Flowers, Shimmers, and a Card!--One Special Tidbit Tuesday

Hello Everybody!

I hope everybody had a good Labor Day yesterday!  And if you had to work, hopefully you didn't have to work to hard!

Remember that box of cool goodies?  Well I bought a pack of Prima flowers that are plain.  I like to call them "naked" but they won't be for long!  This is how they come--a very cool cylinder container.

Here is a close up... 

This is so fun!  I didn't even realize how much fun this next part was.  I bought a Twinkling H20 from one of my favorite craft stores when they had them on sale.  I had heard about them, so when they are discounted, why not?  Then I receive Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine from the UK in the mail.  They send free goodies with each magazine.  I've gotten stamps and papers, but this time I got a set of 4 shimmers.  I looked to see who made them, but they just have the magazine's name on them.  So supplies gathered--shimmers, paintbrush, and some water.

It is love at first brushstroke!  So shimmery!

Here is my flower completed.  I know you can't see the shimmer--but trust me, it's there!  The shimmer looks just like what it does in the package.

Here I try my free shimmer of pink.  I love it, too!  I can't stop!

Some of you may remember when they sold little paper flowers in cute jars.  I have not used up all of my flowers, so I dig out a pink one.  Awesome!  What a way to liven up things I already have!

Here is a blurry closeup.  My apologies for that...but you can see the shine on the top of the flower. 

So it doesn't work on transparencies.  That's OK.  It does work on white ric rac!  Look how pretty!
Since it is like a water paint, you will need to wait for it to dry before using it in a project.

Told you I couldn't stop!

Usually, this would be the end of our Tuesday Tidbit--but there's more!  Here is what I did with my cool flowers...I made a card!

This is a little trick I use when I have to match paper a certain way.  Here it doesn't matter because this is just plain light green cardstock, but I have put patterns on upside down plenty of times!

The top of the card is the crease so I have the adhesive on the back side of my colored cardstock and match the two together.

My card will include my painted ric rac.  However, there is a problem.  I don't have enough to fit the width of my card!  No fear my friends!  I measure the ric rac out as if it is all one color to fit the card.  Then I cut my piece in half.

I put my pretty ends on each side of the card.  The middle has the white, and that is where my flowers will be going.  (Or "centerpiece" that would go there.)  So this white part will be hidden, and no one will know it is even there!  Unless they are reading my blog today, and I'm OK with that!  :)

This is a great technique for when you are shy of ribbon and you must have this ribbon!  Cut it in half and where it "meets" is where your embellishment will go to hide the shortage!  Brilliant I say!!

I glued this down with 1/8 red line tape.

Ahh...the funnest part!  Picking out the flower centers!  I used pearls from Making Memories, Kaiserscrapbook, and Creative Imaginations.  I used glue dots to adhere them to my flowers.

I used VersaMark ink and stamped "thank you" on the corner.  I then used the embossing powder, same as last week, to do a heat embossed sentiment.  The powder is from Sparkle n Sprinkle, and it is called Peanut Butter.  And it is so delicious!!

Also, I took gold ink and inked the borders of the card to give it a little definition.  So much sparkle!

Finished!  The more I look at this card, I wish I was sending it to myself!  Oh well!  Until next time friends...stay sparkly!

Colorful Thank You Card

Hello Everybody! 

I can't believe it is September already!  Well, I'm not yet ready to get out the browns and reds or pumpkins for that matter.  Today I'm making a colorful Thank You card.

A while back I bought a 12X12 scrap pad by K and C company named Brenda Walton.  Then the store must have been having a sale because I bought a matching mat book and a tag book.  It's awesome if you can get matching paper and pieces because it just makes it quicker to match paper.  When paper matching happens quickly, then you have more time for embellishments and pictures!

I chose the paper for my card background and a corresponding tag.  The lantern is already printed on the tag and it makes me happy. 

Because the tag is what I like to call "the centerpiece" of my card, I ink the edges of it with a black ink to make it stand out.

The next step involves embossing, so you need a heat gun, VersaMark, and embossing powder.  A hair dryer is not a replacement for a heat gun.  You will have a big mess on your hands!  Or the floor rather ;)

I take my sentiment, in this case thank you, and put VersaMark on it and stamp it on the tag.

In my tray I sprinkle a semi transparent embossing powder from a company called Sparkle N Sprinkle, over the "thank you."  The color is peanut butter.  Love it!

I got this powder from a booth that they set up at the Scrapbook Expo.  They have some awesome powders, glitters, and stamps.  Check out the places I go to see their website!

Next I use the heat gun to melt the powder.  This is such a cool part...it's like magic!  Do notice that I removed my pink tray.  The tray is not heat resistant.  And I know this because I warped mine by heat embossing.

Pretty!

Here's a close up...

Since this is a tag, we need either ribbons or fibers...And since it's still summer I am going to put the colored woolly fibers back where they go.

On the inside I stamp "you're #1."  This stamp is one of the $1 stamps found at the register, and it was in a package for Father's Day.  Versatility!

Sometimes when I eyeball things, I get it right.  Sometimes I don't.  In this case I am a little too far right.  And it bugs me.  So I found this plastic arrow that I trimmed to fit next to my stamped sentiment.  Plus, it gives it a little life.  The arrow is from Queen & Co.

Here is the finished card.  Not very time consuming when your papers match!  Until next time...stay coordinated my friends! :)

Tidbit Tuesday--Organization

Hello Everybody!

I always seem to have miscellaneous letters lying about.  In the back of my mind I keep thinking that I should organize them somehow, that way they will have a better chance of being used.

We changed how we organize our coupons so that freed up this check file organizer.  You can find them at drugstores, and maybe even the big discount stores.  Recently, I saw some at Target--they had different colors and even a bigger size!  Sometimes you can find them at yard sales or thrift stores. 

I have adhesive paper (mat stacks by DCWV) and I used a 1 inch whole punch to cut out circles.  I halved the circles and the semi-circles fit perfect on the tabs.  Because of the texture and color of the paper, I actually wrote on the sticky side and stuck it on the backside of the tab.

And here I am pulling out a random M.  Now it's easy to find! 

Other things you can file: scraps by color/patterns, stickers, alphabet stickers, die cuts, even pictures that you want to scrap!  Until next time!

Happy Birthday Card

Hello Everybody!

This is a great card for a birthday!  First I cut out a pink colored paper 5.5 X 4 inches.

Then I emboss it.  I have a Cuttlebug, but this is a Fiskars plate.  Fiskars embossing plates are similar to Sizzix embossing plates but the first set comes with a rubber mat and plastic mat to run through the Sizzix machine.  With Cuttlebug I use from bottom to top:

• the original A plate/mat (the thickest one)
• then the Fiskars plate
• then my paper--color side is down because I want it embossed not debossed
• Sizzix rubber plate/mat
• Cuttlebug C plate/mat

 I crank this through my Cuttlebug.  One thing I found with this is that the rubber mat slips.  So I taped my scrapbook paper to the embossing plate.  Just know this can be a little tricky. 

I decided I didn't like that first paper I showed you.  So I chose a light pink cardstock.  I embossed the new pink paper.

This is me taking the tape off the back.  I had to get scissors and cut it very close to the edge so no one could tell there was tape on it.

 Here is the embossed pink paper.

I adhere it to my card first using photo squares to place the cardstock.  Then I use red line tape (in this case it came in a sheet) to securely adhere the pink paper to the card.

Next I take my light blue birthday paper and cut a 4.5 X 3 inch piece and center this onto the pink card.  I don't have a picture of this step (so you'll have to take my word for it :)

The next step is to think about what is going to be my "centerpiece" for the card.  Aha!  A metal tag.  These tags are made by Making Memories.  They have a special tool to clamp them, but I just use an eyelet hammer.

First (since I can't find the template for the tag) I trace the outside of the tag on the cardstock that is going to fill the tag.  If you trace the inside of the tag, it will not be big enough.

Then I trim and put the paper inside. Trim and try until the paper tag fits into the metal tag snugly.

I take my eyelet hammer and lightly pound on the tag opening until it is flat.

Here my tag is complete.

To add pizzazz to the tag, I get out my VersaMark ink and small birthday stamps.  VersaMark has a couple of applications.  Here we are going to use it as a watermark.  Using VersaMark like an ink, I randomly stamp birthday images on the pink tag.  I stamp a few images "coming off" of the tag.  Then I wipe the excess VersaMark off of the metal rim (after the paper images have dried for a minute or so).

This is a tag...so it needs a hole and ribbon!  I make the hole using the Cropadile.  Then I place a blue eyelet in the hole using the Cropadile.

I also added Happy and Birthday rub-ons (which I also forgot to take a picture of-sorry!)  The rub-ons I got from a class way back in the day.  They are small enough to fit on a big brad, but they also worked for this tag!  However, you could easily substitute a stamp or handwriting for the rub-on.

Here the choices for ribbons and fibers are incredible.  So I choose modest blue and pink ribbons so as to not distract from the rest of the card.

The finished card.  The Birthday paper is from Sweetwater, the Sprinkles paper collection--2006.  Until next time--go eat some Birthday Cake :)

Tidbit Tuesday--Goosebumps...the Spray!

Hello Everybody!

What I am going to show you is so cool!  Below is a piece of transparency that has texture---and it is so easy to do! 

I got a bottle of Goosebumps clear texture spray from Paper Wishes (remember the box!).  The bottle says it can be used on paper, transparency (acetate), acrylic, etc.  So anytime something can be used on transparencies, I am all about it. 

You just spray the texture on as thick as you like it.  That's it!  And let it dry.  I don't know how long it took to dry, because I sprayed then walked away.  And came back the next day :)

Here is the paper I used it on.  It looks way cooler in person, but you can see the texture to the left.

Here is what the bottle looks like.  I haven't tried painting over it, but I am sure I will!  Friday's project won't include this :(  I know.  But rest assured I am working on it and other things I received in my box of loot.  Until next time...

Floss, Flower, Buttons--Oh My!

Hello Everybody!

I am so excited about this card.  I hope you will be too!  I am using the Sew Easy tool by We R Memory Keepers that I got in my box of goodies!

I measure out my green piece of Bazzill cardstock to fit my pre-made card.  Also, I selected the orange option for making holes in my paper.

To ensure straight lines, I match my cardstock against the corner of the foam mat.

I press down and make holes in all four sides.  The corners aren't perfect, so we'll see what happens!

Thankfully, this looks good.  My mom-in-law straightened me out...you should have seen what I was doing!  The Sew Easy tool comes with a paper needle (versus getting out a normal small sewing needle.)  I used regular embroidery floss (all 6 strands).

I sew one way and then come back and "cross" those lines.  This leaves the middle hole, made by the tool, untouched.

Sometimes I didn't press down hard enough on my Sew Easy, so I used a paper piercer to make a better hole.

This is the back of the card.  I tape down the beginning and end pieces because I think that reduces bulk.

My border is complete.  Here is the flower I am going to use on this card.  I bought a multi-colored pack of these felt flowers from Joann's for $1 (those bins in front of the check-out).  I haven't done anything with them...until now!

This is a thick felt flower by the way.  I do a backstitch to outline the flower.  The paper piercer comes in very handy for this.  Regular felt is not as hard to stitch.

Now for the stem of my flower.  I go through my button collection (and my mom-in-laws), but what I decide is white buttons...with a twist.

Using a felt applicator, I apply lettuce and gold alcohol inks by Ranger to the buttons.  Beautiful.   I used maybe 4 drops of lettuce and 1 drop of gold, and it looks really pretty. 

The buttons needed one more thing.  So I went back and threaded the buttons and then reapplyed the ink to the threads.  Now they have a complete look.

Here is my card all done!  It's blank on the inside so I can send it for different occasions.  So dust off your embroidery floss and find a new use for it!  Until next time...thanks for stopping by!