Thanks - Winnie & Walter Rerun

Hi, Friends.....

I haven't been on here much in July because I have been flitting here and there and busy outside in my garden.....that is, when I wasn't collapsed in front of the fan trying to get cool!!

I wanted to make a quick last-minute (almost literally!!) entry in this month's Winnie & Walter Rerun challenge. I don't own the featured set, so I took inspiration from the gorgeous colors and design of Shay's lovely card HERE. You might need your sunglasses on because these colors are bright and saturated!!! I used one of my leftover Easter egg dye backgrounds that had the right colors. LOVE!!!

Products used include:
Winnie &Walter - In a Word: Thanks Cutaway die
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - LS Exclusives: So Tweet with Evelin T Designs stamp set
Winnie & Walter - LS Exclusives: So Tweet with Evelin T Designs die set
Memento ink in Tuxedo Black
Distress Markers
Scraps from Canson -140 lb XL Watercolor Pad
DCWV Solid and Glitter Scraps
"Scraps" of leftover Easter egg dye for my background :)

Thank you so much for stopping in today. I want to be on here more regularly in August!

I hope each of you is having a good and safe summer. If you think of it, keep all those affected by the terrible fires in your prayers. We have been fortunate thus far here in my part of Idaho. There have been two small fires in our area and nothing more. Evacuating in 2015 and not knowing whether or not we would have a home to come back to is still fresh in my mind. So scary. Pray for the safety of the firefighters and for all those in danger's way.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Winnie & Walter Rerun Challenge #32
2. Simon Says Stamp Work-it Wednesday July Challenge - Watercolor 

Defying the Laws of Physics with Scraps!!

Hi, Friends......

I am squeaking in under the wire with a snippets card for Di's Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge. I have been so busy with summer activities and working in my garden that my cardmaking has taken a back seat. 

Recently, though, I had a brainstorm about what to do with my big pile of odd-shaped white/off-white cardstock scraps. I had an ancient kids' ink pad which was coming apart but still had plenty of ink in it. I couldn't just waste it, right??? So I misted and smooshed it on my craft mat and dyed a bunch of the scraps to use for die-cutting.

PROBLEM: I know that all cardmakers will understand when I say that no matter how many scraps I dyed and die-cut, my scrap pile never got smaller!!! What's more, I ALSO ended up with a huge pile of dyed scraps, and multidinous little piles of lovely die cuts....PLUS a wastebasket full of tiny scraps. WHERE did these all come from???? Why is it that you absolutely can NOT use up scraps???? They merely multiply....more and more. It totally defies all known laws of physics!! Arrrrgh!!! What insane explanation can there be besides spontaneous generation???? So much for the law of conservation of mass!

Here is spontaneous generation in action:  you can see my NON-diminishing pile of white and cream cardstock scraps, the defunct ink pad, my big pile of dyed cardstock, and my little piles of pretty die cuts.  You can also see my stubbornly stained craft mat that won't come clean and is now permanently dyed green.  (I haven't tried alcohol yet, but this might indeed drive me to drink!!  Ha.)

I had an order for an anniversary card so I made this one with a few of the scraps: 

Products used include:
Winnie & Walter - Sentimental: Gift stamp set
Versafine ink in Onyx Black
Sizzix - Thinlits TH Wildflowers #1 die set
My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Oval STAX die set
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Audrey Cutaways die set
Verve - Sprightly Sprigs die set (discontinued)
Various white cardstock, mixed media paper, and watercolor paper scraps
Kids ink pad (should just have been thrown away, but nooooo!!!)

Hope you enjoyed my card with its soft watery look. I love how it turned out....even though I ended up with more scraps than I started with! lol...

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you are having a lovely summer....or winter for my upside-down season friends in NZ and Aussie-land! :)

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #330 - Use Snippets
2. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday July Challenge - Summertime
3. Southern Girls Challenge - Tic Tac Toe (I used diagonal - Ink, Stamp, White)
4. Word-Art Wednesday Weeks 344-345 - Anything Goes
5. CARDZ-TV Anything Goes Challenge #56
6. DL.ART Thankful Thursday #232 - Anniversary
7. Tuesday Throwdown #401 - Stitching-real or faux
8. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use a die or punch
9. The House that Stamps Built DCC74 - The Great Outdoors
10. DL.ART July Linky Challenge - AG

Butterfly Gift Box

Hi, Friends......

I am here with an upcycled gift box that I made for Mrs. A's  Butterfly Challenge.  I used only the butterfly + W is for Wheat (color) in this project.

My project started out as an interesting hexagon-shaped Turkish Delight box.......

....and ended up as a pretty gift box:

Someone needs to make a crafting cartoon similar to the X-Box one above that says.......

Son: Oh, yay!!....Turkish Delight!!

Janis: Oh, yay!!!....Turkish Delight BOX!!

Now do you see why I chose that cartoon for this post?!! :D

This box was easy to cover because it has a separate top and bottom...and also because the "flaps" unfold easily from the interior.  Here's the lid all unfolded:

I chose some coordinating K&Co. butterfly prints and glued them onto the unfolded top and base.  I trimmed with a craft knife, scored the folds for a crisp look, and then reconstructed the box.  It was quite easy!  

Inside the base of the box.

The box base turned over.

The flaps of this particular box all interlock so no glue is necessary.  But I glued it, anyway, for extra security.

Here's a zoomed in shot of the tag I made for the box.  The tag base is made of cork and the bow is twine.  I like the organic texture of this combination with the nature motifs I used.  The Versafine ink stamped on the cork perfectly.

Finished project.........

Products used include:
Empty candy box
K&Co. patterned paper
Winnie & Walter - Essentials: Katharine Cutaways die set
Winnie & Walter - Sentimental: Gift stamp set
Versafine ink in Onyx Black
Verve - Sprightly Sprigs die set (discontinued)
Prima flowers
Distress Ink in Walnut Stain and Tea Dye
Want 2 Scrap - Adhesive Pearls
Quick Quotes - Antique Brads
Twine from my stash

Hope you liked my butterfly gift box. I had a lot of fun making it! Have a great rest of the week and thank you for stopping in today.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #103 - I used the Butterfly + W is for Wheat option
(more coming....)