The SkysThe Limit In a Hot Air Balloon

I did manage to clean up enough that I can put my Cameo on a shelf when I want to clear the table to actually eat on. What a concept lol.
Some of the things that I was working on was all hush hush so I am now taking the time to post them now that the recipients have them.
One of the projects was hot air balloons for my niece who was turning 30. Her mom, my sister, had purchased a hot air balloon ride for her, which is taking forever for them to take due to the weather. I managed to complete 20 of them and mail them to Florida for her. Some designs were from Paper Matrix which has an amazing variety of paper woven designs not just balloons. They are challenging but very gratifying when done. I purchased a design, Love Is In The Air and this freebie 3D Hot Air Balloon. With the last one I didn't do because I didn't like the shape. I was going to purchase a balloon from the SVG Cuts which have absolutely amazing files but felt I could figure it out and make them my own. So I went and Googled hot air balloons and patterns and created this file. Once I had the file and it went together I could "cut" it creating stripes and zig zags. I liked the shape of this and how it went together. The top is a little challenging but I made stars or circles to go on the meeting points to maintain the shape of the balloon.

This is the shape that I wanted and was so happy that it actually went together also.
Here are the woven ones.

This is a grouping of some of the Paper Matrix balloons

 This is the hear shaped one

It is also big enough to have the minion Twinkies to sit inside and on top.

Here are the first batch of balloons I mailed -

As you will see as I went on I got crazier and crazier with the decorations. I had so much fun figuring out how to do it and then creating it in the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software. I made different kinds of baskets and banners and bunting. I figured out how to make a zig zag design and intricate rope design. I also got more creative with embellishments adding sticker pearls, ribbons, flowers. and strings. My niece really enjoys Disney World so when I saw the Mickey Mouse paper I knew that would make great balloons.

My daughter crocheted 3 baskets and my sister sewed 7 balloons. So in the end there was a total of 30 hot air balloons. I was so happy she liked them so much. They are hanging them all around their home for right now.

What to do with all the paper

Ok I do a variety of crafts. Right now I have put cakes on hold because I have been taking care of my twin grandsons and their 6 year old brother. It is just too difficult for me to hold a kid on my hip and decorate one handed. With the extra people in the house the refrigerator does not offer any wiggle room to hold a cake so I can stop and take care of the kids and then start again when they are in bed. That doesn't bother me, I love having them around. Plus I then do a different craft thus the ADD Crafter. There hasn't been a craft I didn't like.  So now I am trying to clean up from my last project and make sense of everything so I can start my next project. I would like to assess what I have also and start to use more of what I have because it is getting a little overwhelming right now. I made a banner for my friend's son's 10th birthday and Tiki party decorations for my grandsons's 2nd birthday. I also made 20 paper hot air balloons for my niece's 30th birthday. The goal was actually 30 balloons including my daughter crocheting 3 and my sister sewed 4. So we were only short 3 balloons. Not bad. I was happy. She was ecstatic. I will post pics of all of those soon.
My next goal is to make a standing scrapbook for my mom to put on her dresser and to participate in the cards for the kids in St. Jude and for our soldiers, which I just posted previously. That is why I wanted to assess what papers I already have and use up some more papers since this project is not specific to colors or designs. I am trying to divide the color scraps and keep them together and I want to do the same to the patterned paper. Then I  pulled out one of my cases and I have a slew of different sized pre-cut papers! My daughter said to make a divider for the case and place them back in their little spots. Does anyone else feel like this? My craft room is our dining room. I have a tall shelf, a half shelf and the closet. I just don't feel I am using them well.

Does anyone else feel compelled to save every viable scrap as to not waste anything? At what point do you say to yourself enough let it go!?! Now that I have the electronic cutting machine and the Sizzix I can cut all kinds of sized paper.

Christmas in July #Cards4Love - Announcement and Prize Pack

Paper crafters!! Check this out!! Make cards, cards kits, thank you cards for the kids in St. Jude Research Hospital or for the troops. You know you want to but there is a bonus, you could win an amazing prize pack for sending all those great cards

Tea Party Baby Shower

So my daughter's friend is having a baby and she wanted to make the invites for her. We had so much fun making them. We tried to go shabby chic and fun. Since it was a surprise shower we had to figure out a way to convey it through the invitation and still like how it looked.
After much searching we found the statement a baby is brewing and fell in love with it. Then we had to figure out the papers. We mostly used  The Preppy Princess Stack by DCWV. It had the colors we were looking for. We printed on velum for the Shhhhh It's a surprise part. I attached the velum with tiny glue dots. I like to call them booger dots, I know weird but funny. Those things are so great.

So we had to make envelopes for the invitations as well. I absolutely love the We R Memory Makers Envelope Punch Board. It makes it sooooo easy. I used the Fresh Floral Stack Paper by DCWV. Nothing was matchy matchy but the colors all went together so well. All we did was put the printed side to the inside of the envelopes. I used double sided tape to put them together and also to close the envelopes.

I wanted to make a banner for the party and needed to keep with the tea party theme and baby shower theme. I found tea cup shapes with floral designs, used rosettes and tiny pre-made roses and home made daisies and teeny tiny flowers and of course lots of different kinds of ribbons.I used the Mix and Match Pad Sugar and Spice, it has printed cardstock, specialty papers and fabrics to make the banner. I sewed all the pennants together on a pretty white lace that had a pink ribbon attached to it.

Congrautlations Banner and congratulatory bouquet June 2015

I didn't want to just make a card for my niece's high school graduation so I made banner filled with the things I thought she would like. She is not a girly girl and when I saw the Chalk Fun Stack by DCWV I knew that was the paper to use. I bought the banner shapes at the Silhouette Store to save time as well as some swim items, camera and film shapes, rosettes and letters.I also took a dna strand that was in a circle and made that into a cutting file. I took about a week making all the components for the banner. I used black twill tape and sewed all the pennants together. I am really happy with the way it came out.

I also made a bouquet of flowers for her. I used Authentique Nostalgic Essentials stack. Some of the papers were two sided so it made for a very nice flower. I double sided the fern for a more substantial look.

For fun I also made graduate caps on a straws. I saw it here, Graduation Cap Paper Straws, it is so easy to make. I created all the components and put them together while I waited for the graduation to start. I wanted a really good seat. I used black cardstock and yellow embroidery floss. It was too cute

Amy's Confectionery Adventures: Rainbow Ice Box Cookies

Amy's Confectionery Adventures: Rainbow Ice Box Cookies: I love sending treats to school with the kids at different times during the school year. These fun rainbow cookies are great for St...