Love is Blind

Hello everyone,

I had so much fun with this card.

The card was inspired by a quote I found online "Love is Blind, why is lingerie so popular?". So true. Unfortunately the author of the quote is unknown.

I used the Cricut Expression and the Tie the Knot cartridge to create the bustier and bling'd it up with some xmas red stickles.

I find that the Spellbinder large classic scallop cutout creates a feeling of a window, like looking into someone's boudoir.

I wanted the entire card to have a lacy feel to it. I stamped swirl designs on the red cardstock and applied the black trim to the inside edge of the card. The black trim is leftover iron-on applique that I used in the design of my sister's wedding dress. Surprisingly enough the applique bonded to the card when I heated it with my Marvy embossing heat tool. I don't think I would use the heat technique if I were to use the applique on something that would be handled often. The bond is not as strong as using glue.

I am submitting the card in the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #217 "Anything Goes".

Hope you enjoyed. Until next time, happy paper crafting!



Supplies used from my inventory:

• Recollection 110lb cardstock
• Cardstock from my leftover pile
• Spellbinder Classic scalloped oval large
• Xmas red Stickles
• Cricut Expression
• Tie the Knot cartridge
• Big Shot
• Jet black Archival Ink
• Iron on trim - source unknown
• HP Deskjet F4280
• Stampin'up 2-way glue pen
• Tombow glue
• Marvy embossing heat tool
• Autumn Leaves - Swirls V:I stamps



Summer Vacation (part 2 of 2)

Hello again,

Winter vacations are finished and summer vacations are about to begin.

When I think of summer vacations I think of camping with my family and friends. Camping is one of the only times that I actually sit and do nothing; maybe read a book but nothing else. It is the ultimate relaxation and sometimes a little too relaxing for a person like me who is always on the go.

This past weekend, I created a camping scene for a card using my Cricut Expression and the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge.

Up until recently, I used to stress about having just the right paper for each image I was cutting. I don't stress about it any more. For the campfire, I cut the image three times out of white cardstock. The bottom layer remained intact and I coloured only the fire using YR07, Y35, and Y13 Copic markers. The second layer, I removed the fire portion, coloured the logs using E23, E77, and E37 Copic markers and adhered it to the fire layer. For the rocks, I removed the fire and logs on the third copy of the image, coloured the rocks using C5 and C3 Copic markers and layered it on top of the other two coloured layers.

Sectioning off the different elements of the image and layering them makes for a more realistic dimensional image. I love the effect and will repeat this technique in other Cricut inspired projects. I used the same technique for the marshmallows and the sign.

When I am ready to give this card to someone, I may stamp an appropriate message (Happy Birthday, Thinking of you, You light my fire, etc.) on the bottom right corner of the card or I may keep it simple.

I am entering the Campfire card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Vacation/Travel".

Thank you for stopping by and until next time, Happy Paper Crafting!



Supplies used from my inventory:

• Recollections 110 lbs cardstock
• Recollections Spice Market cardstock
• Paper from Basic Grey
• White pieces of cardstock from my scrap pile
• Copic markers - YR07, Y35, Y13, E23, E77, E37, C5, C3, YG03, YG63, W5, W1
• Stampin'up 2-way glue
• Zapdots foam adhesives
• Cricut Expression
• Everyday Paper Dolls Cricut cartridge
• Viva Décor dark brown Pearl Pen
• Tim Holtz Idea-ology Chitchat stickers
• Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs Distress ink
• Ink dauber

Supplies purchased:

• Nothing

Winter Vacation (Part 1 of 2)

Hello everyone,

Winter has always been a time for hibernation. However, this past winter my husband and I took our two year old son and joined some friends of ours on a Caribbean cruise. We enjoyed our time away and I have to say, it will be difficult to survive another winter without an escape to a warmer, sunnier location for at least a week.

I used one of the photos our friend took while on the trip to create this card.

 

I like the triple stamping technique, it's fast and simple. My friend from Papertician had read about a similar technique using the same stacking and matching idea as the triple stamping but instead of stamping you use a photo. What a neat idea.

I am entering the Bon Voyage card into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Vacation/Travel".




Supplies from my inventory:

• Tim Holtz, Stampers Anonymous - Artful Voyage
• Jet Black Archival ink
• Recollections cardstock
• Zapdots foam adhesives
• Tim Holtz Faded Jeans distress ink
• Tombow glue
• Scotch Advance tape glider

Supplies purchased:

• Black's photo developing

Let's Ride

Hello everyone and happy Sunday

The challenge this week at Simon Says Stamps is "Anything Goes", so here goes anything.

I have started collecting cardboard that used to end up in the recycling bin. I guess I am upcycling items around the house. The collection began as I was about to throw out a frozen pizza box. The box was clean and the cardboard was the perfect thickness to be sturdy but yet embossable.

Pair the saved cardboard with a little tin foil and you have a fantastic metallic look to work with.

I started by cutting the cardboard to the size that I needed and then ran it through my Xyron machine. I placed the sticky side of the cardboard to the non-shiny side of a large piece of tin foil. I trimmed the tin foil, leaving enough to wrap the edges of the cardboard and taped it to the back.

I ran the metallic paper through my Big Shot using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. I completed the look using the Tim Holtz Industrial Technique that I learned in his Creative Chemistry 102 online class.

I love how it all turned out and I doubt I will ever buy metallic paper again. However, my stash of cut out cardboard boxes has increased significantly.

Thank you for visiting and hope you will stop by again.

Till next time, happy paper crafting.




Supplies used from my inventory:

• Tim Holtz - black soot distress paint
• Cuttlebug embossing folder
• Kelly's outline stickers
• Recollection cardstock
• Sookwang Creative tape
• Peel-off's magic tape
• Glitter Ritz - cool highlight
• Copics - 0, 100, R89, B91, C5, E77, W5
• Stampin'up ink - sahara sand
• Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous - Road Trip CMS128
• Big Shot
• Scotch Advance tape glider

Supplies purchased:

• None

It is someone's birthday

Simon Says Stamp is celebrating their 5th year of challenges. Happy Birthday!!

For the occasion and to submit into their contest I created the following card.

Sorry for the blurry picture. It appears that I need to develop my photography skills along with my crafting ones.

I thought the stamp image from Stampin'up "Not So Serious" stamp collection was perfect for a birthday card for Simon Says Stamp since their mascot/logo is a dog.

Until next time, happy crafting and enjoy the spring like weather.

Supplies used from my inventory:

• Recollections - Cardstock
• Recollections - Regent Street paper pad
• Lil' Inker Designs - Pieced Chevron die
• Spellbinder - Classic Scalloped Circles large
• Memento ink - Tuxedo black
• Stampin'up - Not So Seriously
• Big Shot
• Stampin'up - 2-way glue
• Copic Markers - YG03, YG63, E11, E23, E37, W1, W5, W7, E01, RV69, B39, B0000
• Tim Holtz distress ink - Walnut Stain
• Tim Holtz Tonic Studio - scissors
• Tombow glue
• Zapdots foam adhesives

Supplies purchased:

• None

Chillin with my Peeps

Hello everyone,

Fantabulous Cricut challenged us to use birds in our paper project this week. I think I met the requirements of this challenge and then some.

I started by making my own background paper. I used a technique called "Blended Distress & Flick Technique" that I learned in Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 101 online class. Then I randomly stamped various images, including an image of a bird, to complete my patterned paper.

A product I have been wanting to try is molding paste. I knew that I wanted a dark branch over top of my patterned paper but I didn't have a branch sticker, a branch stamp, nor a branch die cutting plate. However, I did have a tree stencil and some molding paste. Here was my opportunity to try this very popular technique. I taped off the areas of the tree that I did not want and applied the molding paste. After the paste was completely dried I coloured it using the E77 Copic marker.

A few months ago, I bought the "Straight from the Nest" Cricut cartridge without much of a chance to use it. The FCCB challenge #203 was the perfect time to take this cartridge out for a test run. "Chillin with my Peeps" inspired the entire card. The image and the saying reminds me of a few of my friends.

I searched for the perfect combination of paper for this image without much success. I had the red and the black but nothing that was quite right for the bird. I have the philosophy that if you can't find what you are looking for, then make it yourself. I cut the image out of white cardstock and coloured the little bird using Y13 and Y35 Copic markers.

I hope this card puts a smile on your face as it does mine.

Have a great day and don't forget to chill with your peeps!


Items used from my inventory:

• White cardstock - Recollections
• Coloured cardstock from my scrap pile
• Patterned cardstock from unknown source
• Distress inks (I don't know what I would do without my distress inks)
• Iced Spruce
• Shabby Shutters
• Forest Moss
• Weathered Wood
• Victorian Velvet
• Pumice Stone
• Inkadinkado - Flourishes stamp
• Straight from the Nest Cricut Cartridge
• Golden gel mediums - Light molding paste
• The Cafters Workshop.com - Branches Reversed stencil
• Stampin'up 2-way glue
• Copic Markers - Y13, Y35, E11, E37, E77
• Scotch Advanced Tape Runner
• Zapdots foam adhesives

Items purchased:

• Nothing

 

Paper dust

Paper dust is all I have left, well almost.

 

If you recall, at the end of September I assembled a card/tag making kit. The kit included 6 sheets of paper (3 of which were double sided), 5 stamps, 4 inks, 3 embellishments, 2 ribbons and 1 drink of choice. PJ challenged us to remain within the limitations of our kit and create cards and tags until there were no paper sheets left, only paper dust.

 

   

It was definitely a challenge, especially the 4 inks limitation. I love my inks and wanted to use more ink colours. I am not sure if I cheated by using Copic markers to colour Santa, probably. The other biggest challenge was not being able to use my arsenal of supplies to correct my errors. If I made a mistake I couldn't use other inks or papers to make the mistake look better or less noticeable.

 

With my kit I was able to create 7 cards and 9 tags. Some projects turned out better than others but I had fun just the same. Unfortunately, due to Internet failure I was not able to upload my projects before the PJ Challenge deadline (midnight November 3rd).

 

 

Which one is your favorite?

Till next time, Happy Paper Crafting!

 

Supplies used from inventory:

• Bazzill Avalanche paper
• Stampin' pad - Baja Breeze
• Blending tool
• Bazzill Basics Paper - Chipboard tags snowflakes
• Archival ink - black
• Stampin'up stamps - Welcome Christmas, snowflakes, and Jolliest Time of the Year
• Winterland - snow peeps
• Paper Bliss adhesive accents
• Harmonie - Meli Melo
• Copic markers - 100, C5, C3, R24, G29, YG03, E01
• Distress ink - peeled paint
• Big Shot
• Spellbinders Nestibilities - labels, blossom two, and create a flake four
• Tombow glue
• Lil'inkers - stitched mats and bow dies
• Stickles - xmas red
• Creative memories corner rounder
• Celebrate It - Ribbon bow-tique
• Stampin'up - Cherry Cobbler ribbon
• Martha Stewart - photo corners punch
• Martha Stewart - scor board
• Zapdots - foam tape
• EK Success - 3/4 inch circle punch
• Stampin'up, EK Success - label punch
• Spellbinder shapeabilities - snowflake pendant
• Fiskar personal paper trimmer
• Scotch advanced tape glider
• There are a couple of other supplies that I no longer have the name of the company that made them

 

Supplies purchased:

• None

 

Card and Tag Kit

Hello everyone. 

 

PJ Challenge has posted a very interesting challenge. The challenge is in two parts. The first part, due by September 30th, is to assemble a package based on a pre-set list.

• 6 papers
• 5 stamps
• 4 inks
• 3 embellishments
• 2 ribbons, and
• 1 drink of choice

Here are my items. Three of the papers are double sided, hence the almost identical pictures.

 

The second paper from the right is maroon (not brown).

From left, the double sided papers are 1, 3, and 6

 

 

You will notice 4 ribbons in the picture but I will only use two of the four. I didn't want to unravel one of them just for the sake of the picture.

 

My drink of choice is in the blue cylinder at the top left of the pictures. It recently changed to water, trying to become a little healthier and shed a few useless pounds.

 

Are you asking "so, what is part two of the challenge?" I would be happy to tell you. The second part, due November 1st, is to use the items in this package to make cards and tags. The goal is to use as much of the items as possible. To use every piece of paper until there is only paper dust left.

 

So if this challenge peeks your interest as it has mine, either join the challenge or come back in November to see what I have created.

 

Till then, happy crafting.

 

 

Votives and Vinyl

I am entering this project into the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog, Challenge #177 - Vinyl for a chance to win a Cricut Expression from Cricket Vinyl Supplies .com. Cricket Vinyl Supplies .com will give away a Cricut Expression, the Jasmine cartridge and a load of vinyl if 100 people or more post their projects where they used vinyl and a Cricut machine.

The centre pieces at our wedding were potted herb plants circled by 5 votives. I brainstormed for days on what I could do to give the votives a little more decor factor. I tested etching, ribbons and decided that the best, easiest and prettiest way to decorate the votives would be to use our vinyl supply and my Cricut Expression to cut wedding related images. With the help of my parents, I used the Tie the Knot cartridge (blackout LoveBrds, Mr&Mrs) and the Calligraphy Collection cartridge (Matrimony Phras6-s, Gratitude Phras6-s, Inspiration Blackout Phras1-s) for the votive cutouts.

This was my first time creating a project using vinyl. However, my parents have a significant amount of experience cutting vinyl and graciously offered to help me. My dad owns a Roland Camm 1 PNC 1050 cutter. It is a commercial cutter and I love to tease him that it's just a bigger version of my Cricut.

I loved working with the vinyl. At times it was much easier than working with paper or cardstock. I found that the Cricut can cut a much more detailed, delicate image on vinyl. I will definitely use vinyl again in a future project.

Welcome Little One

This week’s Fantabulous Cricut Challenge is Oh Baby!  We are to use our Cricut to create a project for a new baby. This challenge could not have come at a better time. Many of our friends are pregnant and some are due within the next few weeks.

I made this card for a little one we are looking forward to meeting at the end of June. The expecting parents decorated the little one’s room with a frog theme.

I had a blast making this card. The little Cricut characters always make me laugh.

This card was made possible by:

Items from my inventory

·         The Cricut Expression

·         Paisley Cachemire cartridge – frog2

·         Cindy Loo cartridge – welcome

·         Various cardstock

·         Creative Memories corner maker

·         Fiskars paper trimmer

·         Bella BLVD – Toadilly Cool – Birthday Boy paper

·         Tim Holtz distress ink – Iced Spruce, Rusty Hinge, Forest Moss

·         Tombow glue

·         Celebrate It – ribbon

·         Kool Tak – 1/8” adhesive tape

·         Zapdots foam dots

·         Stampin’up Holidays & Wishes stamp

·         Stampin’up basic black classic stampin’ pad

·         Big Shot

·         Sizzix texture plates

Purchased

·         Nothing

 

Happy Mother's Day

I am dedicating my very first blog, to my mother! She shares the same love for all things crafty.

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog has a weekly challenge appropriately titled "Challenge Me Monday". This week's challenge (#159 - Mother's Day) motivated me to make this card and my mother inspired its design.

 

 

This card was made possible by:

Items from my inventory

• The Cricut Expression
• Ornamental Iron Cricut cartridge
• Various cardstock
• Father Knows Best - Aftershave paper by Angela Hoffmann Designs
• Cool highlight transparent Glitter Ritz
• Be Creative tape
• Various Copic markers
• Stampin' Up - Sizzix - Square Lattice Textured Impressions embossing folder
• Tim Holtz - Sizzix - Tattered Florals die
• Tim Holtz - Ranger - Distress Inks - Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord, Gathered Twigs, Rusty Hinge
• Recollections brads
• Small snowflake punch (manufacturer unknown)
• The Paper Company - Quilling strips
• Ek Success - Dahlia Dimensional Flower punch
• Zapdots - foam dots
• Tombow glue

Purchased

• Recollection cardstock
• Three additional Copic colors

I am ecstatic to say that this card was loved by my family.
It also won the FCCB challenge and got top 5 mention.