Sylvia"s Simple Shots

The dahlias are in full bloom at the botanic garden.

The sizes vary, the colors are magnificent and it was a pleasure to walk around to photograph a few of them.

This is the Chilson Pride dahlia featuring white and lavender colors. 

I spent a couple of hours walking the full length and back.  Of course, most of the flowers are gone as the plants have been dead headed to keep the beds looking good.

I am heading out later in the mornings now that the sun rises later.

A bag full of cards is headed for the Cards for Seniors project organized by one of the scrapbook stores.

I have included cards received from my exchange partners, cards received from family and friends and some of my card kits which I made up to ensure they go to a good cause.

I refurbished those that needed new inserts, added a new card base in some cases and generally did what was needed so they would be useful again.

You may recall in my post last week that I had worked on the chair and tried to clean the seat.  That was not successful so I needed to cover the seat.

My office chair has a new seat cover.   

I searched my fabric stash for fabric that would be appropriate.  It needed to be heavy and with the right colors.  I found these one with a paisley pattern with a good variety of colors.  There was close match to the back rest so I proceeded.

I used a piece of paper to trace the shape of the top of the seat.  Cut it out and double checked and tweaked it a bit.  I cut the side piece 4 inches tall to allow for seam allowances both top and bottom.  I had to piece together 3 pieces to get a length of 60 inches.   I sewed the side to the top easing around the corners.  I folded over the bottom edge and sewed it down.  I found some black elastic in my stash which was in several pieces.  I concentrated on the corners but eventually I had enough to cover the full length.  It looks good, it stays in place and it is removable to launder when needed.

I finished this book this week.  Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende.  

Eliza Sommers is the central figure who has been adopted by  brothers John and Jeremy and sister Rose who are English. They live in the port city of Valparaiso, Chile in the 1840s. John is a sea captain, Jeremy works for an import company and Rose manages the house. 

She has an English upbringing with education, music, ethics and manners instilled.  She falls in love with a young man who came to the house to deliver goods.  It is a hot and heavy affair then he leaves for the Gold Rush in California.   She decides to follow him but must go quickly and quietly so she arranges to stowaway on a ship with the help of a Chinese man, Tao Chi'en.  He is a physician who has his reasons to be on a ship.  They disguise her as a boy to get her off the ship and she continues that persona in San Francisco. They establish themselves there, Tao Chi'en a physician and Eliza as companion and assistant. 

She decides to pursue her search for her lover in the midst of the gold rush and the chaos that it has created.  She travels with groups for safety and follows leads when she can.  She finds herself in an outskirt town and meets up with Joe Bonecrusher's travelling caravan of prostitutes and ends up travelling with them as cook and piano player.  Eventually, she realizes she does not love him anymore.  She continues to write to Tao Chi'en regularly and they maintain their relationship.  The Chinese man misses his assistant and friend.  He decides to go and see her.  He finds her and she decides to give up her search and return to San Francisco with him.  They set up his practice, have small garden to grow medicinal plants, and life is good.   She is tiring of have to pretend to be man, she is exploring her feelings for Tao Chi'en and one day she pulls out the suitcase she took with her on the ship many years ago.  It contains dresses and jewelry.  She decides to dress as a woman with out the corset and asks Tao Chi'en what he thinks.  He doesn't mind the new look and as far as he is concerned she is still who she has always been.  She decides to stick with dresses.   Very soon, after this the bandit, her lover is captured and killed.  His head has been preserved so the bounty could be collected and it goes on display for anyone who wants to see this infamous gangster. They visit to see the face and she declares she is now free.  They work together to save Chinese prostitutes and get them to a network which will give them a way to earn an honest living and a new place to live. Some go to Oregon, back to the East Coast and even some to Canada.

Another great book by this author. Loved it!

Look what I found hanging out a local pond.  I discovered this pond when I took a different road the other day.

It is quite large expanse of water and was covered with ducks, Canada Geese, Lesser Yellowlegs, and this wonderfully grand Blue Heron.

It was reasonably close and a got a much better shot of it this time.

So excited.

I found this heart on a wrought iron gate last week.  I thought it was wonderful.  

It was upside down, so I have turned it right side up, applied a watercolor filter to it. 

Like it a lot.

A birthday card for my card box for upcoming family birthdays.

I chose a designer paper with a yellow stripe.  I die cut the greeting from a piece of card stock in the same color leaving a good amount below the word.

I trimmed the designer paper to leave a small border on the chocolate brown card base.  I adhered the greeting leaving the same border on sides and bottom edges. It was cut with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die.

I die cut leaves with the Tim Holtz Mini Tattered Leaves set and added some chalk to provide a bit of definition.

Sunflower HB

I made this card for an aunt who is celebrating a birthday this month.  She is a painter so I thought part of the card should be painted so I created a painted background.  I chose Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow and Sap Green in the Folk Art brand to paint the background onto yellow parchment card stock.  I wanted to create the illusion of sunflower fields.
I cut the Spellbinder Sunflower die from bright yellow and golden yellow and the centre from warm brown.  I chose a card from the same card stock as the centre of the sunflower.  I cut a leaf from green card stock.  I cut the greeting from the same golden yellow card stock as one of the layers of the sunflower with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die.  This was trimmed to leave a small border on 3 sides and adhered to the bottom of the background layer.  I then layered the flowers and the leaf which were adhered with Quick Dry adhesive.  I embossed the brown center with a polka dot embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  This was adhered to the center of the flower.  I adhered this layer to the card front.  I needed something above the sunflower so I added 3 birds in the sky with a black marker.  Really happy with the way it turned out.

Star Trio Birthday

I started with a Stampin Up Marina Mist card.
I created my own background with a sponge, a MM ink pad and a piece of photo paper.  I intentionally left the top part white so the happy would contrast with the card color.
Once dry, I cut it with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday thin die.  I trimmed to sides down to 5.25 inches and adhered it to the card front.
I cut the stars with the Sizzix Stars #2 Originals Die using Basic Gray and Real Red card stock.  They are held in place with a tiny white star brad.

Sharing with Stampin Up Color Q challenge #349.

Decorative Paper - Card Set 4

This is another alcohol ink background in yellow and turquoise on 4x6 inch photo paper.  I trimmed it and adhered it to the card front of a yellow card.  I cut a blue card stock layer with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday thin die.  I added deep yellow washi tape in chevron pattern across the bottom.  I adhered that to the alcohol ink background.  I added a small piece of yellow chevron washi tape in the upper right hand corner.

This background paper was made with liquid acrylic ink in blues and yellows.  It was very diluted with water and applied to photo paper with a large paint brush.  I just love the watery feel.  I added a white double edge punched border with the Martha Stewart daisy border punch.  I added a narrow piece of turquoise card stock down it's centre.  I added a medium and small silk white flower over the scallop accent held in place with a large turquoise brad.

This decorative paper is paste paper was made with acrylic paint and home paste.  The paste was applied and then the paper was folded in half and pulled apart.  Then marks were made with a tool. I cut the paper with the Stampin Up Top Note and the vellum greeting was cut with the same die.  I adhered the top note to the front of the navy card.  I adhered the clear embossed greeting with a tiny star brad.  I added a lime green butterfly punchie made with Martha Stewart punch in the top right hand corner.

Cards with my Decorative Paper

I'm working on creating cards with the stack of decorative paper I have made in the last little while.
On this card I used one of my alcohol ink backgrounds from this session.  I cut the decorative paper with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die then mounted it on a piece of white card stock which was trimmed to leave a small border. This layer was then adhered to a pink card.  I added 3 deep pink sequins in the top right hand corner held in place with bling Zots.

This card has some of my bubble paper which tends to be softer in color. The paper was made in this session. I printed the greeting in a coordinating color then I die cut some leaves from it with Spellbinder Foliage thin dies.  They are individual dies so I could add a couple single leaves and place them as I wanted.   The white layer is trimmed to leave a small border of the decorative paper which was trimmed to leave a small border of the green card.

This teal card features a piece of decorative paper as a background to the white frame.  The frame was cut with the largest die from the My Favorite Things - DieNamics Stitched Frames set.  I used white card stock for the frame and the butterfly which was cut with the Sizzix Winged Beauties framelit set.  I added a bit of stamped stippling below the frame in case it is used with out a greeting. A greeting could be added if one chose.  On this card I used one of my alcohol ink backgrounds from this session.

I chose to make a more masculine looking card from decorative paper made with acrylic paint in various shades green and brown applied with a sponge over material to create texture such as a mesh bag.  I chose an ivory greeting layer into which I cut the word with the Stampin Up Little Letters framelits.  I cut this layer to highlight a generous frame of the decorative paper. This was then adhered to a brown card. 

This decorative paper is acrylic paint with paste paper technique.  I cut it down to leave a border of the blue card. I punched all 4 corner with a decorative corner punch. I cut a flower with the Cricut at and the Straight from the Nest cartridge from white card stock. I cut it at 4 inches.  I adhered the flower on the card front in such a way to leave some room on the right hand bottom for a greeting if a person chooses.

I started with a turquoise card onto which I stamped a Stampin Up Itty Bitty background with Island Indigo.  I cut the decorative paper with the SU Top Note die.  I tied a piece of white seam binding around the bottom half and knotted in the front.  I then created a focal element with silk green leaves, then a purple card stock flower cut with the SU Flower Fair framelits.  I curled the ends forward.  I added a large white silk flower, a medium silk flower then a white iridescence sequin which are all held in place with a tiny turquoise brad.

 These are a result of discussions on the weekend with my sister.  Here are her cards.

How To: Memory Box Grand HB Alignment

How to Set Alignment for the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die:

The yellow layer was cut to 4.00 x 5.25".

Once the yellow layer was cut to size I placed a pencil mark on the left and right hand side at 7/8" from the top.  I then aligned the die just below this mark which made the cut straight and the marks are on the piece which is removed which means no erasing marks. Taped down the die and ran it through the Big Shot.

See the card here.

Card Club - Feb - HB Masculine Plaid

I started with the plaid DSP on this card.  I selected the yellow layer based on the paper.  I cut the layer to 4 x 5.25" as usual.  I cut the paper with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday thin die.  See notes below on alignment. The yellow layer was glued to the card front.  I left the happy with no glue.  I then glued the designer paper which was cut to 5 x 1.5" below the greeting.  I punched 2 holes through all layers of the card front with a 1/8" circle punch. I pulled the ribbon through and knotted it. Trimmed the ribbons ends.  The contrast between the solids really makes the sentiment pop.

I made kits with green, brown or navy cards to give some variety and the DSP provided lots of choices. These make great cards for guys.