You Make Me Smile...

Today's card, like Monday's, is another "re-embellished" card from the stash basket.  The lace and floral cluster on the left side is all new...as is the little memo pin with the added sentiment tag that ties into the sentiment stamped directly onto the card front. This card was a bit more of a challenge, but I knew as soon as I pulled it out of the basket that I wanted to add more dimension and color to the laces on the left side, so with lots of gentle "coaxing" I was able to remove the original pieces on the left side and replace them...

From the bottom, the cluster is a piece of tea-dyed wide cotton lace, gathered into a circle, then a pretty aqua shabby fabric rose, a looped hemp trim formed into a circle, a crystal-embellished flower applique, and finally three tiny paper roses...a small pearl flourish and a sentiment tag in a memo pin were added to the side and top of the cluster...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Crate Paper Portrait collection (floral);  BoBunny Gabrielle collection (butterfly)

Wide scalloped lace:  FieldsOfDreams on Etsy      Shabby aqua fabric flower:  Frogfeathers on Etsy  

Mini roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Crocheted applique, cotton laces:  local craft stores

Pearls:  Recollections      Tim Holtz Memo Pin

Thanks for popping in for a visit...I appreciate it!

Hope Your Day is Fabulous...

Happy Monday, everyone.  I hope you had a fun (or relaxing, whichever you needed the most) weekend. :)

You know that saying "everything old is new again?"  In a way, sometimes that applies to my cards.  I make a lot of cards, and some go in the mail fairly quickly...some are sold in the Etsy store...and some go into the "stash" (a basket of completed cards to be sent out at a later date) when I get in the groove and make up several in advance.  And sometimes, those cards in the "stash" are still sitting there months later, because I came up with a different idea for the person and occasion they were originally created for.  Recently, I dipped into the stash basket, pulled some of those unused cards, and "redecorated" them, changing the embellishments a bit to give them a new look.  This can be a delicate process, since I use hot glue to attach a lot of my embellishments...but with some careful snipping with the tips of the scissors, and some creative arrangements to cover any papers that might pull apart the wrong way, this can be as much fun as making the card from scratch.

Not too many changes were made to this card.  The florals and seed pearls were added to brighten it up, and the lace and cheesecloth add a shabby touch that wasn't there before...

After adding a small piece of scrunched cheesecloth and a couple paper leaves, a small spray of colorful tiny roses were wound around the edges of the sentiment block, a small snippet of sheer embroidered ribbon was tucked beneath the spray, and a little spiral pearl wire added to complement the two pearl flourishes...

The sentiment block and the larger die cut beneath it are both backed with lightweight chipboard and adhered to the card with foam tape to add more dimension...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Basic Grey Kioshi collection      Punch:  Martha Stewart Cherish PATP

Dies:  Sizzix/Tim Holtz Styled Labels;  Spellbinders Labels 10

Pearls and paper leaves:  Prima      Sentiment stamp:  Papertrey Ink      Mini roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts

Crocheted lace:  local craft store      Sheer embroidered ribbon:  TheFunkieJunkie.com

Thanks for visiting today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!

Getting a Head Start...

I like to get a head start on projects that have a deadline...I prefer not to work under pressure anymore. But don't get me wrong...I spent most of my previous working years doing just that. I always did much better when I was under pressure. I've simply decided to live differently now. :)  But as can happen with most of us, "best laid plans and all that."  It doesn't always work out that I'm able to get ahead of a date...so I often have no choice but to scramble and work fast.

But for Mother's Day this year, I now officially have a head start.  I haven't made an easel card in over three years...and decided it was time for me to play with that design one more time.  And because it's for Mother's Day, I can add all the frills and flowers that will fit...so I did! :)  It's very hard to see in the photos, but the  background papers and the base cardstock are a very soft and pale shade of pink...

Here's a closeup view of the front panel. The large frame is popped up just a bit with foam tape, as is the clock and the label frame behind it. Most of the flowers sit down inside the larger frame...

There's still plenty of room to write a personal note above the sentiment panel, and keep it personal and out of sight while the card's on display...that's my favorite feature of easel cards...

Here's a better photo of the shade of pink on the base, and a closeup of the sentiment panel...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Pink Paislee/Collage Press London Market collection

Dies:  Spellbiners Fleur de Lis Accents, Standard Circles Large, Fleur de Lis Squares, Classic Squares Small;  

My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Chipboard clock:  Heidi Swapp      Punches:  Martha Stewart Butterfly and Medium Branch

Flowers:  Wild Orchid Crafts and local craft store      Pink fabric leaf:  Prima

Pearls:  Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today...I hope you're having a fun week, even if you're one of my friends sitting under 11 inches of new snow from the past few days! :)

Flowers for a Friend...

Just a short post today to share a bright and flowery friendship card inspired by the spring weather we had last week. I took a cue from the flower theme and used the Martha Stewart "Flower Bed" edge punch along the bottom edge, and added a scalloped crocheted lace above that for a decidedly shabby and feminine look...

This particular little collage was chosen because I wanted one that would seem to both "blend in" with the pattern on the paper, and yet with the solid background, serve as a focal point on its own.  So it's backed with a piece of dark green cardstock with lots of white dry-brushing around the edges, and popped up a bit with some foam tape...

These little craft store flowers are the closest I could come to matching the flowers in the collage...

...and a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Graphic 45 A Ladies Diary collection;  Cosmo Cricket Fleuriste/Floral Bella

Lace:  TheFunkieJunkie.com      Edge punch:  Martha Stewart Flower Bed      Handmade pearl wires

Mini roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Fabric flowers:  local craft store      Hug Snug seam binding

Digital collage elements:  Grungy texture:  AlteredBits.com;   Fence, gate, & white roses: AntiqueImages.blogspot.com;  Text:  FreeVintageDigiStamps.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for visiting today.  I hope your week started with a smile!

TSTR-Sweet Silhouettes...

I have to sneak in one more card for this week.  I spent most of the week learning my new computer's ins and outs and changes...but I needed a break. So I headed over to check out this week's challenge at The Shabby Tea Room and knew I had to play along with this one - the challenge is to make a project with a silhouette as a central feature. I decided to play around on my new computer (what better way to make sure all your files made it over than to need them, right?) and make up a few ATC-sized collages using some of my silhouette clip art.

I used one of them on today's card, and I couldn't resist adding the feathers on her hat, and the bouquet of flowers below her neck. :)

Here's the inspiration photo Rebekah gave us to work from this week:

I matched the colors of the flowers in the collage with a cluster of  mini paper roses off to the side, sitting atop a matching aqua scrunched bow.  An embellished memo pin holds the mini sentiment tag...

I die cut the collage into an oval shape, framed it with a larger white oval, then layered both over a beaded oval diecut in black. While the black cardstock was still in the die, I used some Viva Decor Old Silver rub on the raised bead portions, then topped each with a mini pearl in the center...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Prima Almanac collection;  Echo Park Dots & Stripes/Metropolitan collection

Cameo collage elements:  French label & white frame: TheGraphicsFairy;  silhouette image:  Dover Publications; 

flowers and feathers:  VintageImages.org  (flowers783 and flowers524)

Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Ovals Small, Classic Ovals Large; Beaded Ovals      Pearls:  Recollections

Flowers:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Hug Snug seam binding      Viva Decor Old Silver      Tim Holtz Memo Pin

Thanks for visiting...I hope you're having a great weekend!

 

Going Monochromatic Again...

TGIF...Happy Friday!  It's been another really busy week around here. :)

If you've been seeing my cards for a while, you might recognize the design of today's card. Back in October of last year, I made one using the same die cut for the base, and the same oval die cuts on the front...but it was made in creams and whites.  This time, I wanted to do a monochromatic card in a color I haven't used for that purpose before...and one that's a little harder to find in my stash. :)  I love this (what I call) "hydrangea lavender"...it has an undertone of pink instead of blue.  And how happy was I to find that I actually had three slightly different hues of the same colored cardstock in my stash! But once I pulled all the embellishments together, it just looked a bit dull with everything blending together...so I decided at the last minute to make white the accent color, both with some of the flowers, and by dry-brushing white paint around the edges of the papers and elements.

I changed up the location of the floral cluster this time...to curl around the bottom of the die cut frames...and found a patterned paper to use inside the smallest oval opening that was the perfect blending of all three shades.

Off to the left side, a large cardstock flourish beneath the flowers, and a pretty handcrafted pearl stick pin...I even found a "hydrangea lavender" pearl in my gem stash that blended perfectly!

...and off to the right, the smaller end of the cardstock flourish peeks out behind more mini roses and leaves...you can see more of the light coating of glitter on the smallest oval frame in this photo...

And a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned paper:  Basic Grey Kioshi collection

Dies:  Spellbinders Grand Labels 4, Floral Ovals, Classic Ovals Large, Classic Ovals Small;  Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork;  My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Mini roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Flat white flower:  Prima      Martha Stewart Medium Branch Punch

Pearls:   Recollections (white), Kaisercraft (lavender)      Handcrafted pearl stick pin

Thanks so much for visiting today...have a wonderful weekend!

A Simple Hello from the Heart...

I'm not really in a "black" mood lately as illustrated by its appearance on this week's cards so far. :)  Today's card is a bit brighter than Monday's...it's light cream (although it looks more white than cream in the photos) with black, and just a touch of soft pink to break it up...with a simple and sincere sentiment...

No lace on this card...the lacy bottom edge detail takes it's place.  But of course, there must be flowers and bows...so they all cluster together at the bottom of the heart...

The heart dies were stacked to form a frame, and the edges enhanced with clear coarse glitter...

And here's a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned paper:  Echo Park Be Mine collection      Edge Punch:  Martha Stewart Double Arches

Dies:  Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork;  Xyron Shapez/Heart;  My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Fabric rose:  local craft store      Paper roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Pearls:  Recollections

I'm including a picture of the inside because I received an inquiry asking how I handle inserting sentiments on my cards when I've made them up in advance and already stitched a plain piece of cardstock inside.  I do the inside this way for the cards I sell, so that personal sentiments can be written inside...and that's often what I do with the cards that are in my "stash" with finished insides.  But often, I want to do a more formal sentiment in addition to a handwritten note, so here's a photo of a card sent recently that shows how I handle that. 

I type up a sentiment (in Photoshop Elements or Word, for example) to fit the size of the area I have available, and print it onto cardstock to match the one already stitched in.  Then die cut a fun shape, either one that matches a design on the outside of the card (as with the card below), or one that complements it, and adhere that right over the stitched piece.  In this way, the stitched inside pieces form a finished "frame" for the new piece added...and it still leaves room for me to write a short personal note...and looks like this...

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!

Monday's Smile...

Happy Monday, all...I hope you had a great weekend!

One thing I love about this hobby is that I can create according to my moods and whims...one day it's light and lacy, and the next, I'm playing with darker and more muted shades (but still definitely shabby). And believe it or not, there's *no* flower cluster on this card.  Well, no dimensional one, that is.  I did some fussy cutting of one of the patterned papers...so that's serving as the flower cluster on today's card. :)

Two little Hug Snug bows are topped with a piece of looped hemp trim glued into a circle...topped with a small felt flower from the dollar store, and a tiny cameo button...and let's not forget the jeweled stick pin...

Just a light dusting of clear coarse glitter over parts of the roses that were fussy-cut from one of the patterned papers to overlap the pink paper above and leave room to stamp the sentiment...and even the stamp font is shabby and distressed...just right for this card!

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Prima Almanac and Tea Thyme collections      Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities

Sentiment stamp:  Technique Tuesday/Ali Edwards      Lace:  TheFunkieJunkie.com

Pearls:  Recollections      Miscellaneous:  cheesecloth, hemp loop trim, felt flower, cameo, handcrafted stick pin

Thanks for visiting today!

A Sweet Little "Twofer"...

I haven't participated in any challenges since before Christmas, so it felt good that I could actually participate in a couple current challenges this week, and even better, that I could combine both challenges in one card.  The first is Lenet's  "Happy Birthday in Pink and Blue" challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room , and the second is the weekly sketch over at Mojo Monday . The perfect way to end the week!

I was able to get some good use from my new printer with the background patterned paper used on this card.  It began as the aqua paper from Karen's  Lattice Collection at The Graphics Fairy.  I did a little recoloring in Photoshop Elements to make it less aqua and more blue, and to darken it a bit to fit with the colors in the challenge. After a little bit of tinkering, I got just the color I was going for, along with reducing the size of the pattern to better fit the size of the card. I turned the sketch on it's side to fit on this portrait-orientation card...

Here are the challenge photos I was working from for this card (direct links are up above):

  

After turning the sketch, I substituted the scalloped oval with the floral cluster...gotta have a floral cluster to be a Korner card, right? :)  You can see why it was impossible for me to ignore that inspiration photo...right up my alley with that cluster of roses! 

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  The Graphics Fairy (digital paper);  Echo Park Be Mine collection (pink pattern)

Cuttlebug Textile Texture Embossing folder         EK Success Dotted Scallop edge punch

My Favorite Things Royal Leaves die         Lace:  TheFunkieJunkie.com      

Pearls:  Recollections         Mini paper rose:  Wild Orchid Crafts  

Miscellaneous:  craft store fabric flowers and stamen;  handcrafted pearl wire spiral;  pink ribbon

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.  I can't believe it's Friday already...another week has flown by way too fast. Have a great weekend!

Light and Lacy...

At night around here you know it's still winter with temps in the low 30's, but during the day, you'd think it was spring...warm, sunny, and high 60's.  So that put me in the mood to use some bright and cheerful colors this week - at least until the rain comes back for a visit in a day or so.

Here's a light and lacy birthday card...white scalloped lace and a piece of a white doily form the base for a floral cluster made up of tulle, cheesecloth, a soft and shabby yellow fabric flower, some gathered cotton lace, three tiny yellow and white roses, and an embellished memo pin holding the sentiment tag...

The large crystal is from Maya Road (Vintage Alterable Trinkets-Large)...it starts as a smooth clear crystal.  But you know me by now...I can't leave it that way. :)  I coated it with Glossy Accents and sprinkled on some clear coarse glitter.  When dry, it's now slightly sparkly, with a pretty prism effect. I put a small jump ring through the top, and tied it to the center knot of the small dyed Hug Snug bows beneath the flowers at the center of the card...

Here's a closeup view of the center of the flower cluster...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Sassafras (aqua background print);  Echo Park Dots & Stripes/Metropolitan (black dot);

MyMindsEye/Dilly Dally collection (yellow);  Prima/IOD Rue 88 collection (floral stripe)

Dies:  Sizzix Flowers Branches and Leaves      Scalloped lace:  TheFunkieJunkie.com      Pearls:  Recollections

Fabric flower:  Frogfeathers on Etsy      Mini paper roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts

Large crystal:  Maya Road      Paper doily:  Wilton      Memo pin:  Tim Holtz      Hug Snug seam binding

Miscellaneous:  tulle, cheesecloth, cotton lace, clear coarse glitter

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

Song in My Heart...Take Two...

Happy Monday, all...I hope you had a great weekend!  Thank you for your kind get-well wishes...and I'm feeling a whole lot better now that I've had more time to heal...almost back to eating more than the soft foods and liquids I've been on the last week or so. Yay!

I have one more card from last week to show you...and then I have to get busy in the Korner again and get my mojo workin'!  I used this sentiment on a card last year, but nothing about the card was the same except the sentiment tag.  This time I played up the "heart" portion of the sentiment...I think it will make a fun Valentine, as well as a great anniversary card...

The mid-sized heart is covered with a basket of flowers image from Dover Publications...and the tiny one is covered with a scrap of patterned paper (Basic Grey, I think)...both are topped with a spray of mini roses with one dark blue rose bud in the center...all atop a couple dyed Hug Snug bows...

The larger chipboard heart frame is painted, inked, and coated with clear coarse glitter...and a couple handmade pearl wire spirals accent the inside of the heart and flower spray...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Echo Park Melody of Life collection (grey text), Be Mine collection (music), 

Dots & Striped/Candy Shoppe collection (dot)

Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Ovals Small, Classic Ovals Large;  Papertrey Ink Heart Prints

Large chipboard heart frame:  Maya Road      Floral image:  Dover Publications

Flowers:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Mini pearls:  Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Miscellaneous:  Handcrafted pearl wire spirals

Thank you so much for visiting today...I hope you week starts with a smile!