Hello My Dear

Hello again! I'm back with my final Viva la Verve challenge card for January.

I won the entire January release from Flourishes a couple of weeks ago, which included the Just My Type stamp set, and it was perfect for the chalkboard technique that I've been seeing on different blogs. The technique is just as easy as it looks, but the white ink I used over the embossing took forever to dry!

I backed the "chalkboard" with a piece of silver paper to emphasize the edges, then popped it up with layers of crimped cs. The red hearts were cut from solid red cs. I added glitter to the two larger ones, glued the smaller ones on top of that, then covered the smaller hearts with Glossy Accents. The swirl in the lower right corner was stamped with red acrylic paint. I used waxed linen thread to attach the heart charm. The edges of the layers were sponged with Distress Ink, then I finished with some sewing.

On the inside, I die cut white cs, then stamped a script text on it and sponged the inside edges while the cs was still in the die. The script turned out a little darker than I wanted, so I sponged a light layer of white ink in the center. The red hearts were stamped in red paint. I also stamped the sentiment in red paint, but it was difficult to read, so after it dried, I stamped over it with black Staz-On ink. I really like the effect. To continue the chalkboard theme, I matted the die cut layer on a piece of black cs and drew on it with colored pencils. The white pearls are a Pearl Pen.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve January 2013 Week 3 Sketch Challenge: VLVJan2013 Week 3
The Pink Elephant Challenge #184-Hearts: TPE184
Stamp and Create-January Challenge: Love

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Just My Type, Roses Are Red (Flourishes); Sweet Treats (Verve); Distress Script Text (Glitz)
Paper: Timeless Type Stack (DCWV); Yours Truly (Echo Park)
Ink: Memento; Distress; Colorbox; Versamark; Staz-On
Dies: From the Heart (Verve); Labels Eighteen (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Bracket Edge Punch (EK Success); embossing powder (Zing); Prismacolor pencils; acrylic paint; Distress Stickles Dry Glitter (Ranger); sewing thread; silver half pearl; waxed linen thread; metal charm; Glossy Accents; Pearl Pen
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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You are a Blessing

Hi Friends! If you've visited my blog before, you have probably noticed that I tend to make cards with lots of layers, distressing, and embellishments. I love beautiful CAS cards, but I quickly meet my Waterloo any time I try to make one. So, normally, I just avoid making them, but I can't do that this time because the Week 5 Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge is a CAS sketch. I've already made all the other cards for the challenge this month, so I'm not not quitting now. And, besides, it IS a challenge, right? Well, I was definitely challenged!

This one didn't turn out too bad, but you should see my first attempt. On second thought, you shouldn't see it. It took me three hours to make and it turned out awful! The final version took all of 10 minutes to make, and it even looks presentable. I just stamped flowers all over the card, leaving an area blank for the sentiment. Then, using my scoreboard, I scored three lines across the top left edge of the card.

The inside is blank except for a few stamped flowers.

Gotta run...Thanks for stopping by!

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge: VLVJan2013 Week 5
ColourQ Color Challenge: CQC173
Delightful Sketches: Thinking of You

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink); Sunny Days, Sweet Treats (Verve)
Ink: Memento; Distress Ink
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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So Sweet of You

Hi Friends! Did you hear...the CR84FN Color Challenge is ending! After the current challenge, Mona is shutting it down, so I wanted to play along one last time. I'll miss your challenge blog, Mona...it was a fun one.

I seldom choose pale colors on my own, so I was glad to need to use them for this week's CR84FN challenge, which is aqua, tan, and yellow. I also used the Viva la Verve VLVJan2013 Week 4 sketch, added a fishtail, pearls, and a circle for the current Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #204, and Washi tape was necessary for the Simon Says Stamp challenge. The card practically made itself once I decided I wanted to enter all those challenges! ;) The Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge this week is to make what you are "known for." I'm not really "known" for anything, but I tend to use distressing on almost every card I make, so that's what I went with.

And, speaking of distressing, these two rings were made with the empty plastic roll from a roll of red line tape. I inked it up with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, pressed it into the cs, then sprinkled some water on it to smear the ink a little. I love doing this kind of thing! ;)

Inside the card, I used scraps for the tan circles as well as the long blue strip. There is a pretty floral stamp in yellow in the center of the white panel, and the sentiment stamped over it is a PTI stamp I've had for awhile, but never used. I was organizing my craft room, yet again, and came across the sentiment and decided to finally ink it up. :)

These are the challenges I'm entering with this card:

Viva la Verve Sketch challenge: VLVJan2013 Week 4
CR84FN70 Color Challenge
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge FTTC204: Use a fishtail, pearls, and a circle.
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Use Washi Tape
Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge: What Are You Known For? (Distressing)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Blue Skies (Verve); Serene Silhouettes (Stampin Up); Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Glitter CS (Studio 18); Fiddlesticks, Hattie Papers (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Distress; Versamark; Memento
Dies: A2 Matting Basics, Classic Scalloped Circle, Labels Three, Postage Stamp, Reverse Wonky Rectangles (Spellbinders); Ribbon Banner (Verve)
Accessories: Scallop Diamond Edger punch (EK Success); embossing powder (Zing); Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); ribbon; sewing thread; pearls; Washi tape
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Peach Cobbler Recipe Page

I'm purging my craftroom! Click below to see what's for sale:

Stamps for Sale

Dies for Sale

***Peach Cobbler Recipe Page published in Rubber Stamp Madness Magazine--Spring 2017***

Hi Friends! How was your week? I hope you had time to do a little crafting. I've been all fired up since my stamping trip to Savannah. The group decided to make a recipe book, so everyone is making a recipe card as a 6" x 6" page to share. I was going to share my bread and butter pudding recipe, but I have the fab peaches stamp from Flourishes, so I opted to go with Peach Cobbler instead.

This is my original recipe page. I used the MFT Wednesday Stamp Club Sketch #107 for my layout. All my dp's are digital. They are by Juliana Kneipp, and I originally got them from Design House Digital, but they don't have them there anymore, so I don't have a link for you. I printed the recipe onto a vintage tag that was part of the Old Sweet Times digital pack, then added a kraft tab and eyelet. The ribbon is ivory seam binding that I dyed with Distress Ink Reinkers. I sewed two strips of burlap behind the recipe, and stapled the little "Sweet!" flag to the card.

I did some zig zag sewing on this, and pulled out some of the stitches in one corner. On this particular page, I tried to distress it further by dragging it through water, but I forgot that when you print digital paper and it gets wet, the design completely disappears. Oops! I still kind of like it, and kept it for this page, which will go in my personal recipe book, but for the rest of the pages, I skipped that step.

I colored the peaches with Copics, and love how they turned out, but I needed to make 13 of these, and that just wasn't feasible, given how long it takes me to color with markers, so I went a different route for the rest of them.

This is a picture of the peaches, as I colored them for the rest of the recipe pages. I used Distress Inks and sponge daubers. It's not as "clean" as coloring with Copics, and the leaves aren't as detailed, but I love how they turned out. Even IRL, you can barely see a difference in the Copic peaches and the Distress Ink peaches, and the Distress Ink leaves ended up being a better color for this project. Best of all, though, I was able to color 13 of these images, and cut them out with my craft knife in just a few hours--less time than it took me to color one peach image with Copics.

This is what the entire page looks like with the peaches that were colored with Distress Inks.

And, here they all are, ready to go! I was glad to get them done early, even though they aren't due until April, because several ladies in the group are coming to spend the weekend with me the first weekend in February while they are here for the Lawrenceville Stamp Convention, and I can send them back to Savannah with them, just in case I don't make it down there for the April meeting.

Here's the Peach Cobbler recipe, in case you can't read it in the other pictures. It's actually a "dump cobbler" since you just dump everything in and cook it. It makes a yummy, thick and buttery crust on top that is to die for!

I'll be entering this in the following challenges:
MFT Wednesday Stamp Club Sketch #107
Color Throwdown CTD225  (*Winner: Featured Stamper!)
Delightful Challenges: "Tag, You're It" (*Winner: 1st Choice and Guest DT spot!)

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the long weekend!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Peach & Cherries, Wild for Watermelon (Flourishes)
Paper: Hello Fall, Old Sweet Times (Juliana Kneipp)
Ink: Distress Ink; Copics; Memento
Dies: Creative Page Tabs (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Seam Binding (Hug Snug); rhinestones; eyelets; mini staples; burlap; sewing thread
Size: 6" x 6"

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Friendship

Hi Friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I spent mine with my Savannah Stamp Club friends, and had a blast! We met at Tybee Island on Saturday, stamped all morning, took a nice walk on the beach (the weather was phenomenal!), then stamped again until dinnertime. We talked and laughed the entire time--it was serious FUN! It was great to visit again with the girls I met IRL last year, as well as meet seven new friends, and each one of them was an absolute sweetheart. A girl just couldn't ask for a better day than that!

I managed to make only one card on Saturday, but the sentiment is so very apropos. :) The image is colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol, then Distress Ink was sponged inside the edges of the die. I didn't have any cs with me in the shade of green that I wanted, so I just cut the scalloped circle from white cs, then swiped Pear Tart Memento ink across it. Can you see that it's a bit fuzzy looking? I used a metal brush on it, just to see what would happen. It wasn't what I expected, but I was pleased with the result, nonetheless. The rest of the card is self-explanatory, I think.

(The blue in this photo looks different that the photo of the front of the card, but they are the same cs. I had a "Dickens" of a time trying to get the color right and finally gave up on this photo. The true color is closest in the photo of the front.)

This card could have been made for just about any occasion, but I chose to make it into a birthday card so I could send it to one of my Savannah friends who is having a birthday this week. Yeah, I know she's already seen it--actually watched me make it--but she didn't know I intended it for her, so she'll be surprised when she gets it. ;)

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a crafty week!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: From My Heart (Stampin' Up)
Paper: Poetic Postage (Paper Studio)
Ink/Pencils: Distress Ink; Memento; Prismacolor pencils
Dies: Classic Scalloped Circles, Labels Three (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Gamsol; Bracket punch (EK Success); seam binding (Hug Snug); rhinestones; brad; twine
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Love is the Key

Hi Friends! One last card before I finish packing up for my trip to visit my Savannah friends! Yaaaayyy! :~D

I made a Valentine's card today, using the Viva la Verve January 2013 Week 2 sketch, and since distressing in any form is my favorite technique, I made this one vintage-y. I used a pink Glitter Finish embossing powder to emboss the Lace Heart image onto a dp that already looked aged, then I ran the edges through my Distrezz-it-All (I love that thing!). After inking the edges with Distress Ink, as well as sponging it along the edges of the back, I misted water onto my craft mat, then dragged some of the edge through it, both to make the ink run, and to soften the dp so I could roll it up. When I do that, then hit it with my heat gun, it dries and becomes very crinkly and stiff, as though it really is old. I did the same thing with the two die cuts behind the heart. For the bg, I layered two pieces of cs, distressed the edges, using Picked Raspberries Distress Ink along the edges of the light pink cs, to make it appear to have been stained from the darker pink cs. Then I did some sloppy sewing. I randomly switched my machine from straight to zig zag, varied the width and length of the stitches, and pulled some of them loose. I added a thick twill ribbon, then tied a key charm to it using brown jute.

In the lower left corner, just below where the lock hangs, I stamped an old fashioned lock with Distress Ink, then scratched it up with a rasp.

For the inside, I created a sentiment in Word, printed it onto a transparency, then rubbed it on.

I die-cut the heart from red textured cs, spritzed it with Perfect Pearls Mist, distressed the edges, then stamped the Je t'aime sentiment. I stamped the 7 Gypsies text image onto the pink cs after adhering the heart so that part of the stamp "dirtied" the edge of the heart.

Well, that's it for me for a few days. I'll be stamping all day on Saturday, so I may have a few cards to share with you next week.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Flourishes Love Letters Challenge, FLLCJan13
Viva la Verve January 2013 Sketch Challenge, Week 2
Simon Says Stamp and Show: Embrace the Old

Thanks for stopping by, and have a crafty weekend!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Lace Heart, Hearts & Flowers (Flourishes); Under Lock & Key (Our Craft Lounge); Venice (7 Gypsies)
Paper: Kissing Booth (Basic Grey); Que Sera Sera (K&Co) 
Ink: Distress, Memento
Dies: Labels Three, Lotus Pendant, Postage Stamp, A2 Matting Basics, Classic Hearts (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Decorative Tile Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug); Glitter Finish Embossing Powder (Zing); twill ribbon; key charm; jute; Perfect Pearls Mist; sewing thread; Distrezz-it-All; transparency rub-on
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

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Friendship Matchbox Dresser

Hi Friends! I've been working on a project for the past 4-5 days, and the die I was waiting for arrived early yesterday, so I'm finally finished with it, and am ready to show it to you. You may have seen the tutorial on the Splitcoast Stampers site, but if you didn't, here is a link to it: Matchbox Dresser. And, here's my version...

This was so much fun to make! I used this month's Viva la Verve color inspiration photo to help me choose my color scheme, and at first I wasn't too sure about the eye-popping vividness, but once it was put together, I loved it.  

Here's a better view of the top of the dresser. I like making cards, but it sure is nice to be able to pile on the embellies without worrying about how high everything sticks up. I used the Week 1 Viva la Verve January 2013 sketch for this, but I added so many flowers, it covered up a lot of it. :) I made all the flowers except the green one and the orange flower with the glittery center, and all of them are MFT flower dies except the big blue flower which is a Spellbinders die.

I started making my own pins a few months ago. It's great to be able to match anything. The blue cs behind the pins is what I used to cover both the top and the base of the dresser. It started out a solid color, but I stamped it with a splatter stamp in green ink to give it a little more interest.

The medallions are cut with a new Spellbinders die and backed with a square of the same blue cs that I used for the top and base of the dresser. I left the cs behind the medallions plain. I tried it with the stamped cs, but it took away from the pretty details in the die cut.

Look at all those drawers...24 in all, and aren't they adorable! Remember I said I was waiting on a new die to be able to finish this project? Well, I couldn't have done this project without it. The Stampin Up Matchbox Die has been discontinued, but I found one on ebay and snatched it right up. It sure makes making matchboxes a lot easier, especially since every single box had to be identical. I did have a few complications I had to work out, like how to get a 12" x 12" piece of cs to work on a die that is 13" long, but once I got all the "figuring" out of the way, I was able to work pretty fast. (Patty Bennett's YouTube video here, is a must-see if you have this die).

My biggest problem with this project was the drawer pulls. In the tutorial for the dresser, Lydia used Tim Holtz Hitch Fasteners, which have been discontinued (due to high demand, he is bringing the fasteners back in 2013, but I needed them NOW.) I searched high and low to try to find hitch fasteners somewhere else, and found out that they are used in leather work and are called Sam Browne Studs. But...then, I saw that they are about $2.00 apiece, and I needed 24, so that option was totally out for me. I thought about just gluing something to the front of each drawer, but, nah, I like to make things hard for myself, so I ended up getting some pretty beads, figuring (there I go, figuring again) that they would be easy to attach since they have holes in them. Not so. Those suckers were almost a deal-breaker for this entire project! By the time I was finished making 24 drawer pulls--not attaching them, just making them--I thought my fingers were going to split open, even though I used several pair of pliers to do it. But, in the end, it was worth it, and after making 24 of them, I think it will be easier the next time I do it. Want to see how I attached them?

This is what is on the inside of the box, directly behind the bead. The black disc is just two layers of black chipboard glued together, and the wire is a head pin. I ran the wire through the bead, then using round nose pliers, I bent both ends of the wire so that they hugged the bead and came together in the back. Then, I gave the wires one twist to keep the wires together, and trimmed the wire so that, once it was inserted through the drawer front and black disc, only 1/4" showed. Then, I used the round nose pliers again and curved each wire down until the ends pressed into the chipboard, which help the bead snugly against the drawer front. It sounds pretty easy, but I had to make a few complete drawers before I got all the logistics straight. If you do this, you need to attach the dp strip to the front of the drawer and the disc to the inside of the drawer AND punch a hole through them before ever assembling anything. Then, assemble the entire box, except for the back end of the drawer. Then, attach the "handle." After that you can finally finish assembling the drawer--24 times!

One last thing about the construction of this project. In the future, I am going to add one layer of chipboard in between the base and drawers, and between the top and drawers, because when you open the top drawers or the bottom drawers they drag against the top and the base. 

I can't say that this project was easy, but without a doubt, I can say it was worth it. Good thing, because I promised my DD that I'd make her one, too! 

I made this dresser for a friend who has invited me to stay with her this weekend for a stamp club meeting at Tybee Island. These are the same girls I met in Greenville in September at a stamping convention, only this time, I get to meet the rest of the group, AND stamp with them! Inside each drawer is a little surprise: chocolate, buttons, ribbon, charms, more chocolate, a few of my pins...well, you get the idea. I hope she likes it!

I'd like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Viva la Verve VLVJan 2013 - Week 1: Sketch and color inspiration

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #202: Make something new 

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: New Something
Tuesday Throwdown #129: Shiny and New

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and have a fantastic week!

~Hugs, 

 

Stamps: Sweetness of Friendship (Flourishes); Splatter (Impression Obsession)
Paper: Breathe Paper Collection (Prima); Bright Pattern Pack (Colorbok) 
Ink: Memento; Distress; gold caligraphy pen
Dies: Loopy Bloom, Lg Royal Rose, Rolled Daisy, Rolled Mum (MFT); Fantastic Flourish Three, Medallion Five, Daisy Heads (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Felt; brads; beads; Perfect Pearls Mist; button; Perle Cotton; head pins; chipboard scraps; flowers; pearls & gemstones; Distress Stickles Dry Glitter
Size: 6" x 6" x 5" high

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Blueberry Thanks: FTTC201

*Published: Papercraft Inspirations Magazine

Issue 110, March 2013, page 89

Hello! I hope the New Year has been good to you so far. School starts back today for my DD, so everything goes back to normal for us in just a few hours, and I like normal. :)

Speaking of normal, I kind of slacked off with my blog and and with cardmaking over the past few months, and now I'm ready to get back to it. I'm looking forward to visiting everyone's blogs to see what you all have been up to. :D

I've had the Berry Sweet stamp set for awhile, but had never used the blueberry stamp, so I inked it up, colored it with Copics, and popped it up. I totally CASEd a mini card made by Broni Holcombe that you can see on her blog, Splashes of Watercolor, or on the Timeless Tuesday #185 post on the Flourishes blog, so that I could play along in the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #201, which is to choose a favorite card from any of the 2012 Timeless Tuesday Challenges and be inspired by it. I entered the #185 challenge back in September and I loved making a mini card for it, so I thought it would be fun to make another one. Small cards are no easier for me than large ones, but they are an opportunity for my smaller stamps to have a bigger impact. :)

I stamped the sentiment on the inside, and added a whisper of the blueberry stamp in light blue.

I'm working on a really fun project that should be finished in a few days (as soon as my new die arrives in the mail). In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of a small part of it. Aren't those colors yummy?

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

~Hugs,

 

Stamps: Berry Sweet, Tag Lines (Flourishes)
Ink: Copics, Memento, Distress Ink
Dies: Labels 18, Nested Lacy Pennants (Spellbinders)
Accessories: Daisy punch (Martha Stewart); Decorative Tile embossing folder (Cuttlebug); head pin; Distrezz-It-All; pearl cotton thread (DMC); foam dots
Size: 3" x 4"

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