Monday 31 March 2014

Stamps from Dies!

Good morning friends!

Today is the first Design Team post on the Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog - be sure to check it out and see what the team came up with for the theme 'Flowers'. Joset will have the post up at some point today.

Today's share is an idea has been on my back burner ever since Karen Burniston sent me her All Season's Tree die. I just knew I wanted to make it into a stamp.


I use fun foam a LOT in my projects! It cuts like a dream with these wafer thin dies, so that is what I used to make my stamps. I ran the dies through a piece of adhesive backed fun foam from the craft store, then peeled off the backing and attached the stamps to a scrap piece of plastic. You could use a yogurt lid - anything really. I just wanted it to have some stability and use a bit of double sided tape to attach it to my acrylic block for stamping. If you have wood blocks laying around, you could attach the foam right to the wood block!


I have more to make - I'm looking forward to making stamps for the Katie Label Pivot with some etching as a design, but for now I have the tree and clouds/foliage from the All Season Tree, and the Grass from the Garden Bench.

I had what I needed to make the following card for Masculine Card Monday here on my blog!


The stamped dog images are from The Alley Way Stamps. I am having so much fun with them!  You can see I created a little scene, with the stamped grass, clouds and tree - and I sponged a hill with torn paper.


The little camera die was a birthday present from my In-Laws (THANKS!!).


This is a standard A2 card made from Kraft card stock. I used one of the new Elizabeth Craft Design embossing folders to create the texture and inked the edges with brown.




Finally, here is a look at the card from the top and from the back ...



This one will be going into my next donation box for Seniors Secret Service!


Supplies used:
Katie Label Pivot - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Camera die - My Favorite Things
Dog images - The Alley Way Stamps
Tree, cloud and grass stamps - made using Pop it Ups dies, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Black and red card stock - scraps
Kraft card stock - Hobby Lobby
Tiles 2 embossing folder - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Patterned paper - American Crafts, Dear Lizzy
Hand lettering


Thanks for stopping by today!

Sunday 30 March 2014

Thank You Pop Up and Gift Card Holder #2

Good morning friends!

Today's share is the second Thank You Gift Card Holder I made for our neighbor.  They ordered 10 of them after I made them a Pop it Ups card and included a gift card to thank them for shoveling our sidewalk when we were away.

I cut the outside with the A2 Pop 'n Cut base, then added a black border Peel-Off sticker.  The label comes with the Fancy Accordion Label, and I added a leaf Peel-Off that was water coloured with water colour pencils then blended with a waterbrush.



Here is a peek at the inside ... the inside panel was cut smaller than the A2 base, and cut with the Lucy Label pop up. I added another, smaller label that was water coloured and hand lettered to the optional bump that cuts with the Lucy Label.


The gift card holder (also by Karen Burniston) was attached to the bottom edge.


When you use a Peel-Off, you generally are using the outline, but the negative pieces can also be used. I used an Elizabeth Craft Designs (ECD) Transfer Sheet to transfer the negative leaf to a piece of water colour paper, then added colour with the same water colour pencils. I added that to a fancy label, and did some doodling with a black pen.



Supplies used:
Lucy Label Pop Up - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Fancy Frame Accordion - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Leaf Peel-Off- 2525 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Border Peel-Off -  1061 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Transfer Paper - 5400 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Water colour pencils
90# water colour paper
Patterned paper - Crate Paper
Gift Card Holder - Karen Burniston (Sizzix)
A2 Pop 'n Cut Base - Karen Burniston (Sizzix)

Thanks for stopping by today!



Saturday 29 March 2014

Friendship Accordion

Good morning friends!

I had the opportunity to have lunch with Kelly Booth this week - she was in Phoenix for a few days.  Kelly and I are both on the Karen Burniston Designer Challenge Team and the Elizabeth Craft Designs Team ... and I'm a huge fan of hers.  I wanted to bring her a little something, so made a Fancy Label Accordion card.


I cut two Accordion panels from this beautiful floral patterned paper. Then I used some other Elizabeth Craft Design (ECD) products  ...  Black Peel-Off's, Double Sided Adhesive and Cool Diamond Microfine Glitter.  Once the glitter was polished in (with my finger) the images were ready for colouring.


I received a package of Tombow Dual Brush Pens (THANKS TOMBOW) to use on a project for a joint Tombow and Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog Hop next month. The package I chose was called 'Manga' ... and I used those markers and the Tombow Blender Pen to colour the images. Tip - let them dry. I didn't realize that they would need some drying time so there are a few errant fingerprints. Sorry Kelly!

Below is the card closed ... I like how you can see the word 'friend' when the card is closed.


I was trying to decide what little embellishments I could add in the corners, and decided to use these solid black Peel-Off's with the same card stock/double sided adhesive/glitter technique. I added spots of colour with the Tombows then moved the colour around with the Blender Pen. Then I cut them out, leaving a sparkly border and added orange Glitter Dots to the centers.



Here is what the card looks like opened ...


You can see I chose the scalloped frame edge on the inside ... the set comes with three you can choose from! I added little pen dots using the fine point end of the Tombow markers. Since you can see the back when the card is closed, I like to decorate the right side a little ... and I used the solid frame edge for the front (see the first picture).


I added a little banner across the top right corner, using banner pieces cut with the Lots of Pops die, also by Karen Burniston. I added tiny strips of glittered card stock that were leftover from cutting out the main images, then a couple of Glitter Dots were also attached. Since I love the Glitter Dots so much ... I ended up adding them to the girl & crown images too.


I coloured directly on a scrap of water colour paper with two of the Tombow markers, then used a water brush to blend the colours together for an ombre look. When it was dry, I stamped the 'Hello friend' and trimmed it to add to the accordion.



The girl/crown images were fussy cut then attached to popped up labels. I love that the Pop it Ups Accordion dies come with the decorator dies for layering.


Finally, here is a look at the card from the top and the back ...



I coloured directly on the rubber with two different Tombows for the Peachy Keen image and hand wrote a message on the other one.


I sure enjoyed meeting an on-line friend face-to-face, and hope we can do it again sometime.

Supplies used:
Fancy Label Accordion - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Fancy Accordion Edges - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Lots of Pops (Banners) - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Patterned paper - We R Memory Keepers
Flower Peel-Off's - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Glitter Dots - 7018 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Double Sided Adhesive - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Cool Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Tombow Dual Brush Pens (markers)
Tombow Blender Pen
Foam tape
Word Stamps - Stampin 'Up
Bakers twine


Thanks for stopping by today!





Friday 28 March 2014

March Designer Challenge at Elizabeth Craft Designs

The end of the month means it's time for the Elizabeth Craft Designs Design Team Challenge and for our first month the theme is 'FLOWERS'.  The Design Team will be posting their projects (check my sidebar on the right for their blog links) today and tomorrow with a big group post by Joset on the Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog (click HERE) on the 31st.

I made a very flowery card.  :-)   I also cut into a Shimmer Sheet for the very first time! If you have never used Shimmer Sheetz before, they are a mylar product exclusive to Elizabeth Craft Designs. There are lots of techniques using it, but since it's new to me I'm starting at the beginning. I simply die cut it using a metal shim. Wow - it's so pretty and irridescent and reflective. Very cool!


I used the Pop it Ups Oval Accordion for the ovals on the front, which was cut with one of the Agatha Edge dies and decorated with the scroll that comes with the edges. I added a glittered Lady Bug and  a layered Shimmer Sheetz/Patterned paper flower.


I wanted to make the card a Pop it Ups card, but since the card is a full 6", I knew I'd need to use more than one pop up bump.  Below are the step-out's I used so you can see how easily I was able to fit two Lots of Pops dies on the center fold!




I didn't need the smaller, optional platforms that cut with the Lots of Pops, just the two larger bumps.


I needed them to support the fence I made!  Before I decorated the pop up panel though, I sponged the upper portion with a hand made cloud mask, and also a grass/ground one. Karen Burniston had the same idea when she posted her Designer Challenge this month!


Before I got started I used my Tombow Markers with a plastic palette and a wet brush to paint a sheet of 140# water colour paper. This is what I used to cut the flowers and leaves from, as well as the scrolls and ladybugs. Some of the die cuts received a little inking or a little more 'marker watercolour' depending on how they looked next to each other.


The 'Thinking of You' cut easily from this heavy paper, and I inked the bottom edges of the letters with yellow.

Can you see how I made the fence? I used the flag pole die that comes with the Lots of Pops, cutting 9 of them from white card stock. I added a little highlight with a Tombow marker then got ready to assemble the fence. First, I cut a 1 x 5" strip of transparency and attached the fence posts evenly along the bottom edge. A little transparency had to be trimmed off each side when everything was dry.  Then I cut two 1/4" wide strips from white card stock and attached them to the backs of the fence posts, trimming off the ends.


I cut the Flourish with Flowers from white card stock, then inked it with sponges before attaching it between the pop up platforms on an angle. I was so impressed with how delicate and pretty this die is!


I added the Curvy Leaves, and stacked flowers to the fence and let everything dry before I attached the whole thing to the pop up platforms. On a whim I added a Glitter Flower Peel-Off to the centers of the flowers and I love the shimmer and shine that gives them.  The larger two flowers have yellow stamen that were cut from a scrap of crepe paper I had laying around. 


Once the oval was stamped and matted, I decided to add the ladybugs too. I cut them from scraps of the same watercolour paper, darkening the bottom layers with black 'marker watercolour' and the tops with more red. Once the ladybugs were assembled I went over their shells with a glue pen and added Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter.


Here is a good look at the two platforms supporting the fence ...





In case you missed it on the beginning photos, you can see I added a glittered ladybug to the front of the card as well.



Supplies used: (and there are a lot of them!)
Agatha Edge - 782 Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Lots of Pops - 778 Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Glitter Flowers - 7048 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Bunch of Flowers 2 - 729 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Bunch of Flowers - 728 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Flowers - 701 Flower Set 1 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Curvy Leaves - 730 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Ladybugs - 711 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Flourish with Flowers - 797 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Thinking of You - 789 Elizabeth Craft Designs
Oval Accordion (for oval mats) 772 Accordion Oval -  Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Shimmer Sheetz -  Elizabeth Craft Designs
Warm Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter -  Elizabeth Craft Designs
Glue Pen
Transparency
White card stock
Floral patterned paper - American Crafts, Neapolitan Dear Lizzy
Grass stamp - Stamp a Mania
Too Much Happy stamp - Riley & Co (Funny Bones)

Thanks for stopping by today!






Wednesday 26 March 2014

Shimmer and Velvet and Pivots - oh my!

Good morning friends!

I was tidying up from making a birthday card, and had this 4-1/2 x 12" strip of floral paper leftover. So I decided to trim it to 11" long and make a QUICK A2 card using the Butterfly Pivot die.  That's the joy of the Pop it Ups Pivot dies ... you can make a 'wow' card in just minutes.   Especially when you use a lovely patterned paper.

I hope you like THIS patterned paper, because you will be seeing a lot of it. A LOT. I meant to order 3 sheets, but somehow ended up ordering 30.  Yes, three zero.  Good thing I like it!



Elizabeth Craft Designs sent their new Design Team a welcome package (which was incredibly generous of them) and in it were some Shimmer Sheetz. Also some Self Adhesive Velvet Paper. I have not had the desire to use Shimmer Sheetz before, but I have to tell you ... I cut a butterfly overlay from one and I was hooked!  I wanted to switch things up for this card though, so cut the butterfly silhouette (the solid part) out of a pink irridescent Shimmer Sheetz.

I often mention how I like certain items because they 'catch the light' when the card is turned, and the Shimmer Sheetz are no exception. They are a highly reflective, shiny and irridescent mylar product. 


While I could have added a black butterfly overlay, I decided to use the light blue Velvet sheet. I have made a couple of things with the velvet sheets (for future ECD Blog posts) and really like the stuff. It's cuts like butter, and it's self adhesive!  For this card, I like the soft contrast of the velvety outline on the shiny butterfly base.  The butterfly bodies were simply cut from scraps of black card stock.


I added a 1-3/4" strip behind one of the butterfly openings to make the card a little more sturdy.  Usually I like the open look that you get from the Pivot does, but this one seemed to need that backing strip to balance those soft and shiny butterflies.


It's amazing how easy it is to mix and match the dies in the Pop it Up series, so I used one of the labels from the Katie Label Pivot die to stamp 'Happy Birthday' and set it off the one edge. I could have left the overhang, but I wanted this to fit into a standard A2 envelope so trimmed it off.

Finally, here are the views of the card from the top and the back ...



When I went to put the card in my card box, I saw my new 'Wink of Stella' glitter brush pen sitting there, so brushed a bit of shimmer onto the black butterfly bodies. Other people have said it about the 'Wink of Stella' and now I'm one of them ... these pens are ADDICTING!


Supplies used:
Butterfly Pivot - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Katie Label Pivot (for label) - Pop it Ups, Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Shimmer Sheet - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Self Adhesive Velvet Paper - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Patterned paper - Basic Grey
Word stamp - Papertrey Ink
Wink of Stella pen

Thanks for stopping by today!