star as my template, I cut out two from the material so that I could glue them together.  Once almost glued, it was stuffed with polyfil, then fully sealed. It then took a trip to the sewing machine and the process of making this primitive looking snowman star ornament began.

Ornament #1

The eyes are adhesive gems that I colored with black copics. The nose is a prong from an orange brad. The material was distress inked with TH Old Paper DI.  Glitter was added for snow at the edges of the star. The rick rack was aged with TH Vintage Photo DI and then dabbed with TH Old Paper Distress Paint.   The holly is cut from Spellbinder Holiday Holly Twigs and Leaves set. The snowflake is a blue Dollar Store foam piece that I aged with Old Paper Paint too. The scarf is material purchased from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, as were all my other supplies, unless otherwise stated. 

The jury is still out as to whether or not I like the ornament case being a suitcase box or not. I still wonder if maybe I'll go with a gift bag down the line.  Either way, that's what I have for this one. It's cut from Kraft cardstock and then crackled with a medium between tumbled glass and white paint.

The star is foil tape covered white cardstock that was stylus embossed and folded. The snowflake was an extra gift from The Funkie Junkie Boutique on my last purchase.  It too was cardstock and I've made them both to look like aged metal.   A little raffia bow, a ho ho ho tag and some distressing on the edges and my little suitcase is ready to hold the ornament gift.  

I'm incredibly curious to see how the rest of these ornaments will turn out as this challenge proceeds. 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider joining in the fun.  You have until December 20th to complete your creations based on her 12 Tags of Christmas inspirations. Linda is also offering 3 fabulous prizes as well AND everyone who participates in all the challenges will receive a 15% discount off the entire purchase order during the month of January.

**UPDATE**

Couldn't take it. Didn't like the suitcase, so I made this instead...

Much better ;)

Thank you SO very very much for all your time. I know I'm wordy, but I hope you enjoyed yourself.

Big hugs and Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

Happy Fall Ya'll...

Okay, show of hands....who here is giddy as a tick on a fat dog that Fall is FINALLY here in the Midwest?   

OH, OH, OH....pick me, pick me!!!  

Yes I am and I had to show the world with my handmade sign.  Well, okay, maybe not the world per se, but for sure, my neighborhood.  Alright, perhaps not the entire neighborhood, but definitely my street! 

I really enjoyed using the Fall Word Shaped Card file from The Cutting Cafe this week as it set the whole project in motion.

A couple months back, I broke down a a wood pallet and by "I" I mean... I said, "Hey honey, let's break down this wood pallet" (that will sit in your garage for months until I figure out what to do with it) and then watched him from a very safe distance as he wielded his power tools and disassembled it for me, all the while, I'm fairly certain, thinking of about 100 things he'd rather be doing!  

Buuuut, now that 'we' had done that, I had a great piece of wood for a little sign.

So yeah! I painted and mod podged and crackled and stained and tinkered and fiddled away.

 

 

I even bent an old wire hanger and then crinkled and twisted some burlap that day.

And after some sanding and gluing and scrunching and such, what to my wondering eyes should appear?

No, no, not a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer...

A wreath! A wreath appeared.  On my door!!  

And I'm so stinking happy!!!

Hugs and Happy Fall Ya'll!!

Lisa xx

All DT projects are posted at The Cutting Cafe Blog on the 7th and 21st of each month. We'd love for you to visit and be sure to leave a comment for Regina. She selects one lucky person to receive 3 FREE files of their choice!