Four Ways Friday #64 - Flower Burst Embosslit

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about using the Flower Burst embosslit in four different ways!  You'll have to pardon the overuse of brown colors in this Four Ways Friday - for some reason I was all about the brown this week!

For this first card I just took a piece of designer paper (Neutrals Pattern Stack) and ran it through the Big Shot with the Flower Burst embosslit.  Then I took a sanding block and sanded the raised side of the flower - this allowed the white core of the paper to come through.  I added a touch of gold and silver smooch ink to the center of the flower.  I attached a piece of 5/8" grosgrain ribbon across the card by making a small slit along the seam of the card, running the ribbon through, and tying it in a knot.  The flower was adhered with glue dots.  I stamped the greeting from Sincere Salutations with Early Espresso ink and the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig.  So simple!

Vellum is a lot of fun to emboss since the texture turns quite opaque!  Here I ran three different pieces of vellum through the Big Shot with the embosslit.  I then tied a piece of Chantilly lace ribbon around the card and knotted it.  Next I adhered the vellum flowers using glue.

 I then took a small vintage tag and stamped the floral image and greeting from Tiny Tags using Early Espresso ink.  I removed the string from the vintage tag and covered the hole with an adhesive rhinestone and then tied the string around the center of the ribbon knot and knotted it as well.  I also trimmed the length of the string.  Finally, I adhered some adhesive pearls to the center of the flowers.

Finally, a card that isn't brown! (although I'm not done with that brown yet!).  For this small 3" x 3" card I embossed a piece of watercolor paper in the sizzlit.  I then sprayed the flower with a combination of inks and champagne shimmer mist paint mixed alcohol.   Being the impatient person that I am, I dried the flower using my heat tool and then sponged the flower with both Early Espresso and Melon Mambo ink.  The Rich Razzleberry card stock base was then layered with a small square of watercolor paper that was stamped with a few words from Fabulous Phrases in Rich Razzleberry ink.  I tied a piece of dotted Rich Razzleberry ribbon around the card and knotted it and then added a small piece of Cajun Craze card stock that I had punched with the scallop edge punch.  The flower was finally added to the card using dimensionals.

Don't forget that your embosslits will work with a few materials other than card stock!  Here I ran transparency/window sheet through the Big Shot with the embosslit.  I then "painted" the back side of the flowers with gold smooch ink and let it dry.  I punched a number of flowers using the Boho Blossoms punch and brushed gold card stock.  I adhered the flowers to the Early Espresso (yes, I know, it's brown :) card base using a variety of adhesives - glue dots, glue and dimensionals - after adding some adhesive rhinestones, pearls and a few brads.  Finally, I stamped a piece of Confetti card stock with the greeting from Sincere Salutations and punched it out using the decorative label punch (one of my favorites!).
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday!  I wish you a peaceful, rewarding and creative weekend!!!!

Sense of Time and Elements of Style Gift Card

 

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  You Gotta Do What You Can With What You've Got

I had a really rough night :(  For some reason I had these terrible pains in my tummy that kept me up for over 3 hours.  I still haven't figured out the cause (maybe it was that first P90X workout?!?) :)  As I write this (Wednesday afternoon), I am feeling a bit better, but still not 100%.  But I had a lot to do today, so I  had to put my head down and go to it!  Sometimes you gotta do what you can with what you've got.  That goes for today's card too.  I took what I had - a few leftover pieces - an embossed clock from the retired set Sense of Time; a small piece of card stock sitting on my craft table (finished card size 4 1/4" x 3"); and a stamp from Sense of Time.  I put it all together and here's what I came up with!  I know it won't fit in a standard envelope, but it would make an adorable card for a gift (maybe even a bottle of wine or a house plant?).  I like the idea of going over the edge of the card and not being limited by the rectangular shape of the card front...I'll have to play with that idea a bit more.  I hope you like it...I did what I could with what I had :)  For those of you that are celebrating the Jewish New Year - I wish you a healthy, happy, prosperous and creative new year!!!!!

On Your Birthday Torn Scrap Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Oh To Be Like The Snail!

We usually think of snails when we think of going slow.  But the other day, when I took Buddy for his morning walk, I thought of the snail in a different way.  I saw the sun dance off of the trail that a snail had left behind.  It was glittering in the sun - sparkling and shining after the snail had long gone.  I envy the snail its trail.  Oh to be like the snail - to leave a glittering impression long after you have gone.  To leave something behind that catches someone's eye or heart or soul.  To still be there when you are no longer around.  I need to think of that snail as I go through my days - challenging myself to leave something wonderful behind.  Making a lasting impression.
Today's card is a wonderful way to use up designer paper and card stock scraps!  I tore bits of scraps from Soft Suede, Brushed Gold and Early Espresso card stock as well as a piece of the Neutrals Designer Paper stack.  I then sewed the pieces together on my sewing machine using gold metallic thread.  You can just as easily adhere the pieces together with glue.  I then stamped the greeting from On Your Birthday with Early Espresso ink and the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig.  The paper panel was then adhered to the card front using dimensionals.  Finally, I stamped an additional greeting from On Your Birthday to the inside of the card that says "wishing you the happiest birthday yet!"  I hope you like it :)

Change Is In The Air!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  A Change Is Gonna Do Me Good!

No, your not seeing things.  That's not a card in the photo.  That's my first attempt at making my own veggie burger :)  I have been making a few changes in my life lately and this burger is a part of it.  For many years I have been a vegetarian - eating eggs and cheese, but staying away from anything with a face or a mom.  Well, my cholesterol levels have never made me happy and I began to worry that I was headed toward needing some type of medication at some point in my future.  It seems that high cholesterol runs in my family and I decided it was time to do something healthy about it.  So, I bought a copy of Dr. Esselstyn's book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease and read it.  Wow!  I was incredibly impacted by the book and immediately decided that it was the program for me.  So, for about a month now, I have adopted a vegan diet with no vegetable oil.  It was hard to give up my olive oil - I was quite the addict.  However, now that I am a month into it, I find that I really don't miss it!  I am excited to continue to eat well and treat my body with respect.  I will go back to the doctor in about 2 months to get blood work done again and that will be the true test - to see what the levels are.  I will definitely keep you posted!  I also began another change today - I did my first P90X workout!  A girlfriend had purchased the exercise program and found that she didn't use it, so she lent it to me.  Well, it sat gathering dust for a few months and I finally decided the time was right.  I may be sore tomorrow, but I got through workout number 1 and I am ready to attack workout #2.  Yes, I do believe, a change is gonna do me good!  As the seasons change, what changes can you make for the better in your own life?

 Ooh - had to share this photo with you too.  I made this cake Sunday night and it was AMAZING!  Moist, lemony!  Hard to believe there was no shortening in it!  The cake recipe and the veggie burger recipe are both from the Esselstyn book.  So far, so yummy :)  Sorry there is no card today - just wanted to share all the change I'm going through and figured changing up my post for the day fit with the theme :)  I plan to be back tomorrow with more creative inspiration!!!! :)

Four Ways Friday #63 - Just Believe

Sorry that I am so late posting this week's Four Ways Friday!  I had a hectic week and needed a few days to regroup :)  But here it is - at last!  Four Ways Friday is all about the Just Believe stamp set this week.

This stamp set is one of those sets that is complete all by itself!  It has greetings and images that combine beautifully!  Here I simply stamped the leaf background onto a piece of Whisper White card stock with Pear Pizzazz ink.  I then stamped the greeting right over the image using Basic Black ink (and the stamp-a-ma-jig to make sure it was straight).  I adhered the panel to a piece of Basic Black card stock and then attached it to the Whisper White card base using dimensionals.  So simple!

For this second card I just took things up one notch by adding a touch of embossing.  I ran the Very Vanilla card base through the Big Shot with the Embossed Tulips embossing folder.  I then stamped the focal image using Bravo Burgundy ink.  The greeting was then stamped using Early Espresso ink with the help of the stamp-a-ma-jig to keep everything straight :)  You could easily add a touch of dazzling diamonds to this card to give it a bit of sparkle!

Stamping and cutting are the focus of this card.  I stamped the frame image using Basic Black ink on Very Vanilla card stock and cut it out.  I then stamped the greeting onto another scrap of Very Vanilla card stock and punched it out with the modern label punch.  I punched a designer label out of Basic Black card stock and then started to layer the pieces on a Crumb Cake card base.  First the Basic Black decorative label punch was attached with glue.  Then a small piece of striped ribbon was adhered with glue.  Next I attached the cut out image using dimensionals.  Finally, the modern label was added using a combination of glue and dimensionals.  A few adhesive rhinestone jewels were added for a bit of bling :)

Punches and stamping are a great combination for this stamp set!  Here I began by stamping the large grassy image, using Pear Pizzazz ink, on a Very Vanilla card base.  Next I stamped the greeting onto a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock using Basic Black ink and punched it out with a 1 3/4" circle punch.  I then punched a 2 3/4" scallop circle from Rich Razzleberry and layered the punched greeting on top of it using glue.  A small flower button was added to this flower using a mini glue dot.  Next I stamped the round floral image onto Very Vanilla card stock using both Melon Mambo and Pear Pizzazz ink.  I then punched the images out with the 1 1/4" circle punch.  I layered them onto 1 1/2" circles punched from Rich Razzleberry and Pear Pizzazz card stock.  I also punched scalloped circles out of Basic Black and Regal Rose card stock.  These smaller flowers were layered with a combination of glue and dimensionals and adhered to the card base.
I hope this week's Four Ways Friday inspires you to play with the Just Believe stamp set!  Or maybe the ideas here will trigger some creativity with another stamp set!  Either way, I hope you take something away that you can put to use in your own creations!  Have a beautiful rest of your Sunday!  I wish you a wonderfully creative week ahead!!!!!