The DT Piece That Wasn't

Good Saturday morning to you!  Thanks so much for stopping in to see what I made this week for the challenge at Our Creative Corner.  Unfortunately, you won't see this card on the challenge blog today because I messed up and didn't follow the challenge requirements.  Our lovely hostess, Vicki Burdick has given us a paper piecing challenge, which I did but the twist is no ribbon and only one (yes, that's right, only one embellishment).  Oops, I guess this card doesn't fit the challenge requirements.  I was so fixated on the paper piecing part that it totally slipped my mind about the other requirements so I went my merry way throwing embellishments on by the handful.  I had it all finished, photographed and loaded onto the team blog yesterday before I realized my mistake.  Oh well, maybe I can find other challenges to play in this week.

Here's the deets and I've linked up the products  below, many of which are from my Etsy boutique because I sell what I enjoy using for my crafting.

The paper is old, old Stampin' Up DP which I love and use very sparingly.  My paper piecing is on the Wendy Vecchi stamped heart from the Love to Make Art set, paper pieced using papers from the same DP set and trimmed out.  I die cut white corrugated cardboard with two Sizzix dies -  Hearts, Primitive #3 and Tags, Scalloped Combo #2 and edged them with Metallic Gold Acrylic Paint Dabber.  Then I added a little red tri-bud applique.  I cut another smaller tag and overlaid it, stamping it with a sentiment from the Tim Holtz Stuff to Say set.  The flower was cut with the Sizzix Flowers & Vines #2 die and the pleated ribbon by May Arts and sold in my Etsy shop.  The metal filigree, also from my shop, was coated with white embossing powder and heat embossed for a worn enamel look.  Oh, and the sweet red burlap thread is also from the Etsy shop.

I hope you will stop by Our Creative Corner.  The designers there are awesome and always have something wonderful to share to get your mojo revved up!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and for any comments you leave.









Challenges Entered:
The Stamp Man - Use Red
Stampin' for the Weekend - Out with the Old (old, old, old Stampin' Up DSP)

Sizzix Flower and Vine #3	Filigree Metal	Burlap String 10 Colors	Alterations Tattered Florals Die	Acrylic Paint Dabber
Venise Tribud Appliques	Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink	Ivory Pleated Ribbon	White Corrugated Cardboard	Wendy Vecchi Love to Make Art

InLinkz.com

It's a White Party!

This week we have such a cool challenge at Our Creative Corner.  Our hostess is Kristin Tierney and she is challenging us to use only white in our creation this week.  Don't worry that it will look flat.  You can enhance it with textures and patterns.  Here is an inspiration photo to get you started.

I decided to make a wall hanging instead of a card this week. (don't forget, if you click once on the photo of my wallhanging, it will open up a larger version so you can see the details.  Click again and it becomes even larger. )  I started with a square 12x12" cream colored doily and cut 3 of the 4 corners off, then reattached one of the corners to the top of my piece.  I mounted the doily on a piece of white card stock.  I wanted to mount the piece on corrugated cardboard but it needed to be white so I painted it completely with white acrylic paint.  The corrugated cardboard I sell in my Etsy shop is flexible and lightweight so I mounted it on a piece of cardboard for strength and stability. 

 

The lace and applique were dyed in a very weak tea solution, to just give them an ivory tint.  The crinoline for the flower was dyed in a tea solution also, just a bit stronger than the lace.  

I added a Spellbinders die cut, a sentiment panel and a piece of bronze metal that I white embossed.  I also embossed the large metal filigree at the bottom.  It was originally bright brass.

I turned it upside down and smooshed it into a craft white ink pad and then embossed it with white embossing powder.  

I love the enameled look that the embossing powder gives.  

That about wraps up the details for this piece.  If you have any questions, please either leave them in the comments or email me privately.  Thanks so much for dropping by and for your lovely comments.  And be sure to stop by Our Creative Corner to see the rest of the team's cards.  Hope you will play along with us this week!

NOTE:  The following items can be purchased in my Etsy shop:

Venise Lace Applique

Embroidered Lace

Filigree Metal

Challenges Entered:
Try it on Tuesday - Flower Power
ABC Challenge - Y is for Yesterday
Charisma Cardz Challenge -  It's All About Flowers
Cute Card Thursday - Lace
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - A Vintage Look

Beautiful Baby

 Good morning friends!  I hope you are all set for a wonderful weekend.  Happy Memorial Day weekend to my fellow Americans!  Thanks so much for coming by my blog today.  I have a "Beautiful Baby" card for you today - that's the challenge theme over at Our Creative Corner.  (Baby is also the theme at The Shabby Tea Room this week - one of my favorite challenge sites).  Sharon Wheet is our hostess and she wants to see baby cards, but not just any baby cards.  Your card must also have something in kraft, some sort of trim (lace, ribbon, etc.) and a button.  Now I didn't think I would have any trouble with those recipe ingredients, but I did struggle a bit.  I really wanted to use the straight doily from my Etsy shop because I thought it was perfect for a baby card.  But then I couldn't seem to work in the trim.  I was tempted to call the lace applique the trim, but finally decided to add a bit of lace to the bottom of the main image.  I hemmed and hawed - laid it on, took it off, laid it back on again and finally when I took it off again, it looked bare without it so out came the glue and when I laid it on again - it was with glue.

The dets:  Brocade Blue CS with old Creative Memories baby blue gingham.  I used a vintage nursery rhyme image from the Graphic Fairy.  I've had the image for a few months and have really been wanting to use it.  The library card stamp is from PTI and the Sweet One stamp is from SU.  I stamped it a second time, cut out Sweet One and popped it up.  Then I stamped it again on Barely Banana, cut out only the moon, glittered it and glued it to the original stamping.  The appliques, doily and lace are all from my Etsy shop. The heart applique is mounted on a scrap of kraft paper twist ribbon, also from my shop.  I'm finding that I'm reaching for that kraft paper twist a lot - adds a nice texture and warm color.  The lace comes in white and I tea dyed it with very weak tea this time.  The vintage image was cut with a PTI die.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks so much for your comments and for stopping by today.  Wishing everyone a happy and safe weekend.

Oh, and anybody know what happened to all my followers?  They seem to have left en masse several days ago.  I've been hoping they would return, but no sign of them yet - LOL.  Looks like Blogger is having a little issue again.

Challenges:
The Shabby Tea Room - Sweet Baby

Au Naturel With a Twist

Good morning and welcome to my weekly Saturday post for Our Creative Corner.

 This week, I'm the hostess and my challenge to you is Au Naturel with a Twist.  Here's the deal.  I want to see projects created using only neutrals (and gold/silver or metallics).  The main project must use only pale neutrals (ivory, white, beige, tan, gray) with darker neutrals (dark gray, brown, black) as accents only.  The twist is to include lace and buttons.  

Here's my sample.  I started by stamping with Vintage Photo distress ink onto Very Vanilla using the large text stamp in Tim Holtz's Papillon set, the butterfly stamp and the small flourish in the Fabulous Flourishes set.  Then I brushed gueso over the entire panel.  I used a page from my vintage songbook and punched it with a Fiskar's boarder punch.  Then I made a ruffle out of the kraft paper twist that I'm selling in my Etsy Store.  I did it by cutting two pieces from the short side and then gluing them in just one place end to end.  I created the sentiment on my computer, the first part printed on vellum.  I inked the back of it with Vintage Photo distress ink and cut it out freehand with my pinking sheers.  The SOAR piece was also computer generated.  I punched it with an SU punch and sprinkled gold and UTEE around the edge and heat embossed.  This sweet piece has been embellished with seam binding (dyed with Creamy Caramel) and two sweet Venice Lace butterflies.  The stick pin is also from my Etsy Store.  

That's it for another Saturday at Our Creative Corner.  Please do stop by the site and check out what the other designers have done for this challenge.  

For Mom

Just a quick share of the card I made for my mom for Mother's Day. I seriously had the wrong date in my head for Mother's Day this year and thought it was still more than two weeks away.  When I realized my confusion, I scrambled to get a card made and mailed to my mom so she would have it in time for Mother's Day.  So I just finished it and it will go out in the mail on Wednesday.  She should have it by Saturday. 

I want to say thank you and give a big shout out to Julie and the wonderful people at Verve and Mojo Monday.  My card was chosen as one of the winners last month and I got to pick any Verve stamp set I wanted.  I settled on the Because of You set and just inked it up for the first time on this card.  Isn't it wonderful?  I love the images and the sentiments and word stamps are fantastic too.  

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and the color challenge from The Shabby Tea room to make this card.  The pretty Venise lace floral applique is from my new Etsy shop which I tea dyed and then painted with Bordering Blue to match the designer paper.  Other products used were Spellbinders dies and an SU boarder punch, Bordering Blue in and my Viva Decor pearl pen.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and if you are curious about anything, just ask.

Challenges Entered:
Mojo Monday - Sketch
The Shabby Tea Room - Photo Inspiration and colors Blue, White (or cream) and a Neutral (Brown, Black, Kraft or Tan)
Sentmental Sundays - For Those Special Women in Your Life
Stamptacular Sunday - Mum's The Word
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Try it On Tuesday - Something Old, Something New (my old - eyelets, pearl from the Pretties Kit, last year's DP - my new - rand new Verve stamp set)
Tuesday Throwdown - Mother's Day
Little Red Wagon - For Mom
Scrap, Stamp and Doodle - Mother's Day
Flourishes Bring Back Beautiful - The Beauty of a Flower
One Stop Craft Challenge - Stitching

From the Heart

I was browsing challenges this morning and was really struck by the colors of the CR84FN challenge - red, turquoise and white.  That color palette is totally out of my comfort zone but I was attracted to it for some reason and wanted to give it a go.  So I searched for a sketch to get me started.  I was going to try the Mojo Monday sketch but couldn't get it laid out with these elements in a pleasing way so I looked again and came up with the Waltzing Mouse sketch.  I love their work over there, but never seem to be able to fit their challenge in.  So I was really delighted to be able to combine both challenges.

For some reason when I use a lot of white, I can't bring myself to stitch on it or distress it.  So here you have a card that is about as CAS as I can manage!  I like the clean lines here, but really had to sit on my hands to keep from adding things...a little more lace here, more embellies there, you know how it goes.  But I restrained myself but still have doubts - it feels a little unfinished.

Not too many details to share today.  The white card stock is from Flourishes and the red is Real Red from SU.  I used the Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embossing folder and the DP is from Raspberry Road.  The lace is from my new Etsy shop and I dyed it with the SU Tempting Turquoise reinker watered down considerably.  Also I made a Tim Holtz style rosette out of the paper lace from my Etsy shop.  Unfortunately I don't own the rosette die so I had to score and fold it by hand.  I really like the way it looks with the doily.  I used two Spellbinders dies to cut the hearts and the sweet red rosebuds are also from my Etsy shop.  The pretty sentiment is from Verve.

And just a note about my Etsy shop.  When I ordered my first supply of the Venise lace appliques, I only ordered small quantities because I wasn't sure how the quality would be.  I'm happy to say that I was totally thrilled with everything and a lot of the appliques are sold out already.  I have reordered and am expecting my new stock in about a week.  But I still have a number of pretties in the shop.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.



Challenges Entered:
CR84FN Color Challenge:  Red, White, Aqua
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge - Sketch
Crafty Cardmakers - A Royal Wedding (use the colors red, white and blue or something inspired by the royal wedding
Crafty Creations - White Space

An Easel Card Challenge

Welcome back to my weekly Saturday morning post for Our Creative Corner.  This week our hostess, Vicki Burdick, is challenging us to make easel cards.  I know for the past year everyone has been wild for easel cards, but for some reason, they are not a favorite of mine.  I think it has to do with the fact that I can NEVER get a decent picture of one.  To get the entire card in the photo, you have to move back a bit farther than normal and with my little point and shoot camera, I seem to lose details.  But ever a challenge trooper, I plunged in and here is the result.  I actually like the card, but dislike the photos.  I'll give you a few close ups to help you see the details.

Where to start...that was the problem, I didn't have a clue as to what I could make when I sat down to get started.  Usually I have some nugget of an idea when the time comes to start, but not this time - no idea of colors, images, stamps, themes - nothin'...well, maybe not quite nothin' - I did have that bit of lace running across the bottom.  So with my lace in hand, I started scrolling through my vintage image digital files and came up with this sweet image of two little girls whom I envision are sisters sharing secrets.  I drew my colors from the image - a sweet blush pink and aqua/teal highlights with a bit of vintage brown tones thrown in.  That revved up my mojo and I was off and running.

The CS colors are kraft and Blush Blossom and the DP is from the same SU pack I used yesterday - retired and don't know the name.  I threw in a couple of strips of my vintage songbook, some SU glass glitter on the Spellbinders frame and then I hand dyed the applique posies and fan.  Hand dyed also are a small scrap of shabby seam binding and a crinoline/tulle flower.

What do you think?  Too much teal or a nice accent? I'm on the fence.  I like the teal, but am thinking maybe I have bit too much of that color - it really does jazz it up though, don't you think?  Whatever, I did have a sweet time dying all those fibers.  If you are looking for any of these dy-able products, hop over to my Etsy shop and...shop.

I hope you will make an easel card and join in the fun with us this week at Our Creative Corner. Be sure to stop by the blog and see the easel cards created by the rest of the design team.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and for any comment you care to leave.  

Post Update:  A reader kindly critiqued my card and suggested that I replace the deal seam binding on the tag with a neutral.  I thought it was a great suggestion so here is the modified card.  Now what do you think?  Thanks Sue, I appreciate your input!

Tutorials
Hand Dying Shabby Seam Binding
More Crinoline Flowers
Easy Apple Blossoms

Challenges Entered:
Gingersnap Creations: GC99 Random Redhead Challenge - Fans

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Here we are on the brink of the Easter weekend.  It's finally spring all over.  The sun is shinning (I hope) and the April showers are about to give way to May flowers.  And that's our challenge this fortnight over at Fairy Fun Fridays.  I could have gone the April showers route, but for my card I chose flowers and used this delightful lily image from The Prairie Fairy.  I was going to try to make it white so it was an Easter lily, but felt the card needed the color.  So I just have a pretty spring lily.  I was inspired to use the Mojo Monday sketch as a starting point.  Everything else is pretty simple - no special techniques here, just a pretty shabby chic style card using paper lace and sweet posy appliques from my new Etsy shop.  And you can get some undyed seam binding there to.  Great stuff and so fun to custom dye to match your project.  I dyed this seam binding with my So Saffron reinker. I have a tutorial here on dying the crinkly seam binding.  All the card stock (Bordering Blue and Whisper White) and designer papers are from SU.  Sorry, but I don't remember the name of the designer paper pack, but it's from a couple of years ago and it's retired now.

That's the scoop on this one.  Hope you will play along with a April Showers or May Flowers themed project this fortnight at Fairy Fun Fridays.  Thanks again for stopping by and heartfelt thanks for your lovely comments.  It so inspires me to hear that you like my work.








Challenges Entered:
Mojo Monday - Sketch
C. R. A. F. T. Challenge - Flowers
Pixie Dust Studio - Spring Forward
Paper Romance - Tag It
ABC Challenge - Y is for Yellow
Fussy and Fancy - Springtime

A Vintage Easter Project

Welcome back to my post for Our Creative Corner.  We're kicking the weekend off with an Easter project.  I've been looking forward to this challenge.  I knew I wanted to do something vintage and thought it would be an opportunity for one last springtime blast of crinoline flowers.  Then this week I received some Melissa Frances vintage crepe paper and thought it would be so perfect to work into an Easter project.  I decided to make a tussie mussie, using some of the vintage songbook paper I picked up recently.  I have to tell you, this was a blast to make.  It was a little tricky and I had to improvise as I went along.  I knew what outcome I as looking for so I just kept at it changing this and that and the final result was pretty much as I pictured it. 

I started by rolling a page of the songbook and spritzed it with my homemade glimmer mist (Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls, a couple of drops of Vintage Photo Reinker and water in a mini mister).  I printed a few vintage Easter images in a fairly small size, cut them out, ink distressed them and glued them down.  About a 1 inch strip of the crepe paper was cut and sewed with a basting stitch down the middle and then gathered.  Then I folded the crepe paper strip in half along the line of basting and affixed it to top inside rim.  You can't see it too well, but I love the double ruffle it made.  The vintage crepe paper is very stiff and nice to work it.  It has almost a crisp feel to it.  

Next I created 12 crinoline flowers, 3 of each type/color.  (If you are new to my blog, I have two tutorials on making flowers from crinoline - here and here.)  Most of them have a brad for the center so I took a wire and wrapped it around the base of the brad on the underside of the flower.  I wrapped the other end of the wire around a toothpick to create a floral pick effect.  Once all 12 flowers were finished I arranged them together in bunch and then wired all the stems together for stability.  The inside of the cone is filled with shredded paper so I pushed the pick ends of the flowers down into it and arranged it to  sit up the way I wanted it.  

The handle is a 1/4 inch satin ribbon.  I repeated the same steps with the crepe paper again and glued the ribbon to the underside along the basting line.  I cut a few strips of pastel card stock and ran them through my crimper, then wound them into a spirals so they would curl nicely.  I added a little Venise lace and some darling Venise lace tri-florals.  Watch for these and more yummy Venise lace for sale on my Funkie's Junk blog.  I just received a shipment and will be getting pictures and prices uploaded over the weekend.  

I think that's all the details but if you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me privately.  Thanks for stopping by today and for your lovely comments.  Be sure to stop by Our Creative Corner to see the Easter projects that the rest of the team have made.  

Challenges Entered:

Die Cut Dreams - It's Eastertime
Oh La La - Happy Easter
The Pink Elephant - Easter
Flourishes - Show Us Your Best Floral Creations
Papertake Weekly - Truly Dimensional
Little Red Wagon - Easter
Truly Scrumptious - Vintage
Creative Inspirations - Easter
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Easter
Pals Paper Arts - Flowers
Stampin' for the Weekend - Flowers
Crazy4Challenges - Make an Easter Gift
Craft Your Days Away - Easter