Easter and Spring

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Spring is here and that means there will soon be birds singing and flowers will start to add color to the world. For those of us who believe and celebrate the birth of Jesus, we also prepare to celebrate Easter to commemorate his resurrection.

We also have the Easter Egg hunt and the best decorated Easter Egg contest.  Just another holiday for families to remember, share stories and have fun bonding time with each other.  I say grab each second and savor the moment for the next one is not promised. 

Of course there has to be time to add a bit of crafting time in, and with crafting you can always find a way to follow the theme at hand.  This time its "Easter" and here is what I decided to create as part of my contribution to this season.

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I decided to create one card around the arrival of Spring, so using lavender and white card-stock, some bling and an array of flowers I came up with this Easter card.

I do like how it turned out and I was very pleased that I was able to use my Creative Expression dies to create this.  This particular collection came with 6 pieces and the detail on each piece is just amazing.

I truly think I am going to have a lot of fun playing with these dies.


I can feel my imagination running wild and I'm anxious to start sketching and seeing what all I can get to fall out of these old gray cells of mine.






I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Boots - Challenge "Spring"
Crafty Cardmakers - #135 "Spring Has Sprung" (4/10)
Craft Your Passion - "Anything Goes" (3/29)
My Creative Moments - Challenge #4 "Think Spring" (3/28)
Get Creative - Challenge #11 "Must Use A Die Cut" (4/3)

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My second creation was more around Easter with the bunny and all.  This image is from Mo Manning and I think she is just a little darling. She was colored with a combo of Copic and Spectrum Noir markers.

The designer paper is Graphic 45 combined with standard card-stock from Hobby Lobby.

I added lace ribbon, a few flowers from WOC and a sentiment I typed out on my computer.

On the inside I used the remaining paper and added a blank space for a personal message.

The little strips of lavender was cut using a really old edger I had from MS, back when they were green.








I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Dream Valley - Challenge #102 "Easter" (3/27)
Crafting From The Heart - Challenge #52 "Anything Goes" (3/29)
Artistic Inspirations - Challenge #128 Anything Goes/w "A Twist of Easter" (3/28)
Love To Scrap - Challenge #50 "Anything Goes" (3/30)
Eureka Stamps - Challenge #133 " Think Spring" (3/28)

Hello Creative Expressions

To go shopping Click Here or Click Tab Above! 

To enter current challenge Click Here

Hello my crafty friends and followers.  I have been feeling a bit under the weather with temperatures that are up one day and down the next, and my allergies aren't making things any easier to deal with. Between COPD and allergies I'm not real sure which one is causing me problems these days.

I do have a bit of good news though.  Through all this confinement to my house I decided to try out one of the Creative Expressions die by Sue Wilson.  They were a bit outside the price range I am accustomed to investing but nonetheless I went forward with my purchasing mumbling and complaining the entire time and then they arrived and I did my happy dance while the memory of the price I paid floated away.

They are really very nice and excellent quality and the cut was clean after two passes.  I did get confused when one of the dies didn't cut but silly me it was an embossing die included to compliment the cutting dies.  I can't explain the many ways you could use this die but I did see several on YouTube and pinterest and then decided to give a go.

Here is my bright and cheerful card that I think turned out pretty cute.  Oh and did I tell you the dies are large enough to create a 6 x 8 card easily.  Anyway let me move along to the sharing part.

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I created this card using Creative Expressions "Noble Dies" Collection - Classic Adorned Rectangles.

The collection comes with an embossing die as you can see in the white frame.  I also used the small oval die for the sentiment and the center die was the intricate die in the center of the card.

At the bottom of the card I used one of my EK Success edgers to create the flourish outline.

On the inside I used the same colors and added a piece of designer paper stamped with a sentiment and silhouette butterflies.  For the personal message space I used the negative from the original die I used on the front.

This was the first of many cards that I hope to create with my new dies but for today this is truly all I have energy to do.

Don't forget there is still time to join in our "Anything Goes" challenge and don't forget to vote and add your name in our "Bonus Challenge" for more chances to win.  

Sending Hugs From Texas

Lesia

March Challenge and Announcement

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Just Wanna Enter The Challenge

Click the Appropriate Challenge Link Below

March Challenge or Bonus Challenge

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Hello my crafty friends and followers. 

Beginning March 2015,
challenges at Mema's Crafts
will be offered on the
first Monday of every month.
  

This means more time for you to create your project and join in the fun.
The challenges will always be Anything Goes (create what you want) with a theme.  

Some challenges won't have a theme at all which will make it even easier for you to stop by and play with us. So remember to stop by for a visit
and join the challenges.
 
Now for this month's challenge which is
 "Anything Goes"
I'd like to share what I created using a KennyK image.

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The image I  used is called Present Surprise and you can see it here. Before I printed the image I merged it with the words Happy Birthday using my PC.  Then I printed it using onto 85# Solar White Neenah paper and colored it with my copics. 

The designer paper is the "Mother Goose" collection from Graphic 45.  It was such a fun paper pack with lots of color I thought it would make a great birthday card for a little boy.  Not shown here (because I forgot to hot glue it down) is a red bow tied just below the image in the center.  It does add a little character to the card.

On the inside of the card I followed with the designer paper and used the same border punch to break up the colors.  

The card-stock is either Paper Studio or Recollections...I can't really tell since there isn't a barcode or anything on the back. 

This was a very easy card to make and it will be fitted inside a black envelope that sports a gold border to match the card.

The Copics I used were:

R39, 37, 35 (top and shoes)

C8, C7, C5,C3 (the gray)

B97, 95, 93,91 (Blues)

YG63 and 61

YR17, 19

E23, 29, 55

Hope my card has inspired you
to come and play with us
and don't forget that once
you play with us in our monthly challenge
be sure and vote in our bonus challenge
for a chance at more prizes.

Hugs From Texas~Lesia~

Your comments are always appreciated

Prima Doll Challenge

Howdy folks! Its a cold, wet, snowy and sleet day for us out here in Texas so staying indoors works well for me even if I do have to work :)

I am sure many of you have played with the Julie Nutting Prima Dolls and most likely have already started your collection.  I was only recently introduced to these stamps and then tried my hand at paper-piecing...fell in love with it! I decided to ask my Design Team to participate in a Prima Doll challenge just so I could see what others are doing and to share this new found love of mine with them.

On Sunday, March 1st, I would like to invite everyone to click on the Bonus Challenge tab and see what the Design Team has created for you and then you get to vote for your favorite creation. Since I know it will be hard to select I am giving you an opportunity to vote twice but you'll have to visit twice (I think).

Once you vote make sure you leave a comment and add your name to the challenge using the Add A Link button.  Remember this is effective March 1st!

Additionally, our standard monthly challenge will be in effect as well and to keep it Easy Peasey our theme for March is "Anything Goes!"  

We hope you all will join us and play in both challenges

Having said all that I decided that I too would join in the

challenge and enter a few Prima Doll projects and

I am going to share one with you here.

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I had the most fun creating this card! Thanks for stopping by and save the date...March 1st! for both challenges.

I used copics to color my doll and then proceeded to paper piece her dress.  Dies included the gate die from Spellbinders and the heart banner die from La La Land Crafts. On the inside I used more layers and a border punch from Martha Stewart to finish this card off. 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Paper Piecing/Paper Piercing (3/8)

Scrapper's Delight #41 - Anything Goes (3/3)

Penny's Paper Crafty #216 - Lots of Layers (3/3)

Crafting for All Season #96 - Dies or Punches (3/2)

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Creative Moments #62 - Anything Goes "Paper Piecing" (3/3)

Hugs ~Lesia~

I appreciate any and all comments....I really do :)

Say it With Hearts

Hello All.  Hope we all ate chocolate, went on long needed dates, got lots of hugs and kisses and enjoyed creating memories to recall next year.  Hopefully there weren't to many scales being thrown threw windows...chocolate and other delicious sweets do seem to change the numbers on those things quite easily. :)

Once I was finished with the hugs and the kisses it was time for me to relax so between looking for missing items and moving items from one place to another I actually found a few minutes to sit down in my new craft-room and create something. Trying to get things back in order created confusion for my little old brain and old habits die hard. 

I found myself not knowing where I had stored items and of course they weren't where I was accustomed because I no longer had my storage units. But I am slowly getting things labeled and stabilized in their rightful place and trust having things labeled does make it easier to create.

So to keep from digressing let me move forward with sharing my card. My inspiration for this card comes from "Vicky of Sticky with Icky" and the image is one by Sylvia Zet named "Amy."

I used copics to color the image and I'm not real sure but I think my paper collection is from one of the Prima paper pads (maybe Tea Thyme or something like that) or I may have combined two collections to come up with this combination. I used pieces that were no longer tied to their original pad so I am guessing at this point. The lace I purchased from Hobby Lobby when they had their 50% off sale.

I used two images from the paper collection on the inside to add interest along with a scrap piece of the paper doily. I included a personal message space and turned it a bit to keep it fun.

Copics Used:

E13, E11, E21, E000, E00

E59, E57, E55, E53, E50

R85, R83, R81, RV10, RV000

E35, E33, E31

B97, B95, B93, B91 

I'd like to enter this card in a few challenges listed below:

Digi Galore Challenge - Anything Goes w/That Craft Place (2/27)
Gruffies & Guests - Anything Goes "Love All Around" (3/1)
Krafty Hands - Hearts and Flowers (2/27)
Aliciabel Challenge #4 - Anything Goes "Love is in the Air (2/27)
Pattie's Creations Design Challenge 107 - Valentine's Love (3/3)
Sister Act Challenge #94 - Anything Goes (2/25)
Dragon's Lair Design - Hearts and Flowers (3/1)

Thanks for stopping By

Hugs From Texas

~Lesia~

Project Craft Room

Photo Heavy Post (viewer beware)!

Hi everyone, Lesia, here to invite everyone on a sneak peek at my craft room which I have finally started to bring together in the name of "organization".  Its not totally organized at the moment but its better than it was, and no, there aren't any before photos :(  (they would have been way to scary)

The goal was to get my items out of plastic containers that were stacked on the floor (very neatly) and to try and get everything into one room (I had to use part of my office as well as my craft room for storage).

I researched three possibilities to meet my storage needs. Ikea was a possibility but the closest one was a bit of a drive.  Next was the cubicle system offered by Hobby Lobby and Michael's. A great choice with the budget I had so it was definitely a possibility. My third option was the Elfa System from the Container Store. It was convenient but a bit higher than desired.

I decided to combine the Cubicle System and when The Container Store had their annual 30% off on both material and installation I could at least get this project underway. The trick would be to get the two products to blend well so I went with platinum/silver and white for my color combination hoping to eventually accent it with black or red.

Although this project is not yet complete I am pleased at how it has come together thus far.  Here are a few photos of the different areas, but remember its a project still in the making and I keep changing my mind, therefore I currently have no labeling on anything.  I will soon....well most likely this year :)

This is my work area (for crafting with grand-daughter). Here is where I sketch my designs/layouts as well as my coloring and pre-creating of my projects before I adhere them together. I keep my copics, Spectrum Noir, and Pro Markers here where I can reach them easily. On the shelves which are totally adjustable, I have my brads, trinkets, charms and other small embellishments. Additionally, in the decorative boxes I have bling, pearls, 3D Stickers and small wood stamps. The drawers on this unit are deep and can hold quite a bit so I've filled one drawer with lots of Petaloo and Prima Flowers. One of my favorite things about this system are the peg boards (ACC). No more searching for scissors or craft knives.  

On this wall I have a shelving unit that can grow to accommodate my Martha Stewart punches should I buy more. Next to it is a cubicle system that holds my 12"x12" paper and various 6"x6" paper pad collections. My spellbinders are currently stored in the three green containers beneath (I'm working on a better storage idea for these). The drawers on the wall are simply fabulous! I have dabbers, paints, inks, sponges and all sorts of small items neatly stored in these drawers.   The two peg boards are functional but I'm not sure if I'll keep them. On the top is where I keep my Big Shot, Scoring Board, or Envelope Maker just depending on what I'm working on. Beside the cubicles is where I stand and surf the internet (until I get a drafting chair), print out my digi stamps and store my embossing folders (which will soon have a drawer to call home). Until later I am using one of the shelves to hold my WOC flowers and my stickles which will end up in one of the wall unit drawers.

Another area is where I sometimes work when I need to stand. This unit is awesome with 12 drawers (S-M-L). I've filled one drawer with my supplies, another with Ribbon, one with Sizzix dies, and they were perfect to hold my border punches as well as my miscellaneous cling stamp collection.

In the corner is another cubicle system that is used for my 8.5"x11" card stock, a few 8"x 8" and 6"x 6" paper pads. In the drawers I keep my rubber cling stamps  by collection type on the left and on the right is all my loose lace (not spooled) to include any scrap pieces that are at least 4" long. This area also has my sewing embellishments like threads, zippers, patterns and etc. as well as an array of buttons both vintage and traditional stored in the drawers hanging on the wall.  On the door I keep my Fiskars Squeeze Punches.

I decided that I needed a space for using my Cricut and my sewing machine so I added this table and now I want another one to make it just a bit bigger (that will be a last minute decision). This will give two people ample room to craft together. I threw in a couple of padded folding chairs for those non-crafting visitors :) On the floor in the little rolling wagon are my Graphic 45 paper collections so they will need a home soon. And those curtains really have to be replaced and maybe the blinds as well.

Okay this the last area I want to share. This is my inking and embossing area. On the wall I keep mostly all my ink pads, embossing powders, and ink sprays. On the portable I have my everyday products that can be moved about the room and it has most of the things that every craft-er will use when creating. Again I have a container (red container on the floor) that has more of my embellishments so I need to see what I can negotiate to get that off the floor.

My other items such as wood stamps, mats and things such as that have been moved to the closet until I can decide how to accommodate them.  Maybe I'll add shelving to the closet...at this point I'm not sure but I am really pleased at how neat and calming my piece of serenity is for me. 

What do you think of this project? Leave your comments and if you have any ideas for me please let me know. I want to keep things off the floor and in its own space as much as possible. How do you store your wood mounted stamps and your spellbinders dies?

Any ideas will be appreciated.  Well thanks for stopping by and I hope you will visit again and often.

Hugs from Texas

Lesia