Home and Heart...

If you're a fan of mixing stamping with punched and die cut paper piecing, and you haven't yet visited Kittie Caracciolo's blog, you should...and be sure you've got a nice block of time to spend, because there's so much wonderful creativity there that time will fly by as you take it all in!  Our styles are not all that similar, but I think that may be the reason why I marvel at all the wonderful details in her cards, and wonder just how long it takes her to dream up and assemble the scenes she creates.

With a desire to do something outside my "normal," I attempted to channel Kittie's style, mainly to see if I could even do it! :)   I'd been asked to make a housewarming card, and I remembered a few cards that Kittie had made using the same Poppystamps Small Madison Window and Small Madison Window Shutter dies that were sitting in my die basket.  Then I remembered one she'd made adding a picket fence ... and I had a die for that, too (although not the same one as used on her card).

So I gathered up some supplies, made some die cuts, inked up an embossing folder...and here's the end result of my first attempt to make a card totally inspired by Kittie's work...

I recalled another card of Kittie's that had a valence and curtain side panels punched with a lacy trim, but I went for the window shade detail...and cut apart a small gold button to use part of it as a "shade pull" in the center of the shade...

I don't have a grass edger die, or grass/fringe scissors, (or let's be honest, the patience to hand-cut grass blades without them, LOL) so instead, I put some clear glue between the fence posts at the bottom, and sprinkled Sage Ultrafine Flower Soft to simulate short grass blades peeking through the fencing...then attached a little banner strung onto the fence with the sentiment...

Because I was adding a sentiment, rather than use flowers along or behind the fence, I chose to put a flowering bush in the corner.  Using lots and LOTS of punched branches in a couple different shades of green, I layered them until they looked like a little round bush, and then glued in a few tiny pink flowers (I couldn't resist...I need "bling" somewhere, so I added a tiny green crystal to the center of each of the flowers. :) )

Supplies:

Embossing folder: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bricked Texture Fade (inked with Pumice Stone Distress Ink)

Dies: Poppystamps Small Madison Window & Small Madison Window Shutter

Papertrey Ink Picket Fence & Heart Prints Dies

Punches: Martha Stewart Medium Branch, 3-in-1 Hydrangea, & Eyelet Lace edge punches

.      Patterned papers: Graphic 45  A Ladies' Diary (aqua); MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/All Dolled Up (pink gingham)

Green crystals: Queen & Co      Flower Soft Sage Ultra-Fine

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