Count Your Blessings Table Decor

Take time to count your blessings during the upcoming holiday season!  This set includes a blessings bank, gratitude cards to fill out and insert into the bank, place cards to gather blessings from your guests and a blessings list that your guests can fill in and take home with them.  This set can be used to adorn your holiday table or you can use the box, gratitude cards and lists as a way to remind yourself how blessed you truly are each and every day!  This is my November project for Craft Project Central.  If you want to get the full step-by-step instructions for making this entire set, head on over the Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of November.

Mini Collage Challenge - #2

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Allow Fate To Intervene
This is the second 2"x 2" mini collage that I created.  I began by adhering bits of torn painted paper to the watercolor paper with Utrecht matte medium.  You can also use painted tape, washi tape, masking tape...and you don't have to worry about having glue or matte medium with you :)  As I continued to put the torn pieces down I began to worry about what else I would add...and while I was worrying, I turned one of my pieces of painted paper over and saw these words staring right at me!  I had done some paper painting on one side of a page from a book!  And fate brought me to these exact words at the exact right moment.  So I cut them out and added them to my mini collage with matte medium.  I love it when I am open to allowing fate to intervene!

Christmas Survival Kit by Amanda Corbet

Christmas is fast approaching and there are always those last minute cards you forget to send or gifts you need to give and you’re out of time! Oh no! Well this Christmas Survival Kit by Amanda Corbet includes five cards with envelopes, four gift bags, 10 gift tags, and 8 gift card holders as well as space to put other necessities, all tucked away in this beautiful gift shaped box. Just lift off the lid and one side falls down to show the beautiful row of drawers and two back pockets. Make this for yourself or someone special to save a little headache around Christmas. Or change up the patterns and colors to make a gift set ready for any holiday!

This Christmas Survival Kit is the October Bonus at Craft Project Central.  Bonus projects can be obtained by subscribing to two or more months in a row at Craft Project Central, putting the Craft Project Central badge on your blog, or by referring a friend and when they subscribe, letting Craft Project Central know.  Head on over to Craft Project Central for more details!

Mini Collage Challenge #1

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Make It Manageable
As some of you may know from reading my blog, I sometimes find it challenging to head into the Craft Room and start creating.  The idea of picking up materials and getting started can feel overwhelming.  So I have decided to make it manageable for myself.  After all, why would anyone be intimidated by a 2"x 2" piece of watercolor paper?  So I went ahead and cut a small stack of 2" x 2" pieces of watercolor paper and I have decided to try to make at least one small 2"x 2" collage a day.  This feels doable to me.  Even if I am traveling I always have a glue stick with me and there are likely to be bits and pieces of receipts, ticket stubs, trash that I can incorporate into a mini collage.  My hope is to share this journey with you - sometimes one at a time - sometimes maybe a few at a time.  Feel free to join in the challenge with me!  Right now I will commit to 30 days...but who knows...it might turn into a year-long affair!  The nice thing about these mini collages?  You can always use them on a card front or incorporate them into other paper crafting projects.
Since I wasn't sure where to begin...even with a 2" x 2" piece of watercolor paper...I went with an easy start - the shape of a heart.  I have tons of scrap papers around the craft room that I like to paint on and this is the perfect way for me to start putting those little papers to use!  I am using Utrecht matte medium for adhering my pieces down, but I may play with adhesives a bit the more I make these mini collages.  I hope you'll enjoy this journey with me!

Creating Pretty Cards - Sketch Challenge #40

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Of all the reasons for being an artist, there is one that outweighs all others:  Art offers a path to our souls. - Nick Bantock
The path has definitely been bumpy so far for me!  Bumps, bruises, stumbles and falls.  But I keep getting back up because there is no other path I would rather be on!
Today I am sharing my submission for this month's Creating Pretty Cards - Sketch Challenge #40 over at Craft Project Central!  There are still a few days left for you to join in the challenge...and you might just win a free one-month subscription to Craft Project Central!  Come on over to Craft Project Central and play!!!!!

Autumn Wreath by Jen Arkfeld

It’s time to create something fun for your autumn home décor!  This Autumn Wreath by Jen Arkfeld screams fall with its warm colors, feathers and touches of raffia. The great thing about this design?  You can easily use other Designer Series Paper for summer, spring or winter!  It’s a versatile design.  Happy Crafting!  Get the full step-by-step instructions by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of October!