Bird House Gift Box & Card by Amanda Corbet

Bird House Gift Box & Card - May Bonus Project! –  Amanda Corbet

This sweet little bird house is a lovely way to add some whimsy to your décor. With a roof that lifts up it also doubles as a fun little gift box! The fun combination of patterns and pretty flowers are sure to please. Gift this box as a gift with the coordinating card. This would make a great class project too!  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!

Hello Mint Macaron!

The new catalog and the new In-Colors are almost available to order (June 2nd!!!)!  How 'bout a little sneak peek at a card I created using what may turn into my new favorite color...Mint Macaron!  Good thing this color isn't scented to match its name or I would be in trouble :)  I used the ink to stamp the sentiment and to sponge the doily.  I also added the accompanying lace and embellishment.  I have a feeling you are going to be seeing a lot more of this color in my upcoming creations!

Tween Organization Station by Boni Montano

Tween Organization Station!  – Boni Montano

This one stop station is perfect for the tween in your life! It is a multipurpose organization board that can hold jewelry, hair accessories, notes, photos, and much more. This project also includes a motivational note, two charming hair clips, and an interchangeable headband bow. It is a cute and convenient addition to your tween's room. It is bound to put a smile on their face!  Head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of May for full step-by-step instructions!

Your Choices Will Change The World Art Journal Page

 

 Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Your Choices Will Change The World
They called me their angel.  It made me realize how such small actions can have such a large impact for people.  I was on a plane from Ft. Worth to Denver last week and a couple came onto the plane.  The woman sat next to me.  The husband a few rows back.  I noticed the woman struggling a bit with her seat belt, so I reached over to help.  She thanked me and said that this was her first time to the United States.  She was traveling with her husband from Pakistan and had been en route for over 20 hours.  She slept a bit on the flight and when we landed I was about to walk by them in the terminal and I paused to tell them that I hope they had a wonderful trip visiting Denver and Chicago.  They asked me where the baggage claim was and I said I would be more than happy to escort them there.  We walked slowly - talking about their trip and their experiences so far.  We stopped at a washroom before walking to the baggage claim area.  I told them I would not leave them until we found their friend who was meeting them there.  When we found their friend I wished them a beautiful trip and they told me I was their angel.  They said that traveling to a new place can be confusing and stressful and that having me guide them was such a relief.  Yes, your choices - even your choice to pause when you think you are in a rush - will change the world.
Today I am sharing an art journal page I created for Paper Crafter's Library.  I had saved this tea bag a long time ago and now it found its perfect place :)  I have a feeling this page may be taken out of my art journal and framed - it really speaks to me and I want to be reminded of this lesson always!  For a full step-by-step video on how I created this page (and lots of other pages), head on over to Paper Crafter's Library by clicking the badge in the upper right-hand corner of my blog and consider becoming a member.  You'll be glad you did :)

Donut Gift Ensemble by Carrie Rhoades

Donut Gift Ensemble! by Carrie Rhoades
When’s the last time you had a donut?  Well, it’s time you had one, or a few!  These donuts are just as yummy as the real thing and come without the guilt.  Make these delicious projects for anyone who has a sweet tooth.  The donut tutorial includes directions to make a shaker card, a donut gift box with a window, a donut mini notepad on a ring and a jumbo donut clip.  These are the yummiest donuts you can make without ever taking a bite.  For full step-by-step instructions, head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of May!

Felt Monoprint Card & Case

This Felt Monoprint Card and Case gives you a fun new way to put your reinkers to use.  This is my May project for Craft Project Central!  Create gorgeous original monoprints for your card fronts and for the box front.  What a great project to do with kids!  This set includes a set of eight original cards, a box to hold the cards and a gift tag if you choose to gift the set to a friend.  You an even invite a class to do felt monoprinting and let the creativity run wild!!!
For full step-by-step instructions, head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of May!

New In-Colors Arriving June 2nd!

It's almost time for the new catalog!  That means we will be saying good-bye to some favorites and saying hello to new friends!  I am really going to miss Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding and Baked Brown Sugar.  At the same time I am excited to begin playing with Tip Top Taupe, Cucumber Crush, Watermelon Wonder, Delightful Dijon...and that beautiful new Mint Macaron!  Be sure to stock up on your retiring favorites HERE and begin to get excited about all the new colors and products arriving on June 2nd!!!!

Everything Eleanor Greeting Card Set by Monika Davis

Everything Eleanor Greeting Card Set! by Monika Davis
Make this elegant card set showcasing four different lay-outs, using the same stamp sets and same colors.  Learn how to make your own water color background. You will also learn a new technique: emboss resist. The cards come in a sliding box case that’s easy to make and reproduce. Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.  For full step-by-step instructions, head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to the month of May!

Speak Your Truth Art Journal Page

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Speak Your Truth
Too many times I am silent.  Too many times I don't speak my truth - even to myself.  What if I changed that?  What if I gave voice to my truth?  What if by speaking my truth it became more real?  What if it could no longer be ignored?  What then....
I created today's page for Paper Crafter's Library.  If you are interested in watching my full step-by-step process, head on over to Paper Crafter's Library by clicking on the badge in the upper right-hand corner of my blog and explore becoming a member.  You will have a world of paper crafting resources right at your fingertips!

Hats Off for the Men Ensemble by Yapha Mason

Hats Off for the Men Ensemble!– Yapha Mason

If you’re looking for some ‘formal attire’ for a card ensemble gift set – This is it! With Father’s Day coming up, graduations, or weddings, this little set is sure to please! You’ll learn how to make the Top Hat, which you can use as just a fun décor piece, or fill it with a special treat. Plus you’ll make six simple Note Cards that will be perfect for all those masculine card needs. And those Note Cards are a perfect fit into the simple, but sophisticated Suit Box. Wrap it all up for the most stylish masculine gift!   Get full step-by-step instructions for creating this project by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of May.

Help For The Bees

Today's Lesson From Outside The Craft Room:  Provide Help For The Bees
"One-third of every bite we eat is due to a pollinator," Scott Black, executive director of the invertebrate conservation nonprofit Xerces Society told the Huffington Post last year.   He continued, "These pollinators are vital for us as humans, but they're also vital for the planet -- we require animal pollination for 85 percent of flowering plants. These bees are producing the fruits and the seeds from pollination that feed everything from songbirds to grizzly bears."  We forget how much we really on these beautiful pollinators and how different our lives would look without them.
The other day Michael and I were out for a walk with Buddy and we came upon a swarm of bees on the ground.  They were wet and some were barely moving, but we had hope for them.  We are comfortable around bees - we have a few bird baths in the backyard that we fill with a very low level of water so that the bees can come and get the water they need.  Every so often a bee will land in the water and their body temperature quickly drops and they look as if they are dead.  But we pick them up and blow on them to warm them up and it is amazing to watch them spring back to life and fly off on their journey.  Sometimes we have even had to bring a bee in overnight - we have a little "bee box" that we created that we place flowers and sugar water in - because they won't fly at night.  So when we saw this pile of bees, we knew there must be something we could do to help.  We made a little lean-to with cardboard and a tarp (since rain was threatening) and then we hit the internet to find somehow who might help.  We contacted Gregg McMahan (aka The Bee Guru here in Denver) by phone and he was able to send out a call to local beekeepers to see if someone could come and relocate this swarm.  Within and hour and a half I was standing in the pouring rain with a beekeeper named Brent and a friend of his and we were capturing all the bees to be relocated to a safe spot where they could thrive!  It was a thrill!  The bees were totally willing participants - not an angry bee in the bunch!  (I am not recommending relocating bees on your own - please consult an expert!!!).  While we were waiting for Brent's arrival, someone walked by us and said, "Oh!  Those bees have been there for a few days!  When I was out the other day someone told me to be careful!"  Learning this made me sad.  Knowing that someone could have saved more of these bees had they made a call a few days earlier.  Don't just walk by.  See if you can help.  Provide help for the bees - we need each other!

Monogrammed Cards For Mother's Day

Today's Lesson From the Craft Room:  Whip Together A Quick Homemade Gift!
Flowers.  Candy.  Jewelry.  Somehow the usual Mother's Day gifts just weren't exciting me this year.  So I decided to whip up a quick homemade Mother's Day gift for my mom using the Flower Patch stamp set!  Just stamps, ink and a few punches and I had everything I needed to create the perfect present for my mom.  I love how these cards look like they are woodblock prints!  I used some colors that are retiring and a few stamps that I have had in my stash for ages (Lovely Letters Alphabet is a set that I use over and over and can't imagine living without!).  I boxed up 8 cards with matching envelopes and they were a huge hit!  What homemade gift can you whip together today?

Wedding Table Décor & Card by Buffy Cooper

Wedding Table Décor & Card! –  Buffy Cooper

Butterflies, roses, diamonds and gold glitz make this table decoration and card extra special for a summer wedding.  The Something Borrowed suite from the Stampin’ Up! Occasions Catalog makes this project a snap to pull together.  Change the sentiment on the card, and the ensemble is perfect for a bridal shower, tea party, or wedding anniversary.  It’s also a fun Stamp Camp project!  Get full step-by-step instructions for creating this project by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of May.

Amidst The Chaos Art Journal Page

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Put Your Chaos Down On Paper
Expressing our feelings - letting those feelings out - through art can be incredibly cathartic.  You may have noticed that my personal art posts on my blog have been a bit sporadic lately.  Part of that is due to the chaos that found its way into my life over the past few months.  I won't go into details.  Needless to say, I found expressing some of those feelings in an art journal page was really helpful.  I added a tab to the page and was able to do some private art journaling on the back of the tab while still being able to share the page with you.  This is a page that I created for Paper Crafter's Library.  Well really, I created the page for myself and filmed it for Paper Crafter's Library (also minus the personal journaling).  If you are interested in the full step-by-step videos for how I created this art journal page, head on over to Paper Crafter's Library by clicking on the badge in the upper right-hand corner of my blog and explore becoming a member.  I think you'll enjoy the resources that Paper Crafter's Library has to offer!

Shimmy Mob Shirt Decorating!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Boldly Go Where You Haven't Gone Before!
If you told me I would be belly dancing in the morning at Denver International Airport and then belly dancing in the evening in a hotel lobby and then outdoors on a major street in the pouring rain...I would have told you you were nuts!!!!!  But the truth is...you're not nuts!  I was the nutty one - out there in all my belly dancing glory at the airport, the hotel and on the rain-filled street.  Mind you, I had not belly danced before.  But my friend Caitlin has a dance studio (Bella Diva Dance) and she was gathering people together to participate in an international shimmy mob to promote awareness around domestic violence.  How could I say no?!  I had every reason to say no:  lack of belly dance knowledge; perceived inability to memorize steps in any order; a whole bunch of self-consciousness when doing something I haven't done before in a public setting...and a whole other host of reasons.  But heck - you only live once - so why not boldly go where you haven't gone before!  As a result, I now have memories that will last a lifetime and I met some incredible people on the journey.  I was even able to bring some of my creativity to the experience by painting my shirt :)  The design on the back of the shirt was inspired by search I did online for henna designs and lotus flowers.  I wish I knew who the original artist was so that I could give them full credit for the beautiful design.  I did a little improvising, but not much!  I used the design on the back as a platform to launch from for creating the flower on the front.  That one I did on my own :)  I used Tulip Slick dimensional fabric paint and I just added the gems on blobs of paint...and they stayed on!  We'll see if they make it through a hand washing :)  Now I have to go and find the next place I can boldly go where I haven't gone before!!!!  How 'bout you????

Adventure Bound Square Card Pack by Yapha Mason

Adventure Bound Square Card Pack!  – Yapha Mason

This pack of eight 4-1/4” x 4-1/4” square cards features the gorgeous photo-realistic paper from the Adventure Bound Designer Series Paper Stack.  The cards cover a wide variety of occasions and sentiments.  Each card has a custom made envelope, and they all fit neatly into the card holder with a tag just ready for gift giving.  This pack would make a fabulous gift for Father’s Day, as well as a great class or club project.  Get full step-by-step instructions for creating this project by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of May.

“Just Kidding” Greeting Card Set by Regina Andari

“Just Kidding” Greeting Card Set! – Regina Andari

Create a fun set of greeting cards and coordinating envelopes with a pleasing color palette, and package them neatly in a Takeout Box with a decorative slip-off band.  This project features the fun Just Kidding Stamp Set, which has images and sentiments that are sure to put a smile on someone’s face.  Each of the cards in this ensemble have a colorful, trendy design—the envelopes even have a little decorative flair!  Get full step-by-step instructions for creating this project by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of May.

Birthday Bash Ensemble by Christy Fulk

Birthday Bash Ensemble!  – Christy Fulk
This cute birthday ensemble includes a birthday party invitation, a special pop-up box card for the birthday girl or boy, and a party favor box that will hold little goodies and treats for each guest. All three projects are made with the Celebrate Today Stamp Set, Balloon Framelits Dies, and Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper. The party favor box is made with the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies, and has a little balloon-shaped window that gives a sneak peek of the items inside.  Get full step-by-step instructions for creating this project by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of May.

Flower Frenzy Gift Ensemble by Carol Lovenstein

Flower Frenzy Gift Ensemble! – Carol Lovenstein

Spring into Summer with this beautiful gift ensemble.  You will be ready to celebrate any occasion with this bouquet of floral projects.  They will bloom forever, no watering or weeding needed!  This project is perfect for Mother’s Day, teacher appreciation, graduation or just because!  Get full step-by-step instructions for creating this project by heading over to Craft Project Central and subscribing to the month of May.

BYOP Boxed Card Set – April Bonus Project! by Amanda Corbet

BYOP Boxed Card Set  – April Bonus Project!  – Amanda Corbet
This project includes five over the top cards that each show a different method for holding a gift card inside the card. With this project we explore using the BYOP stamp set and Adventure Bound Designer Series Papers to create five beautiful cards and a lovely storage box to keep them in. You will get the opportunity to use each and every image included in the BYOP stamp set to create cards for five different occasions.  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 over to Craft Project Central to learn more!