Collage Money Holder

Well, once again it has been a while since I posted.  It's frustrating when the daily grind gets in the way of my creative time.  I have several projects lying around my studio just waiting for the finishing touches, but I just can't seem to get them done.  While I am grateful that I have a paying job, said job has been literally sucking the life out of me lately and in turn my creative spirit.

As my daughter so eloquently puts it, "Life rips the creativity right out of you and repeatedly stabs it to death".  Yes, a little dramatic, but she is a teenager after all.  :)

I did manage to complete a swap for a demo meeting and am extremely happy with the results.  I didn't feel like making a standard card this time so I created a money holder.

I adapted the size of this money holder from previous ones I have made.  We can only use current product for these swaps and since the slit punch has been retired for awhile now, I needed to find another way to keep the money in place.

This holder measures 3 1/4" x 7", and the inside slider measures 3 1/8" x 6 3/4".  I used the 1 3/4" circle punch to make the "holders" for the money on each end.

I used an Aqua pen filled with re-inker and water to make the splotches on the front of the holder.  Lay your project flat.  Make sure that your work area is protected and items that you don't want colored are not close at hand; I use an old lidded box when I do this so that I don't get ink where I don't want it.  I then took the pen in my right hand and knocked it against my left hand, moving it around the project.  For the larger dots, I let the pen drip onto the project. I also used the Spritzer tool to get a fine mist in some areas.

The flowers were colored by rubbing them over the ink pad and then misting them with water for a softer tone; I used Pool Party, Island Indigo and Midnight Muse.  The doily was folded and torn into fourths, then lightly sponged with Island Indigo.


Stamps: That's The Ticket
Paper: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Naturals White, Fan Fair DSP
Ink: Island Indigo, Midnight Muse, Pool Party
Misc.: Fabric Flower Trim, Pool Party Bakers Twine, Victoria Crochet Trim, Paper Doillies, Ticket Builder, Itty Bitty Butterfly, Scallop Edge, and 1 3/4" Circle punches, Basic Pearls, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Crop-a-dile, Aqua Pen, Color Spritzer tool, Sponges, Mini Glue Dots


ETA:  I started this post a while back, many of these items are retiring.  Today (5/31) is the last day to get items from the Spring Mini and Monday (6/3) is the last day to order retiring items from the 2012-2013 Annual Catalog.  If you are interested in purchasing any of the retiring products, click here.

Triple the Celebration

Even though I used the same stamp for the focal point, I created three different card types/styles.  The SAB set Feeling Sentimental is a fun and actually very versatile set.

Here is a group photo.

The feminine version was done in a vintage/shabby style.

I'm not a huge pink fan, but I do like it with a dark brown.  Here I used Early Espresso and Pink Pirouette.  The DSP is from the Fan Fair pack. It has the most wonderful patterns and color combos.  I simply distressed the edges and then sponged them with both colors.  I also sponged over the paper with some of the pink.

For the embellishment I took a strip of Pink Pirouette and created a banner using the technique found in THIS post.  The sentiment is from Something to Celebrate(retired).  I tied a piece of linen thread around the Victoria crochet trim and then inked it up to age it a bit.  I placed a small Antique brad inside the largest of the Vintage Faceted Designer buttons.  The brad "legs" will just barely fit inside the button holes, but it was enough to bend them and secure it to the button.  I secured the lace and the button to the card with mini glue dots.

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental, Something to Celebrate
Paper: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette, Fan Fair DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette
Misc.: Victoria Crochet Trim. Linen Thread, Vintage Faceted designer buttons, Antique brads, Basic Pearls, Square Punch, Sponges, Glue Dots, Distressing Tool



The middle card is clean and simple.

The black and white color scheme is elegant, yet still fun.  This could be given to either a female or male and could be used for a birthday, wedding or anniversary; or, simply just because you want to celebrate a child's accomplishment, a friend's promotion or any other life event.

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Pitch Black (Adirondack/Ranger)




The final card is geared with a masculine slant and is kind of a combination of the two other styles.  Clean and shabby? :)

It is also a CASE of the card posted HERE.  I LOVE Sandi's addition of the French Foliage stamp images, but for mine I wanted to keep it a little "cleaner".  Instead of linen thread I used Basic Black Taffeta ribbon to help highlight the sentiment and I used a black and tan (Crumb Cake) color scheme.  To ink the edges I used the ink pad directly on the paper to give it a little crisper edge than sponging would have.

Stamps: Feeling Sentimental
Paper: Crumb Cake, First Edition Specialty paper
Ink: Pitch Black (Adirondack/Ranger)
Misc.:Basic Black Taffeta ribbon


In all, I think it took me roughly half an hour to make all three cards, so time well spent in my opinion.  Even though the feminine card is really more my usual style, that is actually my least favorite of the three.  Go figure... 

Which do you like the best?

Sale-A-Bration

Sale-A-Bration is finally here!  Now through March 22nd you can earn FREE items with any $50 purchase (USD) of Stampin' Up! products.

Check out the details on my site, by clicking on the picture above.

Here are the fabulous items you can earn for FREE when you make a purchase, host a party, or become a demonstrator.

Check out the Spring Catalog for some cute and fun new products.

Place your order online, by e-mail or phone.

Vintage Type

Look what I scored the other day...

There is a wonderful little upscale re-sale shop in town called The Green Goat that deals mostly in re-purposed furniture and cool vintage items.  While the quality of the items she sells is upscale, her prices are more than reasonable. This little beauty cost me under $50.  I have seen similar ones priced on line anywhere from $75 to $700. Yikes!

I am so excited as I have been wanting a vintage typewriter for ages.  It will go great with the antique printer's trays I purchased a few months ago.  It weighs about 20 pounds and needs a little cleaning, but all the pieces are there and it appears to work just fine. I have a wonderful little vignette pictured in my mind with the typewriter and printer's trays...we'll see how long it takes me to get it completed.

In the meantime, take a look at this...

I have a stamp that matches. Imagine that! :)

I made a slit just above the paper bail (feeder) and slipped my "typed" piece of paper through it.  I thought the colorful paper was a nice contrast to the black and white image.

The patterned paper is a sneak peak from the upcoming Sale-a-bration catalog called Sycamore Street.  It will be available January 22nd! 



Supplies 
Stamps: You're My Type (retired)
Paper: Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Sycamore Street DSP (SAB sneak peak)
Ink:Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black
Misc.: Exacto knife, Sponge

2013 Begins!

Happy New Year Everyone! 

Hopefully everyone made it through the celebrations with minimal damage. :)  Hard to believe that 2012 is really over.  It seems like the saying is true that time really does go faster as you get older.

I think as we get older we just keep adding more and more to our plates and just don't slow down enough to enjoy anything.  Without getting all heavy and boring...I've realized that is what I have been doing.  Missing out on many things because I'm too worried about what's coming next.

So, among the usual goals I make each year, my big one for 2013 is, to take time.  Take time for me; take time for my daughter; take time for my art; take time to do nothing.

Kaiser Kraft: Chapter 9 DSP and rub-ons; 

Stampin' Up!: Basic Black & Whisper White cardstock, Elementary Elegance Stamp Set, Pool Party Classic Ink

What will you be taking time for this year?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I hope you all have a fun and wonderful Holiday Season!

For my family's cards this year, I used the Candlelight Christmas DSP and the Snow Flurry Bigz Die.

Each card was a little different.  This was one of my favorites.  I like the elegance of just the two colors-Early Espresso and Very Vanilla, with a hint of sparkle from some Shimmer Mist.  A great alternative to black and white.

Happy Holidays!