Craft With May – Page 67 – no rules, just happy crafting

Joy home decor piece

Sometimes when I’m in a shop I see something cute and it’s on the plain side I grab it (especially if it is on sale!) so that I can take it home and put my own stamp on it. This “Joy” battery operated light/sign is definitely in that category!

disclaimer – I am a paid consultant for Brother. All ideas and opinions are my own – including that I love this machine and all it’s done for my crafting!

The process for a project like this is so simple. Measure/find the maximum size you want and work down from there. I picked flowers, but you could do something like this with stars, hearts, or other basic shapes too! I love the combo of glitter, buttons, and paper to make this project perfect for me and my home. Adding personal touches is one of my favorite things to craft this time of year because it both saves time and gives me a creative outlet.

Here is a link to my YouTube video tutorial, if you’d like to see how I put this together.

I just adore how this project turned out and I love that I’ll be able to have this on display but with my own personal touches as well. I hope you’re having a joyful December so far – what have you been crafting? Or have you been too busy for creative endeavors? The weeks are flying right by!

Happy Howl-idays card, and a hello from the Flaum dog pack

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Hello from the Flaum dog pack! Scrappy, Ranger, and Bandit are so tired from all the holiday hoopla! They can’t believe how time is flying or how many details they have to take care of. We wanted to send Thank You cards to the rescue groups responsible for both Ranger & Bandit coming to live with us and nothing could be better for this than the new Avery Elle stamp set!

note: links below are affiliate links. The dogs thank you in advance should you choose to use them they help keep the website running and once in a while some new toys for the pups for all their hard work as my staff.

This sweet card didn’t start out as planned and almost got thrown out. But Ranger said “oh come on, just try!” so I got out some buttons and tried something different than I’d planned. I am glad I did! Here is my YouTube video.

I really do love how it turned out! Below is a list of supplies used including the two new bottle mixes that I utilized.

Avery Elle “Happy Howlidays” stamps – Ellen Hutson * Simon Says Stamp

Winter Wonderland 28 Lilac Lane bottle – Ellen Hutson

Yuletide Greetings 28 Lilac Lane bottle – Ellen Hutson

Lawn Fawn patterned paper Ellen Hutson * Scrapbook.com * Simon Says Stamp

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The dogs are supervising me closely – I’m one to be watched apparently! They’re such a joy and doing so well, and as you can see inspiring my holiday crafting too. That’s all from us today – hope your December is off to a great start!

DIY glass ornament wreath

Years ago I found a wreath at the store that I wanted to buy covered in ornaments. Upon closer inspection I discovered not only did this store want $75 for it, but it wasn’t all that great! Heck… I could do something myself! So began a tradition of creating a new wreath every year or two. A few weeks ago in the craft store I got really inspired by all the rose + gold and decided since my last one was retired it was time to start fresh.

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Here is a link to my YouTube tutorial showing how I created this wreath. It really is simple! I do think it is easier with a pressed foam/Styrofoam style wreath but the garland fits better with this type of wire form wreath.

With this bit of holiday décor up on the wall things are eclectic (color wise) and easy this year. I have a few other holiday ideas still to share with you.

holiday banners made easy!

This project is so simple, but it’s added so much to my home this holiday season! This year, due to travel we aren’t getting a Christmas tree. It just really would be a super huge pain (not to mention likely to die!) and we don’t want a fake tree either. This was a family vote – keep it simple! We’ve got a few decorations + the tiny artificial trees we always have up for fun. But what else?

What could I do that was really inexpensive, easy, quick, and add impact?

Answer: pull out my ScanNCut and get cutting! Big or small, fancy or simple, these banners were a blast to create! Here’s a link to my YouTube tutorial.

Ah yes, and a reminder as always that I love & use this ScanNCut all the time! I am also a paid consultant for Brother. (all ideas & opinions here my own).

I put these up around the stairs. Hard to get a photo that looks great so I’ll stick to detail shots. What if you wanted to use doilies or plain paper not cut? Well grab that ScanNCut and make some accents like I did here!

What about adding names, doing monogram shapes, utilizing glitter or vellum papers? Yes to all! As a reminder I prefer twine simply for ease of use (I have huge rolls of it!) plus cost. But you could do any kind of ribbon or material you like for your own banners.

I hope I’ve inspired you to add a bit of DIY décor to your holidays, birthday party or just because! Some of these are intentionally red & white so I can stretch them to Valentine’s Day…

stencil + distress crayon background

How do supplies work together? What combinations are great and what don’t work so well? How much water to use with what color?

All these questions and so much more get answered when I let go of trying to make project and just play! From color mediums to stamps to whatever else I’ve got – I do so enjoy a good creative play session.

My usual choice for such experiments is manila tags. Watercolor paper, standard cardstock, or if another material is used then I’m really testing how a material works with something else. No wrong choices here – just play! On this particular day I decided to test distress crayons, paste, and a new stencil. Sometimes stencils and stamps look different than I expect. I know that might sound crazy – but sometimes when you actually go to color and use them, it’s not what you have in your mind. So these kind of exercises prove extremely helpful!

Want to see this in action? Here is a link to my YouTube video.

I really didn’t love how the pink blended with the other colors in this pack. I do love it and use it often – just apparently usually with other colors. This is one of many reasons I so like tests! Interested in the supplies I tested today? (affiliate links) supply links are listed below.

Crafty Chica Stencil available at Simon Says Stamp & Scrapbook.com

Tim Holtz Distress Crayons (and Ranger Texture Paste) available at Ellen Hutson.com, Simon Says Stamp, and Scrapbook.com