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 Oldies but Goodies Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the August Design D.I.V.A.S. Oldies but Goodies Blog Hop! Our challenge for this hop is to use items in our project that are at least six months old. I know we all have some of those in our crafting supplies!! If you have arrived here from Dru's blog, you are in the right spot. To start at the beginning of the hop, be sure to go to Heather's blog.

The card I am sharing with you today is made up of all "oldies but goodies". I made this card for a friend's great niece. That fact will be important later!

I started with the dress template I found here. It is precious and reminds me of the dresses my girls wore when they were babies. This is a two part template so the variations for this piece are endless. I started with a white cardstock base and covered it in wallpaper. Tacky glue works really well for adhering the wallpaper to the base. For the front, I also cut a vellum overlay which I then embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. I sponged the dress edges with rose colored chalk ink. The trim around the top is bakery twine in a coordinating color. At the bodice line, I added a strip of pink grosgrain ribbon. The buttons are actually from my friend's collection! I wanted to include a little heritage in the card! I think it is so neat that we could include the great aunt's buttons! The sentiment strip was computer generated and cut with design scissors. I also used the scissors to cut the bottom edge of the dress. As a final touch, I added a tiny satin bow with the tails falling down the front of the dress. The card opens at the bottom; so if your cardstock or paper has a definite pattern, you will need to cut the fold at the shoulder in order to keep pattern going in the right direction. I also had to make the envelope for this card as it did not fit standard sizes. This card is a little time consuming, but definitely worth the effort.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit here. It is such fun "hopping" with these talented ladies! Your next stop is Mary Harmon's blog. I know you will be inspired by what she has to share!

Thanks so much for stopping by! We hope you will join us again for our next hop the third Wednesday in September!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Design DIVAS OBG Blog Hop!!

Hello and Welcome to the Facebook Design DIVAS OBG Blog Hop! So glad you are here! If you came here from Mary Griffith's blog, then you are in the right place! If you would like to start at the beginning of the hop, head over to Cindy Grigiski 's blog!

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!

My project to share today is a masculine birthday card. These always seem to be needed and seem the hardest to come up with. This time I needed a card for my son-in-law. I even got excited when I came across a stamp set I had not used in quite some time! I started with a card base from My Mind's Eye. I love the brown and blue together for a masculine card! I found some matching cardstock in my stash and stamped/clear embossed the lighthouse in Night of Navy craft ink! This image is from The Angel Company's "Light the Path" set. I then stamped and embossed the birthday greeting from the Inkadinkado's "Greetings" Collection. I cut the image and greeting down to size with scalloped scissors. Next, I cut the mats and sponged all the edges with the craft ink. I also added the Making Memories "Metal Sayings" sticker for some extra interest. The last detail is some baker's twine in Cappuccino color. Then I adhered the image and greeting to the card with dimensionals. I hope you like the result! I was pleased to see these older products come to life again!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! It is always a treat to have you here! Now, you will want to hop on over toDru Cabral's blog! She always has the neatest things to share!

Hope you enjoy the hop and I leave you with...

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Design DIVAS OBG Blog Hop

Hello Friends!

Welcome to the March Design DIVAS OBG (Oldie But Goodie) Blog Hop! So glad you could join us!

If you came here from Brenda Turner's blog, you are in the right place! If you would like to start from the beginning of the hop, you can start with Melissa Cash's blog!

The idea for our blog hop is to use items in our craft stash that have not been used for at least six months! I think my project today more than meets that criteria!

The birthday card I am sharing today started with a half fold white cardstock base. My next layer on the card is my OBG, wallpaper! I have had this piece in my stash for over a year and was thrilled to see it go to good use! It is a beautiful heavily textured and embossed piece. I can't imagine it on a wall. but I love it for this card! I used a vellum overlay on the card to soften the image. I then stamped the sentiment on the vellum and embossed with white powder. The inside greeting was computer generated! I finished the card with a ruffled pink ribbon. I had quite a bit of difficulty photographing this card due to its size and texture. This is definitely one of those cards that the picture does not do it justice!

I hope you are enjoying your visit here and have found some inspiration along the way! This group of crafters are amazingly talented and such a wonderful group to share ideas with. We are becoming quite close and are enjoying our journey together!

Your next stop on the hop will be Shelly Schmidt! Shelly always has unique projects with a great eye for color and detail! Be sure to join us next month for our OBG Blog Hop! You never know what these ladies may pull out of their stashes to share with you!

Hope you are having a terrific week and I leave you with...

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Welcome to the Design D.I.V.A.S. Oldies but Goodies Blog Hop

Hello and Welcome! Design D.I.V.A.S. on Facebook is a private group of crafters who love to share fun and inspiration! Our Oldies but Goodies Blog Hop was created for us to share some of our "back of the drawer or cabinet goodies" with everyone! We are to use craft items that have not seen the light for six months or more.

If you have arrived here from Sharri Seffens blog, you are in the right place! This stop is the last one on the hop! If you would like to go to the beginning of the hop, please start with Brenda
Turner's blog!

I didn't have to dig too deep to find items that meet the criteria for this hop! I went "back in the day" with some tools and stamps that have sadly been neglected for more than several months.

I started with a cranberry cardstock base. I then added borders cut with the Cuttlebug Floral Borders die. The tiny blossom accents were also cut with this die. Next came the inside corner accents cut with the CB Vintage die. I distressed all the edges of the card, rounded the outside corners and sponged them with Color Box Chalk Warm Violet ink. The sentiment layer was stamped and then cut with Spellbinders Label One die. I sponged the edges here, too. The panel was then adhered with dimensionals. Next, I added the multicolored butterfly, cut with the Sizzlits Butterfly Tag die and mounted it with glue dots. As a final accent, I edged the sentiment panel and the butterfly with DecoArt Twinkles Glitter Paint. I also added the glitter paint to the flower blossoms.

This is just a fun card to send to a good friend recovering from surgery. She is a very dainty lady and I thought the borders and bling would be perfect for her.

I hope you have enjoyed your stop here today! I am the last blog to visit on this month's hop. If you have not visited all the members in the hop, please start with Brenda's blog and soak in all the wonderful talent and inspiration these ladies offer! We will be doing this hop again the third Wednesday of each month so be sure to join us!

You are always welcome to drop by here whenever you can! You may start out as a newcomer to my blog, but I hope you will feel like a friend when you leave! For those of you who visit often, you bless me with the gift of your time and friendship!

Hope everyone has an awesome day and, as always, I send...

Blessings to you,
Vicki