Tag: Shabby Chic

Cards

3 Cheers! A Shabby Celebration Card

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The challenge I came up with for this week for Crazy 4 Challenges was a colour combination! The weather is so nice that I had to pick beachy colours. The Bobbi Brown eye shadow palette included the perfect shades.

c4c 19 june colours zebra journal card.jpg

The zebra image is a journaling card from The Carousel collection by Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper. The other embellishments and papers are also by Maggie but a few are from other collections. It’s so perfect that they included all the colours I needed.

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I had a hard time finding a good image. But the colours are mint or aqua, blush pink or peach and gold, tan or kraft. When I took the photo and edited it, I had a hard time making the colours look as pretty and soft as they are IRL. The aqua looks too bold and the pinks and peaches are too soft.

c4c 19 june colours zebra journal card2

This one shows the colours better but it looks washed out to me. Sigh. I hope at least one looks good on your screen! I just realized that the white floral paper doesn’t even show the amazing foiling. You can see a hint of it under the balloon string.

So, if you can overlook the poor photography, and you like the colours, I hope you will join us over at the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and link up a card or other project!

Enjoy, Rebecca

 

Cards

Shabby Thankful Rose Card

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This is the third week of the month at Crazy 4 Challenges so we have a sketch! I found this one a bit tricky so it doesn’t look very much like the sketch but maybe if you squint!!

c4c 19 may sketch

I started by adding some embossing paste through a stencil to my background paper. Then I added some Kaisercraft pattern paper to one corner after using a tearing ruler to create a rough, torn looking edge that is still straight. They were popular a while ago when scrapbooking was more popular but I haven’t used mine in years. But I kept it anyway and now I know why! The circle die cut is from a recent Spllbinders die of the month club. Then I added some die cuts that matched the paper pad. The ribbon was part of the sketch so I added it but I’m not convinced it adds much to the card so I might take it off. To finish it up, I added some sequins and crystals.

C4C484Sketch

I hope this sketch inspires you to play along with us over at the C4C blog! Let us see what you make my linking it up by Friday!

Enjoy, Rebecca

 

 

Cards

Funny Ha Ha… Coffee and Donuts Anyone?

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Can you guess what the challenge was this week at Crazy 4 Challenges? Yep, make a funny card or project! I hadn’t used the Tim Holtz Snarky Stickers from the November Simon Says Stamp kit so I chose one that worked with some stamps I have.

c4c 19 funny coffee

Some of the stickers will be hard to come up with images to use with them but this one was easy! I used the Hot Cocoa die set from My Favorite Things and the donut dies from Reverse Confetti. I paper pieced both with paper from Prima. I love using such pretty papers. I’ve been drawn to more clean and simple cards lately, not sure why. But I will always come back to my signature Simple Shabby style eventually!

c4c 19 funny coffee2

I added a tiny bit of Vintage Photo to the edges of the die cuts just to give them a little definition. It helped them stand out from the patterned background. I thought using the cork pattern for the donut was really fun! The heart ‘sprinkles’ were cut from white cardstock I coated with a gold paint pen. I didn’t this time but I do save my scraps of fancy mirror or metallic cardstocks to use for tiny die cuts like these.

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The border was cut from another sheet of patterned paper which worked perfectly here. I also made a ‘table’ of sorts for the mug and donut by sponging some grey ink on one side of a mask made from post it tape. Then I added a few sequins to finish it off. The one in the lower right corner that looks too pink is actually blush but the iridescence makes it look brighter than it really is. I love this sentiment! I don’t actually drink coffee but I think I could substitute my morning OJ! Please join us at C4C for this awesome challenge. I love seeing what you create!

Enjoy, Rebecca

 

 

 

 

 

Cards, Uncategorized

Leave the other Images Alone

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Ok, so that’s a weird title. Allow me to explain! This week at Crazy 4 Challenges we were asked to make a card using only images of leaves. Get it? Leave the other images? I’m so punny!

c4c 18 purple leaves n flowers

I started out very well, doing the ‘only leaves’ thing. Nuvo glitter paste through a leaves stencil by PTI then a shimmery vellum leaf die cut by Simon Says Stamp. But I needed a focal point so I had to go with flowers. I’ve hoarded these Prima flowers for the longest time, do you ever do that? Hoard your prettiest embellishments? I’m very guilty!

I accidentally dropped a big blob of glue on the far right edge of my card so I had to trim it. I could have just trimmed the card base down the same amount but why not use my mistake as an embellishment opportunity? I added a sequin to cover the remaining glue and when I added the card base, I covered the white edge that would otherwise show with silver glitter paper (exactly like the Tim Holtz glitter papers) from the dollar store! A huge roll for far less than the TH version! Score!!

c4c 18 purple leaves n flowers2

The small banner was a freebie from Winnie & Walter (another SCORE!) which I die cut from some Co’ordinations cardstock. It was partially die cut so I could make it a wee bit longer. If you aren’t familiar with partial die cutting, I only die cut the banner end and the sides of the die by placing it between my plates with the small straight end outside the plates. It didn’t cut so I could hand cut it making the die cut longer. You can also make a die cut longer by lining up the die with the end where you want it and sending it through your die cutter again, this time leaving the banner end outside the plates. But because my edges were straight, I didn’t bother.

The sentiment is by Simon Says from the Sketched Flowers set. I ADORE the calligraphy font used for the sentiments! I will use them constantly, far more than the flowers. The ink bled on the paper the first time I stamped it so I had to die cut another banner and try again. This time I warmed up the paper before stamping and heat set it after. Sadly I managed to melt/warp my MISTI mousepad at the same time. What a dumbnut huh? Oh well. That’s my life!

Pop on over to the Crazy 4 Challenges blog this week to see our Design Team’s inspiration and after you make a leafy card, come on back to enter the challenge!

Enjoy, Rebecca

 

 

Cards

Shabby Chic Pumpkin Patch

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Funny thing, how coincidences pop up in life. I’ve been working on some shabby chic fall foam pumpkins for the last couple of weeks. Then I see the photo inspiration for The Card Concept 100! How perfect!

c4c 18 pink pumpkin hello.jpg

But my pumpkins aren’t done AND it’s a card challenge so I made this little beauty. I wanted to use patterned paper and the only stamps I have are solid so I used my phone as a light table and traced some pumpkin graphics. Then I used graphite paper to transfer the images on to the papers I wanted to use. If you decide to ever use graphite paper, use a gentle hand, especially on lighter papers. The package says to erase it with a white eraser but it is very hard to erase; much, much more so than a regular pencil. I added Copic shading and erased the lines that I could. Then I had fun decorating them in a super pretty shabby way.

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The pumpkin in the back is covered with gold Liquid Pearls, then I added pearls and flowers. The tan pumpkin has gold Distress Stickles and again, a little flower and pearls. The pink pumpkin in the front has a single flower and a strip of pearls. But it isn’t just the focal point that was treated with gold and glitter. It took me a while to get the background just the way I wanted it. I started with a light card base and a white die cut. But the pumpkins looked too rustic for that combination. I cut another die cut from a green patterned paper and tried a linen card base. No, still not right. Last I tried this pretty floral paper for the die cut and kraft for the card base. Finally the right look!

c4c 18 pink pumpkin hello2

But the background wasn’t fancy enough for the rest of the card. So I added some gold acrylic paint dry brushing on the kraft cardstock. I also did a test piece to see if  I liked the effect of adding a woodgrain texture. Yep, even prettier. So I added that and put the card together. After seeing the gold glitter on the pumpkin next to the kraft card base, I needed more glitter. I added some gold Stickles, not the distress kind this time, to the card base using my finger to spread it lightly. A LOT of glitter stuck to my finger so I tried some little silicone polymer clay shaping tools I bought a few months ago. Bingo! The perfect spread and none on my finger! For a final touch I added a sentiment from the Hero Arts fall kit from last year although I did straighten out the curve in it and embossed it in gold powder.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Entering In:

The Card Concept 100

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Eiffel Tower Tea Set Card

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I’ve got to admit, I’ve been holding out on you guys. I often post my cards to Instagram and forget to post them here. Sometimes I don’t even remember to take a photo of them with my good camera and all I have is an iPhone pic! So this summer, I am resolved to find all the cards I’ve made in the last while, about 6 months I think and post them all! We shall see how long this particular resolution lasts!

Eiffel tower tea card

This card was for the spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop. The Eiffel Tower is by Hero Arts, (I’m so used to Instagram that I almost typed #heroarts!) which I airbrushed in tan to get as close to the colour of the real tower as possible. Did you know that it is painted in an ombre of tan? But metallic tan of course. To save time, I die cut the tea pot and cup (dies by Poppy Stamps) with coaster board so I wouldn’t have to layer so many die cuts. Just snag a few every time you go out to a restaurant or bar! Most die cutters will get through it in just a couple of passes with a shim.

The background is text paper from PTI but it looked too plain so I airbrushed some of the colours from the patterned paper on it. At the bottom I added a fabric doily; sadly most of it was covered by the flowers.  I finished the card with some crystals, silk and paper flowers along with some die cut flourishes.

Eiffel tower tea card2

I wonder if some of you are curious as to why so few of my cards are my usual shabby chic style. There are a couple of reasons. First, many of the stamps I get in my Hero Arts and Simon Says Stamp kits don’t lend themselves to shabby designs. I wish I was like Melissa Philips and I could make a shabby card out of nearly any stamp set! But alas, I lack that particular talent. Also, I’ve been trying to sell my cards and the over-the-top shabby ones I love to make don’t sell very well. I will always be a shabby and elegant designer at heart but I have been enjoying making some cards that aren’t as ornate and girlie. Oh, I guess there is another reason. I’ve been colouring a lot and not finishing those cards! Especially since I’ve participated in the last couple of Kathy Rascoosin’s 30 day colouring challenges. That’s another goal of mine, to turn those coloured panels and backgrounds into cards!

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Awareness Inspiration

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Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness week, Bonnie asked us to use pink while making an inspirational card this week. This may seem like an unusual sentiment along with the cancer awareness ribbon but I thought of it as the perfect card to celebrate a treatment victory, big or small.

c4c awareness ribbon

I’ve been making a lot of clean and simple or graphic cards lately so I was feeling the pull of freestyle collage and my simple shabby signature style. When I am trying to design in this style, I usually reach for Maggie Holmes and My Mind’s Eye. Today Maggie won! All the papers and most embellishments are from her line. The tag was cut at the top with Tag Classic 2 from Neat n Tangled and at the bottom with a die from Select-a-Size edge dies from Concord & 9th. Then I added a whole bunch of bits and bobs. The awareness ribbon die is by Lifestyle Crafts. I think they are now part of WRMK so you may not be able to find that exact die.

For this shabby/freestyle design, I first decide what elements I have to have. I started with the tag, the background and the awareness ribbon. Next I needed to fill some space in the background so I added the washi and glitter tape. Next I selected the chipboard element that looks like a banner with the heart and white sentiment. To bulk up the tag, I added some filler on both sides; on one side some corrugated cardboard with Finnabar patina paste, on the other a tag I decorated with lace, rickrack and twine. Last I added the flower die cut, vellum leaf, twine on the big tag, the tiny bit of mint lace and finally the sequins and gems.

This is the perfect theme for October. Come on over and play with us at Crazy 4 Challenges.

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Celebrate Everyday Moments

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I’m so excited to finally show you one of the cards I made for SCS in January.

SCS 01 cake n roses wm 

I started with this glorious cupcake paper from Bo Bunny. It uses so many of my favourite colours too! Mmmm. I love when pastels are accented with a pop of a bright or darker colour in this case the fuchsia! While not a big fan of black it works perfectly here! The oval die cut which I think is either sponged or airbrushed with a tiny bit of colour, makes a perfect mat for the cake slice inside a cloche! Some gold thread makes the chipboard (Bo Bunny) pop too! I just can’t stop adding gold! I’m so glad that gold is the trend right now and not silver as I definitely prefer the warm shimmer of gold, rose gold and copper!

I added some narrow washi tape above the patterned paper just to help it look more finished then some ribbon and glitter. The pink Distress glitter was adhered (Scor-Tape) to the card right next to the ribbon and trimmed on an angle so it almost appears that the ribbon has a glittered edge. Really Reasonable Ribbon has some awesome deals on the lovely paper flowers I used on this card; their colours compliment the paper perfectly!

Another chipboard piece provides a sentiment I really believe in. My religion doesn’t celebrate holidays or even birthdays so we really have to take advantage of smaller moments to celebrate and enjoy. It certainly makes things less stressful to celebrate a lot of small moments rather than just a few huge ones. A sprinkling of sequins and gems from Lucy’s Cards provides some sparkle and bling to this fun card!

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Finally!

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It’s been an amazing 6 months but sadly my term at SplitcoastStampers is over. Fun doesn’t even come close to describe my time with the Dirty Girls. The themes were so creative and allowed us so much free rein to come up with truly awesome creations! Now that my term is up, I am free to blog my cards!

SCS 01 bunny box wm

This box was absolutely one of my favourite creations. It seems anytime that I work with Maggie Holmes products from Crate Paper, I make something I REALLY love! The box was plain so I covered it with some 12×12 paper from the Bloom collection. Everything else except the ribbon, buttons, sequins and sentiment are from one Maggie H collection or another. Layering all of these beautiful embellies made me so happy! I can’t wait until a friend or family member has a baby so I can give a sweet little gift in there.

I will be coming back later in the week with some more cards and a book review (or two!). I have boys and they really aren’t into the crafts I do. But I’ve been contacted by a publisher and given some books to review for free. While I was given the books, I was not required to review them favourably or otherwise, and everything I write is my unbiased opinion.

Enjoy, Rebecca

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Paris Sending Hugs Card

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It’s time for another Crazy 4 Challenges card! This week we were challenged to make a card using a travel destination, any city, country or place.

c4c paris hugs

Of course, my romantic, shabby chic and summer-loving self immediately thought of the beach and Paris. Hard to chose but Paris won as I hadn’t made a shabby card in a while. It’s pretty hard for me to make one without tons of dimensional flowers but using Webster’s Pages paper helps a lot as the paper already has many shabby elements on it.

c4c paris hugs2

Do you know what colour the Eiffel Tower is? I thought it was silver/raw metal colour but actually it is painted three shades of bronze. The bottom is the darkest and the top is the lightest. Apparently this enhances the look against the sky. When I found that out, I tried to mimic this in my die cut (Hero Arts). I added silver distress stain to the top and copper to the bottom leaving the center plain. Then I added bronze over top hoping the colours below would blend with the bronze on top. It didn’t work as I had to add too many colours of stain to get a solid look but it’s still pretty!

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I added some stamping, the clock, flourish on the left, the birds at the top and bits of script and postmarks. On the background paper I added gold crackle paste through a doily stencil. I hope you like how this turned out! I kinda love it! We would love to have you join us this week. Any destination, maybe your dream vacation? 🙂

Enjoy, Rebecca