Papertrey March Blog Hop

This month's Blog Hop challenge is to use embroidery floss in a "fun and inventive way." Lucky for me, Papertrey defined "fun and inventive" for us: "This could include stitching, wrapping it around and tying it like ribbon, braiding, accenting tags, embroidered patterns or anything else you can dream up! " Whew! I didn't have to think too far outside the box with those instructions. :)

My first thought was to use something that I used on some of my Christmas cards -- I used the same knot that I used waaaaaayyy back when I did candlewicking with my grandma. I think the candlewicking knot is similar to a French knot, but I don't really know enough about either to elaborate. I just know that I have this knot technique in my hands' muscle memory from my childhood. I can do it automatically, but I can't do it if I try to think about it too much. Anyway, I put a knot in each of the "flower" button holes. I also decided to use the same floss to stitch a line leading to the sentiment.

What you can't really see in the picture -- well, the knots, for one. They're there in the button holes, I promise. They're just hard to notice in my picture. Also, the raised white layer of the card is embossed with a dot pattern. It looks good in real life, but my really affordable photographer just can't get it to show in the picture. You also can't see how many of these great little buttons I've accumulated since I received my new button dies. I've had fun rolling out the little buttons! That's why I had to use my Everyday Button Bits set for this card -- I had to justify die cutting all of these buttons! I think I may have to make a lot of button bits cards.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies (all PTI unless noted otherwise):
Stamps: Everyday Button Bits
Ink: Versafine Onyx, Pear Pizzazz (SU)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Simply Chartreuse, 2009 Bitty Dots Basics
Other: Nestabilities Labels 2 dies, Buttoned Up #2 die, Backgrounds 1 Stampin' Up Texturz plate, embroidery floss from my stash

Make It Monday: Fun Foam!

Yes, I'll admit it. I'm one of the thousands of crafters who suddenly had to run to Michael's this week to buy fun foam. It's not our fault, though. We had to. You see, there was this video. There was a challenge. It looked like fun. .... and, let me tell you, it was fun! The challenge was to use fun foam in our projects this week. (And, as always, to use at least 1 Papertrey product.)

I won't admit in writing just how many cupcake variations I have now cut out of fun foam. This is the only one I'll show right now, but don't be surprised if little fun foam cupcakes show up again in the future. I've got a good supply. I'm also very busy imagining all of the other fun shapes I can cut this stuff into ... butterflies, polka dots, flowers, frames, bookmarks. Good thing this stuff came in a pretty thick little stack.

Supplies:
Paper: Kraft cardstock (PTI), Color Couture Vol. 5 (PTI) patterned papers printed on Georgia Pacific card stock, Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Stamper's Select white (PTI)
Ink: Versafine Onyx black, Orange Zest (PTI) -- even though you can't see it because it mostly faded into the fun foam {lesson learned}
Stamps: Cupcake Collection
Dies/ Punches: Cupcake collection, Sizzlet flourish, Mat Stack 4 (PTI), Scallop border punch (SU)
Other: Raspberry Fizz ribbon, Scor Tape (and a pink-tinted glitter), PTI rhinestone, and FUN FOAM!

Thanks so much for looking!