...I Appreciate You...

It's not only the sentiment on the card I'm sharing today, it's also a message to those of you who leave me sweet comments and send me emails...I do appreciate your comments, time, and attention! :)

Today's card is another soft and sweet summer card...guess I'm in the summer mood because it's still very HOT here...LOL  

I used a water brush and Distress Ink refill ink to dye parts of the scalloped lace after tea-dying it. When you use Spun Sugar ink on white or cream lace, it turns it light pink - but when you tea-dye the lace first, the pink turns to a salmon-pink color - perfect for the salmon-pink cardstock I'm so fond of...

I ran a gathering stitch through some pleated cream sheer and satin ribbon for the base of the "flower" in the corner - it gives the flower a nice, full base that still presses nearly flat in an envelope for mailing...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/Fiddlestick collection (floral & stripe); Authentique

Fresh collection (blue)

Dies: Sizzix Flowers Branches and Leaves; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Edge punch: EK Success/Martha Stewart Doily Lace     Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts     Pearls: Recollections

Scalloped lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet      Paper flowers: Prima    Sheer & satin ribbon: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Hug Snug seam binding      Handcrafted pearl wire loops

Thanks for stopping by today...I hope your Monday is a wonderful one! 

All Occasion Twin Set...

Lately I've been learning on my own how to make digi collages. I'm getting better (if you had seen some of my early attempts, you'd understand why I can say that with certainty), but still have a long way to go. However, I still frequent some of my long-favorite Etsy sellers' shops for images, and a visit to Janet at Digital Paper a while back resulted in the purchase of her "Spring in Paris" set that contains the images used on these two mini cards, made up with soft neutral backgrounds, and accents in pink and green.

Each card is 3-1/2" x 5"...a nice little size for a short note to someone dear...

...each image is inked and dry-brushed around the edges, matted to pink cardstock, backed with a very light chipboard, and adhered to the card front with foam dots...

...tiny clusters of pearls in the center of the seam binding bows add just a touch of "elegant pizzazz"...

Supplies:

Patterned paper: Authentique Gathering Collection      Digital Images: Digital Paper on Etsy

Edge punch: Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace      Cotton lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet

Pearls: Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  It's supposed to be another hot one here (low 100's) so I predict another weekend spent in the much-appreciated coolness of an air-conditioned house...LOL!

Going Bright Today...

Monday's card was soft pastels, Tuesday's card was soft neutrals...but get out your sunglasses, 'cause today I'm brightening things up! :)

I found a scrap of one of my favorite floral papers from Sassafras - the last time I used it was with turquoise and yellow and that card was one of my personal favorites.  So I copied my own design again, but switched it from portrait to landscrape orientation, and changed the turquoise to lime green, and here's the end result:

I've used another of the shabby fabric flowers that I love...it's stacked over a piece of gathered lace, bright yellow and green eyelash fibers, and some tulle, and topped with a craft store rose and leaves with a pearl added in the center.

...the sentiment was stamped from top to bottom along the side, and accented with pearls...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Sassafras Sweetly Smitten collection (floral); Cosmo Cricket Material Girl collection (Green gingham)

Dies: Sizzix Flowers Branches and Leaves      Large fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Small fabric rose & leaves: local craft store     Edge punch: Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace      Pearls: Recollections

Sentiment stamp: Hero Arts      Maya Road heart stick pin (embellished with pearl & spacers)

Miscellaneous: cotton lace, tulle, eyelash fibers

Thanks for visiting today! I'll be back on Friday to end the week with a sweet little "twin set."

TSTR-Soft Neutrals

I had such a productive time this past weekend I thought it might be next week until I created more cards...until I saw this week's challenge at The Shabby Tea Room. The challenge is to create with only neutral colors - I'm on it! 

When I work with all neutrals, the challenge for me is to get a variety of contrasting textures worked into the design - that's where I have the most fun.  This is the inspiration photo for the challenge:

Last time I made an all-neutral card, it was monochromatic, using creams and whites. This time, I wanted to work with more colors. It was fun pulling some old and new supplies for this card. The background cardstock is a piece of core'dinations textured cardstock that I sanded and drybrushed around the edges. I found a piece of aida (crosstitch) cloth that I had put through my printer and printed with assorted words...a real "oldie but goodie" (and another good reason not to get rid of embellishments just because I haven't used them in the last year - or six :)).  I layered it on top of a heart die cut out of burlap and backed with chipboard and a snippet of lace.

I have a nice collection of colors of the shabby fabric flowers from one of my favorite Etsy shops, but the tans/browns blended with the papers too much, and the cream wasn't the "right" cream. So I pulled out my Tea Dye Distress Ink mist, diluted it a bit more, and recolored one of the cream flowers. It looks more "rust" colored here in the top photos than it does IRL-this photo is actually closest to the true color.

Supplies:

Patterned papers: BoBunny Back to Basics Kitchen Spice/Allspice (B side); K&Co Maison collection (diamond print)

Large fabric flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy     Dies: Papertrey Ink Heart Prints; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet      Pearls & paper rose: Prima     

Doily: local craft store      Making Memories Word Fetti stickers      Handcrafted stick pin    

Miscellaneous: burlap, aida cloth, cheesecloth, wide cotton lace

Thanks so much for visiting today!

A Soft Summer Hello...

The Korner is all picked up now...well, as "picked up" as it can be. If someone who isn't a crafter walked into this room, they'd probably think, "How does she work in this clutter?"  But the clutter is very organized, the worksurface cleaned,  the shelves and equipment dusted, the floor vacuumed.  For some reason, I can't create without some "neat clutter" - embellishments, stamps, and inspiration right in front of me - but organized in containers, baskets, and jars to keep the worksurface free. And conversely, I can't do "logic work" in any sort of clutter - I need a totally organized and clean area for that. Two sides of a brain totally segregated for their functions...that's me, I guess.

And once my straightening up was done, I had a nice creative streak...total fun!

Here's the first of the cards I have to share with you...pastel colors mixed with the deeper shades in the Prima patterned paper pieces...a soft summer hello to start the week...

No large floral cluster on this one...I wanted the focus on the beautiful floral paper. The scrunched ribbon bows are centered with a large cluster of pearls...even the cardstock flourish has a dusting of mini pearls...

...the sentiment jewelry tag is held by an embellished Tim Holtz memo pin...

...a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Prima Romantique collection      Pearls: Recollections

Dies: Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities & Classic Ric Rac insert; Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork;

My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Scalloped Crocheted Lace: Prima      Memo Pin: Tim Holtz      Hug Snug seam binding

I hope your Monday starts with a smile that lasts all week! I'll be back soon with more goodies to share.



TSTR-"Sweet Summertime"

I'm still straightening up here in the Korner, but I took a break to make a card for this week's challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room.  Truth be told, while I was filing away unused patterned papers and left-over pieces, I put together a few combinations that would make new cards, and one of those combos just happened to be the colors in this week's challenge! So I had no choice but to stop and make the card up. It's what any self-respecting cardmaker would do...you know, create, not clean....right? (back me up here please...LOL)

Here's the inspiration photo:

And here's the frilly and lacy little number that it inspired me to make...

the flower cluster sits atop a shabby fabric rose and a scrunched piece of crocheted lace trim...

and strips of narrow cotton lace are sandwiched between each of the paper layers (I wasn't kidding when I said it's a lacy little number!)...

I couldn't resist...I even added a strip of lace between the layers on the inside, too...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: MyMindsEye Miss Caroline/Fiddlesticks collection (floral & stripe);

MyMindsEye A Beautiful Life collection (lilac dot)

Dies: Papertrey Ink Edgers 2; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves; Sizzix Leafy Branch

Sentiment Stamp: Technique Tuesday     Shabby flower: Frogfeathers on Etsy

Scalloped lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet and Etsy      Cotton laces: local craft store

Mini roses: Prima      Pearls: Recollections      Handmade pearl wire spiral

Thanks for stopping in for a visit...hope your week is a great one so far!