Butterfly Punch Pansy Tutorial

I hinted earlier about what my post later today was going to be.  I've watched a ton of tutorials on this process, but I didn't have the right reinkers or the aqua pen as needed per the tutorials I watched, so I improvised.

The supplies I used for this project are:

• 3 butterfly punches per completed pansy (in Whisper White)
• Water spritz bottle
• Cotton Swabs (instead of Aqua Painter)
• Elegant Eggplant and Daffodil Delight stamp pads
• Yellow brads
• Punch or paper piercer
• Heat gun (optional)

 I laid out all my punches on a paper towel.

 Then I spritzed them with water.  Not so they were dripping, but damp.

 Start by pushing the center of the butterfly into the yellow with the pad of your finger or with the cotton swap.

 Dip the cotton swab into water and then brush over the yellow to let it bleed into the paper. (Key is that you want a large area of yellow to start with as it will become hidden once you add the purple).

 Here is the punch after brushing with water.

 Here is the whole set of them after I was done with the yellow.

Now move onto the purple with the outer edges of the butterflies. If needed, re-spritz with water to keep them damp.

 Here are the punches after the purple was applied.

 Either wait for the punches to dry naturally or if you're like me, heat them until all dry.  Then lay three butterflies on top of each other and punch in the center to place brad.

 Here is a side angle of punching.

 Set brad in center and then turn butterflies to form flower petals.

 An now you have unique handmade flowers for your projects.

Here are the completed three pansies.  I'll show you the project I use them on tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Baby Wipe Stamping Technique Greeting Card

Today I used a technique using a baby wipe that I put drops of reinker on.  I used Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizazz, Baja Breeze and Pretty in Pink.  Usually this technique allows the inked baby wipe to be used as a stamp pad, and you would use a solid shaped stamp.  I really liked the design the reinkers made, so I just placed my sheet of paper on top of the baby wipe and pressed it down to create the background.

The base of the card is Baja Breeze.   I used Vintage Labels to stamp the sentiment in Pear Pizazz.

 I used a border punch for the looped edges, and a BossKut die for the scroll.

I used Pretty in Pink 1/4" ribbon, and pearl for accents.

 Here is a close up of the pearls on the scroll.

 I've shown you in the past how to use punches to make a border for a larger image.  The Happy Birthday image above was calling for a scallop border around it, but of course there isn't one the correct size in my stash, so I used the circle scallop punch and make one myself!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Thrifty Scrapbook Tips: Chipboard and Acrylic Distress Tutorial

I apologize for today's post being later than usual.

In pasts posts I’ve shared with you some ways that I use the chipboard that I find around my home. It is really easy to find usable chipboard around your home. Toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, boxes from pasta, cereal, crackers, backs of used notebooks, soda packaging, packaging from scrapbook supplies…the list is endless. I have only shown you very few things that can be made with the chipboard you find around your house.

First I showed you a calendar, and then I showed you a notebook holder, and a box made from the packaging from crackers. Today I’m going to show you how to make great coordinating embellishments with chipboard and die cuts or Cricut machines. (Note that if you are using your Cricut machine you’ll want to ensure you have the deep housing blade).

First cut out the shapes you want to use on your project. In this case I created one label from my Cricut, and three from my Top Notes die and Cuttlebug. You can decorate these anyway you choose. You can cover them with pattern paper, ribbon, leave them “naked”…I chose to paint my pieces with Making Memories paints and then used my embossing folders and Cuttlebug to add dimension. As I mentioned, you these are great to use with this simple embossing, but I chose to use a technique to add even more pop to these items.



This is a label cut from the Storybook Cricut cartridge



After selecting a different embossing folder for each of the three Top Notes die cuts, I painted each a different base color: Chocolate, Marine, and Cantaloupe. The next step was to sand the raised images of these with sanding paper. These removed the paint from the raised sections to reveal “naked” chipboard again. This technique is referred to as Acrylic Distress. The last step was to choose a coordinating ink and use the direct to paper technique of running each pad over the embossed image.



I used the label from the Cricut to make the card for today.

Are you thinking about how you'll used your chipboard?  Let me know what you come up with!

Vintage Elements Greeting Cards

Today I have two cards to share with you.  Yesterday I mentioned that I had been working with my Cricut machine, and my Storybook cartridge to be specific.  Will the oval and oval scallops that are on the two cards today are cut from that cartridge as well.  Each ensemble is adhered to a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder (Thank you Norma!!).

Both of these cards are considered CAS (Clean and Simple).  I used chalks to color the image from Elements of Style for this card.  I also trimmed the embossed piece to 4 x 5 1/4".  The oval is cut at 3 1/2" and the oval scallop is cut at 3 3/4". 

 I chose to select the same colors of paper for each layer to make the card more elegant feeling.

 I chalked the flowers with varying intensity to add to the subtleties of the card.

 Here is the last look at card number 1.

 Card number two has very few difference.  The most obvious is the lack of coloring in of the image.

 I also used the entire piece of vintage wallpaper rather than trimming it.

 I added pearls and paper roses in place of coloring.

 The ink is Chocolate Chip.

 I also added a pearl to the each corner of the embossed background.

One last look at card number two.

Up until a few days ago, I had only used my Cricut for scrapbooking, but since I haven't scrapped in quite a while, it was time to see what else I was overlooking!  I'll keep digging, and I hope to share more Cricut card creations with you this week.

Cricut Eastern Bloom Greeting Card

Today I decided to play around with my Cricut.  I love the look of Eastern/Asian flowers, but I don't have any stamps of them, so I used my Storybook cartridge, and using the Accent/Frame function for the letter "K", I got my image.  Below are the steps I took to make this card.

The base measures 4 1/4" x 11" and is folded in half at the top of the card.  The layer of Ruby Red measures 4 x 5 1/4" and the layer of pattern paper from K & Compaby measures 3 3/4 x 5".

 I started with my image cut to 3 1/2" on Very Vanilla.  I used chalks to color with branches, leaves, and flowers, then I used Chocolate Chip ink to go around the "frame".  I punched flowers and added them on top of the die cut.

 Then I adhered the frame to a single layer of white tissue paper and trimmed it down.  I followed this layer by adhering it to a paper doily, and then again trimming it to the edge of the frame.

 I added pearls to the flowers.

 Old Olive is the base of the card, then Ruby Red and pattern paper by K & Company.

 I machine stitched around the edge of the pattern paper

 Added the sentiment (from Trendy Trees), ribbon (Old Olive), and accent flower with matching punched flower, and that was all.

Thanks for looking!  Look for future posts with Cricut die cuts.