Magical Monday - Sketch Challenge

This another first for me!  I was recently invited to join the Paper Cupcakes Design Team!

I'm only filling in for two months, but I have the option of staying on for another six months after that.  Let's see how I do for these two months first!

Challenges run from Monday through Sunday every 2 weeks, and here is my very first Paper Cupcakes Challenge Card.

So hop on over to the Paper Cupcakes Challenge Blog and join in the fun!  I can't wait to see your interpretation of the sketch!

Enjoy!

Supplies used:
Images: "Sending Cheer Your Way" (Paper Cupcakes)
Sentiment: Bouquet of Joy (Clear Art Stamps)
Cardstock: Stampin' Up!
Designer Paper: Citrus Matstack (DCWV)
Copic Markers
Border Punch
Bling









Doily Dress Folds Tutorial

I've had a bunch of folks ask me how to do the folds, so I'm finally gonna do it!  Yay! 

Hope the following makes sense:

Take a 4" paper doily...the kind you can buy in packs in the cake

decorating section of Michaels, A.C. Moore, etc. 

There is a front and back to the doily. 

Start with the doily face down.

 

Fold 1 1/2" from the right (or approximately 11 & 4 o'clock)

Then fold down the other side 1 1/2".

Be sure to line up right side so it is a straight edge.

Adhere the top fold down

Fold tip down toward the back so there is an approximate 3/4" topline



Adhere the folded tip to the back

Take the second doily and put it on a piece of white card stock.

Punch out both pieces at the same time (the doily doesn't punch well by itself -

it's too thin and gets stuck in the punch)

Adhere the punched doily heart to the card stock heart



Trim off edges to form bodice

(I suggest punching out a cardstock heart and trim it to your liking,

then use it for a template so that the sides end up even.

Adhere the bottom of the front of the bodice to the top of the back of the skirt.

The back view is above, and the front view is below.

Wrap a 2" piece of ribbon around the waist,

and ONLY adhere to the BACK of the dress.

Take a 4" piece of ribbon and insert it through the waist ribbon,

fold over as pictured, then trim off the tails to your liking. 

(At this point, decide if you will be using a brad or gemstone, etc. - if using a brad, insert it at this step.  If using a gemstone, first use adhesive to hold down the ribbon to the waistband.)

Finish off by add the brad or gemstone and/or any other bling of your choice.

Your dress is now ready to adhere to the front of a card or scrapbook page, etc.

I hope the above tutorial made sense :)

I'd love to see your creations, so please message me

with your completed dresses :)

Fear the Turtle! (aka Cigar Box #9)

Today is Maryland Day 2012 at the University of Maryland....the perfect day for this posting!

So, a few days ago, a friend of mine asked me if I could make her a University of Maryland altered cigar box.  So I did.  'Nuf said :)

Looks better in person. I'm just not good at photographing my projects.  Another friend suggested I look into getting a light box...or something like that....so I will try to look into that another day.

I've been published!

After reading enough of the card magazines and seeing the cards in them, I thought, "I can do that" - so I submitted a couple of cards a looooong time ago, and forgot about them.

Then...I get emails from my friends (some of whom have already been published themselves) congratulating me for having my cards published!  I said, "what????"   Yup...the 2 cards I submitted made it into the Volume 25, Spring 2012 edition of "Just Cards!" magazine.   Both are in the "Special Section!  Amazing Animals!"  You can find them on pages 107, 108, and 112/113.  They both made it onto the main Animal Section page too....very cool.  My cards is the one smack dab in the center of the Animal Cards page and a little bit of the other one is showing just to the right of it.

I think I'll keep trying until I get the cover!  LOL!

Below lower right hand corner is my card -

the one with the little girl walking the Westie :)

Teacher, teacher!

Yeah....that would be me :)

On Saturday, April 14, 2012, a group of 9 of us gathered together at Jane's house for an Altered Cigar Box class.   To say it was a fun day would be an understatement.  Despite many "I don't know if I can do this" comments, ALL of the boxes turned out awesome!   It's not difficult, it's just a bit time consuming - and it helps to follow directions!   (It also helps to remember to relay "all" of the directions to the students....ask me how I know...right Theresa?)

I love power tools!

Here I am drilling a hole in Mary's box so she can add her knob.

And here are ALL of the finished boxes. 

(Well, almost finished...folks will bling out the tops when they get home.)

I'm looking forward to doing another class soon!

Whisking You a Happy Birthday

This is a little something I made for my friend Mary who celebrated her birthday on Easter this year :)  

I obtained this mixer image and text in an image swap on Splitcoast Stampers last year.  I remembered Mary said she had a blue KitchenAid, so I colored the image using Copics, used a Nestie, SU Embossing Folder, a couple of punches, inked the edges, added some bling....Voila!

Decorative Cigar Box #8

I'm a bit cigar boxed out at the moment, but I finished this one the other day.  I'm just not sure what else to do to the top...I laid some various blingies on it, but it wasn't doing it for me.  May just leave it like it is!

A week from today, I'm teaching a group of 10 fantastic ladies how to complete one of these master pieces.  We're gonna have soooooo much fun!!!!

Decorative Cigar Box #7

Lucky Number 7! Well, maybe. This box was created specifically for my cousin and his new wife - it's nothing I would normally do. But it's very "them." I think they will like it :)

Supplies:  Recollections Paper Pad - Femme Fatale; Tim Holtz Foundations; Tim Holtz Faucet Knobs; Black ink for edges; Recollections Adhesive Rhinestones.

Decorative Cigar Box #6

One of these days, I really will get back to doing some cards :)

BUT...for now...you are stuck with altered cigar boxes....at least until after I teach the class in a couple of weeks...been practicing ya know?!

Below is another box using the Recollections Union Square Plaza stack.  I still need to bling the top out a little, but not sure what I want to do.  It's a wedding gift for a friend in Alabama (Roll Tide! - or something like that - I think she said she's doing her bedroom in the red and black color combination), so I am thinking about adding a blinged out initial of her new last name in the upper left corner area.  I also need to remember to sign the bottom.

I did decide to bling out the top with her new initial and some blingy parts leftover from another blingie thingie I used on another box :)

And yes....I've already started another box....my friends want to do an intervention....lol!

Decorative Cigar Box #5

On Saturday, February 11, 2012, a bunch of us girlz got together at my friend Gloria's house to make a Paper Bag Album.  It was a blast!   Later...someone mentioned making a matching Decorative Cigar Box....so I did :)

And here it is, along with my Paper Bag Album:

Paper:  6x6 Lost & Found Two by Jen Allyson - Rosy Designer Cardstock Paper and a couple of larger matching sheets found at Michaels.