If you've been reading my blog, you know how much I {love} the products at ShortCuts...their acrylics are awesome, and RIGHT NOW, they're giving away a Large Pack (20 sheets!) of Frosted acrylic to FIVE lucky commenters as blog candy!!
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out, leave a comment, and try to win! (And if you have a blog and post a link to the give-away, you get 5 more entries!)
A Frost-y Giveaway
Friday, December 26, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Think snow!
I'm thinking that snow may not be so far-fetched this year...can you believe all the reports of snow in no-snow areas?? Maybe we'll actually get some snow for Christmas (or at least a good cover on the nearby mountains so we could visit)!This is a card I made for Jessica (jezirus on SCS)...she was *so* sweet to think of AJ (willosmama on SCS), who coordinated all the participants of Unity's Secret Santa. Since AJ wasn't able to participate, Jessica organized us hooligans to send a little something to her, and she put a *big* box of goodies together for our fearless SS coordinator! I thought that extra effort at least warranted a cute card, right? *grins*
I started with a Baja Breeze card stock base that was 8 1/2" x 7 1/4", folded in half to be 8 1/2" x 3 5/8", which fits perfectly in a standard business-sized envelope. (FYI: if you have a Scor-Pal, the score line for this size is marked with a small triangle...there is also a triangle at the 7 1/4" line in case you want to tri-fold a standard 8 1/2" x 11" sheet. Very handy if you're totally OCD, and want those Christmas letters perfectly folded! *wink*)
(Sorry, where was I? Oh yeah...)
I covered the front with scraps of SU!'s 'Ski Slope' DP. I cut them all to widts and lengths that were multiples of 3/4" (so 3/4", 1 1/2", 2 1/4", etc.), and then just tiled them on like a crazy quilt. Going with the quilt theme, I stamped some faux-stitching over the joints in Chocolate Chip ink. Next, I stamped that adorable little owl trio, colored them with Prismacolor pencils, adhered them to a Baja Breeze scrap, and faux-stitch-stamped around the edge. I attached the image panel to the card base with foam mounting tape, and stamped 'think snow' at the bottom right corner, added some adhesive half-back pearls, and tied on some chocolate satin ribbon.
For those of you buried in snow or dealing with freezing (or sub-freezing) temperatures, stay WARM and SAFE!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
Supplies used:
Paper: Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla CS, Ski Slope DP (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Stamps: Three Owls (Hero Arts); 'think snow' from Jolly Little Winter (Unity stamp Co.); Hanging by a Thread set (Technique Tuesday)
Other: half-back pearls (Michael's); satin ribbon (Club Wedd by Target); foam mounting tape (3M)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
messy desk (as usual)...
Except right now, it's so messy I don't even feel like making anything...isn't that awful? The photo above was taken Monday, when I cleared off some space to work on that corner-rounder-scallops-on-Coluzzle-shapes-tutorial. It actually looks worse right now. I'm going to have to get it cleaned off if I ever want to finish Christmas gifts and cards and crafts.... *sigh*What's your desk situation? Are you a neatnik or a messy? (I definitely lean toward the messy, though my OCD heart desires to be a neatnik!) *wink*
Have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
Monday, December 15, 2008
Corner-rounder scallops using Coluzzle shapes
Here it is, folks, by popular request! I've had several people ask me how I do the scallops on Coluzzle shapes using a corner rounder, and how I line up the corner rounder so that the scallops are even, so I'm giving you all a little tutorial. This has been my solution to not wanting to invest in Nestabilities...they're absolutely amazing, very versatile (you can die-cut and emboss, and use them as stencils) and you really, really do get a lot for your money, but I don't even know where to begin on that buying binge, and don't really want to start! LOL
Here are the corner rounders that I use...they are made by EK Success, and are at Michael's, Beverley's (a Southern California craft store), Target, etc.:
The green one is my favorite, it's the "medium" corner rounder, and the yellow is the "small" corner rounder. Both originally came with the guards you see on the yellow one (for lining up with the corner of your paper), but mine is off the green one more often than it's on, and now is lost in the abyss of my craft desk. *wink* Lately, if I need to actually round a corner with the green one, I just use the yellow one's guard.
Here's a photo of how the guard comes off...I just pull (gently) to one side to slide it out of the groove, and then pull the rest off.
And here's a photo with the guard completely off:
Next up, the Coluzzle templates. I bought mine as a set from Stampin' Up!. The set came with a circle template, an oval template, the cutting mat, and the swivel blade craft knife. I have both of my templates marked in red with the right size for creating a perfectly scalloped shape using my Corner Adorner Medium Rounder from EK Success:
(I haven't had my yellow ("Small") corner rounder long enough to test out which sizes, if any, work for a perfectly scalloped shape, but I'll let you know when I do...)
Here's a photo of cutting an oval from card stock. I lay the template where I want to cut out, then push the blade of the swivel craft knife straight down into the channel. You should hear a 'pop' when the blade cuts through the card stock. Keep the knife vertical as you cut around the channel to avoid cutting into your template, or having a wonky shape.
Next is a photo of how to line up the scallops (sorry for the blurriness). Basically, you make sure the metal 'prongs' are both pushed flush against the edge, and then align the 'point' of the cutting edge so that it overlaps the previous scallop. You should see just a small opening (at the left in the photo below), and no card stock in that corner where you're overlapping:
If you play your cards right, this is what you end up with:
Now comes the disclaimer *wink*... Ovals don't always come out right (I've never had a problem with circles, just ovals). I think it's because of the varying radius of the curve around the shape. So, sometimes you end up with what I call a 'fish tail' (this happens on all the other sizes of ovals when you use the Medium rounder):
And if you try to force that fish tail into a perfect scalloped shape, you end up with something like this, with double cuts in the valleys:
Here's a photo (on a circle) of how it looks when the last scallop fits perfectly (notice the openings at both ends of the cutting edge):
Here are a couple photos to show you how the circle compares to Marvy Uchida's scalloped punches. It's just a bit bigger than the 'Super' (which is a 2" diameter):
And about 3/4" smaller than the 'Giga' (purple) scalloped punch, which is a 3" diameter:
I did try to see if I could 'guess' which size circle would work with the Corner Adorner Small Rounder from EK Success (the yellow one). I decided to try the second largest circle...
And ended up with a 'fish tail' (see it on the right?):
(As an aside, the corner rounders often leave divots on the reverse side...you can kinda see them in the photo below. These are awesome for piercing, since they're perfectly spaced and centered in your scallops. So, that's what I did! *wink*)
So how do I deal with that 'fish tail' problem when I want a different sized shape or my punching doesn't work? I tie my ribbon over it! Check it out...
Seriously, you'd be surprised how many cards that I've shown you on this blog are hiding fish tails! *wink*
For the card, I attached my pierced fish tail-ed scalloped circle to a Kraft A2-sized card base, and tied twill ribbon around the entire card, covering the mismatched scallops. I stamped the butterfly from Oh Happy Day! on Whisper White, and cut it out with my 'Super'-sized circle punch from Marvy Uchida, and then sponged the edge of the circle with Bordering Blue ink. I punched a 'Mega'-sized Chocolate Chip circle to mat it, and adhered both over the twill using foam tape. I stamped 'happiness' at the bottom, accented the butterfly with half-back pearls, and Voila! A card I'd be happy to give, and the recipient will be none-the-wiser about my mismatched scallops! *grins*
Thanks for stopping by today! And *please*, let me know if you have any other questions, or if any part of this is unclear...I've had a bunch of questions on this subject, so I'm hoping this will help! Have a great week!
~Michelle
Supplies used:
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, and Whisper White CS (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Stamps: Oh Happy Day! (Unity Stamp Company)
Other: Coluzzle cutting system (Provo Craft); Small and Medium Corner Rounders (EK Success); Super and Mega circle punches, Super and Giga scallop punches (Marvy Uchida); Retractable paper pick (Tim Holtz by Tonic Studios); Mat pack (SU!) White twill (Martha Stewart Crafts); foam mounting tape (3M); self-adhesive half-back pearls (Michael's)
Here are the corner rounders that I use...they are made by EK Success, and are at Michael's, Beverley's (a Southern California craft store), Target, etc.:
The green one is my favorite, it's the "medium" corner rounder, and the yellow is the "small" corner rounder. Both originally came with the guards you see on the yellow one (for lining up with the corner of your paper), but mine is off the green one more often than it's on, and now is lost in the abyss of my craft desk. *wink* Lately, if I need to actually round a corner with the green one, I just use the yellow one's guard.Here's a photo of how the guard comes off...I just pull (gently) to one side to slide it out of the groove, and then pull the rest off.
And here's a photo with the guard completely off:
Next up, the Coluzzle templates. I bought mine as a set from Stampin' Up!. The set came with a circle template, an oval template, the cutting mat, and the swivel blade craft knife. I have both of my templates marked in red with the right size for creating a perfectly scalloped shape using my Corner Adorner Medium Rounder from EK Success:
(I haven't had my yellow ("Small") corner rounder long enough to test out which sizes, if any, work for a perfectly scalloped shape, but I'll let you know when I do...)Here's a photo of cutting an oval from card stock. I lay the template where I want to cut out, then push the blade of the swivel craft knife straight down into the channel. You should hear a 'pop' when the blade cuts through the card stock. Keep the knife vertical as you cut around the channel to avoid cutting into your template, or having a wonky shape.
Next is a photo of how to line up the scallops (sorry for the blurriness). Basically, you make sure the metal 'prongs' are both pushed flush against the edge, and then align the 'point' of the cutting edge so that it overlaps the previous scallop. You should see just a small opening (at the left in the photo below), and no card stock in that corner where you're overlapping:
If you play your cards right, this is what you end up with:
Now comes the disclaimer *wink*... Ovals don't always come out right (I've never had a problem with circles, just ovals). I think it's because of the varying radius of the curve around the shape. So, sometimes you end up with what I call a 'fish tail' (this happens on all the other sizes of ovals when you use the Medium rounder):
And if you try to force that fish tail into a perfect scalloped shape, you end up with something like this, with double cuts in the valleys:
Here's a photo (on a circle) of how it looks when the last scallop fits perfectly (notice the openings at both ends of the cutting edge):
Here are a couple photos to show you how the circle compares to Marvy Uchida's scalloped punches. It's just a bit bigger than the 'Super' (which is a 2" diameter):
And about 3/4" smaller than the 'Giga' (purple) scalloped punch, which is a 3" diameter:
I did try to see if I could 'guess' which size circle would work with the Corner Adorner Small Rounder from EK Success (the yellow one). I decided to try the second largest circle...
And ended up with a 'fish tail' (see it on the right?):
(As an aside, the corner rounders often leave divots on the reverse side...you can kinda see them in the photo below. These are awesome for piercing, since they're perfectly spaced and centered in your scallops. So, that's what I did! *wink*)
So how do I deal with that 'fish tail' problem when I want a different sized shape or my punching doesn't work? I tie my ribbon over it! Check it out...
Seriously, you'd be surprised how many cards that I've shown you on this blog are hiding fish tails! *wink* For the card, I attached my pierced fish tail-ed scalloped circle to a Kraft A2-sized card base, and tied twill ribbon around the entire card, covering the mismatched scallops. I stamped the butterfly from Oh Happy Day! on Whisper White, and cut it out with my 'Super'-sized circle punch from Marvy Uchida, and then sponged the edge of the circle with Bordering Blue ink. I punched a 'Mega'-sized Chocolate Chip circle to mat it, and adhered both over the twill using foam tape. I stamped 'happiness' at the bottom, accented the butterfly with half-back pearls, and Voila! A card I'd be happy to give, and the recipient will be none-the-wiser about my mismatched scallops! *grins*
Thanks for stopping by today! And *please*, let me know if you have any other questions, or if any part of this is unclear...I've had a bunch of questions on this subject, so I'm hoping this will help! Have a great week!
~Michelle
Supplies used:
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, and Whisper White CS (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Stamps: Oh Happy Day! (Unity Stamp Company)
Other: Coluzzle cutting system (Provo Craft); Small and Medium Corner Rounders (EK Success); Super and Mega circle punches, Super and Giga scallop punches (Marvy Uchida); Retractable paper pick (Tim Holtz by Tonic Studios); Mat pack (SU!) White twill (Martha Stewart Crafts); foam mounting tape (3M); self-adhesive half-back pearls (Michael's)
The Kitchen is painted!!
Okay, here's the color, on our new drywall....now we just need lights and cabinets *wink*
The color is 'Acorn' by Behr (290D-6)...it's a fabulous butternut-squashy-color, and I can't wait until we have our cherry-stained cabinets in there!! (Yes, I'm getting excited! *grins*)
Tutorial coming up later!
~Michelle
The color is 'Acorn' by Behr (290D-6)...it's a fabulous butternut-squashy-color, and I can't wait until we have our cherry-stained cabinets in there!! (Yes, I'm getting excited! *grins*)Tutorial coming up later!
~Michelle
Saturday, December 13, 2008
An answer for Kristen...
Kristen asked me about where I found the felt eyelet doilies for my Felt Snowflake Joy card. I found them at my local Wal-Mart, and here is what the packaging looks like:
They're Martha Stewart Crafts 'Celebrate' Collection, and they were in with the wedding craft items. Martha Stewart has a whole collection of eyelet items for weddings, most of which are online at Wal-Mart. For some reason, though, these aren't. I'm not sure why they aren't online, but if you have a problem finding them at your Wal-Mart, send me an email and I'll send some out to you! *wink*
Here's a close-up of the photo showing the doily:
Like I said in my earlier post, *lots* of embellishment opportunities in that one package! *grins*
Up next (probably tonight or sometime tomorrow): a tutorial on doing a scalloped border with a corner rounder on a Coluzzle-cut shape, by request. *wink* If you have any questions for me (about anything that I use/do on my projects), leave me a comment and I'll do my best to answer!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
They're Martha Stewart Crafts 'Celebrate' Collection, and they were in with the wedding craft items. Martha Stewart has a whole collection of eyelet items for weddings, most of which are online at Wal-Mart. For some reason, though, these aren't. I'm not sure why they aren't online, but if you have a problem finding them at your Wal-Mart, send me an email and I'll send some out to you! *wink*Here's a close-up of the photo showing the doily:
Like I said in my earlier post, *lots* of embellishment opportunities in that one package! *grins*Up next (probably tonight or sometime tomorrow): a tutorial on doing a scalloped border with a corner rounder on a Coluzzle-cut shape, by request. *wink* If you have any questions for me (about anything that I use/do on my projects), leave me a comment and I'll do my best to answer!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
Friday, December 12, 2008
I've been tagged! ...twice *wink*
It boggles my mind that I can be nominated/tagged when I've been MIA for so long, but thanks, girls!! (I can always count on those Unity chicks to keep me honest! *wink*)
First up, I was tagged by Jenn at Double N Designs (aka mspacmanpinky on SCS)....thanks Jenn!
So, hmmm....7 weird/random facts about me (in no particular order):
1. I took 6 quarters worth on glass techniques in college...glass blowing, glass fusing, cane work, glass casting. Seriously, seriously fun (and seriously, seriously HOT!)
2. I'm in charge of gravy-making at any big event that requires gravy (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) It's really not hard, but for some reason I'm the designated gravy-maker.
3. I *adore* Chai tea...to be specific, Tazo Chai Tea concentrate, mixed in equal amounts with milk, heated to 180F, with vanilla syrup added. (Or, if you're at Starbucks, a Venti Vanilla Chai, extra-hot, no water)
4. My crafting desk is BURIED at the moment. Seriously, it's embarrassing. And I can't even work at it, and don't have time to clean it up unless I cut out a few hours of sleep per night for a week or so.
5. Christmas is my very most favorite holiday of the year...love the image of God sending His Son as a tiny baby to save us all (really, you couldn't make that up!), love the decorations, love the crafting, love seeing the 2-story tree all decorated in our church Sanctuary, love Christmas Eve candlelight services...love it all!!
6. We don't 'do' Santa with our boys (because we want the focus on Christ, not on presents....they also only get 3 gifts from us, just like Jesus received 3 gifts). And now that my oldest is 4, that can be a problem around kids whose parents do. (As in, "but Mommy, I'm just trying to tell them the truth"...he's like Susan Walker from Miracle on 34th Street).
7. I'm not a big dessert-eater (or sweets-eater in general). But, you'd be shocked to see the amount of sugar I like in my tea (as long as it's added while it's hot...if it's already been chilled, I drink it unsweetened). I think it must be because I was born in North Carolina, even though we only lived there until I was three...that's my story, anyway, and I'm stickin' to it! *wink*
As for the 7 nominees, stay tuned 'til the end...
Kim from Endless Inkabilities (aka doodersmom on SCS) nominated me for the Kreativ Blog award!! Thank you, Kim! *smiles*
Guidelines for Kreativ Blogger Award:
1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees.
So, here are my nominees...that I'm also tagging with the 7 random facts thing from above! *wink* Check them out, I love these girls!! (psst....I tried not to double-tag anyone who had already been tagged, so don't feel bad if you're not on this list! {hugs})
1. Joy (aka daiseyfreak) ...this girl is amazing, and just started on the DT for Shortcuts (the company I did a review of last month)
2. Lindsay (aka lindsaybrooke) ...designs stamps for Unity!! As Jen would say, "shut up! it's true!!" And, they're AWESOME stamp designs! (of course!)
3. Tiff (aka Tiffguam) ...she's guest designer for Limelight this month, so you know she ROCKS!
4. Lori ...an amazing book maker/mixed media artist who just has the most amazing outlook and sharing spirit. She cheers me up every time I go to her blog!
5. Shannon ...my almost-next-door-neighbor who does *NOT* post enough of her stamping creations!!
6. Corey ...my seriously creative MOPS/stamping/"I'll take any excuse to get out of the house" friend *grins*
7. YOU!! Make sure you leave a comment so I can come check you out *wink*
(I also just realized I nixed some people who had the Kreativ award, but not the tagging, so if you wanna do the 7 random facts, consider yourself tagged!)
And now, I'm a bit loopy from being up too late 3 nights in a row, so I'm going to bed! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
First up, I was tagged by Jenn at Double N Designs (aka mspacmanpinky on SCS)....thanks Jenn!
So, hmmm....7 weird/random facts about me (in no particular order):1. I took 6 quarters worth on glass techniques in college...glass blowing, glass fusing, cane work, glass casting. Seriously, seriously fun (and seriously, seriously HOT!)
2. I'm in charge of gravy-making at any big event that requires gravy (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) It's really not hard, but for some reason I'm the designated gravy-maker.
3. I *adore* Chai tea...to be specific, Tazo Chai Tea concentrate, mixed in equal amounts with milk, heated to 180F, with vanilla syrup added. (Or, if you're at Starbucks, a Venti Vanilla Chai, extra-hot, no water)
4. My crafting desk is BURIED at the moment. Seriously, it's embarrassing. And I can't even work at it, and don't have time to clean it up unless I cut out a few hours of sleep per night for a week or so.
5. Christmas is my very most favorite holiday of the year...love the image of God sending His Son as a tiny baby to save us all (really, you couldn't make that up!), love the decorations, love the crafting, love seeing the 2-story tree all decorated in our church Sanctuary, love Christmas Eve candlelight services...love it all!!
6. We don't 'do' Santa with our boys (because we want the focus on Christ, not on presents....they also only get 3 gifts from us, just like Jesus received 3 gifts). And now that my oldest is 4, that can be a problem around kids whose parents do. (As in, "but Mommy, I'm just trying to tell them the truth"...he's like Susan Walker from Miracle on 34th Street).
7. I'm not a big dessert-eater (or sweets-eater in general). But, you'd be shocked to see the amount of sugar I like in my tea (as long as it's added while it's hot...if it's already been chilled, I drink it unsweetened). I think it must be because I was born in North Carolina, even though we only lived there until I was three...that's my story, anyway, and I'm stickin' to it! *wink*
As for the 7 nominees, stay tuned 'til the end...
Kim from Endless Inkabilities (aka doodersmom on SCS) nominated me for the Kreativ Blog award!! Thank you, Kim! *smiles*
Guidelines for Kreativ Blogger Award:1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs
5. Leave a message for your nominees.
So, here are my nominees...that I'm also tagging with the 7 random facts thing from above! *wink* Check them out, I love these girls!! (psst....I tried not to double-tag anyone who had already been tagged, so don't feel bad if you're not on this list! {hugs})
1. Joy (aka daiseyfreak) ...this girl is amazing, and just started on the DT for Shortcuts (the company I did a review of last month)
2. Lindsay (aka lindsaybrooke) ...designs stamps for Unity!! As Jen would say, "shut up! it's true!!" And, they're AWESOME stamp designs! (of course!)
3. Tiff (aka Tiffguam) ...she's guest designer for Limelight this month, so you know she ROCKS!
4. Lori ...an amazing book maker/mixed media artist who just has the most amazing outlook and sharing spirit. She cheers me up every time I go to her blog!
5. Shannon ...my almost-next-door-neighbor who does *NOT* post enough of her stamping creations!!
6. Corey ...my seriously creative MOPS/stamping/"I'll take any excuse to get out of the house" friend *grins*
7. YOU!! Make sure you leave a comment so I can come check you out *wink*
(I also just realized I nixed some people who had the Kreativ award, but not the tagging, so if you wanna do the 7 random facts, consider yourself tagged!)
And now, I'm a bit loopy from being up too late 3 nights in a row, so I'm going to bed! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
I'm still here...
Sorry I haven't been posting! The kitchen remodel is going really well, drywall was finished yesterday so today we are painting and fixing tile, then it'll be time to install cabinets and fixtures!! *grins*
I have been busy in the crafting arena, making things for my MOPS group and for our church Christmas tea, so I'll try to post those soon...thank you for being patient with me! Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season!
~Michelle
I have been busy in the crafting arena, making things for my MOPS group and for our church Christmas tea, so I'll try to post those soon...thank you for being patient with me! Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season!
~Michelle
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Kaleidoscope Card How-to and Supplies List
As promised, I'm back! *wink* Let me start out by saying that I did *not* come up with this idea on my own. I distinctly remember seeing it in a magazine (possibly Paper Crafts?), but I can't find a tutorial or mention of it on the internet. I did find one from an episode of the Carol Duvall Show, but the instructions seemed a bit vague and confusing. Hopefully, I can do a better job...though I must say, without 500 images, it's hard to explain clearly. If you have questions *PLEASE* put them in the comments and I'll answer as best I can (and maybe with more photos!).I started with a sheet of 'Phlordilee' DP from Basic Grey's Aged & Confused Phresh & Phunky line. You can use most DPs for this process, but I find it's easiest if you choose one that has a repeated, mirrored image (i.e. a repeated pattern that is symmetrical), though you can get neat effects using a 'one-sided' image. (FYI: With this piece of DP, you could cut out 7 full pieces of the portion I chose). Here's a picture of the full sheet, with the pattern portion I used outlined:
And here's a close-up...you can see the outlined portion on the left, part of the cut-out portion below it, and a full repeat of the pattern to the right:
I cut out six (6) of the outlined portions, and then cut out the smaller heart-shaped part at the top for the image medallion. To piece together the medallions, I drew 6 evenly spaced intersecting lines on my work paper.
(Because this is a fairly large image, I only needed six...if you were working with a narrower pattern, you might need 8, 9, 12, etc. I drew my lines like the spokes of a snowflake, with 60 degrees between each one, using a 30-60-90 triangle. And you thought that high school Geometry would never be used! *wink*)
I put together the bottom medallion first. I used repositionable adhesive to attach the first piece to my work surface, with the center lined up on a line, and the point touching the intersection:
For the next 5 pieces, I worked clock-wise, lining them up the same way (centered on the next line), and adhering the left side of each image to the right side of the one before. Once the 6th piece was attached on its left side, I tucked the right side under the 1st piece and adhered it there. So, in the end, the six pieces are sort of fanned out in a circle. Then I used my Coluzzle circle cutter to cut it out (since the finished medallion was too large for a card).I followed the same procedure for the image medallion, but I didn't tuck the last piece under the first when I went around, because I would have had to cut it and didn't want to risk having a hole in the middle of my medallion! I put an adhesive flat-back pearl over the center to finish it off.
For the card, I began with a 10 1/2" x 5 1/4" piece of Kiwi Kiss CS, folded in half to make a 5 1/4" square card base. Then I cut the medallion using the second largest circle on my Coluzzle template, and a circle of textured Bayou Blue CS using the largest circle, and then adhered them to the card base and tied on some vanilla satin ribbon. For the center, I cut a circle from the Bayou Blue (I think the 4th from the center), and a ring of Kiwi Kiss, using foam tape to attach it to the Bayou Blue circle. I adhered my flower medallion to the center with foam tape, and then attached the whole panel to the base medallion using...foam tape. (I know, you're surprised. I'm really thinking about buying stock in 3M, I buy so much of their foam mounting tape! lol). I stamped 'Life' in the bottom corner using Not Quite Navy ink and my Stamp-a-ma-jig.Like I said, if you have any questions, please let me know! This really is a great technique, and really not that difficult. As a note...if the design you choose doesn't come to a point like mine did, just cut it into one. (Since I'm a bit OCD and rather technical, I'd probably do it with a triangle to make a perfect 60 degree angle for each one so that they'd meet cleanly with no overlap, but that's just me. *grins*)
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!
~Michelle
Supplies used:
Paper: Kiwi Kiss CS, Bayou Blue textured CS (SU!); Phlordilee DP (Basic Grey Aged & Confused)
Ink: Not Quite Navy (SU!)
Stamps: 'Life' from October KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: Coluzzle circle cutting system; foam mounting tape (3M); Stamp-a-ma-jig (SU!); ribbon, adhesive pearl (Michael's)
Friday, November 28, 2008
Etsy Inspired #12 - Mercy's Mark
This is just a quick post before I head for some Black Friday shopping (at our local craft store and Michael's *wink*). The amazing Ms. Ashley has a noon deadline on her Etsy Inspired challenge, and I wanted to make sure I got this in on time...I'll come edit later to give you all the details!This week's Etsy shop is Mercy's Mark...love all the purse goodies in there! I chose this handbag for my inspiration:
And here is my card:
It's a kaledioscope card made using Basic Grey's 'Pflordilee' from their Aged & Confused Phresh & Phunky line.Be back with more later! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and Happy Black Friday! *smiles*
~Michelle
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Felt snowflake joy! (CI32)
(Note: although this mostly fits the Unity Junkies' Challenge, my real card is in the next post *wink*)Did you know it's only ONE MONTH until Christmas? To get everyone in the holiday mood, Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration Challenge is a Christmas-y one of red and shades of white and cream...so elegant:
And I know I said I wouldn't be having time to do this, but I'm proving myself to be a liar, apparently. There's not much I can do to help my DH and his dad, so I'm keeping the boys out of their way, and away from the noise and dust....and the craft room upstairs is a pretty good place to do that. *wink*While I was at Wally's World this morning picking up a box fan and filter for Philip, I also spotted a pack of Martha Stewart Crafts 13" Eyelet Doilies (3 per package!) made of felt, and *knew* they'd be perfect for crafting. Just think of how many embellishments I'll be able to get out of one pack! And then I saw the Kristina had a new Color Inspiration Challenge up, and everything came together perfectly!
I used a circle template, and cut out two eyelet images including the border, and one without. Then I cut two of the smaller daisy-shaped parts. I also cut a portion of the scalloped outer border to use later. After stamping 'Joy' from The Snowflake Spot using Versamark, I arranged the 5 snowflake/flower pieces on a A2 card base of Riding Hood Red (this one is 4 1/4" x 11" folded in half), and attached them using a combination of mini glue dots and silver brads.Then, I adhered a 1" wide strip of Whisper White to a 1 1/8" wide strip of Sahara Sand, and mounted that over the edge of the scalloped border I cut previously, using foam tape to match the height. Last, I tied on a piece of woven ribbon that matched the Sahara Sand over the layered panel:
I absolutely love that ribbon! It has a slight sheen, almost metallic-looking, and the texture is fabulous. The only problem is that it warps if you pull it too tight, and frays easily when tying into a knot or bow...but I'm completely willing to overlook those problems for the extra touch it gives my card. *wink*Thanks for stopping by (again) today!
~Michelle
Supplies used:
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, and Sahara Sand CS (SU!)
Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko)
Stamps: The Snowflake Spot (SU!)
Other: felt embellishments (Martha Stewart Crafts 13" Eyelet Doilies); Silver Brads (Making Memories); Mini Glue Dots; woven ribbon (Michael's $1 spot)
Cherry Lollipop Flower Card
I know, I said I wouldn't be doing blogging for a bit because of the kitchen reno...but when inspiration hits, you just *have* to make something, KWIM? Besides, there's not much else you can do at 9pm when the boys are asleep and your DH is scraping 'popcorn' off the ceiling (that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!)This is a card for today's Unity Junkies challenge in the Unity forum...Carole picked this week, and here is her challenge: "As well as being thanksgiving, it's my son's 13th Birthday on Friday and his favourite colours are red and white (for Liverpool football club) ...so this weeks challenge is a red and white 'thankful' card". And here is what I came up with:
Isn't that lollipop flower a-dorable? I found a tutorial on how to make them last night on Label Tulip (check out this post: Scrap Love). So first I made the flower, then grabbed a half-sheet of Real Red to make my base (it's a standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" A2-sized card). I stamped Distressed Dots onto the top portion of the card, and stamped the sentiment at the bottom using Stazon Jet Black. Then I dug around in my scraps and found the white and black card stock pieces. I adhered them together, and tied a black and white gingham ribbon around them, and attached the panel to the card. Then I attached my flower, using foam tape. Really, it was a rather CAS card, including the making of the flower. I think I may make a bunch of them in my favorite colors just to have on hand for these kind of cards! *wink*Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to check out the challenge thread to see who else is playing!
~Michelle
Supplies used:
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White CS (SU!)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Distressed Dots, September KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: 'Pearl' Adirondack Paint Dabber (Ranger Industries); foam tape (3M); ribbon (JoAnn's); brad (unknown)
Monday, November 24, 2008
And so it begins...
Here's what my kitchen now looks like, after some seriously hard work this morning by my DH and his dad:
You don't even want to see what the rest of the house looks like, now that a makeshift kitchen and our dining set are stuffed into our living room.... *sigh*
So, just to let you know...don't count on me having much to post in the next few days/weeks. (Sorry!) There is just too much else to do, and never enough time to do it all!
And also a reminder: Everything this week for Unity is moved up a day because of Thanksgiving. The customer challenge (usually posted on Wednesday) will be on Tuesday, and Hip Hop Thursday will be on Wednesday. Make sure you check out the Unity blog to see who's playing the challenge tomorrow, and to check out the happenings on Wednesday for Hip Hop! *wink*
Hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
You don't even want to see what the rest of the house looks like, now that a makeshift kitchen and our dining set are stuffed into our living room.... *sigh*So, just to let you know...don't count on me having much to post in the next few days/weeks. (Sorry!) There is just too much else to do, and never enough time to do it all!
And also a reminder: Everything this week for Unity is moved up a day because of Thanksgiving. The customer challenge (usually posted on Wednesday) will be on Tuesday, and Hip Hop Thursday will be on Wednesday. Make sure you check out the Unity blog to see who's playing the challenge tomorrow, and to check out the happenings on Wednesday for Hip Hop! *wink*
Hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by!
~Michelle
Thursday, November 20, 2008
As promised...a ShortCuts review!! (and a little Twilight goodie)
First, the background. I commented on this card in the SCS gallery about a month ago and stated "and bravo for the acetate card!! I haven't been brave enough to do one yet!"...which was the complete, unadulterated truth.
(*Confession time: though I love the look on clear elements and am constantly amazed by the things ever-so-clever crafters are able to do with them...they scare(d) me.*)
That card, though, was the right one to comment on...the card's creator, Alicia, sells the acetate card bases online at ShortCuts, sister website to SheetLoadof Cards. She saw my comment, and was wonderful and gracious enough to offer to send me a sample pack...
I'll definitely be ordering more!
Alicia, you have a clear-card-convert on your hands! True, they do require a bit of cleverness on how you attach elements, and cover up your adhesive, but I think that challenge is unbelievably fun, now that I've done it. If you haven't tried a clear card yet, take the plunge. You *really* won't regret it! This card is probably my most favorite that I have *ever* made. Really.
It has serious "Wow" factor with the acetate, and I love the dimension of looking through all those layers...check it out:
For this card, I started by choosing the 'Frosted Card Blank', and was immediately impressed. The acetate is very thick and sturdy, pre-scored for folding, and has a wonderful finish. I stamped the front of my card with Unity's Distressed Dots background using Stazon Cotton White. I stamped and cut out the Butterfly from the September KOTM, sponged it with Not Quite Navy, Wild Wasabi, and some Rose Red, and adhered it to a circle of So Saffron CS with foam mounting tape. I also adhered a scalloped circle frame of Wild Wasabi CS using the foam tape. (I made the frame by cutting the center circle first with my Coluzzle, then punching the scalloped circle around it).
Inside, I backed the circle with an Apricot Appeal oval and a punched Whisper White scalloped oval, stamped with the sentiment and the same butterfly image. On fantastic perk of working on the acetate...I originally put this on upside-down. :oops!: I easily pulled it off, turned it over, and re-attached with no worries of tearing the card or the oval!
I cut the same size oval from Whisper White for writing my message, and attached it inside the card. FYI: One thing I will remember next time (if I can get myself to plan that much) will be to attach the panel for the inside *first*, so that it's easy to line up the front panels.
Since the sample pack Alicia sent to me had both the clear and the frosted product, I decided next to make something with the clear sheet. (Twilight fans...hope you enjoy!) *wink*
I made a favor box using the clear sheet in the sample pack. (Note: I'm not sure, but I think you can order the 'clear card blanks' and have a pre-scored panel. The one in the sample pack was not scored, which was perfect for this project.)
I began by cutting the acetate sheet with my paper trimmer (worked perfectly!) per the tutorial instructions on SCS, and then scored it with my Scor-Pal. The scoring also went *perfectly*, and produced clean, crisp scores without any effort. I was worried at first that the product would be too thick to stay in the Scor-Pal's grooves, or that it would slip, but both were proved unfounded! Worked like a charm...
I decided to stamp the front and back triangles with the Royal Day background from Unity, again using Stazon Cotton White. Another joy of working with the acetate...it's clear, so I turned the stamp and the box upside-down, and was able to line up the image perfectly through the box! *smiles*
This time I didn't worry about being able to see the Glue Dots on the other side of the package, since it'd be inside and the receiver will be distracted by the chocolate. *wink* The apple image is from Unity's Mix-Up of Cuteness kit, and is also available as a single until 11/21 at 12 noon Central time. I stamped it in black, colored in the image with Real Red ink, and then put a HEAVY layer of red Stickles over all the red. It dried slightly raised, very sparkly, and covered the 'core' (which was what I wanted). Here's another picture of the finished favor box, with a close-up of the apple:
I love the sparkle of being able to see the kisses through the box!
Verdict: A+++, 5 stars, highly recommended!! Go to the website and order some for yourself! *wink*
Thanks for stopping by today!
~Michelle
Supplies used (Butterfly Card):
Paper: Frosted acetate card blank (ShortCuts); Apricot Appeal, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White CS (SU!)
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Apricot Appeal, Wild Wasabi, Not Quite Navy, Rose Red (SU!)
Stamps: Distressed Dots, September KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: Foam tape (3M); Glue Dots; punches (Marvy Uchida); Coluzzle cutting system; ribbon; makeup sponges
Supplies used (Twilight favor box):
Paper: Clear acetate panel (ShortCuts); Real Red, Very Vanilla CS (SU!)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko); Real Red (SU!)
Stamps: Mix Up of Cuteness apple (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: Punches (Marvy Uchida); Coluzzle cutting system; Paper piercer (Tim Holtz for Tonic Studios); ribbon
(*Confession time: though I love the look on clear elements and am constantly amazed by the things ever-so-clever crafters are able to do with them...they scare(d) me.*)
That card, though, was the right one to comment on...the card's creator, Alicia, sells the acetate card bases online at ShortCuts, sister website to SheetLoadof Cards. She saw my comment, and was wonderful and gracious enough to offer to send me a sample pack...
I'll definitely be ordering more!
Alicia, you have a clear-card-convert on your hands! True, they do require a bit of cleverness on how you attach elements, and cover up your adhesive, but I think that challenge is unbelievably fun, now that I've done it. If you haven't tried a clear card yet, take the plunge. You *really* won't regret it! This card is probably my most favorite that I have *ever* made. Really.
It has serious "Wow" factor with the acetate, and I love the dimension of looking through all those layers...check it out:
For this card, I started by choosing the 'Frosted Card Blank', and was immediately impressed. The acetate is very thick and sturdy, pre-scored for folding, and has a wonderful finish. I stamped the front of my card with Unity's Distressed Dots background using Stazon Cotton White. I stamped and cut out the Butterfly from the September KOTM, sponged it with Not Quite Navy, Wild Wasabi, and some Rose Red, and adhered it to a circle of So Saffron CS with foam mounting tape. I also adhered a scalloped circle frame of Wild Wasabi CS using the foam tape. (I made the frame by cutting the center circle first with my Coluzzle, then punching the scalloped circle around it).Inside, I backed the circle with an Apricot Appeal oval and a punched Whisper White scalloped oval, stamped with the sentiment and the same butterfly image. On fantastic perk of working on the acetate...I originally put this on upside-down. :oops!: I easily pulled it off, turned it over, and re-attached with no worries of tearing the card or the oval!
I cut the same size oval from Whisper White for writing my message, and attached it inside the card. FYI: One thing I will remember next time (if I can get myself to plan that much) will be to attach the panel for the inside *first*, so that it's easy to line up the front panels.Since the sample pack Alicia sent to me had both the clear and the frosted product, I decided next to make something with the clear sheet. (Twilight fans...hope you enjoy!) *wink*
I made a favor box using the clear sheet in the sample pack. (Note: I'm not sure, but I think you can order the 'clear card blanks' and have a pre-scored panel. The one in the sample pack was not scored, which was perfect for this project.)I began by cutting the acetate sheet with my paper trimmer (worked perfectly!) per the tutorial instructions on SCS, and then scored it with my Scor-Pal. The scoring also went *perfectly*, and produced clean, crisp scores without any effort. I was worried at first that the product would be too thick to stay in the Scor-Pal's grooves, or that it would slip, but both were proved unfounded! Worked like a charm...
I decided to stamp the front and back triangles with the Royal Day background from Unity, again using Stazon Cotton White. Another joy of working with the acetate...it's clear, so I turned the stamp and the box upside-down, and was able to line up the image perfectly through the box! *smiles*
This time I didn't worry about being able to see the Glue Dots on the other side of the package, since it'd be inside and the receiver will be distracted by the chocolate. *wink* The apple image is from Unity's Mix-Up of Cuteness kit, and is also available as a single until 11/21 at 12 noon Central time. I stamped it in black, colored in the image with Real Red ink, and then put a HEAVY layer of red Stickles over all the red. It dried slightly raised, very sparkly, and covered the 'core' (which was what I wanted). Here's another picture of the finished favor box, with a close-up of the apple:
I love the sparkle of being able to see the kisses through the box!Verdict: A+++, 5 stars, highly recommended!! Go to the website and order some for yourself! *wink*
Thanks for stopping by today!
~Michelle
Supplies used (Butterfly Card):
Paper: Frosted acetate card blank (ShortCuts); Apricot Appeal, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White CS (SU!)
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Apricot Appeal, Wild Wasabi, Not Quite Navy, Rose Red (SU!)
Stamps: Distressed Dots, September KOTM (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: Foam tape (3M); Glue Dots; punches (Marvy Uchida); Coluzzle cutting system; ribbon; makeup sponges
Supplies used (Twilight favor box):
Paper: Clear acetate panel (ShortCuts); Real Red, Very Vanilla CS (SU!)
Ink: Stazon Jet Black (Tsukineko); Real Red (SU!)
Stamps: Mix Up of Cuteness apple (Unity Stamp Co.)
Other: Punches (Marvy Uchida); Coluzzle cutting system; Paper piercer (Tim Holtz for Tonic Studios); ribbon
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