monday...masculine cards and goodbye to AWDML

Today's post is a bittersweet one as I'm saying good bye to A Walk Down Memory Lane. I've been working with them for almost 2 years now and I want to thank Lisa for giving me the opportunity to serve for so long on her DT. I enjoyed working for AWDML alonside the rest of the DT. I'll definitely miss everyone there!

So, today I'm sharing with you my last two cards that I made for them.

The first one is a masculine Thank You card. I always have such a hard time working on a masculine cards that I decided to challenge myself for this one.

I really like how it turned out! I used Authentique Loyal 6x6 Paper Pad and a Stamp School tree image. I used masculine colors (brown, green, blues) and added a hemp cord 'rope'.


Here's a close up of the card so you can see all the textures and layer.

The second card is also a masculine card but this time, it's an encouragement card. I made this one for my cousin (a teenage boy).

I kept this one a bit simply since I had to ship it as opposed to hand deliver it. Again, I used a masculine color palette and a grass image stamp. I embellished this card with distressing, stitching and buttons.

I hope that you can find some inspiration to make your own masculine (fill in the blank) card. They are hard but necessary to make sometimes!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I really appreciate it!

monday...clear anniversary card

If you are looking for the RAK, please go HERE!

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Hi everyone! I hope that where you are the weather is a bit better than here! Today we woke up in Orlando, FL with a Tropical Storm thread and it's very rainy, windy and gloomy. Perfect day to stay home and watch movies and scrapbook all day!

Today, I want to share with you the clear card that I made for AWDML last week.

Here's the clear card that I made using the Fancy Pants Transparent Die Cuts Bracket Book Set:


I used two of the brackets to make my front and end of the clear card. I punched two holed and added ribbon to bind them together. I die cut two doilies and added one in the fron and back of the card. I then die cut 4 different size Labels 18 in pattern paper and cardstock and added these to the front, back and on the inside as well.



I handmade a few flowers and punched out a butterfly for the front.



Here's a picture of the inside of the card. Since it's a clear card you can see the doilies from the front and back so I just added the die cuts inside. I stamped a sentiment on the left side and left the right side blank so I can hand write my anniversary wishes. :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! Have a wonderful day and week everyone!

monday...alcohol inks and transparencies tips

Hi everyone! I'm here today with a tip on how to alter transparency shapes to use in your layouts.

Tip: Use alcohol ink to alter transparency shapes and dies to use in cards and layout.
It is very simple. You need transparency shapes (or you can make your own die cuts), alcohol inks, and a Tim Holtz Applicator:


You can achieve different textures and looks depending on how you apply the alcohol ink. Below are three techniques that I used for my layout:


Below is my finished layout. I love the rustic look it gives my layout!


I used pictures of my husband that were taken on his first day at NSU back in 2007 when he started studying for his doctorate in Pharmacy. Because he graduated last year, I was able to include the purple logo and name from his jacket, the one that he was wearing in the pictures. It was hard to incorporate purple on a masculine layout but by using paint, distress stamps, gears, transparencies and masculine colors I think I pulled it off!

Here's are some close ups of the layout:

Thanks for stopping by!

friday...Authentique layout

Hi everyone! Last week I got to share with you AWDML's Friday Sale on their blog! I hope you took advantage of the sale as it ended yesterday!

Authentique has grown so much in the past year or so and have fast become many people's favorite brand. Their patterns are unique and their paper is thick and luxurious. Not only do they sell 12"x12" paper but they also have 6"x6" paper pads, which are also sold in single sheets. I love this because I can sample a few sheets of a collection before purchasing the whole thing!

Of course, 6"x6" papers are not just for card makers. I love using these smaller papers on my layouts too!
Here's a layout that I made using 3 sheets of Authentique's Freebird 6"x6" paper:


I used a white cardstock for my background which I stamped, inked and misted to create a custom made backrgound paper. I cut out two 5.5" circles out of the blue 6"x6" paper, machine stitched around the edges and added them in opposite sides. I then cut four strips of a double sided paper (1/2" and 1.5" thick) and added them in the middle, close to the bottom of the layout. I added my pictures over these layers and added handmade/storebought flowers and leaves in the center to hide where the strips of papers meet. I tore a piece of blue pattern paper and added it to the top left side and added my title and another cluster there.

Here are some close ups of my layout:

You would never guess that I used only 3 sheets of 6"x6" pattern paper for this layout! If you have never tried making a 12"x12" layout of 6"x6" paper, give it a go! It's a great and fun challenge!

friday...AWDML new Friday Sale

Happy Friday! Today is my turn to share with you the new sale that starts today over at AWDML!

Featured Friday Spotlight for this week is Authentique Freebird loose sheets of paper are $0.20!

You can check out my full layout over at the AWDML blog but below is a little teaser of my layout! :)

friday...square punch cards

Basic shapes, or the ability to easily make them, are a must-have in the scrappy world and for all my square needs, I turn to the Marvy Uchida Super Jumbo Square Punch!

This punch punches through paper, cardstock, light plastic, vellum, thin metal, stickers and more! The lever design is very easy to use and the bottom of the punch has a sliding cover at the cutting edge. This punch punches 1 3/8" squares and are perfect to use in your scrapbook layout or card projects!

Here is a set of cards that I made using this punch:


Supplies-
cardstock: Recollections;
patterned paper: MME'S Stella & Rose Hazel 6x6 bundle;
pearls: Recollections White Pearls, Ranger Liquis Pearls (Opal White);
ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo, Festive Berries), StazOn Jet Black Archival Ink;
stamps: Prima Notary Stamp, Fiskars All Year Greetings Stamp, Heartfelt Creations Brookside Manor PreCut Set;
pop dots: All Night Media Foam Pop Dots 1/2";
tools: Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page (Scallop 3 Dots), Marvy Uchida SuperJumbo Punch Square 1 3/8", Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large, Cuttlebug Machine, Heartfelt Creations Posy Patch Die;
other: sewing machine


Here are a few close ups of each of the cards:



I punched 3 squares on the side to create the row of windows here. I then pop dotted this layer to give it dimension.




For this card, I punched 6 squares from a double sided pattern paper and rounded some corners. I then pop dotted the squares to give the card some dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

tuesday...Tip/Technique-Spellbinders frame

Welcome bloggers! I'm here today with a tip on how to accent you layouts using Spellbinders dies!

Tip: Use Spellbinders nestabilities dies to make your own frames for cards and layout.

The idea is simple:

1. Run two different size dies, one inside the other,  through the Cuttlebug machine to cut, like so.
2. Run it again using your embossing mat and emboss the space in between the two dies.
3. Remove die cut and use in your project!

You can then ink this frame and pop dot it unto another layer of die cut cardstock to mat your stamped image, like I did in my card below:

Supplies-
cardstock: Recollections;
patterned paper: Authentique 6x6 Bundle Collection: Loyal;
buttons: Buttons Galore Button Bonanza Rainforest;
twine: The Twinery Twine Cappuccino Bundle;
pens: Black Sharpie, Signo white pen;
ink: Rangers Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo);
stamp: Stamp School Natural Landscape, Fiskars All Year Greetings clear stamps;
tools: All Night Media Foam Pop Dots 1/2", Cuttlebug machine, Spellbinders Classic Ovals Large, Tim Holtz Paper Distresser tool, Ranger Ink Blending Foam Tool Handle, Ranger Ink Blending Foam Refills, Spellbinders Foliage dies;
other: sewing machine

Here's a close up of my card:

I hope that you enjoyed this little tip and can use it to spruce up your projects!

monday...a card sketch and inspiration card for you

Happy Monday! I'm back with a quick and easy card sketch for you to try this summer:



and here is a Thank You card that I made:

Supplies-
cardstock: DCWV;
patterned paper: MME's Lost & Found II (Breeze);
letter stickers: Basic Grey Hello Luscious Mini Mono Alpha Stickers;
ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain);
stamp: Stamp School Clear Stamp Natural Landscape;
tools: Tim Holtz Paper Distresser;
other: sewing machine, ribbon, button

Here's a close up of the card:


I made this sketch and card sample for AWDML's newsletter. If you want to sign up for the newsletter and get weekly inspiration to your mailbox, go here. There, you can also see the older newsletter online. Thanks for stopping y today and have a great week!

monday...graduation card

Hi everyone! I'm here today sharing with you my newest favorite 6"x6" paper pad! It is the MME's Lost & Found II-Breeze and it's simply amazing! This stack has more masculine colors such as brown, blues and greens but you can definitely use them for feminine projects too!



Below is a graduation card that I made for my little cousin who just graduated from 5th grade. She loves blue and butterflies so I combined these two things into this easel card!


Supplies-
cardstock: DCWV;
patterned paper: MME's Lost & Found II (Breeze);
letter stickers: Cosmo Cricket Mini Mono alphas (cream), American Craft Thickers;
pearls: Recollections White Pearls;
ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain);
stamp: Heartfelt Creations Posy Patch Garden Delights PreCut Set (HCPC 3306);
tools: Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Spellbinders Labels 18, HC Decorative Butterfly-Border Die (HCD 702), Tim Holtz Paper Distresser;
other: sewing machine

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and I hope that you have a wonderful week!

friday...step-by-step sympathy card tutorial

Today I have a step-by-step Sympathy card to share with you. These are always so hard for me to work on but sometimes are necessary and useful to keep in hand.

So, let's get started!


Step 1. Cut a 6"x12" piece of cardstock and fold inward at 3" and 9".


Step 2. Rip out the 6"x6" sheet of paper from the 6"x6" paper pad and cut a 4"x" square from the inside leaving the bird area intact. Use the paper that you cut out from the inside, flip it around, and trim it to 3"x3".


Step 3. Trim a blue cardstock to 2.6"x2.6" and a cream colored cardstock to 2.5"x2.5".


Step 4. Stamp your sentiment and image using black archival ink, color in the image using Tim Holtz distress markers. Lightly distress the edges using Vintage Photo distress ink.


Step 5. Adhere all the layers together and machine stitch them.


Step 6. Adhere the 6"x6" layer onto the left side of the card only. Do not add glue to the right side of the card.


Step 7. Open the card and adhere the smaller 3"x3" square in the center over the left side of the card only. This will create a peek area in your card. To finish, add stickles to highlight some areas and two buttons on the left side of the card.

Here's the finished card:

Supplies-
cardstock: Bazzill;
patterned paper: MME's Lost & Found II (Breeze);
bling: Ranger Stickles (Diamond);
ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo), Memento Archival Ink (Tuxedo Black);
stamp: Fiskars All Year Greetings Stamps, Stamp School Natural Landscape;
buttons: Buttons Galore (Ivory);
twine: The Twinery Twine Charcoal Bundle;
other: sewing machine


Thanks for stopping by today! have a great weekend! :)

thursday...Layered Chipboard Tutorial

I'm here today with a fun and money saving tutorial! Now, I don't know about you but I love My Mind's Eye's layered chipboard. They add so much to my layouts and even cards! However they can get pricey if you like to use them in all of your projects so I decided to mimic their look using pattern papers instead!

Supplies-

• coordinating scrap paper or 6"x"6 paper pad
• alphabet stamp set
• thickers
• stickles
• brads

Step 1. Gather your materials. You can use coordinating scraps or a 6"x6" paper pad. I decided to use MME's Lost & Found II Sunshine pad.

Step 2. I wanted to make the layered chipboard stickers on the left side, also by MME, but I wanted them to be birthday themed and a bit more neutral (yellow). Make the pennants our of yellow paper and cut 5 smaller rectangles and stamp your letters. I want to use these for a birthday card so I'll be substituding the sentiments for birthday sentiments.

Step 3. Layer the letters to the pennants using a pop dot to raise them up and give them dimension. Add the mini brads to the top and apply stickles to the edges, to mimic the original MME's chipboard.

Step 4. I wanted to include the number so I cut a rectangle from a neutral paper and a smaller and darker colored rectangle and layered them using pop dots also.

Step 5.  Add the number that you wish out of Thickers.

Step 6. The last piece I wanted to use was the long sentiment in the bottom but I changed it to the word birthday. Cut two rectangles and layer them together. Stamp your sentiment using black archival ink and add the small white brads to the sides.

Step 7. These are your finished pieces. You can compare them to the original MME layered chipboards on the right side and see that they are very similar but so much more affordable. Also, this lets you customize the color and sentiment, like I did for mine.

Here's a birthday card that I made with my handmade pieces:

I hope you try this money tutorial soon and share your take with me! I'll love to see your projects!