In the Studio with Kelly

My good friend, Kelly, came by to spend some time with me in the art studio today. Her plan was to make Valentine's cards for her husband and two boys; as well she needed to make a birthday card for her niece. Kelly also wanted to try out some new "toys" she got for Christmas (Spellbinders, Sizzix die-cut and Cuttlebug embossing folders). We had fun playing with all her new toys and she managed to get the birthday card and one of the Valentine's cards done before she had to head off. Kelly also brought Har Gow for lunch for us (steamed shrimp dumplings that is usually served at Dim Sum) ... they were sooooo delicious!! Thank you Kelly!

On to the card for today. I tried out one of Kelly's new embossing folders and used it for the card below. I love how this turned out. I was inspired by this beautiful card by Susie Nelson on SCS. Thanks Susie for the inspiration ... I just love the neutral tones of this card. Hope you like.

"Victorian Butterfly"

Stamps: En Francais (SU!)
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Elegant Soiree DP (SU!)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede (SU!)
Accessories & Tools: Sizzix Bigz Beautiful Butterflies die-cut, Cuttlebug "Victorian" embossing folder, Big Shot, Kaiser Pearl Brads (Chocolate), Soft Suede Taffeta ribbon, hole punch, sponges, bone folder, sticky strips, glue dots and dimensionals

* * * * *

I ran a large piece of Whisper White cardstock through my Big Shot with the Victorian embossing folder. I sponged Crumb Cake ink on top of the embossing to highlight it further.

I inked the En Francais stamp with Soft Suede ink and stamped onto Crumb Cake cardstock. I ran the stamped cardstock through my Big Shot, cutting out the smaller of the butterflies. I ran the die-cut through again, cutting the larger butterfly out of Elegant Soiree DP. I lined the two butterflies on top of each other and punched a hole through the middle. I sponged the edges of both butterflies with Soft Suede ink and then used my bone folder to curl down the wings of the butterflies. I used two glue dots to secure the butterflies together (just above and below the hole punch) and then placed the Chocolate pearl brad through the hole.

I wrapped the Soft Suede Taffeta ribbon around the end of my embossed cardstock and tied a knot just above center. I used sticky strips to mount the embossed cardstock onto a card base of Soft Suede (which had the edges sponged with Soft Suede ink to add interest).

I mounted the butterfly onto the front of the card, popping it up with dimensionals to add depth.

Sending You Love

Today I met my friend Liz and we headed out to a fabric and yarn store in Surrey called Wineberry.  Liz has been making these beautiful scarves that uses a special yarn that she could only find at this store.  I was so impressed by the beautiful scarves that Liz has made ... as well as the many, many samples in the store itself, that I bought a ball of yarn and am going to try making one myself.  I am a knitter, but haven't done much of it in the past year or so.  We bought yarn and then went to a Greek restaurant nearby for lunch (New York, New York) - delicious!!  Once back home, I headed to the art studio.  For today's card, I am combining two challenges from SCS this week ... the color challenge (CC357) - Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze ... plus the sketch challenge this week (SC367).  The only change is that I don't have Blushing Bride so I used the closest color I had, Pink Pirouette.  Hope you like.

SCS Sketch Challenge 367:

Here's my take on the above sketch (I added a couple of extra layers):

"Sending You Love"

Stamps:  Valentine Defined, Easy Events (SU!)

Paper:  Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette DP, red glimmer paper (SU!)

Ink:  Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze

Accessories & Tools:  Sizzix heart buttons, Big Shot, Baja Breeze seam binding, adhesives, glue dots and dimensionals

* * * * *

I inked the sentiment from one of the Easy Events stamps using a Baja Breeze Stampin' Write marker and stamped onto the small piece of Whisper White cardstock.  I stamped the heart flowers three times across the same piece, just below the sentiment.  I mounted the image onto a thin frame of Riding Hood Red cardstock.

I cut the second panel from Pink Pirouette DP and framed it with a thin frame of Riding Hood Red cardstock.

I ran the red glimmer paper through my Big Shot with the heart button die-cut.  I cut a piece of Baja Breeze seam binding in half (lengthwise - to make it thin), and threaded them through the holes in the heart buttons, tying a half-knot at the front.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the main panel with dimensionals to add depth.  The heart buttons were attached using glue dots.

Japanese Screen

Last night we had our friends Lance, Lili and Natasha over for dinner.  It was so great to spend an evening with them!  This afternoon we're heading to a family dinner with my nieces and nephews (and my kids, mom and SIL).  Kevin and Sarah will be hosting the dinner at their house ... and Adrienne and David will be the cooks for today.  I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone!

But before I go, I needed to get this write up done for today's card for Monday's CAS Challenge (CAS152) - Die-cuts!  I made an Asian-themed card, creating a flower arrangement and a screen.  I cut a rectangle "window" on the front panel of the card and lined it with vellum so it has a slightly transparent appearance (the picture doesn't show that ... much better in real life).  I used three die-cut squares to create a "screen" that I placed on top of the vellum.  And I randomly sponged a darker brown over the entire front of the card to give it an aged look.  Hope you like.

"Japanese Screen"

Stamps:  Silhouette Sentiments (SU!)

Paper:  Crumb Cake (Kraft), Basic Black (SU!); vellum, red swirl DP (unknown)

Ink:  Real Red, Old Olive, Soft Suede (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Cuttlebug Corners Die (squares), Big Shot, ornament punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponge, mini half-pearls, Tombow glue, adhesives and dimensionals

* * * * *

I made the card base from Crumb Cake and cut a window 4" x 1 1/4".  I randomly sponged Soft Suede ink all over the card front to create an aged look.  I used sticky strips to attach a slightly larger piece of vellum behind the cut-out.

  

I ran the Cuttlebug die-cut through my Big Shot three times with Basic Black cardstock to create the three squares.  I mounted the squares to the front of the card overtop the vellum, using Tombow glue to secure.

Using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement, I stamped the flowers using Red Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers.  I went over the stamping again (free-hand) with the Stampin' Write markers to make the image darker and I also enlarged the flowers.  I place mini half-pearls in the center of each flower.

I punched the ornament from Basic Black cardstock and trimmed the bottom slightly and then cut the whole piece so it was only 1/2" deep, creating a dish for my flower arrangement.  I cut a thin (1/16") strip of red swirl DP and mounted it on top of the dish to create interest.

I mounted the dish on top on the card front so that the bottom lined up with bottom of the screen, popping it up with dimensionals to add depth.

____________________

A second card for CAS Challenge - Die-cuts (CAS152).  This time I made a baby card using my new purchase of the Top Note die ... I've been wanting it for a long time!  Another card for my upcoming twine workshop with my crafty girls next weekend.  Hope you like!

"It's a boy"

Stamps:  Baby (Heidi Grace)

Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Whisper White (SU!); stars and swirls DP (unknown)

Ink:  Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Top Note die-cut, Big Shot, Lemon Drop and Caribbean Twine (the Twinery), More Mustard button, adhesives and dimensionals

* * * * *

I ran a large piece of Whisper White cardstock through my Big Shot with the Top Note die-cut.  I used a Basic Black Stampin' Write marker to go over the stitched line of the die-cut.  I stamped the main image and sentiment in Basic Black ink and then colored in the birds beak with Daffodil Delight and the baby bundle with Tempting Turquoise.

I wrapped Lemon Drop Twine and Caribbean Twine around the Top Note and tied a bow.  I added a small More Mustard button on top of the bow.

I mounted a large piece of the stars and swirls DP onto a Daffodil Delight card base.  I mounted the main panel on top, popping it up with dimensionals to add depth.

Happy Birthday Rose

My house has now been "un-decorated" for Christmas.  Whew!!  It was a lot of work yesterday ... so I'm going to take it easy today and recoup.  The busy time of the holidays is now over and I can spend more time playing in my art studio.  Today I made a card for two SCS challenges from this week:

Ways to Use it (WT356) - Make a birthday card for Michele (tygerpaws11)

and

Free For All (F4A98) - Potpourri - make a card with:  3-D flower, gem or pearl, embossing folder, die-cut/punch and designer paper

I managed to fit them all onto the card below!!  Hope you like.

"Happy Birthday Rose"

Stamps:  Sincere Salutations (SU!)

Paper:  Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede DP, Old Olive (SU!); unknown patterned red swirl paper

Ink:  Soft Suede, Old Olive, Ruby Red (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Cuttlebug "Mesh" embossing folder, Sizzix "Little Leaves" die-cut, Spellbinders Rose die-cut, Top Note die-cut, Big Shot, half pearl, bone folder, sponge, adhesives, glue dots and dimensionals

* * * * *

I sponged randomly and along all edges of a large piece of Crumb Cake cardstock with Soft Suede ink.  I ran the sponged cardstock through my Big Shot with the Mesh embossing folder.  I also ran a piece of patterned Red Swirl DP through my Big Shot with the same Mesh embossing folder.  I used the Spellbinders Rose die-cut to cut out the pieces for the rose from the embossed DP.  I used a bone folder to curl back the edges of all the petals of the rose and layered it together with glue dots.  I used two of each of the three middle sized die-cuts for this rose.  I placed a half-pearl in the middle.  Thanks to Cook22 at SCS for her instructions on how she made her rose - I loved the look and cased her instructions!

I ran the Soft Suede DP through my Big Shot with the Top Note die-cut and then trimmed along the dotted lines to make a smaller version.  I sponged the edges with Soft Suede ink.  I ran the same die-cut through again with a piece of Soft Suede cardstock and sponged the edges with Soft Suede ink.

I ran the Little Leaves die-cut through my Big Shot (twice) with Old Olive cardstock.  I sponged the edges of the leaves and stems with Old Olive ink.

I stamped the sentiment in Ruby Red ink onto Crumb Cake cardstock, cut it to size and sponged the edges with Soft Suede ink.  I mounted the sentiment on a frame of Soft Suede cardstock (also with the edges sponged).

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, onto a card base of Soft Suede (with the edges sponged).  I popped up the Top Note and sentiment for more dimension.