LOTV - Be Mine...

TGIF...happy Friday, everyone!

Today's card is filled with the spirit of Valentine love, but made up in a colorway that's just short of ordinary.

Lili of the Valley has a beautiful new paper pad out called Mr. & Mrs. and as beautiful as these papers are for wedding and anniversary cards, I thought they'd be just as special on a Valentine, using a monochromatic white/grey/black combo with just a touch of pink...so that's just what I used it for...

The floral cluster is one large dusty pink rose made using Spellbinders' Rose Creation dies, surrounded with smaller mulberry paper roses, grey pearl stick pins, and a small pearl flourish...

To the right, a piece of white lace colored with Distress Inks to complement the paper colors, and highlighted with a couple Valentine stamps from Set 22, Love Sentiments, shabbily stamped in Watering Can grey ink just above the lace trim...

And the main sentiment, also from Love Sentiments, sitting atop a little cluster in the lower right corner...

Inside, I used a die cut and a sweet little sentiment from the  A5 Verses set...

Supplies:

LOTV Patterned Papers:  Mr. & Mrs. 

LOTV Stamps:   Set 22, Love Sentiments;   Set 10, A5 Verses

Dies:   Spellbinders Lace Hearts, and Rose Creations;   My Favorite Things Royal Leaves;  

La-La Land Crafts Honeycomb and Heart Doily Border

Lace:   TheFunkieJunkie.com          Small roses:   Wild Orchid Crafts          

Pearl flourishes:   Prima            Pearl stick pins:   Maya Road

Miscellaneous:   Pumice Stone and Spun Sugar Distress Inks;  twine;  white craft paint

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

LOTV - Sending You Love...

TGIF...happy Friday, everyone! Today I have another card for this month's Lili of the Valley Pretty Papers challenge. There's still plenty of time for you to enter, and there are prizes involved...I hope you'll check it out and join in the fun! :)

There are two adorable new image stamps that were added to the shop this week - Bonfire and Halloween. And if you're short on time, or prefer to use images already colored, and haven't already checked out the eight new Art Pads for holiday cards and projects, you really should!

But today, I'm straying from the holiday theme, and showing off a "fully loaded shabby chic" card using beautiful papers from Snow Princess, Snow Princess Solids, and a coordinating striped paper from Pastel Dreams ...

The little tied bundle of post cards is made using a stamp from Set 46, Background Bits-Notes, and the sentiment from Set 29, Vintage Sentiments-Just to Say is stamped onto a little die cut heart and tied below a small trio of roses...

Up in the corner is a larger cluster of roses...there's even a light and airy die cut peeking out from under the postcards...

And down in the lower corner, another small cluster of roses...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   LOTV Snow Princess,  Snow Princess Solids,  Pastel Dreams

Stamps:   LOTV Set 46/Background Bits-Notes, and Set 29/Vintage Sentiments-Just to Say

Dies:   My Favorite Things Royal Leaves;   Memory Box Queen of Hearts

Flowers:   The Paper Studio,  Wild Orchid Crafts            Striped twine:  The Twinery (lilac stripe)

Miscellaneous:   white hemp twine, cheesecloth

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

LOTV - Sending Love Across the Miles...

Good Sunday morning, everyone...I hope you're having a fun weekend so far!

Today's card features one of Lili of the Valley's background stamps, Vintage Backgrounds, Flora & Fauna. I used a loose watercolor technique to color it in bright, summery colors. Once it was colored, I distressed and inked the edges, and added a bit of texturing around the right side using modeling paste and a stencil...

I nestled the sentiment up the side of the watercolor piece using a stamp from LOTV's Set 25, Handwritten Phrases, and accented it with a strand of pearls beneath it.

Deep fuchsia pink, red, and purple watecolors were used to color the large rose. (In the photo, it looks redder than it does IRL)...

It was just sheer good luck to discover that Picked Raspberry Distress Ink was the perfect complement to the watercolors used on the rose. I used that to color the white seam binding and the white butterfly trim to add more of the pink to the left of the card...

Here's a closeup of the modeling paste texturing. You've heard me say it before, but I love to use this when I need a subtle texture because it picks up the colors of the medium beneath it when used straight out of the jar. I wanted some texture, but didn't want the texture to cover the rose image, only the background portion, so stenciling was the answer here...

Supplies:

Stamps:   LOTV Set 53, Vintage Backgrounds/Flora & Fauna;  LOTV Set 25, Handwritten Phrases

Stencil:   Crafters Workshop Mini Tile Texture

Pearls:   Recollections            Laces:   local craft store            Hug Snug seam binding

Miscellaneous:   Sakura Koi watercolors, modeling paste, Picked Raspberry Distress Ink

Thanks for stopping by...I hope the rest of your weekend is a fun one and your week starts with a smile!

"Squirrel!" - And Other Pretty Things...

Happy Friday, everyone! Here in California, we're celebrating the return of rain...glorious rain that we hope will fall steadily for a few more days to help alleviate the serious drought conditions. So YAY for rain! :)

Last week I told you about finding bits and bobs of supplies left over from previous projects that were found while I was cleaning out my craft room (like the dog in the movie "Up" who is easily distracted mid-sentence by a "squirrel!" I'm easily distracted while cleaning when I find fun things I'd forgotten about.) Today's share is that card.

Two of the pieces I found were the full, and half-piece, die cut shapes from coral toned patterned papers. I decided to cut a larger piece of the same shape to form the base of the card. Then I found the two hearts...one diecut and covered with plain white textured cardstock (that I ran through the Big Shot using a border embossing folder so just the center of the heart was embossed with a pattern, and the lines at the edge of the border folder formed a smooth area to the side of the pattern), and the chipboard heart frame that I had already painted, inked, and glittered. Added to the lace snippet, the piece of white burlap, and the little white butterfly punched from a paper with glitter swirls, I had the perfect start for a pretty spring-toned card in coral, white, and green...

I wanted the bows to look "airy" so I combined some white and natural twine with a piece of white hemp cord to form the triple bow at the intersection of the two hearts, then added a cluster of white pearls in the center...

The roses and leaves on the card were dotted with clear gel to simulate dew drops...

A small rose was added inside the heart frame to balance the roses at the top of the card...

And lastly, a flourish of pearls was added to mimic the fluttery butterfly's path of flight and fancy...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   Prima Almanac collection (coral damask);   Bo Bunny Coral Dot 

Dies:   Spellbinders Grand Labels Four;   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves

Punch:   Martha Stewart Royal Butterfly            Flowers:   Wild Orchid Crafts

Lace, white burlap:   TheFunkieJunkie.com            Pearls:   Recollections

Miscellaneous:   white hemp cording, twine, clear coarse glitter, Viva Decor Glass Effects Gel

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

Lots of Love...

Happy Friday! I'm back to end the week with a pink and grey card that, as I went along with the making of it, realized it might make an appropriate Valentine for a mom, or daughter, or sister, or aunt...hmmmm.

It's definitely *full* of embellishments, but it was made for fun, so I just let my long-lost "mojo" take me along for the ride...

A couple small tags were large enough for the start of the sentiment, and they're nestled in among the flower and stamen clusters...

"Love" is diecut from two different shades of pink cardstock, offset before glued together to give a shadowed effect. I adhered the little pearls to the heart-shaped "o" before sprinkling clear glitter over the other letters...

The little heart shaped center of the "o" in the "love" diecut was colored to deep red with a Marvy pen, a little pearl added to the center, and more clear glitter applied, before nestling it at the top of the leafy stem...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Echo Park Be Mine collection (grey solid);   My Minds Eye Bramble Rose collection (grey damask)

Dies:   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves;   Papertrey Ink Wonderful Words Love;   Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags

Sentiment stamp:   Papertrey Ink Wonderful Words Love

Flowers:   LayoutsFromTheHeart on Etsy (grey roses);   Wild Orchid Crafts  (sweetheart blossoms, red roses, 

white stamen cluster)

Pearls:   Recollections        Hug Snug seam binding          Miscellaneous:   Wilton doily, cheesecloth, clear coarse glitter

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

Cream and Ivory...

Today's card is a true monochromatic little number, with lots of texture from embossing folders, and lots of lacy touches from the edge punch and braided lace across the front. Three different embossing folders were used to make the textured sections across the front...

The side view makes it a bit easier to see the lacy punched edge detail...

The largest rose in the cluster is made using Spellbinders' Rose Creations dies...the smaller flowers are pre-made, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how perfectly they matched...

It's no secret I love using memo pins for sentiment tags...makes it easy when I change my mind and want to use the card for a different occasion...just swap out the tag...plus, it's fun to "gussy up" the memo pins...

Supplies:

Edge punch:   Martha Stewart Embroidery Deep Edge

Embossing folders:   Cuttlebug Polka Dots, Kassies Brocade, Modern Wallpaper

Dies:   Spellbinders Rose Creations;   Spellbinders Floral Flourishes;   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves

Small paper roses:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Stamens:   ChocolateLetters on Etsy

Pearls:   Recollections          Tim Holtz Memo Pin (embellished and painted)

Thanks for visiting today!

The Best Thing...

What a fun "natural alarm clock" we woke up to yesterday, the last day of our holiday weekend - the first rain since the end of June (not unusual around here) peppered with loud, rolling thunder (a bit more unusual around here this time of year).  It was a most welcome break from the high heat of late, that is supposed to continue for another 3-4 weeks.  As much as I love this area where we now live, and the better quality of life we're able to have, the one thing I do miss about the Silicon Valley area where I grew up was the more moderate temperatures and shorter hot summers. :)

Today's card is one where the color scheme pretty much happened after I prepared the sentiment block using one of Lili of the Valley's Quotables/Friendship stamps.  After I stamped the sentiment in black onto one of the papers in LOTV's new Beach Bliss paper collection , and distressed the edges exposing the white paper core, I knew the color combo I wanted to use...aqua, contrasted with black, and brightened and accented with pure white...

One of the most fun things about my rose die set is that I can custom create roses to match just about any color, especially handy when I want to use a monochromatic, or mostly so, color scheme.  This time I was lucky that I had one sheet left of a pale aqua that was a perfect shade to match the aquas in the patterned papers. I used some ready-made mini roses in slightly different hues to complement the large rose...

I used a couple different mini heart dies to create a chipboard open heart lightly sprinkled with German glass glitter, to sit behind the roses inside the cluster...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  "Beach Bliss" collection, Susan Darter/Raspberry Road Designs for Lili of the Valley

Sentiment stamp:   Lili of the Valley, Set 62, Quotables/Friendship

Dies:   Spellbinders Rose Creations;   Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork;   Papertrey Ink Heart Prints;

Sizzix Flowers, Branches, & Leaves

Small roses & flower stamens:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Doily:  Wilton          Pearls:   Recollections

Thank you for visiting today...I hope your week started with a smile!

It's a Shabby Vintage Kind of Day...

Happy Monday, everyone! Summer is still in full swing around here, and soft colors are still on my mind.

Today's card is definitely vintage-themed, with lots of shabby touches.  When I pulled the patterned paper that's at the front of the card, it had a little more contrast and color than I wanted.  So I softened it with a lightly watered-down coating of gesso, and a bit of gentle sanding.  After that, I used a stencil and applied modeling paste across the bottom to add the vintage text...a light tan chalk ink pad was dragged over the dried modeling paste to tint the text.

Here are a couple close-ups of the floral cluster...most of it sits down inside the chipboard frame that you see peeking out on the right side of the card.  It starts with a layer of cheesecloth, then a large fabric flower, a gathered lace layer, another smaller coral fabric flower that's been dusted with white acrylic paint to soften the tone, and finally the paper roses and aster daisies, with a stamen cluster in the upper corner. The dyed seam binding bows are tucked under the lace layer and glued down...

The chipboard frame was "vintaged," too.  It was inked and crackled painted, then a tan acrylic paint was dry-brushed around the edges...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:   Prima Nature Garden and Tea Thyme collections

Stencil:   The Crafters Workshop Mini Antiquities          Chipboard frame:   Tattered Angels

Dies:   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves;   Impression Obsession Mini Rectangle Tags

Paper roses, aster daisies:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Fabric flowers:   Bazzill

Stamens:   ChocolateLetters on Etsy          Pearls:   Recollections

Sentiment stamp:  Lili of the Valley/Christmas Handwritten Phrases, Set 35

Laces and pearl strands:   local craft store          Hug Snug seam binding          Tim Holtz memo pin (embellished)

Miscellaneous:   cheesecloth, Golden modeling paste, gesso, crackle medium

Thanks so much for stopping in for a visit...I hope your week is starting with a smile!

Happiness...

Friday already! For many in our area, this has been the last week before school starts again, although some schools in a neighboring district started back this week. Why do summers seem to fly by so fast compared to the other seasons? :)

Today's shabby card is one with sentiments that could be appropriate for cheering up a dear friend or relative, or simply as an all-occasion card.  It features some of Lili of the Valley's *new* Antebellum collection papers, as well as a few different stamps...

The piece of music paper with the rose was perfect for the front of this card. There's a space to the right of the rose that's just the right size to stamp a large sentiment...this one is from Set 61, Quotables/Celebrate.  I applied some Diamond Stickles around the edges of the petals of the rose just to accentuate them a little...

The small piece of music paper behind the rose piece is stamped using Set 46, Background Bits/Notes, and the words on the small tag attached to the stick pin are from Set 35, Christmas Handwritten Phrases...

A small cluster of roses sits on top of a couple Hug Snug bows and pieces of die cut leafy branches...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Lili of the Valley/Raspberry Road Designs Antebellum collection

Stamps:   Lili of the Valley Set 46, Background Bits/Notes;  Set 61, Quotables/Celebrate;   

Set 35, Christmas Handwritten Phrases

Flowers:   Wild Orchid Crafts          Dies:   Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves          Pearls:   Recollections         

Hug Snug seam binding          Maya Road stick pin (embellished)          Stickles/"Diamond"

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