Papertrey Ink's Stamp-a-faire 2016

The day started off with a color recipe challenge. I used SAF 2014 1940's mini kit with the Monet recipe. I love the New Leaf, inked again with Pinefeather around the edges.

Then we hustled off to Night Skies. Apparently the secret to night skies are some pale colors. And instead of painting a ground scene I inked the edges with more Enchanted Evening. The Sparkle is some light blue shimmer cardstock from Club Scrap. A bit of handspun linen for the thread nest, some silver star sequins, pale pink sequins, and Stickles (diamond, icicle and lavender). The sparkle is cut with the Sparkle die (from the Sparkle & Shine word dies) made with two layers glued together. The sentiment is from the Sparkle & Shine stamp set.

Gilded in Gold was about gilding, but I didn't have Liquid Leaf, so I drew inspiration from the Klimt video, especially his Tree of Life painting. The tree is from Through the Trees stamped with Versaark and heat embossed with Ranger Fine Detail Gold. The little bird is from the same stamp, stamped in Onyx Black Versafine. The print is from Woodblock Prints stamped with Chalk Box gold pigment ink (just have to remember to heat set it lol).

This was a totally different sort of card based on impressionism and Melissa's technique. The stamp sets for the flowers are Pretty Peonies, Vintage Linens, and Make It Market kit: Nostalgic Notions. The leaves are from Cutting Garden and inked with Spring Moss, spritzed and then stamped and fussy cut. Background Basics: Newsprint was stamped across the Friendship Jar and Background Basics: Gingham was stamped across the bottom. The vellum tag is cut with Fillable Frames #9 and stamped with Merci from Think Big Favorites #3. The scalloped border is from Be Happy set.  Melissa's flower technique is simply brilliant : D. I stamped the jar with Aqua Mist and then painted over it with Aqua Mist and Mint Julep. I need to remember to expand my "outline" stamp color palette.  I've started just gluing down the middle of the flowers with a little bit of Ranger's Matte Multi Medium.

I really loved how this card turned out, inspired by Lizzie Jones' take on a painting by Berthe Morisot. It's difficult to see in the picture, but there is a bit of subtle dry brushing. I discovered a new paint recipe. Pour a small bit (dime sized) of regular acrylic paint on the craft sheet over a smudge from an inkpad (ths was white paint over Stormy Sea) and the spritz the dickens out of it until it is very very watery. Then I distressed the edges with Iced Spruce and Bundled Sage. The sentiment is from Embroidered Blooms stamped with one of Wendy Vecchi's Archival Inks. The flowers are stamped with Yellow Tart, Pale Peony, Berry Sorbet and Pure Poppy (totally copied Lizzie's ink choices). Again the flowers are only attached in the middle, the larger one with Ranger's Matte Multi Medium and the smaller ones with a piece of foam tape.

The challenge for this card was learning different ways to make drips and splatters (on purpose lol). I used tinted white acrylic paint (this time with Forest Moss Distress Ink), Royal Velvet and Ocean Tides. I loved the whole background so much, I decided not to use a tag and just stamped the sentiment (the happy from Be Happy and the Everything from Everyday Happiness). The card front is Stamper's Select White and the base is Stormy Sea.

This card was made using pointillism. Even though the deadline was drawing near, it was nice to have a bit of reflective time and listen to the latest Paperclipping Round Table while I stamped (Sweet Blush, Pale Peony, and Berry Sorbet) and then fussy cut. The techniques are not so absorbing that I forget to listen, but just the right amount of doing something to not drift off and think about other things (I actually was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 50, but sadly the medications are contraindicated with other conditions I have). The flower is from Year of Flowers: Carnation, the sentiment is from Garden Variety, the card base is Stormy Sea, the string is Rustic Twine thorugh the largest String Frames die, and the buttons are from a bag of Sweet Blush Buttons. Flat little glue dots keep the buttons in place.

It was really late at this point, so by the time I realized my mistake with the watercoloring challenge, it was too late to start over. The problem was I started with Stamper's Select cardstock instead of Watercolor Paper. (I don't know the face palm emoticon lol). But it still turned out nicely, just not as watery as I had hoped. I used one of my all time favorite stamp sets, Willow, and the backgrounds are both sizes of Background Basics: Gingham. The large is stamped over the willow tree die cuts with Ocean Tides, and the bottom is stamped with Spring Moss. The sentiment is from Think Big Favorites #3 stamped with Pinefeather.

The color blocking is all done on one layer! Wilted Violet soup can with a Picked Raspberry background. Abandoned Coral soup can with a Twisted Citron background. Salty Ocean soup can with a Cracked Pistachio background. Peacock Feathers soup can with a Squeezed Lemonade background. The stamp is from Comfort Food. I'm so glad I was finally able to get this set.

Pen Holding Bookmark, or Just a Pen Holder

This is a combination Pen Holder and Bookmark made with the Papertrey Ink Bookmark die cut four times. In order to make it long enough to hold a regular pen,. I cut off the tops of all of them, and the bottom of two of them, and stitched them all together.

I sewed two layers of Blanket Stitch Buttons to the undersaide of the top of the book mark. The braid is made with two tones of blue pearl cotton #3. The 6 strands brought up separately through the stitching and braided.

The braid goes between the 2 layers of felt.

The top button is made out of three layers of felt cut with the largest Blanket Stitch Button die. The polar bear is made with Warmest Wishes die cut and stamped Shrinky Dink (punch the button holes before shrinking).

The braid goes down around the book then up through the tab on the bottom. It's only sewn on the bookmark on the sides. The stitching across the top and bottom are just for reinforcement.

 The long braid allows it to be used on a wide variety of  book and notebok sizes.

Make It Monday #229: Fabric Strip Christmas Trees

Make It Monday #229: Fabric Strip Christmas Trees. A Dual Purpose card, because it's a card, but it's also a bit of holiday decoration. The card base is Spring Moss edged with both the Chai and Chamomile Vintage Tea Dyes and Santa from Petite Places: Holiday Lane stamped with Fine Linen. I used a bamboo skewer for the trunk, ribbon, organza ribbon and strips of tulle for the foliage. Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream buttons, red jingle bells and a sequin star are the finishing touches.  The presents are from the Make It Market kit: All Through the House.

SAF 2015: Threads Challenge

Threads Challenge. Instead of making a card embellishment, I made a bracelet (so a wrist embellishment). I was perusing my stash of Melon Berry buttons (from SAF 2012) and I saw this button that had wavy Melon Berry lines in a transparent button.

I used two strands of Rustic Cream Button Thread and then braided them after making a loop (the two inner threads braided as one strand with the two outer threads. On the loop side I just braided and made a loop, cutting off the excess. The loop should be just large enough for the smaller button to go through.

I used my "needle" applicator to apply Ranger's Matte Multi Medium to make sure the knot doesn't come undone. The button twine can be a little "hairy" after braiding which is easily remedied with a little trimming.

He Built a Better Mousetrap

For the record, we don't have "resident" mice, but in colder weather we have passersby who try to find shelter from the cold. Archie's favorite season is winter for this reason. It's an older house (built in 1906).

The bear is holding a sign that says "He built a better mouse trap!" The buttons are from Papertrey Ink (Melon Berry) and so is the Outlines Alphabet stamp set used to stamp "sage advice" with Versamark and Hero Arts White Embossing Powder. I think I bought the polka dot washi tape on clearance (no evidence of a brand), the grid washi tape is from Stampin' Up!

The idea for the layout came when I was testing a mouse stamp I made from an eraser.  I've been thinking about it for a while. When I saw May Flaum's Camp Scrap is working on Monochrome this week, everything fell into place.

I used a pencil to sketch out all the hand writing and the food dish, and then wrote over it with a Fine Line Sharpie. Then I erase for Scotland. The thought bubble is drawn with Tropical Tangerine Stickles, and the speech bubble is drawn with Orange Peel Stickles.

There is more journaling under the photograph, and my customary pocket for more journaling under the "card" element by taping only the sides and the bottom.

As I was making this layout (in a day once I got the idea for the bigger picture and the photograph printed), I started thinking about how much easier using stamps on layouts has gotten for me (touch wood lest the mojo runs away). I think it started by participating in some challenges to use Papertrey Ink stamps by the truly talented Leigh Penner at her blog (chock full of crafty goodness) To The Full.

Simon Says Furry Friends.

Paper: Fancy Pants "Great Pumpkin"(base), Sassafras Bungle Jungle the dish was made from a piece of scrap.

Embellishments: Queen & Co. Embellishments (flower), Tropical Tangerine Stickles, Orange Peel Stickles, Making Memories Puffy Alphabet Stickers, Washi Tape, Papertrey Ink Melon Berry Buttons, Sequins.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Outlines Alphabet (Versamark and Hero Arts White Embossing Powder), Stampin' Up! Cheerful Critters set (Papertrey Ink Terracotta Tile), hand-carved mouse (Papertrey Ink Orange Zest) and x stamps (Terracotta Tile).

Just for You Card

I signed up for Camp Scrap by May Flaum. Needless to say, I'm having fun camping in my craft room. I used a doily spritzed with DIY spray made with Iced Spruce Distress Reinker, some very old Cricut cuts, buttons with glitter in them (3 Birds), the tag is another old Cricut cut stamped with Papertrey Ink's Daily Designs Sentiments stamp set. The focal point was sent to me and is from Papertrey Ink's Sweet Life stamp and die set.... This actually does not make it easier not to order lol.. I added some Papertrey Ink Raindrops to the roses with some white and clear sequins for a bit of extra shine.

The foam I used for the roses was a little thicker than I wanted so I made a little ruched tissue to go under it. I discovered the doily I was spraying had a shiny side and a more papery side. I sprayed the shiny side, but didn't like the added drops so I flipped it over and used the papery side that just has a touch of the color coming through.

Simon Says Dotty this week, between the raindrops, the sequins and the buttons I believe there is enough to fit the bill.

Sympathy Card

I was very influenced by this card. The cardstock is all Papertrey Ink. The base is Vintage Cream, the mat is Enchanted Evening. The background is colored with Peacock Feathers, Shaded Lilac and Wild Honey edged with Tea Dye Distress Inks. The stamps are all from Papertrey Ink Willow stamp and die set. The leaves are stamped with Spring Moss and Simply Chartreuse, the tree truck is stamped with Dark Chocolate and both are edged with Tea Dye Distress Ink.  The twine is Papertrey Ink's Rustic Cream Twine and Darice's Bleached Hemp. The leaves are popped up with foam tape.

Papertrey Ink Stamp-a-faire 2013: Custom Accents from the Oven

Custom Accents from the Oven: Shrinky Dink, Little Labels (die and stamp), Everyday Button Bits, Papertrey Ink Buttons, Aqua Mist cardstock, Twine

I used my crafty cutting board and a heat gun to shrink the accent. It's important to use a piercer to hold it down whilst using the heat gun : ).

Flowery Heart Card

The cutout is from the Botanicals Lite cartridge, cut out on Core'dinations cardstock (sanded with the Tim Holtz sander). The card base is Simply Chartreuse from Papertrey Ink with a matching Papertrey Ink button.

The cutout is matted on some K&Co paper and black paper. I used a craft knife to make slits in the mat and put ribbon in so it's wrapped through all the layers of the mat. Then I threaded the ribbon through the two holes of the button and tied a bow. The ribbon is also Papertrey Ink (comes on a spool) and is the very essence of gossamer :D.

updated: It just felt incomplete and I finally decided to add some of the clear decorative accents I've been using as eyes, only this time I put a drop of Pearl Ranger Alcohol Ink on them.

Simple Thank You Card

Made an A2 sized card base and covered most of the front with patterned paper. The flowers are made with handcut circles distressed on the edges with an open pair of scissors with a button in the center. Viva Decor Glitter Liner substituted for thread on the buttons and was used to highlight points on the patterned paper. Finished off with a sentiment stamped with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink from the Club Ruby Designers stamp set included in the (January?) kit. I used corner chompers to round all the edges.

Scrappy Ornaments

This ornament was made with some cuts from the Elegant Cakes cartridge. One large flower and three smaller spaced around the paper band embossed with the Cuttlebug Plum Blossom Embossing folder. The embossed paper strip is attached to the ball with very tacky double sided tape. The flowers are glued and embellished with antique linen distress stickles.

 Strip of paper with 4 rhinestone brads spaced equally around the ornament, attached with very tacky doublesided tape.

The flowers were assembled (these were from 3 Birds) and held together with the brad. Then attached to the ornament with some substantial glue dots, 1/2  inch wide with about 1/8 inch depth. I'm thinking it would also be fun to cover the ornament completely.

 Papertrey Ink White twine in 3 Birds Buttons. The buttons were attached to the ornament with a hot glue gun..

A border cut from the Elegant Cakes cartridge. The circumference of the ball was about 6 1/2 inches. This was cut fit to length at 7.5 because there was some overlap needed. I applied Stickles to the front of the cut.

You Are My Sunshine

When my daughter was hours old, I sang "you are my sunshine". Because (as I wrote on one of the clouds, she was and she is). The second song I sang to her was the theme song from the Beverly Hillbillies, because I had exhausted my repertoire of lullabies.

That fabulous sunshine paper was in my first kit (A Sassafrass Summer) from Club Ruby Designers. Wendy the Bling Queen did a fabulous layout, but I needed two pages and I only wanted to use one of my sunshine sheets and we live in a single sun solar system (sorry toooo much Star Trek), so I put my twist on it.

Using the very technical string tied around a pencil, I measured out the distance I wanted my circular cut to be, held the end of the string at the corner and drew an arc on the back of the paper. Then I cut along the line and kept the scrap for a future project.

I welded “You” to the top of one of the clouds on the Gypsy, and “are” to the bottom of another one. Welded “my sunshine” to a circle that I had partially off the page. The clouds are from Going Places, the lettering is Doodletype. The clouds are cut from Papertrey Ink's Stamper's Select White Cardstock at a pressure of 4 and a regular blade set at 3. I also used a really sticky mat, not brand-new-anything-you-stick-to-me-will-have-to-be-pried-off-sticky, but really sticky :D.

From a 3 inch strip of paper off the green print paper in the kit, I cut some hills out with scissors. If it makes it easier, you could also draw hills on the back of the strip.

I used a sepia micro pen for stitching everything except the sun, and for that I used a white gel pen. If I had to do it over again, I would have used a bolder font or put another larger circle big enough to go under the “my sunshine” so it would stand out more. DD’s picture will go in the sunshine mat when I find it lol.

A side note about welding letter to shapes with the Gypsy. I put my shape on one layer, then I make another layer and line the lettering up on the second layer. If everything is on the same layer it’s too easy to accidentally pick up the shape and get everything out of kilter. When I have everything lined up where I want, I hit the save button. Then go to the first layer and click on the shape, then go to the lettering layer and hit the paste button. Then I use the arrows to line up the shape just the way I want it, save again :D.

I hope to have the link Gypsy file posted soon, if you are interested :D.

Easy Peasy

Today is my day to be the guest designer at TheBugBytes blog!

When my daughter was younger one of us would say "Easy Peasy", and the other would reply, "Lemon Squeezey".

I used the Gypsy to "fix" one of my most frequent irritants when it comes to the cardmaking with the Cricut - score marks. I used the hide contour feature to hide the score lines. The card and the pea pod are from "Just Because". I welded the words with the Nursery Rhymes font (I thought the font picked up the pea pod tendril effect). And instead of using the pea layer, I substituted buttons. I used Core'dinations cardstock for all the cuts and distressed the words with a nail file.

Thanks for looking!

Simple Cards

I had a long wait at O'Hare Airport last week when I was coming home from the  CHA supershow. I found these little desk areas with outlets so travelers could recharge their electronics. I had just discovered my camera had flat-lined, so I took advantage. Since there was a little desk, I decided to do a little rubberstamping as I had stocked up (mostly with Papertrey Ink) at the show.  I stamped a lot of things to cut out later (since I didn't have scissors seeing I was at the airport lol).

I made this card with the On My Couch stamp set. Inside I used the "need a couch day"  and "potato optional" sentiments. The furniture and pillow were stamped at the airport by the way.

I used the Everyday Button Bits stamp set for this card.  I positioned the wings so one button hole would act as an eye. I really love these stamps, and the cardstock is dreamy.

I'm a Guest Designer!

Ok, I might be a little superstitious, but I didn't want to say anything until I saw it for myself. I am a guest designer on Above Rubies Studio's Gypsy A to Z DVD.  I admit, I totally skipped to the guest designer gallery just to check. BTW, if you order now you get a free Tipsy for the Gypsy, be sure to check your envelope for it lol.

My cute as a button mat is featured in it's basic form.

Then I cut it out of fancier paper and used it in a layout and it became what I call my momma bird layout.

The cut file is available here. Ok, now I can settle in and watch the entire DVD : D.

Gypsy Files Finally Used in Actual Layouts! lol

The completed January layout for my 2010 Calendar Scrapbook (except for journaling). The mats are for journaling stories and a couple of photographs. The numbers and days of the week are all welded onto a calendar grid. The mats are cut by hand. The mitten string is from Calligraphy Collection, and everything else is from Designer's Calendar. I've made 3 files available for January. The whole enchilada layout including somethings that are just there for reference, like the border strips at the top and bottom of the page and the photo and journal mats, it's very important to separate the layers before you cut using this file or it will be one hot mess. The decorative layers separated out from each other. The January 2010 Calendar Grid is the third.

I also finished the Cute as a Button Layout (I posted the original cut and gypsy file in 2009). I'm really happy with the Layout. I have a picture of DD when she was tiny and I'm cropping it in a circle to go in the Cute as a Button mat. The buttons with glitter in them are from a 3 Birds Embellishment set. The brads holding down the vellum journal mat are shaped like tiny buttons. The cute as a button gypsy file is available here.

Cute as a Button Gypsy File

You'll need a Cricut Gypsy to use this file. The file can be downloaded by following this link .

This file uses George and Basic Shapes and Plantin Schoolbook.