Club Cards

I missed Stampin' Up card club yesterday--dropped my kids off at the airport instead.  When I got back, I stopped by to pick up my cards and place my order.  I ended up attaching the bow to my fave card of the 3--you know which one, right?--the vintage brown one.  And I made in entirety the dog card.  So here's this month's club creations:

Scrapling Cards

My version of Sugar Lump Studios 14 Hearts Day 7 Silver and Script Scraplings:

All images are from Paper Whimsy.

Kraft card; 2-1/2 inches wide
Script tags and Music from Vintage Page Designs
copper brads and dresden scrap

Ivory scraplings from an album project; 3 inches wide
Michaels Melodies and Lace Craft Tags
script from old book pages
buttons from stash

Taking a blog break for a couple of days.  Have a busy weekend coming up.  Happy crafting everyone!

Journal Gift

The prompt and overall design is from Sugar Lump Studios 14 Hearts: Day 2 Be Mine Greeting Card Journals.

I did not have a circular doily in the right size so I used a heart shaped paper doily which allowed me to enter a couple of challenges requiring hearts.  (love when it works out that way) 

The bird card on cover, word strip and circle inside are from Gecko Galz February Release:  Heather Hudson Collage Collection: Here Comes Spring. The postcard is from Gecko Galz Postage collage sheet. 

Cardstock is DCWV Linen Closet; 
Vintage sheet music given to me a Xmas gift exchange; 
Bits and bobs from my collection;
QuicKutz nesting doily heart; 
Stampin' Up scallop punch; 
Ranger Distress Ink Marker in Vintage Photo.  I swiped a couple of Ranger Distress pink inks over the bright pink heart to tone it down.  
Vintage button from my collection;
Sakura Gelly Roll Pen-Stardust (to bling up the roses);
Recollections clothes pin 

I'm entering these challenges: 

Try It On Tuesday challenge:  Get Ready to Celebrate Valentine's Day  at least one heart (2 on cover, one inside)

Gecko Galz Ephemera Emporium Papercrafting Yahoo Group:  Very Valentine gift: challenge: heart, word "love", frilly-- due February 9. 

I'm gifting this card journal to my cousin who is an avid bird lover and gardener.  Maybe she'll recognize the button from babcia's button bag.

Little Boy Blue Card

Here's one of my design team creations for Gecko Galz. 

I have triple layered the card stock and to create dimension, I fussy cut the image and added buttons threaded with twine, silk vine, and a flower.

I'm entering my card in a couple of challenges.  I've listed them below along with a more detailed description of my card.

All Sorts Challenge Week 192 Let's Get Cute 

This adorable image is from Gecko Galz February release:  The Children's Hour collage sheet.

The Craft Room Challenge: Handmade Embellishments-Make Your Own 

I embellished the image by fussy cutting the jumper, hat and wing and adding them as a second layer with foam pop dots.   The wing actually has a double thickness of foam dots.  The printed design from Gecko Galz shows a threaded button on two corners.  I created my own embellishments by using clear buttons and twine.  I was careful to position the twine exactly as it was in the design so that the image underneath looked like a shadow or mirrored image.  
The Crafty Bloggers Network:  February Challenge #8 Sponsored by Elizabeth Bell

Since she is offering two delightful images as the prize, I thought this delightful image was an appropriate entry for the theme Anything Goes.

Monochromatic Vintage Love Tag

Nancy of Sugar Lump Studios is providing us with some awesome prompts and samples in her 14 Hearts.  Day One was a fabulous altered cigar box filled with tags and cards.  See it HERE where I linked up my tag.

Here is my take on the tag:

I chose this beautiful image of my mother and instead of a vintage label or card, I went with this Basic Grey sentiment.  Rather than a printed butterfly, I used this special crocheted butterfly with paper rose and pearls handmade by my cyber friend Cathi from Ireland.  To balance the crochet and the dark center, I chose a dark brown crocheted trim from Really Reasonable Ribbon. 

Instead of vintage script and music papers, I used my new background stamps from  Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC:  Behind the Scenes stamp plate.  I stamped Handwriting in Coffee Archival Ink directly onto a manila tag.  I followed Nancy's prompt to use a scallop at the top of the tag--I stamped Handwritten Music Sheet onto a lighter beige card and punched a scallop circle with my Stampin' Up punch.

Other materials:
Ranger Distress Ink Marker: Vintage Photo for edging
Simplicity Pearl trim
 
I'm entering these challenges:  (some I've entered more than once this month--what can I say--I'm a monochromatic vintage love kinda crafter!)

Really Reasonable Ribbon:  Challenge #65Monochromatic and Ribbon
The Craft Room:  Monochrome
Fashionable Stamp Challenge #40:  Show Some Love
Sugar Creek Hollow Challenge #47 Romantic Love  (I'm sure my dad thought my mom looked and was romantic)
The Cheerful Stampad Challenge #53 You Have My Heart (the sentiment)

Unruly White

Today marks a new month and time for the Ribbon Cutting issue of  Unruly Paper Arts blogozine  

In addition to all of the wonderful blogozine features from the columnists, each month there are two Reader Art Quests (RAQs) 

Here is my design team sample for this month's RAQ 2, Carte Blanche.

Since the card is all white, I chose to use a variety of white papers and textures.
Card base and heart:  Stampin' Up Shimmery White card stock.  It is impossible to see, but there is a glitter effect in the paper.  At stamping card club, we affectionately call it the wedding paper.  It is not a pure white, more of a winter white.
Frame: plain white card stock
Mat:  white glassine paper which, after I embossed it, took on a plastic effect

Products used:

Spellbinders Nestabilities Fleur De Lis Rectangle die
QuicKutz Nesting Doily Heart die
Sizzix Stampin' Up Square Lattice embossing folder
Simplicity Half Pearl Ivory
Prima Shabby Chic resin Eros
Hatpins from my ancestral collection
recycled wired glitter ribbon
recycled glassine envelope for insert
ZVA Creative silk flower

I hope you will be able to join us at UPA with your Carte Blanche creations.  Don't forget to return to Unruly Paper Arts at the end of the month to vote on your favorite entry!

I'm entering this card in:

The Craft Room Challenge:  Monochrome

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge 65:  Monochromatic Color and Ribbon

A Layered Floral Card

Welcome February--and new products at Gecko Galz.  I'm lovin' the beautiful florals in the digital paper pack, the birds, and images of children and women.  

Be sure to head over to the Gecko Galz website for details on new products and specials.  And of course, our Valentines with instructions and specials continues on....

So much to choose from--so here's my first design team sample:

You are familiar with the Triple Stamping technique--stack a 2", 3" and 4" square, stamp all 3 together at once, then take apart and mat with papers 1/8" bigger; then restack.

I used this same technique with this beautiful Ring Around the Rosey Gecko Galz paper from the February digital paper pack, Pocket Full of Posies. I selected a portion of the design and cropped it into a 4 inch square. I printed it 3 times and then cut 1/2 inch all around on one and 1 inch all around on another. By cutting all 4 edges, you keep the image centered. I stacked with DCWV linen card stock.mats and card. 

Tip: to create a rich feel, I printed on canvas paper. The ink actually grabs in some areas and looks shiny--the same effect as if you painted the flowers onto the canvas. 

Additional Materials:  Seam binding bow and Martha Stewart punch butterfly.

I'm entering these challenges:

Sugar Creek Hollow--new challenge every Saturday:  #46 Lots of Layers

I Love You Dearly Valentine Tag

I got to play a second time this week with the hot off the press background stamps from Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC.  This time I used the reverse sequin waste and the handwritten music sheet from the new Behind the Scenes stamp plate for my tag background.

You can see this tag at the Rogue Redhead Designs blog HERE.

I added this lovely lady from the February release of Gecko Galz All Dressed Up collage sheet.

The heart and sentiment are from this week's freebie at Paper Whimsy.  (I'm going to post this on their FB page as a thank you for the freebie sheet of hearts and sentiments)


Inks:  Ranger Distress Inks in pumice stone, tea dye, antique linen (to distress the manila tag) and weathered wood (to stamp the reverse sequin waste); Archival in Sepia (to stamp the handwritten music sheet).

I used a lot of odds and ends from my stash including the trims (brown lace is Webster Pages), Simplicity half pearl ivory trim, Kaiser Craft gray half pearls, Heidi Swapp chipboard clock, a remnant from a crocheted doily, a vintage hat pin from my auntie's collection, and a handmade blue/gray flower from my cyber friend Bitsy.

I'm entering this tag in these challenges:

It's All About the Vintage and Beauty Challenge #36 Lace and Pearls

Gecko Galz Papercrafting Ephemera Emporium Yahoo Group:  Valentine themed tag

Fashionable Stamping Challenge#40: Show Some Love 
I have so much on this tag, that I had to move the ribbon to the side so that you could see I stamped the entire tag before adding all the embellishments.

and I'm also following along with Tag Tuesday -- this week being the alphabet letter "d" for Dearly--as in I love you dearly

Behind the Scenes with Rogue Redhead Designs

With our most recent unmounted stamp plate, we've gone "Behind the Scenes" with a set of background stamps. 

Add some stylish flair to your papercrafting and mixed media creations with these versatile background stamps.  Alone or paired, they are sure to steal the scene with your next stamped project.  Featuring reverse sequin waste, handwriting, bubble wrap and a handwritten music sheet, these backgrounds will lend themselves to a variety of projects.

Get Behind the Scenes until March 31, 2012 for the low introductory price of $17.60, 20% off its regular price of $22.00. 

See some beautiful sample cards made with this plate at the Rogue Redhead Designs blog HERE

Don’t forget that Rogue Redhead Designs also stocks mounting supplies!  You can also get this plate bundled with a sheet of EZ-Mount Cling Foam for $21.10 or bundle this plate with both a stamp storage panel and a sheet of EZ-Mount Cling Foam for the low price of $22.60.

Did you know January 25 marked the 53rd anniversary of bubble wrap?  I paired the bubble wrap background stamp with Rogue Redhead's image from the Beach Babes stamp plate.  

I used Dew Drop Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue ink on blue DCWV linen cardstock.  The overall effect is light and calming and reminds me of my childhood playing along the shores of Lake Michigan (on the Wisconsin side).  

My card is all blue as a reminder that you have until February 3rd to enter the current Rebel challenge: Winter Blues.  The winner receives a $15 US voucher to the Rogue Redhead store--it could be you!

Gecko Galz Valentine

My turn for today's Gecko Galz Valentine from the Design Team.
I call my card Unexpected Valentine

The unexpected:
1) the color combo for a Valentine--light green and pink with vintage black and beige
2) a pocket for a little surprise--treat,trinkets, love note, tickets, gift card, etc. 

3) the unexpected kiss

Print Gecko Galz images:
couple from Love Me Do collage sheet (January release)
sentiment from Heather Hudson Collection February tag set
banners from B is for Banners collage sheet

Directions:
Cut black card stock 6"x12' and fold to make 6"x6" card base.  Cut pale green linen card stock 5.75" x 5.75" .  Cut strip of vintage music paper, distress top edge by tearing and inking. Adhere to bottom half of green card along bottom and sides, leaving top open to create pocket (for Sugar Creek Hollow layers challenge).  Fussy cut image (leave white around image as you cut), sentiment and banners.  Edge banners with black. Layer white doily onto pink paper for contrast.  Edge doily with pink ink.  Place image on round doily.  Fold bottom portion to create straight line.  Adhere image to doily. Add trims to front and back of doily: pink baker's twine on top and organza flower ribbon trim behind (for RRR challenge).  Adhere doily to music.  (more layers for SCH) Adhere black foil trim to bottom edge of music.  Cut wire bow trim (for RRR challenge) and use a bead of tacky glue across top back of each banner and attach to wire in between the bows.  Adhere black bow wire trim to top of green card by bending wire to back of card on each side.  Adhere green card to black card base.  Place dimensional pop dots under banners. Decorate banners.

Additional Supplies: 

generic black card stock

pink paper

music sheet from Vintage Page Designs etsy shop

white round Wilton doily

green card stock from DCWV Linen Closet stack

Ranger distress inks in old paper and vintage photo.

Ranger distress markers:  vintage photo and worn lipstick

pink and white baker's twine (from stash)

black bow wire trim (from stash)

trim from Walmart

Black dresden foil trim

Bride's paper rose from Michaels

Misc. items from stash

In addition to my card being featured along with the instructions on how to make it, you'll find a Gecko Galz product special price for something I used to make my card.

Please go to the Gecko Galz site to see today's the product promotion.  You also can click on the words Valentine Cards which takes you to the file where you'll see all the design team cards posted to date along with the instructions.  

Entering this here:

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #64 Valentine Love and Ribbon

Sugar Creek Hollow Challenge #46 Lots of Layers