Pages

Thursday, January 30, 2014

"Cupcake Kiss" Birthday Card!!

Hey Everyone!! Happy Thursday!! I hope you all had a great day! For today's project, I have a birthday card to share with you all. This card is a departure from what I normally do. I love the look of those cutesy stamps that everyone has been using lately but I don't own any. So when I saw this cupcake image, I knew I had to make a card to showcase it. I found it on this cool website www.mygrafico.com

They have clip art, digital stamps, patterned papers and lots more.
The cupcake digital stamp entitled "Cupcake Kiss" from Deasy Designs includes the stamp, banner and sentiment. I think the card I created using this digital stamp came out nice but I'll let you decide.
Here is the pic for your perusal:


I used a sheet of Craft cardstock cut @ 5 x 7" as the base for this card.
I cut a sheet of white cardstock @ 4 3/4 x 6 3/4" for the card layer.
I added a 2 x 4 3/4" strip of pink patterned paper from a ColorBok paper pack to the bottom of the white cardstock.
I stamped a sparkle background in Blue Lagoon VersaColor ink and traced over the images with my Spica Clear Glitter pen.
I used my ATG gun to adhere the card layer to the base.

For the cupcake, I colored in the image using my Bic MarkIt Markers.
I used two shades of pink, Fandango Pink and Pink Flamingo, for the frosting.
To make it look shiny I added Crystal Effects from Stampin Up.
For the cupcake liner, I used Blue Skies Blue and Oceanview Blue and added some polka dots with my white gel pen.
The hearts and lips were colored in using Tiki Hut Tan and Rambunctious Red.
I added some sparkle to these areas using my Spica Glitter pens in Clear and Lipstick Red. 
As a finishing touch, I added some blush to this cupcake with a pink watercolor pencil.
I cut the image out leaving a 1/4" white border all the way around and used foam tape to attach it to the background.

For the banner, I cut out different pieces of patterned paper using the original banner as my stencil.
I used black embroidery floss for the string and glued the triangle pieces that make up the banner to it.
I tied two bows with that same embroidery floss and added it to the ends.
To finish my card, I cut the sentiment "Happy Birthday to you" with a notch at the end, backed it on a strip of blue cardstock, and added rhinestones.

And ta-da! card complete!!

I hope you all enjoyed this project for today.
I had fun coloring this image in and I hope to do a few more cards showcasing digital stamps.
Enjoy the rest of your evening and Peace!! :)



Wednesday, January 29, 2014

"Hello My Friend" Card!!

Hey Everyone!! Happy "Hump" Day to all!! I hope you all had a great day!! Well, I finally did it! I was able to slip out of my two day snow day coma to sit at my craft desk and make a card. We got slammed with ice yesterday which cancelled school. I looked out the window on Tuesday and our whole street including the driveway looked like one big ice rink. Thankfully, a majority of the ice has since melted and it's back to school for my girls. I'll hold off on the "Back to School so I get my butt back to crafting" dance till my youngest is on the bus. WooHoo!! Sorry that one slipped and the kids are giving me the stink eye. Oh well,on to this card I was able to create today. 
I decided to make a Hello card for my good friend. I kept the design and embellishments simple. I think it turned out nice but as always I leave that up to you to decide. 
Here is the pic for your perusal:


This is a standard A2 size card using white cardstock as the base.
For the card layer, I used a piece of DCWV Timeless Texture cardstock cut at 4 x 5 1/4" and used my ATG gun to attach to the base.
The white floral paper came from a ColorBok stack my hubby purchased for me.
I cut it down 1/4" smaller to leave a nice border all the way around.
This stack has pretty patterned papers in neutral shades and die cuts and stickers to go along with it.

For the butterflies, I used a Inkadinkado "Summer Assortment" stamp set.
I stamped the butterflies in VersaMark ink onto white cardstock. 
I then heat embossed them using a black embossing powder. 
I cut them out, glued the butterfly body to the card, and used foam tape to prop up my wings for a 3D effect.
I added the antennas with my Spica Black Glitter pen.

I cut two banners out of a coordinating gray patterned sheet and attached to the upper right corner.
A few rhinestones adds a little sparkle to finish them off.
I used two hearts from a previous project to add a pop of color to this otherwise neutral card.
For the "Hello" part of my sentiment I used the alphabet stickers from the ColorBok stack.
For the "my friend", I used the CardzTV stamp set "Encouraging Thoughts.
To finish off my card, I added rhinestones and used my Spica Glitter pens in clear and black for some sparkle. 

And voila! card complete!! 


I hope you all enjoyed this project for today.
I have a few V-Day projects I would like to get started on so I can share those with you as well.
I'll end this post here and hope you enjoy the rest of your evening!
Peace!! :)

* I have entered this card in the timeoutchallenges.blogspot.com/‎ DT call!
Wish me luck and head over to their blog for more details!! :)





















Saturday, January 25, 2014

3-D Heart Valentine's Day Card!!

Hey Everyone! Happy Saturday! Hope your day is off to a good start. For today's post, I have another Valentine's Day card to share with you all. The design is pretty simple. I have been toying with the idea of creating a card with 3D hearts on the front. I tried a few different variations of this design but I wasn't happy with the way they looked. I had given up on this idea till I saw a video from Close to my Heart on YouTube featuring a 3D heart garland. In the video, the demonstrator used three heart shapes: one as the base and the other two were scored down the middle, folded in half, and glued onto the base piece. The result was a cute 3D heart that can be viewed from any side. That was the Aha! moment for me. I think the card turned out nice but I'll let you decide. Here is the pic for your perusal:


I went with a 4 1/4 x 4 1/4" square card for my base.
I cut another piece of white cardstock @ 3 3/4 x 3 3/4" to layer on top.
I rounded all four corners and stamped my sentiment "Hugs and Kisses" from the CardzTV stamp set "Encouraging Thoughts" along the bottom edge.
I used a new technique I learned called Stamp Tracing.
I stamped the sentiment in a light color and traced it using my Lipstick Red Spica Glitter pen.
This technique makes the sentiment pop and adds bling.
I learned how to do this technique by watching a tutorial from Jennifer McGuire.
This is an awesome technique for adding color to your sentiments.


After my sentiment was stamped, I set to work on creating the hearts to adorn the front of the card. 
I punched out 16 hearts using my EK Success Small Heart punch out of red cardstock.
I used my Spica Clear glitter pen to add some shimmer before assembling them.
I also cut 8 more hearts out of a manila tag for my base.
I scored the hearts down the middle and folded them over.
I used glue to attach the hearts to each other and to the heart base.

To finish the card off, I glued the hearts to the white cardstock, added faux stitch lines with my Midnight Black Spica Glitter pen, and a few rhinestones.
I used foam tape to adhere the layer to the card base.
And voila! card complete!

I hope you all enjoyed this project for today!
I'll end this post here for now.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your Saturday and Peace!! :)














Thursday, January 23, 2014

Simply Embossed Birthday Card!!

Hey Everyone! Happy Thursday!! I hope you're enjoying your day and staying warm for those who got snow this week. I'm looking forward to my favorite day tomorrow because I get to sleep in! Yeah! Schools have been canceled for tomorrow in Louisiana due to freezing rain and sleet starting tonight. I need to catch up on some extra ZZZ's. But before I fall asleep at the keyboard, I have a project I wanted to share with you all. I made a simple birthday card using stamps and a lot of embossing. I think it turned out nice but I'll let you decide for yourself. Here are the pics for your perusal:


This is a standard A2 size card.
I used white cardstock as my base.
The layout for this card came from a My Favorite Things sketch.
I layered a glittery green patterned paper from the DCWV Glitter Stack, cut down to 4 x 5 1/4".
I embossed a 3 3/4 x 5" piece of white cardstock using my "Happy Birthday" Cuttlebug embossing folder.
I wrapped some light blue embroidery floss around the embossed piece and tied it into a bow.
I then mounted the piece to the card using foam tape.

I cut a 2" circle from my Cricut and stamped a starburst pattern in Ballet Blue and Garden Green inks from Stampin Up.
I layered the circle on the same green patterned paper as the background and used my ATG gun to adhere it.
For the cupcake image in the center, I used a cupcake stamp from an Inkadinkado set stamped in StazOn on white and green papers.
I colored in the frosting, added bling with my clear Spica pen and used Crystal Effects for a shiny finish.
I cut the image out of the white cardstock and layered the green cupcake liner on top.
I added the cupcake to the circle using foam tape. 

For the banners,  I cut them out of a manila tag and used the same green and blue inks to color them in.
I clear embossed a party hat pattern on the blue banner and gold embossed the sentiment "Celebrate" onto the green banner.
I used my ATG gun and foam tape to adhere them to the card.

To finish off the card, I added a strip of the green patterned paper cut at 1" to the inside.
I did this to cover up the fact that I didn't score my card correctly. 
I was pretty much done and when I went to fold the card closed, it had a gap.
I was all ready to abandon it when the idea to add a strip to the inside dawned on me.
I'm glad I was able to make this card work.

And voila! The card is complete!!

I hope you all enjoyed this project for today.
I'll be entering this card into the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge going on now.
I'll end this post here for now and hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening!
Peace!! :)

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Valentine's Day Tag!!

Hey Everyone! Happy Sunday! I hope you all are enjoying your day! There was a lot of crafting going on at my house yesterday. My five year old came up with the idea to make Saturday "Crafting Day".  We made treat bags, sock puppets, cards, and did a little painting. I have to say it was a rousing success. We had fun and my five year old was happy she thought of it. Once everything died down, I was able to sit at my craft desk to create this project for today.  I decided to make a Valentine's Day tag! I think it turned out nice but I'll leave that up to you to decide. Here are the pics for your perusal:


I used a 2 5/8 x 5 1/4" manila tag. 
I colored the tag using a Ruby Red inkpad from Stampin Up. I added the color along the edges and gradually brought the color towards the center.
I also used my Close to Cocoa inkpad to darken and define the edges a little more.
Once my tag was dry, I took a heart image from an Inkadinkado stamp set and a stoneware texture stamp to create a background.

Next, I adhered a strip of red waffle paper from Stampin Up on the tag at a slight angle.
I layered a red heart doily on top and trimmed off the excess.
I used white and brown ink to highlight the areas around the doily and my Spica red glitter pen to accent the small hearts in the doily.

I used a sticker set I own for the star and heart embellishments.
I just adhered them to a smaller manila tag, added color using a brown inkpad and cut them out.
I used my Spica Gold glitter pen to add some sparkle and foam tape for a 3D effect.
The hearts with the sentiment "And You are my Journey" also came from the same sticker set.
I used the same technique as before but I cut them out individually and stacked them together using foam tape.
I finished them off by adding a white highlight to each heart.

The flowers on the lower left corner, I created those out of a flower shape I cut from my Cricut.
I cut the flower in various sizes using a white patterned paper I made.
I then layered the shapes together, inked the edges and added a copper brad to the center.

To finish it off, I added rhinestones, heart brads in red and wrapped copper wire around the entire tag.
And voila! Valentine's Day tag is complete!!

I hope you enjoyed this project for today.
I'll be entering this tag in the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge which is ending later today.
So I'll end this post here for now so I can upload my entry.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and Peace!! :)







Friday, January 17, 2014

Simple Valentine's Day Card!!

Hey Everyone! It's FRIDAY!! Happy T.G.I.F to you all!! I'm soooo glad the weekend is almost here! Hold on....
Sorry about that, I felt my Happy Friday dance coming on and I had to get up and groove!
It feels like forever since I've been able to post something. This past week I have been busy.  But today, I took some time to focus on this project I have for you all today. It's a Valentine's Day card!  I kept the design pretty simple and I used some cute ColorBok papers my hubby bought me. I think it turned out nice but I'll let you decide. Here are the pics for your perusal:


For the card base, it's an A2 size piece of white cardstock.
I layered a red patterned paper on top cut 1/4' smaller and adhered it to the base with my ATG gun.
The center panel was cut from a sheet of patterned paper at 1 1/2' and attached to a strip of white cardstock.
I used my Spica Clear glitter pen to highlight the polka dots in the aqua paper and Crystal Effects to the stitching along the bottom for dimension.
I also wrapped the panel in aqua embroidery floss a few times and finished it off by tying a bow.

To create these hearts, I stamped this heart image on aqua patterned paper in VersaMark ink.
I then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder.
I cut the hearts out, layered them on a manila tag and used some foam tape to attach it to my card.
A white highlight finishes them off.

For the sentiment, I used "Sending you Love" from the CardzTV stamp set "Encouraging Thoughts".
I stamped it on a 1" strip of white cardstock in Rose Red ink from Stampin" Up. 
I only inked my stamp once but I stamped it a few times which created this ombre look.
I finished it off by layering the sentiment on a strip of red paper cut into a banner shape.
Some foam tape attaches it to the card base.
Lastly, I added faux stitching lines along the edges and voila! my card is complete!



I hope you all enjoyed this project for today!
I 'll end this post here for now, my daughter should be arriving at the bus stop in a few minutes.
Enjoy your FRIDAY, have a great weekend and Peace!! :)








Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Feeling Sketchy?!

Hey Everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I hope you all are having a good day!  For this post today, I have something to share with you all.  I am the newest member of the Feeling Sketchy Design Team. I got the email yesterday and couldn' t believe it. I'm really excited to be a part of this design team. This is my first time so I'm trying to iron out all the details and what I' m required to do. But I'm glad to be able to share this news with you.
I will end this short post here for now.
Enjoy the rest of your day and Peace!! :)

Monday, January 13, 2014

Get Well Card!!

Hey Everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend! Lots of relaxing, spending quality time with family and crafting of course. I managed to get two out of the three accomplished. But today, I made up for it by creating a Get Well card. I did some paper piecing for this card and I finally got to use my Anna Griffin scrapbook kit. The papers in this kit are beautiful and includes some awesome stickers. I'm saving the stickers to use for another project. I think card turned out nice but I leave it up to you to decide.
Here are the pics for your perusal:


This card is a standard A2 size.
I used a sketch from the My Favorite Things blog (mftblog ) to create it.
It' s from a challenge they have going on till tomorrow.
I chose craft cardstock as my base and white cardstock cut 1/4" smaller as my layer.
From the Anna Griffin kit, I chose this pretty floral paper as my background.
I trimmed the floral paper 1/4" smaller to leave a white border along the edges. 
To dress up my background per the sketch, I added eyelets and embroidery floss in coordinating colors to match.
Once I had the background completed, I used foam tape to adhere it to the base.

I used the circle element in the sketch to build my scene and sentiment.


I cut a 3" circle from a coordinating paper in the kit and created this scalloped circle.
I used a piercing tool to punch holes along the scalloped edge for added interest.
I cut another circle at @ 2 1/2" to layer on top.
To create my scene, I cut a few roses from the background paper and cut out this small vase.
I layered the flowers inside the vase and glued it to my circle.
I used a brown marker to create a table for my vase to stand on and the tablecloth was made using a pink watercolor pencil.
To add a little depth to the vase, I inked the edges in brown and added some shading along the bottom.

I stamped the sentiment "Get Well Soon" in Rich Cocoa VersaColor ink and added a few rhinestones to finish the card off.


And ta-da! card complete!!

I hope you all enjoyed this project for today.
I have some crafty ideas brewing for Valentine's Day that I hope I can post soon.
So stay tuned for that!
I will end this post here for now.
I feel a "I need some Coffee Stat" feeling coming over me.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening and Peace!! :)



<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<div class="The-Memory-Nest-button"
style="width: 175px; margin: 0 auto;">
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<a
href="http://www.thememorynest.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--RjouyeHgAg/UpzsZcMzn2I/AAAAAAAAG7g/elkUye1OSDg/s175-no/DecDay3+%2528175x175%2529.jpg"
alt="YOUR BLOG NAME" width="175" height="175"
/><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<!--end button code box--><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">












Friday, January 10, 2014

Bluebird Of Happiness Tag!!

Hey Everyone!! Happy T.G.I.F!! I'm so happy that the weekend is almost here! I'm looking forward to time with the girls, resting, and crafting of course! For today's project, I have a tag that I created for a challenge going on over @ the SimonSaysStampBlog. The theme was to create a project using the color blue.
I decided to go with a tag for my project because it's been awhile since I had done one. I think it turned out nice but I'll let you decide for yourself. Here are the pics for you to check out:


To create this tag, I used a standard manila tag measuring 2 5/8 x 5 1/4".
I stamped a series of snowflakes in VersaMark ink and used Antique Ivory embossing powder from Stampin Up to create my background.
After my snowflakes were embossed, I added color to the tag using three shades of blue in Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue and Night of Navy (all from Stampin Up).
Once I had my background done, I went back in with the Night of Navy ink to darken up the edges.
To add a little shimmer to the tag, I sprayed some shimmer paint I made using rubbing alcohol and Pearl Ex pigment in True Blue.

Now onto the branch and bird elements that adorn this tag.
For the branch, I freehanded a branch shape onto a scrap of white cardstock.
I used my Bic MarkIt Markers in Oceanview Blue, Blue Skies Blue and Deep Sea Blue to add shading and color.
To give my branch some added dimension, I used my blue marker to draw some lines and my white gel pen to add highlights.
I also embossed scraps of white cardstock that I cut to mimic snow mounds and added those to the branch as well.
My foam tape attaches it to the background for a 3D effect.


For the bird, I stamped him out on white cardstock using my Jet Black Staz On ink.
The image came from an Inkadinkado stamp set I own.
The bird image has words running through it so I colored those in using my blue markers from before.
I also clear embossed it to make it stand out from the background.
To finish him off, I added a highlight to the eye and attached him to my branch using foam tape.

To finish off my project, I added some paper flowers I made out of white cardstock.
I used my Bashful Blue inkpad to ink the edges and my Scotch Quick Dry adhesive to adhere them to the tag.
I tore some definitons from an old dictionary for the words Blue, Bird and Of to create my title.
I aged the torn strips of paper wth my brown inkpad and mod podged onto the background.
For the sentiment "Happiness", I stamped it on white cardstock and embossed it using my Antique Ivory powder.
I cut the sentiment into a banner shape and inked the edges.
I tied some blue fibers at the top to finish off the look.
And voila! my tag is complete!!


I hope you all enjoyed this project for today!!
I will end this post here and wish you all a Happy Friday!!!! 
Peace!! :)








Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Make It Monday Challenge!!

Hey Everyone!! Happy "Hump" Day to all!! I hope everyone had a good Wednesday!! I apologize for not posting sooner but I was hard at work on today's project. I made a 12 x 12" scrapbook layout for the Make it Monday Challenge over at thememorynest.com. The challenge for this week is a color challenge with a twist. You have to use a sunburst or chevron pattern in your layout. The Design Team came up with some awesome layouts and cards that inspired me to create my own page. I decided to go with a chevron pattern for my layout. This was my first time creating a page with this bold of a pattern but I think the page turned out alright. But as always, I leave it up to you to decide. Here are the pics for your perusal:


I used a variety of techniques to create this layout.
There's paper piecing, faux chipboard elements, die cut letters, paper flowers and embroidery floss.
Here's the step by step rundown of how I did it:

I knew right away that I wanted to use a 12 x 12" sheet of Craft cardstock as a base for this page.
Luckily, I had one tucked away in my ever growing stash.
My only problem was the chevron pattern.
I don't own papers with this pattern and I don't own stamps that mimic this look.
My only option was to use a stencil.
Thankfully I had papers that matched the color scheme for this challenge so I set to work.
I used ivory, pale blue and olive green to trace my pattern on and I used my Xacto blade to cut it out.
I cut a sheet of white cardstock to 6 x 6" to use as a base to build my chevron pattern on.
I just layered the ivory, pale blue and olive green pieces on top of each other and used my ATG gun to adhere everything down.
Once I had my chevron paper finished, I cut a 2 x 6" strip to add to the left side of my pic.
And with the remaining scraps, I trimmed those down and added it to the opposite corners of my page.
I think it gives the layout just a hint of the pattern without overpowering it.

I used some gray embroidery floss to add a scallop border around the page.
My Stardust Stickles gives some added bling to the border.
I went a little squeeze crazy with my Scotch Quick Dry adhesive when I was adhering the floss, so my stickles were used to cover up the extra glue marks that were left behind.
That's what I get for multi-tasking while crafting!!
Lesson learned!!
I made a few paper flowers out of the ivory and pale blue cardstock I had left over.
I saw a vid on YouTube last week showing how to make these, so I thought I'd give them a try.
They were definitely a little challenging to make but once I got the hang of it, it got better.
I used these paper flowers as photo corners for my pic and in the corners of my layout.


To add a little bit more to the page, I punched out some small hearts in gray, pale blue and ivory.
I made them into faux chipboard elements and scattered them throughout the page.
I used foam tape for dimension and used my Spica glitter pens in Clear and Silver for added sparkle.
I also cut a strip of gray cardstock to mount behind the pic to balance it out.
The sentiment "Daddy's Girl" was cut from my Cricut @ 1 1/2" out of white cardstock.
I used my Bic MarkIt marker in "Cloud Nine Gray" to color the letters to match the layout.
I added some white highlights and dots to finish off the look.
And ta-da! my page is complete!!

I hope you all enjoyed this project for today.
I had fun creating this layout especially this cute pic of my daughter when she was two months old.
Time goes by so fast!
I'll end this post here for now and hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening!!
Peace!! :)



Monday, January 6, 2014

Thank You Card!!

Hey Everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend and are staying warm!! For today's project, I have a Thank You card I did for a sketch challenge over at mftstamps.com/blog. I heard about this challenge over the blogosphere and thought I would check it out. Once there, I was inspired by the creations they showcased based on the sketch. It was then and there I decided to throw my proverbial hat into the ring. I think the card I created came out nice but I'll leave it up to you to decide. Here are the pics for your perusal:


This is a standard A2 size card using Craft cardstock as the base.
I cut a sheet of white cardstock 1/4" smaller and adhered it to the card.
The damask patterned paper came from the same ColorBok stack I used for my paper bag album.
I cut it down 1/4" smaller than the white cardstock and used my ATG gun to attach it.
I originally wanted to go with just the damask patterned paper as a layer to build my card upon.
But I thought the pattern was a little too busy against the Craft.
So I opted to add white behind the patterned paper and the final result speaks for itself.

Now for the center of card, I cut another strip of white cardstock to 2 x 5 1/2".
I  then added a pink textured cardstock from DCWV cut at 1 7/8"x 5 1/2" to layer on top of it.
Another white cardstock strip cut at 1 1/2 x 5 1/2" was used to stamp my sentiment "Thank You" in StazOn Jet Black ink.
The sentiment came from an Inkadinkado stamp set I own called "Garden Flowers".



I added some roses to the left side of the strip that I stamped and colored.
The rose came from a Melissa and Doug stamp set my daughter got for Christmas.
I stamped the rose a few times on white cardstock and used my Bic MarkIt markers to color them in.
My hubby purchased these for me over the weekend as a way of getting my feet wet in the art of alcohol marker coloring.
These markers are OK for those who want to try coloring images.
The colors are very vibrant and there aren't as many color variations.
I thought for this image they would be ok to use.
I used Flamingo Pink and Rambunctious Red to get that pinky red color found in my patterned paper.
I added a few highlights with my white gel pen and some bling with my Spica Clear glitter pen.
I cut them out and arranged them on my card.


The leaves were also stamped and colored using markers in  Key Lime, Margarita Green and Forest Green.
I cut them out and arranged them between the roses.
I added some bling with my Spica glitter pen in Gold.
To finish off the card, I used rhinestones in either corner to balance it out.
And voila! my card is complete!!



I hope you all enjoyed this project for today.
I"ll end this post here for now, I have to pick up my daughter from the bus stop. 
Enjoy the rest of your day and Peace!! :)





Friday, January 3, 2014

First Card of the New Year!!!

Hey Everyone! Happy T.G.I.F!!!! :) The holidays are over, the girls go back to school Monday, and its been pretty cold for Louisiana. My brain has been swimming with all kinds of ideas for cards, LOs and crafts. And with Valentine's Day coming up, I see a lot of red and pink in my future. The only problem was deciding what project to tackle first. After some thought, I figured a simple card would be a good starting point. After a few attempts at simplicity (and for those who have tackled simple cards before you know that in theory its easier to do than to execute), I came up with a card design that I liked. But as always I leave it up to you to decide. Here are the pics for your perusal:


 This is a standard A2 size card (4 1/4 × 5 1/2") made from a sheet of Craft cardstock.
 I added a light brown strip of cardstock that I cut @ 2" as my card layer. I used my Fiskars "Threading Water" punch for a decorative border along the top and bottom edge.
I then took a strip of white cardstock cut @ 1 1/2" and layered it on top of the brown using my ATG gun.
I stamped the sentiment "Hello" in Ruby Red ink from Stampin Up. 
I added some bling to the sentiment with my Copic Spica Red glitter pen and my white gel pen came to the rescue to clean up any inky edges.
For embellishments, I used some red and white twine tied in a bow, some rhinestones and faux stiching in red pen to bring the center panel to life.
I also did some faux stitching along the front of the card in white before adhering my panel with foam tape.



And ta-da! Mission accomplished!! 

I hope you all enjoyed this simple card for today.
I have a few other card ideas I will like to try out and hopefully be able to post for you all.
I will end this post here for now and bid everyone a Happy Friday!!
Peace!! :)




Thursday, January 2, 2014

Pics and Details for Final Page!!

Hey Everyone!! A Happy New Year and a Happy Thursday to all!! For today's post, I have the pics and the details on the final page in my paper bag album series. I think this page turned out pretty nice but I"ll leave it up to you to decide. So without further ado, here are the pics for your perusal:


For this final page, I went in a different direction from the previous pages.
I added a 4 x 4" mini album instead of a tag.
I wanted to showcase some of the papers from the ColorBok stack that I've used throughout this album.
                                                A mini album just seemed like a good fit.
                                                       Here's a rundown of what I did:

I started off by cutting down a blue floral paper in the stack to 5 x 10" as my starting base.
I went through my paint swatch cards to find coordinating colors to create these flags in the upper left corner.
I added a little bit of bling to the flags with some mini rhinestones and adhered them down with my ATG gun.
On the lower right corner, I used two pink patterned papers to make the flags you see here.
I used my white gel pen to add some faux stitching to the flags to make them stand out from the background.


For the flower in the upper right corner, I used fabric I had purchased for a previous project to create this.
I cut three 2" strips from the blue, pink and teal fabric.
I sewed a running stitch in coordinating thread along the edges.
When I got down to the end of the fabric, I pulled on the thread to gather it and then sewed the open ends close to make a flower shape.
I repeated this technique with the other two strips.
I then layered the pieces on top of each other and used some tacky glue to adhere them.
To finish it off , I used some Neutrals Beads from Stampin Up to fill in the center.
For the leaves surrounding the flower, I drew those onto white cardstock, colored them in using my new Bic MarkIt Markers, and cut them out leaving a white border.
I used my ATG gun to adhere the leaves to the page after I got the right placement.
I used some more tacky glue to add the flower on top and voila! flower complete.

Now for the mini album, I cut down three strips of a 12 x12" white cardstock @ 4".
I scored and folded along the length of the strip @ 4".
To make the album, I combined two strips and overlapped them to give me five photo mats measuring 4 x 4".
I selected five patterned papers from the stack, cut them down to 4 x 4", and adhered them to the album base with my ATG gun.


This is a pic of the last page in the mini album I created.
I combined paper piecing and a paint swatch card cut into a tab shape to create this.
Some Creamy Caramel ink along the edges and a rhinestone finish it off.


This is page number four.
I inked the edges, added the sentiment "Smile" and my clear Spica glitter pen as the embellishments for this page.


Page Number Three.
I kept this page pretty simple by just using my clear glitter pen, inking the edges and adding the "Amaze" sentiment to the top.



Page Number Two.
For this page, I added some paper piecing, some more ink edging, a sentiment and bling to come up with this look.


This is the first page in the album.
I added some paper piecing and a sentiment.
I used some twine to create this stem you see which extends from the lower left corner of the page and to the fabric flower.
I added a.few smaller leaves I drew and colored along the stem for a 3D effect.
I think it adds a nice touch to the rest of the elements in this page.
After I had all the pages embellished, I glued the first page of the mini album directly to the page base.
I then folded up my album and added a small rose I cut from another paper to hold it closed.


And that completes the final page in my album series!

I hope you enjoyed this project for today.
I really had fun making this album but it was a challenge trying to come up with embellishments that I could use to create the different looks in this album.
Would I do another paper bag album in the future? Probably.
But I think the next time I attempt this, I will try to cut it down from 5 x 10" to a smaller size.
And I will definitely need to purchase embellishments to make the process go a little quicker.
But I don't think I did too bad of a job for this being my first paper bag album ever.
I will end this post here for now and hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening.
Peace!! :)







Pin It Button