Product Focus: Crafter's Companion 3D embossing folder

Hello Crafty Friends!

Today I would like to share another card that was created for Crafter's Companion on TSC.  The card's focus is the Believe embossing folder. 

The folder was used to emboss the gold Luxury card stock.  After embossing I applied Spectrum Noir markers on the raised areas for a vintage, metallic effect.  The results are amazing.

The photo does not do it justice as it is difficult to capture the raised areas and the coloring.  Try this technique on your own and see the results.  It is very cool!

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a happy, crafty day!
Bug Hugs,
Kathy Jo

"Believe" Graphic 45 Nature Sketchbook and Quietfire Design frame

Hello Crafty Friends!

Spring has sprung and, as a gardener, my mind is full of ideas for the gardens.  Last week my friends and I started various sunflower seeds.  The visions of tall, happy sunflowers in our late summer gardens have been the subject of our excited talks this week.  I guess you could say that gardeners always believe- that with our pleasurable work- something wonderful is about to happen.   

With gardens on my mind, I upcycled a frame using Quietfire Designs' "Always Believe" stamp and "Believe" die.  

 Jet Black Archival Ink was used on Graphic 45's Nature Sketchbook ivory paper.  (Nature Sketchbook was used entirely as the papers for this project.)  Sweet butterflies and lush foliage create a natural frame around the beautiful stamp.

Believe was die cut and mounted on two layers of papers.  Lady bugs and a dragonfly grace the lovely die cut.

Glossy Accents was applied to all eggs, lady bugs and other wee insects.

 Layers of plants and insects fill the frame.

 On top of layers were bright butterflies.

 Inka Gold was applied along all frame edges and on the layers below the Believe die cut.

 Full of life frame!  I hope my gardens are as spirited as the frame.  :)

After hours of fussy cutting, mounting with foam tape and adding Stickles or clear enamel, my dreamlike garden wall art was complete.  Seeing the frame on my wall makes me smile with thoughts- and belief- that the gardens will lush and beautiful with life.

Thank you very much for stopping by!  I do hope you enjoyed the project.  Maybe it has inspired you to make a project for a gardener friend or yourself.  Feel free to share a link in the comments here or on social media as I would love to see it!  :)

Have a happy, crafty day.
Big Hugs,
Kathy Jo

"Always Believe" Graphic 45 and Quietfire Design butterfly card

Hello Crafty Friends! 

Today is my day to post at Quietfire Creations and I created a card using the stunning new stamp from Quietfire Design, Always Believe:

Love the flowing letters of Suzanne's calligraphy!  The calligraphy is full of such light and delicate beauty...it reminds me of a butterfly gracefully fluttering by on a summer's day.  The image of butterflies following the exquisite calligraphy of the stamp inspired my card.  

The papers are from Graphic 45's Nature Sketchbook.  The butterflies were fussy cut and Stickles applied.

The stamped sentiment was die cut using a square die, the sentiment was left inside the die and Peeled Paint Distress Ink applied along the inside edges.

The stamp is one of several new releases from Quietfire Design.  All of the newly released stamps, dies and stencils can be found here.  Oh!  What a fabulous release!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a happy, crafty day.
Big Hugs,
Kathy Jo

"Believe" Graphic 45 card for Scrapy Land AG Challenge...and GIVEAWAY!!

Hello Crafty Friends!

Today starts another challenge at Scrapy Land: Anything Goes using a die brand that Scrapy Land sells.  Easy to do since Scrapy Land carries over 40 brands of dies!  Also, on this blog post you can enter for your chance to win the Cheery Lynn Pierced Banners die set:

All you have to do is be a follower (please tell me if it is Blogger or Email or Bloglovin') and tell me your favorite die set (or two).  Easy!  Now back to the card...

The card used several Cheery Lynn Dies: Cheery Lynn French Pastry Doily, Dutch Scallop Square, and of course, the Pierced Banners.  The dies were used to cut several pieces of Graphic 45's Botanical Tea and Gilded Lily papers.  The lovely gold embossed stamped sentiment is from Quietfire Design's If You Don't Believe in Miracles stamp set:

I wish I could say I made the flowers but they were purchased.  (My flower making skills are still a work in progress!)

All of the dies were mounted on a tent fold ivory card stock and matching patterned paper adhered to the inside:

Thanks for stopping by!  I do hope you enjoyed the card.  I look forward to seeing your creation at Scrapy Land!  Don't forget to enter into the giveaway!

Big Crafty Hugs!
Kathy Jo

Guest Designer- Elizabeth Craft Designs

Hello Crafty Friends!

Great news: I am a Guest Designer today at the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog!

For my project I upcycled a frame a created a festive, crackled Believe decoration.  Feel free to hop on over to the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog for more project details.  :)

Big Crafty Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Scrapy Land Challenge- Tag and/or pockets

Hello Crafty Friends!

Today starts a new challenge at the Scrapy Land Challenge blog: Tags and/or Pockets.  All you need to do to participate is to make a project using a tag and/pocket using a die from a brand that Scrapy Land sells.  The list of Scrapy Land brands is a long one:

For the project I decided to make a tag using some of the paper I made a couple of weeks ago.  A base tag was cut to size and distressed using Vintage Photo.  Sizzix's Tim Holtz Thinlits die (Mixed Media) was used to die cut the corner of another piece of sprayed paper.  A script background stamp was used with Ranger's Archival Ink in coffee on the die cut paper.  It was spritzed using Ranger's Spritzer and a Picket Fence marker.  Elizabeth Craft Designs' new Believe die was added.  (Believe and Season's Greetings are my favorite dies from their new releases.)

The butterfly from Sizzix's Framelits "Limitations" was white heat embossed and die cut from more sprayed paper.  I used a water brush and a distress marker in Festive Berries on the inside of the wings.

Dyed seam binding was stapled to the top of the tag and matching twine added.  Gems and a wee gold button were the finishing touches.

After I finished the tag I realized that it would look cool on a scrapbook page or in framed art.  Will have to post that project when I decide which to do!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I look forward to seeing your project at Scrapy Land!
Big Crafty Hugs,
Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday, AG
613 Avenue Create, AG

Believe Butterfly card

Hello All!

Lately I have been playing in my craft room with different watercolor methods.  Most of the playing has resulted in card backgrounds or images that have not been made into a card as of yet- but it has been fun trying new things!  I do find in this process that I have used my Distress Markers and waterbrush a lot.  Today's card used several of the Tim Holtz Distress markers for stamping.  

Two stamp sets from Quietfire were used on the card, Butterflies/Dragonflies:

And If You Don't Believe in Miracles:

The butterfly and Believe were used from the sets, respectively.  The butterfly was colored using markers in Abandoned Coral, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord, Spiced Marmalade and Mowed Lawn.  They were all stamped in a circle on water color paper as shown.  Believe was stamped using Ranger's black Archival ink.

The image was cut to size, mounted on green paper and then mounted on patterned paper from Ken Oliver's Pitter Patter Paper Pad.  Seam binding was dyed using Distress Stain in Spiced Marmalade and adhered.  All of this was mounted on a tent fold card from a Tim Holtz Distress paper.  

Such a bright colored and happy card!  I think this card will be sitting near my work desk to cheer up the craft room at night or on rainy days.  :)

If you are interested in different water color methods, cards, and inspiration, feel free to visit my Pinterest board dedicated to water coloring.  (Gotta love Pinterest!)  

Hope you all have a great day.  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp, Work it Wednesday, Rainbow
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday, AG
Word Art Wednesday, AG

Believe Butterfly CAS Kraft card

Hello again.

Two posts in one day...this has not happened in a while...it surprised me, too!  I did not think I would have extra crafting time today as I planned on doing outdoor work.  While I was raking I designed this card in my head.  During the deck cleanup I thought further of the card and I am fairly certain I heard the craft room call me.  I answered the call.  :)

The card design is based on the current challenge at the Kraft Journal: CAS with ribbon or twine.  The focus of the card is the butterfly (Recollections) stamped in Baked Brown Sugar (Stampin' Up).  Next Quietfire's gorgeous Believe was stamped in black (Ranger's Archival Ink).  A white gel pen was used to add highlights and clear Wink of Stella was applied.

The card is stacked as follows:  Kraft card stock tent base die cut, black card stock, the stamped image.  All were die cut using Spellbinders Curved Matting Basics.  Black sheer ribbon and a black/white twine bow finished the card.

Well, I am reluctantly returning to the yard work...unless the craft room calls me again.  ;)
Hope you liked the card!  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges: 
Kraft Journal, CAS with ribbon or twine
613 Avenue Create, AG
Word Art Wednesday, AG
Sister Act, AG
Craft Your Passion, AG
Crafting by Design, AG
Simon Says Stamp Monday, AG
Crafty Ribbons, AG with Ribbon

Canadian Scrapbooker Guest Blogger- Believe card

Happy Friday!

On my blog yesterday I announced that I was the guest blogger at Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.  I completed three projects for the post and today I will share the details on the second card:

This card was definitely different than the first post!  The first card was quite feminine and used several dies while this one has more ink and texture.  The highlight of the card is the new die from Quietfire, Believe:

The details from the bottom up: Kraft tent fold card, ivory paper stamped in red using Cover-a-card Brick background from IO Stamps and heat embossed using Distress Powder in Fired Brick, ivory paper distress inked (see below), vellum die cut using Memory Box's Starry Wreath, and Quietfire's Believe die cut on white paper.  Stickles was applied on "Believe" for more accent.  All card stock (except Believe) was stained on the edges using Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain.

The blue starry background was made using Distress Ink in Chipped Sapphire and Faded Jeans.  I flicked water on the background and then added Stickles to the larger "stars" to imitate a sparkly night sky:

It is difficult to tell from the photo but the sky looks very cool!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed the second card!  Hop on over to the Canadian Scrapbooker post for the entire Guest Blog post.  :)
Have a good day!
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Believe in Yourself card

Hello All!  Today is a special day as I am honored to be a guest Step Sister at the Sisterhood of Crafters.  It is a start of a new challenge at the Sisterhood: use something new.  Luckily Santa was very good to me last month and I received some sweet crafty supplies.  

For the card I started with one of my favorite stamps from Quietfire, "Believe in Yourself", from the If You Don't Believe in Miracles stamp set:

The card required die cuts and playing with ink...which are two of my favorite things to do!  White card stock was die cut using my new Spellbinders background die French Harmony.  Tim Holtz Distress inks in Tumbled Glass and Antique Linen were applied on white card stock.  Both the background die cut and the distress papers were cut using Spellbinders Matting Basics A and B.  Small corners from Spellbinders Moroccan Accents die cut the distressed paper.

Kraft paper was die cut using Spellbinders Majestic Circles and Picket Fence Distress Stain applied.   Believe in Yourself was heat embossed on white paper, die cut using Spellbinders Standard Circles, and distress ink applied.  Distress ink was used to dye seam binding, too.

The flowers were from my stash.  Someday, I will take a picture of the flowers stash...I will be able to make many cards before running out!  I think the flowers are reseeding and multiplying.  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  A big Thank You to the Sisterhood of Crafters for the Step Sister spot!  I hope to see your creation in the challenge.
Have a good day.
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create, AG
Word Art Wednesday, AG
Sister Act, AG
DL Art, January Linky
Die Cutting Divas, AG
Really Reasonable Ribbon, New (background die) + ribbon
TTCRD, AG
Crafting from the Heart, AG
Simon Says Stamp Monday, Ink background (distress inked background under die)

Believe in Yourself, Kraft and Butterfly card

Happy Sunday!

How is your weekend going?  Mine has been great so far.  Yesterday morning I went to Carsand Mosher (an awesome local crafty store) with two of my besties, Janice and Rebecca.  Then, it was a dog park trip with our Saint Bernard, Ella.  Afterwards my hubby started up the smoker (yay!) and our friend came over for dinner.  The guys hung out and I played in the craft room until 3am!  I woke up at 7 and continued with crafting.  I made three cards and a wall hanging!  A very product and fun weekend.  :)

One of the cards I made was for the Kraft Journal challenge this week.  The card was made using kraft card stock and the patterned paper is from Prima's Fairy Belle mini pad.  

I cut a small piece of kraft paper and dry embossed it using Cuttlebug folder "Poppy".  Picket Fence stain was applied.  Quietfire's "Believe in Yourself" is the beautiful sentiment.

Martha Stewart's butterfly punch was used on scrap paper.  Ivory paper was die cut using the corner die from Spellbinders' Floral Doily Motifs.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and week!
Hugs,
Kathy Jo

This card is entered into the following challenges:
Kraft Journal, Sketch
613 Avenue Create, AG
Word Art Wednesday, AG
Crafty Hazelnuts, Patterned Paper