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!

Two for Thursday

Hope your week is going well.  We've had a beautiful fall week (so far, anyway) with mild temps and light breezes.  The leaves on the oak trees out front have turned deep orange and deep red, and in the afternoons when the sun is on that side of the house, the orange light comes through the front windows - it's just beautiful! But rain is supposedly on the way, so I'm thinking those beautiful leaves will be all over the lawn soon. LOL

I have a couple more cards to share with you today. The first is a masculine birthday card, in a turquoise and brown combo that I love to use.

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: Authentique Gathering Collection        Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink

Sentiment block:  Spellbinders Labels Twenty-two      Buttons: American Crafts

Edge Punches: EK Success and Fiskars

This card was made for a friend's recent housewarming party.  I have a stamp that has this sentiment on it, but the size wasn't right, so I printed it on my computer to get the size I needed. 

Supplies:

Patterned Papers: PinkPaislee Nantucket collection , Bo Bunny et cetera collection, BasicGrey Curio collection

Angel wings: Tim Holtz      Pearls: Recollections and Martha Stewart      Mini Roses: Prima

Hug Snug seam binding      Cotton lace: Etsy

Thanks for stopping by...I'll be back soon with more to share.

Little Somethings to Share Today

It’s been another fairly busy crafting week, mixed in with appointments here and there. Here's one of this week's projects.

A friend had asked  if I would make her some cards like the one I had sent her congratulating her on her new home—she loved the lace die cut edging and the smaller size (these are 3-1/2" x 5").  So I got out my Big Shot and my Papertrey Ink edger die (the same one I used on the "Feel Better Friend" card in an earlier post) and cut away.  Thinking I would make an extra or two to fill my own “ready to go stash” basket, I cut 5 cards and matching papers.  When I emailed the pics to my friend to choose the ones she liked, she liked them all...so all 5 she got!

Here’s the card that started it all:

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2     Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Out of Print Collection    Die Cuts: Spellbinders Labels Two and Fancy Tags dies    Pearls & Resin Rose: Prima    Seam Binding: Hug Snug    Butterfly from local craft store    Mini house made with various papers and lace strips from stash    Sentiment printed on printer

And that led to these...starting with a card for any occasion.  I played with a new crackle medium (new to me, that is) on this card - it's by DecoArt and it's a one-coat process.  It's easy and fun and I think I'll be using it a lot more!  I inked the chipboard frame with Distress Ink first, then did the crackle coat and finished it off by rubbing Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the cracks to emphasize them just a bit.

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Out of Print collection    Chipboard Frame: Tattered Angels    Crackle Medium: DecoArt    Paper leaves & Pearls: Prima    Lace Applique: Jolee’s    Rayon Seam Binding: Hug Snug    Flower from the craft store, vintage image from the Internet

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Paper: Echo Park For the Record collection    Felt doilies: MyFavoriteThings Die-namics Decorative Doily Duo Dies    Pearls: Recollections      Felt Rose: MyFavoriteThings Die-namics Mini Rolled Rose Dies    Sentiment Stamp: Hero Arts    Ribbon for ribbon flower, cotton lace from the local craft store

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Papers: Crate Paper Portrait collection (b/w stripe), My Mind’s Eye Stella Rose Hazel collection (pink)    Dies: Spellbinders Labels 10 (pink) & Fleur de Lis Accents (sentiment block)    Sentiment Stamp: Fiskars    Cotton lace and velvet leaf: Prima    Rosebuds: violamahr on Etsy

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Papers: My Mind’s Eye Stella Rose Mabel collection    Die: Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Motifs    Paper flower, Pearl Flourishes: Prima    Mini Pearls: Recollections     Felt Rose: MyFavoriteThings Die-namics Mini Rolled Rose Dies     Sentiment Stamp: Hero Arts    Edge Punch for Sentiment Tag:  EK Success Parisian    Wide lace for flower and background from local craft store   

I love making my own flower embellishments, and the flower on this next card was no exception.  I used some cotton lace yardage from the craft store as a base. Over that is a flower that I crocheted with cotton thread, and in the center, three tiny Prima roses and pearls.

Supplies:

Edge Die: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2    Patterned Papers: Echo Park Victoria Gardens collection    Die: Spellbinders Labels Four    Sentiment Stamp: Papertrey Ink    Edge Punch for Sentiment Tag: EK Success     Flower made using craft store lace, handmade crocheted flower, 3 Prima mini roses and 3 Prima pearls    Leaves: Prima

Have a wonderful weekend!