Playing with Metal - Tattered Flowers

Today was a good day to just play in my craftroom and try something new. I had been wanting to try making flowers from old soda pop cans.  Tim Holtz recent post is about using the Tattered flowers die and creating all kinds of flowers using different materials.  He used burlap and tissue paper glued on grunge paper for some great creations and is launching a contest.  It is worth checking out here! 

Here's my finished flower

I started off by cutting the top and bottom off of the soda can.  I used a combination of can opener and the Tim Holtz scissors.  Once done, I simply washed the metal, dried it off and began the project.  I used the Tattered Flowers die with my Big Shot and it cut so easily - only need to pass it through once.

I had LuminArte Silks Acrylic Glaze paints on hand but I wasn't sure if they would adhere to the metal.  I decided to apply a thin coat of gesso and then add my glaze paints.  I used a combination of teal, ginger peach and nutmeg.  Once the paint dried, I used the Tim Holtz textured fade embossing folder on the three flower petals.  Curled the flowers using a small wooden stick and hot glued them together.  A simple, off-white button for the centre.

Having been inspired by Tim Holtz and his spring flowers, i decided to make a Spring-themed card. 

Papers:  K&Company, DCWV

Doily - Tim Holtz die

Cricut - Frames and Birdcage

Pearl embellishment, brad, Stickles in silver and gold

 

The doily was also cut from the soda pop can and painted with Solar Gold and Nutmeg Luminarte glaze.  The frames were cut with my Cricut Expression using Elegant Edges cart and the the birdcage from Straight From the Nest cart.  I simply added a few pearl embellishments, stamped Spring using Ranger archival ink.  Added a bit of Stickles to the birdcage and "Spring"

 

I will be trying some new techniques soon!

 

 

Feeling Like Spring!

It was a cold day today -17 degrees Celsius but with the sun it started to feel like Spring.  I'm looking forward to having the snow melt away and putting away my winter clothes!

During my free time on the weekend,  I experimented with watercolouring with Tim Holtz distress markers and also played with alcohol inks.  I will start today by showing a simple image that was watercoloured. 

Papers: Cold pressed watercolour paper 140 lb 

DCWV Green Stack

K & Company 

 

I used cold pressed watercolouring paper  and cut the basic flower shape using a Spellbinder die.  The image is from an inexpensive stamp from Michaels ($1.50 Cdn).  I coloured the butterfly with Broken China, Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint markers and then added some Stickles to the wing.  The "Spring" frame was coloured in Mustard Seed and I then added a few pearls to the flourish. I then applied Scattered Straw distress ink being careful around the image.  As I was working with the markers, I used a simple round paint brush with a bit of water to blend the colours. It seems to have worked well although I know I can improve with the shading.

I still love my Cricut Expression and the Gypsy for cutting the shapes .  The brown frame was cut using the Elegant Edges cartridge and the green base of the flower is from the Forever Young cartridge. I inked the edges with Vintage Photo.

I added the brads and glued a blue gem on a basic paper clip to add a bit more dimension.

Thanks for dropping by!

Thinking of You

Yesterday was a wonderful and special day as my great nephew was born.  I was busy finishing up cards for his parents and grandparents but I can't reveal them here just yet as they haven't received them.

A dear friend has been going through some challenging times so I made a card to cheer her up.  This card is part of the ISpySketches and Crazy4  challenges. For the Crazy4, we need to use 3 flowers, 3 papers, 3 buttons and 3 pearls.

Card recipe

Papers - Vintage Heartwarming Collection

Paper flowers

Silk ribbon, pearl embellishments and buttons

Stamp - Inkadinkado with Colorbox ink

Cricut Elegant Edges for all paper cuts except pink card base



Here is the sketch from ISSC

Thanks for dropping by and I would love to hear your comments!



Challenges
I Spy Sketches - ISSC20
Crazy4 Challenge

Birthday Hot Air Balloon

It's midweek and the sun is shining after several days of rain!  I'm taking part in the Shabby Tea Room Sweet Summer Challenge and what better way with a hot air balloon ride!  For colours we needed to use Aqua or Teal, pink and brown.  Look closely at the pink doily and you'll find some yummy cupcakes!

Card recipe

Papers - DCWV Sweet Treats and My Mind's Eye Lost & Found

Tim Holtz doily and Cricut Elegant Edges

Inkadinkado stamp

Silk ribbon, seam binding, lace

Brads, gemstones, beads, pearls and feather

This particular card was a labour of love as I started off by box pleating the ribbon to make the flowers.  It's a little bit time consuming but you get such wonderful results.  I used the Tim Holtz doily die and the Cricut Elegant Edges for the frames of the hot air balloon.  I inked the hot air balloon stamp with Walnut Distress and Broken China.  The bow was made with seam binding from my MIL's stash - pretty old stuff but so pretty for this card!  I made the stick pin with a few pearls and beads and thought the feather worked well.  I added a vintage button with a bit of lace trim.   A few aqua gemstones to finish it off.

This card is for a special person who is sure to love and treasure it!

Here is the photo inspiration for this card:

Have a great day and thanks for dropping by!  I would love to hear your comments!

A day at the beach

It's still Spring here but I made this card for my SIL who lives in Italy and loves to take her children to the beach.  I made it as part of this week's RAQ Challenge on the Cricut forum and also to submit to My Sheri Crafts Summer Challenge. 

Card recipe

Papers - DCWV Songbird, Bazzill, clear acetate

Sew Easy for the piercing for the stitching

Cricut A Child's Year, Elegant Edges, Stretch Your Imagination

Embellishments: Brads, buttons, pearl and photo corner

Versafine ink for "Just Saying Hello"

I started the design with a port hole and then just chose the elements from my Cricut cartridges.  It's the first time that I've used the Sew Easy that I bought over a year ago.  It's not the "easiest" tool to use on heavy cardstock but it does add a nice touch!

Enjoy your day and thanks for dropping by!

Would you join me for a cup of tea?

I had some free time this afternoon so I decided to play in my craftroom.  I was inspired to make a card while thinking about some dear friends and after looking at a number of different blogs and challenges.

Here is what I created and happily it meets the requirements of three challenges. All of the cuts were made using my Cricut.   I needed to line up my paper exactly on the Cricut mat to achieve a "Royal Doulton" fine china pattern but I think I succeeded.

Card Recipe:

Papers - Kraft cardstock for base, Fancy Pants for pink base,

K&Company Blue pattern, Lost & Found for teacup, Recollections for solids

Cricut - Elegant Edges for all cuts except teacup which was A Child's Year

Pearls and gold Stickles for embellishments

Ink - Distress Broken China

For the sketch design - I Spy Sketches

Colours including having a rose The Shabby Tea Room 

And lastly, using Kraft cardstock for the Kraft Journal Make it Monday challenge with the theme being "Card for Her".

Hope you'll join me and have a cup of tea with your dear friends soon!



Merry Monday

It's a rainy day here and I'm still in the mood to create a Christmas card.  It's not always easy but I know that I will feel much better in September if I can keep making a few each month.

This week's sketch on Merry Monday looked like fun so I joined in.

I decided to use up mainly Christmas cardstock scraps as my folder is bulging and there are still some good pieces available.  I designed all the cuts on my Gypsy and then all I needed to do was ink, add a grommet and ribbon and glue down the shapes.   I modified the rounded rectangle a bit but that's part of the creativity and interpretation of the sketch!

Card Recipe

Papers - DCWV and Recollections

Cricut - Accent Essentials card base, Elegant Edges for green frame,

Ribbons & Rosettes for border with snowman and Winter Frolic for ornament

Ink - Antique Linen, Peeled Paint distressed for oval and Versafine for sentiment

Holly Leaves - Ranger Emerald

Ribbon - plaid from stash, stickles coloured with red marker, grommet and

acetate for oval frame

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

To a great Mom and Grandma!

I was able to spend some time with my mother this weekend and have a pre-Mother's Day celebration.  Our visit was short but very enjoyable.

Both cards were part of RAQ's challenge on the Cricut forum, one from a few weeks ago and the second from this week.

Card Recipe -

 Papers - My Mind's Eye - Lost & Found Market Street

Green brads were inked with Rangers Alcohol Ink

Added pearl and gem embellishments

Silk Ribbon and Covered brad

Cricut - Dress Form and dress - Forever Young

Elegant Edges for the frame

Card Recipe

Papers - My Mind's Eye - Lost & Found Market Street

Green glitter paper for border - DCWV Boys Stack

Cricut - A Child's Year for silhouettes and Elegant Edges for frame

Pink narrow ribbon and Making Memories large grommet

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Merry Monday Challenge

I'm still making Christmas cards despite the warmer weather!  I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep this up weekly but every little bit counts.

This week's Merry Monday Challenge

And here's my interpretation:

Card Recipe

Rosette - made with Cricut Ribbons & Rosettes

Merry Christmas ticket and hanger - Tim Holtz

Papers are all leftovers so uncertain of origin

2 buttons layered and from my stash

Have a great day!

Jingle Belles - Another first for me!

I have been considering the Jingle Belles challenge for some time now as Sandy and RAQ from the Cricut forum have been participating and encouraging me to join in. 

The challenge for this week is to "create a holiday card which re-uses, re-purposes, re-cycles, up-cycles, or in some way "rescues" a bit of... well, SOMETHING... which you'd've either thrown away, or perhaps just overlooked in terms of card-making?"

I wasn't sure what to do, so I started by pulling out the Christmas cards that I received (yes, I do hang onto to these items).  From there, I figured I had plenty of scraps to make a card.

Here it is (the flash may not have picked up on the sparkly effect of the image as well as it could have):

Card Recipe

Image with Happy Holidays - recycled from an old card (cut using Cricut Elegant Edges)

Star - recycled from an old card and cut by hand

Silver border - scrap of aluminium foil embossed on scrap cardstock

All remaining papers were scraps including card base

Ribbon - used from a Christmas gift

Button - over 25 years from my MIL's stash, with original thread from clothing

Corner punch - re-use of a Fiskars punch that I had neglected in the bottom of my drawer

Gallery Name: JB:12:09: PEACE ON EARTH(DAY)

I hope to join in again soon!

25th Anniversary Card

I can't remember a time when the grass was so green and everything was starting to bloom by mid April.  We're enjoying the nice weather and starting to plan for the cottage season. 

I've been following a challenge on the Cricut forum and created this 25th anniversary card.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

Cricut cuts - Elegant Edges for background frame and Sweethearts for flowers

The two strips were covered in heavy duty aluminium foil and embossed (Tim Holtz butterflies and Sizzix flowers)

Sizzix nestabilities for round frame

Tim Holtz die for flourish

Pearl accents and bling 25 sticker

Paper Making Memories Wedding stack

Family Day!

It’s Family Day for us in Ontario yet it doesn’t apply to everyone so unfortunately my dear daughter and husband are working.  I’ll be playing Wii with my son soon – uh oh! I’m really not very good at video games.

As it has been awhile since I’ve posted, I will share my Valentine cards with you. Since the beginning of January, I’ve been taking part in a card challenge on the Cricut boards and have learned so much. 

Here is the card for my dear Valentine and loving husband:

Cricut – Accent Essentials for flowers; Sweethearts for Cherub, Elegant Edges for frames.  SEI Oasis cardstock and K&Company SW Nature

For my children, I gave them these cards along with some chocolates

Cricut – Doodlecharms for Heart and Elegant Edges for Frame.  Ribbon was ruched by hand-stitching a diagonal stitch.  Hearts was cut in foil, embossed and then ink with Alcohol inks. 

A shaped butterfly card by welding 2 butterflies from Cricut Gypsy Wanderings.

For my dear brother and his family, I made a non traditional card with a very loving sentiment.

Cricut – Ornamental Iron 2 for the frame, Jubilee for the banner and Joys of the Season for the lovebirds.  SEI Oasis paper and DCWV Shimmer Stack.

For my dear sister and friend – I used a similar Cricut cut from A Child’s Year cartridge but then created two distinct cards. 

Hope you’re having a great day!  It looks like Spring is around the corner!

For A Sweet Boy!

Hope you're enjoying the first week of 2012.  We're slowly getting back to our normal routine including healthy eating and exercising.

My great-nephew turned one in November.  He is such an adorable, sweet boy. 

Cricut - A Child Year Fourth of July (modified) and Elegant Edges

Light blue Recollections cardstock using Cuttlebug Birthday and Polka dot folders

Background cardstock - 3 Birds Paper Stack

Embellishments - Party hat, silver brads for wheels, Stickles, star brad and silver ribbon

See you soon!

Stitched Ornament

Good morning!  It looks like freezing rain for us today.  It has been such a mild December, hardly any snow and a bit of rain.  I'm still dreaming of a White Christmas.

Here is a card that I embroidered for some dear friends.  I haven't made too many stitched cards as I've been exploring the wonderful world of Cricut.  I will be making more stitched cards in 2012!

Ornament design Erica Fortgens

Stitched with multicoloured embroidery metallic floss

Embellished with glass beads

Blue frame DCWV Shimmer Stack using Cricut Elegant Edges

Silver card base DCWV Shimmer Stack

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Happy Birthday to a dear niece

My niece celebrated her birthday on Sunday.  I had her card hand delivered by my brother given the possibility of a postal strike (which indeed became reality).  My niece loves purses and shopping so I thought this would suit her perfectly.

The character was cut using Everyday Paper Dolls at 3 1/2 inches.  The card frame was cut using Elegant Edges on DCWV TajMahal cardstock.  I used acetate for the cupcake frame.  I added a polka dot sparkling ribbon and a metal tag.  So Happy Birthday and hope she had a fantastic day!

A parade of "3 Birds on Parade"

As some of you know, there is a Cricut cartridge called 3 Birds on Parade.  I made several cards this past month using it.  It has been fun to make the birds more life-like.

The first card was for my husband for our 23rd wedding anniversary:

The birds were cut using DCWV Shimmer cardstock.  The background is Boys will be Boys cardstock.  I embellished the flowers and created a bow in her hair with pearls.  The base was in brown cardstock using the Sizzix folder then stamped with Happy Anniversary.  I added Daisyd's fabric flowers with American Crafts mini jewel brads.
The next card was a "congratulations" for a dear university graduate.



I used DCWV Shimmer cardstock for the background.  The green frame is cut using Elegant Edges cartridge.  The birdhouse is from Stretch your Imagination cartridge and unfortunately I do not remember which cartridge I used for the saying "Congrats". 

The next two cards were the Father's Day cards from my children to my husband.

For this card, most of the cardstock came from Sei Oasis collection for the patterned paper and Bazzil for the solid colours.  I simply added a small ribbon for embellishment. 

As above, the cardstock was Sei Oasis for the patterned paper and Bazzil for the solid.  The background is DCWV Shimmer.  I used Elegant Edges cartridge for the frame using K and Company embossed paper.  I inked the edges of the marshmallow to give it the "cooked appearance".  I added a simple ribbon and rounded the edges. 

I hope you enjoyed these birds!

Come Sail With Me!

It's nice to be back and posting my work!  Here is the birthday card that I made for my brother-in-law...I knew he liked boats, didn't realize that he really loves sailboats!

For this particular card, I used a few cartridges - Gyspy Wanderings for the sailboat and Elegant Edges for the background.  I inked the sail and added a few button embellishments with twine.  The paper was DCWV Shimmer paper and Boys will Be Boys cardstock.

I look forward to your feedback!