Scrapping by Design

I made this birthday card using a layer of blue card stock, a layer of glossy blue card stock and a layer of embossed, floral card stock.

I did the embossing using the Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, D’vine Swirls and the Sizzix 655268 Big Shot Cutting-and-Embossing Roller-Style Machine.

The green flower and stamens is a  product purchased from the craft store. I added ribbon tied in a bow and stamped Happy Birthday on the bottom using a rubber stamp from Hero Arts.

I really think the embossing is a great touch to card making. It turns a simple card into something quite lovely — and what a time saver that can be if you are as busy as many of us are.

This birthday card was made for my friend’s mom on her 92 birthday.

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This birthday card incorporates a number of techniques — layering, rubber stamping, embossing and die cuts — not to mention ribbon trim and a few yellow rhinestones.

The Big Shot played a major role in making this card. If you aren’t familiar with this machine, I invite you to check out my Big Shot Video Tutorial

First, I used the Cuttlebug Birthday Embossing Folder to make the background.  I brushed the embossed finish with a little navy decorator chalk to make the text stand out.

I cut the three scalloped circles on the Big Shot, using Wizard Nestabilities: Classic Scallop Circles Large

The text in the center of the inner scallop is a rubber stamp from Hero Arts.

I made this birthday card using leftover card stock and papers from the Prayer Shawl Accordion Fold Book Project that I made a few days ago.

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This birthday card uses the Burnished Velvet glitter technique.  If you’re not familiar with this technique, please check out this Burnished Velvet Glitter Video Tutorial

I started with a collage picture that I believe came from Sommerset Studios magazine.  I coated the image with transparent glitter, then mounted it on white card stock.

Next, I layered the white card stock on a red metallic background, then in turn, mounted this on a patterned red paper. The whole thing is mounted on a card made from white card stock.

I stamped Happy Birthday with a stamp from Hero Arts, and then embellished with a strip of ecru lace and a cream colored pearl bead.

It makes a rather nice birthday card for a gal.

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This Prayer Shawl Book Project is a commissioned project intended to accompany a gift of a prayer shawl.

Before I go on, let me expain the concept of a Prayer Shawl. It is a knitted or crocheted item in which the needle artist contemplates a prayer or blessing while creating the item. According to the woman who commissioned this booklet, the idea from the prayer shawl came from Janet Armstrong and Co., a textile artist from Vernon, BC, Canada. The pattern is located at Prayer Shawl Ministries. Prayer Shawl Ministries stipulate that prayer shawls can be given as gifts but can never be sold. The woman who is giving this gift is not a knitter, so she asked a friend to do the knitting and made a donation to the woman’s favorite charity.

My role was to create a paper craft project that would explain the concept of the prayer shawl. My instructions were to make a book that “did not have pages”, was of a certain size, and which contained clippings from the web sites as well as copies of the hand written prayers that were used. As for the design, I was told the recipient likes “things that sparkle.”

Here is a video demonstration of the the accordion folded booklet that I created.

I had never heard of a prayer shawl before. The concept excites me.  I think this is something that fabric artists and paper artists might want to pursue.

Wish I could knit. Well, I can, a little, but probably not good enough for this purpose.

Ever done contemplative knitting or paper crafts before?

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If you live in the Pacific Northwest, mark your calendars for these two excellent stamping and paper craft events scheduled for the month of May, 2009.

In today’s paper craft world, we see a blending of crafts being used together in a project, and we see paper artists who excel or at least dabble in more than one type of craft.  These shows reflect the changing times. They’re good for stampers, scrapbookers, altered book artists, card makers and probably anyone else.

PUYALLUP RUBBER STAMP & PAPER ARTS FESTIVAL®
This annual event is scheduled for May 16 and 17 at the Puyallup Fair and Events Center. The web site says, “Art Rubber Stamping, Scrap/Memory Books, Card-Making, Paper Crafting, Book Arts and Calligraphy Arts!”. The list of presenters and vendors takes your breath away.

This show is sort of an annual tradition in my area. I have not yet attended, but my friends who go rave about it.

Stamp Out Breast Cancer

This two day event takes place in Vancouver, Canada. It’s scheduled for May 30 and 31 and its sponsored by I’m Impressed Paper Arts, a local scrapbook store situated in Granville Island.

The event includes workshops, classes, make and takes, demos, contests, shopping and various craft-related “fun” activities.  Best yet, all proceeds go to the Canadian Cancer Foundation. You can indulge in your crafting passion with a clear conscience, knowing that you are helping to support a very worthy cause.

The show itself is held at the Granville Island Hotel.  If you’re from out of town, what nicer way to spend a weekend than at Granville Island, where you can also browse the market place, sit and watch the boats in False Creek, eat at any number of excellent restaurants and attend live theater in the evening.   (No, the Vancouver Board of Trade doesn’t pay me to say that!  I just happen to love the city I live in!)

Hope to see you at the shows.

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Awhile back, I posted a video tutorial showing one way to make paper flowers with punch art.

I invited site visitors to show me their punch art flowers. A few days ago, site visitor Carol Westover sent me a picture of these these lovely flowers she made with punches.  One of the punches is by Stamping Up. I don’t know who makes the other two.

Carol’s blog is Welcome to my Home. She teaches classes at Picture Perfect and Stamps of Approval craft store in Tehachapi, CA.

Carol writes: “It’s (my web site) fairly current right now (for a change) as I’ve recently pulled off the very old work and posted the newer handmade greeting cards, ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards), and color postcards. I’ve made handmade cards for 20 years and have created Artist Trading Cards for the past 6 years. I teach workshops on techniques, greeting cards and ATC’s at Picture Perfect and Stamps of Approval. I was stamping artist of the quarter last fall so my photo is (hopefully) still there under the artist of the month/quarter area.”

Thanks Carol, for sharing your lovely floral punch art and the link to your site.

Note: Carol sent me an email saying, ‘The other two punches are by EKSuccess, and I believe they’re sold by SU, but am not positive about that.” TY for clarifying.

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This is an Easter Bunny House craft project that I made yesterday.

The top picture is the front view. The bottom picture is the view from the back.

It’s made using the same pattern as the St. Patrick’s Day House I made awhile back. You can get the pattern and a video tutorial for the St. Patrick’s Day House at this link and adapt it to the Easter Bunny House.

This time I added a little pink chimney with a tulip growing in it, and some little wooden shapes that they sell at Michaels. Otherwise, its scrapbook paper, some of it embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder done on the Sizzix 655268 Big Shot Cutting-and-Embossing Roller-Style Machine

At the back, I placed a small bunny picture that I decorated with the burnished velvet glitter technique described in an earlier post

This is a video demo of the Easter Bunny House. I didn’t show how its made since I showed that in the St. Patrick’s Day House video tutorial linked to above.

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Since we heard the sad news that  Luminarte,  the company that makes Twinkling H2Os is shutting down, the members of my Yahoo! group,Ask Suze have been discussing what product to use instead.

Here are some of the suggested products:

Niji Pearlescent Watercolor Set

These watercolors come in sets of 16 or 21 colors. They are extremely low priced compared to Twinkling H2Os. I don’t know how good they are. You can buy them at Dick Blick and other online stores. Dick Blick’s description, in part, reads “Niji pearlescent paints combine light and color to create stunning effects, either alone or when combined with other water-based media.”   For a comparison between Niji Pearlescent Watercolor Paints and Twinkling H2Os, check this comparison at After Hours Stamper.

Yatsimoto Pearlescent Watercolor Set

Apparently Yatsimoto makes these watercolor paints as well as the Niiji Pearlescent Watercolors.  Amazon sells the Pearlescent Watercolor Set, 21 Colors , calling them :”the finest quality watercolors used by Japan’s watercolor and Sumi-e painters. Pearlescent Watercolor Set combines light and color to create stunning effects alone or with other water based media.”

I may be mistaken, but I believe the Yatsimoto colors may be a higher quality product than the Niji.

Pearl Ex Metallic/ Pearlescent Watercolor Set

Made by Jacquard, the makers of Pearl Ex, this Pearl Ex Metallic/Pearlescent Watercolor- Set of 12 Colors is available at Amazon. The info on Jacuard’s web site reads, “The Pearl Ex Watercolor CD has 12 great Pearl Ex colors packaged as a watercolor palette. Simply mix with a little water and paint onto paper.” This product is a little more costly than the first two, but even so is much cheaper than the “twinks.”

If its anything like Pearl Ex, it’ll be a great product.

New Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist

Some crafters say they are using Glimmer Mist in a pinch. Glimmer Mist is more costly than Twinkling H2Os, and of course is not really intended to be used as a watercolor paint. It is comparing apples and oranges, but still, as they say, it works in a pinch.

I have a great many Twinkling H2Os. I don’t expect to need a replacement anytime soon. What about you? What will you do when your twinks run out?

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This Easter card also uses a picture of collage art — a cute bunny in a garden, courtesy of Crafty Secrets.

I’ve used the burnished velvet glitter technique again, layered the image on purple shiny paper, then did some layering with blue and white checkerboard scrapbook paper.

I have a couple of embossed borders made with the Cuttlebug Frills embossing folder.

A white satin bow completes the look. I may decide to put three white buttons vertically, along the strip of blue and white checkerboard embossing.

The jury is still out on whether I will do that or not.   Buttons can add bulk which can create problems with Canada Post, and this card will be mailed across Canada.

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This Happy Spring greeting card combines rubber stamping, coloring with Twinkling H2Os, heat embossing, dry embossing with a Cuttlebug border embossing folder and scalloped shapes cut with Wizard Nestabilities Die Set: Classic Scallop Oval Large (5 Dies).

The flower stamp is Spring Tulips Sketch from Hero Arts.  The Happy Spring sentiment is from Memory Box.

I quite like this little Easter Card.

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