TSTR-Soft Neutrals

I had such a productive time this past weekend I thought it might be next week until I created more cards...until I saw this week's challenge at The Shabby Tea Room. The challenge is to create with only neutral colors - I'm on it! 

When I work with all neutrals, the challenge for me is to get a variety of contrasting textures worked into the design - that's where I have the most fun.  This is the inspiration photo for the challenge:

Last time I made an all-neutral card, it was monochromatic, using creams and whites. This time, I wanted to work with more colors. It was fun pulling some old and new supplies for this card. The background cardstock is a piece of core'dinations textured cardstock that I sanded and drybrushed around the edges. I found a piece of aida (crosstitch) cloth that I had put through my printer and printed with assorted words...a real "oldie but goodie" (and another good reason not to get rid of embellishments just because I haven't used them in the last year - or six :)).  I layered it on top of a heart die cut out of burlap and backed with chipboard and a snippet of lace.

I have a nice collection of colors of the shabby fabric flowers from one of my favorite Etsy shops, but the tans/browns blended with the papers too much, and the cream wasn't the "right" cream. So I pulled out my Tea Dye Distress Ink mist, diluted it a bit more, and recolored one of the cream flowers. It looks more "rust" colored here in the top photos than it does IRL-this photo is actually closest to the true color.

Supplies:

Patterned papers: BoBunny Back to Basics Kitchen Spice/Allspice (B side); K&Co Maison collection (diamond print)

Large fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy     Dies: Papertrey Ink Heart Prints; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet      Pearls & paper rose: Prima     

Doily: local craft store      Making Memories Word Fetti stickers      Handcrafted stick pin    

Miscellaneous: burlap, aida cloth, cheesecloth, wide cotton lace

Thanks so much for visiting today!

A Soft Summer Hello...

The Korner is all picked up now...well, as "picked up" as it can be. If someone who isn't a crafter walked into this room, they'd probably think, "How does she work in this clutter?"  But the clutter is very organized, the worksurface cleaned,  the shelves and equipment dusted, the floor vacuumed.  For some reason, I can't create without some "neat clutter" - embellishments, stamps, and inspiration right in front of me - but organized in containers, baskets, and jars to keep the worksurface free. And conversely, I can't do "logic work" in any sort of clutter - I need a totally organized and clean area for that. Two sides of a brain totally segregated for their functions...that's me, I guess.

And once my straightening up was done, I had a nice creative streak...total fun!

Here's the first of the cards I have to share with you...pastel colors mixed with the deeper shades in the Prima patterned paper pieces...a soft summer hello to start the week...

No large floral cluster on this one...I wanted the focus on the beautiful floral paper. The scrunched ribbon bows are centered with a large cluster of pearls...even the cardstock flourish has a dusting of mini pearls...

...the sentiment jewelry tag is held by an embellished Tim Holtz memo pin...

...a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Prima Romantique collection      Pearls: Recollections

Dies: Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities & Classic Ric Rac insert; Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork;

My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Scalloped Crocheted Lace: Prima      Memo Pin: Tim Holtz      Hug Snug seam binding

I hope your Monday starts with a smile that lasts all week! I'll be back soon with more goodies to share.



TSTR-"Sweet Summertime"

I'm still straightening up here in the Korner, but I took a break to make a card for this week's challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room.  Truth be told, while I was filing away unused patterned papers and left-over pieces, I put together a few combinations that would make new cards, and one of those combos just happened to be the colors in this week's challenge! So I had no choice but to stop and make the card up. It's what any self-respecting cardmaker would do...you know, create, not clean....right? (back me up here please...LOL)

Here's the inspiration photo:

And here's the frilly and lacy little number that it inspired me to make...

the flower cluster sits atop a shabby fabric rose and a scrunched piece of crocheted lace trim...

and strips of narrow cotton lace are sandwiched between each of the paper layers (I wasn't kidding when I said it's a lacy little number!)...

I couldn't resist...I even added a strip of lace between the layers on the inside, too...

Supplies:

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

MyMindsEye A Beautiful Life collection (lilac dot)

Dies: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves; Sizzix Leafy Branch

Sentiment Stamp: Technique Tuesday     Shabby flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Scalloped lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet and Etsy      Cotton laces: local craft store

Mini roses: Prima      Pearls: Recollections      Handmade pearl wire spiral

Thanks for stopping in for a visit...hope your week is a great one so far!

Playing with Carta Bella...

Happy Monday, all!  After an extra busy week last week, I sat down to play with papers from a new paper company...Carta Bella. Carina Gardner designed a beautiful collection called, appropriately, "Beautiful Moments," that's filled with wonderful patterns in pink, burgundy, gold, and brown. I'm still waiting for my 6x6 pad of reduced patterns to arrive, but in the meantime, I picked up a few full-size 12x12 sheets to play with.

For this card, I started with the "Cherish Paper" that has one side filled with decorative circles. I punched one with my 1-3/4" circle punch to form the medallion that's the focal point of this card (it's surrounded with scalloped circle punches in graduated larger sizes).  The pretty damask is the back of the "Stripes Paper."

I did a little "faux stitching" following the dotted lines in the pattern by punching and drawing the "thread" with a fine black pen between the punches, and added some mini pearls outside the "stitch" lines and a small pearl circle in the center for added charm.

The wide scalloped lace was purchased in white. After tea-dying it, I colored a few of the rows with an EK Success water pen and Spun Sugar Distress Ink refill ink.  To the eye, the pink shades are the same between the lace and the papers...but apparently not to the camera! :)

 A little peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Carta Bella Beautiful Moments/Cherish Paper and Stripes Paper; Crate Paper Circa 1934 collection (black/cream); Prima Romantique (cream rose print)

Dies: Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves; Memory Box Woven Circle

Punches: EK Success circle and scalloped circles      Pearls: Recollections and Prima

Paper roses: Prima      Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink      Scalloped crochet lace: Fields of Dreams on Etsy

New projects will arrive a little slower this week from my little Korner workroom, so don't fret if you don't see another card for a few days.  It's all good, but I have some *major* straightening up to do after last week's frenzy of cardmaking (some of which you'll see here in a week or so), and then I can get busy making a new mess! LOL

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping in for a visit!

A Page From My Own Book...Well, Almost...

At the start of this month, I posted this card,

which used the design of a beautiful card I found on Irena's blog here (yep...I finally found the origin blog, after much continued sleuthing!). 

Today's card is another take on this same design...very similar, but with just a few minor changes, it has its own charm. I narrowed and lengthened the piece behind the digi collage, added a piece of lace trim beneath it, changed some of the border die cuts and the location of the doily piece...and here's the finished product:

The digi collage is another that I made...if you look closely, you'll see the faint outline of the Eiffel tower over there on the right.  Light touches of clear glitter here and there add a little sparkle...

all-white flowers and leaves, with the exception of one bright pink rose, are accented with pearl wire spirals...

Supplies:

Patterned paper: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/Fiddlesticks collection

Digi collage elements: Floral bouquet: vintageimages.org;  French label, teacup, ornate frame, pink rose,

Eiffel tower: The Graphics Fairy

Dies: Spellbinders Fancy Tags 3, My Favorite Things Royal Leaves      Crocheted lace: The Funkie Junkie on Etsy

Mini paper roses: Prima     Mini hydrangeas: Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Hydrangea punch

Large pink rose: local craft store      Pearls: Recollections     Miscellaneous: Wilton doily, handcrafted pearl wire spirals

Thanks for visiting!  Today I finished up a special project that I'll talk about here in a week or so...it's something I'm very happy about. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Have a Sweet Day...

Just in case you're having a mid-week slump, this is me saying "Have a Sweet Day." :) The heat's back on here this week, so I'm holed up in the Korner working on a project and making more cards...and very thankful for a working air conditioning system! :)

This one was fun to make, because it came together so naturally. It has a bit of a shabby-chic tone, with the dry-brushed paint around the edges of the papers, and the imperfect stitching, and the colorful flowers and bows. Sometimes when you just let go and stop thinking about the design, it happens - and that makes the whole process so much more relaxing and fun.

...the floral cluster is made up of Hug Snug bows, paper and fabric roses, die cut leaves, a seed pod pulled apart from craft-store flowers, a handmade pearl wire spiral, and pearl leaf outlines...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/Dolled Up collection (stripe); On the Bright Side Two (dot);

Miss Caroline/Fiddlesticks collection (damask)

Dies: Spellbinders Labels 8; Memory Box Woven Circle; My Favorite Things Vintage Cameo (oval)

Cotton lace: The Funkie Junkie on Etsy & Zibbet      Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink

Paper roses, pearl flourishes, pearl leaves: Prima      Fabric rose & seed pod: local craft store

Loose pearls: Queen & Co.      Hug Snug seam binding     Handcrafted pearl wire spiral

Thanks for visiting today!