KittieKraft

Clean and Simple Fanciful Flourish

Happy Wednesday.  I have a clean and simple project to share with you today.  I love white on white cards with pops of color. The punched border layer is decorative but still allows the flower and fanciful flourish be the star of the show. 

The flower was made using several layers created using the Spellbinders Blossom Two die set. I altered the layers a little by cutting down in between each petal so I could create a little more dimension. I distressed the layers, sponged lightly with pink ink to add a touch more life to the pink and then attached.

I mounted the punched layer on mounting tape to add another element of dimension and attached the foliage and flower. This was really a very fast and simple card to make.

Cards like this can fit any occasion- thinking of you, birthday, get well, etc.  You can pop in any sentiment you need when you are ready or simply write your note.

Have a great day.  It’s Wednesday and we are half way through the week.  Thanks for looking in.

Paper: Pink, Spring Moss, White Accessories: Spellbinders Blossom Two, ODBD Fanciful Flourish, Martha Stewart Flower Box PATP Punch Set, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat, Mounting Tape

Belleek Pottery Inspired

Happy Tuesday! My project today was made for the Splitcoaststampers Technique Lovers Challenge.  Belleek Pottery was our inspiration and we were to create a colored pattern on cardstock by applying ink on to an embossing folder. You can find step by step instructions on how to perform this technique here.

I inked the front side of the embossing folder with Antique Linen using a brayer, inserted the cream  cardstock, turned the folder front side down on my Big Shot and embossed.

I created a frame, sponged on ink and mounted with mounting tape on the embossed layer.  I punched several little flowers, sponged ink on, distressed and glued four together for each flower.  After applying ink I attached the leafy flourish to the frame and base of the card and attached the flowers. I sponged several rock fern foliage and arranged around the flowers to complete.

I love the elegance of this card.  It really is so much prettier in person than in the photo.

I hope you are having a great week and appreciate you stopping by.  I hope to have another pretty project for you tomorrow.

Paper: Vanilla     Ink: Antique Linen   Accessories: Martha Stewart PATP Punch Set, EK Success Mini Daisy Flower and Rock Fern Punches, My Favorite Things Leafy Flourish Die, Sizzix Embossing Folder, Mounting Tape, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Brayer, Sponge, Paper Piercer (point to work with and pick up tiny flowers)

Toby Came Home

I opened the front door last night and found Toby  on the porch. I was going out for my last walk around the yard to call for him before going to bed. He is a little freaked out and dirty but seems to be alright. As soon as I get over being happy to have him back home I’m going to kill him for scaring me to death. LOL! Thanks for all of your concern, sweet comments and support.

I made this project for the Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper Challenge.  Our featured artist was Kim aka Luv Flowers. Here is a link to Kim’s card that inspired my card.

I love making these floral sprays on my card fronts.  I chose to use the coral pink for my flowers to match the little flowers in the designer paper. I used the soft blue cardstock for the foliage instead of green as I think it creates a much softer look.

I wanted to show the three different 5 petal blossoms that I used to make the flowers.  Even though they are not matching flowers they vary enough in size that they work well being layered with each other.

The largest flower is distressed slightly less to create the base of the flower.  I distress the second layer a little more and distress the smallest layer to create a tight flower center.

For these smaller flower petals I use a fairly small stylus.  I go around the outside of each petal to curl them into themselves and then finish by pushing down in the center of the flwer.

I layer the flowers so the petals are offset from each each other to create a natural looking flower.

You can see more details of how I create my paper flowers and sprays by checking out my punched flower tutorial and flower spray tutorial.

I hope you have a great week and I appreciate you coming by.

Paper: Soft Sky, Prism Peach, White, Retired SU DP
Accessories: Martha Stewart Flower and Branch Punch, McGill Multiple Mini Flower Punch, EK Success Rock Fern Punch, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat, Mounting Tape, Retired Fiskars Corner Edger, Stickles

Windows, Window Box Garden and Brick

I want to let you know how much I appreciate all your thoughts and notes about my lost Toby.  So far we have not found him but I haven’t given up hope.

I know that you would not normally see windows right up against a brick wall but I love how this turned out.  I recently got the Tim Holtz brick embossing folder and love the rustic look.  I couldn’t resist pairing the brick with windows and window boxes filled with foliage and flowers. 

I embossed a piece of vanilla cardstock and then ran my Fired Brick ink pad directly across the top of the high parts of the embossing.  This created a really rick dark red brick color.  I then used a sponge and applied Vintage Photo to the grout and open areas. I did this to make the brick look more rustic but also to cover where some of the red ink got on those spaces.

I cut two windows and then cut the inner side of each of them off so I could fit them together to create a double window. I did the same with the two window boxes and then mounted it all on the brick background.

I didn’t get a great cut to match the two windows together so I added the tall flourish to draw the eye away from the upper gap in the seam.  It sort of looks like jack in the bean stock doesn’t it? LOL! I die cut and punched four different kinds of foliage to fill the window boxes.  I wanted them to be more about foliage with just little hints of flowers.  I used red to match the brick for the flowers so they would be seen but would blend in well. I used two different shades of cardstock for the foliage to add contrast. Click on the photos if you would like a little closer view.

The foliage reminds me of the large dish gardens my mother used to make in the flower shop.  She always put a little bit of everything in them.

Have a great Sunday.  I will keep you posted about my lost Toby.  Thanks again for all your warm support.  It means so much to me.

Paper:  Vanilla, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss, Ruby Red  

Ink:  Fired Brick, Vintage Photo

Accessories:  Our Daily Bread Fanciful Flourish, Poppy Stamps Madison Window,  Window Box and Gentle Leaf Dies, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, EK Success Rock Fern, 1/4” Fiskars Flower Punch, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat

Barn Scene

Good morning everyone.  I am sorry for my earlier post announcing the rescheduling of my card sale.  One of my  indoor cats got out yesterday evening and we have been frantic.  I am supposed to be taking part in the Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Design Team blog hop today but I failed to get my project ready in time.  Since I couldn’t sleep last night I finally got up and created this barn scene using the Farm Life set. If you follow this link to the hop you can check out what my team has created using Kittie Kits and also win a chance to receive a Kittie Kit of your choice.

I usually stamp my image with waterproof ink and watercolor but I changed it up a bit today.  I stamped the barn with dark gray water based ink and colored the image using a stipple type motion with a dry brush.  I gathered the ink on the brush by swiping it  directly across the ink pad and then applied lightly to the image. I used the same technique to stipple in the ground area and sky.

I really did try to not to apply flowers to this and let the scene speak for itself but it was just a little too plain.  I ended up adding a few punched branches and tiny 1/8” circle punched flowers to the border of the frame and really tiny 1/6” circle punched flowers to the base of the barn.  If you click on the photos you can get a little closer view.

I hope you will go on over to the Rubbernecker Design Team blog and check out the Kittie Kits hop.  You won’t want to miss seeing what the team has come up with to share with you or miss an opportunity to win a Kittie Kit.

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Farm Life KKCS S008 , The Moose Is Loose KKCS S002, Evergreen Set 689 690 694 SO

Paper:  Ruby Red, Artichoke, Watercolor

Ink:  Pumice Stone, Fired Brick, Forest Moss, More Mustard, Basic Gray, Tumbled Glass

Accessories:  Brads, Crimper, Nestabilities, Brushes, 1/8” and 1/16” Circle Punches, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Glossy Accents

Gold Heart and Flowers

Check out the Rubbernecker Designer Team Call if you are interested in joining our wonderful team.

Card Sale:  Come by and check out my card sale tomorrow.  Her are a few of the cards available.

 

It’s Friday and almost the weekend. I am looking forward to it.  I went a little gold crazy on my project today. I wanted to make a romantic card using my new Love Set from Rubbernecker. I wanted the heart and wispy floral flourishes to be elegant and gold embossing seemed the perfect thing.

As much as I love gold embossing it is not easy to photograph.  The card is so much prettier in person. I started by stamping the image and embossing and then die cut with an oval Nestabilities. I die cut the scalloped layer and stamped versa directly on the cardstock and embossed with gold.  I repeated the same technique on the gold base layer and on a scrap piece of cardstock to use for my punched flowers.

The image is so pretty on it’s own but I wanted to add flowers for dimension and elegance. One single layer of gold embossed flower was perfect.  No need for additional layers. I put dots of gold stickles in the center of each flower for the final touch.

The white base layer was cut with decorative corner scissors and popped up with mounting tape.  The scalloped layer was popped up with another layer of mounting tape which adds interest and dimension to the card.

Have a great weekend and take time to do something good for yourself. Thanks for stopping by.

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Love Set 545     Paper:  White      Ink:  Versa    Accessories:  EK Success Mini Daisy Punch, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities, Stickles, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape

Card Sale Rescheduled

I'm sorry! My card sale is rescheduled for January 28th. Thanks for you understanding.

Thanks So Much

Check out the Rubbernecker Designer Team Call if you are interested in joining our wonderful team.

I have fallen in love with the window and fence dies together.  I thought they would be great to use together again in this week’s Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge.

I used the Rubbernecker Thanks So Much sentiment since I need a thank you card to give to a friend at work. Here is what I came up with.

I applied the eyelet drapes to the back of the window and mounted to the card base with mounting tape.

The flower border was cut once in green and once in pink.  I glued them together on the grass area and then snipped the green heads off the flowers to let the pink flowers show. I glued the fence and flower border together and mounted to the card with mounting tape.

I cut pickets off a left over piece of fence to create the sign post for the sentiment.  I love the pink flowers and crisp white against the blue background.  I think my friend will love getting this.

I hope you are having a great week.  I hope to have something fun to share with you tomorrow. 

Stamps: Rubbernecker Thanks So Much 565-18
Paper: Retired SU DP, White, Regal Rose, Gable Green
Ink: Regal Rose
Accessories: Poppy Stamps Madison Window Die, ODBD Fence, Memory Box Spring Border, Nestabilities, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape, MS Eyelet Punch

French Script Valentine

Click on the Design Team button if you are interested in checking out the Rubbernecker Design Team call.

Well…I have another flower project for you that I made for the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge.  The challenge was to use Stampin’ Up!’s  Pretty in Pink  Pirouette Pink and Rose Red. 

Here is what I came up with.

I created a double matted heart frame for the French Script background and popped up on the white background layer.  The white background was also popped up for additional dimension.  The corners were cut with decorative corner scissors to add another little touch of elegance and interest to the card front.

I created the tiny flowers and arranged with the white foliage to embellish the project.  I love the leafy flourish and how it pops on the red frame.

It is hart to see in the photos but I added diamond stickles to the flower centers for sparkle.

Today is Wednesday and that means we are in the middle of the week and on the down hill side to the weekend.  Yeah!  Have a great day.

Stamps: Rubbernecker French Script 448
Paper: Rose Red, Pretty In Pink, Pirouette Pink, White
Ink: Rose Red
Accessories: MFT Leafy Flourish, EK Success Mini Daisy Punch, 1/4" Fiskars Flower Punch, EK Success Rock Fern, Spellbinders Heart Die, Decorative Corner Scissors, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat, Mounting Tape

Framed Floral Spray

I have a simple floral card to share with you today.  I had a few of these little flowers on my designing table left over from a past project.  I sat and looked at them for a few minutes and decided to pop them in a colorful decorative frame on a solid white background and let them be the main focal point.

The frame was punched with a Martha Stewart PATP set and the center was cut using a square Nestabilities.

The rock fern foliage was added to the back of the flowers and then they were all attached to the base of the card with Glossy Accents.  

I added tiny white pearls to the center of each flower and finished by adding the ribbon tails. I love how the three colors of flowers pop against the green and white.

Check out my flower spray tutorial if you would like to see how I make my flower projects.I hope you are having a good week and I appreciate you stopping by.

Paper: Lavender Lace, So Saffron, Pink, White
Accessories: Martha Stewart PATP Border set, EK Success Rock Fern Punch, SU Flower Punch, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape

Pencil Shading and a Big Red Valentine Flower

Notice:  Rubbernecker is holding a Design Team Call.  If you are interested please click here for  details.

I have two projects to share with you today.  I tried my hand at pencil shading the truck from my Kittie Kits Fall Harvest set. The second is a fairly gaudy red and white Valentine flower card.

Linda aka Holstein was featured artist for the Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper challenge this week. I was intrigued by her pencil shaded horse card and inspired to try my hand with the technique.

 

I stamped the image with black Stazon and used a used a sketching pencil with soft lead to shade the truck image. I really had fun playing with this technique and definitely think I will try again.

I almost tried to light pencil sketch in some scenery around the truck but thought I’d better stop where I was.

My second card is a crazy one for me. It is one of those times where the project looked so much better in my head than how it really turned out.

I wanted to try making a flower with my new Stampin’ Up! blossom punch but got a little carried away with the size of the flower. I punched several petals, distressed them and then attached them to a punched circle used as the base of the flower.

I wanted to center to be sparkly with rhinestones but wanted them to be red so I colored clear ones with a red Promarker.  I attached the leafy flourish to try and soften the flower a little.  I was almost not going to post this as it isn’t my favorite but thought I may as well share the bad with the good.  LOL!

I hope you have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Fall Harvest
Paper: Bienfang Drawing Paper, White, Black
Ink: Stazon
Accessories: Alvin Draft-Matic Pencil 0.9mm, Sizzix Tim Holtz Brick Embossing Folder, Spellbinders Rectangle Die

Paper: White, Red
Accessories: SU Blossom Punch, Martha Stewart Heart PATP Punch Set, Spellbinder Heart Circle Die, My Favorite Things Leafy Flourish, Rhinestones, Red Promarker

Friendship Blooms In All Seasons

Happy Sunday.  I hope this finds you staying warm and comfortable in your neck of the woods.  It has been pretty chilly for us here in Florida the last few days but I can’t complain since I know so many of you are experiencing bitter cold temps and snow.

 

It's time for a Rubbernecker Sisterhood Sunday design team challenge! You are invited to participate in our challenge and enter a chance to become a Sunday Sister, as well as win a prize. Get all the details on our Stampin' Sisterhood blog.

The challenge this week is a fun sketch.

 

I love the Rubbernecker Garden Phrase set and enjoy creating floral projects that coordinate with the sentiment.  Here is what I came up with.

I thought a big single flower made from the designer paper was perfect to mix with the white fence, foliage and sentiment layer. 

The sentiment says “Friendship is the only flower that blooms in all seasons”.  Isn’t that the truth!

Please come on over to the Rubbernecker Design Team blog and check out the other team members projects.  Please come and play along.

Rubbernecker Design Team Call

Rubbernecker is searching for a few new design team members.  If you are interested I invite you to check out the team requirements on the Rubbernecker blog.

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Garden Phrase Set 508    Paper:  Retired SU Designer Paper, White     Ink:  Broken China    Accessories:  Papertrey Bloom Builders 3, Our Daily Bread Picket Fence Die, Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish Die, Circle Punch, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents

Another All White

Oh!  I am so happy it’s the weekend.  How about you?  I have another all white project to share with you today.  I played in the Splitcoaststampers Queen For The Day challenge and had the opportunity to honor  a very talented lady, Judy aka jaydekay. I was inspired by Judy’s all white New Beginning card.

I’ve had this Spellbinders Eyelet Pendant set for a long time but have never used it.  I thought this was a perfect opportunity. I wish I could get my photos to turn out as pretty as this card is in person.

I liked the flowers in the inner circle of the pendant with the larger butterfly in center stage. I think the little butterflies on the base layer are a perfect finish.  You can check out my punched flower tutorial if you would like to see step by steps of how I create my flowers.

I’m wishing you a wonderful and restful weekend.  I am looking forward to lots of time in my craft area. Thanks for stopping by.

Paper: White
Accessories: Spellbinders Eyelet Pendant, Sizzix Embossing Folder, EK Success Mini Daisy Punch, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Mounting Tape, 1/4" Fiskars Flower Punch

More Spring and More Pink

I got home late from work last night and didn’t have much time to play.  I still had the pink designer paper on my desk and decided to use it again for another sweet spring project.  This time I pulled out my smaller window die and paired it with a white picket fence and flower garden.

I added crisp white eyelet drapes and a little pot of flowers to the window sill and then popped the window up on mounting tape.

I mounted the fence with mounting tape and then attached the flowers to create the flower garden.  I finished by adding small sprigs of branch punch along the flower border.

This is such a happy card and can be used for any occasion.  My favorite part of the whole project is the tiny flowers in the window.

Have a wonderful and restful weekend.  I hope to have lots of stamping time to create some fun things to share with you. I appreciate you stopping by.

Paper: Stampin' Up! DP, White, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Poppy Stamps Madison Window Die and Wildflower Patch Die, Martha Stewart Branch Punch and Eyelet PARP Punch et, Our Daily Bread Fence, Mounting Tape, 1/8" Circle Punch, Glossy Accents

Spring Home Sweet Home

Happy Thursday and thanks for stopping in today. I have a fun card to share today that I made for this week’s Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.

Ok….so I fudged a little on the sketch because I didn’t end up using those buttons things on my card. I decided the branches and leaves were plenty.

I love the sweet coordinating pink designer paper and was in the mood for something springy. I popped up the birdhouse, added foliage and popped up the birdy.

I cut the tiny leaves off of a rock fern and attached to the branches, put tiny pieces of mounting tape on the backside of the leaves and attached to the card front. I finished by adding lots of tiny flowers to both the tree branches and the foliage around the bird. The perfect finishing touch was the tiny flowers and foliage right over the heart opening.

The week is winding down and I am looking forward to the weekend and some extra stamping time. I hope to be back tomorrow with something special if my work day allows the time.

Paper: Stampin’ Up! DP, White, Chocolate Chip, Olive
Accessories: MFT Homespun Die set, Memory Box Twigs and Berries Die, 1/8" Circle Punch, EK Success Rock Fern, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat

Variegated Rosebud Spray

I love playing in the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge and this week the color combination was Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze. 

  

When I saw the pink and red colors were to be used together I instantly thought it would be fun to try and create a variegated pink and red rosebud.  I liked how the first one turned out so well I made two more to create a flower spray.

I punched out several 1” and 1 1/4” pink circles and distressed them with my stylus against a mouse pad to soften the cardstock to make easier to work with.

I sponged red ink lightly around on the circles to create the variegated appearance. I love the red edges and lines on the pink flower petals. They look so lifelike in person. You can see a little more closely in the next photo.

I added the blue to the project by with the tiny, tiny blue flowers placed around on the foliage to soften the spray.

You can see step by step photos in my rosebud tutorial if you would like to see how I made my rose buds. 

I hope you are having a great week.  Thanks for checking in today.

Paper: Blushing Bride, White, Baja Breeze, Olive
Ink: Red Riding Hood
Accessories: Circle Punches, Stylus, Mat, Sponge, Glossy Accents, Martha Stewart Heart PATP Set, Mounting Tape, Dotted Swiss, Poppy Stamps Gentle Leaf Die, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, 1/8" Circle Punch Organdy

Garden Fence and Trees

Good morning!  I have a scene card and matching envelope to share with you today that I made for the Technique Lovers Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers. 

I love making both winter and summer outdoor scenes and I especially love trees. It has been quite a while since I pulled out my Kittie Kits Outdoor Master and played with the trees and mini fern.

I created a border on the front of my card by attaching a mast made with post its.  I stamped the trees with light brown water based ink and filled in lightly with a stipple motion with a dry brush that I swiped directly across the ink pad to pick up ink.

 

I sponged in the tree tops and ground area and then filled in with the mini fern to add leaf and grassy texture. I sponged in the sky using a hand cut scalloped cloud template and finished the scene by adding pink flowers along the ground line using the tip of my mini fern stamp

I attached the fence with mounting tape and then added the tiny sprigs and flowers to create the flower border.  I thought the tiny blue birds were the perfect touch to finish the project.

I used the exact same technique to create the scene on the envelope. The colors are a little lighter than the card front because the envelope paper quality is not nearly as nice as the cardstock.

I think this makes a lovely card and envelope set to send to someone. I have a few scene tutorials on my blog home page if you would like to see step by step photos of how I create scenes.

One work day down and four more to go.  I hope you are having a great week and I appreciate you stopping in.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Outdoor Master
Paper: White, Regal Rose, Olive, Turquoise
Ink: Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass, Antique Linen,
Accessories: ODBD Fence, 1/4" Fiskars Flower Punch, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Sponges, Brushes, Glossy Accents, Mat, Stylus, Mounting Tape, Scalloped Cloud Template (hand cut), Papertrey In The Meadow Birds

I have gone Flower Crazy

I have had lots of fun this weekend making paper flowers . I have a sweet project to share with you today.

The wreath was made with Memory Box Grapevine Wreath die. I cut the wreath twice with kraft paper and sponged both with Vintage Photo ink and light adhered together. I rotated the top wreath over the bottom one to make it look like a fuller thicker wreath.

I started making tiny little flowers with my mini flower punches. I modified the flowers by cutting out one petal and gluing back together. I know that sounds strange but I was trying to make flowers small enough for the wreath and that would also not look flat. I distressed the flowers and glued them together and pushed tightly down with my stylus into the mouse pad to push the petals up to create more dimension. You can check out my punched flower tutorial if you would to see how I shape my flowers. The lavender flowers are double layered and the pink ones are only single layers. I used my 1/8" circle punch to create tiny little flowerets to arrange around in the foliage to soften the arrangement. Here’s a closer look.

I adhered the wreath to the white punched layer with Glossy Accents. I didn't have ribbon to match the Lavender Lace paper so I cut a thin strip of cardstock and pulled it across my bone folder to soften the paper and created the loops and tails of the bow and glued into the wreath. The all white punched background looked so plain so I cut a square frame to fit inside the punched border and popped it up on mounting tape. It was the perfect addition to highlight the wreath.

I have a flower spray tutorial that shows step by step photos of how I create my sprays.  You can find all my tutorials on the top right side of my blog home page.

I really appreciate you stopping by and supporting my blog.  I receive so many wonderful comments and emails every day and I am thrilled that so many people are inspired to create their own floral projects. Have a great week.

Paper: White, Lavender Lace, Regal Rose, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Memory Box Grapevine Wreath, EK Success Daisy and Petunia Mini Punch Set and Medium Rock Fern Punch, Martha Stewart Branch Punch and Flower PATP Punch Set, 1/8" Circle Punch, Square Nestabilities, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat, Mounting Tape

Pink Flowers and Butterflies and Tutorial

Happy Sunday! After receiving several requests yesterday I have added a Rosebud Tutorial to my tutorial pages if you would like to check it out.

I have another floral project to share with you today.  I used the Spellbinders Blossom Two die set and EK Success mini daisy punch to create the my flower.

 

I cut three sizes of the flower and punched one mini daisy and then cut down towards the center between each scalloped edge to form petals. I distressed each petal on the flowers to curl and add dimension. I sponged Shell Pink ink on each petal to add depth of color to the pink and filled the center with three tiny pearls.

I used the Spellbinders Foliage die, Poppy Stamps Gentle Leaf die and Martha Stewart Branch punch to create the foliage spray around the flower. The foliage was distressed and then sponged with Shabby Shutters.

I think the little pink butterflies with pearls are the perfect finishing touch along with the gorgeous embossed background.

Well…..I have to prepare myself for the upcoming full five day work week. Yikes.  After being off 1 1/2 week and then only having to work four days last week I believe I have a long week ahead of me.  LOL  I hope you are having a great day and I really appreciate you stopping in.

Paper: Pink, White, Olive
Ink: Shell Pink, Shabby Shutters
Accessories: Spellbinders Blossom Two, Scalloped and Regular Ovals and Foliage Die Sets, EK Success Mini Daisy Punch, Martha Stewart Butterfly and Branch Punches, Poppy Stamps Gentle Leaf Die, Sizzix Flourish, Dots and Ribbon Embossing Folder Set, Pearls, Sponge, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents

Floral Valentines

Happy Saturday!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I’ve enjoyed my morning making two floral Valentine projects. 

I have really fallen in love with white on white projects but I sometimes have trouble getting good photos.  This could certainly be a wedding or anniversary card but I had Valentine’s in mind.

I like the look of the heart circle layered over the square heart base.  I popped both layers up with mounting tape for dimension. 

I love the all white flowers, foliage and butterflies. It is really hard to see but there are tiny pearls in the flower centers and on the butterflies. You can check out my flower spray tutorial if you would like to see  step by step photos of how I create my sprays.

My second project has a white card base and decorative pendant but the flowers and foliage add a pop of bright color against the white.

I wanted to create a rosebud nosegay for this card.  I used several 1” punched and distressed circles to create the bud.  I rolled the center circle up very tightly and glued it.  I then light rolled and glued each circle on to create the appearance of rose petals.  The final layer was a 1 1/4” circle that could fit all the way around to close the bud.

I attached the rosebud and foliage to the pendant and finished with a multi loop bow. This reminds me of the corsages my mother used to make in the shop for Easter and Mother’s Day.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Paper: White
Accessories: Martha Stewart PATP Heart Punch Set, Butterfly Punch and Branch Punch, Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punches, Spellbinder Heart Circle Die, My Favorite Things Die-namic Leafy Flourish, Pearls, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mat, Mounting Tape, EK Success Mini Daisy Punch, 1/4" Fiskars Flower Punch

Paper: Red, White, Olive
Accessories: Circle Punches, Poppy Stamps Gelntle Leaf Die, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Spellbinder Fleur De Lis Pendant Die, Stampin Up Tulip Frame Embossing Folder, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape

Your Kindness Speaks To Me

Happy Thursday!  The countdown to the weekend is on.  I have a sweet pink and white butterfly project to share with you today.  I made this for the Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge.  Here is the sketch we were to follow.

I have to admit that I didn’t really like those circles all the across the bottom of the card. I actually made some pretty white flowers to put across mine but didn’t like that straight line.  So I cheated a little bit and used a straight across flower border punch instead.

The sentiment and butterflies are both from the Rubbernecker Butterflies Are Free set.  The butterflies were stamped with versa on the striped designer paper, embossed with gold embossing powder and cut out.

I thought the flower border was perfect to use with the butterflies. I put little tiny pink flowers in the center of each punched flower.

I love the sweet feminine feel of this card. 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Butterflies Are Free
Paper: SU DP, White
Ink: Versa
Accessories: Gold Embossing Powder, Snips, Glue Dots, Spellbinders Lattice Rectangle, Grosgrain, Martha Stewart PATP Flower Border Punch

Fast, Clean and Simple Window and Flower Box

Happy Wednesday!  I wanted to play in the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge last night but didn’t have much time after work.  The colors for the challenge were to use basic gray, turquoise and green and any neutral. I made a quick card with my Poppy Stamps window and flower box dies.  This is kind of stark for me but I really like how the window, flowers and foliage pop against the all gray background.

 

I used my EK Success Rock Fern and Mini Daisy punches to create the foliage and flowers to fill the window box.  No branch punch in this as I liked the simplicity of the fern foliage.

A totally gray background is not my favorite thing but I think it makes a statement.  It’s all about the window and flowers. Check out my flower spray tutorial if you would like to see how I make my floral sprays.

I am trying to keep my posting streak going as I have only missed a couple of days since the beginning of November. Keep your fingers crossed for me that work doesn’t get in the way.  LOL!

I hope your first week in 2012 is going great.  My first day back to work after being off for more than a week was hectic with what seemed like hundreds of emails to catch up on.  Ugh! I really shouldn’t complain as I am thankful to have a good job.

Paper: Basic Gray, Tempting Turquoise, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: EK Success Rock Fern and Mini Daisy Punches, Fiskars 1/4" Flower Punch, Poppy Stamps Madison Window and Flower Box, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents

Sparkling Flowers, Rain and Home

Well….it’s back to work tomorrow so this is my last “for sure” post from my time off on vacation.  I love to stamp in the evenings after work but sometimes I just get home too late and am too tired.  Ugh!  As a friend of mine used to say “ somebody in the outfits has to work”. LOL! I guess it has to be me!

I have two fun projects to share with you today.  The first was made for the Technique Lovers Challenge “Let’s Get wet” at Splitcoaststampers.  We were to make a project that represents rain, snow or something wet. Here is what I came up with.

I used the Rubbernecker sentiment from the Garden Phrase set for my wet part and added stickle sparkles to my flowers and foliage to represent rain drops. It is difficult to see in the  photos. 

Sing in the Rain, Dance in the Sun and Dream in your Garden. 

I made my second project just for fun playing with my new dies.. 

I hope you have a great week.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Garden Phrase Set 508
Paper: DP, White, Dark Pink
Ink: Versa, Cranberry
Accessories: Spellbinder Lace Doily Motifs and Square Dies, SU Flower Punch, EK Success Mini Flower and Foliage Punches, Martha Stewart Branch Punch and PATP Border Punch

Paper:  SU Retired DP, Tempting Turquoise, White, Kiwi Kiss      Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Memory Box Country Home  and Puffy Clouds Die, Papertrey Tree Die, ODBD Fence Die, 1/4” Flower Punch Die,

Just Because

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s day!  I had a good day stamping and making banana muffins.  My vacation is almost over and I must admit I am not really ready to go back to work.  LOL!

My project today was made using a Rubbernecker sentiment and Memory Box tree die. Santa brought me this die for Christmas and I had a good time filling it with spring flowers and little blue birds.

I cut two trees and attached the first one flat to the card base and then distressed the second one to give dimension and attached directly over the first using glue dots and mounting tape.

Here’s a closer view.

Have a great week and be sure to take time to get your fingers inky.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Friend Collection Just Because 565-22
Paper: Retired SU DP, White, Kiwi Kiss, Turquoise, Pink
Ink: Regal Rose
Accessories: Memory Box Arboscello Tree Die, 1/4" Fiskars Flower Punch, Papertrey In The Meadow Die (birds) Crimper, SU Oval Punch, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Memory Box Gentle Leaf Die, Embossing Folder, Mounting Tape, Glue Dots, Stylus, Mat, Glue Dots

Happy New Year and Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers

Happy New Year!  I can hardly believe it is 2012.  I wish each of you a wonderful upcoming new year.

I went flower crazy Saturday and just couldn’t seem to help myself! I love creating colorful floral projects against and all white background and have three of them to share with you today.

 

My first project is a mixed flower spray using different colors and style of flowers.  I used the odd theory of using 1, 3, 5, etc. to create a balanced look for my spray. 

There is a mixture of foliage to add interest and a natural look to the arrangement.

My second project is all white with purple flowers.  It is simple yet elegant and I love how the purple pops against the white.

This is a far more simple design but I love the flower of the Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish.

I love adding tiny little sprigs of foliage and tiny flowers around the fines to add color interest and softness.

My third project is all soft pink and green and reminds me of the flower images used on fancy English china  tea sets.

I added lots more of the tiny flowers around this arrangement and I think they add such a sweet soft ness to the boldness of the all white background.

The larger flowers were made using the Martha Stewart large and multi flower Hydrangea Punches.  I filled the center of these flowers with tiny white pearls.

All of the flowers in these projects were made with various punches and dies, distressed with a stylus against a mouse pad to form and create a more natural look to the petals. I have several different step by step paper flower tutorials on the top right hand side of my blog home page including hydrangea, cornflowers, poinsettias, as well as  tutorials on how to create flower sprays and wreaths.

Have a safe and Happy New Year.  Thanks for all the wonderful support you give me post after post.  I really appreciate it so much!

Paper: So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Pink, Kiwi Kiss, White
Accessories: Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish Die, Memory Box Meadow Leaf and Gentle Leaf Dies, EK Success Mini Foliage, Martha Stewart Pine Branch Punch, My Favorite Things Prima Donna Petals and Pretty Posies, EK Success Mini Flowers, Fiskars 1/4" Flower Punch, Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch and Cornflower Punches, 1/8" Circle Punch, Stickles Diamond

Paper: White, Perfect Plum
Accessories: Flower Punches-SU, EK and Fiskars, Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish, Martha Stewart Pine Branch and PATP Flower Punches, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents, Mat, Stylus, Pearls

Paper: Pink, White, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Fleur De Lis Rectangle, Mixed Punches for Flowers- Martha Stewart Large and Triple Hydrangea and Pine Branch Punches, 1/4" Fiskars Flower Punch, Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish, Memory Box Gentle Leaf Die, Pearls, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape

Fleur De Lis Pendant and Party Dress

I have two projects to share with you today that I made for the Friday challenges on Splitcoaststampers.  The first was for the Queen For The Day challenge honoring my good friend, Jen aka Miss Boo.  I was inspired by her Rubbernecker’s Square Ornament card found here.  Here is my take on her card.

I replaced the ornament shape that Jen used with the Spellbinders Fleur De Lis pendant die and created the decorative border using the matching Fleur De Lis border die.

I made the flower and foliage using My Favorite Things Perfect Posies and Leafy Foliage dies and added a few springs of Martha Stewart’s Branch punch and little baby flowers using the 1/4” Fiskars flower punch.

I added a touch of satin pink ribbon along the designer paper border and a pretty pearl for the flower center. This card reminds of a the images found on English tea sets.

My second project was made for the Free For All challenge and the theme was “Party Dress”.  I had no party dress images so I hand cut my own dress. This definitely took me out of my comfort zone but I enjoyed the challenge.  Vera Wang I am not!  LOL!

I had the sentiment "Wish" stamped in gold to apply to the dress but I couldn't figure out where to put it. It was to stand for "wish I was young enough to wear this dress" or "wish my waist was small enough to fit in this dress" or "wish my cleavage wasn't too saggy for a strapless dress"!!! One lady commented in my gallery that she “wished her arms weren’t to flabby to wear a strapless dress”.  LOL!

I hand cut the bodice and the skirt separately and embossed and crimped the pieces and attached together.  I applied the pink ribbon around the waist and created a matching  multi loop bow.  It still didn’t seem like enough so I cut a few tiny pieces of foliage and made a few tiny flowers and applied around the bow and along the upper bodice. There is a little touch of ruffled organdy ribbon along the top of the bodice and tiny pearls along the eyelet punched border but you can’t really see them in the photos.

I liked how the dress fit in the solid pink embossed frame card base.

I hope you each have a safe and wonderful New Year’s Eve.  Be careful out there!!!

Paper: BasicGrey Sugared, White, Mellow Moss
Ink: Shabby Shutters, Shell Pink
Accessories: Fleur De Lis Square and Border Dies, My Favorite Thing Perfect Posies Die and Leafy Flourish Dies, MS Branch Punch, Mounting Tape, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, 1/4" Flower Punch

Paper: Pink, White, Spring Moss
Accessories: Embossing Folders, Crimper, MS Branch Punch and Border Punch, Organdy Ribbon, Satin Ribbon, Pearls, Organdy

Thinking of You

Happy Friday.  I cannot believe how fast my vacation week has gone by.  I console myself with the fact that I will still be off on Monday for the holiday.  LOL! 

My project today was made for the Splitcoaststampers Ways To Use It Challenge to use beads. I placed little rhinestone beads in the center of all my flowers.

I covered the whole card base with designer paper and used the fence to create a border across my card front. The foliage was attached to the fence  and the sentiment to appear growing out in the garden.

The tiny little pink flowers with the rhinestone centers were the perfect finishing touch This card screams spring to me and I am sure some of you who live in colder climates are looking forward to some spring weather.

I hope you have a wonderful upcoming weekend.  Thanks for looking in.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Friends Collection-Thinking of You 565-10
Paper: Basic Grey Sultry, Prism Pink, White
Ink: Peeled Paint
Accessories: Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish, Papertrey Picket Fence, Martha Stewart Flower PATP Border Punch (tiny flowers), EK Success Mini Flower Punch, Rhinestones, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape, Stylus, Mat, Fleur De Lis Rectangle Die

Sweet Home Sentiments

I enjoyed using some of the new Memory Box dies that Santa brought me for the Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge. 

Here is the sketch we had to work with. This is lots more layers than I usually use but it was fun to stretch myself. Two of my new dies create a long border cut and I thought they would be perfect for this layout.

The Spring Border is so sweet and looked cute as a background for my Country House. I cut both dies twice, once in pink and once in green. I  cut the flowers of the pink off and layered over the green flowers and cut the green trim sections of the house and layered them over the pink house for contrast.

I applied Stickles to the flowers and house trim for a touch of sparkle.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Board and Beams set.

My second project was made using the Memory Box Country Landscape.  I cut it out a few times in green, crimped them  and layered one over the other.  I cut a couple sets out in white and sponged pink on the houses and cut them and added to the landscape to create a sweet neighborhood.

This sentiment is also from the Papertrey Board and Beams set.

Thanks for stopping in today.  I really appreciate it.

Stamps: Papertrey Board and Beams
Paper: SU DP, White, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Peeled Paint
Accessories: Memory Box Country Home and Spring Border, Crimper, Stickles, Glue Dots, Glossy Accents

Stamps: Papertrey Board and Beams
Paper: SU DP, White, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Shell Pink, Peeled Paint
Accessories: Memory Box Country Landscape Die, Crimper, Glossy Accents, Grosgrain

Sparkly Winter Window

Happy Tuesday!  It doesn’t seem possible that Christmas is already past and the New Year is upon us.  Time sure flies!  I played in the Tuesday Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge to use Bashful Blue, Night of Navy and White and a little sparkle. I decided to create a snowy winter window scene using my new small Madison Window by Poppy Stamps.  Here is what I came up with.

I cut out two windows and cut the sides off of each of them and fused them together to create a double hung window.  I like the effect of covering almost the whole card front. I stamped the tree from Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Fall Harvest set and touched a bit of white craft ink in the branches and embossed with white embossing powder. I  created a cloudy background using a hand cut cloud template and a sponge.

I thought the little white fence with flower soft snow would be cute in the yard and in front of the tree.

The finishing touch was adding the white sprigs of foliage and navy flowers.  I added touches of Stickles on the flowers, the foliage and even the tree limbs and branches but it doesn’t show well in the photos.

I hope you are enjoying your final week of 2011. 

Stamps: Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Fall Harvest KKCS 009
Paper: White, Night of Navy
Ink: Black Versafine, Bashful Blue, White Craft
Accessories: Poppy Stamps Madison Window, MS Branch Punch, Fiskars 1/4" Flower Punch and 1/8" Circle Punch, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Stickles, Mounting Tape

Faux Leather, Faux Snakeskin and Faux Gold

I created this project and tutorial in 2009 for Stampers Quest Magazine.  I recently sold the card in my blog stamp sale and had several people write and ask if I would do a tutorial so I thought I would share it here.

I wanted to demonstrate several different textures on this project by creating faux leather for the base and trim of the card, faux snakeskin to back the buckle and as trim and faux gold for the buckle. These techniques are wonderful to use to alter journals, boxes or portfolios.

Supplies:

Stamps:

Bronc Buster (Stampin’ Up!)

Sanded (Stampin’ Up!)

Paper:

Kraft (Stampin’ Up!)

Ink:

Vintage Photo Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other:

Versa (Tsukineko)

Mod Podge (Plaid)

Gold Embossing Powder (Ranger)

Copic Marker E37 Sepia (Copic)

Copic Marker 0 Colorless Blender (Copic)

Tabletop Paper Cutter (Stampin’ Up!)

Gold Brads (Stampin’ Up!)

Mesh Texture Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Provo Craft)

Baby Wipes (Kirkland)

Deckle Scissors (Stampin’ Up!)

Sponge Brush (Michael’s)

Needle Nose Pliers (Unknown)

Scotch Tape (3M)

Mounting Tape (3M)

Oval Nestabilities Die (Spellbinders)

.125 hole punch (McGill)

ATG Adhesive (3M)

Glue Dots (Stampin’ Up!)

Directions:

The Faux Leather Finish

 

Cut a piece of Kraft cardstock 8.5” X 5.5” and score in the center.

Rub Vintage Photo pad directly on the cardstock to apply ink on both sides of paper.

Wipe the cardstock with a wet baby wipe to smooth out the color.

Dry both sides of the cardstock with your heat gun or allow to dry naturally (I am always too impatient to wait).

Apply ink to the Sanded background stamp and stamp the cardstock to create faux leather lines of texture.

The Faux Leather Trim and Tassels

Trim:

Rub Vintage Photo ink about 4” wide down the total length and directly on the long end of a piece of Kraft cardstock and repeat on back side.

Wipe the cardstock with a wet baby wipe to smooth out the color.

Dry both sides of the cardstock with your heat gun.

Cut several long strips of cardstock .125” wide.

Apply Mod Podge to one side of a strip and start applying around the outside of the card base. The strip will be pliable to work with since it is damp with the Mod Podge. Continue around the base by holding your index finger directly on the strip when you reach each corner and hold in place while you make a 90 degree turn. When you come to the end of a strip start a new strip directly at the end where you left off. It is barely noticeable.

Sponge brush card base and trim with Mod Podge to create a faux leather luster and allow drying.

 

Tassels:

Tape the end of three .125” wide strips together and tape to the base of your work area to secure for braiding.

Run your fingers lightly up and down over each strip to make more pliable.

Braid the three strips carefully until you have a long enough tassel for your embellishment.

Secure the end of your tassel with an additional strip covered with Mod Podge on the back side and taking it around the end two or three times. You should leave about 1” of the braided strips left loose and trim to the desired length when finished.

Remove tape and repeat this process for the other end.

Brush a light layer of Mod Podge over tassels for luster and allow drying.

The Faux Snakeskin Trim

 

Emboss a 5.5” X 1.0” strip of Kraft cardstock with the Mesh Texture Cuttlebug folder.

Emboss a 4.25” X 3.5” piece of Kraft cardstock with the Mesh Texture Cuttlebug Folder. After finishing the steps below set this piece aside to be attached to buckle.

Rub Vintage Photo Ink directly on the embossed pieces.

Wipe the cardstock with a wet baby wipe to smooth out the color making sure you get color down in the grooves.

While still wet rub the Vintage Photo directly over the pieces again to add darker tones of color to the raised mesh to create the color of snakeskin texture.

Cut the 1” strip in half and measure to fit perfectly inside the trimmed border and cut as necessary.

Apply Mod Podge on the back of each strip and apply to the base.

Sponge brush Mod Podge over the strips to create luster and allow drying.

The Faux Gold Buckle

 

Apply Versa to Genuine stamp and set aside. The Versa will protect your stamp from the hot embossing.

Cut a piece of cardstock 3.5” X 2.5”.

Rub Versa directly on the entire piece of cardstock.

Apply gold embossing powder and heat.

Rub Versa over the cooled gold embossed powder layer; apply more gold embossing powder and heat. Repeat this step four or five times to build up a thick enough layer of embossing powder to show the stamped image well.

Center and place the stamp directly into the final heated layer of gold embossing powder, being careful not to allow the stamp to slide around.

Hold the stamp in place for several seconds (slowly count to 10) to allow the embossed powder to cool.

Pull the stamp away from the cooled embossed powder.

Hint: if your image is not stamped the way you want it, all you have to do is heat the powder again and start over. I reheated and stamped mine three times before it turned out like I wanted it to.

Grip brad with needle nose pliers, apply Versa to brad head and dip into gold embossing powder and heat. Covering your brad with the embossing powder will make it perfectly match your gold buckle. Repeat until all your brads are embossed.

Place oval Nestabilities die over the embossed image and run through your machine to cut the oval buckle.

Punch holes in buckle with your hole punch and apply brads.

Heat the brads lightly to meld into the embossing powder. Do not heat too long or your image with start to melt away.

Use brown Copic Marker to color areas of the image, being careful not to apply too much color. The alcohol ink can damage the embossing. Use the colorless marker to blend or remove color as desired. It is not necessary to color the image but I think it gives an old, tarnished look to the buckle.

Attach buckle to the snakeskin cardstock layer.

Cut cardstock with deckle scissors around the buckle leaving a border .125” to .25” wide.

Attach mounting tape to the back of the buckle.

Attach the tassels securely to the back of the buckle with glue dots.

Mount buckle on the card front.

Step back and appreciate your hard work on this wonderfully textured card. Congratulations! Now that you have completed these steps you will be ready to apply what you have learned to creating any type of altered project. No one will be able to guess it is all cardstock and embossing powder instead of real leather, snakeskin and gold.

Thank You, Spring Window and MS Branch Punch

I enjoyed being off work yesterday and am looking forward to vacation days the rest of the week.  I made two cards to share with you. The first one was made for the Splitcoaststampers Technique Lovers Challenge to make a thank you card.

This started out being a plain white and gold embossed sentiment card but it grew into something totally different.  After I stamped the sentiment I decided it would look better framed, and then I decided to add a flower and foliage and the next thing I knew everything had gold embossed edges.  LOL!

The thank you sentiment was a thank you stamp included in my Papertrey order.  I thought it was perfect for the challenge.

I thought the flourishes around the sentiment would match perfectly with the fleur de lis die cut and the leafy flourish foliage.

The Clean and Simple challenge on Splitcoaststampers this week was to create a project using some kind of window.  I pulled out my window die and made a simple spring window.

I wanted the colors of the foliage, flowers and drapes to pop against the all white background.

I folded the piece of cardstock in half and cut out the center with deckle scissors to form my drapes. I used my crimper to add dimension to the designer paper drapes.

I cut a second window and cut the bottom off to create a layered window box for my flowers and foliage. 

Martha Stewart Branch Punch

I did some research today and found several places that have the MS Branch Punch that I love in stock and I wanted to share the information with you. Click on the links below to check it out.

kats-art on Ebay-  I wrote the owner today and they have 23 available.

Scrapbooking Warehouse- site states they have 29 available and they offer the lowest price.

Amazon

Create For Less

I hope this helps.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Stamps: Papertrey Sending a Big Thank You
Paper: Pink, White
Ink: Shell Pink, Versa
Accessories: Spellbinders Square Fleur De Lis and Square Nestabilities, Gold EP, Mounting Tape, My Favorite Things Flower and Foliage Dies, Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents

Paper: White, SU DP, Pink, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Poppy Stamps Grand Madison Window Die, Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish (cut up) Martha Stewart Flower PATP (for tiny flowers) Stylus, Mat, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape, Crimper, MS Branch Punch

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.  These poinsettias were growing in my backyard a couple of years and I took this photo on Christmas day.  We are not able to enjoy a white Christmas in Florida but we do enjoy wonderful sunshine, blue skies and beautiful flowers.

I was able to play this morning while I waited for my husband to wake up.  Here is what I came up with.

Have a wonderful day and I hope Santa was good to you.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Butterflies are Free 538, Butterfly Inchies 427    Paper: White     Ink: Versa
Accessories: My Favorite Things Leafy Flourish, Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Rectangle and Rectangle Dies, Stylus, Mat, Gold EP, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape

Baskets of Hydrangeas on Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve!  I have had a wonderful time this morning creating a project for the Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge. The inspiration site this week is Urban Art Loft and I was inspired by a lovely picture of a basket full of hydrangeas. 

The  Rubbernecker Create a Garden Set 1 has two baskets that I thought would be fun to fill with mini hydrangea blooms.

I created the frame using a Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page set and then die cut openings for the frame using Spellbinders Label one small and large dies. I attached the taller basket to the card base and popped the short basket up in front it.

I created the mini hydrangea flowers using 1/4” punched flowers. 

Using a stylus I pushed each blossom down into a mouse pad to bend it up all the edges. I attached three flowers together with Glossy Accents to create the multiple blossoms of a hydrangea.

I punched out foliage using MS Branch Punch and attached it to the baskets to create a background for the flowers. I attached the flowers in place using Glossy accents.

Sadly the photos do not come close to showing how pretty and sweet these baskets full of hydrangeas really are.

I wish each of you a blessed and Merry Christmas with your family and friends.

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Create a Garden Set 1   Paper:  Pale Plum, White, Spring Moss

Ink:  Pink Sherbet, Cool Peri

Accessories:  Fiskars 1/4” Flower Punch, Martha Stewart Flower Punch Around The Page and Pine Branch Punch, Glossy Accents, Stylus, Mouse Pad, Paper Piercer

Portfolio Flowers and Flourish Complete

I finished the portfolio set for my boss that I mentioned in my post yesterday.  I ended up scrapping the 4.25” Fleur De Lis card and created a second regular A2 size card for the set.  I finished the front of the portfolio with framed floral flourishes to match the note cards.

Here is the second note card design.

Here is the portfolio that will be tied with pink ribbons.

I wanted to show photographs of them all together and inside the portfolio and they weren’t easy pictures to take but at least you can get an idea of what the set will look like together. You can click on the photos for a little larger view.

I’ve had this portfolio template for several years and have used it many times.  I will try to figure out a way to attach the template (I am technically challenged…LOL) to a page under my tutorial section for anyone who would like to have it.

I couldn’t fit more than two cards and envelopes inside the portfolio with the frames and flowers. I hope my boss will enjoy having the folder to put special cards or papers in after she has used her note cards.

The holiday weekend is very close.  Only two more days to work and then I will be off for the whole week between Christmas and New Year.  I am so looking forward to some time off. Thanks for stopping in and for your patience with three straight days of white and pink  cards. Check out my tutorial section if you would like to see how I create my frames and flower sprays.

Paper: White, Pink, Spring Moss
Accessories: MFT Die-namic Leafy Flourish, EK Success Mini Flower punch, Martha Stewart PATP Flower Border Punch and Pine Branch Punch, Spellbinder Fleur De Lis Square, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents, Mat, Stylus

Flowers and Flourish Again

Happy Wednesday! I am creating a set of special note cards for my boss for Christmas.  She is such a lovely feminine lady..  What can you give someone who seems to have everything?  You can give them something unique and made especially for them.  You saw my Fleur De Lis card in yesterday’s post. Today I am sharing the second card in my set.

I used a Martha Stewart Punch Around The Page set to create the punched border for the frame and cut the inner frame out with a long Nestabilities. I used the EK Success punch and MS border punch to create the flowers but didn’t put as many layers on each flower as on my  project yesterday.

I would be happy if I received a set of these cards as a gift.  I hope she will be also.

I hope you are finished with  all of your Christmas preparations, cards, wrapping, baking, etc. and can enjoy the next few days contemplating the real reason for the season.

Paper: White, Pink, Spring Moss
Accessories: MFT Die-namic Leafy Flourish, EK Success Mini Flower punch, Martha Stewart PATP Flower Border Punch and Pine Branch Punch, Spellbinder Fleur De Lis Square, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents, Mat, Stylus

Fleur De Lis Flowers and Flourish

I had a fun package in the mail when I got home last night.  It was a mini flower punch set from EK Success.  I used one of the punches to make the sweet flowers on my project.

The card base is 4.25” square and is just the perfect fit for the largest Fleur De Lis die cut.  I popped the frame up on mounting tape to add an extra bit of dimension to show off the flowers and foliage.

The foliage is a die cut called Leafy Flourish by My Favorite Things.  It may be my new best friend next to the MS Pine Branch punch. I attached the foliage with Glossy Accents and then attached the flowers.  I added a few tiny little buds along the flourish trails to add one more bit of softness. You can check out my flower spray tutorial and my punched flower tutorial  if you would like to see step by step photos of how I create my flower cards.

The pale green foliage and pink flower against the intricate white frame reminds me of porcelain. 

Have a great Tuesday and thanks for looking in today.

Paper: White, Pink, Spring Moss
Accessories: MFT Die-namic Leafy Flourish, EK Success Mini Flower punch, Martha Stewart PATP Flower Border Punch(little inner flowers) and Pine Branch Punch, Spellbinder Fleur De Lis Square, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents, Mat, Stylus

Birdhouse Fun

Happy Monday!  I have two birdhouse projects to share with you today.  One is a Christmas card made with coordinating designer paper and the other is a painted and decorated wood birdhouse.

A few weeks ago I purchased the K&C Company Merry Christmas designer paper pad and have enjoyed using it on several projects.  I love the pattern on the card base and thought it would look great with the sweet birdy and birdhouse made with coordinating papers.  The birdhouse is a template made my My Favorites Things and the bird is Stampin’ Up! Bird Punch.

My mother-in-law was here visiting for a few weeks over the Thanksgiving holiday and we enjoyed shopping a trip to Michaels one Sunday.  She loves birdhouses and purchased an unpainted one for $1.00. I asked her to leave it with me to let me decorate it and send it to her in the mail.  Here is what I came up with.

I painted the roof and base with Shabby Shutters crackle paint and I love how it crackles up and looks like it has been there for 100 years or so. You can see it more clearly on the close up photo.

I used a SU Sizzix  die, a My Favorite Things foliage die and Martha Stewart  punch to create the foliage.  The little flowers were made with the MS hydrangea punch and the little punched flowers that fall from the MS PATP flower border set that I have.

I attached all the foliage and flowers to the house with Glossy Accents.  I love that stuff. 

I have gotten enthused about making this birdhouse and think I should start a collection for my mother-in law. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  I know she would love that.

Have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Paper: K&C Company Merry Christmas, Vanilla,
Accessories: My Favorite Things Birdhouse Template, SU Bird Punch, Martha Stewart Pine Branch Punch, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents

Woodland Snowman

Good Sunday morning.  I have a fun snowman card to share with your today that I made for the Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge.  Our inspiration site was At West End and I was inspired by a sweet trio of three felt snowmen.

I loved their moss green hats, green and white scarves and their little twig arms and  I set out to make one of my own.  Here is what I came up with.

I made my snowman with a circle punch and an oval Nestabilities.  I hand cut the little hat and now and attached a moss gingham scarf.  I used grapevine twigs to create the pine boughs with attached punched pine. I used the Rubbernecker Evergreen Tree set for the background.  I love the woodland country look.

The frame was cut with a deckle oval Nestabilities and I stamped with the SU Sanded background. There is Flower Soft on the ground area behind the snowman but it is hard to see in the photos.

The clock is ticking down to Christmas and we all have lots to do.  I hope you don’t over stress and take time to get your fingers inky. Have a great week.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Evergreen 689 690 694 SO , Stampin’ Up!  Sanded
Paper: Mellow Moss, White
Ink: Mellow Moss
Accessories: Grapevine, Gingham, Oval and Deckle Nesties, Circle Punch, MS Pine Branch Punch, Glossy Accents, Glue dots, Glaze Marker, Flower Soft

Winter Pink Poinsettias

The Free For All Challenge on Splitcoaststampers this week was to make a project using winter flowers.  Well, that is all I have been making lately as I just can’t seem to help myself.  I love those poinsettia dies.

I got a little carried away on this one and it may be a little too heavy with flowers but I still like it.  I love the contrast of the little bit of white Fleur De Lis die showing under the flowers for an added touch of dimension.

It is hard to see in the photo but there are pink organdy ribbon loops and tails mixed into the petals and foliage. You can see my step by step poinsettia tutorial if you would like to see how I make my flowers.

I plan on spending the day today making Christmas cards to send out to my family.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Paper: White, Pink, Olive
Ink: Peeled Paint, Shell Pink
Accessories: Spellbinder Poinsettia and Fleur De Lis dies, Martha Stewart Pine Branch Punch, Pearls, Mat, Stylus, Sponge, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape

Black and White Snowy Night

Happy Friday.  The weekend is almost here and I am looking forward to relaxing after a long work week.  I have a very simple window silhouette project to share with you today.

I hope you can tell it is a silhouette of a horse drawn sleigh in the window with the pines in the background. I love the bright contrast of the white against the black. 

I added the black lattice punched background against the white card base to create visual contrast between the frame and the base. I love the punched trees in the distance and the crimped wavy snow. I thought the star in the sky was the perfect finish.

I sure hope you have a great weekend.  Thanks for

Paper: Black, White
Accessories: Poppy Stamps Grand Madison Window, Papertrey In the Meadow Die cut set, Nestabilities Lattice Rectangle, Mounting Tape, Glossy Accents, EK Success Pine Border Punch

dropping in.

Wishing You Peace and White Poinsettias

Time sure is flying by and Christmas will be here before we know it.  After selling so many cards in my card sale I am trying to make Christmas cards to send to our family and friends.  The card I am sharing today was made using the sketch from the Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge.

I pulled new holiday paper pad by K&C Company and browsed through until I came across the lovely holly  and coordinating green pattern.  I thought this paper would be perfect paired with white poinsettias, holly and pine.  I just can’t seem to stop making poinsettias.

I used cream cardstock for the sentiment layer and poinsettias.  I sponged on a tiny bit of yellow to the petals to add depth. 

I love how the sprays of poinsettias and holly adds so much interest to the Wishing You Peace sentiment.

You can check out my flower spray tutorial and poinsettia tutorial if you would like to know how I made my flowers. 

I hope your week is going well and that you are farther ahead making your Christmas cards than me. Thanks for checking in to my post today.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Wishing You Peace 410-05
Paper: K&C Company Merry Christmas DP, Vanilla, Olive
Ink: Scattered Straw, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint
Accessories: Spellbinder Poinsettia Dies, Martha Stewart Holly and Pine Punches, Stylus, Mat, Sponge, Pearls, Embossing Powder

Another Poinsettia

The Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers on Tuesday was Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Always Artichoke.  I thought it was a perfect opportunity to create another poinsettia card using the lovely deep red.

I don’t have Crumb Cake so I substituted Sahara Sand and used it as one of the mat colors.

I love how the pine and holly add so much texture to the poinsettia.  It definitely reminds me of my mother’s flower shop during the Christmas holidays.

You can check out my double matted frame and poinsettia tutorial if you would like to see step by step photos of how I create my flowers and frames. I hope you have a great and I really appreciate you stopping by. 

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Sahara Sand, Artichoke
Ink: Cranberry, Peeled Paint
Accessories: Spellbinder Poinsettia Dies, Martha Stewart Pine, Holly and PATP Punches, Stylus, Mat, Nestabilities

Poinsettias, Pine and Holly

Thanks so much for such a wonderful response to my Card Sale. I am closing the sale for a couple of days to catch up on special orders.   

Just for fun last night I created two very similar cards using the poinsettia dies.  I think these may be my favorite of all the Christmas cards I have made this season. 

I don’t know about you but I so love how the red poinsettias and green foliage pop against the all white background. Here’s a closer view of both.

The first of the two cards is fuller with added holly leaves and small berries. The larger frame opening gave opportunity to add more foliage. I love the little ribbon loop in the top of the first arrangement and the ribbon tails. Here are a couple more views.

Thanks for coming and looking at my new projects. You can check out my poinsettia tutorial if you would like to see step by step photos of how I make my flowers.  I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and that you have the opportunity to do some paper crafting.

Paper:  White, Red, Olive       Accessories:  Spellbinder Poinsettia Die Set, Martha Stewart Holly and Pine Branch Punches, Nestabilities, Grosgrain, Mat, Stylus, Glossy Accents, Pearls

Having Fun With Christmas Cards

Checkout my Card Sale. If you see something you like that has already sold I will be taking a limited amount of special orders.

I had lots of fun creating new Christmas cards yesterday evening.  Paper crafting is such a good stress relief after a long work week.

 

I cannot stop using the window die. It is so fun and versatile. The winter tree is from Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Fall Harvest.  The little cardinals are from Papertrey’s In The Meadow die set.

I stopped on my way home from work today to use my Martha Stewart 50% off coupon at Michael’s.I found the candle punch and knew it had to come home with me to use with my window die. 

Another tool I love to use during this holiday season is the Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch Around The Page punch set. It creates such pretty frames and borders.  This tree was created using the Papertrey In the Meadow tree die.

Lovely as a Tree is such a perfect bare winter tree image.  I love pairing it with the sleigh silhouette image from Papertrey’s In the Meadow. 

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Kittie Kits Fall Harvest, Lovely As A Tree

Paper:  K&C Company Merry Christmas Designer Paper,  Cream , Cherry Cobbler, White, Papertrey Designer Paper

Ink:  Black Versafine, Pumice Stone, White Craft

Accessories:  Martha Stewart Pine Branch, Snowflake PATP Set, Papertrey In The Meadow Die set, Glossy Accents, Mounting Tape, Satin, Clear Embossing Powder

White Poinsettias and Blue winter’s Night

Checkout my Card Sale.  If you see something you like that has already sold I will be taking a limited amount of special orders. 

Happy Friday and time for the weekend.  I am looking forward to being home.  How about you?  The Ways To Use It Challenge on Splitcoaststampers this week was to use some form of a template on our card and I turned to my fun window die.

I die cut out a window made with regular printer paper and created a mask over white cardstock.  I sponged and stamped my snowy moonlight scene and then removed the template to show the white window panes.  I cut another window from white cardstock, cut out the panes and then mounted the outer portion of the window over the scene and attached it to the card base.

I created three white poinsettias with blue foliage and white pine sprigs to embellish the window.  I added a touch of sparkle to the pine and flowers with Stickles  but it doesn’t’ show well in the photos.  The flower centers are tiny rhinestones.

Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend and take some time to stamp for fun. 

Stamps: Rubbernecker Kittie Kits The Moose is Loose
Paper: White, Blue
Ink: Stormy Sky
Accessories: Poppy Stamps Grand Madison Window Die, Martha Stewart Pine Branch Punch, Spellbinders Poinsettia Die, Mat, Stylus, Glossy Accents, Rhinestones, window Template, Sponge, Stickles

Snowman George and His Tree

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Snowman George is so cute and has such a happy face and the perfect wave.  I thought he deserved to be popping out of a frame.  

I love the Cherry Cobbler cardstock and how well it matches with the SU designer paper.  There is lots of sparkle but it’s hard to see in the photos.

I love adding the little punched snowflakes left from the punched border.

Have a fun day and thanks for looking in.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Winter Holiday George 594-02
Paper: SU DP, Cherry Cobbler, White, Watercolor
Ink: Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters,, Black, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Martha Stewart Snowflake PATP Set, Nestabilities, Mounting Tape,

Sledding In The Meadow

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I had so much fun making a layered Christmas for my post yesterday that I made one today with a snowy winter sledding scene. I made this for the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge to use Very Vanilla, Real Red and Wild Wasabi. 

I created the layers of the tree by running each tree section through again so the bottom of the die cuts the bottom off of each one. 

I used the little snowflakes from the border punch to layer on the tree and sky area for a little whimsy.  I love the sledding silhouette.

Thank you for dropping in.  Have a good day!

Paper: Very Vanilla, Real Red, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Wavy Crimper, Regular Crimper, MS Snowflake PATP Punch Set, Papertrey In The Meadow Die Set, Glossy Accents, Glue Dots

Button Ornaments

Card Sale

The Technique Lovers Challenge on Splitcoaststampers on Monday was to use buttons.  I pulled out buttons that have been in my drawer since I started stamping in 2004 and that matched the Riding Hood Red cardstock and designer paper that I have.

I cut four Papertrey In The Meadow trees to create my layered Christmas tree.  I moved each tree down on the bottom of the die and cut off portions of each one to create the layers.  I glued the top of each tree in place and popped up the bottom of each layer with rolled up glue dots.  The buttons and bows were glued on with glossy accents.  The little packages are 3/4” punched squares with little ribbons.

 

I didn’t realize how hard it would be to photograph the dark hunter cardstock. Next time I will definitely use olive.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping in.

Paper: Riding Hood Red, White, Hunter, SU DP

Accessories: Papertrey In The Meadow Tree Die, Buttons, Glossy Accents, Satin, Grosgrain, 3/4" Square Punch, Crimper

Black and White In The Meadow

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I don’t do lots of black and white projects but I had lots of fun creating two using my  In The Meadow sleigh die. 

The first is a framed winter tree scene in a snowflake double matted frame.

 

I stamped the tree line with black versafine and embossed with black embossing powder. I mounted the sleigh silhouette inside the frame but thought the front feet of the horse would look perfect stepping out of the frame. 

The second is a window scene showing a small portion of the trees and sleigh. 

 

I didn’t know if it would really be enough of the silhouette image showing through the window to know what it was but I think it works great.

Have a great week and find some time to get your fingers inky.

Stamp: Lovely as a Tree
Paper: Black and White
Ink: Black Versafine
Accessories: Papertrey In The Meadow, MS Snowflake PATP, Black EP, Mounting Tape, Nestabilities

Stamp: Lovely as a Tree
Paper: Black and White
Ink: Black Versafine
Accessories: Papertrey In The Meadow, MS Snowflake PATP, Black EP, Mounting Tape, Nestabilities,Poppy Stamps Grand Madison die

Winter Birdhouse

Happy Sunday morning!  I have been having a great weekend and I hope you have as well.  Before I move on to my project I wanted to draw your attention to my Card Sale posted yesterday.  I posted 70 projects and still have lots available.  Thanks for taking a look.

In August I posted a summery project called Hello Birdy using Nicole Heady’s birdhouse box template available for free on her blog.

I thought it would be fun to recreate a project with the birdhouse but with a winter theme.

I traced the front of the birdhouse from the template to the SU designer paper, cut out and popped up on the card front with mounting tape.  I created the pine spray, attached the bird with mounting tape and applied little red berries punched with a 1/8” circle punch.  I applied Stickles to the berries and branches of the pine for a little bit of sparkle but it doesn’t show well in the photos.

I love the clean and simple feel with all the show being on the bird and pine. I don’t know what I would do without my crimper. It adds just enough texture for interest without being distracting. Have you used yours lately?

Have a great Sunday and I appreciate you stopping in.

Paper: SU DP, White, Red, Olive
Ink: Cranberry sponged on bird
Accessories: MS Pine Branch Punch, SU Bird Punch, 1/8" hole punch, Glossy Accents, Scalloped Decorative Scissors, Stickles, Mounting Tape