Crimped Leaf Tutorial

Here is my tutorial for making

crimped paper leaves. I hope you enjoy it.

Pink, pink, pink

This card definitely is pink. It isn't my usual color. I am more of a blue person, but for some reason I felt compelled to make this pink card. It is for 2 challenges: Splitcoast Sketch Challenge, and the Stampin B's Design Challenge. I made the flowers and butterflies on Saturday. The flowers and butterfly were stamped with a versamark ink pad on pink paper. I then used my heat gun and gold embossing powder to make the gold edges. I then glued the flowers and butterfly paper to two layers of cardstock using Aleene's tacky glue. While the glue was still wet, I cut the flowers and butterfly out and shaped the petals and wings over my finger. When that glue dried, I brushed a coat of Aleene's tacky glue over the top surface. I used a really inexpensive paint brush... one that had originally been in a watercolor set that my kids took to school. The set when returned home at the end of the school year was ruined because all the colors were mixed. I salvaged the cheap brush to spread glue. That way if the brush gets ruined I am not that upset. After that top layer dried, I put the flowers together using gold brads. The antenea, and flower tendrils were made a thin strips of paper that had been heat embossed with gold embossing powder. I rolled the tendrils strips around the handle of the cheap paint brush. I added little rhinestones to the butterfly's body. I made the one gold leaf using a paper crimper.(I am working on a tutorial for making the leaves. I hope to have it posted this week.)

Pretty, pretty Pollys

This card was made for the Splitcoast Cards CAS24 challenge. It was a color challenge. I already had the parrot images in my computer. I just adjusted the coloring to make it match the color challenge.

Today for Cindy's teapot challenge, we were traveling to France for the tour de France.
Cindy told us about bikes, snails, and pelotons. I didn't have any snail stamps or images... so I let my mind wander... I looked out my window and saw birds sitting on a wire. I thought it would make a great story to have birds on a wire. But what kind of birds? I love the colors in parrots so I looked at a photo of a parrot and I drew one. I then scanned that parrot into my computer. I resized it, copied it and mirror flipped it and printed them on white cardstock. I colored them in with prisma colored pencils. I pierced the cardstock and ran twine for the wire. I chalked the sky and ground. I added rhinestone brads in the corners and matted the image with turquoise, green and red cardstock. Here... is my story... These two little parrots are named Michaelangelo and Leonardo-Sophisticated names like these aren't limited to turtles. They are art aficiandos. They have always wanted to visit Paris and the Louve Museum. After spending some time in Paris, they were heading towards Monaco. They planned their flight path to go through Bourg-Saint-Maurice where the end of the 16th stage of the tour de France takes place. Along the way, they sat on a wire watching the peloton pass. It was then that they noticed snails crossing the road. Escargot, Yummy!!! -for parrots, not for me!!

I wanna go... anywhere but here.

Have you ever wanted to be anywhere but where you are right now? Not just in location, but in circumstances? I know I do. I made this for my brother who is struggling with getting a job. He has been waiting for a long time and had to go for a lie detector test as part of the job screening process. I know today was going to be hard for him, so I made him this card. Isn't this little bear so cute. The colors that I used were from the Splitcoast Color Challenge. The sentiment "I wanna go..." is from a family vacation a long time ago. My brother and sister and I were all getting tired. We had passed a Travel Lodge sign that had their trademark SLEEPYBEAR on it. I don't remember for sure who started it, but before long we were all singing..."I wanna go to Sleepybear. I wanna go to Sleepybear." Eventually we got to a place to stop and spend the night. It wasn't in our timing, but in our Dad's timing becuase he was driving. That made me think that there are times that I want to reach a destination, and I must wait on my Heavenly Father. I'ld like to say that I wait patiently, but I can only say that I am trying to wait patiently for His perfect timing. I hope this encourages my brother.

Fabric Cards

All three of these cards were made for the Splitcoast Technique Lovers Challenge.

These flowers were stamped on fabric and then cut out. I used the same flower stamp to stamp the background on the base. I also used itty bitty background stamp to make the dots on the base of the card as well as the rectangle panel. I tied twine through the buttons. I also wound twine up on my pencil to make the flower tendrils. I used a light blue colored pencils to lightly color the centers of the flowers on the base of the card.

For this card, the flowers are also made out of fabric. I free hand cut the flower and layered them to give this card an Americana look. I tied twine to the panels and twine through the buttons. I stapled the panels at the top to add to the rustic look. I made this card for a friend who is having surgery today. Would you say a prayer for my friend Sue?

My last fabric card has little bunnies that were on the fabric. I cut around them and I have them up on dimensionals. I stitched around the edge of the card with twine. I then wrapped the top of the card with twine and finished it off with a button and a bow.

Faux Bamboo

I made this card for Splitcoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge. This mug was my inspiration.I did faux bamboo on the bottom of my card. I will try and get a tutorial for faux bamboo up sometime this week. I stamped my flower twice. I colored them, cut them out and layered them with dimensioanls in between. I used my paper crimper to make the leaves. I will do a tutorial for those soon too. I added glitter to the center of the flower. I used a ribbon to cover where the faux bamboo panel and the green panel met.

Fortunate Photo

I call this a fortunate photo because I saw this little beetle as I was leaving work yesterday. He was about 1/2 inch big. He was crawling on the gravel by my car. I might have stepped right over, or even worse right on him, but the sun shone on his shiny body and caught my eye. I had to run back into my office and grab my camera.

My two actresses

Here is a photo taken of my two daughters after their performance last night in the GRP Youth Musical Theatre. They were in FOOTLOOSE. These were the dresses that were their costumes for the dance. All the kids did a great job and looked great. I am a little bit prejudiced as their mom, but don't they look fabulous?

Prescott High School Colors

Today the Splitcoast Stampers Limited Supply Challenge was to either use your High School's colors or your Wedding colors. You were also to use a clip or photo corners. I decided to use my High School's colors. They were blue and gold. I also needed to make thank you cards. My teenage daughters have been rehearsing all summer for the Youth Summer Musical. They are performing the musical "FOOTLOOSE" Tonight is opening night. I wanted to thank the director, stage designer, costume designer... and all the other wonderful people who have volunteered all summer to bring this theatre experience to the kids. I decided to design the cards on my computer so my daughters could help with making the cards. I designed the card to look like the GRAND THEATRE that they will be performing in. You can see the theatre HERE. I didn't however get the clips or photo corners so I know that the challenge police will be after me. Maybe when I show them the brads on this card, they will show me a little leniency.

Seeing Double

I sketched these pansies and colored them in with my prisma colored pencils. I watercolored the blue behind them. Today's Splitcoast Stampers Ways to Use it Challenge was to use double images. I had to add double butterflies.

Fields of poppies

Here are two cards that I made that were inspired by this poppy art print. I drew the poppies and colored them with my prisma colored pencils. I made them for these challenges. Sketch Challenge 237, CAS Challenge 23 and Color Combo Challenge 227. That is a lot for only two cards.

Fishing is the sport of drowning worms!

I made this card for the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge 237. I drew this little bear yesterday as I was waiting to see my doctor as a check up on my blood pressure. I hate waiting usually, but yesterday with my little sketch pad in hand, I choose to see it as uninterrupted drawing time. I was hoping to use him on today's sketch. I had the card finished true to the sketch, but it felt like it needed more. I added the quote: Fishing is the sport of drowing worms!! It made me think of the Father/Son fishing day that our church had for Father's day. I was asked to photograph the event. I saw very little fish catching and a lot more worm drowning that day.

Another Grid Card

I love this little girl from the SU set Summer by the sea. She always looks so peaceful. I used paper piecing technique on the girl. I drew my grid with a black ink pen and watercolored each square of the grid with a different shade of blue. I layered the image with several layers of blue cardstock. I wrapped the card with twine, added 2 little brads and the BELIEVE sentiment.

The Three Little Kittens

The 3 little kittens they lost their mittens... I made this card for Cindy's Teapot challenge. It had the cutest little kitties. I didn't stamp at all. I freehand crafted all these little kitties. I asked my kids to help me come up with the kittie's menu. My son Josh said... Hot DOGS and CATsup. I added blackened cajun CATfish. I was trying to come up with more CATegories of punny names. I tried to type CAT into a recipe search engine. It came up with 200 plus recipies for CAT. I am sure that most of them were for catfish that had the word cat in it. I had almost expected for it to say no results for that entry, search again. It struck me as humorous that it had the 200 plus recipies for CAT. I shared the story with my husband and he looked at me like I had lost my mind. He said there are a lot of deranged people in this world. He looked at me like I was one of them.

HOT-HOT- DUH

I made this card for my brother who has a birthday next month. It is different from my norm. I have had this stamp for 10 years and have not used it very often. On the inside it says "I hope you have a Hot birthday... DUH... your birthday is in August and in Phoenix. It will be!!! "

I know he will love it.

Summer Sunshine

Another card using the modern grid technique. It sure is a bright card. It made me think of the summer sunshine.

Modern Grid Purple Pansies

Today's SCS TLC was to do Faux Grid or Modern Grid Technique. I stamped and masked these little flowers. I watercolored them in. I made my grid 1" apart. I like order, so I couldn't just randomly color squares. I had to do them with a pattern. I stamped a flourish and my favorite butterfly. I added a little bow at the top.

I will praise the name of God with a song. And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

The old hymn "Count Your Blessings" has been going through my head this morning. "...Count your blessings, name them 1 by 1. Count your many blessings see what God has done."

10. Airconditioning

9. Music

8. Wonderful Church

7. Home

6. Food

5. Little blue wildflowers

4. Loving Husband

3. Healthy Family

2. My Mother

1. God's love

Just a few things I am thanful for today.

A simple thanks

'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free... that song was going through my head this morning. I don't do simple very often. I love cutting, coloring, new techniques... so this CAS card is very different from my normal card. The SCS Inspiration challenge today, took us to Chasing Fireflies I was inspired by this Tea Set. The little tea tray design made me think of the modern grid technique that I tried yesterday. So I had to give it another try. The flowers were randomly stamped and I made my grid 1/2" apart. I cut the teapot and cup out and popped them up on dimensionals. The only coloring that I did was the green leaves. I did faux stitching around the edges and finished it off with a thank you sentiment. This was the first time that this set saw any ink. I got it from my friend Cindy as part of her blog candy for a year of teaparties. Thank you Cindy!

Violets instead of lilies

Do not worry!

Matthew 6:25-34

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barn, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I was thinking about this scripture today as I was making this card. They may not be lilies, but I am sure that I could substitute violets into the scripture without changing the meaning too much. Running a small business makes for stressful time in this hard economy. I needed to be reminded of God's care for me. Maybe you did too.

Sonflowers

I have always loved sunflowers. I love how the follow the sun across the sky shifting to face the sunshine. I have had a stressful week and needed to be reminded to keep my focus on the SON.

I made this card for Splitcoast Stampers limited supply challenge. The challenge was to crop an image and use it at least 3 times on the card, and use only brads or eyelets as embellishments. I used this little flower stamp that I got when my local scrapbook store closed last Dec. I have tried to use it several times, but didn't like the results until today. I stamped the flower pot using white craft ink. I then masked it to CROP the flowers.

I colored the flowers and flower pot with my prisma colored pencils.

After seeing the modern grid technique on Cindy's blog. I have been thinking all week how I could incorporate it into a card. I stamped the flower on the yellow cardstock allowing the length of the flowers to vary. I made my grid with white colored pencils 1/2" apart. I accentuated the grid with two piece of the brown cardstock. I added the little brads, and a stamped hello.

SNOW in JULY?

Yesterday I made a fall card. Today I made a winter card for the Splitcoast Stampers Christmas in July challenge. It made me think about how quickly life seems to be going these days. I have less than 6 months and my oldest will be 18. Doesn't seem real to me yet. I got this sweet little snowman image in an image swap that I did through Splitcoast Stampers. I colored him using my prisma colored pencils. I really like this stand up card technique. I used some snowman and snowflake cardstock that I had been hoarding for awhile. I punched holes on the side panels for the ribbon and string of beads to go through.

I told my friend Cindy that I would post my wall of cards on my blog today. I have recieved cards from my SCS friends. I put them up on my wall at work next to my desk so I could enjoy them. I love seeing everyone's different styles. The different techniques (TRICKS!!) Mostly I love all the color. I have my friend Cindy's teapot cards all in a row. I noticed today for the first time that they all have their spouts facing towards the left. I wonder why?...

Sketch Challenge 236

I made this card for Splitcoast Stampers Sketch challenge 236. I guess I was thinking, and longing for fall. I used fall colors on this card. I took this photo of a flower arrangement from my mother in law several years ago. I had it in a folder for use on a card someday. Today was that someday. I used wrinkle free distress technique on the base of the card. I outlined each panel with black cardstock. I used twine, brads, a metal embellishment and a butterfly to finish the card. The brads and metal embellishment qualify for the stampinb's challenge to use metal on a card.

This week for Cindy's teaparty we are visiting a botanical garden in Ireland. We are going to start acumulating frequent flier miles with traveling to London, and Hershey PA and now Ireland. (I hope that Kelly found a horse headed home.)Here is the teapot for this week's teaparty inspiration. I knew I wanted to do another stand up card for TLC228. (Cindy this is a TRICK that I know you will love!!! It is so easy!!)

When I saw last week that we were visiting the gardens, I knew I wanted to try quilled and 3-d flowers. It was really hard to photograph, but the rose on my card has 5 different layers. The quilled flowers have a depth of about 1/4".

Since we are going to Ireland, I just couldn't leave my card white, so I used some GREEN dp that I had been hoarding. I don't know where my birds went. I must have scared them off when I walked to the bench that was in this area of the garden. I brought my camera so I could capture this beautiful garden. As I sat really still, I noticed these butterflies.

Don't tell the Queen, but the flowers in this garden are so much prettier than hers.

Cindy told us we had to wear a hat to protect our hair from birds... I'm a simple country gal. No fancy hats here. I did however have a St. Louis Cardinals ball cap. (Well, actually it is little ball cap bowl that Dairy Queen has for their sundaes.) I keep mine on my desk to hold my stamping sponges.

For Splitcoast stampers Technique Lovers Challenge for today, Lynn showed us a really neat fold for a stand up card. I tried to do a sunrise card. I think I need a little more practice. I wasn't entirely happy with the lines between the colors. The quote at the bottom says... A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love, and encourages you with hope.

More Fireworks

The fireworks that are on the right hand side made me think of an eagle flying.

Fireworks Photos

Happy Fourth of July

I had some of the elements on this card made last night, and waited until today to finish it. It combines 3 challenges (well almost) and celebrates the Fourth of July.

1st challenge: Stampin B's challenge to use metal on card. My stars and firecracker are my metal. They were made out of a coke can.

2nd challenge:(This is my almost challenge) Limited supply challenge. I had to say almost because I did stamp my flag. Stars punched out, Digital stars frame.

3rd challenge: Today's inspiration challenge. Here was my inspiration. I was also inspired by this card.

Dance, Love, Sing, Live

Dance as though no one is watching you.

Love as though you have never been hurt.

Sing as though no one can hear you.

Live as though heaven was on earth.

I love Saturday's Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoast stampers. Stef comes up with the most wonderful choices for inspiration.

I loved this poster.I also had to try a new quilled flower technique. I have tried rolled flowers out of circles, but never out of scalloped circles. Check out Valita's tutorial on her blog it is awesome.

What took the longest on this card was trying to decide which font to use on my computer. I used Microsoft publisher to print the words. I used my paper crimper to make the leaves. I used a marker to outline the edges of the card.

I had to add a butterfly with all those pretty flowers. You know I can't help myself when it comes to butterflies.

I finished it off by piercing the butterfly's trail.

Digital Monarch Butterfly

The limited supply challenge, at Splitcoast Stampers, for today was to use a digital image, die cuts, no stamping, no more than 2 embellishments. Well, I almost met the challenge. I used a digital image of a monarch butterfly and coneflowers that I drew myself in May and I had scanned into my computer. I didn't use stamps. I only used 2 embellishments. Where I failed was I have no die cuts and no way to get die cuts. I had to faux die cut my image, by tracing around a die cut piece of cardstock that was with a RAK from my friend Krischir. After I traced it, I scanned it into my computer to make it a little bigger and I used both of them as patterns to cut out my image. Oh well, 3 out of 4 limits isn't too bad.

Crocodile Card

I made this crocodile, as a thank you card for our children's director at church. We are going to be doing Crocodile Dock for our VBS next week. She does so much work. I wanted to make this for her. I used cardboard sponged with green to make the outside. I used this Template to make my card.

Treasure Map

I was inspired by this wonderful card by Bobbiesgirl. For this card I combined three of splitcoast stampers challenges. I did this weeks color challenge, the technique challenge and the way to use it challenge. My map is made out of cardboard. I drew the map freehand. I printed the scripture on a piece of parchment. I rolled the edges to make it look like a scroll. I faux stitched the edges and I added 4 little brads.

Butterfly Fantasy Box

Today's Ways to Use it Challenge as Splitcoast Stampers was to think OUT OF THE BOX. To make something out of recycled cardboard. This challenge comes at a great time. I have a pile of boxes that I broke down flat and have been saving for awhile. Last week my husband asked if I was saving them for a reason. Well, of course I was. I was planning to make a fantasy box. I have made fantasy boxes before, but it has been awhile. FANTASY BOX. When I finished my box, I embellished it with butterflies and quilled flowers. It only took me an hour and a half, but I think it was worth it.

Garden of Nine

This is the card I made for the Splitcoast sketch challenge 235. The challenge was to use 9 identical shapes. I thought that this sketch was a lot of fun. I made my nine shapes circles with quilled flowers on them. I used a 1" circle punch for the circles. I punched out the colors of the rainbow plus pink and an extra green. My quilled flowers were made with two flower punches and a 1/2" circle punch. With all those flowers, I had to add a butterfly. I couldn't help myself.