Four Ways Friday #90 - Bring On The Cake

This week's Four Ways Friday is all about the Bring On The Cake stamp set.  This is a great birthday greeting stamp set...plus a little bit more :)

You don't need to do much to create a great birthday card using this stamp set!  I stamped the greeting in Melon Mambo on a Whisper White card base.  I then cut strips into banner pieces from the Flirtatious designer series paper and First Edition Specialty designer paper.  I temporarily adhered the banners with temporary adhesive and used some pink thread in the sewing machine to sew the banner down.  For a final touch I added some adhesive rhinestones.

This set also lends itself really well to creating gift tags!  Or, if you're like me, you make the tag and then decide it would look really cute as a focal image on a card :)  I began with a piece of Crumb Cake card stock that I hand cut to look like a tag.  I then ran the tag through the Big Shot with the stripes embossing folder.  Next I added a piece of the new Comfort Cafe designer series paper (love it!!!!) across the bottom and punched a piece of the designer series paper to surround the hole in the tag.  I sponged the edges with both Chocolate Chip and Night of Navy ink.  I stamped the greeting onto Very Vanilla with Night of Navy ink and punched it out with the 1 1/4" circle punch.  It was layered onto a 1 1/2" circle of Night of Navy card stock and added to the tag with dimensionals.  Linen thread was wrapped around the tag numerous times and then tied in a bow.  I used the Stars die and the Big Shot to die cut the stars and added brads in the centers before adhering them to the card with dimensionals.  I then used the color spritzer tool and a Chocolate Chip marker to spritz the tag.  As a final touch, I took a torn piece of denim (from an old pair of jeans) and sponged it with Night of Navy ink and threaded it through the tag.  The tag was added to the Very Vanilla card base with dimensionals.

You can use this set to create cute background paper too :)  I used the word "cake" from one of the stamps and, with the help of my stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped "cake" over and over until I had a cute background piece!  I layered it onto a piece of card stock and then stamped another one of the Bring On The Cake images onto Whisper White card stock with Staz-On ink.  I punched out the image and used some watercolor wonder crayons with my aqua painter to give the image some color.  I also added a touch of dazzling details to the candles and some Crystal Effects to the cake plate.  The image was then layered onto a circle of Melon Mambo that I die cut with the Circles #2 die.

Don't forget that you can alter images by inking up the parts of the stamp you want with a marker or by inking up the entire stamp and then removing ink with a blender pen.  Here I inked just the hand and not the "wish big" greeting that comes with the image.  I stamped the hand and cut it out and then added the greeting from Tiny Tags with the help of my stamp-a-ma-jig.  The hand was then adhered to a piece of Comfort Cafe paper with dimensionals.  The whole panel was adhered to a layer of Basic Black card stock and a piece of Crumb Cake taffeta was knotted around the panel before the whole thing was adhered to the card base with dimensionals.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's Four Ways Friday and I hope it inspires you to use this, or any other greeting set that you have, in new and fun ways!!!!  Wishing you a wonderful weekend filled with creativity, exploration, laughter and love!!!!!

Whisper White Happiness Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Try A Different Time Of Day

Have you ever noticed how different your neighborhood looks and feels at different times of the day?  Just a difference of one hour in the morning can determine whether Buddy and I will encounter the whir of activity (cars going by, children in the school playground, workmen banging away at houses) or the peace of silence.  One morning we went for such an early walk that we encountered coyotes - we never see them since they mysteriously disappear as people become more active and the day begins.  It can be fun to play around with timing in your life.  If you are used to awakening at a certain hour, try getting up a little bit earlier and see how different the world appears.  If you have a certain time that you create, what would it be like to try creating at a different time of day?  I know as a kid I always liked Backwards Day at school or camp.  It was a day where everything was backwards - you put your clothes on backwards; you ate lunch food at breakfast and breakfast food at lunch; you went to your classes backwards; you walked backwards.  It really mixed things up and added a different energy to the day.  What if you mixed things up a bit and had a Backwards Day all your own?  Looks like I might be eating pancakes for dinner tonight ;)
Today's card was inspired by the thought that I just wanted to play with the color white.  I began with a Whisper White card base that I ran through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips embossing folder.  Next, I ran a piece of vellum through the Big Shot with the oval frame from the Designer Frames embossing folders.  I stamped the vellum using Versamark ink and a word from the Loving Thoughts stamp set.  I then heat embossed using white embossing powder.  Next, I knotted a piece of organza ribbon around the card and used small pieces of dimensionals to attach the sentiment to the card.  To cover up the adhesive (since it does show through the vellum), I used the Boho Blossoms punch to punch some vellum and then ran the flowers through the Big Shot with the Elegant Lines embossing folder to give them texture.  I adhered the flowers to the card with glue and added some dazzling details to the centers of the flowers.  This card is so bright and elegant in person!  I hope you like it!

Out On A Whim Wednesday: Papercut Yei Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Garbage In, Garbage Out

On my recent trip to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, I purchased two books that jumped out at me in the museum gift shop.  The first I told you about yesterday (still LOVING that book every single minute!!!!).  The second book I bought I devoured on the plane ride home from Houston.  It is called Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon.  For anyone who does anything creative, personally or professionally (ie all of us), I totally recommend this wonderful little book!  One of the chapters in the book is entitled Garbage In, Garbage Out.  Kleon reflects back on how his mom used to say this to him and it would drive him nuts!  Now, however, the phrase really sticks...and it does for me too!  As he says, you are only going to be as good as the stuff you surround yourself with.  Think about that.  I started thinking about all the "stuff" that gets consumed by my mind when I watch inane tv or web surf on popular news websites.  If what I'm taking in is garbage, it is no wonder that there is no fodder for my creative self to draw from!  So I'm trying to be more conscious of what I let in (mind you, I'm trying...I am not succeeding as much as I would like yet, but I am making progress :).  Instead of turning on the tv the other day, I turned the pages of an art book and took in the images on the pages.  Instead of having Law & Order reruns playing in the background in the craft room, I turned the tv to a jazz music station and let the music inspire me in the background.  Maybe it's time to stop analyzing what is coming out of your creative process and ask yourself instead, "What am I putting into it?"
Today's Out On A Whim card is a continued exploration of papercutting in the craft room.  Michael is infatuated with Native American art - particularly older pieces - and he reads and researches about the topic constantly.  There is always an American Indian Art magazine somewhere nearby.  I was flipping through one the other day and was stuck by the Yei figures woven into some of the Native American weavings.  The image combined with my recent exploration of papercutting and I decided to create a card for him using a Yei-like image and my card stock :)  As a first attempt, I was pretty pleased with the outcome...and he is already inquiring if I can make a whole set for him :)  Hobby knife, here I come :)

Pennant Parade Papercut Birthday Card & Video!!!!

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Check Out The Museum Gift Shop!

I was in Houston last week for work.  I had two workshops to conduct and a day off in between them, so I decided to head to the Houston Museum Of Fine Arts.  I loved it!  Going to an art museum provides nutrients for my creativity :)  I can easily get overwhelmed by all of the beauty and expression and I come home with a fullness that feels so good!  On this trip I decided to stop in the gift shop - not something I often do (but it might become a museum habit for me now)!  There, on one of the bookshelves, was a book called Paper Works by Ginkgo Press.  What a gorgeous book!  I thought about just writing down the title and ordering the book once I got home so I wouldn't have to carry it home.  But once I opened the book, I was a goner :)  I bought it and it has been feeding me every time I open it!  The book inspired all kinds of thoughts about papercutting and sculpting with paper.  This card would never have been created if it weren't for that book inspiring me to think about how I might manipulate card stock a bit differently than I traditionally have.  The next time you make it to a museum, make it a point to check out the gift shop!  A book might be waiting to jump off the shelf and into your creative heart!
Here is a video to show you how I made today's card.  It's amazing how a hobby blade/Xacto knife can open up a whole new world!

Paper Doily Sizzlit Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Just Go Sit

Yesterday I reached a point during the day when I felt like I had so much I could do and I just wasn't motivated to do it.  It's funny - when I am away I am not looking directly at all of the projects that I could be doing around the house.  Then, when I get home, projects are staring at me from every corner!  Clean the craft room.  Pick up in the office.  Do some laundry.  Weed the garden.  It's as if there is no direction to turn where a project isn't there to greet me!  When I get to a place where I begin to feel overwhelmed one strategy that seems to work well for me is to just go and sit.  Not in front of the tv.  Just sit.  Yesterday I chose to sit outside and just stare out into the backyard.  I listened to the birds chirping and the squirrels chattering.  At some point I did actually start to pull some grass from the vegetable bed and I do so in a calm and soothing kind of way.  It was really peaceful.  Then it began to drizzle lightly - as if the weather came to gently rinse my cares away.  Just going somewhere to sit can cure those overwhelm blues :)
Today's card was inspired by the desire to layer, layer, layer using the Paper Doily sizzlit.  I chose Crumb Cake and Regal Rose card stock.  A few punched flowers from the Boho Blossoms punch with a button made a perfect flower center.  I added the greeting from Apothecary Art and split the words into two pieces to embellish the doily flower.  I hope you like it!