Kindness is a Blessing

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Hi everyone!

It has already been a week since my last post and I can't believe it's been that long. I gave myself some time to be with my children and hubby. The weather has been nice and we just needed to be out in it. I've also been playing with a lot of new things these days and you'll see a few of them in my project today (they'll be starred in the end of the post under Details).

I used this fabulous digital stamp from InStyle Stamps called Label 1 to enclose a sentiment from the Waltzingmouse Stamps called Blessed By You. I colored the label with markers and then sponged around the oval for an aged look, it wasn't enough so I used some Ranger Crackle Paint over the oval section and some Glossy Accents for the flowers and leaves. This forced me to walk away and play with my family...just so my label would get all cracked up.

The card is a sketch challenge from The Shabby Tea Room. I rotated it to fit the label and the card base though.

The companion piece is a tea bag book. These have been around the papercrafting world for years, but I have not done one since blogging , so now I have, LOL. The instructions I used are from SCS here. I wasn't so quick enough to go to the Resources section at SCS for instructions. They show using the ribbon differently and as a closure tie, so I made up a closure all my own that looks like a toggle closure of a coat.

A decade or so ago I was given a necklace...gorgeous indeed... made with a mix of wooden beads covered wtih origami paper and also meticulously rolled paper beads. That's where I got my idea to make the toggle.

If your curious, I created my bead from 1 x 2 inches black cardstock cut diagonally from the center of one short side to the corners of the opposite end to make a tall triangle. I put glue on 3/4 of the inside of the triangle and started rolling the 1-inch end around my skinny crochet hook (think thin wooden skewer size) and once it was dry enough I threaded my ribbon by pushing it through with the hook. Then I just made a loop for the other side and adhered it between the cover and sleeve. If I did it again, I would cut the cardstock even longer, maybe 3 or 4 inches by 1 inch, so that the bead would be more round...but this size works fine too. Test out where you need the loop and how big before you tape it altogether.

Okay that's it. Sorry for all the babbling...I just want to chat I guess. LOL

Details:
Card Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches
Tea bag Book size: 3 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches
Stamps: InStyle Label 1*, WMS Blessed by You*
Paper: LSS Cream CS and Text, Tracing Paper, Basic Black, LSS pink and green CS
Ink: Laserjet, Graphite Black, Pretty in Pink, Ranger Antique Linen and Tea Dye, Prismacolor Markers**.
Accessories: Impressabilities Flowers*, Nestabilities Fancy Tags, Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace edge border, SU! Trio Flower punch, Martha Stewart Frond punch, Kaisercraft yellow pearls, LSS cream satin ribbon, SU! Pretty in Pink Grosgrain ribbon, LSS pink organdy ribbon, black eyelets, and I would be lost if I didn't have my ISP tape from iheartpapers (red line or tacky tape)

**Prismacolor Marker Details: Label1 Flower - Ballet Pink, Raspberry, Tulip Yellow, Goldenrod, Spring Green, Emerald; Frame - Bronze, Sepia; Punched flowers and leaves - Ballet Pink, Spring Green, Emerald

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