RAK from GWTW Junkie

One of my fellow SCSers is GWTW Junkie. How can I not admire someone with such exquisite taste in literature?? I was so excited to find out that she was going to the Milwaukee Regional so I could meet/stalk her. I took a Scarlett O'Hara button along with me and showed it to her when I met her. She wanted to buy it, but of course, I gave it to her. So she sent me a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) to thank me. I just love this card! The colors are perfect for spring, and the layout is great too.
Happy stamping!

Prom!

Daniel went to prom last night with his friend Riley. She was in the group he went to Europe with last summer.

Here they are looking at photos from their European trip. It was fun to listen to them sharing stories. Our cat, Birkie, loved Riley and kept crawling under her dress! (It was a great place for him to hide.)

Saturday Challenge # 13--Eyelets

This week's challenge is to use eyelets. I have to confess I haven't used eyelets much, but the Cropadile has made it SO easy! Even these jumbo eyelets set easily, and the CAD punches holes in this tin like butter! I'm definitely not hoarding here as I used 12 jumbo eyelets, yes 12! (It's for my mom, and she's worth it, right?) I found this adorable little tin at Target in the dollar spot and thought it would be perfect to cover with paper. I think it's supposed to be a planter, but my thumb is definitely not green unless that's the color I'm using to stamp! (Sorry for the crooked photo.) Since my mom LOVES Soft Sky, I used the Soft Sky Prints DSP and Soft Sky double-stitched grograin ribbon.
Here's what I did. (Please don't ask me for measurements because I didn't write them down. I really should have since I may do another one. If I do, I'll write down the measurements and post them, OK?) I measured the top edge of the long side and the height of the tin. (I left a little border of the metal showing so I wouldn't have to worry about the edges of the paper butting up against each other.) I cut a rectangle that size. I held the paper up against the tin and marked on each side of the bottom edge where I wanted the paper to end and then cut from those marks up to the top corners using my paper trimmer. I cut the same piece for the other side of the tin and then repeated the steps for the two short ends. I adhered the paper to the tin using Matte Mod Podge. I painted it onto the tin and also over the paper to make sure it was secure.

I figured out how many eyelets I wanted on each side. I measured the top edge of the tin and divided that number by the number of eyelets plus one. (That's because 2 eyelets divide it into 3 equal sections.) I used a pencil to mark off where the eyelets would go then punched all of the holes with the CAD. Since I used the jumbo eyelets, I punched again a couple of times to enlarge the hole slightly so the eyelet would fit.
Weaving the ribbon was really just trial and error. I couldn't get it to fit exactly how I wanted it; I'm guessing it is because I had even numbers of holes on each side. Anyway, I used mini glue dots to adhere the ribbon in the corners so that it would look right on the outside.

After you've uploaded your eyelet creations (using keyword ISC13 on SCS), post the link here so I can check it out!

Happy stamping!

One more Regional project

Here's another project from the Milwaukee Regional last month. I like it because it's different! The base is 4 1/4 X 5 1/2 Kraft with the Pomegranate piece attached to the back and half of it folding to the front. The two main circles were cut out with the Coluzzle. I have to confess I haven't been a big Coluzzle fan because it doesn't make a complete circle; there are two places you have to snip with scissors. Tip of the day: (Courtesy of my sideline Lori) After you've cut your circle, turn the Coluzzle template slightly. Then you can use the template to cut where the two uncut areas are. Thanks, Lori! I'm looking forward to using the Coluzzle now to try out your tip.
We used the corner rounder punch to make the scallop border.
I have one more project from Regional, but I can't show you until after my workshops this month because I want it to be a surprise for my groups.
Happy stamping!

Rub-ons on Ribbon

Here is the rub-on on the ribbon. Maybe I should have used the black. It stands out more in IRL. When I first started rubbing, it didn't stick. I had to rub really hard and then it finally started adhering. I pulled up just a little of the paper at a time to make sure I didn't break the rub-on. The rub-ons definitely work great on the polytwill ribbon; I have done that a few times already. Here is a card that Emily made where she did the rub-ons on the wide grosgrain ribbon. Give it a try and let me know how it works!

Ribbon weaving tutorial

Here is a ribbon-weaving tutorial for those of you who can't access Kristina Werner's awesome video. This ribbon is retired. It is from the Pretty Ribbon Originals in last year's Spring Mini. I used Pretty in Pink cardstock. You will need 8 pieces of ribbon--4 for each direction. Measure the width of your ribbon and multiply by 4 then add about an inch to figure out the length you need. Since this ribbon has a decorative edge, I laid the ribbon on my cutter to figure out the size of cardstock I need. In this case, it is 2 1/4" square.
I put adhesive on all four sides of the square right at the edge then laid the square on top of the ribbon. A great tip I picked up from Kristina's video is to adhere the top and bottom pieces of ribbon first and then center the middle two pieces.
Here you can see where I've stuck down the pieces of ribbon and added a mini glue dot in each corner where the ribbon pieces will overlap. I pull the ribbon pretty tight because you will have a little flexibility in the cardstock when weaving.
Now start weaving. You can either adhere each piece as you go or weave all 4 and then adhere them all at the end. Again, I did the top and bottom pieces first then filled in the two middle pieces.
Here is the finished piece. I haven't used it on a project yet. Since this ribbon is smoother, I might try some rub-ons.

Happy stamping!

Saturday Challenge # 13--Patterned paper

This week's challenge is to use patterned paper. Patterned paper is another thing I tend to hoard. Since "No more hoarding" is this year's theme, let's use it up!
This project is based on something that Jaron showed us at Regional. He used CDs to make decorative letters that he hung on a metal bar. I loved the idea but didn't want anything that elaborate, so I decided to make a little bulletin board of sorts. I used a junk CD that I got in the mail. First, I traced the CD onto the patterned paper (Almost Amethyst of course!) and cut out the circle just inside the line. I coated the label side of the CD with ModPodge and laid it onto the paper circle. I turned the CD over and made sure the paper was smooth with no bubbles. Then I just let it sit for a while to dry. (When Jaron made his, he used Crystal Effects for the adhesive.) After it was dry, I used a sanding block to smooth down the edges of the paper. (It left a white rim of paper, but I like that look. I could have kept sanding to remove all of it.) I punched a hole in the CD with my Cropadile then I punched part of a hole a couple more times around the edge of the first hole. (The reason for this is that the jumbo eyelets are slightly larger than the hole the CAD punches.) Then I used the CAD to set my eyelet. I added some Elegant Eggplant ribbon and tied a piece of Basic Gray taffeta around it. It seemed a little plain so I popped in a rhinestone brad. I took a medium binder clip and adhered a coordinating piece of paper with glue stick. I used Crystal Effects to adhere the clip to the CD. ( i put CE along the bottom edge of the clip as well as along the top of metal piece for maximum adhesion.)
If you play along, please link your project here. Use ISC13 as a keyword if uploading to the SCS gallery. Thanks to those who made beautiful ribbon cards last week!
Tip of the Day: When setting a jumbo eyelet, press the handles together twice. The first time rolls up the flange; the second time rolls it up a little more so it looks and fits much nicer.
Happy stamping!