Two Firsts for Me

Hi People!

Thanks so much for visiting my little blog. :)

First off, I want to tell you that if you don't participate in the Twisted Tuesday challenge this week.....well you are just missing out completely! Because.....................IT'S A FREE FOR ALL! You can submit anything you like. Anything Goes!!! So go over and check us out. We want to see what you're working on!!!!

www.twistedtuesdaychallenges.blogspot.com

I have been working on some different things lately.

One is a magnet bookmark. I found the tutorial on SCS. I also hosted a Secret Sister swap where part of the goodies you send your Sis had to include one of these darling things. Well, here is what mine looked like that I sent to my Sis:

 (above pic) Here's the front. I cut chipboard with my Spellbinders deckled rectangle die and then some DCWV cupcake paper and then distressed the edges. I added a cupcake image and some tiny chocolate rick rack trim.

 (above pic) this is the inside....shows the ribbon (attached with scor tape, folded under and adhered to itself then adhered to the shipboard) and magnets.

Here's the back. I just used my circle punch on the patterned paper.

I like how it turned out. Now, to make one for myself! LOL

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Here's one other "first" for me. I participated in a jar swap on FB. We just had to find a quart jar of some kind. Decorate it and add goodies to the inside. Here's what I sent my Sis:

I attached the lace with tape on the back so my Sis could remove it and use it if she wanted. I also included some of that lace in the jar. I added some brown tulle also.
The inside was packed to the top! I sent her lots of ribbon, trim, brads, flowers, punch outs, die cuts, tags, lots and lots of charms, buttons, stamped images and more misc. embellishments.

This was the decoration for the lid. I cut some cream felt to cover the gold lid. Then I die cut some fabric and stiff sprayed it. A button and some fiber finished off the flower.

I really enjoyed both of these swaps I was in!

Have a great day

Until next time...
Blessings...

Melina

Happy Mother's Day!

Hello!

Happy Mother's Day to you.

...and Happy Mother's Day to my Mama. I love YOU! :)

I am sharing with you today a project I wanted to "take on". I'm not a big "altered item" crafter. Cards and Scrapbooking are mostly it. But, there was an idea that popped in my mind for our "Church Mamas". Many of you know my husband is a Minister. We Pastor a small church in a neighboring town. We are a very close knit bunch of folks. Last Mother's Day I got each of our Church Mama's a small jar candle. This year though, I wanted to give them something, by me. I am working even harder than usual this year at the old saying "Better to give......". I want to be a blessing. A song popped into my head as I thought about this...."If you want less lonely and a lot more fun, need satisfaction when the day is done, throw your heart wide open and GIVE IT AWAY" (Gaither Vocal Band, Southern Gospel).

So, I went to work. Here's what I came up with. Mind you it is small, but it is made by me for the wonderful ladies that do so much for me and my family.....

 I got mini composition books and decorated them using a couple different packs of Stampin Up! designer series paper, some white satin ribbon and a stamped image (lucky limeade ink) punched with oval punches.

Then, they had to have a pen to go along with the notebook so I used matching designer series paper to fill the pen and attached a sheer blue polka dot ribbon to the top.

 I had enough of the paper left (I got my measurements down to a science to keep from wasting any of it.....I'm a paper hoarder! :) to make chipboard flower magnets to go with the notebooks and pens. I used my Bigz L Fun Flowers Stampin Up! die to cut the chipboard and the paper (ran through the Big Shot). I used 2 circle punches for the middles and added a flat back pearl to each. I sanded the edges of the chipboard with a sanding block and then inked all the edges with Soft Suede ink and my sponge dauber. On the back of each magnet I wrote "Happy Mother's Day 2012".

Then, I added all three (1 magnet per baggie) to a goody bag filled with life savers and a small box of assorted chocolates. Yummmmm

I tied the bags up simply with white baker's twine.

I hope the Church Mamas like them!

I'm not original, I know. These have been done before and you've seen them LOTS better :)
But, it's my way of showing our church family how much they mean to us.
I learned that even though it was a size-able task, as far as the amount of things to cut and assemble....it was all worth it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day!

Until next time...

Blessings...

Melina