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Group One
In & Out of Studio 3D
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Teddy Trio
Topic: Stickers

A full sheet of teddy bear stickers was mostly singles but there was this one grouping of three little bears. The sheet also included little heart stickers so I added two to the bear chests.

I created a place for the bears to sit with a plaid carpet and a paneled wall.


While I had that text mounted to the block in a swoosh for yesterday's card I stamped it again for this one and cut along the top and bottom to create a waving flag. The right end is up on foam tape while the left end is flush with the card.

Little heart stickers from the sheet were added to frame the banner and the whole thing was mounted to a butterscotch card base.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:53 PM PST
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Out Standing In Their Field
Topic: Stickers

OK, I am officially in love with this card!

I had a sheet of vellum stickers from the dollar store that were combined with little scriptures and blessings. However, I wanted to use multiple stickers and that made an odd mix of texts. So I stuck three of the stickers to a cream cardstock and cut out just the picture elements.

I had already decided on the green diagonal stripe for the ground - including the torn edge top, So I went on a search for a blue for the sky. This plaid just called out to me! I ran it through my brand-new cloudy sky embossing folder and then used the sanding block to reveal the raised edges.

I added a butterscotch folded card base and popped the sheep and rainbow up on foam tape. I mounted the text stamp on the acrylic block in a swoosh before stamping directly on the grassy area.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:52 PM PST
Monday, 7 January 2013
On The Up and Up
Topic: Stickers

After yesterday's girly card I wanted to make one that was strictly for the boys. I had gotten some sheets of construction stickers at the dollar store several years ago. This inspired me to make a hill-climbing road for them to drive upon.

I started with some green patterned cardstock to use as a mountain landscape. Then I cut three wedge-shaped road segments from a moss-green woodgrain paper. I drew edges on them with black Sharpie and arranged them in a zig-zag.

The loader and truck were added to their sections of the road and a signpost was created with a 'stick' and another sticker. This was all placed on a yellow card base.

I stamped the text directly onto the background.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:52 PM PST
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Dancing A-Round
Topic: Stickers

(See the January 2 entry for my appologies on sticker-naming) I had half a sheet of peel-off ballet dancer stickers I wanted to use for the card today. I had the perfectly sized circle die so they would extend right to the edges and chose a mottled pink cardstock to cut them from.

This card is all about creating a feminine but not fussy look - great for pre-teen and teen giving. I used black and white dots, a pastel blue with tiny pink + dn a small strip of script on cream.

I rounded the corners to keep it softer and pupped up the three circles on foam tape in an asymetrical arrangement.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:51 PM PST
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Bubble Bear
Topic: Stickers

This sticker set of baby items encased in tiny clear beads was mosty things like a rattle, a bottle, a pacifier, etc. This little teddy bear was the only one that wasn't reminiscent of a baby shower.

I chose the pink dotted background paper first and then added elements that coordinated with that and the bear. The bear got a dark chocolate circle with distressed edges and I cut a lacy scallop and plain scallop for backing it. I stamped the text in chocolate on the smaller scallop and tucked it behind the lacy scallop. The lacy one got pink dew drop stickers in every dot.


I bordered the sides of the background panel with narrow ribbon and added it all to a milk chocolate card base.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:51 PM PST
Friday, 4 January 2013
For Want of a Tiger
Topic: Stickers

I had Lions and Bears in this set of stickers but, alas, no Tigers. So I went with the Monkey instead. Each of these stickers was backed with a cardstock frame that matched the uppercase letter. I used a light yellow folded card base that matched the background of the stickers. By now we were on the way to a crayon box of colors so I just kept going down that road.

I liked the graphic character of the black and white stripe paper and added purple borders to the top and bottom. By now it was only lacking orange to use all the primary and secondary colors. I used that color to stamp the three words of a phrase stamp and cut into little flags.

Each of the stickers got an orange rhinestone in the feature letter and I added doodle lines around the perimeter. Lastly, the Lion sticker was popped up on foam while the rest were glued directly to the face of the card.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:50 PM PST
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Clowny Cat
Topic: Stickers

As with the rest of the recent kid cards I've been making, I started this with the sticker. Love this little clown cat! I cut a circle background for him along with a scalloped second layer. These were selected from the colors in the sticker, as were the card base and striped background.

I stamped three versions of "hello" greetings on green and cut little flags around them. Each got a cardstock standard with a rhinestone finial.


The cat module and the lower flag are mounted up on foam tape.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:50 PM PST
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Smiling Sticker Bears
Topic: Stickers

Outline vinyl stickers like the ones I used today are produced by lots of companies. Since the first I ever used were called PeelOffs I tend to use that term generically regardless of the manufacturer. Most often I have cut the package apart and sorted parts of the sheet into category files for use. Sometimes the sheets were given to me in a swap and I don't know who made them. My appologies to all those who make the stickers I use and blythely call by the name of a competitor's brand.

That aside, I had a half sheet of some gold outline bears playing instruments and wearing party hats. I cut a scalloped circle for each of them.  To keep up the party atmosphere I pulled out some brightly striped cardstock and added a bright folded card base and feature strip with colors from that striped paper.


A cardstock flag was stamped with text before mounting and each of the bears got a foam tape to pop them up from the background.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:49 PM PST
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Birthday Bash
Topic: Stickers

Continuing on the challenge to create 20 cards for kids (OWH) I grabbed up a pack of 3D stickers that had been gifted to me some time ago. Some of them are puffy, some are multi-layered and some are thick acrylic. All came with foam tape on the back.

Well, this was an invitation to create a party scene so I grabbed up some dotted paper for the background and ran a piece of red cardstock through the Cuttlebug with a textured lines folder. This became the 'table' for my scene.

I used Copic marker to make shadow areas on the table and arranged the stickers.


The 'strings' on the balloons are actually fine wire and were originally dark blue. They did not show up against the black background so I used the gold Krylon paint pen to re-color them.

A yellow folded card base coordinates with one package and one balloon.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2012 7:49 PM PST
Monday, 31 December 2012
2012 Wrapup
Topic: Multi-Technique

It was too hard to choose only 12 projects to wrap up the year so I chose more. Hey, it's MY blog - I can do what I want... In fact, some of these are just representative of a larger pool of projects that I did this year.

So, with a retrospective of my favorite projects from 2012....

First is this Fantastic Folds card I dreamed up. It uses a stamp of a heart which is done in both green and red. When folded the card front shows a shamrock and the word 'lucky'. When extended (photo) it shows a field of heart flowers and says 'lucky in love'. I was so proud when the vision in my head worked exactly like I dreamed it!

Next is this ballet dancer stitching pattern I designed for my granddaughter's ballet recital. I stitched her with shimmery threads on black and gave her a piano keyboard stage.

Another stitching pattern I designed this year is the poinsettia. This was based on a sketch of an entirely different type of project and I picked it out of my sketchbook several months later.

I had this idea of making birch trees by scraping with the side of an inkpad through masked stripes on cardstock. Success! I used marker ink as watercolors to paint the scenery in the background.


This new stamp I picked up lends itself perfectly to watercoloring. I just love it and made a stack of these cards in one sitting.


I used small wooden lighthouse birdhouses as a base for some patriotic papers to create some summer home decor.


I did quite a few cards using a waxed paper technique that runs them through the Cuttlebug for embossing and ironing the pattern onto cardstock as an ink resist. This one using the gears folder and stamping with clock faces is one of my favorites.


When I took the online class on Stretching Your Stamps I made use of another of the waxed paper backgrounds to feature sentiment stamps. The assignment was to use text as a background.

 

This card that uses alphabet stamps was another one done for the online class. I made several versions of this text layout, but this one with the banners is my favorite.


I like projects that combine my interests and this technique of double embossing to create the look of a quilt was right up my alley.


I did a lot more stamping this year and learned to work with alcohol markers. I combine brands (mostly Copic and Bic Mark-It) to get the colors I want. This use on shimmer cardstock really came out well.

 

As a challenge to use a LOT of masking in rubber stamping to create a scene, I also combined it with watercoloring. Yummy!


One of the blogs I follow does a lot of sponging of colored panels and combining them with stamping. This was one I tried in that style for fall.


On that same blog she showed how to create a snowy scene with embossing and a slight shifting of the stamped image. Love this effect!


This quilt is just a representation of many I made this year. I chose this one because it combines many of the ways that I grew this year in quilting: original designs, modern quilting, making donation quilts, advanced free-motion quilting.

 

That's certainly not ALL my favorites, but they do represent the growth I have experienced in the arts this year through following other blogs, taking classes, lots of practice, letting my imagination take the lead, and making myself accountable to posting some artistic endeavor every single day.

This year I have played in 48 challenges, participated 60 swaps, sent 550 cards to Operation Write Home, was one of the stops on a blog hop for World Card Making Day, made 16 quilts, grew a larger garden than usual, took one online class, won several online contests with my cards, created some awesome art on my fingernails (!), made some jewelry, made some home decor items, did a lot of bulk baking, and set up a new quilt studio.

The only thing I did not do this year that I wished I had was to enter projects in the County Fair. I guess that's a new goal for 2013!

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Thursday, 27 December 2012 9:24 PM PST
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Home Bear
Topic: Stickers

OWH issued a challenge for each of us to create 20 cards suitable to be sent home to kids. We were to make them for any age and for any occasion. I chose to start with stickers for my cards since I have a lot of them and rarely make kid cards.

For today's card I started with a large bear sticker and some striped scrapbook paper. I masked off the upper portion of the paper and sponged color on the lower part to create a place for the bear to sit. His book said 'invitation to tea' so I used another sticker to place a bunny on the front instead.

The picture on the wall is a stamp on pink paper with black ink. I used Copic marker to color in the blue stripes and pink hearts. This is popped up on foam tape.


I used a blue folded card base to match the ribbon bow on the bear.

Ddd

 


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Fab File
Topic: In the studio

Boy, it doesn't take long for fabric scraps to take over when you start a quilting hobby. After stashing and tucking and stuffing and piling I decided I really needed to get organized. So I came up with a plan...

First I sorted out all my fabrics, no matter how much or little there was, into complementary groups. Then I went through my binder of patterns and pulled out one for each collection.

I had two plastic file crates and some hanging file folders so I tucked a set of fabrics in each folder:

Placed the selected pattern in the front of the folder:


And filed them - in no particular older:

Some of these are projects I bought fabric for specific projects, but most are donated fabrics, leftovers from previous projects, or a combination of the two. Including a separate bin of nothing but strips in bags of color duos and another bin with all the fabrics for a king-sized quilt, I now have 'kits' for 18 quilting projects!

These will undoubtedly spawn more scrappy combinations when cut and stitched, but they are corraled in the interim and it will be easy to grab a file to start a project when the time comes to quilt.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Thursday, 20 December 2012 9:35 PM PST
Friday, 28 December 2012
Box on a Box
Topic: In the studio

From the time I bought my portable photo booth I've moved it from place to place trying to find the right spot - convenient and functional. Sometimes, I've folded it up and stored it because there was no good way to use it.

When I packed up the spare bedroom to create the quilt studio was one of those times that the photo booth got stored. Then I suddenly realized that a little bedside cabinet was still in the quilt studio and not being used for anything. So I hauled the cabinet out and shuffled it to the craft studio where it found a corner vacated by the sewing table in the big move.

The photo booth exactly fits on the top of the cabinet! The little lights on stands do NOT fit though so I rigged them up to shine from the top rim.


I have three types of stands to support objects for their pictures and a couple of fabrics to use as backdrops. These can live in the cabinet drawers, along with anything else I might want to use as photo props.

Ready for my close-up...

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Thursday, 27 December 2012
Setting Myself Up to Succeed
Topic: Online Class

I found a link to an inspiring-looking month-long FREE online class series starting in January. Industry leading artists will be offering daily workshops on the topic of 'Creative Jumpstart'. Well, who couldn't use a little inspiration from the pros?

So I jetted right over to http://nathaliesstudio.com/2012/12/20/creative-jumpstart-2013/ and got myself signed up to play along. Join us! Lesson links come daily via email.

There are also prizes offered by the instructors and by the workshop sponsorers. Name-brand art products, too.

Last year over 4500 people participated! WOW! So many people seeking inspiration.

I'm ready to go... bring it on!

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
A Bed Of Roses
Topic: Quilting

The pattern for this quilt (Quiltmaker Magazine, September 2010) was one of the first I picked out when I started quilting and said "I'm going to make that one someday". As it usually does, 'someday' finally arrived and my mom chose this pattern for me to make for her and dad. YAY!

The original pattern is in greens with a pink multifloral print and a swag floral border on white. For this quilt we chose blue and yellow as the color pallette and off I went to find fabrics that would subsitute for the originals. I ended up with a blue background with yellow roses and cream magnolias as the feature fabric. I added in some dark blue, medium blue, yellow and white florals and a bright yellow. In setting the 9-patch pieces I rotated them so there was not the strong diagonal line as the original. I did not find any 'swag' fabric like the original so I selected a wide stripe and added multiple borders to make it the width needed for the drop. Oh, yeah - I cut one entire column off to cut the king-sized pattern down to queen-sized.

Here is the result:

The quilting on the main body is free-motion around every leaf and flower with a vine and leaves connecting through the yellow floral bars.

The borders are all added quilt-as-you-go so the only one with quilting on it is the wide floral border. It is free-motion quilted around every leaf and flower as well.

Yep, that's a LOT of quilting. But I certainly am getting better at free-motion!

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
A Show Of Hands
Topic: Nail Art

My fingernails grew out enough to go back to playing with artistic treatments - just in time for the Holiday!

Last summer I had bought some bold colored polish at the dollar store so I could do patriotic nails. While picking up the Red and Blue I also grabbed some Purple (for Easter) and some Green to use with the Red for Christmas.

For these nails I did two coats of green on the nail bed and two of red on the tips. When this was dry I used a makeup sponge to apply silver glitter over the whole nail, dried it, and added gold glitter over that.

Super sparkly with underlying seasonal colors. One nail for each letter... C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S-Y!

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Monday, 24 December 2012
Almost There
Topic: Around the House

Can you even believe Christmas is almost here? Sort of snuck up on my - as usual. I thought I'd give you a little tour of this year's decorating. This has actuallyall been up for over a week but I had other things I wanted to get posted in the meantime. So, here we go...

As you enter the front door there is a wreath but I didn't photograph that. On the inside door handle I hung an oversized ornament:

Just inside the door we have a half-wall. I used crunched up wide plaid ribbons as a base and added a wooden reindeer and a basket sleigh. Last year the sleigh came with a fresh arrangement in it. I saved some sparkly swirly sticks which became the antlers for the reindeer and I filled the sleigh with silver and red shiny ornaments:

Turn right to go into the livingroom and you will first come upon the fireplace. I placed a nativity snowglobe on the lower left:

...and a cangle arrangement on the right. The boxes in this candle holder are hollow so I stuffed them full of gold tinsel:

Up on the mantle is the block calendar framed by 'peace' and 'joy' candles (from Avon - very old). I kept the lanterns that were living up there and added the candle holder from another room. The swag is cheesy plastic but I like it anyway. I placed a $1 runner underneath the whole thing:

In the entertainment center I filled the lower unit with a full nativity ('local' on the left, 'afar off' on the right) and then used the upper shelves and top to assemble an angel choir:

Here's a closer look at one side of the angel choir. Since they are all in golds and cream I added the gold miniature sheet music around them:

There is a corner of the room that is usually pretty blank but I added some decor here to pretty it up

On the complete opposite corner diagonally we have a stack of basket boxes where the answering machine lives. I added some holly, pinecones, and jingle bells to this. (Get it? 'the phone is ringing'):


And for the little corner lamp table, some Santa cheer. Santa is actuall a stack of three nesting boxes. I used my holiday block set here and added a Santa hat to the lamp:

As you leave the living room towards the dining room you pass by the tree. We've added so much furniture that we had to downsize to a shorter, narrower tree. This one is pre-lighted and I've filled it with our usual ornaments plus a couple of new ones we were given this year:

This sits right next to the roll-top desk which is hosting the 'new to me' Christmas Village. Mom gave me these from her collection. I surrounded them with poinsettia blooms, fake (duh) snow, tiny bottle brush trees and some tree candles. I love that these are in a place where the lights can be turned on. I have them plugged into the strip with the tree so they all light at the same time:

Next around the room is the dining table. I put on a crisp white tablecloth, two $1 table runners and a bowl of poinsettias:

Directly across from this is the china hutch. It has an open area that is perfect for seasonal decorating. I use the top shelf to display Christmas cards and the lower shelf sports a fake plant with poinsettia blooms tucked in around the leaves. the three new birdhouses live here along with some mirror balls:

In the kitchen, the only decor is a couple of tiny ceramic buildings up on the window sill (actually, I have since added a large pillar candle between them that is decorated with poinsettias):

Back down the hallway I hung a banner on one of the wooden doors to the linen closet:

Tuck into the main bathroom and you will find the counter top decorated with snowy tinsel from end to end. Then on the right I added a bowl of potpourri and more mirror balls:

The left of the counter got a cylinder vase filled with potpourri in which I placed $1 sprigs of frosted berries (and mirror balls):

The 'facilities' host another of the nesting boxes which, when stacked, create a snowman. He is surrounded by tiny votives


Both of the towel racks are decorated with the snowy tinsel:

 

 

Now, I hate to leave you here - hanging out in my bathroom - but this actually concludes the tour of Christmas decor. So, take a minute and when you're ready, come out and join us. We'll be in front of the fire sipping hot chocolate!

Merry Christmas!

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Sunday, 23 December 2012
Journey Together
Topic: Stamping

This is the last of the 'stamp on watercolor paper' panels that I did. This asian collage stamp comes with the border wroung it so I used that as the cut mark. Blended colors in all of the areas and used distress ink around the sides.

The background is a teal with a subtle print. I used work stickers to create my own phrase.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Saturday, 22 December 2012
I Painted It Myself
Topic: Stamping

This collage stamp colors up well although the colors muddled a bit in the bloom. I used some light tan to add a drop-shadow as well and tore the edges all around. These edges were inked with Distress and mounted on a dotted background paper.

I staped the greeting on purple and banded with green before mounting to the card front.

Ddd


Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST
Friday, 21 December 2012
Buzzing By to Say Hi
Topic: Stamping

Another of my favorite stamp images... I tore the image to soften it and used distress ink over the whole surface.

The first I colored with pink flowers and used a pink lace background. The text is stamped on pink and bordered with brown.

On the other one I made purple flowers and used a ulti-colored dot background. I stamped the greeting on shimmery paper and bordered in purple.

So soft.

Ddd


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

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