JustRite Friday Challenge #096: Sew Good

Our challenge for the JustRite Friday Challenge was to create a card or project featuring sewing elements (stitching, buttons, fabric, etc.), This was a really fun challenge for me with lots of little elements to create!

I chose My Mind's Eye's Howdy Doody 6x6" paper pad to work with. I die cut the bottom decorative CS edge with Spellbinders' A2 Bracket Borders One, adding hand stitching to the edge with a DMC Pearlescent #E818 embroidery thread and then machine stitching with an aqua sewing thread all around my card's edge.

I then die cut and stamped the banner from JustRite's coordinating Buntings and Banners clear stamp & matching die set. Next I die cut several buttons from the same set in white and cream shrink plastic, as well as hand tracing and cutting an embroidery floss holder from my stash. I punched holes in all the items and colored the buttons with my air compressor using Copic markers before shrinking them and the floss holder. The buttons were threaded with cream embroidery thread and I added gold rayon thread to my floss holder and DMC aqua Jewel Effects E3949 thread to a spool charm from my stash.

I tied a bow from measuring tape ribbon and attached my thread holders to it with an aqua baby safety pin. My sentiment is from Becca Feeken's Just the Right Words stamp set -- one of my favs! It is die cut with Spellbinders' Ornate Squares.

My second photo shows a detailed view of the stitching and spool/floss holders.
It was sure fun to make and I'm glad you stopped by for a visit!

JustRite Friday Challenge #081: Charm Me

For the current JustRite challenge, wherein we are to add a charm, I knew right away I'd make my own. Again using JustRite's Botanical Butterflies, even though I used it for the last challenge, I simply had to stamp that bee again to create a charm to use with Authentique's sweet Carefree papers featuring flowers & bees!

I began by stamping the round dotted frame from JustRite's Charmed cling set and my bee onto shrink plastic, die cutting with JustRite's Custom Charm Dies, then shrinking with my heat gun. LOVE how cute it turned out and the bonus with these wonderful charm dies is you don't have to remember to punch a hole before shrinking -- LOL! 
Spellbinders So Trendy M-Bossabilities folder made me think 'honeycomb', so I embossed and then sanded Core'dinations paper for the bottom section. Also from Botanical Butterflies, this fabulous sentiment is stamped and die cut with JustRite's Custom Antique Labels One Dies, a new FAV now! For my flowers and leaves I used Spellbinders' Bitty Blossoms dies and die cut my leaves from stiffened burlap and edged with a Copic Marker.
Thanks for stopping by to visit today and please leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts on my card!

Halloween Wine Charms

My dear friend, best known as 'Sassy', has retired & moved out of state, so she demanded (uhhh, I mean 'sassily requested') I make these Halloween Wine Charms for her. LOL! Nothing like a bit of Fall in Winter (or AZ's Spring), huh? Another dear friend had a surprise going-away party for her, so I decided to get these made for her gift.
These are a combination of Spellbinders' dies and die cuts done with my fabulous new Boss Kut Gazelle machine. {I am such a lucky girl -- explanation here!!!  ;~)} The shapes cut with my Gaz are the ghost, spider, pumpkin and bat. One advantage to cutting these with the Gaz is that you can make them a bit larger as they do shrink to about 1/3 of their original size.
I've added beads to these (and need to do the same with my own Christmas charms) to better help party participants recognize their wine glass and just because I love the splash of color, especially with so much black for these Halloween ones. Besides, I always set my glass down and then can't remember where I put it -- LOL -- not that I really party often. My drink of choice here in the desert is bottled water (sorry landfill!) -- I'm rarely seen without it. Since I'm most often at home crafting, it's safer to close the lid tight & have an unbreakable plastic bottle when I'm rushing around my craft room with my 'weapon of choice': sharp scissors, heat tool, etc. -- you crafty ladies understand, right?!
Hopefully, Sassy will think of me when she uses these little charms this Fall!  Thanks for stopping by today and let me know if you like my little charmers -- they were really FUN to make!!!

Papertrey Ink May 2011 Blog Hop: Flowers

Papertrey Ink's monthly Blog Hop time again and this was a very fun one, as the theme was your favorite take on flowers! I was the lucky giveaway winner of the Limited Edition CHA 2010 stamp set, Four of a Kind. This set features these awesome big flowers and large-scale sentiments -- perfect for what I wanted to create -- a Shrinky Dink keychain tag. Don't you just love seeing the scale of the stamps on the accompanying card versus those on the tag, knowing both were made with the exact same stamps? So fun!
Needing a large die, I chose #3 (#1 being the smallest) Spellbinders' Grand Scalloped Oval, using it for both tag and card. Cutting my polyshrink plastic first, I then punched a large hole and stamped with Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz and True Black inks. No need to let dry as heating with my heat gun to shrink sets the ink. I just love how it turned out! I simply die cut another scalloped oval with the same die, stamped my card (5" x 6 1/2") and finished it off by rounding the corners,  adding knotted PTI Swiss Dot ribbon and then ZVA Creative Pearls to both card and tag and it's all ready to give away! Anxious to see all the creative ideas I KNOW will appear throughout this Blog Hop today!!!

Papertrey September Blog Hop Challenge

For Papertrey Ink's Blog Hop this month we were to show off any skills we might have learned from a fellow stamper, and perhaps even give them a little shout out to thank them for the inspiration they have provided. I honestly have been stamping/trying out new crafting techniques for sooo long that I don't specifically recall who taught me what?! My favorite things recently are using dies, Copic markers and shrink plastic.
Today I used Mat Stack 1 on the front of my card for a cut-out to reveal Everyday Button Bits flowers stamped inside. I framed the cut-out with Spellbinders' Labels Seventeen cut from Scarlet Jewel Paper. I cut my Mat Stack 1 from almond shrink plastic, punched a large hole, stamped Thank You from Giga Guide Lines in Pure Poppy, and used my heat gun to shrink it. Once cool, I added jewels colored with Copics to match and attached my embellishment to the large knot on my ribbon strip. My flower-shaped buttons were formerly cream and green, but I used my ABS to airbrush them, which is a much smoother result than brushing the color on. My final step was stamping "Wonderful friend" from the Anniversary set, Round & Round.
Papertrey products: Mat Stack 1 die; Vintage Cream & Scarlet Jewel CS; Everyday Button Bits, Giga Guide Lines, Round & Round stamp sets; Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado inks
All other products: buttons, gems & ribbon from stash; Spellbinders' Labels Seventeen

JustRite Friday Challenge 036: Color Challenge

JustRite's Color Challenge for this week included the "twist" to also create a handmade embellishment. Mine did just that in the making -- twisted, curled, turned & flattened out once again, as I used shrink plastic.
After Copic coloring my main floral image from JRs Plant a Little Love, I took black Stazon ink to stamp "Just Because" from Just a Note Borders & Centers on almond Shrinky Dink. I die cut it with Spellbinders' Lacey Squares, colored the flowers with Copics R29 & YG67, punched a 3/16" hole and shrunk it with my heat gun -- what a fun process!
I decided it was best to let the floral image take center stage, so simply tied red tulle through my embellishment and upper corner of my Lacey Square, added black & red layers and pop dotted it onto a 4 1/4" square note card, finishing with my 1/2" corner rounder.
Appreciate your stopping in for a peek today!!!
Stamps: JustRite's Plant a Little Love & Just a Note Borders & Centers
Inks: Memento's Tuxedo Black & Stazon Black
Papers: PTI's Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy & Black CS
Embellishments: Copics & Spica Glitter; Shrinky Dinks Plastic; tulle
Tools: Spellbinders' Wizard & Lacey Squares Dies; WeRMemory Keepers' Crop-a-Dile & Corner Rounder

RAK from Julie SBS8

I received this adorable gardening apron card from my SBS8 Sister Julie from England! I love it and think it's such a clever creation!!! It also was quite a task to create because it includes stamping, hand cutting, shrinky dinks, eyelets and all the little hand-applied stitching around the edges.
She also included a plethora of goodies: two darling stamp sets, a molding mat, laser-cut butterflies and several sheets of stickers.
I've never had a sister in real life, but if this is what it would be like, I've really been missing out!!! ;-)
Thanks so much, Julie, and once my package to you arrives, I'll be an even happier Sister!

Brrr! Snowflake Card

I thought it would be fun to use my Shrinky Dink for a snowflake to go with this fun glittery paper.

Paper: DCWV 12" x 12" Glitter Christmas Stack; G-Rated Rubber Stamps Textured Glossy White Cardstock

Stamp: Snowflake Rosette from Hero Arts

Embellishments: Shrinky Dinks Shrink Plastic; Epoxy Sticker; Silver cord

Finished Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"