CAS86 - Splitcoaststampers Sketch

It has been ages since I've done one of the Clean & Simple Challenges on Splitcoaststampers - this time around it is a sketch challenge and those are my favorites so I jumped in to play!

The birdy paper is from my Basic Grey Offbeat 6x6 paper pad.  I made a goal a while back to use every pattern in the collection and this card takes me one step closer - I only have a couple left.  The bird stamp is an Autumn Leaves $1 stamp I got a few years back; sentiment is from A Muse; ribbon from SU!; and Tim Holtz Tissue Tape.  The happy bird is colored with Copics and has a bit of sparkle from a clear Spica pen.  Hope you are having a great day!!  It has gotten so cool out that the air conditioner has not turned on in a few days.  I LOVE Autumn!!  Can't wait until the leaves start to turn colors!

Moxie Fab - Not your Square Granny Squares

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger time - This card is inspired by the photo below.  The staggered medallions remind me of the offset scallop craze that's going on now - I have a tutorial on how I've been making these if you haven't seen it already.  Copper tape (found in the stained glass section of your craft store) finishes the top and bottom edges and adds a touch of shine.  The strip to the left edge is actually wood paper to bring in the warmth of the wood floor and, of course, this card wouldn't be finished without the turquoise - that's what really jumps from the trigger pic!

Whenever I see anything crocheted I immediately think of my mom!  I can always picture her in "her chair" making so many varied, beautiful afghans, tablecloths (from cotton thread - do you know how long that takes?!!), baby dresses, etc.  That was her therapy like papercrafting is mine!  I'm sure you would agree that there is definitely something very soothing in crafting something with your hands.  Love ya, mom!!

The card is simply finished with a sentiment from my favorite Papertrey Ink stamp set - Signature Greetings.

Embellish Color Challenge - Background Stamping

Time for another Embellish Magazine Color Challenge - This one features black/white/yellow/gray and background stamping.  This is my first time inking my Cornish Heritage Farm Scalloped Tiles Backgrounder.  I picked it up from Ellen Hutson's shop while she had the CHF closing sale!  This card is perfect for the Moxie Fab World's Offset Scallop Gallop.

I had so much fun coloring the butterflies on this card that I felt compelled to try it again.  Shadowing with grey Copic markers and shading with Koh-i-Noor pencils plus some sparkly action courtesy of a clear Spica.

The butterfly and sentiment stamps are from A Muse.

Photo Card Tutorial -

I LOVE flowers and I love taking pictures of flowers.  When you capture a striking picture from nature a nice clean setting is the best way to showcase its beauty.

I used Picasa 3 to print out several pictures at once using the small wallet size.

Nestabilities and the Cuttlebug are the easiest way I've found to cut the pictures out to the size I want.  The Nestabilities die pictured is from the Small Classic Rectangle set - the next to the largest size.  The sandwich I use for cutting is - A plate, B plate, photo, Nestabilities die (pointed down) and C plate.  I realize that this isn't the normal sandwich but I like to see what I am cutting!

LOOK at that pretty pile of beautiful flowers!  Nearly all of those pictures were taken in my yard over the past couple years.

A great way to set off the pictures is to emboss a frame using the largest of the Nestabilities Small Classic Rectangle dies.   The sandwich I use for embossing is - A plate, 2 sheets of paper for shimming, B plate, rubber embossing mat, cardstock, Nestabilities die (pointing down) and B plate.  This step really adds a WOW factor to a finished photo card.

I stamped sentiments with some of my favorite A Muse stamps and now I am ready for finishing these cards "assembly line" style.  I frame out the photos with a piece of black cardstock that is a bit bigger than the photo.  TIP - Remember if you printed your photos on an inkjet printer DO NOT use any type of liquid glue to adhere your photos or disaster will ensue (don't ask how I know this).  I use dimensionals to attach the matted photos to the finished notecards.

Here is a pile of finished cards.  A fun variation is to make photo cards with vacation photos - I've done that for gifts in the past or to use a family picture as a personalized thank you card.

Here are a few of my favorites.  Have fun!
BTW - I won on the CPS blog this week!!  WHOO HOO!!

2S4Y61 - HEY you

This card is based on the 2S4Y - Sketch 61.  The organic colors and textures from the interplay of the wood, twine, metal staples and sparkly stickers make me happy.

This card also incorporates a lot of different text - the background paper, the sentiment stickers and paper tag all have different forms of text on them.  Incorporating text is the September Gallery Challenge from Paper Crafts Connection.

I love this time of the year - my favorite colors are everywhere - Olive greens, browns, beiges!!  The wood leaves are from Kaisercraft; patterned paper is from 7 Gypsies, twinkle stickers are from A Muse.

A Muse Florals

We had a great time last night at the Doodlebug during the A Muse Florals class!  I am definitely not one to leave empty handed - check out my booty (hee hee - that sounded bad)!  I've been waiting a LONG time for the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die!!  AND a Scor-Buddy AND a Birds on a Wire punch - I am, indeed, a happy girl -

Just for fun - Rose Bucket

So this afternoon I am headed to Jasper, IN to the Doodlebug to teach the A Musing Florals class which features a paper rose.  I felt that a few moments this morning should be devoted to making sure that I remember how to make a paper rose.  I make my class samples way in advance of the class so on "C-Day" (class day) I try to make sure my skills haven't all fallen out over the last few weeks.

Surely this has happened to you before - One day you are walking around thinking, "I'm all that and a big ol' bag of chips" and next thing you know you've lost your car and are stumbling around aimlessly in the Neiman Marcus parking lot looking for it (doesn't that sound fancier than the truth - that I sometimes lose my car at Wal-Mart? sigh. . . .)

Anyhoo, I still got it and I proved it by making this rose and using it to decorate this fun little bucket that I picked up at the Target Dollar section (that area can be a very happy place for a crafter!!) - Tomorrow, I'll show pics from class. . .
Everything but the teeny bucket and shipping tag is from A Muse!!

CREATE Blog - Scallop Tutorial

CHECK IT OUT - My scallop tutorial is featured today on the CREATE blog!!

Scallops are all the rage these days!! They are so popular that it is even a challenge on the Moxie Fab blog - Offset Scallop Gallop.

Check out this super cool pillow from Anthropologie that features offset scallops - I wanted to recreate this look with my papercrafting.

I started with several Basic Grey 6"x6" paper pads - These are great to use because the patterns are shrunk down from their normal 12"x12" size. I used a 1 1/2" circle punch to make lots and lots of circles - the best part was that I used the scraps from the paper pads that I can never seem to throw away! This gave them new life and no wasting!

I laid out several circles and made sure I liked the different patterns and colors.

Flipped them over and taped them together using the ruler to make sure that they were aligned properly. Then it is just a matter of adding more tape so that a bit is showing when you turn it back over.

Already, there are lots of pretty patterns and colors showing - whoo hoo!!

See what I mean about the tape showing - that way you can just stick on your next circle and then flip over and add more tape!

When I was done I took a tiny bit of glue and stuck all the scallops down so that I would be sure that none would "escape". After trimming the edges I was left with these beauties!! SO FUN! This is as close as I will ever get to quilting but I got to do it with my favorite medium - PAPER!! Doesn't it remind you of that Anthropologie pillow?

Here is my first finished card but I've got lots of other ideas for the future. If you get a chance to try this technique let me know - I'd love to see what you make!
Stamp from A Muse Artstamps.

CPS185 - Maya Road Gift Card

Today's card is based on this weeks Card Positioning Systems Sketch #185.  I decided to go "all out" and play with some of my new embellishments!

Started with the fun Maya Road Envelope I picked up at the Doodlebug.  I made that flower from a K&Company Chipboard flower - just punched a hole in the center with the Crop-a-dile and added a Tim Holtz metal flower and a Spare Parts shimmery brown brad and then sparkled it up with some Stickles.

WOW!  What a gorgeous pile of products!  Do you see that 7 Gypsies paper pad - it is double-sided!!  There are silver leaves from Prima, Basic Grey Micro letter stickers, The Girls' Paperie Eclectic Chipboard alphabet and a big ol' Zva Crystal swirl (I splurged and used the entire thing at once).  I had a GOB OF FUN when I was at Archiver's buying most of that stash - - -

Even better - look what's inside the envelope - a Starbucks giftcard.  Maybe I'll just leave it in there and find it again sometime down the road.  I am like a squirrel that way - Just this morning I was writing all the debit stuff down (sad) but then I found $10 in my checkbook (glad!). 

Once in a while I just love playing with lots of my embellishments at once!!  I like to lay them out on the table and pick and choose from the piles of stuff (but not when Corey is looking because he doesn't need to think that I've got more than enough stuff, right?)  BTW - There's not a lick of stamping on this card - crazy!

Sneak Peek - A Muse Floral Class at the Doodlebug

Ever want to make a paper rose but were afraid that you couldn't do it?  Fear no more - Just come to the Doodlebug on Wednesday night and I'll show you how!!  We will be using gorgeous A Muse products and some fun tools (Cuttlebug, Fiskars crimper, Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors, etc.) to make some great projects.  Be sure and click on my sidebar for details on how you can join me there!!

Wplus9 Color Cue - A Muse Birch Forest with Leaves

Time for a card based on Kazan's Sketch 61 from the Two Sketches for You blog, the Wplus9 Design Studio Color Cue and Glenda's Random A Musing Challenge 82 to use woodgrain. WHOO HOO - one card/three challenges!

I can't believe that I hadn't gotten my A Muse Birch Forest with Leaves stamp inky yet!! First, I stamped a background with my Modern Wood Block and then stamped the trees right on top - added a smattering of leaves and a sentiment from the A Muse Clear Vintage set. All stamps from A Muse!

In hindsight, I'd have stamped the one little bunch of leaves on the ground to the right of the trees to make a more visually appealing "red triangle" but does it bother me enough to remake the card? NOPE!

I rarely think to use my crimper but it added just the right amount of texture to the background. Added a teeny, tiny SU! clamp (another one of those hoarded things that I never use!) and all was well! LOVE all the white space on this card!!

OLW20 - A Muse Flutterfly Flock

Time for another One Layer Wednesday (OLW20) courtesy of Susan Raihala's Simplicity blog - This week's challenge was to use three stamped elements and one sentiment (on a one layered card, of course!)I drew my layout inspiration from Card Positioning Systems Sketch 184.

The Flutterby Flock stamp is from A Muse and has 5 butterflies on it but I only inked the bottom three with Momento Pear Tart Dye Ink and edged it with a touch of Bamboo Leaves ink.  After stamping, a little touch of Koh-i-Noor pencils adds definition to the butterflies' bodies and wings and the bit of shimmer comes from a Clear Spica pen.  Outlining with Copic (W1, W2) markers makes the butterflies seem as if they are about to fly off the page!  If it weren't for the sketch I'd never have thought to have drawn a frame around the sentiment, I would've used layered paper but that isn't possible with a OLW challenge.  That's why I love to play with these challenges - forces me to think outside the box and try new stuff.  All supplies are available from A Muse.

Embellish Color Challenge - Paper Pieced Pear

This card is based on the Embellish Magazine Challenge using Paper Piecing and the layout is from Clean & Simple Stamping's FTL107.  Isn't that pear image pretty?  It is from a long retired SU! set called Sun-Ripened.  I paper-pieced it with some A Muse gingham paper (all the paper on this card except the kraft is from A Muse), embossed the background with a Cuttlebug folder and finished the whole thing off with an A Muse Sentiment from the Everything's Rosy Release.

I've got a zillion crafty things whirling around in my mind - gonna go try to chase one down and grab it before it floats away!

2011 A Muse Calendar Project

Every year, A Muse offers digital calendars in various sizes for download. Proceeds benefit a worthy cause. This year, A Muse has chosen Charley's Fund. Please visit this blog post to see photos and learn more about this darling little girl. This week, the A Muse Creative Team is showing lots of inspiration to get you started on your very own calendar project!

I like making the 4" calendar - it comes complete with cutting guidelines (whoo hoo! anything to make life easier!!) and is just the size to feature some of the tiny images that A Muse is famous for!

The front and back covers are made from chipboard and the calendar is bound at the top - that makes it sturdy enough to stand on its own on your desk, countertop or table.

I like to match A Muse gingham paper to the color of the month. Seattle Girl is the perfect stamp for April - "April showers bring May flowers - - -"

Punching the bottom edge of the gingham paper adds a fun element. With the variety of edge punches available, you can punch each and every page of your calendar with a different decorative edge!

If you'd like to skip all the hard work and learn more about using the Bind-It-All, sign up for my Calendar Workshop that will be taught at the Doodlebug on Saturday, October 23rd. Info is in the sidebar on the left!
Please note: The A Muse Calendars are a download product only (nothing will be shipped to you.) There are five different versions available this year. For a small donation, you are able to download the calendar file and print as many copies as you like for personal use or to create handcrafted items for resale. Calendars make a wonderful gift for family, friends and co-workers.