Quick Joann's Paper Pack Scored Some Easy Cards

Since I need additional scrapbook supplies (NOT!), I found myself browsing through the clearance piles at Joann's and came across a 4 x 6 paper pad from K & Company- the Adrianna collection.  For $2.29 eighteen sheets of beautiful floral paper was at my fingertips.  The matching icon/die cut set was sitting there for only $1.79.  You mean to tell me I can have embellishments and beautiful paper for card making for less than $5?  Couldn't pass that up- It's a sickness.  I'm telling you, it's a sickness without cure as using the supplies spurs more creative juices...  I'll stop there.

Here's my first card-

The card is made using a basic olive green cardstock that I had on hand.  The printed papers were layered on top of each other to add depth.  The "I am Thankful" stamp comes from my stash- so old I forget from whence it came.  The bottom border with the green medallions is actually one of the K & Company papers that I fussy cut out to make it look like a border.  The purple medallion flower comes from the die cut pack and is actually an overlay backed by plain white paper to make the intricate design shine through. 

I used a pop dot to raise the purple flower medallion off the card- nice touch without too much height.  Everything is edged in brown chalk ink- adds to the muted tones of the papers and the overall shabby chic design.  A piece of left over satin ribbon and we're done.

With that fresh infusion of the disease (I was pretty pleased with my first concoction), I thought I might try a new technique suggested in the recent Paper Crafts magazine.  They described using a misting ink on linen fabric and then using the fabric as an embellishment.  I stalled a little here getting the technique right.  Your image needs to be detailed, your misting needs to be even handed and not too heavy.  After playing for a while, surprise (o.k. for

those who know me- no surprise) I ended up really liking the green on cream result.  Darker colors were much more tricky.  I actually used Glimmer Mist and one of my Tattered Angels stencils to create the background for this Gratitude card.  I pulled some of the linen apart at the edges.  The embellishment came from the Adrianna die cut pack- all glittered for me.  I layered a couple of different flower pieces and the green leaves behind.  The blue twine came from my Boxer Scrapbooks supplies purchased at the Scrapbook convention earlier this year.  Having had such success with the Glimmer Mist on the fabric, I decided to use my Distress Ink as well and stamped the Close to My Heart "Gratitude" on a piece of linen with green Glimmer Mist sprayed behind.  After fussy cutting out the image slightly larger than the edge of the stamp, I frayed the edges and adhered to the card.  All in all, I really like my two cards made with my "cheap" find at Joann's.  It was the next day that I discovered my Shingles infection and so, I haven't made more cards yet.  I do plan to get back in the saddle soon though.  Even writing this post makes my fingers itchy for some inky, sticky action.

Andie

Latency in viral infections and other non-crafty subjects

It has been a while on the posting front for both Brandy and I.  We've both been suddenly inundated with work including both traveling to the East coast the first week of September for very separate reasons.  Man, traveling can seriously cut down on the craft time with all the preparing to go, being gone for several days and the recovering (with laundry, grocery shopping, etc.) upon your return.  Let's not even talk about all the work that didn't get done while out of the office which now needs to be done (some of it urgent).

Additionally, I've battled a bout of shingles in the past month.  I had my first occurrence of shingles as a 12 year old.  I wasn't unfamiliar with the consequences, but I didn't consider how my 42 year body would react differently.  I fairly lost about 10 days in a sea of treatments (acupuncture really works folks!) and a haze of pain (they can be quite painful).  Needless to say, I'm feeling the loss of my crafting mojo and looking for a fresh source of infection of the crafty kind. 

I have been able to keep track of the Project Project Runway series (we've got their button right on this page) and NotMartha's ongoing participation in the Fantasy Project Runway sponsored by HP TouchSmart technology.  Megan's recent design mimicking Project 7's Make Your Own Fabric challenge was super slick (o.k.- who wants a pair of the brown heels she picked for her model to wear?) and definitely injected a little of the crafty inspiration.  If you haven't browsed (and dreamed) about the accessories on the Piperlime accessories wall, check it out.

Here's hoping for a fresh infection of the crafty kind.  I've got a few exciting opportunities to craft in the next few weeks and I am looking forward to sharing the results of a brand new crafting bug infection.

Andie

Tink says Happy Birthday

Thought I should also share with you the Tinkerbell card I made for my niece, Mackenzie's third birthday.  This card went with the tutu I made and discussed in a previous post.  My daughter, Katie, has previously made a set of the Tinkerbell and Friends images from the Cricut cart.  I remembered that the tough part was the eyes and I can say that this time, I found the exact same result. 

 I started by cutting out each of the layers for the piece.  The black shadow image and the white blackout image are the basis for the construction of my Tinkerbell. 

Her dress was cut out of green cardstock and I used my Xyron 510 to layer adhesive down to adhere green Recollections glitter and make the dress sparkly. 



Here's the final result:

I used a bit of white flocking to make Tinkerbell's puffball on her shoe.  This looks much more impressive in person.  Once more I lack the photo generation skills necessary to accurately represent the finished product.  The whole eyes and lips process on these layered images really identify my serious lack of artistic talent.  I managed to end at a result that wasn't entirely embarrassing.  Note to self, do some work on the web looking for hints on creating/drawing eyes, eyelashes and lips...  I'll get right on that!

 In the end, I decided to place Tinkerbell on a rocker base and adhere some magnets to the back.  This way Kenzie can remove Tink from the rocker and leave her on the refrigerator for however long she would like.

Nieces are nice to have and definitely bring out the creative in me.  Happy Birthday, Mackenzie.

Auntie Andie 

Make Your Own Tutu

My niece, Mackenzie, recently celebrated her third birthday.  Cute, adorable and ever so charming, I couldn't think of a gift more enjoyable to this girly girl than a tutu.  A few weeks ago, we "handed down" some of Katie's things to Kenzie which included a tutu my mother had made.  My thought was that Kenzie should have her own.  So I searched the net and found a very easy method for making a tutu at home.  The first instructions I found could not be improved upon and are located here.  She recommends using a lot more tulle than I ended up using, but I was also making this for a much smaller human.  If you search the web, there are plenty of adult women making tutus for themselves.  Maybe, if I was just a smidge younger I might try it....

Here's my final result:

                                                                              I selected tulle that had sparkles in both light pink and white.  I ended up cutting the strips approximately 2 inches wide and 14 inches long.  Folded in half to create the tie to the ribbon, the lengths are approximately 6 inches long.  The effect is quite lovely.

 

I ended up tying a knot at each side thinking that a three year old might work the tulle off the end of the ribbon just out of curiosity.  My desire is that Kenzie would be able to play with her tutu, wear it on random trips to the grocery store with mom or dad, or even on a trip to the park.  The process was so simple and quick to make, I would be a happy auntie to make six more over just the next year if she desires me to.  After all, what are aunties for?

Auntie Andie

Combining Uses- Making that card a couple different ways

I've mentioned several times that I try to be frugal in my card making and that I try to re-use ideas and supplies.  Here's a couple of ideas to utilize a great card layout in a couple of different ways.  This first card is a graduation card for my nephew, Patrick.  Patrick graduated from ASU with degree in Agri-business this May.  I needed a card fit for a male, not fancy and quick- work has been crazy and I didn't have but a few hours.  Out I pulled my Wild Card Cricut Cart and cut the the For the Graduate phrase out of brown cardstock.     

 The card design was very simple, matting with a bright blue/green cardstock on a brown cardstock card.  A one inch wide brown satin ribbon (off of a package I recently received) with a felt chevron fiber over the top finishes this simple look.  As I was thinking about the design of this card it strikes me that my neice, Kelly, was also graduating from Thunderbird High School within days of Patrick.  The challenge is to turn this simple, effective design into a more sophisticated, soft and girly look.  For the girly card, I decided to move more toward a black and white look. 

The challenge here is to off set the sentiment in a way that makes it visible on the patterned paper.  The Wild Card cart does not provide shadow or blackout for the phrase.  After cutting the sentiment out of black

cardstock, I glued it to a white cardstock making sure to choose a cardstock without texture.  Then I fussy cut the sentiment out.  My pictures don't exactly do the card justice, but I think matting the patterned cardstock on the pop of green metallic cardstock made for an elegant, yet not stuffy card.  The single piece of organza ribbon provides an shiny accent to draw the eye in.  Between both cards, I probably spent 1 1/2 to 2 hours sifting through my supplies, deciding on the design, and creating the two cards.  For me, that is a quick turn around and I can say I was pleased with the results.  I've got one additional example of this type of piggy backing on a design that I will share in the next couple of days.

Andie