Two New Ideas

Good Morning, hope you have fun plans for today. Our Iowa weather has taken a turn on warming up for a few days. Almost 50 degrees, and a huge full moon last night.

I  saw a cute fish card in the store, but priced at $7 I decided to put it back in its slot. Two brother in laws do a LOT of fishing so not having a die fish, I came up with the idea of using 2 Spellbinder leaves. Here's how it turned out.

I personally like layers and more depth, but when mailing the postage sky rockets.  So tried to be more simple.

I used the bottom part of an embossing folder for the measuring design and distress inks. The sentiment of Happy February Birthday was placed inside.

Then I also saw a cute little rosette in the shape of a heart. So I checked YouTube, my favorite place to find some ideas. The first one was from scrap paper (dark red) but the paper was flimsy but the other one was a bit easier.

 The template is 6 inches, free hand and folded over to make 12 in. paper to score every 1/4 inch. Then pleat and glue to the small circle.

I used this link: Heart Rosette mainly because she also shows using Spellbinders borders to finish off the edge. I don't have these but I thought it was a cute idea.  There a several other videos  to get ideas.

Enjoy a fun weekend.

WOYWW #401

Welcome, glad you stopped by. It is another Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday,  Our hostess Julia has all the info on her blog if you are new to this. You can visit  HERE  for the details.

My desk is the start of a New Baby Girl card for my niece in MPLS.  She has 2 sons and now Landry has joined the family in a big weigh 8lbs 2oz. All are doing well. More Valentines will be done later today. I know I'll be home, as I think I've a stomach flu.  Yuck.  And Iowa's winter has snow, cold and winds in the forecast.

In the post below this one is my STUDIO MAKEOVER , you may be able to just scroll down,  remember for real details to enlarge the photos.  I have been enjoying it.  Made it an  around the wall format, and cleared out the middle, furniture.  This use to be a guest bedroom, but I took it over and moved the bed to the small area where my sewing machine/etc was.  Space  is 22 x 11, I am fortunate and thankful.
If interested in my ATC exchange that arrived,  just go to "Older Post" and it should be the next  in line. Some gorgeous pieces of Art in our swap.

Thanks for visiting, have a wonderful week.

STUDIO UPDATES

A warm and cherry Welcome:

I had extra time when we had a snow storm and this old body was up to moving, sorting and rearranging my downstairs, crafty space.  I'd shown using the sliders in my post HERE and the disarray I had created with too much clutter between work stations.  Area is 22x11, it was a bedroom that I took over and moved the bed to the sewing area. A much smaller space. 

I moved 1 bookcase where the big hutch of fabric was sitting and another 2 piece set of chests upstairs, so that gave me a free wall to place the hutch  and open up the room somewhat.

This is the start of my space on the west wall.  This little wooden card table is kind of a cutting space next to the sewing machine. To the right is part of a sofa, where kids sleep, part of the family room down here.

 by the large picture is my regular sewing machine, a small table with a machine I use for paper stitching, and will use for paint, watercolor, gesso etc

Underneath this table is good storage for all those items.

This is another table from my mothers cleanout, it has a metal top, one drawer and 2 pullout leaves on each end.  I will use this for my computer

This old chest was mine as a little girl, now my storage for flowers, leaves, tassels,misc.The top is my scoring mats, rotary cutter etc. The little garage sale shelves store buttons, the pink painted spice racks hold misc tinys. 

 A great way to hold my Sizzix dies, and old card display being disgarded

A really old foldable table with a bench on top for display of many items. My big kick, paper cutter, underneath many of the plastic drawer crates. Contents, rubber stamps, chipboard, clear stamps, etc.

Same table head on, bench holds lot of goodies, I HAVE to SEE things to use them, I don't like looking for things, even if they are labeled. I hung magnetic strips to hold small dies and I love this idea. The table also has many of my Sizzix, Spellbinder, and Tim Holtz, dies and embossing folders. 

Rounding the corner, on the south wall is my grandmothers wall shelf, displaying wooden stamps, on top of a bookcase home to more stamps, misc,  all my tags, and a garage sale find, painted pink little chest  for storage of some glass items in the drawers.  Next to it is a way I display part of my Spellbinder dies, when I shop I always look for display pieces that might be for sale.

This table is on the east wall and the only window I have is above the wire display piece. 

  The table here is my main work area right be side the one above,  seen on WOYWW mostly

 A little space between the desk and an open table to layout ideas  I guess

This is an old table I repainted this spring, more storage beneath.

 A buffet of his dad's I repainted and store ribbon, gifts, misc, underneath I have 12x12 plastic boxes for papers, embellishments for Sympathy, Patriotic, Easter, Valentines, Spring, Fall, Children, sorted out for card or tag making. 

This table was in the middle of the room and made it too close of quarters so putting it at the end, angled has given me so much more space. It has fold out leaves and has great storage underneath,  paper products in the drawers and the other side has lots of cumbersome items that just need to be hidden !   I love the little green chest on top, a real steal at the hospital gift shop. I keep a lot of my ATC items stashed in this. 

 The front of this table and the wall to the left of the 1st photo, the little pink cupboard holds lots of tin ware and my CD player and CD's  which are setting on top of a gutted out old TV Behind the lace  I put in a shelf and it holds more of my paper stash.

 And this is where the big hutch has ended up, it holds all my fabric and felt. The end of this area is a queen bed for guests.  And at some point I'll take photos of that wall and under the steps. Surprise, Surprise.

That's about it for my studio. I have been enjoying this arrangement so much. Definitely more organized. Now if I can find time to watch the cd on the sewing machine I can get a few more things completed.   I've yet to finish the North wall which is part of the family/sleeping area.  Knowing me it will happen when I get a call someone is coming to visit! 

Thanks for stopping by, and if you have any ideas or suggestions please feel free to comment. 

HAPPY MAIL - ATC's Arrived

Happy Sunday. It's always a great day for mail when the ATC Swap mail arrives.
Kim at ArtJoyStuff (click on) was our host for the "Pretty and Pink" Valentine swap. We make three and received 3.  Make the visit as she shows a variety of at least 14 submissions and  Here: are the 3 she created. ALL are just beautiful. Such fun "Little Treasures".  THANK YOU dear Kim for having the best swaps and keeping us motivated.

These are the ones I made and sent in.  You can visit my post on them HERE:

This is one Kim sent to me:

This is one from Amy

This one is from Lisa...she had an adorable back side,

You can click the photo to enlarge. It's amazing what one can fit in the tiny space on an ATC card:
Artist Trading Cards are 2 ¹⁄₂ by 3 ¹⁄₂ inches (64 mm × 89 mm) in size

Thanks to all of the above for such beautiful Little Treasures.  I will add them to my collection and enjoy them for many years.  

It's a busy "Game" day here ....Iowa Hawkeye basketball at 1 pm ... vs Nebraska and later the Super Bowl  Football Championship, New England vs Atlanta.    Last night Iowa State Univ.   my son's Alma mater,  won over Kansas in OT what a joyful win ! 

Have a great Sunday. Thanks for visiting. 

WOYWW #399

Welcome, I finally realized it was Wednesday at 7 am, the day we share our desks with others we meet on Julia's blog the STAMPING GROUND.  I was up at 4 am and went down to clear up my moving mess in my craft space. At 7 my DH asked if I wanted breakfast.  He makes great morning food. Was a good break in the action.

 My space as I prepare to redo and organize. I did get most of that finished from 4 to 7 am, but in the mess I could not find my camera, so next week you see the finished space.

A large hutch containing all my felt and fabric on the movers so I can move it to the wall across from where it now sets.

 I had to completely put it in a circle to turn it so it faces opposite direction, here it was like a divider. And it was heavy, but easy move with the sliders.

A new space to work on, it is an  old metal table I got from my parents house pop up sides and 1 drawer, but space to store things underneath.

We had another funeral for a friend Saturday,who at 56 died unexpectedly from the flu,  and  I made this card to be mailed to a classmate with the death of her mother.

Not too many layers as I had to mail this.

 I cut the doily so it would hold a bookmark.

And behind the bookmark a little message.

Thanks for all the fun comments last week. Thanks for stopping by this week. My DH is in for sandwiches, he's leaving to clean snow in driveways in town.  We had approx 10 inches of snow through mid day yesterday and this morning.  Heavy wet snow. Later today will be 35 mph winds so guess wet snow is better than light and fluffy. But it is pretty outside and I can spend another day finishing up my space.
Best Winter Wishes

A Challenge at RRR #156

Welcome, it's been a while since I have entered a Challenge, but after I made my ATC's for the swap, I came across the Really Resonable Ribbon Challenge on their blog,   and with items still on my desk I put together one more with a different image for this  Challenge #156 is Red and/or Pink with ribbon or trim.

I loved this big hat and the very pretty image.

You can partake in the challenge until Feb. 1st by visiting the  blog

On my sidebar I have a connection to the beautiful ribbon source they sell online. 

Have fun and good luck.

Thanks for stopping by 

ATC VALENTINE SWAP " PRETTY & PINK"

It was perfect timing for Kim at ArtJoyStuff  to organize this fun "PRETTY & PINK" Valentine swap.  Our weather turned to terrible ice and it was the only choice but to stay in. Schools were cancelled as well as factories closed and no travel advised.  I was thankful for electricity and a fun stash of PINK.

 My packaging for 3 on 3

My packaging for our hostess.  Remember to click the photo to enlarge, much better detail.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week.

WOYWW #398

A Warm Welcome.  and I mean that. It is to in the 40's today. After days of bitter cold, snow, ice and fog. Everything will melt and stores will reopen, factories back to work and children back in school. WOW.  The ice was terrible, so many accidents and people falling with injuries.  Not me, I was very content to stay home for the duration. This body is too old to have broken bones.

It is a WOYWW kind of day, Julia at STAMPING GROUND is our hostess and by visiting her blog anyone can visit desks all over the world.

I found an old glass shelf and it is perfect to use on top of paper to let the glue dry. I used the small square one many times (it's heavy) but just too small.  My ATC cards are lined up drying and will be ready to mail later today.  So I'll share them later in another post.

I was able to get the last of my Christmas decor, down and put away. My hubby was bored also so he did all the vacuuming. A wonderful help. Now will put up Valentine decor and sort those items and donate.  Thanks for all the wonderful fun comments last week.  May this week be kind to you.

WOYWW #397

Welcome fellow deskers to #397, hosted by Julia at the STAMPING GROUND. Another quick Wednesday is upon us and a time we share our desks.

I am in the process of making Pretty & Pink ATC cards for a Valentine Swap...but I took away the cards for a later posting.  Sorry .....Needless to say I have plenty of stash to work with and I am thankful as we are having ICE, WIND and most everything has come to a standstill. So was a good day to be home and get creative.

 Left of my desk is a total mess. Papers stacked high and thankful for use of the floor.

 I had to make a Sympathy card for a very dear friend, I lived next to in Cedar Rapids. She found her dad on Christmas Day, had him airlifted to ICU in Iowa City because of a brain bleed. He died a week later. She was my sons age and spent a lot of time with them and my heart was broken for her. He was 57 and a super guy. We shared lots of laughter, fun times and a few beers together many times.  I was unable to attend the funeral, as we are 3 hrs away and we had ice, winds and snow.

Enjoy each day, and be grateful. We never know what's in store for us. And we all take so much for granted.
May you have a wonderful week, I'll no doubt be home bound another day, so will have to take down Christmas trees and clean !!!   Thanks for stopping by.