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.

Card Club - Jan - Washi Tape

I used black and white Washi Tape on this card.  I placed the wider one on the bottom of the card.  A piece of card stock that coordinates with the image is placed above the tape.  The narrow black tape is added above the card stock. I selected several digital stamps from Beccy's Place to create the accent. The accent is printed in black and has been colored with pencil crayons.  With this kit I included wedding accents with ivory Washi Tape and metallic card stock.

Card Club - Jan - 6 Block DS DP

In this card I used double sided designer paper as well.  The squares are cut at 1.25".  I cut 6 squares from the paper. Three of the six squares are flipped over.  I selected a blue card which matched the DP paper.  I printed the greeting on white card stock and cut it down to 1/2 inch strip.  I flagged the right hand end and glued it to the card front aligning the left to the card edge.  The buttons are held in place with Zot glue dots.

Card Club - Jan - DS Designer Paper Split

I started with double sided designer paper cut to 4.00 x 5.25".  Then I cut down the length at 2.25" then both pieces at 1.75" across the width.  I flipped over 2 of the 4 pieces and glued them to the parchment natural card front.  The border was created with the Stampin Up! Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch in deep brown card stock.  I punched a SU! Modern Label in the same card stock.  The greeting was color printed and punched with the SU! Word Window. 

Card Club - Jan - Gatefold with Square Accent

The girls at card club have asked for cards for specific occasions. I included baby, wedding, and heart cards in this kit. I started with a purple card and scored at 2 1/8 from either side which will create a gate-fold card where two side flaps fold to the center.  I added pieces of designer paper on each flap.  I color printed the square accents which were layered onto a 2.5x2.5 inch piece of white card stock.  The insert is placed on the center panel and was cut to 4" x 5.25"

Card Club - Incentive Thank You

I created these Thank You cards for some of the girls who signed up for Card Club.
I made these cards to fit smaller envelopes which measure 4 x 5 1/8 inches.  I designed them with the Beau Chateau designer digital files.  I created a smaller background of chicken wire in Soft Suede with a clear background.  I added the Bee embellishment in Marina Mist and Soft Suede.  I created a Word Window Punch digital and added my Thanks sentiment.  I filled it with Very Vanilla with the sentiment to coordinate the color to the bee embellishment.  I printed the cards onto Very Vanilla card stock.

Card - Card Club Incentive

I created these larger enclosure cards for my card club girls.  I printed the frames and backgrounds with Opoxy Underlay digitals by Prima Hybrid.  I added a Sizzix flower, a coordinating green leaf and a yellow circle punchie in the centre. 

Scrapbook - Retirement Book of Remembrance

A friend and I created this 12x12 scrapbook album for a couple who retired.  Friends and colleagues sent greetings which were collected into this album. We decided on a black fabric album with a photo on the front.  We selected black, red and white as the color scheme for this book.  Most pages are black except for those set up for co-workers and friends to include their sentiments.   We created borders with Stampin Up! Tasteful Trim Bigz XL, ribbon, Martha Stewart and EK Success border punches.  We prepared about approximately 40 pages onto which letters, emails, and cards were mounted. I think it turned out really well.

Cool Tool - 12x12 drawers - Paper Storage

I use these 12x12 drawer units for patterned paper storage. I have 2 units which gives me 8 drawers. One unit holds paper sorted by color. The other holds other paper like Christmas paper, Specialty paper like acetate, vellum, glitter etc, multicolored paper and one drawer for scraps of patterned paper.  It works for me because I can see the paper.  When the scraps drawer gets too full I go through it and purge.  I bought the units at Walmart.  The labelling is not too sophisticated and I should replace them with clear labels now that I have a label maker.  One day soon.

Cards - Birthday in Greens

I created these cards for a friend who has a family member who celebrates a birthday on March 17 - St. Patrick's Day.   I made some for her a while back. Check it out.
Left: The card is Certainly Celery with double sided designer paper by Stampin Up!  It was cut 1/3 to 2/3 and the top piece was flipped over.  I color printed the greeting in CC on Very Vanilla and cut it with a Spellbinder Ribbon Slider thin die.  I placed it onto a piece of CC ribbon which was placed over the join of the 2 piece of DSP.  The ribbon is pulled through a slit in the card fold and taped to the inside.  I added a large silk flower and dyed a smaller one with Tim Holtz Peeled Paint Distress Ink. They are held in place with a vanilla brad.
Right: I selected a dark green textured card stock.  I selected some green DP by Basic Grey - porcelain arabella.  I color printed the greeting and punched it out with the SU! Decorative Label punch.  I punched another from the green cardstock. I cut it in half and mounted the halves top and bottom of the punchie. I added a coordinating gross grain ribbon.