Lavender Lattice

I wanted to enter the Die Cutting Challenge on the Moxie Fab Blog ( http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/01/cool-tools-week-die-cutting-challenge.html ) and I am very fond of lattices.  The idea of white wood lattices with vines and flowers growing on them is so romantic.  I just want to sit under them and drink tea (silver teapot, china cups and a servant to bring them of course).

My goal was to use these corner dies to create lattice squares.  Two of the dies in this set are symmetrical and created squares (more or less) with a wonderful woven look.  It is harder than you would think to keep them square and even.

For the two unsymmetrical dies, I tried a different look.  I used the corners as corners (how inventive!) and also made rectangles with four of them.  The last corner die I used to make a medallion which ended up looking like a cross, so I will give it to my friend to celebrate her baptism.

Supplies

Patterned Paper – lavender print unknown, pink print and green print from Creative Memories

Cardstock – Coredinations Gemstones in Amethyst

Stamps – Hero Arts “Flourish Wave with Hearts”

Ink – Clear embossing with Ranger “Bridal Tinsel” powder

Dies – Sizzix Architectural Accents

Fibers - Horizon Fabrics lavender ribbon, Archiver's die cut trim, JoAnn cream ribbon

Flowers – Prima Got Flowers Deux, The Paper Company Studio metal flowers, Hero Arts flower gems

Other – Rhinestones, Sakura Gelly Roll pen

New Year Chickens

This was their first whole coop cleaning.  They handled it pretty well since they had scratch (chicken candy) to distract them. 

As you can see, Hildegard Pauline is no longer bald, but she does have a lot of downy feathers. 

Johanna has stopped laying eggs now due to the shorter days of winter.

Hubby keeps going out to talk to them, thinking that will make them lay!

South Carolina

The ladies group is on the move again.  This trip was to Hilton Head Island, SC.  The background paper is one of my favorites – I bought an entire pack of it.  QuicKutz made the ornate sign die which seems to belong in the South, especially places like Charleston and New Orleans.

Supplies

Paper –Reminisce “My Kitty” (I use the back side), The Paper Company Solar White, black scraps

Punches – Family Treasures

Die - QuicKutz

Stickers – State of Mine, Tie Me To the Moon “Travel Borders”, ocean quote & vellum sentiment unknown

Our Garden in Fall

We harvested the last of our produce in preparation for the coming snow.

Even the strawberries have their fall colors on.  I picked about 5 berries before mulching and covering them for winter.  Wow, strawberries in October!

These may be Japanese Maples.  They are volunteers from our neighbors yard.  The next day
they were covered with snow.

These wildflowers were blooming in October.

That is it for our garden until we start sprouting seeds in the house.  Next year we will have a plot at least twice as big and this years garden will become my fruit garden.  Us California girls have to have our fruit.

Puppy Sympathy

My puppy sister died recently after 16 years of fun and love.  I made this card for my Dad and Step-mom.  The brown poodle is Miss Molly with her favorite toy, a sock.  The others are loved ones who have gone before – Coco, Grandma and Grandpa.

Supplies for all cards

Cloud Paper – Heidi Grace Designs Baby|Clouds, scraps of white & brown cardstock, Pink with paw prints from BoBunny

Stamps – Grandma & Grandpa from AIPs V.I.P.s, sentiment from My Sentiments Exactly!, sock unknown

Ink – Momento Tuxedo Black, ColorBox black

Dies – QuicKutz poodle

Other – BoBunny Brads, Tombow & Marvy markers

Comfort Card in Neutrals

Blue Eyed Yonder

Here is the Tuesday Trigger photo from the Moxie Fab Blog.

If you want to play along, go here   http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/01/tuesday-trigger-winter-blossoms.html

I was inspired by the neutral palette and the ruffled flowers.  My interpretation uses a unique technique – stamping with sweetened condensed milk.  It gives a glossy, toasty color when heated.  The edges of the textured paper are torn and sanded to reveal the yellow core which adds a bit of color.  Isn’t the trim beautiful?  I found it in a booth at an antique mall.

Supplies

Paper – Coredinations Whitewash Collection in Butter Churn, Coredinations Gemstones in Jasper, Bazzill French Vanilla, Worldwin Papers Colormates in White

Stamps – Great Impressions Dandelions and Seeds Blowsing, Stampendous Sympathy set

Ink – Ranger Distress Ink in Vintage Photo

Dies – Frame from QuicKutz Jolly set

Other – Mark Richards Glitter Dome glitter dots, vintage trim

Here's The Scoop

These cards are for the “Map to Your Heart” Challenge on the Moxie Fab Blog.

Go here to play along.  http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/01/map-to-your-heart-challenge.html

I spent days thinking about maps and designing cards in my head, but none seemed quite right.  Then I saw my “Here’s the Scoop” stamp and I instantly knew what I wanted to make.  Version one uses lighter colored maps but I didn’t have the cone quite right.  It was too big and the waffling (this really is a word!) was too square.  Version two uses brighter colored maps and I really like the way the cone turned out.

Here is a hint for you – try the library and thrift stores for old travel books and maps, perfect for crafting projects.

Supplies

Paper –

Reminisce Road

Trip (blue map), all others are from old travel and tour books

Card – The Paper Company in cream

Stamp – DeNami Design

Ink – Tsukineko Memento “Tuxedo Black”, Stampin’ Up Earth Elements stampin’ spots (old color palette)

Markers – Tombow

Leaves At The Park

A ladies group from church went to see fall color way back in September.  I am finally getting caught up on my scrap pages for the bulletin board.

I used punched leaves to spell out the title for the Cool Tools challenge on the Moxie Fab Blog. 

 

The original top of the paper did not fit my theme so I covered most of it, leaving the brown border to represent tree trunks and the pink zigzag to represent the mountains.

Supplies

Paper – Carolee’s Creations Flower Garden Pattern B, Printworks Apple Green Elegant Leaves, scraps of many colors and patterns

Punches – Family Treasures, EK Success

Large leaves – Hero Arts stamps, Copper ink & embossing powder

Writing – Creative Memories pen

Pillows and Cards

My sister decided we would make felt pillows for our family for Christmas.  She told me this just before I arrived at her house for a visit.  Needless to say I did not have much say in this decision.  Little sisters can be bossy, especially little sisters who are teachers.  We designed and made the pillows together and had a great time.  Everyone loved their pillows.  We told them (and ourselves) that they were intended to be ‘rustic and homemade’ to cover up any imperfections.  Later, I made cards to match each one.

 

 

 

 

Supplies for all cards (for specific info, leave a comment)

Patterned Paper – Paper Pizazz, Daisy D’s

Other Paper – silver vellum

Stamps – “Penguins at Play” from Memory Box, Poinsettia from Hero Arts,

Sentiment Stamps – “Vintage Ornaments” from Paper Trey Ink, Embossing Arts, Stampendous

Ink – Tattered Angels Glimmer Spray in Sapphire

Ribbon – Stats

Dies – Cuttlebug snowflakes

Other – Marvy Uchida Liquid Applique

Counting Cards

I can't believe it has been 2 months already!  How time flies during the holidays.  Here are some new cards to get you going for the new year.  2012 already!

These cards are for the Tuesday Trigger on the Moxie Fab World Blog. 

Tuesday Trigger: By the Numbers

French Knot

 

First I used all kinds of number stickers to decorate a piece of cardstock

 

 

Then the numbered cardstock was cut into quarters and run through my Big Shot to emboss it.  I rounded the corners and backed them with some striped paper, which also had the corners rounded.  Since quilts are usually tossed onto a chair (unless you are my hubby, who folds them and places them just so) I mounted them on the cards off center.  The background cards have been sprayed with glimmer mist.  I only had three of the colored frames, so one has a plastic slide mount.  Even my smallest alphabet stamps were too big for the frames so I wrote the sentiment.

Supplies

Stamps – Hero Arts Dot Letter Alphabet (for the slide mount sentiment)

Ink – Tsukneko VersaColor Rainforest, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist

Embossing Powders – Clear

Stickers – any I could find in every color I could find

Accents – Colored frames (with brads) from Queen & Co., Slide mount from Powder Sensations

Embossing – Sizzix Harlequin, Large Dots and Fourish plates

Cardstock/Paper – Worldwin Papers Colormates White, unknown striped paper, The Paper Company white notecards

Here is the URL if you want to play along http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/01/tuesday-trigger-by-numbers.html