Bet You Can't Make Just One...

On Wednesday I posted a card inspired by the latest challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room using cream, pink, kraft, and  lace.  All the while I was making that first card, this second one was percolating in my brain...a shaped card with lots of soft flowers in a cluster, using papers from an Authentique collection sitting in my stash and as yet little-used, but perfect for the colors in the challenge.

So it appears, like the potato chips that advertise "bet you can't eat just one," I seem to have a similar issue with color challenges. :)  This design is nothing like the first - the laces form the base for the large floral cluster instead of being the center of attention, and the kraft paper is heavily "distressed" with dry-brushed white acrylic paint. I guess there's little consistency to my design ideas lately!

A large crocheted lace medallion and a few cuts from a scalloped lace strip are peeking out from under the flower cluster above a piece of cheesecloth...

...a piece of gathered cotton lace is the base for the large flower, while a light & airy white lace forms a little bow for extra frills...

...a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned paper: Authentique Uncommon collection     Pearls: Recollections

Dies: Spellbinders Grand Labels 4; Sizzix Flowers, Branches, & Leaves

Lace medallion: Little Red Cottage on Etsy     Crochet lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet

White lace (bow) & large fabric rose: local craft store      Paper roses: Prima

Tim Holtz memo pin (embellished with gems)     Miscellaneous: cheesecloth, handmade pearl wire spiral

Thanks for stopping by...here's wishing you a very *lucky* Friday the 13th!

Gotta Love It When the Stars Align...

I was certainly in the mood to create again this week...after all, I'd been "off my game" for a couple days, and was ready to get back into the fun. But I needed a jump start...and a visit over to The Shabby Tea Room  to peek at the newest inspiration photo was just the fix. 

I remembered a birthday for an old (as in lots of years as friends, not in age...LOL) friend is coming up next week, and another glance at the photo brought to mind some wide lace I had in my stash, which brought to mind a card I made a year and a half ago that might be the perfect design (with a few minor changes) for the occasion and the challenge. Within an hour, I had a birthday card ready to go.  Just love it when all the pieces come together like that, including having the time to make a card while the mojo is still hot!

Here's the challenge photo...

and our challenge was to use cream/white, kraft, and pink, and incorporate lace.  See those lace pieces hanging off the side of the bed? They gave me the inspiration to use this particular wide lace on the card front.

velvet ribbon is a wonderful textural contrast to the lace and flowers...

the chipboard flourish is covered with clear German glass glitter for texture and just a hint of sparkle...

Supplies:

Digi collage elements: Flower basket-Dover Publications; bird-The Graphics Fairy; postcard-Vintage Workshop

WIde crochet lace, cotton lace: local craft store      Paper roses, pearl flourishes, loose pearls: Prima

Paper hydrangeas: Martha Stewart punch       Fabric photo corner: K&Co.    

Dies: My Favorite Things Royal Leaves; Spellbinders Floral Flourishes

Thanks for stopping by today!



Just For You...

Pastel colors are fun to work with, but can make you reach for the Advil bottle when trying to photograph accurately...at least for an amateur like me...LOL. When I photographed this card in indirect light, it was a little TOO indirect, and the colors looked very dark in spite of the white background.  When I photographed it in brighter light, the pale-colored details didn't show up well.

I compromised, by using my light box...and a little more patience...and here's the final result...Just For You...

There are bits of purple and pink in the paper, so I used a purple Prima flower as an accent to bring those colors forward. And that layer of purple beneath the flower and eyelash fiber? It's a dyed (with a mister and diluted Distress Ink refill) and gathered piece of a used fabric softener sheet...they make fun textural layers! (An easy way to get a few of these dryer sheets ready to go is to wet a clean bath towel, and throw in 3-4 sheets as the towel dries...sheets are ready to go and your towel is now REALLY soft! :) )

I die cut a flourish from cardstock, then covered it with a light coating of clear glitter...it made the flourish bend a bit, so I left it that way to add dimension!

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline Fiddlesticks (floral & stripe) and Dilly Dally (aqua dot) collections

Edge punches: Martha Stewart Daisy Edge and Doily Lace      Crochet lace: The Funking Junkie on Zibbet

Dies: My Favorite Things Dizzy Border (paper lace); Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork (flourish)

Pearl flourish, ruffled flower, mulberry leaves: Prima      Pearl strip: Kaisercraft

Sentiment stamps: Papertrey Ink and Hero Arts      Miscellaneous: eyelash fiber, dryer sheet

Thanks for visiting today...and I have a second card to post in a few hours...it's a productive week so far here in the Korner!



Flower-y Twins...

Happy Monday to you!

Today I have a couple more "mini" cards to share.  I like to make these in pairs...no special reason why, just seems if I'm going to make one, I should make two. :)  They're 3-1/2" x 5", so they're just big enough inside to write a short note of thanks, or a quick note to say "hey, I'm thinking of you!"

So without further ado, may I present...the flower twins...

I couldn't resist adding mini crystals and a touch of glitter to the centers of the flowers in the images...

and I love the effect that little swirl of crystals and pearls gives beneath the scalloped lace - almost like a draped chain of gems over a painted wood fence...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline Dolled Up (floral) & Dilly Dally (woodgrain) collections

Dies: Spellbinders Classic Triple Scallop Edges; Memory Box Woven Circle (doily)     Lace: Little Red Cottage on Etsy

Vintage floral images: Vintage Workshop      Pearl/crystal flourishes: Prima

Pearls: Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for visiting...I'll be back on Wednesday with a soft, summery pastel pretty to share.



Sending You Sunshine...

This little Korner blog hasn't had much activity this week...the holiday and other activities have kept me out of the craft room for a bit.  But I finally finished photographing some of my latest projects, so I have a few things to share in the next few days while I get busy creating more. 

They say the high temps are headed our way starting tomorrow, which means it's the perfect time to stay indoors and get to creating. So in the spirit of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" here's a cottage-chic little number to end the week...sending you sunshine!

a diecut loopy doily, cheesecloth, shabby pale fabric flower topped with lace and a felt rolled rose, accented with pearl wire loops...

this soft velvet Prima ribbon has sheer ruffled edges that make it so feminine...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: My Minds Eye Miss Caroline/Dilly Dally collection

Dies: Tim Holtz On the Edge/Brackets; Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edger; Memory Box Whimsy Circle (doily);

My Favorite Things Mini Rolled Roses; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Velvet ribbon and pearl flourishes: Prima      Fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Lace: local craft store      Misceallaneous: handcrafted pearl wire loops; cheesecloth

Thank you for stopping by for a visit!

A Nod to My Love of Chocolate...

It's one of my long-time guilty pleasures...dark chocolate. (And I'm sure MANY of you understand that love. :) ). So when I found a vintage chocolate pot image, as well as a vintage French chocolate label, I had to make up a little digi collage for a card...challenging myself to use non-traditional colors, and no dark brown anywhere.

There's a story behind the design of this card. A few weeks ago, I was on my phone, surfing the web...I wasn't home, and was killing time.  I did a search for "shabby chic pink green handmade cards" and started looking at blog photos. I ran across a pic of a card that I really liked...and promptly sketched it out on a small piece of paper, and wrote what I thought was the origin blog name (I know...the old fashioned way of doing things). Apparently, I didn't pay close enough attention, because I didn't write the name down correctly...and it was in another language.  Once I got home, I did a search of my bookmarked blogs, to no avail...and all I can remember is that maybe the blog is Polish(?). So, by chance, if this card looks familiar to you, and you happen to have the blog address of the wonderful crafter whose design I sketched and used, please let me know so I can give the proper credit where credit is due.

ETA: July 15 - Thank you to those who offered suggestions for the source of the original inspiration card. Although it wasn't any of those, I did add a couple new people to my favorites. :) I hadn't yet given up trying to find the elusive source, and it finally paid off...I found the blog in question!!  I happened over to the Vintage Cafe Card Challenge blog to look around, and there was my inspiration card a few challenges back.  Go to Irena's blog HERE to see the original that started it all...then be sure to look at all her other beautiful works of art. I just love her soft and shabby style!

So, here's the finished card, in pink, gold, and white...and no chocolate brown used. :)

I combined Prima paper roses, punched hydrangea flowers with clear crystal centers, white die cut leaves, and a couple handmade pearl wire spirals for the corner cluster...

to make the decorative edges along the four sides of the image, I combined the decorative sides of two different Spellbinders tag dies...

Suppplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park Be Mine collection (pink); MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/Fiddlesticks

collection (gold stripe)

Spellbinders dies: Fancy Tags 1 & 3     Paper roses: Prima     Paper hydrangeas: Martha Stewart punch

Paper leaves: My Favorite Things Royal Leaves die     Pearls: Recollections

Miscellaneous: Handcrafted pearl wire spirals, Wilton doily

Digi collage elements: French chocolate label, chocolate pot w/flowers, teacup/saucer: The Graphics Fairy;

Butterflies: Dover Publications; Pink flowers (corner): vintageimages.org

Wishing all a wonderful Independence Day holiday tomorrow! We're attending our annual neighborhood get-together at the end of the street, so I'm off to the kitchen to whip up a dessert contribution...made with chocolate, of course. :)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!