Bats!!!

Wooohoooo it's Friday!!! Here comes the weekend.

Today I am sharing with you a theme I normally would not do. Not that I don't like it, I just have a hard time creating projects for this theme. I love browsing stamping blogs and yesterday while reading through Kellie Winnell's blog I caught up on some of her posts from last week. One of the posts was an adorable box that I did a couple weeks ago as well on my blog. Kellie did the box for a challenge by Pals Paper Arts. This site is a group of dedicated Stampin' Up! demos who only use SU products but host challenges where they welcome anyone to join in using products from any company. So I jumped on over to the Pals Paper Arts site and found out that this week the challenge is a Halloween theme. Yikes, like I said, not my forte but I thought, hey why not give it a shot.

So a little bit about the card itself, I used textured Pumpkin Pie cardstock for my base and added a layer of Chocolate Chip on top of it. I pulled out my one and only retired package of Halloween designer paper and selected a sheet with bunch of 'Halloween' words. I then coloured and stamped my bat in Chocolate Chip Ink from the set Batty for You. Poor little dude looks like he is missing some fur, no wonder he looks scared. LOL I punched him out using the 1" circle punch and then punched out a piece of textured Pumpkin Pie using the 1 1/4" punch. Finally I layered this on a scallop of Chocolate Chip cardstock. I paper pierced in the rounds of the scallops and then I popped the image on my card using Dimensionals. For one final touch, I added a bow of Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon.

Thank you for stopping by each day or each week to check out my creations and thank you to all who leave comments. I really appreciate your kind words.

Till next week.....

Margaret :)

So Mad

Mad about Madden that is. As you may have read previously we lost our boy Titan after 9 1/2 wonderful years. Although Titan can never be replaced that does not mean we do not have the ability or capacity to love others. We were going to wait some time before even thinking about adopting another Great Dane but our home felt so empty and it was difficult to go home when no one else was there.

An opportunity came along for us and after some discussion we agreed to adopt a 2 year old Great Dane puppy. At 2 years old and still with his puppy fur our boy Madden is already bigger than Titan. We'll see how big he gets as he still has some growing to do. He is also very different in character and attitude which for us is good as we wish to always remember Titan for being his own individual. We still talk to Titan every day and we are sure that he is okay with Madden coming into our home to be a part of our family.

In outer appearances too, they are quite different. Although both are fawns, where Titan was a light fawn with a very light mask, Madden is almost a ginger colour with a very dark mask. Boy has he been keeping us busy this week. We go out and get lots of exercise and we are working on his social skills and his commands. This means I haven't had time for my stamping room but one cool thing is that he climbs stairs. So if I don't want him to feel lonely downstairs, he can always come up and lay in my room while I work. (Stairs was something that Titan did not do.) The picture I have posted is of Madden that we received from his previous owner. I have taken pictures of Madden but haven't even had a chance to download them, so bear with me and give me a few days to download pics to share with you all. He is quite a cutie.

Thanks for popping by.

Margaret :)

Blog Award....

I was thrilled to be checking Kellie Winnell's blog and find out she has given me a blog award. It is a friendship blog award and Kellie was so sweet to think of me as one of them. Kellie is a Stampin' Up! demo in Australia and if you haven't checked our her blog before I really suggest you pop on over. Her designs are always fabulous.

Well, it is always nice to receive a blog award but it is also great to pass it on, so I would like to send this award out to the following 3 ladies....

Andrea Murdock - you always inspire me with your beautiful designs and make me smile with your cheerful attitude

Kraftin' Kimmie - you are in the same pod as Andrea, sometimes I think you two are joined at the hip - you both are inspiring

Dawn - your work is always so lovely, including lots of detail without being overdone, you have such talent

Thank you for your inspiration. There are more that inspire me and I love hearing from but as I know they have already received this award I will simply let you know that I appreciate your blogs and your thoughtful comments that you leave me. A special acknowledgement to Kellie Winnell and Debbie Pamment.

Thanks for visiting.

Margaret :)

Paper Bag Purse

Hello on this beautiful Monday.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, I know I did even though I was exhausted. Darn AC has given me a bit of a head cold, not something you want in the summertime. Today I am sharing with you an adorable little lunch bag purse. This is super simple and easy to make. Simply take a lunch bag, dollar store lunch bags work well, and trim off a portion from the top. Next create a matte for the front of your paper bag and add a layer of patterned paper on it. For this bag, I used the retired Cutie Pie Designer Paper. Next you will create a backing, but you will want to cut this larger than the front so that you can score it to create your flap. I didn't want square corners on my flap so I used my corner rounder to soften the look of the flap. Once again add patterned paper to the back and to the flap. Leave tape off the top of the back portion. Once you have your papers added, cut two little slits into the seam at the top of your flap. Thread your ribbon into each slit to create your handle and tuck and tape them gently in behind your backing and finish adhering your backing to the bag.


Then use your imagination to create a cut cover to add to your front flap. For my little purse, I added butterflies, by using my Big Shot and Stampin' Up! butterflies die. The butterflies needed just a little something, so I took my silver beads and added a few beads down the center of the butterfly. Finally take some self adhesive velcro which you can find at the dollar store and place that between your purse flap and the front of the bag to create your purse 'seal'. Now you have a cute little purse done within 10 minutes.


Thanks for looking.


Margaret :)

Wooden Purse

Several months ago my friend Betty asked if I was up to a little challenge. She had purchased several different style wooden containers at the dollar store and she wanted to see what we could come up with to alter them. She gave me two identical boxes to work with - one for me and one for her. I have been so crazy busy that these lay by the wayside feeling lonely and unloved but after our play date on Sunday, my creative juices began to flow and I knew it was time to pull these puppies out of the closet.



First I should tell you that these containers come with a thing strip of leather that wraps around from top to bottom and ties around the wooden knob. I remembered Betty mentioning that she did not like this and personally, I had to agree with her. So I took out my screwdriver set and removed the knob so that I could remove the leather. I needed the knob off anyway, so that I could cover the container with paper. I had seen Betty admiring my retired Cutie Pie Designer paper on Sunday so I just knew that I wanted to use this paper on the little wooden 'purse'. I used my tacky glue and applied my paper to it. I then took out some Antique White craft paint and painted the inside of the purse, the sides on the outside and the knob. Anytime I alter an item and cover with paper, I like to seal it, so that the paper is a bit better protected from dirt, so I sprayed it with Krylon Clear Coat. To me the purse was too plain with nothing on the sides, so I took out my Inspired By Nature set and stamped Live With Passion on one side using my versamark ink, sprinklind detail black EP on it and heat setting.

I didn't want my purse to be too plain, so I added two elements to the outside. I added some bling from the pretties kit, which I placed on a bit of hemp twine and wrapped around the knob as a purse charm and since I had nothing to hold the purse closed after removing the leather strip, I added a bit of 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon. Rather than undo the ribbon and retie each time you with to open the purse, it nicely slides off the top and slides back on when you want to close it up.


We all know that you need to have something to put in a purse so rather than the usual clutter, I decided this would be a card purse. This is the perfect size for 3 x 3 mini cards/ notes.

I dug into my stamping cupboards and pulled out an old package of love notes and envelopes, some rub-on's, my Oval All stamp set and my Scallop Oval punch and of course, some ribbon.


I began with my blue card. I want to say it's Baja Breeze but it my even be an older in-colour blue - I just can't remember. The birds and love sentiment are rub-on's from the past Spring Mini catalogue placed on a bit of white cardstock with some sale-a-bration celery ribbon wrapped around and layered onto my blue base.



The 'red' card is likely Pomegranate. I used some really old decorative corner white rub-ons in the corners. I then stamped Fabulous Friend in Riding Hood Red and punched out using the Scallop Oval punch. I added a strip of Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon behind the sentiment and popped it up on the card.





For my third note, I used a Vanilla card on which I layered some Kiwi Kiss textured cardstock. I added some Kiwi Kiss Grosgrain ribbon around the cardstock and placed a black corner rub-on in the corner. I then stamped my Best Wishes sentiment in Kiwi Kiss ink on vanilla cardstock, punched out with the Scallop Oval Punch and popped it up on the card.

I think Betty will love the final products and this will give her a few quick cards to use in an emergency.

I hope you have a great day.

Margaret :)

Adorable Keepsake Box

This box is so adorable and the great thing is, that is can be used for just about anything. Jewelry, kleenex, note pads, mini cards, etc.

On Sunday I had my dear demo friends over at my house for our playdate. Every couple months we get together and play and share ideas. This adorable box was shown to us by Sylvie and I just had to make it. Normally I struggle with colour combinations but I really like the colours I chose for this box and I didn't agonize over what to use either. LOL

For the box part, I simply used a rectangular piece of paper scored and cut in all the right places (I don't have the dimensions with me or I'd share). Fold it up and tape it together. I wanted my inside flap to have rounded corners so I used my corner rounder punch on it.

Then I used some chipboard that I purchased at Scrappingreatdeals and covered it with Bella Rose designer paper. I ran it through the big shot with the Top Note die to create a top and a bottom for my box. I then adhered these pieces to the box and tied a bit of Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain ribbon around the box.

You would be surprised how sturdy the box is when it is completed. I absolutley love it and it was super quick to make too.

There is no stamping on this project either - WOW.

Thanks for coming to check out my project. I hope you liked it.

Margaret :)

Returning

I really appreciate everyone who stops by my blog to see what I have been up to. I have not posted a whole lot this summer but I did want to say that I plan to be back tomorrow with new items to share with you.

Thank you for checking in and I look forward to seeing you here again soon.

Sincerely,
Margaret

In Loving Memory

TITAN DOUGLAS JOHNSON - MARCH 2000 - AUGUST 2009

Yesterday was truly one of the saddest days of my life. Monday August 10th God took our beautiful son Titan Douglas Johnson home to Him. Titan may have just been a dog to some but to us he was as much a human being as we are. He loved life and lived it to his fullest. He was our daughters protector, he was our nurturer if any of us were sad, lonely, or sick. He was our best friend who would never turn down play time, a long walk, a run or wrestling. He knew just how to communicate with us to let us know simple things such as going outside, or that he was hungry. When he was ready to come inside, he would knock on the door. In the cold winter months, he would stand in front of the TV as if to say, hey, I'm talking to you. You had no choice but to look at him, and then he would shiver, stop, then shiver some more. Then he would look from you to the fireplace, back to you and back to the fireplace, and then, another shiver. There was no way you could not turn the fireplace on for him because he would refuse to move from in front of the TV.

Titan was superfast and would run alongside our vehicles at 40km an hour, never missing a beat, and if he did, ouch, his bum would skid on the ground and yet somehow he would manage to get his feet back under him and still be moving right along. He was just like a human though, doing a quick embarrassed look around as he was in midskid to see if anyone saw it.

Titan was spoiled the last few years of his life. Since we know that a Great Dane's lifespan is not all that long, we couldn't deny him all the love and affection we could lavish on him. He moved into our bedroom with us, his ginormous bed beside ours, with his purple ducky. He loved pizza and always managed to weasel a piece from us, and on weekends he was treated to toast and jam at breakfast with us. Some days we made you 'work' for treats. We would stand up and you would stand up too on your back legs, your front paws on our shoulders, towering over us. We would hold food between our teeth and ever so gently you would take that food from our mouth.

For all those who posed no threat to our daughters, Titan will be remembered by them as a wonderful dog, gentle and kind in nature. For those who got between our girls and Titan, they will remember him as one big mean dog who could keep them cornered for hours until someone came to their rescue. For his little dog friends, they too will remember him as their protector, keeping them safe from larger dogs. Even the otter down the road who fought constantly with Titan will miss his regular visits. Titan was furiously loyal, loving and the best son and friend a human could ever have or want.

Titan breathed his last breath yesterday while in the arms of Aris. Tears flowed from us all day and are still flowing as we remember all the love and good times he gave us. Tears fell from Titan's eyes as we cried for him. He knew it was his time. He held on until Taygan was able to make it home to say her goodbye. As we laid Titan to rest crying, God cried tears from heaven with us. Last night we could hear him in the house and we could smell him and our hearts missed a beat as we thought, he's alive, he's not gone but then we remember .....

Titan you are imprinted in our hearts and on our minds forever. You gave us so much laughter and joy in our lives. You had an absolutley amazing personality, you had the attitude of a child, the rebelliousness of a teenager. You had an amazing character and you were so incredible in every way. You have given us love and have taught us love. You have been such a precious gift from God and we know you are with Him in His heavenly kingdom, watching over us.

We love you.