Girl in pink

This was a fun little card for me to do.  It’s a mere 3.5″ x 3.5″.  I have not used this stamp in a looooong time.  The last time I used it was for a 4th of July card several years ago.  Of course for that occasion I painted her dress red, white, and blue.  I like her better in pink and white.

I also thought it would be fun to make my own decorative paper.  Well, it was fun, but also somewhat time-consuming.  But it’s a great way to use up scraps.  I cut some scrap paper into stripes and glued them onto the bottom triangle. 

Then I put tape on more scrap paper and then used an office-supply hole puncher to punch out the dots on the top triangle.  Putting tape on first might not work for all punches.  It just worked with this particular punch because it was made more for the office and not really for card-makers.  Putting the tape on first really helped because it would’ve been a pain for me to get those little dots on there.  If I’d had a Xyron (sticker maker), I would’ve used that for both the strips and the dots. 

I used Stampin’ Up!’s mat pack grid for the placement of the dots.  I put the grid on the pink paper, traced circles, and then put the punched out dots on top of the traced circles. 

Card supplies:

Stamp:  “Miss February” by D.O.T.S. (now Close To My Heart)
Paper:  Strathmore’s 140 lb cold-pressed watercolour paper, PaperTrey’s Vintage Cream, generic pink, light pink
Ink:  Memories Black, Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick (for sponging around the girl’s outline)
Miscellaneous:  Winsor & Newton’s Cotman watercolours, Marvy scallop punch, circle guide (used it to cut out the circle by hand;  I don’t have a circle punch), sponge, small hole punch, dimensionals

Christmas branch

I was rummaging through tags and cards I had made for my husband and found a Christmas gift tag from last Christmas. It inspired this card:

I tore a lot of edges for SCS’s Thursday challenge.  The torn edges on the kraft panel are straighter because I scored first and then tore.  On all the other panels, I tore without scoring.  I left the red panels un-torn because I was tired of tearing by then.

I also did a ton of sponging!  I think that is my favourite thing to do.  I sponged red ink on the red paper, green ink on the green paper, brown ink on the cream and kraft papers.  I even sponged the ribbon!  It was originally red and white.  I found the white to be too bright, so I sponged it with brown ink. 

The French here means “Merry Christmas my love” (it’s for my husband).  For the star, I taped three scrap pieces of kraft together, drew a star in pencil, cut it out, erased the pencil, and then sponged the sides of it.  Then I put it on a dimensional.    

Stamps used:  Stampin’ Up!  Peaceful Wishes, Canvas, French version of Everyday Flexible Phrases.  Technique Tuesday (Frayed Ends, Whirlygigs, Whispygigs).

Paper:  kraft, Neenah’s Paper Classic Linen (Baronial Ivory, red), olive green

Ink:  Memories Black, Stampin’ Up! Always Artichoke, Tim Holtz (Fired Brick, Brushed Corduroy, Antique Linen)

Misc:  sponges, ribbon, red brads, red eyelet, twine, dimensional, crimper, decorative scissors.

Beary Christmas

Sorry for the lame title.  Anyway.  I bought a (non-SU!) Christmas tree stamp that my demo was selling for 50 cents (according to the price sticker that was still attached, it was originally $11.50!  Wow, I lucked out!) !  I wanted to use it, so I did, here…

I wanted to put ornaments on it, and had the perfect bear for the task (from Angi B & Co., see edited note below).  For the ornaments, at first I experimented with balls, but didn’t like that, even though it would’ve been very easy to punch out a bunch of circles.  So I used candy canes and gingerbread men instead.  This was a super way for me to use up thin strips of ultra-expensive (to me) watercolour paper that I just can’t make myself throw away. 

I stamped the background snowflakes before sponging, so the sponging smeared the snowflakes a little.  If I were to re-do it, I would sponge first this time.  I was just too lazy to re-do it here. 

The gingerbread man that the bear is holding is on a dimensional.

I actually meant for this card to be for my demo (because I got the tree stamp from her), but um, my husband is keeping it instead.  I will try to make a second one for my demo. 

Card supplies:

Stamps: 

- Darcie’s Country Folk (tree;  I think this is discontinued;  it’s from 1993, and I couldn’t find it on their website),
- Angi B & Co. (bear [see edited note below] and gingerbread men),
- Stampin’ Up! (candy canes from Candy Cane Christmas, background snowflakes from Snowflake Spot, the words “joyeux noël” from the French version of Everyday Flexible Phrases),
- Rusty Pickle (damask stamp from their Princess Bride set),
- Technique Tuesday (stitches from their Frayed Ends set).

Paper:
Strathmore’s 140 lb cold-pressed watercolour paper (for bear and ornaments), Neenah’s Paper Classic Linen (dark green, red), kraft, olive green (for the tree).

Ink: Memories Black. Tim Holtz:  Aged Mahogany, Vintage Photo (for sponging on the kraft paper), Pine Needle (for sponging on the tree).

Accessories:  Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours, Stampin’ Up! Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware, sponge, dimensional (behind the gingerbread man that the bear is holding), Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Write marker (for stitches on the kraft pane).

Edited to add:  That bear is now available through SmARTworks and might be called Sweater Teddy.  Hey!  I found it!!  Here it is:  on Page 97 of the SmARTworks catalog.  Thank you Dini, for the information! (see first comment).

Boo To You

I made this card for my nephew and niece (and a duplicate for my husband). 

I think you can click on it for a larger view.  I finally figured out how to do this (I think).

All the stamps in the foreground are by Angi B & Co., who are no longer in business.  But SmARTworks might have them (oops, actually, they don’t;  see note at the bottom), because they are the new home for some Angi B & Co. stamps.  Wood Cellar Graphics also has some Angi B & Co. stamps that are similar, but I did not see the ones I used.

The ghost is the first layer on dimensionals, and then the sign is on a second layer of dimensionals, and finally the cat and pumpkins are on a third layer of dimensionals (this card could be a doorstop).  I hand-wrote “Luke & Melody”  (but on my husband’s card, I wrote out “Patricio”).  “Boo to you” and the candy corn are also on dimensionals.  I stamped all of this onto watercolour paper, watercoloured them, and cut them out (before sticking them onto dimensionals). 

On the background squares, I stamped the tiny border squares by hand, using the little square from Stampendous’ Geo Shapes set.  The background decorative stamp is from Rusty Pickle’s Princess Bride set.  I stamped it first in orange, but it was too overpowering, so I stamped over it again with Stampin’ Up!’s Whisper White craft ink. 

I originally made this card a loooong time ago, for some SCS sketch challenge.  I just barely finished it yesterday.  This card is actually 5 x 7 inches. 

Then my demo got her catalogues!  I raced over to her house and got one.  On page 26 (of the fall-winter 2008 Stampin’ Up! catalogue) was the cutest jumbo wheel (Haunting).  I got inspired by the little witch there and drew this… 

I cut it out and stuck it inside my husband’s Boo to You card.  (’cause that’s myself that I drew, with the glasses and uncombed hair.  AND, I really am that short!)

Card supplies:

Stamps:  Angi B & Co., Stampendous (Geo Shapes set), Rusty Pickle (Princess Bride set)
Paper:  Neenah’s Paper Classic Linen (Baronial Ivory, Black), Strathmore’s 140 lb watercolour paper (for main images)
Ink:  Memories Black, Tim Holtz Spiced Marmalade, Stampin’ Up! Whisper White
Miscellaneous:  Winsor & Newton watercolours, dimensionals, sponges, 005 Micron pen (for the drawing)

Edited to add:  SmARTworks does not have the Halloween Angi B images after all.  Thank you Susan Trask, for the information.

Flower cakes

I also made these for my co-worker (for her to give away), but my husband is keeping them. 

Once again, I made the pink one first, for my own pleasure.  Then I made it again in purple because that’s my co-worker’s favourite colour.  For the little flowers, I used a little punch to punch them out, and then I watercoloured them.  I watercoloured the flames, and then sponged a glow around them. 

I don’t have any oval punches, so I used an oval guide to draw and cut out the white ovals.  The next larger oval size was too large so I drew the same oval size on black and then cut around it carefully.  That’s why the black ovals are a bit crooked. 

Card supplies:

Stamps:  Stampin’ Up!  Blooming With Happiness and Simply Said.
Paper:  Neenah’s Paper Classic Linen (Solar White and Black)
Ink:  Memories Black, Tim Holtz Spiced Marmalade (for candle glow)
Miscellaneous:  Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours, flower punch, oval guide, sponge (for candle glow), silver brads

Birthday Tulips

I made these two cards for my co-worker.  She likes bigger cards, so these are 5 x 7 inches. 

I made a pink one because that is my favourite colour to work with, and then I forced myself to make a purple one, because that is my co-worker’s favourite colour (yuuuuuuck!).  I actually bought a pack of Stampin’ Up!’s Lavender Lace paper (and the ink pad) so I could make cards for her!  *grin* 

The tulips and the sentiment are by Angi B & Co., but they are no longer in business.  SmARTworks might have them, because they are the new home for Angi B & Co.

I made the polka dots by using a clear stamp dot (from Stampendous’ Geo Shapes set) and Stampin’ Up!’s mat-pack grid.  I really love making my own polka-dotted back ground paper like this!! 

I drew the circles (within the scallops) using a circle guide and then cut them out by hand because none of my circle punches were the right size.  Argh.

Card supplies:

Paper:  Neenah’s Paper Classic Linen (Baronial Ivory), pink, SU! Lavender Lace
Ink:  Memories Black, Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick and Old Paper (for the odd-coloured polka dots), SU! Lavender Lace
Miscellaneous:  Marvy Scallop punch, Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours, ribbons, circle guide, SU! mat-pack grid

Pink Birthday Cake

I made this card for fun. My co-worker liked it and bought it for $3!!

I used Stampin’ Up!’s mat pack grid to draw the polka dots with a white Signo gel pen.  The birthday cake is by Angi B & Co., who are no longer in business.  But SmARTworks might have it, because they are one new home for Angi B & Co. stamps.  I stamped the cake on white paper, watercoloured it, cut it out and adhered it. 

Card supplies:

Paper:  Pink, Neenah Classic Linen Solar White
Stamp:  Angi B & Co.
Ink:  Memories Black
Miscellaneous:  Stampin’ Up! mat pack grid, corner rounder, white gel pen, Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours

Magnetic pen/pencil holder

My co-worker had this really lame paper box taped up to a shelf at work.  It was a small office-supply flimsy cardboard box cut in half.  She asked me if I could wrap the box up and make it pretty.  I think she had the idea that I could wrap the box in gift wrap or something.  I said I could just make her a whole new box.  The shelf was metallic, so I figured magnets would be stronger (and look neater) than tape.  So I made this box and put two magnetic strips behind it. 

I put it together with adhesive, but also with an eyelet on both sides for extra hold. 

She liked it a lot!

Paper and ink:  Stampin’ Up! Lavender Lace, PaperTrey’s white paper (for the flowers)

Stamps:  Stampin’ Up!:  Heart from  Gentler Times,  Flower with words from the French version of Be Happy, All other flowers from Office Accoutrements.

The end of the hairbows (for now)

And here are more hairbows made by my sister, Christina, for her daughter:

 

…and because I had taken all of my sister’s hairbows away (to photograph them), she had no bows left for when she did her daughter’s hair.  So she MADE these two…

Here is a close-up:

Neat, huh?  It blew me away that she could make them so quickly!

…and still more hairbows

I have more photographs of my sister’s ribbon artwork here:

She made a lilypad with a frog, and then didn’t want to make the same thing again, so that is why the second one has a bee on it. 

This following blue and white one is actually layered ribbon.  She burns the ends of the ribbons very quickly with a cigarette lighter to keep them from fraying. 

I love these mice!!