Forget-Me-Knots Vintage Scooter

Hello!

Here's my latest creation, a Vintage inspired Scooter - finally out of my imagination onto paper!  This one has been in the works for awhile but I just couldn't seem to get it to come out the way I'd imagined.  I kept at it and am now really happy with the results.  I knew it was just right when my 4 year old noticed it sitting on the shelf yesterday morning and said "Mom! You made a SCOOTER!"

I think my favorite part of the piece is the old, rusty pail full of Forget-Me-Knots though.  It turned out so sweet; the extra effort for the little flowers was well worth it; the blue of the flowers really pops against the orange of the pail and scooter. 

The finished size of the scooter is approximately 6" high x 6" long - a perfect size to add to a summer time display or on a shelf all by itself.  I think it would make a great gift too - perhaps for an extra special teacher at the end of the school year?  Or how about as a small centerpiece at a Vintage themed wedding?  I love that something like this can fit into pretty much any decor!

Supplies:

Stamp sets: N/A

Cardstock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Hello Honey

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Cajun Craze, Pacific Point

Accessories: Linen Thread

Markers: Basic Black, Early Espresso

Big Shot: Circle Framelits

Punches: 1 ¼” Circle, Cupcake Builder, Flower from the Itty Bitty Accents Trio

Misc. : Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Hot Glue Gun, Sticky Strip, Stampin’ Dimensionals, paper snips, sponge daubers, foam mat, Stylus Tool, White Gel Pen, Bone Folder, Piercing Tool, Spanish Moss (optional)

If you are interested in making one of these for yourself or as a special gift, please visit my Online Tutorial Store to purchase your own PDF tutorial.  You'll get a template, detailed instructions, and tons of tips for creating this sweet project!

** As always please keep in mind that I DO NOT subscribe to an automatic email service, so it may take a few minutes for the tutorial to arrive into your inbox.  I promise to have all tutorials sent within 24 hours of purchase**  Thank you in advance for your patience!

I'll be back in a day or two with some more projects I'm working on for Father's Day and end of school year gifts.  Be sure to subscribe to the blog so that any updates are sent to your inbox automatically :)  

Until then, have fun creating!!

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I Have My Eyes on You!

Happy Friday!

I had full intentions of sharing a brand new tutorial with you today but regular scheduled life got in my way of crafting...AGAIN!  I'm not quite finished and want it to be perfect before I share so here's crossing my fingers for Monday...

Luckily I haven't shared this card with you all yet so we won't end the week empty handed!  This card is totally ridiculous, goofy, and crazy - exactly like the person I made it for LOL!  A close friend celebrated a milestone birthday last week and we attended a surprise birthday party in her honor over the weekend.  She owns two adorable Chihuahua's so it was an obvious choice to include them into my card.  I searched online for a little inspiration and decided to go over the top - did I succeed??  

The camera didn't pick it up unfortunately, but I did cover his eyes and the frosting of the cupcake in Crystal Effects so that they would shine when the light hit them.  Before the Crystal Effects on the Cupcake was dry I sprinkled a little Dazzling Diamonds on top.  This is a great technique to use because the glitter will never rub off!

Supplies:

Stamp sets: N/A

Cardstock: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Wisteria Wonder, Pistachio Pudding, Subltes DSP Pack

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso, Blushing Bride

Punches: Pennant, Build a Cupcake, 1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/4" Circle, 1" Circle, Owl Builder, Window, Extra Large Oval, Large Oval, Boho Blossoms, Modern Label

Accessories: Sponges, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Decorative Dots embossing folder, White Gel Pen, Multi-purpose liquid glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Hope this card added a smile to your start of the weekend!  I'll see you all back here next week!

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By the Sea Faux Canvas

Good Morning!

I have another card from my Techniques class featuring Crystal Effects to share with you today.  It's a technique called Faux Canvas; its really simple to create and turns a smooth piece of Whisper White cardstock into the look of a piece of artist's canvas.  You'll look like an instant accomplished artist in just a couple steps!

Supplies:

Stamps: Wetlands

Cardstock: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar, Basic Gray, Brushed Gold

Ink: Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Marina Mist, Basic Gray

Punches: Extra Large Oval, Itty Bitty Accents, Banner

Accessories: Linen Thread, Piercing Tool, Piercing Mat, Circle Framelits, Argyle embossing folder, sponges, Basic Gray marker, Crystal Effects, Multi-purpose liquid glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, old toothbrush

Begin with a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  In this case, I cut one of the larger circles from the Circle Framelits.  Sponge Pool Party over the entire piece of cardstock.  Next sponge Coastal Cabana, focusing the color more along the bottom to create a waterline and along the very outer edges for depth.  Finish by sponging with Marina Mist along the outer edges.  Stamp the birds from the Wetlands set in Basic Gray along the waterline you sponged earlier.  Add a few additional birds to the sky area with the fine tip of a Basic Gray marker.

Now for the fun part - creating the Faux Canvas.  Add a dollop of Crystal Effects directly onto the center of your finished image.  With an old toothbrush spread the Crystal Effects working ONE way (ie vertically) across the image and entire piece of cardstock.  While the first layer is still wet, apply another dollop of Crystal Effects and work the OPPOSITE way of the way you just completed (ie horizontally).  You'll end up with this wonderful criss cross effect that looks just like canvas!  Set the cardstock aside to dry fully before apply to your card front. There is a good chance the cardstock will want to curl upwards - this is perfectly fine - it will lay flat again once it fully dries.

I'm off to get working on a new tutorial that I hope to have available by the end of the week.  Its currently pouring rain outside so I can work on my paper flowers inside instead of the real ones outside guilt free!  I hope you have a wonderful day!  Until next time...

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Morning Dew

Good Day!

The last two days we've woken up to mornings that look much like this card...rainy and slightly subdued. Somehow, though, the light is fantastic - it makes the green leaves of my plants darker and richer and pop against the wet black soil in my garden.  Perfect for picture taking!

Anyhow, back to my card.  I'd decided to demonstrate Crystal Effects this month at my card class in a couple of different ways not knowing that this card would reflect the outdoors at the time so perfectly!  After sponging and stamping I used small dots of Crystal Effects on the leaves to mimic the look of morning dew. It turned out so pretty and its a nice way to add a little dimension to your card front without the use of heavy or thick embellishments (which is great for mailing!)

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Peaceful Petals (retired), Gorgeous Grunge

Cardstock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Always Artichoke

Ink: Hello Honey, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso, Basic Black

Accessories: Decorative Dots embossing folder, Sponges, Crystal Effects, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Always Artichoke markers, Multi-purpose Liquid adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

If you are interested in how I did the background sponging here's a quick overview:

Stamp the leaf images with Early Espresso ink.  Stamp them again on a sticky note, cut them out and lay them over top of the initial images to create a mask.  Sponge Hello Honey onto the center of the cardstock, then Pear Pizazz along the edges of the Hello Honey spreading outward.  Next, sponge a mixture of Old Olive and Always Artichoke, blending from the edges of the Pear Pizzaz to the outer edges of the cardstock. Add a small amount of Basic Black beneath each leaf to add shadow.  Finish off by stamping the small dots image from the Gorgeous Grunge set over the entire piece with Always Artichoke ink.  Remove the masks, color the leaf images with markers and add small dots of Crystal Effects to each leaf.

I've had a tiny chance to get to sit down and use a few of the new In Colors that came out in the catalogue released today and I'm loving them!  I used Hello Honey on this card and love the richness of the color - I can't wait to get creating with them all!  If you haven't had a chance to look at the new catalogue yet, I'll be posting a link in the left sidebar or you can go to the Stampin' Up! website to check it out.  There are some amazing new products that I'm sure will have you inspired to create with!

Until next time...

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Fairy Dwelling Shelf Card Tutorial

Hi All!

This is a long time promised tutorial that I was finally able to complete!  If you recall a while back I did a Spring Cottage Shelf Card for my Mom's birthday - I had a great response to the card with many of you asking for a template on how to make one for yourself.  Since there isn't many other templates floating around on the web I thought I would share the one I came up with.  Please keep in mind that it can always be tweaked and adjusted to fit your needs - its simply a jumping off point!  For instance in the initial card I created I rounded the edges of the front of the card, here I didn't.  My Spring Cottage card also used a lot of DSP, here I only used cardstock - and IT DOES make a difference to the assembly and stability of the card! (I'll get into more of that in the tutorial).

I've recently become a little obsessed with the idea of Fairies and Fairy Gardens (my Pinterest boards speak for themselves on this one!) so I thought I'd take this card in that direction.  This tutorial doesn't cover how I made the elements of the Fairy house but if you should have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email!

Let's get started!  First you obviously need the template; click HERE to download the 3 page template.  If you decide to make your card base all one color simply go ahead and print it directly on the cardstock and cut out the pieces.  If you want to spice it up a bit and add different colors or DSP to your base, you have a couple of options.  

• First option is to print directly onto the DSP and cut out - however be warned - DSP is much thinner than cardstock and doesn't retain its shape well as a card base.  I would suggest to rather print onto heavier cardstock then overlay the piece with DSP
• Second option is to print the template onto computer paper then using tracing paper trace the template onto different colored pieces of cardstock and/or DSP.  This option will most definitely save you paper in the end!

Onto the assembly:

For simplicity sake I printed out my entire card base from Always Artichoke cardstock for this card.  You'll have 5 pieces ready for assembly at this point.  If you are going to add DSP, trim or shape the front edges of the shelf layer, or do any shading along the edges with inks, do it at this point.  

It should be noted that the template is designed for ONE LAYER of cardstock.  If you add any other layers, you'll have to adjust the slits you cut in the shelf portion of the template to accommodate the thickness of the additional layers.  This probably doesn't make sense at this point, but believe me it will be clearer when you begin assembling the pieces.

Begin by sliding the shelf portion of the template through the front slot on the card base.

Continue sliding the shelf through the back slot of the card base.  You will have to GENTLY bend the tabs to get it through - if you need to cut the slot slightly wider go ahead.  Glue the tab in place with your choice of either Multi-purpose glue or Sticky strip.

Slide the Back Layer into place in the slot in the middle of the card base.  A couple of tips and tricks I've learned at this stage:  If you cover this section with DSP, cover the entire section, not just the upper half.  By just covering the upper half it makes this layer extremely top heavy and the card WILL NEVER stand (trust me on this one!).  Second tip: it may seem necessary to cut the slit in the shelf layer wider to accommodate this piece fitting.  I caution you to be careful if you do this - if the slit is cut too wide the layer will simply fall through the opening and therefore the card WILL NEVER stay upright (are you feeling my angst towards this layer yet??).  It is by far the pickiest layer to contend with; if you get this one right, your home free!

Next, insert the Middle Layer into the second slot on the shelf layer portion.  Fold the tabs back and slide downwards through the shelf layer.  Once inserted the tab becomes a "U" shape below and helps to support the shelf of the card.  Again it should be noted that if you add any other layers of paper you may have to clip the slot or trim the edges of the tabs.  Adjust however you need to make sure your card stands properly.

Finally insert the Front Layer into the first slots on the Shelf Layer.  You will need to insert these from the bottom of the card upwards through the shelf layer.

When your card is assembled it should look something like this.  Now begins the fun part - decorating!  And not to sound like a broken record but be mindful of how much you adorn the card base.  The more you add the heavier the card becomes making it harder to stand properly.  I've found adjusting the length of the shelf layer can help here - so if you feel the need to decorate in excess (as I often do) feel free to trim off a little if you need to!

Here is a few close ups of my finished card along with my supply list.  Many elements are punch art, but I took the liberty of cutting a few things free hand as well.

 The little bird house base is the Cupcake Builder turned upside down...

 The larger mushrooms are Large Ovals turned on end and shaped at the bottom with paper snips...

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Hardwood

Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate

Ink: Early Espresso, Basic Gray

Punches: Cupcake, Large Oval, Extra Large Oval, 1/2" Circle, 3/8" Circle

Accessories: Fringe Scissors, Sponges, Dimensionals, Multi-purpose liquid adhesive, Early Espresso and Basic Gray markers, Large Pearls, Chevron Embossing Folder, Finishing Touches Edgelits

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial!  It's a bit of a tricky card fold to get the hang of at first but I promise you they do get easier to make if you persevere and make more than one!  Save this card for someone special who will really appreciate the time you put into it because its definitely not your average card! 

Have a wonderful day, until next time....

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Purple Sympathy

Hello!

I have a quick and easy to put together Sympathy card to share with you today.  I'm working on making a few of these to set aside without the sentiment stamped on - that way I can customize the sentiment for the occasion.

Unfortunately my camera refused to do this card justice no matter how much or how little light I cast upon it. All the images were stamped using Versamark then  heat embossed with Clear embossing powder.  The result was really quite subtle and beautiful in person.  I hope it brings comfort to the family receiving it...

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Peaceful Petals, Summer Silhouettes

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: Label Bracket Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Multi-purpose Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by today - I so appreciate it!  I received my box of goodies from the new catalogue at the end of last week and am itching to dig in and share some new projects with you!  Cross your fingers for me that my youngest naps today so I might get a chance to play!

Have a wonderful day!

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Early Morning Hunt

Have you ever made a card or a project knowing full well that the recipient would never receive it? That sometimes just the process of making it is therapeutic and in the long run you find that it ends up being more for you than the intended recipient?  That's what this card is for me.

As joyous as the occasion of welcoming my new little nephew was Wednesday of last week, I lost my Uncle to cancer on Saturday.  It doesn't seem to matter how much you try to prepare yourself for the inevitable; it still churns up the painful heartbreak you feel when you lose someone close to you.

As a child he taught me how to tie my shoelaces, tickled me until I thought my bladder would burst, and made the thought of eating Ketchup to this day unthinkable.  As a teenager he let me drive the farm truck through the fields at my Grandparents farm and "rescued" me from under a three-wheeler I somehow managed to tip onto myself.  As an adult he always offered his opinion (whether I asked for it or not LOL), taught my husband the finer points of hunting and fishing, and loved my boys - quad rides were a given, and going for country road cruises along with my Dad that always ended in coffee and treats was at least a once a month occurrence.

We made a point of spending any extra time we had with him when he got sick and I'm so thankful for it. Life goes at break neck speed but we managed to make a ton more memories in a short period of time that hopefully my boys will cherish in later years; I know I certainly will.

So, back to the card.  My Uncle loved hunting and fishing so I know this card would have been perfect for him.  In fact I'm pretty sure I used that Moose image on his last Birthday card!  Since he'll never actually see this one I'm thinking of making a shadow box to put it into along with a few other memento's.  I used a technique I've featured before called Creating Fog or Mist...perfect to depict an early morning hunting expedition.

Supplies:

Stamp sets: Walk in the Wild, Lovely as a Tree
Cardstock: Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Soft Suede
Ink: Early Espresso, Basic Gray, Craft Whisper White
Accessories: Markers, Sponges, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Multi-Purpose Glue

I hope you can understand now why my blog posts have been rather few and far between.  It's been a trying last few months and weeks for my family and my heart just hasn't been into creating.  I'm hoping now that I'll be able to find my footing again; especially with the NEW CATALOGUE being released in just a few short weeks!

Until next time...

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