Sean and I are trekking our happy selves down to Tennessee (to visit Mom and Henry) this evening until late this week, so I may be a bit scarce between now and then. I was hoping to have something to share before we headed out, but I'm afraid that isn't likely. You see, it's 3 hours to Wapner and I still have a "t'do" list that needs t'done. And it's long. It was longer, but I've been chipping away at it steadily for the last few days. Yesterday I checked "go get license renewed" off the list. It wasn't crowded (for a Saturday morning) and I made the DMV lady chuckle, so all-in-all a rather successful trip. I love making crabby people chuckle. It gives me a bit of a thrill. How's that for living on the edge?
Anyway...enjoy your week and I'll return to blogland before you know it!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Funny Little Story
I'm sorry I've been missing. I've been working on projects all week that aren't ready to be shared. I've been mulling over some things this week that I'd like to discuss, but I need a few more days to formulate my thoughts. In the meantime...
I wanted to share a funny little story that Sean told me when he arrived home from basketball this evening. He was driving home and he had stopped at a light when a car of young college girls pulled up and rolled down their window to talk to him. The conversation went something like this:
Young College Girls (YCG): Hi there. What are you up to?
Cutie Patootie Hubs (CPH): Just got done playing basketball.
YCG: Looks that way. Hey, we're going to a party (Really?! It's a Monday night.) do you want to come along?
CPH: I don't think so.
YCG: What's your name?
CPH: "Happily Married For Five And A Half Years."
Light turns green. He drives home to tell me the story.
I love that man.
I wanted to share a funny little story that Sean told me when he arrived home from basketball this evening. He was driving home and he had stopped at a light when a car of young college girls pulled up and rolled down their window to talk to him. The conversation went something like this:
Young College Girls (YCG): Hi there. What are you up to?
Cutie Patootie Hubs (CPH): Just got done playing basketball.
YCG: Looks that way. Hey, we're going to a party (Really?! It's a Monday night.) do you want to come along?
CPH: I don't think so.
YCG: What's your name?
CPH: "Happily Married For Five And A Half Years."
Light turns green. He drives home to tell me the story.
I love that man.
Friday, June 19, 2009
A Little Announcement
I am super excited to be included in the Columbus Crafty Cotillion Handmade Expo on Saturday, August 8th. The event will be held at the Family Fun Pavilion at the Ohio State Fair from 12-7 o'clock. There are other special events at the fair that day including an Ohio Roller Girls bout and a mural painting demo by Adam Brouillette. I hope you'll join us at the fair!
P.S. And if the indie events aren't enough to entice you... we're right next to the giant slide.
P.S. And if the indie events aren't enough to entice you... we're right next to the giant slide.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Father's Day #2
When I asked Sean what he wanted on his dad's Father's Day card he looked around my room and said "How about something blue...like the owl." Well, alright. I was happy to oblige.
I stamped the owl onto white cardstock, colored him, and cut him out with precision scissors. Then, I stamped the branch and "dad" onto Kraft cardstock. After coloring my branch I added my owl with foam tape and adhered the Kraft to a Dark Chocolate layer. I added a couple of stitches and set that aside while I stamped my polka dotted background. I saw Nichole Heady do this during the Papertrey Ink countdown and I knew I wanted to try it. You stamp one size polka dot first and then go back and fill in another size in the gaps. I really like the way it looks. Sort of retro chic, right? Anyway, I sponged the edges of my patterned layer and adhered it to a white base. To finish, I adhered my image panel to the center of the card and added dimensional glaze to the owl's eyes.
I hope he likes it! I'll see you again tomorrow with some fabulous (yet unproduced) project. Have a great day!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore; Blue (I'm not sure of the actual color) - Bazzill
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Pretty Birds - Cornish Heritage Farms (Kim Hughes Collection); Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink; Dad Sentiment - Studio G
Fibers: White Embroidery Floss - DMC
Other: Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Mineral Spirits; Foam Tape - Scotch; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Sponge
I stamped the owl onto white cardstock, colored him, and cut him out with precision scissors. Then, I stamped the branch and "dad" onto Kraft cardstock. After coloring my branch I added my owl with foam tape and adhered the Kraft to a Dark Chocolate layer. I added a couple of stitches and set that aside while I stamped my polka dotted background. I saw Nichole Heady do this during the Papertrey Ink countdown and I knew I wanted to try it. You stamp one size polka dot first and then go back and fill in another size in the gaps. I really like the way it looks. Sort of retro chic, right? Anyway, I sponged the edges of my patterned layer and adhered it to a white base. To finish, I adhered my image panel to the center of the card and added dimensional glaze to the owl's eyes.
I hope he likes it! I'll see you again tomorrow with some fabulous (yet unproduced) project. Have a great day!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore; Blue (I'm not sure of the actual color) - Bazzill
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Pretty Birds - Cornish Heritage Farms (Kim Hughes Collection); Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink; Dad Sentiment - Studio G
Fibers: White Embroidery Floss - DMC
Other: Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Mineral Spirits; Foam Tape - Scotch; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Sponge
June Guest Star Stamper
Good afternoon, Lovelies! I still plan to share my father-in-law's Father's Day card, but first I'd like to share my Papertrey Ink Guest Star Stamper project from this month. I made a wreath using Star Prints and a styrofoam wreath form. It was a really easy project and I love how it turned out!
I started by wrapping the wreath form (a 10" size) with grosgrain ribbon. It took quite a bit of ribbon (12+ yards), but I'm sure if you used a wider ribbon it would take far less. I used 3/8" because that's what I had on hand. I anchored the ends with Glue Dots and they are holding really well. Next I stamped my stars in a few different patterns using three ink colors. The cutting of the stars went super fast because Nichole, being a genius, coordinated the images in Star Prints to a Fiskars punch. Amazing!
I arranged my first layer of stars before gluing them down. The color progression was purposeful, but the pattern arrangement was random and I wanted to make sure I liked the result. I hot glued the first layer and then added a second layer with foam tape (I left a space where I wanted to place my hanger). Then I made a hanger from a length of Spring Rain ribbon and a corduroy brad. A bow was the perfect finishing touch (also hot glued in place)!
Thanks for checking in this afternoon! I'll share my Father's Day card a little later. Until then, have a great day!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink; Prussian Blue, Seascape - Palette
Stamps: Star Prints - Papertrey Ink
Fibers: Spring Rain Saddle Stitched Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Red Grosgrain - Offray
Tools: XL Twinkle, Twinkle Punch - Fiskars; Hot Glue Gun
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Corduroy Brad - Imaginisce; Glue Dots; 10" Wreath Form - Joann
I started by wrapping the wreath form (a 10" size) with grosgrain ribbon. It took quite a bit of ribbon (12+ yards), but I'm sure if you used a wider ribbon it would take far less. I used 3/8" because that's what I had on hand. I anchored the ends with Glue Dots and they are holding really well. Next I stamped my stars in a few different patterns using three ink colors. The cutting of the stars went super fast because Nichole, being a genius, coordinated the images in Star Prints to a Fiskars punch. Amazing!
I arranged my first layer of stars before gluing them down. The color progression was purposeful, but the pattern arrangement was random and I wanted to make sure I liked the result. I hot glued the first layer and then added a second layer with foam tape (I left a space where I wanted to place my hanger). Then I made a hanger from a length of Spring Rain ribbon and a corduroy brad. A bow was the perfect finishing touch (also hot glued in place)!
Thanks for checking in this afternoon! I'll share my Father's Day card a little later. Until then, have a great day!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink; Prussian Blue, Seascape - Palette
Stamps: Star Prints - Papertrey Ink
Fibers: Spring Rain Saddle Stitched Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Red Grosgrain - Offray
Tools: XL Twinkle, Twinkle Punch - Fiskars; Hot Glue Gun
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Corduroy Brad - Imaginisce; Glue Dots; 10" Wreath Form - Joann
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Father's Day #1
Hello, Blogland! I've been working on Father's Day cards for our papas this week and I'll share one today and one tomorrow. We'll start with the card I made for my daddy. He's a big coffee drinker, so I went with a coffee theme for his card this year.
I began by stamping the coffee cup onto Kraft cardstock (outline first, solid second) and cut that out using precision scissors. I stamped the sentiment and saucer images onto another piece of Kraft before adhering it to a Dark Chocolate layer. Then I mounted the coffee cup with foam tape and stitched on the button. I set the image panel aside while I stamped the stitched background onto Spring Moss cardstock. The final step was mounting the image panel to the base and smiling with satisfaction (I'm only kidding about that last part).
I'm hoping to drive up to visit this weekend and I'll make sure to take a pound of Stauff's coffee to sweeten the pot.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day and visit again soon!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Frost White, Dark Brown Chalk - Colorbox
Stamps: Warm Happiness, Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink; Father's Day $1 Stamp - Studio G (Michaels)
Fibers: Dark Green - DMC
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; White Button - Papertrey Ink
I began by stamping the coffee cup onto Kraft cardstock (outline first, solid second) and cut that out using precision scissors. I stamped the sentiment and saucer images onto another piece of Kraft before adhering it to a Dark Chocolate layer. Then I mounted the coffee cup with foam tape and stitched on the button. I set the image panel aside while I stamped the stitched background onto Spring Moss cardstock. The final step was mounting the image panel to the base and smiling with satisfaction (I'm only kidding about that last part).
I'm hoping to drive up to visit this weekend and I'll make sure to take a pound of Stauff's coffee to sweeten the pot.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day and visit again soon!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Frost White, Dark Brown Chalk - Colorbox
Stamps: Warm Happiness, Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink; Father's Day $1 Stamp - Studio G (Michaels)
Fibers: Dark Green - DMC
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; White Button - Papertrey Ink
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Another Summertime Birthday
Good evening, Blogland! I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. Today we had dinner with Sean's family in celebration of Grandma's birthday. It was great to see everyone and eat a delicious meal together in honor of such a sweet lady. So today I am sharing Grandma's birthday card. I'm so glad she liked it! I'm pretty sure it's an unwritten faux pas to give grandmas bad birthday cards. Anyway, here it is...
I started by stamping the multi-line image in white ink onto a Kraft base. I wrapped that with a knotted piece of Sweet Blush twill and set it aside. Then I stamped the stem and leaf onto a small piece of white cardstock. I took a pushpin and pierced along the stem and the outer edge of the leaf. Then I backstitched through the holes using half a full strand (or three threads) of embroidery floss. I adhered that to a piece of Ripe Avocado before mounting both layers to a piece of Spring Moss (which had already been stamped with my sentiment). I added a decorative strip of cardstock to the Spring Moss before mounting the whole piece to the Kraft base.
Next, I stamped the poppy from Remember onto white cardstock in Burnt Umber and Sweet Blush inks. I've learned (and I think this may be mentioned in the Papertrey Tip Sheet, too) that it is much easier to line up solid and outline stamps if you use the outline first. I also stamped the solid part twice to make the color a little more saturated and vibrant. I cut out the bloom with scissors and stitched on the brown button with a piece of white embroidery floss (this time using the entire strand and going through the holes twice). Finally, I mounted that to the image panel using foam tape.
Tonight is the Papertrey release and I am so excited to see the sets in their entirety! Hope to catch you on the forum...
Recipe:
Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Kraft - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Spring Moss, Sweet Blush - Papertrey Ink; Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Remember, Birthday Basics, Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink
Tools: Apron Lace Border Punch - Fiskars; Push Pin; Needle
Fibers: Dark Green Embroidery Floss, White Embroidery Floss - DMC; Sweet Blush Twill - Papertrey Ink
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Brown Button
I started by stamping the multi-line image in white ink onto a Kraft base. I wrapped that with a knotted piece of Sweet Blush twill and set it aside. Then I stamped the stem and leaf onto a small piece of white cardstock. I took a pushpin and pierced along the stem and the outer edge of the leaf. Then I backstitched through the holes using half a full strand (or three threads) of embroidery floss. I adhered that to a piece of Ripe Avocado before mounting both layers to a piece of Spring Moss (which had already been stamped with my sentiment). I added a decorative strip of cardstock to the Spring Moss before mounting the whole piece to the Kraft base.
Next, I stamped the poppy from Remember onto white cardstock in Burnt Umber and Sweet Blush inks. I've learned (and I think this may be mentioned in the Papertrey Tip Sheet, too) that it is much easier to line up solid and outline stamps if you use the outline first. I also stamped the solid part twice to make the color a little more saturated and vibrant. I cut out the bloom with scissors and stitched on the brown button with a piece of white embroidery floss (this time using the entire strand and going through the holes twice). Finally, I mounted that to the image panel using foam tape.
Tonight is the Papertrey release and I am so excited to see the sets in their entirety! Hope to catch you on the forum...
Recipe:
Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Kraft - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Spring Moss, Sweet Blush - Papertrey Ink; Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Remember, Birthday Basics, Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink
Tools: Apron Lace Border Punch - Fiskars; Push Pin; Needle
Fibers: Dark Green Embroidery Floss, White Embroidery Floss - DMC; Sweet Blush Twill - Papertrey Ink
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Brown Button
Friday, June 12, 2009
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
It's my daddy's birthday! Happy Birthday, Daddy! So today I'm going to share the card I made in birthday celebration.
I started by stamping the small star from Everyday Classics onto white cardstock with Seascape ink. Then, I stamped the birthday sentiment using charcoal ink and punched out the sentiments using a circle punch. I adhered those circles to slightly larger circles I cut from Smoky Shadow cardstock. I cut out my stars and mounted them to the center of the circles using foam tape and set aside those star medallions for a moment.
Next I went about creating the patterned layer of my card. I stamped the stitched background from Background Basics: Retro in white ink onto Spring Rain cardstock and sponged the edges with charcoal. All that blue and gray was looking a little dreary, so I wrapped the Spring Rain layer with a bit of Pure Poppy twill to give the card a little pop. I adhered the blue layer to a white base before adding the star medallions on top of the twill with foam tape.
I hope he likes the card (and his present) as much as I do! Until next time...
Recipe:
Cardstock: Spring Rain, Smoky Shadow - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Seascape, Charcoal - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Around & About Sentiments, Everyday Classics (Limited Edition), Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink
Tools: 1 1/4" Circle Punch - Creative Memories; 1 1/2" Circle Punch - EK Success
Fibers: Pure Poppy Twill - Papertrey Ink
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Sponge
I started by stamping the small star from Everyday Classics onto white cardstock with Seascape ink. Then, I stamped the birthday sentiment using charcoal ink and punched out the sentiments using a circle punch. I adhered those circles to slightly larger circles I cut from Smoky Shadow cardstock. I cut out my stars and mounted them to the center of the circles using foam tape and set aside those star medallions for a moment.
Next I went about creating the patterned layer of my card. I stamped the stitched background from Background Basics: Retro in white ink onto Spring Rain cardstock and sponged the edges with charcoal. All that blue and gray was looking a little dreary, so I wrapped the Spring Rain layer with a bit of Pure Poppy twill to give the card a little pop. I adhered the blue layer to a white base before adding the star medallions on top of the twill with foam tape.
I hope he likes the card (and his present) as much as I do! Until next time...
Recipe:
Cardstock: Spring Rain, Smoky Shadow - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Seascape, Charcoal - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Around & About Sentiments, Everyday Classics (Limited Edition), Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink
Tools: 1 1/4" Circle Punch - Creative Memories; 1 1/2" Circle Punch - EK Success
Fibers: Pure Poppy Twill - Papertrey Ink
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Sponge
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Lovey Dovey
Hello my beautiful blog friends! I hope you're having a wonderful day! Today's project is a lovey dovey card I made recently. I've had a few requests for wedding/engagement/congratulations cards lately and I suppose all that joy put me in the mood for love. So today's card is one of those that I'll slip my husband on a random day to let him know just how sweet he is (can I get a collective awww?).
I started with a Kraft base stamped with a medium polka dot in burnt umber ink (I left a blank space where I was going to adhere my vellum layer because I didn't want my polka dots to compete with the texture of the vellum). Next, I took some (aforementioned) linen vellum and punched one side with my apron lace punch. The really nice thing about this vellum is its thickness. Forget vellum tape; I adhered this stuff to the base using basic ATG adhesive and you can't even see the line. Love that!
Then I die cut two hearts (one from chipboard and one from Pure Poppy cardstock) and stamped the medium polka dot in watermark ink over the red heart. Next I die cut the label and stamped the sentiment in burnt umber.
The next part is a little difficult to explain so stick with me. I placed my heart on my label where I wanted it to eventually be mounted and I punched a hole through both pieces. I took thin hemp twine and wrapped it around the label, threading it through the hole and knotting it in place (sort of tying it onto itself). That makes the knot really sturdy and allows it to stay in place even on the curved edge of the label. Then, I threaded the linen through the hole in the heart and mounted the heart to the label with foam tape. Once the heart was affixed, I tied on the button. I took that whole piece and mounted it to the base using foam tape.
The last steps were to round the corners and wrap the base with Pure Poppy ribbon, tying a pretty knot.
I hope you've enjoyed today's card. Tell someone you love them and I'll see you again soon!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Kraft, Linen Vellum - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Faux Ribbon - Papertrey Ink
Tools: Nestibilities Label 1 Dies - Spellbinders; Apron Lace Punch - Fiskars; Medium Corner Rounder - EK Success; Hearts, Flowers & Tag Die - Sizzix
Fibers: Pure Poppy Saddle Stitched Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Hemp Twine - Darice
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; White button - Papertrey Ink; Chipboard
I started with a Kraft base stamped with a medium polka dot in burnt umber ink (I left a blank space where I was going to adhere my vellum layer because I didn't want my polka dots to compete with the texture of the vellum). Next, I took some (aforementioned) linen vellum and punched one side with my apron lace punch. The really nice thing about this vellum is its thickness. Forget vellum tape; I adhered this stuff to the base using basic ATG adhesive and you can't even see the line. Love that!
Then I die cut two hearts (one from chipboard and one from Pure Poppy cardstock) and stamped the medium polka dot in watermark ink over the red heart. Next I die cut the label and stamped the sentiment in burnt umber.
The next part is a little difficult to explain so stick with me. I placed my heart on my label where I wanted it to eventually be mounted and I punched a hole through both pieces. I took thin hemp twine and wrapped it around the label, threading it through the hole and knotting it in place (sort of tying it onto itself). That makes the knot really sturdy and allows it to stay in place even on the curved edge of the label. Then, I threaded the linen through the hole in the heart and mounted the heart to the label with foam tape. Once the heart was affixed, I tied on the button. I took that whole piece and mounted it to the base using foam tape.
The last steps were to round the corners and wrap the base with Pure Poppy ribbon, tying a pretty knot.
I hope you've enjoyed today's card. Tell someone you love them and I'll see you again soon!
Recipe:
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Kraft, Linen Vellum - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Faux Ribbon - Papertrey Ink
Tools: Nestibilities Label 1 Dies - Spellbinders; Apron Lace Punch - Fiskars; Medium Corner Rounder - EK Success; Hearts, Flowers & Tag Die - Sizzix
Fibers: Pure Poppy Saddle Stitched Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Hemp Twine - Darice
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; White button - Papertrey Ink; Chipboard
Monday, June 8, 2009
Wall Frames Part 3
Today we have the final chapter of my wall frames explanation. I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I put these little lovelies together! If you've missed the past posts you can catch up by reading the studio tour post here, part one of the wall frames here, and part two of the wall frames here.
The first frame for today is the owl frame.
I started by typesetting and printing the quote onto Kraft cardstock. Then I stamped the branch onto the base and an owl onto scrap cardstock. Those were colored using colored pencils and mineral spirits. I cut out the owl with precision scissors and mounted him above the branch with foam tape. The last step was adding a little glaze to the owl's eyes to make them all shiny. Isn't he cute?!
The next frame today is the Earth laughs frame.
I started this one with the pin dot stamp from Polka Dot basics in watermark ink on Spring Moss cardstock. Then I stamped the stems and the quote onto the base. The flowers were stamped onto white cardstock and cut with precision scissors before being mounted to the base with foam adhesive. I wanted the larger flower to stand out so I bedazzled it with a clear rhinestone.
This last one is my very, very favorite of the bunch. It's my dandelion frame.
I began by stamping the stitched background onto my Kraft base using watermark ink. I love this background. It reminds me of my grandpa. It looks like his jammies. I'm sure he would have loved me telling the world he wore stitched jammies. Anyway...after the background, I stamped my dandelion in white ink. The stem on this stamp is actually a lot shorter than it would appear, but I knew I was going to stitch over the stem, so I just placed the stamp where I wanted it to land. The sentiment took me awhile to figure out (layered scalloped circle, unlayered scalloped circle, unlayered regular cirlcle, etc), but I finally settled on making a sort of pierced frame using a couple of my scalloped and regular circle dies and a regular ol' pushpin (no fancy schmancy piercers for me). I glued on the frame first to make sure I would get my placement right for the sentiment. After my sentiment had dried, I backstitched the dandelion stem using dark green embroidery floss and applied glitter and glaze to all the little bitty dots on the dandelion head. The final result is subtly sparkly and has amazing texture.
Well, that's all of them. I hope you've enjoyed getting to see all of these up close. Tomorrow's our first day at the farm for this season, so I may not post until Wednesday. We'll see. Until next time...
Recipe (owl frame):
Cardstock: Kraft - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette
Stamps: Pretty Birds (Kim Hughes Collection) - Cornish Heritage Farms
Other: Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Mineral Spirits; Foam Tape - Scotch; Font: Atilla Normal; Glossy Accents - Ranger
Recipe (Earth laughs frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Melon Berry, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Green Thumb, Honey Bees, Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Other: Clear Rhinestone - Darice; Foam Tape - Scotch
Recipe (dandelion frame):
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Frost White - Colorbox; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Star Prints, Background Basics Retro - Papertrey Ink; Dandelion - Paper Source
Tools: Nesting Circles; Nesting Flowers - Quickuts; push pin; sewing needle
Fibers: Dark Green Embroidery Floss - DMC
Other: Glitter Pen - Sakura; Glossy Accents - Ranger
The first frame for today is the owl frame.
I started by typesetting and printing the quote onto Kraft cardstock. Then I stamped the branch onto the base and an owl onto scrap cardstock. Those were colored using colored pencils and mineral spirits. I cut out the owl with precision scissors and mounted him above the branch with foam tape. The last step was adding a little glaze to the owl's eyes to make them all shiny. Isn't he cute?!
The next frame today is the Earth laughs frame.
I started this one with the pin dot stamp from Polka Dot basics in watermark ink on Spring Moss cardstock. Then I stamped the stems and the quote onto the base. The flowers were stamped onto white cardstock and cut with precision scissors before being mounted to the base with foam adhesive. I wanted the larger flower to stand out so I bedazzled it with a clear rhinestone.
This last one is my very, very favorite of the bunch. It's my dandelion frame.
I began by stamping the stitched background onto my Kraft base using watermark ink. I love this background. It reminds me of my grandpa. It looks like his jammies. I'm sure he would have loved me telling the world he wore stitched jammies. Anyway...after the background, I stamped my dandelion in white ink. The stem on this stamp is actually a lot shorter than it would appear, but I knew I was going to stitch over the stem, so I just placed the stamp where I wanted it to land. The sentiment took me awhile to figure out (layered scalloped circle, unlayered scalloped circle, unlayered regular cirlcle, etc), but I finally settled on making a sort of pierced frame using a couple of my scalloped and regular circle dies and a regular ol' pushpin (no fancy schmancy piercers for me). I glued on the frame first to make sure I would get my placement right for the sentiment. After my sentiment had dried, I backstitched the dandelion stem using dark green embroidery floss and applied glitter and glaze to all the little bitty dots on the dandelion head. The final result is subtly sparkly and has amazing texture.
Well, that's all of them. I hope you've enjoyed getting to see all of these up close. Tomorrow's our first day at the farm for this season, so I may not post until Wednesday. We'll see. Until next time...
Recipe (owl frame):
Cardstock: Kraft - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette
Stamps: Pretty Birds (Kim Hughes Collection) - Cornish Heritage Farms
Other: Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Mineral Spirits; Foam Tape - Scotch; Font: Atilla Normal; Glossy Accents - Ranger
Recipe (Earth laughs frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Melon Berry, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Green Thumb, Honey Bees, Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Other: Clear Rhinestone - Darice; Foam Tape - Scotch
Recipe (dandelion frame):
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Frost White - Colorbox; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Star Prints, Background Basics Retro - Papertrey Ink; Dandelion - Paper Source
Tools: Nesting Circles; Nesting Flowers - Quickuts; push pin; sewing needle
Fibers: Dark Green Embroidery Floss - DMC
Other: Glitter Pen - Sakura; Glossy Accents - Ranger
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wall Frames Part 2
I hope you enjoyed yesterday's installment of my wall frames explanation. Today I am going to show you the next three frames in the series. Again, if you're just joining us you can get all caught up with the original studio tour post here and part one of the wall frames here.
The first frame for today is the viney quote frame.
I started by stamping the solid and outline vines from Rustic Branches along with the solid berries onto a piece of Spring Moss. I continued by adding glitter and glaze to all of the berries to give a little visual interest. The quote stamp is a $1 stamp from Michael's that I bought ages ago. I die cut a circle, stamped the quote, and sponged the edges before adhering it to a scalloped circle. That whole piece was then mounted to the base with foam adhesive. This frame may be one of my favorites.
Next we have the new beginnings frame.
I stamped a medium-sized polka dot onto my Kraft base with watermark ink and set that aside. Then I die cut a bracket from white cardstock and stamped my bird nest and sentiment before inking the edges of the bracket. Often I will do the cutting first if I'm using a die cut for my main image. I don't want to have to worry that the die is going to shift during the cutting process and ruin my stamped image. I do the opposite though when I'm using a punch. After mounting the image panel I wrapped the base with dark chocolate twill and stitched on a button. Finally, I added glaze to the eggs and called it done.
Today's final frame is the delicate branch frame.
I started by stamping my branch and leaves onto my Spring Moss base. I wanted to add little white fuzzy buds, so I stamped polka dots and applied white Fun Flock with liquid glue (I find liquid glue works best with flocking). Then, I wrapped by base with dark chocolate twill. I knew I wanted to add my sentiment using a bracket shape, but I didn't have one on hand, so I designed my own and cut it from thin chipboard. I covered my chipboard with white cardstock and stamped my sentiment before sponging the edges and adhering the whole piece to the base with brads.
I hope you're enjoying seeing a more in-depth look at the vignette in my studio. I'll be back tomorrow with the final three frames. Have a great night!
Recipe (viney quote frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore, coral - Bazzill
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Melon Berry - Papertrey Ink
Stamps: Rustic Branches - Papertrey Ink; $1 Quote Stamp - Michael's
Tools: Nesting Circles, Nesting Flowers - Quickutz
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Glitter Pen - Sakura; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Sponge
Recipe (new beginnings frame):
Cardstock: Kraft - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Seascape, Burnt Umber - Palette; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Birds Of A Feather, Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Tools: Labels 1 Nestibilities - Spellbinders
Fibers: Dark Chocolate Twill - Papertrey Ink; White Embroidery Floss - DMC
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Button; Sponge
Recipe (delicate branch frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Out On A Limb, Out On A Limb Additions; Remember; Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Fibers: Dark Chocolate Twill - Papertrey Ink
Other: White Fun Flock - Stampendous; Leaf Mini Brads - American Crafts; Zig 2 Way Glue Pen - Kuretake; Chipboard; Sponge
The first frame for today is the viney quote frame.
I started by stamping the solid and outline vines from Rustic Branches along with the solid berries onto a piece of Spring Moss. I continued by adding glitter and glaze to all of the berries to give a little visual interest. The quote stamp is a $1 stamp from Michael's that I bought ages ago. I die cut a circle, stamped the quote, and sponged the edges before adhering it to a scalloped circle. That whole piece was then mounted to the base with foam adhesive. This frame may be one of my favorites.
Next we have the new beginnings frame.
I stamped a medium-sized polka dot onto my Kraft base with watermark ink and set that aside. Then I die cut a bracket from white cardstock and stamped my bird nest and sentiment before inking the edges of the bracket. Often I will do the cutting first if I'm using a die cut for my main image. I don't want to have to worry that the die is going to shift during the cutting process and ruin my stamped image. I do the opposite though when I'm using a punch. After mounting the image panel I wrapped the base with dark chocolate twill and stitched on a button. Finally, I added glaze to the eggs and called it done.
Today's final frame is the delicate branch frame.
I started by stamping my branch and leaves onto my Spring Moss base. I wanted to add little white fuzzy buds, so I stamped polka dots and applied white Fun Flock with liquid glue (I find liquid glue works best with flocking). Then, I wrapped by base with dark chocolate twill. I knew I wanted to add my sentiment using a bracket shape, but I didn't have one on hand, so I designed my own and cut it from thin chipboard. I covered my chipboard with white cardstock and stamped my sentiment before sponging the edges and adhering the whole piece to the base with brads.
I hope you're enjoying seeing a more in-depth look at the vignette in my studio. I'll be back tomorrow with the final three frames. Have a great night!
Recipe (viney quote frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore, coral - Bazzill
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Melon Berry - Papertrey Ink
Stamps: Rustic Branches - Papertrey Ink; $1 Quote Stamp - Michael's
Tools: Nesting Circles, Nesting Flowers - Quickutz
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Glitter Pen - Sakura; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Sponge
Recipe (new beginnings frame):
Cardstock: Kraft - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Seascape, Burnt Umber - Palette; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Birds Of A Feather, Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Tools: Labels 1 Nestibilities - Spellbinders
Fibers: Dark Chocolate Twill - Papertrey Ink; White Embroidery Floss - DMC
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; Button; Sponge
Recipe (delicate branch frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Out On A Limb, Out On A Limb Additions; Remember; Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Fibers: Dark Chocolate Twill - Papertrey Ink
Other: White Fun Flock - Stampendous; Leaf Mini Brads - American Crafts; Zig 2 Way Glue Pen - Kuretake; Chipboard; Sponge
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wall Frames Part 1
ETA: I should have mentioned that these are the frames that I showed on this post last week. The frames are from Target's dollar spot, but I got them awhile ago and they don't have them right now. I remember getting them when they had their "back to college/dorm room decor" stuff for sale if you want to check back in the fall.
I'm going to break the wall frames explanations into three posts and today is the first of those three. I'm including a recipe for each frame at the end of the post.
First up is the tree frame.
I used a Kim Hughes set for the trees and stamped the tree tops using Polka Dot basics from Papertrey Ink. The quote I typeset and printed from my computer in a dark brown ink onto Kraft cardstock. The tree trunks were colored using colored pencils and mineral spirits. The dark green tree top is mounted to the base with foam adhesive. I finished this image with a little hand stitching around the edge.
Next is the peaceful poppy frame.
I started by stamping the pin dot from Polka Dot basics in white ink on Spring Moss Cardstock. Then I stamped the stem, leaves, and sentiment before mounting the poppy to the base using foam tape. I used white Fun Flock on the center of the poppy and then colored it in with a dark brown Sharpie after the adhesive had dried.
Last, but not least is the birdhouses frame.
I love birdhouses. I'm not sure what it is about them, but they make me all weak in the knees and forgetful about budgets. Anyway... I started this frame by stamping the pin dot again, this time onto Kraft cardstock. Then I stamped and colored my birdhouses. I wrapped some olivey green ribbon around the base and anchored it on one end with a white brad. On the other end I mounted the "Home Sweet Home" sentiment with foam tape.
Recipe (Tree Frame):
Cardstock: Kraft, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Dark Green - Bazzill
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Spring Trees (Kim Hughes Collection) - Cornish Heritage Farms; Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Other: Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Green Embroidery Floss - DMC; Font - Mufferaw; Foam Tape - Scotch; Mineral Spirits
Recipe (Peaceful Poppy Frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Melon Berry, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Remember - Papertrey Ink
Other: White Fun Flock - Stampendous; Foam Adhesive - Scotch; Dark Brown Marker - Sharpie
Recipe (Birdhouses Frame):
Cardstock: Kraft - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Bird Watching, Polka Dot Basics, Boards & Beams - Papertrey Ink
Other: Green double-stitched grosgrain - Michaels; White mini brad - American Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch; Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Mineral Spirits
I'm going to break the wall frames explanations into three posts and today is the first of those three. I'm including a recipe for each frame at the end of the post.
First up is the tree frame.
I used a Kim Hughes set for the trees and stamped the tree tops using Polka Dot basics from Papertrey Ink. The quote I typeset and printed from my computer in a dark brown ink onto Kraft cardstock. The tree trunks were colored using colored pencils and mineral spirits. The dark green tree top is mounted to the base with foam adhesive. I finished this image with a little hand stitching around the edge.
Next is the peaceful poppy frame.
I started by stamping the pin dot from Polka Dot basics in white ink on Spring Moss Cardstock. Then I stamped the stem, leaves, and sentiment before mounting the poppy to the base using foam tape. I used white Fun Flock on the center of the poppy and then colored it in with a dark brown Sharpie after the adhesive had dried.
Last, but not least is the birdhouses frame.
I love birdhouses. I'm not sure what it is about them, but they make me all weak in the knees and forgetful about budgets. Anyway... I started this frame by stamping the pin dot again, this time onto Kraft cardstock. Then I stamped and colored my birdhouses. I wrapped some olivey green ribbon around the base and anchored it on one end with a white brad. On the other end I mounted the "Home Sweet Home" sentiment with foam tape.
Recipe (Tree Frame):
Cardstock: Kraft, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Dark Green - Bazzill
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Versamark - Tsukineko
Stamps: Spring Trees (Kim Hughes Collection) - Cornish Heritage Farms; Polka Dot Basics - Papertrey Ink
Other: Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Green Embroidery Floss - DMC; Font - Mufferaw; Foam Tape - Scotch; Mineral Spirits
Recipe (Peaceful Poppy Frame):
Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Melon Berry, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Remember - Papertrey Ink
Other: White Fun Flock - Stampendous; Foam Adhesive - Scotch; Dark Brown Marker - Sharpie
Recipe (Birdhouses Frame):
Cardstock: Kraft - Papertrey Ink; Ultimate White - Strathmore
Ink: Burnt Umber - Palette; Frost White - Colorbox
Stamps: Bird Watching, Polka Dot Basics, Boards & Beams - Papertrey Ink
Other: Green double-stitched grosgrain - Michaels; White mini brad - American Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch; Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; Mineral Spirits
Friday, June 5, 2009
Bit Of An Update & Studio Questions Answered
First of all, I want to answer the questions I received about my craft room:
1) My sewing machine is a Singer (model 132Q featherweight). I actually have no idea what any of that means because I've sewn maybe 10 projects in all of my crafty career (eight of those were card designs, one was my prom dress, and one was a quilt/pillow project I made for Sean while he was working at Boy Scout Camp [Who wears tall socks? Sean wears tall socks!]. The prom dress was a total fluke and everything else was all straight lines).
2) Quite a lot of you really like Ikea (Yes, Wendel, I would like to take another trip. Maybe we can take the boys this time).
3) The color of my walls is Asparagus by Behr and the trim is Crisp Linen by Glidden/Evermore (both available at Home Depot). The green is actually a little bolder in person than it shows in the photos.
In other news, On Paper has a selection of my Father's day cards available right now. And this weekend is Gallery Hop, thereby offering the perfect opportunity to pick up a crafty card for your papa.
We went to see "Up" this week. It is lovely and more worthwhile than most movies we've seen in a long time. Be prepared to sob like a girl (at least I did - then I did that thing all night where I would remember scenes from the movie and I'd start all over again). Apparently I'm becoming a giant girl as I age. Whatevs. Sean loves me even when I'm a gooey mess. What a guy!
We went out to the Memorial golf tournament with Sean's parents Thursday. It was a lot of fun to sit out in the sun and pretend like I knew what was going on. Mostly, I just like hanging out with my parents-in-law. And I got to rock a new wide-brim hat, so that was sweet.
I've been making things, but most of them went to On Paper, so you'll have to pop into the shop if you'd like to see those. I'll start sharing those wall frames tomorrow.
And one last note: Congratulations to my cousin Jennifer and her husband Justin who welcomed their second child, John Timothy, this morning!
See you tomorrow!
1) My sewing machine is a Singer (model 132Q featherweight). I actually have no idea what any of that means because I've sewn maybe 10 projects in all of my crafty career (eight of those were card designs, one was my prom dress, and one was a quilt/pillow project I made for Sean while he was working at Boy Scout Camp [Who wears tall socks? Sean wears tall socks!]. The prom dress was a total fluke and everything else was all straight lines).
2) Quite a lot of you really like Ikea (Yes, Wendel, I would like to take another trip. Maybe we can take the boys this time).
3) The color of my walls is Asparagus by Behr and the trim is Crisp Linen by Glidden/Evermore (both available at Home Depot). The green is actually a little bolder in person than it shows in the photos.
In other news, On Paper has a selection of my Father's day cards available right now. And this weekend is Gallery Hop, thereby offering the perfect opportunity to pick up a crafty card for your papa.
We went to see "Up" this week. It is lovely and more worthwhile than most movies we've seen in a long time. Be prepared to sob like a girl (at least I did - then I did that thing all night where I would remember scenes from the movie and I'd start all over again). Apparently I'm becoming a giant girl as I age. Whatevs. Sean loves me even when I'm a gooey mess. What a guy!
We went out to the Memorial golf tournament with Sean's parents Thursday. It was a lot of fun to sit out in the sun and pretend like I knew what was going on. Mostly, I just like hanging out with my parents-in-law. And I got to rock a new wide-brim hat, so that was sweet.
I've been making things, but most of them went to On Paper, so you'll have to pop into the shop if you'd like to see those. I'll start sharing those wall frames tomorrow.
And one last note: Congratulations to my cousin Jennifer and her husband Justin who welcomed their second child, John Timothy, this morning!
See you tomorrow!