UFO Challenge #48 Anything Goes

I am continuing to challenge you to get your Un Finished Objects done, by posting a weekly challenge inspired by wedding anniversary gifts.  This week I post my 48th challenge, and there is no traditional anniversary gift to inspire this challenge.  So, this week anything goes.  Just share any UFO you are working on write a blog post,  then post a link to your blog post below, or photo online via Facebook and you get two entries this week.
My project today is another page in my Anna Griffin planner.  The quote says, "Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings and friends that turned into family, and dreams that turned into reality, likes that turned into love."  The purple flowers are a Heartfelt Creation stamp, the black paper is DCWV and all the rest is Anna Griffin planner and planner embellishments.  

Dress Form Christmas Tree with Quarter Scale Form

Last year I saw a beautiful dress form Christmas tree on Facebook and knew what I wanted to do with a quarter scale dress form I have had for years and used as a door stop.  I started this dress form tree project, by gluing buttons, dew drops and other embellishments to the bodice area with a low temp glue gun.  I added evergreen picks from Michaels with a staple gun.  Below you can see the work in progress in my crafting space.

To transition from the picks to the waistline, I used some red petals I got from Mon Ami Gabby and a velvet ribbon from American crafts.   I love the fairy quality of these petals!   I used a rhinestone buckle at the center front of the ribbon.  

To help fill in gaps in the "skirt" portion, I added some holly leaves I cut with my Cricut Winter Woodland cartridge, more petals, and some JoAnn Fabrics 6" organza ribbon.  I added some scrap ribbon, and a poinsettia with more pick embellishments from Michaels as well.  On the evergreen picks I glued a few roses by Recollections.

Another close look at the neckline detail.  I can't remember where I got these pretty stick pins!  Can you see the red and white stick pins?  Love them!

I made this for my niece because I want her to have a special Christmas tree from her Auntie!  Her nickname is La Princesa, so I felt I could make a fairy tale dress for my fairy tale niece!  So, she had to have a bustle right?!

A side view of the bustle.  

I love this project so much I want one for myself!  I went on ebay and found some 1/2 scale dress forms.  Well, that's out of the budget, sigh!  I will begin the garage sale hunt next Spring!  I feel like I just finished an unconventional challenge on Project Runway!  

Supplies 
Quarter Scale Dress Form
The Robin's Nest Dew Drops
Mon Ami Gabby embellishments
Buttons
Glue Gun
Staple Gun
Michaels Evergreen Picks
Joanns 6" Organza Ribbon
Recollections Boutique Fleur Rose
Recollection Poinsettia
American Crafts Velvet Ribbon
Cricut Winter Woodland Holly Leaf
Mon Ami Gabi Flower Petals

UFO Challenge #47: A Book

I am continuing to challenge you to get your Un Finished Objects done, by posting a weekly challenge inspired by wedding anniversary gifts.  This week I post my 47th challenge, and the 47th wedding anniversary present is a book.  So, this week use a book or book theme in your UFO project and get an extra entry!  Don't have a book UFO?  You can still get an entry for working on any of your UFOs!  Just pull out a UFO you are working on write a blog post, on your UFO, then post a link to your blog post below, or photo online. 

I am using an online challenge to inspire me to work on two of my UFO's in one projects in the book theme.  I love the Scrap Your Stash blog and wanted to try their November Sketch +3 Challenge see the photo of the sketch above.  So for their challenge I used Glitter in column one in my small buttons in the banner in the upper left hand corner.  I used the # in the second column from Anna Griffin's planner embellishment kits near the oval title.  For the third column I used printed index cards from Anna Griffin's Vintage French Card kit.  

I continue to work on my Quotes to Live by Scrapbook.  This week I am making a cover for the book.  I used an old Franklin Quest ring binder that I used to use for storing my planner pages.  Now I am using it to store my planner pages for my Anna Griffin planner.  And later it will be my cover for my Quotes to Live by album.  
Supplies
Anna Griffin Paper (floral print)
Anna Griffin 12 Month Planner Insert
Anna Griffin Planner Embellisment Kit (#, arrows, banner)
Anna Griffin Vintage French Card Kit (Red and brown printed cards)
Anna Griffin Card Kit (Title oval and butterfly)
Cricut Audrey Cartridge (red damask printe tag)
7 gypsies Life is Good Paper (red newsprint paper)
We R Memory Keepers Storyteller For the Record Paper (lined background paper)
Clock die cut
Buttons
Franklin Quest binder

Save Thanksgiving and Stretch Your Seasonal Decorations!

My favorite holiday has long been Thanksgiving.  It has family and food and no stress for me (when I'm not hosting).  And even if I host Thanksgiving, it does not have the added stress of gift buying and wrapping that Christmas does.  I also love the message of being thankful for what I have now, for family, friends, life and so much more!  So, it bothers me that retailers open Thanksgiving night and I refuse to go out and shop!
I like to wait to decorate for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving.  But the weather can be too cold for outside decorating after Thanksgiving.

So this year, I have started by hanging my door garland, and giving it a Thanksgiving wrap.  I also added a sign cut with my Cricut.  So, I am entering this in the Fantabulous Cricut Blog #289:  Autumn.   I used a cut from Rad and Happy called Thankful Banner.  I ungrouped the cut and hid some contours to cut a mat layer.  I glued both layers to chip board and punched 2 holes.  After Thanksgiving, I 'll take down the garland, take off the Thanksgiving flair, and add a red ribbon, some floral picks and a Merry Christmas sign made with my Cricut.

UFO Challenge 46: Poetry

I am continuing to challenge you to get your Un Finished Objects done, by posting a weekly challenge inspired by wedding anniversary gifts.  This week I post my 46th challenge, and the 46th wedding anniversary present is poetry.  So, this week use poetry in your UFO project and get an extra entry!  Don't have a poetry UFO?  You can still get an entry for working on any of your UFOs!  Just pull out a UFO you are working on write a blog post, on your blue UFO, then post a link to your blog post below, or photo online. 

My project at the top is another page for my Quotes to Live by album I am making and using currently in my Anna Griffin planner.  The flowers, swirl and flag are from an Anna Griffin card kit and the green and gold paper comes with the planner.  The quote is by John F. Kennedy and is perfect for everyday and for Veteran's Day, so I added a flag to my page.  It says, "As we express our gratitude we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  

UFO Challenge #45 Sapphire Blue

I am continuing to challenge you to get your Un Finished Objects done, by posting a weekly challenge inspired by wedding anniversary gifts.  This week I post my 45th challenge, and the 45th wedding anniversary present is traditionally sapphires.  So, this week use sapphire blue in your UFO project and get an extra entry!  Don't have a blue UFO?  You can still get an entry for working on any of your UFOs!  Just pull out a UFO you are working on write a blog post, on your blue UFO, then post a link to your blog post below, or photo online. 

For my project today, I am back to working on my Anna Griffin Planner.  I just ordered and received the refill pages for the next 18 months and I love this planner!  The entire planner has beautiful AG graphics and the cover is embossed faux pink leather.  She now has an even better ring available than when I ordered mine and a teal cover.  I love the pocket pages and the accessory kit that you can order to go with it too!  But I do have one complaint and it is a big one for me.  This planner starts the week on the monthly pages on Mondays (see photo above this paragraph for the original monthly page).  What!?  The week starts on Sundays!  All the other calendars, I refer to to get my deadlines and important dates start on Sundays.  We planner people, keep a planner so we don't miss a thing and having the wrong start to the week can lead to errors and missed dates or deadlines.  I have started to make my own planner stickers for the monthly pages to move the Sunday to the far left where it belongs.  I hope Anna Griffin fixes this for the next refill!

 
At the top of the post you can see my additions to Anna's planner to put my Sunday on the left and the added notes on the right.  I used Cricut DS to make the stickers.  The grid on the left is made with CTMH Artbooking.  I had to weld two shapes.  The note paper on the right is from a black and white pattern also in DS.  I used the Splice tool to cut a portion of the paper that had the most lines and a bit of the swirl in it and then distressed it with a bit of ink to match Anna's graphics  I love this DS paper pattern for journaling in my scrapbooks too!  .  I am going to enter this in Bittenbythebug2's flourish challenge.  I love using the paper patterns in the DS software almost as much as I like using the cut files!