variation on a theme — Asian Dreams

With a desire to continue to  work with the Dream Garden stamp set…..I have been inspired about the use of circles in cards. 

The stuff:

• stash designer paper (yes I am trying to use up my large and stunning stash — perhaps by 2025– for several years I had a fear of the scrapbook industry would stop producing and I would be left with wrapping paper– now I have enough for a natural or national disaster — a scrapbook emergency staff).  (I also have 9 gallons of water from 2001 in my upstairs closet–need to rework that stash)
• back to the paper:  dp from kodomo inc plum blossom, su basic black, whisper white
• su dream garden and eastern blooms
• su melon mango and versamark, then basic black, embossed
• su melon mango marker
• from personal stash: grosgrain ribbon, embroidery floss
• layered flowers and stamin
• fussy cutting, tag punch and circle nestabilities

The card:

My favorite part – the inside: a place for a little note

mojo monday continues

When I saw the sketch at mojo monday’s blog, http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/  it pushed my creativity and desire to stamp further.  I grabbed the stamps after finding the perfect piece of paper in my stash….I always pick up asian theme paper, just love the motifs, colors and balance,  so of course I ordered the new SU Dream Gardens and chose the hostess Asian Artistry with my July party.

The info:

• card made from su basic black cardstock
• layered with Kaiser craft’s Sakura Park red dp, an old piece of textured and stitched black paper, used su real red to mat image
• on su whisper white I stamped on versamark, then su basic black, then embossed images
• the japanese woman is from su dream garden, i colored the lettering in with a red marker
• the bird image is from su asian artistry
• the circle accents are from the new su circle circus — trim, punched, folded as needed
• other accents:  1″ red ribbon and bw stripe ribbon, red flowers (the little ones are found at the craft store in the bridal area, brads and hatpins  from my large stash collection

 

too cute – a little bundle of joy

My stamping mojo is back.  I spent all of July learning adobe photo shop (along story for another day).  I missed the ink, rubber, glue, yet I could not get back in the swing.  Even a new shipment from SU and great new colors, that I love, could not kick me back in place.  So what did I need?  A good old fashion humid Chicago day, to allow me to bury myself in a cool basement craft room, put a new baby in the mix and the crafting began…….

first two cards:  Paper Bag’s Studio’s darling baby

Fell in love with this stamp on splitcoast over a year ago and bought it..

• goal was to use old paper — in fact it was 8 1/2″ x 11″  and 12 x 12″ that I purchased years ago when I first started scrapping
• distressed the paper by inking it and stamping a scroll over it – to imitate the paper that I am addicted to purchasing:}
• layered patterns; added scalloped cut pieces (used nestabilities)
• SU pastels on hat and checks of baby
• SU marker on hat band, and baby dress,  and on the SU Punches Three
• MS rayon ribbon
• button brads
• prima flowers and buttons
• “too cute”  Clear Expressions – Oh Baby Set

a gift for a new baby’s grandmother

hi everyone

Trying to get back on schedule after a full summer, new computer and lots of planning …. like a daughter applying to Georgetown for grad school in June, getting accepted in July and having to move her this month!  And that is just part of the picture.

My first post is a gift for a friend who is a grandmother for the first time!  I created a mini album in a box.  The album was an extra kit from a Melissa Francis class at the summer 2008 Craft and Hobby Show.  

Highlights: 

It started with a craft box and album from Melissa Francis -

•  but could be recreated by using a box from your stash and layering cardstock in an album
• paint edges of box and albums with a mix of white and cream acrylic, let the craft paper show through a bit – paint a thin layer – dries quick!
• tear  designer paper in rough shapes based on the layer you want to cover – distress edges and ink edges for vintage look
• Melissa Francis rubons, stickers, chip hearts were used – don’t be afraid to distress edges of embellishments — and to cut apart stickers; add ribbons to chip board, layer pieces to add depth
• Prima flower – fabric fancies collection and others…
• Prima buttons in rose and green to match dp
• painted the back side of album and inside of box with a sponge in cream and white and sponged pink to complete the look
• Deckle edged spellbinder nestability for small picture mats

 

 

cover of album

butterfly shutter card

I so enjoyed making the shutter card that I made another — same stash and paper group as below.  This is for an aunt of mine who is going through a rough patch.  She is also a crafter, so I know that she will like the 3d details….again almost no stampin except for the sentiment from Northwoods rubber stamps, SU cardstock and BG dp.  Flowers from my stash — the green one is a Prima (and I insert stamen through the hole for texture, a heart charm was added with a ribbon — thank goodness for glue guns.  The butterfuly is a die cut and embossing from cuttlebug — I used watercolor paper, spritzed with Tattered Angels glimmer mist  (pearl)and then while the paper was still wet,  I added daps of color from my reinkers to shade and then respritzed with a green.  Just playing and I made a few of them so they are all in the stash.  The pink trim on the bottom of the card is from the Basic Grey package — it is a sticker.  I would recommend cutting it within the folds, matching your paper, this will make the sticker more flexible. 

wedding shutter card

A ” shutter”  card — so easy to make  and fits in a standard envie….  12 x 5.5″  score vertically at 2, 4, 8 and 10″, cut horizontal slits 1 1/2″ from the edges.  Fold as shown in picture 2 — not alot of stamping — just the sentiment from SU In my thoughts,  Basic Grey dp cut in strips to fit with the card — a scrap of ribbon from my stash with a small plastic dove from my valentine project (you can buy the dove’s in the bridal aisle at your craft store) and glue gun!  Fun to make — this type of card has so much potential!  This card is for a June family wedding.

I’m back… expect some cute cards

My friend’s daughter and one of my former Brownies is getting married next week in Rome…….a great excuse to make a different wedding card….

and my first entry into the http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/

Sketch #27

Using my stash is my motto for the next group of cards, so I started with one of my favorites SU’s cream confetti, layered a border of SU saffron yellow, then a dp stash for the background and circle (cut with nestabilities) — circle bordered in SU chocolate.  Stamps:  SU warm words — happiness, travel sketchbook and Flourishes Flourish……layers of flowers from my bin — brad, circle clip and button centers.   I took a piece of brown ribbon and gathered it into the large flower.

The special card from Mom and Dad

The flower is made of paper raffia on a flower loom — I saw a demo of the little plastic loom several weeks ago on MS…(I will add the link later).  I ordered the looms and bought the raffia at Michaels and voila…..a beautiful spring flower.  I will add a tutorial in the near future.

You will recognize the SU carousel notes.  I stamped the green cardstock with stazon white scroll design from Basic Grey.  Added a nestability cut scallop circle from new MM Chloes Closet dp;  layered MM paper on the bird and branch from the new SU chipboard series……the inside of the card used 2 of the SU Heard from the Heart and added another bird.  The great ribbon is from MM also.

It’s your birthday and I will cry if I want too

How did my daughter Stephanie, ever become 21?  Here’s the card from her sisters and the puppies!  (One of which is hers and decided to live with us!)

 

I made it on Monday night at my good friend and SU demo’s house during a stamp til you cramp party — SU whisper white base; SU dp retired; SU ribbon, SU stamp set  Humor in High Heels.  I stamped the image on leftover designer set paper and cut out the shoes… and used markers.  Use Kaiser Craft pearls over the bow image…..and tah dah@

Julianna is eight

Julianna is eight and a special card is needed for my god daughter {whose Mom is my SU enabler!  — I mean demo}.  So I pondered all of my stamps and paper; and came up with this…….

Stamped Organic Outline on SUdp — I loved this set from moment one and then struggled to use it…..today I figured it out…..it should be a layer.   Cut the image out……..layer on a nestability circle of salebration dp from SU, then 2 rectangles for the background……the ribbon is also from the salebration bundle,  wrapped across the top of the card, then tied a bow catching the leaf stem 

Stamped and embossed a butterfly from Winged Things and colored with Copics, cut out the butterfly folded it slightly and raised the right side with a dimensional

Accented the wings with hero arts gemstones and stamped and cut the berries from Organic Outline on a scrap of DP and scattered them on the card

Stamped and embossed Happy Birthday from Cornish Heritage Farms “Tag you’re it”

Julianna — have a Happy Day