Throwback Thursday - A Teddy Bear for a Friend

One of my husband's long term friends enjoys the things I make with crochet. When I asked her what her favorite color was, she didn't seem surprised that I asked. What did surprise her was that I decided to crochet her a teddy bear in that color. It wasn't planned. I wasn't expecting anything in return, as I hardly do.

What it gave me is the happiness and joy at seeing someone else enjoy something I gave to them. It could be food. It could be a hobby project. It could be something I made. It doesn't matter what it is. What matters is that I took time, effort, and love creating something that someone else will love through time.

Although I have many instances of this in my arsenal, I chose this teddy bear because it is an adorable teddy and because it shows no planning. It was a spur of the moment decision. And like that, a Random Act of Kindness was born. Here's the finished product:

Isn't he a cutie? You can find the pattern at these links:
PDF - http://gosyo.co.jp/english/pattern/eHTML/ePDF/1004/amicomo3-34_Amigurumi_Bear.pdf
Ravelry - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amigurumi-bear-2
Gosyo - http://gosyo.co.jp/english/pattern/eHTML/toy_ornament.html

Please note that this pattern does seem like it is just a diagram, but there is numbers in a table that provide the stitch count. This is not a beginner pattern unless you want to jump feet first into learning things like this. It is relatively easy to understand if you know about stitches, increases, and decreases.

What is one of your RAK?

Sarah

New Changes

I started this year with the intention of having every week filled with posts, and two months in that can't happen. It was a great set of intentions, but we all know that life gets in the way of that sometimes. If you do not know it, I graduated college a few months ago with the intention of focusing on my writing career. I have always written something, but it wasn't until December of 2014 that I became published. It is a huge source of pride for me. One that makes me so happy. And something that I want to cultivate.

As any crafter will know, sometimes we have to put our hobbies aside to proceed with life as we want. And that is what I am doing. That does not mean I won't be posting. In fact, in the coming months I will be posting unreleased patterns, updating the free pattern section, and more. What I can tell you is....every one of my patterns on Ravelry are now free!

It would have been nice to continue on trying to get them to sell, but I am not the type of person to chase people around begging for them to buy. So, instead I am going to go with my own personality and provide them for free. I want everyone to enjoy my patterns. I want them to be used and loved by many people instead of bought and coveted by the few.

Here's the link to my Ravelry shop! If you have viewed the pattern, here's your chance since they are FREE!!

What this means is that all my future patterns will also be free. There will be a post on the website, Ravelry upload, and a page dedicated to the pattern on this blog.

Another change is that I will no longer have Craftsy or Facebook. The only place you will be able to find my patterns is this blog and Ravelry. It is just two of many difficult decisions I had to make, but in the long run will be a positive for me as a crafter, as a writer, and for my fans.

Please don't think I will stop posting. I will continue to craft and essentially update my blog to showcase what I make. It just won't be scheduled and 4 days of the week! Even a super woman needs a crafting break!

Until next time,

Sarah

Another Scrappy Saturday - V-day Cards for Kids

Happy Valentine's Day! What a great day for Scrappy Saturday to fall on! I am sure that you are more than ready for the holiday to be over. Don't worry...by the time today is done Easter will have already made its way onto the store shelves. It is getting a bit crazy. And that is coming from a woman who loves holidays. On to today's project...

Okay. I will admit readily that not everything used in these cards are scraps, but some of it is. So it qualifies by a hair. Right?

My inspiration? Well...love and hearts. (gasp) Of course...to match the holiday.

What is the one thing that you might forget to purchase for your children on V-day? Well, that would be small cards to give away for their class. I remember a time when we actually made the cards to give to each other. Only the richer students purchased cards, but I was super happy to get the homemade ones. So when I was thinking of a quick and easy Scrappy Saturday project, this was it! Who wouldn't enjoy making these?


Materials:
Paper cutter
Scissors
Roller tape
Scrap sheets of plain colored card stock (I used red, dark red, pink, and blue)
Scrap sheets of designer paper (I used hearts)
An I love you stamp or similar Valentine's stamp
A (To and From) stamp
Things to embellish if you wish


Dimensions

Plain Colored Card stock - 4 x 2 1/2
Designer Paper - 3 3/4 x 2 1/4

1. Cut all paper first. I made 8 pretty quickly. These are so small that you can make a bunch up with ease.

2. Turn the plain colored card stock over and stamp with the To and From stamps. At this time, also stamp the designer paper with your V-day stamp of choice. Mine is an I (heart) you stamp.

3.  With roller tape, adhere the designer paper to the backing.

4. Congrats, you can embellish now if you wish.

I did choose to embellish with some heart puffy stickers, ribbon, glitter tape, and rhinestones.

Here they are finished. The center one is partly ripped because I pulled too hard on the ribbon. I do not have children, so these are heading to my little nieces and nephews for a surprise piece of mail from Aunt Sarah. But you do not have to use ribbon to embellish. The point is to create quick and easy V-day cards for your child's class. You can go a step further and stamp the outside with an open stamp that they can color! Let your children help!

Happy Valentine's Day

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - I love my Kindle

When I first thought about Valentine's Day, the first thing I really think is pretty horrible. The sentiment behind the holiday is perfect - sharing, caring, love. What bothers me the most is the commercialization surrounding it and the thought that you should only show you love someone near this time of year. Not that this means anything to Throwback Thursday, but I thought I would share.

This Kindle cover is one that I created around 2012 or so with the theme of love. I called it The First Blooms of Love or something like that. It has a little heart that hangs down. Each of the petals on the flower are hearts. It just seemed fitting.

Perhaps it was the love I feel when I look at my Kindle and how much it has changed my life. Maybe not. But, I thought it represents an aspect of my life that I love and appreciate all year long.

That's something I can support and hope that you do as well. If you love someone, let them know all year. Don't wait. It isn't worth the cost of waiting!

Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day,

Sarah

Make it Monday - V-day Cards

Yep! You read that right. Cards! I recently purchased two paper packs. One is 6 x 6 paper and one is 4 x 7 paper. They have no particular theme which makes them perfect for everyday card making. I was inspired when I found three pieces of "heart" papers inside. There was one more that was blue and green, but it remained unused. It would work perfectly for a more "manly" love card. I may make one since I have two men in my life that I love and who I appreciate.

These cards are pretty fast. Once you get the hang of making cards, they come together very quickly. Cut all the mats at once. And have everything at hand. You do NOT need a lot of things to accomplish professional looking cards. I do not have much in the way of stamping materials, but I do purchase some every once in a while. Think outside the box!

Let's get to the project.

Materials
Paper cutter
Scissors
Roller tape
Pop dots
Ribbon
Glitter tape
White card stock for card bases
Red and Pink card stock for Layer 1
Pattern paper for layer 2
Small amount of white card stock for stamps
Love themed stamps
Small amount of red and pink card stock for stamp mat
Rhinestones

Here's the dimensions

Card - 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 when folded. Meaning 8 1/2 x 11 card stock cut in half.
Layer 1 - 4 x 5 1/4
Layer 2 - 3 3/4 x 5

I used 1 red Layer 1 and 2 pink layer 1. I also used three different Layer 2 pattern papers. All of them have a love/heart theme. I used 1 red stitch ribbon measured to around 12 inches. I used 2 pieces of glitter tape measured at 4 and 5 inches. The stamping I measured as I did it. This will vary for you based on the stamp you used.

Here's the first mat completed. This is the red version with red heart pattern paper and stitched red ribbon. 

This shows the pop dots I used to put the stamp on the mat.

Here's the finished product.

Because the layers and bases of this card are the same, I am not going to show the other three cards being made. I am going to show you the finished versions. So here's the other two cards.

(Prima Stamp)

(Sentiment Stamp)

These cards were fun to make and suit my "love" of pink. What are you crafting for V-day?

Sarah

Revealing the Theme - Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has become a highly stressful, commercialized holiday where love is treated like an one-day event. Even though I celebrate love throughout the year, I do enjoy having some delicious chocolates. I do not ever expect a gift from my husband or my loved ones. I prefer to just spend time with them. When I do crochet or craft for them, it is usually something that they enjoy.

If you haven't guessed already, this week's theme is Valentine's Day. I have two awesome projects to accomplish and share with you this week. The first project has a material list below.


Materials
Paper cutter
Scissors
Roller tape
Pop dots
Ribbon
Glitter tape
White card stock for card bases
Red and Pink card stock for Layer 1
Pattern paper for layer 2
Small amount of white card stock for stamps
Love themed stamps
Small amount of red and pink card stock for stamp mat
Rhinestones

Another Scrappy Saturday - A Chocolate Colored Card - Photo Heavy

Let's face it. The last two months of 2014 had us faced with the temptation of calorie laden foods. Then January hit and we were (hopefully) able to get back into the swing of proper eating. And then bam! February hits and every store is laden with more tempting chocolates and candies for a holiday about Love. So when the first week of February ended up being themed chocolate, I had no clue I would be caving and doing a special Food edition of Make it Monday to break the cycle of normal calorie intake! So in an attempt to reign that crazy haired, crazy eyed, Chocolate maniac in, I am going to make a card for Scrappy Saturday.

A chocolate colored card. One without calories. In fact, it burns calories!

The inspiration is the wrapper of a chocolate bar. The sentiment and stamp was chosen to match a Dove chocolate piece that has an inspirational saying inside. (I so love Dove milk chocolate. Yum!)



Materials:
A paper cutter
Scissors
Roller Tape
Scott's Magic Tape (transparent or similar brand)
Acrylic block
Stamp set
Staz-on Brown Ink
Tim Holtz Distress ink in Walnut
A sponge (I use a makeup sponge - super cheap.)
Silver or gold thread
1 card base (white)- 5 1/2 x 4 1/4
Layer 1 (tan) - 5 1/4 x 4
Layer 2 (designer paper) - 5 x 3 3/4
Scrap piece of white paper
Scrap piece of tan paper for stamp mats


Remember: The stamps I use or the paper is relatively easy to change for what you have on hand. Use this as a guide.

Before starting - I cut all my papers and base to have them ready.

1. I started by stamping my sentiment and stamp on white card stock. I always stamp on a larger sheet and cut them out by hand.

2. Using Tim Holtz, Walnut Distress ink, I sponge around the outside edge of both stamped images to create a contrast on the tan background.

3. Adhere (roller tape) the stamped images to the tan background, and hand cut them out.

4. Here they are cut out.

5. Using a piece of Scott's tape, adhere the gold (or silver) thread onto the back of the designer paper.

6. Wrap it around how many ever times you wish. I chose five. Once you like the look, cut the thread and attach with another piece of tape on the back.

7. Using roller tape, attach Layer 2 to Layer 1. Then attach with roller tape to the card base.

8. Using pop dots or foam tape adhere your stamps to the front. I positioned my flower near the center of the card with the sentiment at the bottom. You could easily adhere the flower in the center and use the sentiment inside.

And that is my chocolate inspired card. Who couldn't use a push to enjoy life's moments? We all get lost in life sometimes. Having a push in the right direction is great!

Happy Saturday!

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - The Color Chocolate

There is something about the color brown that pulls at my tension and allows me to just relax around it. Perhaps it is the connection between chocolate (the candy) and the chemical reactions it gives to humans that creates that relaxation. What I know is that I am the type of girl that loves chocolate and Tiffany blue together. So much in fact that my living room and bedroom have those color themes. 

When I make cards, I usually try to find a theme. It could start with the first layer color or a piece of ribbon. The Throwback card I am sharing today is one that I made around a stamp. I found this stamp and a few others in the clearance section of JoAnn's online. It was when I first started stamping. I instantly fell in love with the hand drawn feel of it. The lines are so delicate. And it just fit.

So I used the owl as inspiration, but stuck to creams and browns as my color theme. As you can see, it turned out to be a good choice. Chocolate on Chocolate on cream filled chocolate. This is my chocolate share for the week.

What is your go-to colors?

Happy Birthday Card

I mentioned in my previous PB cup post today that it is my hubby's birthday. In my crafting last week, I managed to covertly make him a birthday card to go with his surprise peanut butter cups made by my roommate and myself. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time figuring out "manly" cards. It is not like my husband is picky, but the paper I usually buy is not the right color scheme for men. I do have some fishing paper and such, but I have YET to see my husband with a fishing pole. I would be more likely to pick one up than him. LOL!

Recently, I purchased two new paper packs. One of them was a 6x6 pack and the other was a 4x7 pack. In the 6x6 pack, I found a blue streaked paper that seemed like a good choice to use. It is on the darker side, which meant I could use black as a mat and a ribbon (yep...ribbon for a man). What I added as an afterthought seems weird in hindsight, but...I did make the card with love.

I am not going to provide any dimensions or instructions on this card. I am just sharing something I made. It may provide some inspiration for that man in your life.

Here it is:

What I love about this is I chose to put the ribbon at an angle. It creates a unique look. Whether he likes it or not, I made it with my heart and lots of love.

Sarah

The Candy Corner - Make it Monday - Peanut Butter Cups - Photo Heavy

Besides being the week of chocolate, this Make it Monday falls on my hubby's birthday. Each year we dedicate a certain amount of money for a birthday gift with a cake and a special dinner. This year (like most) my hubby wants to buy a digital game pack. Yep...he is a gamer. Much more than I am for sure. What I am as a craft is him with games. So, that leaves me with no physical gift to really get him. I asked him what he wanted for dinner and a cake. His answer was "I don't care." He isn't very helpful, but on the positive side, he is not very fussy. What I did want to do is create something for him on his birthday!

So...the theme of chocolate has made me think in the last few weeks of what I could do with that theme and with my skill set that he would actually enjoy. Well, I have to say that this one left me stumped. Normally here on Dande Creations I choose to do paper crafts, crochet, or other such crafts. Not only does he not enjoy most of that, but I couldn't think of a single thing I could do that would fit the typical crafts found on this blog.

Next best thing? Well...making some REAL chocolates.

I recently discovered a blog post on Pinterest that had me interested - Peanut Butter cups.  My husband loves peanut butter cups. So when I stumbled across these, I knew I found my craft.

This is a special edition of Make it Monday. Cooking and baking or chocolate making is not a common craft here, but since this falls perfectly on my hubby's birthday and the theme of chocolate...I am doing it.

What you will need:
A pot
A cupcake tin
A glass bowl
2 tablespoon
Paper cupcake holders
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used two heaping tablespoons.)
1/8 cup of powdered sugar
1 tbsp of butter - softened
2 tsp Crisco (optional - it provides shine)

First, gather your ingredients and materials. As you can see, I did not use name brand. You can use Reese's peanut butter and milk chocolate if you wish. In my house we use creamy peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate.

I gathered my pot, cupcake tin, a glass bowl, and the cupcake liners. These liners are 1 dollar (V-day edition) at the Dollar General. It's close enough to V-day to use them, but who cares right? You can alternatively do this in the microwave. Just heat the chocolate and Crisco at 20-30 second intervals until they are smooth.

Line the cupcake tins. It is much easier to do this while your chocolate is melting. I was bored in between the prep and the melting chocolate.

Fill your pot with about two inches of water. *IMPORTANT* Do not allow the water to touch the bottom of the pot. So before you put the chocolate in, put your bowl into the pot to check.

Pour 2/3 of the bag of chocolate chips into the bowl and turn on the stove eye at 6. Set aside the last 1/3 for tempering.

Once it started to melt, I added my Crisco. Simply because I forgot to put it in.

These are well loved pans and pots! Take a tablespoon of chocolate and put it into the cupcake liner. Smooth it from the center to the outside, making sure to hit all parts of the side. Repeat through all 12 liners. Resist the urge to lick the spoon! I know. It's hard, but you will run out of chocolate.

This is what you get. Now bang it on the table or counter to release air bubbles. Place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes until firm. I think we took ours out at 7 minutes.

While the bottoms are inside the fridge, take your peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter. Add them to a bowl. I used a measuring cup for no other reason than it was within reach. LOL!

It will look something like this. Delicious and peanut buttery!

Remove the bases from the fridge when they are set. They will look something like this. You can see the chocolate has a shine, which is from the Crisco.

Place a half tablespoon of peanut butter (roughly) in each liner. I wasn't neat. There is no need to be as these are for a man who just doesn't care what they look like. It's more important what they taste like!

Smooth the peanut butter out just like the chocolate until it reaches the edge. The point of this is to show each layer when the candies are done!

Repeat the process with the top layer of chocolate. I forgot to take a picture! I was so good at every stage of the process and forgot that >.< Oh well right? It is the same process as the first layer of chocolate and the peanut butter.

Here's the finished product - special with a thumb print on it.

The cups are going to have more of set in the fridge until they are FULLY hardened. You just remove the paper and eat!

I am sure my husband is going to love his gift. I can assure you that they taste delicious. He will be receiving 1 less cup, but it's taste control right? Well...either way that's my story and I am sticking to it.

Until Next Time,

Sarah

Revealing the Theme - Chocolate

Okay! That's it. Let's be 100% honest. The chocolate holiday is coming up. I don't call it love because love is about more than just one day in a commercialized holiday. So, the whole essence of V-day for me really stems with an enjoyment for chocolate. Do those individuals around me love me? Yep! I know it all year. I don't need a day to show it......but chocolate, I do need a day to love. In this case, a whole week to love chocolate here at Dande Creations.

If you haven't noticed it yet, this week's theme is CHOCOLATE!

Perhaps my love of chocolate comes down to biological issues or the fact that I grew up in the 80s where chocolate was not just a treat, but a way of life. Who can resist the great mouth feel after eating chocolate or the mood boosting aspect?

Okay....there are some people out there that do resist, but I am not you and you aren't me. And it takes an awful lot of will power to resist.

Without a doubt, I absolutely love Dove Milk Chocolate. I would eat it every day, but well....it isn't healthy. And while I may have a weakness for chocolate of any kind, I do have to think about the ramifications of eating chocolate in my 30s.

So back to crafting. I would LOVE to tell you that this week is only a prelude to the calorie inducing aspect of chocolate, but I can't. I am doing a special edition of Make it Monday where I actually craft something with chocolate - the real kind. I promise that the rest of the week is dedicated to chocolate "colors" in crafts instead of the actual thing.

Here's the material list for Make it Monday:

A pot
A cupcake tin
A glass bowl
2 tablespoon
Paper cupcake holders
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used two heaping tablespoons.)
1/8 cup of powdered sugar
1 tbsp of butter - softened
2 tsp Crisco (optional - it provides shine)


As you probably guessed, this is an actual food crafting session here at Dande Creations. It is part of my potentially new idea - The Candy Corner. I will readily admit that I am a chocolate and candy type of girl. I love to bake. And the guys truly love when I do bake. So, as part of 2015 I may provide special editions of Make it Monday as The Candy Corner. I can't wait to share this week with you.

Sarah