Match-Box Pretty

Not my best work, but I did want to share this little cutie with you! (Only Stampin' Up! products used to create this project.) I used the Stampin' Up! die to create this match box. I ran the 'top' of the box through the embossing folder Elegant Lines to give it some pizazz. The box is made with Crumb Cake cardstock, so it needed something, (and yes, I'm trying to run out the door to go to work). The flower is made with 3 scallop circles (I used the standard hand held punch by Stampin' Up!). You wad-up the scallop circles repeatedly until the fibers in the cardstock break down, and then you separate the layers. So, you punch 3 scallop circles, but after your 'altering' you get 6 scallop circles. Then you stack the layers, use a brad to hold the 'flower' together and fluff the scallop circles until you like the 'look'. (If you spritz the flower with water, the flower will be 'stuck' in that position.) You can spritz your flower with some shimmer paint or smooch to give it some sparkle. If you sponge the edges of the scallop circles before assembly, there will be some color variations. So, you can really jazz-up this beauty, or leave it plain and simple, like I have. After I made this, I thought, wow, this would be a cute wedding favor. What do you think?

Post a comment and let me know how you would use this little box. Remember, its a match box, so the box itself is not deep. But, isn't it a little cutie?

Sketch Challenge Thank You

My most wonderful daughter threw me a surprise birthday party this past Saturday! And, yes she pulled it off! It was a surprise! (my birthday is this coming weekend.) She took care of the food, inviting my friends, and even had everyone make my birthday cards! (those will be posted later) Isn't she just the Greatest?! So, I wanted to make her a very special Thank You card. Thank You, for being so wonderful, thoughtful, and special. I came across Stamping 411 sketch challenge, and it seems the perfect layout for such a card. (click here, to see their sketch.)

The stamp set I used, is called Find Your Style. The pattern paper I used is from the Pink Plum collection. The solid card stock is from Stampin' Up!, as well as the butterfly embosslit. The ribbon is from Paper Trey Ink, and the buttons are from a mixed stash I have.

I stamped 'Beautiful' instead of 'Thank You', because my daughter is a beautiful person inside and out, and I really wanted to focus on that. She does alot of great things for people, and so I just wanted to let her know how truly special she is.

So, if you have gone to the Stamping 411 site and seen the sketch, you can tell that I did add a few things. In the sketch there is no 'ribbon' or 'flower' on the sketch. Those I added to jazz it up a bit. So, I'm not sure if I qualify for being selected as a 'winner'. But, I really do like their sketch. Its pretty versatile and easy to work with.

To make the flower, I just cut out the floral shapes with my Birds & Blooms die from Stampin' Up! I used blushing bride, pumpkin pie, and very vanilla card stock. I added some crochet trim from Stampin' Up! in the flower to give it some added texture. I used a rose red brad from Stampin' Up! to hold the flower together. The butterflies were made with very vanilla card stock and the Butterfly Wings embosslit from Stampin' Up! I sponged the butterflies and my stamped card stock with river rock classic ink. I also hand sewed the buttons onto the card stock, so I didn't use any glue dots. I thought that the linen thread would give the buttons some added interest.

Thank you for looking. And get your mojo moving and enter the sketch challenge over @ Stamping 411. Have a great week!

Branch Out - OCC

Over at Our Creative Corner, this weeks challenge is to create a CAS card/project/scrapbook page, etc. with a tree. To see what the other wonderfully talented ladies came up with, click here. Here is what I came up with.

For those who may not know me, Clean And Simple, is not so simple for me. I'm one of those crafters who thinks more is more; not less is more. So, this challenge was just that; a challenge! According to OCC: 'what qualifies as CAS? Well, that's mostly up to you - generally it will be a quicker/less cluttered/clean line style. If you're not sure, then just aim for something simpler than you might usually make.' So, I encourage each of you to take this challenge! Challenge yourself, challenge your creative side, step outside your comfort zone. It can be amazing to see something wonderful that you create, that you probably wouldn't have. Stretch those creative wings, and come fly with us!

I used stamp sets from two of my all-time favorite companies: Stampin' Up! and Paper Trey Ink. I used Sahara sand & whisper white cards stock, Sahara sand classic ink, whisper white craft ink and watercolor crayons from Stampin' Up!. The ribbon is from Paper Trey Ink.

To create the water coloring affect of my tree, I 'colored' the stamp with watercolor crayons and misted the stamp with water before I stamped. (I'm not sure of the technique's name.) It's pretty and looks great (I think).

I can't say it enough, but this card was a real struggle for me. But, I have to say, that I am really pleased with the finished product!

If you have any questions, please contact me. I have a new 'Facebook Badge' close to the bottom of my blog, that has my email address.

Fabulous Friday!

Wow! February keeps getting better and better for me! Yesterday, I was accepted to be on the design team for Creative Sketches, and today, I am a featured designer on Noor Nahdi's blog: Fond of Crafts. Noor, has posted some of my work, and she asked me some paper crafting questions, so her followers could get to know me better. Thank you, Noor, for the opportunity to show some of my work to your followers.

If you have a moment, please check out Noor's blog to see what all she has posted (besides me).

Creative Sketches - Sketch Challenge #18

So, more good news! I am on another design team! Wow, 2 different design teams! Its my birthday month, and when it rains it pours! I can't seem to get the smile off my face. This is just so GREAT! So, if you have some free time to craft, come on, you can carve out an hour, please play along!

The original sketch is vertical, but I turned the sketch on its side. I wanted something different. So, here is what I came up with.

So, check out what the rest of the design team has created at Creative Sketches, and play along. I used pretty in pink, pink pirouette, early espresso, and very vanilla cards stock. The dictionary paper is from First Edition DSP. The flourish is from Friends 24-7 stamp set.

You Have To Add a Card

I had sooo much fun altering a notebook for Dawn's Color Cue {11} challenge and JUGs wild card challenge, that I decided to make a card, to complete my 'gift'. These colors work beautifully together, and it so made me think 'wedding' and 'baby'. So, I chose 'wedding' and ran with it! Paper cones, and dollies are all the rage these days, so I put them together. The JUGs challenge is to make your own paper flower, so the 'aqua' flower in the cone I made, and the sponged 'aqua' flower on the seam binding on the paper cone, I made. The crochet flower, I purchased. I don't crochet. And if I did, I fear I'd be making too many of them. The ribbon rolled flower I purchased at one of those big box stores. It comes on a strip of toile and you purchase it by the foot. So, I just cut one off, and tucked the 'tails' underneath. I 'girl-y'ed my card, made it feminine, and tinkered with it for a day. The butterfly was a last minute thought. But, I think it looks great! I found these super cute bling-y 'beads' at a local bead store, so I added one to my corsage pin. I sprayed the whole card with some Vanilla Shimmer smooch. I like how it gave it a bit of sparkle without covering-up my stamping. My neutral for this 'item' was vanilla. At first, I didn't think it would go. But, I like how it turned out.

Thanks for taking a look. And, if you have time, you should check out the challenge blogs listed above and play along.

Let me know what you think about pairing vanilla/cream with white on a project. Have a wonderful day. Stay warm, and be safe out there!