Here Comes the Sun!!!

I know I have been on a card kick here the past few days. At first it was just to take my mind off the pain. But, since I have been making them, I find them oddly relaxing and very fun.

When I did my colourQ challenge, I somehow made my way to retro sketches (http://retrosketches.blogspot.com/), which is another challenge site which provides a sketch as inspiration. The sketch for this weeks challenge is:

At first I wasn't sure what to do with it. Even the design team examples didn't really get me very inspired. So, I let it drop for a while. Then it hit me! You see, there is about 2 inches of snow on the ground here and I am soooooo ready for spring and some sun. So, I though I would make my own little sunshine. And, here's what I came up with.

Wow, can't wait 'til spring!!!!

Please feel free to leave comments, ask questions.

Have a sunny day!

Miranda

colourQ Challenge

I came across a new challenge at http://colourq.blogspot.com/. The inspiration is a color palette. 


So, I thought, why not? Then I got started. I gathered the colors and the was stuck. It seemed like no matter what combination I came up with, they all looked awful. So, I decided to just start and see what happened. This is the final result.

Obviously a "cherry cobbler" base, then kraft. Then, cherry cobbler wrapped in white velum. Cherry cobbler and gold ribbon, coral flat back pearls, and daffodil flower with white pearl brad.

Let me know what you think!

Miranda

Simple and Easy Flower Cards

Well, the scans of my neck today.......normal. Did show a bit of arthritis, which counts for the pain, but no the memory issues or the passing out, or the dizziness. Guess I'm back to the unknown.

Today was pretty painful, but crafting seems to help take my mind off the pain. That is until I turn just right way and the pain stops me in my tracks. That being said, I chose to so my easy fall back......cards. The hardest part of a card to me is the sentiment. I can have a beautiful handmade card sitting in front of me, and have no idea what sentiment to add. I guess it's OK to leave the front blank, but then do I need to put something on the inside, or is it OK to leave that blank also? Both of these cards are very simple and both do have sentiments.  Let me know what you think.

 (Thinking of you)

 

This is a 4x4 G studio card. I got 8 plain white cards with envelopes for 97 cents at Walmart. I ran it through the embosser with the Cuttlebug embossing folder. I then took a very dry ink sponge with vintage photo on it and lightly went over the embossed areas. I then distressed the sides of the cards with the stampin' up embossing tool then vintage photo. I cut the base flowers with my Cricut. I printed the sentiment out on the printer and cut it into a circle. The bling flowers are from my stash. The sentiment is adhered with foam mounting tape. Except for the card, all the papers were in my scrap pile.

 (you are my SUNSHINE!)

 

Again I used a blank 4x4 card from Studio G. I cut the sunflower from the Cricut as well as the flourish that I am using as the stem. I printed the sentiment out with the computer and cut it out with decorative scissors. I ran the sunflower petals through the embosser with the paper studio wood grain folder. I then took a yellow sharpie and went over the embossed areas and the sides. The center of the sunflower I ran through the embosser with Cuttlebug Swiss dots (?) folder and went over the embossed areas with brown sharpie. The sentiment again, from the computer, was sent through the embossed with Cuttle D'vine swirls folder, then went over the embossed areas with yellow sharpie. The edges were inked with Vintage Photo. 

 

I have posted the cut files and tutorial on the Cricut website. If you would like a template, just let me know, I'll post one.

 

Hopefully, tomorrow will be less painful and I will be able to concentrate long enough to work more on the birdie challenge.

 

Until then,

 

Miranda

Bye Bye Birdie Challenge Enty....incomplete

Happy Monday! So, I was cruising the web last night when I came a cross a cricut blog (+fantabulouscricut.blogspot.com). After reading through the website, I decided to do the weekly challenge.  This week's challenge is called Bye, Bye Birdie. There really aren't any "rules" other than I have to use any circut bird in the project, it is due the following Sunday at 7pm PST, and I have to post the final project here and link it to FCCB blog when I do so.

So, I got to work. This is what I have done so far.

I knew I needed to use a bird, so I decided I wanted a bird sitting on a branch. And I knew I wanted a sort of vintage look.  The backing page is a dictionary page that I adhered to card stock.  I also knew I wanted some texture, so I decided the best place to do so was the branch. What I did was take packaging paper (the thin brown craft paper people use to wrap glass or stuff in boxes to protect breakables) and pretty much drown it in mod podge and manipulate it into a 3D branch shape. While I waited for that to dry, I came across an old page of rub ons and decided to use them. So, the rose, clocks, key, and words (family and lifetime) are rub ons. I am unsure of the line as the packaging was gone.  Once the branch was dry, I painted on Tattered Angles Cork glimmer mist. Once that was dry, I lightly went over the branch with gold metallic paint to help bring out the texture. I then distressed the edges of the pages with a stamin' up distresser and Tim Holtz's vintage photo ink. I then very lightly went over the rest of the page with vintage photo also.

I'm not sure what I will use this for, but I'm thinking maybe the cover a mini album or possibly something in a family tree.  It needs a title though. Any suggestions?

Obviously, I still need to add the bird and will probably add some 3D flowers. Feed back greatly appreciated.

Miranda

Tulip Greeting Card Template and Instructions

Hello, again all! I told you yesterday that I would give a tutorial on the tulip greeting card. I was able to scan the template while at my mom's, so let's get started. If you are using a Cricut, the cartridges you will need are: 1) Cricut essentials, 2) any cartridge with a circle/oval, and ) Sweet treats.
      A) Cut one oval at 1" x 1.75"
      B) Cut 4 drop shapes (Cricut essentials) 1" x 1.75"
      C) Cut one rectangle 0.25" x 3"
      D) Cut 5 sweet treats: Flowr1-s 2.5" x 3"

If you are not using a cricut, cut out the shapes above. Cut out 5 of the crescent shapes. Copy and paste the above picture into word, publisher, or any other program that you can use to re-size and print off the template.

You will 2 pieces of card stock:
   1) White/Cream 4.5" x 11"
   2) Pink card stock or color of choice.

1) Fold White/Cream card stock in half length wise.
2. Center and adhere to pink card stock. (I used double sided tape).

3.) Adhere stem (rectangle) so that there is room for tulip at the top of the card. (I used glue stick)

4) Ink edges of oval, and drop shapes. Make sure that you have 2 drop shapes where the point faces right and 2 that face left.

5) Center oval on top of stem and adhere (again, I used glue stick).

6) Center and slightly flare one of either the left or right facing drop shapes (petals) (glue stick).

7) Repeat with opposite facing petal

8. Take 2 remaining petals and adhere them together so that they flare out slightly farther than the petals that have already been placed.

9. Apply double sided mounting tape/pop dots to back of petals

10. Center with already placed petals and adhere.

11. Score center of all 5 crescent shapes (leaves). (I used a paper piercer).

12. Fold leaves along score line.

13. Ink fold

14. Ink edges of all leaves making sure 2 face to the right and 2 to the left. The last petal can face which ever way you choose.

15. Adhere two opposite facing petals to the stem so that they are centered and fanned out.

16. Adhere 2 more opposite facing leaves together so that they flare out farther than previously places leaves.

17. Then adhere, to most recently adhered leaves, last leaf so that it is centered and stick as straight up and down as possible.

18. Center and adhere to stem with double sided mounting tape/pop dots.

19. Trim leaves, add sentiment, and embellish to your liking. I chose to stamp both the sentiment and the small butterfly.

This little card is quite cute, quick, and easy to make. Feel free to customize this card in anyway. If you choose to make this card, I would love to see your take on it.

Happy crafting!

Miranda

Tulip Greeting Card

Finding it very hard to concentrate today. So, today's project was just a quick and simple card.

I plan to put the cut file and instructions on the Cricut web site. I am also going to try to put a template on here for those of you who do not have a Cricut or the Cricut cartridges I used for this. But, I do not have a scanner, so I will have to post the template tomorrow after I go to visit my mom. Something is definitely wrong when your mom has a scanner and you don't. Oh well. Some day I guess. I will post instructions also when I post the template.

Have a great one!

Miranda

Cup Cake Wrapper Flower

Hey again! Well, I know I mentioned a shadow box yesterday, but I wasn't feeling it today. So how about a quick tutorial. This was inspired by the many tutorials on the Internet on how to make folded circle flowers.

OK, so, I was feeling lazy and didn't really feel like firing up the cricut and didn't want to cut circles by hand, but really wanted to make one of the flowers. Then I remembered that I had left over cup cake wrappers from Christmas, and they are round. So, I decided to give it a try.

I started out with 12 cup cake wrappers, a hot glue gun, and a 2" circle that I cut out of an empty girl scout cookie box.

Fold the wrapper in half, only flattening the flat center of the wrapper.

Fold into 3rds. Put a small dab of glue as above.

Continue folding until you get a petal that looks like the one above. Repeat this for all 12 petals.

Put a dab of glue in the center of the 2" circle and place 6 of the petals. Make sure when you glue the petals down that the folds of the petals are all facing the same way.

Now, you see there are some spaces where there are no petals. That's OK. In order to fill these spaces, take your next 6 petals and glue them in so that the center of the petal is aligned with the junction of where two petals in the first row meet. When you do this, make sure the folds of the petals are facing the opposite way of the folds in the first row. This will make the flower fuller.

You can continue this process until you end up with a pom pom like flower, or you can stop here and add a flower center. I chose to add a flower center.

 I think this would look great as a gift topper. It might even be cute on a headband. Using smaller cup cake wrappers would be cute for a mini album or maybe a tag. You are only limited by your imagination.

Thanks for stopping by!

Miranda