Give'm That Ol' Razzle Dazzle...

If you are anything like me, you're submersed in the wonderful world of gift wrapping, last-minute gifts, and decorating every nook and cranny of your home...and loving every second of it. Somehow, in all the madness, I've still found a few minutes here and there to work on a few projects (and of course, buy more supplies). We even had a surprise light dusting of snow on the grounds as December rolled in. It's been years since we've had an honest-to-goodness White Christmas in my neck of the woods, but a boy never stops dreaming.

For today's quick card project, I have to say that I'm slightly disappointed that I didn't have more time to fidget with the camera to try and get some better shots of this card. It was my first time experimenting with the Stampin' Up! Heat & Stick Powder and the Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Let me just assure you that these pictures do a poor job of getting the glitz across. If you are a bling junkie, you really need to play with some of these wonderful powders and potions.

The base of this A2-sized card is a piece of decorative cardstock from SEI's 'Glitzmas' collection. I used a 4 1/2" x 4" piece of Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock to create the mat for the card. Both the card base and mat had the corners removed with the SU! Ticket Corner punch.

I ran my white cardstock through my Sizzix Big Shot using the "Christmas Ornaments" Cuttlebug embossing folder. I then used a sponge dauber to apply Tsukineko Memento ink in "Lady Bug" to the embossed front. After the ink was set, I used a VersaMark pad to coat the raised portions of the embossing. Then it was time to sprinkle with Heat & Stick powder and get out the heat gun. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the powder applies wonderfully and melts with minimum heat. As soon as my adhesive powder was melted, I scooped some Dazzling Diamonds glitter across the top, shook off the excess and reheated a bit for a final set.

For the greeting, I used my SU! scalloped circle and circle punches, pieces of Riding Hood Red and Whisper White cardstock, some Tsukineko ink in "Cottage Ivy" and a stamp from the Stampin' Up! set 'Holiday Best'. (If you'll notice, I sort of missed the mark on my stamping job--but I convinced myself that it gave the piece the illusion of being a round ornament, lol). Sometimes mistakes do add a bit of charm to the finished project--or so I tell myself.






Before I leave you for a pile of bows and tape dispensers, I thought I'd share a sneak peak of a home decor project that I'm working on. I think it's coming along nicely...and I'll share the completed project soon.



Wherever the day finds you, keep warm and more importantly, keep your heart warm...and keep crafting!

A Sketch & A Card

Today, I thought I'd try something a little bit different. We begin with a sketch that (hopefully) shows the folding card project I experimented with. I should warn you that is hand-drawn and not necessarily to scale, but I think it gives you the general idea as well as the key measurements. Of late, cards that include this type of stair-step folding seem to be all the rage. I think this one lends itself to a holiday card very nicely.



Your base cardstock should measure 5 1/2" x 8 1/2". I chose to use a piece of Bazzill textured cardstock. The "trickiest" part of this card is a vertical cut that you must make from the 1" mark to the 6 3/8" mark. Where you decide to make the cut is entirely your option. Where you put the cut will determine the length of your stairstep folds. I made mine at 2" in from the left side of the cardstock. You can either use a craft knife and a straight edge or your paper trimmer to make the cut. Once you have made the cut, the rest of the card basically becomes an exercise in paper folding.

You want to use a scoring tool (in my case the Scor-Pal) and score from the right side of your cardstock up to the cut line you made. You should score your paper at 1", 2", 3 1/8", and 6 3/8". Notice here, that your first and last score (1" & 6 3/8") should meet the beginning and end of your cut mark. There is one final score to make, but it is slightly different in execution than the others. This score mark will go all the way across the entire width of your cardstock at 4 1/4". This is also the midline of your cardstock (and your folded card). Once you play with you scored paper a bit, you'll see the natural way it fan folds to create the stairstepped effect. After you've folded and creased your paper, the fun begins as your canvas is now ready for your imagination.

For my project, I used a piece of DCWV decorative paper measured to fit the front of my folded card in a complimentary shade of blue. For my cut-out decorative piece, I used my Cricut Expression and the new Limited Edition cartridge "When It's Cold Outsided 2009-2010". The large snowflake and the shadow were cut at 4". The snowmen came from the snowman snowflake. I merely trimmed them out of the snowflake with scissors and used adhesive to put them in the row in front of the giant snowflake. I liked the idea of the snowmen doing a secret unseen dance out in the snow in front of a giant snowflake (like their altar if you will). I added a Stampin' Up! rub on and sentiment to finish the card.

This card type is lovely in that it creates its own stand and would look lovely displayed on a mantle or other decorative holiday display.

Destinations Décor

Recently, I added the Cricut 'Destinations' cartridge to my ever-growing library. Currently, this cartridge is an exclusive early release to HSN (available in a Gypsy bundle or as a separate purchase). It should be available in mass retail in December 2009.

I knew when I first heard about this release, it was going to be a 'must-have' for me. (But then again, aren't they all?) I've always loved the history and romance of old steamer trunks, valises, and portmanteaus covered with vintage labels/stickers from varied destinations and travels around the world. From the artwork, color combinations, landmarks, and world languages, they have always inspired and fascinated me. This cartridge takes that concept and gives it a modern twist. Covering locales and landmarks around the world--and cities in the United States--'Destinations' is a must for those with wanderlust and travel in their souls.

After glancing at some of the images, I was inspired to create a piece of home décor alteration. I've had a reproduction black steamer chest around my home for many years. It's served as an endtable, a book case, and numerous other functions in rooms around my house. I've decided to take it and decoupage it with 4" labels from landmarks around the world. While it will be a project in stages and over time, I thought I would show you two of the labels I created that will find their way onto the finished project as an introduction to 'Destinations'.



The first cut I made represents Rio de Janeiro ("River of January"), Brasil and features a depiction of its iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. I chose to cut all the pieces out of white corduroy-textured Bazzill cardstock with my Cricut Gypsy and Expression, then color them with my Copic Sketch markers, and finally, adhere their layers with Zig 2-way Glue and Sakura Quickie pens.

Using the Brasilian flag as inspiration for my color combinations, this is what my finished label looked like:





The second locale I "visited" was Moscow, Russia and its magnificent St. Basil's Cathedral (The Cathedral of Intercession of Theotokos on the Moat). Here are the cuts for this project:



For this label, I had two inspirations for the color scheme. The first was Stravinsky's 'The Firebird' (reds and oranges of flames) and van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' (blues, whites, and blacks of the night sky).





So two down, only several dozen to go...lol. Hopefully, I'll keep you updated on this project as the steamer trunk gets a facelift. In the mean time, I strongly recommend you give 'Destinations' a "trip"...



Keep Crafting!

Snow & Witches?

It's that time of year where the collective psyche of all paper crafters kicks in high gear. From now until year's end, there are an abundance of holidays, projects, home decor, and gift ideas that dance in our heads like sugar plums on that fateful night.

I've been busy tackling several home decor and alteration projects (some of which may end up on this page). In between time, I've been on a kick with the holiday cards. Here are two more in my growing arsenal of designs:

This particular project was unique and satisfying in that the background images of this card are all hand stamped. I'm recently inspired to start creating some of my own 'decorative' papers for my projects.





(INGREDIENTS: Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Guidelines I Grid Sheet White, Bazzill corduroy textured in Petroleum Blue and Ice Blue; Stamps: Papertrey Ink 'Giga Guidelines' and 'Signature Christmas' sets; Inks: Tsukineko Memento in London Fog and Bahama Blue; Cricut & Gypsy Die Cuts: Christmas Solutions ornament and shadow cut; Adhesives: Zig 2-Way glue pen, Stampin' Up! Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots; Accents: Prima Marketing faceted rhinestone, Stampin' Up! 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Tempting Turquoise;)

This second card came from a negative cut of a piece I used on another project. Once again proving that your scraps can always inspire.





(INGREDIENTS: Cardstock: Bazzill corduroy textured in Raven Black and Spiced Pumpkin; Cricut and Gypsy Die Cuts: A Child's Year (witch outline), George & Basic Shapes (rectangle); adhesives: ATG 714;)

Interestingly, this card was dictated by the size of my negative diecut. It is a 4" x 4" square card and purposely layered the cardstock so that the waling texture was perpendicular to one another for more visual and textural interest.

Finally, I received a couple of new toys this week. My numerous years too old digital camera finally gave up the ghost. I still can't believe what wonderful pictures I got out of that 3.2 megapixel Canon. I stuck with the Canon family and upgraded to 10 megapixels. So, I'll be experimenting with images for a while--so bear with me. I also finally broke down and purchased a Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine. I was able to get in on a "goof" deal on the Sizzix website and purchased a Hello Kitty edition of the Big Shot for $29.99. At that price, I figure I can deal with a hot pink machine that doesn't match any of my other crafting tools. Of course, I had to buy the extended cutting pads, crease pads, and accoutrement. So, I hope to bring you some projects using it in later entries.

As always, bundle up from the chilly winds....and keep crafting!

Autumn...and One Last Gasp

Here are a trio of recent card projects that I've designed.





(INGREDIENTS:Cardstock: Bazzill Textured, Stampin' Up! Whisper White; Stamps: Papertrey Ink "In Bloom" and "Text Style" sets; Inks: Tsukineko Memento in Rich Cocoa and Desert Sand; Copic Sketch Markers: E33 Sand, E34 Orientale, E35 Chamois, and E50 Egg Shell; Tools: Stampin' Up! Tag Corner Punch; Adhesives: ATG 714, Stampin' Up! Stampin' Dimensionals)





(INGREDIENTS:Cardstock: Bazzill Textured; Tools: Cricut Expression, Cricut Gypsy, Story Book Accents cartridge; Adhesives: ATG 714, Zig 2-Way Glue Pen; Accents: Kaiser rhinestones, Sakura Glitter Pen in Clear)





(INGREDIENTS:Cardstock: Bazzill Textured, DCWV Latte Stack; Tools: Sizzix/Stampin' Up! Top Note Bigz Die, ProvoCraft Cuttlebug; Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Greenhouse Garden" set; Inks: Stampin' Up! Basic Black and Bermuda Bay; Accents: Stampin' Up! Crystal Effects)

Halloween Tri-Fold Card

I know I've been on this Halloween kick! But, I suppose I'd better get it out of my system as Thanksgiving and Christmas soon approach. Today's card project was a bit different in construction and execution.

The basic shape of the card is a tri-fold. What's nice about this particular arrangement, is that it basically creates a "pocket" card that's wide enough to store a hidden surprise inside of. Say your favorite lollipop, tea, or cocoa (as examples). I made a few with Halloween candy in them, but I decided to show just a non-treat example for this entry.

The base cardstock for this project is cut at 5" x 11". I used Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry. The decorative paper (the "cover" if you will) is also Stampin' Up! from the Designer Series Paper collection entitled "Cast A Spell". It was also cut at 5" x 11". While there are numerous ways to adhere the two layers of paper together, I found that using my Xyron 510 is easiest. I simply ran the decorative paper through the Xyron and adhered it to my Crushed Curry base. Now, you are ready to score your card to create the gatefolds.

Using my Scor-Pal, I scored the cardstock layers at 3 1/2", 3 3/4", 7 1/4", and 7 1/2". Use a bone folder to ensure your card is properly creased at these score marks. Now the real fun begins.

I chose to use my ProvoCraft Gypsy to create a portion of this card. The "Autumn" greeting and shadow were cut on my Cricut Expression from the new "Gypsy Wanderings" cart. The two pumpkins used (and the corresponding shadows were cut from this exclusive-to-the-Gypsy electronic cartridge. (Can I just say I LOVE my Gypsy!) The acetate witch die-cut is from Little Yellow Bicycle. The mulberry paper orange jeweled flower is from Petaloo. The spider stamp is from Papertrey Ink. Finally, I used my Making Memories Slice to create the "Boo!" greeting from the "Spook Alley" card.

I cut the word "Autumn" and the two pumpkins out of white Bazzill cardstock as I wanted to handcolor them with my Copic Sketch markers. I still consider myself a beginning learner with the Copic markers, but I have to say nothing beats the shading effects you can obtain by using these markers. I'm particularly fond of the orange-to-yellow effects achieved on the card front.








I hope Autumn finds you well today...and as always, crafting!

Itty Bitty Halloween

This card uses one of the ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE images from a set put out by Pink Cat Studio called "Itty Bitty Halloween". The card base is Papertrey Ink cardstock, the decorative paper is DCWV. The mat is Stampin' Up! Whisper White with tea stained edges. The image is stamped with Tsukineko Memento in Tuxedo Black and colored with Copic Sketch markers. I used a corner rounder punch on opposite corners of all the papers to give it more visual interest. Finally, a line of Stickles in Orange Peel accents the card.





I forgot to take a shot of the inside: it has a black die-cut that says "Boo!". So boo to you my little pumpkins! Keep Crafting...

Release Your Inner Gypsy!

On September 24, 2009 at 12:00am EST, the highly anticipated world-wide launch of Provocraft's digital companion to the Cricut line of personal die cutting machines took place on HSN.

A special bundle was released for $299.99 that includes the Gypsy (including two exclusive cartridges and all the needed cables and cords), the protective sleeve, an AC adapter, a car charger, a bonus color-coordinated shoulder carrying bag, and the hard-to-get 'Don Juan' Cricut cartridge.

Apparently, crafter's were salivating at the chance of getting their (glue) sticky hands on the Gypsy. More than half of the original stock available to ship, sold out in its first hour of sale. Very few units are still available for your stragglers. You can find more information here.

Card Gallery #279

I promise you I'm not obsessed with Halloween. (Okay, maybe just a wee bit. Don't tell anyone.) But I had another scrap of the decorative paper from the treat box in the last entry and I hated for it to go to waste.





The second card is an interesting one (at least to me). I was inspired by book binding. I used extra strips of cardstock (the same I used for the base) to create a faux binding. It creates a natural offset for your decorative elements (in this case the glossy floral handcuts). The ribbon was a last minute addition--but the idea looks great with or without the ribbon. This is definitely a technique I want to experiment with more in the future.

Treat Boxes

This weekend, I felt the urge to experiment more with my Sizzix Matchbox Bigz XL Die (#114890, $42.95) that I purchased from Stampin' Up! With basically two diecut pieces of cardstock or other material, you can create wonderful multi-use boxes that are perfect for party favor, sweet treats, and small gifts. I worked with several types of cardstock and made versions of a baby shower treat box, a Thanksgiving prayer box, and the Halloween treat box pictured below.

I chose a rust colored textured cardstock to make the box out of. The tray insert portion actually requires no adhesive to put together (though you can add it for extra security). The sleeve portion of the box takes a small strip of sticky strip tape to construct. The diecut medallion on the top of the box is but one of the three choices you have to cut out with this Bigz XL die. I used a 2" strip of decorative paper with a Halloween theme to create the box band. Finally, the decorative topper--a whimsical jack o' lantern--is part of a new Stampin' Up! set called 'Pumpkin Patch' (#116499, $22.95) that was introduced in the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini Catalog (see sidebar). I chose to fill my treat box with some lusciously juicy Sunkist Tangerine Jelly Belly beans. Trust me, the box contents were not long for this world.







May whatever treats you find stuffed in your inbox today be sweet and juicy! More importantly, smile and keep crafting...