1 Sketch + 1 Paper Pad = 2 Looks

Do you ever wonder how you're going to use a single paper pad and manage to get a variety of looks from it?  Luckily, the 6" x 6" pads from My Minds Eye make it easy, and I have a few additional tips for you to carry it through.

I started with the Miss Caroline Dilly Dally paper pad and this weeks sketch from Mojo Monday.  --Just an FYI, I am the Queen of Sketches!  I love to take a sketch or pattern and use it to make my own creations. Sometimes I will just use it for the basic idea and completely change things up, but other times I will use it pretty much as is to make my life easier.  So, as I was recovering this week from a self-inflicted foot injury, I decided the easier my life, the better!  Here's the sketch I used for my two cards:

Using this sketch, I decided to make one masculine and one feminine card.  I left them sentiment-free for now so I can use them for whatever in the future.  Since the MME papers are double-sided, I used a single sheet of paper for each card (plus a small scrap for my flower center).  I made my cards 5" x 7", as  I prefer the larger size, and cut each panel to 3" x 5".  So, here are my two cards:

Even with the same overall design, kraft base, and distressing, I think they look pretty different.  The difference is all in the pattern paper I chose from the pad and the additional supplies I chose to use with them.

 For a more masculine look, I chose a more graphic paper, with a fairly simple pattern on the other side.  I added metal embellishments, which I distressed with a W5 Copic Marker.

I added trims in basic neutral colors, leaving frayed ends on the ric-rac and tying a simple knot in the hemp cord.  My additional embellishments were basic tickets, repeating the graphics from the paper without adding anything frilly.

For the more feminine look, I chose a floral pattern with a happy polka dot on the back side. I added some vintage crochet trim, sparkly glitter tape, and some paper flowers colored with Glimmer Mist.  The flower center is a clear button backed with a paper scrap and a few Kaisercraft Pearls in the center.  To enhance the feminine look even more, you could leave off the distressing and sponge the ink around the edges of the papers rather than the direct-to-paper techniques I used.  But I love a vintage look, especially paired with sparkly bling, so I kept the distressing. It reminds me a bit of my grandmother's kitchen!

I hope you enjoyed today's cards!  If you decide to follow my lead, I'd love to see your cards too.  You can snap a pic and send them through to the Cutters Creek Yahoo Group where we can all ooh and ah over them!

Supplies from Cutters Creek used for these two cards:

• My Minds Eye 6" x 6" paper pad, Miss Caroline Dilly Dally
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Tea Dye, Fired Brick and Evergreen Bough (Winter LE set)
• Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz stamps, At The Movies
• American Crafts Glitter Tape (currently a club-only item)
• Glimmer Mist, Patina
• Copic Marker, C5
• Glue Dots
• ATG adhesive
• Kaisercraft Pearls in Yellow
• Scotch Pop-up Foam Squares

Tutorial Tuesday Preview - Faux Metal

Welcome to Day #3 of Blog Candy Week!  If this is your first day here, be sure to visit this post for rules & ways to enter to win.

Next week,  I am once again hosting Tutorial Tuesday over at Cutters Creek, but I just couldn't wait to share all of the results!  This month's focus is on embossing folders, so I am sharing one of my all-time  favorite embossing techniques: faux metal!  If you think you can make do with metallic cardstock or other ready-to-use products, think again.  This has the look of real metal, combined with the ease of use of cardstock; it's a win-win!

You can visit the Cutters Creek blog next Tuesday for the full tutorial, but I got crazy and made three cards so I'm sharing the extra two here!

First, here's this techy/manly gem using some silver Diamond Plate:

This card is based on card sketch #5 from Sketch Support.  The card base is textured cardstock from my stash, all papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Cogsmo line, stamps & inks are from Close To My Heart, and Glam Rocks for the i-Rock from Imaginisce.  My borders were punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

Next up, a classy & manly card:

This card design is based on card sketch #3 from Sketch Support (I change the squares to circles).  My gold metal sheet is made using the Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder.  The card base is Desert Sand cardstock (CTMH) sprayed with Glimmer Mist.  Cardstock, stamps, & inks are from Close To My Heart; pattern papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Lil' Man line; gold brads are from my stash; phrase is from Making Memories; and all other metal embellishments are from Tim Holtz.

I hope you enjoyed today's ideas - don't forget to see the full tutorial on the Cutters Creek blog next Tuesday!  And remember to stop back here the rest of this week for Blog Candy Week.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

So, last week I was in Archiver's and was looking at this package of Tattered Angels Crepe Ribbon.  I had used some last Summer at CHA and thought I'd pick some up.  But then, sticker shock!  And I decided right then to try my hand at making my own.  (I'm a big DIY girl!)  I bought a roll of white crepe paper streamer for about $1 and brought it home.

To get started, I already had on hand the other things I needed.  I pulled out a stamp set, black Staz-on ink, and some Glimmer Mist.  If you're interested, the stamp set I used is the February stamp of the month from Close To My Heart, Friendship.

Using my Staz-on ink, I stamped one of the images repeatedly along the crepe streamer.  So easy, it took less than 5 minutes! Then I sprayed it with various colors of Glimmer Mist.  Once it was dry, I was ready to use it on a card.

The colors don't show well in the photo, but they blend together well.  The colors I used are form the Heritage set at Archiver's.  I attached it to my card front using Glue Lines because they were handy, but Scor-tape would also work.  I layered ribbon along the center of the crepe streamer to tie in with one of the colors of Glimmer Mist.  I stamped a sentiment on matching cardstock and matted it with black.  The patterned paper is the "back" side of one of the papers from the Sweetheart paper pack I used in yesterday's layout.  The little metal embellishment in the corner is from the Mini-Medley Accents Antiqued Copper Collection.

I'd love to see what you do with this!  If you decide to do a little DIY, please post a link here in the comments so I can come take a look!

Steampunk Shadowbox

This is my project for the Cutters Creek Design Team blog today.  For full details and some closeups,  head over there and check it out!

CREATE: Monthly Cricut Circle Challenge

This month's Circle Challenge is Celebrating Creativity, and any Circle Member who plays along is eligible to win - get this - a Workbox from The Original Scrapbox!  I hope the prize for every monthly challenge is this awesome, LOL.  So, here are the rules we had to follow this month:

"The theme for this month’s challenge is all about celebrating the reasons why you love to create! Please create a scrapbook page or home decor project CELEBRATING CREATIVITY. Project must be newly created for this challenge and should include at least 2 cuts to qualify. You must also:

• Use the Shadow Feature
• Use Patterned Paper (purchased, printed, or created with stamps, etc.)
• Use Embellishments to Enhance One of the Cuts (pearls, buttons, gems, glitter, etc.)

This challenge is open to Cricut Circle Members only. Your entry must meet the requirements above in order for your name to be entered into a random drawing for the Original Scrapbox WorkBox. You must submit a project to be entered into the drawing."

I chose to make a home decor piece for my studio, if I can find a blank piece of wall to put it on.  My walls are still builder-neutral, but most items in my room are black, pink, and aqua, ao those are the colors I stick with.  I had a 16x20 canvas leftover from my Canvas Cricut Clock project a while back, so I started with that.  Here is my final result:

Using some blue craft paint (and a drop of green) and some Create-A-Shade Pearl  Paint from Close To My Heart, I painted the entire canvas with a foam brush.  Then I painted around the sides with black craft paint.  Now, I just love the contrast between distress and bling, so I chose papers with a distressed/messy feel, then I added to it by swiping the edges of my cuts with a Desert Sand ink pad.  It doesn't show in the picture, but I also sprayed my "whitish" cuts with some Pearl Glimmer Mist.  I adhered all of my cuts (except the blossoms) to my canvas using my Xyron and a little Tacky Glue in a couple of spots.  The blossoms were manipulated to mimic real tree blossoms and added  using Glue Dots.  After the paper was all adhered, I added my embellishements: rhinestone swirls, single self-adhesive rhinestones and pearls, and a couple of metal flowers. 

I LOVE how this turned out, and I can't wait to find the perfect place for it where it will sparkle and shine in the light, and hopefully help spark my creativity!

Supplies used for this project:

• 16"x20" canvas 
• Create-A-Shade Pearl Paint
• Blue and Green acrylic craft paint
• Paper from my stash (discontinued Close To My Heart)
• Cricut Expression
• Cricut Gypsy
• French Manor cartridge - bird, p.39 (flipped); half-shield, p. 54 (Layer feature, outer cut line only, slid halfway off the virtual mat on the gypsy)
• Gypsy Wanderings (on Gypsy) - branch & blossoms, p. 59
• George and Basic Shapes cartridge - M and Y
• Home Decor cartridge -  "create" (phrase and Shadow)
• Stand and Salute cartridge- "pursuit of happiness", p.71 (regular cut and Shadow feature)
• Rhinestone Flourishes (these are from Michael's Recollections brand, and are currently on clearance with the Halloween items!)
• Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels in Pearl
• Xyron 1200 adhesive machine
• Clear Sparkles from Close to My Heart
• Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems from Close To My Heart
• Foundry Flourishes Assortment from Close To My Heart
• Glue Dots
• Alene's Tacky Glue