My First Large Banner -- The Paper Variety Challenge #62

The Paper Variety has another fun challenge today and it allows for a lot of creativity....use an ornament on your paper project and you could win your choice of a great prize package from one of my very favorite Etsy shops....Precocious Papers. This could be yours:

or this:

Aren't they lovely?

For my project I decided to attempt my first full sized banner.  I recently bought Spellbinders Nestabilites Nesting Pennants and used them to cut the nesting pennants for my banner. 

I used an ornament from one of Echo Park's Christmas collections from last year.  The beautiful red cardstock is from Stampin' Up and the green pin stripe paper isn't even from a Christmas-themed collection....it is from an 8x8 October Afternoon Thrift Shop paper pad.  I just loved the cozy, homespun feel it added to the project. The gingerbread men and holly clusters are from October Afternoon Very Merry collection. I bought one of the Santa Sacks that October Afternoon is offering on Fridays and wow! was I floored by the large selection of awesome papers and embellishments I received. I added some red rhinestones from my stash and drew some dash lines... and all done in under 90 minutes.  Not a difficult project and I really like how it turned out.  Lookout.... I am sure I will be making plenty more banners in the future.

Did you hear the BIG news?  The Paper Variety has a design team call going out right now.  It is a 6 month term and I can testify that Abby and Suzanne are the bestest to work with.  I have really enjoyed sharing my projects with you through The Paper Variety and I am soooo sad that my 6 months is coming to an end that I just might re-apply....why don't YOU apply too?  Check out all the details HERE.

A Winner!!!!

A couple of weeks ago I asked my blog readers to post what they were most grateful for going into Thanksgiving week and I would pick a winner and send a surprise out to them.  I was supposed to post the winner on Thanksgiving and I totally forgot.  Sorries!  Anyway without further ado here is the winner:

Suzy said...

I absolutely love this frame Sandi! You make such fun projects with lots of different product/textures. Hmm.. something "little" I'm thankful for.. that I have a hubby who sends me a text or an email throughout the day to let me know he's thinking of me and wishes me a good day. I always seem to open them when things are hectic and they definitely calm me down and make me look forward to going home to a quiet and happy home! :)

Suzanne I will be sending you out a special surprise very soon....thanks for your sweet comment.

Last Summer

We had such a great visit last summer seeing my family over Labor Day and Dave took some really great pictures of the grandkids including this picture of Abby at the pool.  I used Nikki Sivils Summer collection on it and am entering it into her B/W photo challenge.  I also used a sketch from My Scraps and More which you can see HERE.

Card Patterns Sketch #142

I am in a great Yahoo scrapbooking group called Scrappin'-n-Chattin'.  We do a lot of scrappin' (crafting ...not fighting...LOL) and boy do we chat a lot so we are aptly named.  One fun thing we are doing this holiday season is a swap where we send a gal in the group the papers and makings of a card and she has to make a card from it.  Well Kim Martin (see her awesome blog HERE) sent me these beautifully coordinated items and I found this perfect sketch at the Cards Patterns challenge blog:

And everything just came together perfectly.  Thanks Kim! I am also linking this up at Lily Pad Cards Simon Says Stamp Button challenge and the Paper Issues Holiday Madness challenge.

The Artful Delight Sketch Challenge

I absolutely love the December card kit over at Artful Delight and would LOVE to win one.  Leeanne has a sketch contest every month and gives away a kit for the prize.  The deadline is tonight in about an hour and I just got in under the wire with this layout of my granddaughter last month at the apple orchard.  I love Jillibean Soup Apple Cheddar Soup papers and embellies and used them on this layout along with some embellishments from the October Artful Delight kit....love that scalloped felt border and those felt roses!  I used this sketch:

The sketches are always really versatile and easy to work with and this sketch challenge is one I look forward to every month.  I am soooo glad I was able to squeak this one out.

Edited 9/18/15 to add: I am entering this page in the current linky party at Paper Issues -- How 'Bout Them Apples?

The gift that almost wasn't.......

I found this little 12 inch unfinished wooden sled at my local thrift shop last summer for under a dollar.  I knew I could do something with it for the holidays.  I picked up Echo Park's Season's Greetings paper collection and layered chipboard recently and decided it would be perfect for this altered project.  I had no idea what a rough time I would have.  I used Tim Holtz/Ranger pewter crackle paint on the the runners of the sled.  I neglected to read the bottle and follow the directions to paint raw wood before applying the crackle paint.  What a terrible time I had.  My wonderful husband literally had to "talk me off the ledge".  I wanted to throw it out and uttered more than one choice word.  I was so frustrated with myself and the more upset I was, the worse the project got....I dripped pewter paint on the beautiful red paper and in trying to remove it tore the paper.  But Dave helped me settle down and I put it aside overnight and calmly worked on it over the next several days until it turned out presentable.  I am entering it in the Facebook contest that Echo Park is currently running and also over at Frosted Designs this week where their challenge is to use die cuts on a projects.  The paper, small letters and layered chipboard are all from Echo Park Season's Greetings, the larger letters are from Echo Park's collection Little Boy and the ribbon , sparkling snowflakes and rhinestones are all from my stash.

I made this door hanging for my son Matt and his wonderful wife Amy.  It is currently getting packed up and tomorrow will be on it's way to the midwest.  I hope they like it.  And a million thanks to my patient and loving husband for his support of me and my hobby.  I love you Dave!

Also linked up to Paper Issues Holiday Madness

To a real Classic

My husband's Uncle Charlie is one of my favorite people....he is always upbeat, positive and makes me laugh.  He also loves old cars and has owned more than one classic in his life so I thought Echo Park's Times and Seasons collection would be perfect for his birthday card.  I made an easel card for him just for something different and so I could enter it into the easel card challenge over at My Craft Spot.  I even typed on the card with my vintage Smith Corona typewriter from the 50's.  We picked up the typewriter at a flea market recently and I bought a brand new ribbon for it from a place on the internet.  I love it!!