Swarovski Snowflakes and a Baby Card

 Good morning!  Thought I'd share a picture of these Swarovski Crystal Snowflakes I made for my family for Christmas this year.  Like true snowflakes, no two are alike. I had fun finding different color and bead combinations!   This free tutorial by Bead Animation was so wonderfully done and helped me tremendously.  The first snowflake took me about 2.5 hours but they got much easier and faster each time!  If you'd like to see each one individually I have them posted on my Beading and Jewelry page (link at the top of my blog).

 I made this baby card a while back for some friends who had their 4th baby boy (!!) just before Christmas...  great idea, but I still haven't sent it.  I know, I'm such a slacker!

Here's the simple inside.  These Designer Series Papers (Sycamore Street DSP) and the Island Indigo ribbon are both new to the Stampin' Up! lineup, and are each FREE with a $50 purchase due to the fantastic Sale-a-Bration event going on now until March 22nd.

So glad you visited me today!
~Kristin

You Mean So Much

I'm back today with another pair of earrings I made myself to match this bracelet and a necklace that my mom had made.  These natural polished stones are so shiny and smooth- they are just gorgeous in person!  More practice needed for me though.  But once I'm good at this I'll have trouble giving things away I'm afraid. 

The Clean & Simple sketch challenge FTL 202 came in handy for getting my stamping mojo going.  These are some of the new In Colors:  Summer Starfruit, Raspberry Ripple and Midnight Muse not to mention the lovely new Natural Composition Specialty Designer paper in the background there (the Crumb Cake with a shiny raised floral pattern on it). 

 I made a fun discovery while playing around for this card:  the large flower burst from Betsy's Blossoms punches out nicely with the Blossom flower punch.  The little center piece is "fussy cut" from another stamp in the same set. 

Other details include the blue pattern from Comfort Cafe DSP, sentiment from my new set One in a Million, topped off with some linen thread on a mini library clip. 

Here is the sketch challenge.  Think you might try it?  I missed the entry deadline but am glad I found it.  Lots of possibilities with this one!  (Edit:  Turns out I didn't miss the deadline, silly me!)

Thanks for stopping by.  Must run now.  Spent all morning putting 36 freezer bags of sweet corn up.  Had 51 ears left and I told my husband we didn't need that much corn- PHEW!  Now my daughter is waiting for me to help her with some painting projects (shelves for her room and some wooden letters that spell out her name).  Stop back tomorrow for a quick post with a baby card for twins. 

Have a great day!

~Kristin

Oops, forgot my supply list: 

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  Betsy's Blossoms, Flowering Flourishes, One in a Million

Colors:  Naturals Ivory, Crumb Cake, Raspberry Ripple, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit

Accessories:  Comfort Cafe DSP, Natural Composition Specialty Designer paper, First Edition DSP, Modern Label punch, Mini Library Clip, Linen Thread, Blossom punch, Top Note Die, Big Shot

Excuses, a card and some jewelry!

1. Painted a chair.
2. Two baseball games (Little League State Playoffs- 12U District Champs!!!).
3. Canoed down Crystal River in Northern Michigan.
4. Camped at Interlochen State Park.
5. Climbed the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.
6.  Dentist appointments, doctors appointments, vehicle appointments.
7.  Helped with wedding programs.
8.  Measured, cut and installed plywood walls in kids' playhouse.
9.  Made some jewelry.
10.  Attended a wedding.
11.  Put together my new Ikea bookcase. etc. 

These are the reasons I've not posted on my blog, nor stamped anything of significance in over 2 weeks!  Am I excused?  I do have some fun pictures to share proving some of my excuses. 

Is anyone else so overflowing with creative, crafty ideas (Pinterest is evil!) that they just sit spinning those ideas instead of actually doing them?  That's how I'm feeling right now.  Possibly because I have laundry and other responsibilities that must come first but I'd rather be painting all these wonderful pieces of furnture and making all these jewelry pieces and cards in my mind....

.... well, that was the post I started about a week ago.  Finallly getting around to adding some pictures to my excuses and actually posting. 

Here are some of them, and even a card I made recently (I actually have one to share tomorrow too!) 

Here's my quick card featuring my fun new set: Flowering Flourishes, and the new Paper Piercing Essentials pack! 

HERE is the before and after on my rocking chair project.  I bought this chair with the ripped out seat when I was pregnant with my first child, which would've been about 13 years ago, intending to have it redone in time to rock him in it.  Well, this summer I decided it was time (now that he no longer fits in my lap) to do something with it.  Inspired by the local Amish, I painted it yellow and stuck in my pot of flowers which by now are humongous and flowing over the arms and front of the chair!

Here is a picture of us at the Sleeping Bear Dunes taken before we climbed down that giant cliff to Lake Michigan. 

And finally, my first attempt at beading.  Well, second attempt counting my Artisan Award entry.  I made this pair of earrings to match the necklace that my mom had made.  I can't wait to find the perfect occasion to wear them!  Let me know if you are at all interested in future jewelry/beading attempts because I have a feeling I'll be making more.

Thanks for stopping by!  I've got more to show you tomorrow assuming I get it posted.  I have a certain young lady who is "SO HOT" and really needs to go swimming before she dies of heat exhaustion.  Couldn't I just turn the AC back on?? 

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin