The Greetery {Cap and Gown Millinery}

 

Hello and welcome, friends! I'm over on The Greetery Blog sharing a pair of Market Place arch boxes all done up for graduation and wanted to share them here, too!  I have been having so much fun creating these for recent graduates filled with some of their favorite things! I always love adding a battery-operated tea light (turned off) at the bottom so they can use the box as a luminary after they take out the gift/treat. They look so adorable flickering inside the tiny shop once the gift has been removed and it allows the recipient to enjoy the box for a little bit longer and keep the celebration going!

I’ve also found that I love pairing a regular Market Place arch box with the mini–Market Place box together and then packaging them up in a gusseted cellophane bag with a white sturdy paperboard base. They sit perfectly flat and then I tie them up with specialty ribbon in a big, beautiful bow! It makes gifting them so much easier and so adorable!

To begin, I started on the large box and settled on a mint green for the base! I know I say it all the time, but I have a tendency of getting stuck in color ruts, so I purposely tried something new for the base. I was on a quest for new and exciting green cardstock and ordered three different colors, all of which ended up looking almost identical to each other AND matched some I already own! Haha! Oh well….I tried!

I used the Arch Box Large Die and cut the two pieces for the actual box, making sure to cut the windows from one of the pieces. This is totally optional, but if you don’t do this step, it won’t be able to be used as a luminary. I cut the base of the building, along with the windows, using the Market Place No. 2 Die. I like assembling the box and then setting it aside while I work on all of the details for the shop.

 I cut the shutters from Aqua Mist cardstock and the window frames from Ocean Tides. The shop sign and the top of the building are cut using Hibiscus Burst cardstock. Once I had all of the main pieces cut, I got to work gluing everything in place. I like to use liquid glue for all of the pieces, but I used foam squares for the shop sign to give it some dimension. Once the main parts of the building were secured, I got to work on the accents.

The flower boxes, greenery, flowers, and banner are all cut using the Celebration Street Die and the shop name is from the Celebration Street Mini Stamp Set and is heat embossed in white detail powder. I left the window boxes white this time to give the market some crisp detailing, but colored the greenery with a blender brush and dye ink and then colored the individual blooms with markers. I glued them to the building using liquid glue. The “congratulations” banner is cut from gold cardstock along with the two bows, which are included in the Holiday Festoons Die.

I added the store front to the assembled box using liquid glue. You can place your hand inside the box to press everything in place. Once that was done, I added some Stickles to the flowers for some sparkle and shine! I also placed a tiny gem on the center of each bow as well.

I used the Arch Box Mini Die for the accent building along with the Market Place Mini Die. I chose a building that would have different architecture than the first to give some variety and visual interest. I took some of the colors from the flowers on the first box to use on this box. Of course, I just HAD to add the bicycle as well, which is also included in the Celebration Street Die. It is cut from the same gold as the banner with black wheels and gold brads to secure it together!

I like to use mini clothespins to secure the boxes, especially when I’m putting them in the cello bags so I don’t have competing ribbons at the top; does that make sense? I had so much fun working on this pair and I’ve already carved out some time to make a few bakery-themed shop boxes to give as gifts this week as well! I can’t wait and I hope to use even more different color combinations to stretch my brain! haha! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Hey Honey, It's Summer!} Release Day

Hello friends! It's release day for the darling new Hey Honey, It's Summer Collection from The Greetery! As soon as I saw this sweet Hey Honeycomb Crab Die, I knew I wanted to make a Nantucket/Cape Cod feeling card! Betsy's cute tunnel card yesterday just about did me in with all of it's amazingness, so the Nantucket card just couldn't wait! ha ha!

To begin, I cut all of the pieces for the main portion of the crab and got to work assembling it with liquid glue and foam squares. I used the new Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments paired with the Hey Honeycomb Basics Die along with the new Honeycomb Heat Wave mix that is being released today as well. I glued all of this together and then attached it to the crab.

Once the crab was done, it was easier for me to grab cardstock and dies to see what I liked best! I chose to do the stenciling and embossing using the Making Waves Stencil and Making Waves Embossing Folder on one of the capsule shapes that is cut using the Capsule Basics Die. I also used this same die set to cut the larger Pure Poppy portion. the gold/blue frame is embossed using the Sweetest Frames Capsule Stamp Set and then cut using the coordinating Sweetest Frames Capsule Edition Die.

I layered the embossed frame on the red portion along with the cute star border included in the Capsule Star Studded Border Die. It is cut from Antique Gold cardstock from Cardstock Warehouse and is such a beautiful color and weight.

The base is cut using the largest die included in the Star Studded collection (linked above).

Here you can see the cute crab and his honeycomb tummy. I mentioned earlier this particular color honeycomb ball is included in the Heat Wave mix that will be released today as well. Everything will be available for purchase at 10 AM EDT! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {Hey Honey, It's Summer!}

Hello friends! I'm thrilled to be here with a fun mini release from The Greetery called Hey Honey, It's Summer! Memorial Day is over, which means it's the unofficial start of summer and that means summer cards and projects! I'm happy to begin the season with such a fun set of products to work with; each one is a joy and I can't wait to use them all season long! Make sure to head to The Greetery Blog for a listing of all the new products with details for each one! Also, make sure to leave a comment here, and on each of the designers' blogs, for a chance to win one of two product bundles! Each bundle will include:

• Hey Honeycomb Crab, Seahorse, & Fish dies

• Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments stamp set

• Honeycomb Ball Heat Wave & Tricolor Tropics mixes

• Making Waves stencil, embossing folder, and die

My first card for today features the Hey Honeycomb Seahorse Die paired with the new Making Waves Die, Embossing Folder, and Stencil. To begin this card, I took a larger piece of watercolor paper and secured it to a cardboard backer with washi tape. I spritzed it with water and then added the blue watercolor paint over the top. Once I liked the color and saturation level, I quickly dried it with my heat tool, but you could definitely let it air dry if you'd like. 

Once the panel was dry, I cut it using the Making Waves Die and the largest capsule shaped die included in the Capsule Basics Die. Once that was done, I embossed it with the coordinating folder. I chose to use the more detailed stencil to add a bit of teal ink to give it more interest. I realize this is more of a "backward" way of stenciling, etc. but with the watercolor panel, I didn't want to detract from that. That being said, when it was all said and done, I ended up covering most of it up, so on my next card, I did the same thing, but left it more open so you could see it better! haha!

I used the Capsule Fixed Border Large Die for the frame and then cut it using the Pretty Picado Die. I used watercolor paper for this as well so it would have the same pretty texture as the waves. I love watercolor paper and the inexpensive variety you can buy usually has the best texture! I did add a hint of the same teal ink over portions of the frame and then adhered it over the top of the waves. I love the Mediterranean feeling it gives the card! I layered it onto a teal card base and then got to work on the seahorse.

Here you can see the seahorse with it's tummy all inflated with the tricolor tropics honeycomb ball. I cut the base of the seahorse from Sweet Blush cardstock and then added the details with Melon Berry cardstock. Both the body and the details have ink shading as well with touches of glitter!

I used the Garden Tub Filler Die to create the underwater foliage! I just love the contrast between the blues, greens, and coral colors! I added Stickles to the greenery for a more luminescent look!

I used the Hey Honeycomb Basics cut from Melon Berry cardstock with white embossing powder using the new Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments Stamp Set. I love all of the cute seasonal sentiments that are included in the set, along with the essentials to let the recipient know to "peel open and stick".

As promised, you can see the beautiful Making Waves suite of products a little bit better on this card AND I made the card with the honeycomb already incorporated so you can see another variety in the tricolor tropics assortment. I created this panel exactly like I did for the first card, but this time I added green, which is included in the paint set I linked earlier.

This is a 5 by 7 card so you can see how large the beautiful waves are, BUT you could definitelyl cut the top portion of the waves and use it on A2 cards as well. There is a perfect break in the design that would allow you to do this very easily. I love this pearlescent paint for underwater/sea themed cards and with the addition of the Stickles, it looks so pretty in the light.

The fish was cut from Harvest Gold cardstock, including the fins, but I added heavy handed ink to give it dimension. The honeycomb ball is secured with the adhesive tab that it comes equipped with, and some additional liquid glue for an added measure of security.

I kept this card quite simple so you could really see the waves, but I did add two sentiment from the Laid Back Basics Stamp Set which I just love! 

Everything will be available for purchase tomorrow at 10 am EDT. You can find the entire new collection HERE; links will be live tomorrow! Don't forget to head to other designers' blogs to see the cute projects they've made and leave a comment to be eligible to win one of two bundles! Thanks for fluttering by!

Caly Person

Dana Kirby

Dawn McVey

Kelly Lunceford {you are here}

Laura Bassen

Laurie Willison

Lea Lawson

Melissa Phillips

Wanda Guess

 

Papertrey Ink May Release Countdown Day 4

Welcome to day 4 of the Papertrey Ink May release countdown! My first card for today features the new Big Blooms: Elegant Rose Die. I'm also using the new Frame Worthy Die along with the new This is Big Sentiments: Welcome Stamp/Die set.

My daughter just used my last wedding card the other day, so that means I need to build up my stash again. I chose to use the "Welcome to Your Happily Ever After" sentiment along with these beautiful roses. This card only uses the smaller roses, but my next card uses the nice big bloom, hence the name Big Blooms....ha ha!

To begin, I cut the pieces I would need for the three roses, the leaves, and the accent flowers. These are from the Into the Blooms: Pressed Flowers set that I can't seem to put down. I colored them with dye ink and blender brushes and then adhered the roses using foam squares for maximum dimension. I created the frame using the new Frame Worthy Die; I cut the frame portion three times from Sweet Blush cardstock and the base from white. I added some Aqua ink and ink splatter to the center and then glued the frame down.

I foiled a panel of Hibiscus Burst cardstock using the beautiful Merry Motifs Hot Foil Plate and then put the frame in the middle and surrounded it with the flowers and foliage. The sentiment is stamped in black and then the accent portion is heat embossed in gold and attached using foam squares. A good dusting of glitter and a few sequins finish off this design!

Here you can see the large rose in comparison to the small roses. This size is nice for a bold focal point!

I decided to use another accent sentiment that could work for a wedding or any type of "new beginning".

I looked up images of real roses to get the idea for this rose; yellow with the coral edges.

These roses are really easy to put together, which I love!

My final project for today, and for the release, uses the new In Stitches Starry Sky dies. As soon as I saw these new stitching dies, I had so many ideas in mind. It was  hard for me just to stick to one, but rest assured, I will be pulling them out shortly to get to work on these other projects! My project for today is a pair of ribbon fairy/princess wands for two sweet girls in the neighborhood!

The stars are cut from one of the most traditional 5-point stars included in the set; there are some other sizes and star shapes along with different clouds as well. I cut them from Lavender Moon and Sweet Blush Felt; twice for each star and then stitched using DMC floss. I left a hole at the bottom of each star so the dowel could be added along with the polyfiber fill. 

These are 1/4 inch dowels and are the perfect size for the scale of the stars....and for little hands to grasp. I added ribbon with long tails for added whimsy and charm!

I added a jingle bell to each want and this lavender wand also got a crown charm from my stash.

I made a tag for each wand using the new Handmade With Love Stamp/Die set and the smallest die included in the Love to Layer: Whimsy Die. These were so fun to make! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Project Inspiration {Always Remember}

With Memorial Day tomorrow, I wanted to make something fitting and appropriate for the day! I will be showing you how I created this card for this weekend's Project Inspiration feature for Papertrey Ink.

This card came together in 7 steps, but six fit on the grid much better! ha ha! I will share the 7th step in the post!

I brought in some older favorites paired with a few new things to bring this card to life!

step 1: Blend Spring Rain ink around the edges of an A2 panel of Spring Rain cardstock.

Step 2: Glue the Cover Plate: Ornate diecut to the panel using liquid glue.

Step 3: Cut two Oval Frames from white cardstock and glue them together. Attach them to the background using foam squares.

Step 4: Cut the pieces for the poppies from white cardstock. Add the color using dye ink and blender brushes. Glue them together with foam squares and liquid glue and then attach them to the frame.

Step 5: cut the foliage and accent flowers and color them the same as the poppies. Arrange them on the frame using liquid glue and foam squares.

Step 6: Heat emboss the sentiment using gold powder. Cut it out and then attach it inside the frame using foam squares. Add a trio of gold drops using liquid glue.

Step 7: Apply glitter to the flowers and foliage using a two-way glue pen.

I always like to use foam squares with these large flowers to give them realistic dimension.

I toyed around with heat embossing the sentiment on Pure Poppy cardstock which could be a bold alternative.

I have been loving adding light blue and pink to my patriotic cards!

Thanks for fluttering by!