Little Birdie

Hello Everybody!

I had fun this evening making my tag for the Compendium of Curiosities III Challenge with Linda Ledbetter.

This is the paint marble technique on page 43.  I can't tell you how to do it-you'll have to read the book!  (Do you remember those Time Life book commercials?  I always wanted to know more about those aliens but my mom said we couldn't buy the whole set.  Bummer.)  ;)

Here is my tag and the colors I used.

Here is my tag decorated.  I used everything Tim Holtz except the twine (Queen & Company) and the burlap tag tie-that's from Spare Parts at Hobby Lobby.  Even the embossing powder on the cage is Ranger-it's platinum.  I love the color!

Here is a close up of the quote.  If you look in the background there are birds flying in the sky.

Here is my little caged bird.  Awe....poor little guy!  I colored him with broken china and then used the white distress marker in strokes to give him some dimension or feathers or dimensional feathers (haha!).

Even this tag is Ranger.  That is so awesome!  :)  Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time my friends...be free. :)

Mother's Day Card

Hello Everybody!

***This card earned a Top 3 Spot at the challenge at Great Impressions.  Thank you! :)

I made a Mother's Day card today.  I have at least one more to do.  And you know how it is-if I get a third one made it's bonus! :)

This card was inspired by 2 challenges.

The first is Great Impressions.  May's challenge is to use a tutorial.  Let me tell you there are many great tutorials on their website!  So deciding what I was going to do was a big difficult but I finally chose the Water Color Emboss Resist Technique.  Mynn does the video and if you have seen her videos you know she does a wonderful job explaining the techniques. 

The second inspiration for this card was the sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge #166 Mother's Day.  Here's the sketch:

I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder that I have had forever.  And the shape of the sentiment is from a Brenda Walton Sizzix Gift Tag die cut set.  

For the watercolor I used Distress Ink by Ranger/Tim Holtz.  The colors Peacock Feathers (center out) and Salty Ocean (around edges).  I just put some ink on my craft mat and used a water paintbrush just like Mynn's.  Oh-I also used Watercolor Cardstock by Tim Holtz.  That made a huge difference!  I tried this with my normal cardstock.  I wasn't happy.  Then I used Tim's water color cardstock-and it turned out so much better.  The embossing and ink with water looked way better.

The pins and ribbon are from Making Memories.  Yellow flowers are from Recollections.  Tiny rhinestones are from the Scrapbook Expo this past weekend.  (Yay for new stuff!)  Also, I pop dotted the Mother's Day sentiment so the pins would fit neatly behind there.  The actual stamp I used for the stamp-I don't know the manufacturer for it.  I bought it 2nd hand.  

Thank you so much for stopping by!!  There is plenty of time for these challenges so link up!

Until next time my friends....Happy Card Making :)

Unique Laser Designs Vase Accents

Hello Everybody!

I am so excited to share this project with y'all.  It's my turn to make a project at Unique Laser Designs so I made these vase accents using ULD's wood pieces.

My vases started out like this.  I bought them each for 50 cents at a garage sale.  (Score!)  You can use a wine bottle, different shaped vases, whatever you have on hand that needs a little love.  These are both.  

I covered one with jute.  I bought a big spool of it at my big box craft store.  On the lighter colored vase I used butchers twine.  For the jute one I started off with a hot glue gun.  Do use caution with a hot glue gun!  Then I would use a general craft glue.  I alternated between the 2.  For the other vase I used less hot glue gun and more general craft glue.  It's a bit time intensive but the reward is so worth it.   

When I figured out I wanted to make jute covered vases, I knew they would need something more.  When I saw this heart and key I knew it would be perfect.  I used silver embossing powder on the key.  For the heart I just diluted some red brick distress ink and painted it on.  I love the decoration on the heart and didn't want to hide it.  

And here is a close up of the gears accent.  I love these gears (can you tell?)  I used copper, platinum, and gold embossing powders on the gears.  I glued them together with Fabri-Tac glue by Beacon.  

Here is each vase separately.  These accents are so cool because you can change them out.  So when you see a new design at Unique Laser Designs you can get it and know exactly where you will put it!  :)

Sometimes I have a hard time knowing how big something is online.  So these vases are about 7 and half inches tall.

Ok-now let me tell you that I do not have strong floral skills.  LOL!  This extends into the garden also, but that is a story for a different day.  

But I did want to show the vase holding flowers-just so you know it works.  :)

I am linking up these vases to Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #7 Ribbon, Lace, and Twine Oh My!  The Challenge is to use ribbon, lace, twine, yarn, etc on your project.  I used jute and butcher's twine.

Thank you for stopping by today!  Until next time my friends...what will you make with your Unique Laser Design pieces?  :)

Happy Birthday with New Stuff

Hello Everybody!

I hope everybody had a great and crafty National Scrapbook Day.  I spent Friday and Saturday at the Scrapbook Expo.  I took 101 and 102 book binding and met Melissa Francis!  She is super nice and so creative.

I also took a class from Clear Scraps and the owner is super awesome and thanked us for taking her class and supporting her business.  So of course I had to go check out her booth after the class.

So I got so much fun stuff and I was able to use some on this birthday card for a nice lady that my husband works with.

The papers are Pink Paisley.  The lady and banner are part of a stamp/framelet set by Tim Holtz.  It comes with an oval frame too.

Here is a close up.  I used some brown gems from Mon Ami Gabby-new!  :)  The butterfly is from Martha Stewart.  And you know the front cover that comes with paper packs?  That is where I die cut that butterfly from, the square showing the grey paper.  (Not that I am low one paper-that is not the case my friends-but if you can use it-why not?)

And this is light modeling paste with grey and yellow gelato blended in it.  And this Harlequin stencil-new from The Crafters Workshop.  I used some Weathered Wood and Tattered Twigs Distress in some places.  Oh and scattered straw for the yellow color on the banner.

I was totally inspired by the sketch at Retro Sketches for this card.  It is challenge #113 and here is the sketch:

Thank you all for stopping by and leaving sweet comments.  I really do appreciate it!  Also, I just started an InstaGram account (Iliketocutandpaste).  If you are on there check me out.  And if you follow me I will follow you!  :)  

Until next time my friends...good night! 

Sweetie Layout

Hello Everybody!

I am so excited today because I am the Guest DT at Stick It Down.

Here is my layout.  I love this background paper-it's from Reminence.  I found it looking for other paper and knew I must do something with it.

Here is the sketch:

Here is a close up of the title.  I used an acrylic prismatic word for the title (that's what the title called it).  They are a pack of letters from the Sweet Life line from Colorbok.  I bought them at Joann's.

Here's another picture because the light catches on it differently.  I used gesso underneath this so it would pop.

Here's my Thickers journaling frame.  Those little hearts are so sweet!

The arrows are from Unique Designs.  I didn't paint them or anything because their natural color is perfect here.  I used a keyhole (Tim Holtz) magnetic die on the white envelope and put red cardstock behind it.  The white cardstock behind the picture is also embossed.

Yellow Yellow Yellow

Hello!

I just finished a tag for the Not So Mellow Yellow Challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

All of the designers have done a great job with their projects-it's really hard not to be inspired!

So I made this tag.  I glued a piece of Tim Holtz tissue paper down on the tag.  Once dried I painted mustard seed (yellow) distress paint over the top.  I spray it with white Dylusions to lighten it.  I used Tim's ruler stencil and once the light modeling paste dried I put weathered wood distress ink over it.

It's so funny how the tag can kind of take on a life of it's own.  So from there an architectural feel started happening.  I painted a spot of gesso so I could use a Wendi Vecchi stamp and it wouldn't keep as much with the background.  But I didn't get the stamp inked well.  :(  But it's ok.  Then I stamped the words above the house as to me those are all things that describe a home.

I glued a yellow dragonfly to the the bottom corner.  

Here's a closeup.

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time my friends...Home is where the heart is.  :)

Out in Nature Layout

Hello Everybody!

There's a new challenge at Scrap It Girl!  The challenge is to do a project for Mothers or Mother Earth.  How fun is that!

So I went with Mother Nature for this layout.  My son is even wearing a shirt that says Love Your Mother and then there is the Earth.  I love it when a plan comes together! :)

Here are a few close ups:

This circle is from a DCWV paper pad, the bird is K&Company, and the arrow is from Fancy Pants.  The 3 I received in a package.

Papers are from Jillibean Soup, My Mind's Eye, Bella Blvd, Coredinations Cardstock.  The green embossed tree paper-it has just been in my paper stash forever.  ;)  The birds on a line are a washi tape from Recollections.

These birds are Tim Holtz rubons. 

More Tim rub-ons and the light modeling paste was mixed with green tea Gelato to achieve this color.  I used a Heidi Swapp stencil.

I am also submitting this layout to Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #6.

This is their sketch.  Also there is a twist-use an old item and a new item and use them together.  My old item is the Out in Nature title banner and the leaf picture die cut.  My newest items are the 3 Tim Holtz Remnants (rub-ons).  

I cut the banner off of the sheet of die cuts.  This is from SEI from 2002.  Yeah, that's over 10 years old!  The leaf is from Colorbok.  It doesn't have a year on the package but trust me-I have a whole pack of these leaves, and they have been here awhile!

So I used a distressing tool to rough up the edges and inked the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress ink.  Welcome to the 21st century old banner ;)  

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Can't wait to see what you create!  Until next time my friends...Happy May!