DIY Any Season, Inexpensive, and Easy Wreath + Bow tutorial

Hello. Who is enjoying the cooler weather? I know I would, if we had any. But it is still pretty warm here. That, though, does not stop me from decorating my home with fall colors, and changing my screen saver to a fall one. I just love the gorgeous yellow, orange, and rusty red colors found in this season. Besides, it reminds me that CHRISTmas is around the corner. Yoo-hoo!! This year my family and I are also celebrating the 1st year in our new home, and that's why I decided to make the wreaths for our front door. They were not difficult to make, so I decided to share the tutorial with you.

 

Supplies you will need

I bought the vines at Michaels with my coupons, of course.  Here is the link with the tutorial for the bow. You can find the leaf garland at the dollar stores. The apple branches with flowers are from Southern Hospitality, but you can use different fruit and/or flowers depending on which season you will be using your wreath. And I'm pretty sure you have a glue gun, and glue stickers. If not, you can find them anywhere, even Walmart,  for a very reasonable price.
Glue the leaf garland on the vine first (I needed 2 for each wreath). I took some leaves out of the garland and glued them where I wanted them to stay. Glue the fruit branch, then glue the bow. Voilà, your wreath is ready. It can't get easier than that, and you can make one for each season or different holidays. 

Thank you for stopping by

God bless you, and Happy Fall,

Vanías Reed   

Wedding/Bridal Shower Card

Yay!! We are in the 'ber' months. Yesterday I caught myself singing in a store "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere...". I stopped right there - a little embarrassed, I confess - when I noticed someone right behind me. Oops. But while I wait anxiously for Christmas - believe me I get more excited than my 9-year-old son - LOL, I go on creating other greeting cards for the special people in my life. I made the one I'm posting today for a sweet young lady's bridal shower. I saw the idea for 'His' and 'Hers' towels on Pinterest, then I put my own spin on it. Here it is.

Supplies used
Paper: Sky blue, light blue, white, brown cardstock, and wedding scrapbook paper.
Tools: Embossing/cutting machine, brick wall, and diamonds embossing folders, decorative label die, medium label punch, mini rectangle punch, 1/8 circle punch, 3D foam glue dots, crochet hook, embroidering thread, computer, and printer.
Embellishments: Doves and hearts stickers, towel bar, self stick silver pearls (used as "screws" on the towel bar), crochet edging on the towels, double layer label. I die cut two labels, then fussy cut them in the middle, where I used the blue label for my sticker. The decorative labels were used as a frame. 

 

If you don't crochet, it's ok because you can make the edge for the towels out of the paper too.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you are having a wonderfully blessed day.

Vanías Reed    

Scrapbook Paper Birthday Card

One of the things I enjoy the most is the expression of joy people make when they receive a handmade card. The big smile combined with the sparkle in their eyes tell me they really like what they see. That is a tremendous motivation for me to keep making greeting cards. Is it for you too? What motivates you to do what you do? Do you surprise people with cards "just because"? Sometimes it doesn't take a long time, too much work, or even expensive material to make someone feel special, does it?  Here is a card I made that put a smile in my cousin's face.

Supplies Used
Paper: Black, white, black glittered cardstock, and scrapbook patterned paper.
Tools: Cutting/ embossing machine, happy birthday embossing folder (Cuttlebug), balloon punch, 1/8 in ribbons, bakers twine, small glitter numbers
Embellishment: handmade gift boxes, gift box stickers, balloons

The white embossed paper is glued to a black card (the picture doesn't show it very well - sorry).
Thank you for checking out my project. I hope you make one too. 

God bless you,  

Vanias Reed

Baby Card Using Owl Punch Builder

Hi there. Being a Mom is an amazing - sometimes exhausting - experience. It is a constant learning process. I love to spend time with my son, home school him, and watch him grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually every day. One thing we enjoy doing together is to watch DVDs that I recorded when he was a baby/ toddler. Those memories are so important and special. The other day we decided to watch the DVD I have with my baby shower. That inspired me to create a card for a young lady who's expecting, and whose baby shower was last week. Here is the card.

Supplies and techniques used
Paper: Light blue, white, mustard, gold, and green cardstock. Pattern scrap paper.
Tools: Embossing/cutting machine, clouds embossing folder, circle die, precision scissors, owl builder punch
Embellishments: bakery twine for cloth line, white and black miniature self-stick pearls, 'Welcome Baby' 3D sticker, overalls.
Techniques: dry embossing, fussy cutting (used for car on blue overall, sheep on plaid overall, to make the leg opening on overalls, grass)

Celebrate babies everywhere. If you have one, enjoy him/her every minute. Don't let the (much) work that parenting requires worn you out. Laugh at whatever goes wrong, and try, try, try again. Be the best parent you can be, and try to relax and create beautiful things. Babies are and always will be an inspiration.

Thank you for stopping by, and my the creator of all human beings bless you and yours. 

Vanías Reed   

Gate Fold Get Well Card

Hi there. Are you an active person? One of those people who will only be happy if you are doing something, especially for others? I have a friend who's like that. She is constantly helping someone, always doing something. Unfortunately, setting up a volleyball net for a game in our church, she hurt both feet. I feel so sorry for her because I know how hard it is for her to stay in bed instead of being out there working, helping, doing the things she likes. So I made her a card, and that's the card I'm posting today.

Supplies and techniques used
Paper: Plum and white cardstock
Tools: Cutting/embossing machine, tulip frame embossed folder (Sizzix)
Stamp: Get Well Soon
Embellishments: black self adhesive pearls, "foot" wrapped with gauze.

Techniques:
Dry Embossing and fussy cutting


Find the tutorial for the Gate Fold card here. 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. Have a wonderfully blessed week.

Vanías Reed   

One stamp - Two cards

Hello. Is it just me, or is everyone amazed by how the time is going by fast? July is almost over people!!! Soon I will be enjoying a cooler weather. Yay!! So today I'm posting my last Christmas in July card, better yet, CARDS - two of them.  The reason why I'm posting two cards is because I used the same stamp to make them. So, here they are.

Supplies used for this card

Paper: Red, white cardstock

Tools: cutting/embossing machine, snowflakes embossing folder, rectangle embossing diffuser, border die, colored pencils, gold glitter gel pen

Stamp: Christ is born

Embellishments: gold ribbon, medium self stick pearl                              

Supplies used for this card

Paper: White cardstock, midnight blue scrapbook paper

Tools: Cutting/ embossing machine, stars and swirl embossing folder, rectangle embossing diffuser, stars border punch, colored pencil, glitter silver and gold gel pens

Stamp: Christ is born!

Isn't it great when one idea triggers another one? That's what happened to me when I made the first card. 

Thank you for checking out my blog. I hope my Christmas in July ideas inspired you to get ahead of the game and get your Christmas crafts going.

                                                        God bless you, 
                                                                                                                  Vanías Reed

 

Helpful Tips (Revised)

When I started this blog 2 years ago, I never knew I would be led to start a small business. It is amazing how God directs us to ways we don't even think about. My second post two years ago was about some tips I was given which have helped me to this day. After reading that post, I decided to revise it and re-post it. Here it is.

1. Don't buy stickers, or any material just because they look cute, or are on sale. You will be spending a lot of money on things you won't use.
2. Start slow and simple. There are so many choices out there on what to use on a scrapbook page or to make cards, and that can be a bit overwhelming. So, before you start buying, and buying, and buying... make a list to see what you need. Look for clearance, sales, and COUPONS!!! 
3. Sign up to receive craft stores emails. They will send you coupons. Why pay $120.oo for a cutting/embossing machine, when you can pay half of that? Why not buy two embossing folders for the price of one?
4. Always check your craft store sales first. DO NOT buy anything on Ebay or Amazon unless the price is much better, and  the seller's feedback is at least 99.8 POSITIVE.
5. Stock up what you know you WILL USE more than once.
6. Look for items in your home. You will be amazed with the amount of different material you can use that you ALREADY HAVE! Such items can be well-used dryer sheets, grocery- store paper bags, fabric, ribbons, laces, etc.
7. Remember, creating something to give to that special someone is about doing what you like, enjoying the process, thinking of another human being, and having fun.

I hope these tips were helpful to you as much as they have been to me.
Feel free to ask any questions.

Thank you so much for stopping by. 
God bless you,

Vanías Reed