Spring Time Floral at Sugar Creek Hollow

I love when I have an excuse to create a shabby chic design for our challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow and this week our "Floral" theme is perfect for the style I wanted for a wedding card I needed to create. This seemed to turn out perfectly and just as I had envisioned.

For the 'floral' part of my card, I used crinoline and net fabric in a Sizzix floral die (a la Linda Couglin - The Funkie Junkie's technique), and then tinted the flower petals in a very light shade of SU (reinkers) pink.  After allowing them to dry, assembly was rather quick and I added the center of the flower using light green stickles over a brad... which seemed to take forever to dry... well, admittedly, I was pretty heavy-handed with the stickles.

The scroll is also a die cut that I painted in white and added some glitter for even more interest. My designer paper was embellished using pink ink and a scroll stamp and small dots of Pink Pearls along the side on a base of Kraft paper. All of this was the foundation for that fabulous calligraphy postcard and paper doily. I love the calligraphy and sure wish I could master penmanship like that. Try as I do, I'll never even get close.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I do hope that you will join us at Sugar Creek Hollow and show us how you incorporate flowers into your primitive, shabby chic or vintage creation. One very lucky person will be randomly selected for a digi of our choice and a favorite will be selected by the design team. That person will then be in the running for the card of the month and the guest designer.

I'm also entering this card in these challenges....

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Flowers
• Charisma Cardz - Chipboard/Stickers
• Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Use something new from your stash
• Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Spring colors/pastels
• Willow Sketchie Challenge - Lots of layers
• One Stop Craft Shop - Die cuts and pastels

Stitching it up at Catered Crop

Our recipe this week at Catered Crop is to include stitching on our project. In addition to stitching (I did some faux stitching to outline my DP), the design team was treated to the cutest little "Bitty Bags" from our sponsor, Whisper Graphics. They are just the cutest little pieces of packaging just waiting for some creativity!

Here's my contribution for this week's Catered Crop challenge using a Bitty Bags... which just so happens to be the absolute perfect size for a gift card.

One very lucky (random) person stands the chance of winning three spools of Divine Twine Baker's Twine from Whisper Graphics.. and aren't these colors just beautiful? That's one VERY lucky person.  I'm jealous!

I'm also entering my gift card holder in these challenges today...

Color Create: Pink, Blue, Sage, Cream or White
Paper Crafting Journey: Pretty Pastels
Whoopsie Daisy - Use Your Stash
Card Mad Fairy's - Use a sentiment
Milk Coffee - Anything Goes
Inspire Me Fridays- Anything Goes
Make It Mondays- Anything Goes
The Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by... I do hope that you will check out the Catered Crop challenge this week and that I'll get to see you there.

Sugar Creek Hollow - Trash to Treasure

This week's challenge st Sugar Creek Hollow is to rescue something that was headed to the trash bin and then use in your project to create a treasure that is vintage, shabby chic, or primitive in keeping with our challenge style.  Our designers have gone all out and made some fabulous projects to inspire you - just click on their names at our challenge blog.

This week, one random winner will receive a digi of our choice and a winner's badge to display.  The Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week and the creator will receive a badge and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

Perhaps I'm not alone on this.. but I do love little boxes made out of just about any material...paper, wood, cardboard... you name it.  'Not sure how I developed this love, but it's really hard for me to part with some of the boxes that I happen upon or receive that held a cute little gift.. Maybe I was a package designer in a previous life?  Not sure.. I'll have to ask Shirley MacLaine next time I see her. LOL


Just a very simple box, but I do like the outcome. This little box has been in my 'gotta do something with this' pile for quite some time. It housed the cutest heart-shaped bar of rose-scented soap and the box still smells like heaven.


Here's the 'before' to give you an idea of what I worked with. The box is 2.25" x 2.0" and opens up to become an explosion box.

I selected a designer paper that was vintage looking and covered the panels leaving the gold trim on the box exposed as a contrast. Here's a look at the covered panels viewed from the bottom of the box.  

The pieces of wool and cashmere felt are the same that I used to create these roses... You might remember some of my more recent projects using the same green leaves that I used here. That green cashmere was the most gorgeous cashmere sweater.. one of my all time favs. It's also the one that my darling husband shrunk when doing laundry... when he got through with it, it would have fit a teddy bear. It does make the best leaves for all kinds of knitted and paper projects but I sure miss that beautiful sweater. 

Using pieces from the cashmere sweater, I just run it through a Sizzix die cut to make leaves.

The flowers were the easiest things to make.. really, I promise you!  I also created this second bouquet all within an hour or so. I've got plans for this orange bouquet that involves knitting and I'll share that with you in the near future once it's done.

If you would like to know how to make these felt roses, check out Pinterest and do a quick search. If you aren't a member of Pinterest yet, I think it's grown so much and so quickly that new peeps need an invitation.. I'd be happy to send you one if you let me know your email address when you comment. Once at the Pinterest site, you will be amazed at everything you can find with a few keystrokes. 

Fair warning:  Pinterest is extremely habit-forming, causes users to get big circles under their eyes, stay up much too late,  miss dental appointments, spend more on craft materials and could lead to grounds for divorce!!  HA.

Thanks so much for stopping by, friends.. have a fantastic weekend. I hope to see you at our challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow.

Lovin' That Man o' Mine

Hmmm... that title is from "Porgy and Bess".. one of the most wonderful Gershwin Broadway shows ever. First introduced in 1935.. and you can read even more here if you are so inclined.

It's Saturday, it's sensational and it's time for a new challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow. 

This week our theme is to create a MASCULINE VALENTINE card in a vintage, shabby chic or primitive style. There's only three more days until 'that' big day.

One very lucky random winner will receive a digi of our choice and a winner's badge to display. In addition, the Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week and the creator will receive a badge and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

And, here's my contribution to the Sugar Creek Hollow challenge this week...

I took a huge departure from traditional colors. The only tiny bit of red (Red Riding Hood from SU) I used for the sentiment on the ticket. The heart is made from a wool scrap (camel/gray houndstooth check) and in addition to a few embossing folders, a bit of corrugated cardboard, and some doo-dads, I used one of my favs and very-well used... the Sizzix Primitive Hearts die. The papers were aged it all with Ranger Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap. I love just pulling things together like this to create a unqiue collage type of card... in keeping with theme at Sugar Creek Hollow - shabby, vintage, antique, primitive.

Our Design Team has created gorgeous cards for your inspiration and I would love if you would check out all of their lovelies.... Just click on these names to be taken directly to the blogs of my teammates...Tracy Cec Patti  Renee Linda, and  Daniele

  

Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a bit of love.. it's so fitting this week. It's very much appreciated.

I'm also entering this in these challenges today....

Card Makin' Mamas - Valentine

Crafty Ann's - Love is in the Air

Crafty Catz - Valentine

Fairy Fun Fridays -  Let Me Call You Sweetheart

Fairy Tale - Love, Love, Love

Fussy and Fancy - Love

Hotshot Crafts – One for the Boys 

Our Craft Lounge - Vintage Love

Poodles Parlour - Anything

Stamp Man -Texture 

Sugar Creek Hollow - Save a Tree

This is the first challenge of 2012 at Sugar Creek Hollow. This week, the design team's challenge is for us to save a few trees and what a great way to start off the new year. So, for this challenge we need to repurpose paper towels, toilet paper or coffee filters. Instead of buying more supplies for your project think outside the box...just grab one of the above items and transform it to incorporate into your vintage, shabby chic or primitive card or other paper-crafted project.

After giving this a bit of thought, I created this card.

I took a stack of coffee filters and ran them through my Big Shot using the Nesties round/scallop dies in three sizes. Then I wasn't crazy about the size I had created and trimmed the outer petals down drastically. The petals are tinted with a light touch of SU's Blush Blossom ink and the flower is held together with a small pink brad. The end result really reminded me of the Peony's that bloom every Spring in my garden and I wish I had a picture to share with you. The color is spot-on! The poster is repurposed from a Paris 2010 calendar given to me by my good friend, Sally. I just couldn't part with these pics when the year was up. The print on the chipboard scroll is from an old Webster's Elementary Dictionary... circa 1962.

For our prize this week, one random winner will receive a digi selected by Sugar Creek Hollow and a winner's badge for their blog. In addition, the Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week and the lucky creator will receive a badge and will be in the running for a Guest Designer spot.

Our new Design Team is in place and they've got some great inspiration for you this week. All details on their re-purposed projects are on their blogs... so I hope you will take a look and leave them a little love. I do hope that you will join us in this fun challenge this week.

Here's the rest of the talented ladies of the Sugar Creek Hollow Design Team

Tracy

Cec

Daniele

Linda

Patti

Renee

I'm also entering this in these challenges:

CardMakin' Mamas -  Something New - new technique

Fairy Tale - Something New - new technique

Fashionista Friday -  Use up Stash

Fun with Shapes& More - Die cut or punch and no Black Lines

Jellypark Challenges - Something Old & Something New

Simply CreateToo - More than 2 Layers

See you later this week.. and in the meantime, have a fantastic day!

Silent Night, Holy Night

Another card with untraditional Christmas colors as I practice more shabby chic and vintage designs. My new daughter-in-law just fell in love with this card, so it's already slated to give to her and my son for Christmas. (They aren't blog followers, so it's cool!). I wanted to share this with you before it heads out the door.

I love the combination of kraft and pale blue.. there's something so calming about the combination and who couldn't use a bit more 'calm' at this time of year. There's snow and glitter on the swirl chipboard, all is antiqued with Tim Holtz' Tea Dye distress ink, the ribbon is seam binding that I dyed with a copic pen using an air brush. The charm is one that I had in my ever-growing stash.

This card is perfect for this time of year and all of the Christmas challenges right now. So, I'm going into overload and entering this in these challenges: 

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas Card
• AiFactory - Christmas
• Aud Sentiments Challenge - Any Winter Holiday Sentiment
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas Card with Removable Item
• Colour Create - Blue, Silver, White w/ embossing
• Crafty Purple Frog - It`s Cold Outside
• Crimbo Crackers - Christmas with embossing 
• Delightful Challenges - Anything Goes
• Do You Stack Up? - Inspiration Picture: Winter
• Meljens Designs - No rectangle cards
• Paper Crafting Journey - Christmas
• Paper Play - Christmas
• Shelly's Images - Anything Goes
• Southern Girls - Lets Celebrate
• ABC Christmas Challenge - Christmas
• Cooking It Up With Katie - Anything goes
• Crafting for all Seasons - Christmas
• Crafts and Me - Christmas
• Creative Belli - Winter/Christmas
• Digistamps 4 Joy - Christmas, no animals
• Divas by Design - Christmas
• Friendship's Garden - no stamped images - winter holiday
• I Brake For Challenges -Vintage
• Inky Impressions - Winter fun
• Little Darlings Challenges - Christmas
• Little Red Wagon - Christmas
• Penny's Paper-Crafty - Merry Christmas
• Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or Christmas
• Scrapbook Sisters - Two colors
• Sisterhood of Crafters  - Christmas
• The Paper Variety - Anything goes
• The Three Muses - Tis the season
• Whimsy Inspiration - Charms

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'm hoping all of my friends aren't in the throes of holiday madness and are enjoying some leisurely crafting time.

Thinking of You

Sometimes when I see an image I have a distinct idea of how I'll progress with it to make a card or 3-D item. This was one of those projects.

I knew when I saw this Sassy Cheryl digital stamp that I wanted to create an antiqued look using tea dye ink. It's a style I'd like to do more often but it takes just the right image for this look.

After coloring my image with prisma pencils, I sponged Tim Holtz' tea dye ink over the cardstock, with more concentration on the edges. It softened the colors and gave it an aged look.

This little clothespin teddy bear was part of my inspiration.. she's been with me for over 25 years and she has that tea-dye look too. Working on this shabby-chic, distressed look is a style I promised myself I would work on this year as one of my goals. What do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by..'til next time, be safe in all you do.

Shabby & Chic

One of my goals this year is to try more shabby-chic card designs. I really love the look, but have shied away because I thought my efforts always looked flat and fell short of something intended to look aged. My friend Dru does a great job with vintage and shabby-chic cards and her work is always so inspirational.. and that's what I needed. Just a bit of inspiration to get me started.

So today, I needed to take a stab and venture out too. Here's my first attempt creating a shabby-chic look with this Valentine's card.

I used a Sizzix die that I think I might have used once.. but it's perfect for Valentines' Day. That's another goal for 2010.. to actually use the great dies that I have.. not just collect them and let them gather dust!

Using various shades of pale pink cardstock, cream cardstock and pale pink toile, a touch of yellow, and green designer papers, I simply ran them through my Big Shot. I then distressed everything with Tim Holtz' Tea Dye Distressed ink. Even the Wright's lace hem tape (It was my Mom's and it's so old it was $.45 for three yards!) was slightly stained with the distress ink. It just happens to meet the challenge this week at Die Cut Dreams and the Simon Says Stamp Challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a few moments out of your day. I hope you have a terrific weekend and 'til next time, be safe in all you do!