One Layer Wednesday - Boot Camp!!

It's Wednesday - Do you know what that means???  One Layer Wednesday Challenge!  This week's challenge is being hosted by Jennifer Styles (Styles Ink) and is titled - Boot Camp. 
"Make a card using ONLY ONE image stamp and a maximum of two ink colours. You may use the same image repeatedly, but you may only use the one image. You may also use one sentiment stamp if you choose. Oh, and no embellishments. None. Nada."

My stamp (Flutterby Flock) and sentiment are from the Everything's Rosy Collection from A Muse and were inked with Fresh Ink (Steel Blue and Basil).

If you look really closely you can see that the card is made from white Shimmer cardstock (SU!) - Adds a teeny bit of sparkle on a very CAS card!  In all reality it is a bit too CAS for me - I'd probably add a bit of white ribbon at the top if I were to mail it.

PDCC61 CP96 - Hello, Roses

Long time - no post!!  This card is based on the current color challenge from the Play Date Cafe (bright blue, wine and beige) and the sketch #96 from the Card Patterns blog.  I've been noticing lots of beautiful little roses on cards in "blogland" lately but boy can they be expensive!  Here's my solution -

This bunch of petite roses from Hobby Lobby retails for $6 (I got it for 1/2 off) and has over 30 blossoms in three different sizes and gobs of leaves.  Very economical and leaves more money for stamps, glitter and silk ribbon!!

Lots of A Muse stamp goodness here - Wild Rose Branch, Wild Rose, Leaves Trio, Daisy Duet and Hello FL.  There's a big sale on the A Muse site now - you should go check it out!

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger - Strictly Stripes

Tuesday Trigger time!!  This week's Moxie Fab trigger is based on the picture of the stripey, woolly mittens below -

One of the things I enjoy about trigger challenges is trying to imitate the textures represented in the photo.  Flocking would do the trick - RATS, I don't have near enough different colors of flocking - time to get crafty!

I added white flocking with adhesive spray - I actually added it in about three layers - 

That looks nice and soft, eh?

Time to crack out the Copic markers and my airbrush.  The flocking base is 3" x 3" and I made marks every 5/8" so that my stripes would be even.  I blocked off each stripe and airbrushed until my fingers were nice and "Copic-y" too - a definite hazard with the airbrush!  

 

Quick tip - I use this Elmer's Sticky Out to clean the markers from my fingers.   Smells way better than using Copic Colorless Blender and saves my blender for Copic techniques.

Adorable A Muse stamps (mittens and sentiment) finish up this fluffy card!

FTL121 JUGS64 CAS98 - life's simple pleasures

This card is for three challenges - The JUGS64 Color Challenge (Light Blue, White, Light Green) the Clean and Simple Stamping's sketch (FTL121) and the Splitcoaststamper's Monday Clean and Simple Cards (CAS98 - Inspired by an Apron).  I LOVE being efficient!  I did manage to keep the card clean and simple - maybe too clean and simple?  I struggle with white space but I just let go and moved on.  The patterned paper is from Basic Grey and the sentiment is from A Muse.

PDCC#60/Card Patterns Sketch #95

This week's Play Date Cafe Challenge is to use black/white with a splash of yellow.  Apparently, I went black/yellow with a teeny splash of white. 

The sketch is from the Card Patterns blog.  Once I finally figured out what I wanted to do the card came together really quickly but it took me a while to figure something out.  Connor and I have been sick with bad colds for many days now - today's big accomplishment is that fact that I changed all the sheets - it was time to get out of the sicky bed.  I slept away most of the weekend.

The pearls and black shimmer ribbon is from A Muse.  I LOVE the houndstooth butterflies!!  They came from Making Memories' Paper Reverie Noir collection.  Wonder what kind of flowers you have to plant to attract those?  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and was cut out with a Nestabilities die and airbrushed with two colors of yellow Copic Markers to get that mottled look that is in the background paper.  The flocked paper is from the La Creme matstack.
BTW - CAT won the blog candy from a previous post!

Rolled Fabric Flower Necklace

I had so much fun making a rolled muslin flower for yesterday's card that I decided to make several flowers for future projects -then I decided that I would make a necklace.  Have you been seeing the rising popularity of the "bib" necklace like I have?  

Got out all my tools, beads and findings to get started.  I took a few minutes to lay out the beads in the order that I wanted to use them.

 Here's my favorite part - Do you see that each flower center has part of a barrel clasp on each side?  This makes my necklace interchangeable!!!  I can wear it with the white flowers and then quickly change out for the linen colored ones!!  I am a VERY slow beader (I've never had a class - I learned from books so I'm sure there are lots of time-saving tips I could utilize that I don't know yet) so making one "beaded necklace" base and then interchangeable centers is a good choice for me.

Here it is with the white flowers - Now my problem is to decide which set to wear while I pick up the kids from school!  WHOO HOO - I am really tickled at how this turned out - FUN!!

OLW33 - Home Decor

This week's One Layer Wednesday Challenge (OLW33) from the Simplicity blog is to use a home decor element on a one layer card.  I used the A Muse Couch and a sentiment from the Vintage A Muse Clear stamp set coupled with a background stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms that reminds me of couch fabric.

If you look really closely at the cardfront you will see an oval cut out of computer paper with a Nestabilities die.  Easy-Tack removable spray adhesive allowed the background stamp to cover the cardfront but still have an opening for my focal image.

Here the background mask was removed, the couch/sentiment stamped in black and the pillows colored with Copic markers.  Look closely at the oval mask - the top pillow is cut out -

 Put the mask back on the card where only the pillow is showing and then. . .

stamp the A Muse Mini Flower.  What fun - Big flowered pillows are very popular and even though the A Muse Mini Flower is really teeny tiny it was still a tad too big for that pillow.

A length of silk ribbon and a mini pearl on the pillow finish this simple card!

Embellish Color Challenge - Scrapbook Layouts - CLYDE

I scrapbooked our new family member (the bearded dragon) for the Embellish challenge below - I chose green for my "your choice" color.  This layout is totally digital - I need so much practice at this but I am proud to say that I crafted this entire layout myself - no templates.  Not so earth shattering but considering where I was this time last year with the whole Photoshop Elements situation it is definitely an improvement.

I even printed it out - Yeah, me!
Title font is recolored from the KPertiet Acrylic Alpha and the outside distressed frame is from Hof3.

PDCC59 - Moxie Fab - Glitter is Glam!

I LOVE PLAID!  I tend to be a SOLID kinda girl so plaid is "wild and crazy" in my world!  What could be better than just plaid - How about glitter plaid??!!  WHOO HOO - - -

The colors are based on this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge #59 - It is a good thing that I do challenges or you 'd be looking at a nice peaceful brown, tan and taupe glitter plaid right about now. . .

All you need to make glitter plaid of your own is some scor-tape, cardstock and glitter.  Martha Stewart glitter comes in so many fabulous colors - including brown!

 Having two widths of Scor-tape made the plaid more "realistic".

It is important to glam up your A Muse sentiment with some glitter too!  Stamp your sentiment, cut it out and run through your Xyron machine "upside down".  That covers the front of your paper with adhesive and allows the glitter to stick.

This card was made for two other challenges - Moxie Fab World's Glitter is Glam Challenge and the A Muse Lounge Challenge to use sparkles - AMC23.  Just you wait - one day I will get really uninhibited and tap into some argyle!!

FTL120 - Kaisercraft bird

This quick and easy card is based on the current sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping (FTL120).  The bird came from Kaisercraft and is a super quick way to add pizzazz and dimension to a simple card.

The patterned paper is from the Making Memories Brun Antique collection.  Sentiment from A Muse.

Handmade notebooks and Blog Candy!

I've been making notebooks!!  Such fun - I bought some supplies from The Paper Source back this summer when we were in Chicago.  I had gobs more of these notebooks but I have a habit of giving things away as soon as I make them - are you like that too?

You can hardly ever find me sewing a button on clothing but I sewed these notebooks together with waxed linen twine. To add some whimsy, each of the notebooks has different patterned paper on the inside.

The spines are made from woven linen fabric tape. 

When you are all finished there is a dainty little knot in the center of your notebook - I believe that this form of binding is called a 5 hole pamphlet stitch.

Let's have some blog candy - how would you like your own handmade/stitched notebook?  I will send it to you with some fun A Muse goodies - Sheer Fern polka dot ribbon and two sheets of scallop stickers (circles and ovals).  I actually bought the patterned paper on the outside of the notebook nearly 3 years ago at the A Muse shop in Seattle before they moved to their current location (I've been hoarding it).  It was my very first exposure to A Muse - I'm SO happy that my SIL took me to the shop!  Just leave a comment and I'll pick a random winner within the next week. 

I've listed several more of these notebooks in my Zibbet shop!

GS67 CPS196 - Scalloped thanks!

This card was inspired by a combo of two current sketch challenges - The main part of the card from the Get Sketchy #67 and the sentiment area from Card Positioning Systems Sketch 196.

A few months back I had a Scallop tutorial featured on the Create blog and I made several scallop strips and accented the ends with copper tape (found in the stained glass section of your hobby store).  I really like making extras of things when I'm in a crafting mood- then I always have stuff to play with later without the effort.

I couldn't resist the swirls in the CPS sketch so I used Prima gems to get that look and finished off with some hand-dyed seam binding.  The patterned papers are Basic Grey and the sentiment is from SU!

So the other day I was holding Caleb's new lizard and I commented, "He's as light as a feather." - Caleb replied, "Yes and he's as cute as a mullosk."  (Did you realize that a slug is a mullosk?  Caleb tried twice unsuccessfully to keep a slug as a pet - I think we will be more successful with the lizard) - Wanna see a pic of the little guy?

Told ya he was cute!!

Fabric Flower Pin Class -

Just a reminder - the Fabric Flower Pin class is this Wednesday at 10:00AM at Make Time to Create in Newburgh, IN.  If you want to learn how to make these fun flowers be sure and call Dolly to register - (812) 490-4790.  I'd love to see you there!

PDCC58 FTL119 Moxie Fab All Occasion HELLO

WHOO HOO - This card turned out even more fabulous than I expected!  A luxuriant flourish, luscious silk ribbon, sparkly bling, retro patterned paper and a fun banner cut sentiment.

The colors are from the Play Date Cafe Challenge and the layout is from Clean & Simple Stamping and it fits within the parameters of the Moxie Fab World Card Creations: Favorite Occasions Week - The All Occasion Challenge.

Flourish stamp by Stampington; sentiment and twinkle stickers from A Muse; Ribbon from May Arts; patterned paper from Basic Grey.
Caleb got the Bearded Dragon that he's been saving up for today - right now he's asleep in his bedroom with the dog, his Betta fish, the lizard and about 30 crickets!  YUP - the crickets completely gross me out!!