Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Technique Tuesday Birthday Smirthday Balloon Cards

Hello there!  Today I have a couple fun birthday cards to share using two of Technique Tuesday's newest Birthday stamp sets.  When I saw these, I seriously couldn't wait to make something with them.  They have Teri Anderson's quirky personality all over them with the adorable balloon images and fun handwriting.  :)

For my first card I stamped the balloons in archival ink onto watercolor paper and then colored them in with my distress inks (applied to my craft mat) using a paint brush & water.  This is a super fun way to use distress inks and stretch your supplies.

I actually made this card three times using both paper-piecing and Copic markers for the balloons, but this turned out to be my favorite look.  To finish off my card, I poked holes below each balloon and strung coordinating thread.  I love the extra texture and touch of realism it gives the card!  :)


For my next card I stamped my images in colored ink and then colored them in with Copic markers, allowing the colors to blend where the balloons overlap.  To give my balloons a shiny mark afterwards I pulled away some of the color using my Copic colorless blender pen.  When my coloring was good and dry I finished my card off with sentiments stamped from the set using my favorite Versafine Onyx Black ink.


I had a lot of fun getting inky with these sets and working with happy rainbow colors always makes my heart smile.  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  :)


Supplies used (available at Technique Tuesday)


Supplies used (available at Simon Says Stamp)

Supplies used (available at Scrapbook.com)

Thursday, March 26, 2015

My Mind's Eye Find Your Wings & Fly Wedding Layout

Today I'm sharing a wedding themed layout I created for a local scrapbook store challenge.

For this page challenge we were each given the following:

  • (1) chipboard key
  • 18 inches of jute cording
  • (1) My Mind's Eye 12x12 Sky's The Limit patterned paper
  • (1) Fancy Pants 12x12 coral corrugated paper

The rules for this challenge are that we must use a little bit of everything no matter how small it may be. We are free to mix in anything else of our choice.  I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to use some seriously old label stickers, flowers, brads and alphas from my stash!

I admit it. I'm a pack rat (aka hoarder) when it comes to parting with older papers and embellishments that I still love, but never got around to even opening.  Unfortunately it can feel overwhelming at times so it was fun going on a hunt in search of the perfect finishing touches for this one.


The heavy jute was a serious challenge for me to mix in with what was turning out to be a girly & romantic layout.  I decided to create a rosette by coiling it on a punched out circle with some liquid glue and a floral brad for the center.  It may not have been my first choice, but in the end I think it works and it was definitely fun getting outside my comfort zone.

If I'm being honest, the coral corrugated paper was hard for me too.  I started by die cutting my title with it, but it felt too bright with the other corals in my papers.  In the end I die-cut a flower and layered it with several other silk and paper flowers to help tone it down.  I actually like it now.  :)


For my title I paired the family cutting file with some ancient Making Memories alphas from their Noteworthy collection.  Do you remember that one?  I was so in love with that line when it came out in 2009 and yes, mine were still brand new in their package.

I still had that pesky key to incorporate so I decided to ink it up with some chalk ink and tie it around the letter S with some matching embroidery floss.


Well, there you have it.  Wouldn't it be fun to challenge ourselves to use random supplies from our own stash once a month?!  Not only would it make a dent in what we already have on hand, but I'm always amazed at the magic that happens when I am stretched creatively!

Thanks for hanging with me today.  :)


Supplies similar to the ones I used (available at Simon Says Stamp)


Supplies similar to the ones I used (available at Scrapbook.com)

Monday, March 23, 2015

Doodlebug Monogram Washi Tape Wreath & Spring Banner

Doodlebug challenged us this month to create something that was inspired by Pinterest and I couldn't wait to create a spring project inspired by the amazing Shellye McDaniel!  I have been completely taken with her idea to cover an inexpensive wood monogrammed letter with washi tape for a long time now and I was excited to have the excuse to make one of my own!




Here's a peek of Shellye's amazing wreath (pinned HERE).  I love how easily her design translates to any season depending on the washi tape used.  I chose to tie my letter to the back of the wreath using Doodle twine making it easy to switch out with the seasons.


I wanted to make some big bows to secure my banner in place, but truth be told, I'm not usually very good at making them.  I was tickled to discover a very easy tutorial (shared HERE) which helped me create them with very little effort.  For my smaller sized bows I used (36) 3" lengths of ribbon per bow which means you will need 3 yards of grosgrain and 3 yards of sheer ribbon to make two.

One last tip I would recommend is painting your letter white beforehand.  Washi tape is obviously transparent in nature and this really helps keep the colors nice and vibrant.  :)


While I had my spring papers out, I decided to create a coordinating chipboard banner using the darling papers and craft kit from the Hello Sunshine and Easter Parade collections.


I kept it sweet and simple, but I can't help smiling when I see these adorable critters.  To connect the banner pieces together I created a loop with the same grosgrain ribbon, gluing them together in the back.  I then threaded a needle with some Doodle twine and sewed buttons onto the ribbon loops.


I hope I've inspired you to create some bright and cheerful projects for your home this Spring.  :)







Supplies Used (available at Simon Says Stamp)


Supplies Used (available at Scrapbook.com):

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