Busy Hands Crafting Blog

My life has been such a chaotic mess lately, I haven't even felt like making cards. But I pushed myself to make one for this week's Sketch Challenge. I recently used some birthday money to buy myself a set of Mijello Mission Gold Watercolors and some Silver Black Velvet Brushes and decided to use them to color in the images on my card. They are so lovely and I can't wait to play with them some more. The card itself was pretty simple after that. I used some left over die cut leaves to add as embellishment and finished it off with a little twine bow. I'm desperately trying to hold on to fall, as everyone is charging towards winter/Christmastime. Products Used: MFT Harvest Mouse MFT Blueprints 27 MFT Falling Leaves Die-namics Cottage Cutz Basic Circle Dies SSS Gingham Background Mijello Mission Gold Watercolors VersaMark Ink VersaFine Ink Distress Inks WOW Embossing Powder MFT Prestige Card Stock Neenah Desert Storm Card Stock Tombow Xt

I was frustrated with my usual cell phone picture quality when trying to capture this card. I worked so hard on it and I was so proud, but my images kept coming out all washed out. Time to bring out the big guns. I think I might start using my DSLR to take pictures from now on. It's a lengthier process, but the results are so much cleaner and more professional looking. Anywho, on to the card itself. I attempted to watercolor a galaxy background for my star, and I'm mostly pleased with it. I think this is my first time painting one, if I'm remembering correctly. I then die cut the star out of some black card stock, popped it up on foam tape, and adhered it to the watercolor piece. I finished it off with a heat embossed sentiment (in all the galaxy, you're a big deal!) and die cut a small star out of silver glitter card stock. Easy peasy! Products Used: Generic Star Dies Koi Watercolors MFT Happy Hippos MFT Blueprints 6 (retired) Canson Watercolor Pap

These cut and emboss folders from Spellbinders make some very unique cards! So pretty and such an easy card to put together. Products Used: MFT Die-namics Twice the Thanks MFT Spring Wreath Spellbinders Diamond Lace Frame VersaFine Ink MFT Prestige Card Stock Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen Ranger Multi Medium Matte Double Sided Foam Tape

I love pansies! Coloring and fussy cutting them is not so fun, however! Took me hours. Might have been worth it. I guess. As I said, I colored and fussy cut out the pansies and leaves. I then dry embossed the background and added a little ink blending behind where I wanted the pansies and sentiment. Products Used: SSS Pansies Spellbinders Overlapping Circles MFT Die-namics Fishtail Flags STAX (retired) MFT Feel Better MFT Extreme Black Ink Distress Ink Copic Sketch Markers Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen SSS Craft Tacky Glue Double Sided Foam Squares

I really love it when I can hammer out two challenges in one card. =) I kept this one pretty simple. I die cut the squares and then die cut the snowflakes from the squares. I then die cut the snowflakes from glitter card stock and inlaid them into the squares. I taped them together and popped the whole panel together with foam tape. I then stamped little snowflakes from three different stamp sets with the same color of ink for a tone-on-tone look (although it's hard to see in the image). I stamped out the sentiment from yet another stamp set and popped it up on foam tape. Products Used: MFT Filled with Joy Die-namics Cottage Cutz Basic Square Dies MFT Cooler with You MFT Frosty Friends MFT Winter Warmth MFT Hand Lettered Holiday MFT Premium Dye Ink MFT Prestige Card Stock SSS 6x6 Glitter Assortment Pack Tombow Xtreme Adhesive Double Sided Foam Tape

I saw this set from Concord & 9th and I fell head over heels in love!!! It's just so beautiful! I stamped out the "watercolor" part using three different colors of ink and then stamped and heat embossed the leaf part. I then die cut the "grateful" multiple times and stacked them to make it pop up a bit. I really love these fall-ish colors! Products Used: Concord & 9th Lace Leaf Stamp Set Concord & 9th Grateful Dies MFT Blueprints 15 (retired) MFT Premium Dye Inks VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder Ranger Multi Medium Matte Tombow Xtreme Adhesive

I've been wanting to get the old tattoo I have on my ankle covered for years. A yarn ball with a hook and needles is absolutely perfect! This one is definitely on my "tattoo to-do" list.

I couldn't resist using this new-to-me set! I just love this little panda almost as much as I love sushi! Almost! Products Used: MFT Sushi Date (retired) MFT Sushi Date Die-namics (retired) MFT Die-namics Sentiment Strips Copic Sketch Markers MFT Premium Dye Ink MFT Extreme Black Ink VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder Tombow Xtreme Adhesive Double Sided Foam Tape

This one was pretty simple. Die cut a circle mask, stamp the flowers around it, remove mask, and stamp the sentiment. The circle was stitched and some of the ink escaped through the holes, but it ended up being a happy accident and gives it a little bit of a watercolor feel. Products Used: MFT Beautiful Blooms Cottage Cutz Basic Circle Dies MFT Black & White Dots 6x6 Paper Pack MFT Premium Dye Inks Tombow Xtreme Adhesive

I've had these images colored for awhile, now, waiting to use them on a card. I had to do some "stamp surgery" to create the perfect sentiment. I love it! Products Used: MFT You're Super MFT You're Super Die-namics MFT Super Boy MFT Super Boy Die-namics MFT Tweet Wishes MFT Sunrise Radiating Rays Stencil MFT Extreme Black Ink VersaMark Ink Distress Inks Copic Sketch Markers Double Sided Foam Squares

I've never participated in World Card Making Day before! Isn't every day card making day, really? I'm not much for rainbow cards, but I'm fairly pleased with this one. Makes for a fun birthday card for a colorful friend. I'll keep it in my stash and wait to give it to the perfect person. =) Products Used: MFT Sweet Birthday Wishes MFT Sweet Birthday Wishes Die-namics MFT Stitched Scallop Basic Edges MFT Party Patterns 6x6 Paper Pack Copic Sketch Markers MFT Extreme Black Ink VersaFine Ink Tombow Xtreme Adhesive SSS Craft Tacky Glue Double Sided Foam Squares

I am so, so, so excited, you guys! I've been wanting to design this tattoo for myself for quite awhile, but couldn't really land on what I wanted. For a little backstory, "No Matter What" is our family motto. Love each other...forgive each other...be there for each other -- no matter what. It's something that just stuck with us during hard times. I've wanted to get a tattoo that works with our saying and finally this popped into my head the other night. It bothered the crud out of me until I was able to sketch it out the next day. I'm so in love with it! A sitting with a local tattooist is in the works; just have to scare up the funds. I can't wait!

Eight cozy fleece baby blankets ready to go to our local pregnancy crisis center. Cutting fabric is not my most favorite of tasks, but I did enjoy crocheting borders onto these simple blankets. What a quick, fun project!

This is a VERY popular blog post over on my personal blog , but now that I have a blog devoted to crafting, I decided to move it over here. I was contacted over Ravelry  from someone requesting my pattern for this hat. Staring blankly at the screen, I think, "...how did I make that?" Ha! So, I sat down, strained my brain a bit, and wrote out a vague pattern. Enjoy. Share. Gift. But the pattern's mine. Even though it's really basic. But it hurt to think about. So, I'm claiming credit. So there. Basic Earflap Hat This hat his completely customizable, including yarn, size, and creativity. Don't let the vague instructions scare you. Now's your chance to make it your own! All SCs are done using BOTH loops for added thickness and for appearance. Materials: Any worsted, chunky, or bulky yarn Hook size according to yarn packaging Row marker (optional) Terms (US): SC: single crochet SL ST: slip stitch CH: chain ST: stitch

Fairly pleased with the way this card turned out. The colors were very vibrant, so I opted for small images on a mostly white card. Took me awhile to stamp out, but it was worth it. Products Used: MFT Buildable Blooms MFT Double the Smiles MFT More Essential Sentiments MFT Die-namics Stitched Rectangle STAX MFT Premium Dye Inks VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder SSS Craft Tacky Glue Double Sided Foam Tape

MFT's Sketch Challenge 404. It's fitting that this is number 404, because inspiration just wasn't found. =\ This was my second attempt at making a card and I still wasn't 100% pleased with it. Love these fun Halloween dies from Spellbinders, but I don't feel great using them for a MFT challenge. Products Used: Spellbinders Small Die of the Month Club - September MFT Abstract Art Distress Inks MFT Premium Dye Inks MFT Prestige Card Stock SSS Craft Tacky Glue Ranger Multi Medium Gloss Double Sided Foam Tape Xyron Sticker Maker