Welcome Puppy Punch Art card

A good friend of mine recently became the proud owner of an absolutely adorable little Springer Spaniel puppy. I couldn't resist and had to make a card to commemorate the special occasion.

This of course involved my trademark of creativity - punch art.
I used the amazing new Fox Builder  punch for the bulk of this little fellow; the instructions can be found at the end of the post.

My card base and card front are both white cardstock.  card is basic 5.5 x 4.25" in size. Card front trimmed down to 5.25 x 4".
a heart die was sued to cut a center window. A small piece of tan cardstock was torn to resemble ground and attached to the card based making sure it fit into the bottom of the heart window area.
the puppy punch art was assembled (ears and head were popped with foam, and attached to the card suing another piece of 1/16" thick foam tape.

The heart was outlined in a dot border using a brown marker and the card front was then attached to the base with 1/8" thick foam (or just double layer the thinner tape).

The sentiment is a die cut from red card, and the heart was punched from the same colour.
The greeting was pieces together from 2 separate sets of sentiment stamps. i used makers on the stamps to isolate only the words I needed.

Finally the bottom of the card was finished with a brown border cut  with a border die.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: White. red - Recollection, tan and brown - Bazzill
Stamps: Stacks of Wishes (bay) - SU, Botanicals for You - SU
Markers: Chocolate Chip - SU, Cherry Cobbler - SU
Dies: Heart Thinlits - SU, finishing Touches Thinlits - SU, Sunshine Wishes Thinlits - Su
Punch: Posh heart - Posh impressions, for punch art see below instructions
Misc.; black marker, white gel pen, foam mounting tape

Punch art instructions:

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon. 

Crochet Crib Blanket

During a recent visit to the yarn store this lovely yellow yarn caught my daughters eye. And although she just got engaged and there or no immediately plans just yet for a baby she couldn't resist and had to purchase several skeins.

She only started crocheting in the last year and isn't very fluent at reading patterns yet. She had found several new stitches and patterns she wanted to combine and therefore asked if I could make a crib blanket using this yarn and the stitches patterned she had found.

We decided on incorporating three squares to make the blanket.
the first is using this free pattern, a variation on the basic granny square
Edit. not sure why the link doesn't want to go straight to the pattern. It's free, and called "squares-n-squares-baby-blanket"

The second uses the basket weave stitch, as can be found here:
Craft Passion Basket Weave

And the third and last is a basic double crochet worked in the back loop only for a ripple texture effect.

I made 5 of each and assembled in 5 rows of 3 alternating the pattern.
The blanket was stitched together using a matching shade of green yarn and edged in one round (single crochet) of green as well.
I then added a simple scallop edge in the yellow variegated yarn

As there was a bit of left over yarn I am contemplating making a matching pair of booties and maybe a hat, when (and if) time permits.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon. 

Crochet Baby Boy set

For some reason I have not been very inspired to make cards lately. It may be due to everything else going on in my life currently (2 boys graduating, finally getting back to working on the home renovations, beautiful spring weather and a garden to get ready...) I'm not sure, but I can't seem to get myself into the craft room and create. hopefully once the new SU catty is out this will change (there is a ton of new stuff I absolutely love in it).

The only thing I have been finding some time for lately is crocheting. Another relative is expecting this summer so I needed to get working on a handmade gift pretty quick.  I take the crochet bag to work and crochet during most of my lunch hour. It's a nice break during the day and very relaxing. It's surprising how fast these items came together.

I made this cute hooded jacket and matching little booties. Both are approx. 6-12 months size so should fit the baby this winter.

I was quite surprised that I only needed 1 ball of the blue yarn plus a bit of scrap of the fuzzy white yarn from my scrap bag.

The button strap on the booties is actually functional and opens.

I used this pattern here: hooked on crochet for the jacket. I opted to omit the button panel and added the strap under the neck instead and then edged everything in white (2 rows of single crochet).

The booties used this pattern here: croby pattern. I followed it exactly but also added the white edge (1 row of single crochet) instead of the embroidery floss accent to match the jacket.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon. 

Crochet Adventure

Unfortunately I have not had a chance to get into my craft room in the last few weeks. So much so that I haven't even been able to go through my SU Sale-a-bration order that arrived several weeks ago. I did managed to open the box and inspect the contents but haven't been able to inventory the goodies in my Evernote notebook yet.

It's hard to believe I've had to pass up time with this batch of delightful toys.

I plan to get to this in the next couple of days as I have many ideas for cards using several of these new stamp sets (you can't see it but the balloon stamps and matching punch are hiding near the bottom of the box as well as several more stamp set).

Although I haven't been able to make any cards, I've still been crafty.
My cousin had twin baby girls last month, and I had the brilliant last minute idea to crochet baby blankets for the wonderful new arrivals.

They turned out quite lovely and I'm very happy I managed to finish them within two weeks. You may not believe it but as I haven't crochet in many years I actually developed blisters on my right hand after a few nights. But I persisted and completed them rather quickly.

Now these sweet twins have an older, 2 year old brother. I didn't want the little tyke to feel overlooked so of course I had to make something for him as well. My daughter recently bought a book with baby and toddler hat patterns. So after looking through it I decided on this cute raccoon hat.

After I finished the hat I had quite a bit of yarn left over and proceeded to make a matching scarf.

So these two pieces took another week. I finally decided enough is enough; after all my poor, sore arms needed a rest from the "unusual" activity (it's still rather surprising to me which muscles are sued for crocheting and apparently not all too much in other daily activities).
This past weekend I quickly stamped a few "handmade" tags, packed everything up in a box, threw in a couple of greeting cards and now have finally got my gifts ready to mail.

If all goes well, I shall have plenty of opportunity to play with my new stamps and share some card creations very soon.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon. 

Nativity Punch art - Manger

As promised today I am sharing the instructions for the manger portion of my nativity punch art.
All characters are free standing as the base is made from the Curvy Keepsake die.

Baby Jesus in the manger is adhered to a base made from acetate. I made the bottom portion a little wider than I normally do for these treat holder so it can accommodate an electronic tealight. As you can see in the photo below, it's quite amazing how much light one of these little things can generate.

The manger uses the tall, pointed portion of the Curvy Keepsake die, which allows for the star to be overhead.

Both Mary and Joseph were made from the shorter, handled portion of the same die.

 

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Recollections and Bazzill
Die: Curvy Keepsake - SU
Punches: various, see individual instructions below.
Misc.: white gel pen, a little bakers twine, electronic tealight - optional.

Manger instructions:

Mary instructions:

Joseph instructions:

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you come back for my next post which will feature the three kings/wise man for this nativity.

Peek-A-Boo Bunny Card

And last but not least, today I have my Peek-a-Boo Easter bunny gift card set. Again these are smaller 4 x 4" cards.

As mentioned on my previous sets, you can make only eon card and use one image on the outside and the other on the inside if you like.

Here's a closer look at the front:

And a clsoer look at the escaping bunny:

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Recollections 110 lbs white and Bazzill
Stamp: Crazy About You - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Sahara Sand, Calypso Coral, both SU
Die: Circles - Framelits - SU
Punches: see instructions below for details
Misc.: Foam mounting squares, 3/8" blue gingham ribbon, 3 x 3/8" pearls for each card, black marker, white gel pen, rose/red chalk

Full instructions are below.

Thanks for looking! Hope to see you again soon.

Peek-A-Boo Chick

Tonday I have my second Peek-a-Boo card set, this one features an adorable little chick (it reminds me a little of the Suzie Zoo duck).

Again i made a set of 2 cards, but you could sue one image on the front and the other on the inside and make just one card.

Here are the close-ups, front:

and the back of our little escaping critter:

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Recollections 110 lbs white and Bazzill
Stamp: Crazy About You - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, both SU
Die: Circles - Framelits - SU
Punches: see instructions below for details
Misc.: Foam mounting squares, 3/8" green gingham ribbon, 3 x 3/8" pearls for each card, black marker, white gel pen, rose/red chalk

Full instructions are below.

Thanks for stopping by! Come back later this week for the third, and last, of my 4 x 4 " Easter card sets.

Peek-A-Boo LambCard

Here is the first set of my 4 x 4" Easter gift card sets. This one features a cute little lamb playing Peek-a-boo.

I decided on making a set of 2 cards, but you could easily use one image on the outside of the card and the other on the inside, or even the back. Here is a closer look at the peeking lamb:

And here a closer look at the escaping lamb:

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Recollections 110 lbs white and Bazzill
Stamp: Crazy About You - SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Sahara Sand, Calypso Coral, both SU
Die: Circles - Framelits - SU
Punches: see instructions below for details
Misc.: Foam mounting squares, 3/8" pink gingham ribbon, 3 x 3/8" pearls for each card, black marker, white gel pen, rose/red chalk

Full instructions are below.

Thanks for looking! Come back soon for another 4 x 4" Easter gift card set.

Painter Bunny Easter Card

I have three kids, so of course I have a third gift card holder card to share. I created another bunny. He is the same design as the last, one punch, but I posed him differently. I also gave him him a paint brush. He reminds me of the Easter bunnies found in German Easter story books. He's just missing his glasses.

It's harder to tell in the photo, but my pearls aren't white. I used my Blendabilities marker to colour the pearls a light peachy-pink.
I also chose bright hues for this one even though it's a card for one of my sons. It's a bit of a secret, but he loves pink.

I left the inside a little plain, but did carry over the colours.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Stamps: And Many More - SU, All Year Cheer 1 - SU
Die:  Timeless Rectangle - Nestabilities - Spellbinder
Ink: Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black - all SU
Alcohol marker: Skin tone - Blendabilities - SU
Misc.: 5/8" light blue satin ribbon, 3/8" pearls, white gel pen, black marker, foam mounting squares

Full punch art instructions below.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon; next will be some 4 x 4' Easter gift cards.

Easter Bunny Card

Today I am sharing my second gift card holder Easter card. This one is a cute Easter bunny. I choose subdued, masculine tones that would appeal to my son more than bright spring colours.

As with my chick, the punch art design uses a single punch (not including the eggs).
I carried the colour scheme over to the inside of the card which holds a gift card.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned paper: misc. scraps
Stamps:Teeny Tiny Wishes - SU, A Little Somthin' - SU
Die:  Oval Framelits - SU
Embossing folder:  Lacy brocade - SU
Punches: Word window - SU, Modern label - SU, Small, wide oval - SU (eggs), Owl punch, see below instructions
Ink: Crumb Cake - SU, Basic Black - SU, Daffodil Delight - SU, Strawberry Slush - SU, Always Artichoke - SU
Misc.: white gel pen, black marker, foam mounting squares, 5/8" tan organza ribbon, 3/16" perals, red/rose chalk

Full punch art instructions below:

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon.

Sheep Easter Favour

Today I am sharing the last of my Easter favours. Of course this is also made with the Curvy Keepsake die (you may wish to buy it if you don't have it yet). I love the shape of this die. It is so versatile. And if you'd rather just make a cute punch art card you can just trim one handled side and place this cute critter on a card front.

My sweet little lamb is holding a TicTac container but any little treat will work.  Here's a side view that lets you see the contents a little better.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Ink: Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush, Smokey Slate, all SU
Die: Curvy Keepsake - SU
Punches: see below instructions
Misc.: 5/8" gold organza ribbon, white gel pen, rose/pink chalk

Full instructions below.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon.

Baby Shower Curvy Keepsake

This sweet little baby treat wrapper would be perfect for a baby shower. He can easily be turned into a baby girl, or if the gender is still unknown use yellow, green or purple for the sleeper.

 

Mine is holding a pack of mint TicTacs, but any small candy or treat will work.
This little fellow is actually rather quick to put together once you've got the pieces punched.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Ink: all SU - Marina Mist, Soft Sky, Blushing Bride, Crushed Curry.
Die: Curvy Keepsake - SU
Punches: see below detailed instructions
Misc.: black marker, red/blush chalk.

Full instructions below:

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to you see you again soon.

Girl Curvy Keepsake Treat Wrapper

I Hope I didn't keep anyone waiting too long.
Here is the little girl treat wrapper made with the Curvy Keepsake SU die.

 

I think she'd be very cute for Easter (maybe have a her holding a large Easter Egg). Or how about a party invite. She could be holding a gift or balloon and the party details could be written on the back.. This also makes a great party favour and she can easily be turned into a little boy.

Here's a side and back view (yes, I finished the back of the head with another scalloped circle)

 

My wrapper is holding a clear baggie with 6 small Easter chocolates/eggs, but many little candy treats will work well for this. A small dollar store type toy would probably fit too.

Oops, forgot to note the  supplies used

Ink: all SU - Blushing Bride, Crushed Curry, Strawberry Slush, Soft Sky

Cardstock: Bazzill

Die; Curvy Keepsake - SU

Punches: - as note din the below instructions.

Misc.: blakc marker, red/rose blush (my white gel pen is dried up and I haven't had a chance to buy a new one so no highlights on this one)

Punch art instructions below:

 

Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon for my baby wrapper instructions.

More Curvy Keepsake Treat Wrappers

I liked my little Leprechaun so much I decided to make a few more character treat wrappers using the Curvy keepsake die.

They are turning out rather cute so I thought I'd share a quick preview of the next three; a little girl, a baby and a fun birthday clown:

I am working on the instructions right now, so these will be up on the blog this week.

Also, these are just the beginning, I have several more in the works; so come back soon.

Thanks for stopping by!, Alex

Welcome Baby - Baby Bottles

This little design was not planned. The baby bottle came about purely by accident while playing with my Note tag punch.

You may be surprised how fast and simple these are to create. One punch, punched from three different colours and each double punched once. Very quick and easy. After I assembled my little bottles I added a little measurement guide with a pen. The bottles were mounted using foam squares.

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Ink: Crushed Curry, Blushing Bride, Marina Mist, Basic Black - all SU
In Marker: Soft Sky - SU
Stamp: A Word For You - SU
Dies: Banner Framelits - SU, Lacey Ovals - Nestabilities - Spellbinders
Embossing folder: Square Lattice - SU
Misc.: 5/8" organza ribbon (blue or pink), foam mountign squares.

Full punch art instructions below.

 

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon!