FABRIC OR PAPER?

Do I REALLY need to choose between fabric or paper when I am feeling creative?  I DON"T THINK SO!!  Recently fabric has been whispering to me to come touch it and create with it - so I AM!!

Besides the folded fabric heart I posted a few days ago (scroll down to see older postings), I am now in the first stages of a quilting bee online!!  We are given 5 quilt block patterns to create every two weeks.  So far I have 4 blocks done so I am only 6 blocks behind because Feb 1st comes 5 more blocks to create.

Want to see what I have done so far?  Ok, here goes.  (For those of you Strict Paper creators, you can do the same thing with designer paper.)

 Right out of the chute is HAND APPLIQUE.  OUCH...I am not good at that at all.  But I was a brave gal and did it.

 I really like this one a lot.  As you can see, I am going scrappy with the colors and my background color is black.  WHAT YOU SCREAM - - BLACK??

Yes I chose black as my background color because I am making this for my grandson Collin.  He is the one who does not have a quilt by Nannie yet so I am making this for a gift for next year for him. (SHHH - it is a surprize!!)

Third block:

 This half square triangle block was a fun one to make

 I am really liking these colors together so far.  Lots more fun colors and patterns coming up in more blocks.

The blocks will be different sizes.  It is a mystery quilt because we don't know how it will go together until they tell us by units.  It is a fun idea and I am really enjoying it.

If YOU are interested in doing this Just Take Two Quilting Bee, hurry and get on the website and download the first 5 blocks because they will be going away by Feb 1st.
www.justtakes2.com

MORE CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM CLASS LAST WEEK

My all-time favorite creation for Christmas is the J-O-Y banner that I store in the tin DVD cases from the clearance rack.  We made these for class last week and we had a blast with them.  They all turned out so beautiful too!!

 I put it longways on the stampin up desktop protectors so you could see the length we made it.  the squares are the scallop square die for the big shot.  The ribbon is the 1 1/4" stripped ribbon, then we punched out christmas trees and ornaments with the SU punches.  Also used buttons and ribbon for deco as well.  Now below is each letter up close to get a better view.

 With the square scallop punch we stamped out from the designer Christmas paper to decorate the J.

 Used the ornament punch and the Letters to Santa  DSP to punch out an ornament and hung with gold cord, bells and a ribbon

 For the Y we used the Pennant punch to make the Christmas tree, used the pearls to decorate the tree and then glued on a designer button with a 1/8 ribbon tied to it.

Here is the Y block again so you can see the bottom of the banner.  We tied a 1/2" ribbon onto the large ribbon and snipped the ends to add detail.  Then glued a large pearl onto the knot.

What do you think?  The back is the same color scalloped square to make it finished AND can be the place where you journal, etc. to make it your Christmas card!!

I decorated the dvd tin with the Letters to Santa designer paper cut outs and some ribbon to tie it shut.  What a pretty Christmas "card" to receive, don't you think?  IF you use my idea, please send them to my blog here in your description as a courtesy.  Thank you!!  Enjoy making this FUN banner with no ink involved this time!!