Sites of the week

Welcome to ABC {Anything But A Card} Friday! I am the featured Baker’s Dozen designer in today’s TE newsletter and I am happy to show you this sweet little Easter project using one of the recessed frames from Taylored Expressions.

This frame uses paper, flowers and a glitter brad from the March/Easter Key Ingredients kit, as well as stamps from the the Sweet Spring set.

How I did it…
First, I painted the frame with white paint and allowed it to dry. I pressed a pieced of the pink stripe paper into/around the recessed opening and rubbed a bone folder along the edges so that I could see where to cut to get a precise panel to fit within the recess. I then used my Nesabilities to cut the scallop and straight edge heart, which are mounted on dimensional glue dots. On top of the heart, I added the flowers, brad and sentiment panel. The bunny was stamped, colored and paper pieced and then placed in the lower right corner. As for my finishing touches, I added the buttons along the edges.
This is meant to be an Easter gift, but could easily be displayed year round on a plate holder or with added magnets and placed on the fridge. You could use multiples of these frames and attach them with ribbon or hinges to make more of a display piece, too. Without trying to sound too cliche, but the possibilities are endless.

See you tomorrow for another Sketch For You To Try with a Whiff of Joy blog tart!

Happy ABC Friday! I have a couple of fun things to share with you today. First, it’s release day for all those cute new The Cat’s Pajamas stamps, which make up the new Kitty Kat Pack {save $12 if you buy all three sets}. This is one of my favorite projects from this release. I started out with a little flat birdhouse that I picked up at Hobby Lobby for $.70. Yep, 70cents! It was originally a dollar and I got it on a 30% sale. How’s that for a deal!?! I painted it with cream paint and then added the Honey Pie {Cosmo Cricket} paper.

As for the details, I added the fun shape that I cut out with my Slice machine {also embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder} and then added the image, buttons and sentiment. I used my Martha Stewart fern punch and a small flower punch for some added detail around the sentiment. The top has May Arts gingham ribbon that I double tied, a Prima flower and a Dew Drop, which also adorn the edge of the birdhouse.

Now for all you wild stamping chicks, I have a really fun item for you!! Check out what Debbie Daniels makes…

I first saw these at the Austin swap last year and I was in love. They are just so fun! I picked up several for friends around Christmas and I will have one up for grabs starting tomorrow {more deets to come!}. Have a great Friday! I am still nursing this cold…ugh! I am sure that it will all be better when Susan and I go shopping tomorrow! LOL!

YAY! I used my Slice! At first I panicked because it would not cut through cardstock. With a quick little adjustment, I was on my way! If you are having problems like this, THIS PAGE on the Slice site has very helpful videos to watch. I love this resource page! What a wonderful idea…do you think anyone will catch on to this? {crossing fingers!}

I’m guessing that you really don’t want to hear too much about me in awe of their videos, and would rather see what I made. So here it is. I altered a tin to give to my friend, Rosie…

The plaque shapes behind the letters are from the Noteworthy design card, and the letters are from the FaLaLa design card. I used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on the Kraft piece after I cut out the shape. I have yet to try to cut on anything other than flat cardstock or patterned paper.

I picked up this little crown at Paper Tales in San Diego. I am so proud of myself for you using it so quickly and not hoarding it! LOL!!

Here’s a detail shot of the flower {from Stamping Bella} and Swarovski crystal that I added for detail on either side of her name….

Finally, here is the top of the the tin. These are some Prima Sprites that I got at eclectic Paperie.

This morning I am back to the gym after a way to long break. I am sure I am going to feel it tomorrow! I had no problem taking in every guilty food pleasure yesterday as a last hoorah, knowing that I would be pack to the routine today {ugh!}.

I’m later usual posting my ABC Friday stuff. This week has been crazy and {unfortunately} stamping/crafting just hasn’t been happening. Hopefully this is worth the wait…at least I would like to think so. I wanted to create some Halloween decor because a lot of ours got ruined in the attic one year. Note to self…if it’s been in your yard and it might have ANY moisture in/on it, don’t put it in with all your Halloween decorations unless you want to pull out a big moldy mess the next year! Ewww!

Here is the before shot. I used 3 of the photo holders to create the end product, with 4 of the 1/2″ wooden balls as feet on each one.

Here is the completed trio with the cubes covered in Halloween paper from DCWV…

Close up of the “BOO”…

The letters are Maya Road chipboard that I painted black, then covered in Diamond Glaze and smothered with Martha Stewart Onyx fine glitter. The bats are a Martha Stewart punch that I punched out of black paper and then covered with black Stickles.

Finally, here is the foot that I attached to these to make them a little more dressed up. I took the 1/2″ wooden balls and painted the black. Then I covered them in Mod Podge and dunked them into a tupperware container filled with the MS Onyx fine glitter. They took only about 10 minutes to dry and I popped them on with hot glue.

As for the tops of the project, I cut out scallop square frames from the polka dot paper using my Nestabilities. I then backed it, gluing only on 3 sides, with black cardstock. This way I can slide pictures in and out. The frames are attached to the wire swirl using hot glue. So what do you think? I think I wanna make more!! I got the supplies at Mike’s, but I can’t seem to find the picture holders anymore…BOO! I have some wood blocks that I might alter like this. Just think of the word possibilities!…Give Thanks, Noel, Joy, 2009, Love, Freedom… I could go on, but I will leave it at that.

See you tomorrow for another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!

OMG…I have absolutely had the most fab time looking at everyone’s SFYTT creations. The winner of my “little something” is…

#34 Jenny Mick with THIS CARD.

—>Please email me with all your info, so I can get your goodie bag in the mail to you. Email link is under my pic.

I love Fridays here on my blog. Sounds like an inflated ego, huh? Nope, it’s just because I get to show you ABC…Anything But A Card. In order to show it to you, I have to make it. In order to make it, I have to think a little outside the box at times. Today’s actually came quite easy to me. This is the finished notebook from THIS POST where I showed you the very cool Carla Craft binding system.

What started out as this {which really originally was a stack of paper, thin chipboard, vellum and a binding coil}…

became this…

The stamped “sentiment” is one of the newly released Plain Janes from Verve Stamps. The paper and embellishments are frmo Making Memories. The Chocolate Chip tabs were created with the SU! Round Tab punch and adhered to the vellum pieces which act as dividers throughout the notebook. You may notice that I changed out the color of binding to better match my project. I know that some people are not fans of this coil binding, but I just love all the colors that are available! So much fun with so many options.

On another note, I want to thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had a wonderful day. I went and got my toes done and then I got my hair cut and colored {pics coming soon}. Then we went out for a very yummy dinner. I came home and ate a SCRUMPTIOUS piece of mini bundt cake that Susan surprised me with. Thanks SusSus {as Ellie calls her}. Here are a couple pics of the cake and supah cute labeling…

Here’s quick pic of a flower from the GORGEOUS bouquet that I got from Tony and Ellie…