One last October card....

I had to wait to post this card, because I wanted the recipient to get it before she saw it here. Now that I know she's seen it, I can pop it up on the blog. I CASE'd one of her favourite card-makers (whiterockmama from Splitcoaststampers), but you'll have to check her post to see the original. Okay, I'm done stalling - I know you want to see the card! Here it is:
I used a punch along the side edge of the front panel. The flowers are the 3 smallest layers of my Nesties Mega Carnations with some branches made with the SU bird punch. I used more Nesties for the scalloped oval and oval (which also got the dot-ty treatment with a Cuttlebug folder); a rectangle of designer paper on top of a matching piece of card-stock, some sheer ribbon and half an hour of work - and you finally have a special birthday card for a special person!

October cards

I've needed a few new cards this month, and haven't posted many of them. I'm posting 2 birthday cards, and also a sympathy card (I needed it too...).

Klosjes!

Like many bloggers, I follow a number of blogs, mostly card-making and quilting ones. One of the quilters I follow had a friend offering 12 weeks of guest posts and give-aways. Who wouldn't sign up to be part of that? Some lucky folks won sewing machines, or Fat Quarter bundles, or any number of quilt-related goodies. While I didn't win any of the "big" prizes, I was a winner of a wonderful secondary prize! Grandmama Jane offered the winner from her post a collection of "Klosjes" (which is Dutch for "spools")! All of the blocks are hand-sewn(!), and she sent me an assortment of blocks, some joined together already, some singles waiting to be joined up, and then a LOT of bits of fabric with sections drawn onto them, ready for me to cut out and sew together!
It's kind of a crazy-busy time for me right now, so I haven't had a chance to do anything with them yet, but I'm counting down the days till things settle down a bit. The best part is that all of the fabrics are either red, white or black (or combos of those colours) - and I LOVE that combination! Here's a pic of the sections Grandmama Jane had sewn together, plus some of the separate blocks:
She also included some fantastic Christmas fabrics, but they've been put aside for a special project, and can't be revealed just yet...
Thanks again Grandmama Jane!

FNSI Oct. 2011 version

How can it be almost the end of October already? I haven't even really started thinking about crafting Christmas gifts yet! Sorry kids, you aren't getting handmade gifts this year....
I've been swamped the past month or so - we have a new crafting group at church, with the emphasis on charity donations (quilts, afghans, hat and mitten sets, etc.) and so much of my time has gone to prep. work for that group. I've also recently painted my crafting space, and I'm still trying to find my way back!
I did make sure to keep track of one of my on-going projects, and that's what I worked on last night. I saw a picture of a really great quilt on someone else's blog, and I loved it enough to try to make one on my own. I've cut strips of fabric to make 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" 'logs' - then I sew four of them together, press and trim (if needed) into an 8 1/2" square, and voila! a quilt block. When you have a bunch of them, you sew them together, making sure to twist them so that the stripes alternate from 'up and down' to 'side to side' - it makes great texture.
I haven't actually sewn any blocks together yet, but I got a lot sewn up last night. The pics are of my starting pile of cut fabrics, and then some of the completed blocks:

Shower gift

Earlier this year our church started hosting bridal showers for any members getting married. Sometimes there's a wedding registry to shop from, sometimes we all just chip in for a gift card, and then there's the "We really don't have anything - whatever you give us will be perfect!" kind of shower. That was the case the last time. That's the kind of shower that encourages creativity - my favourite kind! The couple has white dishes, so I made a set of 4 placemats, and then decided to make 4 coasters (they don't match) as well.
Their wedding was last Saturday, and I'm excited to know that the placemats are now going to get a good workout!

Project overload!

Okay, so most of the overload is because I haven't posted anything lately - sorry about that! Of course, I may just have to post every day for a bit....
It's probably time for a "card" post - and I haven't had a lot of time, or space, to make any new ones - until last night. I needed a birthday card for someone at church today, and I had a few parts pre-cut, so that's the way I went.
This card is cut long and skinny - a little untraditional, but that opens a few more design opportunities. I used a little piece of DP that I got at the summer sale at Up The Street scrapbooking, and I paired it with a few pieces of C/S - the colours are in the DP too. Add a flourish from a set I bought somewhere, once upon a time, stamped twice without re-inking in between, a Happy Birthday sentiment from Close To My Heart, finished off with a few brads, and we have a birthday card! Kind of pretty too, if you ask me!