Etsy LOVE Blog Hop

Valentine's day is my favorite holiday and it is approaching fast.  I start looking forward to Valentine's day immediately after Christmas.  This year as I was taking down the Christmas tree I was already thinking of what Valentine treats the girls and I would be making for their teachers and classmates.

Since discovering Etsy I now have a huge shopping venue to look for special and unique gifts and Valentine themed inspiration.  This year I've been on a Woodland animal kick.  I'm not sure what Valentines and little spiny hedgehogs and fluffy squirrels have in common, but they just seem to go together.  One of my hedgehog cards was featured in a treasury over Christmas and also included was an adorable hedgehog mug.  I of course had to check out the shop and I found a large variety of cuteness. 



Photo taken by the artist (Abby Berkson Designs)



The studio is Abby Berkson Ceramics and contains assorted bowls, mugs and pictures with Abby's cute little hand drawn animals creations.  There are squirrels, penguins, hedgehogs, foxes, and more.  All the pieces are handmade by her and start from a lump of clay.  She hand draws each of the designs and everything is fully functional and one of a kind.  I have seen her work first hand, and it is awesome!  Sturdy, smooth and safe to use in the microwave and dishwasher.

  

Photo taken by the artist (Abby Berkson Designs)

She has an "animals in love" series in her shop right now.  Any of these pieces would be perfect as Valentine's day gifts.  Guess what?? Most of her little animals are woodland themed!!  I absolutely love her little hedgehogs, but these little squirrel and chipmunk caught my eye as well as the adorable foxes (as you know from my previous posts are my newest obsession.)

So as part of the blog hop we were supposed to pair gift item from Etsy to one of our own Valentine cards.  Well why not stick with the woodland theme?  My set of 6 mini Valentines would go perfectly with any of her woodland mugs and bowls.  They are small enough to tuck into gift bags and boxes and you can match up the the little creature with whatever animal you choose to put on your mug or bowl.   

 

These mini Valentine's are 3 inches square and come 6 or more to a set.  If you'd like a more personalized message I can change it to whatever you'd like it to say. 

So take a little time this week and browse the Valentine selections in this Etsy Greetings blog hop and on Etsy.  You're sure to find a special creation and card to spread the Etsy LOVE this Valentine's.

 



New Valentine Cards and a Couple Challenges

I found some new Valentine paper at the store on Friday that I just had to have.  I loved the red, pink, and gray color combination in this Echo Park paper line.   I had to take a few minutes to do a little creating.  I am still working on my "Use it up" goal that I mentioned in an earlier thread, so all three cards have a common paper theme.  I wanted to use up as much of the paper as possible.  Two of the designs were created for some challenge this week.

First I wanted to talk about "Love you - Forever" card (third in line).  I used this sketch from iheart2stamp's January sketch challenge.  Special touches included the raised scallop circle, buttons, and the double layered ribbon.  I really like how the black backing makes the colors on the patterned paper pop.  This one is also being entered in the Just Us Girls color challenge #120 for the pink, red, and white color combination.

The second card was made for the sketch challenge over at MojoMonday.  I had a hard time incorporating the vertical ribbon down the side so I ended up using the neutral twine and bow with the diecut keys.   I don't usually use a stamp for a border especially one that wasn't meant to be a border, but I especially like the white XOs border I stamped along the black cardstock border. The crisp white pigment on the black cardstock really stands out.

Products used on all cards:
Patterned papers: Echo Park
Cardstock: Bazzill
Sentiment stamps: Papertrey Ink
Die cuts: Cricut (Create a Critter and Winter Woodland)

Challenges submitted for:



 

Don't forget to check out my Crafting with the Kids challenge I have going on right now.  Make some Valentine cards with your kids and enter them to win 7 Digi stamps from Bugaboo designs.  If you've missed it find out all about it here.

Crafting with the Kids Challenge #1 - Valentine's cards

It's finally here....

The first Crafting with the Kids Challenge is to create Valentine's cards.  Remember you must include a child in the crafting process.  You can read and review the rest of the rules on my previous post found here.

So... while your making Valentine cards anyway I wanted to share a great cause you could help support.  I found a post on the Moxie Fab World blog about Winter's Valentine Card Drive.  She is collecting cards to send to 4 different children's hospitals in the United States.  Check out the guidelines and find out how to send her some cards.  She must receive the cards by January 31st, so if you are wanting to support this worthy cause don't wait.  This challenge is the perfect opportunity for the card drive.  What could be better than kids making cards for kids?

I sat down with my girls earlier this week and we worked on several cards for Winter's card drive.  I wanted them to be able to do their own thing, but the controlling side of me wanted the cards to look at least semiprofessional.  We came up with a compromise.  Take a look:

I cut the base paper and chose the different paper combinations, and they got to do the illustrations.  I've found that is the number one most important rules in crafting with your kids.  Be prepared!!  I had all the paper precut including the white pieces they drew on.  I prestamped the sentiments and had everything ready to go before I even told them that they were going to make cards.  If you aren't used to including your kids in crafting trust me... you will save yourself A LOT of headaches by having it preplanned.

Jilly (2 years) working on her "hearts"

Her finished Valentine card.

Addy (4 years) finally getting to use mommy's glue.

Bailey's (4 years) cat card she drew herself.

We ended up making 10 cards in all to send to Winter for the Children's hospitals, and we also had a great time together.  Check out these faces!!

Now it's your turn. 

Once again your challenge is to create Valentine cards with a child  (your own, a grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbor...)  Post photos on your blog or online gallery and link back to me.  Please spread the word and have fun!

Challenge Rules:

1. You and a child must create a new Valentine card.  
2. Post a picture of the finished project and hopefully a few pictures of the kids working on the projects on your blog or photo gallery.
3. Display the challenge title Crafting with the Kids Challenge #1 and link back to this post on your blog.
4. Link up directly to your project page using the Linky Tools at the bottom of this post.
5. If you share your project in any photo galleries please use the keyword or tag CWTK#1.
6. Spread the word!! If you think this is a worthwhile challenge please spread the word.  I'm just starting out, but I think this could be a very rewarding challenge for all involved (especially the kids.) 

Deadline:

You will have 10 days to get crafty and link up your projects.  All entries must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, January 29th.  One winner will be drawn randomly and posted on my blog by Wednesday, February 1st. 

The Prize:The lucky winner will receive a 7 free digis donated by Bugaboo Digi Stamps. Check out the awesome designs on their website!! You could even let the kids pick out their favorite designs to use on your next craft.

 

Have fun crafting with the kids!

A new favorite woodland character

After finishing a large order of baby shower invitations this weekend I needed a break from umbrellas I finally sat down to take some time to create the character I've been thinking about for a while.... Mr. Fox.

Fox Hoodie for kids - elisehooperdesigns on Etsy



I love woodland creatures.  The owl and hedgehog have been a favorite for a while, but I've also been seeing some inspiring work on Etsy focusing on the fox.  How can you deny the cuteness?



Freddy Fox stuffed toy - Squishybee on Etsy



The fox has just been begging to become a focus on a card or two. 

I took the opportunity to sit down and design a few more Valentine's.  I wanted to share them tonight while I had the kids in bed early.

These first cards are a set of "woodland" themed Valentine's great for children to pass out to their classmates or for Mom to tuck into lunchboxes or backpacks.  I can change the wording and use them in my girls' lunch boxes throughout the year. 

(Products: Cricut Hoot n' Holler, Create a Critter, and Give a Hoot, Bazzill cardstock)

This afternoon I decided I loved that little fox design so much I made a similar version in a larger size to send to a friend for Valentine's day. 

(Products used: Cricut - Give a Hoot and Hoot n'Holler, Bazzill cardstock)

This one is also being submitted to a couple challenges:

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Challenge #58/anything goes
Get Hippity with Ippity - Challenge #13 / It's all about hearts.

So the question remains... Is the sly Mr. Fox slipping in to replace the owl as a new popular trend?  Who knows??  I'm just glad there are such great projects out there to inspire us.