Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Butterfly Dangle


Well I went a completely differant direction this week. I decided to do a Dangle or Chime type item. I used four dies from Cottage Cutz to make both of the dangles. The Ornate Butterfly, Dragonfly, Layered Daisy and the Peach. Each dangle is about 8" long.


I layered the butterfly by cutting the butterfly three times (picture three down) and only popping out some parts of the ornate area's. I also used Bazzill Bling card stock. Yes because I love the texture and gloss, but also because it is slightly heavier and the pop out don't alwaysa fall out right away. YES! they do cut, but will grenerally stay in tact until you give them a push. . .  .this also helps in not misplacing pieces that you need.

I trimmed the butterfly, dragonfly and flowers in Micro Yellow Glitter, Crystal Stickle and Micro Seed Beads. The Micro Seed Beads were glued on with Glossy Accents. It was a very random aplication og textures. This added a great deal of texture, dimention  and light contrast. The key is to add the glitters and textures in random area's. Solid area's will make it look leavy.


This is the Daisy, Layered. by cutting the top layer of the daisy out twice and saving the pop out tear drops, you can use them randomly on the solid base flower for added color. The tear drops were glued to the flat base flower. The top layer of the flower was only glued in the center and the petals were popped up. The leaf was from the Copttage Cutz Peachy Keen Peach Die. 

Here is the layout of the butterfly, the base is WHITE with no items punched out. Than the ORANGE layer has some of the pop out taken out, than the YELLOW top layer has all the items popped out. As you are glueing the orange layer to the base white, the glue is sealing the un-popped pieces so they will not fall out. After you have glued the three layers together, put under a heavy item like your work mat or book. . so it will dry flat. After it is completely dry. . use a brush or your finger to spread a thin layer of glue on the back. This will fix the remainder of the pop outs from coming out.

OK, here is a photo of the reason this all started, we are fish for all the nifty stuff out there. C-Thru Company as all this cool MY ART ATC Collection which inclues these sets of Micro Glitters and Beads, not to mention the cool packaging. They are in sets of three related colors of various textures of glitters and beads in bottles with a cork and tied in a twine. . WOW!  if for no other reason than to buy it for the cool look. The wooden handled tool is from some cheezy craft company, they come in three sizes and are durt cheap. They are to twirl wire and work perfect to add a wacky wire accent. Last trick of the day. Once you twirled your wire and you want that wacky thing to randomly happen to your wire. . .after you have the twirl spring-y thing done . . pull the twirled wire out a bit, so it is a loose swirl. . .take the side of the wooden block of a rubber stamp and crush the wire. . fast. . when you lift the wooden block, the wire will have cruched . . going all directs. . fluff and you are done
That's it for this week. . Happy Crafting.





Monday, March 07, 2011

Ewe Are The Best!



Good morning!  Well we had quite a bit of snow melt this weekend.  There is still a lot on the ground but it gives me hope that Spring will be here soon.


For my card today I used the Cottage Impressions Sheep Stamp.  I love this stamp.  After watching Lorie's awesome tutorial, I just had to give it a try.  I didn't have all the same colors that she used, but I am pleased with the end result.  Lorie, I hope I passed with flying colors. " Ewe are the best!"  The best copic colorer that I know.  Thanks for sharing your talent with all of us!

I will be back next Monday!  Have a wonderful week everyone!
Hugs and smiles,
Janice

Sunday, March 06, 2011

Friends are flowers in the garden of life

Hello! For my card today I used the new Stitched Flower w/ Button die. Such cute and cheery lil' flowers! For the white button, I put embossing ink on it and heat embossed it with UTEE to make it look like a "real" button. It looks cool in real life. ;) For the stems I used the Rick Rack Edger die. I cut a strip and then lined it back up on the die to make different widths of rick rack.

The two biggest flowers are on Action Wobbles so the wiggle. ;) See you back here next Sunday.

Nikki


Saturday, March 05, 2011

Birthday Wishes

I received a package of fun new Gnomes and Fairies Dies this week! It was so hard to decide which one I wanted to play with first!!

For my project this week, I pulled out the new Filigree Fairy to use on a birthday layout from my youngest daughter's summer party this year. When I started looking at this pretty fairy, she looked like she was blowing birthday kisses. I also used the cupcake mini to add some more birthday flair.
For this layout, I used a sketch from a fun new Sketch site by Donna Coughlin. You can check it out here. I hope you are enjoying playing with your Cottage Cutz dies this weekend! See you next week!






Friday, March 04, 2011

Flowerful Get Well

Good morning, or afternoon as the case may be with me.  I've had a lot going on this morning, but I was finally able to sit down for a few mintues and put the finishing touches on my card.  This was a quick and easy card made using the new Cottage Cutz Made Easy dies from The Scrapping Cottage.  These dies have fewer pieces and go together so fast!  I LOVE THEM!!!  I used the Daisy Layered with Button, and Stitched Flower with Button dies for this card.  I chose some colorful scraps from my scrap envies that matched my designer paper, and just started cutting.  Once I had them all cut, I assembled and added some patterns to some of the pieces with my white gel pen.  

I used the stem in the paper for a base for the sentiment, and I cut the scalloped background for the sentiment with the Circles with Eyelets die.  I finished this card off with some Stickles in the center of the flowers and some green gingham ribbon, and now it's ready to bring get well wishes to brighten someone's day!  I don't know about you, but flowers always brighten MY day, and these are so pretty!!  Wishing YOU a blessed and bright day, my crafty friends!!!


Thursday, March 03, 2011

Come on, spring!

Won't be long now and spring will be upon us. Well, we hope so anyway, right!? LOL I love new blooms and green grass and all the freshness of a new beginning! And I love these new blooming dies too. Such versatility with these pieces, you can come up with oodles of flower designs. Just play and have fun!!

I've used the new blooms on this layout along with the frog and lily pad, and the dot/scallop edger. The frog die is perfect for this silly picture of Courtney and the huge frog she caught in the pond. Grama still says ewwww no matter how cute Courtney is holding it. ;)


For my next project this week, I used the adorable Mr. Gnome and his stump house. I thought it was the perfect way to congratulate someone on their new home or apartment. I used cork paper for the title background and added a mushroom to the ribbon for a little something extra.

This is the inside message:


Thanks for coming by today. I hope you'll find something that inspires you to create!

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Is it Spring yet???

Here in Utah we keep getting teased with Spring weather, then reality hits and it snows again. Now that it's March it feels like it mentally anyway, hope it's springy where you are.
Heaven knows we've all had enough winter!
Today I am featuring the Ornate Dragonfly from the Gnomes & Fairies release. This die gives you the option to make a simple one cut dragonfly or you can cut out the two backer pieces if you want that look. I cut the body out of black and placed it over the silver to achieve the look I used on my card.

I added some Stickles and adhered it to my card. It was super simple.

We'll see ya next Wednesday - have a good one!
Kay


Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Get Well . .. Puppy with Bandage

 Get Well Pup. . . This Cutie is from the Cottage Cutz Valentine release, Puppy with Heart 4"x4". I decided to add a bandage in the pups mouth instead of the heart. The Pup was highlighted E33 Sand Copic Pen. I also added the Cottage Cutz Flower 3 3"x3" Die
 As you can see I created a large bandage pouch style matching envelope. The bandage was made with Bazil Bling card stock which gave it a shiny plastic look of a bandage. The pup is tucked into the pouch just so his eyes look over the edge of the bandage pad.
 The Bandage pouch is 3 1/4" x 7" with a 4 1/2" pocket front and a 2" x3" center pad. I used a medium corner rounder on the four corners, and slightly arched the ends on the outside corners of the bandage. The pad has random holes and the GET WELL was added to the pad. The mini bandage is 9/16" x 1 7/16" and the center pad is 1/2" x 7/16". I used a piercing tool to get the holes in the mini pad.  The pups head is cut a second time and raised on foam tape. Glue the mini bandage into his mouth in place of the heart. (than you will need to add a square of foam tape under the bandage. This adds a nice dimension to the head.
Using the pup to gauge how deep the pocket should be, use foam tape to raise the pocket. Because the pup is several sheets of card stock and foam, the pup will be thicker than the pocket (that is foam only thick). The pup will fit tightly in the pocket so his heads can be set to the edge of the pocket.

Thanks Barry . . . .

 

Monday, February 28, 2011

Good Morning Friends!

Hello Friends!






For my card today, I used the adorable Cottage Impressions Pig Stamp! The sentiment is from the Farm Phrases Stamps.   I love all the stamps from the On The Farm Release!  I stamped a mirror image of the pig because I wanted to make a "Couple".  If you would like to see a mini tutorial on how I mirror stamp you may click here.  I colored the images with copics.  I colored the scene and drew a bow onto scrap paper and popped it onto the girl pig.  I also drew some eyelashes on her.  The twine is from the Twinery.  Have a great week!

Hogs and kisses, Janice

Sunday, February 27, 2011

You're the flip to my flop


Hiya! Happy Sunday! For my card today I used the Flip Flops die. The die also cuts cute flowers, but I wanted to keep my flops simple.  Not really much else to explain for this one. ;o)
I hope you have a wonderful week! See you back here next Sunday.
Nikki

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Fun project for my little book worm :)

My youngest daughter is really becoming quite the little reader. In an effort to reinforce how well she is doing and how proud I am of her reading, I decided to make her a little bookmark. The Cottage Cutz Mini's are perfect for fun and quick little projects like this one. There are so many cute little shapes to choose from that I can always find just want I am looking for with any project.

For my bookmark, I couldn't help but pull out my little Cottage Cutz Mini Worm. I think he is just the cutest little thing and the perfect accent for my bookworm project.

I hope you are all having a fun and scrappy Saturday!! Happy crafting!



 

Friday, February 25, 2011

Thank Ewe

Hello and happy Friday, friends!  I'm running late this morning!  We had a snow storm last night, and there's a fresh 6 inches of the white stuff on the ground.  A late night combined with a cold and overcast morning had me sleeping in, and therefore, running behind with everything today!  Oh well, it WAS some good sleeping weather!  I have a card for you today that I made with my ever favorite Cottage Impressions stamps from the farm release.  For this card, I used the Sheep Stamp and the Farm Phrases stamps (set of 7).  I'm having a lot of fun with this particular release, and I'm especially enjoying the chance to color these adorable images!
Coloring the sheep was easy peasy with a technique I learned at the Intermediate Copic certification class that I took last fall, and be sure to check out my blog tomorrow, because I plan to have a video to share that focuses on this particular technique, using this stamp.  I used kraft and barely banana card stock for this card, and the patterned paper is from an Imaginisce  12x12 stack called Exotic East.  For embellishments, I used some brads, grosgrain ribbon, and a cute little clip to hold the sentiment to the ribbon.  I finished this card off with a little hand drawn doodling around the edge of the image.  That pretty much does it for this card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I wish you a blessed day, a wonderful weekend and lots of happy stamping!


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Follow Your Heart

Hearts represent LOVE and this Flourish Tree is a perfect way to send some love to someone you care about. It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to use this die.

Hope you have a great Wednesday!
Kay

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

WOOF (Happy Birthday)

 This weeks card is a Happy Birthday Card made with three Cottage Cutz Dies, Puppy in House, Simple Tree and Dog Biscuit. I am first showing you the envelope, because this weeks card is thick I needed to make the envelope slightly large to handle the thick card. I also used the post-it note pad trick. When you are about to glue the three flaps of your envelope down. . take a post-it note pad and peel it down to about the height of your card and slip into the envelope. . than clue the three envelop flaps. This will glue the envelope with a slight dome or puff. This make is easlier to slip a thick card into the envelope. You will also notice the bone dangle hanging outside the envelope. The dangle is really attached to the card. It adds a nice element to the outside of the envelope.
 Yes, you are seeing double double. This card is a pop-up, The dog house will flatten so you can flatten into the envelope and pop-out the card when removed.  (this is the card flat)
 The two picture kind of show you the general drift of how the dowghouse will be constructed. I cut the dog house out four times, cut slits on each side of the door and ran card stock down the sides to connect. The biggest isses is to make the slits about twise the width of the card stock thickness that you will be running through the slit and the tabs wider than the slits. (It's Magic!) . This is the only way for the paper to freely move. (open and flatten) It's hard to give you messurements, I tend to just wing it. . but try it with basic retangles of card stock to play around. There are a few precuts out there that use the cut half way up from the bottom on one piece of card stock and half way down on the other sheet of card stock. . but than you loose the shape of the item. (and fall apart) By bridging through the paper design the object will not only stay together better. . but will keep its shape.  
 TA! DA!. . .This is the card open. You have to modify the dog, grass and bowl slightly from the layout on the package. All the elements on the card need to sit flat with the doghouse, that is the only way the card will pop-out and sit correctly. Trim the dog house roof on all four doghouses. I added a few extra pieces of grass down the sides of the doghouse. . .Just remember every piece of paper added to each of the four doghouses will add to the thickness of the card and also how the card will lay when folded. This card is more of a postcard style. . .not a open up card. If you trim the envelope it will serve as a front of the card. . . Flatten
the card and slip into the envelope.


Again WOOF (Happy Birthday!)



Monday, February 21, 2011

Good Morning Friends!


Good morning everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  For my card today I used the Cottage Cutz Bluebird die.  I love birds and I can't wait for Spring!  We are supposed to be getting snow, again.  Ugh!!  So if I can't have Spring weather, I can at least cheer myself with a springy card.  Hope you have nice weather where you are!  Enjoy your day and I will be back next Monday!
Hugs and smiles, Janice