Card - Challenge - Animal

I made this for this week's challenge on my group.  The theme was animals.  I decided on a zebra.  Using the Create a Critter cartridge I cut the zebra in black paper, the stripes in grey bond paper and the nose in grey then inked it with black ink pad.  I chose a white card then added a blue piece of designer paper.  The grass was hand cut with an exacto knife.

Card - Teenager

I created this card for a boy turning 13 this weekend. I started with a Green Galore card which I embossed with a Tim Holtz folder. I rubbed the high parts with place and Orchid Opulence ink pads.  I added a couple pieces of purple acrylic painted card stock I made a while back.  I used a black ink pad on the edges and adhered them to the card with tiny black brads. I pulled the greeting through a SB ribbon slider and added the numbers.  The strip is held in place with 2 tiny black brads.

Card - Tropical Pineapple

I made a couple of these for my exchange group and it worked for a challenge where the subject was food!
I cut the pineapple with a Sizzix die and then embossed the lower half with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots emb folder.  I cut the top leaf part of the die in a green card stock.  I trimmed it and glued it to the top of the yellow pineapple. I lightly brushed the pineapple to highlight it with a bit of dark brown.  Smudged a bit into the leaves as well to create some texture.  I selected a bright green card to which I glued a piece of distressed black designer paper.  I then added the 3 bright green flowers below the pineapple held in place with tiny black brads.

Card - Christmas Purple

I made this set of cards last Christmas.  They did not make it into my stack classes then so I decided to review them again for my June Christmas Card Class.  I decide to revamp the idea.
For these cards I used purple and burgundy diamond designer paper which I splattered with gold paint.  I found card stock to match the DP and painted some of it with the same gold paint.  I cut the stars with a Sizzix die.  One large from gold paper, one large from the gold painted card stock, and a small one from the original card stock.  The DP is glued to the card front. The 3 stars are held in place with a tiny brass star brad. The greeting is cut with the Sizzix Fruit Smoothie Alphabet dies.  The shadow in the card color and the main letter cut from the gold paper. 

Card - Watercolor Mini Art

This piece of art was created on watercolor paper.  I placed painters tape on a large piece of watercolor paper creating small squares for art.  I applied liquid watercolor with a foam brush across the large piece. Once it was dry I pulled the tape off leaving the large white borders around this little piece of art.  I added a bit of metallic paint with a brush.

This mini art was then mounted onto a black card allowing it to pop!

Card - One Sheet Wonder

This card was made with a piece of paper which was then cut into a series of shapes which would be used to make cards.  The paper was decorated with acrylic paint and splattered with gold metallic paint.
Once the sheet was cut I used the largest piece on this card.  It was cut to leave just a small border of the black card. Wanting to leave the colors shine I printed my greeting on acetate and mounted it to the card with 4 black brad.

Card - Watercolor on HMP

This card uses watercolor on handmade paper. 
I made the handmade paper with scraps of white paper so it would be completely white because I knew I wanted to paint on it. A large sheet was ripped to the size I wanted ( I can cut hmp with scissors). I selected yellow watercolor and a round brush and painted the daisy.  I signed the art with my initials with a pencil.  This art was mounted onto a beautiful sunshine yellow card.

Card - Serendipity

This card uses the concept of serendipity. I cut the Designer Paper to a quarter sheet which I embossed with Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy folder.  I then rubbed the high spaces with acrylic paint.  Once dried, the piece was punched with a square punch.  I found a card which coordinated with colors in the squares. I placed them in a diamond shape and placed 3 side by side on the card front.  I placed a black brad in the centre of an embossed flower. I used a thin line black marker to trace a pattern around the shape.

Earth Card Making - Shopping Bag Flowers

We are having an Earth Day Card Making fundraiser today at work. Our committee decided with it being just around the corner why not see what crafts we could make with the theme reuse/recycle/reduce.  I found shopping bag flowers in my search and applied my twist to it. Check out this post Shopping Bag Flowers  for how tos.

For this card, I cut several flowers in coordinating colors with Sizzix Large Daisie die.  I created the leaf with a Sizzix Flower Layers #2 using largest flower then cutting petals into 4 leaves. I went searching for a background for my flower.  Into my Cricut cartridges I found this one with the perfect ratio for an A2 card in the "Just Because Cards" cartridge.  I cut it from distress black designer paper.  I color printed my greetings then cut them with my Creative Memories oval cutter and it fits perfectly in the space on the background.  I punched a 1" circle of vellum for the centre of the flower and held the flowers in place with a flower pewter brad.  Super happy with this idea.

How To: Shopping Bag Flowers

With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22nd I was working on a recycle/reuse/reduce idea for work. More on that in the next post.
I found inspiration in an internet search.  I've applied my tools to the project and here's what I came up with.
We all have plastic shopping bags that get stuffed in a box, drawer, fabric tube, etc. for when we next need one.  How about making flowers for card making with them?  I went through my stack of bags and found purple, yellow, pink, navy blue and clear.  After checking with co-workers we came up with light yellow, bright blue, green, and more.  Some plastic is thicker and opaque and some is thin and translucent which works for creating depth.  I cut several layers of plastic to size for the flower die I had selected. Any flower die will do that is a good size. I found it best to sandwich the plastic between 2 layers of scrap paper.  After running it through the machine you have plastic flowers in various colors.  Think about how you can use something in a new way!
Purple - Purdy's chocolates                    Yellow - McBain, Home Hardware
Clear - Ikea                                             Pink - Scrapbook Store
White and Pink - HMV                          Blue - The Children's Place
Navy - Sears                                           White and Red - Safeway

Challenge - Spring Tulip

I made this card for a challenge - Spring.  Tulips are really flowers of spring so that is what I selected. I used a Sizzix die to cut the tulip in green then cut the flower itself again in pink with white polka dots.  I glued it over the green.  I embossed the turquoise card with a Cuttlebug border embossing folder on the right hand side.  Placed a strip of textured cardstock next to it coordinating with the pink blossom. I did not have room for all the leaves of the die so I trimmed them down by hand to fit.  Happy Spring despite it snowing today.

Calendar Project - 2012

I've been working on a calendar project.  A calendar which would hold 4x6 photos or artwork.  This calendar has metallic accents in the form of silver, gold and copper flourishes.  I've selected some of my photos from last year to put into it.  It's still a work in progress that I hope to perfect for the Christmas gift giving season.

All Occasion Stack Class - Birdies

 I've used these birdie post it notes before.  They are so darn cute.  I found this designer paper which has both the blue and cranberry colors.  I cut the larger piece 4"x3.75" and the smaller piece 4"x 1.5". I taped them together on the back then wrapped the twill tape over the joint and tape the ends to the back.  This layer was then glued to the card front.  I glued the SU! small leaves die cut on the card front.  I glued the bird on top of the leaves.  The wing was cut on the Cricut with the Straight From the Nest Cartridge then embossed with either the Cuttlebug Devine Swirl or the SU! Finial Press folder. The wing is glued to the bird aligning the wing to the body. Making a hole in the eye with a push pins I added a white mini brad for the eye. This was a versatile design which allowed to make wide or tall cards and a couple of color options.

All Occasion Stack Class - Large Flowers

I started with large silk flowers in a couple of colors - pink and magenta. I found coordinating designer paper and then matching card stock.  I cut a Tim Holtz Ornamental die cut from it then glued that on the card front.  I chose a satin ribbon which I cut to length to cover across the card and tape both ends to the inside of the card. I set aside the short piece leftover.  I place the largest flower on my card front and made a hole in the card front with a push pin through the centre of the flower.  I then took the 2 small yellow daisy flowers in made holes in their centre with the push pin. I placed the tiny white brad through the small yellow flowers, then the white medium flower then the 2 larger flowers. This accent was then placed on the card front in the hole I made earlier.  Turn the card over and spread the prongs on the inside of the card.  I tied the short end of ribbon I saved earlier onto the ribbon on the card and trimmed the ends.

All Occasion Stack Class - Masculine Embossed

I selected white core card stock for this set of cards.  I embossed the green ones with a Cuttlebug folder from the Give a Hoot Set.  Once embossed I used a sand sponge to sand the color off the high parts to have the white show through.  I wrapped black gross grain ribbon around this layer and taped it to the back.  This layer was then adhered to the card front.  I added white Tim Holtz mover and shaper leaf die cuts above the ribbon.
On the rust colored cards I used the Cuttlebug Diamond Plate folder and once again sanded the card stock.  Be sure to set up a space to catch the dust.  The gears were cut on the Cricut with the Robotz cartridge.  These are held in place with black brads.

All Occasion Stack Class - Floral Toile Ovals

I have my class today making all occasion cards.  For this card I started with designer paper in the form of mat pad by K&C Company.  I has striped and floral toile mat in coordinating colors.  Here I have selected an olive color and matched it with Old Olive card stock.  I cut the striped paper to leave a small border all around. I added a piece of ivory gross grain ribbon placed about 2/3 down the card.  I put a slit in the card fold and pulled the ribbon end through and taped it down on the card inside.  I cut the scalloped oval in the solid card stock with SB nestabilities dies.  I selected the matching smooth oval nestabilities die to cut the floral toile paper.  These were layered together then mounted to the card front with 3D foam tape.  

Photo - Happy Easter

I hope everyone has a great Easter. I will be with family and we've planned a full day of girl time today with my Mom, sisters and nieces.

Photo - Snow Day!

It was a snow day in Alberta!  We were sent home early today from work. The roads were a mess, the trees were heavy with snow, some broken. Power was out. There have been very few of these days in my experience.  Albertans are a hardy lot.  I hope everyone is safe, warm and dry.  Have a good day.

Card - Card for a young man

I made this for a young man whose birthday was a few weeks ago but I missed it!
I started with the decorative paper and found a card to match.  I color printed the greeting in navy blue on white card stock.  I ripped the to and bottom edges and glued it to the front leaving room for the large U.  I cut the main letter and shadow with Sizzix Shadow Box dies. I added the ribbon flags next to the greeting with staples.
I'm happy with it!

Cmas Card Challenge - April - Grape/Sage/Mustard

This was a tough color combo.  I've dreamed up 5 or 6 different designs today to finally get this one done!
I started with a sage green card.  I glued the decorative paper which contains the colors to card stock to give it some stiffness.  I used spray adhesive which worked really well.  Once it had pressed for about 1 hour I cut the 8.5x11 into quarters then cut the Tim Holtz Ornamental Die with the Joy Mover and Shaper in the top half.  I placed some clear packing tape on the back of the die over the oval word hole. After turning over the die I placed gold glitter over the sticky part of the tape around the word Joy. I used SB Nestabilities to cut the grape colored frame around the word.  I tied a antique gold very soft ribbon around the bottom third of the die and knotted it.  I mounted the die to the card front.  I color printed the "to the World" words on sage card stock and punched it out with the SU Word Window punch.  I mounted that to the card front with foam tape.