Sunday, March 20, 2016

WaterColor Blossoms; Card

Hello.  I made a card to say 'Thank You' to those ladies who placed orders @ Ashley's KEEP Collective party.  {smile}  The ladies she invited were funny, personable, and friendly. 
The wonderful ladies over @ The Paper Players have a current challenge that fit this bill!  Their theme for their current challenge is to create a clean and simple card with a Spring theme! Yahoo!


And, the wonderfully talented ladies over @ Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge have a similar challenge: Welcome Spring, and use ribbon, lace, or trim on your project.  Easy!
and here is what I made:


Recipe:  I used crumb cake card stock for the card base.  The matt is made with crisp cantaloupe card stock.  I just love this color.  It's a softer version of the Coral.  
I stamped the floral image in Black detail ink, on to white shimmer card stock.  I used re-inkers to water color the blossoms with aqua painter.  I used crisp cantaloupe, pink pirouette, blushing bride, coral, pear pizzazz, and pistachio pudding.  


Once the blossoms were water colored, I sprayed the panel with a shimmer mist.  I really wanted the sparkle!  Finally, I hand-stamped the 'thank you' from the hand-scripted stamp set by Amuse Studio in Basic Black classic ink.   

I used my paper piercer to create two tiny holes on each side of the blossom stems, and strung a thin, sheer, coral ribbon, and tied a simple, single bow.  I wanted another embellishment, so I added a trio of marshmallow sequins.  The water colored panel was adhered to the cantaloupe card stock with foam tape.
I plan on dropping these beauties in the mail, once I hear from KEEP Collective, that Ashley's party orders have been shipped.  {smile}  I hope the ladies really do love their cards and unique jewelry.  {smile}


Saturday, March 19, 2016

Uniquely YOU!

Howdy.  and welcome to my little slice of blog-land.  I was a bit preoccupied yesterday.  I mailed a Birthday card to my mom, last week.  Yes, last week.  And everyday since her birthday, I have been checking-in with my folks to see if her hand-made card arrived.  And everyday, both my mom, and myself were disappointed that her card did NOT arrive.  So, I had to make a trip down to the USPS to see what I could do to track down her card, or to see if it was returned, or simply what was going on.  No luck.  {frown}  And then, I got a call from my mom.  Her card had finally arrived!  My mom lives in the same state as me - New Mexico.  She lives 270 miles south of me.  And so, I originally figured 4 days for the USPS to deliver her card.  No!  they look 7 days!  yes, 7 days!  Anyways, mom, was very happy with her card! {smile}


I {heart} spending time finding junk

I have a girlfriend who decided to host a KEEP Collective party, to help me sell some of these fabulously unique statement pieces {smile}.  Her 'party' is still open to allow her family and friends to look, create, and select the right pieces HERE.  So, if you too would like to place an order, please use this link.  If you would like to host your OWN party, please get in touch with me {smile}.  You can do an on-line party if that works best for your schedule.  {smile}

Thank you for looking!  I hope your weekend was good, productive, and relaxing! I had a good one!


Wednesday, March 16, 2016

sorority

KEEP Collective is excited to announce their first ever 
Official Sorority Licensed product!  




While you have always been able to buy any combination of their Greek Letters, you have not been able to buy combinations of real Sororities! Until now!  KEEP Collective has officially licensed three Sororities!  The letters in each pack are the same as the individual Greek Letters, they are just simply packaged together!
Book your next Social with me, to get your Sorority sisters their own KEEP Collective Sorority Greek Letters!  

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Happy Birthday Mom; Card

Hello, and Happy Birthday Mom!  I made a birthday card a few weeks ago, and have kept it under wraps.  My mom reads my blog.  {smile}  The birthday card I made, is, yeah, for my mom.  Her birthday is actually today.  So, I can 'share' my creation with you today.  My mom's Birthday card will be in her snail mail box today!  Sure happy and sure excited for her!  Because who doesn't love snail mail that isn't a bill or some junk mail [that doesn't even make it in the house]. {smile}


Ok, this card is an A2 size card: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  Love this size!  So, let's get right to business, so you know how I made it, and you can use some of these techniques yourself.
For the card base, I used Wisteria Wonder card stock by Stampin' Up!  It's a beautifully heavy weight card stock.  I used a light weight card stock by Amuse Studios in Taupe for the matt.  I used three different, but coordinating pattern papers from Tilda for the card.  I added a pale grey blue floral pattern paper for the main panel.  I added a darker blue tiny floral pattern paper and a pink leaf pattern paper.  [I matched the pinks in the blossoms when selecting the pattern papers.]

I used the edge of my scissors to rough-up the edges of the paper panels.  I did sponge some kraft ink onto the edges to help convey the 'time' or 'age' of the card.  I also used the edge of the scissors to create the 'rip'.  I added a polka dot pattern paper in that area.  I wanted something contrasting, but coordinating.  {smile}
I added a purposefully sloppy double border with my sewing machine.  [I love this look.]  I added some sponging on top of the stitching, to help them 'pop'.  
I had a scrap piece of white cotton trim that was tea dyed, so I stitched that piece onto the front of the card too.  
I strung kraft twine through a trio of lavender moon vintage buttons by PaperTrey Ink and adhered them to the pink leaf pattern paper.  I kept the twine long on purpose.  
The TAG:  this is the focal piece, and one that I'm super happy with {smile}.  I used a scrap piece of taupe card stock for the tag base.  I tied a small piece of wisteria wonder seam binding through the hole, but wanted something more.  so I added a bow tied with lavender thin tinsel.  I love how it adds some sparkle and softness to the over-all whole look of the card. {smile}

My sentiment was created with heat embossing and simple stamping.  I stamped the sentiment in versa mark onto vellum card stock and added silver embossing powder and heat embossed.  I just love how soft and elegant the silver embossing looks.  I used the hand script stamp set by PaperTrey Ink.  I added my adhesive to the back of the vellum piece where the sentiment is to help 'hide' the adhesive, which can be seen through this semi-translucent card stock.  I stamped the 'happy birthday' onto whisper white card stock in basic black classic ink, using Teeny Tiny wishes stamp set by Stampin' Up!.  Then I fussy cut the sentiment and adhered it to the vellum piece.  
I added a gift card to the inside of the card.  That way, my mom can celebrate HER day, anyway she wants: shopping, dining, relaxing at the spa, or simply going to afternoon tea with girlfriends.
Happy Birthday MOM!  I hope your day is fabulous and you get a chance to do what your heart desires.  Love you!
Thank you for stopping by and taking a moment to look at what I have been creating!  Enjoy your day! and come back soon.  I'll be sharing more.


Saturday, March 12, 2016

Say Cheese!; Card

Howdy and welcome.  Today is the first day of the Rubber Stamp Show, here in Albuquerque, NM! Yahoo!   This annual event is a great opportunity for rubber stamping companies from all over the United States to set up shop and sell their wares.  The show runs from 9:30a to 5p today and 11a to 4p tomorrow, I believe!  
During the show, they have a card contest.  Two contests (one of each day) and I entered this year.  It's actually a big accomplishment, because I always say that I will enter, and then life gets in the way, and I don't.  But, I actually sent in a card for this year!  I entered Sunday's contest, that has the theme 'Say Cheese".  [Saturday's contest theme is 'Across the Miles'.]

Sunday Card Contest theme: Say Cheese
My card was selected as their First Place winner!  I received $100 in 'show bucks', to spend at the Rubber Stamp Show.  I'm super excited and very proud of my work!  A huge 'Thank You', to everyone who voted for my card.  I appreciate it!
This card is the typical A2 size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2").  
When I read what the theme was, I instantly thought of a camera.  And I have a camera stamp.  So, I set out in my craft room to see what I could create.  The only stamp I have with a camera, is this one from Paper Trey Ink: Shutterbug.  It's a 'vintage' camera, but so perfect for me, right!  I stamped the camera onto very vanilla card stock three times.  Yes, three times.  And then I fussy cut it out.  One whole image, and the then two downsized portions.  I used foam tape to stack the images on top of each other, to give the illusion that the camera is coming out of the card.  Perfect.  but now I needed paper.  
Since my camera image is 'vintage' why not pair it with 'vintage' paper.  Tilda, came to mind.  It's a craft company from Scandinavia and the pattern papers are just vintage, shabby chic perfect!  I layered three different pattern papers (large floral, tiny floral, and polka dots), and adhered to a Taupe card stock matt, by Amuse Studios.  I added a single, simple border stitch with my sewing machine.  Wrapped some crinkle seam binding, and crochet trim.  I didn't want to add adhesive to the trims, so I machine stitched them to the card front, using a zig zag stitch.
Adhered the card front to an A2 size card made with Crumb Cake card stock by Stampin' Up!  I just love the heavy weight of this card stock for the base of my cards.  
Tied a multi-loop bow, added a simple bow made with metallic bakers twine just under the seam binding bow, and topped that piece with a small, simple paper blossom.  Not too fussy, just simply pretty!
The Shutterbug stamp set has this adorable sentiment: Say Cheese & Eat Cake.  So I stamped it onto a scrap piece of very vanilla card stock.  Used a hand-help circle punch to create the sentiment tag.  I added a single faux brad to the top of the circle and adhered it to the card front with foam tape to get it over the edge of the camera.  I also made another sentiment tag, 'happy birthday'.  Its from the Tiny Wishes stamp set by Stampin' Up!  I just love the typewriter font.  I hand cut the sentiment out into a rectangle.  I sponged the edges of both sentiment pieces, to help convey the 'vintage' look and feel.  And it helps give the sentiment pieces some dimension.

Thank you for looking, and here I am with my fingers crossed, hoping I win, place, or show.  {smile}
[Win, Place, Show - are horse racing terms.  Win - 1st place, Place - 2nd place, and Show - 3rd place in horse racing.   The rubber stamp show is held at the Albuquerque Fair Grounds, which has a horse racing track.]  The prize for having your card voted 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place is receiving 'show' bucks to use at the Rubber Stamp Show.  It's like free money! {smile}



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Green Shamrocks that Sparkle

Wear what matters to you!  Create your own one-of-a-kind statement piece.  


Invite your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, the ladies in the school car pool, the PTA board members, the ladies at the church social, the ladies you have lunch with, the ladies you chat with, the ladies who you love the most/best, & your BFF.  Invite those women who you like, who's friendship mean something to you!  Share this new and exciting way, to wear what matters most to you!
Don't have time to clean the house and bake a few goodies, host a On-Line Social.  
Easy, just ask ME how!
or visit my page @
https://www.keep-collective.com/with/sharonwheet