Swan and Flowers

LA DE DAH!!!  I am so in love with parchment crafting!  I had SO much fun doing this card!  I incorporated some other card basics; used pop dots to raise the image, and made parchment flowers!  The parchment paper curls just like regular paper when used with a stylist.  I used my new shading tool, and it made it so much easier!

I still haven't received my pen and ink for tracing that I ordered, so I have just been laying the parchment over the printed design and doing the work.  I know when I do it the right way with the white ink it will look a whole lot better.  I also used a larger needle for the edges.  I have a pair of parchment snipers ordered too, so I am anxious to use them and see it my edges get better.

I'm really getting afraid that I will not want to do my regular cards any more, lol!  This is just such a delightful craft!

My 1st Coloring on Parchment

Hello and welcome, so glad you stopped by.  But you can be glad you are not stopping by my home for a visit.  It's going to be a scorcher the next few days ~ 105 today and 107 tomorrow!  I will be inside the house relaxing and crafting that's for sure!

On this card I wanted to try coloring my design on the parchment.  I like the result ok, but again, I need lots of practice.  It's not real hard, just a bit tricky.  I have water color pens that I prefer on the parchment paper better than my Copics.  They just seem to be easier to work with.  The alcohol ink moves around too much while trying to blend on the slicker paper and leaves too many streaks. Next time I color, I am going to try my watercolor pencils, more experimenting!

I just had a fun opening my mail!  A couple new Pergamano tools that I ordered arrived!  So off I go to do some more fun practicing on my parchment craft.  Have a fun weekend!

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges #93 ~ Summer Fun

Well, I don't know about where you are, but it sure is summer here!  Our temperature this weekend is going to be 105 degrees!  YUCK!  I am NOT a fan of weather that hot, but when you live in the desert, this is what you get in summer!

Our Summer Fun challenge is on over at CC&CC.  We would love to see how you like to enjoy this fun time of year.  Do you go swimming, travel, hiking, go to the beach, or just relax at home?  Any or all of these sound great to me!  Our super sponsor Make It Crafty is offering a $10 gift certificate to our lucky winner.  And thanx to them for letting us choose a digi of our choce to create with.  My choice is this fun gal called "Adventure Girl".  I colored her with my Copics and used papers from a pack that I bought ages ago (more finds from my clean out saga, lol!)  The sky was sponged on and I added some other extra graphics for the trail scenery.

I really like this card, because it reminds me that when I finally get moved to Oregon, this will be me!

Happy Summer!

Creative Knockouts #91 ~ Tic Tac Toe

Hello and welcome to another 2 week challenge over at Creative Knockouts.

How about a game of TIC TAC TOE!  Here are your choices, and the ones I used marked with an "X".

Our super sponsor is Bugaboo,who is one of my all time faves!  I used their image "Coffee Time - Thanks A Latte".  The papers are from a digital pack by Nitwits called "Coffee Talk Collection".  It was a fun card to make.

Come join in for this fun game of Tic Tac Toe, and Thanks A Latte for playing along with us!

Parchment Craft CARD #3

Hello again.  I hope you are all having a great Memorial Day weekend.

Mine is very quiet and I love it!  I have been crafting for 3 days!  I am working on my parchment craft skills, lot of fun!  Thank you SO MUCH Jackie for putting me in touch with the very talented Alison!  I am learning a lot from her BEAUTIFUL work, and tips of info.  I also came across a FAB site called Gemini Crafts run by a parchment crafter named Wendy Walters.  It is filled with videos, tutorials, free patterns and so much more.  So between these two super ladies I have a real goldmine at my fingertips!

OK, so on to my third attempt.  There are so many mistakes, but as I said before, I am REALLY learning by doing!  I won't bore you with all I did wrong, but let's just say there are a bunch of mess ups, LOL!

The perforated edges are still a thorn in my side, but I made a break through after I finished this project.  I experimented with a bigger needle tool and the edges look so much better, more defined like a lacy edge.  Hopefully on my next project you will see some improvement, lol!

Another Metallic Butterfly Card

I don't know what it is, but my mojo is really working overtime, lol!  I have so many ideas rumbling around in my head.  I think it started when cleaning things out and finding items that had not been used in ages.  It was like getting new goodies, and now I have so much I want to play with.

I loved doing the embossed metallic butterflies.  When I came across the paper I used on this card I knew it was perfect for another one.  All I did was add the one small metallic butterfly on the right, and the circle sentiment.  The rest was already on the paper!

Thanx for stopping by!  Happy Crafting!

Parchment Craft Card #2

WOW!  I am hooked on this craft!  My new tools finally arrived from the "other side of the pond", and I couldn't wait to jump right in on a new project using the correct tools!  It is so much fun to me and very relaxing.  It reminds me of years ago when all I did was cross stitch.

It will be a lesson every time I work on a new piece of parchment.  Shading is so important and I will need to focus on that.  But the hardest part for me is using the perforation tool along the edges.  I used the "perforation tool" with the 2 needles closest together and it was really tough!  After looking at other pictures of projects other have done, it looks to me as if they were done with a regular 2 needle tool and then "snipped" between the tiny holes.  So next time, I will try that.  Here is today's result.

I have a loooong way to go, but I can't wait to be on the journey.  If any of you do parchment crafting and have any suggestions or special blogs that you like on this craft, I would welcome any input!

Thanx & hugs!

Metallic Silver Butterflies

Hello there, so happy you have stopped by.

The card I'd like to share with you today is one that was on a StampTV tutorial.  I loved the elegant look of this and had to give it a go.  I didn't have butterfly stamps that matched cutting dies, so I just did my own and cut them out by hand.  I think they came out pretty good.  They have been stamped with VersaMark and embossed with silver embossing powder, then cut out.  The sentiment is also heat embossed with fine detail black powder.  The flourishes are from a die that I had which I mounted on the background paper and then added the butterflies.

This card is perfect for a birthday card for a friend.

I am anxious to try it in other colors and see the results.  Have a go at it, I think you will really enjoy it!

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges #91 ~ MUST Say Thank You

Saying Thank You to our friends and loved ones is always appreciated.  Here is a way to do that with your personally made card and join our challenge with a chance to win 

7 FREE digis 

from BUGABOO!  It doesn't get much better than that ~ a double win!

I did something a bit different this challenge.  I have quite a few bottles of alcohol inks that I have not used in a long time.  I decided to get them out and play with them.  I have a blog buddy, Sannas, who does the most amazing creations with inks, paints and all kinds of techniques.  I am always inspired  when I visit her blog.  Go take a look and I guarantee you will be too.  I thought of her when I did this card.

The image from Bugaboo is called "Daisy Butterfly Tag".

I used some distress ink, some Copic ink for the daisies and butterflies, then added the tiny beads.  A piece of ribbon to set off the tag and there it is!

Thank You for stopping by, and I hope I see you at

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges.

HUGS!

Creative Knockouts #89 Washi Tape Wonders

Welcome to another fun challenge with Creative Knockouts!  For this challenge we are asking you to use Washi Tape (or a similar tape with a design) on your project.  Our sponsor Sami Stamps let us choose an image for us to create with.  I really liked this cute little gal laying in the sun eating her ice cream.  She is called "Ice Cream Beauty".  When I saw her I immediately thought of the polka dot tape that I have used.

She reminds me that summer is just around the corner!

Please come an join in at Creative Knockouts, we have a great prize for our winner from Sami Stamps!

Lovely Bouquet

Hello everyone.  I have been having fun today making paper flowers.  I love to make them.  Since being on my search and find adventure I have come across a lot of things I haven't used in a long time.  Well here is another one that was a perfect match for paper flowers.  It's a die cut vase that was screaming "Give me flowers", lol!  Here is the result of the flowers and vase.

Thanx for stopping by and have a lovely day.

Entered in the following challenges:

Auroa Wings Challenge #14 ~ Flowers

Deep Ocean Challenge #103 ~ Flowers

Shopping our Stash #202 ~ Big, Bold & Beautiful

Sweet Stamps #220 ~ For Mom

Tuesday Throwdown #243 ~ Flowers For Her

Fab N' Funky #258 ~ May Flowers

Moo-Mania ~ Flowers

CCEE Stampers #519 ~ Self Made Flower and More

Crafting With An Attitude #3 ~ Anything Goes/Spring Fever

Crimbo Crackers #80 ~ Die Cuts

Fun Find!

Hello and welcome.  Thanx so much for stopping by.

At the moment I am on a search and find expedition, lol.  What I mean is, going through lots of things and finding all kinds of goodies that I have gotten and never used!  I have to admit, I am a paper crafter hoarder!  Paper, stamps, embellishments, you name it, I probably have it.  BUT, that is not all bad!  When I get an idea, I have a LOT to choose from.

This lovely layered stamp set was purchased at a scrapbook convention a year ago.  I put it in a plastic box with lots of other stamps and it has not seen the light of day until yesterday ~ ooops!  What a fun discovery!  I immediately quit what I was doing and got to work.  I really love the layered stamps, they are so versatile.  You can use so many color combos.  This is what I created.

After I stamped the layers I used a bit of green Copic ink on the stems.  Then I sprinkled on some Frantage ~ love that stuff!  I mounted it in a nice die cut frame, and added the little flower.  Next I printed out the background paper I found on line and blurred it to soften the design.  Then I ran it through my paper crimper and assembled it all.

I bet you have some fun hidden goodies you haven't seen in a while that will inspire you.  I highly suggest going on a treasure hunt!

Happy Hunting!

Learning A New Craft ~ Parchment Paper Crafting

Welcome friends.  Today I had a fun time.  I am taking up Parchment Paper Crafting.  I finally got my parchment paper in the mail that I ordered.  I set up all my tools, found an easy pattern to start with and away I went!  It is a lot of fun, and takes a bit of concentration and time.  I also learned that like any other craft, when doing it the first time you learn a lot!

a)  You must have the right tools and supplies

b)  Take your time, don't rush

c)  Practice, practice, practice!

Here is my first try!

I need to order a few more tools, and then look out!  I will really get into it.  Here is how I used the above piece to make a card.

The lower flowers and sentiment are stamps that I heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I am so anxious to do a lot more of this!

ONWARD!

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges #90 Spring Has Sprung

Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and Mother Nature is in her glory.  It MUST be Spring!  So over at CC&CC we are celebrating this beautiful 

time of year.

Our great sponsor A Day For Daisies has so many images that fit into this theme.  It was hard to choose just one.  But I managed to pick this lovely image called "Cherry Blossom Cluster".  Now I have to tell you, this card gave me a real headache.  I wanted to do a parchment paper design using the parchment technique.  BUT, after going to 6 different stores trying to find parchment paper - NOT vellum - I couldn't find any.  OK, so let's order it on line.  Sounds fine right - wrong!  I found a place to order it and the paper would arrive in time to make the card.  Another BUT - after I placed the order I was told they are going on vacation and the paper would not arrive until after the 1st of May.  Gee thanx for telling me that AFTER I order it, lol!  I'll step off my soap box now.

I ended up printing the image on vellum and colored it on the back.  It did not turn out as soft as I wanted, but it's ok.  I love the background paper though.  It's a lovely piece of oriental rice paper I purchased years ago when living in Hawaii.  I think that it helped save the card!  What do you think?

I am so anxious to get the parchment paper.  I think I will try using it for this image.  Hopefully it will turn out better than this one, lol.