A little birdie told me it was almost Valentine's Day. Well you know what they say, birds of a feather flock together. As in this little card.
A couple tricks on this card too. Let's start with the blue embossed frame in the background. I fussy cut it after embossing. Then there's the heart outline die cut, like in previous posts. But here's a new one...I used the cover from an Anna Griffin cardstock paper pad to cut the birds. Ha! I die cut the heart with the bird centered and then fussy cut the other bird, which then I attached with foam dots. Some more glitter glue here and there, and it's done. The flowers and sentiment image is a collage card topper, which I cut in order to slide the large bird heart die cut beneath.
See more Anna Griffin fan crafts at #theannabelles!
Miles of smiles,
More love to go around! This sweet little number was created with Anna Griffin paper and die cuts. Oh surprise, right? Pink patterned card base, but I just could NOT cover up that lovely flower in the center of the pattern. So, I framed it! First with a gold foil frame, then with a white outline heart die cut (again, using the negative space of a previous die cut). I layered the Love words and added glitter dots. An embossed and inked strip along the left edge. Then embellished with a fan, die cut foil heart, die cut arrow (not AG), and flower also glittered. I did cut the tassel off the fan to then weave it through the heart and remain within the border of the card. A tiny pearl to the heart and the gold foil frame, and voila! Complete Valentine for somebody special.
All these and more Anna Griffin fan crafts at #theannabelles. Come find us!
Miles of smiles,
Love You Valentine. Started with a pink patterned Anna Griffin card base, added gold flourishes, roses stickers, patterned heart, die cut heart, sentiment, and pink velvet bow. Ok so the trick here is that after I die cut a white heart, I used the negative space to create another image. It's not anything new here, you've probably all seen this done before. But it creates a new image and gives you more options with your metal dies. All you do is manually with scissors and very carefully (!) cut around the negative space left in the cardstock after you run it through your machine. I am totally crushing on this velvet ribbon. Nothing says Valentine like velvet. Am I right?!
Visit my sista and I at #theannabelles for more Anna Griffin fan crafts and other fun projects we whip up.
Thanks!
Miles of Smiles,
I made a lot of Valentines this year, so bear with me. I was unusually inspired by the holiday. This card is of course, mostly Anna Griffin. The tan card base is highlighted with a white heart die cut, gold foil leaves, red foil heart die cut, rose stickers, sentiment tag, patterned ribbon, and red feathers. Yes, feathers! I saved that for last, because...FEATHERS! lol
Visit #theannabelles on Instagram for more fun Anna Griffin fan crafts and inspiration!
Miles of Smiles,
I think of this card as "non-traditional" Valentine colors. I mean I'm sure vintage Valentines have blue in them, but I feel like recent years the usual reds and pinks are prevalent.
I can say this card is 100% Anna Griffin. Wait, dang it. Ok well if you don't count the glitter glue, blue sequins, and ink. lol Close enough.
The card base is a pale green with some pink. I cut the blue die cut in half and attached each piece at an angle in opposite corners. I added a blue sequin to each piece. I then added a Valentine collage topper and tucked a couple green die cut leaves under it. The flower is made of different die cuts, inked and curled, with a blue sequin in the center.
The pink heart die cut is tricky. After I die cut the inside heart (as seen on the previous card), I realized I could cut closely around the negative space to get an outline heart. I attached it with teenie-beanie foam dots. Finally I added gold glitter glue to the heart, the flower centers, and the stamens/petals of the blue die cut flower.
Maybe this could be a more "masculine" Valentine? Who knows.
Remember come find me and my sista on Instagram sharing our Anna Griffin fan crafts and other fun stuff: TheAnnabelles.
Thanks!
Miles of Smiles.
Yes, another Valentine! You can see where my head is at! I think the only thing NOT Anna Griffin on this card is the ribbon. And I couldn't even tell you what brand that is. Oh, and the glitter glue.
I started with a flower patterned card base, cut a large red die cut in half and put the halves on the top and bottom of the card. I topped that with a Valentine collage card topper attached with foam dots. A pink and a gold heart die cut flanks the collage, both also attached with foam dots. I then added the flower, the ribbon bow, and gold glitter glue to the hearts.
You can see all these cards and more on the new Instagram page for TheAnnabelles. My sista and I are such huge fans of Anna Griffin, we started calling ourselves the Annabelles and show our fan crafts on this Instagram. Come follow us! #theannabelles
Much appreciated!
Miles of smiles,
Here's another Valentine's Day card I made. Sometimes I think black accents make any card elegant and classy. Not sure if that's the case here, but the black really does pop off the card.
This card is 99% Anna Griffin. The card base, black die cut, heart die cuts, Love word layered die cuts, and flowers. I added my own ribbon, red pearls to the corners, 2 adorable pink resin roses, and some Stickles glitter glue accenting the die cuts.
I really love embossing foil cardstock. On this card the red heart is a shiny foil, but the gold heart is more of a matte foil/metallic cardstock. And of course, the pink card base has lovely shiny gold foil in it. Love it.
Miles of Smiles,
Here's another sweet Valentine card using mostly Anna Griffin products. Roses create a divine card base, topped with a light green die cut (the inside of the frame from my previous post), and then a Be My Valentine collage card topper. I added the cute green bow, rose sticker, red foil heart die cut, and love die cut. The love word is die cut from craft foam. The foil accents are so lovely.
Who will be MY Valentine? hmmm...?
Miles of Smiles,
I'm really into decorating and creating for Valentine's Day lately. I made a few Valentine cards using mostly Anna Griffin items. I mean her damask patterns, lovely flowers, die cuts, and card toppers are serious perfection for a romantic holiday like Valentine's Day. I can't get enough.
This card started with a rose patterned card base, topped with a pastel green frame die cut. I added the rosie red colored damask patterned cardstock beneath the Valentine collage card topper. I then embellished with die cut leaves, heart, and flowers. I also added the gray resin roses which I think add a special something and added dimension to the card.
This is just soft, yummy and oh so romantic. Don't you think?
Miles of Smiles,
Yes, I now am the proud owner of a tiered serving tray. I've been obsessed with finding one the past couple of weeks. Although it is not the exact style I was searching for, it will do for my purposes. I really hate when I get an idea in my head, and can't find what I want, or can't find it at a reasonable price. When I was considering purchasing a tiered tray, as usual I did some research. Which led to very definitive specifications. I wanted it to be 3 tiers, square or rectangle, with straight sides (not angled), not too deep, or too tall, not ceramic or stoneware, and not too fancy or too rustic for that matter. Pretty specific, right? So obviously I did not succeed with it being square or rectangle. But after I gussy'd this one up for Valentine's Day, I wasn't so opposed to the round shape. And the black paint makes for a nice background. This will do. Until one day when the universe presents to me the perfect three tiered tray that I've dreamed of, and it's on sale, and I still want it. lol
For this display, I used 2 wooden plank hearts (red/white and pink/white), stitched felt hearts, clothespins, Lenox kitten, swan sisal ornament, Avon mouse bride perfume bottle, 2 vintage pink sherry glasses, a crystal candlestick, 2 pink paper rosettes, a small heart crock, flameless candle, black & white yarn balls, and various silk flowers and moss.
Miles of Smiles,
Gosh it's been a while since my last post. The last months of the year are always a whirlwind of activity. Starting about mid-September. There is usually something going on every weekend for us. It started this year in September with Hurricane Irma. Then it was our vacation out to Colorado, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Then the B's birthday. October, Halloween festivities. November, the Anna Griffin Create event in Atlanta, my birthday, Thanksgiving, the 'rents visit. Decorating for Christmas. B's work holiday party. Disney Holiday Hotel Hopping Extravaganza (H3E). Christmas pot luck at work. Our house Christmas party. Christmas break. Our year to travel North to visit family (which is it's own mini whirlwind).
And now it's the new year. Looking back at 2017 there were a lot of disappointments and heart break. Probably one of the worst years, at least in terms of the overall amount of negativity. I try to remember that my challenges, heart break, and difficulties are small compared to others. But it still gets to me. It still makes me scared, or makes me cry, or makes me angry. It crushes my spirit, just a little bit, then a little bit more, and even more. And then I have to get up each day and pretend like it doesn't. Because that's what people expect from me. To be happy, enthusiastic, supportive, understanding, upbeat, easygoing, free spirited, thoughtful, and engaging. So instead of bringing everyone around me down, I will quietly cry on my commute, or before I fall asleep, or in the bathroom at work. I can pretend to be normal for everyone else, and one day I will again be those things that they all expect without me having to work at it. It just takes time. That's life. And yeah, it's pretty depressing. And for anyone reading this, hang on, I'm changing the tone....
There were many really cool experiences in 2017 too. I have to remember that. January, the Rolex 24 race with some dear friends (go pink car!). Our trip to Louisville to see the largest fireworks display in the US, and the Hunger Games museum tour. Night tour of the haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Our first cruise! Summer half-day Friday lunches with friends. The solar eclipse! Fourth of July dinner at Disney with friends. Full family and extended family vacation at Disney. Our vacation to Colorado/North Dakota/Wyoming: national monuments and historic hotels galore. Meeting Anna Griffin at the Create event on my birthday weekend! The Annabelles. Disney H3E. Kirwan Christmas Party. Visiting the spot where General Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night.
So there you have it. Every bad side has a good side. Every tear, a smile. Here's a few pics from the last year to remind me that things aren't all bad, and there's lots of good things to come.
Miles of Smiles (cuz that's what you expect, right?)
