Monday, May 22, 2017

True Beauty


Today's card showcases the True Beauty rubber stamp set revealed this month from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  Did you know that some peacocks are all white?  When I am going to color something found in nature, I sometimes Google it to see what different colors that particular animal, bird, plant, insect, etc. can come in.   I was surprised to see several images of white peacocks.  I knew that's exactly what I wanted to try and replicate.  I hate to say it but no matter how many photos I took of this acetate shaker card, none of these photos do the peacock justice.  He is amazing looking in person (even if I do say so myself 😄 😆.)


I started out by stamping the image and then giving his feathers some highlights and shadows using a couple different grey Copic markers.  Once I was happy with that, I applied Brushable Glue on his tail and covered the glue with Waterscape glitter.  Since I added the glue with a pretty heavy hand, I let this air dry overnight.

While that was drying, I began creating the colored peacock feathers by taping down the Stampendous/Dreamweavers Peacock Feathers stencil onto an acetate sheet.  I then used a palette knife and randomly added several colors of Nuvo Glimmer Paste (Tanzanite, Peridot, Blue Topaz) over the stencil.  I created quite a few of the peacock feathers and then let them dry overnight as well.

The next day I began assembling my shaker card. I adhered the peacock feathers to a piece of Embossable Acetate and set that aside.  Then I die cut the front and back panels from thick white cardstock using a Simon Says Stamp die (Stitched rectangles).  The front panel was dry embossed with a Sue Wilson Designs embossing folder (Climbing Vines).  Once this was complete, I adhered the acetate with the peacock feathers to the inside front panel and pop dotted the peacock on top of the completed panel.

I also added a piece of Embossable Acetate to the inside back panel and then two layers of dimensional tape was adhered to the edges.  To the inside of this, I sprinkled in some Royal Purple Glass Glitter, a bit of Priceless Peacock glitter, and a few sequins.  Then I carefully lined up the two panels and adhered them together.


To create the sentiment, I die cut another piece of Embossable Acetate using a Sizzix die (Tim Holtz Labels) and also created a frame for this using the same Sizzix die along with a small circle from Little B (Circles).

Using the Glueless Glitter Technique, I stamped the sentiment onto the Embossable Acetate using VersaMark, Clear embossing powder and Priceless Peacock glitter.  I also added more Royal Purple Glass Glitter to the edge and adhered a couple more sequins.

Here is another photo using a different color backdrop.  It also shows more of the sequins and glitter that are inside the shaker card.




Thursday, May 18, 2017

Tent Trailer 3D Box


I recently discovered a relatively new company (at least to me) that creates SVG files called Simply Crafty SVGs.   Although I have created quite a number of 3D projects, I haven't used a SVG cut file before.  I have a Scan N Cut, but I purchased it for cutting out stamped images, not for cut files.  That being said, I rarely use it as I still prefer to fussy cut out my images.  😔

For this project, I did about half and half.  After printing out the individual pieces provided in the cut file, I used the Scan N Cut for some of them but I also fussy cut out a number of the pieces.  Granted the Scan N Cut did the job much faster than I did, it is relaxing to me to fussy cut (you can call me strange and I won't mind).

For the most part, I printed everything in black and white and then colored the various pieces with my Copic markers.

The accent strips on the trailer part were heat embossed using the Glueless Glitter technique.  I first heat embossed with Clear embossing powder and then again after I had applied Merlot velvet glitter.  I wanted this to be extra shiny, so I did a third step and heat embossed on top of the velvet glitter with Clear embossing powder again.  Merlot velvet glitter was also added to the door accents as well as the door knob.

The hub cab and the fender on the trailer were heat embossed with Silver embossing powder.  I wanted the fenders to have a smooth look, so I heat embossed these twice.  Before adding the accents to the trailer panels, I dry embossed the panels with a Crafters Companion embossing folder (Wood Grain).




The string of lights were colored with Copics and pop dotted onto the base string.  Then I added Glossy Accents for a shiny look.  Then they were adhered to the roof (as per the well written instructions).

All of the windows were dry embossed using a different Crafters Companion embossing folder (Hessian) and then outlined with a darker Copic marker.  I used this folder because it reminded me of screens on a window.  Although I am not a camper, I would assume you have the windows open and that you would need screens to keep all the bugs out 😁.


The camper top fits on the trailer bottom so you could put some goodies on the inside if you wished.  As you can see by the above photo, the score lines are visible when you lift the top off.  If this were a gift to someone, I would probably add some tissue paper to cover these up or maybe go over them with a white paint pen.





All four sides are decorated, so it looks good from any angle.  This is the back side of both the tent and the trailer.

I love creating 3D projects and this one was a lot of fun to put together.  Now that I know that I can fussy cut out the pieces (or use my Scan N Cut), I definitely will use SVG cut file more in the future.


Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Just A Note {Scrapy Land Challenge #66}


Today is the start of a new Scrapy Land Challenge.  The theme is Add Pearls and/or Lace, plus use any brand of die that Scrapy Land sells.

For my project, I created a very simple, yet elegant card using just two dies.





I die cut the Petite Arched Adornment die five times and then adhered the pieces together.  This is what the adornment die looks like I was finished with my arrangement.



The sentiment was die cut from white cardstock and then white fun foam (for added dimension).  I colored the sentiment with Zig Watercolor Brush markers.  Pearls were added to the four corners of the Adornment piece as well as the corners of the first mat.





We hope that you will join us for this Scrapy Land Challenge.  You have until June 4 to upload your project.  The winner, which is chosen by the Design team members,  will receive a $15 gift certificate to go shopping at Scrapy Land.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Happy Flowers



Today's card showcases the Happy Flowers Digi Bundle set that was released this month from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  It makes me smile every time I look at it as it is so bright and cheery.  I wanted to show that even if you use pre-colored images, you can make it unique.

I started out by layering two of the digi papers that come with the Digi Bundle into my software.  (I use Word - nothing fancy).  Then I brought in one of the colored images (there are quite a few that come with this Digi Bundle) and layered it on top of the patterned papers.


For the sentiment, I began by using one of the pre-programmed shapes, changed the color of it and added it to the side of my focal image.  Next I uploaded the actual sentiment I wanted and resized it so that it would fit into the shape I had.

Once that was done, I printed everything and then began adding my personal touches.  I fussy cut out the shaped sentiment box, added glue (Sakura glue pen) around the edge, and covered it with Laser Green glitter.  Next I outlined the word "friend" with the Sakura glue pen and covered it with Blue Raven glitter.


For the focal image, I wanted to give it the look of depth even though it was one layer.  I started out by outlining the colored image layer with the Sakura glue pen and adding more Blue Raven glitter around the edge.  Then I used a colored pencil (yellow) and outlined the first patterned paper.  Although it is very subtle, it really made a difference.  And finally, I used my deckle cutter to cut the blue layer.

For the flowers, I added orange streaks using acolored pencil to the various petals and then added Lemonade glitter to each of the petals.

This single layer focal point was then adhered to a piece of green cardstock.  The sentiment was pop dotted and added to the center.  I also adhered a piece of seam binding ribbon which was dyed with alcohol inks next to the sentiment.

I hope this card helps to make people more comfortable using digi images as well as rubber images.   There were lots more personal touches I could have added, but I wanted to keep this simple and straight forward.  If you have questions about how I brought the images into Word, just let me know and I'll be happy to help (I use a Mac, so the commands may be a bit different than a PC.)

Monday, May 8, 2017

Flower Girl


Flower Girl - Magic In You is one of the new Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp sets released this month.  The image is colored with Copic markers and colored pencils were used to highlight various areas.  Pan Pastels (Pearlescent Yellow) was used for the background on the image.  Her earring and necklace were accented with Nuvo Crystal Drops (Metallic Bright Gold).


I created the octagon frame around the image using an old Spellbinders die set (Large Octagons) and then heat set it with Poolside embossing powder.

The second layer was created by adding several colors of Pan Pastels to a piece of white cardstock and then stamping with the SNS Crackle Background stamp.  Instead of inking up the stamp normally, I barely applied the pigment ink and then heat set what was there with Opaline embossing powder.  The third layer of white cardstock was die cut using the next to largest die from the Tonic Studios Blocked Parquet and Garden Trellis set.


 For the sentiment, I did a bit of elective surgery on the rubber stamp.  I took a pair of sharp scissors and cut between the words "Thoughts of" and "you".  This created two rubber stamps instead of one.  To the right is what the rubber stamp looked like before I cut it apart.  Now I have the word "you" as a stand alone word or I can put these two together again and stamp it as if I had done nothing.  I know some people don't feel comfortable cutting stamp sets apart.  And that's ok too.  You can always mask the part you don't want with a sticky note (in this case the Thoughts of), ink up the stamp, peel away the sticky note, and then stamp on your paper.

After stamping my sentiment and heat setting it with Clear embossing powder (see the added dimension that was achieved with this step), I die cut a piece of white cardstock using one of the dies from the Tonic Studios Posy Pillar Strips die set.  I adhered it to the bottom with a strip of 1/8" Tear-ific Tape and covered up the rest of the adhesive with some more Opaline embossing powder.  I didn't bother heat setting it, so it has a mat finish that is barely noticeable.


Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Lighthouse {Scrapy Land Challenge # 65}


Can you believe it's already May?  Know what else that means?  You guessed it - time for a new Scrapy Land Challenge.  The theme for the first challenge of each month is always Anything Goes using any brand of die that Scrapy Land sells.  There are over 50 different brands and you can find them all here.

I enjoy creating masculine cards and decided to create one for today's challenge. Although this particular card could also be used for anyone who loves the sea and lighthouses.

The following dies were used:


Die-Versions: Lighthouse
Die-Versions: Rope Background
Impression Obsession: Sea Birds


To start out, I die cut the focal panel using one of the Double Pierced Rectangle dies from white cardstock.  Then, using a stipple brush, I applied a number of Distress Inks to create the shoreline, water, and sky.  I also took a scrap of white cardstock and added various browns and grey and then hand cut out the "rocks".

The lighthouse was also die cut from white cardstock  and then highlighted with Copic markers.  I saved the larger negative pieces and heat embossed them with Blue Ribbon embossing powder.  I added strips of tape to the backside of the windows and covered the adhesive with Daisy velvet glitter.


I completed the scene with sea gulls from Impression Obsession and then framed it using two different Sue Wilson dies.  The Rope Background die cut was cut in half and then adhered on either side of the focal frame.

Now it's your turn to come play long with us.  You have until May 14th to upload your project to the Scrapy Land Challenge.  The winner, chosen by the Design Team, will receive a $15 gift certificate to go shopping at Scrapy Land.  While your visiting the Challenge Blog, be sure to check out what the rest of the team created for your viewing pleasure (and hopefully inspiration).