Love is a Flower...

I'm on a "shabby" roll these days...more so than usual, I guess. So when the new challenge at The Shabby Tea Room had "distressing/shabby elements" specifically as part of the challenge requirements, I knew I'd have some fun with this one, too.

This card, with all its inked, dry-brushed, and distressed edges and "shabbied" embellishments...

resulted from this inspiration photo...

There were lots of little details on the card that I pulled from the picture, just none of them exactly as seen in the photo...simply "inspired" by.  Of course, there were the colors...and the whitewashing on the cabinets. And I couldn't help but notice the gold accents back on the sideboard...which meant that the little gold key was a perfect touch atop the resist canvas heart lock. :)

and a little peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park Victoria Gardens collection (pink); Echo Park Dots & Stripes/Metropolitan (aqua);

Basic Grey Cappella collection (white on white pattern)

Sentiment block: Crafty Secrets      Rolled fabric rose: Creative Imaginations      Chipboard Frame: Tattered Angels

Canvas resist heart lock, paper leaves, paper rose: Prima      Pearls: Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Dies: Spellbinders Floral Ovals, Classic Ovals Lg      Edge Punch: Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace

Miscellaneous: metal key charm, cheesecloth, handcrafted pearl wire spiral

Thanks for visiting today...I hope you're having a great week so far!



A Page From My Own Book, Part 2

I had another masculine birthday card to make up this month...and you know I've written before how masculine cards don't come as easily to me as the shabby, floral, feminine ones I make more of.  So I copied one of my own designs again, by using the same digi collage I'd used for a Father's Day card earlier this year (thankfully, two different recipients...LOL), and switching up the colors and patterned papers.

I picked up on one of the digi papers I used in the collage, and duplicated it for the background of the card...it gave a whole new "feel" to the digi collage at the center of the card...

The sentiment stamps are a combo of two different sentiments in the same set from Papertrey Ink...I was happy to find I had the same fonts on my hard drive, so I could duplicate the fonts from the stamps on the computer-printed verse inside the card. :) 

Supplies:

Patterned papers: K&Co Maison collection (dot); Graphic 45/Communique collection (black diamond)

Green pearls: Queen & Co    Miscellaneous: corrugated cardboard, burlap, twine, button

Digital collage elements: Free Vintage Digi Stamps: grungy polka dot paper, bird, auto;

The Graphics Fairy: crown, olive branches, vintage label;

Vintage Feedsacks: berry floral

And here's the Father's Day card I CASE'd, from a post back in June - by changing the size of the digi collage and the colors of the papers, I think I got a very different look, even though the design of the card was the same...

Thanks for visiting...I hope your week is going well!

Sweet and Sassy Monday Greetings...

Happy Monday, all! It was a pretty peaceful weekend here...but still filled with chores around the house to keep us busy.  I did manage to get a couple new cards created, though, while catching up on all my TiVo'd shows. :) Now that's what a crafter calls "perfect timing!"

Here's a bright and sweet card to start the week, made with some of the new Echo Park For The Record 2 patterned papers.  The pretty round medallion in the center is actually punched from one of the patterned papers in the collection, matted to some lightweight chipboard, and decorated with Diamond Stickles and mini pearls. I cut a scalloped diecut border in half lengthwise, and placed both layers beneath the scalloped lace...

Each layer of embellished diecut is adhered with foam tape, to add a little bit of dimension...

a little peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park For the Record 2/Tailored       Lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet

Dies: Spellbinders Floral Ovals, Classic Scallop Edgeabilities; Memory Box Woven Circle; Sizzix Flowers Branches and Leaves; My Favorite Things Dizzy Border

Pearls: Recollections      Hug Snug Seam Binding

Thanks for stopping by for a visit...I hope your week starts with a smile!

The Deconstructed Sketch 66...

I've had my eye on  this sketch site  for a while now, and kept meaning to play along with the fun sketches, but something or other seemed to get in the way...until today.  I sat down and decided that today I was going to play with this week's sketch, and not stop until it was finished. And that's what I did.

Of course, it didn't hurt that I'd picked up a few new paper pads this past week, one of which is Graphic 45's new A Lady's Diary...filled with softly colored and beautiful patterns for inspiration.  So here's an all occasion card that combines the two...

I used one of my favorite shabby fabric roses again, and this time topped it with a piece of tea-dyed and gathered cotton lace, 3 baby rosebuds, and a cluster of pearls...

The scalloped crocheted lace was also tea-dyed, and little baby pearls were added to the centers of the lace flowers...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Graphic 45 A Lady's Diary collection      Rose buds: ViolaMahr on Etsy

Dies: Spellbinders Parisian Motifs; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Scalloped lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet      Shabby fabric rose: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Pearls: Recollections     Miscellaneous: craft store cotton lace; handcrafted pearl wire spiral

And here's The Deconstructed Sketch #66 that the card is based on...I stuck pretty close to the sketch design with this one...

Thanks so much for visiting ...hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

TSTR-Shabby Patterns

I'm glad I had a few moments here and there the last couple days to play along with this week's challenge at The Shabby Tea Room. It's another fun one, using another of my favorite soft and shabby color combos - pink, white, and kraft - and using flowers and damask.  Here's the inspiration pic - with so many fun elements to choose from!

Aside from the soft, shabby colors and wallpaper pattern, I picked up on the pompom trim along the sides of the draperies, and the crystal vases holding the white flowers...and here's the card that I came up with...

This crystal ribbon trim has been in my stash for a while, just waiting for a fun place to land...this seemed like a good place for it!  I just arranged it around the base of the flower cluster, and secured it down with hot glue to make sure it didn't go anywhere...

I love this flourish die by Memory Box...I guess you could tell, since I seem to use it a lot! :)  This time, I blended it with pieces of pearl flourishes...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park For the Record 2/Tailored (dark pink); My Minds Eye Miss Caroline/All Dolled Up (damask print)

Dies: Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Damask embossing folder: Cuttlebug     Pearl flourishes: Recollections      Paper roses: Prima

Cotton laces, pompom trim, fabric flowers, crystal trim: local craft stores     Handmade pearl wire spiral

Thanks for visiting today! I'll be back tomorrow with more fun pics to share...

Ahhhh, Monday...

It's the start of a busy week here...with a couple fun meet-ups with friends scheduled into the mix.  I worked on a non-papercraft project this weekend, so I only have one card to share with you today. But I'll make up for it the rest of this week, I promise!  And with luck, I'll soon have some pics to share of this weekend's project, too.

Lots of die cuts were used on this birthday card - both for the base of the card, and the embellishments - so I kept the paper color and pattern simple and clean, and let the edging and decoration take center stage.

Once again, one of my favorite shabby flowers is the base for a smaller loopy ribbon circle and paper flower with pearl center...and a pretty embellished leaf stick pin...all sitting atop a loopy diecut paper doily...

I offset the airy loops of the paper doily with a loopy flourish diecut on the other side of the card...and tucked a couple handmade pearl wire circles under the side of the flowers...

And lastly, a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned paper: Creative Imaginations Creative Cafe/Double Vision     Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts

Dies: Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles and Labels Eight; Memory Box Whimsy Circle and Elegant Scrollwork

Large fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy      Paper leaves & blue paper flower: Prima

Large pearl: Recollections      Lace: Little Red Cottage on Etsy     Maya Road leaf stick pin (embellished)

Miscellaneous: handcrafted pearl wire loops; eyelash fiber; Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for visiting the Korner today...I hope your week starts with a smile!

Ending the Week Light and Bright...

There's no doubt it's still summertime around here, as we wait oh so patiently for temps to dip below 100 degrees. It's hard to think about fall colors when the summer is still in full swing, that's for sure. So I'm ending the week with another card in light and bright summery shades of pink, white, and green-all of them pieces of patterned papers left over from previous projects. (That's code for "I no longer remember the manufacturers and collection names of these!" LOL)

On Monday, I posted a card with "painted" lace that had been tea dyed first. Today's card uses the same lace and the same Spun Sugar Distress Ink, but with the lace left in its original white color prior to coloring the pink accents.

I put the craft store fabric rose on top of a couple Hug Snug bows. To cradle the bows, flower, and leaves, I used a gathered piece of cotton lace beneath them. There's some long white eyelash fiber under the lace, and a small glass-glittered chipboard flourish peeking out the right side. The paper lace "trim" along the top of the flowered panel is actually just the top half of a diecut border.

I thought the card needed more than just the linear strip of scalloped lace to break up all the square edges along the bottom, so I tucked half a paper doily under the center of the scalloped lace strip. When I have a card that uses two or three square/rectangle pieces as the base design, I like to contrast them with lots of circles and ovals in the embellishments.

Supplies:

Scalloped crocheted lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet     Pearls: Recollections and Prima

Dies: My Favorite Things Dizzy Border and Royal Leaves; Spellbinders Floral Flourishes

Sentiment: Papertrey Ink     Miscellaneous: Wilton doily; craft store rose; handmade pearl wire spiral;

Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for visiting today...I hope your week ends on a happy note, and your weekend is filled with fun!

Grey Doesn't Have to be Dull...

Nope...grey doesn't have to be dull...not when you dress it up with lace and loopy ribbons and gems! I had these patterned paper pieces set aside while straightening up one day, and wondered how I could combine them into something pretty and lacy and far from dull.

I kept the layout simple and classic...5" square card, one center panel and 4 smaller side panels of graduated widths.  I looked for laces that would stand out, but not cover the patterned papers completely.  Then it was just a matter of finding soft-colored embellishments to finish off the decoration...and here's the finished product.

I've had this beautiful ribbon in my stash for a looooong time, and never found the right use for it...until now.  IRL, the colors match exactly the two shades in the roses on the patterned paper. I dry-brushed some acrylic paint on the dark paper rose to bring the color up to a softer shade to blend better.

I think if you told me I could never use pearls or gems on a card again, I'd go through some serious withdrawal symptoms...(or be forced to make my own with hot glue and paints! LOL)

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Collage Press/Pink Paislee London Market collection (floral/text); Authentique Uncommon

collection (background mini floral); Echo Park Note to Self collection (grey dot)

Rose crochet trim & paper rose: Prima      Loopy ribbon trim: local craft store      Pearl flourishes: Recollections

Paper leaves: My Favorite Things Royal Leaves die      Polyester ribbon: source unknown

Handcrafted stick pin and pearl wire spiral

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today...have a great day!

...I Appreciate You...

It's not only the sentiment on the card I'm sharing today, it's also a message to those of you who leave me sweet comments and send me emails...I do appreciate your comments, time, and attention! :)

Today's card is another soft and sweet summer card...guess I'm in the summer mood because it's still very HOT here...LOL  

I used a water brush and Distress Ink refill ink to dye parts of the scalloped lace after tea-dying it. When you use Spun Sugar ink on white or cream lace, it turns it light pink - but when you tea-dye the lace first, the pink turns to a salmon-pink color - perfect for the salmon-pink cardstock I'm so fond of...

I ran a gathering stitch through some pleated cream sheer and satin ribbon for the base of the "flower" in the corner - it gives the flower a nice, full base that still presses nearly flat in an envelope for mailing...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/Fiddlestick collection (floral & stripe); Authentique

Fresh collection (blue)

Dies: Sizzix Flowers Branches and Leaves; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Edge punch: EK Success/Martha Stewart Doily Lace     Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts     Pearls: Recollections

Scalloped lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet      Paper flowers: Prima    Sheer & satin ribbon: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Hug Snug seam binding      Handcrafted pearl wire loops

Thanks for stopping by today...I hope your Monday is a wonderful one! 

All Occasion Twin Set...

Lately I've been learning on my own how to make digi collages. I'm getting better (if you had seen some of my early attempts, you'd understand why I can say that with certainty), but still have a long way to go. However, I still frequent some of my long-favorite Etsy sellers' shops for images, and a visit to Janet at Digital Paper a while back resulted in the purchase of her "Spring in Paris" set that contains the images used on these two mini cards, made up with soft neutral backgrounds, and accents in pink and green.

Each card is 3-1/2" x 5"...a nice little size for a short note to someone dear...

...each image is inked and dry-brushed around the edges, matted to pink cardstock, backed with a very light chipboard, and adhered to the card front with foam dots...

...tiny clusters of pearls in the center of the seam binding bows add just a touch of "elegant pizzazz"...

Supplies:

Patterned paper: Authentique Gathering Collection      Digital Images: Digital Paper on Etsy

Edge punch: Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace      Cotton lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet

Pearls: Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  It's supposed to be another hot one here (low 100's) so I predict another weekend spent in the much-appreciated coolness of an air-conditioned house...LOL!

Going Bright Today...

Monday's card was soft pastels, Tuesday's card was soft neutrals...but get out your sunglasses, 'cause today I'm brightening things up! :)

I found a scrap of one of my favorite floral papers from Sassafras - the last time I used it was with turquoise and yellow and that card was one of my personal favorites.  So I copied my own design again, but switched it from portrait to landscrape orientation, and changed the turquoise to lime green, and here's the end result:

I've used another of the shabby fabric flowers that I love...it's stacked over a piece of gathered lace, bright yellow and green eyelash fibers, and some tulle, and topped with a craft store rose and leaves with a pearl added in the center.

...the sentiment was stamped from top to bottom along the side, and accented with pearls...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Sassafras Sweetly Smitten collection (floral); Cosmo Cricket Material Girl collection (Green gingham)

Dies: Sizzix Flowers Branches and Leaves      Large fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Small fabric rose & leaves: local craft store     Edge punch: Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace      Pearls: Recollections

Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts      Maya Road heart stick pin (embellished with pearl & spacers)

Miscellaneous: cotton lace, tulle, eyelash fibers

Thanks for visiting today! I'll be back on Friday to end the week with a sweet little "twin set."