Rustic Christmas

Happy Holidays to everyone.  I created a card for one of my favorite challenge sites.  And this has 2 happy endings - I got the opportunity to get back into my craft room, and I am a guest designer!  The wonderfully creative ladies over @ Word Art Wednesday have asked me to create a card for their current challenge {yahoo!}.

So, without further ado, here is my card:

Recipe:  this blank-inside card is a typical A2 size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2").  I used a soft kraft card stock for the card base.  I just love this true 'cardboard' color.  I used a 'peeled paint' pattern paper as my first matt.  I love this worn look.  It reminds me of old country barns.

The second matt, is a soft, vintage plaid of red, green, and cream/vanilla.  It looks so country, and so home-y.    I did add a kraft matt, to this plaid matt, and then used my sewing machine to add a simple border stitch to this piece.  I wrapped a piece of red buffalo check ribbon around the pattern papers, and then tied a simple bow.  To keep with the over-all look of the card, I tied a wooden button to the bow with thin silver cord.  There is a tiny charm tied to that wooden button.  It is a vintage holy leaf with a bell.

To add a little flair, I added a candy striped poinsettia just above the button-bow combo.  This paper blossom is from the Sweet Peppermint collection by Prima. I thought the stripes matched beautifully with the plaid in the matt, and that vintage silver glitter just adds the right amount of nostalgia {smile}.  I used the word file provided by Word Art Wednesday for my sentiment.  I adhered it to the card front with foam tape.  And it works just beautifully!

My card is simple.  But, I think it has a lot of flair and country charm!  I hope you are able to play along with us @ Word Art Wednesday.  Because I know we just can't wait to see what you create!

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas holiday, and was able to spend time with family and friends.

Bleached Flowers

It's Tuesday!  This week over @ Nacho Average Challenge, our challenge for you this week, is a color challenge.  So, use any sketch, from any challenge, use our colors, and let's see what you create!  Here is this weeks colors.  and we want to inspire  you!

When I first saw these colors, I instantly thought: Valentine's Day!  But, then I wanted to create something different.  No hearts.  But, a whole lot of love {smile}.  Here is what I created:

This is not a typical card for me.  I generally make something a little more frilly.  

The card base is crumb cake.  I wanted a neutral base so that the Raspberry Ripple and Rose Red will pop!  I stamped the Delicate Doilies stamp set in Versa Mark and used white embossing powder.  Heat embossing the doilies, gives the doilies a raised texture.  I love the delicate look of them.  I also stamped the Fabulous Florets flowers in Versa Mark and white embossing powder.  

I added some regular bleach to an aqua painter.  Then I painted the blossoms with the bleach aqua painter.  I wanted to take the color out of the crumb cake.  I then painted rose red classic re-inker on the bleached flowers.  I wanted to add an illusion of leaves, so I painted the 'blocked-in' areas with garden green classic re-inker. 

To help balance the center panel, I added a corner lace doily and a button/seam binding to the opposite corner.  I stamped the lace piece in Rose Red classic ink on very vanilla cardstock.  I then hand cut this piece out.  I took a length of rose red seam binding and crinkled it.  I took a wooden button and rubbed craft white ink over the front of the button.  While the craft ink was still wet, I dunked the painted wood button in a dazzling diamond glitter.  I then used a length of linen thread and tied a bow to the front of the button.  To create the tag, I used Raspberry Ripple classic ink and stamped the sentiment on very vanilla card stock.  I used the jewelry tag punch to create the tag. 

I hope that we have inspired you! and you can play along with us @ NAC.

Cowboys

Happy Saturday to you!  I'm pretty excited writing this post.  I am joining some wonderful friends for this weekends Stamp Retreat, here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I have to admit, that this is my first one ever!  But, I think I'm more excited about spending the weekend with girl friends and paper crafting together.

As this weekend get a jump start with creativity, Liliana I. is our hostess over @ Our Creative Corner. Liliana, has a clever little challenge for us; create a card/project with a country/western look.  I want to see some plaid, such as in a ribbon or designer paper.  Also, use the picture to inspire you.

I have to admit, when I saw this inspiration photo, I first thought of Thanksgiving.  So, I wanted to inspire you in a direction that might not be so obvious.  Here is what I created:

I just loved the orange in the plaid table cloth.  So, I looked through my scraps box, and found some wonderfully appropriate pattern paper from Cosmo Cricket.   I just love this pattern paper.  The pattern paper I selected for my card front, has the same 'orange' on a blue-ish woodgrain patter paper.  How pretty.  So, I collected two other papers from the same collection.  I added a cream and brown pattern paper and a blue-ish plaid pattern paper.

I thought the cowboy pattern paper fit this challenge beautifully, so I used it as my focal panel.  I cut a star shape from some left over burlap.  I stapled the folded brown plaid ribbon and burlap star to the cowboy panel.  I added a linen thread tied wooden button to the top right corner.  I thought that this card needed something else.  So, I added two staples to help give the card some visual interest, but not distracting.  I also added 3 copper brads to the lower right corner.  I thought the copper helped brighten the 'oranges' in the various pattern papers.

I hope you have been inspired, and decide to play along with us @ Our Creative Corner.