Be Creative

Love to Make Love Cards... From Scraps

After hours of die-cutting, punching and cutting for my Valentine Card and Tag kits I had a large pile of lovely red scraps and it made me wonder how I could use them.

These punched strips caught my eye in the pile. I trimmed some other solid colored strips to fit behind the punched strips and glued them to the back. For you, find some scrap paper strips and punch them with a heart punch. You'll have the heart punches to use for another project.

To make a card I folded the cardstock and attached some patterned paper. Then I just attached my punched scrap strips to the card front.

I finished off my card with a bow, sentiment and charm.

Now go have a look at your scrap stash and see if you can make yourself something from it.

Hope you enjoyed the idea... If you want to make it even easier take a look at my Valentine kits... With Love Valentine Cards HERE and With Love Valentine Tags HERE

Embellished Halloween Candle

I loved how this project turned out and I couldn't wait to share. I can't claim the technique as mine, i'm not entirely sure but, I think i've seen it before. What made this one turn out so beautiful is the Trick or Treat die cut from Sizzix. The die cut comes in my new Spooky Treats and Goodies Kit, you can get one for yourself HERE. * Friday Update... there is still time to get your kit, i'm shipping priority mail :)

It was a little hard to photo and explain so I made a quick video. Check it out to see how I did it.

** I do not advise burning these candles with the paper on them**

 

Check out all the projects in the Halloween Kit HERE

Related articles

Curly Q's

New Kits and Videos

Curly Q's

I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post. I've been trying to make more time to actually be creating and less time on the computer. But, like most times I don't find a good balance... now i've got way to many creations to share and my blogging is backed up. Such is my life,  out of balance, but loving it.

I have a really simple technique to share today. Teeny tiny curly q's, perfect for decorating pumkins as tendrils or leaves or as some spooky black cobwebs.

Here's how I did it... Gather up your supplies; cardstock, patterned paper (Authentique Irresistible Collection), a bunch of tiny leave die cuts (Sizzix), Pumpkin and swirl (Sizzix), inks button, twine... all the usual goodies.

Flick some paint on to the stamped sentiment.

I inked some cardstock so that when I create the curly q's you see a variation between the front and back green colors.

Trim the thinest strips you can from the edge of the cardstock.

Twist the strips of cardstock around a small round tool and pull off. Now you're ready to attach the curly q's to your card.

And here's the finished card. I'm all about dimension and I love how the curly q's pop off the card.

I layered up all the tiny die cut leaves along the bottom of the card and of course had to add some sparkle with some fall colored rhinestones.

I used this same technique on this card from my Spooky Fall Treats and Goodies Kit.

Like I said simple... easy peasy. Hope you enjoyed the cards. Leter this week i'll have another technique using one of my favorite Sizzix Halloween die-cuts.

Vintage Greetings

So proud to say that last months kit sold out! Twice!!! Very thankful to everyone who purchased a kit. Thanks for supporting the kits I love to make for all of you.

Oh, beautiful summer days! The Vintage Greetings Kit is a sunny reminder of summers past. Mason jars, doily shapes and polaroid frames are the highlight shapes in this months kit. Create 6 cards and 2 tags for all your card giving needs this month. I've teamed up with Eileen Hull and have used her Sizzix die cut shapes to create a kit you'll love. I've also incuded a simple technique handout for paint stenciling.

Seriously, if you love mason jars, these mason jar cards are adorable!

Kit includes all the supplies for making 6 cards, 2 tags, printed sentiments for inside and outside cards,envelopes, color copies, access to my tips and tricks blog page, and technique handout.

You'll love it, you can get yours HERE

Take a peek at this video where i'll share two very simple ways to add a little something extra to your cards. 

 

Vintage Greetings are ready to ship now, hope you'll consider treating yourself to some creative time! Hope your weekend is off to a wonderful start. 

Check this out...

A super simple technique inspired by my friend Beth. I saw her doing this a while back and thought it would be great for this kit. It's so easy but adds so much. Here ya go, check it out.

 

Sentiments from the brand new CHALKBOARD GREETINGS KIT.

Give this a try

Looking for a new way to color your embossed designs? Heres a new way I tried out this week. Peel the paper away from a crayon. Using the side of the crayon rub it all over the embossed design.

It's really that simple. It worked beautifully. Looking forward to trying it out again and blending several colors together. A little german glass glitter...

Some seam binding, roses and a sentiment bring it all together.

Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Easter

Trendy Woodgrain

In my last post there is a FREE download PDF on how to create three different woodgrain looks on your paper crafting projects.

It's pretty easy to acheive three different looks and I bet even more if you spend a little time and expand on what I started. Give it a try and see how it turns out.

Make today awesome!

No pop dots... don't painc

Who doesn't like biscuits and gravy? Not the best healthy breakfast option,  but sometimes you  have to treat yourself. I've been feeling a little sassy in the sentiments department lately so I included this sentiment in the AUGUST CARD KIT. If it's a little to feisty for you don't fret, there is a matching design with a more traditional sentiment you can use on the card.

I've always been a fan of pop dots for adding dimension, but while designing this card I realized that someone, (do you have one of those nobodies that live in your house?), used my last pop dots to pop up some 3d frog art. Really, if I weren't a crafter I'd make an awesome detective! Ok... so I've been seeing some pop up banners in the market lately and decided it was high time I make one myself.

Here's how you can do it too. Trim your sentiment, leaving long tails at the ends. Next to the edge of the sentiment fold the cardstock back and then forward again.

Now here is something i'm not so good at... taking one handed photos.

Now repeat the same thing on the other side of the sentiment. Trim the edges to a point with your scissors and attach to the card. I only use adhesive right next to the points I cut. That will allow it to pop up.

Of course you should use some buttons and pretty seam binding to embellish the card. And there you have it... my no pop dots solution!

Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Solutions + being creative + wanting to

One of the biggest things we are working on in my house this summer is teaching the girlies how to solve problems and find solutions for obstacles they face. My oldest is a natural at this, but still she could use work on getting creative with finding ways to get along and tolerate her little sister (little sis is only 15 months younger, so shes really not that much littler). It's just a matter of reminding Niguel.

My younger daughter Kylah... this is where the "work" and "teaching" comes in. A quote I recently read sums it up perfectly...

" If it's important to you, you will find a way. If not you'll find an excuse"

Everything with Kylah comes down to IF she "wants" to do it. How do you teach someone that they "want" to find a solution to a problem? I'm looking for every opportunity to teach her how to solve problems. It's one of my biggest goals to send my girlies in to the world able to fix things and problems and find creative solutions in not so obvious ways.

It made me think about this particular paper i've been seeing... that I love... that I adore. It's just that I don't scrapbook much anymore and it just doesn't work for card making. Sounds like an excuse right?

Hahaha - not so quick. Time to get creative and find a solution.  A circle punch and some papers for my JULY KIT

Lay the circles down on the edge of the card and cover half of them with a piece of patterned paper.

Attach it all along with some pretty embellishments and you have a perfect scallop border!

Now, if only my daughters biggest problem in life would be to find a way to make a scrapbook paper work for a card then my work would be done and I could eat milk and cookies in the afternoon! But there is work to be done my friends... next problem please, i'm on a roll!

Pa Pa Paper Strips

This is what I have been loving making with all the millions of paper strips I have...

Start by adhering coordinating paper strips to a solid piece of cardstock.

Then Die cut it... Hearts are my favorites!

Then turn it in to a card with some other coordinating papers.

And send it to someone you love. TGIF!