Everyday Friend

It's time for another challenge from Sketch Frenzy Friday!  These talented ladies always have fun and creative sketches for us to play with.  Patricia, is the creator of this week's sketch!  Here it is:

This was an easy sketch to work with.  Here is the card that I created, with this sketch:

I wanted to use  some of the new DSP, and an 'older' stamp set.  Well, actually the text panel is a jumbo wheel.  I rolled it in Wild Wasabi classic ink.  That's the color of the cardstock, too.  The pattern paper comes from a new mini catalog.  The paper blossom I made with pure poppy and calypso coral cardstocks. The little banner was made with the You're a Gem stamp set.  

This card came together quick and easy.  Now hop on over to Tammy F.'s blog and see what she has created!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you have time to play along with us!

Note Holder

Hello, and thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are inspired to create something beautiful!  At my work, they use clothes pins to hold notes to things.  Interesting, huh?  Well, I thought about altering a few.  That way, the notes look more important, or not so drab.  

Actually, this was easier than it looks.  I just took scraps of pattern paper from my scrap box, cut them to size (1/4" x 2 1/2"), and then added various embellishments.  The only thing to keep in mind when altering a clothes pin, think small.  Small, for everything!  Small pattern papers.  Small word stamps.  Small buttons.  Small tags.  

I edged the pattern papers in crumb cake classic ink and used liquid glue to adhere the paper.  I used a hot glue gun to attach the embellishments - I don't want to come off.

Easy peasy!

Some of the clothes pins are fancier than others.  But, I love them all.  I'm going to E6000 glue magnets on a few of them, so we (my girlfriend, and I) can attach ours to the outside of our lockers.  We both paper craft, so it is only fitting that our lockers be paper crafted!

I want to give one to my daughter, for her refrigerator.  She is expecting a baby in August, so the Ultra Sound photo of the baby will look adorable 'pinned' with an altered clothes pin.

The 'JUST because' pin is for the break room at work.  We already have a 'naked' clothes pin holding notes to the napkin holder, so why not.

The bottom clothes pin (notes) is for my friend.  She is always doing stuff for me, and is someone who I can always talk with.

The 'Live YOUR BLISS' is for my locker.

Thanks for looking.  I hope I have inspired you to alter a common house hold item, and turn it into something pretty, and altered!

Thank You, my Friend

Can you believe that the work week is already half over? Well, the talented folks over @ Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge, have the perfect sketch for you, to get those creative juices flowing!  The only thing that we ask, is that you use Stampin' Up! materials.  Here is this weeks sketch:

See what I mean?  Very user-friendly!  Those circles can be just about anything: stars, butterflies, flowers, hearts, etc.  And the text paper can be pattern paper. The sentiment can be a banner, or keep it as a narrow rectangle.  Now, take a look, at what I did with this great sketch:

I knew what I wanted to do with this card; paper blossoms on butterflies.  But, I needed a color scheme.  A friend sent me a link to a blog that she thought I would love.  And she was right!  Here is the inspiration photo I used, and click HERE to go to  the site. (I have pinned some of the other images to my 'Inspiration' board @ Pinterest.)

Isn't this a great inspiration photo?  I used pool party card stock for my card base.  It was roughly the closest thing that I had to the blue on the table cloth.  I matted the First Edition DSP onto basic gray card stock.  The butterflies were cut with the butterfly die and emboss lit.  I used naturals card stock for the butterflies.  I used mostly whisper white card stock for the flowers.  The largest one I sponged more mustard classic ink onto the scallop circles.  The tiny, rolled flower, I sponged calypso coral classic ink, onto the scallop circle before I rolled it.  The middle flower, I used regal rose, pink pirouette and whisper white card stock and the trio flower punch to create the flower.  The two larger flowers used the new tiny brads to hold the flowers together. 

 Instead of a text rectangle, I wrapped some blushing bride twill ribbon around my card.  For my sentiment, I stamped three tags and used the jewelry tag to punch out the shape.  I took a gray button from the neutrals collection and glittered it up!  I used white bakers twine to tie the tags onto the button, and added a bow.

I made this card, for a dear friend of mine.  She always takes the time to think of me, and she is always there when I need someone.  This card is too fragile to just stuff in an envelope.  So I'm going to mail it to her in a box, under some tissue paper.  So, she will have a 'gift' so to speak, when it arrives in her mailbox.  

Now it's your turn!  Lets see what you can create with this user-friendly sketch and your SU! supplies!

You're Sweet, Thank You

It's Tuesday, and I hope this week has gotten off to a good start for you.  Me, yes.  I'm really enjoying my day off from work.  No, I'm not sick.  Just a scheduled day off.  I have no plans to drive into town, and the snow has been falling for a few hours now.  So, it's good to be 'isolated' and no deadlines to get to.

For those who know me, I get up early, everyday.  Yes, even Saturdays, Sundays, and days off.  So, this morning I was looking at some of my bookmarked favorite blog challenge sites, and well I found three I can enter.  So, here they are:  the Sketch (lay-out) came from Card Patterns, the Color scheme came from CR84FN Color Challenge, and the 3-D/Template challenge came from Just Us GirlS.

Lets start with the 3-D/Template Challenge.  Just Us GirlS, wants you to create a 3-D item, using a template.  Easy peasy, right?  I wanted to create a card & gift in one.  So, I remembered that I had purchased a template from Adela Rossol, it was the Gift & Card Combo.  Just Us GirlS, also has a few requires, they want us to include: ribbon, button(s), and flower(s).  Sounds pretty, and girly, and that I can do!

I needed a color scheme to get going with papers and embellishments.  I headed over to CR84FN color challenge.  This week, they wants us to use Kraft, Yellow, and Gray.  Sounds pretty.  And if you look at the inspirational photos, there are butterflies, doilies, lemons and a heart.  I can use those.

Now, for a layout.  I headed over to Card Patterns, they always have a great design.  Easy to work with.  In their directions, they say you can rotate the sketch, so that is what I did.  I needed one that is vertical.

Here is what I came up with:

For those who know me, if you take away any company/manufacture restrictions, I can use just about everything in my craft room.  And with no company/manufaturer requirements, that's what I did!

Lets get started with pattern paper.  I used paper from Cosmo Cricket, Memory Keepers, and Melissa Frances.  (I used papers from my scrap box.)  The solid card stock is all from Stampin' Up!.  Crumb cake is the card base.  I did various matts in whisper white, going gray texture, and the inside 'gift' was made with very vanilla.

I used three ribbons total. For the outside of the card/gift, I used a crochet trim from Stampin' Up! and a polka dot Kraft ribbon from Paper Trey Ink.  On the inside, I used going gray taffeta ribbon and white bakers twine from Stampin' Up!.  

The butterflies were a collection.  The embossed butterflies are from an emboss-lit by Stampin' Up!, and the inside butterfly is actually a stamp I stamped twice (one on card stock and the other on vellum) from Paper Trey Ink.  I added half faux pearls from Stampin' Up! to the center of the butterflies, to help convey a girly, feminine 'feel'.

The buttons are a miss mash of Paper Trey Ink, Amuse studio, and CTMH.  For the buttons on the front, I sprayed  them with spray adhesive, and then dipped them in dazzling diamond glitter, by Stampin' Up!. I finished them off, with a spray of clear sealant.  (I didn't want the glitter to rub off, when I was working with them.)  

For the flowers on the front of the card/gift, I stacked a paper blossom on top of a fabric flower.  I hot glued this floral creation to the top of a gray heart cut from gray textured card stock.  I also distress the edges with some picket fence paint.  

The tag on the front of the card/gift, I cut from a die and stamped the sentiment in going gray classic ink.  I needed a small and simple tag, so not to distract from the pretty paper and embellishments.  I chose this sentiment, because I plan on putting candy inside the box, as the 'gift'.  How yummy!

I used the new frame dies from Stampin' Up! to create the inside window.  I stamped a leaf flourish in snow pigment ink and heat embossed the 'window' with clear embossing powder.   I added some kraft paper shred inside the box so you could see the white embossed leaves on the 'window'.  

The inside sentiment comes from Paper Trey Ink.  I added two hearts cut from the gray textured card stock to the inside, also.  One is under the embossed butterfly and the other is on the stamped butterfly.  I added half faux pearls to the butterfly bodies, to continue the design from the cover.  I tied a yellow heart-shaped button with bakers twine, to the gray taffeta ribbon. I will fill this box with my friends favorite candy: chocolate covered gummy bears.  

I opened the card/gift combo, so you could see the back of the 'card'.  I wanted to show you that I did pay attention to detail and use one large scrap to decorate.  I  also believe that if you continue the same elements and designs through-out your paper craft item, you will achieve a cohesive design with elements that 'belong' (because they are repeated). 

Thank you for looking.  I hope that you get a chance to play along in any/all of these fabulous challenges.

Over the Edge for You

Happy Saturday! I hope that this post finds all of you in good health and enjoying your weekend.  For me, the perfect afternoon, is sitting in my craft room, creating something pretty.  I have a great view outside my window, and I always have my favorite music playing.  

And yesterday wasn't any different.  Tui, is the hostess this again this week, over @ Our Creative Corner, and she has a fabulous challenge for us  this week.  It's called, 'Over the Edge'.  Tui's challenge is for you 'to create a card, or paper craft item with a design element that flows off the edge of your card'.  How fun is that?  I encourage you to stop by the challenge blog and see what these fabulously talented ladies have created!  You will be inspired!

Here is my card:

For this challenge, I have two elements that flow off the edge of my card.  The seam binding and button embellishment at the top of the card.  As well as the sentiment tag, at the right upper corner.

I'm not completely satisfied with this card.  I'm pretty happy, but now I see something that I should have done.  There really isn't a defining border to either of the pattern papers.  So, I wish I had sponged the edges.  There are two different pattern papers with the same colors in them.  

I cut two different color butterflies.  I used crumb cake seam binding.  To create the tag, is used speckled cream paper.  I used a matching die and stamp set, from amuse studios.  The sentiment is from a retired Stampin' Up! stamp set, Kind and Caring Thoughts.  The flower is a left over from a scrapbook page I did over 6 years ago.  (yes, I hoard hold-on to unique scrapbooking materials.)  The text paper is from Melissa Frances.  The button came from my 'jar o'buttons'.  The pattern paper is from Wild Asparagus, and is easily 5/+yrs old.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you find time to play along with us in this weeks challenge.  

Happiness Always

Happy Friday!  I hope this week has been good to you.  It's Friday, and that means its time for another blog hop by Sketch Frenzy Friday!  Maria, is the designer of this week's sketch.  She is pretty talented, so I'm sure that you will love to play along.  Let's see what Maria has designed for us to play with:

I know you can see all the possibilities of this sketch!  It's truly fabulous!  And in my usual fashion, I 'played' with the sketch a bit.  I just loved the circle across the 'ribbon'.  I used a new stamp set that hasn't been released yet.  So, I hope you can bear with me, and have a little patience.  Here is my card:

I used the new Everyday Enchantment DSP, as well as my all time favorite: First Edition DSP.  I stamped the 'label' from Everything Eleanor stamp set, in crumb cake classic ink.  I fussy cut  the 'label' out with my paper snips.  I stamped the 'Happiness Always' from the Happy Greetings stamp set, in early espresso classic ink.  I spritz the seam binding with some water and crinkled it by hand. I made one of my favorite multi-loop bows and tied a red button on with some linen thread.  I added a half faux pearl to the button center.  I also added some of the smaller half faux pearls along the scallop borders.  I cut two different pattern papers with the tasteful trim die, to create the scallop border.  I gave the whole card a sprtiz of home made crumb cake champagne shimmer mist.

Now, don't forget, this is a blog hop.  So your next stop is Tammy F. blog.  I hope that you join us in this challenge this week!  We'd love to see what you create!