I know it is early to be talking about SNOW but I had an idea for a Christmas card that required the white stuff. This is a multi-step, multi technique project AND an experiment so...

First, I used an oval shaped dry embossing frame in the Cuttlebug to cut some snowflakes on the edge while leaving two legs of each attached to the oval. Then I used a craft knife to cut the rest of the oval away.

The next step was to use the oval shape from the center of the frame to spot-emboss a snowflake folder onto the oval portion of the shaped piece. I then used the whole folder to emboss a background piece.

The shaped piece was mounted on the background with foam tape so all the snowflakes stand away from the card face. I used a Martha Stewart punch to make another large snowflake and mounted that on top of the oval with foam tape.

I applied a clear text sticker to the upper right and burnished it to flatten the embossing under it. The whole piece was then mounted to a white base card which creates a frame around the edges. Here you can see the oval line a little better.

The last step was to use a Sakura Stardust pen in silver to trace lines on all the diecut/punched snowflakes and the smallest embossed ones in the backgrounds.

All in all I think I like it. I was trying to find a style to mass-produce for Christmas this year. This may be more than I want to do over and over... and over... and over.

We'll see as time progresses.

Ddd

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

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This first year growing sunflowers was a reasonable success. Out of the 10 seeds I planted there were 7 that germinated and all rose to great heights.

The tallest plant reached exactly 12 feet tall and got the largest, and latest, head on it. We left the plants to mature as much as they would while still on the stalks but an extremely heavy rainfall in early October began to topple the plants.

We still let them dry on the stalks until late October when we chopped off their heads and put the stalks on the burn pile. The largest stalk was about 3" across at the base and the largest head was over 12 inches.

We put two of the heads on the deck to see if the squirrels would eat them from there but nobody touched them. So we moved all 7 heads to the tree that the squirrel feeder is in. The biggest head is actually in the tree sitting atop the feeder. 

Apparently this is the yummiest one!

The other 6 are arranged around the base of the tree and are getting some attention of their own. Squirrels and birds of all types have been picking at them. The most activity they get is when the one up high is 'occupied' and a second or third squirrel wants a snack too.

Nobody at home at the moment.

I just grew these for entertainment: in watching them grow, in seeing how large they would get, in watching the squirrels eat them. I guess this experiment was a success.

Ddd

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

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While I had the jewelry findings out on my work table I grabbed the bins of beads and put together more stretchy bands to attach to a medical bracelet.

Some are similar to ones I have made before (working from the same stash) but will go to different wearers so it is not a problem.

I made 10 of them and they are all 5.5 inches in the beaded part. Because of cropping some of the beads appear here larger or smaller than actual size.

Rose and Pink

Amber, Green and Beige

Cobalt Blue and Silver

Black and Gray

Lavender in Two Finishes

Rose

Wooden

Amber and Ivory

Letter Beads and Black Faceted

Agate and Tiger Eye

A whole wardrobe of beaded bliss.

Ddd

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

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I ran across the most darling charms at the fabric store and bought several that carried the theme of quilting. A link bracelet was available, too, and every one of the charms came with a snap-link to attach it with.

I put this together as a gift in about 15 minutes.

I had the pink heart stone charm already on hand and added that to the dangle to say "I love quilting" when combined with the charm of the quilt block.

Very reasonable pricing on all the parts, too.

Ddd

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

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This is the last in the project of stamping images on fancy diecuts and coloring them with the custom palette for the Cosmo Cricket Tea For Two kit.

The image of two lovebirds in front of their house sent me right to the red paper covered with hearts. There was not enough definition behind the bracket portion of the diecut when placed on the patterned paper so I added a diecut panel of pink. The center is popped up on foam tape and I tacked the edges down with red heart brads.

Borderin of blue to pick up the sky in the image is continued around the stamped pink sentiment panel. The pink was choses to match the pink flowers in the stamped image.

So... what's next?

Ddd

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

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When I colored up this image I was thinking 'fall' but the first person who looked at it immediately thought of 'genealogy'. So I changed the focus of the card to a family tree and took the project in a different direction than I had initially intended.

I used blue bordering papers to go with the sky in the image. Green backing papers coordinate with the letter stickers I pulled from the Tea For Two kit.

I stamped the top phrase using separate word stamps from a set. Each of the letter stickers got a bottom and right side line drawn in to create a drop shadow.

The image panel and its border are popped up on foam tape.

Ddd

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

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Back to stamping and coloring images on fancy diecuts... For today's card I stamped the simple rose and colored it up in yellows from the custom palette. One of the papers in the Tea for Two kit is covered with tiny yellow rosebuds so that was a natural background choice.

I used bright yellow for bordering and accented with a green strip from the kit.

Grey dots around the image mimic some in the backing paper and I used two stickers from the kit for the sentiment. Green rhinestones anchor the sentiment.

Ddd

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

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A diecut was stamped with a sunflower for the card today. I am still using the custom palette to go with the Tea For Two 6x6 pad.

I used a large patterned paper for the background and had just a narrow strip as an accent. I saw the ribbon from yesterday still on the desk so I bordered my narrow paper with two pieces of the green.

The yellow of the flower was echoed by backing the diecut so the dark yellow showed through the holes. I carried this further by adding dark yellow enamel brads on each end of the diecut.

The sentiment was diecut from two papers and layered with a drop shadow.

Ddd

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

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Oh, look! Another teapot image! This time it is a whimsical pot and I added to the casual feel by drawing in my own wallpaper behind it.

Similar colors of patterned paper from the Tea For Two 6x6 pad echo the layout and I used some peel-and-stick ribbon to anchor the diecut to the card. The rose brads pick up color from the ceramic teapot.

I used some stickers from the kit and a word stamp to construct the sentiment.

Ddd

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

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Today's card reminds me of a Victorian parlor with rose wallpaper and lacy antimacassars. I had fun coloring up this rose, working on getting the shading just right.

I useda diecut for the blue backing piece behind the lacy diecut. Then I cut two colors of the sentiment with a die and layered them with a drop shadow.

Ddd

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

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I finally used the Tea for Two papers with a 'teatime' image! This is one from a clear set that I colored with the custom palette.

The blend of colors lent themselves to being backed by papers that resemble wallpaper, tile and doilies which adds to the theme of a table set for tea.

I used a diecut set to cutout the sentiment and the circle behind the lacy circle.

Ddd

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

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After yesterday's eyeball searing color, today's card is so restfull. I had colored up the single rose on a diecut and found that the overall rose pattern made a great backdrop for it. The red heart strip gives a place for the eye to rest and I surrounded the diecut with a bit of paper leftover from one of the other recently used pads.

This is a 'use it for anything' card so no sentiment is required.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:10 AM PDT

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I needed more colored pieces to use with the 6x6 Tea For Two pad so I went back to stamping small illustrations inside fancy diecuts. The cuts were all stark white so they were toned with Distress Ink to go with the papers.

The card today turned out very LOUD! I used pretty bright colors on the flowers and their background so found that continuing in that vein with the papers and bordering actually worked well.

If anything, the photo is duller than the original. They yellow and green are actually neon colors.

The sentiment speaks to the brightness factor, too.

Ddd

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

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I have a long vertical stamp with butterflies and dragonflies in three boxes. I have only used it in its original for once. More often, I stamp it and then separate the boxes to use the images individually. That is what I did for the card today.

I colored the first one with light and medium yellows and blues from the custom palette. I selected a blue for bordering and two papers from the Tea For Two 6x6 pad. The sentiment is made up of a stamped word and four little letter stickers from the Tea For Two sticker sheet.

The second one was colored with medium and dark yellows and the same light and medium blues. I used papers that picked up more of the yellow tones and used a stamped sentiment panel as well.

Three amber rhinestones were added to enhance the color scheme.

Ddd 

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

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The illustration used today is a digital one but I don't remember where I got it - many many months ago. I used the custom palette and gave him a fairly standard coloring. Such a cute little guy.

I pulled papers from the Tea For Two 6x6 pad to maintain the Red, White and Blue theme and added a bit of brown twine to go with his shoes and maintain the masculine feel.

I rounded corners for a more casual feel and used Distress Ink to tone down the stark white.

Ddd

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

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This is the very last swapped image I have on hand. I colored it up fairly simply with a little more attention to the hair and the grass skirt. Two papers from the Tea For Two 6x6 pad are combined with bright yellow bordering. The lacy circles in the brown paper echo the coconut bra and the bursts in the lighter paper echo the shape of the flowers in her headband.

I rounded the corners for softness and added tiny green rhinestones to the flower centers and to dot the 'i' in the sentiment.

Ddd

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

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I am nearly to the end of the stamped panels received in image swaps over the years. The one used for today's card is extremely simple and actually reminded me of a coloring book image. I worked a lot on the shading to bring it to a more artistic level.

Part of that was making the lilies into daylilies by making the throats spotted. Then I gave a lot of dimension to the ribbon and, finally, I drew in corner lines to make the outer border of the cross appear to be beveled. Altogether, these treatments enhanced the character of the illustration.

I found matching pink and green patterned papers in the 6x6 pad of the Tea For Two kit and used them to echo the blooms and leaves. The blue bordering paper echoes the ribbon.

Ddd

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

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This image was sent to me in a swap of stamped panels and I took a log time to color it up because I thought it was too dull. I had a sudden idea of how to make it more charming and set about to do it for this card.

I colored the image with the custom palette and then carkened the edges with Distress Ink to take away the whiteness. I used a craft knife to carefully slice around the ponytail. Then I stamped and colored a butterfly image and cut it out. This was mounted on foam tape UNDER the ponytail and completely changed the nature of the image.

Two papers from the Tea For Two 6x6 pad and a yellow sentiment block all got light blue borders.

Ddd

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

Updated: Monday, 14 October 2013 4:16 PM PDT

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For an alphabet swap requiring a 'Z' card I stitched up a set of zigzag trees. I pricked it out on a pale woodgrain paper and stitched with forest green thread.

I mounted this on a forest green base card and added some tiny green rhinestones.

After a bit of practice on scratch paper I hand lettered the text on the background.

Ddd

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

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From the box of stamped images sent to me over time I selected another of the Magnolia kids. This 'angel' standing in a wheat field got a drawn on mouth (cause we all know how I feel about THAT) and I colored it up with the custom palette.

Three choices from the Tea For Two 6x6 pad reflect these color choices as does the stamped sentiment.

I rounded the corners of the image for a softer look and popped the sentiment up on foam tape.

Ddd

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

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