Almost Artisan – Card #4 – Flower

Another of my Artisan Award entry cards. I’m going to write up a detailed tutorial on how I made the flower but here is the short version:

Use the Scallop Oval punch for the flower petals. Punch at least 7 ovals. Cut them in half at the shortest point of the oval and then glue them into cone shapes. Then glue the cones together.

Use the Heart to Heart punch for the center of the flower. Punch at least 10 of the smallest heart. Fold in half and glue them together.

Use the Five Petal punch for the leaves. Punch at least 3 petals. Use one whole punched petal for the base of the flower. Cut the other punched petals into individual petals and glue to base to extend the leaves outward.

Glue the flower petals to the base. Then put a big glob of Tombow Multi in the middle of the flower and press the center of the flower into the glob. Push a rhinestone brad into the center. Let sit until the glue dries. I added some more bling by using Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds on the edges of the flower.

Recipe:

• Stamps: Dreams Du Jour
• Paper: Tea Party DSP (retired), Shimmery White, Certainly Celery
• Ink: Elegant Eggplant
• Accessories: chipboard brackets, Dazzling Diamonds, Fire Round Rhinestone Brads
• Tools: Scallop Oval Punch, Five Petal Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, sewing machine

Almost Artisan – Scrapbook Page #2: Exploring Savannah

Here is another scrapbook page that I submitted for the Artisan Award. I’m excited because I saw a it in one of the photos folks have been posting of the display boards at Convention!

Other than the solid card stock, gold brads, ribbon pretty much everything on this page is now retired product. The letters were cut using the Timeless Type and Billboard Dies. I jazzed up the paper pieced ornaments at the top using Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (which is hard to see in this photo). I ruffled the ribbon by sewing a running stitch through it and then pushing the ribbon into ruffles. You can also do this by putting sticky strip down and ruffling it as you glue it down.

Recipe:

• Paper: Merry Moments DSP (retired), Brushed Gold, Old Olive, Real Red
• Embellishments: Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, Playground Buttons (retired), Gold Brads, Masterpiece Ribbon Originals (retired), 5/8″ Old Olive Satin Ribbon
• Tools: Craft and Ribbon Sissors, Billboard Die, Timeless Type Die, Sponge Dauber, Paper Piercer

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 – Card #3: Floral Wallpaper

This is my favorite of the cards that I created for the Artisan Awards. It was inspired by the wall paper in my 1st floor powder room, which looks like overlapping pieces of paper with drawings of plants on them.

I knew that I wanted to use Herbed Expressions for one of my entries, but was struggling for the right idea. Then one day in the powder room it hit me – to recreate the wall paper as a card.

I knew it would have a very natural, earthy feel to it, so I used Naturals Ivory paper. I stamped each image twice and colored using Watercolor Wonder Crayons. I then distressed each piece using Creamy Caramel Classic Ink so that they’d look like aged pieces of paper. I then glued them to the card base, and trimmed the overhanging edges off.

I popped up the sentiment with Stampin’ Dimensionals and put some brads in each corner (the photo makes the brads stand out much more than do in person).

The sentiment wasn’t standing out all that well, so I brought focus to it by wrapping linen thread around the card in a fan-like manner. The thread helps to draw the eye away from the rest of the card and down to the sentiment.

I just adore this card. Boy I miss it. I’m going to have to make a bunch for myself at some point this summer.

Recipe

• Stamps: Herb Expressions
• Paper: Naturals Ivory
• Ink/Coloring: StazOn, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Creamy Caramel Classic Ink (retired)
• Accessories: Earth Elements Brads (retired), Linen Thread
• Tools: Stamping Sponges, Paper Piercer, AquaPainters

Almost Artisan – Scrapbook Page #1: Gazpacho

For the past few years I’ve been a member of a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm share. Throughout the summer and fall I pick up a box of fruit and veggies at my local produce stand. I never know what will be in the box and it has made me a more adventurous cook.

One of my favorite things to make during the summer is Gazpacho, so I thought that a recipe scrapbook page would be a great way to capture my CSA experience.

This page is made mostly from paper and embellishments from the soon to be retired Write Stuff Specialty paper. The letters on the left are cut using the Billboard die, and the letters for the title are cut using the Timeless Type dies. The “g” in gazpacho is from On Board Lots of Letters and was covered in Really Rust textured cardstock.

The ribbon is Crushed Curry 5/8″ Polka Dot Grosgrain, shaped into ripples. I played around with a couple different ways of shaping the ribbon – I sewed it into pleats, put a running stitch through and squished it, and finally settled on using Sticky Strip to glue it into small ripples.