Using the Old to Make New

Ok, so I'm a little OCD when it comes to OCC, Operation Christmas Child. My hubby tells me that these days I eat, sleep, and breathe OCC and he's right. I'm constantly combing through Pinterest looking for ideas of things I can make for my shoeboxes. When I go in any store, I'm looking to see if there is something on clearance or on sale that I can buy for my shoeboxes. After Valentine, when items were 50%  and 75% off, I bought 1500 suckers to go in shoeboxes, both my personal ones and the ones at the packing party we will do at church. I know National Collection Week is not until the week before Thanksgiving but suckers are things that will last a long time.

So I saw some cute felt dress up dolls that I thought would be perfect for my shoeboxes. I looked as several sites to try to find some free patterns. I finally found one but the patterns were so small that my hands would curl up permanently if I tried to cut them out. Then it hit me! I still have scads of the old Sizzix dies that I used to use with my Sizzix machine. And they will work in my newer Big Shot machine. I have the doll body, dresses, overalls, bath time, shoes, and some where hidden around here, I know I still have a hair die. These are perfect for making the felt dress up dolls for shoe boxes.

Here is the doll body. I actually used adhesive backed felt for this and mounted it on card stock before I cut it in the machine. This will give it a bit more weight and should make it easier to play with. I cut out all different colors of clothes to go with it. I was trying to find a good way to package this. One site that I read suggested the boxes from baby wipes but I don't use that many wipes. No baby in this house any more! I decided to use the jewel cases from cd's or dvd's. I bought some at Wal-Mart that I will be taking back. They are the slim ones and do NOT work for this. I had some older ones at home that I have acrylic stamps in. I had taken the cd holder part out and just used the plastic case. Works great for that but it also works great for these felt dolls. I will be looking for some more of these thick ones in days to come to put my stamps back in them! lol

I used red double sided sticky tape on the back of a piece of felt cut to fit and adhered it to the back side of the case. On the front side I put a picture of the dolls facing out so the children can see what is in the case. On the inside of the picture, I wrote a scripture. The clothes stick to the felt piece easily and can be taken off to put on the doll.

This is what the front looks like.

I also have the "Beary" dies of bears and clothes that SU had a couple of years ago. 

I cut these out too and packaged them the same way as the dolls.

These will be great in my shoeboxes and I think some little girls some where in the world will have a great time playing with them.

It is wonderful the way Operation Christmas Child delivers these gifts children around the world who have nothing or very little. The most important thing to remember about OCC is that with each shoe box, there is the opportunity for the children to learn about the love of Jesus Christ. These shoe boxes open doors that otherwise, would not be opened. Think of every shoe box as a gospel opportunity!

A Snowy Get Well

My grandson, who currently lives in North Carolina, slipped on icy steps this morning and fell and broke his right arm. He is 13 and was outside playing with his little cousin. I think this is his first broken bone. No fun but it is a part of childhood. Jacob, get well soon.

Materials needed:
Light blue patterned paper 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Old Olive card stock 1 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Rich Razzleberry card stock 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"
White card stock
The More the Merrier stamp set from SU a few years ago
Various colored markers
A band aid

I greeting of "Watch Out" was done free hand.

Fishing for a Birthday

Fabulous Fellas stamp set by Katy sue designs
Rich Razzleberry card stock
Soft Suede card stock
Old Olive card stock
Pastel chalks
button
thread

Butterfly Garden

Materials needed:
Butterfly Garden embossing folder and stamp set by Jenny Ellory
Old Olive card stock
Calypso Coral card stock
Strawberry Slush ink
White satin ribbon

Wild Birthday

Oh me, oh my! Can I complain just a bit? I've been trying to get some posts on here for much of January & here it is February. Hopefully, I'll get this one today. Computer problems, sewing machine problems, kids problems, grown up problems!! Well, things are getting worked out and none of the problems have really been too serious, just frustrating. I'm going to choose to praise the Lord anyway because I know that things could always be worse. God is still good and He still brings me through the difficult times!

Ok, I've made this card for Parker, our missions pastor's son. Parker is such a sweetie and I always enjoy when I get to see him. He will be 6 in about a week.

This is really an easy card to make. Just stamp, cut and paste.
Materials needed:
Pumpkin Pie card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Patterned paper (this is left over from Tall Tales from a couple years ago) 4 x 5 1/4"
Animal Stories stamp set SU!
Pumpkin Pie card stock for matting for the stamps
White card stock
So Saffron card stock
Priority Mail stamp set or other set with Happy Birthday
Curly Label punch
Pumpkin Pie ink
Basic Gray ink
Island Indigo ink

Victorian Lady

Well, I've finished all of my January birthday cards now. Here is the last one.

Materials needed:
Victorian lady stamp set from Hot Off the Press
Warmest Regards stamp set from SU!
First Edition patterned paper from SU! 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
White card stock
Pastel chalks/mine are from SU! but they are now retired
Hair Spray
Certainly Celery ribbon from SU!
Large oval punch SU!
Old Olive card stock 2 3/4 x 2 3/4"
Doily from SU! or Wilton's
Mementos Black ink
Stampin' Dimenionals

This is easy to make just following the design you see on the card.
I think chalk is my favorite medium, even though I don't use it that often. There is so much you can do with it and it's so versatile! When I finish chalking my image, I spary it lightly with hair spray. This is not acid free so if you are doing something that you want to last for generations, find an acid free fixative at your local store. For cards, IMO, hair spray works just fine.

Have fun and I hope everyone who receives one of your cards appreciates the time you put into it!
Have a blessed 2015!
 

Music Card

I've been thinking about this for several months now but just haven't had time to do much about it. So often on Sunday morning, when I listen to  a special song during church, I've thought how that song blessed me, or lifted my spirits or was just good, I've thought about sending the singer a note to encourage them and let them know how I appreciate their work. Then, when I get home, there is always so much to do that I just don't have time to make a card to send to them. I decided that I would make a bunch of cards just to have on hand for this idea. That way when I want to send a special note, all I have to do is spend a couple minutes writing out a message and then getting the card ready to mail. Here is what I did on New Year's Day.

Nothing quite like making a bunch of the same card, assembly line style.

***Quick tip: I went through my scrap box and picked out all the card stock that was big enough to cut into a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" size. I cut them (about 30) to that size because that is the size I use most often for my cards. Now I've got the card stock ready when I want to make another card.

Materials needed:
Patterned paper with music notes/design by Paper Studio 4 X 5 1/4" each
Card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
White card stock
Music notes stamp by Stampendous
Greeting stamp from Warmest Regards set SU!
Ink pads to match the card stock
Corner Rounder punch

I found 3 different designs of music related paper at Hobby Lobby and cut each into 6 pieces 4 x 5 1/4." That left me with bits of paper 1 1/2" wide.

1. Adhere the patterned paper to the card stock.
2. Stamp the music notes and a greeting on white card stock. Use ink to match the card stock.
3. Cut the music notes to be 1 3/4 x 3 3/4." Cut the greeting piece to be 1 x 2 1/2." Cut the extra patterned paper to 1 1 1/2 x 3 1/3."
4. Adhere the greeting to the piece of extra patterned paper.
5. Adhere the music notes at an angle near the top of the patterned paper/card stock piece. Adhere the greeting to the bottom center of the patterned paper.
6. Adhere this to a card base and you are ready to write a special message to someone.

I love to have matching envelopes for my cards. I don't always do this but often. I stamped the music notes on the left side of the front of the envelopes in colors to match the cards.