Cards, Cards and More Cards

It's been a while since I've posted projects that I've created for Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, so today I'm going to remedy that and share a few cards. I’ve been on a major card kick lately, which is a good thing for me.  It means that I have a nice stash of cards made that I can just grab when something comes up. 

 The first is an adorable baby shower card that uses a Basically Bare chipboard baby buggy. I covered the chipboard with patterned paper, added a bit of pom-pom, a few crystals, and a mirrored bird.  Completely adorable.

Next up is a fun spring inspired card.  Lots of layered paper, a bit of bakers twine, and a few flowers.  It’s the perfect card for a pick-me-up for a friend.

 Last up is a set of three mini note cards.  To keep things simple, I made all three the same, with the exception of the sentiment.

All of the cards have one thing in common – lots and lots of dimension.  A card has to be lumpy and bumpy, at least in my opinion. J

Mason Jar Pincushion

I'm not much of a sewer.  In fact, me and sewing machines don't get along well at all.  But on occasion,  I do want to add a few stitches to a project.  Somehow, I have managed to collect a small amount of thread, bobbins, and straight pins and need a good way to keep them all organized.

So I decided to make my own storage container/pin cushion.  The best part of this project - it was made completely with items I had on hand.  So what do you need to re-create this project: a Mason jar and lid, white fabric, stuffing, stamps, and markers. That's it!

I started with a 6x6 inch piece of scrap fabric and randomly stamped flowers.  

Next, I colored in the flowers.  I used the following Zig Fabricolor markers: Black, Yellow, Violet, Cobalt Blue, Green, Light Green, and Pink.  And because you know I can't complete a project without some sort of shimmer, I added a bit of sparkle using my Wink of Stella pens in Gl. Clear and Gl. Dark Pink.

 To set the ink and to get the wrinkles out of the fabric, I gave the fabric a quick run under an iron.  To create the pincushion itself, I took a small amount of cotton stuffing and hot glued it to the bottom of the inside lid of a Mason jar.  Then I simply wrapped the fabric over the stuffing and glued the fabric in place on the bottom of the lid.

How cute is this? Now I have the perfect place to stash not only my straight pins when I get the urge to sew something, but the jar itself now holds all my bobbins in one place.

Simple and functional.  What more could I ask for in a project?

Spring Cards

Welcome back!  Today I have two cards, both colored using Zig markers.  On my last trip to the craft store I found both of these stamps in the clearance bin.  They looked so sad and lonely, so of course they had to come home with me. :)

Sunflowers is the name of the game on this first card.  The petals were colored with a Zig Brushables in Pure Yellow and the leaves were colored with a Brushables in Spring Green. The center of the flowers were colored using a waterbrush and Fabricolor pen in Black. I simply brushed the tip of the waterbrush against the pen nib and then blended the color on the cardstock.  Lastly, I colored the ladybug with a Zig Writer in Pure Red, then used my Wink of Stella in Gl. Clear to add a bit of shimmer.

Next up is an adorable pastel colored card, also colored using nothing but Zig pens.  The tulip and stems were colored with a Zig Brushables in Pure Yellow and the leaves were colored with a Brushables in Spring Green. The dress was colored with an Art & Graphic Twin marker in pink and a waterbrush.  I used the same technique as above to achieve the watercolor effect, touching the waterbrush to the pen nib and then applying the color to the cardstock.

Her hair was colored using a Brushables in Pure Yellow and a Fabricolor pen in Brown, along with waterbrush.  I added the base color of yellow to her hair, the added highlights of the brown.  Lastly, the flowers in her hair were colored with a Fabricolor pen in Cobalt Blue, then highlighted with my Wink of Stella pen.  Love, love, love the Wink of Stella pens!  Subtle glimmer without being over the top.

I hope you've enjoyed my cards today.  Thanks for stopping in!

Steampunk Decor

Seems like forever since I've had a change to actually sit down and work on a project, or even type up a blog post.  Well, I had a fun scrappy day with friends at my house this past Sunday.  And I was finally inspired to complete a project.

My inspiration for this project started with the "I'm 2 Pretty To Word" charm.  When I saw it in the store, I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I know it was going home with me.  Then I noticed a bare wooden bird sitting on the shelf and inspiration struck.

So you're probably asking how I put this little guy together?  Ok, so let's get started!  First things first, I used my Zig Paint FX pen in Black around the edges.  Once that was dry, I used a Zig Woodcraft marker in Antique Metallic to add some highlights.  Then I added strips of a paper from a dictionary and adhered it to the bird with gel medium and set it aside to dry.  Then, using my Zig Art and Graphic Twin in Cornflour Blue, Brushables in Pure Pink, and Waterbrush, I added color to the book pages.  I simply brushed the waterbrush against the marker nibs and applied the color to the pages until I was happy with the outcome.

Next up, I created the wings.  I took small strips of cardstock and covered them with regular kitchen foil.  Then I ran the pieces through my Cuttlebug to add some texture.  Lastly, I added a bit of color using my Zig Painty FX pen in LT Blue.  Keeping with the steampunk theme, I added a few watch mechanisms to the bottom of the wings and to the tail.  Of course, I couldn't resist adding a flower. :)

For the eye, I again used a watch piece that I outlined with my Painty FX pen.   The hat is a Basically Bare chipboard die cut.  All I did was use my Zig Chalk Writer in White to add a few details to the edges.  Since it was already a sold black chipboard piece, it didn't require a lot of fuss.