a Splash of Daffodil Delight

I love creating.  Paper crafting, is the most accessible for me.  I have a 'ton' of paper crafting supplies, as I'm sure you all do too {smile}.  So, walking into my craft room and sitting at my desk, is as effortless as breathing, for me.  Creating, allows me to express myself, find joy, challenge myself, and it feeds my passion.   I love all kinds of creating; sewing, cooking, baking, cake decorating, paper crafting, and altering common items.   I also love sharing what I love doing.  So, that was the original push to creating this blog - an outlet to share what I make.  However, I don't share so much food, as I do crafting.

Today, I found out that I was last weeks winner @ the Shabby Tea Room, in their 'Open Window' challenge {smile}.  Thank you ladies for selecting my card.  Once I saw their challenge, I kinda already knew what products that I wanted to use.  I just needed to find an hour or so, to sit and create.  I have searched Lauren Meader's shop My Time Made Easy, and I'm narrowing down my choices.  And don't worry, I'll share my creation with you {smile}.

Today, I stumbled upon a different challenge site, Friday Mashup!, and they have a wonderfully creative challenge this week, called Hey, Get the Lead Out! with a wonderful twist: select a neutral with a splash of color, and use your pencil (#2).  Here is their inspiration board:

Here's your Mashup Challenge:

1. Create a project using "your choice of a Neutral & a Splash of one Bright Color".
2. Create a project "using a Pencil (regular graphite #2)".
3. Or Mash it Up and create a project "using pencil & your choice of a neutral & a Splash of a Bright Color".

Ok, so if I told you that my neutral is crumb cake, you wouldn't be surprised, right?  And my splash of one bright color is Daffodil Delight.  And yeah, I used my #2 pencil {smile}.  The talented Lili over @ FM  also included a great tutorial, found here.  

here is what i made:

I used crumb cake card stock for the base of the card.  I had a scrap piece of this beautiful kraft and white floral pattern paper from Basic Grey, little black dress.  This scrap piece was a bit too small, so I matted it onto another piece of crumb cake card stock.  I distressed the edges with picket fence distress paint.  (I love this paint so much, I think I'm addicted.)  I added a strip of a yellow pattern paper from Teresa Collins.  I did a banner end, to give the card stock some pizzazz.  I wrapped a piece of daffodil seam binding around the top and tied a multi-loop bow.  I tied a yellow button distressed with picket fence paint and dazzling diamond glitter, with some cream twine.  I added some random swipes with the distress paint to the bow.  I made the flowers by hand, of course!  I used two different size scallop circles to create these little beauties.  I punched the scallop circles out of very vanilla cardstock and sponged daffodil delight along the scallops, and tightly wound.  I added a tiny floral punch piece from silver glimmer paper as their leaves.

I added some machine stitching around three sides of this card.  I think that little touch, adds a sense of 'home'.

I stamped my sentiment piece onto very vanilla card stock.  I used basic grey classic ink, and stamped off twice.  I used my #2 pencil to trace and shade.  I don't have one of those blending tools, so I used my finger.  I know its not precise, but it worked beautifully.  This technique reminds me so much of the chalkboard technique.  So, it was very comforting to try a new technique, and have a familiarity with it {smile}.

If you want to try your hand at this beautiful technique, please do.  It is rather pretty when you add just a splash of color, as with the challenge restrictions.  But, it isn't a restriction as so, but rather a venue to allow your pencilling to 'shine' and take center stage.  Add your pencil technique to the FM site.

love this card? purchase it here

Spring Window #167

Whew.  A welcome break to the daily grind.  It's good to schlep around the house and wonder in and out of my craft room.  I'm hope you get a chance to relax in whatever fashion you desire.  But, please do not forget the true meaning of this holiday.   As tomorrow is Memorial Day, so please take a moment to pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have.

Earlier this week, I saw this fabulous paper craft challenge over @ the Shabby Tea Room, and let me say, my heart sang.   The inspiration photo is amazing!  When I first saw it, my mind already decided on the pattern paper that I wanted to use; Melissa Frances.  So, here is the inspiration photo:

See what I mean?  The colors are crisp and delightful.  It gives me a sense of warm and home.  Here is what I made.  Alert: not my typical card.  It's kinda simple.

The pale aqua honey comb pattern paper, as well as the collage and hydrangea pattern papers are all from Melissa Frances.  Her papers are soft in color and simply beautiful to look at (smile).  I matted the honey comb pattern paper onto a piece of white cardstock.  I really wanted the white in the pattern paper to pop.  I machine stitched the top half of the card.  I felt it was 'missing' something, and basically I still do.  The collage pattern paper is Pink Lady.  I cut 3/4" strips and flagged the ends, to create a banner.  Then I lined the up, alternating the heights.  I cut a piece of silver glimmer paper with a scallop edge.  I wanted some sparkle, but not a glob.  I added a thin crochet trim piece to soften the shine.  I edged a cream button with picket fence distressing paint and added dazzling diamond glitter, while the paint was still wet.  I tied a piece of cream twine through the button and made a simple bow.

I die cut a top note shape piece of chip board and a piece of Hydrangea pattern paper.  Adhered the two pieces together.  The window is from Prima Marketing.  One of their resin pieces.  Love the simple look, not too ornate, just a bit rustic.  

The blossoms were made my hand.  I used a die from Heartfelt Creations.  I die cut several pieces in a pale plum and plum card stocks.  I used a stylus to create the bends in the petals.  I edged the petals with picket fence distressing paint and dazzling diamond glitter.  I used a white brad to hold the blossom together.  The leaves were made with a sizzix leaf die.  I cut two.  I used my stylus to ends of the leaves, to give them some 'life'.  When they are just cut, they are pretty 'flat'.

I used foam tape on the top half of the top note shaped piece.  The glimmer paper and crochet trim make a high spot in the middle of the card.

The butterfly comes from the Kindness Matters stamp set.  I stamped it onto very vanilla card stock and added just a schmiggen of color to the body.  I fussy cut it out.  I sponged crumb cake classic ink to the edges to help camouflage the outline of the butterfly and the scissor cut edge.

I stamped a tiny sentiment on the lower corner of the card. It actually comes from Button Boutique by Paper Trey Ink.  Because of the height of the paper blossoms and the fact that some of the leaves hang off the edge of the card, I decided to create an 'envelope' using a large glassine bag and an altered clothes pin.  I thought it would be a 'fun' way to give this card {smile}.

I hope you get a chance to play along in whatever challenge inspires you.  But, if you need some inspiration, please stop by the the Shabby Tea Room.  Their design team is incredibly talented and sure to give you some eye candy to oogle over.

Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day.  And to all those serving our country, past and present; Thank You for your service and sacrifice, from the bottom of my heart.  

create

I have some productive plans for this weekend.  I need to clean my craft room.  I basically 'know' where everything is.  But, it really needs to get put back together.  My son-in-law is racing this weekend, too.  So, I'll be out at the race track, showing my support.  And, I need to spend some time with my grandchildren.  So, fun-filled, and busy.  But, I'm sure that your weekend is busy too.

Before the weekend, gets off to its official start, lets swing by the Sketch Frenzy Friday challenge blog to see what we can create.  Tammy, is this week's sketch designer, and here is her sketch:

the sketch

here is my take on this week's sketch:

I just love how wonderfully pink pirouette and calypso coral pair together.  And so, with no restrictions, I chose to work with these two colors.

The main panel is calypso coral with distressed polka dots heat embossed in white.  I just love how these polka dots look worn and vintage.  

For the strip of card stock that runs across the middle of the card is pink pirouette with some stamping.  I inked the very vintage wheel in calypso coral and ran it horizontally.  I inked the en francias back ground stamp in basic black classic ink.  Then I tapped the card stock, so that the text would be random.  I brushed some whisper white craft ink across this same panel randomly.  And lastly, I sponged some crumb cake classic ink along the edges of the panel.  I matted this piece with basic black card stock.  I used the scallop edge border punch to create the decorative trim.

Now, for this little cluster.  I stamped the grossamer lace in versa mark and heat embossed in white on vellum.  I just love this stamp.  And yeah, it's a retiring stamp. {frown}

The butterfly was created with the butterfly die.  I used pink pirouette card stock and stamped the en francias background stamp onto this butterfly piece.  I then edged the butterfly with whisper white craft ink using a paint brush. Then dunked the butterfly into my tub of dazzling diamond glitter.  (the glitter adhers to the wet craft ink, and when dried, the glitter is fixed to the ink)  I layered a circle of first edition dsp. I also cut a blossom piece from pink pirouette card stock.  I made the button with some clay and a new button mold by Stampin' Up!  I tied the whole piece together with some linen thread.

For the sentiment banner, I used very vanilla and calypso coral card stocks.  I stamped the 'create' in basic black classic ink.  This word is from the creative elements stamp set.

I hope you have found some inspiration here.  And I hope that you play along with us.  Use your favorite color combinations, stamps and papers to create a beautiful paper craft to share with us @ SFF. 

Thoughts of Pink

Busy, busy, busy.  But who isn't these days.  I know I'm busy, so I can only assume you are too.  We all have families, work, chores around the house, errands to run, and well, it's hard to carve out some free time to do what you love.  Me, paper craft.  So, let's get some inspiration moving!

The ladies over @ Nacho Average Challenge have a wonderfully creative sketch for you to try this week.  And here it is:

when I first saw this sketch, I was at a lost.  But then, I really 'looked' at it.

here is what I came up with:

I hope that you recognize the paper blossom that I made.  It is a 'Dream' blossom.  I made quite a few of them in the last week.  And they are super fun to create.  I made several different ones and are available for purchase in my Etsy shop, here.  I am also working on an E-book for Amazon Kindle.  

The card base is soft suede cardstock.  The main panel is pink pirouette.  I used the very vintage wheel inked in pink pirouette classic ink, and ran the wheel across the front of the card.  I'm not a fan of 'white' space and 'flat' cards drive me crazy.  I knew that I wanted some text embossed on the front of the card.  but my background stamp in vertical. This card is horizontal.  UGH!

I inked half the stamp with versa mark ink and stamped half the card front.  I did the 'finger tap' technique, so the words would be random.  Then I inked the stamp again with versa mark ink and stamped the other half of the card front.  repeated the same technique.  I used white embossing powder and my heat gun to emboss this panel.

I wrapped a piece of first edition dsp around the center of the card front.  I made my sentiment piece a banner and used foam tape to elevate the sentiment off the front of the card.

For my two half circles, I did round clusters.  The left side is actually a paper 'Dream' blossom and a postage stamp.  The right side is two multi-loop bows and a ticket.  For the multi-loop bow bundle, I created two multi-loop bows, one very vanilla, and one dyed with calypso coral re-inker.  I threaded some white bakers twine through a facet button and tied the two bows together.

I just love this color combination together.  Now, lets see what you create!  Join us @ NAC!

Paper 'Inspire' Blossoms

Creating is such a wonderful outlet for me.  It allows me to focus on the task at hand, and use the other side of my brain.  If you stopped by yesterday, you saw some beautiful hand-made paper blossoms that I created.  The encouragement came from two wonderfully supportive girl friends, who enjoy paper crafting as much as I do.  Well, after I had made those 'Dream' Blossoms, in a variety of colors, I wanted to create a different looking paper blossom.  So, back into my craft room, I went.

I created these paper 'Inspire' blossoms.  And, I wrote a tutorial, that Amazon Kindle has published.  The e-book is published in a variety of languages and can be purchased and downloaded here.  I also made a pair of these 'Inspire' blossoms to sell in my Etsy shop, here.

Thank you for looking.  I hope you have found some inspiration here, and create something beautiful!

Paper Dream Blossoms

What a gorgeous day!  I had the most lovely lunch with two very special girl friends.  Both of whom have taught me so much about friendship, paper crafting, and business.  It is from their encouragement, that I have taken another leap in expanding my paper crafting hobby/business, and to further my teaching.  I am writing a few tutorials to be published.  

But, before I tackle that venture, I wanted to share my latest 'love'.  Hand-made paper flowers.  

lush full blossoms  

After our lunch, I headed straight for my craft room, and to create more of these paper blossoms.  I sat down and made six different colors of these beautiful paper Dream blossoms.  Since these paper flowers are hand-made, each one is unique, so no two will be a carbon copy of the other. 

At first, I wasn't quite sure what to name them.  I had used these paper flowers on a card that I made for a challenge earlier this week. I used the sentiment that I stamped on the card: Dream.  And now, these hand-made, paper flowers are for sale in my Etsy shop, found here.  They are officially named: Dream Blossoms.  I made a pair in green, blue, pink, purple, yellow, and grey.  Each pair of paper Dream blossoms are sold on a hand-stamped button card.  A paper Dream blossom measures approximate 2" wide and 1" tall.  I used Stampin' Up! card stock, classic inks, and shimmer paint to create these unique and one-of-a-kind paper flowers.  If you need a specific color, i.e. pretty in pink, old olive, pool party, soft sky, etc, please contact me privately, either at my Etsy shop here or @ bachnucmed@excite.com

I hope this weekend is wonderful for you!  I am off to my craft room, to create a different style paper blossom.  I'm excited to start this new venture!