A Cherry from A Posy

Wanted to work with some bright colors, and this card definitely turned out to be bright.  Close To My Heart lowered the price on their A-size stamp sets last fall and that means this cute A Posy stamp set is only $7.95.  It includes five stamps, and I used all the stamps except the actual posy flower.  The 'swiss dotted' cherries were made by stamping the flower 'center' using red ink and then cutting it to fit inside the clear buttons.   

Knitting Projects - First Month

This picture was taken on March 31 - that is one month after I learned to knit.  I was really surprised to see that I had completed so many projects in the first month.  Also, there were four additional dishcloths that I made and already gave away.  And yes, there are two projects 'on the needles' that had been started.  Since the picture was taken, one of the items has been unraveled because I did not like working with the yarn, and the other is now a completed kitchen towel with a tab to hang it from a drawer pull.

Two of my favorite projects are this Garter Baby Bib using a pattern from Nona, who is the one responsible for teaching me to knit.  This means that I have not been stamping and creating cards to share on my blog.

The yarn is a nice, soft cotton and it was really easy to make.  The button is actually from my Close To My Heart embellishment supply - so at least I used some of my stamping supplies this month.  

And this drawstring bag is the Super Summer Backpack on the Lion Brand yarn website.

The stitch pattern was more difficult than I expected since the pattern was listed as 'Easy +' skill level, but I really like the way it turned out.  Used a self-striping yarn and am pleased with the stripes on the bag.  The I-cord for the drawstring was quite a challenge and required double-pointed knitting needles.  I must have viewed at least four different You Tube videos for knitting an I-cord and re-watched a couple of them several times trying to figure out how to do this.  If you look closely, the knitting is not very smooth and even.  After starting, unraveling, and re-starting about eight times, I finally decided that it would just be a good example of 'beginner' work and kept going until there was 48" of the cord.

Flower Pot (April SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Flower Pot stamp set from Close To My Heart.  Springtime is here, and you can 'plant' a variety of flowers in assorted flower pots using this stamp set - and never get any dirt on your hands. Colored pencils are great to use for coloring your flowers.    

 

This 5x7 card uses a background & texture paper from the Veranda paper packet along with Cocoa and Sweet Leaf cardstock.   I like the way the border punch mimics the design of the background paper.

If you have come here from Lori's 'PInkcloud Scrappers' blog, you are on the right path! There are more than 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs.  So you should be able to find lots of great creative ideas to use for your own projects.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! 

Now "Hop" on over to Angela's 'Tutton's Treasures' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Flower Pot stamp set is only available until the end of April.  Let me know if you would like to find out how you can get this stamp set at a discount or even free.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked On Stamping' blog.

First Knitting Projects!

Here it is - my first completed knitting project.  There are quite a few flaws in the hat, but I am proud of it anyway. 

The finished piece before sewing up the seam.  It took me a lot of hours to complete that much knitting!

And I bought some cotton yarn yesterday, looked up an easy pattern for a dishcloth online, and made my first dishcloth last night.  It took me four hours.  

One great hint that Nona gave me was to search on YouTube for help with stitches.  There are some really helpful videos for basic knitting.  So if you are wanting to learn or just need a refresher lesson, YouTube is an excellent source.

Certainly looks like I have a preference for yellow yarn.  Maybe it is just the anticipation of springtime.

Earrings and Knitting

Last weekend was Creative University and I got to spend several days with some good friends while working on some fun projects.  

While working on my Charm Swap items, I thought that my 'filler' charm would make some cute earrings.  They are the ones in the center of the photo with the light pink and green blocks.  

So, I bought a few extra supplies, gathered some beads from the craft room, and packed them for the trip.  It was fun to pick out which beads to put together.  And it is really easy to put the beads on a head pin and then wrap the top end around the loop of an earring hoop.  Well, it is easy as long as you have some jewelry round nose pliers.  And now I have nineteen new pair of earrings!

And I am so pleased that Nona taught me to knit.  After several starts, rip outs, and re-starts, I did finish a rectangle.  I think of it as a dishcloth, but the yarn is a wool blend so don't think that would work well for getting wet and washing dishes.  You can certainly see that the first few rows on the bottom are a bit uneven, but I was proud of the improvement in the upper rows.        

    


The piece of knitting still on the needles is going to be a hat.  It is all knit stitches, no purls, so it is good for me as a beginning project.  This picture was taken a few days ago, and I have several sections of the hat completed now.  When it is complete, I will be sure to post a picture. 

A Little Everything - card workshop

It is March already!  This month's Close To My Heart SOTM - A Little Everything - truly has sentiments for any occasion throughout the year.  Join us at this month's card workshop to create your own cards for "everything." 

First, create a "bird day" card using one of my favorite stamp sets, Bird Basics.  The punched border using Veranda paper adds a nice finishing touch.

Then make a quick card to thank someone for 'everything' that they do. The striped Topstitch paper makes a great background.

(inside)

Then decide on your "happy" event.  The cute little flower is from A Posy stamp set, one of the new "A" stamp sets from Close To My Heart that are only $7.95.  Your card can be for a birthday like the sample.  Or you can choose Mother's Day, Easter, or use any of the other 'everything' stamps. 

(A Little Everything stamp set)

The "A Little Everything" workshop will be offered on Friday evening, March 19 (starting at 7 pm) and also Saturday afternoon, March 20 (at 1 pm).  You will create 4 cards each of 3 different designs - a total of 12 cards and matching envelopes for $15.  All supplies are included and pre-cut for you. You just need to bring your own favorite adhesive, stamp your images, and assemble your cards.

Please let me know if you would like to attend one of the March card workshops.  Feel free to leave me a comment on this blog, send an email to sheilabennett@comcast.net, or call 913-485-4355.