A Kopy Kat Here

I fell in love with Jenny Gropp's "Paper Quilting" card and IO's Open Scroll Flower Die.  I also thought, WOW, a way to use some of my DP pieces (not used since falling in love with IO's CAC stamps).  If you want to see how beautifully done cards are done, don't miss Jenny's blog!  She really is One KOOL Krafty Kat!!!  Below is how I did my CAS of her card!

CARD FRONT:

1. Used the Open Scroll Flower Die to emboss the image 3 times on a 5.75"X4.0" piece of Laid white cardstock.
2. Die cut the flower using 1.75"X1.75" pieces of leftover pink print DP.  Used removable Scotch tape on the top of the die cut to keep in place.  Saved leftover negative pieces for back of card and envy.
3. Die cut leaves using 1.5"X.75" pieces of leftover green print DP.  Saved negative pieces for back of card and envy.
4. Glued die cut petals and leaves in place on the "TOP" of "embossed images" using Glossy Accents and needle-nosed applicator.  (It looks like you would place them on the backside, but guess how I know it's the front most embossed looking image? 
5. Used Swiss Dots embossing folder on the left side of image and then lined up with right-end row of dots to emboss the right side of image.
6. Each layer of cardstock for the base is increased by .25" on each side. 
7. Mounted sequins with glue dots.  Added a little glitter to the centers.  Punched the centers out of sequins and mounted on lower right.

CARD BACK & ENVY: 

1. Layered the back side as shown.
2. Glued the bottom end of each leftover flower to the corners with GA.
3. Lined up the leftover leaves with petals and glued the furthest end.  Trimmed the leaves at the petal area and glued petals last.
4. Added a piece of embossed swiss dots on envelope paper to the corner of the envy and then did flower and leaves like the back of card.  Added sequins there too!

I am so slow these days with Spring acting like Summer in my yard.  I am behind in hopping, but will get caught up in the next few days.  I have really missed your art!!!  Thanks for stopping by to look and share everyone!!

 Shirley

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Christmas Postcard

JUSTRITE CHRISTMAS POSTCARD

Well, I am back sooner than before.... Some of you really made me feel guilty about not starting early on my Christmas cards.  Well I started this one last September before I got side tracked and finished it this week!! Below is how I did it:

CARD FRONT/BACK & ENVY:

1. Stamped whole image twice and the holly sprig once with Golden Glitz on white cardstock.  Painted one of the whole images and the holly sprig with Twinks.  Trimmed around the watercolored whole image and the corners for the back of the card.  Trimmed around the edges of the unpainted whole image and shadow painted around the holly, mistletoe, and bell for the base.
2. Mounted the shadow painted base on a remnant frosted tan piece of cardstock.  Turned the Twink painted image over and embossed edges with stylus on mat and then mounted over the image on the base with 3D pop-dots.
3. Mounted a 4.25X 5.25 piece of white cardstock on the back of the front. Trimmed around the leftover edges of the corners of the painted image and mounted to the corners of the white cardstock on the back. Used a glue pen for the edges, snowflakes, and words on the front and the corners on the back.  Applied glitter.  (I keep my glitter in a plastic bowl with lid.  It has a cup so I can apply quickly.  After dry, I have a soft brush I use to sweep off extra that might be loose.)

   

   ELIZABETH CRAFT DESIGNS - 745 MERRY CHRISTMAS

4. Applied Glossy Accents to the Cranberries, Mistletoe berries, and the bell 'ding'.  Applied tiny 2mm pearls to the large snowflake.
5. Did die cut in white cardstock, painted with Garnet Red like the Cranberries, and mounted with GA.
6. Peeled cardstock back layer off the last Cranberry image and leftover snowflake corners for the envy.  Thinner for mailing.  Added the glitter and a thin layer of Glossy Accents.

**If you are wondering about the eraser in my supplies list, I use it to erase dry Glossy Accents that might come out from beneath the edges of some of the images.  It doesn't leave any marks and the paper looks like new.

That's all for now.  I am off to take a look at what you ladies have been doing!!  Can't wait to see.  Thanks for stopping by to look and share!!

 Shirley

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A New Card, Die Set Storage Idea, & Google's New "I'm Not A Robot"

IO QUILT VASE, CAC DOTTED ARGYLE, & GREETINGS DIE SET

I need to schedule time to do what I love best since Spring is here.  For this card I chose another Tara Caldwell image.  She has only been with IO a short time.  I have fallen in love with her designs.  Here is how I used her Quilt Vase design:

DETAILS:

1. Stamped the image with Timber Brown ink 1 time, and then the flowers 3 times on white cardstock and painted with Twinkling H2Os.  Cut around the main image and embossed from the back with a stylus.
2. Used largest Spellbinders Labels 40 die twice with white cardstock to get the front and back side of the card, mounted on red cardstock.  (Mounted using ATG tape in the middle of the die cut and then used needle nose bottle with Glossy Accents (GA) to tack down the lace area in places.
3. Stamped Argyle background with Blazing Red.  Used the center of the die as a template to get the portion I wanted for a tablecloth look, traced with a pencil, and cut out.
4. Mounted tablecloth with 1/4" ATG tape, mounted the vase with ATG along the bottom of the vase and 3D pop-dots from middle to top.
5. Cut out flowers and leaves from second image, embossed from the back and used GA lines on matched flower/leaf, let dry just a little and mounted flower or leaf with a tad of glue dot at one end.  Highlighted areas with Vivas, Wink of Stellas, and Stickles.  Mounted gold sequins and heart stick pin with gold bow.
6. Die cut the "Hello" using the red and gold mirror cardstock.
7. Trimmed the other 2 flower images and mounted as shown with tape and GA.
8. Below is the back of the card with one of the flower images at the bottom.
9. The third image was mounted on the envelope as shown above.  (The cardstock has been peeled to make the image thinner in case I mail it.  If mailed I will also place a clear piece of packing tape over the corner area with at least .25" overlap to the back side.  That way it slides right through the mail postage reader.)

DIE SET STORAGE SUGGESTION

I store my die sets in plastic ziploc bags.  I hate all the dies collecting on the bottom as it's to sort them to find the one I want.  It's hard enough reading them 'backwards'.  ;-) Another bad habit I have is saving anything that looks like I can use it for my cards, etc.  I save the magnetic strips that have come on the telephone directories, etc.  Below is what I did:

1. Taped two of the magnetic squares together using duct tape.
2. It was too big for the back of the IO cover, so I added ATG to the back of the magnetic strip(s) and mounted from the top and center on the IO cover back.
3. Trimmed the bottom of the magnetic strip to match up with the IO cover bottom.Mounted the dies.  Love it!!!

 GOOGLE UPDATED
"PROVE YOU'RE NOT A ROBOT"

Many of you probably already know about this, because that's how I found out.  Some of us chose to use the 'Prove You're Not A Robot" feature and many of us hated it as commenters because of the time taken to figure out what the image said, like the one below which is easy compared to most.

OUT WITH THE OLD

One of the first things I noticed when blog hopping again was the NEW "I'm not a robot", shown below. Most of the time I didn't have to read a caption anymore (unless the Show Word Verification is checked in your Settings-Posts and Comments area).  Even then it was just three or four letters that were easy to read.  ***Below is the best part.

IN WITH THE NEW

With the NEW as Blog Moderator:

1. "I'm not a robot" is automatic.
2. They have also given us a choice of continuing to use the Word Verification or not.  It too has been improved with simple to read short letters.  I have mine turned off because I tested having it on or off and I still didn't get those pesky ads anymore, even on old posts. (If any of you have questions, just email me).

Well that's it for this post and I can guarantee you the next one will be shorter!!!  Thanks for stopping by to look and share.  Thanks for all of your welcome backs too!!!  Big hugs.

 Shirley

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A Big Hello

IMPRESSION OBSESSION THOUGHTFUL BOUQUET & CAC FRENCH TEXT

To all of you.  I especially want to also say thank you to my friends who emailed me to ask what I had been doing.  I am sorry I didn't post about why I had not been posting.  I had some difficult family matters and had to take care of business.  :-)

For today's card I chose a new Impression Obsession stamp.  Below is how I created the card:

IMAGES:

1. Stamped Thoughtful Bouquet with Espresso Truffle on natural cardstock once and the flowers on top on white cardstock twice.  Painted flower images with Twinkling H2O's ( they have shimmer.  Trimmed around main image and flowers.  Embossed main image and one flower image from back with stylus on mat.
2. Stamped CAC French Text with Espresso Truffle on natural cardstock twice.  Stamped the corner of a natural envelope with the text too.
3. Embellished the flowers with the Yellow and Purple pens from my Wink of Stella set.

DIE CUTS:

1.  Did 2 die cuts from Spellbinders new Labels 39 die set.  I had to do the die cut and then trace around the edges of the die before removing it.  Then I trimmed the penciled edge as shown above and just below.

BACK OF CARD

ASSEMBLY:

1. Trimmed 2 pieces of French Text to 4.0"X5.25" and mounted on 4.25"X5.5" white cardstock for front and back.  (I have found I really like the cards without the fold and it saves on cardstock.)  Used watercolor around the edges for a shadow or aged look.  Mounted the ribbon through the centers of the die cuts as I mounted them as shown.  Used Glossy Accents in my needle-nosed bottle for the die cut edges.  Taped my centers with ATG tape. (BTW you don't need the gun to use the tape.  Let me know if you want me to explain how).  Added bows and white pearl hearts to front and back.
2. Tore the piece of French Text done on the envelope diagonally and painted on the edge as shown.  Added to envelope corner.
3. Mounted the layered Bouquet image on the front and laid the bouquet image on the back.
4. Cardstock has layers and I took the bottom layer off my last bouquet image before mounting it to the envelope.  If I send it in the mail I will cover the corner with clear package tape so it will glide through the postal thingy.

 Shirley

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Christmas Wreath Two-Sided Card

Just a reminder to vote in my poles at the left if you haven't already.  You can keep up with the results too if you like by pressing on the view button.

I have another Christmas card so I don't get caught like last year, with not enough cards for all.  I still really liking making the card with just a front and a back (another green idea) when I can.  The photos make the red look more true red.  Mine is actually a deep pink red.  A very easy card as you will see:

IMAGE AND CARD FRONT:

1. Stamped wreath on white cardstock 3 times (once for base, once for dimensions, and once for the back of card and envy.
2. Painted all of first image, parts of second image for dimension, and trimmed parts for back and envy with twinks.
3. Trimmed and embossed Holly leaves, bells, and bow from back and mounted with 3D pop-dot REMNANTS. (Go green and don't waste the left-over of pop dots.  They work even better than the dots/squares sometimes, if not just the same.)
4. Put white cardstock through Cuttlebug with Sizzix Dots folder, painted the flourish with Twink H20 Solar Gold.
5. Used Bazzill Pirouette taped to Merry Christmas portion of Merry Tree die.

ASSEMBLY AND EMBELLISHMENT:

1. The Bazzill base is 6.25"x4.5".  The white embossed cardstock (5.5"x4.25) was mounted in the middle.  A plain white piece was mounted on the back.
2. The wreath was mounted and then Viva Crystal Clear was added to the bells and Mistletoe.  When dry Stickles Diamonds was added lightly to the Mistletoe berries.  The same treatment was done on the backside of the card with the holly, bells, Mistletoe, and the bow. Spica AtYou pens were used to high light the leaves and bow edges where needed.
3. Two strips of the Bazzill was added to the envy and then the Holly, Mistletoe, etc. like on the back of the envy.
4. The hearts were added with a dot of GA and then hearts added to them with a Quikstik.

That's it for today and thanks so much for stopping by to look and share.

Shirley

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