CCC#049: November Challenge - Thankful for Fall

CCC#049

November 2014 Monthly Challenge

Thankful for Fall

This month's challenge from Catherine and Cathy Create is all about autumn! Leaves, sweaters, pumpkin spice, boots, Thanksgiving... whatever inspires you about fall, we want to see it! :)

I have a crazy-simple project for you this month, but I totally love it. I gotta say (and I know I say this every month but...) this last month really got away from me! And I'm so bummed, because October is my favorite month of the entire year and I feel like I missed it! I have been so busy lately, and I know I'm not the only one, and I know it's just going to get worse with the holidays approaching so quickly. I usually feel like I have to pull out all the stops on any projects I share here on the old blog-o, like I really have to turn up the "wow factor." But today I'm proud to be sharing literally a 10-minute project, because I know it's something we can all use around this time of year! :)

I decided to dress up one of Stampin' Up!'s great new Kraft Grid Journals. This could be a great little gratitude journal, or just a cute notebook with a great message to just throw in your purse to use for everyday lists and notes! And because I only used two stamp sets, it literally takes no time at all! :) I used one of my favorite sets from the Holiday Catalog for most of the stamping, so really, you only need one stamp set to make an adorable little journal. The set is called For All Things. I also used Gorgeous Grunge to add a little extra interest to the background.

One thing to keep in mind when stamping on these kraft journals... They seem to be more absorbent than regular cardstock. So don't press your stamps too hard, and expect that the images will lose a little of their definition. The stamp set I chose for my project - For All Things - is great for this because the images are designed to look sort of watercolor-y, but you do lose a lot of the great texture of the images.

So that's it for me for today. I hope you liked this super cute and quick project, and I encourage you to head on over to Catherine and Cathy Create to check out the other projects, and to play along!

Happy Stampin'! :)

Fall Wreath Card

Just a sweet, simple card to share with you today. :) I've shared a couple cards made with the new Fall Fest stamp set - I guess I like this set!

I'm particularly in love with the cute little leaves that are in this set. For this card, I decided to create a wreath with them. I just traced one of the Circle Framelits lightly onto my Naturals White cardstock panel. Then I just stamped the leaves around the circle. Easy! And it works great because these particular leaf images all have a slight curve to them, so they form the wreath shape beautifully. The sentiment is from Four You - I love this font!

I created a little embellishment for the wreath by layering a button (it's from a retired button collection), some linen thread, a sequin (from the Gold Sequin Trim) and a pearl. Cute!

Happy Stampin'! :)

Partial Diecut Pumpkins

Hands down, die cutting is one of the coolest and most convenient things in a crafter's arsenal, don't you think? And you can get such amazing effects with all sorts of different die cutting techniques! I've shared cards in the past using partial die cutting techniques, where the die cut image sort of hangs off the fold of the card. I used a similar technique on today's card, but smack dab in the center of the front panel!

You could absolutely get this effect by cutting out the window and adhering the pumpkins over the bottom of it. But by using partial die cutting, the whole thing is seamless and it's such a cool effect. Here, I can prove it...

Look where the circle meets the pumpkin on the left. It's all one piece! Love this! If you want to see how to achieve partial die cutting on your projects (it's not hard, I promise!), I would recommend Jennifer McGuire's video. It spells out the technique really well.

I used two stamp sets on this card. The pumpkins are from Fall Fest, which is a great photopolymer set in the Holiday Catalog. It's kind of a cutesy, Halloween-y set, but I chose to grow it up a little more on this sophisticated card. I used Pumpkin Pie, Tangelo Twist, and Tangerine Tango inks, and the stems were stamped in Old Olive. The sentiment is from Kinda Eclectic. I love this sentiment because it goes with the fall/gratitude theme, without being a generic "thank you." The green background from the Color Me Autumn DSP collection.

Thanks for stopping by today. Happy Stampin'! :)

Start-to-Finish #41 - Masked Leaves Card

Remember my recent post for the September Cards Challenge from Catherine and Cathy Create? The challenge this month was masking. The card I'm sharing with you today was the first card I made for that challenge. In the end, I decided it was just a little too clean and simple, and I wanted to step it up a little bit. But I still think it's a pretty card.

I used one stamp set for this card, from the new Holiday Catalog. It's called For All Things, and it's got some great watercolor-look images and some really awesome sentiments. I also used the Color Me Autumn DSP and coordinating washi tape.

You can watch the video below, or over on my YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Happy Stampin! :)

CCC#044: September Cards Challenge - Fun with Masks

It's time for another Cards Challenge from Catherine and Cathy Create! This month, it's all about masking. Stampin' Up! has recently released some awesome stencil-style masks that I'm totally in love with. (One set is Dots and Stripes, the other is Hearts and Stars - they're so cute!) But I decided to do some CAS masking for my card this month, using some of the new fall stamps from the Holiday Catalog.

I used Post-Its to mask off a frame around the edge of a piece of Naturals White cardstock. Then I stamped the cute little leaves from the Fall Fest stamp set. (It has matching Framelits too - and comes in a bundle at 15% off!) I used Crushed Curry, Tangelo Twist, Cherry Cobbler, and Crumb Cake inks.

I embossed a sentiment from another new set called For All Things in gold on Early Espresso cardstock. I created the little embellishment using the Fun Fall Framelits (that match the Fall Fest stamp set), one of the Autumn Wooden Embellishments, and linen thread. Hey - Did you know you can make your own metallic cardstock? All I did to make that cute little leaf gold was press my Versamark ink pad on some scrap cardstock, shake on some gold embossing powder, and heat set it. Then I just die cut the leaf out of that! Easy and adorable!

So now it's your turn! Check out Catherine and Cathy Create to see what the other DT members made. Then link up your project using masks, and you might win goodies from Stampin' Up!

Happy Stampin'! :)

Fall Mantel Projects Post #5: Paper Foliage Wreath

Missed the first three posts? Check them out here.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! I wanted to pop by today to show you the last project I made for my fall mantel… even though I'm very late and I'm sure you're all into Christmas decorating mode :)

This was the first wreath I've ever made! I have to say it was pretty daunting, but I really like how it came out. And it was super easy, too - I really tried hard not to over-think it :) I just went to town with my glue gun and a huge pile of die cut leaves. And just like in the other projects, I embossed some of the leaves using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and gold embossing powder. I also crumpled up the leaves before I glued them on.

I made a simple layered bow with the Crushed Curry chevron ribbon. (Don't tell, but it's totally glued together, not tied! *wink wink*)

I also die cute some leaves out of Champagne glimmer paper and some from the burlap ribbon. I cut  some Whisper White cardstock to the size of the die (6x6" I think), then layered on a same-size piece of  Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet. Then I took strips of the burlap ribbon and butted them up next to each other until I had the whole piece covered, and I ran that through the Big Shot. Easy! 

So that's it - That's all my projects! :) And here's a view of the mantel as a whole…

I hope you enjoyed these projects! (And I'm sorry I'm so late in sharing the last couple.) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And Happy Hanukkah for those of you celebrating!

Happy Stampin'! :)

Fall Mantel Project Supplies

InLinkz.com

Fall Mantel Projects Post #4: Barnwood Frame

Missed the first three posts? Check them out here.

One of the keys to creating beautiful mantel displays is varying the heights of the objects you're arranging. As I was pulling my items together, I realized I needed something else that was tall. So I created this super simple project.

I got this barnwood frame from etsy - it was super cheap because it was just the frame (no glass or backing). Then I created a simple little banner from die cut leaves, burlap, buttons, and linen thread. So easy! 

I crumpled up the leaves before tying them onto the linen thread. This gives them great texture. I created the little burlap nabbers by wrapping the burlap ribbon around the twine and securing it with Sticky Strip. Seriously, this project couldn't be easier and it took me less than a half an hour! And it's super customizable for any season or occasion.

Here it is on my mantel. Check out the variation in height that it creates - Doesn't it look great? :)

Happy Stampin'! :)

Fall Mantel Projects Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Fall Mantel Projects Post #3: Embellished Mason Jar Candle Holders

Welcome to Post #2 of my Fall decor projects series! If you missed the first two posts, you can check them out here. Today's project is super simple and very customizable to whatever supplies you have on hand. Grab some jelly jars, or old empty spaghetti sauce jars, and in minutes you can create some super cute candle holders!

This one coordinates with with the other items I made. I used the chevron stencil from the Build a Banner Kit to paint a length of Burlap Ribbon. I just used white acrylic paint that I colored with Crushed Curry reinker - same as I used on the ombre frame that I shared in my first post. Then I just grabbed a couple of the leaves I'd cut for the other projects, hot glued them to the jar, and hot glued a Very Vintage Button over the stems. P.S. See that Crushed Curry leaf with that great texture? So simple - I just folded the leaf in half and ran it through the Woodgrain embossing folder. Easy peasy! :)

This one's a little different in terms of the supplies I used, but it still coordinates beautifully with the other projects. Doily, burlap, linen thread, button, and a faux leaf from the dollar store. 

Here's one of my jars "in action" with some other items on my mantel. Remember to be very careful if you're burning candles in these embellished jars. If you have paper, twine, or ribbon on the outside, it could catch on fire when you're lighting the candle! You may want to use a battery operated tea light. Otherwise, make sure you use a small votive or something similar that is entirely contained within the jar. And be careful while you're lighting it.

Happy Stampin'! :)

Fall Mantel Projects Post #2: Thankful Leaves Embroidery Hoop

Welcome to Post #2 of my Fall decor projects series! If you missed the first post, you don't want to miss the cute painted picture frame I made, so go check it out. Today's project didn't actually end up on my mantel but it's on an adjacent wall in my living room and it coordinates beautifully with the rest of my DIY decor.

I hate to toot my own horn, but I have to say I pretty much *squee* every time I walk past this. :) I am so in love with how this project turned out! And it was beyond easy to make. I got a super inexpensive little embroidery hoop at Michael's (I think it's 6" across). The background is a piece of Canvas Creations that I cut to fit. It's a little bit thicker than the fabric you'd normally put in an embroidery hoop, so I did adhere the canvas right to the hoop with Sticky Strip. That also helps it to stay tight and smooth in the hoop. I spritzed the canvas with Crushed Curry and Cajun Craze reinkers mixed with rubbing alcohol. (Make sure you use the 70% alcohol!) I die cut two leaves from Cajun Craze cardstock and Champagne Glimmer paper. The little patterned yellow leaf is from the Thankful Tablescape Kit. (Find links to all supplies at the bottom of this post.)

Here's a little close-up of the sentiment. I stamped this phrase from the Truly Grateful stamp set in Early Espresso ink, and wrapped some Linen Thread around the banner. And that's it! So simple and cute.

This is a pretty crummy photo, but I wanted to show you this little hoop "in action" here on the wall right next to my front door where we put our keys. It extends the autumn colors and themes a little bit further, bringing the decor together a little bit better.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Happy Stampin'! :)



Thankful Leaves Embroidery Hoop Supplies

InLinkz.com