JustRite Friday Challenge #080: More Than One Fold

I think learning new/varied ways to create our cards is always exciting, don't you? From fun shapes to fabulous edges to new ways to fold, I LOVE to put a new twist on the basic one-fold rectangular cards we most often make -- which is basically our mission this next 11 days @ JustRite's Friday Challenge!!! Okay, JustRite, your wish is my command -- LOL!

Loving to search for and experiment with fun new folds, I couldn't wait to start this adventure -- I'm usually one of the last posters to JR's challenges, as you may already know?! I'd previously made 'joy fold cards', but happened upon a fabulously brilliant twist on it here! So I had my plan and chose 6"x6" papers from My Mind's Eye: Miss Caroline/Dilly Dally (just LOVE that name). I knew immediately that I'd use JustRite's Botanical Butterflies clear stamps for my main focal image. Following Julie's precise instructions, I cut my base piece and another from Spellbinders' Grand Labels One smallest die, sanded it's embossed edges, folded per Julie's instructions and adhered at the left edge. Next I chose to use JustRite's exclusive Antique Labels One (largest) die for my focal mat that attaches at the right edge and wraps around, again embossing & sanding for effect. I stamped my JustRite butterfly image, colored/highlighted with Copics, cut/embossed with Spellbinders' Standard Circles Large, distressed with Antique Linen ink, and popped up slightly on my red mat.
Then I needed to figure out what I'd use to hold my card closed. Looking at my JustRite stamps and my card, it occurred to me that my BG paper is similar to a window screen, so I decided I had to go with the bee image (also from Botanical Butterflies). I thought it was sooo cute when I first saw this set AND since discovering a live scorpion in my walk-in closet last evening, I definitely had stinging creatures on my mind! Thankfully, hubby was able to hunt down and kill it after he heard my scream, then thoroughly cleaned and scanned our closet top to bottom with a black light and found no more -- whew! So, my closure is this fun bee stamped in black Staz-on ink onto a clear plastic button, plus his flight trail in clear gems. I rounded my base piece's right-side corners, distressed with Black Soot, added a small bow below my butterfly and finished off the inside with another Antique Labels Die and sentiment from the same JustRite stamp set.
I had sooo much fun creating this card and really look forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with -- YAY -- more new folds to try soon -- can't wait!!!

JustRite Friday Challenge #079: Opposites Attract

For this totally FUN JustRite challenge based upon the color wheel, I chose to work with orange/blue greens for my 'opposites attract'/complimentary colors' card.
Beginning with JustRite's Botanical Medallions & Banners stamp set I colored the poppy image with Copics, distressed with Antique Linen distress ink, framed with Spellbinders' Floral ovals and accented with pearls. The focal image was then mounted onto the medallion stamped in orange and die cut with JustRite's exclusive Nested Oval Medallion Dies. I then stamped JustRite's Merry Christmas background stamp onto aqua blue paper from Authentique's Gathering line, highlighted the lace with Copics and distressed it. I hand cut out the center Christmas words since I don't yet have the Spellbinders' Card Creator dies that coordinate with this BG stamp, but they're definitely on my Wish List!

A brad from my stash that I thought was the perfect touch!

Finishing off this card is my sentiment (also from Botanical Medallions), a seam binding crinkly bow hand colored with Copic inks and accented with a brad from My Minds Eye and a couple fabulous gem swirls from Want2Scrap.
If you get a chance to make an Opposites Attract card, you still have until tomorrow to post it at JustRite's Friday Challenge!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #092: Back to School!

Browsing the web one day, I stumbled upon this link for monster bookmarks. Though I have no youngsters in my life at the moment, I do have two avid adult readers, so I thought these would be fabulous for them since they both LOVE Halloween. I couldn't resist making them for our current back to school theme @ My Sheri Crafts biweekly challenge !!!

The link to print out the pattern for the monster corner bookmarks is here. It makes assembly simple for even young readers to cut/decorate their own. If you need a rainy day or after-school activity, there are various ideas to embellish the bookmarks at the first link shown above! Or you can make them yourself as a special surprise -- can't you just see the smile on those sweet faces when they unwrap a new book and find this homemade and perhaps even personalized monster bookmark? While searching, I also came across this fun site and just had to make the bookmark/journal wrap from ribbon and elastic on my sewing machine! I really like this for the simple fact that you won't lose it if you just keep it on the front or back cover of your book while reading. It occurred to me that this would make an adorable headband also -- so fun to find an item that could be changed into something else with just a simple size alteration -- LOL! Really looking forward to seeing everyone's back to school projects @ My Sheri Crafts!

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!

My Sheri Crafts Challenge #091: Back & Forth

Our challenge @ My Sheri Crafts is to use an accordion/fan fold as one of your project's elements -- can be simply a strip, a fan, a rosette -- whatever you imagine! My project is a small Christmas tree which could be used either for a decoration or even a place card holder for your Christmas get-together. The tree consists of 4 rosettes, the bottom of which is enhanced with Martha Stewart's Scalloped 3-Dot punch and all but the top layer includes Tim Holtz Symphony Music Tissue Tape. My  tree topper is a star cut from JustRite's Custom Charm Dies. On the edges of the rosettes and star topper, I applied Glossy Accents and sprinkled on Martha Stewart's Crystal Coarse Glitter. Though I have both Tim Holtz rosette dies, I made these just using strips of CS and my Scor-Pal, basically following Tim's tree tutorial here.
My matching card includes a half-rosette tree and sentiment stamp from Just Rite's Christmas Nested Sentiments, as well as Recollections Rhinestone Stars.
Thanks for stopping by my little blog today! We @ My Sheri Crafts really hope that you'll create a project with an accordion/fan fold -- remember anything goes -- and post it to our challenge -- can't wait to see everyone's ideas!!!