August Birthdays Continue

Our friends bought a RV camper this past May and they are having a great time with it. They have taken their grandsons to North Conway camping at National Park camping grounds. I made this card for Dennis' birthday on August 14th using punch art and making an easel card. It is amazing what you can make with punches! Happy Birthday Dennis

Staying with the easel theme, this card is for my brother in law, Tom. His favorite activity is golfing but I have made him a couple of golfing cards so I thought this year to go with a traditional card--Birthday Cake!!! Happy Birthday Tom!

My sister, Andrea's birthday is tomorrow so I made her a double Z-fold card and used Grace's Garden stamp and die set from SU. I thought of this when I was at her house this summer and I saw that she and her husband put up an arbor. Love this stamp set! Happy Birthday Andrea! Lastly, I just wanted to show some photos of our craft fair that we had in Kennebunk, Maine last weekend. It was so hot and humid that there wasn't a great turn out but we did okay for the number of people that did come. Kuddo's to everyone that made it! Kennebunk is a beautiful place!

Thinking Spring!

This is a cute picnic basket that I saw on Pinterest and had to make it!  The paper is from Anna Griffin's collection and is so pretty.  It makes a pretty picnic basket.  I love purple! I'm going to add some pretty flowers to the sides of the handle.  Below are some more pictures from different angles. It is a good size basket measuring 7 inches long, 4 inches wide and 2 inches deep.  It will hold a lot  of stuff.

Both sides open

Here is the tutorial to make this cute basket.  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/34832597107599654/
I made this basket the week before my husband, daughter and I left for Palm Springs.  Here are a few pictures of our trip. Everyday was in the 70's and our last 2 days did hit 80.  We took the tram up to Mount San Jacinto, visited Joshua Tree National Park and went up to Coachella Valley Vista Point for a view of Palm Springs area.  At Joshua Tree we saw part of the San Andreas fault and the rock formations were spectacular!!  I wouldn't want to be there in the summer, the Visitor's Center said it can reach as much as 124 degrees! Yikes!!!  After staying for a week in Palm Springs, I can see how it is a popular place for vacations in California!!  If you get a chance, go!!! Always glad to get home, though!!

Our backyard view

Pool and hot tub

Oranges, lemons, grapefruit in our backyard too!

Tram up the mountain

Top of Mt San Jacinto

Joshua Tree National Park

Eric, Sabrina and Oscar at Joshua Tree

View of Mt San Jacinto

View from Coachella Valley Vista Point looking down at Palm Springs

Birthday with Animals!

Jungle Birthday

Our next door neighbor  has a birthday today!! She is 8 years old today and loves crafting.  I made this diorama card for her with Elizabeth Craft Jeep, which I just got and I love it!!  The Panda, Elephant and Giraffe are from Marianne Designs.  I just got the kangaroo today or I would have added it to the card.

Card folded

Back of the card for the sentiment

The frog on the front and the back are stickers that I have had in my stash.  I think I got them at Michael's, so adorable.  It does lay flat for mailing which is pictured above but I am glad I didn't  have to mail it because it does take a huge envelope because I made it huge.   The size of the card is  5 1/2 x 6.  I have made them smaller which I would do if I was going to mail it.  Dioramas are so much fun to make and decorate.  Hope she likes it!  Happy Birthday Caroline!!

Happy 38th

Today is my  husband and mine 38th Anniversary!!  Here is the card that I made for him! I have been following Mixedup Crafts tutorials and she does a wonderful job explaining everything that she creates from the lanterns, train, and now this style card!  I will put the link to her tutorial below with some more pictures of this card. It is called an inside out card!  She makes it as a New Year's Card but it works for just about any type of card.  You will have plenty of room for you sentiment which is great! Just love it!!

                                               https://www.pinterest.com/pin/34832597105522659/

The front

How it is displayed

The back 

Eclipse Cards

This is a new technique for me.  These cards are called Eclipse cards.  Love that you can use a picture of stamped scene that you create to make these cards.  This was is a thank you card but below is a birthday card.  I used photographs but I want to use stamped images too.  The tutorial for this type of card is below. Give it a try - it is a lot of fun!

                                        https://www.pinterest.com/pin/544583779934468265/

This birthday card is kind of hard to see because of the darkness of the foliage.  I love this picture because it is my garden in the backyard so I made it for my sister's birthday!  "Make a Wish Andrea" I can't wait to do this again but with stamped images and using punches or dies instead of letters!

All About Green!

I made these with Stampin Up's Curvy Keepsake Dies for St Patrick's Day dinner tonight with friends.  Even though, I am mostly English but do have some Irish (who doesn't today) my husband and I are hosting a St Patrick's Day celebration with Irish friends, Halliseys and Gearys tonight.  These are so cute and loved making them.  I also made the tablecloth with material from Joann's. Check out the banner I made with Stampin up banner dies, "LUCKY".  All this was made with one hand since I have had shoulder surgery about a month ago but I am able to use my right hand a little, really just holding stuff.  Got out my fine china because it went well with the gold and green tablecloth. Now just need the boiled dinner-yummy!!

The table is set

Lucky in Gold

Centerpiece of shamrocks

Birthday Card/Gift Boxes

I found this card/gift box, all in one tutorial on Pinterest and wanted to make a few.  A friend of mine is having a birthday this week and I have a pair of seaglass earrings for her which are perfect for this box.  Check out this tutorial on Pinterest by Linda Parker.  The size of the box is 4x4.  The only difference with my card/box project is that I made it so you open the front of the card and the tutorial shows that it opens from the back of the box. Either way works out great. I also used a magnet to close the front on two of the card/boxes but you could always use a belly band for closure.  I used Graphic 45 papers to decorate the project and SU flower dies to finish it off.  Check out below more pictures of the inside of the boxes.

Closer look

The paper makes this card/gift box. Inside, there is plenty of room for a sentiment for whatever occasion you choose.  These were so fun to make and doesn't take any time to do it!  You will love the finished project!!

This flower was made with Tim Holtz die

Love this Graphic 45 paper

Birthday Brew!

Sandy's Birthday Card

This was a fun punch art card to make for my brother-in-law's birthday!  He just opened a Growler Store in Washington state and he is really a beer connoisseur so I thought this card was perfect for him!  For the foam I used a sizzix cloud die and circle punches from SU. The handle is just nestabilities oval dies.

Inside sentiment!

I have made a card like this before but this one has more foam!  Who doesn't love foam!Good Luck Sandy on your new adventure and Happy Birthday Sandy! 

Birthday Flag Fold Card

Happy November everyone! It was a challenging week.  We had a terrible wind/rain storm that left 400,000 people without power.  We were lucky that we only lost power for about 16 or 17 hours but some people are just getting their power back today.  Thank you Central Maine Power employees!! So with the power being out, I still was able to work in my craft room and I am loving my  new Marianne Creatable Panda Bear die!! I have the giraffe which I have used for a baby card and this is the first time I have used the Panda Bear.  This type of card is called a Flag Fold Card which I have had saved on Pinterest for quite  a while and just got around to making it.  The link is below for this type of card.  I have seen a few on Pinterest with more flags on the inside which I am going to have to try also.

                          http://beccysplace.blogspot.com/2016/10/tutorial-flag-fold-cards.html

There are 5 flags inside this card.  Graphic 45's Safari collection is the paper that I used along with some dies and punches.  The stamp set is from JustRite stamps.  I haven't decided who to give this to yet but there are a lot of birthdays coming up! 

Halloween Bridge & UFold Cards

Bridge Card

Bridge cards are fun to make especially when it is Halloween!  Love using my Halloween dies from Sizzix and Tim Holtz! The pumpkin is a foam sticker that I found at Michael's which I thought would be great for cards! The paper for both of these cards is from Stampin up and  Authenique.

Found the perfect Halloween sentiment for this card on Pinterest!  "May the blackest cat you've ever seen bring you Good Luck this Halloween!"

UFold Card

This card is a UFold card and I used more of my sizzix dies.  I added some googly eyes to the spiders which is always fun to do!!  This black cat is from sizzix  and it holds the panel down which says "Happy Halloween".  When you close the card the panel comes up which is shown below and on the back is another great Halloween sentiment for this card.  The paper I used I have had in my stash for so long that I cannot remember the name of it.

Card closed to mail

This sentiment in the picture is easier to read.  I have started early with my Halloween cards I think I might send more out than I usually do!  Halloween will be here before you know it!

Birthday Bowling Ball

Here is the picture of my brother in law's birthday card.  He has taken up bowling this summer along with my sister, Chris and my other sister Connie and her husband, Russ.  Mark and I have gone a few times but they are really the good about going each week.  I have made quite a few double Z fold cards and this one I can add to it.    We celebrated his birthday at a restaurant called Marco's in Lewiston, Maine.  It is a great Italian restaurant - so good!!  Closer look at the card below where you can see Mickey's hand holding the balloons!

Happy Birthday Tom!

Because I turned 62 on August 11th, I was able to get my Senior Pass for the National Parks at $10 before they go up to $80 on August 28th.  Either way, it is still a great deal because it is for a lifetime. But now I have my own!!  We went to the Kangamangus and stopped at the Ranger Station for my pass and they were so great there.  Our trip yesterday consisted of Cog Railway,  Eagle Mountain House,  North Conway Scenic Railway and LL Bean in North Conway!!  Along the way we saw the Mount Washington Hotel.

Beautiful scenery

Mt Washington Hotel nestled in the side of the mountain~

Cog Railway

On their way up to the top!

Coal burning trains use 1 ton per trip!

Eagle Mountain House

North Conway Scenic Railway

Stopped traffic on the way home were these cute ducks!  People had to get out of their cars and move them to the side of the road.  They were about a dozen of them and they were so darn cute!

Together again!