Purple Posies

Happy Thanksgiving week, friends!

Just thought I'd do a quick post with the birthday card I made for my SIL this year.  She's quite a bit younger than my husband and me and is a bit bohemian, so I tried to incorporate her personality into this card...  The background paper makes it a little artsy, the flowers and colors keep it feminine, and the twine and pearls are a classic touch.

Thanks for visiting!

Pink Power

Sharing a hot pink card made for my SIL's birthday back in August.  These early "back to crafting after baby" cards are super simple!  But even the simplest hand made card lets the recipient know you care enough to take the time to make it.

On a side note, pink has been on my mind a lot lately since two dear friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer within a few weeks of each other.  Remember to self exam, schedule regular mammograms when you're of age, and save the boobies!

Thanks for the visit!

It's Been a Long Time...

...about 10 months, in fact!

Where have I been?  Well, you see, there's been a lot happening here in the squirrel's nest over the last year or so.  In June 2013, Mr. Squirrel joined the nest.  In June 2014, Baby Squirrel arrived!  Yes, it's been a whirlwind year full of night sickness and being the most tired I've ever been in my life, then mommy-mode, and now working-mommy-mode!  While I was pregnant, I had NO creative mojo...none, nada, zilch!  But, I've been slowly getting back to the craft room inbetween feedings, diaper changes, and cuddles....oh, and that pesky work thing.

My posts will be simpler, but I'm excited to be sharing my creations once again!

First up is a card that I made for my BIL's birthday.  A bit of Tim and a bit of fun make for a simple masculine card.

Thanks for the visit!

Jingle Bells

Arrgh! It's December already...Christmas will be here before we know it! Thank goodness for this fortnight's "Christmas Card" challenge at Creative Cutting Challenge, or I wouldn't have a single card done yet!

I decided to start with family cards and created this cool gift card holder for one of my nephews. It's a fantastic idea I gleaned from Cindy at The Creative Pointe. It's the perfect size for holding a gift card, but I typically give cash, and this works for that too!

I wanted this to be fairly masculine and mature enough looking for a 17-year-old. I chose The Creative Pointe's 'Christmas Bells' SVG file to cut a large jingle bell to adorn the front.

To make the bell look aged metallic and give it some interest, I clear embossed some French writing and then layered on metallic Distress Stains. The ribbon was colored with an Aged Mahogany Distress Marker.

I modified the inside a tad since the flap on my invitation envelope comes to a point, unlike the one in the example from Cindy. Instead of using the right half of the flap, I tucked it in to create a little slant pocket. A row of jingle bell garland (colored just like the bell on the front) adorns the pocket's edge.

On the left side, I added more patterned paper and stamped "Merry Christmas". Here you can see how the inside looks with the "gift". It's just the cutest little gift card!

Other Challenge Fun:
613 Avenue Create: Challenge #48 - Anything Goes or twist of gift packaging
House of Cards:  Holiday Blog Hop
Perfectly Rustics:  PR Design Challenge No.12 – Christmas Gift

Supplies:
Cardstock:	Papertrey Ink ‘Kraft’, ‘Ivory’
Patterned Paper:	My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 'Christmas' 6x6
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Christmas Bells’
Stamps:	Croppy Cat; Stampin' Up!
Inks:	Distress Ink ‘Walnut Stain’; Distress Stain ‘Pumice Stone’, ‘Brushed Pewter’, ‘Tarnished Brass’, ‘Antiqued Bronze’; Top Boss embossing pad; Distress Marker ‘Aged Mahogany’; Archival 'Coffee'
Embellishments:	Zing embossing powder ‘Clear’; twine
Tools:	Foam ink blending tool; heat tool; SCAL; Cricut Expression; 3M spray adhesive; Tim Holtz paper distresser
Misc:	A4 invitation envelope ‘Ivory’

Grandma's Sequins

Christmas is really sneaking up on me and I am soooo behind!  Get a jump on your own Christmas projects by joining our "Christmas - Not a Card" challenge this fortnight at Creative Cutting Challenge.

I was inspired by this Pinterest project for my design team project.  Man, do I love Pinterest!  I only wish I had enough time to apply all the fantastic ideas I see there...sigh.

Some months ago, my mom let my sisters and me divide my paternal grandmother's stash of vintage pearls, sequins, and beads.  Grandma was a wonderful beader and we are fortunate to each have several beautiful Christmas ornaments created by her very own hands.  When I saw the Pinterest post, I immediately thought of my grandma's beads.

I used The Creative Pointe's "Joy Ornament" SVG to cut four layers of cardboard.  I replaced the center oval cut-out with a large heart shape. The top layer of cardboard was embossed with Tim Holtz's woodgrain texture fade and all layers were given a coat of artist gesso.  Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint and layers of Distress Stains add just enough vintage-ness.  

I recycled clear acrylic packaging to create the windows at the center of the ornament.  These were sandwiched between the layers of cardboard...adhered with Glossy Accents...with the sequins loose in between.

I actually broke into my cherished antique glass glitter to decorate the edges of the ornament.  It was the perfect touch.  A simple ribbon loop hardware piece and wired tinsel create a hanger and a big fluffy bow finishes things off.  Overall, I kept the ornament neutral to really make those colorful sequins pop!

Other Challenge Fun
Make It Monday:  MIM #167
Paper Playtime:  Challenge #23 - Sparkle
Crafty Calendar Challenge: All Things Christmas!
My Time to Craft:  Challenge #243 - Baubles

Supplies:
SVG:	The Creative Pointe ‘Joy Ornamente’
Inks:	Delta Ceramcoat artist gesso; Distress Stain ‘Pumice Stone’, ‘Tarnished Brass’, ‘Brushed Pewter’, ‘Picket Fence’; Distress Crackle Paint ‘Clear Rock Candy’
Embellishments:	Grandma’s sequins; Stampin’ Up! hardware; Hug Snug seam binding ‘Ivory’; wired tinsel; Cody Foster & Co. vintage glass glitter ‘Silver’
Tools:	SCAL; Cricut Expression; Sizzix Texture Boutique; Tim Holtz texture fade ‘Wood Grain’; Glossy Accents; SU! eyelet tool
Misc:	Cardboard; clear acrylic packaging