happy graduation!

My cousin is graduating tomorrow from my old high school

 (yes, I graduated a "couple" years ago!).

So I made her a graduation card...

The bottom "hat" part is a pocket and the square top slips out to reveal a little card!

For the pocket, cut two pieces of black cardstock at 3.5" x 4". 

Using the 2.5" circle punch, punch 2 rounds pieces at the bottom of the long end.

Cut a piece of white cardstock at 2.5" x 7.5". Score at 3.75".

Add Stampin' Dimensionals to the top of the white card at the folded end.

Slip the card into the pocket.

For the top, cut a piece of black cardstock into a 4" x 4" square.

Punch a hole in the center.

To make the tassel:

Use embroidery thread and cut:

2 - 8 inch

10 - 6 inch

Lay the 10 pieces across one of the longer pieces and tie a knot.

Take the other longer piece and lay the tassel on top.

Tie another knot.

Snip the ends so they are the same desired length.

(I cut mine about 1.5").

Thread the tassel through the hole in the square and tie a knot in the back.

Attach the square top to the white card using the dimensionals.

Choose your sentiment and punch out using glimmer paper and attach.
I used "Congratulations", from the set "Express Yourself"...
This is a great new hostess set in the NEW SU! catalog!

Slip the card into the pocket and voila...a graduation hat!

The card fits at an angle into a 6" x 6" envelope.

Happy crafting!

did you miss me?

My poor neglected blog...I apologize for my absence, but it's for a good reason!




Our little peanut, Grayson, has been the center of my attention so I've been a little out of commission. But, I'm back! So please visit often as I will be posting lots of new stuff (especially since Stampin' Up!'s new catalog starts in a few days!).

it's heeeeeeeeeeerrrrrreeeeee!!!

It's here! Yay! 

You can officially order from the new Stampin' Up! catalog! And, what a great one it is!

Click here to see the new Stampin' Up! 2013-2014 Catalog!

You should see all the yummy new In Colors and re-vamped colors!

Would you like to place an order for some new fabulous goodies?!

Want a little treat for free?!

Email me to place an order...

$50 order qualifies for a free ink refill of your color choice!

or

$75 order qualifies you for a free ink pad of your choice!

or

$100 order qualifies you for a free mixed cardstock pack of your color family choice!

blinginghomethebacon@me.com

resolution and a knot bag

So is it too late, or maybe too early, for a New Year's resolution? Mine. Is. To. Blog.

I've been so bad. Where has the summer gone? We've had a lot of craziness since move to Chicago and trying to get settled into life here. It's just so amazing how the days seem to melt away...I always have good intentions to post, and then I forget. I promise to try to be better!

This week I've been sewing little bags that are available in my Etsy shop! My initial intent was to make project bags for knitting (I love keeping my knitting projects organized in project bags).

These are Japanese knot bags. One handle is taller than the other...it's meant to slip into the other and form a closure to the bag.

They are great to hold a skein or two of yarn and your needles. They would also be great as a craft bag to hold small goodies, for cosmetics, or even as a little wristlet purse. The possibilities are endless!

The bottom of the bag is flat...this allows it to stand on its own.

Another added bonus is that the bag is fully reversible...cool, huh?!

You NEED one!

knitting for a new friend

The hardest part about moving to a new city is making new friends, especially when I now work from home! I've tried getting invoked in things that will allow me to meet new people...I volunteer for a battered women's shelter, I joined a gym right next to my house, and I go to a knitting group every week (yes, exactly what I said...it's one of my favorite things to do!

I've been fortunate to make a new great friend, Aimee, through knitting! Her birthday was last weekend so I made her cupcakes.



I used a recipe that I found on Pinterest (love Pinterest!), which can be found here. It's a strawberry lemonade cake that I modified for cupcakes. Sooooo yummy! The frosting is the best I've ever had!

I've never really decorated cupcakes before but thought it would be really cute to theme them for our knitting group! I cut strips of pink fondant and added slits to resemble knitting. Then I added toothpicks with little fondant balls to look like knitting needles. I loved how they turned out, especially considering how disastrous it could have been being my first time making them.





I wanted to make a little birthday gift for Aimee to go with her cupcakes so I made a set of gift tags she can use when she gifts her knitted projects.



I made all of the tags using Crumb Cake cardstock and stamped with the "Hand Knit" stamp set (I was so excited to finally get this set). I also used the "knit happens" stamp my favorite retired set "Fashion Statements". I stamped in black, colored each tag with pink and black gel pens and added a fluffy touch with white liquid appliqué.











I made her birthday card by knitting with toothpicks (quite challenging) to make a small knitted project to match the cupcakes.





This inside was stamped using the new happy birthday single stamp...such a great font!


Here's the finished product...






I am pleased with the results...Aimee loved it, which was the best part!

wedding season

I've been so busy the last few weeks with orders for wedding invitations, party favors, and baby shower invitations...I have tons of photos of everything swimming around on my iPad to share. I created many blog posts but couldn't get blogger to cooperate in posting but I think the kinks are finally ironed out and here I am!

My friend Sherry is getting married next month and she's having a destination wedding in St. Lucia. -this is where I mention having a destination wedding is the best way to get married...we had the most amazing trip!-

She asked me to create some thank you cards for all of the couples who will be attending and here is the final product...






I stamped a palm tree (fitting for an island wedding) from the "Plant Hope" stamp set I recently ordered just for this onto Very Vanilla cardstock, which I had printed with verbiage. Then I heat-embossed the tree in silver.


I layered the card onto silver and Elegant Eggplant cardstock sheets (all colors of her wedding). I tied it all together with silver organza ribbon and I think they turned out quite lovely.


She also asked for a set of post-wedding thank you cards, which I made to coordinate with the other cards.





Lastly, I enclosed a personal card from me that also coordinates.


Wishing you an amazing wedding and a lifetime of happiness, Sherry!

mom's birthday

May is full of holidays in our family...Mother's Day, my parents' anniversary, my sister-in-law's birthday, and also my mom's birthday! Here's the card I put together for her using the new Gumball Green In Color...




How much do you love that color?! I also used the new "Floral District" paper, which I love!




A touch of a few butterflies, some bling, and tied off with seam binding ribbon. The ribbon is so versatile...if you pull a few a few threads at the end, it produces the above effect. My favorite!

Heather

mother's day

I'm so in love with the new paper from Stampin' Up!








The paper is out of the "Floral District" pack and punched with the blossom punch to create the flower. A little pearl added for bling...so easy!