ECD Poinsettia Candle Holder

I'm honoured to be a guest designer on the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog today showcasing some of Els dies and Suzanne Cannon's "A WAY WITH WORD" dies (and available on Elizabeth Craft Designs). 

You mostly see cards on my blog only because I have no room to put 3dimensional or craft projects anywhere in my home - sigh!! It's filled to the rafters with all the projects I've made over the years (too many to count...) but I thought I'd make something a little out of my norm today. BIG GRIN

You can see all the details and descriptions by clicking on any image. Enjoy or by clicking here to go to my website to see how I really made it. On the the ECD blog they have altered my real candle for a battery operated candle and for safety sake I would agree, but to get the "Merry Christmas" on the candle you really need a wax candle or you can glue the word to a battery operated candle. I know a little confusing...

And it fits for these challenges:
Penny's Challenges  #256  anything goes
Scrappyland  #31 anything goes

Facebook - Card Maker Magazine challenge  Xmas Decorations
Love to Scrap  #67 anything goes
Die Cut Divas  monthly Dec  warm and cozy
Sassy Studio Designs  #310 anything but a card
Southern Girls Challenge  #125 use something you love.

MC Sept/15 - ECD Bricks & Merry Christmas - I'm Telling You

 So I also wanted to use the #Elizabeth Craft Designs (ECD) "Bricks" to emboss the design...

And using Shimmer Sheetz as well as an ECD Holly Berry & Merry Christmas die (also available on Quietfire Design).

And on the inside using a Quietfire Design quote stamp

To see more views & descriptions etc just click on any card image. Enjoy

And it fits for these challenges:
Crazy Hazelnut Challenge  Monthly Sept Xmas
Christmas Cards All Year Round  Monthly Sept  Country Xmas
Creative Card Crew  #95 Xmas
ABC Christmas Challenge  things that start with R (red, Relief embossing)
The Paper Shelter  #217 embossing (2nd entry)
Jingle Bell Rock  Xmas Bingo: bingo: santa, bling, stamping; brads, die cut, ribbon; glitter, snow, gold
 

 

MC Aug/15 - Easel Postage - Sun Sand & Sea - HB

I signed up for an online class with Jennifer McGuire for Dies & Silhouette software "A Cut Above" recently. You can take only the die portion, or only the Silhouette software portion or both. I decided to take both... And although there was nothing new for me with the die tutorials, there were a lot of good things to learn. Now the Silhouette software stuff is a different matter. I've struggled with their software (free version) and keep going back to my Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) software for my Silhouette machine. I am totally happy wth SCAL, it's so easy to learn and totally intuitive. Silhouette Studio is frustrating and takes ages to try to figure out how to do something, so I always avoid it if possible. I could learn for free googling tutorials and stuff, but that's time consuming too... and not sure what I wanted to really learn... Well it seems there is something that really intrigued me and I used the technique to create this card. I also made a step by step tutorial on how it's done to create the postage front and easel HERE

I'm using part of a "Happy Birthday" die (available at Elizabeth Craft Designs and at Quietfire Design) cut and layered 7 times with the colors of the rainbow cardstock... It's a take on one of my team mates (Diane Nguyen) who stacked it HERE, I decided to off set the layers...

I'm also using Iris Shimmer Sheetz for the seahorse.

And Quietfire Design quote ("Twirl & Enjoy" 3pce set) and part of a sentiment stamp ("Tiny Christmas Wishes" 3pce set).

Click on any image to see all the details and descriptions and the link for the tutorial. Enjoy

And it fits for these challenges:
Creatalicious challenge  #78 summer fun at the beach
Artistic Inspirations  #137 water (2nd entry)
Incy Wincy Designs  #308 sun, sand & sea
Ooh La La Creations  #186 nuatical
Deep Ocean Challenge  #110  maritime
Pinspirational Challenges  #146 sand surf and beach
The House That Stamps Built  #812 sun, sand & surf
Sisterhood of Crafters  #38 rainbow
Aud Sentiment Challenge  #138 sentiment + fairies
4 Crafty Chicks  #259 nautical
Alphabet Challenge  M for mermaids
Crafts 4 Eternity  #239 arrow
Craft Stamper Challenge  use pens or pencils
Crazy Challenge  #203 fairies
Fashionable Stamping  #102  Seaside or beach
My Time To Craft  #302  easel
City Crafter  #274 mood board see pic HERE

A Way With Words - ECD - Merry Christmas - Blessed is the Season

 Welcome to A Way With Words!  Each day during this event Quietfire Creations will be sharing projects made with the brand new Elizabeth Craft Designs  (ECD) word dies.  All these designs are from original hand lettering by Suzanne Cannon and can be found on the Quietfire Design site.

I received my sample dies recently and couldn't wait to use them BIG GRIN. Today's card uses "Merry Christmas" (at Elizabeth Craft Designs and at Quietfire Design)

I'm using metallic Shimmer Sheetz this time and it cuts beautifully. Also positive and negative parts of Peel Off ornaments.

Anyway you can see all the details and descriptions by clicking on any card image. Enjoy

I'm using Quietfire Design rubber quote stamp "Blessed is the Season" 

And fits for these challenges:
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge  monthly Xmas (2nd entry)
Sir Stamps a Lot  monthly a die cut and a stamp
Southern Girls Challenge  #116  shimmer & shine
Polka Doodle Challenge  #33  use something new (the die)
Simply Create Too  #92 anything goes
SisterAct Card Challenge  #119 anything goes

A Way With Words - ECD - Get Well Soon - Milk Bottle Daisy

Welcome to A Way With Words!  Each day, starting Monday August 10th, Quietfire Creations will be sharing projects made with the brand new Elizabeth Craft Designs  (ECD) word dies.  All these designs are from original hand lettering by Suzanne Cannon and can be found on the Quietfire Design site.

Click HERE to comment on the ECD Facebook page to have a chance to win the whole collection of "A Way With Words" die set. be quick, it ends Monday the 10th



I received my sample dies recently and couldn't wait to use them BIG GRIN. Today's card uses "Get Well Soon" (at Elizabeth Craft Designs and at Quietfire Design)

I had this urge to make a milk bottle... and I thought it would be a perfect gift with some daisies and put a smile on the recipients face...

You can see all the details and descriptions by clicking on card image. Enjoy

I'm using "My Dark Side is Chocolate" 3 pce set from
(Quietfire Design)

And fits for these Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations  #137 water (in the bottle...)
Digi Stamps For Joy  #115  anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge  Tie it Up
Sassy Studio Designs  #283 anything goes

 

MC June/15 - Shimmer Thanks - My Friend

I just got some new toys... BIG GRIN, the bird stamp on the inside by Penny Black, love it and the embossing folder on the front by Ultimate Crafts - Allura Collection "Nine of Diamonds".

And I finally decided to play with my Shimmer Sheetz...

I side folded my white card (5"w x 7"h). Adhered a piece of pale pink textured cardstock edge to edge.

Inked up my embossing folder with Distress pad "Fossilized Amber", placed my white cardstock on the uninked side and then closed the folder and ran through my machine. Removed from folder and hit the high points with "Spun Sugar" Used a Prismacolor Brush Marker in a deep pink to draw my faux stitching. Trimmed it down and adhered to a bright blue textured cardstock. Used my layering ruler set to trim the border down to 1/16", tied some Sari ribbon "Sunrise" into a bow, which is a nice variegated ribbon, then adhered these two layers to the pink front.

Adhered some Sookwang tape to the back of a piece of pink Shimmer Sheetz and die cut the "Thanks". Must admit, I did have to help it a bit with my x-acto knife even using the newest Sizzix Precision Base metal plate. (ps I have the negative piece for another card...I also taped the little drop out pieces to the negative piece not to loose them...)

Added some Peel Offs flowers on the upper corners. Colored the negative of those flowers using a deep pink Spectrum Noir alcohol pen. Added some deep pink rhinestones on the lower corners.

On the inside, stamped the sentiment text (Quietfire Design) using Versafine Black Onyx and clear embossed. 

Stamped the bird on branch (Penny Black "The Sweetest Sound") using Distress mini pads (on the bird: "Mustard Yellow", "Evergreen Bough", "Salty Ocean", "Black Soot", Tree branch: "Vintage Photo", "Picked Raspberry" & "Mowed Lawn".

Then sponged some blue using a dirty sponge around the edges.

Click on any image to enlarge. Enjoy

And it fits for these challenges:
Cut It Up Challenge   #74  use a traditional sticker
Moving Along with the Times  stitching
Pinspiration Challenge   #144 Pink

Scribbles Design  #30 feathers, fins, or frogs

ANYTHING GOES:
Craft Your Passion #268
Love to Scrap  #57
The Pink Elephant Challenge  #305

DT Aug/13 - Memory Box Butterfly - If Nothing Ever Changed

My turn on the Quietfire Creations blog. This time I'm doing a technique using Shimmer Sheetz, Sookwang tape and glitter that I was taught several years ago by Els from ecraft designs. I haven't done it in quite some time and came across a video she's done that was really informative and well done. So here is the result from watching that video. Hope you give it a try.

I used both pieces of the glittered background for this card, one for the butterflies and one for the background for the quote.

You can see all the details and descriptions etc on the Quietfire Creations blog by clicking on card image or on my website HERE

I'm using a Quietfire Design quote stamp. Love it.

And it fits for these challenges:
Stampin 4 the Weekend  Butterflies
Fab n Funky  #182  use stickers or Peel Offs or something that sticks

MC May/13 - Quill Daisies - Hum of Bees

one of the ladies in my quilling group was playing with a daisy design and I got inspired... I'm also using one of the newest "Bees" die from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

I'm using a quote stamp from Quietfire Design

You can see more details and descriptions by clicking on card image. Enjoy

And it fits for these challegnes:
Digi Stamps 4 Joy  #67 spring has sprung
One Stop Craft Challenge  #229 anything goes
Corrosive Challenges  #174 use a sentiment

Shimmer Sheetz - Els Class Cards

I had a wonderful afternoon today over at Paper Pastimes taking a class with Els Van deBurgt. It's been a while since I've done that... So we made 3 flip type cards all using Shimmer Sheetz in some way along with Els newest dies - love them.

You know how I feel naked when a card doesn't have some words on it, so came home and added sentiments and stamped quotes from Quietfire Design etc. as well as a bit of my calligraphy and some rub-ons.

I goofed on this first card with the lotus... I put the center rectangle on the wrong side. So had to improvise and added a neutral toned piece of Chiyogami paper. The Birthday wishes are white rub-ons and then I shadow outlined them with a black Micron pen. Stamped the quote (slightly altered... the first line is actually "may your home..." so cut the quote apart and realigned the words, then masked off what I didn't want) with Versafine Black Onyx on white cardstock and clear embossed. Trimmed down and adhered to inside.

The Shimmer Sheetz was colored with Alcohol inks, then embossed, then lightly sanded. The lotus is a Peel Off (love this peel off) on watercolor paper colored with Distress Markers and a waterbrush, then cut out and adhered to card with 3D foam dots with the center area having 2 layers of foam for a more rounded look. The edge of the card was outlined with black Peel Off lines.

Goofed a little again, but not drastically this time. We colored the tulips with the Distress markers etc on watercolor paper. But what I thought were two single leaf shapes - which I colored green, was actually another flower petal to give it more of a 3D look. So had to color another one (only had 1 so the other flower is missing the 3D look...). Wrote in "Spring Blooms" with a Micron pen in my "Fickle" font that I created.

Again we colored the Shimmer Sheetz with alcohol inks, embossed and sanded. Stamped the quote (Quietfire Design) on white cardstock with the black and die cut with Spellbinders "Tear Drop Circle". Sponged some Distress yellow and red around the edges and adhered to card.

Well finally got it right... Embossed the shimmer sheetz with the honeycomb pattern, then went over the high points with a Staz-On teal pad. It activates the Shimmer which is really neat. (something new for me). Those bees are so cute. We die cut them from a pearlized Shimmer Sheetz, then the body from yellow and black flocked paper and assembled. Some of the  flowers were dipped in Els Micro fine glitter. Stamped the quote (Quietfire Design) with Versafine Imperial Purple on white cardstock and clear embossed. Sponged some Distress Broken China and Peacock Feathers around the edges.

Click on any image to enlarge. Enjoy

And it fits for these challenges:
(Lotus card)
Lexis Creations  #89 Birthday
Aud Sentiment  #79 Birthday

(Tulip card)
TSG Clear Stamps  #205 April showers bring May flowers
Pile it on Challenge  #17  April showers bring May flowers

(Bee card)
A Lot A Rubber Stamps  #106  put a bug on it

(All cards)
Paper Playtime  #9 wet or dry embossing
Top Tip Tuesday  #101 something that moves (all cards flip)
CCEE Stampers  #1318  make it shimmer
Southern Girls Challenge  #68 put a sentiment on it
Crafts & Me Challenge  #131 Flowers
Old Back Porch  #70  Card a week
City Crafter  #157 Spring has sprung (inspir image below)

MC April/12 - Shimmer Sheetz Quill - HB

I came across a metallic quilled piece, liked the look and immediately thought of Shimmer Sheetz, available through Els Craft Designs on line or Paper Pastimes here in Calgary, to get a similar look. Love the way it came out.

I'm using one of the latest Quietfire Design quote stamps. It's such a gorgeous stamp and I love the quote.

To see more details and descriptions, just click on card image and enjoy

And it fits for a bunch of challenges:
Crazy Challenge  #113 Spring
Incy Wincy Designs  #140 Easter or pastel colors
Oh La La Creations #102 Vintage
Stamps Fun Creativity  #93 Bingo: Flowers, pins, bow; ribbon, lace, purple; monochrome, glitter, sentiment.
Anything Challenge  #64 Anything Goes
Creative Card Crew  Spring
Flourishes  #163 Birthday
My Time to Craft  #176 Easel card
Paper Take Weekly  Anything Goes
Scrap Creations  Birthday
Tuesday Throwdown  #92 use pastel colors
Crafts and Me Challenge  #78 Butterflies & bows
Crafty Creations  #164 Spring
Digi Stamps 4 Joy  #41 Glitter & Bling
Fab n Funky  #114 Embossing (the letters)
Flutterby Wednesdays  #197  Anything goes + BFly
Simon Says Stamp Challenge  Use your favorite tools (Big Shot Pro & Electronic Cutter)
SSDS Challenge  Spring
Corrosive Challenges  #146 Add some Metal (2 gold metal Leaf brads)
Stamptacular Sundays  #157 pastel colors
Reasonable Ribbon Challenge  #45 buttons, bows, lace or trim
Craft Your Passion  #104 Dots & Stripes (dots on the buttons, stripes on buttons and card floor)
Cupcake Craft Challenge  #186 Something found in a sewing box (buttons, lace, trim, bows)
Fashionable Stamping  #18 Spring is in the Air
TSG Clear Stamps  #150 Use metal embellishment (2 gold metal Leaf brads)
Trimmies Crafts  #149  Easter or Spring
Wags n Whiskers  #76  Flowers

MC oct/11 - Poinsettia Just 4 You

A good friend who is the distributor of Shimmer Sheetz, Els van de Burgt is coming up to Calgary to teach at the end of October. Thought I'd make her an Xmas card using the product... Love the way it turned out.

I've got punched, die cut, glitz, stamping, calligraphy, distressing, embossing - the whole shebang. Anyway to see more details and descriptions etc, just click on card image and enjoy.

And I'm using a small sentiment stamp from Quietfire Design  love this little stamp.

And it fits for these challanges:
City Crafter  #77 3D object
Paper Take Weekly  Anything goes - option punches
Crafty Purple Frog  lots of layers
Digi Stamps for Joy  #29 Pink
Dude Time Doodles  Think pink
Flutterby Wednesdays  #174 Anything goes (plus a BFly)
Penny's Challenge  #63 anything goes
Wags n Whiskers Rubber Stamps  #64 something handmade
One Stop Craft Challenge  #152 anything goes
The Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge  #155 anything goes plus sparkle
One Stitch at a Time  #83 Anything Goes
Polka Doodle  #40 handmade Flower

More LJ731 Xmas Cards

Well here are 4 more cards made with that glorious Dreamweaver stencil I've been playing with (LJ731). Click on any card to see details and descriptions - they're all on the same web page.

All sentiments and quotes are from Quietfire Design.

And these cards also fit for a few challenges:
Tidings card:
Craftalicious Challenges #10 anything goes

Black & White Best Wishes card:
Little Paper Shop #90 Glitter or Stickles
Crafty Catz Weekly #55 Black, White + one
Totally Gorjuss #53 Sparkle

Red & White When this Christmas card:
A Crafty Little Place #61 Easel
Frosted Designs Use Die cuts
Lots to do Challenge Easel or shaped card
Mark's Finest Papers #26 Use die cuts or punching
The Crafty Pad #94 Christmas

Green & White Best Wishes card with buttons:
Simon Says #SIMON10 Buttons Galore
Tellens Place Buttons
Paper Make Up Stamps #47 Not Square
Simple Doodles #29 Shaped card

Shimmer Sheetz ATCs

We had another ATC challenge for September thrown out by Els Van de Burgt (the person who does the Peel Offs I use). She's also the person to go to for Shimmer Sheetz a product originated by Judi Kauffman. Took me a while to get in to the flow but when it hit, sheesh I took off again. So there are 10 ATCs to look at if you want.

Click on ATCs to see details and descriptions etc. Enjoy.

MC July - Water - Every Blade

I really love that faucet image and droplet of water, and since there were several challenges that asked for water, the rest just evolved.

It uses a rubber stamp by Quietfire Design. And if you'd like to see details and descriptions etc, then just click on the card. Enjoy

It works for these challenges:
Design Doilies Black, Red & Pale Pink (butterfly)
My Time to Craft #99 Butterflies
Paper Take Weekly #45 In the Garden
Cuttlebug Challenge #92 In the garden
RESQ Challenge #53 Anything that uses water to keep you hydrated
Totally Gorjuss #38 Water
Drunken Stampers #24 Water
SSDS Challenge #45 Make a Scene

MC July - BW & Red - Butterfly

I really like the way t his card turned out. The black and white give a Bold and graphic look and the red butterfly and tinted heart add brightness.

Click on card to see other views, descriptions and details etc.
It also uses a Quietfire Design rubber stamp quote done on Shrink Plastic.

And it fits for a bunch of challenges:
Crafty Angels Online #39 Circles & Squares (Sequins and bkgr'd)
Method Playground #72 Reflective Surface (Shimmer Sheetz BFly)
Polly Craft Challenge #52 Bold & Bright
City Crafter #12 Inspiration Image (see image on web site)
Moxie Fab World Image Inspiration (see image on web site)
Lil Red Wagon #36 Nestabilities (the hearts)
YNS Challenge #20 Flower Power
Meljen's Designs #15 Circles Galore (Black Sequins)
All Sorts Challenge #60 Hearts
Crazy 4 Challenges #45 Red, White & Black
Crafty Hos Challenge Black, White & 1 other color
Incy Wincy Designs #50 Distress it (sanded BFly)
Totally Stampalicious Splash of Red
Practical Scrappers Embossing
Design Doilies Black, Pale Pink & Red

VSN July issue

These two cards in the July issue of Vamp Stamp news. The theme for July is Background techniques. The one on the left uses Auntie Amy's flower stamp and the one on the right uses Shimmer Sheetz.

Of course both also use Quietfire Design quote stamps.

Click on either card to see descriptions and details etc. Enjoy.

Shimmer Sheetz

I got this beautiful background piece of Shimmer Sheetz done by Judi Kauffman. She calls it Stained Glass effect and I totally agree. It reminds me so much of a glass I used to work with. In the same package I also got the gorgeous card at left and the two smaller samples, all using pieces of the background below as well as Els Peel Offs. That was a really good mail day. BIG GRIN

Shimmer Sheetz is a concept of Judi's that she brought to the market a few years ago. What with all our new toys, like Cuttlebugs, & Sizzix machines, and Cricut personal cutting machines, it was time to bring it back into the present. So glad she did because this is a wonderful product with lots of potential and lots of pizzazz for your projects and comes in a bunch of glorious colors.

The cardstock she used is a Bazzill glazed cardstock. So pretty. Hard to see in these pics. It looks like a stamped image done with Perfect Medium and then clear embossed on their monochromatic cardstock. Tone on tone.

This is the blurb Judi sent me about these samples:
I thought it would be fun to see if I could get Shimmer Sheetz to look like stained glass. After a few attempts that didn't work, I came up with a method that gave me the effect I wanted. I made streaks with three different colors of Tim Holtz's (Ranger) Alcohol Inks applied all at once to a piece of White Iris by dragging the ink applicator rather than dabbing with it. Streaks repeat crosswise on the 5" x 12" strip, not lengthwise along it.

After the streaks dried, I went in a second time to add blurry areas at intervals, this time adding a stronger contrasting color mixed with a generous squirt of Blending Solution on the applicator. As you can see from the sample, before it's cut the sheet has a striped effect, but after it's cut into smaller pieces it looks a lot like glass.

I didn't clean or change the felt on the applicator during the process, which meant that the ink colors influenced each other.

I used Peel-offs from Elizabeth Craft Designs in black for the look of leading on stained glass. I colored just a few of the areas with Sakura's Glaze 3D ink (it's translucent, so you can still see the streaks of color beneath).

To frame the faux stained glass, I did a border of Shimmer Sheetz in Black Iris, altered with Alcohol Inks. I fringed the four sides with small parallel cuts to capture reflected light and added the piece to a folded card made from Bazzill's new Glazed Cardstock. The white on white pattern of the cardstock adds yet another layer of shininess to the card.

Tip: Shimmer Sheetz Faux Stained Glass works equally well with other iridescent (Iris) colors as the starting point. The iridescent shine remains, though it is toned down quite a bit by the Alcohol Inks.

Please note this is:
Shimmer Sheetz Stained Glass Flower Card
Copyright 2010 Judi Kauffman

Distress - DFly - & Fly card

So Tim's giving away several metal tin storage boxes that were made to hold 24 Distress pads.

They're not being made anymore, so this is a pretty good deal. You have till May 28th to enter one of 2 ways

Make something using Distress and send him an image with details (max 1 item) and you'll be in the draw.

& OR

Put a comment on his blog. Every day there will be a draw. (so need to comment every day if you want to be in each day's draw)

So here is my card. I'm using Shimmer Sheetz for the dragonfly wings - double layered. Distress for the background with his Clocks/Gears mask, Distress to color the chipboard gears die cut with his Gears Sizzix die, used black Shrink Plastic to make smaller gears and for my quote by Quietfire Design (the quote I hand cut). Click on card to see other details etc. Enjoy

Mylar-Seashells

I'm still in playing mode with this Shimmer Sheetz product. I cut the shell with my Cricut using Double Sided Tape and the black Shimmer Sheetz. This product is a match made in heaven for shells, with that Mother of Pearl look. Love it.

Then I used some of Tim's Distress embossing powder to mimic some sand. The look and feel of his product is exactly what I wanted. And then I added some pieces of real shells.

Of course I used a Quietfire Design rubber stamp. Love this quote, it's just so right.

PS I was corresponding with Judi Kauffman - Shimmer Sheetz is one of her ideas and being distributed by ecraftdesigns.com - and she was letting me know some of the other things you can do with it besides cardmaking... Duh!! I've got a one tracked mind.

Anyway, it's great for scrapbooking, mixed media, clothing & accessories and I'm sure we can come up with a few other areas. It's colorfast and washable, you can make custom sequins, spangles & pailettes, punch it, cut it with a Cricut, emboss it (I've done it both dry and thermal). Put it on scarves and wreaths, purses, shoes and the list goes on and on. Wrap LED (battery operated) candles. I just finished making a cute bead with it.

CBH Challenge May 11 Purple

I love the color purple, so this week's Created By Hand challenge was a real JOY!!.

I'm also using the new Shimmer Sheetz I recently got (available through Paper Pastimes in Calgary or ecraftdesigns.com on line). Click on card to see what I did.

I also used Tombow watercolor markers to put a gentle color on the embossed image. I'm using one of my button medallions created with Martha's Gothic corner punch. And a Quietfire Design sentiment (or part of one), along with one of my calligraphic Peel Offs.