Love Herringbone

A few years ago, CTMH came out with a background set that included a Herringbone pattern.  I didn't get it before it retired and regretted it immensely.  When the new catalogue came out with the long border patterns, they were first on my list of things to get.  Since I'm not a consultant, I waited for this month's Stamp of the Month because it was my favorite, and my box arrived earlier this week.  One of the first cards I made was this one:

I must confess, the idea was not original to me. I saw it over a year ago and have been waiting to recreate it.  It comes from the very talented Tosha Leyendekker's blog.  So easy, so classic.  I used Distressed Backgrounds with Sweet Leaf pigment ink.  (Again, the photography doesn't capture the color correctly.  Drat!)  The sentiment is from A Friend Like You.

Non-CTMH products are the pink rhinestone heart (Michael's???) and the postage stamp die cut (Cuttlebug).

This is my third entry in the Heart2Heart: Go Green challenge, and I'm not done.  I have at least one more card coming. 

It's one-thirty in the morning here.  I went to bed around eleven and have tossed and turned disturbing my poor DH.  I finally decided to just get up and do this post.  I think I need to lay off the caffeine for a few days...but then how will I get any writing done?  Ah, the vagaries of a writer's life.  Words seem to flow in direct proportion to the amount of caffeine flowing through my veins.

Until next time,
Becca

Fan Mail

I love it when a plan comes together.  Because I have made friends with several authors, my first thought upon seeing the new Puns of Praise set was that I could send them "Fan Mail."  Writing is a solitary business.  Little notes of encouragement mean a great deal.

It doesn't hurt that I can also enter this into the Heart2Heart: Go Green and Operation Write Home: Midweek Color Throwdown (Blue & Green) challenges.

All products are CTMH.  The background paper is Emporium (retired), and the alphabet is Keyboard Uppercase.  I had to use the "W" and turn it upside down because I can't find the "M" anywhere.  I stamped the letters in Sky ink which actually matches the paper better than the picture shows.  I wish I could get the colors to be more true, but this photography business is tough sometimes.

 

The black shimmer tape is perfect for OWH cards because it adds glitter without adding the glitter mess which we can't have for our heroes.  A little dot of Liquid Glass in the center of the fan, and we are good to go.

 

This card will go to friends, but I'll make several more for the OWH pile which have the side fold so I can tuck them for mailing.  If you aren't certain of the requirements for OWH hero cards, go here for the guidelines.

 

Until next time,

Becca

Recycled Rooster

A quick post tonight before heading off to bed.  The Heart2Heart: Go Green challenge mentioned recycling, so...

The stamp set is Country Life (retired).  I stamped the rooster in Saddle, highlighted with a Chocolate marker, colored a few spots with some Copics, and added a bit of Chocolate sponging here and there.  The cardstock is Vanilla (retired) and Chocolate.  Accessories are jute and a mini clothespin.

Time--um, make that past time--to go to bed.

Until next time,
Becca

Spring Forward

Addiction alert.  I have fallen in love with Adhesive Springs.  It began with this post and continues today with my second entry for Heart2Heart: Spring Forward. 

Don't laugh, but I literally was awake tossing with a new idea using the same concept as the butterfly wings.

This was a little trickier because the flowers didn't just secure themselves like the butterfly wings did.  I used a hefty amount of liquid glass on the middle flower and am praying it stays secure.
The paper colors are Smoothie, Cranberry, and Olive.  The flowers were sponged with Tulip over Smoothie and Barn Red over Cranberry.  The leaves are Olive over Olive.  I do have one small tip for you about those leaves.  They are much easier to sponge if you do it before you attach them to the card.  Go ahead...ask me how I know. 

I used flowersoft in the middle of the flowers. (They might also have been easier to do if I'd added the flowersoft before adhering them to the spring, but I was SO DARN EXCITED to get them into that spring and see if it would work.)

The sentiment is from Springtime (retired) and was cut with the Artiste Cricut cartridge then trimmed down to fit under the flowers.

I have had the flower packet since 2001.  Yep...for twelve years...just waiting for the right idea.  I think I got it!!  Since I don't think they will actually grow, I decided to glue it inside the pocket, but this would be an easy way to send someone fresh seeds.

I am also linking my post to the fabulous Tamytha's blog because she's giving away blog candy and I want me some of that action!!

Hopefully this means I will be able to sleep tonight, especially since we have to go to bed an hour early to Spring Forward!

Until next time,
Becca




Spirelli CAS

Oh boy, did I have fun with this one!  Operation Write Home is one of my favorite causes, and they had this fun Spirelli tutorial up a few days ago.  I combined this technique with a couple other challenges: Less is More: Colour Challenge and CAS(E) This Sketch: #18.

Are those cute, or what?  Because my ridges weren't deep, I used thread.  Yee!  You are going to see more of this, I guarantee it.

Until next time,
Becca

Color Dare Blues

Color My Heart this week is challenging us to use two different paper packets.  I thought this was going to be easy.  Ummm...nope.  I had a terrible time with this, and I'm not even sure I like the end result.

I used Stella (retired) and Avonlea (current).  Now that I look at it in a picture, I'm thinking part of the problem would be solved if I used the Avonlea Teal as the blue banner.  What I love is the pop of red.  Stamps used were Pirouette, Universal Background, and Friendship (sentiment, retired).  Accessories were the velvet rub ons, red glitter gel, and clear embossing powder.

(Update:  I found a scrap of Avonlea Teal.  It was about three inches long, so I cut it to squeeze under the circle.  Better?)

Now, in case you don't like these, maybe you'll like this next one instead...

Of course, since it's the second picture, blogger won't let me enlarge it.  The teal strip is Avonlea again, the rest of it is an old, old pack the name of which I can't remember.  What I do remember is Orchid Bouquet.  I like it even better than the pop of red on the first card, but the paper is so old, some of you weren't even born when it retired.  The stamp set is Pair-A-Phrase (retired). 

Well, that's it.  I'm not thrilled but I'm out of time.

Until next time,
Becca

Birthday Butterfly

Once in a very great while, I come up with an idea all on my own.  Please mark your calendars because today was that day.  I was admiring all the folks who used the Adhesive Springs for Heart2Heart: Spring Forward and trying to come up with a creative way to use mine.  Voila!

 



This was pretty labor intensive, so I have a bunch of pictures to show you how I did it.  First, the multicolor butterfly was done using reinkers and baby wipes.

In case you can't read the colors, that's Smoothie, Honey, and Twilight.  I didn't bother getting the dots right next to each other. Even with giving them a bit of space in between, by the time I stamped a few times rotating my stamp just a smidge in between, the image was colored.  This picture was taken after I had stamped the butterfly four times.

Before I stamped the butterfly from Find Your Style (retired) on the bottom piece, I wiped off the antennae.  I stamped a second time after inking only the antennae in Twilight.  I then stamped the body of the butterfly on a scratch piece in Twilight to use on the top piece after everything was assembled.  Then I cut the Adhesive Springs to mimic the shape of the butterfly wing and affixed them.

This next picture is to show you how I created the layers, but you don't want to do this quite yet.

Here's why...

As you add each layer, you want to make sure the center part stays down.  I used a combination of double sided sticky tape and Liquid Glass .  The sticky tape helps keep things in place while the Liquid Glass dries.  Do one layer at a time unless you have superpowers to get that line of Liquid Glass just right.  On the last layer, I added a couple dabs of Liquid Glass to the Adhesive Springs for good measure.

Once all the layers are down, add the Twilight colored body and patiently hold everything in place until it's dry enough to not pop back up.  I added a final touch of Liquid Glass to the body to give it some extra shine. 

I really wished I had the A Tree stamp set to use the sentiment "Fluttering by to say..." and add "Happy Birthday" inside.  It's on the way, but I have to get this out in the mail before my box of goodies arrives.  Instead, I used Card Chatter-Birthday.

Because this card has a lot of weight on the front, I decorated the inside.

It's not fancy, but it added a little structure so the card doesn't tip over at a light breeze.

Yep, pretty darn proud of myself.  As always, if you have any questions, feel free to  leave them in the comment section and come back to see my answer.

Until next time,
Becca