Tutorial: Botanical Edging Technique

Hello Crafty Friends!  Kathy Jo here sharing an inky fun botanical edge technique that can be used on your next crafty project.  This technique was originally used on the project I created for the Quietfiire Designs blog hop:  

The blog hop project was a 12x12 mixed media page.  The project today is a 6x6 card with step by step photo instructions.  Several products were used to create this card, including the following Quietfire Design products:

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme stamp set

Illuminations 1 stamp set

Always Believe stamp

Instructions:

Cut a piece of mixed media paper and and draw an outline of the area in which you plan to use for your project.  (My area was slightly smaller than 6x6.)  For the outline, do not use a pencil or utensil that would bleed or smear after ink was applied.  Use washi tape to secure to a non-stick craft sheet.  

 Apply Broken China Distress ink to the center of the workable area leaving a small border (~1") left without ink.

Apply Mowed Lawn Distress Ink, as shown, to create a green border.

  Stamp plants around border using Bamboo Leaves Memento Ink.  Turn stamp while stamping to create a more natural looking border.  You may also stamp an image twice before re-inking to create depth to your border.  It is ok if the plants extend past your working area as you will trim your area to size when complete.

Use Olive Grove Memento Ink to stamp image from Illuminations stamp set. 

Heat or air dry project then spritz with a glimmer spray such as Art-C's glimmer spray. Dry.  (The glimmer spray was added to add a hint of "sunshine" to the scene.)

 Cut image to desired size.  Stamp sentiment using Jet Black Archival Ink.

 Apply Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Ink along edges.  Dry.  (You will probably want to wash your hands after this step to ensure you do not smudge your image with inky fingers.)

 Mount onto Kraft paper (it was pre-cut to size with Distress Inks applied) and then onto tent fold black card base.

 Time to add some wee flowers.  Use Nuvo Crystal drops or Liquid Pearls to create the flowers.

Below is a close up of the "flowers". 

I love butterflies and always have a bag of butterflies cut and ready for projects.  Most of my butterflies are cut from Graphic 45 patterned papers. 

After the butterflies were mounted (using liquid adhesive), Stickles was applied to their wings. 

The card is now complete with a botanical frame, shimmery blues skies, beautiful butterflies and a gorgeous, uplifting sentiment.   

I do hope you enjoyed the tutorial and project.  Feel free to share your botanical edge project with Quietfire Design by leaving your link in the comments below or on Facebook...we would love to see it!

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a happy, crafty day.

Big hugs,

Kathy Jo

Creating cards with border dies

Today i have a simple but elegant card to share using one of my favorite stamp sets "Always be my friend" and a fun new border die from Becca Feeken.  Border dies can be really fun to use because you can cut them up and layer them and use them on jars and lots of other fun projects to make.

My card that i am sharing today uses simple papers from Canvas Corp combined with subtle shades of tan and off-white to compliment both the dies and the stamped sentiment.  I added the red bow to set off the colors and a tiny jewel in red to give it a little more pizazz.  Be sure and keep reading for a quick step by step to make it.

To make my card i first cut a square that measured 6x6 and then cut 2 border pieces from the die set just slightly bigger just in case.

Then  i attached the 2 borders in the center and glued them to the center of the printed cardstock. After that was glued, I trimmed the sides of the border and i matted it with the same color paper as the border and then also cut a brown card to fit as the base.  Set all of it aside.

To make the medallion i first stamped my image on the off white card stock and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Then i cut it out with a circle die and then a small border around it in brown with the Lacey Circles die set.  I glued them together and added 3D pop dots to glue it to my card like you can see below.

Glue the printed card stock to the off white mat and then you can add a piece of red ribbon in the middle of the borders and attach it the back of the card. Adhere the sentiment as shown below.  Glue all of it to the brown card base and add the extra red bow and the jewel.

I love this set because it has 3 beautiful stamps in it and they are perfect to send a special card to those friends you really admire and adore.  Here is the link for it "Always be my friend".

Thank you so much for stopping by and be sure and check back for more wonderful ideas from the rest of the team this week.   Have a wonderful and crafty day!!

Teresa

Moments of Silence with a double matting using washi tape

So I have no musical ability at all but I've always wished I was able to play the piano.  Music just adds so much to life and can evoke all sorts of emotions.  So when I saw this quote penned by Suzanne of Quietfire Design, I pretty much came up with this card all designed in my head.  I love it when it actually works out as imagined.  

I created a frame by using Rectangle dies to make a double layer of matting.  I used a black marker to add a black edge then used silver glittery washi tape leaving about 1/8th edging of black.

The frame is then popped up above the stamped image using foam tape.  I added the Memory Box Virtuoso Music die above the frame after coloring it with markers and brushing with Wink of Stella.

A clean and simple card for the music lover in your life!

Moments of Silence stamp

Always believe.....

Hello everyone,
Yvonne here sharing a card using the Quietfire Design stamp "Always Believe".
Usually I use black ink to stamp, but this time I chose gold to match the golden die-cut.

By using matching colours, you "pull" the different layers together even more.
Using 3D foam squares for each layer give the card an extra 3D effect.

I hope you like the card. Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs from Holland,
Yvonne

Smile - Worry Does Not Empty - Overstamping Technique

Hi there, Yogi here today with an over-stamping technique...

I'm using an Elizabeth Craft Designs die "Sweet Smiles" 2pce set also available on Quietfire Design HERE

And I'm using a couple Quietfire Design stamps "Worry Does Not Empty..." and "Leafy Acanthus Background"

Scored and folded my white cardstock to create a 5"w x 7"h card. Cut a piece of blue pearilzed Bazzill cardstock and then a piece of light blue cardstock, layering one on top of the other.

Used my Misti to stamp the Penny Black "Hidden Lane" using Versafine Black Onyx onto an Oxide background paper, making sure the black was nice and black all over.... Adhered to front of card.

Die cut the "Smile" from a white cardstock.

Inside of Card:

On a piece of white cardstock stamped the quote using the black and clear embossed.

Inked the "Acanthus" stamp with Versamark and stamped over the text. Clear embossed. Sponged and direct to paper using Distress "Peeled Paint". Used a damp paper towel to wipe off the excess ink on the clear embossed areas. Trimmed the piece down and adhered to the light blue and the pearlized blue cardstocks, then adhered to inside of card. (See detail images below - you can see the shine from the embossing and the steps to create it yourself.)



Step 1: Stamp quote using a black and clear emboss.
Step 2: Stamp with the background stamp using a clear embossing pad like Versamark and clear emboss. (you can see the shine from the clear embossing)

   
 Step 3: Sponge with you Distress ink color of choice. Preferable a deep toned color that will give contrast.
Step 4: with the same stamp pad color, go over your whole design direct to paper getting nice contrasts in shading.

Step 5: Mist a paper towel lightly with water and rub over the inked surface, removing ink on the embossed areas. Voila you're done - easy peasy. Now trim down and layer onto corresponding colors of cardstock and then onto your card.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Listen to the Music

There are lots of brand new stamps in the Quietfire Design store this month and wow are they ever t beautiful.  Today i decided to pick a few of them with music themes and create a few cards to share.

First up is a card i did using the brand new release stamp called "Moments of Silence".  I wanted to make something really special with this so i shopped around in my stash and found some pretty Bo Bunny papers that i just got and a chipboard frame from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and set to work.

So first i stamped my image on vellum and embossed it with clear embossing powder and let it cool.

Then i took my frame and inked it with Versafine ink so it was super black and then i added clear embossing powder and heated it until it was beautiful and shiny like the stamped image I did.

To assemble my card i cut a pice of pink the size of the frame and glued it to the back with the vellum stamped image on top.  Then i cut pieces of coordinating paper to mat the frame and glued them together like you see above.  And lastly i attached all of it to a white card that i trimmed to fit.

This was a really fun and super easy card to make and the chipboard frame really sets the sentiment off in the middle of the card.

Here is a link so that you can order one of these gorgeous stamps.... here

And i had time for another quick card with the new "Music in my heart" stamp.  This one i kept really simple too and stamped my sentiment on paper first and then cut it out with a circle die so that it was centered.  Then i created a basic card and tied pretty black bias ribbon around it and added the sentiment over it.  All it needed was a pretty bow and a rhinestone.  And it's ready to mail out.

Thank you so much for stopping and i hope you are having a fun summer and get in a little time for crafting... take care and enjoy your week.