Colored Embossing Powder

I have enjoyed heat embossing for many years.

I don't know why it's taken me so long to get a colored opaque embossing powder! I love the effect it gives on dark paper. On this card, I used American Crafts Zing! embossing powder in Frost. I also used some clear for the smaller damask, but the blue is really what stands out. Isn't it striking against the deep brown cardstock (also American Crafts)? I also used it on the metallic finish die cut I made. While regular ink would just wipe off the slick surface, it heat embossed beautifully.
I'm going to have to try this out on different colors of cardstock for sure! Thanks for taking a peek :)

Supply List:

Cardstock: American Crafts

Adhesive: Beacon Adhesives "Zip Dry" and Glue Arts "Mini Adhesive Squares"

Ribbon: May Arts

Die cuts: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Labels Nine

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Damask Designs" and "Up, Up and Away!"

Ink: Versamark

Misc: Gold paper, fancy button

Valentine Antiquities

I was lucky enough to win the Spellbinders Shapeabilities set called "Antiquities" when it first came out. I'm a little ashamed to say that I didn't open the package until now. I guess I didn't have the right vision for that set at the time. It's getting a workout now :) On this card, I used the key hole from the "Antiquities" set. I covered it with Beacon Adhesives Liquid Laminate and some fine glitter and attached it with metal brads. The heart is also by Spellbinders - "Nested Heart Pendants." I embossed it with the die and then inked over the raised embossing with Versamark. I applied UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) to the ink and heat embossed it. then I rubbed pink ink over it to make the embossing stand out even more.

The doily is from Papertrey Ink. The background paper is from an old paper pack and I'm not sure what brand it is because it was given to me as a single sheet.
Thanks for taking a peek!

Colorful Vintage Valentine

I love vintage style and I also love using bright colors. Some might say these two don't easily mix, but I tend to disagree :)
This card started out with handmade buttons. I used Papertrey Ink's Button Basics stamps and dies to make up several different styles. After that, I decided I needed a button card to put them on, so I made up one of those as well (using the Papertrey Ink stamps and Memento inks). Then the rest of the card layout just came tumbling out. I used a piece of old Cosmo Cricket Enchanted paper for the background and added a cute little banner made with a Spellbinders banner die. I used some The Paper Studio buttons for some variety as well - that's where the cameo and pretty scalloped heart came from.
And here's the inside. I used a Verve Stamps sentiment.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Easy Taffeta Flowers Tutorial

I am not that much of a flower person - I love the real things, but in my crafting, I don't use them often.

Part of it might be cost.
Pre-made flowers are EXPENSIVE.
Part of it might be time.
Hand crafting flowers can sometimes take longer than making five layouts.

Today, I was experimenting with a flower for a gift and I stumbled upon magic. They cost almost nothing to make and I finished a bloom in less than 5 minutes. Now that I know how to make them, I can crank out a bloom in 2 minutes flat from beginning to end. Now THAT'S my kind of flower. :)

First, I took some light pink taffeta that's been clogging up my top craft drawer for years. I folded it over about 7 times so I'd have 7 layers. I rooted out my Spellbinders Nested Peony dies and picked out the 2nd and 3rd largest. I die cut the flowers using my Spellbinders Grand Calibur and a piece of cardstock beneath the taffeta - it sometimes helps you get a clean cut when you're working with flimsy fabric.

After I had my layers of flowers, I put them together (I made two flowers, so this one below has 4 layers of large flower taffeta and 3 layers of medium) and fastened them with a pretty fabric brad.

These are pretty just like this, but I wanted to add some distressing. Taffeta reacts VERY easily to heat, so carefully using my heat gun, I blasted the flower until it curled just the way I wanted it. Remember, it reacts very quickly (MUCH faster than heat embossing) so start off slow with the heat gun about 6 inches away. You could probably try a blow dryer for this as well.
Here's the flower after heat blasting it. Again, it's pretty just as it is. I wanted some pink ink on the edges, though. :)
I just used Memento "Rose Bud" ink and it worked well. Easy peasy!
And here is a shot of the project I'm making. I don't want to post all of it though, because certain people might be looking at the blog ;)

Thanks for taking a peek and Merry Christmas!

Winter She Art

Earlier this year, I took Christy Tomlinson's She ARt Workshop. I have shared three already, but I have been wanting to do a winter themed one for a while now. So today, I did it!
I had a lot of fun with the dimensional details on this one. Flocking, glitter, lace, buttons, pom poms, snowflakes and a decorative branch.


If you want to make some She ARts of your own but don't know how, I encourage you to check out Christy Tomlinson's site. Her workshops are a ton of fun!
Thanks for taking a peek!

Cool Color Combo

I got the cutest holiday buttons in a button grab back from Hobby Lobby earlier this fall and I was so excited to pair them with a Papertrey Ink stamped button card! I wanted to play off the sparkly silver, so I used American Crafts Glitter Cardstock. The beautiful ribbon is from May Arts - it's got a pretty sheen to it, but you can't tell very well in the photo.

On another note, I AM DONE for the semester! Just turned in my last final today -ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. :)
Thanks for taking a peek!

Pretty Poinsettia

I bought this stamp set from Flourishes a couple of years ago because I adore elegant poinsettias (Flourishes - "Boxwood & Poinsettia"). This set is really fun for making backgrounds, but it works well as a focal point as well. On this card, I heat embossed the large poinsettia with clear powder on white cardstock. Then I colored in a few spots with a red watercolor pencil and shaded it with a water pen. Then I cut it out and embellished the center with pearls.

Thanks for taking a peek!