Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Mason Jar-a-riffic!

I used a portion of this afternoon to take advantage of some sunshine and to make this bright and fun batch of mason jar gift tags...


All the stamps I used are from the Lawn Fawn set Summertime Charm; I die-cut all the jars out using my first set of Lawn Cuts! So, so FUN!



Other supplies include:
* Memento inks in Tangelo, Canteloupe, Dandelion, Bahama Blue, Summer Sky, Danube Blue, Lulu Lavender, Grape Jelly, Ladybug, Angel Pink, London Fog and Desert Sand.
* Lawn Trimmings in Natural, Peppermint and Pink Lemonade
* Baker's twines from Hemptique, Doodletwine and Queen & Co.

These were a lot of fun and didn't take too long due to [my enthusiasm and] the mass-production nature I created them with. :) Thanks so much for stopping by!

xoxo
Emily

PS - in the sidebar of my blog is an award I received at the Lawnscaping Challenge I entered! I am honored to be an Honorable Gnome :) and look forward to entering another challenge!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Hello Crafty Friend card

Hello. :) I was really lousy at being productive this evening, but I did manage to get this card done. I picked up this Paper Smooches stamp set a couple weekends ago at Happy Paper Pusher when I was taking my Lawn Fawn Class - more on that later.. :) I have desperately delayed buying my first Paper Smooches stamp set for quite some time, because I love Lawn Fawn so much, and definitely DO NOT need to get hooked on another adorable series of images. However, I couldn't resist this set. I have a feeling I'll be experiencing more Paper Smooches in the future. :)



I began by stamping the easel and sentiment in versamark and embossing with black powder using my heat tool. Once it cooled, I fussy-cut out the easel. I colored the wood in with Copics and gave the "canvas" area some shading. I set it aside.

Next, I stamped the easel again, lightly, in the middle of a piece of white cardstock. I stamped the paint splat in rainbow colors all around the easel image until I was satisfied with the mess. :) I adhered the embossed + colored easel down with rolled Glue Dots, directly on top of the second stamped easel. I adhered the white cardstock to some blue scrap to create a card, and finished with some baker's twine secured by notched I punched.

I love love love how colorful and cheerful this card turned out! Thanks so much for reading along with me... Happy crafting. :)
Emily

Materials used:
- I Heart Art stamp set (Paper Smooches)
- Coconut Swirl cardstock (Bazzill)
- Versamark pad, black embossing powder, and heat tool
- Dew Drop Inks: Tangelo, Grape Jelly, Bahama Blue, Pear Tart, Ladybug, Dandelion, Lilac Posies (Memento)
- E15, E37, C1 (Copics)
- Glue Dots
- Blue scrap paper
- Yellow baker's twine (Doodlebug)



Bridal Shower Decor!

Hey there!

This past weekend we celebrated my dear friend Amanda's bridal shower! I'm so excited to celebrate the upcoming wedding of 2 of my best friends! :) The four of us bridesmaids all worked together to pull off a beautiful yellow and grey themed shower on Sunday.

I didn't get as great of photos as I had hoped, but here's what I was able to somewhat capture of the crafty stuff -- the banner, food labels, and a keepsake box with notecards.




For the banner, I spelled out "bride to be" using my Cricut and Cindy Loo Cartridge with deep grey cardstock. I used the George + Basic Shapes cartridge to cut out 2 hearts. (Good old George - it seems so plain but always manages to come in handy!) I adhered the accented letters and shapes to yellow and grey cardstock cut to 6x6" square pennants using liquid glue. I used a ribbon punch to punch two holes in each square-shaped pennant, and finally, began weaving grey grosgrain ribbon through each slit. I love love love the finished product! The colors were perfect and it hung beautifully on the mantle! (Do you spy the gorgeous lemon centerpieces??)



For the Vegan-Friendly food labels, I cut some nice thick yellow cardstock to 3x3". I scored it at 1.5" and folded it in half. Using Lawn Fawn's Smitty's ABC's, I spelled out "Vegan Friendly" and stamped it on all the of the mini cards in pretty grey London Fog ink. Next, I punched some hydrangeas in the dark grey cardstock. I rolled them petals, layed the flowers using liquid glue, and adhered one to each card. Once they were dry, I used Platinum Liquid Pearls to add a subtle and pretty center to each bloom. I loved these! The bride did too, and wants to repeat using them at the wedding. :)



Finally, as a keepsake for the bride, I make a "Shower Memories" box and lots of notecards for all the guests to record a memory or advice on. To begin, I painted a kraft box and lid with yellow acrylic paint - I did 2-3 coats to get a good even color. I created a flower using grey cardstock and Tim Holtz' Tattered florals die. (This brought back QUITE the memory of my own wedding, just 6 months ago, for which I die cut and embellished hundreds of the Tattered Florals by hand for my reception centerpieces. A labor of love and totally worth it!) I added a bit of Tea Dye distress ink for dimension, and finished the center with a pretty yellow October Afternoon button and grey baker's twine from Doodlebug. I stamped a vintage lady in London Fog on ivory cardstock and added Mustard Seed Distress Stickles to her dress. After cutting her out, I adhered her and the flower next to one another on the lid of the box. I adhered a strip of dainty grey lace along the bottom, and wrote "Shower Memories" in silver metallic Sharpie. This was a lot of fun and I was pleased with the finished product!

Finally, I had lots of fun creating a variety of cards for guests to write on. I cut them to various sizes, and decorated them with a variety of stamps, punches, border punches and washi tapes. I hope the almost Mrs. had fun reading over them! <3 p="">
Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you have and questions, comments or requests just let me know. Happy crafting!
xoxo,
Emily

P.S....




Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Lawnscaping Challenge: Inspired By...

Hey there! I'm so happy to be participating in the Lawnscaping Challenge, "Inspired By". You can find the challenge here!

Here is the card I made for this challenge:



I was inspired by a card I found on Pinterest (you can see it here). I loved the way a LF backdrop was used so subtly, the glitter "sprinkles" on the ice cream, and the simplicity of the sentiment. These are the elements I tried to carry over into my own project!

Believe it or not, in 10 years of crafting, I've never actually made my own window-style card. I was excited to experiment with that while completing this challenge. FUN!

Thanks so much for reading!
xoxo
Emily

Materials used:
- Ivory A2-sized card, scored and folded (The Paper Studio)
- Malted Milk Ink (Jenni Bowlin), Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (Tsukineko)
- Chevron Backdrops, Here's the Scoop (Lawn Fawn)
- Pink Lemonade Lawn Trimmings (Lawn Fawn)
- E02, E15, Y38, YR07 (Copic Sketch)
- Distress Rock Candy Stickles (Ranger)
- Circle/Scalloped Circle dies + Cuttlebug (Spellbinders + Provo Craft)


Thursday, April 11, 2013

{craft room} Stickles Storage Makeover

Hey guys!

We've had some beautiful weather this week and I got to take advantage of an afternoon in the backyard. I was feeling inspired to spruce up something for the craft room, so I decided to transform my Stickles Storage.


I found this little Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit trinket shelf at a flea market in college a few years ago. It sat dusty and unused for a few years, until I got married and got my own craft space! It has served as the perfect showcase and storage spot for all my fun Stickles.

If you know me, you know that I love color, so I really wanted to do some transforming, but without losing the charm that attracted me to the piece in the first place. I love the Peter Rabbit medallion on the top, the little drawers (though they do not open), and the dainty blue and rosebud wallpaper. It looks like it belongs in a dollhouse! I used some standard Hobby Lobby paintbrushes (25 for $4.99, and they're amazing quality - seriously!!!) and basic yellow acrylic paint. It took about 3 coats and dried very quickly in the sunshine. :)



I am so grateful to have an area to take advantage of my love for art and creativity, so even a change as small as this to my crafty nook is very exciting to me.

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Emily

{preschool} butterfly sorting game

Hello! I'm thrilled with my latest preschool project for our butterfly-themed week, so I wanted to share it. I created this sorting game using a Martha Stewart butterfly punch, purple cow laminator, cardstock in ROYBV, scotch tape, and a bead organizing tray from hobby lobby.



I cut strips approximately 1x3" in each color and adhered them down with tape to the bottom of each section. I punched 10 butterflies out of each color and laminated them, then fussy-cut them out. The kids in our class LOVE sorting so I. Have a feeling they will enjoy it as much as I did!

Thanks for reading!
Xoxo,
Ms Emily

Friday, April 5, 2013

Everyday Card using Watercolor Technique

Hey there! Tonight I was inspired to pull out some products/techniques I haven't used in awhile. Here is a card I made this evening using some oldies but goodies!



I began by choosing some nice solid image rubber stamps - in this case, Three Silhouettes by Hero Arts. I mixed some inks (wild honey, milled lavender and victorian velvet) with some water from a mini mister. I stamped all three stamps in a random pattern onto smooth white cardstock cut to 3.75 x 5.25". Once I covered the entire paper, I used a paintbrush to splatter the  three ink mixtures from my craft mat. When I was finished, it looked like this:



I used an ink blending tool to cover the entire paper with antique linen distress ink. I LOVE the look of this ink blended over the light lavender color!

Next, to add the dramatic flair I wanted to acheive, I pulled some HUGE Heidi Swapp flowers out of my stash. I've had them for awhile - checked the copyright date to find 2002. :) About time I put them to use! Though I was seeking drama, the flower was actually TOO large to fit, so I trimmed it in have with some precision scissors. I adhered it down smoothly using my ATG. The flower was the perfect addition to my feminine card...it's so fun pulling out older products and putting them to use! I added some Rock Candy distress stickles to the petals for a muted sparkle.

On top of the flower I wanted a sentiment. I chose "lovely" from Hero Arts' Heyday Sentiments. I stamped it  on white cardstock using Jenni Bowlin's Malted Milk ink. I trimmed it into a half banner and blended some more antique linen ink on top. Finally, I used some Buttercup Liquid Pearls to make random and various sized pearls around the sentiment and center of the flower.

I had a lot of fun working with the watercolor technique I hadn't tried in awhile, and some products that had gotten dusty. Thank you so much for reading along with me!

Happy crafting! I hope you create something beautiful today.
xoxo
Emily