Ribbon Rosette

When I read about the ribbon challenge on this weeks Heart 2 Heart Challenge, I immediately thought of these cute ribbon flowers using CTMH's pleated/gathered ribbon, I learned to make from Nona Davenport's Creative University Class a couple years ago.  They are so simple to create and add just the right embellishment to any card or layout. I don't know why I don't make them more often.  

You may purchase any of the materials to create this card from my Close to My Heart Website.
Elemental Level 2 Paper Pack $9.95
Designer Ribbon Red Collection $5.95
Natural Hemp $2.25
Colonial White Mini Medley Assortment $1.00 (while supplies last)
Desert Sand Ink Pad $5.25
Keepsake Alphabet My Acrylix Stamp Set $29.95 (Remember if you purchase 2 stamp sets during the month of June, you will receive a 3rd set of equal or lesser value for free. Make sure to take advantage of this Stampaganza.)

~Amy

Mission OWH 2012

ATTENTION:  Mission OWH 2012 is underway.  Please join me this summer as I organize my 1st Annual Operation Write Home Service Project.  Operation Write Home is a organization that sends blank hand made cards to troops serving our country over seas, so that they may correspond and write home to loved ones.  

This summer I hope to collect and/or make at least 100 cards to send to our troops via Operation Write Home.  This seems like a huge project that I can't do alone.  There are several ways YOU can help me.
1. Attend my card making party, Thursday August 16 @ 7PM.  
2.  Create and send/drop off your own hand crafted cards.
3.  Host your own card making party.


1. I have been busy creating and designing several different cards for the OWH card making party in August.  Join in for a fun evening of stamping and card making.  There is no charge to you, I just need your wo"man" power to make and assemble the cards.  Should be a great night of crafting, chatting and doing good for others, you'll even be able to bring a few of your cards home if you would like.   I will be posting more details as the the date approaches.  Let me know if you would like to be a part of this gathering.

2. If you don't live in the Spokane area, or can't make to the card making party, but would like to add some of your own hand crafted cards to the bundle being shipped, let me know and we can arrange a way to get them to me/or for me to pick them up.  I would appreciate if you included envelopes, but it is not required, as I will provide them if needed.  There are some guidelines you would need to follow for the safety of the services men and women.  Check the official OWH website for more specifics/clarification, so that all your cards are accepted.  I hope you will be able to find time in your busy summer schedules to create a few extra cards to donate to this cause.  Think of if as a good way to use some of that old paper that you would hate to get rid of.  Any cards that are donated to me will be featured on my blog.     
      
3.  Lastly if would like to organize your own card party, you may either give me the cards you make to be shipped and prepared or you may ship them yourself.  For more info how to host your own party, see the Operation Write Home Website.  Share your party with me and I will make sure to share it here.  Would love to hear about all the fun.

Thank you for considering to help me out.  I look forward to reaching my goal and helping to serve the service men and women of the U.S.

Looking forward to a great summer project!  Let me know if you would like to help.

~Amy

Father's Day Fun

Yesterday, the kids and I finished our preparations for Father's Day and started the celebration a little bit early.  We surprised Dad with some fun BBQ cupcakes inspired by Disney's Family Fun.  They were so easy and turned out cute.  We simply used Orange sprinkles, Chocolate Frosting, Hot Tamales, Caramels, Dot candies, black decorating gel and toothpicks to decorate the cupcakes.  The kids loved making the candy kabobs and thought the Hot Tamale's looked exactly like hot dogs.  It was a fun morning project.       

 **It should be noted that these cupcakes do not last when stored in a plastic container, both the candy and the chocolate frosting started to melt and fall off, so these really only looked good for about a day.

We also made Medals to award Dad.

 The kids decorated a trophy or ribbon printable with a special award for Dad.

 They then strung some different colored Cheerios on some yarn to complete the project.

 Finished and ready to be presented to Dad in the morning.  

 Lastly we glued together 2 plastic cups, strung a pipe cleaner between the two to create a handle and decorated with foamies.  When filled with Dad's and Papa's favorite candy it will be a great trophy to give.

We all look forward to celebrating our Dads tomorrow.  Part of the fun is the preparation and the excitement of giving Dad something special made just for him.  Thankfully our Dad does not follow this blog, so he won't see the treasures he has coming to him tomorrow.

Enjoy your day and don't forget those special men in our lives that love, support and give all they have to us.

~Amy  

Lollypop!

The Heart 2 Heart Challenge for the week of May 14th was to create something using polka dots and stripes.  I knew the cute "Dotty for You" paper would be perfect for this challenge and would also go well with the photos from my daughter's dance recital.    

 I embellished theses pages with lollypops created by gluing CTMH's baker's twine on different sized circles.  Along with Colonial White buttons and cut out tags and tickets from one the "Dotty for You" papers.  It was a fun page to create and I think it turned out pretty "sweet."  .    

~Amy