Variety is the Spice of Life!

I am excited to have finished all of the projects that I previously blogged about! 

First, I worked on a baby gift for a friend at church.  She is about to have her first little girl after having two boys.  As I was searching ravelry.com for pattern ideas, I ran across some cute patterns for banners.  I thought that this would be perfect for my friend, so I set about designing my own pattern. 

 I used the pink, green and white because those are the colors she is using to decorate her nursery.

 There is a flag on each end of the banner that just has a simple flower in the middle.

A close up of her daughter's name!

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My next project was for a friend from high school who just gave birth to her first child, a little boy.   She lives in Michigan...where the winters are really cold and snowy, so I decided to knit her son a hat for this coming winter.  This pattern is called "Simple Stripes Baby Hat" by Danielle Norris.  It is found on ravelry.com or on her personal blog at http://justanotherpatternblog.blogspot.com/

 

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And my last project is a butterfly hat that I made for a little girl who is battling cancer.  I've learned about her through one of her family members on facebook.  I'm hoping that this hat will make her smile!  This pattern was called "Olivia's Butterfly" by Valerie Whitten and can be found on ravelry.com or on her personal blog at http://vallieskids.blogspot.com/2009/06/olivias-butterfly.html

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I have one more finished project that I put in the mail today, but I want it to be a surprise for the recipient...so I'll blog about it later!

Thanks for looking! :)

Projects Galore

Well...it's 4 o'clock on a Friday and I'm still in my PJ's.  Haven't been sitting idle though...I've been working on finishing one project and beginning another.  I have so many things in the works, that I made myself a list in order to keep everything straight! 

I've just finished another crocheted bag for a family member.  We are doing a bag swap...she is a quilter and is making me a bag and then I'm sending her one of my crocheted bags! Can't wait to finish it and ship it off to Pennsylvania! All I need to finish it is the new sewing machine that I ordered with my birthday money.  

I also began designing a gift for someone in my church today.  I really love designing my own crochet projects...it's so fun when it actually turns out the way you envision it!

And lastly, I am working on a hat for a little girl who has cancer.  I've learned about her through facebook and was determined to go and find some super soft yarn yesterday.  Hopefully the hat will turn out beautifully and provide the little girl with a bit of comfort through this difficult time. 

So here are some photos of what I'm working on now...hopefully my hands and wrists can keep up with me!

Dad

Just got back from a vacation where I got to spend a week with my dad and other family members at the beach.  Every time I get to spend time with my dad, I am reminded of how lucky I am that he is healthy and here.  My dad has had a tough 10 years of health problems.  He is one tough cookie! I am so thankful for the protection God has provided him.  I know my dad grows frustrated with these obstacles, but I am so thankful that he's never given up!

Some fun facts about my dad....

*He is a Cubs fan through thick and thin.  Even though they seem to struggle, he will always tune in to watch a game! 

*I have never seen my dad without his beard...and because of this beard he plays Santa Claus at the preschool my mom teaches at every year! Not many can say their dad is Santa, right? 

*My dad was one of my softball coaches in jr. high and high school.  One year, I was on a team named the PIP's.  PIP stood for, "pretty in pink." Dad wore his pink coaches shirt proudly that year! 

*My dad runs his own business from home alongside their three dogs Wrigley, Amos and Rookie.  

 This card is entered in Cricut Cardz Challenge #79 where they called for Father's Day cards using any cartridge.  I used the Beyond Birthday cartridge to cut out "DAD." On the cream colored cardstock are pinstripes using the Hero Arts stamp CG196 (Canvas Stripes) and "Family" using a Studio G stamp. The argyle paper is from Me and My Big Ideas.

 The card is also entered in 365 Cards Day 107.  The inspiration comes from a movie poster for the movie, "Green Lantern."

Happy early Father's Day to my dad, Terry, and my father in-law, Eldon, as well as to my grandfather in-law, Elmer!

Sweet!

So happy to have some time to create again! Tonight, I made two cards for Cricut Cardz Challenge #77 and the June Card Chain Challenge (CCC).  My grandma and I share a birthday and it's coming up quickly, so I took the Cricut Cardz Challenge to make a special card for her.  I also had to get my June Card Chain Challenge (CCC) done before I head out of town next week.  I loved the color palette that Lily Pad Cards set for the CCC, so I used it for both.

 I used the Beyond Birthday Cricut cartridge to cut the card and Doodlecharms to cut the ice cream cone.  The scalloped frame is cut from Wild Card.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkado.  I used glossy accents for the cherry on top!

This card will be mailed for the June Card Chain Challenge sponsored by Lily Pad Cards. This sentiment is also from Inkadinkado. 

Today was also the reveal of the May CCC on Lily Pad Cards website.  I have participated in this for just over a year and love it! Please visit to see the card I made for May.

You Did It!

This card is made for the Cricut Cardz Challenge #76.  For this challenge, I needed to use any Cricut cartridge to make a graduation card for someone.  I chose to make a card for my little sister, who has graduated with a degree in Music Education.  She has hit the ground running looking a job! I am so proud of how hard she is working to find a position for next school year.  Praying the interviews will pay off and she'll find the perfect fit for the wonderful teacher she will be!

I  used the Don Juan cartridge to cut "You Did It!" The bird stamp is from Hero Arts and so is the sentiment inside, which states, "The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams."  The polka dot background stamp is stamped in Veramark ink and is by Stampabilities.

June is a Joy!

 Tomorrow begins the first day of June, which is probably my favorite month of the whole year! I finished up working both of my jobs last week, so I look forward to a summer off.  This includes time with family, friends and more time for crafting! Also in June is my birthday, my anniversary with my husband (10 years on June 9th) and my family's annual trip to the beach.  As long as I can remember, the week of my birthday has been spent at Edisto Island in South Carolina.  This weekend, my mom, dad, sister and I will meet up with my grandma and my husband to spend a week soaking in the rays, searching for seashells and making wonderful memories!

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered my first set of Lawn Fawn stamps.  I have been following Lawn Fawn on their blog and on facebook for many months now, but just had the opportunity to spend a little money and buy a set of stamps.  They are so cute and perfect for the month of June!  When I received the new stamps in the mail, I also got a handwritten thank you message with the little "thanks" speech bubble for free.  

Along with a dolphin, hermit crab, fish and a seahorse; this stamp set also has a whale, an octopus and a turtle.  It also comes with bubbles, a wave stamp, seaweed and a seashell.  The two sentiments included are "just wavin' hello," and "have a whale of a time!"

Happy June everyone!

Celebrate Sunshine...and the Beach!

For Cricut Cardz Challenge #73, we were challenged to make a card with a beach theme.  I am currently counting down the days until I get to go to the beach with some of my family!  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make a card for my grandma, letting her know how excited I am for our trip to the beach together. 

I used the Doodlecharms cartridge to cut the palm trees and the Just Because Cards cartridge to cut the scalloped pink and white card stock.  The "celebrate sunshine" sentiment is from American Crafts.  

Bring on the sun, sand and seashells! :)