Home Sweet Home Recycled Wall Hanging

 I had been perusing Pinterest to find something to do with all these friggin' buttons I had left over from when it was a big thing to put buttons on your cards {something I never really got into, but HAD to have all the stuff in case the moment grabbed me and I felt the urge to make hundreds of cards with buttons on them} and I found all these Christmas wall hangings with button trees on them So I actually made the Christmas wall hanging during the season this past year and decided I needed to make one that could be used all year long.  I came up with the Home Sweet Home wall hanging that I am using for this month's recycle challenge at River of Creativity {remember we are an Anything But a Card challenge!!}:

I started with an 8" x 10" wooden shadow box frame {no covering on this frame} that I had painted with white gesso and rubbed some gesso on the actual frame part to soften the darkness of the wood.  I took some Scrabble tiles I had {I have SO many of these tiles I am sure I could cover an entire wall

Making the Heart

with them} and spelled out Home Sweet Home to make sure the sentient would fit.  Then I cut out the largest heart using Tutti Nesting Stitched Hearts, #TUTTI-216, and covered it with the buttons.  I could NOT get the shape of a heart to work when trying to do it by hand, so I used the die cut as a template.  Since the background of the shadow box is white it is really difficult to see the white paper heart beneath the buttons.  Once I had finished the heart and glued it to the center of the shadow box, I glued down the Scrabble tiles.  I am really pleased how this came out! I think I could almost actually sell them if I could find a cheap source for the shadow frames; I have sourced a few and they are just too pricey right now - at least if I wanted to make a marginal profit and I can't see having to spend more money to use up the stash I already have.  But, I do have a project I made for my sister for Christmas that I was SURE I posted but can find no record of it, so more button projects on the way!

Getting back to the challenge on River of Creativity, this months theme is RECYCLE so if you'd like to use the theme make sure your entry has some sort of recycle, or upcycle in it.  We can't wait to see all the gorgeous entries! I am personally so pleased at how you all have embraced the changes we made to this challenge and it's a testament to how people are still creating other things besides cards! Thanks SO much and I hope to see you at the challenge ~ Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Home Sweet Home Wall Hanging in the following challenges:
Mix it Up Challenge, #59 - Anything 3D Goes
Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge, #82 - Anything Mixed Media Goes
A Perfect Time to Craft, #5 - Anything Goes
Mixed Media Lovers, #13 - Anything Goes
The Creative Crafters, #51 - Anything Goes
We Love to Create, #5 - Anything Goes

Squares at River of Creativity March 2022

 Hi everyone!! I am so excited that River of Creativity is back with a revamp! We have a few changes that we have made to the challenge; first, we are now ANYTHING BUT A CARD - yup, no more cards allowed! We really want to see you stretch yourself and work outside the box; well except for this challenge because our theme is SQUARES and all my squares happen to be boxes.  I suggested it when we were all discussing what we should start with and, surprisingly, we have decided to use it as our first challenge. My very first thought was to make a menagerie of these adorable little critters that Lawn Fawn puts out. Let's get to it, shall we?

As you can see in the picture I've made a fox {he's the orange guy standing up}, a white bunny, a green frog, a bumble bee, a gray bat, a raccoon and 2 cats.  Each one of these begins with the Tiny Gift Box
as the body of the critter, and then the Add-On set brings the critter alive with all the accessories to make that particular animal. One of the best features of this Tiny Gift Box is how easy it is to put together; the creases are perfect coming out of the die cut machine, no need to go over them with a bone folder or anything, 2 strips of double sided tape and the box is done!  And these are tiny, the assembled box is 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 1 1/8"; Kelly, the box creator {and owner of Lawn Fawn}, made this to be part of an advent calendar but the ideas kept coming and so as of now there are a total of fourteen cute little animal Add-Ons to decorate the Tiny Gift Box!  OK, enough about that let's check out my creations! Grab a cuppa and let's go!

I did take the liberty of giving a few of these little lovelies googly eyes and they just make me happy.  I got an assortment of eyes from Amazon for cheap - I think they range from 3mm to 8 or 9mm and I doubt I will ever use them up, but the price was right and now I have googly eyes for every occasion.

First up is the frog; he would of looked a bit different if I had waited for Lawn Fawn to send me the die I lost! While cutting the dies apart the freckles {some of you might call them warts} went flying somewhere in my craft room and I have learned if I don't find it right away, it's probably gone.  I proceeded to make him anyway and of course got the freckles die in the mail {cause all you have to do is ask for a replacement die and Lawn Fawn will happily give you one - amazing!} the day before yesterday.  That's OK, he is still a handsome little frog in my opinion.   

Next up are the cats. Every other critter I made is a new die set except the cats
{I know, if you know me that is no surprise!} I had intended to make a black cat, but I forgot how some of the die cuts go together and needed a white die cut so I figured I just make both a black and a calico cat.  I used all the different pieces included in the set except the ball of yarn. I love how you can make the little paws hold onto something!

The racoon and the fox come in the same set, so it's a 2fer!  I made the fox standing up and I can use those standing up legs with many of the other critters, you can mix and match the dies as much as you want since they are all sized the same way! That would be an awesome rainy day activity if you had little ones, or even middle or big ones - a fox with wings, a cat with frog legs and on and on! I made my racoon hold a little red stitched heart that comes with the Add-On set; there is even a tiny bow tie I made to see if I could do it and I did!

Seems there are lots of cards and whatnot with bees on them lately and putting together this sweet bee was so simple! I love the little antenna {antennae?} and the stinger! I considered making the wings from vellum; or even
double up on the wings, one pair could be flat, the other bent to simulate movement or even this one pair could be bent {you'd be surprised at the ideas you come up with!} but I kept this bee traditional.  I really love all the little details on these critters; like the paws on the legs of the fox, the stripes on the cat and way you can put the paws on to hold something.

Spring is the perfect time for this adorable bunny Add-On; imagine a whole bunch done up in pastel colors and using them on Easter for pace tags, or even just around your home holding a few jelly beans!  Every one of these gift boxes are usable - I made sure each one could still be opened so they would all be as functional as they are cute! I also edged the bunny's legs and tail with Pumice Stone Distress Oxide Ink just so it would be a little easier to see his legs. For each one that comes with paws to cut out you can do it either way, have the long side of the paws at the top, closest to the head, or facing the bottom. For example, in the picture below the racoon has his paws with the long side facing down while the bunny has theirs facing up.  It all depends on what YOU want to do, and I think whatever the little guy is holding.  I used some clear tape to hold the pink in his ears, but you could just as easily leave them

open.

Lastly, we have the bat. I gave him some candy corn to hold so he wouldn't be too scary.  This critter has SO many possibilities for him I would have had to make a lot more than one to show them all off but the biggest change you can make to him, I think, are his wings.  I gave him the large, folded wings and the set also has a shorter wing that are more directly out of his body {it will make sense if you check out the link}.  I also used the tuxedo piece included with the set just to class him up a bit. 

All the Boxes Open

I was going to link the You Tube video for each critter but if you go to the link I have posted for each make there is the Introduction Video on that page. They aren't long, maybe 20 minutes and it is fun to watch these boxes come alive :) 

Wow - thank you for reading this far! Now,  the revamped River of Creativity will accept any project as long as it is NOT a card, and I am hoping for next month’s challenge I'll have some time to get messy with something! I have quite a few projects lined up, well, they are made, just need pictures taken, edited, blog post written, edited and then finalized; I need a secretary! Anyway, I hope to see you joining in and showing us some of the other things you made besides cards {but if it is chocolate, I will need to be bribed for my vote to choose you as a Shout Out, message me for details}.  We hope to have a list of upcoming challenges since we know that some projects take longer than others {as soon as we figure them out ourselves!} Thank you SO much for reading all of this and I hope you enjoyed my Square Critters and I hope to see YOUR Square stuff at River of Creativity! Hugs, Christi

I am entering my Square Critters in the following challenges:
Craft Rocket, #90 - Use an Animal (Or 8)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use a Die Cut
The Sisterhood of Crafting - Favorite Pet (Cats - there are 2 of them in there)
Creative Creases - Anything Goes w/ a Fun Fold (hope these qualify, they were fun!)
Critter Crazy Challenge, #90 - Anything Goes w/ a Critter
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge, #628 - Not A Card

Shaker Magnet & Owl Ornament

Every year I make my sister some small trinket she can put on her little Christmas tree or hang on something else.  Since it is well past Christmas - yes, I am late {I honestly forgot I even had this post waiting to be published!} - I wanted to share this year's goodies.  :) 

I had made the little owl ornament a while back with stuff from my stash and some Stickles Glitter Glue as the snow {if you want to know any of the items I used in the owl ornament just let me know}.  What I want to focus on is the beach scene globe, which is a shaker magnet.

What I Used to Make my Shaker Globe
Sizzix/Tim Holtz Tiny Travel Snow Globe Dies Set, #664182
Dimensional Domes, #663559
Various Cardstock {including heavy duty white}
Simon Says Stamp Nested Circle Wafer Dies, #SSSD111466
Wooden Circle from Stash

Magnet from Stash
Shaker Stuff from Stash {I don't know what to call this - it is similar to little rocks}

I got the idea to make her a beach scene magnet since she moved from Florida to Colorado and often will say she misses the beach.  Well, now she has a little piece of it that she can look at when she feels the need!  I started the magnet by cutting out all of the pieces, then assembling them on the circle I had cut out prior {the circle is included with the dies}.  Once that was done and dried, I cut out another circle, using heavy white card and the Simon Says Stamp die, and placed the scene on that.  I used E6000 to glue a wooden circle to the assemblage; I didn't want to glue the magnet to just paper and have it possibly rip, so I used the wooden circle as the stage for the magnet.  Lastly, I put a small bit of shaker material on the scene and glued the plastic globe onto that.  It was really very simple to make as long as you have the ability to work with tiny pieces of cardstock.  I have never

Side View

been able to use tweezers so I just use my fingers, toothpicks, and luck. 

I hope you like my magnet and owl ornament - she was thrilled.  I have since acquired the Tiny Snow Globes set so expect to see some holiday magnets coming your way!   Very soon I will be having a giveaway on my Instagram account so if you are part of that social media, I urge you to begin following me.  Don't worry, I will happily follow you back!  If you aren't yet on Instagram, well, you don't know what you are missing!  There is more content, crafters, ideas, and things to inspire you than anywhere else I have seen.  And you can use your computer!  Just go to Instagram.com and make an account. Thanks for stopping by!   Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Beach Shaker Magnet in the following challenges:
Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies, February Challenge
NBUS February Challenge, #23 - Never before Used Stuff {the Tim Holtz products are NBUS}
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Add Some Texture {my shaker element!}
UnstampaBelles, #108 - Anything Goes
We Love 2 Create, #2 - Anything Goes Mixed Media
CRAFT Challenge, #586 - Anything But a Card
More Mixed Media Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge, #68 - Anything Goes

Rose Panel Bookmark

Hello fellow crafters! I hope you are having a marvelous summer! For the July theme at Die Cut Diva's we have chosen Anything But a Card, sponsored by

Dies R Us - enter so you have a chance to win a $10 voucher to the store!  One of my past Design Teams was on a blog dedicated {and aptly named} to Anything But a Card.  Unfortunately, the challenge closed and I haven't been creating as many projects other than cards.  However, this challenge has gotten my muse going again!

What I Used to Make my Project
White Card Base
Tattered Lace Rose Panel, #D307 {any of these would work as well}
STAMPlorations Literary Caffeine-ations, #STMP1155
Black Card
White Brads {stash}
Handheld Circle Hole Punch {1/8" and standard size}
Asian Inspired Tassel {stash}

I began this bookmark by cutting the Rose Panel out of black card, mounted the cut out onto a piece of white card which I then trimmed.  I punched small holes, using the handheld 1/8" circle punch, and attached white brads just to add some embellishment.  The sentiment was stamped onto white card, then trimmed and attached to the upper portion of the bookmark.  Lastly, I used a very old, Asian inspired, tassel to finish off the project.  Since I was making this for The Man, I didn't want it to be too feminine but I really wanted to use the Rose Panel die since it is the perfect size for a bookmark. I also attached a strip of cardboard to the back of the bookmark to give it a bit more stability. 

Thank you SO much for stopping by! I hope you and yours are having a wonderful summer - today was the first day that we here in Colorado have had a break from the heat!  Maybe you have had to stay indoors because of the weather where you are; this is a perfect time to get out some of your dies and make Anything But a Card to enter it in the Die Cut Diva's July Challenge! I hope to see you there!  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Bookmark in the Following ANYTHING GOES Challenges:
Cardz TV - #58
Crafting with Friends - #72
Creative Fingers - #150
Crafting with an Attitude - #41
Crafting by Designs - July
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
A Bit More Time to Craft - #72
The Creative Crafters - #6
Crafty Creations Challenge - #371
Through the Craft Room Door - Wk of July 24, 2018
Word Art Wednesday - #344/345

You Are Loved

Hello fellow crafters! I hope you are having a marvelous summer! For the July theme at Die Cut Diva's we have chosen Anything But a Card, sponsored by

Dies R Us - all you have to do is enter for a chance to win a $10 voucher to the Dies R Us store {and if you haven't been to the store lately, you need to go take a look! Dies R Us now carries paper, bows, inks, and basically everything you could need to craft}! It's been a while since I have made something other than a card.  One of my past Design Teams was on a blog dedicated to {and aptly named} Anything But a Card but, unfortunately, the challenge closed and I haven't been creating as many projects other than cards.  A friend was having a tough time and I made this banner for them; my intent is that no matter what is going on, they will remember that they are loved.

What I Used to Make my Banner:
White Card
Black Card
Grey Card
Lawn Fawn Louie's ABC's, #LF688 {any of these would work}
Sue Wilson Australian Collection, Melbourne #CED8105
Sue Wilson Atlantic Ocean Collection, Azores, #CED13005
Ribbon {I used a .99 cent roll called Nicole in Black Nylon}
Black Bows {stash}
Handheld Rectangle Punch, 1/4"

Since the alphabet I chose to use is fairly large, the first thing I did was cut out all the letters I needed to spell out my sentiment using white card.  Then I made

sure they fit onto the shape I used as my first layer.  It was then I realized that "loved" was a wee bit longer than I had thought, but I smooshed the letters together anyway - the charm of handmade, right? I then chose one of the dies in the Sue Wilson Melbourne set that I felt fit the letters and cut out 3 of them in black card.  For the back of the banner pieces, I used grey card and cut out three pieces using the Sue Wilson Azores set.  

Once all my pieces were cut, I began to assemble each word of the banner.   I glued all the letters onto the black die cut, then

attached the black card onto the grey card.  It was then I decided, while I was pleased with the way the banner looked, to add black bows onto the bottom of each section.  While I chose the black and grey colors to make the banner gender neutral, the bows gave it a bit of femininity. 

Lastly, I punched out two rectangles at the top of each piece and threaded the ribbon through.  The ribbon actually "attached" itself to the card, so I didn't need to knot each side, or put any sort of stopper.  Now the recipient can adjust the banner to suit their needs.

The banner was received wonderfully! They loved the banner and hung it right up in their bedroom so they could see it first thing every morning.  I had lots of fun making it and I'm so happy that my friend also liked it. Everyone should know that they are loved!  I hope you have gotten some time to make an Anything But a Card project to join in the July Die Cut Diva's Anything But a Card challenge!  A huge thanks to Dies R Us for the July sponsorship. Thanks for stopping by.  Christi 

PS: Challenges for Days is celebrating our 5 year anniversary - all kinds of goodies and prizes available for you to win! Check it out here!

I'm entering my You are Loved Banner in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Scrapy Land - #94, Anything Goes with Products they Sell
Not Just Cards - July Challenge Anything Goes
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies
Crafty Catz - #426, Anything Goes OPTION: Dies or Punches
The Corrosive Challenge - #7, Anything Goes
Unstampabelles Challenge - How Edgy Can You Be?
Use Your Stuff - #322, Anything Goes with a Title or Sentiment

Design Team Call at Anything But A Card Challenges!!

                               

You can find all the details at

Anything But A Card Challenges

IF 

YOU love Creating?

YOU enjoy exploring many types of media and projects.

YOU want to create with NO limits.

YOU enjoy all aspects of blogging. YOU want to grow with us!

THEN

Why not have a look at what we are looking for?

Variety is the spice of LIFE 

That's what there is at 

Anything But A Card

We Want YOU!

 

We have a fabulous team and we'd love to have you join us! 

 

(thanks to Julie Short who I shamelessly copied from)

Anything But a Card ~ Keys Shadow Box

ARGH! I hate it when my scheduled post doesn't post!! 

The challenge this month at Anything But A Card Challenge is one of my favorite themes, Anything Goes (#37).  I love Anything Goes challenges as they give me free reign to use some of the items I have hoarded over the years, like the shadow box I used in this project.  Well, honestly, most of what I used has been in my stash for years.  It was fairly simple to make and since I had everything on hand, it was free!

Sorry for the glare - glass!!

What I Used to Make This Project:

Shadow Box, mine was about 13” x 10” (the frame was darker, so I sanded it)

Background paper from KaiserCraft, Art of Life Collection, P1399, Always (2 pieces) 12" x 12"

8 Skeleton Keys

Washi Tape from Tim Holtz

Brown Velvet Leaves (I can’t recall where I got them, but if you search you can find plenty of options)

Small Bulb from Tim Holtz

Other Embellishments from stash & around the house

Crafters Pick The Ultimate Glue

I began with the background paper.  Since my shadow box is 13” long, I needed a bit of something to fill in where the 12” x 12” paper fell short. 

 

You can see the sides of the board - this was before I put the scalloped pieces on

The Keys

I happened to turn the paper over and found the scallop border design on the other side, so I just cut those out of the paper and used those to make up the difference.  Once I got the background settled, the placement of the keys was next. I wanted them to be the focus of the piece so in the middle they went.  I honestly am not on to measure and be precise, I always do it by eye when I make cards, but I actually measured the area around the keys so they could be placed as close to the middle as possible (as possible for me anyway).  Once I was happy with the keys, I glued them to the board and put it aside for overnight drying. 

I had already begun gathering some prospective embellishments before I began making the shadow box.  I am always thinking (obsessing?) about upcoming projects and I think a lot before I actually begin one. Of course I have those days where I just want to play, but if I have a theme, I often think for days prior to beginning the piece.  I tried doing the sketchbook thing, can’t do it, can’t draw what I want to and this frustrates me to NO end.  I will occasionally make notes if something strikes me that I fear I might forget.  And, since I started blogging as a part of teams, I do make a list of the items I use to make something so when it comes time to do this part I can be sure of what I used and if I can, I like to supply manufactures (I hate seeing something really cool and not having any idea what people used in making it).  Sorry for the detour into my creative process! I had gathered some stuff that had been hanging around; one item is particularly special for me is the pen nib.  When my Dad passed away, I found this pen nib in a drawer along with some other art materials and have squirreled it away – I think this was the perfect use for it!  Everything is real, except for the bulb and the keyhole – the keyhole was a brad and I just removed the “legs”.  The snippet of letter on the bottom right is from a real letter, the typewriter key (or is it an old adding machine key?) is real, the clock dial is real and the optic piece is from a real optometrist kit.  Flea markets & eBay are wonderful!

Playing with Placement

Playing with Placement

After I fiddled with the placement of the embellishments, and fiddled some more, I finally felt the piece was done and glued everything down.  After allowing it to dry overnight (and I am SO proud to say I didn’t get spare glue anywhere!) I placed the board in the back of the box.  Now, originally, there was a piece of cardboard as the backing, but I knew that would never work, so I asked if I could get a piece of wood cut to size.  My SO used an old cabinet that was left here when the previous owners moved out.  Love to recycle that kinda stuff! The wood fit the back so perfectly I didn’t even need to glue it to the box – I just folded the little holders and I was done!  The only thing missing is a hanging mechanism, which I will rectify on my next trip to the wonderful Dollar Tree.

The board, before I put it in the frame

I hope you enjoyed my creation, and my detour into my creative process! There is plenty of time to enter the Challenge at Anything But a Card and I do hope you will pop over to the blog and get some inspiration.  Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a marvelous week ~ Christi

PS: If you'd like to see a photo in more detail, please click it. This is true on all of my posts :)

Another view of the final product

I am entering my Keys Shadow Box in the following Challenges:
Crafting at the Weekend - Challenge 3, Anything Goes

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes
Just for Fun Challenge Blog - #1, Anything Goes
Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - July Challenge (Around the House)
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
The Sailing Pineapple - #11,  Anything But a Card