The Shabby Tea Room Design Team Application 3

Can I just tell you how much I love My Mind’s Eye? Their shabby chic paper packs are just amazing!

I added some gold to this card which is seen in photo in the macaron and the tea cup; you can just see that it has a gold edge. I’ve always loved to work with gold, it’s the only embossing powder I’ve every used up except white and clear! It’s awesome that it’s finally trendy again! I don’t personally care but it’s nice to see more products being made in gold!

I’m also making this for Retro Sketches 170. And of course The Shabby Tear Room DT call.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Waltzing Mouse Stamps Blog Party–Summer Shells Box

This month’s challenge was Summertime Fun. Since I won a free set from some challenge back in October and I finally chose it (I had been waiting to order some stamps at the same time and get a deal on shipping, never happened… ), I had fun using My Island.

I absolutely ADORE the beach and hot weather so this set and this challenge is so perfect for me! I wanted to do something more than just a card but I hate trying to decide what to do. As I looked around my craft room, this little box was just sitting there asking to be decorated!

I pulled out some favourite old MME papers which colours remind me of the beach and started covering the box and stamping.

I have a LOT of cool beach related items so choosing which to use was the hardest part! The shell trim has been waiting patiently for just the perfect project. It is too thick for a card and kind of big with the shells spaced too widely. But it looks amazing here dontcha think?

I used my new compressor and Copic markers to add colour to the coral and shell I had hanging around in my stash. They were both so boring before. That reminds me, have to turn it off and bleed the tank before I go to bed…

I used some very sheer gold ribbon to make a big bow using my bow easy. Then I distressed it using my heat tool. TIP: To get the bow to fluff up really well, instead of just wrapping the ribbon around and around the tool, pass it through the slit each time. You may need to scrunch your ribbon to make it all fit but that’s ok. If this means patterned, one-sided ribbon no longer shows the correct side up, just flip it in the middle! Works soooo much better than just wrapping it. The loops always separate correctly my way.

I am also entering this in Ribbon Carousel 82 Fun in the Sun.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if so, I’d love to hear from you. I treasure each and every comment. Ok, except for those weird spam ones… :) If you’d like to come back, maybe email updates would help? I have a subscription widget on my sidebar. I think my RSS feeder is ending soon and I don’t know how to replace it so if you do, I’d love to know how. Anyway, thanks for reading.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: My Island-WMS, flourishes-PTI
Ink: moss, baja-SU! chocolate, kraft-PTI, frayed burlap Distress
Paper: DP-MME
Accessories: flourish die-PTI, foam dots-Jody Morrow, ribbon, loopy wired twine trim-May Arts

Soft and Shabby for PTI Angled Blog Hop

The challenge this month is to place some elements on an angle. This wasn’t too hard! I enjoy asymmetrical designs and most angled designs are.

I made all three of my flowers on this card. I used a Cheery Lynn Dye for two of them and a tutorial from Pretty Little Mess blog (see sidebar) for the third.

I also used this week’s Deconstructed Sketch. Click on it to visit the blog post.

 

I’m also entering this card in this week’s Joan’s Gardens Challenge to use the word Tulips as an acronym for items used in the card.

T-Trim, I used lace
U-Upside Down, I used the corsage pins facing down rather than up like I usually do. (this one is really hard)
L-Lavender, I used lots on the card
I-Items from Joan’s Gardens, the Cheery Lynn Die I used for the flowers
P-Pearl tips on the corsage Pins, also designer Paper and Perfume bottle
S-Sentiment

I hope you enjoyed my card. If you have any questions, feel free to email me and don’t forget to subscribe by email or RSS if you’d like to visit again and be sure to not miss future posts.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Mega Mixed Messages
Ink: Winter Wisteria-PTI, Frayed Burlap Distress ink
Paper: MME DP, kraft CS-PTI
Accessories: May Arts ribbon, corsage pins-Michaels, flower making die-Cheery Lynn, perfume charm-Jesse James buttons, hexagon, circle dies-PTI, lace-Fabricland, ticket corner dies-SU!, Bow Easy

Fight Like a Girl Get Well Card

I thought I had already posted this but I guess not. I got this set free as part of the a.muse October breast cancer campaign. You only had to pay $3 shipping! What a great deal!

Sorry about the background. I should have used kraft instead of white. Not enough contrast. It’s hard to see but there is a squarish ‘think pink’ stamp in the set and I stamped it as a background alternating between stamping it horizontally and vertically. Click to enlarge the picture to see it better.

I am working hard to get better at colouring hair. In my opinion, it is the only type of Copic colouring I still really struggle with. Not that I am a genius at the rest but I think I have achieved intermediate status for most. But hair, yeesh! At least I am remembering to leave highlights and in the right places but getting them to look realistic is so hard. I’ve watched tons of videos and they make it look so easy but when I go to do it, well, it isn’t and takes lots of practice!

Sadly this is for a friend of mine who is struggling with cancer. I helped her with her kids when she had breast cancer the first time. Now the beast is back. Fortunately, now her kids are grown but this is just so unfair. I made it a while ago so I hope she enjoyed it.

I’ve entered this in the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 92 to make your own Wallpaper: stamp your own background on your creation. It’s a technique I love doing so I was thrilled to see this challenge. I just hope my card isn’t too fussy to qualify! It certainly is more CAS than most things I make!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE

Stamps: sentiment and background-a.muse, girl-MFT
Ink: Memento black, pink pirouette-SU!, sentiment pink??
Paper: blush CS-PTI, white CS-Xpress it, DP-Basic Grey, doily vintage typing paper-stash
Accessories: doily die-PTI, ribbon-Miss Alaynia Etsy, corsage pin-Michaels, beads, charm-local bead store, foam dots-Jody Morrow

Vintage Chalkboard Challenge Card

OK, so I have to admit, I’m not sure I like this card. I am so not a fan of black but I was dying to try the chalkboard technique.

But when I got done, I didn’t know what to pair it with! Uh oh! The black really threw me for a loop. So I went with some very bold G45 papers I bought only because I was making cards for a client and the elegant black patterned papers in the pack were perfect. Not my style really, well, at all and I hesitated to even publish it which is very unusual because I blog pretty much everything I make! I just had to blog it anyway because I it was for three challenges and even more so because I am thrilled with how the chalkboard technique turned out. I used a chalk pastel pencil for the lines. Not too many chalkboards have coloured ‘chalk’ but I have seen a few including a cool Nabob commercial.

This is for the Waltzing Mouse Blog Party to use Doilies. I just tucked bits under each edge. Also for Deconstructed Sketch 89 and Friday Mashup 97 to use Markers and add Texture. I used a marker to colour the white EP to match the DP and buttons. I fyou have any ideas what would go better with the black, leave me a comment!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: WM
Ink: Versamark, white-PTI
Paper: kraft-PTI, DP-Graphic 45, black-SU!, doily-Wilton
Accessories: black ribbon-May Arts, buttons-SU!, scalloped border die-PTI, white EP-stash, Copics

Blue and White Snowflake Pillow Box

I signed up for emails from a new challenge, the Friday Mashup. They have a two part challenge. You can play one part or the other or combine them! I decided to go for both and combine that with making another project for my Swap-Bot challenge to use the stamp stamp multiple ways.

Sorry for not folding the box ends together. Funny, I didn’t even think about it until I had taken the photo, mailed it and realized it looks weird in the photo! Since we all know what they look like, I know you can use your imagination! Silly me! It did help it sit up there to photograph it since it was flat.

The little bottle is the same as the Vintage Parfum card, looks very different right? That was the point of that challenge, to use a stamp in lots of very different ways to get out of a rut of always using it in the same or similar ways. I thought it made a great tag. The box is great for gifts or gift cards.

It’s hard to see but the silver bow has a tiny rhinestone in the center and so does the snowflake on the bottle. Can you see the loops on the ribbon edges? It is formed from a looped cord attached to a tiny satin edge, so much classier than the old picoted ribbon I used to use in the late 80’s on country wreaths!

I

Click on the photo to visit the challenge post. I’m also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp ‘Anything Goes’ Challenge.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe
Ink: Versamark
Paper: white CS-SU!
Accessories: ribbon-stash, pillow box die-PTI, rhinstones-TE, cord-SU!, hole punch-Fiskars, snowflake ribbon-May Arts

Vintage Parfum

I am in a challenge on Swap-Bot to use one stamp three different ways.

This was one of my projects. I am entering this in Unscripted Sketches 186 and Simon Says Stamp challenge ‘Anything Goes’ as well.

Sorry the formatting is messed up. I sent this via email and when I edited it in Live Writer, it seems a bit odd. The flowers are coloured with some Copics I rarely use but they look so pretty with these vintage colours. V91 and 95. I wonder if they make another V90 something… Incidentally, the stamp I used was the bottle and it conveniently has several different things you can stamp within the label! This one is definitely my favourite.

I dyed the seam binding myself. I added several drops of blush reinker and a tiny, less than a drop, amount of Antique Linen to some water. It’s hard to see but the ribbon is unevenly dyed which makes it look old and stained. TIP: To achieve that effect, I added the blush reinker directly to the water but smeared the Antique Linen directly to the bag. I smushed the ribbon in the water and squeezed it dry. Then I dragged the wet ribbon into and through the AL. Means the ribbon gets unevenly dipped in the AL and a stained look. Perfect!

Isn’t this bottle so pretty? I stamped it on a solid coloured paper from the pack. Then I shaded both the label and the bottle but subtly. I twisted the ribbon that goes around the card because I didn’t like how much it covered the lace. I like the look!

I’m also entering this in the Shabby Tea Room Challenge to use Neutrals as well as twine or ribbon and a sentiment. Mine is little but it is there, on the tag. Click on the photo to visit the challenge post.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe
Ink: chocolate-Papertrey Ink, old Paper, frayed burlap distress. perfect plum-SU! (envelope)
Paper: true thyme CS-SU!, ivory CS-scrap, DP-Capella Basic Grey
Accessories: Copics, tag die-Quickutz, HugSnug Seam Binding, blush reinker-SU!, Antique Linen reinker, vintage MOP button, lace-stash, foam dots-Jody Morrow, twine-PTI

Floral Gift Card Holder

The owner of the barn where my son rides recently rescued 4 very neglected horses. This isn’t what she usually does but when she saw an ad for these horses, Free to a Good Home, she thought she’d be thrilled to add them to her stable. But when she found the horses, which might otherwise be suitable, in deplorable condition, she felt she had to rescue them. Horses are already quite expensive but when they haven’t seen a farrier or a vet in a very long time, are super skinny, malnourished and sick and can’t be ridden for a long time while they recover, it is a very expensive endeavour indeed.

They hosted two fundraisers, for one of which I donated 2 card sets and a gift certificate inside this pretty gift card holder.

The background is stamped with a background stamp from a.muse studio which I won from Paper Crafts magazine blog. I’ve actually won from PC mag blog or Moxie Fab blog at least 5 times! Can you believe that? You know how people often say, “I never win anything!” Well, I actually am the opposite. I win things all the time! Weird huh? Anyway, back to the card holder… I stamped the background using champagne Versamark, I love the subtle shimmer.

I dyed the seam binding ribbon myself. When I want the natural colour but need it scrunched and a bit shabbier, I wet the ribbon with homemade pearl mist using gold Perfect Pearls. Then I rub my hands on my Antique Linen ink pad and scrunch the ribbon. This adds colour to the raised areas only giving, I think, a more realistically worn look. After all, had this ribbon been handled often and naturally distressed, that’s where the distressing (aka dirt) would be.

This also works for The Shabby Tea Room challenge to use something rustic and something elegant. The rose and pearl are elegant, maybe the background pattern too and the twine and ribbon are rustic. I can’t remember if you can enter two things, I’ll have to check because my other entry has a better chance of being recognized. ETA: It’s OK, you can enter multiple times! Yeah!

As always, click on the photos for links to the challenges. Both of these have time left too. Wow! I’ve actually counted down the seconds while posting and adding a link to a challenge. Yeesh!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: a.muse bg, sentiment-SU!
Ink: Versamark, Antique Linen Distress
Paper: Howdy Doody-MME, chocolate CS-SU!,
Accessories: label 1 Nesties, Prima rose, HugSnug Seam binding,  twine-PTI, lace-May Arts, corsage pin-Michaels, gold EP-SU!

Kitten in a Teacup Double Challenge Card

I needed a shabby chic card for a swap so I combined it with two challenges, Mojo Monday and Shabby Tea Room.

I used an embossing folder I recently got for the panel under the main design elements. I wanted a bit of interest in the background without overwhelming the soft and shabby papers. I added white ink to highlight the pattern.

The kitten is coloured with Copics to give her a soft, shabby tabby feel. I used pink/peach rick rack to mimic the ruffled icing ribbons in the inspiration photo.

I turned the sketch but otherwise stayed pretty true to it ( just rotating it and flipping it). Something I noticed the judges of Mojo Monday tend to like! The entries they choose almost always include all the elements in the same places and in the same proportions. Something I struggle with! Click on either challenge photo for a link to their blog posts.

I’ve got lots to do to get ready for a congregation BBQ tomorrow so this was a super fast post! Let me know if you need any more details!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: kitten in tea cup-CDS
Ink: memento black, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress, white ink-PTI
Paper: kraft CS-PTI, white CS-X-Press It, DP-MME Howdy Doody
Accessories: foam dots-Jody Morrow, large flower-Prima, small flowers-unknown, crocheted lace-unknown, polyester lace-Fabricland, rickrack, silk ribbon-May Arts, pearls-Dollarama, Pearl spray-Recollections, Cuttlebug Embossing folder, white twine-PTI, Copics

Cherry Blossom Anniversary Card

I recently bought the coolest flower die. It makes gorgeous cherry blossoms. I made them in an unusual colour combo but I love that I can personalize them!

The colours of this card are epecially unusual to anyone who knows me well. Orange is one of my least favourite colours but I have been know to use it under the right circumstances like as an accent, when I love the paper pack or when the person I am making the card for loves bright colours! The latter is the case this time. Oh, and my blonde little guys look awesome in orange so you might see it on a scrap  page at some point!

Making the blossoms is easy. Die cut all the pieces. I cut all of mine from ivory card stock. Then I coloured the star shaped piece with an apricot marker. Same for the center of the sunburst shaped piece. The little ‘sticks’ I coloured in blush and the tips are pumpkin. The sticks and tips are coloured on both sides. The flowers are sponged with blush ink.

To make the flower 3-D, you glue the tab to the back of the next petal. However, I found it was hard to get the tab to stay glued as it is tiny, less than 1/8” long! When I make it again, I won’t glue the tab first. To prepare the center, use an embossing tool and a foam or embossing mat to cup the star piece. Repeat for the sunburst. Then adhere the sunburst to the inside of the star. Now you want to curve the petals and squeeze the flower into a cup shape. Then add adhesive to the outside of the cupped center and the tab and add the center to the flower. While holding down the flower center with the embossing tool, make sure the tab is touching and hold until it is dry. All done!

I’m entering this in the Joan’s Gardens challenge this week and this April’s SFYTT (turned 90 degrees). Joan is offering 6 guest designer spots for participants! I’m really hoping I get a chance!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: PSX
Ink: memento black, Apricot, blush, celery-SU!
Paper: Picadilly-Basic Grey, saffron, vanilla, punpkin-SU!
Accessories: foam dots-Jody Morrow, lace-WMS, die-Memory box, markers: apricot, pumpkin, blush-SU!, ribbon-Masterstroke Ribbon, Kaisercraft rhinestones

Shabby Tea Room Spring Challenge Shadow Box

I am entering the Spring Shabby Tea Room Blog Challenge to use a butterfly with yellow, blue, lilac and kraft. This is a shadow box I am going to use as a wall hanging. I’m not sure when the Tea Room judges look at the projects but I am off to make a matching card shortly.

Here’s a close up of the floral cluster. The greyish flower actually looks more bluish IRL. But there is blue in the DP and the eggs are bluish right?

I cut the paper carefully so most of the eggs would show and the piece I trimmed off the top is now the strip at the bottom. I placed some vintage gathered lace around the base of the nest. I LOVE how this looks!

Aren’t those little eggs cute? Believe it or not, they are off of an Easter sprig from my local dollar store! Cool right?

I custom dyed the lace trim seen here so it would match the papers better. I used Copic Various inks. This is going to hang on my wall so I constructed the ribbon tab so I can replace the ribbon if it gets too gross. I am fine for it aging vintage-y but I have young kids so who knows what might end up on it! I punched two holes with my Crop-a-dile (easy-peasy) and actually sewed the button on through the ribbon and the box and into another button on the other side for strength. When it came to tying it, that got tricky so the ends were hidden but I managed!

I’ll be back with my card soon.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: 7 Gypsies
Ink: Antique Linen, Faded Jeans, Vintage Photo Distress inks
Accessories: mini scalloped punch-EK Success, brown acrylic paint, vintage buttons and laces, Hug Snug seam binding ribbon, Kaisercraft pearls, nest, eggs and branches, pearls-Dollarama, Box-Basic Grey, silk ribbon-May Arts, silk flowers (coloured with Copics)-Michaels, paper flowers-Recollections, Copic markers and Various inks

Sketch for You to Try January

I am not good at remembering to do things, at all. But I am going to TRY to do all 12 sketches this year for SFYTT. I hope I manage. I have a reminder in my iPhone but who knows…

I used dies from Heartfelt Creations Miniature Rose to make the flower. I got it from Joan’s Gardens. Its really pretty easy, the die cuts 6 flowers with holes in the center and a star shape for the petals. You shape the flowers, the inner one (or ones) cup inward and the rest outward. The very inner petals are glued together to form the bud. I only cupped one flower inward and glued it but next time I will cup at least 2, maybe 3 inwards, glue the first into the bud then partially glue one more layer of petals near the bottom only as well.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Sweet Pea and frame-JustRite Stampers
Ink: Memento black, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress, white-PTI, celery-SU!
Paper: Lily Kate-Basic Grey, kraft, celery, banana CS-SU!, white CS-X-Press It, sweet blush CS-PTI
Accessories: circle Nesties, May Arts lace and silk ribbon, Heartfelt Creations Miniature Rose die, EK Success mini scalloped punch, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Pearls-Dollarama, twine, edge die-PTI, corsage pin-Michaels, Copic markers-R11,20,22,32, G21,24, YG63,67, YR30, Y21, Bow-Easy

January PaperTrey Ink Blog Hop

I love this blog hop but haven’t participated in a while. It’s so hard to create something in time with only one day notice! (Unless the topic is posted in advance somewhere I am not aware of, please let me know if it is.) So I often miss out. But this time, I already made a card that qualifies that I hadn’t posted yet, NO WAY! Oh yeah, WAY!
 

The challenge was to find your favourite card from 2011 that features PTI products, then to CASE yourself using that card as inspiration. I absolutely love Button Boutique and had a blast playing with it when I first got it. The original post is HERE.You can see the other button cards I made that day HERE.

I actually made this for last week’s Mojo Monday sketch but as is typical with me, I forgot to post it in time to link it up. I drive myself crazy doing that! And I remembered only 40 minutes late. But now that I see it will work perfectly for this month’s blog hop, I am not so disappointed in myself.

I really had fun making this stick pin. I decided to go very sewing themed with it once I found that the charm I picked would go on the pin when I bent the charm ring back. I was going to bend it back all the way flat against the back but when I got it half way, I got the brilliant inspiration to slide it on a corsage pin. A mini thread spool quickly followed as it was sitting in the same bellie container as the charm. I store my bellies by theme if it has a theme and by type, eg: brads, buttons etc if it doesn’t. Some things are subdivided by colour as well if I have too many for one container.

This is a close-up of the button card. I used a broken vintage MOP (Mother of pearl) button and the others are from PTI. The brown one looked too new and perfect so I scuffed it up with a nail file. I really like these colours together, cocoa, chocolate and baja by SU! (I apologize for the weird colour cast to these photos, I tried to adjust the colour but I am not using software with an auto white balance adjustment so I could only go more blue or more pink,  this was the closest to neutral I could get. I actually do better photographing at night as usual!)

Here’s a close-up of the original card’s button card. I think this is baja again, LOL! I wanted each button to look different so I either threaded differently or placed them at different angles. But I really embellished the plain white button with embroidery thread making it look like a little flower! Awww, so cute right? The pink part is a French knot, easy to learn to do; I’m sure there are zillions of instructions on the web or on YouTube if you’d like to try this. A small detail but card making is all in the details right?

If you enjoyed this project, please visit again or subscribe. I have RSS and email sub widgets on my sidebar. I don’t always post regularly as I have a 1 month old so bear with me!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE (see original card link for those supplies)
Stamps: Button Boutique-PTI
Ink: cocoa, chocolate, baja-SU!, Distress Antique Linen, Vintage photo, Antique Linen Distress Stain
Paper: chocolate, vanilla CS-SU!, DP-MME,
Accessories: button card die, buttons-PTI, damask ribbon-Wal-Mart, thread spool, corsage pin-Michaels, charm-stash, Silk ribbon-May Arts, Copic BG72,75, Bow-Easy, lingerie ruffle-stash of bra making supplies I sell, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Zots dimensional clear glue dots, EK Success mini scalloped punch, WRMK distresser