Friday, July 27, 2012

SNSDC64 - So Happy For You

It's Friday and that means it's time for another challenge at the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog.  Our challenge this week is to use flags or pennants on our projects.



I chose to use the new pre-colored Kiwi Koala image.  I think Kiwi is adorable and the watermelon slice makes it a perfect summer image.  I really like the criss-cross card and found this "cheater's version" that only uses 1/2 of a piece of 8.5" x 11" cardstock instead of the whole sheet.  Christine David's no waste criss-cross tutorial can be found here.


The flag was made with a simple toothpick and a scrap of cardstock.  The faux stitching was done with a journaling pen.

Supplies:  
Cardstock:  Recollections, Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper:  Jillibean Soup (Blossom Soup)
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy Digis (Kiwi Koala's Watermelon Colored Digi, Hummingbird with Scripture)
Embellishments/Tools:  Brad (MM), Ribbon (misc from stash), toothpick, EK Success Corner Rounder, CM Fine Tip black pen

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Paper & Such - Just Stitch It (real or faux)
Shopping Our Stash #61 - Something New (the digi is a new release and the first I've used it)
Crazy for Challenges C4C146 - Stitching Real or Faux
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
52 Card Pickup - Make a card

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll play along with us this week.  I'm keeping this short today because we're enjoying an unexpected visit from our son and his family.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Tutorial: Paper Piecing with Digi Stamps


Paper Piecing with Digi Stamps



I really enjoy paper piecing, and especially paper piecing with digi stamps.  It’s a great way to add extra dimension and match your image to your background paper.  I also enjoy it because my coloring skills are still “under construction” and this is way to use images that normally would require large areas of coloring and shading.

I like to paper piece but I don’t like to waste my patterned paper.  So here’s my method (this works if you just want to print a sentiment on special paper too):

1.  Print the image on regular copy paper first.  Then decide how many different patterned papers you plan to use and print that number of images on the copy paper.  For my example I am paper piecing Opal Owl from Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps.  I printed two complete owls (one for a base and one for background paper). I then cropped the image in Word and printed two heads (one for the eyes and one for the beak) and two bodies (one for the belly and one for the feet).  When paper piecing, always print one image on cardstock.  After cutting out the pieces from the patterned paper, glue them to the cardstock image.



2.  Cut a piece of patterned paper bigger than the image and apply adhesive to the wrong side on just the edge of the paper that will go into the printer first.  (All printers are different but for me this is the top edge.)  Adhere the piece of patterned paper over my image on the copy paper.  Try to make sure that the adhesive is above where the image will print.   Run the copy paper back thru the printer.  By adhering the edge that goes into the printer first, I've never had a problem with jams. 



3.  Cut out all the separate pieces.  The little pieces can be tricky so leaving a bit of a “tag” on them can be helpful (see the feet in the picture below for an example of this).  For now, don’t cut out the full image that is printed on cardstock.  To keep the outlines, run a black marker around the edges of each cut out piece.  This also colors the white edge and gives a more finished appearance.



4. Now it’s time to glue the pieces to the base image -- a pair of tweezers and a Quickie Glue pen are very helpful for small pieces.  For the example image, the feet were put on first, then the main body, then the stomach, then the eyes and lastly, the beak.




5.  Now it’s time to complete your card or project.  Treat the paper pieced image just as you would a stamped and colored image.  In my sample project, the tree was also paper pieced (it’s from the Enjoy the View digital stamp set also by Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps).  The tree top was run thru an embossing folder before being glued to the tree trunk.



I originally posted this card on my blog here.  You can find full details on the supplies I used in that post.

I hope you’ll give paper piecing a try.  It’s a lot of fun and can add some pizzazz to your next project.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Friday, July 20, 2012

SNS July Digi Stamp Release - Christmas in July

For this month's digi stamp release, we're having a blog hop.  Be sure to visit the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge blog for all the details.  You'll also want to visit each of the blogs in the hop and leave a comment.  One of us is a mystery blogger.  The mystery blogger will randomly choose one of the commenters on her blog to receive the entire July Digi Stamp Release.

There is a challenge to go with this week's digi release (SNSDC63).  Appropriately the challenge for this week is to make a Christmas card.

I'm actually getting to use 3 of the new releases.


 







I chose to make an easel card.  I paper pieced the poinsettias and added a pearl to the center of each flower.



When I packed my scrapping supplies for our recent move, I was obviously exhausted.  I own the Cuttlebug (CB) and the Grand Calibur (GC).  Apparently I packed the plates and machines in 4 separate boxes. What was I thinking?!? We're in temporary housing for the next couple weeks so all I've been able to find so far is my GC machine and the CB plates.  The reason I'm confessing *grin* is to give an example of how to use your spellbinders dies without a machine.  I traced the interior of one die around my sentiment.  I traced the exterior of the same die on patterned paper for a mat.  I then handcut them both out (you'll notice I chose a pretty simple die with fairly straight lines - ha!). I thought the mat was a little wide so I got brave and handcut another mat (the green one) for in between the sentiment and the burgundy mat.



I thought the patterned paper that I used at the top of the card would look good accented with something.  My glitter pens are hiding from me so I used pearls to make a lacey look. Tweezers are your friend when placing pearls/gems like this.   I thought the lacey edge on the paper by Anna Griffin helped with the "lace" theme.

Supplies:
Card base:  Strathmore Bristol
Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey (Figgy Pudding), Anna Griffin
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy Digis (Immanuel, Poinsettia, Christmas Sentiments)
Embellishments/Tools:  pearls in flower centers (Queen & Co. - pearl), small pearl flourishes (Recollections), all other pearls (SU Jewels Basic - Pearls), Spellbinders Labels 7, Colorbox fluidchalk (chestnut roan), CM fine tip black pen

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Card Positioning System #274 - sketch
Going Gray with Scrap Creations (GGSC122) - Christmas in July
Shopping Our Stash #60 - use a precious/hoarded item (I used the Anna Griffin paper - I've had it in my stash for about 10 mos., the Figgy Pudding paper has been in my stash for a couple years)
Love to Create #24 - Use 3 of something (I used 3 poinsettias and 3 different digi stamps)
Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - Show us What You Got Christmas Edition
Word Art Wednesday #37 - Use Scripture
Divas by Design #44 - Anything Goes
52 Card Pickup - make a card

Here is the full blog hop list.  Be sure to visit each one and leave your comment for the best chance to win the full release.
Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you'll come back soon.  And remember....when packing your scrappy tools, ALWAYS pack your die cutting machine in the same box as the plates that go with it.  *smile*

Friday, July 13, 2012

SNSDC62 - Fun Folds

We have a fun challenge this week on the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog....Fun Folds.  If you are a frequent visitor to my blog, you know I love fancy/fun folds.  It can be any fold you like as long as it's not a standard "fold in half" type card.

When I was making my card for this challenge, we were in the middle of packing for last week's move.  So I kept it pretty simple and just did a gate-fold card.  They are one of the first fancy/fun fold cards I tried.  Here's a great Gate Fold tutorial from SCS.  My card folds to a 4.25" square.


Moving is always stressful and my husband had been working hard.  I wanted to give him a little note to let him know all his hard work was greatly appreciated.  This sentiment from the Love Sentiments set was perfect.  I tucked the sentiment panel behind one of the hearts from the All My Heart set to help keep the card closed.  Even though it's a masculine card, I thought this pearl flouish from Prima worked well.




Since my husband likes when I decorate the inside of my cards, I made sure to line the inside panels with patterned paper.



Supplies:
Cardstock:  Bazzill, DCWV, Recollections
Patterned Paper:  Echo Park (Times & Seasons)
Stamps:  Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Stamps (All My Heart, Love Sentiments)
Embellishments/Tools:  Prima Say It In Pearls, Stickles (Cinnamon), Spellbinders (Standard Circles Large & Small)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Stampin' Sisters in Christ #147 - Follow the "plan" (at least 1 circle/oval, at least 2 papers, at least one embellishment) 
Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - Must have text
Scrap Creations - Use something that you've gotten new within the last two months (mine is the pearl flourish)
Shopping Our Stash #59 - use an extra fold or pleat on your card -- for the stash part, I've had the paper, stamps & stickles for a looongg time)
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge (4CCC-98) - Stripes

I hope you'll play along with us this week in our fun fold challenge.  Remember, you don't have to use SNS images (though we love it when you do) but you do have to use a digi image.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'm off to continue job-hunting.  ugh!


Friday, July 6, 2012

SNSDC61 - Beach & Sand

This week's challenge at the Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge Blog is to make a card or project that has to do with the Beach or Sand.  I chose to use both.  I used the Ocean Paradise digi stamp and a sentiment from Enjoy the View.  After coloring my image with Copic Markers, I used Crystal Effects from Stampin' Up on the water and also used Crystal Effect to glue real sand from Nags Head, NC, on the sand section of the image.  After sponging in the sky, I drew a few birds.



Supplies:
Cardstock - Bazzill, Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper - Echo Park (Hello, Spring)
Stamps - Sweet 'n Sassy digis (Enjoy the View, Ocean Paradise)
Embellishments/Tools - Copics, Offray Ribbon, SU Crystal Effects, CM fine tip black journaling pen, Spellbinders Grand Labels One, and sand from the beach in Outer Banks, NC

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Stampin' Sisters in Christ #146 - Use Something New (my paper & a new technique - I've never added sand to a card before) 
Tuesday Throwdown #104 - Summertime (nothing says summer to me more than the beach)
Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - Use an image and text
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards Challenges #16 - Anything Goes

I hope you'll play along with us this week.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I'm going to keep this quick as we made an "across several states" move yesterday.  We'd appreciate your prayers as we get settled.

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