Kraft-y All Occasion...

I love kraft colored cardstock...I'm not sure why, because on its own it's pretty bland.  Maybe it's the challenge to see how I can turn that bland into something fun, or elegant, or when I'm in a monochromatic mood, peaceful and calm.

With this card, I wanted to brighten it up, and make it purely feminine and frilly.  I started by die cutting scalloped edges on all the layers, and adding some white to the background...and that seemed to snowball as I added embellishments, including a beautiful wide white crocheted lace...until I ended up with this as a final result...

I found a package of small wooden clock faces at the local craft store, and discovered that the smallest one fit perfectly in the center of the shabby cabbage roses I'm so fond of using.  I surrounded it top and bottom with sprays of assorted small flowers, punched branches, and leaves...and scattered small pearls here and there, including on top of the cardstock flourish...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park Be Mine collection (pink);  Echo Park For The Record collection (blue & kraft text)

Wide Crocheted Lace:  TheFunkieJunkie.com      Pearl strip:  SuhaFuha on Etsy

Shabby fabric rose:  Frogfeathers on Etsy      Mini wooden clock face:  Recollections

Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities;   Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork;  My Favorite Things Royal Leaves      

Martha Stewart Medium Branch punch          Pearls:  Recollections      

Mini roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts and LayoutsFromTheHeart on Etsy

Thanks for visiting today!

TSTR-Oh So Pretty in Pink

I hope you had a fun weekend...it was fun to have that additional hour of daylight today thanks to the start of Daylight Savings Time. :)

There's another fun challenge this week over at The Shabby Tea Room. Debbie is our host, and this week's challenge is to use pink, ribbon, lace and/or tulle, and a flower...some of my favorite elements!

I love shaped cards, and wanted to try something just a little different this time.  I used the Cherish Punch Around the Page set of punches, but rather than make it into a square card as I've done in the past, I made it a little more rectangular. (I used a piece of cardstock cut to 5" wide x 10.25" long, punched the corners and then the edges, then simply folded in the center to form the card base.)  In actuality, there's only a 1/4" difference between the height and width measurements of the finished card, but the solid area inside the punched holes makes it look like there's more.

I have a very special person and occasion in mind for this one.  Here's my finished card for this week's challenge...

...and here's the adorable inspiration photo Debbie's based the challenge on.  You'll probably see this photo again here as an inspiration cue...I had several fun ideas for cards when I saw this. 

This shabby pink fabric flower matches perfectly with the Hug Snug seam binding that I had dyed with Spun Sugar Distress Ink, and I couldn't resist topping it with a few neutral colored roses and pearls...

The scalloped crocheted lace runs down the right side of the top cardstock piece, and I added a single scalloped piece of it peeking out the left side, too.  Both of the two smaller patterned paper blocks are adhered to the larger text paper block with foam tape for dimension...

And finally, here's a peek at the inside...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Prima Tea Thyme collection      Edge and corner punches:  Martha Stewart Cherish PATP

Dies:  Memory Box Quinn Flourish and Elegant Scrollwork;  My Favorite Things Royal Leaves

Shabby fabric rose and sheer embroidered lace:  TheFunkieJunkie.com

Paper roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts      Pearls:  Recollections      Scalloped crocheted lace:  Prima

Hug Snug seam binding      Handcrafted stick pin      Miscellaneous:  cheesecloth, tulle, clear coarse glitter

Thanks for visiting today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!

Best Wishes...

Today's wedding themed card isn't quite as elaborate as Wednesday's, but it's just as elegant. It would make a wonderful anniversary card, too, don't you think?  The colors are more subdued, but the details are all there.  I used a large rectangular label die, but cut only the bottom edge with it...it made a fun and different detail on the bottom edge...

A simple trio of paper roses sitting on a couple white seam binding bows and white paper leaves are highlighted with a pearl and silver stick pin.  They're all sitting on top of a white felt doily...

...and the simple sentiment block accented with pearl trios...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Echo Park Melody of Life collection      Crocheted lace:  Venus Ribbon/Jay Co.

Dies:  Spellbinders Grand Labels 23 (bottom edge), Labels 10;  My Favorite Things Decorative Doily Duo

Edge Punch:  Fiskars Threading Water      Sentiment stamp  Papertrey Ink

Pearls:  Recollections      Leaves:  Prima      Roses:  Wild Orchid Crafts  

Handcrafted stick pin      Hug Snug seam binding

Thanks for stopping in for a visit today...I hope you have a wonderful weekend. (And for my U.S. friends in states that participate in Daylight Savings Time...don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night!)

Remember This Time...

Monday's challenge card, with its white theme, got me thinking of wedding cards, so today's and Friday's cards will be dedicated to that theme.

Today's card is filled with bling and lacy accents, and made up in happy shades of coral and aqua...with a timeless sentiment printed across the bottom of the decorative edge. The large white heart doily is topped with two heart diecuts, each one centered over a silhouette image of a bride and groom. The silhouette image was printed onto white cardstock (from a true type font named SomeSilhous) before die cutting both hearts.  The smaller heart is adhered to the larger with foam tape and centered so the image continues to the larger heart beneath it.

Two fluffy aqua seam binding bows are topped with a small spray of white fabric flowers, and an embellished Maya Road heart stick pin...

Pearl and crystal flourishes in the shape of branches and leaves cover the layers of paper and crocheted lace...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  Echo Park This & That/Graceful collection (pink);  My Minds Eye Stella Rose/Hazel collection (aqua);  Basic Grey Out of Print collection (text prints)

Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities;  Xyron Shapez/Heart      Edge Punch:  Martha Stewart Doily Lace

Paper doily:  BeeAltered on Etsy      Crocheted laces:  TheFunkieJunkie.com      Stick pin:  Maya Road

Pearls & crystals:  Recollections and Prima     White flowers:  local craft store      Hug Snug seam binding     

Thanks for visiting today!

TSTR-Frame It

I'm honored to have been asked to be the Guest Designer over at The Shabby Tea Room for the month of March. Tracey is hosting the challenge this week - to use white, with only one other color, and include a frame in our design. I loved making my all-white cards a while back, so adding only one other color is another fun twist...and a frame, too...I couldn't wait to get started.

I used foam tape to "stack" the different layers I used on the front, and the end result turned out that the whole card front became the "frame"...not just the fancy square frame diecut I started with. And believe it or not, there's not a single flower on this card...gasp...I know...but I'm not sick or anything...I just wanted to see if I could do it. LOL

Here's my card for Tracey's challenge...

...and here's the inspiration photo to go along with the challenge...lots of inspiration here, especially for a shabby-chic-style fan like me. The feathery wreath on the chair is what inspired me to use the white fringe trim sewn into a circle beneath the butterfly...

I shabbied up the edges of the little sentiment tag to match the edges of the layers on the card front, and ran the pearl and crystal stick pin through it to act as a "memo pin"...

There are no flowers on the card, but I did use die cut leafy branches with a touch of glitter in two of the diagonal corners...

Supplies:

Dies:  Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Squares, Classic Squares Small, Classic Squares Large;  

Sizzix Flowers, Branches and Leaves

Cuttlebug Geometric Rings embossing folder      Fringe trim:  Frogfeathers on Etsy

Sentiment stamp:  Paper Sweeties      Butterfly:  local scrapbook store

Pearls:  Recollections      Handcrafted stick pin

Thanks for visiting today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!

Make a Wish...

There's just one more "redecorated" card to share this week, and next week we're on to all new creations. :)

I liked this card when I first made it, but when I pulled it from the basket after some time, it looked a bit dull. So for its "makeover," I brightened and shabbied it up some by carefully adding dry brushed white paint around the edges, and adding cheesecloth and tulle to the base for the flower. When that was done, I realized I wanted to soften the center of the large pink rose from the single large pearl that originally sat there....and here's how it turned out...

After removing the single pearl from the center of the shabby pink cabbage rose, I added a tea-dyed fabric flower, two rosebuds, a couple tiny paper roses, and for contrast, a larger dark mauve rose for the center.  After I added a pearl and crystal embellished stick pink, it looked complete...

I have no idea of the source/manufacturer of the chipboard vine...it was a piece of raw chipboard in my supply stash.  I inked it with Distress Ink, and coated it with clear coarse glitter...

Supplies:

Patterned papers:  K&Co Life's Journey collection      Crystal & pearl flourishes:  Prima

Dies:  Spellbinders Labels Two and Lacey Circles      Shabby fabric rose:  Frogfeathers on Etsy

Sentiment stamp:  Papertrey Ink      Seed pearls:  Recollections      Hug Snug seam binding

Handcrafted stick pin      Miscellaneous:  cheesecloth, tea-dyed fabric flower, chipboard vine

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