Beadie Buddy Blog Hop

Our Pennywise Arts Yahoo community is having a hippety hoppety good time getting to know one another through art and email exchanges!  It’s a great place to hang out with lots of interesting and talented members.  If you want to get to know us better, we’d love for you to hop along with us on our first ever blog hop.  It’s an opportunity for us to share more of ourselves and for others to see and know who we are in the community.

Our Hop will start right HERE, on the Pennywise blog on Friday, March 26th!  You’ll have three whole days to hop along with us through all of the fun projects planned and if you take the time to leave a little comment at every blog on the hop, you’ll be entered to win a $50 shopping spree with Pennywise Arts!

Check back here on Friday where we’ll be posting the first hop!

Spring Has Sprung!

I think Spring has definitely sprung in the Snoqualmie Valley!  The sun is out, the birds are singing, my tulips have a few buds and there are two bunny rabbits hopping around in my front yard this morning.  Wow!  It feels lively here today!

Add to all of that, this darling birdhouse created by PWA designer Marianne Colschen and what more could we possibly need?

Marianne used a birdhouse pattern from her local scrapbook store and I am on the hunt for one like it.  Maybe if I get lucky I’ll find an svg file to cut it with my Cricut.  Ü

Here is a “birds eye view” of this happy little house…

A close up of the micro beaded tag…

A good close up view of the shingled roof and back of the house…

 

The pattern paper, ink  and cardstock is from Close to My Heart

Ribbon from May Arts

Stamp - “Autumn Leaves Romance Of Spring” by Sade Krieger

Micro Beads – Pennywise Arts

One of my all time favorite svg* file download sites is from My Crafty Life blog.   Dan has so many wonderful free templates that he shares on his personal blog with lots of amazing stamp art as well.  On his other site,  My Crafty Files he has some really nifty and affordable svg* files – including some funky birdhouse shapes!  Be sure to check it out!

*svg stands for scaleable vector graphic.  It is the file format used to cut cool stuff with a Cricut without the need for a cartridge.   It requires companion software to communicate with the Cricut via usb connection.  I use Sure Cuts A Lot software with mine.

Birds Flock 2

I actually heard birds singing by my house today!  A sign that spring really and truly is on it’s way!  Those few birds made my heart sing!

Here is the rest of our Yahoo community “Birds Of A Feather” fat book swap…

Bird Above By Suzanne Glazier

Bird Above By Kelli Green

  Bird Above By Michele Aiello-Zendejas

Bird Above By Sally Bowen

Bird Above By  Sharnie Riley

Bird Above By Lisa Blakeney

Thanks to all the artists that played in our “Birds of a Feather” fat book swap!  Julie Imsland had the idea to turn them into a fun spring garland – I think that’s what I want to do with mine too!  Ü

Next up is our “Java Jolt” Coffee Cup Themed Fat Book Swap.  It is open to all members of the Pennywise Arts Yahoo Community and we always welcome new members to join and come play with us!  If you’re interested, come on over and let us know – we’ll steer you in the direction of the template and swap requirements.  The more the merrier – especially when it comes to COFFEE!!  Pages are Due May 15, 2010.

Birds Of A Feather Flock 1

We’ve been busy, busy on the Pennywise Arts Yahoo group!  With several swaps in play all at once I’ve found myself moving with fervor to meet all the deadlines.  Swapping this week are our beautiful birds……..

Bird Above By Kathi Hall

Bird Above By Eunice Creswell

 

Bird Above By Jennifer Toussaint

Bird Above By Julie Imsland

Bird Above By Karen Slusher

 

Be sure to check back!  Another flock of birds will be posted tomorrow!

Springtime Flower Bouquet √

Is it Spring yet?  It’s hard to tell in the Snoqualmie Valley!  Yesterday it was hailing and today the sun is shining.  Last week was similarly crazy with sun and snow mixed!  My flowers are confused and so am I!

This flower bouquet isn’t confusing though and with it sitting on my counter it feels like Spring every time I glance that direction. Ü

Marianne Colschen created this simple to replicate card using her diamond Cuttlebug embossing plate on white cardstock.  She added Sure Tac Glue to half of the lines and then dipped the card into clear micro beads.  Any size bead will do!   The larger the micro bead the more reflection you’ll see from the light refracting through them, that’s what makes this card especially sparkly.

Prima flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors were layered together and added across the center diagonally with more Sure Tac Glue.  Micro beads in the middle finish the flowers quite nicely.  We love Sure Tac Glue because it flows nicely and dries crystal clear.  It’s perfect for micro bead accents anywhere you need them.

Pretty ribbon and a couple more layers of colored cardstock give the front of this card design a blooming finish.

But that’s not all folks!

Inside Marianne continued the same techniques and theme.  I love cards that are decorated on the inside.  I wish I took more time to follow it through that way!  Usually I’m lucky to have a card done just on the outside, forget the inside and the envelope!  Ü

Would you like to see this card with your hands?  Leave a comment below and you just might! 

Stamp Credit:  The Paper Company