Crowning Dove

 
I have been neglecting my little blog for the past week and I am so sorry!  My daughter and I have been preparing for her guest to arrive.  She is from France and the two girls are having lots of fun together.  They were friends before the first day was over!  It's just wonderful to see them communicate in two languages (both speaking some French and English), giggle, teach each other, and then giggle some more.  It truly is a small world.

The designers over at The Play Date Cafe have a fabulous color challenge this week.  I love the palette and just look at these photos!  I'm smitten by all the shabby goodness here - lace, pink ribbon, pearls, oh my!

My daughter is hosting a party for her friends so invitations are in the making.  Here is one we finished today and the colors are perfect!  The papers are scraps from the drawer layered on Early Espresso and Very Vanilla cardstocks.

We made the dove with baking clay and a mold.  Such fun!  The crown is die cut and the edges softened with Distressing Essentials.  A bit of lace and some hand-dyed seam binding added a feminine look.  A simple white button holds the tag stamped in Early Espresso Classic Ink.  The sentiment is from All Holidays stamp set and punched with the Jewelry Tag Punch.
 

Thank you for stopping by and for your understanding during this busy couple weeks!  I'll be back soon ... promise!

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Cameo

  
Gosh, what a busy week it has been!  Snow days with my young ones home from school and me not able to get into work.  A sick day for my older one - two trips to the doctor and now we know it's bronchitis.  Medications are helping her rest ... it's so painful to see your children suffer, I wish I could make it all go away.  Thank goodness the weekend is here and no plans on the calendar to make us go out in the cold and snow.  Lots of snuggling, reading, and crafting on my schedule!

The inspiration this week has me in awe.  Moxie Fab World has a cameo challenge underway.  Be still my heart!  I have always wanted to make a cameo embellishment but never knew how until I saw one on dear Claire Buswell's blog.  She led me to ETSY where I bought a mold - ok, well actually I bought four molds but to be honest I couldn't decide on just one.  I'm absolutely head-over-heels with these new toys I have to play with ... you'll be seeing lots more in the coming days!  A fabulous sketch is found at The Waltzing Mouse (mine is turned and mirrored) and the color palette over at  ColourQ  is perfectly feminine.  My thanks to both Design Teams for helping me create a wonderful home for my first cameo.

I started with a card made from Blushing Bride cardstock and layered on scraps of Cameo Coral prints along with a Poppy Parade pattern from the Sunny Garden Designer Series Paper collection.  The script stamp is En Francais shown here in Poppy Parade Classic Ink.  The edges are tea stained with the Distressing Essentials kit.  Some coral colored felt, my pinking shears, papers from the Newsprint collection, and a few Pearl Jewels made for a nice centerpiece.  I added a sentiment from a Hostess Set Apple Blossoms stamped in Early Espresso Classic Ink.  That gorgeous lace is from my good friend Ginny - wasn't that sweet of her to send me some?!  You can leave her some love at her blog here.

I dyed some seam binding with Blushing Bride ink and a touch of Cameo Coral ink.  The flower was made from scraps of Sunny Garden paper and "glitterfied" with Dazzling Diamonds.  See my sweet cameo nestled under the bow?  I just love her and am anxious to try two clays in one mold.  Wouldn't she be lovely with a pink backgound?  A crystal stick-pin adds a bit more bling to the "bow bundle".

Thanks so much for stopping by today - I appreciate your visits!

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Missing You ...

  
Hello friends!  Is it snowing where you are?  It's a blizzard here in Michigan!  No school tomorrow and I'll be working from home.  The kids are thrilled and I must admit, so am I.  Looking forward to PJ's, blankets, and a warm fire ... with a cup of hot cocoa in the afternoon.

While visiting some of my favorite blogs this week, I discovered a couple challenges that I just couldn't pass up.  From my previous post, you know that the fabulous design team at Just Us Girls is celebrating hand-made flowers this week.  Swoon ... my favorite little embellishment to create!  I made one with Very Vanilla cardstock for today's post.  You can see my tutorial here.  The second challenge is one of colors.  This image is our inspiration over at The Play Date Cafe.  Isn't the lilac color wonderful?!

I began my card with Very Vanilla cardstock and layered on Basic Black along with a black/vanilla print from my scrap drawer.  To add interest, a zig zag stitch runs up the left side and balances well with the beautiful lace on the right.  Yep, once again ... thank you Shirley!  Some felt trimmed with pinking shears and a couple printed papers sewn on dressed up my die cut centerpiece.

I added hand cut leaves from some rough brown fabric I have and the handmade flower as mentioned above.  Please do click on the image so you can see the shimmer a glimmer mist gave to my little flower.  The oh so sweet greeting is stamped in Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink and comes from Three Little Words stamp set.  It's just darling!

I dyed the seam binding with two re-inkers.  Beginning with a very watered down Perfect Plum Classic Ink - I ended up with a ribbon that was too "rosey" in color.  So I spritzed it with a coating of Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink and that gave me the mottled lilac look I wanted.  With a black button tied on with Linen Thread and a single Pearl Jewel embellishment ... I was done. 

I hope you found some inspiration here today.  I enjoyed making this for you.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

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