Handmade Gift Tag: Sunset Silhouette

Hello crafty friends! I'm back with a gift tag I designed with Spellbinders Die D-lites. I used the die-cuts in silhouette and I was completely amazed once I placed them on my colorful background. My tag glowed! I was inspired when doing a Google search on sunsets and came across many beautiful handmade cards and tags.

I was so excited about the results, I made it a challenge over at Sketches4All. 

The first step I took in making my tag was to cover the tag in color. I began from the top with the blue and worked my way down. I used the same blue behind the Cattails, but first I lightly applied the yellow further toward the bottom of the card, (just in the center), and then lightly went over it with the blue. By mixing these two colors I got a bit of a green cast and glow down the center that the sun would cause on the water.  To make the sun I used a circle and adhered it to my tag. I wasn't sure where I wanted the sun initially, which is why I didn't add it until after I colored my background. This allowed me to make it match up wherever I wanted it.

Using the Cattails die I cut out two die-cuts and then cut one of them into sections while removing the Cattail that is laying down through the other ones. To do this, just use your scissors to cut it at each point it joins another Cattail. I also tried to cut away or change certain areas so it wouldn't look like I used just one die-cut twice.  

I used the Stampabilities Rubber Stamp, Dragonfly 02 which is my favorite dragonfly stamp since it is so realistic looking.

Supplies List

Happy crafting and thanks for stopping by!

Fun with Fall Colors Side Step Greeting Card

Great news! My husband started back to work yesterday with a new company. We are fortunate that two companies recognized his value and offered him a job, which allowed him to choose what was best for him and our family. We're so happy and relieved. Thanks again for the supportive words you have given me over the past two months.   As I watch the leaves change outside my window I'm being inspired to use bright colors. I want to say that I have no Fall themed paper. I think it's important to stress that you don't need it. Sure it's nice to go out and find some, but if you don't have it there are a lot of ways around it, such as paint, ink, stamps, etc. Just using what you have to create something unique is honestly a fun thing to do.
At first I wasn't certain about using pearls with jute twine and burlap leaves, but the curves of the pearl embellishments make me think of the wind swirling leaves around, so I went for it.  

  The first thing I made was the stamped image/title for my card by wiping ink across a white sheet of cardstock and then stamping my image on top of the colors.

  To cut it out I used a Spellbinder's square that's wasn't much bigger than my stamped image.

 

Quick Tip: I've been using the same two pieces of blue painter's tape to hold my die in place for about 3 months. I place my two tiny pieces of tape when I'm done with them on the top of my die cutting machine for next time. This makes it very convenient and is great for a couple of reasons - 1) You're not being wasteful  2) Tape that has been used before is less likely to cause any damage to your paper, yet will still hold everything in place for a very long time.

 

To finish my stamped image I matted it with a Spellbinders die-cut in deep brown and embellished the corners with pearls.

 

Making the Card Base    Although there are many ways to make this type of card I used the tutorial by Gloria Shirr.

Side Step Card Made Easy - Inside and Out

To Make the Leaves
I used the the Tim Hotz Alterations "Tattered Leaves" die (556927) and colored them with Rubber Stampede ink in Scarlett, Orange and Yellow. I edged the leaves with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo and used Stazon ink in Timber Brown for my stamped image. The base paper is just thin white cardstock. I also used burlap paper to make the leaves in the background and just colored them with ink.

  I added yellow pearls without flowers as a reflection of all the beautiful summer flowers that are now fading and the petals have fallen off. Funny, the things we think of and about as we go along. 

  

  Happy Crafting!

Autumn Leaf Greeting Card

Happy Autumn everyone!
The air is getting cooler, the leaves are changing and I can't wait to get out and take some photographs of the spectacular color and views we get here in Pennsylvania. Today I decided to use a monochromatic color scheme for an Autumn themed card. I don't have any Fall themed paper or embellishments so it came down to using color and texture to give my card the right feel. The type of card I made is similar to a Criss-Cross Card, but does not have the continuation of the front angles which actually make the criss-cross.

 

Outer Card: Pocket

 I cut a piece of 12"x12" craft cardstock in half

Score the paper at the 3" mark and the 9" mark

 Fold the 3" flaps forward

 Fold the top inside corner of both flaps to meet and line up with the side of the card, making two triangles.

Cut away each triangle at the fold mark you made

Do not push anything together until all tape is in place.

To form your pocket - Run tape along the bottom edge of each flap. Tape a small strip of paper (same color is best, but not necessary) behind the flaps to hold them together. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this and had to improvise with an existing photo.

You now have your pocket to decorate with patterned paper and embellishments. Below is a photo taken before I pressed the last flap down on the strip of taped paper connected to the other flap.

Cut the base of your card for your pocket just a little smaller than the 6"x6" pocket. Adjustments are easily made. Then mat and embellish. I used the Spellbinders Shapeabilites "3 Fancy Tags" die (S4-235) to make the little decorations that come over the top. The card is backed with paper from the DCWV Burlap Paper Stack

  For the last steps I added twine as a handle to pull the card from the pocket and then I covered the back of the card with deep brown cardstock.

  I used the Rubber Stampede Winter Woods (A2430F) stamp for the trees and an ek border punch to edge the top f the medium brown mat.

 

Then place you card in the pocket

 

I used the the Tim Hotz Alterations "Tattered Leaves" die (556927) for all my leaves and colored them with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo and Olive, and Rubber Stampede ink in Orange and Yellow. The bow is made from some scrap material I had and I added a small orange button to the center.

    Happy Crafting!  

Flowers For My Mom Greeting Card

Hello everyone!
It's been a little while since I've been able to post on here. Life is looking up and I'll have an update to that part of it in a couple of weeks. Thank you for the kind words that continue to come in, it really has helped me stay strong.

Today I decided to make a greeting card. Sometimes I like to use people for inspiration and this time I reflected on my mother who passed away 5 years ago tomorrow. Her favorite color was green, she had a colorful personality and had told me how much she liked all the flowers that line the highways in Virginia. I made the card simple because in daily life everything can be so hectic, but when you lose someone you love, everything that was hectic goes away and you simply just miss them.    

 

I used Core'dinations celery green cardstock for the base of the card and flower stems and matted the front with Core'dinations white textured cardstock.   

 

The flowers are also made from the same white cardstock of which I used a Tim Holtz Alterations die called Mini Paper Rosettes to cut them out. I colored the paper with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in the color Tumbled Glass and Rubber Stampede ink in Fuschia.   

  The banner was made from left over white cardstock and edged with the inks mentioned above. The sentiment is a rub-on transfer.  

 

Supplies ListCore'dinations Cardstock

• Textured white 
• Smooth light green

Tim Holtz Alterations Die - Mini Paper Rosettes
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass 
Rubber Stampede ink - Fuschia
Plaid Mod Podge Rub-on Transfers 

Happy Crafting!    

Flower Trellis Card

There is still snow outside, but it's Spring in my craft room! After cutting out an extreme amount of gold, silver and shades of red and green over the holidays it's so refreshing to say hello to pinks, purples and the rest of the color palette. Of course you aren't stuck with any particular colors during the holidays, but those were the colors I chose to use this season and after dozens of Christmas cards I need a break. I'm also enjoying coming up with new looks using the same dies to see how much I can do with them. 

I changed my mind and replaced the button I originally used with a purple bow. Either works, but I like the softness the bow gives my card.

Materials used:
Paper

• K&Company printed flower paper
• Craft card-stock in deep purple, dark green, mint green and white
• Chip-board (used under the scalloped circle to build it up)

Equipment used
Machine and Dies

• Sizzix Big Shot
• Sizzix "Flower, Build a Lilac" die
• Sizzix "Branch with Leaves" die
• Spellbinders Nestabilities dies "Lacey Circles" and "Large Circles"

Measurement for lattice was made using Martha Stewart Scoring Board Envelope Maker

Coloration

• Rubber Stampede Ink for the flowers in blue, pink and purple
• Leaves are edged with Rubber Stampede Ink in Dark green and colored in Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Peeled Paint"

Dry Embossing

• Cricut Cuttlebug "Polka Dot Page" embossing folder

Embellishments and Special Effects

• Offray craft ribbon medium purple
• Glossy Accents to edge flower petals
• Fabric Art Crystal Ultra Fine Glitter for lattice and flower petal edges
• One large and one small button fitted together and tied with a string of burlap
• Flat backed pearls were used for the center of flowers