XO's For You

Welcome.  I hope you are having a good first weekend of the year!  Me, I'm doing good.  {smile}  I don't know if it is the 'freedom' I feel, now that my craft room is clean and organized, or I simply found some mojo.  Either way, I will take it!

I visited a favorite sketch challenge blog site this week, Cardabilites, and finally got a chance to sit down at my crafting desk, and whip up a card.  Ok, I don't really 'whip-up' a card.  For those who know me, a 'fast' made card still takes me an hour or so.  This one, a bit longer.  I wanted to use some pattern papers I had already cut.  So, I dug through my scrap box to find: colors that I liked, pattern that went together, and papers that made me smile.  Simple process, really.  Now, I just needed to sit and put it all together.  And that is not always so easy.  Three hearts later, and two different blossom centers, I found created what works for me.  

To start, the sketch looks easy to work with.  Use a doily, add a blossom, and you have your two circle elements.  Well, that isn't exactly the direction I went.  

Recipe:  The card base is crumb cake by Stampin'Up!.  The first text matt is from Melissa Frances.  The next blue matt is a pattern paper I received as part of a prize from playing along with the lovely ladies over @ Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge.  The pink main panel is the only piece of this pattern paper from Bazzill I have left.  I sponged the edges with crumb cake classic ink, by Stampin' Up!, adhered them together and then did a purposefully 'sloppy' machine stitch.  I went around the card twice.

My first circle element is a doily.  The doily was cut with a doily die, by Paper Trey Ink, using glitter paper by, Stampin' Up!.  The second circle element is a circle {smile}.  I used a white text, aqua pattern paper I think is from Carta Bella.  (It's another scrap piece.)  I used a die to cut this 2" circle.  For the cluster in the second circle element, I built my piece.  I cut a heart shape from some cream felted wool.  I used a retired heart die, by Stampin' Up!   I cut the same heart shape from some silver polka dot vellum card stock.  The flower shape was cut with another retired die, by Stampin' Up!  I used a small scrap piece of another pattern paper from the collection by Bazzill.  The smaller blossom was cut with the same retired die, by Stampin' Up!, but I used some aqua mist felted wool, by Paper Trey Ink.  I ran this circle collage through my sewing machine, using a simple stitch.  

I tied some cream twine through a cream vintage button, both by Paper Trey Ink.  I used hot glue to attach the button.  The leaves were made with a scrap of green pattern paper from Nostalgia.

I added a scrap piece of cream crochet trim, by Paper Studio.  I didn't have a long enough piece to wrap around the card front.  But after 'playing' with this trim, I found I really like how it doesn't cover the card front.

I didn't add blossoms and banner for my sentiment.  Instead, I made a multi-loop bow with 1/4" silk ribbon, by Paper Trey Ink.  I also cut a tag from Whisper White card stock, by Stampin' Up!.  I used the tiny tag die, by Paper Trey Ink.  I stamped my tag with two sentiments from the same stamp set, by Stampin' Up!.  This set has been retired for over 6 years.  I sponged the edges of the tag with more crumb cake classic ink.  

And finally, to give my card a more feminine feel, I added a collection of white half faux pearls and clear rhinestones.

I originally set out to make a St. Valentine's Day card.  So, that is why the sentiment is 'XO's For You'.  This card will be for sale in my Easy shop, HERE.   I hope you enjoy the rest of your first weekend this year.  I am off to the kitchen to make some fresh bread.  Nothing fancy, just white bread.  But it makes the house smell wonderful! and it tastes amazing!  I'll post a photo on my InstaGram page, HERE.