In The Garden

Hi again! Back with today's and Wednesday's projects for our In The Garden theme over at the Pink by Design blog. Things have been a bit crazy around here with strep throat and snow days so I am a bit behind!

I stamped the Big Hexagon Background for the under layer and added some jumbo die-cut flowers on top along with a sentiment from the November SOTM - Joyful Tags. This card was actually inspired by fellow team member Liz - she is so amazing at mixing up bold patterns that I wanted to try it out too!

The large rosette was easily created with a border punch - these often go neglected in my craft arsenal so I was happy to find another use for them.

1. Cut 12" long by 1.5" wide strip of paper.
2. Punch edge of paper strip with border punch. Start in the middle for best results.
3. Score paper strip every 1/4 inch and accordian fold.
4. Adhere ends of strip together to form a rounded shape.
5. Secure center with heavy duty glue and punched circle. Add bling or embellish as desired.

Today's inspiration is anything other than a card - I put together this gift bag for the twins' grandma who is celebrating her birthday today. Since she is named after a bird, I thought this tag with feathers would be perfect for housing a gift the kids picked out for her.

I used a sentiment from What's Your Number and the heart is from Pocketful - both are the mini Half Pint stamp sets which are so cute and affordable!

You have until tomorrow night at midnight CST to link up your take on the garden theme - remember, you don't have to use PBD but we certainly love to see it! Do it here or take this link to visit the Pink by Design blog for more inspiration.

Enjoy the weekend!

Candy Confection Birthday Dress + Bodice Pattern

Hello, hello! I am so happy to say that after 2 months, I finally have photos and a bodice pattern for Miss Leah's 5th birthday dress! The dress top is such a great shape for spring (a little late now, eeep!), the skirt looks like a jumbo sized stick of cotton candy and the pale pink makes it oh so girly - and perfect for this girly girl.

Ooh the layers of ruffles! I never get tired of them. The top 2 tiers are chiffon, the middle 3 are lace and the bottom layers are made of poly/satin. The different textures add so much interest, don't you think? The skirt is the width of the fabric - so no cutting or measuring required - and then gathered at the top to fit her waist.

 (In case you noticed, nail painting is never a good idea while wearing a fancy dress - we got a bright pink stain right in the front within 10 minutes of the party starting! Oops!)

This is also the first top I've ever finished with (functional) buttons and wow, is it easier than expected - and inserting a zipper. Normally I always use a pattern for the bodice but since ours are all size 4 and under, this time I had to create my own. Also much easier than expected and insured a *perfect* fit.

You can download the bodice pattern right here.

The sleeves are just a sweet and simple ruffle - a tapered length of fabric gathered all around. Since the are so small, I was able to tuck them into the lining to hide the seam completely! Hooray!

And this little lady was very happy with her dress. If only we had birthdays every week. :)

Have a beautiful day!

...And She's All Mine

My sweet and lovely 4 year old. I could just smoosh her tiny face in these photos. Such a little doll and at other times a temper-throwing terror. Gaining so much independence but still prefers to hold her mama's hand. I can hardly believe she'll be going off to preschool in just a few short months.

For this layout with pics from her birthday, I had the idea swirling around in my head for months to use numbers and facts instead of regular journaling and finally was able to put it down on paper at a crop last month. (It was the only project I finished in 13 hours!)

My memory is truly terrible and I'll never remember these small facts about her in the future. Even though they are not really significant facts, it's still a fun glimpse at this moment.

I just love arranging all the little bits and embellishments "just so" and this was the first time I'd actually fully used up a kit from a year's subscription to Studio Calico. Seriously all but scraps of the paper, a few embellies and leftover alphas. Wow.

Anyway, have a wonderful Wednesday!