Card-Gift Combo, cont.

Howdy.  Thanks for coming back.  I have taken a few more photos of my Card-Gift Combo.  I just love these little 'packages' {smile}.  So, without further ado, here is some eye candy {wink}.

here is the back-side of the combo opened

I used the blue and green floral pattern paper from the Watercolor Wonderful DSP for the main pattern pieces.  I just love this collection of colors.  I used the green chevron stripes for my vertical piece.  I thought the mix of patterns compliment each other, without overpowering each other.  

I lined the inside of the drawer with the same green chevron stripe paper.  I also added a small piece of island indigo ruffle ribbon to the side of the drawer, as a pull.

here is a photo of the drawer partially pulled-out

I have a weakness for polka dots, so I used the light gray polka dot pattern paper for the cover focus piece.  I also matted the pattern paper with slate card stock, to help accent the gray.
I also love the softness of the seam binding, so I used it liberally {smile}.

Thank you so much to looking.  I'm off to make a few more Card-Gift Combo's, using some other beautifully pattern paper {smile}.

Oh, Hello

A sad day.  On this particular Tuesday, in June, is the last challenge for the Nacho Average Challenge, #52.  At this point in time, the current design team is taking a break.  We are planning on re-starting, possibly seeking new design team members, and maybe changing the format.  Alot of decisions to be made, and some plans to be hammered out.  So, please check back and visit the Nacho Average Challenge site, to see what changes have been made.

Ok, onto the current challenge.  This week (#52) is a color challenge.  I was completely at a lost as to what to create with these colors.  But, all in all, I am happy with what I created {smile}.

when I saw the colors in this week's challenge, 

I knew that I wanted to use Melon Mambo as an accent color.

my card:

The card base is Bermuda Bay cardstock.  This teal color blue is rich and beautiful.  I inked my en francias background stamp with bermuda bay classic ink, and stamped onto whisper white cardstock.  I did the tap technique, because I wanted a random-ness.  I matted the text with bermuda bay cardstock.  

I cut a piece of subtler DSP (pool party) polka dot pattern paper and matted it with a solid piece of pool party cardstock.  I added some machine stitching along the border.  I wrapped a piece of pool party seam binding to the polka dot pattern piece.  I machine stitched this ribbon to this polka dot piece.  I tied a multi-loop bow.

For this round sentiment piece, I stamped the sentiment in bermuda bay classic ink.  I stamped the flower in melon mambo classic ink.  I used the 2 1/2" circle punch to create the round shape.  I really wanted to add a scallop trim, but SU! doesn't make a large enough punch/die.  So, I did it 'old school'.  I punched several 1/2" circles from the silver glitter paper and adhere circles around the circles.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please take a moment to create something beautiful and enter our last current challenge site @ NAC.

Renew Ribbon

Happy Saturday!  Glad that you have stopped by.  This is a special day for a few friends, and a sad day for some other friends.  Let's start with the good news... a dear, and sweet family friend is getting married today.  He is a wonderful guy, who always has a special perspective on life, and a deep devotion to his friends.  And now the sad news... Linda, the owner of Our Creative Corner has had some changes in her life dynamics, and the challenge site is closing.  This challenge over @ OCC will be our last.   

Irena, is our hostess for this one last challenge over @ OCC.  Irena, has given us an inspirational board for this style challenge.   Here is her inspirational board:

And the lovely ladies over @ the Ribbon Reel, have a 'Mix and Match' challenge.  We are to use 2 pattern papers, 1 solid paper, ribbon and twine.  Here is their inspirational photo:

So, I combined the two challenges, and came up with this card:

I used some pattern paper from Authentique pattern paper, called Renew.  The colors are cool, crisp and quite lovely.  I used paper trey ink solid card stock.  The card base is lemon whip and aqua mist.  I used Stampin' Up! pool party seam binding, and pool party bakers twine.  The buttons are from the aqua mist vintage button bag.  I added some random rhinestones to the card front.  I used the signature dress form stamp set and matching die to create the mannequin piece.

I added some machine stitching to the border of the card.  Also I stitched the seam binding to the card, before I added the top note shape.

I hope that you get a chance to play along with us @ OCC, as this is our last challenge.

Enjoy your weekend.  I am off to the store to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with my dress to the wedding.

love this card? you can purchase it here

NAC #40

Welcome.  I hope your week is off to a good start.  Mine, light speed.  But then again, what's new?  This is a short week at work for me.  If you live in or near Albuquerque, then you know that the Hen House Stamp retreat is this weekend.  And what does that mean?  Well, if you're a paper crafter (like me) than you are welcome to spend the weekend with others with the same passion.  A whole weekend of uninterrupted time to paper craft.  Nirvana.

But, before I head out the door with a purpose, lets play along with the lovely and talented ladies @ Nacho Average Challenge.  This week, there is a color challenge.  And they are beautiful colors!

If you are a frequent visitor/follower, you know that these colors speak volumes to me.  I love soft, pretty colors.  And these colors scream feminine.  Let's inspire you!

Once I saw the color challenge, I instantly knew what I was going to do!  Use the perfect plum for a blossom.  Use the lucky limeade for folage.  Use the pool party for butterflies, and to ground the whole card add some crumb cake and first edition dsp.  Let's face it.  In my book, Pool Party is only second to Pink Pirouette, for me.  I also knew that I wanted to add some of that gorgeous floral lace trim from the Artisan Emellishment kit.  Add a little machine sewing, to help add charm.  If I could figure out where to add some pearls, you know you would see some.  But, I really couldn't get them to work.  I also really, really wanted to add a bow.   But the card doesn't have a bow or pearls.

Here is what I did.  

I cut twelve 1 1/4" squares of very vanilla card stock.  I placed them in the vintage wallpaper embossing folder, to give this neutral card stock some texture and a feminine feel.  I sponged crumb cake classic ink on all four sides of each square.  

I cut a piece of crumb cake card stock to 4" x 5 1/4".  I then adhered the sponged very vanilla embossed squares to the crumb cake cardstock.  This gave me my crumb cake fix!

I cut a strip of the floral lace trim to go across the card front.  I wrapped a piece of pool party seam binding.  I didn't crinkle the seam binding.  I felt that if I crinkled the seam binding, it would give this card a 'sloppy' look.  I wanted to keep the look clean, soft, and spring-y!  

Then, I added some machine stitching.  I first machine stitched the seam binding and lace.  Then, I started machine stitching the whole parameter of the card, roughly a 1/4" from the edge.  

Now, it's time to build the blossom, that will be the focal point of this card.  This blossom was built with three whole blossoms that were stamped, heat embossed, color washed, punched, cut, bent, stacked, glittered, distressed, and sponged.  Whew.  I used the same floral stamp to stamp on the first edition dsp, and used the build a blossom punch to punch the leaf shapes.  And of course, I distressed the edges of the leaves with crumb cake classic ink.

The butterflies were equally as much fun to create.  I used the kindness matters stamp set.  I stamped the butterflies in jet black staz-on ink, onto white shimmer cardstock.  I color washed the butterflies with pool party re-inker.  I used my detail scissors to fussy cut them out.  Then I sponged perfect plum classic ink on the forward wing tips, sponged pool party classic ink on the back wing tips, and then used a tiny paint brush to add some lucky limeade to the center of the butterflies bodies.  I outlined each butterfly with my 2-way glue pen and then dunked each butterfly into my tub of dazzling diamond glitter.  I used foam tape to adhere the butterflies to the card front.

I hope you have been inspired to create a paper craft item for our color challenge over @ NAC {smile}.

 

School Days

I hope this week has started off nicely for you.  Me?  well, I think I will always be busy until I retire from my paying job.  So, until then, the lovely ladies over @ Nacho Average Challenge, have a great sketch for you to play with this week!  Here is the sketch:

Now, don't let this bold, plain sketch deflate your creativity.  Let's take a closer look.  The rectangle shape of the main piece can easily be changed into a shape.  The thick matt can easily be changed to a thinner matt.  The space on the main panel can easily showcase a large stamp, show-off a background stamp, or allow you to wow us with a technique.  

Here is what I did:

If you have searched the internet recently, you have seen alot of paper crafts with this faux chalkboard technique.  I think this look is 'old school', since most public classrooms have dry eraser boards than chalkboards.  A crime I say!  Anyways, I saw this fabulous tutorial, and decided to use the open space on this sketch to illustrate my take on the faux chalkboard technique.

I used one of my favorite 'thank you' stamps from the From My Heart stamp set.  I first stamped the image in Versa Mark ink and used white embossing powder.  Heat embossed this fabulous image.  I then sponged basic black classic ink along the edges.  I then sponged whisper white craft ink over the embossed image to represent chalk dust.  I then stamped over the image with the same image again with the stamp inked in whisper white craft ink.  I love how this turned out.  I used the top note die to create this fabulous shape.  I wanted to add something to the corner of this piece, so I did another layering.  I stamped the double-line heart from the Hearts a Flutter stamp set onto very vanilla card stock and fussy cut it out.  I added a multi-loop bow made from pool party seam binding.  I attached the bow to the front of the heart with a vintage trinket brad.  I added a blossom from the Flower Trim and a tiny tag, that says, 'Thanks'.  The school line paper is from a DSP pack.

I hope that you have found some inspiration, and join us this week with this fun sketch @ NAC!

Happy Crafting!  hugs, Sharon W.

(love this card? you can purchase it, here)

Interactive and Beautiful

Howdy!  Well, this year has started just as busy as last year ended.  I was so hoping this year, I'd have a better grip on my time.  And, as you can tell by the tardiness of this post, that hasn't happened yet. {:( }

I am the hostess over @ Our Creative Corner this week.  (super excited about that).  And well, I have known for a  l o n g  time what I wanted to do.  I already had the papers picked out, and the template laying on my craft table.  And well, life got in the way, so I had to push that project aside and tackle some other pressing matters.  But, I stuck in there, and finished it early this morning.

So, the challenge for this week over @ OCC, is super easy and hopefully you have a grand time crafting!   "I thought it would be fun to start off the new year with a gorgeous paper craft item, made with some pretty colors!  The challenge this week, is to use 2 specific colors and a specific object.   The main colors to use for your paper craft item (3-D item, a scrapbook page, a card, a tag, etc.) must be aqua and pink - and any shade will do!  All neutral colors are welcome: white, cream, brown, black, and grey.  And you must include a flower, any kind of flower.  The flower can be hand-made, a stamp, a picture, a digital download, an accent, etc."

To help get you inspired, I created an 'Inspiration Board' that has some very pretty photos in it, with Aqua and Pink, and flowers!

Inspiration Board:

(photos courtesy of Pinterest)

Here is what I created:

For this challenge, I decided to make a Card-Gift combo.  Well, that's what I call them.  They are a combination of a card and gift box.  So, the front of this contraption is the front of your 'card', but when you open it, you reveal the 'gift box'!  I just love making these!   

inside:

outside:

So, on this one, you slide the 'box bottom' out.  How super cute is that?   I have made one that had a flap at the top of the box, here.   This is how I did it:

I used Aqua Mist cardstock (Paper Trey Ink) as my base.  I just love this color.  The blue is cool, light, and easy to pair with.  I then put matts of Blush card stock (Amuse Studio) on all three sides.  I love this color of pink, because it is so soft in its color.  I used one of my all time pattern papers as the main panel, Blush (Lost & Found 2).  I then added a white cotton trim to a dark aqua polka dot pattern paper to the bottom third of the front.  The pink checkered piece is the back side of the floral piece.  I also matted the pink checkered with Blush cardstock.  

The white doily is actually a stamp: Gossamer Lace (Stampin' Up!).  I stamped this image in Versa Mark ink, onto a piece of Latte cardstock (Amuse Studio).  I used ultra detail white glacier embossing powder and heat set the image.  I used my detail scissors and cut it out.  

The 'Cherish' piece is a stamp: Cherish the Moment (Close To My Heart).  I stamped  this image in basic black classic ink (Stampin' Up!), onto a piece of very vanilla card stock (Stampin' Up!) and then hand-cut this piece out.  I matted it onto a scrap piece of Aqua Mist cardstock.  

I added little pieces here and there.  I added 2 trios of faux pearls at opposite corners.   I tied and added a multi-loop bow with Pool Party seam binding (Stampin' Up!).  I added a soft pink paper blossom.  I die-cut a tiny tag (Paper Trey Ink) from very vanilla card stock, and hand-stamped the 'for you' at an angle.  I used a heart-shaped pearl brad (Reflections) to hold the tiny tag to the front of this little cutie.  Finally, I added a round glass 'gem' (Jolee's Boutique) to the bottom right corner of my 'cherish' piece.

I used a Spellbinders die to cut the 'window' out of the box holder.  The 'positive' piece it used as my 'note' area.  I added a scrap piece of the same floral pattern paper to the bottom.  I used my Lots of Tags die (Stampin' Up!) to cut the label piece.  I hand-stamped the simple sentiment from a 'Winter' stamp set (Close To My Heart) in Soft Suede classic ink (Stampin' Up!).  I added a little heart cut from the main floral pattern paper.  I used some First Edition DSP (Stampin' Up!) and a vintage white button (Paper Trey Ink) to create the 'button flower'.

These little 'Card-Gift' Combo's are actually very fun to create.  I purchased a template for this creation @ Creations by AR.

I hope you have been inspired by our design team, and you get a chance to sit down and create something pretty using Aqua, Pink, and a flower!  I hope you join us @ OCC.  

Happy Crafting!  hugs, Sharon W.

Frosty Christmas

I have been trying to post a bit more than my usual 3-4 times a week, during these last few days before Christmas.  I want to share a lot of the different things I've made, but also to keep you inspired so you can complete those paper crafts for the holidays.

One of the paper crafts I made this week, is a holiday card for my co-workers.  I give my co-workers a gift card during the holidays.  Last year, I gave each of them a Starbucks gift card.  This year, I wanted to do something a bit more.  I also wanted to present the gift card with a little bit more flair, than securing it to the inside of the card with a glue dot.

Here is the card:

The panel on the front of the card, holds the gift card.  How fabulous, huh?  You just pull down the card stock zipper and the it will open this panel, to reveal the gift card. {smile}

I found this wonderful Winter Frost pattern paper by We R Memory Keepers.  I just love these shades of blue and green, with some grey. I also love the polka dots.  

For the card base, I used Pear Pizzaz card stock by Stampin' Up!.  The first panel is Pool Party card stock by Stampin' Up!.  I cut the pattern papers, so I could get 12 cards out of two 12" x 12" pattern papers.  I cut the grey snowflake pattern paper to 4" x 3".  The green polka dot pattern paper, I cut the paper to 4" x 2 1/2".  I used a piece of white taffeta ribbon to hide the seam where the two pattern papers overlap.

I used a light blue frost texture paper to cut the zipper panel.  I used the Zipper Die, from Paper Trey Ink.  To decorate the front of the zipper panel, I cut the glitter snowflake pattern paper to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square.  For the slim pattern paper on the zipper panel, I used the scrap piece of green polka dot pattern paper, I cut it to 1" x 2 1/2".   I have added a pizza gift card under the zipper panel - Dion's.

I used the Tiny Tag die, from Paper Trey Ink to cut the sentiment tag out of white card stock.  I stamped the 'Noel' in Basic Grey classic ink.  I had a package of coordinating crochet doilies, but the package comes with 6, and I needed 12.  So, I cut the doily into quarters.  That way I only used 3.  Now, I still have 3 for other projects.  I added a bow made of Pool Party seam binding.

I added a hand-written message to the inside of each card.  I hope they like them, and thank you for stopping by!  I hope you like them, too!

Happy Crafting!  hugs, Sharon W.