It's Your Birthday!!! Peachy Keen Challenge

Today I have a birthday card for my nephew.  I'm entering a new challenge this week, over at Peachy Keen Sketch Challenge   Thought I'd give this weeks sketch a try. (three times lol finally ended up with this one) 

Here's the sketch they wanted us to follow:


And here's my birthday card

The back ground card stock is from DCWV The glitter Mat Stack.  I used the three colored lines on the right for my 'mock' ribbon.  I used my Artists Loft ink pens to stitch each mock ribbon.  And then stamped "11" for my nephews age this year.

I added "make a big wish" sentiment in silver metallic on the bottom of the card. 

Then a few buttons....sorry, I can't get away from making it a little cutesy lol 

Then I added a Peachy Face to the cupcake...after all, what's a Peachy Challenge without the face, right?!  I used the "wink" face from Everyday Characters

Then the final touch added "It's Your Birthday!!!" sentiment on the cupcake in silver metallic ink. 

And there you have it a Peachy Birthday Card for my nephew, who will probably only care about what's on the inside $$$  -- LOL  that's okay, I enjoyed making it for him. 

Have a great day....until next time, Chao!  --C

Simpy Crafts Challenge June 2012

The gals over at Simply Crafts have another great challenge using the ROUNDED STAR cut from the Baby Steps cartridge.

I don't have the Baby Steps cartridge, I'm having to cut my STARs from the Doodle Charms cartridge.    For my card, I'm using the new Acrylic Distressed look I just learned for my back ground.  

I used my scorer to put lines on white card stock then painted it red and let dry.  When done drying I used a coarse nail file and laid it flat and began moving it back and forth taking the paint off the raised lines.

Well you guessed it, another Patriotic card - with Stars as the challenge why not make a Happy 4th card.  Rockets Red Glare...and  I just noticed even the end of the rocket has a star!    The rocket is cut from the Sweet Treats cartridge.

I used some loose letters for my sentiment at the bottom of the card stamped in red.  I pop dotted the red layer on the rocket and also all three stars.

I dotted Red White & Blue glitter glue on each corner.   I wish this picture would come out a little better, the white stars are on white shimmery paper and really stand out.

I hope you enjoyed my post for today and my entry into the Simply Crafts challenge. 
Chao for now! --C

Play That Music

I love learning new tricks for card making.  One of my many favorite challenges is hosted by JUST US GIRLS Week 2 Technique Challenge  This week they are teaching the Acrylic Distressed look. 

I bought a stamp a while back from the $1 bin at Joann's.

  "Play the music that your Soul wants to hear"

I find this statement to be true.  When I hear music playing that I want to hear, I come ALIVE!  Music can set the tone and mood for many different reasons.  I love listening to music while crafting, and it may not always be the same genre either. One could say, 'whatever floats your boat'.

I went to the site JUGS referred its followers to see just how this technique is done. Click HERE to go to Split Coast Stampers for instructions.

I thought my stamp sentiment would be perfect for this distressed look. When I think of a Soul it makes me think of something aged and wise and this is the look I was trying to give my card.

I started out with a white piece of card stock and embossed it using the Swirls folder.  Then I painted it with pink acrylic paint and let dry.  After drying, I used an extra coarse nail file and laid it down flat on the paper and rubbed it back and forth until majority of the paint was rubbed off the raised area showing the white paper through.

I happen to choose brown ink and a blending tool to blend the ink over the entire area with emphasis on blending the ink onto the white area that was just uncovered. 
Then I sprayed some blending ink solution on a cotton ball and rubbed off the extra ink.  Viola!

I stamped my sentiment and blended a tan ink on the edges. Then I stressed the edges using my finger nail.  I believe there is a tool out there that will do this for you...but what the heck I have nails and they're free LOL. 

And for the final touches, I added some tan twine I bought at the local dollar store. I put 6 strands for the amount that is on a guitar - or at least that's how many I counted on my stamp.  Just because I listen to music doesn't mean I can play an instrument, ha! (can't sing either)

And I cut the outer corners with my corner scissors for an added touch. 

This was a fun technique and I had no problem imitating the directions.  Looks like I may be using this technique again.  
I hope you enjoyed my post for today.  Chao for now!  --C

Many Thanks!

I sure do make a lot of Thank You cards...and it's because I'm so very thankful for many things in my life and the people I've come in contact with.  And I like to let them know THANKS in my very special creative way. 

I bought this 'jug' of small froggy stamps and sentiments a while back on clearance at Joann's.  They were just the cutest.  Then when I got home, it just seemed like the stamps were so small, how possibly could I make a great card using themm so I put them away on a shelf.  Then, just the other day, I was re-organizing, and picked up this jug of stamps and decided to revisit the idea of using them on a card. 

The card size is 4.25x5.5 white card stock.  I found some 'green froggy paper', as I call it...it's more like moss green.  Embossed it using the circles folder.  It looked like lilly pads or the bubbles that come up in the moss layered pond.  Then used some scrap paper, I'm trying to get that box of scrap paper used up (then I can go buy more tee hee) made 3.25x3.25 black square and a 3x3 white square

I stitched with black jelly roll pen.  I used black Enamel Accents to DOT the eyes.  I first tried to use some of my markers to color in the frog, but didn't look right, so I broke out the colored pencils and liked it much better.  Then I added the "leap" corkscrew and the "many thanks" sentiment. 

There you have it!  Super simple cutie pa-too-tie card.   I also had different sizes of black n white blocks and also made a few of these sizes.

I enjoyed playing with these smaller stamps...so you'll probably see more "froggies" hopping along my blog again soon.
Have a great day!  Chao for now! --C

Red, White & Blue - Thank You!

Hello all my crafty friends.  I just have to share this card I made.  A friend of mine, loves the good 'ole Red, White, & Blue.  In fact, she puts red, white & blue ribbon on everything....yes, everything. I think she must of bought wheels and wheels of this stuff.  It's on her luggage, her car keys, anything she can tie the ribbon on.
So the other week, she gave me a little treat and whats on the top of the bag tying it together...(let me hear you say it out loud)"Red, White and Blue Ribbon".  Right!
I thought it would be great to take that ribbon and "up-cycle" it with a Thank You card for her.  Here's what the ribbon looks like. 

And this time of year is very patriotic for me...I don't know if it's the picnics, pool gatherings, Memorial Day with the 4th of July right behind it, or what, but it seems so very Americana this time of year...I love it!

I've had these red, white & blue buttons I've been hoarding for more than 5 years. Can you believe that?!  I liked them so much when I bought them I didn't want to give them away.  Dumb, right.  Well I'm all over that now and have decided that I need to share what I love with others.  And I know my friend will absolutely LOVE this card with her up-cycled ribbon on the card.  

Hope you enjoyed my post for today.   I broke a tooth last night at work, so I'm headed off early to the dentist today....ugh, not even looking forward to this one!  

Have a great day!  Chao for now.  --C

Birthday Bouquet - "Frost" from X-Men

As some of you may have seen from my past posts, I've done a few bouquets/center pieces for birthdays.  I was asked again to do one for a gal who is throwing a Comic Book themed party (this party if for Adults!) Gotta love the themed parties these adults are having these days...as for me, just give me a pool, music, and a few alcoholic beverages and I'm all good! LOL  This is a long post, but I think you'll find it's definitely worth reading...so grab a cup of Joe and read along. Enjoy!

Apparently, the movie recently released "Avengers" is really big and that's what this themed party is all about.  The birthday girl, who I've never met, is coming as the comic book character "Frost" from X-Men -- So when I think of Frost I'm imagining in my mind, Winter Wonderland, aren't you?  And where I live, here in Arizona on the river...it's already 100+ and it's really hard to think of Winter Wonderland right now. Ha!

I dug out my box of X-mas stuff and found some Buffalo Snow Flakes I bought from Michael's, they're iridescent pieces, like confetti.  And well my creative mind went from there. 
I took two soup cans and stacked them and taped them to hold upright making a column.

Then I wrapped the column with white copy paper (you can use what ever you have, but since the paper wouldn't really show I used the cheap stuff) and secured the paper with tape.

I took a lid from a shoe box (big enough to be able to lay down the column) and put some of the Buffalo Snow Flakes in the bottom - be sure to cover the whole bottom with flakes because you will roll the column to get it covered with flakes.   I sprayed the covered column with spray adhesive (do this outside in an area you don't mind over spray)  I sprayed half of the column length wise and laid it in the box and rolled it in the flakes, then sprayed the other side and rolled it again.  Once, the column was covered well with flakes, I sprayed the flaked covered column again for added coverage so the flakes would stay on the column and fly off everywhere in my house.

Doesn't that look frosty to you?  I think so!  Then I placed my flake covered column in a stove pipe/column glass vase.  Now I think it looks like an ice cave...I'm getting chilly lol.

I glued down the column with hot glue. I just put a lot on the bottom of the can and hurried it in the vase and pressed down for a few and it adhered to the glass bottom.  But be careful hurrying it into the vase, I scraped the side and my 'frost' came off a bit (that's the backside now lol)

For the topper and where I'm going to put the decor.  I used foam circles that fit right into the vase opening.

I sprayed  the foam with adheavsive and put into the buffalo snow and set it atop the column. Looks a little bumping of snow on top but you won't really see a lot of that when you add your decor.

Once you have all your decor cut outs glued together, you'll want to add support.  Even if you used really strong card stock, keep in mind, they will be standing straight up and they will give over time, so if this is a center piece you want someone to appreciate day after day, make it worthy of a few extra steps and add support to your pieces, espcially if they are large.

 I used popsicle sticks, a bag of 100 sticks for $1 at the dollar stores.  Hot glue them anywhere you think the paper needs support.  As for the sticks to place into the foam, for the taller cuts, I used crafters dowels, and for all the other cuts, I used popsicle sticks.

You'll want to place your tallest cuts in the back and work your way forward.  When I place the cuts, I try to cover up the other sticks, so all you see is decor when you're looking straight on.  Of course, if you're looking to the side you'll see some of the 'work' that holds your center piece together.

Start working forward with your other cuts, covering up the other sticks.   You can always add more cuts if you find a stick that needs to be covered up, or your center piece just needs a little more.

There really is no right or wrong way to create a center piece, I just let my creative muse take over.  This is my third center piece and each one takes on a mind of it's own.  I have to say this was the most fun so far, using the feather boa and the buffalo snow.

Now for the final touch and to hide the last of the sticks...I'm adding her AGE of "24"  It's on white with Glitter paper so it doesn't show up real well in the picture, but looks completely stunning in person. 

I hope you've enjoyed the post for today...sorry, it's been so long since I last posted...I have been creative though, I've had a few orders for cards and this center piece, so I've been in the craft room being crafty!

Have a greate day.  Chao for now!  --C