Shabby 3x3 notes Part Duex

I posted a little swap from 2 Shabby Sisters a bit ago, here is the other set of cards I made to go along with it.  Remember, the presentation for these had to be a little special... so I went to my stash of cute bags and dressed one up to hold this set of 3x3 cards.  I am still using up the last of that amazing Prima Primrose paper, added a great metal filigree from Butterbee Scraps on Zibbet (my new favorite obsession), and  a great paper flower that came to me in a swap from the super generous Amelia.  I layered that all on to a couple of top notes and edged everything with Black Soot
I just love how these note cards turned out.  I stamped one of those sweet $1 stamps from Michaels on a softly patterned paper, edged with black soot and layered on a bit more shabby pink.  That black trim is a pleated trim from May Arts Ribbon which I just love.  Finished off with a simple flower to draw your eye right to the stamped image.

 Six of these tucked in a little bag on their way to my swap partner - hope she enjoys!!

Shabby Notes

My passion for all things shabby chic has led me to a ning group called 2 Shabby Sisters.  This was one of the first swaps I joined there.  3x3 note cards, they needed to presented in a pretty way and have a string/ribbon for attachment.
I made a little box from the green card stock, and layered on paper and a butterfly from the Prima Prim Rose collection.  The flowers were from my stash... it wasn't quite as vivid as this.. I promise!! lol

But I was really happy with the closure.  I call this the manilla envelope style  I use a button with a shank, punch a hole so the shank can 'hide', but still it still allows the height needed for the pretty twine to wrap behind it.  The little beading on the end is a nice touch, too.

I made three of two different designs - this one is more green and I used papers from the same collection and added a little key a lot of gold heat embossing.

The second set of three in the little box is more pink and the tiny script is a Prima stamp.  I punched two butterflies and layered them to give a feeling of movement... topped off with tiny pearls and the coordinating lock from the keys on the other half of the set.

Here is both of them side by side - coordinated but not too matchy/matchy... I hope :)

Secret Santa Love Bug Swap

Here is my sneak peek for a treat I made for my secret swap over at Love Bug Creations.  The youtube video with details is up here!  I made a cigar box with lots of rumple ribbon, buttons and a touch of the mesh!  Video to come tomorrow - tonight I am off to a belly dance recital and I promise, you don't want a video in my current state!!

Thank you so much for stopping by. Want to see what the other girls on the Creative Team have been creating? Stop by their blogs!

Kimi & Pamela

Stephanie

Zeni

Dawn Rene

Connie

Tanya

Dawn Mercedes

Stacey

Dorcas

Katie

Kathy

Retirement Card

Another card for work.  This one was much easier to make. Also a woman I admire (They are dropping like flies in my office) Who is retiring fairly young and I couldn't be happier for her!

For this one I used Close to My Heart stamps for those squares on the left, I stamped off the first blush of the ink to make the squares a bit more muted.  I dried them with embossing gun so that when I went to heat emboss the pocket sillouette in black - it would be cleaner and more vivid.

Funky Pink 'Shrooms

Not too long ago I attended an auction/dinner benefit for the American Theater Company.  A good friend of mine was heavily involved in gathering donations for the auction.  If she told me once, she told me 10 times she had secured a 'HUGE' basket of Stampin Up goodies. 

I could read between the lines... I was to bid to win! Well, I did!  And there were so many great papers, this Funky Four stamp set, the Blossom Punch seen here was in it, too.  I am so glad I won it, Seems like the next 20 cards I made had some of these goodies.

Yellow and Embossed

This was one of those cards that was really hard to make.  A woman I really admire from my office has decided to resign.  She is a true welath of knowledge and personally, I have really looked up to her.  She is the exact opposite of me.  She is quiet, thinks before she speaks and never insults anyone.  Since the day I met her, I have tried (believe it or not) to imitate her style to a degree.
There is no sentiment on this card because, well, frankly, I didn't have one that fit the situation.
I used an embossing folder directly to the card front - leaving the left side untouched and rounded the edges.  The strip down the front is that French Script stamp I can't ever get enough of.  I layered that on a little bit of a scalloped edge.  That pretty yellow flower was from a swap and since this one doesn't go in the mail I used a big, fat, lush ribbon and larger than usual brad.

Serene Masking

I am pretty sure this was a Pinterest case, but I am not too sure.  The white area is left because I punched a piece of scrap paper and used a tiny glue dot to hold it in place.  Then I inked over it.  I think the irregularities of it all really help make the feeling of a sky.  Then I used a little matching DP scrap paper for the top and bottom, added a SU punch and sentiment and coordinating brads. 

Hello There...

I never can get enough of animal prints.  This card is so versitile it can be used all year round.  The giraffe here is from SUs Zoo Review and the sketch is a Gina K classic.

A Little Shabby Card for a Change

This card was a bit different from my usual OWH style.  I don't often use the shabby methods of a nail file to the edges and extra inking.  Guess I was in the mood for a change.  I layered some papers from Prima, ripped, filed and shabbed em up.  Stamped the beautiful cage from SU's Nature's Pace on a tag.  A little button and some twine to connect it al together.

Cards In Envy DT Project Feb 4

Yeah!!! This is my first Design Team card for Cards In Envy

I am so honored to be in this group. Throughout the month I have seen the photos of other member’s cards come in to our little corner of the internet. HOLY COW! You are going to be so inspired by these ladies! I already am – ten times over. Each month there will be a sketch challenge on the first and another more formula/technique kind of challenge on the 15th. And little ole’ me will have one in each!! There will be winners and blog bragging buttons, too! Please make it a point to check it out, join the site and make a card. There are very few rules but one is that the cards have to be flat enough to send with standard postage. This makes them GREAT challenges to inspire my fellow Operation Write Home card makers. Every single card I have made for these so far, straight to the OWH box…several were made a few times over. This month’s sketch was very round in my eye. Well, you know I LOVE my Kanban card toppers. This was a great way to see some of these in action. I added the pink Recollections bling for the smaller round objects. For the little treat in the lower right hand corner, I didn't want to repeat bling and brads weren't right, either. SO I tore off the corner, grunged that up and let three petals of a paper flower fill that element. Finally, this one just needed to be a little more shabby; I went over the card stock with TH’s tea dye ink. All right – your turn, use this sketch, make a card, post it on Cards In Envy and send it to OWH!!

Sassy Chic

Not my usual style, especially for Op

eration Write Home. But I felt like something a little different for the OWH box tonight. I started by embossing a swirl pattern on the music paper. Then I crumpled and distressed that pretty good. Next I inked the edges with a sponge and ran the whole ink pad over the surface of the paper. I was going to leave the 'just a note' sentiment on by itself, but it looked lonely, so I added that big heart from Martha's punch. Then I had the dreaded two instead of three images. I added the bling heart on top of that and it seemed to really give the eye a 'flow'. I made six of these and it took longer than it looks!! Not sure if I will repeat the style, but I am glad I did something out of my box.

Oh Yes I Can Can

I have made these tags for a swap at http://minialbumscraps.ning.com/ .  This month was a dressform swapper’s choice and I made a Can Can girl-esque tag for my swap.  While the papers aren’t visible on the front, she was inspired by Graphic 45’s Curtain Call paper collection.

The background paper on the front of the tag is made with Recollections paper from Michael’s that I have inked up with Tim Holtz tea die distress ink and added a few spots of Crackle Accents to give it that shabby feel.  I added a photo of the before and after look for the paper.

The curtain is made with a shirt I found at a thrift store after no one would part with their daughter’s old Christmas dress for me ;).  I hung the curtain on a rod that was a lollipop stick rolled in red ink and a touch of stickles.

The dressform is from the Forever Young cricut cartridge cut once in thin chipboard and again on handmade papers I find at Blick.  I added stickles at the neckline and stand to give the look of a shimmery leg and shoe.  The feathers were just added with glue dots to the back of form.  Her skirt was made with a piece of white lace that I hand dyed with an ink pad, folded in half and a satin black ribbon hot glued to the top of that.  I specifically used hot glue because I wanted it to have a shape and stand out from her ‘body’.

The tassle is made with half of a skein of embroidery floss to pull back the curtain.  The back has some of the DP from the collection and my card info.  If you would like, the video can be found here.