Because the dogwood print was presented with multiple corners printed and with a variety of tones in the green background stripes there were LOTS of cards to make. Eight in fact.

For all of these I used Distress Markers as watercolor ink and tinted all the blooms and leaves. I gave all the centers a wash of yellow.

For these two I added bordered green sentiments. I used burnt orange for the borders and then used the same color of rhinestones for the centers. The one on the left I used small rhinestones in clusters. On the right the centers each got a single larger rhinestone.

These two got yellow sentiments bordered with rust colors, popped up on foam.

I went vertical with these two because of the way the blossoms laid. On the left I tied a double wrap of bakers twine and covered it with a pink bordered sentiment, popped up on foam. On the right I left off the twine and added two banner-ended paper scraps.

The last two went back to the landscape format. Both of these got a strip of dotted paper on the left. On the left I added a golden sentiment with slightly rounded corners. For the one on the right I used a dusty pink sentiment and cut deeper rounding on the corners.

Eight beauties!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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One of the botanical designs was presented in pastel design over medium toned stripes. I was able to get 4 card fronts from this design.

I used Distress Markers scribbled on an acrylic block and picked up with an aquabrush to paint over all the petals. For these I painted the petals orange and distressed the corners of the page with Old Paper Distress Ink. Each got a golden sentiment bordered in cream and popped up on foam tape. On the left, I dotted the centers with Stickles and sealed them with Glossy Accents. On the right I gave the centers dots of Liquid Pearls.

The one on the left here I used purple on the petals which was too dark. I covered it with some of the orange. Too blotchy looking so I took a fine-line marker and sketched around all the petals and added some curly marks in the centers. I added some Liquid Pearls to the centers and mounted an orange sentiment bordered in purple and popped up on foam tape.

On the right, I went back to the orange petals and added nothing to the centers (besides brown marker). A simple knot of scrappers floss underscores a bordered sentiment popped up on foam.

So, is simpler better or is it better with some pling?

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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These large illustrations from the corners of 12 x 2 scrapbook sheets are really nice for using as card backgrounds. In this case it was a bird perched in gooseberries and featuring a diamond lattice.

I used a craft knife to cut around the bird head so I could tuck the sentiment underneath. I used a blue sentiment on the left and a yellow on the right.

I used Stickles on the lower left of each berry and, when dry, sealed it with Glossy Accents.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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From a 12 x 12 pad of Martha Stewart cardstock I gleaned some pages of silver butterflies printed on white. Creative cutting gave me 9 card fronts. I decorated all of them with stickers.

All three of these are decorated with blue fractal butterfly stickers in the center of each printed silver butterfly. I punched silver cardstock and applied a silver peel-off script sticker to it ('friend' on one and 'hello' o the other two. This square is popped up on foam tape.

These two got three copper butterfly peel-off stickers and silver peel-off script reading 'thank you'.

The next three got gold butterfly stickers on which the wings fly free as well as a medium and small gold peel-off stickers. A gold 'Happy Birthday' peel-off is applied to the lower left.

The last one has the landscape orientation and uses three irridescent blue butterfly stickers in an arc. The open space on the left side got a 'hello friend' silver peel-off sticker.

Ha! I just noticed the date - 9 on the 9th!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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If you start with two 12  x 12 pages that are covered with botanical tiles and do some creative cutting you can come up with LOTS of cards. Some of the tiles are small and some are medium - the size of 4 small tiles.

On the left I used a single small tile popped up on foam over a dusty purple panel stamped with a sentiment. I rounded the corners and placed on a tone-on-tone dotted cardstock. On the right I used a strip of three tiles and scored between them. A sentiment strip peeks out from the top and I've mounted on a 1/2 and 1/2 printed background.

This next one ses a grid of 4 small images, scored and banded n burgundy. I used the same color to mount the stamped sentiment. Both are adhered to dove gray cardstock and tied with a gray and white bakers twine.

A grouping of 6 tiles, scored, are mounted on a dark dotted cardstock using foam tape. a small sentiment is raised on foam tape in the center, as well.

Both of these next ones use one of the medium images. On the left I used a combination of red and white chevron and a tone-on-tone dot. A small red sentiment peeks out from under the image. On the right I used a full background of the chevron and rounded the corners of the sentiment and image. Both are popped up on foam tape.

On the left, I used a vertical strip of three small images. A vertical stamp was used on the right on sage cardstock. I backed the image with a striped paper over a patterned rust cardstock. On the right is a grid of four small images where I used a white gel pen to reinforce the creases in a sketchy line. The sentiment block is dropped to the left over purple cardstock. A wrap of scrappers floss is knotted at the top.

Here on the left I used a single small image, backed it with a dark dotted card over a golden sentiment block. A simple dotted background finishes it. The card on the right uses a strip of three small images and features a vertical sentiment on the right. The purple cardstock base is enhanced with gold peel-off stickers in the corners.

The card on the left features two small tiles with rounded corners as well as a small stamped sentiment with rounded corners. Both are popped up on foam over a die-cut oval tinted with distress ink. The dark green card base has deep rounded corners.

Last, but not least, the card on the right uses two small images linked with a sage sentiment strip. Two die-cut scrolls in golden cardstock are used to enhance the raspberry background.

12 cards from 2 12 x 12 sheets!

Ddd

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This large botanical is of luscious grapes with a glittery finish. I had two of these prints and treated them exactly the same.

I used a dusty purple sentiment strip and wrapped bakers twine around three times before tying a knot.

Little juicy bites!

Ddd

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Well, it's back to the botanical 12 x 12 cardstock pad.

Today I used one of the big prints with glittery finish - of Peaches! For the one on the left I cut a sentiment strip with a flag end and used one copper brad on the right end.

For the one on the right I made the sentiment go all the way across and placed three copper brads underneath.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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My large circle punch started chewing the edge and will not punch plain paper at all. So I went looking for another and decided to get the Fiskars Everywhere Punch to give myself more versatility. Unfortunately, the round punch is an 'add on' and you have to buy the 'starter kit' to use it. OK, I did it - I bought them both. The starter kit comes with a square Everywhere Punch.

The starter kit is the black base ring and the clear alignment ring. Half of the punch drops into the base and then the clear alignment ring is placed on the paper and both are laid on the base. They hold together with the embedded magnets and then the punch is placed on top and depressed to punch out the shape.

Here's the bad news - you CANNOT use the part that is punched out! WHAT???? All I get is a shaped hole and a piece of scrap paper? Yep!

See those three prongs in the center of the punch? They poke three holes in the paper before they punch out the shape!

Well, frankly that makes it pretty much useless to me. The worst part? There is no hint of this on the packaging anywhere. And to get into the product you have to totally destroy the packaging so there is no returning it.

Extremely disappointing all around.

NOT RECOMMENDED.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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When you work in a library for 38 years you have a tendency to want to organize and catalog things. Just because you retire, that tendency does not go away.

I've been just keeping my embossing folders in a drawer and rummaging through them to find one that might suit the project I have in hand. So, I got them ALL out and made an impression of each on plain white cardstock. On the back I wrote the manufacturer and the folder name. Then I hole-punched them all and strung them on ball-chain.

I have them sorted by the style: dots, swirls, fabrics, grid, borders, oversize, mini, and many more categories.

I have these hanging over my work area so I can quickly find an appropriate design and then go find the folder to mak it on my project.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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YAY! I was gifted with a new book on making mini-books! I haven't made any for quite a while but I am definately inspired to get back to it. Here is the new title:

LOVE the tiny necklace book, leather covers, a book of cards, and SO much more.

I actually have quite a number of books on making books in my collection. Here are my favorites:

Hmmm, I need to go make books now.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Here is another way I have gathered together inspiration for myself. I have great intentions of doing scrapbooking but other things always take first place and it gets set aside over and over.

But I have collected lots of scrapbook sketches and transfered them to 3 x 5 cards. I file these by how many photos they will display and keep them in a file box.

Here's one for 7 photos (see the number above the sketch so I can file it back in the right place.

and here's one for 4 photos

Someday I will be ready to scrapbook.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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We're back to 'inspirations' today. I have collected many photos that I use (or plan to use) as inspiration for cards. I chose them for their patterns, colors, layout, or just because I like them. Sometimes I get inspired by a single element in the photo and sometimes try to replicate the design as closely as possible. Some of these I have shown along with their resulting cards on this blog.

Whew! That's a lot of inspiration!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Halloween has come again and we were off the other nite to a costume party. We always try to go as a 'couple' with costumes that are tied to one another and this year was no exception. We decided to go as Shrek and Fiona.

Hubby shaved his head for the green face paint and I made him 'ears' of green felt mounted on a green child's headband. Tan pants and black boots were topped with a white long-sleeved tee. He wore his belt on the outside and I made his cut-down vest out of an old black sweatshirt. I cut away the sleeves and neck and shortened it before  binding all the edges with bias tape. The ends of the bias tape were used to tie the vest closed.

I made more of my costume by using a satin fabric to sew a dress based on a pattern for a peasant blouse. I simply lengthened it and then used some decorative trim as a tie to create an empire waist. I created the headpiece by coloring the stones on a child's crown with alcohol inks (they started out purple) and attaching the 'ears' made from green felt with hot glue. I sprayed red coloring in my hair and used green face paint (horrible stuff - always turns out blotchy). Simple black shoes were all that it needed for completion of this outfit.

Happy Haunting!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Lacking any new work to show today I thought I'd answer a question that has not been asked... "Where do you get inspiration?"

Much of the time the materials at hand - stamp images, clip art, papers, etc - inspire me but I also use challenges and references on a variety of websites and blogs as a jumping-off point for projects. In many cases I have printed 'catalogs' of these inspirations and can thumb through them to find ideas to work from.

One of these is a catalog of color challenges. I have a section for the color challenges I have created:

A section that includes the full run of challenges from Color Throwdown blog includes their variety of presentation methods as well.

I like this new way as they show you the picture that inspired them to choose that color combination

I also have a catalog of card sketches. This has all the Operation Write Home sketches,,,

Card Positioning Systems (which is now discontinuing)

A blog called RetroSketches

And my own sketches

For stamping inspiration I have the binder of instructions and classes from the recent class Stretch Your Stamps.

This includes 12 classes focusing on different categories of stamps and the miriad ways to use them.

I have TWO binders of Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas series. I formatted each lesson into a Word document to save paper and printed them all up.

All of the ideas can be translated to cards and other projects. Tim uses mostly his own brands of products so there are lots of ideas on using Ranger, Adriondak, Stampers Anonymous, Alterations, etc.

I also have reference books on card making, stamping and other paper crafts to use as inspiration.

So many Ideas - so little time!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This is the last of these botanical background prints for a while.

Today I used again one with the lattice background. This one comes with a sweet bird perched on a cherry branch. On the left I cut the sentiment into a little tag, punched a hole in it and tied a bow with a bit of twine. I used the craft knife to cut around the toes of the bird's foot and tucked the tag under to make him hold onto it.

On the right I rounded the corners of a stamped sentiment and backed it with soe red to match the cherries. I popped it up on foam tape and tucked two snippets of colored paper underneath.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This botanical paper is just Yummy! I love the big pink rose and the overall vintage feel of all the blooms. That lattice background is especially nice.

The treatment is similar on both the samples with just a bit of difference in the sentiment. The one on the left has a plain pink stamped sentiment backed with a crackle-finish paper and a solid that matched the mounting of the main card.

The one on the right has a sentiment with a subtle floral background and is backed with a tiny chevron paper and a solid.

Both cards have two outline dragonfly stickers upper right and a small solid dragonfly sticker on the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This botanical print has an open area built in for the sentiment. I used different scripts for the sentiments but used the same paper to stamp them on, rounded the right ends and used the same mounting treatment. I used the craft knife to slice around the lower edge of the leaf and tucked the sentiment strip underneath.

Each got one of the butterfly stickers on the lower right.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Two blooms, Two copies, Same treatment. Don't know why I bothered to photograph them both!

The sentiment was toned with distress ink and bordered to match the background border. I added a laser cut wooden flower and placed a rhinestone in the center.

Feel like you're seeing double?

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This is another of those papers that has a glittery finish on the flowers.

On the left I did a creative mounting of the sentiment and placed it at the top of the illustration. The mounting matches the bordering color.

On the right I cut a flag end on the right of the sentiment and toned it with distress ink. I used some distress on the upper right of the background as well.

Very simple, but these backgrounds don't need much.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This is the other half of the background cardstock shown yesterday. I love this low viewpoint of the flowers.

On the left I cut a preprinted sentiment like a cloud and outlined it in a fine line of black. I used the craft knife to slice along the flower and leaf and tucked the cloud behind them. I added three of those butterfly stickers.

On the right I used distress ink to darken a yellow stamped sentiment and then trimmed it out, mounted it and added the butterfly on the upper edge of it.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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