Flowers 'n' Bees - BEE-lated wishes!

Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you,

 not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Luke 12: 27

Welcome to Digi Desserts Fridaze in connection with Cooking with Cricut / Paper CraftingWorld!  We, on the Design Team, were to create a project using a Digital File from CWC/PCW for today.  I chose to use the new – and FREE this week! – file, “Flowers ‘n’ Bees” that Melin has just designed.  I decided to use this digital file in creating a belated birthday card that would be appropriate for a masculine recipient – a fairly plain and simple design –  A fairly quick and easy to ‘bake’ card!

 Here are the Ingredients:

*  Dark brown cardstock

*  The digi file printed on white cardstock

*  Three pieces of coordinating cardstock

*  A 1/8” hole punch

*  Twine

*  Sentiment printed on cardstock

*  Zigzag scissors to trim sentiment

Directions:

I cut the brown cardstock and folded it.  I used my Cricut/SCAL2 to cut the ovals – one to just fit the digi file print and then three more in graduated sizes.  I inked the edges of all of them.  I adhered them, offsetting them to the left bottom edge.  I put Glossy Accents on the wings of the bees to make them shine.  I punched holes on 2 edges of the card – ½” apart – and threaded twine through them, tying the ends to the card and placing a drop of Crystal Lacquer on each to prevent them from becoming untied.  I typed the sentiment in WORD, printed it and cut it with the zigzag scissors, then adhered it to the card.

 Here is the file I used - There are several options included.

Be sure and check out all of the creative Digi and Cutting Files that Melin has on her site -  Make a project  with a Digi File for today’s Challenge – and then post it for all to see! See you again soon!

Apples and Honey!

In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste.

 He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye…

Deuteronomy 32: 10

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple,

but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.

Robert H. Schuller

Hello and Welcome to our Tuesday Challenge in connection with Cooking with Cricut / Paper CraftingWorld!  Our Challenge this week was to make a project that in some way incorporated Apples and Honey, which are representative of Yom Kippur, the holiday this week that speaks of the roots of our Judeo-Christian beliefs. 

I chose to make a gift box using the ‘Apple Box’ cutting file from CWC/PCW.   I made the ‘box’ and also cut 8 Notecards to put in it and also added a few things to ‘sweeten’ the gift pack.  It’s a fun gift to give a friend as a Thank You gift this week.

 Here are the Recipe Ingredients and Directions of what I did.  I also have a poem and 2 real recipes for you this week!!  ;-}

Ingredients:

*  1 piece of 12 x 12” Cream cardstock for the box and 2 of the Notecards.

*  1 piece of 12 x 12” Autumn-print cardstock for the front of the box and the Notecards.

*  Cardstock for the leaves

*  Gems for front of box (optional)

*  Buttons for the Bee (1 yellow, 1 Black)

*  Twine or ribbon (optional)

*  Honey Bear

*  Apple flavored caramel candy/suckers

*  Apple Cinnamon candle (optional)

*  No. 10 Envelopes

*  Washi or other decorative tape

Directions:

I sized the box to fit the 12 x 12” cardstock, which also allowed for 2 apple Notecards.  I sized the Notecard apples to fit a 12 x 12” cardstock.  There was 1 apple for the front of the box, 6 Notecards and then 2 smaller apples to adhere to the cream apples.  There are a total of 8 Notecards.  They are print on the front and plain white on the back for writing.

 I discovered that the Notecards fit exactly into HALF of a No. 10 size envelope.  I cut the envelopes in HALF.  I’ve been experimenting to make my own Washi Tapes by stamping on ‘Non-irritating, gentle Medical Paper tape’ purchased at the local drug store.  (CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens…)  I taped the cut edge with my Washi Tape.  I stamped an Apple in the top corner of the evelopes.

I looked through all of my embellishments, sure that I’d find a Bee to use on the front of the box.  No, I did not have one, but I then thought about what I might have to MAKE a Bee…  I found a Yellow button and a tiny Black button.  I drew black stripes on the yellow button with a marking pen.  What to use for wings?...  I used my Daisy Punch to cut a flower from Vellum and then trimmed off some of the petals.  I glued it to the yellow button and added a tiny black gem.  I also added 2 tiny black gems to the holes in the tiny black button-head.  (Yes, I know that means the head is on backwards…but it was the best I could figure out how to do it – to see the ‘face’ and also the wings…  It’s just pretend!  ;-})  Then what to do for the antennae?...   I thought and thought…  Then I noticed some tiny pieces of cardstock that I saved from when I cut a black lace edge recently.  It was so delicate and pretty – and I knew I’d figure out what to use it for…someday…  I surely did!!  I cut a small piece of it, folded it in the middle and adhered it to the black button-head.  Perfect!

 I added some twine tied into a bow and the pearl gems (Recollections).

 I also planned to share a story I’d heard many years ago, as to the Star that is found when one actually cuts an apple through the middle sideways rather than lengthways, but I couldn’t find it Online.  I did find another children’s story about it, but not the one I wanted.  It is interesting to me as to how many people don’t know about the Star in the Apple!  If you don’t, cut an apple that way sometime -   ;-}

I did find this cute poem that I thought I’d share with you –

The Star Inside The Apple

from Ellis Paul- The Dragonfly Races

There's a star inside my apple
I know it's hard to grapple
but if you cut it side to side
there's a star alone, no lie.
And in my star inside my apple
are sleepy little seeds
and in those seeds found in my star
are could-be apple trees.

Out in the ground, I'll put my seeds
and an apple tree will grow
And in that tree soon will be apples,
red or gold with stars and seeds and apple trees
for people, birds, bears and bees,
For months, for years, for centuries
And on and on it goes you see
And on and on it goes.

I discovered these 2 recipes this week while working on this and thought I’d share the links to them, in case you’d like to bake while working on your paper-crafting this next week –  They look Delicious!  I Pinned them on my Boards!  Click on photo or title to be taken to recipes.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Honey Apple Bread Pudding

Apple Box cutting file

Here is a link with lots of information on Yom Kippur, in case you’d like to learn more about it, also. 

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/4687/jewish/Yom-Kippur.htm 

Now – be sure to check out all of the Creative Projects at Cooking with Cricut / Paper Crafting World – Pick up this week’s FREEBIE!   

Layered Apple 918 cutting file FREEBIE

Make a project – Link it and see if you win this week!  I’ll see you on Digi Desserts Fridaze – or on Smorgasbord Saturdays, every other Saturday.  TTFN!!

Smorgasbord Saturdays: Re-purposed Pizza Pan/Memo Board!

I will REMEMBER the deeds of the LORD;

yes, I will REMEMBER your miracles of long ago.

Psalm 77: 11

 Hello and Welcome to our first Smorgasbord Saturdays posting in connection with Cooking with Cricut / Paper Crafting World!  (This one is not being posted until Sunday this time because of ‘technical troubles’ at the home base, but we all understand those kinds of things, so we just relax and go on when we can…!)  The emphasis of Smorgasbord Saturdays is to invite us as Design Team Members – and You as Followers – to come up with unusual/inspiring/creative projects that are ‘out of the box’ so to speak – and hopefully, Out of This World!  I am personally looking forward to seeing what we All will come up with, as MY brain is always on fire and I see everything as ‘something else.’  I look forward to seeing this Creative Corner every other Saturday this Autumn!

My project for today is a re-purposed ‘Pizza Pan turned Memo Board.’  Here’s the photo – and the Recipe and more photos follow –

Recipe Ingredients:

*  Pizza pan or cookie sheet – This was from the Dollar Store – I have also used Old ones that had been discarded, cleaned them, sprayed them with paint and then decorated them.  (Some photos to follow at the end of this post.)

*  Papers of your choice – I like to use discontinued wallpapers from books I get from decorator stores for Free or nominal price.  The options are endless and they are great for larger projects where archival properties are not necessarily important.  You can also use pieces of scrapbook papers or cardstock and ‘piece’ them to make the background.

* Cut files – Inks – Embellishments (Flowers/gems, etc.) – Clothespins – magnet strips – Clear glass magnets – Adhesives - Sentiments, if desired

Directions:

 Prepare the pan of your choice – cut paper to fit and adhere.   For this project, I used a cream-colored paper that had splotches of silver-gray.  I decided to have a Cream/Silver-Gray/Black color-scheme to highlight the silver tray edge and because it is fairly neutral, would go with most every décor and is the scheme of several kitchens I’ve seen recently on Pinterest!  ;-}

Cut files of your choice.    I used two files for this – the New ‘Flower ‘n’ Branch 918 cf’ - for the flourishes (light gray cardstock - inked) and an older one, ‘JESUS and Swirls’ –for the leaves (dark gray ‘marble’ wallpaper).

 Adhere magnets and embellishments to clothespins.   Sometimes I paint the clothespins, this time I didn’t.  Adhere magnet strips, cut to fit, to the backside.  These can hold photos, recipes, notes, reminders, receipts – whatever.

I purchased several 3-magnet sets when they were on Clearance at Michaels recently.  As none of them were the color I needed for this project, I pried the magnets off the glass bubbles, removed the original papers, replaced them with circle-punched pieces of the dark gray ‘marble’ wallpaper and re-glued them to the bubbles.  Easy!   (Well, kind of easy…)  These can hold photos, recipes, notes, reminders, receipts – whatever.

 Adhere all other permanent embellishments.  I used Recollections flowers in various sizes/colors.

I made a cardstock pocket, adhered a ‘brick wall’ wallpaper piece on the front and adhered the pocket to the memo board.  I cut light gray cardstock to fit in the pocket.  These can be used for notes, reminders, recipes - whatever.

 This can be hung on the wall by applying picture hanging implements to the back of it – or it can be stood in a picture holder.

These are the files I used.

Here are a few other similar re-purposed projects I’ve done in recent years, just to give you an idea for some other ways to do these.  It’s an easy project and a great, quick, useful gift idea! 

Now it’s YOUR turn to create and then link to CWC/PCW!  Let’s see what you cook up using Melin’s files and Your imagination!

Digi Desserts Fridaze - The Apple of My Eye -

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 17: 8

Welcome to Digi Desserts Fridaze in connection with Cookingwith Cricut / Paper Crafting World!  We, on the Design Team, were to create a project using a Digital File from CWC/PCW for today.  I chose to use the new – and FREE this week! – file, “The Apple of My Eye” that Melin has just designed.  The Apples and Honey that will be featured in this next few days projects are being done in relation to Yom Kippur which is September  25 & 26.  I made a card to share with some of those I love – 

Here is the Card – on white cardstock with a light green border adhered to the right edge.  I used a lacy punch (Martha Stewart) on that edge and then lightly inked it and the remaining edges.  I cut paper mats in green stripe and plain brown.  I punched a small hole at the top of the card and used it to make a notch at the bottom. I inserted the 2 colors of twine, tying a bow.  I added a bee sticker and adhered them together.  I used Crystal Lacquer on the seeds in the apples and added a small gold gem on the apple as a highlight.  I threaded some twine into a heart-shaped red button, tied a knot and adhered a gold gem on top and adhered it to the lower left edge.

Here is the file I used - There are several options included.

Be sure and check out all of the creative Digi and CuttingFiles that Melin has on her site -  Make a project with a Digi File for today’s Challenge – and then post it for all to see!   

If you’d like more information on the Judeo-Christian roots of the holiday of Yom Kippur, I found a link to share that would be quite helpful:    http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/4687/jewish/Yom-Kippur.htm 

Tomorrow is our first of the newly begun, Smorgasbord Saturdays, where we’d like to see Your Best Creative projects – ‘Think out of the box,’ as they say, and come up with your most ambitious ideas! – Join us every other Saturday for the remainder of the Autumn to see what we’ve designed and then to share yours.

Texture Challenge: Love is...Autumn Bounty...

1  If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels,                but do not have love, I am only a resounding 

gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of              prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we 

prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was 

a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became 

a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a 

reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. 

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13

Welcome to our Tuesday Challenge in connection with Cooking with Cricut / Paper Crafting World!  Our mission this week – should we decide to accept – was to design something using Texture in some way.  As usual, my mind began spinning as soon as I saw the requirement and I’m excited to show you the outcome!  I also decided to write it up as a Recipe, in case you would like to ‘cook up’ a project like this!  It’s really quite easy to do and you can change/add anything to ‘your taste’ – This is just a Basic Recipe – for this -

Ingredients:

*  1 frame from the Dollar Store – mine is 8 x 10” wood – remove the glass to use for another project

*  1 canvas – mine is 5 x 7” –

*  textured wallpaper scraps or other textured paper for background and inset piece

*  acrylic paints – colors to coordinate with your project color scheme – dry foam brush

*  inks for shading – your colors

*  cardboard – top layer ripped off, sides ripped/distressed – for accent piece and to raise pumpkin

*  various cardstock for cutting .svgs – digis – (also Mulberry paper for leaves - They have a terrific selection of papers and wonderful customer service!)

*   various ribbon, twine, lace, trim elements (vegetable/onion/potato sacks) – whatever you’d like to include

*  ready-made flowers (Recollections/Petaloo/Swirlydoos…your choice)

*  various ribbon for handmade rolled flowers – (circle paper scraps for bases) – for ‘buds’ - and for around digi verse plaque

*  leafy vine punch

*  daisy punch and wallpaper scraps/or your choice of paper for handmade ‘straw flowers’

*  gems/pearls/buttons for flower centers

*  rafia/paper shreds for stuffing Apple Basket

*  glue gun/adhesives for adhering items to project

Directions:

I ‘dry brushed’ dark brown and then copper streaks on the deep rust-stained wood frame.  I then also did the same to the canvas – lightly.  I cut the woven wallpaper scraps to fit the frame and for mounting onto the canvas.

I adhered a piece of cardboard – top layer ripped off, sides ripped/distressed to the right edge of the frame.

I cut the Apple Basket and adhered it to the inset canvas at an angle so as to have the look of apples and flowers spilling from it.  I cut leaves (6-pt.Flowers Set) on my Cricut, cut the spray in half – then adhered them to the side and bottom of frame.  I punched leafy vines (Martha Stewart) from Kraft paper and adhered them on the others.  I also punched/cut some from Mulberry paper and adhered them.  I adhered looped twine and a ruffle of ‘onion bag’ (Yes! from a bag of onions!  You may remember from previous posts that I like to use unusual elements -) to the lower side of the Apple Basket.  I filled the Apple Basket with Kraft paper shreds – then adhered the apples (Apple Basket) to the edge of the basket and a few strewn on the ‘ground’ beyond. 

I cut the Pumpkin Vine, backed it with cream paper and adhered it to the lower left corner – raising it up on pieces of cardboard.  

Using the Daisy Punch (Marvy), I punched 6 each for each flower, inked the edges, dented the center using a stylus on a piece of foam, then glued the layers together, pinching the petals inward.  I finished them with a gem in the center.  I made rolled ribbon flowers with brown, cream and rust/cream ribbon, adding a gem to the centers.  I adhered these and ready-made flowers.  I made ‘buds’ from brown ribbon and added them, too.

I cut leaves (maple and oak) using the Pumpkins 'n' Leaves cutting file and added them intermittently throughout the leafy vines.  I also added a few gems to the vines.

 I printed and cut out the ‘Love is…’ digi (1 Corinthians 13), raised it with a piece of cardboard and adhered it.  I added a knotted and rolled piece of ribbon around 2 sides.

Here are the files I used:

I hope you have a chance to see all of the Creative Texture projects designed this week – then try your hand at it – and link up to CWC/PCW!  We’d love to see them!  Remember that there is a Sale, also, this month -  Here is the Ad:

See you next week!  Remember, also, that we now have DIGI DESSERTS FRIDAZE – each Friday – and SMORGASBORD SATURDAYS!!  Lots of creative options at the CWC/PCW site and here!