Crocheted Flowers Everywhere!

Love love love Shelly’s tutorial on how-to crochet flowers. And let me tell you what, they are HOT STUFF right now. While you perfect your technique, there are a few places you can find them already made for you!

Close to My Heart has a collection of embellishments called White Daisy Mini Medley Accents. With it comes 4 super cute crocheted flowers, in 2 sizes!

Check out Fancy Pants Posies! They have several different colors and styles of these fun add-ons!

Or what about My Minds Eye? Their crocheted flowers are so delicate.

Want to cut out the middle man? Head over to Etsy – “Your place to buy and sell all things handmade”, and search for crocheted flowers! Buy what you see or have them made to order. I loved the flowers created by SweetPea Toad.

Creating digi-art? Cindy Doerksen on Your Digital Designers has a beautiful crocheted flower layer that might be perfect for your project.

Whether custom-made or homemade, find a way to get crocheted flowers on your project today. Check out a scrapbook page and card I’ve created using this HOT trend.

Close to My Heart Daydream Level 2 Paper Pack, Good Times & Noteworthy Stamp Sets, White Daisy Mini Medley Accents, Classic Numbers Dimensional Elements

Close to My Heart That’s Amore Level Two Paper Pack & My Stickease, White Daisy Mini Medley Accents, Just Blooms Big Pinks Flowers

For daily updates, go to fancymelissa.blogspot.com.

Brackets!

I just put down the March ’09 issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine. Wow – bracket frames, stamps, die cuts, journaling spots are HOT STUFF! And I love love love them. They make a bold statement on your projects and they do a great job highlighting anything you put on them, journaling, title, quote, etc. Check out a few ways to use brackets on your next project:

Stamps:
Close to My Heart-My Acrylic Stamp Set Noteworthy- With this set of 25 clear stamps you get the frame (the words inside are seperate stamps), as well as the super huge brackets.

Die Cut Machines
Provo Craft Cricut: In addition to letters and numbers, the Storybook Cartridge has fun frames, brackets and flourishes.

Spellbinders Nestabilities: Labels These new dies are so stinkin’ cool! What an easy and inexpensive way to add this hot trend to your next project!

Collections & Kits
Making Memories: I honestly think that MM started this trend. I attended a class last year at a scrapbook expo, and we were using these frames. Super cool. You’ll find brackets in most of their collections!

Close to My Heart Emporium: This paper kit is gorgeous and so rich looking. It’s both masculine and feminine. And the bracket stickers are great for journaling!

Embellishments:
Close to My Heart Foundry Bookplates: These pewter accents will dress up any project. And you can paint them with acrylic paint to match.

Mini Albums:
Basic Grey Chipboard Bracket Album: This super cool album includes 2 cover sheets, 6 interior pages, and 1 key ring.

Here are a couple of projects I’ve created using brackets:

Margie Romney-Aslett from Making Memories taught a class on how to create a mini album using office folders. Everything used here is from MM’s 5th Avenue line. This is one of my most favorite projects!

A desk calendar using Close to My Hearts Display Album and Emporium paper and stickease.

Heart Pocket

Well, the calendar says spring is almost here.  And here in the Northwest, it even LOOKS kinda like spring if you look out of the window, but step out of the door and you had better have a good coat on, because it is FREEZING out there!

My husband started to prune the fruit trees, and I noticed the tips of daffodil leaves peeking out of the cold dirt on the sunny side of the trees.  Since we had a good snow at Christmas (yeah!) it seems like winter should be over, but we have always gotten our worse winter weather in February or March, soooooo……. although there is more winter to come, you had better blow the spider nests out of your hoses, because sooner or later, you will need them to water those seedlings and starts.

There is nothing prettier than a spring-colored quilt on your bed or wall after the red and green days of the Christmas season.  Nature sure knows her stuff, switching from red berries and evergreens to the sunny yellow of daffodils and the lavender of crocus and  hyacinths to brighten up the gloomy, rainy days of spring. Even the art & craft impaired people of the world (those who do not have the “eye” for color and shape) appreciate the beautiful flowers and spring green landscape that suddenly appear through the rain.

We “crafty” types always try to re-create those colors and shapes in quilts, paintings, photos, jewelry and embellished clothing. We cut and paste and glue it into our scrapbooks and incorporate it into our home furnishings.  I cannot even imagine life without art.  I do not remember a boring day in my almost 66 years.  There is always something to sew, paint, plant, create, cook, craft from wood, clay, scrap material, crochet thread, yarn, fabric, or junk.  I always said that I was 99% imagination, and I am not sure if I was born that way or if I should give the credit to a mother who always encouraged me to create.  She was creative and could fashion something-from-nothing in every instance, whether it was food for a party, a last minute dress for the school concert, an instant shelf for the bathroom, or a chuck-wagon box for the station wagon.  She wasn’t a quilter, but an accomplished seamstress.  Her spring garden was lovely.  Come to think of it, I WILL give her the credit, and I am so thankful to her for opening up my world of creativity.  I am sorry for the people who are not creative.  They are missing so much.

Here is a pattern for a cute little woven heart to fill with candy or flowers or whatever.  I hope I made the directions clear enough for you to figure out. Happy Valentines Day!

Heart Pocket Instructions

Read more