Stripes Card Gift Set

There are some really lovely people in my congregation who always seem to be giving and giving. Once in a while, I’d like to give back. I can’t do a whole lot of practical things for most people but I can give them some cards I’ve made. I don’t know the personal taste of this couple beyond seeing what they wear because I’ve never been to their house. So I kept these cards very neutral, even a bit boring. When I give them, I’ll offer the wife some girlie ones with her own initial rather than the surname initial if she’d like. I didn’t do that this time because I am not sure if perhaps he writes some of the notes (he is that kind of guy) so they are a bit more masculine than I would normally make. I also didn’t want them too girlie even if she writes them because they might be from both of them and I don’t want him to be uncomfortable with his name in a girlie card. Most guys wouldn’t care less, a few might object to anything feminine and this guy definitely isn’t the pink shirt type. (Rebecca, can you guess which couple I’m talking about??) My phone number will go in the bottom of the box with a “For Refills, Call…” sign! I think it will be really cute as I do want to make more when they run out. Now the box is pretty plain, again, I don’t know their taste, but I didn’t mind it being girlie here because chances are, she will be responsible for storing them.

I went the ‘discount’ way with my cuts. I say that because I cut my 12x12” paper into 3x4” pieces for the bottom panel and 2.25x4” for the top panel. I know some people prefer to use full width pieces for this type of card but that wastes a lot of paper and this way you get a matted look. True, the paper isn’t actually wasted, the scraps can be used for something else, but it divides more efficiently cutting 12” paper into 4” pieces. You KWIM! I have four other sets to make sometime soon, 2 for gifts and 2 more for other deserving couples in our congregation.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Lovely letters
Ink: Chocolate chip
Paper: DSP, banana, chocolate, brocade blue, bashful blue, white CS
Accessories: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, cocoa grosgrain ribbon, foam dots-Jody Morrow, sheer white ribbon, paper rose-UK, silver cord (for stretchy belly band technique). All products by SU! Unless otherwise noted.

Office Mojo 81 and I Have a New Disease!!

ETA: This ended up being a duplicate post of sorts, you have seen this card before, I posted it quickly without all the usual chatter planning on editing it later. My computer was dying, I didn’t know when I would get a new one and I wanted to be sure my card was uploaded so I could link it to Mojo Monday. I got a new computer and when I uploaded posts from my blog back into Windows Live Writer, I didn’t know it wouldn’t just edit the old post as usual but rather duplicated it! I would have just deleted the older post but it was linked to Mojo Monday and there were several lovely comments so both are staying! Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Now I have to confess something. I suffered from PAS while making this card. Fortunately, it isn’t terminal and my card didn’t suffer in the long run. Not familiar with PAS? I will explain it. PAS stands for Premature Adhesive Syndrome. A condition which causes the sufferer to adhere things to a card or scrapbook page before considering all other elements and how they will work together. I sewed around the edges of this card completely forgetting about adding the ribbon! I was forced to unsew (AKA pick out) the stitches near the ribbon. To prevent fraying, I picked out more than needed so I could tie the threads in back. (The sewer in me REFUSES to use tape!) Then I pushed glue dots under the patterned paper to hold the ribbon, which was no small feat considering the library card was already adhered! Now, on to re-sewing; there was one small problem with the settings. My sewing machine is fully computerized including the touch display and all settings so once turned off, the zigzag settings I had customized were no more. AHHHH! For once I was wishing for a less fancy machine with dial settings! (Not really, I was just frustrated!) So I hand-wheeled the machine through every stitch from the upper left to the sentiment layer. Not easy to hit every hole just right. Thankfully I am a pretty good sewer so that came in handy. If there are any other sufferers of PAS out there, I’d love to hear your stories so I don’t feel so alone! Surely I can’t be the only one??

Such a cute sketch. There was one similar to this on SCS a few months back but it didn’t have the split down the center, the ribbon or the brads. I love playing the first Mojo Monday sketch of the month; I plan to continue every month. There is a prize if yours is one of 7 cards chosen-a $25 gift certificate for Verve! There are several sets I want, I sure hope I win. But I am not getting my hopes up; there is a lot of pretty stiff competition on there!

I used some old SU! DSP on this card called Notebook. Funny thing is, my computer is dying so we are looking for Notebook computers. (ETA I am currently working on my new laptop!!!) But I digress. The library card is stamped on paper from the same pack. I dyed the ribbon with a Copic marker because I had really no ribbon the right colour. I had some baby rickrack but that wasn’t quite the look I wanted. I am finding more and more that I am customizing my embellishments with Copics and it sure stretches some basic supplies a long way. I am going to buy a huge spool of white ¼” May Arts ribbon and share it with another gal; then I will dye it to the colours I need with markers.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Office Accoutrements, Alphabet Soup
Paper: DSP and banana, white, celery, (forgot the name of the aqua-In Color) CS
Ink: Versamark Dazzle Champagne (flower), chocolate
Accessories: Teal, celery markers, taffeta ribbon, brads-CTMH, sewing machine, Mettler thread, foam dots 2 heights-Jody Morrow and UK, Copic marker. All products by SU! unless otherwise noted.
Techniques: sewing

Mojo Monday 81-Blissful Beach

ETA: I won with this card! WOOO HOOO!

I wasn’t thrilled with my last Mojo card and since the rules do not seem to say anything about one entry per person, I decided to make another card. This one I love. I always seem to be happiest with cards I make that are beach-themed or vintage. Funny thing is I often distress those types of cards, for instance this card has 4 different distress  techniques on it, yet when I try to shabby chic or grunge up a scrapbook page, I usually hate it! Hmmmm…

This card uses only two papers and two cardstocks. Chocolate and vanilla are the cardstocks, the other papers are the front and back of two sheets of Bella Bella patterned paper. I was so glad they had solid colours on the back because no SU! Colours seem to match and I have very little supply of any other colours. I think bordering blue might match but I decided I didn’t need it after all. I did use bordering blue ink for some distressing. I grunged up the solid plastic shell embellishments with gold rub-on paste. The distressing techniques I used were edge distressing using 1. My fingernail, 2. Heidi Swapp distressing tool (the pink PacMan one), as well as 3. DTP (direct-to-paper) inking and 4. Sponging. I list the first two separately because to me they each give different looks. If anyone wants some more info or a tutorial on distressing, just leave me a comment, I’d be happy to oblige. I am by no means an expert but my inky fingers seem to argue that point!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Beautiful Beach, Along the Shore
Ink: chocolate chip, close to cocoa, bordering blue
Paper: Bella Bella patterned paper, chocolate chip, vanilla CS
Accessories: gold starfish charm-UK, sand picot-edge ribbon, shell embellishments-Dress it Up!, gold rub-on paste-UK, foam dots-Jody Morrow and UK. All products by SU! Unless otherwise noted.
Techniques: distressing, sponging

Mojo Monday 81

I am really tired right now but I have to post this to enter the contest. I typed up all the deets for this card but they are on another computer I can't access right now. I thought I had emailed myself the file but I can't find it and it is 1:30am! So here is my card for the contest and I will edit this post later.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Teacup Stamp Challenge Card and Sorry!

First, I have to apologize for not posting for so long. Hubby was really tired this week and went to bed early several nights which is usually my crafting time. In addition, once I finally got some stuff done on Friday, my computer decided to get sick! I really try to not let so long pass between posts but sometimes it is inevitable.

On to the fun stuff!! Cassie (from the Twinkle Team) and I decided to do a couple of challenges a month, just because. We have gotten to be e-friends lately, chatting about kids, paper and just life! She is sweet and talented, you should check out her blog! (sidebar under Twinkle Team) The challenge actually started when I made a card using this same  stamp. She commented that she really liked it so I offered to send her some images. She laughed (in email terms) and told me she already had it! Thus the challenge was born. It seems to be a mix of ideas, we take turns choosing a theme and the other one of us adds some specifics to make it more interesting. I added to it by including the requirements of using chocolate, ribbon and two other embellishments. I can’t wait to see her card. (ETA: I have seen it now, gorgeous! Run, don't walk to go see it!)

The card base is actually two pieces. That way I don’t get any flat spots on my shaped card. The back piece is scored and folded over then attached with adhesive. I used a Cuttlebug textile folder on the front of the card base. The flower was crocheted by my girlfriend, Rebecca. I really like how I did the ribbon. There are actually 3 ribbons in total. The one that stretches across the card, another tied in a single overhand knot over it and a third different ribbon tied in a square knot so it has a nice smooth middle and points the opposite way to the other ribbon tails. I used a Copic marker to go over he edges of the paper piecing because you could see the white core. Because the first teacup's handle doesn't connect to the cup, I also used it to colour the handle. The riding hood red paper on the left and the chocolate one are from the Bella pack, the other is from the DSP patterns pack.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Stampington
Paper: DSP, pink pirouette, chocolate, white CS-SU!
Ink: Chocolate chip
Accessories: pink ribbon-UK, chocolate stitched ribbon-Taylored Expressions, Copic markers, fleurette-Rebecca Wu, foam dots-Jody Morrow, rhinestone-SU!
Techniques: paper piecing, dry embossing