Ways to Use Pattern Paper

Talk about a perfect challenge - use pattern papers!  To make this one from Splitcoast (WT267) a little more of a challenge, I made myself...

• select pattern papers from different paper collections so they didn't automatically coordinate.
• select papers that did not have the same colors as any of the other papers

This made it tough for me because I get hung up on what needs to 'match.'  Yet another of the Joys of Papercrafting is you get to play with patterns and try stuff out without a huge time or money investment.  I'm pretty happy with the results of this one.

Project Notes:

• The design is CASEd from June 2010's Scrapbooks Etc. magazine.  They have a feature on cards.  Check it out, there are some good designs.
• Rub-ons help fit a sentiment into a small space on the scalloped paper.
• The ribbon is cut in half.  There will details on saving ribbon in next week's TIPsy Tuesday.

Here's another with just a couple of changes...

Ingredients:  DSP:  Nook and Pantry by Basic Grey, Thrift Shop by Oct Afternoon, 365 Degrees by Pink Paislee

Cardstock:  Kraft, Choc Chip by SU!

Rub-ons by SU!

Marker:  Chocolate Chip

More SU DSP cards

I did a card using this DSP a few days ago.  Here are a couple others.  I think this is Green Tea DSP.  It is an old one from Stampin' Up!  Thankfully, my favorite SU color - Baja Breeze is coming back!  I've been so stingy with what paper and embellishments I have left.  Soon we will be able to purchase it again.

Project Notes:

• I used Creative Memories oval cutters to cut my shapes. The smaller shape is just the back side of the same DSP.
• The Cricut cut the flowers for me using SCAL software and that Sari's Flower font again.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Mail Box Greetings, Text from PTI
Ink:  Close to Cocoa; Antique Linen from Ranger
DSP:  Green Tea (I think) from SU!
Cardstock:  Naturals White
Ribbons:  Old Olive and Ivory taffeta from SU!
Button:  Baja Breeze from SU!

Mother's Day round card

For our last card at today's stamp class, we did this round card cut on the Cricut.  The color scheme is based on some of my favorite ribbon I bought at either Walmart or Hobby Lobby.  I designed this card before I knew Cameo Coral was going away.  I'll miss it.

Project Notes:

• The flowers were cut with SCAL software using a Dingbat Font - Saru's Flower - downloaded from Dafont.com.
• The center flower is cut in Very Vanilla cardstock and stamped with a wordy background stamp. 
• To stretch out the last of this pretty ribbon, we used a piece just wider than the card and tied off with cream colored string.  It is attached with glue dots.

Background stamps are so versatile and becoming my new best friends.

Ingredients: Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Background Basics Text by Papertrey Ink
Ink: Antique Linen by Ranger; Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral by SU!
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral, Very Vanilla
Ribbon: Fabric store
Button: Certainly Celery by SU!

Gearing Up

Here's a card going in the mail soon to a special little guy in our lives.  The paper is part of My Mind's Eye Lil' Robots collection.  I wanted the stripe because I thought it would be great colors and decided to get the little gears too just for the fun designs.  As soon as it came - like the same day! - I was cutting out these little gears and putting together this card.  The Cricut did "up" for me and I printed the greeting from Microsoft Word.  On the inside it says "for a BIG birthday."

There is no stamping at all - just great DSP!  This paper goes great with many Stampin' Up! colors, too.

Ingredients:  DSP:  Lil' Robots from MME

Cardstock:  Going Gray from SU!

Font:  Andy

Cherish Each Day

For this week's color and sketch challenges at Splitcoaststampers this week, I chose the Baroque Motifs set from Stampin' Up!  The colors are a wonderful collection of red and pinks that will soon be retired:  Ruby Red, Blush Blossom, and Cameo Coral.

Project Notes:

• The flourish is stamped in Blush Blossom craft ink and then embossed.  I used Stampin' Pastels to add a little Ruby Red and Cameo Coral working from the darkest in the center out to the lighter shade.
• I'm not sure about this punched border.  I was playing with an old Papershapers punch.  The white on red was too stark so I added more pastels to soften the look a little.
• Build-a-brads really make the simpliest stamped image classy.

Thanks for dropping by!

Ingredients all by Stampin' Up!:  Stamps:  Baroque Motifs
Ink:  Ruby Red, Blush Blossom, Close to Cocoa and Cameo Coral.
Cardstock: Ruby, Cocoa, and Blush Blossom for the base
DSP:  Raspberry Tart

TIPsy Tuesday - What matches DSP

Have you had any fresh strawberries this season?  We've found plenty in stores already and berries at nearby farms are usually ready mid-May.   With those on my mind, this just had to be the first paper I pulled out of the new October Afternoon Fly a Kite paper pad.  Then it was off to find some coordinating cardstock.

Maybe it is because I spend my professional life matching fabrics but when I'm scrapbooking or card making, I want my DSP and my cardstock to match as close as possible. To make it easier and mostly to use my crafting time as wisely as possible, I now check and note the cardstock colors that go with new DSP when it comes in or the first time I use a paper from that pack.  No matter how good the light, and I love my Verilux desk lamp, natural lighting is the best way to match papers.  But sometimes I'm working at night or other times when the lighting is poor in my room.  Having the color matches already figured out takes out the guesswork.  It also helps me see what papers I need to order from SU! or PTI. (Stampin' Up! cardstock has the colors already noted in the catalog so they make it really easy :-)

So I take my new designer papers and go through my Stampin' Up! and Papertrey Ink cardstock decks to figure out the best matches.  Sometimes I pull out full sheets of cardstock.  Then I note the colors that match a particular pack of DSP on the back of the paper pad or on a note I tape to the packaging.  That's it.  When I'm making a card, I know what is going to work and can pull all the paper out at once.

The paper deck I referred to is one I posted here -- Cardstock Reference Deck;  Of course, now that Stampin' Up! is changing color families I'll need to redo this deck.  As soon as we know the new 2010/11 In Colors, I plan to repost the deck file on Splitcoaststampers with a link here at the blog.  It will include all the current and just discontinued colors for SU and Papertrey Ink as well.

Yesterday morning, I was making a wedding card for my stepdaughter using some Basic Grey Marrakesh paper with green in it.  I didn't even have to check, my notes said Mellow Moss and sure enough it was the perfect paper. 

Here are the colors (by my interpretation) that go with the new October Afternoon Fly a Kite 8x8 paper pad:

From Stampin' Up!
Bermuda Bay/Taken with Teal
Chocolate Chip
So Saffron and Summer Sun
Dusty Durango

From Papertrey Ink:
Spring Moss
Berry Sorbet
Dark Chocolate isn't bad either.

Neutrals are Brown and Ivory


I also have October Afternoon's Thrift Shop and here are the colors for it:
Riding Hood Red
Bermuda Bay
So Saffron
Neutrals are Black and Ivory

Another benefit to doing some matching up is you can see what papers you need.  This is going to be especially helpful as I decide what discontinued colors I want to stock up on from Stampin' Up! in the next couple of months.

Happy Tuesday!  Thanks for visiting!

Ingredients: Stamps: Big Flowers, All Scallops by Stampin Up!; Mailbox Greetings by Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Bermuda Bay by SU!
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Riding Hood Red, Choc Chip by SU!; Vintage Cream by PTI; Signo White Gel pen
DSP: Fly a Kite 8x8 paper pad by October Afternoon

Sketch Challenge - Best Wishes

Here's my submission to this week's sketch challenge at Splitcoaststampers.  I kept this card really simple and plan to use it for our next stamp class later this month.  I often give them such time consuming cards to make that I thought we ought to have something quick to balance things out.  Gives us more time to gab :-)

What I love about this layout is that you could easily duplicate it in a totally different look just by switching the DSP.  It is perfect for coordinating papers. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Kind and Caring Thoughts by SU!

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip

Cardstock:  Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Naturals White

DSP:  Offbeat 6" paper pack by Basic Grey

TIPsy Tuesday - Watercolor Paper Dimension

The size watercolor paper I buy often leaves me with narrow scraps that are hard to use after I've cut it up for my watercolor images.  I've finally found a good use for these scraps as dimensionals.  Sometimes I want to pop something off the face of a card or scrapbook page just a little - not as much as a spongy dimensional.  Using a layer of another material  - like watercolor paper - between layers of cardstock gives me that little bit of space.  You could also use some scrap chipboard.

Another thing about regular dimensionals - it can take a lot of them to fill up a space.  I would have needed probably 9 or 10 to do this card.  Using scrap watercolor paper is economical and ensures the card won't get crushed anywhere in the center. 

Project Notes:
 

• This design is for Splitcoaststampers Clean and Simple cards challenge.  The only stamped image allowed was a sentiment.  I just wanted to use up some scrap designer paper.
• I marked vertical lines on my card base to guide placement of the little strips of scrap paper.  The strips were 2" wide but only about 1 1/4" is showing. 
• The watercolor strips are trimmed down to about 1/4" less than the aqua cardstock.
• I used Tombow Mono tape runner adhesive to hold the layers of watercolor paper and cardstock together.

Thanks for visiting!

Ingredients:  Stamp Sets: Whimsical Words by Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Chesnut Roan fluid chalk ink, SU! brown journaling pen
DSP:  Basic Grey Nook and Pantry, October Afternoon Farm Fresh, MME for the solid aqua

The Joys of trying a different style

My house is anything but contemporary.  Most of my clients have traditional decors, too.  So the window treatment and bedding I make is also on the traditional side - lots of contrasting welt, banding, the occasional rouching or ruffle, buttons, swags and lots of pretty floral prints.  The closest I usually come to a geometric are my beloved stripes - you can do wonders with a great striped fabric.

One of the many great things about papercrafting is you can work with a totally different style than you usually live with or wear.  You don't live with most papercraft projects every day so it is fun to experiement. 

Today's card uses Basic Grey's Offbeat collection - a "mod anthology" they call it.  Whatever that is, it is fun and for me  - a change of pace.  So even if I did pull out my favorite little birdie stamp set, Cheep Talk, it gets a fresh look on these geometric prints.

Project Notes:

• First, I stamped the greeting so I could get the circle in the right place.  Then, the circular shape in the yellow paper around the birdie was cut with a Creative Memories oval cutter.
• I cut the remaining shapes by marking lightly with pencil and then free hand cutting.

Next time you are paper shopping, go for something really different and give a new style a try.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Cheep Talk by Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Prussian Blue and Chestnut Roan fluid chalk by Colorbox; SU brown journaling marker
Cardstock:  Polar Mist by Paper Studio; Soft Suede by SU!
DSP:  Offbeat by Basic Grey
Rimmed tags by SU!

Quilted Birthday Card

Combining quilting and card making?  What's better!  These little squares are all different papers from Basic Grey's Nook and Pantry paper pad.  Paper pads are smaller versions of the patterns on 12x12 sheets so they are perfect for cards.

Project Notes:

• I adhered the squares with a single piece of adhesive in the center of each so there would be no adhesive on the edges where the sewing machine needle would go. 
• All squares were cut the same size so I could play with the arrangement and adhered to a piece of plain white cardstock. I cut them down to size before sewing.
• Threads are tucked to the back with photo split adhesive.
• Vintage Labels from this years SU! Sale-a-bration sets fits great in this large Hodgepode hardware frame.

Well, I'm doing a little work in my scraproom while it is cool up here and then off to clean up the sunroom! You know how much I love to clean (insert heavy sarcasim here).  I do love to get the sunroom back in use after a cold winter so it will be worth it.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  Vintage Labels by Stampin' Up!
Cardstock:  Naturals White by SU!
Ink:  Close to Cocoa by SU!; Warm Red fluid chalk by Colorbox
DSP:  Basic Grey Nook and Pantry
Hodgepodge Hardware by SU!
Ribbon from Stamper's Alley store in Mooresville

TIPsy Tuesday - Recoloring Brads

To create some graduation cards for my Operation Write Home cards, I thought it would be cute to make my own little graduation cap.  The center really needed a black brad and I didn't have one.  When you live over 15 miles from the nearest craft store, you learn to make do if you want to get done.  So I recolored a pastel colored brad.  Here's how:

1. Thorougly ink a smooth brad in pigment ink of the desired color. (Stampin' Up!'s Craft ink is a pigment ink.)  I used black Colorbox pigment ink for my example. 
   
   
   
2. Dip the inked brad in clear embossing powder and heat.  Be sure to hold the brad with tweezors to protect your fingers.
3. Repeat this process if necessary to get a full coating. 

That's it!  A very simple way to give your brads a dye job.  I did find that Colorbox pigment ink did a better job than Stampin' Up!  I'd love to hear your experiences with inks.

Project Notes:

• This is one of the few pattern papers I had with black in it and forunately it is two sided.  I used a strip of the stripe for the center and turned the paper over for the aqua color.  I didn't have any cardstock that matched this paper.
• The morterboard is simply a 2" square of black cardstock with a hole punched in the center for the brad.  I attached it with dimensionals.
• The tassels is made from DMC embroidery floss and adhered to the card with a glue dot.

Thanks for stopping by for Tipsy Tuesday!

Ingredients:  Designer Paper from Two Bugs in a Rug

Stamps:  Congrats from SU!

Ink:  Black pigment ink from colorbox, Basic Black for greeting from SU!

Pieced Dahlia

I'm trying to get an Operation Write Home box out of here today.  I wanted to include just a few more Mother's Day cards so I did these really fast last night.

One project note:  The flower is a series of graduated scalloped circles from the Accent Essentials cartridge on the Cricut.  I just alternated the colors and how they were turned to create the flowers. 

Thanks for visiting.  Tomorrow's TIPsy Tuesday is on recoloring brads.

Ingredients:  Stamps:  All Holidays from SU!
Ink:  Chesnut Roan from Colorbox
DSP:  Basic Grey's Nook and Pantry 6x6 paper pad.

The reasons Why

One of the reasons I love this hobby of papercrafting is no one knows what you really intended to do.  This layout is a great example.  I started out with this cool circle paper from American Crafts.  I loved the colors and they fit my photos.  I knew I wanted to create a shopping bag and have my photos spilling out of it on tags.  Yet the paper was just too busy as a background so I started cutting and cutting... and cutting.  The short version is I was left with too short an amount of the paper to even get a border going all the way across the page!  That's when I improvised the idea of splitting the border with the circle element.   It's still a busy page, but no one really saw it the way it was before as I was assembling it.  If I hadn't told you, you would never know the border being in two pieces was really a way to fix a big mistake.  This just proves...

There really are no mistakes in papercrafting - just opportunities to be even more creative.  And thus this page kicks off a series of posts - about one a week - on all the joys of papercrafting.  You know them; I know them, but sometimes it is nice to see them in print.  So when someone (like your Mother or your husband) wonders why you can spend an hour in the scrapbooking section of Hobby Lobby or can't wait for the next card making video or just hole up in your craft room, you'll have a few ready answers. 

Notes for this Project 365 Layout:

• As I've already confessed, I had to stretch the designer paper to get this border by cutting it and adding the circle element.  The center is a chipboard circle I painted with various shades of yellow and orange until I got something that worked.  I used Creative Memories circle cutters to cut the edges of the DSP around the circle element.
• American Crafts DSP has a solid back that coordinates and it was a great blessing to this layout for the background and some of the elements.
• The tags were cut with the Cricut and Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge.  I printed the photos on matte paper and then pasted them on the tags.
• The Kraft bag is cut with decorative scissors along the top edge and then just scored and folded.  It has 1/4" deep sides.  The handle is cut from a real shopping bag.
• The 'tissue' is scrap cardstock.  I soaked each piece in water briefly, crumpled them up wet in my hands and then laid flat to dry.  None of these papers had an ink run but I've had that happen before so be careful of handling wet paper or you can end up with a lot of dye on your hands.
• Another fix for this page was the yellow strip at the top.  I got the whole thing a little too high on the page so I just cut off some of the bottom and added a contrasting strip to the top.

In taking these photos for a week of Project 365, I was amazed that even when we shop in stores we often start on-line such as the Liberty of London bowls I bought at Target.  Target is a bit of drive for me so I wanted to know they had them before I bothered.  The Internet has changed many, many things but definitely the way we make purchases - and very much for the better.

Ingredients:  Designer Paper:  Everyday collection by American Crafts

Cardstock: Kraft and Choc Chip by SU!

Pens:  Signo White gel pen and journaling marker from SU!

Seashells and Friendship

Here is another card trying out the peg stamps.  I also made this for this March's A Year in Cards free class at Two Peas in a Bucket.  Visit their website and click on Education for more info.  This video based class  always gives me lots of ideas.  This month is focused on background stamps, particularly masking off part of the stamp.

Project Notes:

• I used the same method with these peg stamps as in my earlier wreath card.  I stamped an image, rotated the stamp and stamped again before reinking.  Some of the colors are embossed.
• To create the background, I tore a piece of scrap paper roughly the size of my greeting and adhered it with removable adhesive (I use Fiskars) to the card where the greeting should go.  Then I stamped over the entire card with my favorite new stamp - Sanded from SU!
• After removing the scrap paper, I then stamped and embossed my greeting.  I just love this large greeting from SU!  It is also a favorite.

Happy Friday!

Ingredients:  Starfish and Shells by Rubber Stamp Tapestry; greeting from All Holidays by SU!
Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Whisper white
Ink:  Kiwi Kiss, Tempting Turquoise, taken with teal, Brocade Blue