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!

Designing DIVAS Challenge Vintage

Hello Friends!

I have had an interesting couple of days with my computer! Don't you just want to scream when you know where you want to go, you know it's IN THERE, and you can't get to it?!?!?! After many trials and even a system restore, I am once again able to get to "Blogland" and my friends! I have to admit, I was starting to feel some withdrawal symptoms. Whew!!

I am excited and honored to be hosting the challenge for our Designing DIVAS Blog Group this month! I had the perfect April Fool's Challenge all ready to go and then I couldn't get on to SCS! Meant to be, I guess! The "real" challenge is one of my favorite projects to make! (Of course!) You can make it as simple or intricate as you like! As you can see in the photo, it is to make a VINTAGE CARD! By vintage, I mean before WWII. And no, I was not around for that era! Shame on those of you who were thinking that!! But, I do love the detail and depth of color of images from that era. To take the challenge one step further, you can make the image 3D like I did on this card.

I started by printing the image onto glossy 4x6 photo blanks. I printed it three times. I adhered one print to the green card base. Then, I cut the next print apart including the interior pic. The third print, I cut out only the floral arrangement. The second layer is adhered with dimensionals as is the third layer. Very simple to do and it gives you real depth on your catd. Still, it's easy to mail and takes less time than stamping and coloring an image.

There are many resources for vintage images. Two of my favorites are Digital Two for Tuesday and Vintage Holiday Crafts. DTFT gives you images to print and color while VHC has beautiful vintage clip art.

So, how 'bout it? Up for the challenge? Can't wait to see what the DIVAS create! You can check out their blogs by clicking on the DIVAS names on the sidebar. Such amazing talent these ladies have!!

Thank you so much for visiting today! I hope you will come again soon! And I "challenge" you to leave a comment and let me know what you think of these projects! I would love to hear how you go about your work and especially any 3D ideas you may have!

ETA: Sorry, I forgot to mention that the card base was embossed using the CB and the Victoria folder!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Designing DIVAS Challenge READ

Greetings from the Great Smoky Mountains! We are finally thawing out and seeing some wonderful buds on the trees! I so love Spring!!

Today's card is for the Designing DIVAS Blog Group Challenge hosted by Gina. Gina challenged us to incorporate a theme of books or reading. Me being me, I had to go "off the chart" a little!

This card is going to my daughter who is in Germany for a few more months. They gave me the outstanding news that their new duty station will be Ft Knox, KY! That's only four or so hours from home!!! After three years in Germany, you can imagine how excited I am to have them so close!!

I started this card with a Kraft card stock base. I then printed a map of our area off the computer and adhered it to the base. I used my Cricut ( which was a gift from this daughter ) to cut out the sentiment. I wrote the "hurry home" with a CM fine marker and punched it out with the Word Window punch. I used an oval punch to make the matte layer. I then added the pink flowers with a purple gem brad in the center. The little red heart you see marks the place where we live. I also scalloped the bottom of the top layer to add a little interest.

This was a fun challenge and a fun card for me! I think I got the "read" part in there even if it is a map and sentiment!! You have to read a map, right?!?!? Yep! I thought so, too!

I hope you have enjoyed your visit here today! Don't be bashful and don't be a stranger...come on by any time!! After your first visit, you are no longer a guest, you know! On the second visit you become a friend and if you are a regular follower......well, shoot, you might as well be family!!
Many thanks to each of you for your time and for your comments. I treasure both!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Love Birds

Hello Friends! I hope your week is going well!

I have a card to share today that I have wanted to do for some time, but I always got caught up in other directions! Now I get to play!!

This card is for two challenges. The first is the WCYC Wednesday challenge from
Paper Pleasures and Stamping Delights
where we are to create the card using our own ideas and no sketches. It is also for the Designing DIVAS Blog Group challenge that asked us to use real or faux stitching.

I started with a kraft card base. I then layered a scalloped piece of DP which is actually wall paper, as are two of the birds! The birds are cut with Nestabilities. The large bird is blue metallic textured card stock that I crumpled and distressed. I also distressed the edges of the smaller birds and the card base. I used a needle paper punch to punch the holes for the faux stitching on the large bird and the card. I "connected the dots" on the bird with a blue metallic gel pen. I used a white gel pen on the card base. I then added a pearl "eye" to the smallest bird. The Love sentiment is stamped with SU craft ink and heat embossed. I used pink satin ribbon to add a final touch! I really like the shabby chic look of this card that can be used as a Valentine or even as an anniversary card. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Please be sure to check out the details for the WCYC Wednesday challenge on the blogsite. Everyone is welcome to play along and there will be prizes each month! You can also see the other DIVAS cards by visiting their blogs which are listed on the sidebar. As always, it is a blessing and a joy to have you visit and I hope you will visit often! Have a great week!

Blessings to you,
Vicki