P A P E R C R A F T S

Another Valentine

Here is another valentine -this one "shabby chic" style for my friend Wendy. I had a nice visit and cup of tea yesterday with her.

The heart verse is a new cling by Stampendous. I also stamped along the bottom edge of the heart with a "grunge" style stamp; cut out with spellbinders die; sponged with TH Fired Brick and Tea Dye distress inks; finally spritzed with Tattered Angels Irridescent Gold spray. I also cut out a scalloped layer of red organza to place on top of the red card stock. It gives the heart a nice shimmery finish on the scallop edging. A heart "bling" stone is attached to the bottom.

The beige rectangle layer is a die cut; however, I stamped it with a Tim Holtz postcard cling stamp on the right side and sponged with Vintage Photo. Attached vintage lace to the bottom and added two tiny silk roses tied with sheer ribbon.

The background papers I had in my stash are distressed, sponged with distress ink, then I machine stitched around the edge.

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Sharon
Jan.30/2013

Fashionable Stamping Challenge #40 - Show some Love

Simon Says Challenge - Anything Goes

Penny Black Valentine

This card is for my sister who loves her cats. I've had this stamp for many years now, and I think I might have given this to Dana before. Let's hope she doesn't remember. LOL! (Penny Black "Sweet Love" #2292K)

The image is coloured with Copic markers and some Red stickles used to highlite parts on the cupcakes. Spellbinder die. Heart lace punch by Martha Stewart.

Tag is a die by Just Rite - "Antique Labels"and verse stamp is by Hampton Art. I sponged the edge of the tag with Tim Holtz Festive Berries, and am disappointed to see that in the pic it looks more salmon pink than berry pink. I tried different settings on my camera and couldn't get a true shade.
Sigh!

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Sharon
Jan.26/2013

Penny Black & More at Allsorts Love is in the Air

City Crafter Challenge Blog #143 - Forever Mine

Heart Shaped, Standing Valentine Card

I wanted to make a heart shaped, standing card, so after looking through my cricut cartridges, I choose a scalloped heart from the "Love Struck" cartridge. Decide on the size of heart you want - mine is 4-3/4" across at the widest part. Copy it to have two hearts on the screen mat, reverse one and move it over so that it is on top of the first heart slightly overlapping, then use the "weld" feature to make the fold. That part was easy!

Here was the challenge. I didn't take into account that because of the pointed bottom of the heart, the card won't stand. It flopped over, especially after adding all the elements. So I came up with the idea of using little heart "feet" (spellbinder dies) Works great! For some extra stability, I also glued little 1/2" folded tabs on the inside bottom of the card to make a stand- sorry I forgot to take a pic of this.

The stamps I used (verse, key and cupid postage) are from a Tattered Angels set "Timeless Romance".

The key was stamped in versamark on black cardstock and covered with Wow Platinum embossing glitter. This stuff is so pretty with it's extra bling! Then I fussy cut it, adhered some vintage lace along the edge of the key, and mounted with foam tape on an angle.

Valentine verse is embossed with black EP, cut out and placed on a Spellbinders tag. I also glued on a little pearl heart at the end of the tag.

Cupid postage is also embossed with black EP, coloured with Copic markers, and Red stickles added over the number 14.

Crocheted flower is from Stampin'Up with a silver and pearl brad added to the centre.

I must say, I am pleased with the vintage look of this heart card!

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close-up of Wow embossing glitter

Sharon
Jan.25/2013

Really Reasonable Ribbon #64 Hearts, Ribbon/Lace

City Crafter challenge Blog "Forever Mine"

Top Tip Tuesday - Laviciously Lushious Layers Tip - use heart feet to help a heart card stand

Happy New Year!

Hubby and I just came in from a long walk ...It's very cold out (-10C) with a light dusting of snow on the ground, yet sunny and no wind. Outside it sounds so quiet after two days of a fierce northeast wind blowing. However, it feels good to get a bit of exercise after all the holiday eating.

I made a cup of tea and started reading through all the blogging news that I've missed in the past few days. I was so excited to see that my LaBlanche Santa card was chosen as #1 for Fashionable Stamping Challenges #37 Mask it, and also top three in Party Time Tuesday Colour Challenge #99.

Wow,what a terrific way to start off the crafting year. Thanks to all the design team members on these challenges and congrats to the other winners as well. Very nice work.

Here's wishing everyone lots of creative, happy stamping in 2013!

Sharon
Jan.1/2013

Two more quick cards

OK, I was down to the deadline for mailing local cards the other night and made two each of the following:

The first card has a verse stamped inside, uses a snowflake diecut (cheerylynndesigns.com #DL169), a Tim Holtz snowflake topped with a smaller snowflake (cuttlebug die) and rhinestones, glitter embossed paper, some cream braid and again my "go to" sketch. Well, the people receiving the card don't know that fact, unless they read my blog LOL!!! I keep a list each year of which card I send to each person, so they don't receive the same design two years in a row.

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On the second card I stamped the verse in Versamark and covered with fine silver EP (Close to my Heart clear acrylic set "Holiday Commentary #C1379), cut the strip at 1-1/2" wide and layered/popped up on a snowflake embossed background. The paper is by Stampin'Up "Shimmery White".

The intricate snowflake border is a die by Memory Box "Frosty Border" #98171 which I cut from the same silver cardstock as the card and highlighted with silver Stickles for some bling.

I might do more of these next year as they make up quickly as well!!

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Sharon
Dec.21/2012

Deck the Halls

I got a new poinsetta die by Memory Box a few weeks ago. I like how it layers and has the embossed "ribs" on both the flower leaves and green leaves giving the layers some dimension. I stamped red bazill paper with a music stamp before die-cutting. Sponged Aged Mahogany on the edges of the petals, and Tea Dye on the leaves.
The centre piece is also part of the die set which I cut out of shiny gold paper.

The verse is from a mini set of 3 clear cling stamps by Inkadinkadoo "Winter Expressions" #60-30282 and is stamped with SU Forest Foliage ink; embossed with clear EP; sponged with Festive Berries and Tea Dye DI. The tag is a die by Just Rite"Vintage labels". Holly paper is from my scrap stash. I added red Stickles glitter to all the holly berries for bling, and a bit of ribbon.

I made three in no time and it's fairly flat for easy mailing. I realize that it's the same sketch as the Cottage Cutz card; however, this is my "go to" design for quick cards!

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Sharon
Dec.21/2012

ABC Challenge - "D" for Deck the Halls

Cottage Cutz Poinsetta Die

The Cottage Cutz poinsetta die is quite intricate. I cut several of them in both red and green cardstock. Next, I cut & pasted the green leafy parts on to the main red die, added another large flower popped up for dimension, and covered the scroll with gold Stickles. I also sponged Aged Mahogany, Tea Dye, and Festive Berries distress ink on the poinsetta leaves, along with a bit of white chalk for highlights. Paper is Basic Grey Figgy Pudding scraps from my stash. Verse is a cling stamp by Stampendous and is embossed with clear EP.

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close-up of shading on poinsetta

Sharon
Dec.20/2012.

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Merry Christmas

Stamptacular Sunday: Christmas Time

Chocolate,Coffee & Cards Challenges: Recipe - 3 flowers, 2 papers,1 ribbon

Two Tags

A while ago, Linda from the Funkie Junkie posted her Christmas Tag 10 which was done with a brick embossing folder and sponged with several Tim Holtz distress inks. I made three of the backgrounds, but only managed to get one tag fully finished. Well, I'll have two backgrounds done for next year's tags, eh?

Here are my tags. The Santa one is going on my sister Kim's prezzie. I didn't have an icicle die so I freehand cut a border from self-adhesive clear acrylic and covered it with Star Dust stickles and fine glitter. The mini calendar is a free clipart from Crafty Secrets and this link will take you to the free 2013 calendar sheets. Numerals are a Tim Holtz die. The Santa is covered in clear self-adhesive acrylic and cut it from an old christmas card.

The second tag is going on my sister Dana's present. It, too, is inspired from Linda's Week #10 tag with the free clipart of vintage dolls that she offered. I covered the ornament with Glitter Ritz Cool Highlite glitter and Stickles Star Dust around the edge. The ticket is a Tim Holtz stamp; Tim Holtz snowflake die, edge punch, and vintage lace are added.

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Sharon
Dec. 19/2012

LaBlanche Santa

My daughter recently had her first baby on Nov. 19th, a boy, and I'm a first-time Nanny! Baby Connor is the best present we could have ever received!

So between running back and forth to the City where they live, and she & baby came to stay for 9 days while hubby was working long hours overtime as journeyman electrician, I didn't get as many hand-made cards done as I usually do each year. However, I made a few christmas cards for special friends and will post them over the next few days.

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close-up of glitter and flocking

This card uses the LaBlanche Santa stamp I purchased last year. After colouring Santa and leaves with Copic markers, I masked him off, and sprayed the background with Smooch Gold spritz. Then distressed the edges with Tim Holtz distressor thingy, sponged with Tea Dye and Vintage Photo DI. I applied white flocking to Santa's fur on his suit and boots, and Crystal Glaze to his glasses. It is layered on holly paper by Basic Grey, another layer (SU label die) from scraps, and green metallic music paper cut with Martha Stewart edge die. Tag is a Spellbinders die, verse from 7 Gypsies "Christmas Greetings" set.

Flower is a ready-made embellie, but it is layered on a Cottage Cutz flourish (part of poinsetta die leftover from doing the poinsettas from another card) covered with Gold Stickles.

I'm entering this card into several challenges as noted below.

Sharon
Dec.19/2012

Fashionable Stamping Challenges #37 - Mask It

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Merry Christmas

Make My Monday - Bingo (Patterned Paper, Punches, Distressing)

Party Time Tuesday - Colour Challenge

Finally, some stamping....

Fall has whizzed by and I've been missing spending time in my craft room. I got a start on my christmas cards the other night and made several of this card. I like that it isn't too "bulky" so it should be able to go in the mail for regular postage. You know how it goes.... you look at your stash and the fingers itch to add pearls, chipboard or brad snowflakes, ribbons, etc. which all add up to a very heavy, thick card. Those ones I hand deliver to special peeps!
How about you? Do you consider postage cost when making hand stamped cards? Normally I don't, but I send out about 30 cards at Christmas. So the $$$ add up especially since in Canada most "vintage" type cards with lots of layers and embellies cost $1.29 each as "oversize" mail; then even more to the USA and Europe!!! Anyhow, I would be interested to hear what you think about this topic.....

Now on to my card -

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close-up of sparkle

The silhouette image is from Inkadinkadoo cling set "Winter Wonderland" #60-60086. I stamped it with Dusty Concorde Distress Ink (which is more navy than purple, I think!), and embossed with clear EP. The layers were cut with my Cricut using the Elegant Edges cartridge on the Swirl #2, Book setting at 3-1/2". I sponged the edges with Broken China & Dusty Concorde DI, and used Stardust Stickles on all the flakes around the image and random stamped snowflakes. It is popped up with foam tape.

The die on the edge is a new metal one from Memory Box, called Frostyville Border #98146. It is very intricate; I found I needed a metal shim plate in my Sizzix to fully cut out all the little details. I also applied Stardust Stickles on the diecut for icy sparkle, and I like that it pops a bit adding a pretty "frame" to the stamped image. The swirl at the bottom of the image is not a stamped or added diecut flourish; the Cricut cuts it as part of the pattern to show the navy layer underneath.

Paper is Bazzill Bling, SU Night of Navy, and a sheet of snowflake paper by Bo Bunny.

I'm entering this card into the challenge at Our Creative Corner, Joan's Gardens, and Christmas Card Challenge.

Sharon
Nov.3/2012

Challenges:

Our Creative Corner: Silhouette Challenge

Joan's Gardens: Winter

Christmas Card Challenge #48: Popped Up