Shabby All Occasion - Cardabilities #125...

Twice in recent weeks, a peek at the current Cardabilities sketch has been just what I needed to get my mojo working. Today's card is a bright, but shabby, all occasion card based on the current sketch - with one change - I turned the sketch upside down for fun!

Here's the finished card...

and here's the right-side-up current sketch that it's based on :) ...

The flowers in the cluster are all handmade using Spellbinders' Rose Creation dies - only this time, I didn't make them into roses. I used the three smallest dies in the set to color and form "generic" flowers, and used clusters of little pearl stamens in the centers. 

I added white cheesecloth, and cheesecloth dyed to match the orchid purple flowers, to add texture under the flower cluster...

In this detail shot, you can see the teal embossing powder that I scattered along the edge of the doily diecut  - I used the same powder in the left corners of the background paper...

I love embellishing stick pins with pearls and spacers. In this case, a Maya Road leaf pin with my last pink jeweled spacer (now on a hunt to find more of these at a bead store somewhere!) and a couple pearls...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   Prima "Zephyr" collection;   Authentique "Cherish" collection

Dies:   Prima "Pineapple Doily";  Spellbinders "Rose Creations";  My Favorite Things "Royal Leaves"

Sweetheart blossoms:   Wild Orchid Crafts             Lace:   TheFunkieJunkie.com

Leaf stick pin:   Maya Road             Stamens:   ChocolateLetters on Etsy

Embossing powder:   Lindy's Stamp Gang "Tilt a Wheel Teal"           

Miscellaneous:   ""Broken China" and "Seedless Preserves" Distress Inks,  cheesecloth

Thanks so much for visiting today!

Grateful - Cardabilities #124

Hello, again! I was feeling in the mood to make a layered, softly-colored, shabby-chic card, and when I ran across the current sketch at Cardabilities, I knew it was a perfect inspiration that would be so much fun to play with.

Here's the finished card...

(and here's the inspiration sketch...)

This time, for a floral cluster, I used a couple mini gardenias, next to a small lily, and just a couple mini roses, all sitting inside a twine wreath (inspired by all those threads inside the circle on the sketch)...

and atop a chipboard heart and heart circle frame that are inked and coated with clear German glass glitter for a slightly sparkly, sugared look...

The sentiment, perfect for either a thank you card or friendship card, (because I like to leave my options open when I'm not making a card for a specific use at the time) is a Tim Holtz "Big Chat" sticker backed with chipboard for stability...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   My Minds Eye Lost & Found "Heirloom"

Chipboard heart and frame:   Maya Road            Dies:   Sizzix "Flowers Branches & Leaves"

Flowers:   Wild Orchid Crafts              Pearls:   Recollections              Sentiment:   Tim Holtz "Big Chat"

Lace and pearl stem:   local craft store

Miscellaneous:   clear medium German glass glitter,  twine,  Liquitex Ink! acrylic inks - Carbon Black & Titanium White

Thanks for visiting today!

          

Cardabilities #110...Happy Everything...

TGIF! Don't you just love knowing the weekend is only one day away?

Today's card is an autumn-bright, shabby little number to end your week with a smile...

The larger pieces of background paper were accented this time using Dreamweavers's Studio 490 embossing paste and a damask stencil. This embossing paste used on its own leaves an almost transparent, shiny pattern once dry - as if you had used clear embossing powder over the design. Initially, I was going to leave it just the way it went on, but after applying the Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays on some of the areas of the front, I decided to run a very light coat of Vintage Photo Distress Ink over other parts of the design to emphasize it a bit more...

I found a beautiful and bright little flower stem in my stash, added a couple more individual striped flowers to it, a few light yellow and light brown roses, and finally a couple yellow stamen clusters...

The sentiment came from a couple different sentiment stamp phrases...a little mixing and matching makes for a perfect fit sometimes...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   Prima Sunrise Sunset collection

Stencil:   The Crafters Workshop Mini Damask

Color sprays:   Lindy's Stamp Gang - Merry Go Round Green,  Bonjour Butter, and Bayou Boogie Gold

Flower stem and striped flowers:   Prima            Stamen clusters:   ChocolateLetters on Etsy

Roses:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Pearls:   Recollections            Lace:   local craft store

Sentiment stamps:   Fiskars ("happy");   Altenew ("everything")

Miscellaneous:   Studio 490 embossing paste,   cheesecloth,   Vintage Photo Distress Ink

My design is inspired by the current Cardabilities sketch, #110 ...

Thank you for popping in for a visit today...have a wonderful weekend!

Cardabilities Sketch #104 - Thanks For All You Do...

TGIF! This week I had one of those "it's late at night, but the idea is hot and I'm going for it!" nights. While cruising some of the blogs in my feed yesterday afternoon, I came across the new Cardabilities sketch challenge, and I had a few ideas I jotted down. Last night, I changed my mind on a couple of those ideas, and decided to get to work on them before I lost momentum. Needless to say, it was late when I finished (drying time accounted for much of the time spent into the wee hours...that's my story and I'm sticking to it! heehee). Here's the finished card....

Here's the new sketch challenge that the design is based on...

For the background, I started with a piece of solid colored paper, and used matte medium to paste it to a base of 140 lb. watercolor paper. I knew I'd be using wet mediums on top of the paper, and wanted it to have a heavy base that could absorb the wet mediums without buckling. Then I gesso'd on several pieces of cheesecloth as the start of the textured base. 

Once the gesso was dry, I used a combination of sprays and Distress Inks applied with foam applicators to add spots of color over some of the gesso'd areas, leaving the rest of the gesso spots white. The final step was to fingerpaint (yep...I fingerpainted it on...it was fun! LOL)  Distress Stickles in Spun Sugar, Broken China, and Frayed Burlap over the front, to add more spots of color and texture, and just a subtle hint of sparkle.

Here's a closeup of a piece of the front that shows all the ingredients in one place...

There's a diecut doily under the sentiment block, and a twine wreath in addition that sits on top of the horizontal sentiment block. Each on their own didn't look substantial enough, but together, they counter the weight of the heavily textured background and the wider sentiment block...

The sentiment itself is stamped onto a piece of a diecut tattered banner...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   Maja Designs Vintage Summer Basics

Dies:   Spellbinders Scalloped Borders One;   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves;   Lifestyle Crafts Antique Doily;

Tim Holtz Tattered Banners

Lace:   TheFunkieJunkie.com          Punch:   EK Success Round Binding Edge

Flowers:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Sentiment stamp:   Simon Says Stamp/Friendship Messages

Pearls:   Recollections          Miscellaneous:   cheesecloth, gesso, Distress Inks, Distress Stickles

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