Mini-Baking Cup Flowers

This project is old.  I mean like a few months old.  That speaks to how very precious is time for crafting.  Working full time and trying to keep a house and two kids on the go wears a girl down.  There's nothing like a good craft project to infuse a sense of peace and accomplishment.  When Brandy shared a new crafting technique on the Internet using mini-baking cups, I thought it might be worth a try.  So, here's the technique.

Start with a plain min-baking cup.  Don't worry about deformities as the process with eliminate any blemishes.  I used my hand to flatten the cup and sprayed each cup with Glimmer Mist.  After the paper had dried, folded the circle in half and then in half again and ultimately trimmed the edges making a  three circles of concentric size. 






Then I simply layered the circles one on top of the other and pinched the very center of the layered pieces, twisting around to create my flower center.  The picture to the right shows two completed flowers and the pieces to make a third. 





I chose to use these first rounds of flowers to make a card.  They work very well as you can easily flatten then and it actually enhances the look.  I also chose to use very little adornments for these cards and let the beautiful Glimmer Mist colors make the statement.

 The card is made from cream cardstock and the paper is from the Stash, so old I've no idea where it came from.  The brown ribbon is a reuse piece from a lovely box of chocolates that I paired here with a piece fo cream organza ribbon.  I've used this card base to make a birthday card- stamping Happy Birthday to a cream colored die cut mini-tag and inking the edges- and a thank you card.  The sentiment tage inserts nicely below the green flower and looks as though it was made for this purpose.



I does seem like you never use exactly all of the baking cups when you buy them.  What a great way to put those few left overs to use without increasing my waistline.  I've added glitter to the edges of some of the flowers and inked the finished product to create different looks to my flowers.  This is a fun technique that adds cute charm and appeal without much effort.


Andie

A Special Etched Wedding Gift

Here's me posting for Brandy again.  She's been so consumed by work and setting up her craft room after receiving a new cabinet that I thought these pictures/instructions would never make their way onto the blog.  Brandy had a co-worker who was married earlier this year.  Since I've etched a few things, Brandy thought that etched Champagne glasses might just be the perfect gift.  Here's a sampling of the pictures taken:

Step 1- Cut the image out of vinyl. In this case, Brandy used her Gypsy to create the image by combining the PenWork image (the swirl) from the French Manor cart and the initials of the wedding party using the Calligraphy Collection Matrimony font.  The upper case letter was used for all initials.

Step 2- Apply the etching solution.  I have always used Armour Etch which is commercially available at most retail craft stores.  The product is easy to use, though it does give off a strong odor.  Liberally apply the solution with a brush over the image you would like to have etched into the glass.

Step 3- Wait the appropriate length of time (read the manufacturer's instructions) and rinse the solution off the glass with warm water.  I typically rinse away from the glass to prevent any unexpected etching.  Occassionally, if the etching is in the center of a large portion of glass I will remove the solution with my fingers to prevent the solution from sliding across the unetched glass. 

Step 4- Inspect the etching.  If small portions of the image are not fully etched and my vinyl is still well adhered to the glass, I will occassionally add another application of the etching solution to finish the entire image.  Once I am confinced the image is finished like I like, I also wash the glass with a little soapy water to ensure the entire solution has been removed. 

These Bride and Groom glasses were so fancy, I wanted to make a pair for myself.  I heard that Brandy's co-worker was duly impressed and loved their homemade bridal gift.  Each member of the bridal party (something close to 20 plus people) walked away with one of these fine creations. 

Way to go, Brandy!

Brandy (by Andie)

A Little Birdie Kindergarten Card

It seems as though getting  Brandy to post here might be tougher and tougher.  So, I've decided to share a few of the more adorable things she's created.  This cute little card was for Brandy's niece, Isabella, when she started Kindergarten this fall.  The birdy is cute from Cricut's Straight From the Nest cart.  A tiny bling piece is placed for the eye and all the edges are distressed using Tim Holz's Paper Distresser.

The little piece of green organza ribbon really sets the right tone and a little girl started Kindergarten knowing that Aunt Brandy loves her. 











Andie
(courtesy of Brandy's creativity!)

Bo-Bunny Cambridge Card Kit

My grandmother enjoys crowns and other regal designs.  This is in part because of her English heritage which results in a love of the English Royals and in part because she simply enjoys a more traditional look.  When we were out shopping during her latest visit, I spied this Bo-Bunny card kit on the clearance table and couldn't pass is up. 

My Grandma's favorite card.  She likes it best because of the crown detail.  It's mine favorite too since there is a touch of green. 

The cards turned out to be very simple to put together.  Most are inked, but that is the only real embellishment that I added.  The remaining embellishments you see came in the card pack.

This was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.  Even more fun is the opportunity to

give the cards away to someone who really appreciates the effort.  I would recommend the Bo-Bunny card sets for anyone, even those with a relatively new card making experience.  However, even someone who has designed and made their own cards, this card set is a nice diversion and a pleasant way to spent a couple of hours.   

Andie