Patchwork Frame Card

For this card I used the 12 patch cover plate die from Tessler Crafts that I had bought at a stamp show long ago:

Recently placed an order for a 6x6 paper pad from Craftystampco.com which is her new "Lovely As A Rose" card stock:

I had shopped her booth at the stamp show in Fredericksburg, VA and bought her Sunflower 6x6 card stock and made two cards right away:

and

Her card stock is really nice - she sells it in packs of double sided card stocks and each pack comes with a clear envelope to store it in. In fact I now store all my 6x6 in those envelopes:

Anyways -- her card stock is not shiny like many 6x6 card stocks are and it is a very nice weight and double sided and easy to work with. When she came out with the Rose print I ordered right away. Here is the card I made:

My card stock base is a light pink card stock, cut and scored at the top. First I cut out the patchwork frame from white card stock. Then I cut it out again using two prints from the 6x6 Rose collection. I used liquid glue to put the white frame onto a piece of white card stock for the card front. Used liquid glue and added all my patchwork squares. With that done I put this on the pink card stock base using liquid glue. (The extra cut out pieces can be used for a second card as well).

For the flower - Franticstamper.com is an online store that is closing its' doors this July 31st as Fran (the owner) is retiring. (All products in her store are now 20% off). With my last order she had enclosed a flower with center die set for free and I used that flower die for the crepe paper flower I made. Here is a photo of that die:

For the sample I had die cut the flower out of scrap pink card stock to show the shape. I took pink crepe paper from my stash and layered 6 pieces and die cut them all at once using the flower die. Crumpled them up in my hand and used a dot of liquid glue in the center to layer these. Added a pink gem from the stash for the center. For the leaves I used an EK Success punch from the stash and punched out two leaf pieces. Sponged the edges of those. Put the flower onto the card front using a large glue dot and tucked the leaves under the flower and put them on the card front using liquid glue.

The sentiment "you're the sweetest" is a hot foil sentiment from the Pinkfresh "Celebrating You" hot foil plate:

I hot foiled that onto white card stock using matte gold foil. This set has matching dies so I cut this out for the card front. I put the sentiment on the card front using liquid glue. Added pink gems from the stash for some sparkle:

Always like making patchwork cards as the card stocks make each one different. In the past I have used this patchwork die vertically and either way it adds to the card front depending on your prints and solids you use. Happy I shopped the "craftystampco" booth at the stamp show as I had never heard of her before this trip so happy to find her!

Spellbinders Essential Arch Card #2

Went through the stash for this card..... a few years back I bought the Tim Holtz Harvey Colorize die set on clearance for $4.49.  When I went through the Christmas dies this year I knew I wanted to use this die set and make a card using Harvey. This die set has 19 pieces to it but it is very easy to assemble your guard/nutcracker/soldier or whatever you make with it. Here is a photo of the die set packaging:

Many of the die pieces will tell you a colour to use or a layering number:

Before I started to die cut this set out I printed out a piece chart showing colours to use and which dies are for what. I keep this in the sleeve with the magnet sheet with the dies and the packaging from the die set:

Once again this is a good die set for using card stock scraps. Once I decided what I wanted to make for my card I did all the die cutting of my soldier. Did all the die cutting then sponged pieces and then assembled him using liquid glue. Wanted to use the arch die set again and for this card I used card stock from the stash and I used a larger arch die from the die set and cut out my arched card stock base, cut and scored at the top, using kraft card stock from the stash:

For the card front I used two arch dies and I looked for a holiday print in the stash:

Bought this "Dear Santa" by memory-place collection as a partial pad from the Recycle Creative Reuse store in Greenville, SC one trip long ago. I really liked this printed card stock and wanted to use it on my card front for Harvey:

Although I liked this print I did not like the blue buttons on the print so when I cut out my arched die card stock front I paid attention where these blue buttons would be on my card front. I die cut out a piece of the printed card stock for the card front as well as a red printed card stock scrap as a frame around my card front piece:

Used liquid glue and put the red frame on the printed arch:

Again using liquid glue I put these onto the arched kraft card stock base. For my sentiment I used a hot foil plate by Pinkfresh "Perfect Sentiments Holiday" and hot foiled that onto white card stock using shiny gold foil. Using thin foam tape I put Harvey on the left card front, covering up the blue button, and put the hot foiled sentiment to the right of him. Here is the card:

Harvey has built in dimension from the layers of this uniform and many pieces emboss when die cut so it is very easy to put these pieces together:

I added red gems from the stash for some sparkle on the card front. With this card being the arch shape I also used an arch die and cut out a stamped image for the inside of the card:

Happy to be able to get Harvey on a holiday card at last. Really like the arch dies as a card base, both scored at the top, and the side as a change from the rectangle cards I usually make... Plus using all stash items is always a good thing....

Spellbinders Essential Arch Card #1

 

Using one of the larger Spellbinders Arch dies I cut out a green card stock base with the score line on the side of the card. For the front of this card I used the This Calls for Confetti hot foil plate "Retro Stripe" from the stash using gold foil in the Glimmer Hot Foil machine. This plate foils perfectly every time in all colours. After that piece was foiled I cut it out using a smaller arch die in the set. For the greeting "Seasons Greetings" I used the hot foil plate from Pinkfresh "Perfect Sentiments Holiday" using gold foil on white card stock:

The poinsettias are from the Spellbinders "Poinsettia Spray" die set that I bought at the stamp show in Fredericksburg, VA:

For my card I used all card stock scraps so another good use for the scraps....I added gold gems from the stash to add sparkle to the card front. 

Brain Freeze or Ice Cream Face??

 

Suddenly last night our puppy Luke passed away. Top picture is him being photo ready at all times and the bottom photo is when Mom let him lick out her vanilla ice cream bowl and some of it splashed on his face and that made Mom laugh. Missing you so much it hurts sweet puppy... wishing for one more hug.... We cherish our 13 years with you and will always! Love, Dad & Mom & Sissy

One thing leads to another. . .

Recently sorted all the beads/spacers/jump rings/charms and that lead to this post.... Made holders for the beads using the small acrylic drawers from Dollar Tree that I was finally able to locate:

Now that the beads were visible and sorted and waiting to be made into some projects.... Upcoming project for this craft room ahead which I will post the last week of July but for now I used items on hand and made beaded pokey tools with a dangle:

I use the scribe pins from Hobby Lobby and although I had many on hand I wanted to make 4 more of the beaded pokey tools so I waited until the scribe pins were on sale and bought them for 40% off. I had all the beads, charms, spacers, chains, pins I needed so I pulled out the drawers of beads and began putting the beads and spacers on each scribe pin. I did not use adhesive yet in case I wanted to change out any of the beads.  Once all the beads/spacers were on the scribe pins I used E6000 adhesive and put the beads/spacers on each scribe pin. Let these sit over night so the adhesive set. For the dangles I used seed beads, charms, and plastic flower charms on each pokey tool. Here are photos of some of these close up:

For these three I used a bow charm at the top of the stack of beads. Some of the beads I only have one of so I tried to put together a pokey tool that would have that colour group:

To package these I used plastic earring backs I had on hand for the sharp tips. Then I used the longer snack bags from the Dollar Tree to put these decorated pokey tools in:

With that project done I decided to use up all the mini Post-It notes I had in the stash for Mini Post-It Note Holders. The pattern I used is from Sandra Ronald on YouTube. For my holders I only used double sided 6x6 card stocks. To make these I scored my full 6x6 sheet of card stock and then I cut them to the size I needed for the holders. This way I cut this one piece paper into 3 pieces but only had to score one time per sheet. Once all the sheets were scored and cut I creased the scored lines using the bone folder. Here is a photo of one of them cut and scored:

 

Added liquid glue to the two end flaps. Once dried I used a corner rounder punch for the four corners:

Added my mini Post-It note pad to each holder and I used small Velcro brand Velcro dots to close these:

Sorted them by prints to make it easier to add the gems to the fronts of the holders:

Used hot glue to add the gems from the stash to the front of the holders:

Full basket of Mini Post-It Note Holders ready to go:

Most of these mini Post-It note pads I bought at Ollie's awhile back. They are the Staples brand and Ollie's sold them in a package of 12 for $1.99. Happy to use up the mini Post-It note pads and more of the 6x6 card stocks in the stash as well as the stash gems on hand. Glad to use more of the items on hand for a project ahead..... Both the beaded pokey tools and the Post-It holders go together quickly and both are easy projects to make!

6 x 6 Paper Pad Storage

Recently went to the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo in Fredericksburg, VA.  I visited a booth I had never shopped before "Crafty Stamp Co" and I picked up a couple of pads of her 6 x 6 card stocks. When I got home and opened the package of papers I found a plastic storage envelope to store these papers in. I have been reorganizing the craft room here and there over the past 6 months and I have some empty kitchen storage bins from other products that I weeded out or moved to another storage bin so I made sure this new 6 x 6 plastic storage envelope would fit the bins I had available. Once I knew they would fit I went to her website to see if she sells these envelopes but I could not find them. Off to Amazon....

Found a plastic envelope that looks to be the same as she uses and I ordered a package of those. Decided since I was reorganizing these papers that I would weed out what I do not use and also remove all the papers from the packaging front and back covers they come with. If I want to know the manufacturer of my papers I could always cut out the brand name and slip that into the envelope in front of the card stock. I went through all the paper pads and once I had them all weeded out and then the ones I was keeping in their new envelopes I sorted them by theme/holiday.  I wanted to make dividers so it would be easy to look for a theme/holiday paper I wanted. 

Awhile back I picked up legal size manila folders from the Scrap Exchange recycle store in Durham, NC for another organizing project for the craft room. The folders were new and cheap so I picked up a stack of those not knowing how many I would need to start with. Did all the other organizing I planned to do using these folders and I have some left over. So for the dividers for my 6 x 6 paper pads I used more of the manila folders and cut them to the size I wanted and I used the We R Makers Tab Punch Board and made the tabs on the dividers. With the paper envelopes all sorted I used the label maker to make labels for my divider tabs and put these in their new bins for storing:

Now I can easily find a paper I am wanting to use and everything is in an envelope in these taller bins so the papers will not get bent or damaged:

Happy to find a way to store my 6 x 6 papers. I have tried labeling and stacking them, keeping them in a drawer, (out of sight, out of mind), and nothing really worked. Happy to have the bins that hold these new envelopes for the papers and another problematic product storage that will work for me. Easily can see no more 6 x 6 card stocks needed for me and now I can easily access them all for projects ahead. So a big thanks to Crafty Stamp Co for a storage idea I did not even think about before I bought her two beautiful paper packs at the show:

Always happy to complete another organizing project. Also glad I had the bins on hand and the manila folders on hand to cut down for the dividers for the papers. 

Double Vision Sunflower Card

Have wanted to make a card using the Double Vision technique on a card front and when I shopped the Scrapbook Expo in Fredericksburg, VA this weekend I picked up a 6x6 paper pad "Summer Sunshine" from the "Crafty Stamp Co" booth. I really like this card stock and it is easy to work with. I have seen different ways to make the Double Vision look on a card front but I will explain how I made this card:

To start with I looked through my stash of cut and scored coloured card stock bases and pulled out a golden yellow card base. For the front of my card I did not want a border to show around the sunflower front so I needed to make my panel for the card front. I cut a piece of white card stock 4" wide x 5 1/4". This would be the base I would use to build the card front on. I pulled out a sunflower print from the 6x6 pad and I cut that down to a height of 5 1/4". Then I took this to the trimmer and I turned the paper over. On the backside of this sunflower print is a plaid. I cut this paper every 1/2" and as I cut the strips I used a black Sharpie and numbered each strip as I cut them into 1/2" pieces - when done I had them in numerical order:

As you can see in this photo I numbered all the strips at the bottom - for two reasons. First having them numbered my print will be in order and line up. Secondly having them numbered at the bottom of the strips reminds me when I glue them onto the white card stock base that all numbers will be at the bottom so again that helps with the floral pattern. Here is how I made my card front. First I laid my strips onto the white card stock base:

I used liquid glue to put every other strip onto the white card stock. This one is glued on and the second strip is just laid onto the white card stock base next to the first glued one:

Third strip I glued on and fourth I did not and I continued this all the way across the white card stock base:

Every other strip that was not glued down I put foam dots behind those and the high and low of this technique on the card front gives you that look and dimension:

Laid this technique card front onto the card base and decided which way I wanted it to be on the card front and then using liquid glue I put this onto the yellow card stock base.  Again I used the sentiment hot foil plate with matching die set from Pinkfresh for my sentiment.  With this card front already being dimensional I did not want to use foam tape behind the sentiment so I used liquid glue to put this onto the card front:

Added three clear gold gems from the stash to the card front for some sparkle and shine. Laying down all the strips onto your white card front as you glue and assemble this card front keeps all your strips spaced correctly and it is easy to keep it all in order by numbering the back of the strips as you cut them. I also found it easier to cut the length I would need my strips to be and then to cut them into the 1/2" strips rather than to have the strips longer than the white card stock I was using as a base for them. Fun card to make and all you need is a trimmer - no dies needed! Really like this card stock from this new to me company -- craftystampco and happy I was able to shop their booth at the show!