Happy 4th of July Card

A local scrapbooking group is starting to do a weekly challenge we're calling My Spin on the Pin.  Our only guideline is that it must be paper crafting related so I'm hoping to get some cards made and ready to send out.

Here's the pin I'm using - http://pinterest.com/pin/82331499410634118/ and here's my card:

4th of July is one of my absolute favorite holidays ever.  For us it's all about getting together and having a grand time with as many family members as want to come along.  We are almost always at the lake for the 4th and that includes decorated golf cart parades, homemade ice cream and swimming.  That night we will have air beds throughout the house, so much so it's almost difficult to walk around!  Just love getting everybody together.  :)

For this card - my stamp punch was a little bigger than the pinned card used, so I only used 3 stars.  I also didn't have any twine, so instead I used pop dots to give it some dimension.  The stamps are from the July Fourth set from Stampin Up.

This is really a lot of fun and I encourage everybody to look through their pins once in a while and do them instead of just collecting them - and I'm saying that for my benefit just as much as anybody else's!

Deep thoughts:  "Good friends are like stars.  You don't always see them, but you know they're always there."

Teacup Succulents

This is part of what I did for my moms for Mother's Day this year.  I absolutely fell in love with them and will soon find teacups to make one for myself!  There is something so dainty and lady-like about a teacup and when you put a miniature plant in it kind of makes you want to swoon.

I checked a nursery and a few other stores for mini succulents, but found exactly what I wanted at Lowe's.  In fact I found all the necessary parts at Lowe's, except for the teacups - those are from Goodwill.

I used this soil, mostly because I'm a rule follower and it says cactus on it.  But I also felt like any good start I can give to these little plants would be a good thing.

The little rocks came in a bag called Soil Cover.  Since I didn't intend to put a hole at the bottom of the cup I figured the rocks would help for drainage.  

I really could see a few of these lined up on my kitchen windowsill.  And the nice thing is that they take very little upkeep.

Deep Thoughts:  "Life is like making tea - boil your ego, evaporate your worries, dilute your sorrows, filter your mistakes and get a taste of happiness." 

Linked to:  Pinworthy Projects, Be Different Act Normal, Sundae Scoop, Funky Junk's Party Junk, Friday Flair Link Party

Dahlia Fold Card

This was such a fun card to make!  I was searching for a card with folds so that I could join a local swap (and then forgot to sign up in time!) and saw this.  I knew immediately that this would be perfect for Mother's Day cards!

I used the video tutorial found at Dawn's Stamping Studio and had no trouble at all making my dahlia.  I used a 1 1/8" circle punch and I think the size worked well for the size of the card.

I made these cards while at a crop with friends and it really does take a village sometimes to make things perfect.  I had purchased some brads for the center of the cards and after making the dahlia I knew they were too big.  Danielle had a lightbulb moment and ran over to go through her bling stash and found the centers - they were perfect!

These were so much fun to make that maybe next time I won't be so intimidated to try something new.  ;)

Supplies Used:  Sentiment is from Messages for Mom set by Stampin' Up; pattern paper for top card in the My Mind's Eye 'The Sweetest Thing - Tangerine' 6x6 paper pad; pattern paper for bottom card in the Teresa Collins 'Vintage Finds' 6x6 paper pad (both paper pads purchased at Michael's); center bling by Danielle

Deep Thoughts:  "Flowers don't worry about how the're going to bloom.  They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful."  Jim Carrey

Pinterest Salad Dinner at Church

Our Women's Ministry at church is starting a new monthly get together with just some fun topics and an opportunity to fellowship and get to know one another.  Last night was the first and the topic was "How to Use Pinterest." Now y'all know that I'm already a big fan of Pinterest, but that didn't keep me from going and having a grand time.

We had a potluck "Pinterest" salad dinner and I of course whipped out my phone to take a couple of quick pictures.  I didn't snap all the food and it's not because it wasn't fantastic.  But I did want to share both of these because I was just so impressed with the presentation.

I loved this take on the classic melon balls.  She used the standard three melons, but then put them inside a hollowed out half a lemon and added a mint leaf!  Not only were they super cute, but each bite had a slight hint of lemon flavor.

Another fruit bowl, this time with a bowl made of chocolate!  She filled them with berries, a dollop of whipped cream, mint leaf and a piroutte cookie.

Deep Thoughts:  "You can't buy Happiness, but you CAN buy Donuts.  And that's kind of the same thing."

Wedding Shawl Progressing

However...

See the blob of yarn?  This is an example of one step forward, two steps back.  This shawl pattern (Shetland Triangle Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark) has 'rest' rows of all purl on the odd rows and it was at the end of one of those rows that I found a mistake on the previous pattern row.  I used my crazy fixin' skills to try and avoid going back, but I really wasn't totally satisfied with the way it looked.  Back it went and this is the result.

I will say though that this is by far one of the most enjoyable things I've knit in a long time.  I'm using Venezia Sport by Cascade Yarns (Mmmm....silk) and it's just a joy to knit.

Onward and upward!

Deep Thoughts:  To live a creative life we must first lose our fear of being wrong