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Posts from September 2011

Quilted Bow

Quilted Bow published on 21 Comments on Quilted Bow

Guess what our theme is over at SU Only Challenges this week??!!!  RIBBONS AND BOWS!!!!!  Sorry to shout but I think we can agree that ribbon is one of the best ever accessories from Stampin’ Up!!  I love them all.  So then I was presented with a dilemma.  How do I choose which ribbon??!!  After much debate I simply went with the newest ribbon to my “collection”…Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon.

I made the bow here using the same method as some previous cards and I will give you all the details further down in the post.  The card started with the new-to-me set French Foliage.  It was first introduced in last year’s Holiday Mini and when it made the big catalog went on my first order.  I looked to the Well Worn DSP and found this wood print.  Perfect background for the leaves!  The Early Espresso lines on the bottom of the DSP are part of the print and I created a matching top by running the edge of my ink pad along the DSP.  The leaves were inked in Cajun Craze, River Rock and Soft Suede with a bit of Early Espresso added to the edges with a sponge dauber.  Now to the bow…

You saw my previous tutorial on the fork bow and this is another variation using a potato masher.  It happens to make just the right size bow!!  The bow I made today is a triple bow but you can also use this for a single or double version.  Since it is so similar to the fork bow, the picture above shows it wrapped three times, one tail pulled down and the other pulled over (if you need to see the first steps better, click to the fork bow tutorial).

Turn over the potato masher and put it down on the table.

Add an additional piece of ribbon that long enough to go across the panel and wrap around a little to the back.  Position it so that the bow is in the correct place for your card.

Tie the first half of a know and position the tails of your bow to hang correctly.  Make any adjustments to your wrap-around piece before further tightening (this is especially important with Seam Binding).  Tighten knot as much as you can then pull off the tines of the masher.   Hold the sides of the bow as you do any final tightening.

Here is your final bow.  If it is a triple version, pull one of the inner loops to the top and one to the bottom to make it look like this.  I used a double version of this on the Always Artichoke Bright Hopes Card from the SA Blog Hop.  I do recommend that you try this with Seam Binding first and get the feel of the technique.  The Quilted Satin Ribbon is a bit thicker and you have to work a little bit to get the knot tight.  It is definitely worth the effort though!!

This is part of my continuing search for the “perfect” bow.  I love how consistent these are and the more you do, the faster they get!  I can’t wait to see what you make with the Stampin’ Up ribbons this week.  Make sure you get right over and see what the rest of the design team has made…I’m in love with the ribbon flowers, the poofy bows, the scrunching…well, all of them!

Thanks for stopping in today.  I hope you had a wonderful weekend!!

Stamps:  French Foliage, Always Thankful; Paper:  Well Worn DSP, Early Espresso, Naturals Ivory; Ink:  Cajun Craze, River Rock, Soft Suede, Early Espresso; Accessories:  Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon, Color Spritzer Tool, Sponge Daubers

All products are Stampin’ Up!

Steampunk Inspiration

Steampunk Inspiration published on 8 Comments on Steampunk Inspiration

As promised, I am here to give you a little more information on the scrapbook inspiration project for September’s Creative Crew Challenges, CCREW0911SF.  You are challenged to take this scrapbook page and convert it into a Stampin’ Up Only creation while keeping the vintage/chic/steampunk feeling.  I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by this one at first!!  Then I started playing with My Digital Studio and finally came upon a solution.  The MDS cog punch.  That got everything moving in the right direction.

I was able to create gears in all different sizes and colors.  I simply printed them out and cut them out (using circle punches for the centers).  Basic Black and Cajun Craze are the final colors.  Next I created an overlay to print onto First Edition DSP.  I started with Vintage Overlays and chose the pattern with the eagle.  Then I added the ruler from Timeless.  Once it was printed, I started playing around with the layout and needed a few extra details.  The line art from the retired Plane & Simple seemed perfect so I used the goggles and the airplane.  The cogs were too plain so I embossed them with clear embossing powder to add some dimension.  Finding the perfect picture was the most important part of all, of course!  This is my oldest son and one of his very best friends at an airshow last year.  I edited the photo to ensure you could still see the airplane parts from the C-5 in the background and printed it in sepia.  Finally, I spritzed on some black spatters.

I love this shadowbox (and so do my son and his friend)!  I took pictures without the glass and it was still hard to photograph.  If you click on either picture you can see some more of the detail.  I can’t say that this is truly steampunk but I think you can see the inspiration.  I hope you will give this challenge a try too…you never know where the creative challenge will take you!!  Don’t forget to upload on Splitcoaststampers and include the keywords CreativeCrew and CCREW0911SF.

Thanks for stopping in today.  Whew…6 days in a row of posting!!  I will be back on Tuesday for the next SU Only Challenge.  I’ll give you a small hint…the challenge includes one of my very favorite things from Stampin’ Up!!  Until Tuesday, have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Stamps:  Plane & Simple (ret), Timeless (digital), Vintage Overlays (digital); Paper:  First Edition DSP, Well Worn DSP, Basic Black, Very Vanilla; Ink:  Basic Black, Basic Gray; Accessories:  My Digital Studio (MDS), 1″, 1 1/4″ and 1 3/8″ Circle Punches, Color Spritzer Tool, Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Shadow Box (non-SU)

All products are Stampin’ Up unless otherwise indicated.

It is official…

It is official… published on 7 Comments on It is official…

the holiday stamping season is officially here!  Oh, I know the Holiday Mini went live yesterday but that is NOT what I am talking about.  I know that the holiday stamping season is officially here because Dasher has ink on him!!  And now that he has ink on him there is a good chance he will not leave the stamp table until January.  I know I should not  play favorites among my stamp sets but this little fellow never lets me down!

This week I get to be a guest designer for A La Card Monkey’s Challenge 72.  They have an awesome sketch that is combined with a Christmas theme.  So now you see why Dasher “had” to get inky!  Just look at the layout…doesn’t it just cry out for a reindeer???!!!  Ok, it did to me!

I think it is becoming clear that I am leaning towards monochromatic cards for Christmas this year.  Today I used Early Espresso and Whisper White.  The designer paper is from the Berry Blossoms DSP pack.  Early Espresso Baker’s Twine seemed like a natural to pair with the paper!  I wrapped it around the Early Espresso frame layer first and secured it in back.  Then I tied on the bow.  Some little bows on my buttons and it is complete!  The best part about this card is that it doesn’t take hours to make and you can make lots of them, in a variety of colors, using different Baker’s Twine choices, Linen Thread, or Twine.  Now is the time to get to work on those cards so you aren’t in the last minute rush!  We can now pretend that I’m not always in the last minute rush!!  *smile*

With a layout this fun to use, you need to get right to work and play along!!  Maybe you can pair it with the Creative Crew Color Focus Challenge too.  See??  Your card is almost done!

Thanks for stopping in today!  Can you believe that I have posted this many days in a row??  Might be a new record!  Hang on to your stamps but I will be back tomorrow with some more details about my vintage/chic/steampunk inspired shadow box project.  Have a great day!!

Stamps:  Dasher, Short & Sweet; Paper:  Berry Blossoms DSP, Early Espresso, Whisper White; Ink:  Early Espresso; Accessories:  Early Espresso Baker’s Twine, Neutrals Designer Buttons, Dimensionals

All products are Stampin’ Up!

Creative Crew Color Focus

Creative Crew Color Focus published on 15 Comments on Creative Crew Color Focus

Well, as you can see I am lucky enough to have been chosen to be on the Creative Crew at Splitcoaststampers for the fall quarter.  Yippee!!!  I have posted all four of the challenges in the Splitcoaststampers Creative Crew Gallery and will be detailing them here over the next few days.

Today I am starting with the Color Focus Challenge,  CC0911DF.  The September focus is based on the Timeless Portrait DSP.  You can use the DSP or you can use at least three of the colors:  River Rock, Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla and Island Indigo.

My goal was to use all of the colors so that I could demonstrate the “feel” of the paper without actually using it.  I don’t have any of the stamps from the suite (yet) so I used the a set that has a similar bold image, Precious Butterflies.  I cut the large butterfly with the Big Shot and the Beautiful Butterflies die.  I overstamped it in Basic Black.  The little butterfly was cut using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit out of Island Indigo card stock.  The embossed pattern on the River Rock panel is from a Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plate.  Don’t all the swirls and images go together perfectly??  Now, what are those black pearls??  Stampin’ Up doesn’t carry black pearls!!  No, they carry Basic Pearls and you can use them for almost everything!  I just took a black Sharpie marker to the ones I needed and made them black.  Cool, huh??!!  I scrunched the Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding using Sticky Strip behind it.  This is a fast and easy way to add texture without adding a bow.  Finally, I put my whole layer on a background of  First Edition DSP.  Hard to see here, but I chose a print that talks about butterflies.  This awesome layout is courtesy of the Operators at Stampin’ 411.

I can’t wait to tell you more about my other projects so stop back by over the next week to see more.  Now it is your turn to play.  You have a WHOLE MONTH…there is no excuse.  You can use the key word CreativeCrew (one word) to any project you upload.  I can’t wait to see what awesome projects await!

Stamp:  Precious Butterflies; Paper:  First Edition DSP, River Rock, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Very Vanilla; Ink: Basic Black; Accessories:  Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Sticky Strip, Basic Pearls

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