A Different Kind of Flutter

There will be no butterflies today... but we still get to have wings.

Ever since I saw Patty Bennett's milk carton bird house I've been itching to try it.  Evidently I wasn't the only one, because these little cuties have been showing up all over the web.  Well, my first chance at creating one finally came on my "craft weekend."  When my mom asked what she should bring with I fairly begged her to include the milk carton die and bird punch.

Saturday morning I was awake and up before everyone else (which really is a shocker in my family) and so I got to work making my my little abode.

For the house I decided on So Saffron, since it was a nice springy color (hint- cut an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock in half and you can get two houses out of one piece of paper).  Then, to add texture I covered the die-cut with the "Very Vintage" stamp around wheel.  Next, I punched a hole in one side of the milk carton and then assembled the whole contraption.  Finally, a piece of Soft Suede with a scalloped edge was added for the roof.

Then it was time to create my cute little birdie.  I decided to try to make it look like a bluebird, because in Minnesota they are a sign of spring (and boy am I waiting for that sign this year...)!  By this time my mom was up and about as well, so she helped me to cut out a "belly" shape for my bird, which I then sponged along the lower edge with whisper white craft ink.  After that it was just a matter of adding little details and assembling the whole scene.  I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

While I was busy creating my birdhouse, my mom decided to create her own little project... and I have to admit it is the first dog house I have seen (details at BerryPineStamping).  Didn't they both turn out cute??

Easter is Flying In

For my first creative flutter I’m going to share with you an Easter candy dish that I created.

This past weekend my parents were up to visit, which for me usually means craft time with my mom- she’s a SU! Demonstrator and so she always brings lots of fun toys to play with!  Well, this time one of the “toys” that she brought with was a handful of Petal Cards (made with the Big Shot die).  I had remembered seeing a cute little basket made out of this diecut in the catty, and so I set about to make my own little version for Easter.  Here’s what I came up with (and, of course, it involves butterflies):

I started by using the Abundant Hope stamp set to add a cute little greeting to the front of the bowl and the fancy little flourishes to the sides.  I even stamped the main saying inside as a little “surprise” to be revealed as the candy was eaten.  Next, in order to get the sides of my dish to stay upright I added a decorative strip around the bottom made with the cute new scalloped trim punch (ya gotta love Sale-a-bration).

At this point I just felt that there was something missing, but then I recalled a card I had seen with floating butterflies inside and decided that my box needed to be exploding with them.  So, I used some of the Good Neighbor DSP (once again, ya gotta love Sale-a-bration) and cut out lots of little butterflies with the Beautiful Wings sizzlit.  After that all that was left was to attach them to the dish using window sheets and crystal effects.

Stay tuned for another project from my craft weekend and our experiment with… Unmounting Stamps!

Take to Flight

Even the smallest flap of of a butterfly's wings can help to shape the future.

Well... my ambitions are not that lofty, but I do hope to help inspire your creativity.  In return I'm hoping you will inspire me.  You see, I have a very busy life between work, study, family, and friends; so I often forget to take some time to relax with my hobbies.  Just knowing that you're out there will motivate me to get back into what I love.

So what are my hobbies you ask?

For starters, I was introduced to rubber-stamping when I was still in school, and I have loved it ever since.  It is amazing how you can put so much of your own style into something such as a card, and make the recipient feel special and loved.

My next love was scrapbooking.  I started this hobby just before it became really main stream- and I remember how in that first year I was scrapbooking the selection of materials in craft stores nearly tripled.  It was an amazing time to become involved in the hobby, literally witnessing its birth.  Recently I have shifted my focus from traditional scrapping to digital.  In fact, since the holidays "My Digital Studio" (the digital papercrafting program made by Stampin Up) has become my favorite toy.  I love how I can take it with me on the bus, making my time spent commuting much more useful.  I'm sure I'll be sharing many of my samples here in the days to come.

My other hobbies worthy of noting are those of the textile variety.  I taught myself to crochet and knit in college, and I also have quilted on occasion.  However, as you well know, these sorts of hobbies take MUCH longer to complete, and therefore will only show up spradically.

Final Flutter

My favorite symbol has always been that of the butterfly.  It represents a new phase in life, and therefore this small creature has always held a special significance for me.  I have used butterflies to usher me through every turning point in my life- confirmation, graduation... the flowergirl at my wedding was even decorated with a pair of monarch wings.

And besides, butterflies are just plain beautiful creatures.  So, don't be surprised if they appear often around here!