How To: Tulip with leaf die cuts

How To make tulips with leaf die cuts.  I had seen on-line a tulip made with a bird wing punchie but I did not have that punch so I searched my dies to see what might work.  Here's what I came up with. I used leaf die cuts made with a Sizzix die.  I was very happy with the results.  I cut designer paper in a variety of colors. It allows you to make them any color you want.  It is important to have some contrast in your colors though because I glued one with all three petals the same color and that did not work well.  See the card club card posting for the card I made with these tulips.

Card Club - Feb - Easter Tulip

With Easter early this year I was designing this card with no sign of spring.  I created the tulip with leaf die cuts.  See the next posting for How To.
I started with a purple card onto which I printed my textured background.  I added the tulip, the stem and the leaves.  The leaves were cut with the Cricut - Create a Critter cartridge at 2". The oval was cut with a SB Oval Nestabilities into a piece of white card stock trimmed to be smaller than the card front. I added a Stampin Up! Modern Label punchie in a coordinating color with a color printed greeting punched with the SU! Word Window punch.  This greeting was glued below the oval opening. The oval layer was then layered onto the card front with 3D foam tape on the 4 corners and 2 long sides.  As you can see from the pink card it makes an equally great birthday card.

Card Club - Feb - Butterfly

I made the decorative paper. See notes below.  This paper was then trimmed and mounted to the turquoise card front.  I added a dark green organza ribbon wrapped around the whole card front and knotted on the front.  Trimmed the ends.  I added a bit of tape on the inside of the card to keep it in place.  I die cut the butterfly with Spellbinder die in dark green card stock.  I just adhered the body to the card front to allow the wings to be elevated from the card front. I did print greetings in case the girls wanted to make this an Easter or birthday card.

Decorative Paper: I created this decorative paper with the paper I used when I dabbed the green on to my doilies for these cards. I added some Nick Bantock turquoise ink to the paper with a foam paint brush. Once dry, I ironed the sheets flat.  I then created a collage of scripts from Graphics Fairy as background.  I did print this onto the decorative paper but ended up with a paper jam and it wrecked my printer which resulted in a new printer. So Be WARNED!

Card Club - Feb - Large Hello

I started this card with handmade paper diecut with the Stampin Up! Top Note die.  I selected my colors from it so a dark warm green (color mates Deep Outdoorsy Olive) card with a warm pink layer.  I recently bought a couple of Sizzix word dies. Hello and Enjoy.  I cut the greeting in a darker warm pink (Regal Rose). The sprig of leaves was cut from the same card stock as the card with the SU! sizzlet.

I corner rounded the lighter pink layer and adhered it to the card front.  I then glued the handmade paper to the pink layer.  I glued the greeting in the bottom right hand corner.  I adhered the sprig of leaves to the top left hand corner just tucking the end behind the greeting.

Card Club - Feb - Birds

I was wanting to create cards for guys. I started with some vintage bird images from Graphics Fairy.  I selected several (2 birds on a branch, stork, rooster, and cockatoo) and you see the stork here.  I printed the birds onto kraft card stock and trimmed the images to 3.25 x 5 inches.  I selected a number of colored for the accent layer including a deep cranberry, forest green, and this warm blue.  I wrapped the caramel colored seam binding around the colored layer and used some tape to hold it in place on the back and behind the bird image.  This layer was then adhered to the card front.  I then adhered the bird image over the colored layer. I tied the seam binding beside the bird layer and trimmed the ends. I color printed the greetings on caramel card stock in colors coordinating with the colored layer and punched them with an oval punch.  The greeting was adhered to the card front as desired.

R2G Card Kit - Glitter Snowflake

These are nice snowflakes. The kit includes 2 black and 2 white. 

Left: The card is natural parchment which I have rubbed the edges with a black ink pad.  The snowflake is adhered with 3D foam tape. I placed the black greeting ribbon slider onto the ribbon and moved it along the gold ribbon so it was landed where I wanted on the card.  I placed some adhesive behind and tacked it to the card.  I tape the right hand ribbon end to the inside of the card. I made a slit in the fold on the left and pull the other end of the ribbon through and taped that end to the inside of the card.

Right: The card is a soft pink color with a grey ribbon slider with the same gold ribbon.

Card - SU! SAB Party Thank Yous

These are the cards I made for the ladies who placed orders at my Sale-a-bration book party. I wanted to use the Peek a Boo die.  I chose the Thank You from the Terrific Tags stamp set stamped in Pink Passion on white and fussy cut around the tag.  I 3-D foam layered it onto another piece of white and trimmed it close.  I chose a pink card and layered on a  piece of Designer double sided paper in Tempting Turquoise. I cut the scalloped square from the Peek a Boo die in pink.  I color printed my small sentiment in turquoise on white and stamped the small flowers from the So Many Sayings set in pink just above the words. I then cut it down to fit behind the scallop square.  I layered this element on top of the turquoise piece.  I then added the Thank You tag onto the flap of the peek a boo die.  I added a white 1/4" gross grain bow below the square held in place with a Zot.  See picture below for a sneak peek under the flap.  Are you having / attending a Sale-A-Bration Party.  Think about it!  Go for it.

Photo - MC Pyramids - Different Lights

At the Muttart Conservatory tonight they were running LED lights inside and these are the pictures I captured outside.  The colors changed automatically and I just waited and took shots with the pyramid lit up in different colors.  They looked really nice.  It was a bit nippy to be outside with out gloves or head gear.  I'm happy with my night shots. 

Chinese New Year 2013

I went to the Muttart Conservatory after work today to do a bit of R&R. 
It was Chinese New Year in the feature pavilion which was great! 
Here's a few pics of the Chinese elements within the space amongst the greenery.  Top left is a dragon multi person costume hanging in the atrium, an Asian fan on the right, a water serpent and a stone lion. 
It was good to do something else and relax a bit.

Sale a Bration Book Party - Make & Take

I saw this small envelope in the Sale a Bration brochure - check the photo to right.  I could see it was a die but I did not recognize it.  I checked with my SU! demo who asked.  Thanks Susan! It's the Scallop Envelope Bigz but it has been glued differently.  It opens from the end instead of top!!!  I was stoked because I own that die.
We made these little cards as a make and take at work on our lunch hour today.  The dimensions of the small card are 2 1/8 W x 3 1/8 T inches.  The card is Tango Tangerine with Tempting Turquoise DSP.  We added a strip of card stock punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border and trimmed it to the width of the card. We used the Too Terrific Tags stamp set in Tempting Turquoise on Whisper white card stock.  We trimmed around the stamp then glued it to a piece of Tango Tangerine which we trimmed again. We added a piece of TT 1/4" gross grain ribbon to the top of tag held in place with a tiny orange brad.  The tag was adhered to the card with 3D foam dimensionals.   The envelope was cut from 24 lb bond paper.  The scallop flap was glued under the other flap then the bottom flap was brought up and adhered. Very happy with this little card.

Christmas Card Challenge - February - Buttons

The theme for February's Christmas Card Challenge is buttons.  I selected River Rock for the card and mounted some mottled dark green designer paper.  Designer Paper.  I cut the holly from 3Bugs in a Rug - Butterfly Kisses - Soft Petals paper with the Cricut - Joy of Season cartridge and adhered it to the card front.  I color printed the greeting and punched it with the SU! Decorative Label punch.  I selected 3 red buttons for the holly berries.  They are held in place with Zots.