Almost Artisan – 3D Item: Wristlet

This is my the other 3D item I made for the Artisan Awards. The colors of this photo are a little “off” – in person the colors are truly Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, and So Saffron.

I purchased a wristlet pattern that looked pretty straightforward and then adapted it so that I could use the Scallop Envelope die for a front pocket and make the strap from SU! ribbon.

I used MDS to create a pattern that I then printed on my printer using printable fabric. I used Printed Treasures and was extremely happy with how the fabric turned out. It prints on 8 1/2 x 11″ sheets and the image quality is sharp and the colors true. I would definitely use this brand again.

The strap is made from ribbon from the Ribbon Originals Elementary collection (now retired). The pocket in the front was cut using the Scallop Envelop die. I used buttons from Fresh Favorites I (also retired) on the strap and the pocket.

For the zipper pull, made beads from Tea Party and Old Olive Patterns DSP by cutting a long thin triangle, applying Tombow Multi, and wrapping it around a toothpick. I then strung them on some jewelry wire and attached a Simply Adorned 6/8″ Square Charm. I then added a bit of the So Saffron ribbon from the Ribbon Originals Elementary collection.

This project was my first attempt at sewing anything on a sewing machine. That is not a skill that my mom passed down to me (instead I got lots of cooking lessons). I was really intimidated by it, but once I figured everything out I really had fun. As you will soon see I got sewing machine happy on one of my cards and scrapbook pages!

Almost Artisan – 3D Item #1: Sunflower

This is one of the 3D items that I submitted for the Artisan Awards. The flower is made from Patterns DSP (Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Old Olive) and is on a Definitely Decorative Chunky Frame decorated with a Definitely Decorative Scallop Frame, and hand cut petals based on the Cheep Talk Definitely Decorative Stencil.

The flower is not as difficult to make as it seems. It is time consuming, but as long as you can glue and bend paper, you are set. It is a great project to work on while you watch tv, because it is repetitive and a bit mindless. Here is the tutorial and template:

Butterfly Mobile

At long last – here is the project I had planned for my Earth Day Challenge…more than a month later! I had a busy and fun month – I hosted my book club and then had a friend from Hong Kong visiting. So I spent a lot of time cleaning, traveling, and obsessing about Artisan Award results until I finally got around to getting started on this project. That is when I saw the Embellish Butterflies Color Challenge and my idea fit perfectly for the challenge they put forth…projects using butterflies and the colors olive, black and Kraft.

Starting at the top, the mobile is held up with some black braided cord that I got at my local craft store in the jewelry section. The top of the mobile is made from five cat food cans that I dressed up with paper. I stamped the butterfly from Dreams du Jour in Basic Black on strips of Old Olive cardstock cut to cover the outside of the cans. I dressed these up with a strip of Kraft (soon to be Crumb Cake) punched with the Scallop Trim Border  punch that will be available in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog. I also added a thin strip of Basic Black cardstock for an added touch.

The butterflies were cut using the Beautiful Butterflies die. The large butterflies were cut from Kraft and the smaller butterflies from 5 retiring colors (Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal, Lavender Lace, Brocade Blue, Blush Blossom). All were run through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder. I used a Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker to add color to the polka dots on the big butterflies. Crystal Effects and Dazzling diamonds were used on the small butterflies to add some sparkle. I then stapled the butterflies together and then used Crystal Effects and the black glitter from Chunky Essentials to make the body of the butterfly and to cover the staple.The butterflies are hung with a hemp cord that is very similar to Stampin’ Up!’s linen thread.

I used the Crop-a-dile to punch holes in the sides of the cans so that I could attach them to each other with brads and hang the butterflies. I used a small awl to punch the holes in the top of the cans so that they could be hung.

Supplies

• 5 used and cleaned cat food cans
• Stamps: Dreams Du Jour
• Paper: Kraft (Crumb Cake), Old Olive, Basic Black, Barely Banana, Lavender Lace, Apricot Appeal, Blush Blossom, Brocade Blue
• Ink: Basic Black Classic Ink, Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker
• Embellishments: Black cord, hemp cord, brads, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds, Chunky Essentials, staples
• Tools: Beautiful Butterflies die, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Crop-o-dile, Scallop Trim Border Punch, 1/16″ circle punch

Quick Birthday Gifts

If you follow my tweets, you’ll know that last weekend I was looking for ideas for a birthday gift for a friend who is a super cool mom/art teacher. I rounded up some ideas, and I ended up making an altered journal, flower photo frame, and a 3×3 card.

Being a crafty artistic type, G loved the gifts.  It was a good lesson for me, since I tend to make more elaborate, time consuming things. I had two other projects planned as well, but my Saturday got away from me and I had to keep it simple.

Note: these projects used a lot of retired SU! product, Sunshine Day DSP, and Pacific Point card stock to be specific. If you like the color scheme of the DSP, I’d recommend the DSP Flock Together (IBC p162, #114018) since it uses lots of blues, greens, and yellows. If you like the retro funky kind of look, then try Tall Tales (IBC p161, #115678). Then pick a coordinating solid card stock. Here are more details on each of the gifts:

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Shop OnyxStamps

Since I’ve been told repeatedly that I should sell my creations, I’ve launched an online shop at ShopHandmade.com. I’ve also added a “Shop” page to this blog that will have a glimpse of the current products that I have available for sale.

The first item I listed is this fantastic Thank You Set that I made for my friend’s daughter birthday.

It has 20 Thank You Cards and envelopes (10 each of 2 designs) which are held in a fabulous purse that is customized with an initial. The idea is that the cards could be sent as is, or the images could be colored (my friend’s daughter loves art, so coloring would be a fun way to make them ‘hers’”. It is $40, which includes shipping inside the US. You can purchase a set here.