Background/Foreground

While I dabble in many other types of papercrafting/crafting, I am at heart a cardmaker. I think in many ways it has for me the same appeal that creating ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) does. You have a limited blank space--or canvas--upon which to laydown your ideas, thoughts, and designs. Though there are many different sizes and shapes of greeting cards, I tend to work in the A2 (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") size the most. Every card maker has their own set of "patterns" that guides their work. Do you start with the paper choices first? The event or sentiment? The design idea or embellishments?

Even though I do have a specific pattern to my card building, many times it is just altered by happenstance. Sometimes it will be finding a terrific piece of decorative paper that inspires an entire card. Other times, it might be a person or place that gets inspiration flowing. Sometimes, I think we tend to be too rigid in our patterns and methods. When you let the card make itself, you can find surprising results. This particular card is an example of that for me.

While I LOVE decorative and designer papers as much as the next crafter, sometimes I love to play around with textures and stamps to create my own background images and patterns. What surprised me with this card is the seemingly lack of cohesiveness between all of the elements of the card. What sounded like a wreck in my mind, actually turned out to be an interesting end result (or at least I thought so).

The materials list for this card project is as follows:

paper: Stampin' Up! textured cardstock in Crushed Curry (5 1/2" x 8 1/2"); Stampin' Up! cardstock in Kraft

inks: Stampin' Up! Classic Ink in Soft Suede

stamps: Papertrey Ink fleur di lis tile stamp from Giga Guide Lines set; Stampin' Up! Vintage Labels (#119122)

embellishments: K & Co. Grand Adhesions Butterfly from the Que Sera Sera collection

tools: Stampin' Up! 1 1/4" circle and scalloped circle punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, Scotch ATG 714 adhesive, Stampin' Up! sponge dauber

To begin, I scored my base cardstock at 4 1/4". I then used a single image stamp to repeatedly stamp the background image over the face of my card. I used a sponge dauber to take the same ink and darken the borders on all edges of the card. Because the paper has a textured finish, the stamping has a raw look to it and the imperfect imprinting adds a certain old-world charm to it. The sentiment is stamped on a punched circle of the Crushed Curry cardstock--and then stamped again with the circular frame border. I layered the circle on a scalloped punch circle of Kraft cardstock that has been sponged with the Soft Suede ink to darken it. Stampin' Dimensionals were used to attach the sentiment to the card. The butterfly embellishment was a weird afterthought that in hindsight is an interesting contrast to the repetitive pattern on the background. Though it's not clear in the photographs, the die-cut butterfly has a layer of clear transparency film on top of it to which glitter has been applied. It gives the butterfly a nice sheen and a bit of light reflection which helps it stand out from a busy background pattern.







Don't forget that Sunday is the deadline to enter Giveaway #3 (see sidebar for details). May your background always be pleasing and always star in your foreground. Keep crafting!

Giveaway #2--Hearts Flutter

It's time for giveaway #2...and of course, it's inspired by the upcoming salute to St. Valentine. So put your cupid wings on and enter for a chance to win this week's loot.






Up for grabs, a package that includes:

Fancy Pants "French Market" rub-ons

7 Gypsies "Zanzibar" rubbings

Prima Marketing Journaling Bloc-Notes & Storage Box (30 sheets, 4"x6")

Heidi Swapp "Crowns" Journaling Spots

K&Co. "Smitten" Holographic Puffed Heart Stickers

K&Co. "Smitten" Adhesive Chipboard Heart Collection

Pebbles Inc. Ribbon Sampler in "Chocolate Box"

Papertrey Ink 6" x 6" Patterned Paper Pad in "Pink Patterns" (36 sheets)

For a chance to win, leave a comment on this post telling us: "What makes your heart flutter?". The winner will be chosen by random draw. Entries accepted until 11:59 p.m. MST on February 3, 2010. The winner will be announced on February 4, 2010 on this blog. As always, consider officially "following" my weblog to stay abreast of giveaways and updates (see right sidebar).

Good Luck and have a terrific weekend ahead!

Love Struck 2010

I seem to be enchanted with hearts these days. While two-thirds of the country may be finding icicles dripping from their tickers, it's safe to say that the blood is still flowing in my neck of the woods. (Which reminds me, I should really clear up the latest craft-blog rumor about myself: That story about me dating an entire NFL football team is so overblown. I swear. It was just the offensive line of the Indianapolis Colts--not the entire team.)

Hearts are so randy... Now, where was I? Oh, hearts. Not to be obvious or anything, but Valentine's Day is soon upon us and Cupid will be looking to pierce his little sticks of love (or lust) into unsuspecting paramours around the world. I'll shortly be handing out my yearly application for potential boyfriends and other assorted play toys.

One of the new timely releases from ProvoCraft's new line of seasonal limited-edition cartridges is appropriately entitled 'Love Struck 2010'. It features a very nice array of highly-detailed cuts celebrating all things love and hearts. This weekend, I played around with the cartridge a bit and thought I'd share a couple of examples of the intricate hearts found on this mini-cartridge. It's truly a must-have in my opinion (but, aren't they all usually?)

These first two are base cut out of Bazzill cardstock and the overlay is cut from a piece of K & Co. decorative cardstock from the "Smitten" collection.




The final two examples (which I A-D-O-R-E-!) are cut with base layers of Bazzill white cardstock. The top layers are cut from Stampin' Up! textured cardstock in Melon Mambo. To really set off the intricate designs, I used a layer of Stampin' Up! Crystal Effects for gloss, sheen and added dimension.





Now all of you crafty peeps, go break some hearts....

Matryoshka

A matryoshka doll is also known as a Russian nested doll or babushka doll. The set of typically wooden dolls is of decreasing sizes which fit one inside the other. The word "matryoshka" (матрёшка) is derived from the Russian female first name "Matryona" (Матрёна). The word "babushka" is the Russian word for grandmother.

Matryoshka dolls are said to have been inspired by souvenir dolls from Japan. The concept of nested objects was familiar in Russia at that time, having been applied to carved wooden apples and Easter eggs. They date from the 1890's and consist of a wooden figure which separates, top from bottom, to reveal another figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on. The number of nested figures is usually five or more. The form is approximately cylindrical, with a rounded top for the head, tapering toward the bottom, with little or no protruding features; the dolls have no hands (except those that are painted). Traditionally the outer layer is a woman, dressed in a sarafan. The figures inside may be of either gender; the smallest, innermost doll is typically a baby, and does not open. The artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be extremely elaborate. Matryoshka dolls are often designed to follow a particular theme, for instance peasant girls in traditional dress, but the theme can be anything, from fairy tale characters to Soviet leaders.



The first Russian nested doll set was carved by Vasiliy Zvezdochkin (from a design by Sergei Maliutin), who was a folk crafts painter in the Abramtsevo estate of the Russian industrialist and patron of arts Savva Mamontov. The doll set was painted by Maliutin himself. Maliutin's design was inspired by a set of Japanese wooden dolls representing Shichi-fuku-jin, the Seven Gods of Fortune. Maluitin's doll set consisted of eight dolls -- the outermost was a girl holding a rooster, six inner dolls were girls, the fifth doll was a boy, and the innermost was a baby. In 1900, Savva Mamontov's wife presented the dolls at the World Exhibition in Paris, and the toy earned a bronze medal. Soon after, matryoshki dolls were being made in several places in Russia.

I've long been fascinated by Imperialist Russian history and art. I am a student of the work of Peter Carl Faberge and a collector of eggs. The beauty in art, textiles, sculpture, jewelry molding, fashion, and other areas of Czarist Russia is truly breathtaking in its scope and grandeur. Wassily Kandinsky is another artist of the period that I adore.

When I saw the early sample images of the new Cricut cartridge "Paisley", I was immediately drawn to the images of several matryoshka dolls. Of course, the entire cartridge is filled with delightful, whimsical images, but the matryoshka sold me immediately.

Of course, I was dying to make a card with one of the pieced images. This card was my first attempt--and I have to say it holds a special place in my heart. For some reason, every now and again, the crafting muses align perfectly and a project has just the right combinations of colors, textures, and design elements. For me, this card is one of those watershed moments.

The matryoshka image is cut at 3.75" on the Cricut Expression and consists of several layered pieces. The solid cardstocks are all textured Bazzill papers. The decorative paper for the mat and outer matryoshka layer is from Die Cuts With A View. The card base is an A2 piece of Stardream Fuse Mica cardstock in Ruby. The ribbon is 1/2" satin Stampin' Up! in Real Red. I also used the Stampin' Up! tag corner punch on both the card base and mat in all four corners. The crimson pearls are from Jennie Bowlin Studio and the inner journaling shield is from K & Co. The layers were adhered with SNAIL adhesive and the matryoshka is elevated with Stampin' Up! dimensionals. It's a very simple, yet strikingly elegant layout.

Card Gallery

Here's a look at some of the card projects I've been working on of late:


Bazzill corduroy cardstock, Versamark, stamp by Basic Grey (Offbeat), Stampendous red tinsel embossing powder, K&C0. grand adhesions sentiment


Bazzill cardstock, Fiskars edge punch, Cuttlebug butterfly die/emboss combo, Perfect Pearls, Stampin' Up sentiment stamp (Dreams du Jour), Stampin' Up Stampin' Pad (Kiwi Kiss), Dew Drops Ink (Pearlescent Orchid)



DCWV glittered cardstock, Autumn Leaves ornament stamp, Stampendous red dragon embossing powder, Martha Stewart lace edge border punch, Versamark, All Night Media pop dots, Dew Drops Ink (Aquatic Splash)

Card Spotlight: Fall Is In The Air

It's about that time. Time for sweaters, hot cocoa, spiced apple cider and watching the leaves tumble off the trees in our front yards. Yes, friends, I think it's safe to say Fall is officially here.

Last night I was goofing around with a couple of card designs and decided I wanted to make a Fall-inspired card. Of course, for me the biggest (and first sign) of Fall is the changing colors of foilage and the piles of leaves that seem to end up on the doorstop quite mysteriously. The colors of Fall are a marvelous palette for cardmaking.

For this project, I used the following materials:

--Bazzill crosshatch textured cardstock in Burnt Orange; cut to 8.5" x 5.5";
--K & Co fall leaves decorative paper from the Fall Harvest mat pad designed by Johnny Yanok; Cut to 3.75" x 5.5";
--Cuttlebug 2" x 6" die "Leaves & Netting" set (now retired);
--Cuttlebug
--adhesive
--brown craft paper scraps
--Prismacolor markers: burnt sienna, dark brown, orange;
--white resist pen
--Sakura clear glitter gel pen



I used my Making Memories paper trimmer to cut down my Bazzill cardstock, my K & Co. decorative paper and brown kraft paper. I used my Scor-Pal to score my cardstock at 4.25" to create a bi-fold card base. I fell in love with the fall leaves design by Johnny Yanok in the K & Co. mat pad. It was the inspiration for the Cuttlebug die-cut leaves.

Using my Cuttlebug and the 2" x 6" die, I cut two sets of leaves out of the brown kraft paper. I wasn't sure how many leaves I was going to use on the card, but I figured having two sets gave me more wiggle room to play. The leaf shapes I cut (two of each) looked like this:



I used a little trick (which I may share one day) to decorate the leaf fronts. It basically consists of using a white resist ink pen to make miscellaneous doodle designs on the the leaves. After I've made the freehand designs, I used Prismacolor markers to put two to three coats of color on top of the white resist. I think the effect is very eye-catching and gives the piece a bit of whimsy and visual interest.



I used my ATG 714 adhesive gun to adhere the decorative paper to the front of my card. I then deicided that three leaves were plenty for the front of my card. I chose one shape in each of the three marker colors I used. I used my very favorite mini pop dots from All Night Media to attach the leaves to the card front. The mini pop dots give the piece a lot of dimensionality (which unfortunately is difficult to capture in photographs.




As for placing the leaves on the card, you just need to use your eye and experiment with different positions (obviously before you put your adhesive dots on). I found three leaves of various colors worked best. Once I found the layout I liked, it was easy to finish up the card. The only other element I added was a border of Sakura clear glitter pen along the edges of the decorative paper element. A couple of views of the finished look:





This card makes me want to run and jump into a giant pile of multi-colored leaves. Of course, it might be safer to wait until the leaves have actually fallen from the trees in my yard.

Create--and keep crafting!

Card Spotlight: Boo!

There's something in the air. Fall, thankfully, approaches...and so do the ghosts and goblins. This weekend, I was inspired by pumpkins.

This quick and fun card is made from a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" piece of DCWV textured chipboard in a yellow-orange color. (If you haven't tried working with DCWV versatile chipboard stacks, I highly recommend them.) The jack-o'-lantern is cut from a piece of Bazzill corduroy texture white cardstock. The die-cut is a Cricut cut from the "Stretch Your Imagination" cartridge cut at 4" on my Expression. The backing paper for the reverse side of the card is from the DCWV Old World paper stack.



I used Gamsol and Prismacolor pencils to handcolor the jack-o'-lantern. I used a black Sharpie pen to outline the image after coloring. The "Boo" greeting is done with black Making Memories alphabet rub-ons.



On the reverse side, I used a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" piece of DCWV decorative paper adhered with my ATG 714. The decorative journaling sheet is by K & Co.

Card Spotlight

Today, it's a quick and simple greeting card. The main reason for the spotlight is to showcase some of the lovely K & Co. decorative papers from the new Mira collection by Brenda Walton. I fell in love instantly with this collection that highlights sunrise yellows and oranges with the contrasting deep spice colorations. It's a fusion of Indian and Eastern influences. The entire collection is gorgeous--and the coordinating embellishments are sublime. (My favorites are the Grand Adhesions Chinese Lantern set.)

This particular card is made from a 5 1/2" x 8" piece of "Golden Poppy" paper scored at 4" for a vertical orientation. Also, used is a small piece of "Paisley Ombre" from the Mira Collection for the tag. I made the tag using Making Memories Tag Maker (medium square aluminum rim). A sugar coated flower diecut and leaf adhered with a pop dot and glue dot respectively complete the look of the card. For the sentiment, I chose a Studio G clear acrylic stamp and Cat's Eye Queue ink in Raw Silk.





Life really is wonderful! I hope you have a super weekend ahead!

Keep Crafting!

Idea: Putting Those Scraps To Use

If you are anything like me, you usually find yourself at the end of work session with a pile of odds and ends. I'm going to be honest. I'm not a very good example when it comes to saving scraps, especially paper. It always seems to be more trouble than what it's worth--and I never actually use what I save. I'm a bit better about saving bits and pieces of embellishments. It's just too hard to throw a pretty away.

After working on several cards yesterday, I had a few things left on my work table. I started eyeing them for a bit and became determined to do something with them. The key was finding an empty embellishment tin I had been saving. After a few mintues of playing with my pieces, this is what I came up with: a shadowbox/windowbox on which a card can be attached to the back of the box.







The material list for this project:

--empty metal embellishment tin with lid
--scrap decorative paper for shadowbox background
--chipboard butterfly from DCWV
--chipboard flourish from DCWV
--K & Co. Grand Adhesion flower
--miscellaneous flower, stem and bee stickers

So save your miscellaneous pieces and put them to good use!