You Gotta Have Faith

Edited to Add:  Due to a large response from people who do not live in the area but wished they could take the classes, I am currently developing a plan to offer Faithbooking as an online class option.  

If you are interested in this class please leave me a comment or email me through the contact button on this blog and I'll be able to keep you informed.  You can also follow me on Facebook as Prairie Paperie for updates and to send me a message.

A few years ago I was very shy, very reserved (it's true!) and feeling creatively, spiritually and emotionally exhausted.

I found myself in contemplative prayer, after an interesting chapter in a Robert Fulghum book I was reading. I was wondering some of those 'mother phrases' (you know the things you mom may have yelled at you when you were little)?

 Oh you know what I mean...just say these like your mom is giving you what-for...

• What on Earth do you think you're doing?
• Who do you think you are?
• What have YOU done?

You follow me now right? Ha!

So I prayed about these things, I wrote about these things, I journaled about these things.
What AM I doing here (on Earth?). What is my purpose? What are my talents, my gifts? Who DO I think I AM? What have I done...what will I do...who will I be...
Pretty huge? Yes, I thought so. How does this relate to papercrafting?

When you pray, God does listen.

If you ask Him these things, He will start to tell you. Believe me, you'd better listen because you are in for the ride of your life.

I was invited to a Stampin' Up! workshop, and I didn't even want to go, I hated the idea of papercrafting. GASP! However, I went...and I had a number of 'wow' moments that night. (It's a pretty cool story).
Within' 6 months of that party I was teaching crafting classes (remember I'm shy!) to complete strangers, to new friends, to old friends. I had a new business. New purpose. Direction....and then a new seed was planted. I was praying and I heard Him remind me that I had asked HIM to show me my gifts, my talents so that I could lead a purposeful life. I arrived in that moment and knew that I was meant to teach a faith-based series of scrapbooking classes.

• Are you interested in learning answers to your Mother Questions?
• Do you want to have fun and explore these topics (and more) in a group?
• Do you want to encourage others?
• Do you want to document this exploration of self and your Faith in a beautiful, fun and fresh way?
• My faithbooking classes will allow you to start a fun, focused and uplifting journey (and learn a new hobby/craft), I invite you to join me.

If you have a home-group, church, or just a group of friends who would like to start faithbooking please email me by clicking on contact links above.

You can also send me a message on Twitter! My twitter account is @prairiepaperie

You can also join me on my facebook page Prairie Paperie, come say hello!

~Dreena~

Easter Bunny Carrots

Don't you just love a card that is a little bit different from the usual?

I do! Stamps just give us such versatility with creation...if you can think it/dream it, chances are you can find something to make it.

Without further ado I give you the Easter Carrot:

So the carrot is actually made using the Pick-a-Petal stamp set!

When you look at the set, all you think of (as the name suggests) are various petals to make flowers. Isn't it more fun to think outside of the box though? YES IT IS!

MINI TUTORIAL:

1. Inked the solid petal image from Pick-a-Petal with pumpkin pie classic ink

2. Take a blender pen and remove colour from the stamp (the lines/striations)

3. Clean the pen tip on a scrap paper, go back and remove more colour... (I repeated until I had a fairly decent looking carrot)

4. "Huff" and stamp on whisper white cardstock.

VOILA! Carrot! Stinkin' cute hey? I know. I squealed...

Next steps...

For the leafy greens on the carrot:

1. I've used the filigree from the Baroque Motifs stamp set
2. Inked up only a small PORTION of the stamp with a Garden Green Stampin' Write marker (this technique is called OMITTING).
3. "huff" or breathe on the stamp to re-moisten the ink
4. line up your stamp with the top of the carrot, and press down.
   

You have just created the most cute and whimsical Easter Carrot! You rock with your uniqueness!

Speaking of uniqueness, please be sure to check out more Easter Carrots here: The Crooked Stamper, my dear Twitter friend Leslie made an irresistable card that was a springboard for my own carrot creation!

Other things that are groovy about this card:

• the FREE scallop trim border punch (FREE with a $65 dollar order from my online store because it's Sale-A-Bration! until March 31)
• The polka dot dry embossing (a BigShot embossing folder)
• The Easter sentiment which is a NEW clear mount stamp from the Occasions Mini catalogue.
• all of these things and more can be seen on my website (links on sidebar)
• Questions? Contact me Links are on the top of the page!

Stamp Happy and go make something pretty now!

Dreena

Shabby Chic Gift Box

Shabby Chic is not something I do very often. Usually because I feel that once I've 'shabbied' (is that even a word?) that I've gone too far and lost the Chic. I can't be the only one who feels this way?!

Anyways, I saw a cute box idea, and this beauty actually folds flat and pops open. It's 4x4" so you can use it as an awesome gift box, jewelery box, treats, cards.....(keys to a new car? Diamonds <--you never know, my husband COULD read this right?)

The flower is made from Bella Blue designer series paper! I love this technique for making flowers... (and my stamp club members will be learning how to do this next week!)

I distressed the corduroy button with Night of Navy ink...and used a sponge dauber on the flower to apply a bit of distressing with the same ink. I also stamped the textured chocolate chip paper and the kraft paper with the filigree from the Vintage Vogue stamp set.





This is the side view of the box as it's being folded flat. Neato! I kid you not when I say this box is amazing!!

So...what do you think?


Not too shabby? (bwaha!) If you know me...you KNEW I was going to slip that joke in...sigh. I love words (but not as much as this box!) Really, I don't think I went too far with the shabby...it's still a bit elegant.

Did you spy that teeny little rhinestone?

It's one of the sticky back rhinestones (which come on a 6x6 SHEET of goodness) in the Eggcellent Eggs Kit (for $13.25)! Did you know when you shop in my online store on my website you get preferred customer pricing 10% savings? Oh yes you do! (click here).

You can do so much more than JUST Easter with this kit. I'm not just fluffing your feathers when I tell you "chickie, you need this kit".









Here's the product shot of the Vintage Vogue stamp set. Available in clear mount or traditional wood mounted rubber.



Isn't this just all kinds of pretty? Wood mount is $31.95 and Clear is $23.95 (preferred customer pricing on my website).


Note: I've been redesigning my blog to make it easier for you to find the information you need. Please feel free to use the links on the right hand sidebar to visit my website where you will find:

• projects for inspiration
• product information
• shopping
• my calendar and links to book your own classes and parties
• Links and information to join my Stampin' Up! group and start your own business!

I've also got tabs up at the top/header...where you can click to contact me and more.


Please feel free to comment on my new blog design and I'm open to suggestions!


Have fun stamping!


~Dreena

Giraffe!

This is one of those cards that can really be anything, for any occasion, and THOSE are the best kind of cards! I love the flexibility that stamping offers!

Let me tell you about this card.

First of all, I'm a technique junkie and I never get bored with stamping, I love learning new things...see the plaid background, that's not a fancy shmancy paper...OH NO...I did that. Me. It's my 'faux plaid' technique...well I'm sure there could be many names and I don't claim to be the inventor of this...it's really just playing with chalk pastels and scrap paper...but here on this card...it's all mine!! (PS. my contact info and class schedules will be on my Stampin' Up! website HERE)


Now, take a peek...look reallllly close at that Giraffe too....

The Giraffe is from the new Fox and Friends clear mount stamp set (which is ONLY $19.95) seriously, you need this stamp set (or I'm not talking to you).

You can stamp baby cards, fun cards, birthday cards, romantic cards...YES, EVEN romantic cards with this set. This giraffe could be saying "wanna neck" very flirtatiously with it's husband or wife. OK, if that's not to your liking it could be saying 'thank you for always sticking your neck out for me'. It is always good to thank people, it's the right thing to do! Why not do it with a giraffe?

See the spots on the giraffe's neck? Those are itty bitty teeny weenie hearts that were left over from punching with my "pinking hearts" border punch. I applied them all ever so lovingly with glue and tweezers.

The yellow card stock is dry embossed with the BigShot 'Perfect Polka Dots' embossing folder. I can't tell you how much I love that machine! Do you have a BigShot? Don't you just LOVE the embossing folders? Squee!

The ribbon was a cute little trick I learned from Mary Dawn's blog 'My Pink Mexico' (and my friend Kerri) thanks ladies! Now, last but not least...the four 'quilt squares' behind the giraffe are punched scallop squares.

Cutie patootie. I love this card. It makes me smile.

PS. Lori-Ann, does this qualify as a submission to my own colour challenge (wink)...it's pretty close? I think it does!!