Encre, papier, ciseaux

In My Thoughts and In My Heart

Inspiration: TGIF Challenge #463 + Simon Says Stamp Wednesday (Add a bit o' green)

I had stamped and put aside this Anya image and I was looking for cute patterned papers to pair with her. I pulled the Mama Llama collection from Simple Stories, which I have tried to finish off many times already, but the papers just keep on stretching, it seems! I was liking the cute candy colours with this image, so I pulled colors to match. I was struggling to find the right colours in my Copic markers, so I turned to my Stampin' Blends instead and had better luck with my matches. (I also reorganized my Stampin' Blends in rainbow order and I hope to start using them more now that the colour palette is more complete than it was when it first launched.) I fussy cut the image and put it aside while I was working on my design.

We were already pretty close to the deadline for the TGIF challenge and I had a feeling I could not complete a card in time to share a link, but the design was working very well with what I was trying to design so I went for it anyway. I die-cut a scalloped square out of patterned paper and added torn vellum underneath to make it stand out better. I cut a central band out of the quilt paper and added punched green cardstock on both sides, with inked edges. I added a bit of sparkly washi tape at the top.

For the sentiment, I cut a scalloped gift tag out of Soft Sky cardstock and stamped in Lost Lagoon ink a French sentiment that reads, "You are in my thoughts and in my heart." I added a pink eyelet at the top, tied sparkly crochet thread in it and overlapped a Maggie Holmes bow sticker over it. To fill the space at the bottom, I added green washi, an arrow paper clip and a little flower made out of the Flower Bits - Lights pack, and topped with a threaded button. Underneath, I slipped a doily that had previously been painted a teal color, and I layered a pink ticket in between. 

To finish embellishing, I added the side of a filmstrip from 49 & Market (that I cut off) underneath my die-cut square, I added two hearts from the cardstock stickers sheet, and sprinkled a few sequins around the card. I also added Stickles to my colored image. The card front was mounted on a So Saffron card base, and I used patterned paper to make a matching envelope as well. I'm not a big fan of pastels in general, but when they are done in vibrant hues like this, I'm all for it.  

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Everyday Script (The Greeting Farm); À l'honneur (Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: So Saffron, Lemon Lime Twist, Soft Sky, Vellum Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Papers, Cardstock Stickers: Mama Llama (Simple Stories)
Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Lost Lagoon, Pink Pirouette (Stampin' Up!)
Dies: Zig-Zag Stackers (Penny Black); Stitched Mini Scallop Square STAX (My Favorite Things);
Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Frames (Lawn Fawn); Scalloped Gift Tags (Simon Says Stamp)
Accessories: Tutti Frutti Sequins, Envelope Punch Board, White Baker's Twine, Binder Edge Punch,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Hang Up Cute Clips, Pearlescent Doilies (Stampin' Up!);
Acrylic Paint (Sizzix); Star Dust Stickles (Ranger); Buttons (Foof-a-La); Markers (Copic);
Mini Enamel Dots (Violet Studio)

 

Mother's Day Banner

Inspiration: The Daring Cardmakers (Just Sew)

I'm still trying to use up the leftovers from the Mama Llama collection from Simple Stories, so I dug through my leftover pieces and got inspired to fussy-cut the "Happy Mother's Day" image from the cut-apart sheet as well as the cute llama from the patterned paper. I also had a leftover banner paper piece with rounded corners that I layered behind the sentiment.

I used my sewing machine to add pink stitching on it. I learned from my previous experiences and knew following the rounded corners would be a challenge so I hand drew a line in pencil, which helped tremendously when I was sewing, as eyeballing it had not worked out too well in the past. I wrapped a piece of Lucky Limeade baker's twine around this piece and tied a So Saffron button, tucking a ripped pink ticket underneath. I added little enamel shapes to the banner for extra colour and shine.

I used a piece of polka dot patterned paper for the background. The line you see a the bottom is actually the marketing strip, but I was liking that it was creating a border, so I made sure to keep it. I had stitching from another die-cut at the top, which I liked, but the paper strip was too long, so I cut it to the right size and reproduced the stitching using the Basic Stitch Lines dies from My Favorite Things. I mounted everything on a So Saffron A2 card base.

To match, I picked a Blonde metallic envelope, and I added another fussy cut image to it to match. I did the same thing inside the card for consistency as well.

 

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: So Saffron, Vellum Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Papers: Mama Llama (Simple Stories)
Dies: Basic Stitch Lines (My Favorite Things)
Accessories: Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine, Subtles Design Buttons, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.
Subtles Enamel Shapes, Tutti Frutti Sequins (Stampin' Up!); Corner Chomper (We R Memory Makers); 
Blossoms Ticket Essentials (49 & Market); A2 Blonde Metallic Envelope (Envelopes.com)

 

Llama Hugs

Inspiration: Sunday Stamps #330 

I squeezed one more card out of the Mama Llama collection from Simple Stories. The long rectangle on the sketch was the perfect occasion to use the Mini Fringe die from My Favorite Things, which I had put aside when I had pulled this paper collection as I thought it might pair nicely.  I cut it out of the polka dot paper, added gold to the end with a gold foil marker, and I sewed it in place with my sewing machine on my die-cut background.

For the main image, I die-cut a piece of banner patterned paper with the Pinking Edge Squares Die-namics and I matted the square with aqua paper. In my Lucky Limeade cardstock pack, I found the negative piece of a grass border I had cut, so I used that to create my own grass on the scene, which was perfect to ground my little fussy cut llama. I also used the leftover piece of vellum I had on my desk, tore it just a little longer than the square, colored the edges with the gold foil marker and glued it under my main square.

For the sentiment, I used the Simply Sentiment Hugs dies from Trinity Stamps with pink holographic cardstock and Soft Sky cardstock. I popped it on foam adhesive to add to my card. I used the Beautiful Wings Embosslits again on white holographic paper to create little butterflies, two of which I added to my card, topped with opal rounds.

I used my Banner punch to cut two banners out of the pink holographic paper and the aqua paper. It was a tight fit, so I cut the aqua banner to a narrower size and I stuck to two rather than three like on the sketch. I added gold around the edges to make them stand out against the busy background, and I topped them with a sequin and a mini enamel dot.

Over it, I added a wood veneer circle, also rimmed with gold, and I created a couple of matching flowers out of my remaining Floral bits, and I topped them with buttons threaded with white twine. I used my last heart sticker in the wood circle as well, decorated with an opal round.

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: So Saffron, Lucky Limeade, Soft Sky, Vellum Paper (Stampin' Up!); Mystical Opulent Cardstock Pack (Sizzix)
Patterned Papers, Cardstock Stickers: Mama Llama (Simple Stories)
Dies: Simply Sentimental Hugs (Trinity Stamps); Pinking Edge Square, Mini Fringe (My Favorite Things);
Zig-Zag Stackers (Penny Black); Beautiful Wings Embosslits (Sizzix for Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: 2021-2023 In Color Opal Rounds, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Baker's Twine (Stampin' Up!); 
Lights Floral Bits (Simple Stories); Buttons (Foof-a-La); Mini Enamel Dots (Violet Studio); 
Iridescent Mini Star Confetti (Pretty Pink Posh); Gold DecoColor Marker (Marvy Uchida)

 

Christmas Patterns

Inspiration: Freshly Made Sketch #624 

This was a fun sketch to work with, especially to use my scraps from the Merry & Bright collection. I had this large Christmas sweater that I had fussy cut from the cut-apart page and I overlapped it with foam adhesive on the largest panel, making sure to emboss the background first with the Cable Knit 3D embossing folder for added texture.

I glued one piece at a time, adding zig-zag stitching with my sewing machine and black thread, to add to the patchwork look. I even stitched over the chipboard sentiment piece. I added a corduroy button at the top, one on the sweater and one at the bottom. I inked the edges with Distress ink for a shabby look.

I used my leftover embossed cardstock on the envelope and added a little sweater sticker from the cardstock sticker sheet to match.

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: Handsome Hunter, Pistachio Pudding (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Papers, Chipboard Stickers, Cardstock Stickers: Merry & Bright (Simple Stories)
Ink: Antique Linen Distress (Ranger)
3D Embossing Folder: Cable Knit (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Real Red Corduroy Button, Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!);
Buttons (Foof-a-La); Black Enamel Dots (Doodlebug Design); Sewing Machine;
A2 Avocado Envelope (Envelopes.com); Holly Jolly Enamel Dots (Simple Stories)