EASTER DECORATIONS

I enjoy decorating my house for each holiday and I just created an Easter centerpiece using a lantern I bought at Pottery Barn, brown shredded crinkle paper from Whole Foods (they had a nice Easter display of products for sale today), and items I found at Michael's: a solid chocolate bunny, sparkle eggs and a pair of glitter chicks. My wonderful Card Chicks are coming to make spring projects this Friday so this will be a nice display for the food table!

PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS: More Card in a Box Ideas

I keep finding more card in a box pics on Pinterest and I found this box and a wonderful template/instructions on PERKY PENNY PAPERS.COM:

...and here are a few more pins found on Pinterest:

Original Pin HERE

Original Pin HERE

Original Pin HERE

Original Pin link HERE

Original Pin HERE

Original pin HERE

I've also found this card that made me LOL and the stamp set is now on my wish list:

This card was posted on SWEET IRENE'S INSPIRATIONS and the stamp set is called:

Art Impressions Girlfriends Dancers

Irene said it's hard to tell in the photo, but she added some smooth to the tu tus. I can see how a little glitter, too, would really made this a card extraordinaire!

LATEST CARDS

My pen pal, Leslie-Ann, in British Columbia has made me do my happy dance several times over the last few days thanks to not one BUT TWO of her amazing cards!! Thank you for making me smile BIG TIME, LA!

First, came this gorgeous card and everything about it is WONDERFUL! I love the saying and it's going into a frame to put in my office =) Leslie-Ann told me that the embossed background paper was handmade and it truly adds to the richness of this magnificent card....and for her second card, she included the measurements inside the card on the right panel so I could try making one, too! What a terrific pen pal she is! 

So clever how the butterfly is suspended in the opening!

Now here are some cards I made this week...first up is a birthday card for my dear father-in-law who will turn 88 years young this week! For the inside right panel, I cut out a picture of the three grandsons taken 15 years ago...my how time flies!

Then I made this baby chick card for our friends who just became first-time grandparents:

...and lastly...I sold some items at a paper crafters' flea market recently and was able to buy some new toys from the profits. This butterfly die made me do my happy dance again!

Inside view showing an oval embossing folder from SU along with a stamp set from My Favorite Things called Punch a Bunch (retired but can be found on ebay)...plus here's version two:

The die is from Memory Box and called Kensington Border and the background embossing folder is from Darice that I found months ago at Hobby Lobby:

I was having a problem getting this intricate die to cut out properly even with the waxed paper technique, but then I made a YUREKA! discovery: If I made a sandwich of an A plate, C plate, glossy photo with the glossy side facing up, then the card stock I wanted to cut...and finally...the die face down with a B plate on top...it cut out all of the pieces beautifully when sent through my Cuttlebug!

PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS: Step Card Variation

LeeAnn Greff has posted a WONDERFUL variation on the step card with a FREE cut and score diagram on her FLOWERBUG'S INKSPOT blog!

She states, "You will want to trim off 1/16" off all sides of the template after you cut and score it.  It was just easier to measure, cut & score the template and trim afterwards." The Bermuda Blue base layer is cut to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". 

Here are a few more projects from her website:

...and check out the how-to instructions to make this fringe flower below for an embellishment!

LUCK OF THE IRISH WISHES!

Two of my talented card making friends sent me St. Paddy's Day cards!

...so these two cards are going out to them tomorrow:

My cards were cased from the extremely talented Mary Fish posted on her blog HERE and below:

The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's TEENY TINY WISHES set. Thank you, Mary, and Happy St. Patty's Day!

PIN IT FRIDAY FAVS: Two Mini Treat Box Holders

These boxes by Sam Donald are PERFECT projects to hold some Jelly Bellies this Easter!

For the original pin and video for this project, CLICK HERE. Here are Sam Donald/Pootles' measurements and starting directions using the Envelope Punch Board. Along one side of a 6" square piece of DSP, punch and score at 1" and 4". Turn paper 180 degrees, score and punch at 1" and 4". Align remaining score lines, punch and score. Continue with directions in the video.

Here's my version:

FYI: This box will hold three Ghirardelli individually wrapped chocolate squares, too!...and here's the video:

Box #2 from Sam is a triangular-shaped box and so darn clever:


The original post can be found on her blog HERE.

She says to start as follows:

Cardstock – 8 x 11″

Score on the LONG side at 2, 9″

Score on the SHORT side at 1, 3, 5, 7″

Designer Series Paper – 4.5 x 7″

Then follow along the video HERE or below:

MARCH CARD DIVAS

Oh! How happy I am to be part of this talented group of Card Divas! Here are the March creations:

Hostess Gifts from Alice

(Alice actually made the lovely flower

on the bag from scratch!!)...PLUS she

included another bag containing a

See's St. Patty's Day Potato -

It was to die for!!!

We spent the day in San Francisco with lunch at Scoma's, a card exchange and a house tour!

What a View!

Alice's Sweet Treats for the Divas!

Artistic Chocolates and Favors from 

CHRISTOPHER ELBOW

and Our Hosts, Tommy and Jerry

Wonderful Moscato