Don't be fooled - - -

Yesterday -- another BIG day for me and my PIC (stamping Partner In Crime)... With our Cuber driver (DH) off on one of his weekend swap meets it was she and I and we headed out at 5AM for a yearly event for us -- but first....

DON'T BE FOOLED:

Paper Crafters Muse -- this is a store in Matthews, NC (near Charlotte) and the store owner is Daphne. I LOVE her store a LOT and yesterday's visit there did NOT disappoint!!!  Her store is at: 1905 E. Rice Rd. in Matthews. This is a small store but don't be fooled by the size.... "Paper Crafters Muse" -- don't be fooled by the name .... this is NOT just a paper crafters store for scrapbooking and card making!! Inside --

This Wizard Of Oz collection is right by the front door as you walk in with lots of printed card stocks for inspiration. Here Daphne has a display of the new Color Burst Shimmers:

Always nice to see new products in use and what they really look like IRL and not just in a bottle... Plus Daphne will answer any questions you may have about how to use these new products and such so when you buy something you will know how to use it.... Here are photos of other projects she has on display on the walls of her store:

Tote bags, altered boxes, boards, etc.. Not only does she display cards, tags, journals but other items as well using products in her store. Another thing I like about her store displays:

I took a photo of this display board since it has winter cards, holiday cards, BOO Day cards, etc.. Not all card makers wait until a holiday week to make our cards. Many of us work on holiday cards and projects throughout the year and it is nice that Daphne keeps that in mind with her display boards. Here is a photo of one of the walls of the store:

Shopped her store yesterday and I picked up a die set from Lawn Fawn for the cutest little Easter basket and a second die set from Taylored Expressions:

Fun products for projects ahead.... Daphne carries SO many manufacturer products it is hard to decide WHAT to buy!!! But in the Spring - -  Daphne holds a yearly "Annual Craft Yard Sale" for her customers to sell no longer needed or used crafting supplies from their craft rooms. Daphne holds this sale in another store front at her plaza and the sellers in her sale rent tables and sell their own no longer needed/wanted craft items.  My PIC and I look forward to this sale every Spring and we save our dollars and pennies just for this sale. Each year items you find are different and you just never know what sellers are selling -- machines, card stocks, dies, stamps, inks, shimmer sprays, stencils, trims and bling, stickers, photo albums, storage items, etc.. Well. . .  the sale yesterday has to be the best one my PIC and I have shopped!! Here are photos of items I bought:

Could not believe the prices!! ONE DOLLAR each for new Carta Bella, Hero Arts, and Echo Park die sets??? Packs of flowers were $1 also... As I was paying for some of the dies and these punches that were 50 cents to a dollar each:

Out of the corner of my eye I see hot pink packaging fall on the floor at a table two tables down... I turn -- could it be???? I walk over to help the customer pick up what she had dropped and BINGO they were Heartfelt Creation stamp sets -- YAY!! So this decided the next table I would shop... Two ladies were selling their items at this table and they had Heartfelt Creation stamp sets... I had printed out my list of HC stamp/die sets I already owned to take to the sale so if I was lucky enough to find any Heartfelt products I would not be buying duplicates.. I pulled out my list and went through their bins of stamp sets and found a couple of die sets I did not have but wanted:

Each of these die sets were $5.00 which for Heartfelt Creation products this a great price! In another bin I found these stamp sets but no dies:

I held onto to these and went through the other stamp sets in that bin and there in the back -- all by itself -- was the matching die set for the Petunia set!! YAY!!

The orange sticker on these items meant the price was $3.00 each -- WOWSA!! So who would have guessed I would have found a die for the Petunia stamp set? Here is a photo of the original price stickers on this stamp and die set:

So paying $6.00 for the two was a great deal for this stamper! Happy me for sure.... I also bought Close To My Heart card stock for $5 for the bag and a pad of 12 x 12 Graphic 45 card stock (still sealed) for $5.00:

To think I had told my PIC while I was driving us to the sale that the ONLY thing I was hoping to find was the retired Postcard stamp from Stampin Up.... but other than that I did not have anything else I was wanting to buy -- haha!! But although I did not find the SU Postcard stamp to buy I did buy three SU stamp sets:

Painter's Palette and Best of Halloween -- paid $5 for each set. The Diagonal Stripe stamp was $3 so good deal for those. Bought a few packs of sealed SU card stock - for $5 each so a savings there from the regular SU price of $8.50 for a pack of 8 1/2 x 11 card stocks.... Love to buy "gently used" SU items -- saves me paying full price plus not having to pay their shipping and handling.... My last purchase at this sale was:

A Cheery Lynn die set and a new Creative Expressions die set - both $5 each..... so more great items to add to the craft room....

As I did last year I made a little basket of Easter treats for Daphne that I brought with me:

I used the SU Berry Basket die set and cut out a basket - did not use the handle for it though. I assembled the basket and used hot glue to add cotton ruffled trim around the top edge of the basket and added flowers to the front with lace/pearl bows on either side of the flowers. Inside the basket is white paper shred with a test tube treat holder I had made, a Cadbury Egg and holder, a tray of Hershey Nugget Candies, with bite size various candies in the basket. Used a clear bag to wrap this up and put one of the Easter tags I had made at the top of the bag with a bow.  Just a little something for Easter.

Before we left the sale I stopped in her store to thank her for holding this Annual Craft Yard Sale for us crafters.  A fun time for sure!!

My PIC and I left there and off to Olive Garden for us.... We brought our tote bags of 'new to us' goodies from the sale so we could see everything each of us bought. When she and I shop these sales we do not always shop the same tables at the same time. This way we can let each other know of items at other tables that we may be looking for. Also she is a scrapbooker and a card maker and does crops and such and I am a card maker and I am now getting into other things -- altering paper clips, tags, treat holders, etc.. It is always fun to see what each of us buys when we are all done as sometimes at the sales you are too busy to see what each is buying.

Sooooooooo... if you are in the area or traveling through the Charlotte area be sure to shop Daphne's store -- it will be well worth the trip!! If you are planning to make it a day trip shop Daphne's store and drive over to IKEA for storage for all you buy at her store !!   ;0)   Both my PIC and I commented yesterday that this was the FIRST time we have driven to the Charlotte area that we got home when it was still light out -- usually when DH is our Cuber driver we leave in the dark and get home in the darkER... ... hummmm.... certainly nice to get home early enough to unpack all our goodies and have already cut out my Lawn Fawn basket die -- Thanks Daphne!!!

Easter Test Tube Treat Holder

Divinity Designs - which used to be Our Daily Bread Designs - recently released their Test Tube Treats die sets. One of the die sets makes a treat holder that holds one of the test tubes and the other die set holds three of the test tubes.  I ordered the die set that holds one of the test tubes for a treat holder and I had also ordered a package of their plastic test tubes for the die set.  The plastic test tubes were on back order and happy me they arrived yesterday. With those here I decided to finish the test tube treat holders I had been working on for Easter.

Here is a photo of the finished treat holders using the single test tube treats die set:

with a closer photo:

First I used 12x12 solid card stock from Stampin Up for my treat holder bases. I only bought 12x12 card stock packs by SU at stamper's sales over time so I do not have a large selection of spring colours so I was limited to colours on hand in that size. For my printed card stock I used prints from various paper packs and manufacturers. I die cut all the pieces needed to make the treat holders:

Before assembling the treat holder I made a small pencil mark on the treat holder bases so I would know which side of the holders to put my printed card stock pieces on:

I used the ATG to add my prints to the base but for the small square with the circle for the test tube to fit through I used liquid glue since that is such a small piece. I also used the Treat Tag Sentiments #3 stamp set from Divinity Designs for the "For You" tag using black Memento ink. Die cut the tags with the tiny tag die in the die set.

With all die cut pieces done I assembled the box. Used Easter M&Ms to fill the treat test tubes. Added twine from my stash to the test tube tops to tie on the greeting tags. Used a small amount of Glossy Accents to keep the bow tied and to keep the twine in place on the screw top to the test tube. For some of the holders I used a 1" circle punch and punched out a printed circle to match the print on the holder. Used the ATG and added adhesive to the circles and put them on the top of the test tubes. For the solid circles I used the circles that the die cuts out at the holder top:

Also -- you can die cut a second long piece to put on the back of the treat holder for a more finished look. I did this for the green holder but left the other holders plain:

Looks more finished with the second long piece on the back of the holder but since I was working with scraps I did not have enough prints for both front and back long pieces but I did put the printed side pieces on the holders.

This is a very easy die set to use - I had watched the video for this release when it first came out and I did use the tip they suggested for using a piece of printer copy paper under your card stock on your die cutting machine plate to keep your die cut pieces smooth. Many times the cracks/dents/grooves in your die cutting machine plates can transfer creases or lines to your solid card stock while die cutting your shapes out. This die set cut all my pieces with one pass through the machine and I did not have to use shims or anything. The only thing I do not like about this treat holder is the plastic test tubes - they do not have a flat bottom so the test tube can wobble in the holder - if that makes sense. But I know some craft stores sell the plastic test tube treat holders with flat bottoms so I will just buy my next supply at a store instead.

As for the bunny -- I used a small bunny die from my stash and cut out a bunny from brown flocked card stock. Added a bow and a crystal and then a small pom pom to the tail. All holders were put together using Tear and Tape and I also used that to put the bunny on the treat holder front.

Another cute treat holder for Easter treats and happy to use more of my card stock stash for them! TFL

Bunny-Up Season

Closing in on Bunny-Up Season and I had seen these chunky wooden bunnies made out of 2x4's here and there and of course no how-to's... so I made my own and here they are:

Started with scrap pieces of 2x4's and using white craft paint I painted them:

Fronts, backs, tops, and bottoms.... took two coats to cover the wood. With that done I needed a heart nose but all of the chunky bunnies I had seen had wooden heart noses... did not have any so I used a heart die and cut out three hearts using #110 weight card stock from Mikes. Layered the three hearts together using Glossy Accents. The thicker card stock and the Glossy Accents in between give the hearts a stiffer finish. Used wire from the floral dept at the craft store and wrapped that around a pencil for the whiskers. The eyes and mouth are made using black craft paint. For the cheeks I used a dauber and pink craft paint.

For the burlap ears I did not have have wired burlap ribbon in a smaller size so I used unwired burlap ribbon and cut it to the size I wanted. Used pink craft paint for the pink on the ears. Put the ears onto the bunny block using hot glue. Added the wired whiskers using hot glue and also used that and foam dots to put the heart nose on the face:

For the bows I had bought the sparkly wired ribbon at Hobby Lobby for 50% off.  But wanted to have some stiffness to the bows so I used this stiffener from Aleene's:

I was afraid when I spritzed this onto the sparkly bows that the stiffener would leave a residue or maybe flake off but it did not. It holds the bow shape and you can see the sparkles in the ribbon:

 Have wanted to make the chunky bunnies for some time but just never did. Decided this is the year to make things I have not made before but have wanted to and to try new things and not just limit myself to cards......

Birthday weekend for me -- my PIC (stamping Partner In Crime) went with me to IKEA on Saturday and we stopped at Daphne's store in Matthews, NC -- The Paper Muse... LOVE her store!!! Picked up many Easter/bunny dies for Bunny-Up Season!

LOVE all the brands Daphne carries in her store.... She has cards and projects on shelves and table tops and hanging on the walls for plenty of inspiration. Fun times at her store always -- if you are in the area of Charlotte be sure to shop her store - 1905 E. Rice Rd Matthews, NC -- well worth the drive! Picked up a few fun dies for Easter as well.....

And as usual... we left the house in the the dark early morning and arrived home in the "darker" at night -- but a fun day.... On Sunday my PIC and I went to a used stamping sale and here is a photo of the items I brought home:

Leaf punch $3, Stickles/Liquid Pearls $1 ea, SU stamp set $2, ribbon $2, trims, etc.. Don't think I paid more than $1 or $2 for anything except the punch. But was happy to find brand new card stock pads from Graphic 45 - $8 per pad and the sheets are double sided and 8x8. We love shopping used supplies!! Anything that helps to stretch our crafting dollars......

With it being my birthday my PIC surprised me with a gift bag of goodies:

A box die from Spellbinders, cork and wood sheets in a pkg from Spellbinders, orange twine, a bag of bling, circle die from Sunny Studio and a package of blue shimmer card stock -- IRL very pretty.... So happy me to receive her gifts!!! She is so generous!

Recently ordered the Sack Bunnies die set from Franticstamper.com and I was able to cut out a set of bunnies and I used the whiskers stamp from Jaded Blossoms:

Here is a photo of the Bunny Faces stamp set from Jaded Blossoms:

Bunny faces, whiskers, and other face stamps in this clear stamp set of 18 pieces! Always nice to have clear stamps you can see through for perfect stamping!

Working on other Bunny-Up Season projects and will post those when they are completed but wanted to share my chunky bunny family for Easter..... TFL

The Weather Vane

DSD is moving this week from one apartment to another closer to work and last night she and DH moved some of her "fragile" items to our house to keep them safe until the move is done. . .  This is a post about the Weather Vane . . .

DSD decorates her apartment with a nautical theme -- any mermaid would love it....  While shopping a neighborhood garage sale awhile back DH found this weather vane lying on the grass for his daughter.  He offered the home owners less than they had it priced and much to his surprise they agreed so he picked it up for her apartment. He said he could build a floor stand for it so she could stand it up in her living room which he did...

It was a surprise gift for her and she was thrilled when he gave it to her and she says it is one of her prized possessions.... With it parked at the house for the move this was the perfect time for me to take a good photo of the weather vane for posting on the blog:

This weather vane used to be on a $750,000.00 house in Chapel Hill, NC.  I told her that is why the patina is so perfect on it -- haha.  The weather vane moves and with her theme it is a perfect addition to her living space.  It will be here just a couple of days but I wanted to post it before I forgot to again. TFL