Customized Pocket Planner

I had this idea since last year but never got to working on the idea until this year. Planners are at a rage now. Despite the availability of the calendar in cellphones and tablets, some people still use planners. Most of my co-workers use this pocket planner. So, how about I personalize the planner.

I took the staples off the planner and cut a Strathmore Bristol paper the same size as the cover of the planner. To customize the planner, I stamped the recipient's name on the front using Concord & 9th Sophisticated Script stamp set. I embossed my friend's name using Wow! Gold Rich Pale embossing powder.

I masked this area and the back cover of the planner cover so I could stamp the My Favorite Things Rose All Over Background stamp. The planner is longer than the background stamp set. Since the name acts as a break on the background, I stamped the top area first, then the bottom area. I poured Simon Says Stamp Rose Gold embossing powder to the area, then heat embossed it.

I colored the flowers with Kuretake Zig Clean Color Markers. I also applied some color wash on the area where the name is stamped. I adhered a thin strip of black card stock in between the flower and the area where the name is stamped. I applied some shimmer to these strips using a clear Spectrum Noir Shimmer Pen. This draws the eye back to the name despite the busy, colorful background. I adhered SSS Tiny Flowers Sequins to fill in the spaces before and after my friend's name.

To control the warping of the paper, I ran this through the Sizzix. I added a ribbon to the planner to serve as a bookmark. I adhered this ribbon to the back cover, very close to the score line using a thin double sided tape. I adhered a wooden embellishment to the end of the ribbon using Ranger Glossy Accents. To cover this side of the butterfly, I adhered an Arc Wooden tape. I used a blade to cut off the edges then smoothed it with a nail file. I added yellow Nuvo Drops to the center of the butterfly.

I stapled back the planner sheets and slid the planner back to the transparent cover. I had to trim a bit off the edges to make it fit the cover sleeve.

Now, it is ready for gifting. Next year, I plan to start early so I can come up with enough to give away.

Thanks for vieiwing my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation with

Challenge #231-Anything Goes

Pop-up Wedding Card Featuring Magnolia Stamps

My sons' principal got married recently. I tried to finish this card in time for her cupcake party with the school children but I didn't quite made it in time. I didn't want to abort the project. So i pushed through with creating this card just for her.

It has been a while since I created this card, and there were more cards created after this. I'm very behind blogging my creations. I am not going to the specifics on how I created this card. You can leave me a comment in the comments section if you have any questions on the elements of this card. For now, enjoy the shots I took of the card.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation with

Anything Goes With A Magnolia Image

Anything Goes

Using Digital Image Like a Die Cut

I will be honest. I struggled a lot with the digital images for this bi-weekly challange. You have no clue how many times I've printed the images. I was close to giving up and just taking a pass on this week's post. But this is what a DT member should be. Come up with ideas for the challenge and use the resources we have. Coloring the images didn't work for me despite using different color mediums. I wasn't giving justice to the beautiful images. So, I just went ahead and printed the image in its original color. My plan is to embellish this image, add accents to it.

I fuzzy cut the image. Using a blade, I cut off the top windows. I adhered vellum at the back to cover the open areas. To accent the snow and the fluffy portion of the elf's hat, sleeves and pants, I used an Uchida Snow Marker. I added shimmer to the elf's wing and sock using Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen. I also colored the light of the candle using Wink of Stella in yellow and orange. For the, bottom windows of the lantern, I filled it in with a Sakura Glaze pen. Another option is to use Glossy Accents.

Today's Incy Wincy Designs Challenge is to use Non-Traditional Christmas Colors. With the help of Google, I came across with this website, http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/color/fresh-christmas-colors-12-combos-youve-never-tried-pictures.  Any idea which color combination I chose? I chose the first one, which is Green + Brown.

The image by itself has both colors. The elf has green. The lantern has brown. I cut a green and brown cardstock. I die cut one edge using Mama Elephant Borderline Trios die. I layered these two cardstocks, with the brown cardstock longer than the green cardstock. I created a window on the green cardstock using Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle die. I spritz this cardstock with Perfect Pearl Pearl diluted in water. While this is drying, I placed a Heidi Swapp stencil on top of the brown carstock. Using a sponge dauber, I applied some Delicate White Shimmer Pigment ink to the open circle areas. You can see a few of this snow dots through the vellum and top open area. If I will re-do this process, I would have chosen a stencil with a smaller sized circle. 

I threaded a Little Yellow Bicycle Jute through the hole of the lantern. I adhered the ends to the back using tape. I secured the die cut and the jute with Ranger Multi Matte Medium. 

The sentiment is from Hero Arts Holiday Sayings stamp set. I heat embossed this on vellum using Hero Arts White Embossing powder. I trimmed this into a sentiment strip. I taped the the edges to the back. I also squirted some Ranger MMM to the back of the dots on the sentiment strip. I applied foam tape to the back of the green cardstock and adhered this to the brown cardstock. 

For the cardbase, I used Neenah Kraft cardstock. I added some x-marks to the sides using Lawn Fawn Stitched Borders. I inked the die with SSS Kraft dye ink to add more interest to the embossed border. 

For the final accent, I added Nuvo Crystal Drops randomly. 

Hope you join us in our bi-weekly challenge at Incy Wincy Designs. Thank you for viewing my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle

Image Sponsor

I am sharing this creation with

Anything Goes

Challenge #230 - Christmas

Embellished Digital Image with Stamped Images

I am behind in creating this card for the current Incy Wincy Designs Challenge. We are having a Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge which I hope you come and join us.

I printed the image on watercolor paper. I masked the image with masking fluid so I can create the background by blending Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Salty Ocean. Using Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow stencil, I applied some Wendi Vecchi Embossing paste, making sure I fill up the holes on the stencil. I poured some Judikins Iridescent Sparkle Embossing powder to the paste while it is wet. Make sure you clean your stencil and palette knife after use. You can either wipe it with a baby wipe or by soaking it in soapy water.

Once the paste is dry, using the heat gun, I heat the powder. I colored the owl and the branch using Tim Holtz Distress Inks by rubbing the ink pad onto the craft mat, and picking it up with a water brush. The tree branch is short for my lay-out. I extended the branch while I was coloring it. When it got dry, I drew lines using a black marker.

To add the embellishments, I stamped the sentiment from Hero Arts Holiday Sayings stamp set on a wood patterned paper. I embossed the sentiment using Versamark ink and HA White embossing powder. I inked the edges to hide the white core of the patterned paper. I stamped a holly from the same stamp set to one of the vines. I inked the leaves with a green ink first, stamped it. I stamped the image several times on scrap paper to make sure the green ink is cleared, then I selectively inked the hollies with red ink. You can draw the hollies using a red marker if you find this process too tedious.

To complete the tic-tac-toe, I need candles or lanterns in my creation. I would love to use lanterns but I don't have a lantern stamp. The candle is from Technique Tuesday Say It-Happy Stamp set. I stamped this on Neenah Solar White and colored it with Copic markers. I fuzzy cut the candles.

To further embellish the owl, and cover up an unpleasant mix of embossing paste and masking fluid, I stamped a Santa hat from Paper Smooches Merry Motif stamp set on Neenah paper. I colored it with Copic which I later added Spectrum Noir Sparkle. This stamp set comes with a matching die which leaves a white margin between the edge and the stamped image. I fuzzy cut the image to make it consistent with the owl who doesn't have a white margin. I ran a black brush marker to the edges to create a finish look. I filled in the fuzzy part of the hat with glue and poured Wow! White Puff Powder to it, then heat set it.

It is time to put the card together. I created a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square card using Lawn Fawn Stitched Lines dies. I used the largest die to cut an Echo Park Keepin' Cozy patterned paper. I created a window to fit the watercolored panel by using the 3rd largest square die. My watercolor panel turned out to be slightly smaller than this square. I was planning to inlay it. Change of plans! I cut a navy cardstock large enough to cover the window. I spritz this with WPlus9 Shimmer Spray mist. I dried it using a heat gun. Wow! The effect of the spray! Love the glimmer!

I adhered this navy blue cardstock on a white base notecard. I adhered the red windowed pattern paper on top. I adhered the watercolor panel but added fun foam to give it a bit of dimension and show off the glimmer of that sparkly navy blue cardstock. I adhered the sentiment with foam tape. I adhered the candles and the Santa hat using Ranger Matte Multi-Medium. I applied sparkles to the candles and the owl with clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle. I added Nuvo Dandelion Crystal Drops to the candles as last embellishment.

Seems like a lot of work, right? But it was fun creating this scene.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a blessed & brilliant day!

Maria Giselle

Image Sponsor

I am sharing this creation with

Challenge #44

Challenge #143

 

Challenge 169-Anything Goes 

Simon Says Stamp Blog Wednesday Challenge-Ice Inspiration