sweet as can be...

Happy, lazy, Sunday afternoon...Don't ya love it when the weatherman is right!  It is a glorious springy day here.  I had a chance to work on a little heart pillow as my small contribution for "hearts for Jack" over at Daisy Cottage.  I really enjoy the small details that these pillows entail.  It's such instant gratification to this crafter's heart...

This one is on a felt background with a nice wide band of twill that I gathered as I went along to give a ruffled edge. 

I sewed on some simple flower petals with added pearl centers.  I used buttons in the colors of the flowered print instead of the cream ones that I usually go for and I really like the pop they provide.  I finished it off with a simple tea stained twill bow. 

 I made this matching tag just for Kim to keep for herself.  I know she's been feeling under the weather so I thought it might cheer her up...heaven knows she has brightened up enough days for me.  The paper is Graphic 45 and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

Sunday blessings to all,

Patty

simple pleasures...

It looks like February is going out the same way it came...it's pouring, again.  It's kind of fitting for the month I've had...some seasons are just like that...downpour after downpour with a day or two of sunshine thrown in just to keep your hope alive.  The weatherman is promising some sunshine tomorrow so...I can wait...and just try to learn to love the rain...to find nourishment for my soul just as the soil finds nourishment for the flowers of Spring.

Okay, enough of my melancholy mood...

This is my card for this week's inspiration challenge over at Melissa Phillips blog.  The colors were a little difficult for me at first but...now they're growing on me.

I glittered up the beautiful butterfly from Crafty Secrets...just love their images...and the papers were pulled from my stash.

It's good to stretch your creative wings once in a while.  No pun intended.

Have a springlike day,

Patty

hang in there...FWF

Welcome again to Friends with Flair Friday...

Hope you're all enjoying the Olympics.  I just finished watching the Women's Figure Skating.  Wasn't it amazing!

Just a couple of quick cards to share today.

Cosmo Cricket paper with Unity's August 2009 KOM...

More Cosmo Cricket this time paired with Unity's February 2010 KOM.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Patty

soft and pretty...

There is nothing like escaping into my craft room and surrounding myself with all things pretty.  That peace of quiet that is mine alone once everyone else has called it a night has come to mean the world to me.

This is another card made for the dragonfly card collection over at Taylored Expressions.  I used the inspiration photo from Melissa Phillips for the color and texture inspiration.  I sprinkled Martha Stewart's microbeads over the flowers and added pearls to the centers.   More glitter on the wings of the Unity dragonfly and a Papertrey sentiment finish off the card.

New Graphic 45 paperline...Baby and Bride Collection

When I saw this new line I was immediately taken in by it.  It is so soft and pretty...I grabbed one of each.  The card is based on this week's sketch from CPS 155.   I inked all the edges in Toffee and then went over it all with a very light dry brushing of Satin Creme paint.

Don't  you love this scrunched up flower?  My new cyber friend Kristi Lockart over at Honestly Speaking...has a great tutorial on putting one together.  I absolutely adore the way it came out and I will be making many more!

Blessings,  Patty

dragonfly...

Happy Sunday...the sun has just broken through the dark clouds left from last night's rain.  I can feel it's warmth as I sit here at my computer reflecting on Pastor's message from this morning.  It was aptly titled..."Yeah, but", so perfect for the situation I am struggling with.  That fine line between grace and enabling someone you love.   Enough said...

These cards were made for this challenge over at Taylored Expression called Dragonfly.  Please click over and read the whole story but in short the cards will be donated to families who have lost a child during delivery or in the early stages of life.  The dragonfly is the symbol of hope for those families as they struggle and grieve.

The cards are based on the sketch provided over at the Taylored Expressions blog...our only restriction was that they must include a dragonfly.  Luckily I had a couple of Unity stamps with dragonflies...the sentiments are Papertrey Ink.

I wish you could see them in real life...they all have a touch of glitter in the dragonfly wings.  I really like the effect of the Webster's paper on this last one.  I think the font on the sentiment couldn't be more perfect and the words...Faith, Hope, Love...I added the rest of the verse... and the greatest of these is love...on the inside.  My hope and prayer is that the dear parent's who receive them will find all three in Jesus Christ as they walk through this unimagineable trial.

Blessings,

Patty

my sunshine...FWF

This mischevious little one is my grandaughter Emily...she is one of those kids who just oozes sunshine. 

I knew this new Dear Lizzy "Spring" paper would suit her just perfectly.  I used several different Unity stamps from the June KOM, the October KOM and the Everyday Adorable set.

Doesn't she have just the most adorable expression on her face?  What you can't see is that she is being quite the daredevil on her little motorized scooter.  She only knows how to push the button to make it go forward...she hasn't quite figured out to make it turn or stop...She just holds on tight and crashes into whatever gets in her way and laughs and laughs!

Hope your weekend is filled with sunshine.

Patty

strips and squares...

As promised I have a couple of pictures of my quilting progress...I'm a little rusty, so have some grace with me. lol

My strips and squares all ready to be assembled...

What was I thinking when I chose so many obvious stripes...

The quilt consists of 12 blocks of the four assembled squares...I have two completed, so I only have 10 more to go.  Hopefully as I get to the later blocks my seams will be straighter and my blocks will be more square.  Luckily I am enjoying the process and I am definitely not a perfectionist. 

Thanks for checking in...I'll have more to share soon.
Patty

Please come for coffee...

I love my morning coffee...the sound of it perking...the smell...the soft shade of brown when you stir in the milk and oh, that first sip!  Add a sweet (preferably with chocolate in it) and I'm a happy girl.

This was such a fun card to make.  I've had this cute 50's diner paper from PJK Designs called Mom's Diner, for a while now and planned on using it to make a cute scrap or recipe book.  When I saw this week's Crafty Secret's "Pink"challenge over at Splitcoast I knew it would work "perk"fectly.

I used this weeks sketch from CPS and combined it with this adorable Coffee and Tea stamp set from Crafty Secrets...added a little button and bow...so simple and sweet.

In case your wondering about my quilting progress...I have cut the strips and squares for the main blocks, have assembled one block and will assemble another one tonight during Comedy Wednesday (love that Modern Family).  I will post my progress tomorrow night.

Have a blessed day,

Patty

join me on the journey...

On Saturday I went with my mom and SIL to a quilt show and we had the best time.  I started out as a quilter and just fell into the whole papercraft thing so it was good to be inpired to start quilting again.  If you've never been to a quilt show, my advice would be find a local one and go...even if you don't quilt.  Fabric is so much like paper...it is an obsession (only a bit more expensive).  The lines of fabric speak to you just as a line of paper does.  Hmmm...if money were no object and time was unlimited...back to reality...there was so much that I wanted but I resisted except for these...

We had such a good time...my SIL and I headed over to Michaels after and I found a new Martha Stewart pansy punch and some adorable Easter decorations.  I'll share those later...

When I saw this adorable Vintage fabric I knew it needed to come home with me...

I love it all but that ric-rac and the arithmatic fabric are my favorites...

I can't wait to get started on a new quilt and I have decided on a pattern that I hope really sets off this adorable vintage playground fabric from Windham Fabric called American Vintage.  What usually happens is that I get off to a great start and some where along the way lose steam so...you are my accountability team.  If you don't see a quilt post at least once a week, call me on it.  Leave me a comment...keep me going.  Tonight is cutting...I should have a block or two to post by the end of the week.  Here we go...

Blessings,

Patty

Happy Valentine's Day...

A few more pictures to share...

for my husband...

goodies for Emily and Andrew...

Emily and Andrew's cards...

Hope you all have a sweet Valentine's Day!

xxoo,

Patty

joy blooms... FWF

Happy Friday!  Whoo...Hoo...especially if you're like me and this is a long President's Day weekend.  I know alot of the nation is snowed in but here in SoCal it promises to be picture perfect.  I think I'll take advantage and head outdoors to play.

The promise of Spring-like weather inspired me to use this "joy blooms" stamp from Unity's August 2009 KOM.

The sentiment is such a perfect saying to end my week with.   The flowers were colored with Copics...the paper is from jillibean...the flowers are Maya Road and the buttons are vintage PTI...

No matter what the weather is like where you are...Enjoy!

Patty

life trials... (D)

Without going into too much detail, this week has been one of those weeks where you realize that you are really not in control of life. I fussed and fretted over something that was not mine to fuss and fret over. Now that I’m on the other side of it…I am thankful for the many things this situation reminded me of.

First…that I had the wisdom to have many prayer warriors pray over the situation and even pray me through the event. Second…I am thankful that in God’s Word I find comfort and peace… Third…I am not God and this is a GOOD THING…but mostly, I am thankful for a God who cares, understands and advises if you but quiet the fussing and fretting in your head for a moment and listen.

I created this heart box  based on this weeks inspiration challenge over at Melissa Phillips blog Lilybean Paperie.  I love the pleated ribbon...I seem to have a thing right now for clusters of vintage buttons and of course tea stained lace and ribbon.

The beautiful bird image is from Crafty Secrets...

I just had to share the amazing way that God “spoke” to me the last two mornings. Wednesday morning (the day of this life trial) he showed me Psalm 35, the whole Psalm is beautiful but what especially spoke to me were these verses…

"Oh Lord, oppose those who oppose me.  Fight those who fight against me.  Put on your armor, take up your shield.  Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.(vs 1-2)...Malicious witnesses testify against me.  They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.  They repay me evil for good.  I am sick with despair.(vs 11-12)...Oh Lord, you know all about this.  Do not stay silent.  Do not abandon me now, Oh Lord.  Wake up! Rise to my defense!  Take up my case, my God and my Lord. (vs.22-23)"

That got me through the actual event and then this morning (the day after) he gave me Psalm 103:1-6.

"Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart I will praise his holy name.  Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.  He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things.  My youth is renewed like the eagle's!  The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.""

Isn’t His Word amazing?

Thank you isn’t enough to those who prayed for me...God has truly blessed me with all of you.

Glad not to be in control,

Patty

kiss...

Like a lot of you, masculine cards are not easy for me, I am definitely into girly, vintage embellishments.   With that said...Valentines Day is the holiday of love and I do love my hubby and I want to give him a card that I've made since it's what I love to do.  When I saw the challenge sketch for CPS 153 this week I had no idea what direction it would take me but I think as it turned out, this is the perfect card for my husband...

The paper is Bo Bunny Love Bandit (how perfect is that, since he stole my heart), the buttons are from PTI 's Vintage button Holiday Collection mix, the ribbon is PTI Berry Sorbet, the hearts are Martha Stewart and yes mom, I meant to sew crooked like that...

Are you ready for Valentines Day?

XXOO's

Patty

for the birds...

I wish you could hear the rain right now.  Most of the time I would rather have sunshine but today inside it's quiet and peaceful except for the sound of the rain.  I can see some small hills from my craftroom window and they are so lush and green against the backdrop of the gray clouds. 

Last month I had the good fortune of meeting Vicki Chrisman.  She is an amazing woman and a beautiful artist.  She was kind enough to give me a couple of these wonderful shadow box templates that she designed, to play with.  It's always intimidating for me to look at a blank slate and know where to get started but once I got going I had so much fun with this.

I know that Vicki likes birds so I used that as my theme.  I don't know if you can tell from this picture but the center box is three dimensional.

I used Martha Stewart clear microbeads for the bird...it was my first time using them, they add a nice shimmer in real life...I can't wait to use them again.

The little bird image is from Crafty Secrets...the key, stamp, clip and crown are from Making Memories...the red and white bakers twine is from Martha Stewart.

This bird image is also from Crafty Secrets, the white flowers are from Prima...the little red ones are from a 99 cent bush from Michaels.  The moss and ribbon are from my stash.

Vicki has the information on her templates available on her blogsite,  This Art Makes Me Happy along with a helpful video on assembly.  I am already planning out my next one as an Easter decoration.  I would love to see what you come up with for yours.

Enjoying the day,

Patty