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Sweet Treats for Loved Ones

Today I have two cards based on "sweetness." You DO realize that Valentine's will be here soon, right?! Hopefully you have a plan in hand, but if not, maybe this will get your creativity flowing!

It looks big in the photo, but it is actually a standard sized card (5.5" x 4.25"). I used a border punch (EK Success) to create the lacey trim in white, and I added some velvet ribbon above that. The cupcake is just fussy-cut from some patterned paper by Basic Grey, but I added Glossy Accents glue to the cherry and the red dots inside the frame to make them stand out (except it doesn't really show up in the photo - sorry!). The brown frame is chipboard (Maya Road) painted with Distress Crackle Paint and aged with Distress Ink. I stamped the sentiment before adhering the frame to the patterned paper. That's important to know! It's hard to stamp with embellishments in the way!

This one isn't sweet like with candy or treats, but it just looks sweet and soft and subtle. I used some patterned paper by Teresa Collins to make the mat and stamped the sentiment before adding the flower. To make the flower, I started with a large, cream colored paper flower (Prima) and inked the edges with a sponge and Distress Ink. Then I added the floral pick and a brown flower. I used a yarn needle and floss to string the pearl button on the front and then tied it all up in the back with some tulle. There's a few glue dots holding it in place on the card.

I'm off to seek out some recipes for sweet treats now... Know of any good ones?

Styled After Patterns

I love this card. I wish someone had made it just for me! It has my favorite color (turquoise) and clever patterned papers (by Studio Calico long ago). I'm not a big fan of sewing - as I've mentioned multiple times before - but I DO sew a little and I love the theme of sewing/crafty/creating. Take a look-see:

The finished size is 5" x 7". I used Distress Crackle Paint to paint the frame. (Just a warning - that stuff dries out to an unusable glob so don't hoard it! Just use it up within a month or two once you've opened the jar!) I added two strips of patterned paper across the middle of the card. I added the fun "pattern" paper behind the frame, and I cut a "pattern" piece from the same sheet and stamped a sentiment on it. It would probably be really cute with three tiny yellow buttons in the lower right corner, but I didn't have any the right shade of yellow! We work with what we've got around here!

OK- that's it for my sew-crafty creations today! (Ha! Like my pun?) See you next time!

Kissed Any Frogs?

Here's a fun card that involves lots of little pieces! I made it with the "Pin the lips on the frog" shape by QuicKutz (available here). I think a catchy phrase like "Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find Prince Charming" or "I'm so glad you found your frog, I mean Prince!" for my married friends. What do you think? Really! If you have a funny phrase for the inside, leave it in the comments!

I used foam dots to keep the frog lifted above the metal frame. If I were to make a batch of these I would use a paper frame instead. This little guy is easy to assemble with paper from your scrap stash, too! Those fat lips just crack me up!

Here's another Valentine suitable for a friend! I glammed up the chipboard flowers (Maya Road) with tinsel glitter and a gem brad. The frame is an Accucut shape, but any frame diecut will work. Be sure to wrap the accent ribbon on the edge before you tack it down on the card! Those hot pink leaves are cast offs from a floral pick I used on another project. You could stamp any sentiment in the center, but I used a stamp from Hobbly Lobby and then traced around the letters and the outer edge of the frame with a metallic silver marker.

If you need more ideas for making cards and other projects with die cut shapes, check out Lifestyle Crafts website. They bought QuicKutz and they sell all the products there. The older shapes (like the frog!) are also marked way down in their outlet store.

Cards for Your Kids

Lest you be confused I should clarify: I'm not showing you cards for your kids to make today. I'm showing you cards that YOU can make to give to your kids! Maybe you'll go off on a tangent of your own and make little love notes for their lunch pails and back packs... it's a thought!

Now what kid doesn't want to hear that from mom or dad?!

This card is pretty simple. Start with a card base, add a piece of patterned paper at the top half to split your "canvas" and add a mat made from a contrasting color. I used alphabet rub-ons for the sentiment (Maya Road). The stars are both chipboard; I glittered one with tinsel glitter and the other was already silver. A dab of glue in the corners keeps the rhinestones in place.

You can't say "love U" to everyone you know, but your kids can't hear it too much!!

This one is mini-sized (4" x 4") but it has loads of details! The hearts, word, and cupid are all QuicKutz die-cut shapes. The glitter effect is done with Stickles glitter paint (love that stuff!!). I used some Glossy Accents glue to paint the U on the circle (punched from alphabet patterned paper) and make the letter stand out all 3-D like (remember, it's for a youngster!). Cute, simple, full of extra touches. It says "I love you" in more than one way!

That's it for today! Enjoy your weekend! See you next week with more creative stuff!

 

Playing Up the Blues in Cards

Some of the cards I've made lately are full of details and hand made accents. I don't always pour this much time into my cards, but creating stuff is therapeutic and I usually do it while I'm catching up on my DVR recorded shows so it doesn't feel like I've "lost" too much time. The results are worth the extra effort!

Here I have a layered flower made from circles where I've distressed the edges and connected them with a brad. The mini bingo cards are cut from the packaging of the full size bingo cards (Jenni Bowlin). The butterflies are punched with a Martha Stewart punch and fancied up with some sticky pearls (Hobby Lobby). The chipboard tag was painted with Ranger Distress Crackle Paint and aged with Distress Ink after the paint dried. The lacey ribbon is from a fabric shop, along with the pearly buttons. I inked the edges of the card base with Distress Ink (Vintage Photo) using a sponge to keep it soft and subtle. The inside is blank so I can save this one for birthday, anniversary, or whatever ocassion comes up!

This is another multi purpose card. Lots of details! See the little rolled up flower made from a book page? There's a gem in the center that didn't photograph well. The bird is an Accucut diecut left over from the scrapbook store. I spritzed it with some glitter spray so it's shimmery now. The flourish is cut from velvet paper using a Maya Road chipboard flourish as a pattern. The patterned paper is by Pink Paisley (which incidentally you can purchase in digital format to print at home now!). I love the tulle and the pearly stick pins behind the flower! I'm not sure if this one will make it through the mail though, so I'll probably save it for an ocassion when I can hand deliver it!

Here's one more that's heavy on the blue! I used a chipboard frame that I had painted with crackle paint. I mounted patterned paper (Basic Grey) behind the frame and added the flowers and butterfly (Heidi Swapp).  I stamped the Love sentiment on plain white cardstock and cut it into a banner by snipping the ends into points. I used foam dots to keep it elevated above the frame. Since the chipboard frame already had holes punched into it, I used those to tie in ribbon bows at the top. This one will work for Valentine's Day, weddings, or anniversaries.

More cards to come! Next time I'll show you some simple ones to give your kiddos!

DigiScrap: Love Nest Frames Released

The latest kit by Carina Gardner, Love Nest, is a mix of fun, whimsy, and bright colors.The patterned paper kits released last week, and the Glitter Frames are available starting today. You can save 20% on the frames if you order them on More in Store Monday (the day of the new release), but the kits are still nicely priced even when they aren't on sale. You can order them at JessicaSprague.com.

See? Nice glitter effect on the frames!

Here's another layout with the patterned papers!

Carried Away With Card Making!

I guess the creative bug from the holiday season is still chomping away in my little brain! I have been making lots of cards! I did need to refurbish my stash a bit, especially with some multi-purpose and birthday cards. I think what got me started was finding a packet of fancy embellishments and cute paper that I had saved for making Valentine cards a couple years ago. Well, my scrapbook table may be too cluttered to make full sized scrapbook pages, but I can squeeze out enough space to make cards!!

5x7 Bingo Card | 5.5 x 4.25 Heart Card

The Bingo Card has some fun elements on it! The heart and wings are made from Grungeboard, the bingo card is by Jenni Bowlin Studios, the patterned paper is Making Memories from forever ago, and the black book binding tape is by 7Gypsies. Basically I layered everything onto red cardstock, then attached it to white cardstock cut just a little bigger. The binding tape keeps it extra secure. Finished size is 5" x 7".

The heart card was super easy! I free-hand cut the heart, then secured 2 paper flowers and a floral pick with a glittred brad. The quilted background is 1.25" squares spread across the card. The larger red square  behind the heart is 2 5/8".

Close up of the Grungeboard heart and wings

Close up of the heart with flowers and a pearly floral pick

This is just the tip of the card pile! I have lots more to share so check back next week!!

A New Purpose for Old Book Pages

Now that Christmas is past and presents are all delivered I can show you some of the handmade gifts I gave. One of my favorites was the wreaths I made with recycled/repurposed book pages. Now don't send me hate mail if you're a book lover! I used an old college text book for most of them. It was probably too outdated to be read with new eyes... Anyway, I saw some beautiful angel wings on the web a while back, and then I kept seeing some cute wreaths on Pinterest, so I had to see what I could come up with!

This one went to my neighbors. They have twin girls so I thought pink would be safe!

This one went to my mom. Attaching a frame in the middle is a great idea, but go with a wood frame instead of metal. That way you can screw in on at any place instead of trying to find the little holes.

This was for a musician friend. It hangs in his lesson studio now!

There are plenty of tutorials on the web so I won't go into great detail on how I did it (but if you need further instruction just scroll to the bottom for some helpful links!). Basically, you roll up the pages into a cone and staple or glue the end (I used my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher so the staples are barely visible). Once you've created a pile of cones you can start attaching them to a base. I used white poster board and hot glue. I made some round, some oval. You can also use an actual wreath form (styrofoam in the floral section of any craft store).

You can get creative and make your book pages unique. I used Distress Ink to age the pages by inking the edges before making them into cones. You could also use glue and glitter to glam up the edges after you roll them into cones. The center of the wreath is also a place where you make it unique! I made some with simple paper flowers made from book pages. I used the "fan" technique with patterned paper a lot. I embossed a lot of chipboard shapes with Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (see the music notes above), but there are endless ways to embellish the center.

Just so I don't leave you high and dry with no usable instructions, here's a list of places to get step by step instructions for making your own!

Shabby Creek Cottage She used the rolled up cone method like mine.
Living With Lindsey  She opted for a scrunched or ruffled paper method instead of cones.
Nesting Place You have to check out her amazing decorations she did for her sister's book release party!

DigiScrap: Love Nest on Sale Today!

There's a new release today from Carina Gardner! Her Valentine inspired Love Nest will have your layouts singing with the pops of pinks, cherry, pale blues, turquoise and browns.  Of course, today each patterned paper pack is on sale for $2.99 at JessicaSprague.com

Birdie Blush

Perch

 

You aren't limited to sweetheart themed photos and layouts for the papers sets. They're great for spring time photos, too!

Digi Classes on Sale at Jessica Sprague!

If you've ever wanted to learn how to edit photos or make digital scrapbook pages then you'll be excited to hear that there's still time to get classes and kits on SALE at Jessica Sprague. That's where I learned most of my digi skills and I can honestly say that the classes are usually self-paced, easy to follow, video-based with pdf documentation, and very hands-on. The classes work for Photoshop Elements OR the full Adobe Creative Suite. She's generous with freebie products with each class, too! And when you enroll in a class it stays in your account so you can re-take it when you need a refresher. I'm listing the ones I've taken below and all of them are 20% off through Saturday! Don't delay...click on over to her website and see what classes YOU need to take!

This is not a paid endorsement. I do not get compensated for recommending her classes to you. I absolutely love the classes I have taken and I have learned a lot of good techniques. That's it! I'm spreading good feedback so you can benefit, too.