Recycled Gift Card Holder

So, what do you think I recycled to make this project? Yep, a flattened toilet paper tube! Cool right? This was for another swap on Swap-Bot. I joined a group called Somerset swappers that uses Somerset brand magazines as inspiration for all swaps. In case you aren’t familiar, these magazines feature different hand made items from recycled projects to doll art to shabby chic deliciousness to vintage items to aprons to whimsical artsy altered projects.

The design is pretty basic. The outside is wrapped with patterned paper held on with adhesive and the bottom is stapled closed. I also held the lace on with staples and covered them with the scrunched seam binding. I tried something new with this ribbon. Sharon (I can’t remember if it was Harnist or Johnson, oops, sorry) had on her blog that she ties the ribbon, then spritzes and scrunches it. I tried that because I wanted flat ribbon around the tube to better hide the top of the lace and the staples but a scrunched bow. Worked out very well! I used gold Perfect Pearls Mist that I made and spritzed the whole project.

TIP: I don’t use hat pins much anymore for beading because it is too expensive. Instead I use corsage pins or head pins made for jewelry. The head pins are best in some ways because almost any bead fits on the smaller ones, even those with small holes but they bend too easily and you have to work them into the bow rather than stab them right through the middle of the knot because they are blunt tipped. The corsage pins have thicker metal so fine-holed beads don’t work but they are sharp tipped.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: Button Boutique-PTI
Ink: Vintage Photo Distress
Paper: My Mind’s Eye, vanilla CS-SU!
Accessories: lace-stash, mini pearls-Melissa Frances, pearl beads and crystals-stash and Swarovski, seam binding-Hug Snug, ribbon-Offray, corsage pin, Spellbinders tag die

Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop–Baby Thank You

Welcome to another Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop. This month’s theme was Birthday or Birth Day as both Taylor and her baby were born this month. Welcome little one! She is adorable! I am pregnant too and decided I’m certainly going to need lots of thank you cards. This one took a while so I am going to give it to someone special (rather than an assembly line card).

I used a TE sketch from Sept 9 for this, I think it was #146. I’ve seen a few cards made from this sketch and loved them so today it was my turn. The background is stamped with Versamark using a SU! roller stamp I unmounted to save space. Works just like a background stamp after that. I have to say, I am in love with that little diaper bag. I will be using it a lot more!

If you liked my card, I hope you will consider subscribing to my blog my RSS or email. Both are on my sidebar. Thanks!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Taylored Expressions, sentiment-PTI, background-SU!
Ink: Versamark, Memento black, celery-SU!
Paper: DP, celery, navy CS-SU!, white CS-X-Press It
Accessories: ribbon-Offray, button-PTI, Divine Twine, Tag die-Quickutz, Copic Markers-YR30,Y21,Y35, G21,24, B39,41,45,91,93, E02,31,33,35, W1,3,5,7, C5, 100

Inspiration Showcase Embossed Resist Card

Rebecca, if you are reading right now, stop! Otherwise it will spoil a surprise!

I’m taking Jennifer Mcguire’s Inspiration Showcase class right now. There’s only a few days left but you might still be able to join in a week or so as she sometimes opens classes up with a slight discount after the class is over. You won’t get a chance to win prizes nor ask questions on the forum (I don’t think) but the class is awesome! I already knew many of the techniques but she puts such interesting spins on them and uses them in ways and in combinations with other techniques I would never have thought of. I can only image how exciting this class would be for a new stamper or someone who doesn’t use techniques much! And it was a great reminder of techniques I haven’t used in ages! She has an amazing way of teaching so quickly and concisely and her videos are always clear and easy to watch. No jumpy visuals or blurred images and she always makes sure you see everything, never too fast. I am absolutely in LOVE!

I made this card using the Distress Ink Embossed Resist technique. You emboss your image on white paper using clear EP and heat emboss. Then use a blending tool to add colour to the background. I needed a thank you card for my BFF who tutored my son for a super amazingly good price this summer. He was doing quite poorly in math and still didn’t know his times tables in grade 4. So she worked with him twice a week all summer, so worth every penny. She homeschooled her boys and I have to say, it’s a shame she isn’t a school teacher. She is also an excellent musician and used to teach piano. So I often use musical themes when making cards for her.

The treble clef was stamped in Distress ink and clear embossed to make it shiny like the background. The bottom edge was cut with a PTI edger die.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: SU!
Ink: Versamark, Distress ink concord, lavender
Paper: white, pale plum CS-SU!, Basic Grey Wisteria paper
Accessories: pearls-Dollarama, clear EP, Copic marker (to colour the pearls darker), PTI Edger 1 die, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Tim Holtz foam ink applicator

Back to School Cards

I can’t believe my little one is already in school. He’s only 4, still says his ‘L’s like ‘Y’s, as in yunch instead of lunch, and still seems like a baby in some ways. One of my favourite things he said was when he talked about the 'yady in the yine’ at a store. So cute!

He was totally fine on the first day of school, so confident, never looked back! I did OK, I made it through the drop off, stayed to help the teacher with a kid who was practically hysterical after her mother left (the teacher was directing parents to their kid’s teachers so was busy) and made it to the car before I started to cry. Even then it wasn’t too bad. I think it is because he really isn’t my youngest child anymore. When the baby I’m pregnant with goes to school, that will be really hard.

Anyway, I made the kids each a card for the first day of school. I also made the older one a bookmark. Apparently I did OK, this one was a hit. Hard to make something cool for a 10 year old boy!

I cut apart the sentiment that said Hope your Birthday Rocks and removed the ‘birth’. Then I wrote in ‘first’ with and embossing ink pen. The embossing is a cool colour called Medieval Metals. It is a mix of gold, bronze, copper and silver. Very masculine. The star is made from a coaster cut with a Sizzix die which is also covered in the same EP. The main image is black embossed. I sure gave my heat gun a workout on this card.

This card is for the little one. He doesn’t really care much about what I make him and he will probably trash it first chance he gets so I didn’t spend too much time on it. The image was coloured with Copics and raised up on foam dots. Except the little lines joining the balloon and basket. They were stamped on the background. I threaded the buttons with Divine Twine. The right one looks like plain white twine but it is really yellow twist.

I know, why on earth did I photograph a black bookmark on a black background? Even brunettes have blonde moments is my only excuse! I had placed the bookmark on the back of the matching card and just photographed it there. This time I used silver EP since the bookmark will usually not be near the card. I used the rock n roll technique for the coloured area on the guitar. The neck of the guitar was coloured with Copics and I darkened the middle with a Copic multiliner. It is a very simple design, just a folded over piece of CS, like a long, skinny card. Inside, on each side, are magnets to help the bookmark stay in the book.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
ROCK Card and Bookmark
Stamps: Taylored Expressions
Ink: Versamark, not quite navy, banana, orange, red-SU!, embossing pen
Paper: black, white CS-SU!, DP-Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend
Accessories: foam dots- Jody Morrow, Sizzix die, coaster board, ticket corner punch-SU!, Copic R29, C5, Black, silver EP-SU!, Medieval Metals-Sweet Stamps, magnet tape-Michaels

BALLOON Card
Stamps: Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento black
Paper: red CS-CDS, blue CS-SU!, white CS-X-Press It
Accessories: foam dots-Jody Morrow, EK Success punch, buttons-stash, Divine Twine, Copics (sorry, I forget the numbers especially since I rarely use these bright colours)

Doodle Pantry-Autumn Topiary

My term at Doodle Pantry has come to an end. I am sad to see it go but also relieved as I am going to be very busy with the baby soon! Only 3.5 months to go! I do love colouring Laurie’s images though so I’m sure you will see some more of her designs in the coming months.

Finally! A card I thought photographed well! I am always apologizing for my poor photos. I struggled to find papers to go with the fall colours I used for this image. I finally settled on Max and Whiskers by Basic Grey. The colours were perfect. The sketch is by Mojo Monday but I missed entering by just a few hours. Bummer!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Image: Doodle Pantry
Stamps: Sentiment-Verve, Flourish-(sorry can’t remember)
Ink: Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress, artichoke-SU!
Paper: Basic Grey, artichoke, espresso,kraft CS-SU!, white CS-Taylored Expressions, vintage dictionary page
Accessories: scalloped die – not sure, either PTI or MFT, flowers-CTMH, pearls-Dollarama, circle die-Nesties, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Copics R24,27,29 YR04,07,16, Y21,35,38, YG63,67 G21,24,94,99 BG93,96 BV00,02 E35,37,47