Here I am!

Hello World!

I am so glad to be here! It has been some time since my last post! Years even!  I started this blog as a means to share craft projects and fellowship with other crafters.  Somewhere along the way life got topsy- turvy and I found myself with a severe case of "burn out".  I have now decided to chalk it up to "growing pains" and get back to my blog. Anyone else ever have growing pains after middle age?!?

Crafting, especially paper crafts, has always been dear to my heart. That being said, I am going to change things up a bit and make this a "journal" blog! Yes, there will still be craft projects posted all along, but I want to try a new adventure. Those who know me well are aware of my philosophy, "The day you stop learning is the day you stop living!". So, I hope you will come along with me on my learning journey! We can share ideas, projects, prayers and whatever else comes to mind (except politics); I don't want any cat fights...lol! Whatcha think?

Feel free to go back through time and check out the archived projects. I always appreciate  comments and "atta girls"!  I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with my former blog buddies and making many new friends along the way! As always, I send you...

Blessings,

Vicki

Design DIVAS July Oldies But Goodies Blog Hop

Hello Friends!

It is time once again for the Design DIVAS Oldies But Goodies Blog Hop! The Design DIVAS are a fantastic group of crafters on Facebook! For the hop, we are challenged to make a project using items in our stash that are at least six months old. I'm sure, like most of you, the real challenge would be to find items that AREN'T six months old...lol! I have the privilege of starting our hop today. Hope you enjoy your journey!

** Long Post Alert**

My project today is a bittersweet one. Due to some life changes and circumstances, I had to reevaluate my pet population. I have three dogs and a cat. The two big "farm dogs" and the cat do their own thing most of the time and require very little effort to love and care for. Then I have "Missy", my little Boston Terrier DIVA! She is precious and a hoot to have around. However, she does not behave very well outside. She likes to "herd" the horses and run the hills like a shepherd. I live in the mountains and coyotes come through on a regular basis. Not good for a little dog to be out at night trying to conquer the hills! She is on a leash most of the time, but escapes from time to time and worries me to no end that she will get hurt or killed. While I am away from home, she is very happy in her crate. The problem now is that I have to be away from home as much as 10 hours a day/night. That is no life for a precious pup. So, I made the decision to find her a new home. The local Humane Society was wonderful to help me find a loving family with two adorable little girls who wanted to love and care for Missy. They have a fenced yard and a stay at home Mom, so, Missy will be in a much better situation. I asked the little girls if they would like a journal or notebook with a list of Missy's "likes" so they could get to know her better. They were thrilled with the idea (as was Mom)! This idea led me to making a journal for the family.

The journal had been buried for ages, but I thought it would do nicely. I had some doggy paper I had purchased quite a while back from Big Lots. I wrote poems about Missy's likes and printed them on cardstock. I cut the poems out with decorative scissors, matted them and adhered them to the pages of the book. The pages came with a beautiful rose image printed on each page, too. I tied a ribbon bookmark to the spine of the journal and added more ribbons on the spirals. I printed a pic of Missy on photo paper and adhered it to the front. The title words are computer generated and sponged with Chestnut Roan chalk ink. One of the poems inside reads:

I like to sleep under the covers
All curled up in a ball
Sleeping next to those I love
Is the greatest sleep of all...


All the poems are written so young ones can hopefully read the book for themselves. It has been a labor of love to make this journal, but I have to admit it took its toll on my emotions. I know I have done the right thing about Missy but I am sure gonna miss the little stink!

If you are still awake, you can hop on over to Mary Witter's blog and find some good things going on! Mary always offers us inspiration!

Thank you for letting me have my therapy session here...lol! I feel much better! I also want to thank you for stopping by and sharing our blog hop! Your attention and comments are always a boost and are welcomed. Aren't crafty ladies just the BEST?!?!?

Hope you are all having a great week and I leave you with exactly what you bring to me...

Blessings,
Vicki

Design DIVAS Oldie But Goodies May Blog Hop

Yep, you guessed it! It's time for the Design DIVAS to share some "stash stuff" with you again!! We are asked to create a project using items in our stash that are at least six months old. (Not a problem for most of us!) It's always a hoot to see what these talented ladies come up with! If you arrived here from Lorie's blog, you are in the right place. If you would like to start at the beginning of the hop, you can begin with Maria's blog.

I decided to share a special order card I was asked to make for my daughter's dear friend. This friend is a German Shepherd lover and has two of her own. We wanted to make her a special card when she so graciously helped my daughter with her own dog. In truth, she helped save the dog's life. I found a really good photo on line and used it as the focal point on my card. I printed it twice on glossy photo paper and layered the photos on the base. I had some cute "doggy" paper I had picked up at Tuesday Morning. I used that as my card base. I used a Thank You stamp cut out with a Spellbinders tag die for the greeting. I framed the photo and greeting with trimmed pieces of the cardstock. This was a half fold card and the colors really popped with the glossy photo. I also added a metal "sweet" tag as an accent. I loved this layout and plan to use it for more fur friend pics in the future.



I hope you enjoyed your visit today! Please come back soon! Your next stop on the hop is on Barb's blog. She always has an inspirational goody to share! Have a great week and I leave as always with-

Blessings to you,
Vicki

1. Maria Matter http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/
2. Lorie Souther http://www.thethinkinspot.blogspot.com/
3. Vicki Patranc http://bountifulblessings2u.blogspot.com/
4. Barb Wibel http://madeforkeeps.blogspot.com/
5. Mary Harmon http://sparkly-train.blogspot.com/
6. Gina Lindsay http://ginasmakingsandmusings.blogspot.com/
7. Mary Witter http://www.marywitter.blogspot.com/
8. Cindy Grigiski http://www.stampwithmecindyg.com/

Woo Hoo! It's OBG time!

Hello Friends! Hope your week is going well! It's that wonderful Wednesday for us at Design DIVAS! It's time for our Oldies But Goodies Blog Hop! If this is your first visit to our hop, you should know that the Design DIVAS are a Facebook group of crafters who have come together to share our love of crafting. We also share inspiration, motivation and support with each other. It has been a true blessing to me to be a part of this great group of ladies! The Oldies But Goodies hop challenges us to make a project using items in our stash that are at least six months old. If you are like me, the real challenge is to decide which "oldie" to use first!!

I have the privilege of starting our hop this month! So, grab your coffee or tea and be ready to be inspired! The awesome talent in this group just goes on and on!

Today, I want to share with you a birthday card. My dear friend (and best customer...lol) requested a card for her daughter. I decided to go vintage because that is my favorite and a theme I knew her daughter would enjoy. I started with a card base of stock from a K & Company stack called "Life's Journey". The vintage postal marks and stamps were just what I was looking for. This is a double sided stack so I used the "written" side for the base. The matte layer was cut and edged with a scallop punch. The birthday sentiment is stamped on vellum and embossed. Now, the really fun part! The buttons used are from a collection given to me by the mom who requested the card. I knew her daughter would appreciate this touch of nostalgia. I adhered the buttons with glue dots. So far, every thing used has met the criteria for this challenge. The ribbon trim on the card is a more recent purchase. Lastly, I used Old Olive ink to shadow the edges. I love the antique look of this card!

I hope you have enjoyed your visit here today! Thank you for sharing your time and interest! The next stop on the hop is Cindy Pec's blog. Be ready for a real treat! Mark your calendars so you can join us for our next hop the third Wednesday in May!

Have fun on the hop and leave some love for these wonderful ladies! For now, I leave you with...

Blessings to you,
Vicki

ETA: In case you get stuck along the way, here is the "hop" list:

1. Vicki Patranc - http://bountifulblessings2u.blogspot.com/

2. Cindy Johnsen Pec http://www.cindysantics.blogspot.com/

3. Mary Witter http://www.marywitter.blogspot.com/

4. Cindy Grigiski http://www.stampwithmecindyg.com/

5. Maria Matter http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/

6. Sue Morris http://www.suessentiments.org/

7. Barb Wibel http://madeforkeeps.blogspot.com/

8. Heather Dennis http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/

9. Gina Lindsay http://ginasmakingsandmusings.blogspot.com/

Design DIVAS OBG Blog Hop for March

Hello Friends!

Welcome to the March edition of the Design DIVAS Oldies But Goodies Blog Hop! The Design DIVAS is a group of crafters who have gathered together on Facebook. We share our love of crafting as well as inspiration and support for each other.

The theme of our monthly blog hop is Oldies But Goodies. We are asked to use items in our stash that are more than six months old for the project. All of us can meet this criteria, right? I think I have some stuff that would qualify for six years old! Come on, confess...you have some, too! We can all understand the idea of keeping a piece of paper or a ribbon or an embellishment for just the right project can't we? Yep, I knew you would identify...lol!

If you have arrived here from Mary's blog, you are in the right place! Doesn't she have some amazing projects to share?!?! If you would like to start at the beginning of the hop, please visit Sue's blog. There is always a choice tidbit to take away from her blog!

For my project this month, I wanted to share a fun and easy version of a tissue box cover. The inspiration for this cover came from this video. I designed my cover for a dear friend who also happens to be my hair stylist. She has been so supportive of my craft work, I wanted to make a little something for her shop.

I started with some DCWV patterned cardstock. I'm sorry, but I have had the stack (or parts of it) for so long, I don't have the cover. I am thinking it is from the Spring stack. The bright butterflies seemed perfect for this busy shop. I also cut panels of white cardstock for the inside walls of the cover. I wanted to strengthen the sides as this was going to be in a heavy use area. I used an empty tissue box inside to support the cover as I punched the corners for the ribbon. I then threaded the ribbon through the holes ending at the top, where I added small bows. I used adhesive rhinestones and butterflies to embellish the sides of the cover. On the top I used decorative brads and more rhinestones. The lid sides are embellished with "glass stickers" of phrases and quotes about children. I added these as my friend and her husband just adopted three small children! My friend really enjoyed the bright colors and whimsical embellishments! She has since asked me to make another cover for her home. I'll share the photos of that one at a later date.

I hope you have enjoyed your stop here! Friends are always welcome to visit! Your next stop on the hop will be Linda's blog. Be sure to check out the wonderful projects there!

Hope everyone has a great start to a Happy Spring!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

ETA: My bad! I'm so sorry! The dimensions and measurements are given on the video link. Also, these covers are designed for Kleenex tissues. If you are using generic brand, be sure to measure the box!

Design DIVAS OBG Blog Hop

Hello Friends!

It is time once again to invite you to the Design DIVAS Oldies But Goodies Blog Hop! If you arrived here from Dru Cabral's blog, you are in the right place! If you would like to start at the beginning of the hop, please go to Cindy Pec's blog.

I have a project to share with you that was challenging but a hoot to do! This "Barn" was a gift to a very dear friend who pastures some horses at our place. It is an exploding album box! Most of you are probably already aware of this box, but I want to share with all who might like to try it! I apologize for the less than clear pics. I have no clue why these are different from other pics I have taken...lol! My inspiration for the barn came from this video. I started with a 12 x 12 inch sheet of weathered wood cardstock from DCWV's Textures stack. The cardstock is scored at four inches on all sides. I then cut the outside corners away leaving a + sign figure. There are two inner layers cut a quarter of an inch smaller respectively in coordinating patterns and colors. I cut the lid 7 1/8" x 7 1/8" from coordinating cardstock. The lid is scored at 1 1/2 inches on all sides. The corners are cut to make tabs for the box lid. This video will show you how to configure the basic box and lid. Once the base was cut, sponged and assembled, the REAL fun started! My biggest challenge was to make the barn roof and loft. After numerous measures and cuts, I finally came up with a template I liked. I used silver cardstock for the roof. I ran the piece through the crimper to give it more of the look of our barn. I also sponged the paper with some Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap and Orange Marmalade ink to give some places the look of rust. I added a weather vane and the "rivets" for some dimension. I adhered the roof at the sides of the lid leaving extra length that I could score a half inch from the bottom. In the "loft", I added some frayed grass rope (used to hold hay bales), cutout critters and other "lofty" items. The hinges on the lid were cut from the Fabulous Finds Cricut cartridge at 1 inch. I added the mini brads as screws. The cut outs on this project were cut from numerous cartridges. If you are interested, I will try to put a list together for you. On the front of the box, I cut a door frame free hand and added doors that attach underneath the frame. The mini brads are used again for screws and door knobs. The opened doors reveal the birthday sentiment. Other embellishments include a mailbox, bluebird, and flowers that are also tiny brads. The fence is hand cut and adhered over the focal images. The little crochet flowers you see were done by my Mom. (She rocks!) All corners and edges were sponged with Frayed Burlap ink. Inside the box, you see a round gift box in the center. This was a fun foam cut outs container. The gift is inside the box as well as some cut out saddles. More crochet flowers are used to anchor the box a little more and add some interest. I was able to place twenty photos in this album. I added pertinent little decorations to the pics. More photos could have been added with swing tabs and pockets, I'm sure. It took many hours to choose, coordinate, cut, edit, adhere, sponge and embellish this project, but it was worth all the time and effort! This personalized gift was great fun to make and my friend was thrilled!

Be sure to try one of these exploding box albums! The basic box is super simple and you can let your creativity flow with the focal points and embellishments. It would be a super project for a grandparent where the kids choose the photos. The box lid can be completed by adding a pretty bow or flower. So go for it!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Hope you enjoyed your visit and you will come back soon! Visit when you have time to explore the labeled posts. If you find some inspiration, please leave me a comment and a link to your creation!

Your next stop on the hop is Linda Payne's blog. There are always wonders to be seen on her blog!

Be good to yourself; and, as always, I wish you....

Blessings,
Vicki

Design D.I.V.A.S. OBG Blog Hop

Hello and Welcome to this month's Facebook Design D.I.V.A.S Oldies But Goodies Blog Hop!

The Facebook Design DIVAS (Divine, Inspirational, Virtuous , Artistic "Sistahs") is a group of crafters who love to share their inspiration, talent and fellowship! We have our "Oldies But Goodies" Blog Hop the third Wednesday of each month. Our challenge is to use products that
have been neglected or forgotten for at least six months. Be sure to mark your calendars and stop by each month to share in the fun! You are sure to see some amazing projects!

Carolyn Bounds starts our blog hop today! If you have come here from Carolyn's awesome blog, you are in the right place.

I have a fun easel wedding card to share with you today. I enjoy making this style card and the way it it is able to sit up for display. Dawn Griffith has a great video on how to make this card here! I started with a white card base. I then layered black, pink dotted swiss and another layer of white. The bride and groom hearts are also an inspiration from Dawn and her video for these can be found here. The base and white layer are cut with a border punch. The easel "stopper" is the same black, pink and white with the sentiment generated on the computer. The card has some added bling with pearls and clear adhesive hearts. There is a computer generated greeting inside the card. All the elements of this card more than meet the criteria for this hop! It has been an encouraging discovery to pull out the "oldies but goodies" for this challenge! It's still amazing what you can stockpile in a couple of years time! But, that is no surprise to any of you, right?

I hope you have enjoyed your visit here today! It is always a joy to have you stop by! You will want to continue the hop by visiting Maria Matter's blog! Maria always has wonderful projects to share! I am sure you will find inspiration at all your stops on the hop today! Join us again next month and I will continue to send...

Blessings to you,
Vicki