Water Colored, Paper Pierced Greeting Card

I only have one Avery Elle stamp set and it is not the most ideal to fuzzy cut. But it is this month's challenge, so I challenged myself to use what I have. I am inspired by the colors of the patterned paper in the new collection of My Mind's Eye Fancy That, which is gold and pink. With that in mind, I tried to create a card using these colors.

I really wanted to come up with a watercolored card. I used the brush strokes to mimic candles and the splats as the light of the candle. Without the detailing, my son said the candles looked like a letter i. To me, this wasn't too encouraging since I am almost done with the card. I had the urge to pitch the design but after looking through other cards with candles, I figured out what was missing to make it look like a candle and not waste the whole design. I added stripes to the already clear embossed candles using a Copic marker. I also drew a gold line between the candle and the light using a gold gel pen. I colored the light with a very light yellow Copic marker. Now, my son is convinced that these are candles.

I fuzzy cut the sentiment after heat embossing it in gold. I wanted to create a single lined sentiment for this card. Fuzzy cutting reminds me of my school days where I enjoyed fuzzy cutting pictures for school projects.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Stamp used: Avery Elle Brushed 

I submitted this creation to the following blog:

http://aeiheartuchallenge.blogspot.com

Metallic Happy Birthday Card

I have not created anything for my blog for almost two weeks now. I don't know if I am just having an artist's block and/or because it is too cold in my craft room which is located in our basement. Despite the portable heater, my hands just get too cold right away. Hopefully, with this creation, I am finally able to break my artist's block and continue to create on despite the cold temperatures.

My sister's birthday is in ten days. With that in mind, I decided to create a card for her. It wasn't easy to break my artist's block. I am unhappy with how things look so I kept changing things around.

My current curiosity right now when it comes to crafting embellishments is the Perfect Pearl powder. It is a part of the Simon Says Stamp January card kit. I watched several video demos using this product which made me curious with it. I don't have the kit. It is sold out the last time I checked the webside. Lucky me, this set is on clearance at Michael's making me feel that it was meant for me to explore.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Die: Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles, Lawn Fawn Cole's ABC, Mama Elephant Confetti

I am submitting this to the following blog challenge:

ric#75 - Ralph Lauren

http://runwayinspired.blogspot.com

Christmas 2014 Layout

I like joining My Mind's Eye Challenges because I get to scrap photos vs. card making. I love to create cards, too. Between the two, I feel scrapbooking is more of a challenge to me because I have to move around the elements of the layout before I adhere it. I also have to consider the photo that I want to put in the layout. Over the years, I've learned that not all photos can be in the layout so I have to select the photo that inspires me the most.

It has been a tradition to have a Christmas photo either of our family or the boys. So for the challenge, I would like to create a layout on this.

I use an old Christmas collection of MME which is the Mistletoe Magic. This is a collection I won from an online scrapbooking store, Two Peas In A Bucket. Sad to say, Two Peas is now out of business. I also used the MME Collectable Unforgettable Today stamp set. After choosing the background paper, I started building my layout elements. I stamped the flowers with Versamark and selectively poured embossing powders to the area I want to be gold and red. MME washi tape was also helpful in recreating the strips at the bottom of the layout. I used MME All Is Bright washi tapes. My last project had tissue paper pleating. For this project, I pleated washi tape. This is not the first time I made this. My very first entry to this blog has washi tape pleating on the layout (http://ienjoywhatido.blogspot.com/2012/11/is-2-page-lay-out-on-my-journey-to.html). I sprayed the photo with gold spritz, controlling the spray to create bigger drops towards the photo. The subtitle is a chipboard sticker from  the MME Mistletoe Magic collection. I applied Wink of Stella then Glossy Accents. After it has dried, I applied Stickles to the holes. I also applied Stickles to the tag for accent.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

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Paper Pleating, Outline Inking Shaker Card

Shaker cards are in a rage these days. This is one of my inspirations in creating this card. I also wanted to stamp the penguins in different color, and not only black. But it is not realistic if I stamped the whole image in blue and pink. So what I did is stamp the penguins using colored pigment ink. After cleaning the stamp, I carefully inked the edges of the image, wiping off any ink that I don't want to be inked in black. I used a stamp positioner to make sure that the image matches when I re-stamp. 

I wanted the penguins to have a heart in between them. I wasn't sure at that time if I will make a string of hearts within the big heart or a shaker card. But I chose the latter after I adhered die cut tissue paper, pleating it accordingly to follow the shape of the heart. I used the Mama Elephant Borderline Trio Creative Cuts to cut scalloped tissue paper. 

The sentiment is a partial sentiment stamp from ME Just Hatched. I masked the 'you' and stamped the 'Love' on vellum using Versamark ink. I heat embossed this in Ranger Seafoam White. This will be the shaker portion of the card. I used dimensional tape to create a wall at the back of the heart. Before pouring the confetti, I brushed the vellum and sides of the dimensional tape. I used ME Confetti Creative Cuts to create the hearts for the shaker. I also added flat shaped sequins. I covered this with vellum to secure the shaker while I plan the rest of the card. 

For the background, I die cut two patterned papers with ME Peek-A-Frame Creative Cuts. I inlaid the center to the border. Before attaching the pleated heart, I attached the negative space of the heart to the background paper. I colored this first with Copics to mimic the color of the border. I adhered the penguins with foam adhesive. I also cut two hearts and a flat sequin using the ME Confetti to create the girl penguin's ribbon.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Inlaid Die Cutting Manual Stitching Season's Greetings Card

I only own one Avery Elle die, the Custom Elle-ments. With the current challenge, I tried to make the most of this die. The die comes with small shape dies which I thought of putting into use for this card. I first masked a triangle shape for a tree. I die cut the three circle shapes within this triangle. I die cut circles using other patterned papers to fill in these holes. To adhere the circles, I used a double sided adhesive sheet. I stacked some of the circles to create dimension. I filled in the gaps with sequins. It was rather looking plain like that so I use a We R Memory Keepers Stitch Piercer to poke holes and then, thread a silver twine around the triangle.

The sentiment tag was inlaid, too. I die cut the tag on the main patterned paper. I die cut another tag using a different patterned paper. This is where I stamped the sentiment and heat embossed it.

I used Simon Says Stamped Stitched Rectangles Wafer Die to create stitching on both  patterned papers. I inlaid this as well. This die helps you save on paper since it somehow creates a matte effect without having to use a whole piece of paper. Not to forget, by inlaying it, it lessens the bulk created by matting.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Geometric Crystal Gift Box

This has been my third time to give my sons' band teacher a flower pin corsage. Last year, I just handed it to her since I ran out of time to create a box for it. Well, it got lost since it didn't have her name. Learning for last year, I wanted to give her the Daffodil Pin Corsage in a box.

I wanted to try cutting the geometric shapes in the Cricut Pretty Packages. I chose the pentagon crystal box. The manual gives up to how big you can cut the image. I think it was too big for the corsage. I tried cutting it at 3.5 inches in which I can cut the top and bottom portion using a 12x12 card stock. Too small for the corsage. My next cut was 5.5 inches and this time, it was the right size.

To make this box, one has to be mindful of which side will be in the box. It won't be a problem if you are using card stock as long as you cut the top and bottom separately. I chose a patterned paper for the top part of the geometric box. I made the mistake of putting the inner side of the patterned paper up and cut it using the F1 key. I ended up with cuts and folds of the same side. I could have flipped the folds of the card stock piece but I didn't realize that until I was adhering the tabs.

The cut didn't come with tick marks like with previous cartridges. This marks allows you to score and fold the cut image. I think the shift key will make those marks. I have a Cricut Imagine. I am not sure if I lessen the pressure setting and blade level, if it will score and not totally cut. I manually score the cut image, just following the diagram on the manual.

If I followed the instructions at the back, I think it would be very easy to put the box together. Do not adhere the tabs of a cut piece together. The two cut pieces should be adhered together first before forming the box into a geometric shape.

Seeing the box get into form was such a total awe. But since I made the mistake of putting same sides out, I ended up with a side where there is no tab to adhere together to close the box. I just used washi tape to close this sides, sort of an accent to the design.

I was running out of time. So I just presented the gift like this. If I have more time, I would have cut a card stock on top which will serve as a tag for the box. I would also have punched a hole on top and thread through a twine and/or ribbon so it can also serve as an ornament after it got opened. I could also have embellished the box some more to make it more Christmas'y.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Daffodil Pin Corsage

It is that time of year that school concerts are held, in which two of my sons are participating. I usually make something for Sr. Gail (the band teacher) during spring concerts. But since my schedule worked out, I was able to create a flower pin corsage for her for this season's concert.

I recently purchased two Cricut cartridges, 3D Floral Home Decor and Pretty Packages. This is the second cut I made using the 3D Floral Home Decor. I did slow down the speed setting to cut the pieces. I don't think putting the pieces together will take a long time unless, you decide to embellish the pieces which I did. I inked all the cuts. The cardstock I used is actually cream in color but I inked it with vanilla and yellow.I also sprayed pearl mist to the pieces for shimmer. This also helped in softening the cardstock for easy manipulation to curl the petals and make the flower realistic.

At first, I was using Glossy Accents to adhere the edges of the floral pieces. I later shifted to glue gun (which I am still a mess with) when I had to stack the floral pieces on top of each other. From hereon, it is all glue gun. I cut the flowers at 3 inches making sure every piece is relative in size. I also cut three leaves using the leaf shift image on page 2. I think I cut it 3 inches, too. This is often my mistake. I do not write down the cut sizes of my images. I should really work hard on taking note of the sizes in case I have to do it again.

I inked the leaves as well. I adhered it center tabs to create a curved leaf. I spritz it with mist.

 

To give this wouldn't be complete if it is not in a box. I created a Geometric Crystal Box using the Pretty Packages Cartridge. 

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Die-cut Machine: Cricut Imagine
Cartridge: 3D Floral Home Decor
Ink: Hero Arts Shadow Ink Field Greens, Soft Leaft & Soft Vanilla, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Squeezed Lemonade & Wild Honey
Mist: Ranger Perfect Pearls Perfect Pearl