Muchas Gracias, Burberry

I'm glad it's Friday! It was a busier than normal week. I volunteered several days at our school's book fair. This is week 12 (the last week) of Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge. This week's handbag was the Mini Warrior by Burberry.

I wasn't familiar with Burberry. I'll all knew about Burberry is that it's expensive. This purse retails for $1600! Looking at the Neiman Marcus website, it was clear to see that Burberry uses a very distinct plaid pattern. That was definitely my inspiration this week. I knew it would be hard to recreate, so I did the same trick of creating my own cardstock that I did last week. I found this purse. I saved the picture on my computer. Using Picasa, I cropped a good deal of the plaid design and printed it on cream-colored cardstock. I used a paper punch to punch out the tiny squares.

I used my oval Coluzzle to create an oval shaped card. I trimmed the bottom of the oval off to create a flat bottom.

The voting for this challenge will start tomorrow morning and go through Sunday evening on Theresa's blog. Thanks for looking!

Card Ingredients

Stamps: Flores Llamativas

Paper: Crimson paper (Only the Best Los Gatos), cream (CA Paper Goods)

Ink: VersaMark

Other: silver embossing powder (PSX), Making Memories silver eyelets, Sakura silver gel pen, 5/8" square punch, 1 3/8" square punch, Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon (SU), corner rounder, silver cording

Sinceramente Gracias

We are down to the home stretch for Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge. This is week 11 of 12. This week's bag is the Kate Spade Oaxaca Reyna Raffia Tote.

I barely started this card at 6 PM this evening! I volunteered at my son's school most of the day. Talk about cutting it close! I liked textured cardstock, so I choose to stamp and emboss my images on textured Tangerine Tango. I only had one bird, but I wanted a mirror image. I stamped the bird onto my Pivot Palette and then placed the cardstock on top. I used a brayer to transfer the mirror image to my cardstock. Everything was embossed with clear embossing powder. I also just rubbed VersaMark onto cardstock and embossed a large area. I cut some of the vines out by hand and some of the leaves instead of only using the small leaf stamp in the Vive con Proposito set.

The hardest part of this card was figuring out how to get the woven raffia look. I tried to find digital scrapping sources for this, but I couldn't. I got the bright idea to use the image from the Nordstrom website. They always show the back side of their products. Yes! They had the back of this handbag. I saved the image to my computer and then enlarged it and printed it out on cardstock. I like how it came out.

The voting will start tomorrow morning and go through Sunday evening on Theresa's blog. Thanks for looking!

Card Ingredients

Stamps: bird (Inkadinkado - bought in a large pack of stamps from Costco), Vive con Proposito, Tarjetas Con Bordes Festoneados

Paper: Textured and regular Tangerine Tango, I downloaded the back picture of the handbag and enlarged it and printed it out on cream colored cardstock

Ink: VersaMark

Other: Clear embossing powder, Pivot Palette (Alextamping), Tombo glue, dimensionals, silver mini beads (Michael's)

Altered Starbucks Gift Card Holder

Recently, you'll notice I'm a bit obsessed with making gift card holders. Just in the last 2 weeks, I've posted a few entries: here and here.

When Theresa posted this Elaine Turner Tote for week 10 of the Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge, I loved the enormous flowers. I didn't want to do a card this week, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to create.

I went to Costco on Wednesday (the same day Theresa posted this challenge). Costco is now selling packs of Starbucks gift cards. I bought some and loved the nice vanilla cardstock gift card holder they came in. The holder also had some velvety texture on them. I took apart the gift card holder and traced it onto some designer paper...not a good idea. The paper I used was not thick enough for the project. When I was thinking about Theresa's challenge, it came to me that the gift card holder was vanilla colored...just like the inspiration handbag. That's when I realized I wanted to alter the gift card holder.

I started by taking a large dinner plate and using it as a template to cut a nice curve off the top. I used the SU Die-cut Blooms as a template to cut flowers in other colors. I used various circle punches and also cut circles by hand to get the effect I wanted.

The following collage shows the gift card AFTER and BEFORE I did anything to it. Thanks for looking! Voting starts tomorrow morning on Theresa's blog. Have a good weekend.

Gift Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Fresh Cuts

Paper: Basic black, Green Galore (I brayered the ink onto cardstock, since I didn't have any Green Galore), So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, black glossy, fushia, Starbucks gift card holder

Ink: ColorBox Frost White

Other: White embossing powder, tan ribbon (blog candy from Theresa), black/white ribbon (Michael's), silver snap (Making Memories), felt flower (Making Memories), dimensionals, Martha Stewart black marker

Altered Frame

When Theresa posted her latest handbag (a Gwen Stefani L.A.M.B "Music Rocksteady" Tote) for the Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge #9, I liked the deep mocha color and the texture.

I knew I wanted to create something different this week, so this handbag was a good inspiration for an altered frame. I've had this frame for several years. Each week I keep saying how this challenge is a good reason to dig out and use some very neglected supplies.

I picked this photo of Kalino to play-off the vertical strips on his soccer jersey.

I started with an 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of Chocolate Chip cardstock. With a bone folder and a ruler, I scored the entire piece of paper is about .5" increments (I wish I had a Scor-Pal). I tried using the scoring blade on my paper cutter, but the cardstock was too large and awkward to use in the cutter with the cardstock turned at 45 degree angles.

Frame Ingredients
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom, Gold Foil paper (Only the Best Los Gatos)
Other: Make-a-Memory frame (A Stamp in the Hand), Making Memories brads, brown ribbon (Taylored Expressions), River Rock ribbon, foam tape, redline tape, Tombo glue, Sakura Gelly Roll pen

Handbag Challenge - Week #8

Just when I think these challenges can't get anymore challenging....they do! Theresa must be having a blast choosing the handbags. This week, the handbag is Lucky Brand Jeans Diamond Patch Tulip Satchel. The bag is a mixture of velvet, corduroy, canvas, and floral fabrics. It was these textures that were my main inspiration for this project.

A few weeks ago, Kristina gave us a curved template. I used the larger template to help me cut the sides of my card with a curve. I've had sheets of suede paper for years. This was a good opportunity to use these yummy papers. I stamped with the Priceless set on the suede paper with my Blanco Opaque White Dye Ink pad. This was also a good way to used small scraps of designer papers. My paper punch made it easy. The time-consuming part was hand-gathering the polytwill ribbon onto redline tape. You can't see in the photo, but about .5 inches from the top of the card I scored the entire length of the card to get a fold beneath the gathering.

I used my Sakura Gelly Roll white pen to do some faux stitching. What a difference that makes!

I threaded the polytwill ribbon through my button. I used several Zots to make sure it was secured. The sentiment is up on dimensionals.

Thanks for looking!

Card Ingredients

Stamps: Priceless, Pocket Silhouettes

Paper: Chocolate Chip, suede paper in 7 different colors (Only the Best Los Gatos), various designer paper scraps

Ink: ColorBox Frost White, Blanco (Stampa Rosa), So Saffron

Other: Chocolate Chip Polytwill ribbon, Sakura Gelly Roll, Making Memories button, corner rounder, 15/16" square punch, white embossing powder, Kristina's template, redline tape & redline dimensionals (Jody Morrow's sticky sale), Zots

Box in a Bag

When I saw the inspiration photo for Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge #7, I knew I wouldn't be creating a card. This Betsy Johnson "Flower Power" Tote is colorful and fun.
In my blog surfing, I'd seen many examples of a "box in a bag". I loved the tutorial by Diana Gibbs. Her photos and instructions were great. I had never made one before, so this was a fun first attempt.

I made the box base out of Basic Black cardstock. I then cut 20 1/8" strips of Basic Black cardstock and glued them on white (the black strips go all around the bag). I used flowers from Die-cut Blooms as my template for cutting others flowers in Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red, and So Saffron cardstock. I used the dotted center from the large stamp in Eastern Blooms on the larger flowers. I covered chipboard in light copper foil paper.

It was a lot of cutting, Tombo Glue, and dimensionals, but it was fun. Thanks for looking!

Bag Ingredients
Stamps: Eastern Blooms, tiny leaf from Live Like You Mean It
Paper: Die-cut Blooms, copper (Only the Best Los Gatos), Monarch (Making Memories), white, Basic Black, Pacific Point, So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Purely Pomegranate,
Ink: Apricot Appeal, Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Pacific Point, Groovy Guava, Brilliance Cosmic Copper
Other: corner rounder, chipboard tag, Tombo glue, dimensionals, red-line adhesive, flower punch, Making Memories rhinestone brad, ribbons(blog candy from Theresa & Michael's)

Gracias

Hi everyone! I started this card for Kristina's Color Inspiration Challenge #23 with the persistent desire to use this thick pumpkin pie ribbon. I decided to use it like cardstock. The colors for this week's challenge are:

Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Old Olive, (and I choose white as my last color)

I got this basic layout idea from the SU Spring Summer '08 catalog (p. 19). I also used the 1/4" Bravo Burgundy ribbon like cardstock too. I stitched it and gathered it. On the upper background of the circle I used one of the stamps from Pocket Silhouettes with VersaMark ink and embossed with clear embossing powder. On the bottom part of the circle, I stamped the Gracias stamp from Felicidades Siempre a few times (also with VersaMark ink...and again embossed with clear embossing powder).

I stitched around the circle with my sewing machine and used dimensionals to mount it on a large Chocolate Chip circle.

Thanks for looking!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Felicidades Siempre, Pocket Silhouettes
Paper: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, white, white textured cardstock (for the card base)
Ink: Old Olive, Baroque Burgundy (I don't have Bravo Burgundy), VersaMark
Other: Flower Fusion, Making Memories rhinestone brad, SU District Pumpkin Pie ribbon (Thanks Theresa for the blog candy!), Bravo Burgundy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, clear embossing powder, foam tape, dimensionals

Happy Birthday, Mom!

When I saw the inspiration handbag (Fossil Madeline Satchel) for Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge #6, I immediately thought about sewing on paper. My Mom's birthday is next week, so this was a perfect time to make a card for her. She taught me to sew when I was about 10 years old.

This challenge is also a good excuse to pull out some very neglected supplies. I've had several packs of origami paper for years. I've also had this brown paper that looks like leather for a long time. I even have the matching brown envelopes.

I mounted several pieces of origami and brown paper on white cardstock. The seams of the paper were right next to each other. With my exacto blade, I cut 1/2" strips of paper at an angle. I lightly mounted the 1/2" strips to cream colored cardstock. I sewed each strip of paper onto the cream cardstock. I cut 4 pieces of 1/2" thick strips of the brown cardstock. I sewed them onto the base of the card. The circle buckles were made with the 2 sizes of circle punches. I attached very thin strips of brown cardstock to the circles to make a buckle. On some of the brown cardstock I rubbed VersaMark and used clear embossing powder to give it the look of a darker leather.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Birthday Whimsy
Paper: Silver foil (Only the Best Los Gatos), cream paper, leather-type paper (CA Paper Goods), origami paper (Hanko Designs)
Ink: VersaMark, Brilliance Cosmic Copper
Other: Clear embossing powder, sewing machine/thread, dimensionals, 3/4" & 1" circle punches

I Want to Hold Your Handbag

Can you imagine the Beatles song with this title instead?

I didn't plan to make this particular card for for Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge #5, but since I had silver foil paper, a perfect sized piece of chipboard and some textured cream colored paper, I had to use the architecture of the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Easy Way Satchel as my inspiration for this card. Almost every Tuesday evening, I take my son to storytime at the library. I was sitting next to a woman who had a Dolce and "Cabbana" purse. Even though it was a knock-off, it had this silver riveted tag on it. I used a slit punch repeatedly to get the look of a zipper opening. I used my silver gel pen to draw in the zipper. I have a buckle punch (I've never used it) that I used on silver foil paper to get the silver brackets. I cut out the middle part of the buckle for the look I wanted.

I also used the colors in the bag: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun, Pink Pirouette, and Rose Red. I didn't use white, since I focused on the front of the handbag, and not the side.


After I finished the card, I couldn't figure out what sentiment to add to it. I reached for my Verve Feeling Groovy set and the idea came to me. I modified a Verve stamp by adding some individually stamped letters after "hand" to create "handbag". People, I may be pulling out this trick again for future competitions.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Feeling Groovy (Verve)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun, Pink Pirouette, silver foil (Only the Best Los Gatos), cream textured cardstock (from Peru)
Ink: Rose Red
Other: Making Memories mini silver brads, corner rounder, SU slit punch, EK Success buckle punch, silver gel pen, dimensionals, chipboard

Thanks for the Blog Candy!

Thanks, Theresa, for the previous blog candy of yummy ribbons and the paper I received today! So great. Love it.

Theresa Forseth has a blog Addicted to Stamps & Scraps. She's having a 12-week Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge. This is already week 5 of that competition. It's not too late to participate.

Purseonally

Boy, this was a challenge! This card is for week 4 of Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge.

I have black glossy paper in my stash, so I decided to use the details of the Ralph Lauren handbag as my inspiration. This photo doesn't capture the glossy paper...ugh!

Earlier this Summer, I bought some Making Memories felt pieces. Included were sunglasses. I tried turning them from turquoise to black, but it didn't work. I traced them on glossy paper instead and cut the shape out.

Card Ingredients

Stamps: A Little Love

Paper: Basic Black, yellow scrap paper, Black Glossy (Only the Best), Gold Foil (Only the Best)

Ink: StazOn Jet Black

Punches: yellow ribbon (Taylored Expressions), corner rounder, slit punch, small and large tag punches, 3/4" circle punch

Other: gold eyelet & large rhinestone brad (Making Memories), foam tape, Stickles, Sakura gold gel pen, gold thread, oval Coluzzle, paper piercer, paper piercing template

Thinking of You

We'll I barely made the deadline, but here's my card for week 3 of Theresa's Designer Handbag Inspiration Challenge. This was a tough one for me. I created a card that I didn't like. I had to start all over. I was trying to capture the texture of the woven rattan. It didn't work. Here's version 2.0.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Memoirs (Inque Boutique), Little Hellos (SU)
Paper: confetti kraft, white
Ink: VersaMark, Close to Cocoa, Brilliant Blue
Other: corner rounder, clear embossing powder, Prima flowers, mini pearls (Michael's), foam tape, dark blue ribbon (Taylored Expressions), Sakura white gel pen

Best Wishes

For Theresa's Challenge #12, she asked us to come with a wedding or anniversary card. This bride and groom stamp and swirl frame bring back fond memories. I used them on our wedding reception invitations. We were married in Maui in April 2001. A few months later, we had a party for family and friends in California. For this card, I CASEd my original silver "Just Married" card.

I've also used these stamps several times through the years to make cards for friends.
Everything on this card is embossed. The bride and groom are mounted on foam tape.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: bride & groom (DeNami Design), Swirl Frame, Sincere Salutations, Tagger's Dozen
Paper: Parchment Olde White (CA Paper Goods), gold floral embossed foil paper (don't remember who makes it)
Ink: Colorbox Gold pigment ink
Other: gold embossing powder, Making Memories gold eyelet and gold mini brads, foam tape, small Avery tag, white sheer ribbon, gold cording

Congrats, Nana!

Oops, I forgot to put an exclamation point on the card's sentiment. I should be packing for our trip tomorrow to Southern CA, but I needed to make a graduation card for our niece, Analisa (aka Nana)..part of the reason for our trip to LA. I knew I didn't want to make a traditional graduation card for her. I have a Springtime set of embellishments from Making Memories that I haven't used at all: brads, stickers, or chipboard.

For Theresa's Use What You Got challenge this week, I opened the set and used the glittered stickers...finally!

Card Ingredients
Paper: blue (CA Paper Goods), designer paper (thanks, Ericka!)
Other: ribbon (American Crafts), Making Memories rhinestone brad, corner rounder

Theresa's Why Mess With a Good Thing Challenge

Theresa's challenge this week was to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) from one of our favorite designers. I choose Nichole Heady from Papertrey Ink. I love her work!

I had printed out this blue and brown paisley butterfly card from her blog in April with the intention of CASEing it. It caught my attention because I love butterflies, but I also knew I had the exact same ribbon she used in her card. I also loved the punched circle in the kraft paper. I don't have the stamps she used, but here's my version.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: butterfly (Magenta), SU Little Pieces
Paper: white, kraft, Cool Caribbean, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Encore Pigment Ink (Bark), Cool Caribbean, Chocolate Chip
Other: Clear embossing powder, stripped ribbon (Michael's), Martha Stewart markers, slit punch

Friendship - Theresa's Scrapalicious Challenge

This week's challenge from Theresa was to only use scrap paper for the layers on the base card. I should definitely force myself to use scraps more often.

I do save every bit of paper. The hardest part is organizing these bits and pieces. What I started doing recently is using my paper punches (scallop, circles, squares, tags, etc.) on smaller scraps of paper that are too small to be a layer on a card. Jenn at Kiyomi Krafts has a great tip about using her flower punch and ziploc bags to keep her scraps organized. This challenge forced me to separate my pre-punched papers into ziploc bags.

I started this card with Certainly Celery cardstock. A while back when I first got my Martha Stewart Circle Cutter, I cut a bunch of 2-inch circles out of a piece of cream textured cardstock. I was left with a sheet of paper full of holes. I attached the "holey" paper to the Celery cardstock and trimmed off the excess. I didn't stamp a single thing for this card and all these circles were already punched. I taped them into place and trimmed off the excess. The popped up friendship layer was already stamped and had mounting tape. I just added a crystal brad to it.

Card Ingredients
Stamps: Think Happy Thoughts
Paper: Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie. The other cardstock is unknown scraps.
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Wild Wasabi
Other: SU brad (Thanks, Theresa!)