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)

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

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)

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

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

Unity BINGO!!

Make sure you go play in the Unity forum...all you have to do is pick 7 words from the list, and you have a chance to win a Unity single!! There are 3 games, so be sure to do each one! *wink*