Papertrey Ink April 2014 Blog Hop Take Two

I'm popping in with a second PTI April Blog Hop card because a lovely little package arrived in the mail this afternoon and I couldn't resist playing with my new Bitty Button dies. The details are here at Capture the Moment if you want to check out some fabulous cards made based on the Embroidery Inspiration Challenge.

 I learned crewel embroidery when I was around 10 or 11 and using felt on this card gives a similar look to the thicker embroidery style. Even on felt, the details of the buttons comes through. The sentiment is from Birds & Blooms.

I'm not sure this second card counts as "embroidery inspired", but I couldn't resist playing a little more with these terrific button shapes. All of the buttons are sewn on the panel with twine and my sentiment is created by pairing a "thank" with my new Wet Paint II "you".

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Papertrey Ink April 2014 Blog Hop

I can't believe we are at the nearing the end of April already and it is time for another Papertrey Blog Hop! I played around with a few different ideas for the challenge to be inspired by embroidery - all the details are here at Capture the Moment. I know Nichole intended us to be inspired by an embroidered pattern and translate it to a stamped pattern, but I kept going back to the idea on embroidering on a stamped image.

I have always wanted to add French Knots to this floral image from the Life stamp set, so that is what I did.

I stamped the image with Simply Chartreuse ink and then used purple floss to add French Knots. Some knots were tied with all 6 threads of the floss and some tied with just 3 threads to add a bit of variety.

I cut the embroidered panel with a Tipped Top die and then added the sentiment from Birthday Bash Sentiments. My French Knots were flattened going through the Big Kick and had to be fluffed a bit.

Both white panels are popped up with foam adhesive and adhered to a Royal Velvet card base.

This card is also being linked to the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes Challenge.

I'm off to hop around and see all your beautiful cards!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

RIC#58 + CTS#73 + CASology:Garden

I often combine challenges, especially photo inspirations with a sketch, so how nice is it that the Runway Inspired Challenge #58 and CAS(E) this Sketch! #73 paired up for a two week challenge!

My first idea is still sitting on my desk, half finished because the Avery Elle All Squared Up stamp set distracted me and I paired it with an MFT flower die to make this QACAS card.

A stencil and ink add a touch of blue onto the card base before attaching the sentiment panel and flower. It is hard to see here, but the flower is made up of red and terracotta layers to try mimic the color variation in the RIC outfit.

I'm also linking this to CASology Week 92: Garden. One flower doesn't make a garden, but it had to come from a garden (right?).

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Card Concept #8: Umbrella + Paper Smooches Sparks Apr 20-26 Anything Goes

After seeing The Card Concept Challenge #8 Use an Umbrella, my thoughts were more beach than rain and I decided to create a little watercolored scene.

The MFT umbrella die came in very handy to make a mask while I colored the sand and sea/sky background. Once that was dry, the umbrella panels die allowed me to create a combination mask and stencil to keep the panel colors from running into each other.

A sentiment from Paper Smooches Get Out Of Town stamp set provides the perfect finish. I hope this design fits the Clean and Simple category.

This card is being linked to the Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes challenge.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Make It Monday #160: Heat Embossing Tips for Die Cuts and Two Step Stamps & Seize the Birthday

Erin Lincoln has a great tutorial at Capture the Moment for Make It Monday #160: Heat Embossing Tips for Die Cuts and Two Step Stamps that you can check out here.

I used Erin's tips to make this masculine birthday card. The blue stamped images are heat embossed and then the second image is stamped over that with Simply Chartreuse ink.

The images come from Big Ticket Basics Stamps, Birthday Bash Sentiments and Sketched Shapes.

I am also linking this card to the Anything Goes option at Seize the Birthday.

Time is rapidly running out for me to get a final few Easter cards done, so it's back into the office for me.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #63

It's been a busy week around here and when I finally had a little time to spend in the office today, this is what was sitting on my desk.

Number one, I never leave my tape runner sitting on my desk and and, number two, I've never seen the tape this twist & mangled?! Hmm, dear son was working on a presentation board last weekend - we will be having a little chat later (for the record, he is allowed to help himself to my tools).

While I rewound the tape and cleaned my desk a bit I thought about the elements I could take from Therese Calvird's wonderful stenciled card for the Muse Challenge #63.

At first I planned to play with stencils, but then saw the white butterfly die cut panel leftover from my cardmaking on Sunday morning (you can see it in the first photo). A number of Distress Inks are sponged over this panel (Spun Sugar, Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry and Mustard Seed) and then it is adhered to a bright pink panel, allowing the color to peek through the butterfly wings.

I moved the sentiment to the top of the panel, still taking inspiration from Therese's card with the use of black & white and adding the pop of color with the pink banner.

This second photo captures the color a little better than the first.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

The Card Concept #7 & Muse #62

I have a couple of cards that I am squeaking in close to the challenge deadlines.

Yesterday was a fantastic day where I left the house before 9 and returned way past my bedtime. Most of the day was spent on a craft/art store crawl through San Diego County with a 2 hour stop for the Queen's Tea at Tea-Upon-Chatsworth. I used to refer to these as "field trips", but one of the employees at the Artist & Craftsman Supply store was intrigued by the 8 ladies that swarmed the business and compared what we were doing to "like a pub crawl, only art stores - cool".

This first card uses two of my purchases from yesterday: the Memory Box Peaceful Butterfly Wings dies and a sentiment from Mama Elephant's True Friend stamp set. I cut the die from a black panel and light green panel and layered them on a aqua panel.

A few aqua & green butterflies were layered on top of the black panel.

You can see the layers a little better here. This card is being entered in the Card Concept Challenge #7 Butterfly Theme under the Clean & Layering category.

This second card is my take on Vicki Dutcher's card for the Muse Challenge #62.

I love the watercolor look stamping with the sentiment layered over it, but didn't quite pull that off. The rose stamp is from Wplus9 Hope Seed Co. set that I picked up yesterday (on clearance!). I didn't have an outline flower image in my stamp collection, so was happy to see four in this set.

 I masked and clear embossed the single rose image three times and then filled in the flowers & leaves with distress inks.

I used a Technique Tuesday stamp and my new Memento Luxe Love Letter ink - the color is luscious! I went back & painted a bit on my flowers to tie the colors together.

A sheer red ribbon finishes this one off.

I'm hitting "publish" and heading off to shop for a Prom dress for dear daughter - wish us luck!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CAS(E) this Sketch! #71 + CASology #89: Joke + MFW Styling With Stencils

I have a couple of cards to share today and I don't think it took me more than half an hour to make both of them.

The CASology Week #89 cue word is JOKE. I was enjoying looking through the gallery and lamenting the fact I didn't own any of the great stamps being highlighted this week, when it occured to me this Papertrey Ink stamp could work.

I paired it with a couple of die cut arrows and answered the question with a stamped message inside the card. Truly a QACAS card!

This second card was inspired by CAS(E) this Sketch! #71 from Gayatri Murali.

I finally have my hands on the PTI Wet Paint stamp set and you will be seeing this one a lot!

The paint splats were created first with a Tim Holtz stencil and Distress Inks (Faded Jeans, Mowed Lawn and Peacock Feather).

I place both the sentiments on a stamp press and stamped them together. Another QACAS card!

This second card is also being entered in the Moxie Fab World Styling with Stencils Challenge - there is still another week or so to play along.

We are heading out for a family movie night - it isn't often we find something all four of us want to see AND we are all free AND the movie is still playing in the theater.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

MIM #158: Stamping with Watercolor Mediums & CFC130: Good Egg & Craft Hoarders Fifth Monday & Muse #61 Guest Designer

I watched Heather Nichols' video tutorial for Make it Monday #158: Stamping with Watercolor Mediums earlier in the week and finally had time to play around today. I've watercolored using watercolor paint, inks and Distress Markers many times, but have never tried this technique with Gelatos until today.

I colored the feather image and used both the spritzing and water brush techniques on a few panels of watercolor paper. I quickly turned my favorite panel into a sympathy card,

I love the color gradient and that some areas are much less defined than others.

I want to replenish my stash of sympathy cards and used the CASual Fridays Challenge #130 to design this next card.

I cut a couple of sizes of ovals out of scrap paper and adhered them to each other and then to the card base. They are offset and frame the stamped sentiment on the card base.

A larger oval is cut first, and then the Aqua Mist panel is embossed and mounted with foam tape over the sentiment.

Over at the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog they have a Fifth Monday Feature, so with 5 Monday's in March there is a Linky Party to share storage ideas (and a random draw for a prize!).

My two favorite storage items are my Expedit bookcases and Raskog card from Ikea. I have a 4x4 Expedit to the left and a 2x4 one behind me when I'm sitting at my desk. I love having everything  within arms reach.

The Raskog cart sits on my right side and holds my most used tools on the top shelf. The middle shelf  holds most of my adhesive and I love spinning it around to easily reach for glue dots, tapes, foam squares or liquid adhesives.

Just a reminder I am the Guest Designer for the Muse Challenge #61 and I would love to see you play along!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie