Antiques Window

I am a big fan of stitching with my sewing machine on my cards & projects, and recently started experimenting with this metallic gold thread from Gutermann.  I was doubtful that it would stand up well, because it is such a delicate filament, but it works beautifully!  I used it to glam up this week's card for Art Impressions using Antiques Window (Sku #4587):

 Even though this is a masculine card, I don't find the gold thread to be over the top - it just adds a bit of glimmer.  I made a frame with a double row of wonky stitching and popped it up with pop dots.  I did a little zigzag stitch on the heart, and popped both it and the main image up as well.  The Antiques Window is one of the Windows To The World stamps - they're quick to colour and have wonderful sayings written around them.  *This would be a great Father's Day card... you can find all the WTTW stamps here.  Happy stamping!

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White Space is Nice Space Challenge

It's my feature today on the Ai blog, we are showcasing the two new acrylic stamp sets available at Michaels through Hampton Art.  Our challenge is "White Space is Nice Space" so we want to see your CAS creations.  Here's my effort using SC0794:

 CAS is not the easiest cardmaking style for me!  I love pattern & colour, so I have to work a little harder to have white space on my cards :o)  I opted to make a 6" square card, as I needed that extra bit of white space around the frame to balance out the card.  I popped up the image and the "best" banner to give the card a little dimension:

 The set also includes a cupcake, and three sentiments, so here's what the inside of my card looks like:

 I added a few enamel dots to the lower part of the card to balance things out a bit better.

 Be sure to link up your CAS creation over on the Ai blog, there are always fabulous prizes to be won!

Copics used: Skin tones - E11, E00, E000, R30, E53, E51, E50, E34, E31

Greys - C9, C7, C5, C3, C1

Blues - B95, B93, B91, B21, BV04, BV01, BV00

Pinks - RV14, RV13, RV11, RV10

Greens - BG18, BG15, BG13, BG11, YG05, YG03, YG01, YG00

Yellows - Y11, Y38, Y35, Y32, Y21

Tuesday Threads with Karen

 

I am posting a sewing project on the Art Impressions blog today!   I've had a creative long weekend, gardening, card making and sewing up several projects.  I have one of them to share with you today.  When I first saw the wonderful Shop Hop fabrics designed by Bonnie Krebs, I had the idea to make a fabric bunting to show off all of the different prints in the collection.  And while I've only used ten of the fabrics (there are 18 in the collection!), you get the idea of how pretty these are.

 I have a large shelving unit in my craft room that is right behind where I stand at my drafting table, with all of my supplies on it.  It was looking a little blah... so the bright Shop Hop fabrics will jazz it up a little.

 I drew my pennant shape on a piece of paper (each pennant is 6" x 9") and added a 1/4" seam allowance.  Then I cut two of them out of each fabric, and one of a medium weight fusible interfacing that I ironed onto the backside of one of each print.

I sewed a 1/4" seam on the two long sides of each pennant, turned them inside out and ironed them flat.  The Therm O Web medium weight fusible tricot interfacing gives them the perfect amount of body to hang nicely:

I kept an inch of space between each pennant, and sewed them all onto an 8 foot length of turquoise seam binding.  I cut a bunch of 1" x 6" strips of the different fabrics and tied them along the bunting between each pennant.

The Art Impressions Shop Hop fabrics are available through Henry Glass & Co. - happy sewing everyone!

Inspired By All The Little Things #57

I am the hostess this week over on the Inspired By All The Little Things blog!  Here is this week's inspiration photo:

I just adore the colours in this photo, and we are right in the middle of tulip season here north of the border.  I went with the pretty Rainbow Plaid papers from Lawn Fawn, and a really old floral stamp set from my days as a Close To My Heart rep!  The sentiment and die are from Verve.

I have a former teammate of mine, Shari MacLaughlin as my Guest Designer this week - and she has some mad colouring skills that you're going to want to check out.  You can see what Shari and the Design Team have come up with based on the photo, over on the blog.  Laurel Seabrook is a special guest this week as well.  I hope you'll have time to play along!

Dots and Stripes Challenge

The Art Impressions Design Team are all sharing cards using the newly released Pop Cards on the Ai blog today.  These are such fun 3D cards!  I am using  Horse PopCard (Sku #4861):

 Since PopCards feature the images on the inside of the card, I kept the outside of my card fairly simple.  I added a diecut cupcake, and a plain "Happy Birthday" sentiment from Chocolate Therapy (Sku # AiCS28).  I used the Window Die (Sku #4619) so that you can peek through to the inside.

 And here is the 3D Horse image on the inside, along with the sentiment included in the set.  Each part of the horse is a different stamp, that I've coloured up with Copic markers and cut out using the dies included in the set.  The horseshoe die was included as well!  When the card is shut, it is completely flat, and when you open it, that little strip is attached to the back of the horse, and it pulls him up into his 3 dimensional shape.  I used the PopCard Template (Sku #4862) which you need to purchase separately, and threaded all of the pieces onto it - you can see how in the photo below:

For a great step-by-step tutorial on creating PopCards, click here to go to my teammate Diane's blog!

Check out what the rest of the DT has to share today, and you can link up your creation to our current challenge, which is "Dots & Stripes".  Happy stamping!

Copics used - R32, R30, E57, E55, E53, E51, E50, E78, E75, E72, C1

Bird Watercolour

I am posting on the Art Impressions blog today.

I am on a mission in 2017 to stretch myself with the Ai Watercolor stamps!  With such a great new selection of sets to use... I want to step outside the box a little.  As soon as I saw the new WC Birds Set (Sku #4872) I had this card in my mind:

This was a combination of several stamp sets!  I started with the long twig stamp from Clay Pot (Sku #4701), stamped twice to create the branch.  Then I used the large and small leafy stamps from WC Foliage Set 2 New (Sku #4867) to create the leaves.  I added the nest & bird from the WC Birds Set.  I scribbled my blue Marvy marker onto my palette, and used it to watercolour in the suggestion of the sky.  The sentiment is an oft-used one by me - it is from the Garden TF Set (Sku #4203).

Happy painting!

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Mooove It Mini Shaker

I am posting on the Art Impressions blog today!

I am shakin' things up a little today, with the Mooove It Mini Shaker (Sku #4797):

 You're probably singing the song now, aren't you?  There's just something about dancing cows...  I coloured them up with my Copic markers, and you'll notice that the hind quarters on the front cow also come as a separate stamp.  After colouring his derriere, I used the die cut included in the set to cut it out, and used a Mini Action Wobble to pop it up - giving him a wonderful shimmy when you flick it!  You can see where the Wobble is a bit better here:

There are three cute sentiments in the set, so I cut one of them out in a pennant shape, and added the little milk carton on pop dots as well.  I made a second card with a few paper changes, a different sentiment and some zigzag stitching:

Happy stamping!

Copics used - Browns: E47, E44, E43, E41, E53, E51, E50, E35, E34, E33, E31

Pinks - R32, R30, E000

Oranges - YR16, YR15

Yellows - Y26, Y23, E51

Greens - BG13, BG11

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