Cottage Chic Shaker Card

~ photo heavy post ~

Howdy!  It's 100 degrees here in the southwest region of the United States of America.  However, up in the mountains, its about 10 degrees cooler.  I know 90 degrees doesn't sound 'cooler', however, here in the desert, it is {smile}.  I did get a few Craft Fair applications out this week, so I am starting on my holiday craft fair materials.  Yes, Christmas in hot June!

I love old stuff (vintage), and anything farmland.  That includes mason jars, lace, seam binding, buttons, twine, and paper blossoms.  And so I set out to make something pretty, and feminine.  I did stop by a few international challenge sites, and oh my, there is a lot of inspiration out there!

I am using the current sketch from Vintage Cafe Card Challenge.  The ladies on this design team love vintage, shabby chic, and provence style crafting.

Look at this beautiful sketch.  I love the layers.  The circle element will be easy to work with.  And the sentiment label, adds the finishing touch.  Love it! and check out the crafts from the design team.

I also stopped by SaratovScrap to see what their current inspirational board looks like.  And oh my, you would think it was made just for me!

I love the sparkle, the hay bales covered in lace, the translucent balloons, the pearl and glass dangles, and all the flowers.  Very pretty, very country chic!

And finally, I stopped by Paper Ladybirds, to use their current color challenge, again.  

A pale pink, a spring green, and a warm toffee/kraft color.  Take a look at what the design team made!  Very pretty, and inspirational!

and here is what I made:

and a different view:

Recipe:  I used a warm, soft, beautiful kraft cardstock; Paper Studio.   [The card measures 4 1/4" x 6".] I used a pink, wood-grain pattern paper with pink blossom clusters on it.  I love pink, have I mentioned that? {smile}  I did a simple, double-border, machine stitch along the sides.  I then added a scrap piece of white cotton trim, and a scrap piece of vanilla lace trim.  I machine stitched them to the  card front, too.  

I cut-down a birthday cake recipe, collage paper to 3 1/4" x 5".  I did another double border machine stitch on it, too.  I added a kraft paper doily to the top 2/3 of the recipe paper.  

I created a 'shaker' mason jar from my Friendship Jar stamp and die set by Paper Trey Ink.  I added sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, and Stampin' Up!  I decorated the jar with a pale pink material that has a scallop edge.  I layered a white crochet scalp trim on top of the pink material.  I tied a light kraft bakers twine around the mouth of the jar, and tied it into a simple bow.  I made a tiny tag and hand-stamped 'wish' onto it.  I added a trio of tiny paper blossoms I purchased from LemonCraft.  I also inserted a white star decorative stick pin.  I added a paper blossom to the bottom right corner of the jar.

For my sentiment, I hand-stamped my greeting, and hand-scissor the banner end.  I did a double machine stitch to the right side of the banner.

I added clear sequins and half pearls to both the upper right and lower left of the shaker jar.

I haven't made a shaker card before, and so I know a few things to do differently.  I would have used a thicker foam tape, and added a little glitter.  I am happy with how this card turned out.  But, I think I would like to do another shaker card, with the trim having a random pleat, and possibly a seam binding bow.  

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you have been inspired! and have an opportunity to play along with any (or all) of these challenge sites.

Roses and Butterflies: Card

Howdy!  I am still working with my vintage spring pattern papers by Maja Design.  {smile}  This pattern paper I selected today, doesn't have pink or aqua colors in it.  Surprised?  It actually has purples, blues, and yellows in it.  The front side of this pattern paper has a faded calendar with yellow birds and April written in blue.  The other side of this pattern paper is paisley print.  

To help me get a direction on the construction of this card, I stopped by the Crazy 4 Challenges, to get a peek at their sketch.  And boy, am I in love with the sketch!  So many possibilities, and the design team did an awesome job with their inspiration.  {smile}

When I first saw this sketch, the circles look like the flowers, buttons, and pleated rosettes.  The white rectangle at the top looks like the perfect shape for a sentiment banner.  And here is what I made:

I made this card for my sweet daughter.  She loves blue.  It's her favorite color.  So, I was a little nervous about the faded color accents of blue, yellow, and purple.  But, I think she will love it {smile}

Recipe:  I started this card with my favorite kraft card stock by Paper Studio.  I just love the color and texture of this card stock.  I used one piece of pattern paper.  I just used both sides of the paper (not too clever, just resourceful).

My design allows me to showcase all three circles.  The large yellow paper blossom occupies the white circle shape.  And then I used a pair of yellow paper roses with leaves to occupy the small upper circle.  Then I added a multi-loop bow of pale lavender seam binding, and a white resin button to occupy the space of the small circle on the right.

I added a wide cotton trim to the left side of the top panel.  I however must confess that I cut my panel too short.  {grimace}

I machine stitched a double border around the center panel, and distressing to help the card look vintage.  I added some brown ink sponging along all the edges, along with a thread cutter and my finger nail to rough the paper edges.

The blossoms and seam binding were very 'clean'.  So, to help distress, I added some white acrylic paint to the blossom petal tips, and randomly on the top pieces of the seam binding.

I cut leaves with two different hand held punches.  I sponged the edges of the leaves with more brown ink.  I added a white butterfly stick pin I easily purchased 8 years ago at a local scrapbook store.

For the sentiment I stamped the greeting in Baked Brown Sugar classic ink, onto very vanilla card stock.  Then I matted the sentiment onto a scrap piece of heather card stock by Amuse Studio.  I adhered the sentiment to the card front, but also added a staple to help add in the overall look.

To add a little sparkle, I added two sets of sequin trios.  Both trios consist of one 6mm marshmallow sequins, and two 4mm lemon meringue sequins, by Pretty Pink Posh.

Thank you for looking at my creation.  I hope you have been inspired to craft a beautiful card using this current sketch, and paper crafting supplies you already have on hand.  {smile}

Tiny Treasure Tin

~ photo heavy post ~

I had a fabulous afternoon, today.  I had a chance to craft more greeting cards that hold gift cards.  I know sometimes, you want to give a gift card, but want a beautiful way to present it.  {smile}.  I will have photos posted on my Facebook page in a day or two.  

I also got a chance to finish a blank mint tin.  I painted the tin with 3 different colors of chalk paint: burlap, cotton, and shell.  The top color is a beautiful pale pink.  I used a sanding block and 2 different grits of sand paper, along with a damp sponge to distress the tin.  Once I was happy with the distressing, I sealed the paint.  And then added pattern paper, embellishments, and sponged ink.

The wonderfully talented ladies over @ Brown Sugar Challenge, have a current challenge: distress!

closed lid

Recipe:  I painted Burlap chalk paint first.  I wanted this soft brown color to peek through.  Then I painted a soft white (cotton) chalk paint.  And the final color is shell chalk paint.  I did dry embossing first.  Then I used a damp sponge to do some wet distressing.  The final step is to add a sealant.  {smile} 

the lid

For the lid, I tore two pinkish pattern papers.  Adhered them together.  Sponged some brown ink all around.  To cover the paper seam, I added a die cut rose from the Tilda paper collection.  I added a scrap piece of cream crochet trim by Stampin' Up! , just below the die cut rose.  I added a simple bow tied with pink pirouette seam binding by Stampin' Up!.  And then I added a pink vintage button tied with cream twine by Paper Trey Ink.

opened

The inside lid, has two different pattern papers from the Corner Shop collection by Tilda.  I just love this paper collection.  The bottom pattern paper is an aqua blue pattern, to help bring out the blue blossoms in the floral pattern paper.  I added a strip of cream crochet trim and a scrap piece of pink pirouette seam binding to the pattern paper stack.  I added some machine stitching, to add to the soft, sweet look of the tin.  I added a sweet, adorable flair button, and a white heart pearl brad, before adhering it to the inside of the mint tin.  Finally, I added a trio of sequins from Pretty Pink Posh (marshmallow and mint).  I added a pair of soft green sequins to help bring out the green in the foliage of the floral pattern paper.

wide opened

The pink polka dot pattern paper is from Carta Bella, baby girl.  I sponged the edges of the pink polka dot pattern paper with brown ink.  I added a die cut teddy bear, from the Corner Shop by Tilda.  I sponged the edges of the teddy bear before adhering it to the inside bottom of the mint tin.

I am calling these little altered, decorated mint tins as Tiny Treasure Tins.  Because these adorable little tins should hold a tiny treasure {smile}!

Thank you for looking.  I will be making several more of these little treasure tins for an upcoming craft fair.  

Cake : card-gift box

Howdy! and welcome {smile}.  So, yesterday, I spent quite a few hours in my craft room.  I have a craft fair coming up, and so the craft frenzy has begun {smile}.   I had a goal of creating 6 card-gift combo boxes.  And well.  I didn't.  I got three covers done, the inside templates are printed, the pattern paper has been cut to go on those, and the embellishments have been selected.  So that's a good start.  I also started 3 magnetic letters: O, E, and T.  And I started working on altering 6 tins.  All in all, not a wasted day.  By problem, was once I finished the covers of the 3 card-gift combos, I noticed that they all kinda look alike, and the creative juice for those had run dry {frown}.  That is why I started working on other projects.

Anyways, not to fret.   Today is a new day.  Let me share with you what I have done, and then I can get back into my craft room and either finish the magnetic letter, the tins, or start on some gift card holders.  Possibilities are endless in my craft room {smile}.

My typical style is vintage country chic.  Super easy for me.  I love lace, cotton trim, buttons, sequins, pearls, rhinestones, jars, banners, staples, metallic heat embossing, machine stitching, text, music sheets, and floral pattern papers.  

And sometimes I need a little help organizing these things and a direction of my crafting.  I stopped by a favorite challenge site to see what the current sketch challenge is @ Cardabilities.  There are two things I love best about this challenge site: 1) the sketches are very easy to work with,  2) a majority of the DT is in Europe.  Their perspective is completely different that American crafters.  So, it helps me broaden my horizons.  Here is the current sketch challenge:

and here is what I made:

At the time of photographing this entry, the inside box had not been completed.  That is why there is a gap where the bow is.  This grosgrain ribbon actually ties, to hold the box closed.  Untie the ribbon, and the card-gift box opens like a book.  You can place a smallish  gift inside the box (3" x 5 1/2" x 3/4").

Recipe:  The base is made from Ocean Tides card stock by Paper Trey Ink.  Love the color.  I used two pattern papers from the same collection Corner Shop by Tilda.  LOVE IT!  The cake poster card is one of the embellishments that is included in the pattern paper stack (12" x 12").

I add three different trims: a cream cotton trim, white lace, and a cream/pink saddle stitched ribbon.  I machine stitched them to the pattern papers.  I also included a large loopy double bow of cream twine.  

I added three blossoms, one pink and two aqua paper blossoms.  These were purchased from the dollar bin at a big box craft store.  (yeah, the dollar bin!  9 paper blossoms on a card! SCORE!)  I added some platinum sparkle to the petal tips. 

I tucked in a cake poster card.  I distressed the edges.  I added my sentiment banner of 'best wishes'.  This little gem can be used for a birthday, or wedding.

In the sketch there are some splatters, so I used sequins instead; Marshmallow and Pink Blush sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.  I also tucked in a metal brad.
The ribbon to hold this little gem closed is also Ocean Tides, by Paper Trey Ink.

Here is a different view:

thank you for looking.  I hope you have been inspired to play along with the talented ladies over @ Cardabilities.  Now, back into my craft room! {smile}