Today's Card From the Bits & Pieces Drawer

Here is the next card I made in my card making session recently - I like that these are made from little bits and pieces that I have saved. 

 

This is another rubber stamped image; long ago; I stamped 1 image from each of my rubber stamps.  This was from that time.  The card itself is made from light colored cardstock.  I stamped the image with a gray ink so that I could see the outline but it would basically disappear after I colored it in.  

This was colored with a combination of Copic markers and Whispers Strokes markers.  Then I tore the edges around image, pulling towards me so the rough edge of the tear was on top, and inked it with Cement Antiquities  Ink Pad from  Ranger Ink.  I really like the effect that it gives.

Then I a Zig 2 Way Glue to glue the finished image to the cardstock.  I love the look of this card it reminds my of a spring afternoon in the French countryside; very friendly and cheerful.

Another Card From My Bits & Pieces Drawer

The other night I got on a slight crafty binge and did a bunch of cardmaking.  I like using up the little bits and pieces of stuff that are too good to throw out, but your not sure what to do with them.  I like to make cards with them.

Here is the next one:

This card was made from light cardstock.  The image is rubber stamp, that I colored in with copic markers, then the background and the torn edge was inked with a pink ink pad.

This is a nice feminine all purpose card; that can be used for a just because note or any other reason.  Having these cards all made up ahead of time, makes it easy to dash off a card when I hear some one is sick or to congratulate them for an achievement, or even just to catch up and stay in touch.

I feel like a card that someone can touch is very special especially in today's electronic age.  A card can be saved and whenever you look at it again, it is like another little special visit from a dear friend or family member.

Another Card from my Bits & Pieces Drawer

In an effort to make something from all my saved bits and pieces I have been making cards.  Here is another card that I made the other night:

This card started with pale cardstock and a vellum quote tag that I colored from the reverse with copic markers; I used YR68 orange; and V09 violet; the violet I used on both sides to make it very bold and pop.  The background was a Zig Watercolor System ColorBrush Twin in pale blue.  Then I edged it from behind with Whispers Strokes marker in a dark blue.  After I glued the vellum down with Zig 2 way glue.  I doodled the decorative scalloped dotted border with a Pilot G2 pen.

May FabShopHop Update

Have you been hopping along with the May FabShopHop?  I have finished, I have found all 157 bunnies and bonus bunnies; so I am eligible for all the drawings.

If you haven't found your bunnies yet, you still have until the end of the month. 

Don't forget to sign up for newsletters and contests at any of the shops that interest you.  The link for the May FabShopHop is on the left sidebar.

Rubber Stamp Update

Well the rubber stamps were in a heap when I got up today; so I laid them single layer on cardstock and did multiple layers in the drawers.  That is how they will stay until I get the CD cases.

Rubber Stamps Revisited

I spent several hours tonight; working with my rubber stamps.  About a year and a half ago; it looked  like we  would be moving to Europe and total weight of our belongings was an issue.  So I unmounted my MANY rubber stamps.  An while it always them to be stored in a fraction of the space that it took before.  They are all jumbled and stuck together in several drawers. 
Tonight for some unknown reason I got started on them again; I got out the Undu and removed the rest of the sticky back from them.  It was a messy sticky mess.  My hands are still somewhat sticky and I have tried several products to make them not be tacky.

Well besides that I got them all ready.  Some are still sticky and I am not sure what to do about that.  But the next step in the plan is to put them in CD cases.  This will work with all but 2 tiny alphabet sets, some foam stamps and some very long border stamps that will still live in a drawer.

I am thinking about whether it would be worthwhile to stamp the images on a cover for the CDs; but I haven't decided yet.

But I think getting them accessible in CD cases, rather than in a sticky pile will let me get to them more easily and they will get used more.

I'll try to get a pic for ya tomorrow, right now everything is sticky and I don't want to gunk up the camera.

Army Cathedral Windows Quilt update

Finished two more rows for it today; only 6 more rows to go! 

Card Making Party

Spent a few hours last night making greeting cards.  These are ones that I make from my bits & pieces drawer. I do these cards in batches.  Yesterday morning I grabbed a small pile of light colored cardstock and turned it sideways and used the sliding trimmer to cut each sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch cardstock.  So each piece of cardstock yields two cards 8.5 x 5.5 inches.  I then use a bone folder to fold each card in half and make a sharp crease.

This card is made with an off-white beigish cardstock.  The quote is a leftover vellum sticker I found in the drawer as where the footprint stickers.  I edged bought the vellum quote sticker and the entire card with Zig Watercolor System Color Brush Twin.  It is the palest blue on the cap; but there is no color name on it.

This card is on light colored cardstock.  The corners and the main image of "Snow" were part of a card with images, but not stickers; that I got at a scrapbook yard sale at the scrapbook store back in Ohio.  Besides fussy cutting the shapes, I didn't do anything but glue the pieces down to this one.

This card is made on light colored cardstock.  The large sun is a Sizzix die cut (Large Sun 38-0184).  The edge of the die cut and the inner circle of perforations have been highlighted with markers and chalkwork.  There is a faint smiley face in the sun.  The word "sunshine" is a sticker.  The "you are my" is done with a copic marker as is the edging on the entire card; I used Copic Ciao YR68 Orange.

This card is from another card (not sticker) that I got from that scrapbook yard sale.  I fussy cut it, then glued it down.  Then I did some pen stitching with a Staedtler Mars graphic 3000 duo marker #71, a brown; but with no color name on it.

These are the first four cards; I made about 25-26 cards last night and will share more.

I like to have these ready, they are blank inside and I can add whatever message I want when it comes time to use them.  I like that I use up all the little bits and pieces of this and that; that I save. 

I Just Won 7 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 7 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

Army Cathedral Windows Update - Picture

Finally got the picture of the quilt together; I added 3 more rows to it yesterday and it is coming along; only 8 more rows, I think, lol.

The red is the sheet on my queen size bed.  The quilt background is made from old Army uniforms; it has two types of camo in it the older more curvy camp and the more modern digital camo.  The inset squares are solid black.  I need to take a close up of this; and also a pic of the back as the black zig zag stitching that holds this together, makes a pretty design that reminds me of the black leading in stained glass.

Update on Army Cathedral Windows quilt & other craftiness today

Got to work some more today on the Army Cathedral Windows quilt; got 2 more rows finished.  Then I cut out the rest of the black inset squares for it. 

And while I had the cutting equipment out I went ahead and cut out most of the inset squares for a wallhanging I am planning. 

And I finished 13 cards today and got them in the mail.  I like to decorate my envelopes too.  So this took a while.  So I sent out all the birthdays and other events for May.  Yes some are somewhat late and others are early - but I can live with that.  Hopefully I can some day have them all done on time.

How to Embellish A Die Cut - Sizzix Easter Basket & Eggs 655016

A thought I would start sharing how to embellish your die cut, to make it special.

I am going to start with the Easter Basket & Eggs die cut.

This first photo shows the die cut after it has been paper pieced.  Everything in the picture is the entire die cut, so first I die cut it from the brown that I chose for the basket.  Then I die cut the green grass, but I did not cut the entire die cut out again I just cut a piece of green slightly bigger than the grass area.  Then I die cut the red egg, pink egg, blue egg and yellow egg.

The die cut itself has perforations for each section to help guide you.  So I used tiny cuticle scissors to precisely cut each section out. 

Lay the brown die cut down as the foundation and start gluing the colored pieces into place.  If you trimmed carefully, it should all fit together like a puzzle.  I like to use Sakura's Quickie Glue pen; it is the size of a pen and puts out a thin line of glue like a pen line.

The picture above is how it should look once you have all the cut out pieces glue down.

Next I add some pen work to imitate the grain and such of a basket weave.  Then with my Whispers Strokes marker to make the grass lines.  Then I used Sakura gelly roll pens to add the decorations to each Easter egg.

Art Journal Every Day # 16 - Critters, Critters, Critters

Sorry for the long delay in posting the next page in my art journal.

This is the next page in my Art Journal that I am doing as part of the year-long project that Julie Fei Fan Balzer is hosting. You can check it out here: Art Journal Every Day

There is a Pluggers cartoon that was very appropriate to a house that has as many critters as we do.  Each section of the page tells a little about each of the dogs that share my life.

 
This page is all journaling except for the cartoon, which was the spark for this page.  I did the journaling with my Whispers Strokes marker.

First Scrapbook Party

Yesterday I held my first scrapbook party and I did ok.  I brought my Sizzix and Cricut and we talked and had a ball.
When I get home from Ohio, I will tell more about it.   Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.

Art Journal Background Prep

I prepped two pages for art journaling.

The first one is chalked around the edges and then I chalked over one of my new stencils.

I think this came out very cool.

The next one is just direct to paper inking with Cement colored Antiquities Ink Pad by Ranger.

I like the subtle texture that it gives the page.

I got the idea of prepping your page backgrounds from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.

May FabShopHop Update

Have you been hopping along with the May FabShopHop?  I have gotten started and so far have found 23 bunnies.

I also found 1 bonus bunny.  This is something that I haven't seen before.  It says there are 10 bonus bunnies randomly in the various shops and can be in the same shop as a regular bunny.

If you find all 10 bonus bunnies you are entered into a drawing for a random prize.

Don't forget to sign up for newsletters and contests at any of the shops that interest you.

Update on the Army Cathedral Window quilt

Over the weekend I was able to get a lot done on the Army Cathedral Window quilt.  I got 6 rows finished and attached to the main body of the quilt.

I have to cut about 125 more of the black inset squares.  Hopefully later today I can set up the rotary cutting mat and get cutting.  Unfortunately, although the sewing machine is all set up in my bedroom, so multiple times a day I can just set and sew for a few minutes or more.  But the rotary cutting mat is bigger and I have to set that up either on the living room coffee table or the kitchen table. 

I have a small pile of denim cut from old jeans and 1 uncut pair of jeans built up.  Hopefully I can get them all cut into the circles for future quilts.  The store easier in less place once they are cut.

I have an excited new variation of the Denim Cathedral Window quilt that I am eager to do; but I am trying to finish the Army Cathedral Window quilt first.

May FabShopHop

May's FabShopHop has started (see the link on the left side of the page). 

The FabShopHop is an online fabric store hop.  There is a long list of online fabric shops and you go to each one and find the little bunny. 

And their are really awesome prizes.  If you find enough bunnies you are entered into th drawing for the fancy prizes.

This time the prizes are Janome Jem 760 Platinum sewing machine or 50 yards of fabric or the Go! Fabric Cutter from Accucut.

I have won once before but it was only a yard of fabric, lol.  But I still won something.  And the inspiration from all the different shops will get your creative juices flowing for sure.



Be sure to look for the blue bunny for May.  And good luck!

This bunny is NOT clickable, click on the one on the left side of the blog, to register and start finding that 'wascally wabbit (like Elmer Fudd, lol).