I hope you haven’t given up on me… hopefully there are still a few of you left out there reading my blog. Lots of stuff has been going on mostly end of school stuff, some CHA-S and of course projects for my book.

I can’t believe the school year is almost over. Ansley will be a freshman in high school next year. Can someone tell me how I ended up here because I swear I was just 20 yesterday. Anyway, here is a card I created for the National Stationery Show using lots of Maya Road products. Some don’t realize how perfect Maya Road products are for card making so I thought I would share a little tutorial.

Products:
DCWV Card
Patterned Paper (BasicGrey Mellow)
Maya Road Office Sheers - Memo
Maya Road Heart and Home
Maya Road Scroll Rubons
Maya Road Jonathan Rubons
Ranger Stickles (Crystal)
Thread (Black)
Chestnut Roan (ClearSnap)
Black Pen
Glue Dots

Instructions:

1. Cut patterned paper to fit the top of your card
2. Using Black thread, sew a straight stitch all around the patterned paper
3. Adhere to card
4. Ink edges using Chestnut Roan
5. Adhere Office Sheer to card as shown
6. Alter a house from the Heart and Home chipboard set with patterned paper, ink edges and heart using Chestnut Roan, accent house using a Black Pen
7. Adhere to top of Office Sheer, accent house using Crystal Stickles
8. Adhere Scroll and Jonathan Rubons

Supplies:
Maya Road Square Banner Book
Maya Road Scallop Coaster
Maya Road Atlanta Uppercase Alphabet
Maya Road Fresh Ribbon (Candy Polka Dot)
Deja Views (my Sweet girl ~ Gingham, Paisley)
Paint Ranger (Snow Cap, Pink Sherbet)
Heidi Swapp Clear Bling Border
Tulle
Seam Binding (White)
Ballerina Cupcake Toppers
Sequin Trim
Lace
Liquid Glue
Iridescent Glitter
White Pen (Ranger)

Instructions:

1. Cover Square Banner pages (front Gingham, back Paisley), cut out slit using the back as a guide when covering the front of each page and repeat for the back using the front slit as a guide, sand edges
2. Paint Scallop Coaster pages in Snow Cap and Atlanta Uppercase Alphabet in Pink Sherbet, allow to dry, Using a crop-a-dile punch a hole in each corner scallop
3. Using a paint brush cover painted Scallop Coaster pages with liquid glue, while the glue is still wet completely cover with iridescent glitter, tap off excess, allow to dry
4. Using the end of a paint brush randomly apply glue dots, while glue is wet apply iridescent glitter, tap off excess, allow to dry
5. Using a white pen outline each glitter polka dot
6. Adhere Scallop Coasters to the center of each Square Banner page
7. Adhere Atlanta Uppercase Alphabet to the center of each Scallop Coaster
8. Thread Tulle through each Square Banner page, tie a Tulle Bow at each end
9. Double Knot Tulle in between every other page, double knot Maya Road Candy Polka Dot ribbon in between each Tulle Double Knot
10. Adhere White Seam Binding Bow onto each Tulle Double Knot, adhere Ballerina Cupcake Topper in center of White Seam Binding Bow
11. Adhere Heidi Swapp Clear Bling Border to the top (in between slits) of each Square Banner page
12. Adhere Lace to the top bottom section of each Square Banner page, adhere Sequin Trim to the top edge of Lace just applied to Square Banner pages

Now it is ready to hang for the “Birthday Girl” to enjoy. This will also make a cute mini album after the party is over. All you need to do is remove each page from the tulle, place photos of the birthday girl and her guests on the back (upside down from the front so when you flip up the page the photo views correctly) of each page, place the pages on the binder rings, tie tulle bows on them and there you go… a beautiful memento to reflect on in the years to come.

At the moment, I seem to have all of the above so I created this little box mainly to keep my hands busy and to place the above mentioned in to let them fall as they may. I have a wish/dream that is so close to coming true it causes me great worry but in the end if all goes well it will be incredible to have reached a goal I have had for the past few years. If it doesn’t happen well I am not giving up and will go to plan B.

Here is a little tutorial on recreating this little box in case you have a few worries, dreams or wishes you need to store away for awhile.

Supplies:
Small Matchbox (2″ x 1.5″ x .5″)
2 - Patterned Papers or 1 - Double Sided
Seam Binding
Flowers
Jewelers Tag

Tools:
Martha Stewart Starburst Punch
ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink (Chestnut Roan)
Strong Adhesive

Instructions:

1. Cut a strip of Patterned Paper to 2″ x 4.5″, ink edges using Chestnut Roan Fluid Chalk Ink
2. Wrap strip of Patterned Paper around Match Box and adhere using a Strong Adhesive
3. Ink outer edges and the sides of drawer portion of the Match Box using Chestnut Roan Fluid Chalk Ink
4. Using the Starburst Punch, punch out Starburst from Patterned Paper and adhere to center/left top portion of the Match Box
5. Wrap Seam Binding around the Match Box and tie a bow
6. Place a small bunch of Vintage Flowers under bow
7. Tie Jewelers Tag to center of Bow
8. Open Match Box and fill with your worries, dreams and wishes

Here are a few more Easter decorations I created. These “Egg Gift Boxes” are perfect for altering. I painted mine using Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Juniper and Shell Pink then covered the tops and bottoms using Coarse Glitter in Crystal. Once dry I lined the outer edge of each box with Maya Road Cream Velvet Ric Rac, created a ribbon flower out of crepe paper using a vintage rhinestone button for the center and finished it off with two felt leaves accented with a back stitch. These will look so nice sitting on my table with the baskets I created over the weekend. It is finally starting to look like Spring in our house.

Sorry for the not so great photo… it is raining really bad here so the lighting is terrible. And that front crepe paper is not that big, the angle is just not too great for it.

Here is a project I created last night. These easy to make baskets would look adorable on a Sunday Brunch table marking each guests place setting or given as a gift before leaving. I filled mine with glittered eggs and a chenille chick but there are so many other great items to fill it with such as a tiny pot of spring flowers, candy, decorated eggs etc. I think this is a wonderful way to welcome guests as well as Spring.

This tutorial is now for sale if you would like to create some baskets for your Sunday Brunch or hand out to friends and family..