There Is Elegance in a Tissue Box

 So lately I have been trying new things in the crafting world, fighting battles with my health, and questioning everything that is happening in the world today. This post comes with hopes of a better tomorrow and faith in people especially the American people to come through and pull together as has been done so many times in the past.  COVID is testing every country and it does not discriminate in any way.  Stay safe my friends amid the storm and your faith and strength will rein.

Tissues are becoming the number one thing to have in your car and in your home. I've been trying to make the boring tissue box come alive with elegance and charm. Here is one where I used paper ordered from Italy to ensure it was rice paper and to make sure that it would make this product a unique one-of-a-kind item.

I hope you find it elegant and like it as much as I do. You could purchase the tissue box cover already made in paper Mache or wood from any craft store or you could use chipboard and make the box yourself just to make it totally handcrafted. Either way I think it is truly a work of art and a sign of patience.

               

I wrapped the box in Italian paper and added trim around the bottom edge. Around the top to accent the gold in the paper I wrapped a gold border. I used Petaloo Flowers on the top and accented the corners with pearls. In the bottom main corner I used a wood accent to identify the front although any side could be the front.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I truly appreciate all of you and pray you will stay strong as we fight this virus and not allow it to take our joy or interfere to much with us showing our love for friends and family.

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia~

Birthdays Are Forever

As each day comes and goes there are birthdays being celebrated around the world regardless of the circumstances of the day.  There is always someone to wish a Happy Birthday and what better way than with a hand-made one-of-a-kind card.  You seem to always look forward to your birthday...its special because it belongs to you.

As a kid its the thought of a cake and presents or hanging out with friends and having fun together.  As we get older we look forward to birthdays because our lives move from one level to the next, leaving childhood to preteen and then into the teens when certain birthdays become more important than others, such as that birthday that allows you to get a drivers license or that birthday when your parents allow you that one beer in front of them.  These milestones continue through life all the way to the ones that allows you special discounts, or the one that you thank God for living long enough to see.

All I am saying is, birthdays are special so for this post I thought I would share a few birthday cards I made.  I don't post much anymore but I am trying to get better although life is pulling me in so many different directions.  I hope you enjoy these cards and perhaps they will inspire you or bring a smile to your face. So lets get on with the sharing.

This card uses only paper, twine, a rubber stamp and a simple pearl embellishment. In the back is an envelope with a matching flap. Card size is 5.25 x 5.25. The inside is decorated using the same pattern paper.

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

Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthday or Fancy Fold (05/10) (109)
The Paper Shelter - #426 Happy Birthday (05/12) (20)

The material used on this card is the same as above and the paper is from DCWV Botantical paper collection. I added a few flowers and pearls from Recollections and created a coordinating envelope. This card size is the standard A2.

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

Crafty Creations - #409 Anything Goes (05/31) (40)
Cute Card Thursday - #633 Anything Goes (05/12) (19)

The last birthday card I'd like to share uses a die to create the front cover and a Hero Arts stamp.  A piece of ribbon is running centered and vertically behind the detailed front just to add more to the visual. A corner die was used to coordinate the envelope. This is a standard A2 card size.

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

C.R.A.F.T. Challenges - #555 Blog Hop Birthday (05/20) (10)
Cardz 4 Galz - #121 Birthday  (05/20) (8)

Well fellow crafters that's all I have for this post.  I hope everyone is keeping themselves and their families safe during this pandemic. We will get through it...but we must practice common sense and patience. In the meantime spend time with family and when you tire of that then find something to craft.

Until next time......

Be Safe..Stay Healthy..Craft Happy

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia~

Love and History

The coolest thing about the month of February for me is the celebration of Black History and it is also the month dedicated to those we love. This is the month when you discover that you are loved and there are those whom you love. This is a really special month and love is in the air.

I am excited to share my little cards I created to celebrate Valentine's Day and to remember the unconditional love that my furr-baby gave me each and every day of her 17 years of life.  So here are my cards:

For this card I had to bring out some stamps from my stash that I hadn't used in over a year. The image and greeting is by Tim Holtz "Crazy Dogs" collection. I colored this little cutie using my Copic markers and Spica pens. The paper I found at Joann's and I used a Martha Stewart border punch for the banner, as well as a EK Success punch for the hearts. I just love the look this dog has with the wagging tail. I coordinated an envelope and it is ready for that special someone.

Would like to enter in the following challenges:

Polkadoodles - Wk 6 Challenge "Anything Goes" (22)

Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes  (6)

Crafty Creations - #406 Anything Goes  (44)

The Card Concept - #128 Be Mine/Valentine (12)

Do you remember "Crazy Birds" by Tim Holtz?  These birds have come in handy for creating fun and humorous cards and if you purchased the coordinating accessory stamps, you could create a humor card for any event. I have forgotten who made the heart banner die but I used it to add to the SB Circle I used to break up the dots. The birds were colored with copic markers and popped them up over the greeting. I carried the theme to the inside and used scraps to coordinate the envelope.

Would like to enter the following challenges:

Cut it Up - #193 Love is in the Air  (4)

Craft Challenge - #543 Love/Valentine (28)

The Paper Shelter - #414 For the One You Love (38)

Paper Funday Challenges - #14 Anything Goes/Valentine (22)

I hope my creations have inspired you or enticed you to put a smile on your face. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will come again.  So until next time:

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Be Safe, Stay Healthy and Craft Happy 

Keeping Busy

Hello Everyone.  There must be some bad karma around me when buying items online because I am having issue after issue with companies. First of all I do have a bit of good news...I finally received a refund from frugo.com.uk and now that this issue is finally closed I can relax and simply not deal with them again. 

Unfortunately as fate would have it, I am having a problem with Divinity Designs. Never had an issue when they were "Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD)" but with their recent change things don't seem to be as organized or customer friendly. Two of my friends are having issues as well with products whereas my issue was more around the system not being consistent from one page to the next. 

Case in point, the site says $5 shipping for all USA shipments and it shows in your order summary as such but when you click submit to continue to the payment page the shipping charge changes to $7.  Also if you have a code or discount the order summary page calculates the discount and shows it as being deducted. In my case it was a saving discount of $5.50 but once again when I click the submit to continue to the payment page the discount was removed and reapplied. You don't see this until after you get your payment confirmation and there isn't much you can do about it.  To reach someone by phone or chat you have to be up at the break of dawn because they are 6 hours ahead of us here in Texas.  There is a glitch in their system somewhere so now I am waiting to see if anyone responds to the messages and email I have sent and if they resolve the issue with me.

Nope, I am not done...I'm telling you there is bad karma hanging around. I placed an order back in December with Craft-Stash and so far haven't received my product.  I must say however that I did speak with the company and they gave me an update on where my order was and rudely told me I could track it myself. Of course her tone of voice was condescending and I politely informed her that I had tried to track it...this isn't my first rodeo but evidently what she has access to see and what is showing on their website and the USPS is not the same. Furthermore if I could have tracked it I would not be on the phone with her seeking information as to its status. According to Craft-Stash it had left England, traveled to Switzerland and would be in the USA today and I should have it delivered between Wednesday and Friday. Once again I believe the problem is somehow linked to their system because all it shows is the package is waiting for a label. I am attempting this thing called patience but folks when you have my money I'm just not that patient.

This whole experience has been with companies located in the UK so I am thinking I won't be doing a lot of international shopping except for Wild Orchid and a couple of other companies that I absolutely love.  What an ordeal.

On a more positive note I have been busy playing with my Cricut to help alleviate the pain of losing my fur-baby a few days ago. I find staying busy keeps me from noticing how quite the house is.  I purchased a few clear heavy plastic trays shown below and decided to turn them into serving trays.  I had to figure out how to do this and keep the tray usable for food so from the back I worked where the paint and the vinyl will never touch the front of the tray. Below is what I created and gifted to a friend as part of their Christmas gift from me.

CLEAR PLASTIC TRAY

                        

It turned out rather nicely so I had to make one for myself and a couple of other friends to have during football season.

That's all I have for this post.  Thanks for stopping by and allowing me to vent a bit about my shopping woes.  Hopefully this will not last long and does not represent how my year will be.

As always

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Be Safe Stay Healthy Create Happy

BE AWARE

UPDATE!!  ALERT!!!  

If you live in the United States 

please do not order anything from 

FRUUGO!!!

The customer service sucks and once they get your money they are slow to provide you with any assistance or communication.

I had an order arrive partially damaged and missing items. I filed a complaint and got standard responses and then on their site they simply lied and said the issue had been resolved😮

I couldn't believe it. I would like to know what the resolution was??? Getting half of what you ordered is resolved???

I am in the process of reporting them to the BBS (Better Business Bureau) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). May not make a difference but their name will be on the radar.

Additionally since I paid through PayPal I am seeking assistance from them. It wasn't a grand amount but the principle and dishonesty of these people is just unacceptable!

If you live in the U.K. they most likely provide a better service and if you don't have any issues with your order then again you're fine but if you are international and have an issue with an order...well don't expect much help.

Again beware of FRUUGO!!!

Thanks for stopping by 
Remember to: 
Be Safe, Stay Healthy and Create Happy

Signs of Christmas

The signs of Christmas is certainly upon us. The first sign happens just after Thanksgiving when you start to see lights around homes and stores and Christmas trees can be seen in windows. Another sign is the temperature drops and in some places there is snow and of course the commercials change and everything is about Christmas. 

It is a fun time of year although it can be overwhelming and at times stressful. I love the snow but only for a day...just long enough to get a gorgeous photo...you know before it turns to that brown ugly slush (lol)

This card represents the beauty and inviting look you see with the fresh fallen snow covering the earth like a warm white blanket.  

To create this card I used white as my base and blue card-stock that I embossed to add texture to the card.  The detailed die piece is from Amazing Paper Grace collection called Adoria Square Shadowbox frame and then I used Spellbinders Square Nestabilities to create the frame around the photo.

I added Wild Orchid flowers, flat back pearls, a couple of stickpins and metal snowflakes as my embellishments.  I then added Star Dust stickles to everything to add a sparkling shimmer especially on the snow and the house.  To bad it doesn't show up in the photo.

Lastly I decorated the inside to match the card front and then the greeting from Spellbinders to send holiday wishes to the recipient of this card.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Diva's that Cut -  December Winter/Christmas (12/30) (65)
Creatalicious Challenges - #176 ATG/Winter (12/13) (100)
Crafts Galore Encore - #70 ATG (12/30) (73)
Perfect Time to Craft - #12 ATG (12/26) (112)
A Bit More Time to Craft - #105 ATG (12/13) (134)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - #119 ATG (12/13) (115)
Crafty Cardmakers - #247 Christmas (12/21)  (06)

Thanks for stopping by.

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Be Safe, Stay Healthy and Create Happy