Creations by AR Blog Hop

Hello Friends! Welcome to the Creations by AR blog hop!!! Today, Creations by AR is releasing 3 new cutting file templates! Whoohoo! Each Designer will give away one of the new templates, so you'll have plenty of chances to win! To participate, bBe sure to comment my post and hop on to the other designers' blogs and comment as well. . . you have multiple chance of winning!!

Amy Park

Andrea Budjack
Magdalena Cortez
Maria Bell (Me)
Silvia Mabie
Nikki Schmaltz
Mandy Gill
Adela Rossol

This super cute tea bag holder was created using the "Tea Cottage" cutting file. I wanted my tea bag holder to be more permanent so I constructed it with fabric! Yup, fabric!! Actually, what I did was cut the template on card stock and using liquid stitch, I adhered fabric to the each shape and sewn parts of them together so they would hold together. The front bottom actual opens up so you can remove your tea bags.

I added a bit of lace, paper roses and beads as well. I did line part of the tea holder with designer paper because I couldn't cut the window opening on fabric but the rest of the holder was lined with fabric.

For the roof, I did add batting before I sewn the fabric on. I wanted it to have a cushion look to the roof. Constructing this project was actually very easy. The instructions were easy to follow so you shouldn't have any problems putting it together.

Okay. . .this little box is super cool. You'll see what I mean in the following photos! This box was created using the "Now That's Smashing" template. The leaf on the pencil was created using the "Leaves" cutting file. To complete the look, I added a daisy flower to the pencil.

Okay here is the cool part. . .the box top actually smashes down to close the box. You would push the top down and it closes. With this picture, the box is half way down. The top picture is with the top smashed down completely at a close position.

To open the box, you pull the top part of the box up and it opens up! So cool! I tell ya' this box is super easy and super fun! I love it!!

There is one more template being released today but I didn't have time to create a sample of it. It's a tea pot pull up card (Pot O'Tea) that goes well with the "Tea Cottage" tea bag holder.

Okay, now go hop on to the other designers' blog and don't forget to comment! Good luck!

Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

Another Mixed Media Layout

Hi Friends! Happy Monday! I decided to work on another mixed media layout last night and believe it or not this layout only took me less than an hour to create because I didn't have to go through my scrap stash to look for matchy matchy embellishments. I brushed Gesso to the center of the layout and just painted over it with purple and blue acrylic paint. It's kinda messy looking but it was really fun painting and drawing!

I stamped the hearts and word "fun" drew in the rest of the design and wrote a little journaling. I then found the flowers and lace sitting on my desk and stuck them on! Quick stuff. I'm having fun painting the design . . .I have difficulties creating layouts the traditional way because I spend so much time trying to figure out what to add to my layout and finding stuff that match so I think I prefer this random way of creating a layout!

I used my Making Memories foam stamps to design the heart and outlined them with SU Markers. I then added Stickles Iridescent paint to create the dots!

I know. . .it looks kinda messy but I kinda like it messy looking.. . LOL! What I love the best is in person the paint gives the layout a lot of nice textures and that it's my own expression . . .my own drawing and painting. Fun stuff!!

Anyway, I think I'm going make another one . . .I'm having so much fun creating these mixed media layouts.

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday

Butterfly Blog Linky Party - Mixed Media Layout

Hello Friends!! I decided to play along in Eva's (For the Love of Life" Butterfly Blog Linky Party! Yay! How fun! The linky party is to create anything with a "butterfly" somewhere on your project. Well I decided to create a mixed media layout! I'm not a scrapbooker. . .and actually, I'm quite inept when it comes to creating layouts. It's one of my limitations, unfortunately.

But. . .I decided to take a crack at create one using mixed media materials. I recently purchased a "Somerset Memories" magazine and oh my gosh, I was so INSPIRED with the mixed media scrapbook layouts. It's something I prefer doing than the traditional layout because you actually draw and paint parts of your design and you can add different materials that not are really related to scrapbooking like fabric. I love the idea!!

So . . . I added Gesso on to the center of the layout and painted blue, yellow and brown colors using watercolors and iridescent acrylic paint. I know. . .my painting looks a bit muddy up but I was in a rush to create the layout and didn't allow the paint and watercolor to dry before I added a new color but that's okay. . .it adds character to the layout. . .LOL!!!!


I drew the flourishes, leaves and stamped the flowers and butterflies with foam stamps using acrylic paint. I outlined the images using my Stampin Up Markers.

I think I messed up the fabric by painting it with the acrylic paint. . .it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it but that's okay. The picture is of my daughter when she was 14. My printer died on me a week ago so I had to use a photo that I had printed in the past. I like this photo of her.


You can't tell in the photo but the paint is shimmery and very layered. In person it's very textured. . .unfortunately, my camera couldn't capture the textures and shimmers.

Anyway . . .stop by Eva's blog and check out all the other participants creations. Join in by creating something with a butterfly and link your blog post so you can be part of the party! Have fun!!

Scroll down to my previous post and check out the fabric tote that I had sewn yesterday!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday evening!!!

Tammy's Surprise Birthday Blog Hop and Paper and Fabric Hanging Art Project Tutorial

Hello Friends!!! Welcome to Tammy's (Stamp Happy) Surprise Birthday Blog Hop!! Before I begin, I just want to wish Tammy a wonderful birthday filled with joy, love, and lots of celebration! Whoohoo!!

Next in the blog hop: Maki Jones

If you happen to get lost in the hop, here is the list of participants in the celebration:

Barbara Anders
LeAnne Pugliese
Kristin Eberline
Frances Byrne
Julie Koerber
Betty Wright
Joanne Grzelak
Vicki Garrett
Heather Stephens
Danielle Kennedy
Jessie Rone
Broni Holcombe
Laura Pryor
Lynda Benden
Cathy Rulli
Julie Masse
Lori Tecler
Maria Bell - (Me)
Maki Jones
Cindy Haffner
Dee Jackson
Kate from i{heart}papers

Okay. . .because Tammy is a special gal, I wanted to create something different to celebrate her birthday. I decided to mix fabric with paper and create a hanging art stuff. I'm not sure what you call it. . .:)


I covered a square frame that I cut out of a 8x11" chipboard and added some batting and covered it with fabric. I then covered an 8x11" chipboard with designer paper and cut out scrap fabric from the pajama capri i posted the other day and paper pieced them together to make a cake. Wanna hear something funny. . .before I added the candles to the cake, I had shown my husband my creation and he asked "what is that a picture of?", I said "what do you think it is?" and he said "a hat?" A hat!! What the heck? Can't he recognize a cake when he sees one. Geez Louise. . .so just in the case others will think it's a hat, I added the candles for safe measures! LOL!

With the same fabrics I created a few fabric roses. To create the roses, I used this tutorial but instead of using ribbons, I used strips of fabric. Easy peasy. . try it out! I embellished the frame and cake with frame and paper flowers. .. all fun stuff!

Anyway. . .I added a tutorial for this project if you can't figure out how I made it and want to try it out. . :)

Fabric and Paper Hanging Art Project

Okay. . .now be sure to hop on to Maki's Blog and join us in celebrating Tammy's birthday. Be sure to stop by Tammy's blog: Stamp Happy and wish her a lot of love and birthday wishes as well!!!

This project is linked to the following linky parties as well. . .