Putting "the grab bag" to work...

Happy spring morning to you!  Hope your week is going well so far.  Today I'm letting you in on a little secret that this "a place for everything" person has to admit....I have a "grab bag" of leftover things that I was too busy (ok, the real word is probably lazy LOL)  to find/make a spot for when I was done with my projects.

Many of us who craft with paper, whether it's scrapbooking or cardmaking or altered arts, have those containers of "scraps" that we consider large enough or pretty enough to keep for use on another project.

But in addition to my scrap paper bags, I have a zip top bag of "leftover" embellishments...a real mish-mosh of pieces that I may have die cut, or embellished, or stamped, or embossed to use on a project, but changed my mind and didn't. So into the bag they go for another day.  Every now and then, I have to remember to dip into "the grab bag" and actually *use* some of those pieces! Here's a peek at some of the contents of my leftover bag (this was snapped right after I pulled the pieces for the card I'm showing you today)...

I pulled out a cream die-cut scalloped circle (just like the one you see at the lower left of the pic), a piece of cream cardstock that had been embossed with a damask-patterned embossing folder, and tore off a piece of the corrugated cardboard that I had painted and inked...and realized I had the start of a monochromatic card that would have lots of fun texture!

To add to the pieces I had retrieved from the grab bag, I pulled out a piece of tea-stained lace, die cut some leaf stems, pulled out a few flowers and pearls and fibers, and this is how it all turned out...

A rarity for me...the only patterned paper on this card is the BoBunny dot paper used for the leaf/stem diecuts...LOL

and a peek at the side view and inside...

Supplies:

Embossing folder: Cuttlebug     Leaves/stems & oval tag dies: Sizzix     Fabric flower: Maya Road

Scalloped lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet.com     Paper rose: Prima     Pearls: Recollections

Circle dies: Spellbinders Lacy Circles & Standard Circles Small     Hug Snug seam binding

Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts      Cotton lace: local craft store

Miscellaneous: cheesecloth, corrugated cardboard, white acrylic paint, eyelash fibers

Thanks for visiting today!



Bright and Sassy...

It's Monday...the start of a new week and new possibilities...and hopefully, no new problems to put a kink in the fun. :) 

I ended last week on a soft, monochromatic note, so I'm starting the new week with a card that's bright and colorful and with an embellishment cluster filled with sassiness!

Starting with a layer of scrunched cheesecloth under an oval chipboard frame that was dry-embossed with dots, then inked and lightly glittered, there's a lace "flower" made with scalloped crocheted lace, a fabric rose surrounded with small paper roses, red crystal flower stamens, a handcrafted jeweled stick pin, die cut leafy branches, and small pearl flourishes...

topped with a little tag with big wishes...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park This 'n That Graceful collection (floral, red dot, ruler);

BoBunny Ella Toile Back to Backs (pink dot)

Leaf die: Sizzix      Chipboard frame: Tattered Angels      Paper roses: Prima      Pearls: Recollections

Scalloped laces: LittleRedCottage on Etsy (narrow scallop); FieldsOfDreams on Etsy (wide scallop for flower)

Stick pin: Maya Road heart pin with added gems      Cheesecloth

Thanks for visiting today!



Softly Pink to End the Week...

Happy Saturday, everyone...I hope your weekend holds the promise of lots of fun and time for rest, too! 

I'm ending the week with pics of a card made in very soft, almost monochromatic, tones of pink, mauve, and cream.  I used the embellishments to add contrast to those soft shades.  The centerpiece of this card is a digi collage from Janet at Digital Papers on Etsy (this set is called "Spring in Paris.")

The pink flower is made up of diecut felt hearts...the paper leaves are die cut and inked...

I colored the insets of this lace (after tea-dying it) using an EK Success water pen and some Distress Inks (Tattered Rose and Forest Moss). Under indoor lighting, the centers are pink, and the outsides dark green...in the photos, they look much lighter with the indirect sunlight reflecting directly off them.

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Glitz French Kiss collection (text paper); Pink Paislee Butterfly Gardens/Botanical Gardens (pink)

Digi collage:  Digital Papers on Etsy.com     Lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet.com

Pearls: Recollections      Paper rose: Prima     Edge Punch: Fiskars/Lace Border      Heart die: Papertrey Ink

Paper leaves: Spellbinders Orchard Harvest Tags & Accents die      Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful weekend!

...and a Birthday...

Next up for today is a masculine birthday card...a total change from the femininity of the earlier card! I always have a harder time with masculine cards.  Resisting that urge to use flowers and glitter and ribbon sometimes paralyzes my creativity...LOL

The center of this design is a digi collage made up of more masculine elements...and yes, there are flowers, but they're blue, so doesn't that make them a little more masculine?  :)

No ribbon...just jute twine and a single, simple blue button...

  

And here's the verse on the inside, so you can make some sense of the sentiment tag on the outside...  :)

 

Supplies:

Plaid patterned paper: BasicGrey Max & Whiskers collection     Note paper embossing folder: The Paper Studio

Digi collage elements: FreeVintage DigiStamps.blogspot.com (music sheet collage, grungy dots paper,

crown, pocket watch, grocer ad image); VintageImages.org (flowers)

Thanks again for visiting!

A Challenge...

We've had some gorgeous spring weather here lately, and it's hard to be inside during the day (well, except for the constant sneezing caused by the pollen brought out by the gorgeous spring weather...LOL).  But I did manage to finish a few more cards!

The first was for this week's "Spring is Love" challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room. Challenged to use colors from this inspiration photo...

and to use flowers, polka dots, and a heart, I came up with this...

For the heart requirement of the challenge, I used a piece of crocheted lace, and colored the outlines of the hearts with an EK Success water pen and Spun Sugar Distress Ink...

And although the image collage does have flower images, I couldn't resist adding a few more mini paper roses and leaves along the side...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: KaiserCraft Spirograph/Spiro (green dot); Collage Press Joyride/Wonderland (pink dot)

Collage Press/Pink Paislee Vintage Vogue collection (stripe)

Paper Doily: Wilton     Paper roses & Pearl flourishes: Prima      Loose pearls: Recollections

Paper leaves: Spellbinders Orchard Harvest Tags & Accents die     Hug Snug seam binding    

Heart lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet.com    

Digi collage elements: The Graphics Fairy (floral and label); Kellie Mize/Designer Digitals (paper);

Designer Digitals free design (corner stamp)

I'll be back in a few minutes with a masculine birthday card post (you're not going crazy if you were here earlier and saw the birthday card here...I did a quick post-and-run earlier today and didn't remember to put my challenge card in a post by itself...Doh!...I had a good blonde moment, I guess!)