Monday, June 19, 2023

Masculine Patriotic Card for Father's Day featuring Amazing Paper Grace Dies paired with Tim Holtz Idea-ology

 
Welcome to my creative space!

Father's Day is a special time to honor our fathers and other special men in our lives. I hope you had the opportunity to celebrate with a loved one this year. My dad served in the Air Force in the photomapping division and has proud memories of his service to our country. To honor that legacy, I created this Father's Day card for him featuring the Amazing Paper Grace Postage Edge Slimlines (S5-541) and You're Amazing (S4-1203) die sets, pairing the slimline die cuts with Tim Holtz Idea-ology ephemera and metal pieces. When looking through my paper dolls this military figure with the flag caught my eye.

I just adore how the Slimline Postage edge dies work perfectly with the intricate background die cut from the You're Amazing set to form a wonderful masculine background for this special card. 

For more close-ups and all the details on how to create this card, be sure to scroll down through the Tips and Techniques section below. 

Thank you Amazing Paper Grace for providing the dies used in this project.

You can add visual interest by repeating elements. I've accented this card with numbers that can be found on the metal tag and used remnant rubs to add number strips to the background. I've also placed 3D metal stars across the card. These repeated elements help move your eyes across the image. 

I'm entering this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Pick a Number. You can find this number challenge HERE. They have wonderful challenges each week, and if you aren't familiar, be sure to go check them out!

Tips and Techniques
This soldier carrying a flag from the Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Paper Dolls Minis pack is the perfect image to honor my dad with this card. 

I want to share how the background for this card came together. The top die cut uses a scrap of paper that I had created using Distress Spray Stains and Distress Oxide Sprays on Distress Heavystock Paper. Because this was in my stash I don't remember the exact colors that I used to create it, but they were in the teal range with splashes of orange. This intricate die cut using the hand-colored paper adds so much interest and visual dimension. It's layered over a blended tri-color paper from the 49 and Market - Spectrum Sherbet Collection - 6 x 8 Collection Pack. I positioned the soldier so that it looks like he's standing in a grassy meadow with a blue sky overhead. This piece was cut and embossed using the largest inner die from the Postage Edge Slimlines set. You can see the pierced design around the edges.

From there I went to some older papers from my stash to cut the outer postage edge layer from a cream and brown design, then for the card base layer I went back to earthy greens cut to 3 1/2 by 8 1/2". I wanted each layer to be different enough in color and tone so that while coordinating into one beautiful background, the design of each layer would be clearly visible. You don't need to use these exact papers and colors to create a wonderful masculine card, but consider how the colors and designs will pull together cohesively while allowing the die cut designs to shine.


This fabulous sentiment is cut from the You're Amazing die set that also includes the beautiful die that cut the top intricate layer of the background. The words are cut from a heavyweight black cardstock so that they would show up against the busy background. This masculine card with this encouraging sentiment would be suitable for so many types of events including Father's Day, a birthday, graduation, promotion, or any milestone event.

To add interest, random numbers are applied to the background using Remnant Rubs from the Tim Holtz Special Delivery set as well as a couple pieces of ephemera tucked in from the Curator Snippets set. 

This number plate from the Factory Tags set is adorned with screws from the Hardware Heads set. The numbers were not very visible, so I rubbed Black Soot Distress Ink into the numbers to help them stand out. Of course the entire piece was covered in black paint, so I used a soft paper towel to remove most of the paint from the surface, but left a little for a grungy aged feel. 

The Idea-ology Stars that are scattered across the card reference this patriotic image from the flag. For a tarnished brass effect all of the silver metal pieces were rubbed with Finnabair Metallic Wax in Aged Brass and Peacock.

I find it a challenge sometimes to fill out a slimline card, so I've added this arrow and word coin to the bottom left of the card to balance the number plate on the top left corner. You can also see another of the number rub-ons in this photo. 

Once all the background layers were adhered together and before the embellishments were adhered, I splattered Uncharted Mariner Distress Spray Stain over the background to add more visual dimension.

Don't you just adore the effect of these postage edges? They're so perfect for this masculine Father's Day card!

Below you can find the products I used to create this project including some with compensated affiliate links to Scrapbook.com and Spellbinders. These links are at absolutely no cost to you. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from the companies.  These commissions help me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration along with detailed Tips and Techniques provided for every project. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Amazing Paper Grace Sets:

Paper:
Thick black cardstock
Retired pattern papers from my stash

Mixed Media:
Ranger Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Sprays and Distress Oxide Sprays in teals and orange.
Ranger Ink - Tim Holtz - Distress Paint - Black Soot
Prima - Finnabair Collection - Art Alchemy - Metallique Wax - Aged Brass

Embellishments:
Idea-ology - Tim Holtz - Adornments - Stars
Idea-ology - Tim Holtz - Remnant Rubs - Special Delivery
Idea-ology - Tim Holtz - Compass Coins
Idea-ology - Tim Holtz - Arrows

Adhesives:
Beacon - 3-IN-1: Fabri-Tac
Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Tools:

Thanks so much for stopping by to learn more about creating this masculine card.
I hope you've been inspired!

Monday, April 24, 2023

Cat Birthday Card Featuring Amazing Paper Grace Dies

 
Welcome to my creative space!

I have missed sharing inspiration with you. I'm finally feeling better after a tough winter. Nothing serious, but I've been catching one thing after another since October. That comes spending time with our preschool grandchildren and our granddaughter who just entered kindergarten this year. Lots of germs to spread to grandma. I'm praying for a nice healthy spring and remaining 2023.

Today I'm sharing a sweet card created to celebrate our granddaughter, Avery's sixth birthday. While this may seem to be an unusual card for a six year old, she is a sweet old soul. Last year I made an adorable, age appropriate card for her. She glanced at it and set it aside. She adores the shabby chic creations I make and always asks if she can have one of them when it's time for her birthday. She has a cat she named Elpha and adores felines, so I combined her love of cats with my shabby chic style to create this card for her featuring the Amazing Paper Grace Postage Edge Ovals die set (S5-548). And yes, this card got more than a single glance from her.

This older Raining Cats & Dogs paper from Graphic 45 included dog images, so I needed to be creative in placing some of the elements to hide those pups. I used an oval die from the Postage Edge set to die cut the striped cat that covers a dog by the girl's shoulder. A creative way to showcase the dies and create layers on the card that look natural while bringing together the cat theme.

I used a mix of Prima Marketing and Little Birdie flowers paired with die cut foliage from the Petite Floral Potpourri die set (S3-420). A little inking on the leafy foliage helps it pop.

The birthday sentiment is stamped and die cut using the Lyrical Layered Florals Clear Stamp & Die Set (SDS-170). I just adore how this elegant birthday sentiment looks on this card.

For more close-ups and all the details on how to create this card, be sure to scroll down through the Tips and Techniques section below. 

Thank you Amazing Paper Grace for providing the dies used in this project.

Tips and Techniques
I just adore creating layers and the Postage Edge Ovals set (S5-548) is perfect for this. The larger oval is popped up with foam tape. The edges are inked with coordinating distress ink colors.


This gorgeous butterfly is an older Renea Bouquets creation. If you are not familiar with her unique and gorgeous embellishments, be sure to stop by her shop HERE. I'm a big fan of her creations and adore supporting fellow artists.

Here you can see the gorgeous birthday sentiment. The Lyrical Layered Florals Clear Stamp & Die Set (SDS-170) includes the stamp and die to create this beauty along with other lovely designs. You can see how the layers come together so beautifully.


I've layered die cuts, chipboard elements, flowers and foliage cut from the Petite Floral Potpourri die set (S3-420) to create dimension. 

Cats, cats everywhere! The C is for Cat adds a bit of whimsey to the card to make it a bit more youthful for a six year old.  

You can see how I've inked the edges of many of the layers to help them pop.

Texture is created by adding a mix of white and teal Prills using matte gel medium along with a few Matte Gold flat backed Pinkfresh Studio Pearls.

Below you can find the products I used to create this project including some with compensated affiliate links to Scrapbook.com and Spellbinders. These links are at absolutely no cost to you. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from the companies.  These commissions help me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration along with detailed Tips and Techniques provided for every project. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Amazing Paper Grace Sets



Paper:
Graphic 45 - Raining Cats & Dogs (Retired)
Prima Marketing - Cigar Box Secrets (Retired)

Ink:

Mixed Media:
Prima - Finnabair - Soft Matte Gel

Embellishments:
Little Birdie Crafts - Beaded Blooms - Butter
Little Birdie Crafts - Micro Petals - Tan
Prima Marketing - Cigar Box Secrets #578626
Graphic 45 - Chipboard - Raining Cats & Dogs
Renea Bouquets - Butterfly
US ArtQuest - Mini Prills - Mini Pearls; Sage Advice

Adhesives:
Beacon - 3-IN-1: Fabri-Tac

Tools:

Thanks so much for stopping by to check out this sweet shabby cat card I created for our granddaughter. I hope you've been inspired!

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Big Adventure Postage Edge Circle Card for Amazing Paper Grace

 
Welcome to my creative space!

I thought it would be nice to bring a hint of summer warmth after the recent wintry weather we have experienced recently. This beautiful card features the Amazing Paper Grace Postage Edge Circles die set (S5-539). I just adore the versatility of this fabulous postage edge collection.

The postage edge and pierced inner circle were cut in one pass with the same section of patterned paper.  The outer postage ring is inked and turned to highlight and give definition. Premade flowers from Little Birdie Crafts are paired with gorgeous foliage die cut with fabulous leaf dies from the My Sweet Friend set (S5-512)

I enjoy creating versatile cards that can be used for a variety of occasions. This card could be a send off for someone taking an adventurous trip, a new job, graduation, or milestone birthday. 

For more close-ups and all the details on how to create this card, be sure to scroll down through the Tips and Techniques section below. 

Thank you Amazing Paper Grace for providing the dies used in this project.


Tips and Techniques
As mentioned earlier, I die cut the postage edge ring and inner pierced circle from the same patterned paper in one pass. I wanted the ring to have definition while coordinating with the inner circle so rubbed it randomly with Faded Jeans Distress Ink. The edges of the inner circle are inked with Pumice Stone Distress Ink to make the pierced design more visible and to add to the contrast between the two pieces. 

The white lace butterfly is also rubbed with the Faded Jeans ink to give it a soft blue hue.

This circle design is perfect for arranging a flowing floral cluster along one side as I did here. I arranged pre-made Little Birdie flowers from the Shabby Chic collection, then to extend the design around the circle I die cut foliage with a soft curve from the My Sweet Friend die set (S5-512) from a darker green section of the same patterned paper. The leafy section is cut into two pieces to use on each end of the cluster and inked with Forest Moss Distress Ink to add contrast.

This close-up also shows how gorgeous this postage edge design is. You may notice that I also rotated the outer ring so that the darker part of the ring is against the lighter part of the circle. This adds more contrast to the design. By rotating and inking the postal edged ring, it looks like two different patterned paper were used. 

To add texture and fill in areas around the cluster I brushed matte gel medium around the edges and sprinkled with two colors of Prills. This is an easy way to add a bit of sparkling texture to your project.

The Wanderlust paper collection included a page with 6x6" designs that could be cut for card bases. The background paper is one of those pieces and coordinates perfectly with the round postage designs. The edges look stamped, but this is part of the patterned paper. I did add a bit of light inking with Faded Jeans around the edges of the background and sentiment.

Below you can find the products I used to create this project including some with compensated affiliate links to Scrapbook.com and Spellbinders. These links are at absolutely no cost to you. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from the companies.  These commissions help me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration along with detailed Tips and Techniques provided for every project. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Amazing Paper Grace Sets:

Paper:

Ink:

Mixed Media:
  • Prima - Finnabair - Soft Matte Gel

Embellishments:
  • Little Birdie Crafts - Shabby Chic Flowers: Wendy; Nancy; Bonita; Julita: Micro Roses
  • Prima - My Sweet Butterfly Lace
  • US ArtQuest - Mini Prills: Mint To Be; Minnie Pearls

Adhesives:

Tools:

Thank so much for stopping by to view this warm summery card.
I hope you've been inspired.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Let It Snowgirl Christmas Card for Amazing Paper Grace

Welcome to my creative space!

There's just something so sweet about a winter snowman or in this case snowgirl. This wintry Christmas card features the fabulous Amazing Paper Grace S5-533 Let It Snowman A2 Card Front die set.

When our children were young, we lived in North Carolina and didn't get those heavy wet snows that are perfect for building a snowman very often, but when we did we bundled up to build a huge snowman in our front yard and just like this die set, he had a wintry scarf, fun hat, rock eyes, and a carrot nose. We lived on a quaint but busy street and got lots of shout-outs by passersby. This sweet die set reminds me of those lovely wintry days in the snow with our children.

I just couldn't resist decorating her in a pink floral hat and scarf which is so beautiful against the snowy blue background. The snowbank is hand cut from the same white glitter paper used to die cut the fluttering snowflakes. 

For more close-ups and all the details on how to create this card, be sure to scroll down through the Tips and Techniques section below. 

Thank you Amazing Paper Grace for providing the dies used in this project.

11 Dies are included in the Let It Snowman A2 Card Front set.

Tips and Techniques
The body of the snowgirl is cut from the 49 and Market Holiday Wishes collection. I just adore the sweet blues and text that gives so much dimension to our wintry girl and it lightened up to nearly white for her darling face.

The other patterned papers used for the background pieces, hat, and scarf come from the Sweet Winter Backgrounds Paper Collection from Stamperia and work so beautifully with this darling die set. The snowy blue is so perfect behind the snowgirl and the wood grain pattern creates a lovely frame for the image.

Our snowgirl is embellished with a pink floral scarf and hat. The carrot nose is cut from pale pink cardstock and inked with Dried Marigold and Hickory Smoke Distress inks to give it the carrot orange color. I didn't have pale orange cardstock, so used what I have on hand to create the right color. 

Her eyes are embellished with black rhinestones to look like lumps of coal, and a piece of black cardstock is place behind the circles forming her smile. For some added bling, a few clear rhinestones in different sizes are added to the scarf, tip of her hat and her snowflake belly.

The snowflakes are cut from white glitter paper and centered with a clear rhinestone for extra sparkle. The snowdrift is hand-cut from more of the white glitter paper.

The banner for the sentiment is cut from a darker teal cardstock and the die-cut sentiment is backed in white. 

I just adore the die cut detail in the frame above the banner and wanted to make sure it was visible, so backed it with a piece of coordinating blue patterned paper. The fabulous design would have gotten lost had it been up against the white glitter paper. 

The gorgeous frame die is designed to fit an A2 card, but I cut a larger card base to allow more of the snowy blue paper to accent the card then framed it with a sliver of the dark teal cardstock used for the banner to tie everything together. 

Below you can find the products I used to create this project including some with compensated affiliate links to Scrapbook.com and Spellbinders. These links are at absolutely no cost to you. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from the companies.  These commissions help me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration along with detailed Tips and Techniques provided for every project. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Amazing Paper Grace Sets:

Paper:

Ink:

Mixed Media:

Embellishments:
  • Stash - Rhinestones - Clear; Black

Adhesives:

Tools:

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Introducing the Amazing Paper Grace Home Sweet Quilt Collection with Quilted Card Two Ways

 
Welcome to my creative space!

My grandmother created gorgeous quits from lovely scraps of fabric. I remember visiting my grandparents as a child and seeing the quilt rack pulled up to the ceiling amazed at the beautiful designs peeking through. My grandfather crafted a special quilt rack for her that hung from chains where she spent many creative hours hand quilting her beautiful designs. This has made it a special joy to create beautiful shabby chic quilted cards with the fabulous Amazing Paper Grace Filigree Eight Point Star set (S4-1251) from the newly released Home Sweet Quilt Collection! 

As I child my grandmother's creative spirit inspired me. I often thought I would become a quilter, but that creative inspiration turned into mixed media paper crafting instead. I'm so thankful for her beautiful inspiration and how much it means in my life.

I started out by die cutting the filigree points and wanted to alternate colors as you so often see on fabric quilts. The points are directional, so I needed to cut out eight points in each color, but could only use four of each for this card. I set aside the extras to get a head start on a second card. 

Yellow is a complementary color to purple and this pairing of colors is just gorgeous. With the filigree points already die cut for the second card, I wanted to show a different direction with the colors and used blue with just a hint of lavender to keep it in the same cool color family. 

The embossed design that frames both quilt squares uses the Orange Peel Quilt 3D Embossing Folder (E3D-046), and the sentiments are from the Quilty Hugs Sentiments Clear Stamp Set (STP-156). These sweet sets are from the new Home Sweet Quilt Collection.

Because I went with a masculine design last week, I didn't end up using the floral and foliage dies from the Sweetheart Envelope & Notecard Die of the Month Set (DOMAPG-DEC22) so used them here to create the mulberry purple centered flowers and green leaves used on both cards. The scale of these gorgeous flowers is just perfect with this quilted design.

For lots of close-ups and all the details on how to create these beautiful quilted cards, be sure to scroll down through my Tips and Techniques section below.

Today's projects were created with dies provided by Amazing Paper Grace.

Purple and Yellow Quilted Card

Purple and Blue Quilted Card

Tips and Techniques
What a gorgeous die set to work with. The details are just so gorgeous from the filigree points to the stitched triangles and inlay frames that bring this design together so effortlessly. 

This card pairs the beautiful golden yellow with the purples.

The floral filigree points were a little on the light side so I didn't get a good contrast with the yellow background. It was an easy fix. I inked them lightly with Milled Lavender Distress Ink to darken them just a little to get the nice contrast I was looking for. 

***Designer Tip*** If you love a patterned paper die cut, but the color isn't quite working just right, it can be altered with inks.

These sweet flowers are die cut from ivory mulberry paper using the December Sweetheart Envelope & Notecard Set (DOMAPG-DEC22) and the leaves are cut from soft green patterned paper. I added a small ivory rosebud and chipboard leaves from my stash.

The white quilted points in the center make a gorgeous base for this simple cluster. I die cut two sets of white points then added washi tape to the back to hold all the pieces in place.

The sentiment is stamped with Hickory Smoke Distress Archival ink onto white cardstock with the coordinating Quilty Hugs Sentiments Clear Stamp Set (STP-156). I wanted to keep it small so more of the quilted design would be visible, so cut it out closely with scissors and inked the edges lightly with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink.

In this close-up you can see how lovely the stitched details are in these die cut pieces.

The embossed design is just so gorgeous to frame this beautiful quilt square. By using white cardstock with the Orange Peel Quilt 3D Embossing Folder (E3D-046), it adds lovely texture, but keeps the focus on the beautiful quilted pattern. The entire card is framed with a piece of coordinating purple patterned paper.
    
Now let's take a look at how these same filigree points paired with blue patterned paper. The quilts my grandmother created had lovely designs in the fabric, so when looking through my stash of papers I looked for patterns with a small scale that would look like fabrics quilted together. 

Since the filigree points were already cut, and I had put this card together once, this second one came together more quickly, yet each has a distinctive look with the different color palettes. 

I used another sweet sentiment from the Quilty Hugs Sentiments Clear Stamp Set (STP-156) using the same Hickory Smoke color that is used on the yellow card.

This time the floral filigree points contrasted nicely with the blue paper beneath, so no need to ink them.

Here is the third mulberry paper flower I created using the December Sweetheart Envelope & Notecard Set (DOMAPG-DEC22) along with another pair of lovely green leaves. 

It's paired with two pink rosebuds and more delicate chipboard.

I framed this card with more of the embossed design and framed it using the same lavender blue paper used for the quilt square. I normally use 1/4 inch double sided adhesive on the edges to adhere layers, but for this embossed layer, I knew there would be less contact with the adhesive because of the raised design, so used 1/2 inch double sided adhesive to be on the safe side.

These dies and plates are available from Spellbinders right now! Click here: The Home Sweet Quilt Collection.

Below you can find the products I used to create this project including some with compensated affiliate links to Scrapbook.com and Spellbinders. These links are at absolutely no cost to you. When you shop through the links below, I receive a small commission from the companies.  These commissions help me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, which allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration along with detailed Tips and Techniques provided for every project. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Amazing Paper Grace Sets:

Paper:
Stash - Maja Designs; Scrapberry's Patterned Paper (Retired)
Mulberry Paper - Thick, Ivory

Ink:
Ranger Ink - Tim Holtz - Distress Archival Ink - 4 Pack (Hickory Smoke)

Embellishments:
Scrapiniec - Boho Love Chipboard - Small Garlands 02 - 5144
Stash - Half Pearls - Gold

Adhesive:
Clear Double Sided Adhesive Roll - 1/4 Inch - Permanent
Scotch - Quick Dry Adhesive
Beacon - 3-IN-1: Fabri-Tac

Tools:

Visit each Creative Team blog linked below for their take on creative paper crafting ideas using  The Home Sweet Quilt Collection.


I would adore hearing from you! Please leave a comment below letting me know how you will use these gorgeous dies!





Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~