Beautiful You Card

Howdy, and welcome!  Today I wanted to share with you a card I hand-crafted.   I wanted to make something pretty, with a generic sentiment.  This card isn't for anyone, so nothing specific.  I just wanted to paper craft.   I set out looking at a few of my favorite paper challenge sites to get some direction, and I found some very fun challenges.  So, let's get started!

I wanted a bit more direction, so I decided on a sketch challenge.  I knew what I wanted to use, I just needed a little more direction.  So, I stopped by the Paper Craft Crew challenge site.  This challenge site mostly does sketches.  But every now and again they will throw in a theme, or tic tac toe board, but they will always inspire you!  

I didn't rotate or flip their current sketch.  I used it as is!  I also did not switch out the blossom images for any other shaped item.

Since I already knew what pattern paper I wanted to use, and I now have a sketch to work with, I decided to play along with the wonderfully talented ladies over @ Word Art Wednesday.  Their challenges are : anything goes, family friendly.  

You will be pleasantly surprised by this design team.  They are very creative and talented, and the submissions are pretty great too!

and here is what I created:

Recipe:  this blank inside greeting card is the typical A2 size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I used cream card stock by Paper Trey Ink for the card base.  This card stock is a beautiful heavy weight, so it stands up to my embellishing!  The main panel matt is Kraft card stock by Paper Studio.  I just love the neutral soft color of kraft. {smile}

The pattern papers are digital.  I use my at home printer to print these.  I used whisper white card stock by Stampin' Up! for 3 of the pattern papers.  This card stock has a 'slick' feel to it, and allows the card stock to take the ink from my printer beautifully! I have zero complaints.  The small square that has the sentiment on it, I shrunk down.  It would have printed 6" x 6", but I wanted the whole sheet of paper to be my focal piece.  And I just love the sentiment.  That piece I printed on Linen card stock by Paper Trey Ink.  I felt the added texture would help give my card some depth, and not be so flat.

I cut my top pattern paper, so that the mix of floral images would have some blues in it, to help tie the bottom pattern paper that is a blue collage with copper dots.  

I added a simple border stitch with my sewing machine.  I think it adds a 'homespun' look/feel.  

To hide the seam where the two pattern papers overlap, I added a scrap piece of white cotton trim, and topped that with a scrap piece of pale pink seam binding.  I added a little machine stitching there too.  It holds the card front together, and continues with the machine stitching along the card's edge.

The pink polka dot pattern paper, I flagged the end, for visual interest.  

To make my 'tag' piece, I simply added my pattern paper square to a scrap piece of the same Kraft card stock I used for the main matt.  I used my scissors to make the tag shape at the top.  I used a traditional hole punch to give my tag that finished look.  I threaded a piece of pale pink seam binding through the hole and tied a simple knot.  I then tied a simple knot of pale pink tinsel to a rich brown button, and hot glued it to the top of my seam binding bow.  I adhered the tag to the card front with foam tape, to help elevate it off the front of the card.

The paper blossoms are from my stash.  The brownish blossom is from Prima.  I just loved the color.  Not quite brown.  Not quite copper.  The white paper blossom and the little pink paper blossom are from LemonCraft.  I added some white paint and glitter to the petals, of both blossoms.

Thank you for stopping by and having a look at what I created.  I hope you have been inspired to play along with either or both of these challenge sites.  Enjoy your Friday!

Celebrate YOU!

Welcome.  I wanted to use some of the scraps I had left over from a beautiful paper collection by Prima - Rossibelle.  I just love the flecks of metallic mixed in with florals, stripes, & texts.  I am entering my card in three different, but equally wonderful card challenges {smiles}:  Double D, the Card Concept, and Tic Tac Toe challenges.

My first stop was Double D challenge site.  They have some pretty clever challenges and their current challenge is no exception: sequins.  Now, who doesn't love sequins?  Not this girl!

I sprinkled my sequins

My next stop was the Card Concept.  I love this challenge site, because they have a theme and a mood board.  So, no confusion, and you are given a direction for your entry.  Easy peasy.  Their current theme: old fashion LOVE.  I can do that!

I used pinks, and a blossom

And finally, my newest interest: Tic Tac Toe challenge.  I like these types of challenges, because it helps give your crafting a direction and takes away some of the restraints.  LOVE that!  Here is their current Tic Tac board:

I went down the right side: Celebrate, floral, ribbon

and here is what I created:

still learning how to photograph shiny things

I just love the mix of metallic, pinks, cream, and pops of black - pretty!

and a different view:

Recipe:  This blank inside card is a typical A2 size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I used a pale pink card stock for the base.  I believe its one of my last few sheets of Blush Blossom from Stampin' Up!.  

I layered a text pattern paper and a black design pattern paper from the Rossibelle collection by Prima.  Then I sandwiched a scrap piece of cream cotton trim between them, and machine stitched a simple border.  I rubbed some tea stain ink across the machine stitching to help it pop.  

Starting with the right upper corner:  I adhered a tag from the collection and hot glued a double bow tied with pale pink seam binding.  I found that sweet tiny button in my stash.  I believe it is from CTMH neutrals collection.  

The focal piece is actually a piece from the embellishment kit.  I adhered it to the front of the card with foam adhesive.

I adhered a fabric blossom to the left lower corner of the focal piece.  I then tucked in a cream button from Stampin' Up!.  I thought the button design matched with the cream cotton trim design.  {smile}

And the last two pieces from the Rossibelle collection to go onto my card were those two strips at the lower right corner.  The pink text paper is actually a strip from the text pattern paper.  The sentiment strip is a sticker from the same collection.

My two final additions were the metallic embossed sentiment piece, and the sprinkle of the copper sequins.  The sentiment piece was hand-stamped onto cream card stock and detail copper kettle embossing powder was used.  I adhered the 'CELEBRATE' to the card front with more foam adhesive.  I glued the copper sequins to the card front.  I added three tucked, so they would peak out, and the other four I wanted full view of.  {smile}

Thank you for looking.  I hope you get a chance to play along with any/all of these challenge sites.  Have a great weekend!  and do something that makes your heart happy!

Celebrate Rossibelle Card

Howdy! and welcome!  I hope that on this special holiday weekend, that you are enjoying what makes you happy, and finding the time (and energy) to partake in your passion.  For me, my passions are baking, crafting, and running.  The baking and crafting give my mind a chance to create something beautiful and tasty {smile}.  The running keeps me active, and makes eating clean easier {smile}.  [I post running and food on my InstaGram acct.]  Here, is where I post my creative side!

I purchased a few items from the Rossibelle collection from Prima Marketing.  I just fell in love with the mix of patterns (stripes, texts, and florals) and the colors (various shades of pinks & charcoals, black, and metallic copper)  I used the scraps of this collection to make a card for a few challenges.  I think you will be happy!
My firs stop is Freshly Made Sketches.  This challenge site has some very creative and user-friendly sketches to work with.  I know you will be inspired {smile}

The simplicity of this sketch is what made me want to play along.  The cluster of shapes, can easily be transformed into almost anything: a bouquet, a collection of words, a large image, etc.

My next stop is If You Give a Crafter a Cookie.  I have played along with this challenge site a while back, but came back.  This challenge site has come very clever inspirational boards.  So, I am sure that you will be inspired to play along.  Don't forget to check out their design team; very clever.

The polka dots, stripes, and blossoms is what swooned my heart.  The overall color palette really spoke to my heart, too!  I love the words on the cookies, too!
My final stop is Word Art Wednesday.  This challenge blog, is Anything Goes.  So, create what you want, and enter their challenge.  Easy peasy.  But, please take a moment to read their write up.  You will certainly be inspired.  They also give you a free image of their scripture piece.  So, download it, print it out, and use it on your paper crafts.  The design team will certainly inspire you!  You won't be disappointed.

and here is what I created:

This card is a typical A2 size card (4 1/4" x 5 1/2").  I used scraps of 12" x 12" paper I left over from a previous project.  I did set aside a few other larger scraps to decorate a notebook (a share for later).

I used basic black card stock from PaperTreyInk for the card base.  I just love their heavy weight card stock.  I did add a panel of very vanilla card stock to the inside of the card.  That way, a hand-written message could easily be added, without a metallic pen.

I inked the edges of the papers with charcoal ink, to help define the edges.  The metallic accents on the papers is how the paper is printed.  I just love the random-look of it!

For my 'cluster', I layered a few pieces of Ephemera - red ticket, S playing card, and the floral clock face.  I added a medium shade pink fabric blossom.  I tied a double bow of pale pink seam binding, and tucked it in between the blossom and clock face.  I wanted a little more sparkle of copper, so I added a copper brad.  I took off the legs of the brad, and was left with the cap.  I hot glued the cap to the center of the double bow.   

For my sentiment, I stamped in Versa Mark ink, and used an 'ultra fine copper kettle' embossing powder, and heat embossed.  I cut the sentiment out by hand, to look like a wrd made with a label maker.  I think it adds a super sweet, and simple sentiment that can easily be used for almost any occasion - birthday, wedding, anniversary, retirement, graduation, promotion, etc. {smile}         Viola!

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you have an opportunity to craft something beautiful today, just 'cause.  {smile}.  I'll be starting on my holiday craft fair items this week.  Super excited!