Friday, July 31, 2020

Birthday Card | Alphabet Challenge - "I" is for Island Fun/Anything Tropical


Hi!

Well - I don't know about you guys but this new Blogger update is just about ready to drive me crazy! Somehow my original post for this card was deleted and a newer draft post was substituted in its place so here is the short redo for you! 


Our new challenge over on the Alphabet Challenge is "I" is for Island Fun or anything Tropical and I decided to go with this fun tropical drink! I die cut my tropical drink glass using my Cricut and ink-blended the layers that made up the liquid. I stamped/colored and die the little Avery Elle swimmer and glued her into place along with a few blue sequins. I added an acetate covering to the entire glass which really made the glass shine and here is a video which shows it a bit better:


I die cut the fruit topper and floral elements then added a bit of ink-blending to give them some dimension. I attached a black card stock panel to a slimline card base, ink-blended the vibrant sunset background panel with Distress Oxides, spattered it with metallic paints and adhered it to the card front. The sentiment was heat-embossed with gold powder and all of the die cut elements were adhered to the card.


Additional Challenges:

Thanks so much!
Rachelle

Saturday, July 25, 2020

All Occasion Card | Free Gardenia Image


Hello!

I pulled out my ancient Speedball Ink Pen this week to do a bit of actual drawing with their Super Black India Ink! I love this ink because once it goes down, it is a rich black line that is totally waterproof! I began by sketching the large gardenia flower in pencil from a photo and then inked the image with the #513EF extra fine nib. This nib allows you to get a slight variation in line quality.  

Here's what I used : )

After the ink dried for about 15 minutes, I was able to clean up all of the remaining pencil lines with a white Staedtler Mars plastic eraser (one of my favorite crafting tools) and then watercolored the image.


I didn't use a specialty paper for this project - just #110 Neenah Solar White, which works really well with Altenew Watercolors. I know that gardenias are usually white but I went with a rosier peach palette instead - so this ended up somewhere between a gardenia and a magnolia bloom! I added a pale blue background wash, some pearlized spatters and a stamped sentiment from Ellen Hutson's Mondo Succulent Pot Stamp Set

Here is the line drawing of the floral image for you to copy/paste and I hope you have as much fun coloring this as I did! Enjoy!
Challenge Submissions:







Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon!
Rachelle

Friday, July 24, 2020

Encouragement Card | Cut It Up! Challenge #205 - "Ice Cream You Scream!" | Lori Whitlock - Food Truck Box Card

Hey!

We have a great new challenge for you on the Cut It Up! Blog featuring a much-needed summertime treat - ICE CREAM - and we would love to see your projects showcasing frozen treats! Our sponsor, Wendy from Digital Delights by Louby Lou, is offering a $5 gift code to her online store. The Design Team has outdone themselves for this sweet challenge so go check out the inspiration! 

I recently picked up a great SVG Bundle (Food Truck Box Card Assortment) on Lori Whitlock's site and this ice cream mobile was included! Here's a quick peek at the other versions of this same box card - I just love the taco truck!


Lori has a great YouTube video on how to put this card together and once all the die cutting was finished, the actual construction took less than 30 minutes to complete. I added a couple of extra details of my own to the design and used one of Louby Lou's Digital sentiments on the back of the card. This encouragement card is for an ice cream lover in my family who is also fighting cancer...I wrote my personal greeting on the back of the giant cone!


We can't wait to see your frozen/ice cream projects in our Cut It Up! Gallery - and don't forget the die cut! : )

Additional Challenges:








Thank you so much for your comments!
Rachelle

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Christmas Tags | Christmas Craft Creations - "Characters"


Hello!

Our July Challenge at Christmas Craft Creations is "Christmas Characters!" We would love to see your snow people, reindeer, penguins, Santa, etc. 
I chose to make a trio of gift tags featuring a different snow scene inside of each mini mason jar! I stamped and colored the jars/characters, used pearlized water color to add glass reflections and Stickles snowflakes to create the 'snow globe' effect. I fussy cut the jars and also cut a blank for the back of each as well stamped with "TO: and FROM:"



Ribbon loops were attached to the back with strong glue and the blanks were adhered in place with foam tape. Sentiment strips were stamped, heat embossed and die cut. I punched a hole into each strip, threaded them with red twine and added small bell at the bow.

Additional Challenges:









Thanks so much for joining me!
Rachelle

Friday, July 17, 2020

Birthday Card | MFT Stamps - "Recipe For Happiness" | Alphabet Challenge "H" is for Hungry (A Favorite Food!)


Buon Appetito!

The Alphabet Challenge has a great new theme for the letter "H"...HUNGRY! We would love to see your food-related projects or perhaps focus on a cooking image as I did! The design team has some awesome inspiration to get you started so head on over and check it out!

I used the now-retired "Recipe For Happiness" Stamp Set from Birdie Brown (MFT Stamps) for my CAS birthday card! I have a personal obsession with making homemade soup and so the "Hungry" theme was right up my alley! I used the MISTI to stamp a border of kitchen utensils/sentiment onto an A2 card front and added a 1/2" border of striped pattern paper to the bottom. I stamped, colored and die cut the little chef and popped him into place with foam tape - and that finished up this simple card!


It wasn't until after I got this entire card put together that I realized I had subconsciously colored this little dude like one of my cartoon heroes...
Yukon Cornelius! It's an uncanny similarity, right? : )


We can't wait to see your food-themed creations over at the Alphabet Challenge!

Additional Challenges:









Thanks so much and take care!
Rachelle

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Anniversary Card | Ellen Hutson - "Mondo Succulent Pot" by Julie Ebersole


Hello!

I recently snatched up some of Julie Ebersole's "Mondo" Stamp Sets over at Ellen Hutson and wanted to share this pot of beautiful succulents with you! My great-aunt and uncle are celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary next week and this is the card I made for them! My Aunt Phoebe is a small, sprightly Will-o'-the-Wisp who has never forgotten to send me (or anyone else in our entire family) a birthday card each and every year! I don't know about you, but those folks make it to the top of the card receiving list every time! : )

I stamped this well-drawn image onto a piece of heavy-weight kraft card stock and then enjoyed an hour or so of peaceful watercoloring. I know I've mentioned this before but I don't own a single Copic Marker and so I hand paint all of my images! The finished panel was spattered with brown and white paints and the sentiment was stamped. I glued the panel to a top-folding A-2 card base and adhered some raindrop embellishments to finish off the card. 


Thank you for stopping by today and I hope you will join me again soon! I really appreciate the time you take to comment!

Challenge Submissions:








Take care - 
Rachelle

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Birthday Card | Sparkles Monthly Challenge #130 - Red, White & Blue | Ellen Hutson/Julie Ebersole "Stay Salty"


Ahoy!

WOW - can you believe it's the middle of JULY already? Somehow that doesn't seem possible but here we are with our next challenge over on the Sparkles Monthly Blog! This month's theme is "Red, White & Blue" and I chose to go nautical with a great now-retired set from Ellen Hutson, Julie Ebersole's "Stay Salty." 

I die cut a white dotted panel, backed it with craft foam and glued it onto a top-folding A2 card base. The sail boat and clouds were stamped, colored and die cut. The bottom corners were rounded on the light blue ocean panel, the top was cut with a wave edge die and the waves/sentiment were stamped using the MISTI. I tied bakers twine around this panel and adhered it to the front with foam tape. The stamped images were glued into place and I added a few iridescent blue sequins to finish off the card. This card took much longer to design than it did to actually make so once I had the layout set, I went ahead and cranked out a few more to add to my birthday card stash! Does this ever happen to you? : ) 

We can't wait to see your Red, White & Blue creations over on the Sparkles Monthly Challenge this month!

Additional Challenges:









Thanks so much for stopping by and for all of your comments...they make my day!
Rachelle

Friday, July 10, 2020

Birthday Card | Cut It Up! Challenge #204 - Create Your Own Background


Hi There!

The new theme over on the Cut It Up! Challenge Blog is "Create Your Own Background" and our wonderful sponsor, Nicolle Kramer of Creative Embellishments, is giving a $50 gift code for her on-line shop! Nicolle has an amazing assortment of chipboard embellishments, fantastic stencils and awesome stamp images - check it out here!

My background is a stenciled sky, which was trimmed to fit onto a black slimline card base; a piece of B&W striped paper was added to the bottom. I attached the shaded balloon die cuts (tied with black twine), pulled the strings under my heat embossed sentiment strip and added clear sequins to finish up the card. 

We can't wait to see your backgrounds in the Cut It Up! Gallery and remember...don't forget the die cut!

Additional Challenges:




Thanks so much!
Rachelle

Monday, July 6, 2020

Birthday Card | Avery Elle - Fairy Happy | AAA Birthday Guest Designer - Game #15 - "3D" Challenge



Yippee!


I am so excited be the Guest Designer over on the AAA Birthday Card Challenge and especially for this month's theme: "3D"! 


I decided on a 3D Easel Card design and chose the adorable "Fairy Happy" stamp set from Avery Elle to inspire my fairyland scene! This card showcases a ton of ink blending and ended up being a somewhat unusual size - 4.5" x 7" - but it still fit into an A7 envelope! 

I began by ink blending the front panel stenciled clouds with Distress Oxide Inks (Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Warm Honey and Abandoned Coral) and used these same colors on the inside of the card. The front was scored 2.75" from the bottom to create the easel fold. The dark green panel was blended with a grass stencil, die cut with a scallop edge border and adhered to the bottom of the card front with strong 2-sided tape. 

Several stitched ovals were die cut, glued together and ink blended to provide the focal point of my scene. The Avery Elle images were all stamped, colored and die cut. I needed a few extra images and so I drew/colored my own mini mushrooms and leaves to add to the design. I glued all of the images into place and attached the completed oval panel just below the fold and only to the grass at the bottom. The flying fairy at the top was attached from behind with a small piece of acetate and I love how she hovers above the coral bells!

The word "HAPPY" was die cut 5 times, glued/stacked together and colored with a bit of ink to match the base. Once I determined the easel angle, I stamped the sentiment using the MISTI and glued the die cut stack in place. I was really pleased with this green/rose/gold color palette and the finished pop-up easel design! Hope you like it, too!


We can't wait to see your 3D creations over in the AAA Birthday Card Challenge Gallery!

Additional Challenges:










Rachelle

Friday, July 3, 2020

All Occasion Card | Graciellie Design & MFT Stamps | Alphabet Challenge "G" is for Glitter and Gems


Smile!

We've got a great new challenge over on the Alphabet Blog - "G" is for Glitter or Gems and this little gnomie is geared up to bring a giant smile to your face! I recently picked up several Graciellie Digital Stamp Sets and I thought that this gorgeous sunflower, from her "Summer Sunflowers" Set, would make the perfect glittery perch for my fun-loving gnome! What I wouldn't give to see this in my garden!

I sized/printed the sunflower image and partially die cut it with a stitched dome die; this panel was finished up by fussy cutting around the leaf overhang. A second flower image was trimmed to use as mask and the panel was ink blended with Distress Oxides. The sunflower was watercolored and the sentiment stamped using the MISTI. I then added two types of glitter to the sunflower - a fine bright yellow to the outer leaves and a chunky warm brown to the center. I die cut the word 'smile' in black and white card stock and ink blended the top layer with the same inks; these layers were glued together with a slight shadow offset and adhered to the dome panel.


The gnome, from MFT Stamps' now-retired "You Gnome Me" set, was stamped, colored, die cut and popped onto the sunflower with foam tape. I glued the hem-stitched panel to an ink-blended card base, added a strip of pattern paper to the bottom and attached the dome panel into place with foam tape. This card measured 5 1/8" square to the tip of his pointy hat and just makes me happy!


Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time to comment - it's greatly appreciated!  : ) We can't wait to see your glittery gems over at the Alphabet Challenge!

Additional Challenges:









Rachelle

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

One Word Wednesday - "HELLO" | MFT Stamps Die-Namics - Pop Up Card


It's time for another "One Word Wednesday" project!

This card features a giant "Hello" die cut, a simple washi tape background panel and a pop up surprise on the inside! I decided to pull out my giant box of washi tape (that rarely gets used : ) and came up with a quick 'n easy card front design...so here we go!

I picked a handful of washi tape rolls in rainbow of colors and quickly adhered strips right next to each other on an A2-sized panel. After all the tape was down, I lightly burnished the everything with my Teflon bone folder to ensure the washi was adhering evenly. The panel was die cut with a plain rectangle die measuring 3.75"x5" - this gave the tape a really nice rounded, finished edge! 

Then it was rainbow pop-up time! I cut all of the MFT Stamps Die-namics, adhered a piece of stamped (using CAS-sual Fridays' "Shenanigans" Stamp Set from 2017) blue card stock to the interior and created two mini boxes that would hold the image layers - see below:


Using the same blue card stock, the first box measured 4 7/8"x1 3/4"x1/2", held the cloud bank and fit directly into the card crease. The second box measured 2 1/2"x2 1/2"x3/4", rested on the lower box and supported the rainbow above the clouds. I trimmed a few of the rays from the sun die cut and glued it into place. Cloud die cuts and small sparkling sequins were added to the background panel. An IMPORTANT NOTE: you have to leave a small gap between the lower die cut and the card base in order for the card to fold correctly - if there is no gap, the pop-up will bind and not close! Trust me  on this - I learned the hard way! ; )


Finishing the card front was easy-peasy compared to the pop-up! I die cut an A2 panel with a stitched rectangle die and glued it to the front; the washi panel was then adhered with strong two-sided tape. The large hello die cut was popped off the card front with foam tape and a few clear sparkling sequins were added to finish things up! Whew! 

If you didn't include the pop-up, this card would be so simple to mass produce and you could use tons of different color palettes and word dies on the front for all kinds of occasions! Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

Challenges:










Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Rachelle