Sweet Vintage, Card

Howdy! and welcome to my little slice of blog-land.  Grab yourself a cup of joe, tea, or any other thirst quenching beverage, sit a spell, and have a look around.  I hope I inspire you, and give you something pretty to look at {smile}.  Life here in the country is good.  

As I said earlier, I really want to get some crafting done to participate in a few challenges.  I find it easier to double a few of my favorite challenge sites together.  More bang for my preverbal buck.

Our first stop is a recent favorite of mine:  the Card Concept.  One of my favorite things about this challenge site is that they give you some of the most beautiful inspirational photos to work from, and the other is that they welcome all crafting styles!  Me, I'm mostly shabby chic, with a touch of vintage.  So, it's always nice to feel welcome.  And don't let me forget about the design team samples.  Holy smokes, can these ladies craft.  Beautiful work in various styles, using various products.  

here is the current inspirational photo:

The instant I saw this photo, I thought, 'Mother's Day'.  The texture in the pitcher and the various blossoms really shine in this inspirational photo.

My second stop, is a staple of my crafting sketches:  Mojo Monday.  The number one reason why I love this sketch challenge site, is their user friendly sketches.  They have very workable sketches, that just about everyone can play along with.  {love it}

here is the current sketch:

The hanging piece to me looks like a tag.  And the band at the bottom looks like trim!  So, without further ado, here is what I crafted:

Before we start, I just wanted to say, 'thank you' to my family, friends, and my followers for all of your support in my endeavor to find happiness in playing with paper.  I am truly grateful that you have embraced this passion of mine, and don't give me grief over the purchase of one more sheet of pattern paper, or the idea that just one type of trim is not enough to own.  I know I am blessed.  And I thank the Lord every chance I get.  But it is this true acceptance from all of YOU, who keep this drive, this willingness to craft, this love of sharing going.  THANK YOU!

The recipe:  I started my card, just like every other card I make with Stampin' Up! card stock.  This card stock is heavy weight, smooth, and just gorgeous!  Crumb cake is the kraft color I am working with today.  Lovely stuff!

The main panel is whisper white card stock.  I ran it through my vintage wall paper embossing folder.    (love the design on the pitcher in the inspirational photo)  Matted it onto a scrap piece of blossom blush card stock (retired).  I cut a strip of floral pattern paper from the Grace collection by Authentique.  I hand cut a flag end.  Then I ran it through my sewing machine to give it several passes of a simple border.  (I selected this pattern paper, because of the various blossom in the inspirational photo.)

Now, the focal piece.  I started with a canvas tag.  I had a few different trim pieces sitting on my crafting table (aka left overs).  So, I gave the two bottom pieces a quick sew and ruffle.  The top piece I used to help hide stitching of the other two.  For my center blossom, I had this paper blossom left over from a stacked piece that I took apart.  I added a thick rhinestone to the center, and then set the blossom in a bed of ruffled cream tulle.  I hot glued this piece to the canvas tag.  I put an ice pink pearl brad from Kaiser Craft toward the bottom right of the blossom.  I added a vintage brad to the top left of the blossom.  I felt that the repeat of the circles help ground the center blossom piece.  I covered the eyelet hole on the canvas tag, with a multi-loop bow/button combo I made myself.  I started with a pale pink crinkled seam binding, and created a multi-loop bow.  I tied on a white/clear tiny vintage button to the center of the bow with cream twine, and created a bow just under the button.  I adhered this piece with hot glue in the eyelet hole, on the canvas tag.  

For my sentiment, I stamped and heat embossed in silver this beautiful font: Thinking of you, onto a scrap piece of vellum card stock.  I created the same flag end to this banner.  I weaved it thru the ends of the pattern paper piece.  And finally, I added a simple staple to the right end of it.  I didn't want this card to be too specific.  And wouldn't it be wonderful to receive a hand-made card in your snail mail box?  To finish the card, I add a pair of marshmallow sequins to the top left of the banner piece, and a trio of the marshmallow sequins to the lower right of the banner piece.

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope I have inspired you or at least directed you to a challenge site to participate in!  And as always, happy crafting!

New and Quick

I'm finding more time to craft this week.  Hopefully this trend cares over to next week and next month.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.  

I am playing along in a shoe box swap.  The theme is to use new products out of the Spring Mini Catalog.  Sounds easy.  Oh, and since it's a shoe box swap, your card needs to be constructed in 10 min or less.  Even better.  

To create one of these cards, I have to change my thinking a little.  I can't spend all day in my craft room, tinkering around, and just creating.  I need to change my focus.  Most of my focus is on a simply beautiful layout and limiting my products to whats new in the Spring Mini Catalog by Stampin' Up!

So, I used a layout I have used several times over the last several years.  I wanted to add a beautiful banner.  Banners are big and very popular. 

Here is what I did:

I started with Pink Pirouette card stock.  I just love this shade of pink.  I then cut a piece of the new Tea for Two DSP to a 4" x 2 3/4" piece.  But, I wanted to give the DSP a bit of pop, so I matted it on Lucky Limeade card stock.  I used a new embossing folder, Needlepoint Border, to create the stitched and scallop edge.  For the sentiment, I used a scrap piece of card stock.  I stamped the sentiment in Basic Grey classic ink.  I tapped the VersaMark ink pad on both ends of the banner piece.  I then dunked the ends into the silver embossing powder vial.  I used my heat gun to heat the embossing powder.  I used dimensionals to adhere the banner.  

These days, white space is a good thing.  For those who know me, I'm not a fan of white space.  I always see this 'white space' as empty space.  I always want to 'fill' the 'white space'.  But, I refrained.  So, I left it empty, blank, 'free'. 

I hope that you like this card.  It was super quick and easy to create.  

retro Kitchen

Thank you for stopping by my blog, to see what I've been creating.  I know that I have been a bit late on a few posts and I apologize.  I know that I am in the same boat as a lot of other folks, with life being too busy.  I think I have a new 'schedule' to get more accomplished.  So, let's see if my new time management schedule does actually work.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

It's Saturday, and that means that its time for another challenge over @ Our Creative Corner.  Meihsia, is our hostess again this week.  If you haven't seen her work, she does shabby chic/vintage very well.  She has a great eye for soft and delicate!  Just wonderfully inspiring creations.  Anyways, she would like us to make a Clean and Simple card featuring something you would find in a kitchen.  Ok, here is my problem, I have a very hard time creating clean and simple.  I don't know if it is all the white space, or the fact that I can't load the card with embellishments.

Here is what I created:

When I sat down to create this card, I knew that I wanted to use pattern paper that looks like something from a kitchen; wall paper, table cloth (Domestic Goddess DSP).  You get the idea.  I also knew the stamp set I was going to use: Compliments to the Chef .  So, I sat down at my craft table and got to work.  I stamped the flatware in VersaMark, and used silver embossing powder to heat emboss that image.  I just love the detail in the flatware.  So, I made sure to use fine embossing powder.  There is nothing worse than a blob of embossing powder to ruin your image. I had a very had time restraining myself from adding layers and embellishments.  I really wanted to add a button somewhere.  But, I restrained myself and created a CAS card for Meihsia's challenge {smile}.

When I finished, I just had to create another card.  Same products, just not CAS.  Here is that card:

I hope that you play along with us @ Our Creative Corner.  We would love to see what you make, and I'm sure you'd love to share your work with the rest of us in blogland!

Thank you for looking, and have a wonderful weekend!