Weekend Pretties...

Wednesday turned out to be a wonderful day. First stop was the eye doctor, where I learned I didn't need a new prescription this year (yay!).  After they called the lab on my behalf,  I was happily informed that, yes, they actually *can* fix this particular brand of titanium "frameless" frames, and the cost will be about 1/4 the price of new frames (yay! again). So they're on their way to the lab for repair now. 

Then  it was off to a delicious birthday lunch at McCormicks & Schmicks. After some fun furniture shopping with my husband, we arrived home to a delivery of beautiful flowers from my mom, and a gift my husband had ordered but didn't think was going to arrive on time. Gotta love nice birthdays like that!

I'm ending the week on a sparkly note with the two cards I'm sharing today.  I had already completed this first card when I saw the "soft and sweet" challenge at The Shabby Tea Room, so you can see I was already in the "soft color" mode.  I seem to run in spurts with my color combos these days. :)

Here's "just a note"...

there's a birdcage preprinted on the patterned paper, so I added just a light touch of clear glitter to the lines to accent it, then left the little rose and leaves in a "natural" state as a contrast to the glitter...

 the paper also has a butterfly printed on it, and the die cut butterfly in the ephemera packet is exactly the same, so I layered the diecut over the matching printed butterfly (after adorning it with mini pearls)...

Supplies:

Patterned papers & die cut: Pink Paislee Butterfly Gardens collection

Edge punch: EK Success Dotted Scallop      Pearls: Prima and Queen & Co.

Paper flower: Prima     Lace: local craft store

After working on a couple softly colored cards, I changed up to brighter palette (well, just a little bit brighter).

Here's an all-occasion card that will most likely end up becoming a birthday card with the addition of a sentiment tag.  I often make cards with no sentiments so I can decide how to use it as the need arises later. I'm not sure how deep the color looks on your screen, but the "oranges" in the cardstocks and papers are all a soft coral shade IRL...

 I wanted to use this gem-heavy Prima flower center, so I adhered it first to the back of a cream colored button to give it support over the center of the bows...the pearl "loops" are pearl sprays (you can find these in the wedding section at most craft stores) that I took apart, then bent and hot-glued the ends to form the loops...

and a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Glitz French Kiss collection, Graphic45 Once Upon a Springtime collection

Embossing folder: Cuttlebug Kassie's Brocade     Edge Punch: Martha Stewart Double Arches

Pearl & crystal flourishes, gem flower center: Prima      Pearl strip: Queen & Co.

Lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet      Hug Snug seam binding      Pearl loops: local craft store

Digi collage elements: The Feathered Nest (rose); Vintage Workshop blog (postcard)

Thank you for visiting...have a wonderful weekend!

 

Celebrate Today...

We're halfway through another week, and I for one am most thankful for the cooler-than-normal temps we've been experiencing this week...in stark contrast to the sweltering heat our families in Texas and the southeast states are suffering through!

I'm "celebrating" today by going for my annual eye exam...which had to be moved up by a couple months because my one and only pair of glasses broke late last week.  And I mean broke...right across the bridge. They're the frameless style, and not fixable by a temporary tape job. So...I'm wearing my old (2 years) prescription, squinting now and then, and fighting the mild constant headache caused by not being able to see as clearly as I'm used to. This is one of those times when I wished I could wear contacts, so I'd at least have two options when one fails. Party time at the eye doc's and Lenscrafters...whoohooo!  LOL

But it hasn't stopped me from finishing up a few more cards.  For today, I have a soft and sweet birthday card to show you...

The scalloped die cut is by Melissa Frances, and I couldn't resist adding some pearls and flowers, along with a little "topper" that's just one end of a Spellbinders tag...

and, of course, the "obligatory" bow, with more pearls and another rose...

Supplies:

Patterned papers & diecut: Melissa Frances 5th Avenue collection

Paper roses & pearls: Prima      Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink

Lace: local craft store      Hug Snug seam binding

This card was inspired by the "soft and sweet" challenge photo at The Shabby Tea Room this week...

Thanks for popping in for a visit!  Hope your week is going well and you're enjoying your summer so far!



Just Thinking of You...

Happy Monday, all!  Crafting slowed down a little bit last week due to other activities, but never fear...more cards are in different stages of completion as I write this. :)

To start off the week, here's a little pretty made up in aqua, grey, and cream, with just a few touches of bright red for fun.  I like to have several "thinking of you" cards ready and waiting for use as get well/feel better, sympathy, or "how are you?" greetings...

light touches of clear glitter on the vintage collage rose, with grey and silver pearls as accents...

and the understated sentiment stamped above more pearls and lace...

and lastly, a peek at the inside, ready for my handwritten note...



Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye On the Bright Side collection     Edge die: Tim Holtz On the Edge/Brackets

Crochet lace: LittleRedCottage on Etsy      Oval dies: Spellbinders Classic Ovals Large, Floral Ovals, & Beaded Ovals

Pearls: Prima      Leafy branch die: Sizzix      Paper roses: Prima      Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink

Hug Snug seam binding      Digi collage elements: The Graphics Fairy

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

A Beach-y Birthday, and One for Summer Days...

Yep-we're still in prime birthday season around here. LOL

Here's a card for a sweet friend who celebrated yesterday, and whose love for the beach is probably second only to her love for coconut. :)

Sweet little gold starfish and sea horse charms with pearl accents atop "netting" of cheesecloth and aqua Hug Snug bows...

...and the perfect retro beach-side image...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Authentique Fresh collection; MyMindsEye On the Bright Side collection

Edge die: Spellbinders Classic Scallop     Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts

Laces: local craft stores      Hug Snug seam binding      Pearls: Recollections

Doily die: Memory Box Woven Circle     Miscellaneous: cheesecloth, twine, sea charms

Next up, a card with the same sentiments, but a totally different presentation.  Bright shades of orange and aqua and summer white...

A white doily, a large shabby fabric flower, tiny paper roses on white lace...lots of frills here...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye On the Bright Side collection      Edge punch: Martha Stewart Eyelet lace

Sentiment stamps: Hero Arts & Papertrey Ink     Fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Paper doily: Spellbinders Ironwork Motifs die      Crochet lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet

Leafy branch & sentiment tag dies: Sizzix      Paper roses & pearls: Prima

Cotton lace, eyelash fiber: local craft store

Hope your week is going well...thank you for stopping by!

A Bright Hello...

One of my all-time favorite paper lines is Echo Park's Victoria Gardens.  I still have a few sheets left in the last 6x6 pad in my paper drawer (I've already used up two 6x6 pads on cards), and I still love the patterns and colors, and the seemingly unending ways to blend them together.

Today it's bright pink and green...perfect for summer (well, technically I guess it's not really "summer" for one more day, but I'm not picky!).

Small Prima roses, dyed Hug Snug bows sitting atop a Tattered Angels frame dusted with clear German glass glitter and topped with a piece cut from tea-stained lace yardage...

and a little sentiment tag with a punched bottom edge ...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park Victoria Gardens     Edge punches: EK Success Double Crochet Lace & Parisian

Sentiment stamps: Hero Arts      Chipboard frame: Tattered Angels

Chipboard Fleur de Lis: Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Accents die     Hug Snug seam binding

Lace heart: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet      Pearls: Recollections & Prima

Paper roses: Prima      Miscellaneous: clear German glass glitter

Thanks for visiting!

Celebrating Dads...

It's Father's Day weekend, so it's only fitting to show another masculine card here on the blog.

Because my usual style leans to the shabby/feminine direction,  it can sometimes be difficult for me to put together masculine embellishments for an end result I'm satisfied with. Since I've begun making digital collages for masculine cards, I'm much happier with the end results. Because I'm such a "newbie" to digital designs, it can still take a good bit of time to put these together, but I learn something new every time I do, so it's worth the extra "few" minutes.

The corrugated cardboard, burlap scrap and twine bows add contrast to the other smooth textures on the rest of the card. I rolled a slight crease in the sentiment banner...just for fun...

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: Echo Park For the Record collection      Green pearls: Queen & Co.

Miscellaneous: corrugated cardboard, burlap, twine, button

Digital collage elements:  FreeVintageDigiStamps: grungy polka dot paper, bird, auto

TheGraphicsFairy: crown, olive branches, vintage label

VintageFeedsacks: berry floral

Celebrate the dads in your life this weekend...and have a wonderful time doing so!

TSTR-"Shabby Beautiful"

There's another pretty little challenge inspiration photo over at  The Shabby Tea Room  again this week, and since it once again features some of my favorite colors, how could I resist?

My first thought when I saw the plates in the photo was "buttons"...don't ask me why...I long ago gave up trying to figure out my "free association" thought process. LOL But buttons it was, so I went with a sewing theme on my card, and it was fun!  It all started with the button card die cut and stamp, followed by the canvas resist dress form and some homemade mists...

I added a wooden spool top, a couple crinkled Hug Snug bows, delicate pearl sprays bent into loops, a stick pin and paper roses...

and finished off with some coordinating buttons from the stash, and a delicate die cut flourish...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Prima Flights of Fancy collection, "tiptoe" & "firefly"; BasicGrey Green at Heart collection

Dress form: Prima Resistant Canvas      Button card die & stamp: Papertrey Ink

Lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet      Spool top: Pink Paislee London Market      Hug Snug seam binding

Paper roses: Prima      Flourish: Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die

Pearls & heart doily: local craft store      Handcrafted stick pin using Maya Road leaf pin as base

Miscellaneous: buttons, crochet thread

The weekend's almost here...and it's supposed to be a "warm" one for us here...105 degrees tomorrow. Sounds like a perfect day to find some indoor work to do. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Every Day is a Journey...

Back in May, I posted a masculine birthday card with a digi collage as the centerpiece. Later in the month,  as I was playing around with another collage, I realized I still had another masculine birthday card due later in the week.  I used the same background digi paper files for this second collage...but changed the patterned paper on the card base, and most of the other digital element details.

The "everyday is a journey" text is actually part of the auto clip art image, but when it didn't show up as sharply as I wished, I added the text as a separate layer, printed it in blue, and added a coating of Glossy Accents over the text to make it show just up a little more...

Since I was attaching the card to a gift and hand-delivering it at the party, I printed some of the collage images onto the envelope, too...

Supplies:

Patterned paper: Glitz French Kiss Collection     

Miscellanous: photo turn, brown brad, button, twine, Glossy Accents

Digi collage sources: FreeVintageDigiStamps.blogspot.com-music sheet with edge, grungy dot paper,

vintage crown, dandy horseman," "journey"(auto), pointing hand

TheGraphicsFairy-cafe stamp, pocket watch, Victorian ornament

VintageImages.org: "flowers 02"

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today!

Celebrate...

So many birthdays among our family and friends during the months of May and June...and that leads to lots of get-togethers, lunches, and parties to celebrate. So it's no wonder I have birthday cards on the brain this time of year.

Today I have another frilly and feminine birthday card to share. Once again, it has a fancy edge treatment along the bottom that I duplicated up further on the front of the card.

A note about delicate punched edges: This particular punch makes a wonderful edge treatment, but it can also make the edges very delicate when standing the card on edge. Though I often prefer to use the heavier cardstocks (some stores call these "double weight"), this particular punch won't go through the extra thick cardstock. So to make sure the weight of the embellishments on the front didn't "collapse" the pretty punched edge, I applied clear German glass glitter to the bottom edge, also. The Glossy Accents and the subtle glitter layer give this edge a nice, firm base.

I laid eyelash fiber beneath the shabby fabric flower, then layered a round of lace and a bright pink flower on top...the sentiment tag sits inside a Tim Holtz memo pin with added spacers and pearl...

 The same punch used for the bottom edge was used on a piece of black cardstock beneath the white lace...and some clear German glass glitter over it blends it into the gray patterned papers...



A view of the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park Be Mine collection (grey dot); BasicGrey Out of Print collection (pink)

Chipboard flourish: Spellbinders Floral Flourish die      Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts

Edge Punches: Martha Stewart Beaded Arcs & Doily Lace      Tim Holtz Memo Pin (embellished with spacers and pearl)

Cotton laces & fabric flowers: local craft stores      Pearls: Recollections

Miscellaneous: Clear fine German glass glitter, eyelash fibers

I'll be back next with another masculine birthday card.  Thanks for visiting!

"Sweet Summertime" Revisited...

Here's a second card for the latest challenge this week at The Shabby Tea Room.  This time, I went with more pastel shades of the colors in this challenge photo...

and came up with this soft and shabby square friendship card...

brown eyelash fibers arranged around the layers of the fabric flower...

and a white chipboard flourish inked and covered with clear German glass glitter for a sugary touch...

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Collage Press/Pink Paislee London Market collection

Edge Punch: Martha Stewart Floral Band      Leaf die: Sizzix      Crochet lace: TheFunkieJunkie on Zibbet

Flourish die: Spellbinders (Floral Flourish)      Fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Paper rose: Prima      Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink      Pearls: Prima

Handcrafted stick pin (using Maya Road heart pin as base)

And that's it for this weekend!  Thanks again for stopping by, and I'll be back with a couple more cards this coming week.