JustRite Friday Challenge #083 - "Three's Company"

Lots going on around my house and with family lately, so I've struggled to find quality crafting time and to concentrate when I do! I LOVE the challenge at JustRite this week: Three's Company -- use at least 3 coordinating patterns in your project. Judging from the numerous entries, I'm NOT alone. HOORAY -- always a fun challenge and so very inspiring!

Echo Park's This & That paper pad was in my mind from the beginning -- especially this beautiful floral paper that particularly grabbed my attention. I paired it with another paper from the same pad for die cutting my Spellbinders' Labels Eight, as well as the green dots & diagonal stripes from their Soda Fountain collection. I started with the sentiment frame from JustRite's Grand Sentiments clear set (LOVE it!), which I used exclusively today. I cut the center out with a Labels Four die and used diagonal stripes paper to stamp my sentiment. The flourish was added to another Labels Eight partial cut for visual interest below my sentiment frame.

Finishing it all off are items pulled from my stash to make the stick pin, layered flower and bow, as well as a few gems to embellish my frame.

JustRite Challenge #078: Christmas in July

Christmas in July with JustRite gives me a chance to begin plans for our Christmas dinner this year! I know I want place holder decorations and napkin rings, so began there.
Using Tim Holtz tutorial, I cut five rosette strips in cream w/gold metallic paper to create a decorative tree for place setting decor. Next I stamped them with the various JustRite Lace Borders stamps, some 'upside down' for variety, and embossed in gold. After folding them, I varied how much they flared while hot gluing to achieve my tree's shape. Using Spellbinders' Lacey Circles I cut a tree skirt in chipboard, one in cream/gold paper and then a smaller one in burgundy. The cream circle is stamped/embossed with a holly border from JustRite's Christmas Ornament 3 1/4" set. This set is AWESOME and still available for a mere $8, at JustRite's Super Sale, while they last! To finish, I cut a dowel for the trunk and the smallest star die from JustRite's Charm Dies for a tree topper and added burgundy pearls for holly berries.

To create my napkin holder I used the same process on the smallest rosette strip, adding a chipboard strip with score tape underneath for strength. My ring is topped with a Nested Oval Medallion Labels Die, a coordinating rosette and burgundy Lacey Circle. I added my guest's name with JR's retired Curlz font (if you HURRY, there are still a few fonts here), folded and slipped my napkin through -- inexpensive, but pretty, I think, and each one can be personalized!
My final piece today is our Christmas dinner invitation created by first cutting Spellbinders' Nested Pennants from cream CS on the fold for my card base. Then I cut a Lacey Pennant from cream/gold paper, again embossing Lace Borders in gold and attached to the card front. My sentiment from Christmas Nested Frames is stamped onto a tag die cut from JustRite's Nested Sentiments (retired die), a single 'loop' is added to each end from Lacey Pennants and then it's tied to my card with a small bow. Inside I added my dinner invitation wording typed in Microsoft Word in the shape of a tree which fits the card's shape perfectly -- sooo FUN and a nice chunk of my Christmas prep is already figured out!

I hope you're also getting an early start on your holiday planning -- it will be here before we know it!

JustRite Friday Challenge #072: 3D Project

My project for JustRite's 3D Challenge is a recycled plastic International Coffee container turned thank you gift holder. My sweet friend, Marilyn, saves these for me, as I only drink black coffee -- don't these just make the greatest little boxes?

I up-cycled some corrugated cardboard from my stash, peeling off one layer and brushing on Making Memories Manila scrapbook paint -- love the contrast/depth it adds! One cardboard piece was taped onto the body of the container and a top and bottom die cut with Spellbinders' Grand Labels Four.


To create a border around the bottom I first cut cream CS and lavender shimmer strips with Spellbinders' RicRac Edgeabilities die and then stamped a decorative JustRite stamp from With Sympathy beneath each point. Once my border was taped in place I attached a vertical strip to the back, then across the top to secure my lid. That strip is embellished with the same stamp and closes with a small magnet in front.



















My circular Thank You sentiment from JustRite's Spring Words was stamped on a Labels Eighteen die and added to the lid, along with a rose created from Spellbinders' Spiral Blossoms One and Want2Scrap gem flourish that I colored lavender with Copic V17. Now it's all ready to fill with a little thank-you surprise.

Sincere Thanks to BossKut & Scrap-Mart: New 'Pink' Lady Gazelle in the House!

This post is long over-due, as I was the unbelievably lucky winner of a fabulous new BossKut Gazelle 12" die cutting machine right before Christmas, thanks to not only BossKut, but Scrap-Mart who sponsored the Blog Hop/give-away!!! I am so grateful to both companies and I've been re-organizing my craft room, learning to use not only my lovely Gazelle but a Smart Phone and new laptop. Talk about technological overload -- LOL! I'm hoping to soon be posting more projects created with my sweet Pink Lady.
Quite a colorful beauty, isn't she? BUT, don't be fooled by her bright feminine exterior, as there's definitely a powerful machine beneath that exterior -- never underestimate a pretty feminine exterior, right Ladies?! She can cut everything from the thinnest vellum to chipboard, magnetic material, balsa wood, shrink plastic, etc. with 500 g of pressure. I've already cut shrink plastic (see some of the wine charms here)! Go here if you want to see all the specs for yourself. I hope to soon add more of the awesome available tools that will further enhance my creativity with the Gaz and I'm very anxious to cut some vinyl. This post shows one of my first cards wherein I created the lattice BG on my card with my Gaz! The possibilities are literally endless -- I'd wanted this machine for a long time, so I'm now ready to delve into all that she can do and it's a LOT more than mentioned here!

Mat partially loaded & both side storage drawers open.

This photo shows the mat partially loaded and both storage drawers slid open. BossKut thought of everything when building her, as we can all use more storage and these perfectly hold the dongle (flash drive that comes with the machine which allows Gaz's use on more than one computer), spare blades, etc. If you're thinking of a die cutting machine, check out the Gaz!!!

JustRite Friday Challenge 50: Spring or Birthday Gift or Envelope

As I was awaiting my first Grand Nestabilities' arrival with plans to submit for JustRite's challenge, I happened to find this adorable Pebbles "Birdies" double-sided paper, which is solid green on the back. I decided I just had to make a Spring gift basket, card and lined envie! I had sooo much fun that now I'm up late trying to get this posted!
I made the gift box first and knew I wanted to use Spellbinders' Grand Labels Four, one of my fav shapes. My Labels Four die #3 was cut/embossed and then scored from each scallop indention to meet in the center for added interest on the front. The handle also has 3 scored lines, though it was nearly impossible to photograph that. You can click on the photos, then click again to enlarge them to see the detail. I then cut along the top two scores of my Labels Four, added a Making Memories flower grommet and tucked a Labels Four tag under the grommet on which I stamped JustRite's sentiment, "Rebirth of Spring" from Nature's Nested Sentiments. A little brown felt bird die cut from Spellbinders' Nested Birds sits atop my little tab closure which tucks into a strip of CS behind the grommet for closure.
For my card and matching envelope, I used Grand Labels Four #4 to nearly completely cover the front of my 5" square card. Topping it off is another Nature's Nested Sentiment on a Labels 4 die and a red felt bird sitting atop it. I scored my card front twice at the top also. For my matching square envie, I again cut the Grand Labels Four die shapes to decorate the top flap and to line my envelope!
I love using double-sided paper for projects like this, as it's a sure match and makes everything so much easier! Thanks so much for stopping in today & let me know if you think staying up late was worth it -- LOL!

JustRite Friday Challenge 045: Celebrate Good Times

This week's JustRite Friday Challenge is sponsored by Flower Soft, and we're celebrating good times. Because I have several upcoming birthdays, I chose Just a Note's 1 5/8" Happy Birthday sentiment and DCWV's La Creme flocked CS in black and creme. It's one of my favorites for creating classy and elegant cards.
I cut my bottom border scallop using a retired Pierceabilities die from Spellbinders. My three sentiment layers are die cut using Spellbinders' Standard Circle and Oval and Ribbon Tags Trio Two. After accenting the letters 'H' and 'B' and the raised dots on my ribbon tag with flocking, I laced my sheer/velvet elastic ribbon through my tag!
One upcoming celebration card done, several to go!   ;'~)