Father's Day Crafts & Recipes

Father's Day Recipes - Food Network
Better Homes & Garden - Father's Day Everything
Father's Day Gifts - Personal Creations
Father's Day Poems

Enjoy!
~Molly

Making Puffy Paper Flowers

There was a day when a print and fold greeting card was not necessary but very much appreciated by the recipient. Then two holes were punched at the top and ribbon was added. Embellishing! In this day and time, with a gazillion craft supplies available along with die cut machines and card kits, a personalized handmade card has no limits. I do own some border punches and a few Coluzzle templates, but I am old-fashioned and still prefer to give handmade versus machine made cards.

I first picked a simple graphic and printed twice, on plain paper and cardstock.

I added a personal greeting on the cardstock copy, tore the edges with a ruler and used a Scor-Pal to score a half-inch horizontal/vertical grid.

I used antique linen Ranger Distress Ink on the raised grid and torn edges. One version is to add a little bling to the flower centers and a bit of glitter pen.

Another version is to add quilled flowers to the card.

One of my favorite techniques is to make puffy paper flowers. I cut out the three flowers from the plain paper copy. (It's best to trim slightly bigger than the print.)

I place the cut flowers upside down on a piece of thick craft foam and burnish with the round end of a marker. Next I burnish around the edges with the ball of an embossing tool. The finished flower will be in a bowl shape. Turn the flower over and press in the center to shape. I glued the centers of the puffy flowers to the card as shown, and added a gloss accent to the centers.

Sadly, I cannot draw or paint but I can trace and color inside the lines with glitter pens :)
Here is my final handmade card.

Thanks for visiting!

-Molly

Binder Clip Purses

I want to show these blippie purses before packing away. I was busy making them this time last year. I used the large one (2") on my CHA summer showcase table (denim theme) next to the chocolate goodies. The leather-looking trim is also paper, cut from a greeting card. I made the small one (1.25") for inspiration and holding reminders on my desk. There are a ton of uses for these and the possible designs are endless. I hope they inspire you to dig in your drawer for a binder clip and create your own.

Credit due: I was looking at Mel Stampz 150-something purse templates on her blog and found the blippie purses here (No. 59).

Have fun!
-Molly

Stacks of Paper Come Full Circle

Fifty years ago: I played a lot in a dollhouse in the backyard. Not with dolls or toys, but paper. My dad would often stop by his best friend's printing company at the end of the day for coffee. They visited as good friends do and then my dad would go to the cutting room and pick up paper scraps of tablets, colored paper, etc. He brought home a box full of paper once a week. I was allowed to have round-tip scissors, a jar of glue with a brush attached to the lid and crayons. I was only about 5 years old and cannot remember exactly what I did with all the paper I kept in neat little stacks, but I do know I loved playing with it and stayed in the dollhouse for hours at a time!

What is my love and passion? Paper, stacks of paper. I cannot have too much. I have caught on to the inchies craze, but three by three is about the smallest pads I work with. Anna Griffin's eleven by seventeen pads are the largest. I fall for every Brenda Pinnick design on QVC. I also buy Provo Craft Slabs, DCWV Stacks, Making Memories Pads, the Paper Studio Packs, and on and on.

My dad recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Sadly for him, he has outlived many lifelong friends. His party was a small gathering of family and the elders and staff at the wonderful home he lives. One friend did come to his party, and even with my dad's advanced dementia, he recognized and knew the name of his friend. They sold newspapers on opposite corners in downtown San Angelo, Texas, when they were 11 years old. They both grew up with the same career and family goals. They traveled together on trips to Las Vegas when times were good at their businesses and their wives were very good friends.

They joked at the party about who was going to outlive who and which one is the oldest. It was a very joyous time for my dad (and me) and I believe he actually understood that it was his birthday and his best friend was there to celebrate. A friend he had visited every afternoon after work for coffee at the printing company. A friend who I realized at that moment, how very special he is to me as well.

Do what you love and love what you do!

-Molly

Quilling with Whimsiquills

Patricia Caputo, blog owner of Quilling with Whimsiquills, featured me in a two-part article. Part one tells about my earlier quilling adventures and a few pictures of miniature to huge quilling pieces. Part two is how-to details and tips about getting published-- from a magazine project to writing a book.

Thanks for looking!
-Molly


Pat has been quilling for more than thirty years and owns Whimsiquills, the mega quilling store that carries quilling papers, tools, kits, books, plus, a gazillion American, English and specialty papers. Order online, the eBay Store or via a toll-free phone call. [ quilled teacup, plate, spoon © Patricia Caputo ]

Inspirational Crafty Links

I want to share a few inspirational links I use when I suffer from crafter's block, or want to make something unique, or have a minute to research trends ... you get the idea.

http://www.wallwords.com/ideas.htm - ever need that one certain word? click on 7 strong words
http://www.wallies.com/ - design ideas
http://www.makeminepink.com/ - this is just a feel-good site for me
http://www.redenvelope.com/ - what people are buying
http://www.glenbrookfarm.com/herbs/recipes.htm - recipes to make a special gift, party favor or something for yourself (when is the last time you did that, huh?)
http://www.creativity-portal.com/howto/artscrafts/ - paint a rock, ideas for 8 to 80

Enjoy :o)

Linky Links

Happy New Year!

I don't go searching for these things, they just appear in my email Inbox for some unknown reason :o) I thought I would share a few links on various topics. Crafty links coming next week.

Daily Good

Health Effects of Clutter

10 Tips for Staying Motivated A Year Long

Spending Time on Social Networking - Make it Count

10 Ways to Have a Happy Workday

Have a great week!