Monday, December 26, 2016

JustRite Christmas Wreath card


More Christmas Cards -JustRite PaperCrafts

While Christmas Day is over, I say let the Christmas season continue (not just because I have more cards to show - but that is certainly an added reason).    
Here is a card created using the JustRite dis and stamps to show their beauty and versatility as all-purpose products that can be adapted for the Christmas season.  



May you find your  Holiday Season to be filled with joy and peace and most of all, good health. 

JustRite Small Oval Christmas Tidings Clear Stamp CR-05098
JustRite Pine Tree Dies - DIE-05050
JustRite Multi -Step Pine Tree Clear Stamp CR-05044
JustRite Garden Circles Die - 
JustRite Floral Trio One Die

Saturday, December 24, 2016

DIY Christmas Cards Featuring Authentique PART 2

 DIY  Christmas Cards Authentique -Part 2

This is the last set of projects I worked on for the Flying Unicorns.   This is Part 2 of 2.  You will find Part 1 on my blog right here.  

  The set was intended to be a bundle for sale at the Flying Unicorns.   While no longer for sale, I still decided to show my projects.  I worked too long on them to not share.  And I think they are lovely.  

 I do have some DIY tips and I do show the basics on how I created these cards, but not the step-by-step in it's entirety.    These are pretty easy cards and I think the tips are really all one needs to get the gist.  

 I am sad to see it be done and yet joyful for the experience and the magical carpet ride the Unicorns and owner, Alda Stevens , provided me over the last few years.  Certainly years of growth and stretching. 

Alda Stevens passed away in the beginning of December.  Her departure from this world leaves a void in the crafting world and in my heart and in many hearts.  
May Alda Stevens and her sparkly pink Unicorn rest peacefully forevermore.   

Part 2

Authentique Tidings Poinsettia Card

The last card sample for this Authentique Tidings bundle is a beautiful poinsettia card.  Scroll down for the base layout of the card. The embellishments on the card are pretty easy to replicate.  



This is the base of the card.  A few layers separated by a strip of ribbon.  

Products for this card:
Petaloo Textured Burlap Picks in Pistachio 1204214
Authentique Tidings Collection  6x6
Petaloo Flora Doodels mini-Delphiniums Red Black Mix 1300-191
Pearl Gems or crystals or such
Pine Punches
Tim Holtz Alterations Holly Greens Thinlits
Red Plaid ribbon
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Walnut
Kraft pre-folded Card 5inx6.5in




 There's not a lot to this card, but I thought I'd share the "guts" of the project to see how the base is created.   I like cutting the center from the doily to create a  wreath-like effect.  


Time to embellish  and I decided that I'd add my own twists to the embellies I had planned on using. The crystal holly leaves (Kaiserkraft Holly Silver Self Adhesive Rhinestone Holly) were great to add on top of darker paper.  


Use the custom adapted embellishments to enrich the floral cluster.  


And here is the resulting wreath on the card. 


Have a very Merry Christmas and Holiday season. 

Products:
Authentique Tidings Collection  6x6 
7 Dots - Yuletide Chipboard
Kaiserkraft Holly Silver Self Adhesive Rhinestone Holly SB166
Prima Flower Tales of You & Me  586324 
White tulle


JustRite Christmas Collection Bethlehem Card



JustRite Papercraft Stamps and Dies
Wishing your family a very Merry Christmas - and using JustRite stamps to help me. 
Here is a card I made for Christmas using JustRite dies and stamps.  The Bethlehem stamp is JustRite Nativity Sentiment Clear Stamp.  It's bold and perfect for a quick card.  


Products:
JustRite Nativity Sentiment Clear Stamps -CR05103
JustRite Four In A Square Die


Friday, December 23, 2016

DIY Home Decor Wreath with Petaloo




DIY Festive Wreath with Instructions
I'm here here today continuing the holiday and Christmas festivities right up to the last moment.  Need to whip up a last minute gift?   This is super easy and one of those projects that looks like it took forever in "fussy land" to create.  Let that just be our little secret. 

Scroll down and see my DIY instructions on how to turn Floracraft products , a FloraCraft Styrofoam Wreath and some  gorgeous Petaloo flowers into fun, fast, fab home decor.  



Quick DIY Instructions: 

Step 1.  I started the project with some fun products from FloraCraft  - specifically FloraCraft Burlap Garland   (which is a "must have" staple in my craft room)  and a  FloraCraft 6" Styrofoam Wreath .  
Step 2.  I wrapped the foam with the burlap garland and secured it with hemp cording.  Adding the cording was a second thought actually after the project was well underway.  I realized that glue and straight pins were not going to keep my burlap in place so I decided to wrap the wreath in cording.  
Step 3.  This is how it turned out before I started to embellish.   


Step 4.  Embellish with your choice of gorgeous Petaloo flowers.  While I chose Christmas themed embellishments (because I needed a gift), imagine how gorgeous this would look with flowers for any occasion or any season.  Give it a nautical look with some red glitter star picks, white ruffled roses and blue velvet hydrangea accents...or a beautiful spring feel with purple canvas flowers dotted with yellow roses.   

Here is a close up of the flowers I chose:  

Thanks for stopping here and have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season.  


Petaloo Products : 
Petaloo Flowers - Regal Velvet Poinsettia - Red - RS5009-002/4
Petaloo Flowers - Pine Pick w/Cones and Berries - RS1146-000/6
Petaloo Vintage Velvet Holly Leaves RS1164-001/6 

Other
 FloraCraft
FloraCraft Burlap Garland   
 FloraCraft Styrofoam Wreath - 6in white 102526  
Jute cording 3mm width - 4yards

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

DIY Snowman Canvas with Petaloo and Floracraft

Petaloo by Floracraft...Perfect Snowman Frosty Fun
I'm here to add my brand of creative  joy to the Christmas and winter season.  This creation does come with a little story about one of my favorite Holiday and winter traditions.  

I live in snowy New York state.  When my boys were small, they loved to get all bundled up and play in the snow.  Part of the fun was trying to roll  the biggest snowman ever to display in the front yard. (Here's where the tradition in my head differs from reality - so please indulge me for a moment...)
In my mind, the point of rolling the biggest frostiest snowman was to let the neighbors and passers-by know we've conquered the snow and crafted a masterpiece - bedecked in hat, scarf and carrot nose.  Of course the snowman would make his home in the yard till the snow melted.

In reality, I'd run turn my back for a moment to grab the camera and the boys would be knocking the snowman down.  For them, the fun was in crushing him flat.   The results were always the same.  Today, however, I get to show you how my snowman would have looked standing proud in my yard - at least in my imagination. 

With a little help from some fun Floracraft products FloraCraft Styrofoam balls and Petaloo Flowers, I can totally enjoy the season and let my imagination live long past the thaw.    

If you scroll down, I'll show you how I created this canvas.     


Why don't I show you how I made this canvas.  
  Step 1.  As I mentioned, I used an 8x10 canvas as a base.  I grabbed a piece of paper from LemonCraft that reminded me of snow falling, and covered the canvas.  When I use paper on canvas, I like to adhere the paper to the canvas using the appropriate medium - not just glue.  I used matte finish ModPodge.  Other options include:  matte gel medium, white school glue thinned with water. Which ever medium you choose, paint it generously onto the canvas and the paper and let dry.  

Why do I prefer to coat my paper?  It protects the edges of paper from rips and tears and warping over time.  It also protects from dust.   When it comes time to adhere the snowman to the canvas, I feel the coated paper will be a better base and will support the weight of the snowman without ripping the paper. 
Step 2.  This project utilized the foam balls from the Floracraft multipack.  I cut the balls in half using my scissors.  In previous projects, I used my kitchen knife.  When I mentioned to my husband that I was heading to my craft room for some styrofoam fun, he ran and hid the kitchen knives.  True story.  

No worries - I have a super easy alternative to cutting the foam.  I used my scissors like a knife and scored the middle of each ball - making sure I scored all the way around.   After each ball was scored, I twisted the foam balls apart.  Easy!

Step 3.  I  covered each ball with cheesecloth .  To do this, I dabbed a generous amount of ModPodge (or whatever medium you are using)  onto the foam.  Once the foam is covered, I then dabbed more Modpodge over the cheesecloth.  Gobs of it, actually.  The key is to make sure you do not have a lot of excess cheesecloth on the back of the foam.  It needs to lie flat on to  canvas  and excess cheesecloth could cause snowman chaos.

Why did I cover the foam with cheesecloth?  Great question.  So glad you asked.  I certainly could have left the foam uncovered on my canvas.  It's white and looks like a snowball...but I'm trying to think long term.  Seasonal storage may not be particularly kind to raw Styrofoam from year to year.  I do not want to risk little pieces being picked off and having dents in my foam.

The cheesecloth will protect the ball, and still preserve the look of snow.

Step 4.  I  also wanted to capture the sparkle of fresh fallen snow ( I live in NY so I know all too well what fresh fallen snow looks like...piles of fresh fallen snow). 

I sprayed the balls generously with Tacky Spray and rolled the sticky ball in Diamond Dust by Floracraft.  Oh my goodness  - it is absolutely perfect.   I can't capture  with the effect adequately with my camera but it is brilliant.  

Incidentally, I sprayed some matte urethane over the ball after it was dry to keep the Diamond Dust from getting all over.  The Urethane did dull the sparkle a bit, but the effect is still amazing and looks so much like a snow ball.  

Step 5.  From here, I am ready to decorate the canvas and create a snowy landscape with draped cheesecloth.  


Step 6.  Snowman Arms - Ahhhh what to use for the snowman's arms.  Well, I had some older Brown Berry Sprays from Petaloo.  I  cut off the berries and set aside for a different day.  Look how cool the remaining branch is?  And the wire on the branch can be used to stick right into the foam.  


Step 7.  Snowman hat - I had to create a custom hat for my snowman.  I cut a piece of fabric that was pretty thin - this is almost like mesh.   It bends and forms easily. I molded it to my snowman's head and held in place with straight pins till I had the shape I wanted.

Step 8.  Continue to embellish with Petaloo's gorgeous flowers.  I used Petaloo Botanica Sugared Mini-Burgundy Petaloo Botanica Blooms White 1102100 some older Poinsettias in Red Vintage Velvet Poinsettias 1137005 mixed with Petaloo Botanica Regal Gold RS5010-002/4 and Petaloo Pine Pick with Cones.  I pulled apart the pine-cones from the pick and added them here and there as wonderful seasonal accents.

After the creation was completed, I dabbed snowflake paste around the canvas for a frosty look.







 I hope you enjoy the entire holiday season with friends, family  - surrounded in love and joy.  


Petaloo Botanica Blooms White 1102100
Petaloo Botanica Sugared Mini-Burgundy 1131-120
Petaloo Vintage Velvet Poinsettias 1137005 Red
Petaloo Botanica Regal Gold RS5010-002/4
Petaloo Pine Pick with Cones -RS1146-000/6
Petaloo Brown Berry Sprays
FloraCraft Foam Balls - Assorted 6pc #BA43252HB
FloraCraft  Diamond Dust

Other Products:
ModPodge  Matte Paper Finish
Aileens Tacky Spray Adhesive
Prima Snowflake Paste
Gingham Ribbon - Brown
Red Plaid Ribbon from stash
8x10 Canvas Board
LemonCraft - 12x12 Gossamer Blue paper
Cheese Cloth
Lace Trim
Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch
Pearl bead

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Lemoncraft Farewell Post - Part 2 (Cards)


Hello, I'm here today for my last post with LemonCraft.  Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to create with such gorgeous papers.   My last post is a two part post with the first post as a tutorial featuring the new Gossamer Blue collection.   The second post is a set of cards also created using the Gossamer Blue collection - for Christmas and everyday - to show the versatility of the collection.  

This is LemonCraft - Part 2 - Cards.
You can find Part 1. here.  This is a winter layout with full DIY instructions.  You can see that post here.  It is also available in my ETSY shop.   


This page is also available in my ETSY shop while it lasts. You can find it here. 
Here are some cards that I created with the LemonCraft Gossamer Blue 6x6 paper pad.    I made some Christmas cards and one everyday greeting card tpo show how versatile this collection is. 

I have a few other products incorporated into this page - chipboards from 2Craftyflowers from Petaloo and a die from Prima 


The snowflake is a chipboard piece from 2Crafty called "Fine Snowflakes" m00102. 



Here is another card using the 6x6 paper and the beautiful Gossamer Blue paper as well as Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue Ribbons.  I added some beautiful brown ribbon from Lemoncraft for accent.  

I used chipboard deer from 2Crafty  - Young Reindeer  and inked the chipboard with Walnut Stain, Distress ink.  The chipboard deer is nestled atop a die from JustRite Papercrafts.  

And the last card created using LemonCraft Gossamer Blue 6x6 paper along with the sweet Lemoncraft  buttons from Gossamer Blue as well as the Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue Ribbons.      This card features Vintage Time 06 sheet from the collection, shown below.  Isn't this simply wonderful?     




Thank you to Lemoncraft for providing me an opportunity to create with such gorgeous papers and embellishments.  Merry Christmas to all and may you all have a wonderful 2017.

This page is also available in my ETSY shop while it lasts. You can find it here. 





Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue Collection
Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue 03
Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue 02
Lemoncraft Vintage Time 007
LemonCraft Gossamer Blue 6x6 paper pad
LemonCraft Gossamer Blue 12x12 paper pad
LemonCraft Gossamer Blue Vintage Time 06
Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue Buttons
Lemoncraft Gossamer Blue Ribbons

Other Products:
Petaloo Botanica Blooms White 1102100
Petaloo Berry Spray Brown 1829-303
Petaloo White PaintableBurlap picks with berries 1650-019
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
2Crafty Chipboard - Young Reindeer M00353
Brown  and White Cardstock
JustRite Papercraft Tree Dies 05050
JustRite Joy Oval Frame Die
Prima Snowflake Paste - 962906
2Crafty called "Fine Snowflakes" m00102. 
Prima Crochet Doily Die - 584054
white lace
Martha Stewart Snowflake punch border