Celebrate Fall

Welcome Fall! I love fall. It is one of my favorite times of year. I love those crisp, cool evenings and mild, sunny days. The sky seems bluer and the sun seems brighter in the fall. And then Mother Nature offers a generous treat as leaves turn orange, yellow and red. It is beautiful!

So, when we were asked to make a fall project for this month’s Elizabeth Crafts Designs’ Designers Challenge, I jumped at the opportunity to bring some of those fall colors into my house with a banner.

This banner uses BRAND-NEW TAG DIES from Elizabeth Crafts Designs. The dies come in pieces so you can make dozens of different tags out of the same set of dies. I chose to use Tags & More 3 — Leaves to make the banner.

The banners are easy to use and I wanted to give you step-by-step directions to show you how. 1. Cut cardstock 4×5″. Tape outer die onto cardstock with removable tape (I use Washi Tape). Run it through die-cutter. 2. Remove first die and lay on leaves die — matching holes and making sure it is even. Tape it down and die cut it. 3. Use scissors to trim the edge of the die-cut portion off. Then use a paper trimmer to make the rest of the tag the same width. With this system, the tag can be any length.

4. Use the circle die (included in the package) to cut holes on each side of the tags. This is where they will attach to each other.

5. To create a back panel to provide color behind the leaves, cut a piece of cardstock (or paper) 4×2″. Tape the curved die and die cut it. Then adhere it to the back of the tags.

6. Use a variety of colors and patterns to repeat the tags, so they look like this. (I used paper from Doodlebug’s new fall line Friendly Forest).

7. Cut out a variety of photo corners, flowers and leaves from the die set and adhere as shown. I also added some strips of paper. Coat fall Peel-Offs with Elizabeth Craft Designs Silk Microfine Glitter and color with Copics. Cut out designs and adhere as shown.

8. I painted chipboard letters and included those, as well. I used brads to cover the hole in the flowers, but you could also paper or a gem.

9. Tie tulle (May Arts) to first and last tags at the top. Also use it to connect each of the tags together.

10. I decided to go back to my finished banner and add hangers. I used a Crop-A-Dile and decorative eyelet, but you could also use the circle die to make the holes, if you did it before the tags were all decorated. Then, attach twine (May Arts) to the tags to serve as hangers.

Here’s another look at my completed banner … I love it!

 

With an Asian Flair

The Designer’s Challenge this month for Elizabeth Craft Designs is to create a project with an Asian theme.

Asian is definitely out of my comfort zone, so this was a tough one for me. It took me several days to develop a plan, but in the end, it all came together and I absolutely love it … in fact, it is one of my favorite cards yet!

I started by making my own background paper … I wanted something that looked like water. I took several Distress Ink pads and swiped them on a non-stick craft sheet.

Then I spritzed it with water and drug my background cardstock through the ink.

 

Heat dry and then repeat until you get the desired affect.

I swiped the edge with Distress Ink and adhered it to a black card base.

Then I covered Elizabeth Crafts’ Peel Offs in Cool Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter and colored them with Copic markers. I cut them out and adhered them to the card.

Next, I cut out the koi (Elizabeth Craft Designs die) from Shimmer Sheetz and the layered piece from black Adhesive Velvet Paper (Elizabeth Craft Designs). I added pop dots to the back side.

 

Then I used a border from another set of Elizabeth Craft Designs’ Peel Offs at the bottom of the card. To get it straight and all the way to the edge of the card, I let it run over onto my desk and then trim it after.

Then I adhered the koi and cut out the word Hello from the velvet paper and placed that on the front.

Since the inside was black, I added a sheet of white paper and some Asian corners (they are on the same sticker sheet as the borders).

Be sure to visit Elizabeth Craft Designs’ Blog today to see the rest of the designers responses to the Asian challenge! They are amazing … just saying!

Altering a Vase

This month’s challenge for the designers at Elizabeth Craft Designs is to create something using repositionable stickers.

I started with this vase I picked up for $2 at an estate sale …

Then, I followed the directions, here, to create a repositionable sticker … If you are familiar with working with Peel-Offs and Silk Microfine Glitter, you just use a Transfer Sheet in place of the cardstock.

I used the Hydrangea Peel-Off, glittered it, and then colored it with Copic markers. I then cut it out and applied it to the vase. I liked it, but felt like something was missing … so I added a Glitter Dot Peel-Off in Purple to the center of each of the tiny flowers.

It made a huge difference ….

Here is the completed project:

Much better, don’t you think? And, if you decided you wanted to change it up, these will just peel right off and can be placed on something else. Cool, eh!?

Be sure to stop by the Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog  to see what all of the other designers did with this challenge!

 

Only the Lilacs

The latest challenge with Mosaic Moments was to work with black-and-white photos.

I combined my love of history with my love of photography and came up with this ….

Learn how I tinted the photos, and cheer me on, here.

Published!

I was delighted to be included in an article in June’s edition of Scrapbooking.com magazine!

Here’s the project I did … I started with an inexpensive gift bag (.53 tax included at the dollar store). I applied a little cardstock and then used Peel-Off Stickers, Silk Microfine Glitter and double-sided adhesive from Elizabeth Craft Designs. I colored the glitter with Copic markers and ta-da! A beautiful gift bag that your family and friends will love!

Of course, there are some other inspiring projects by some of my designer friends in the same issue. Please click here to check it out …

I’m off to try that candle technique shown in the article!

Flower Cuties Fun

The May Designers Challenge at Elizabeth Craft Designs is to create a standard-size “flat” card — one that does not use the fabulous accordion or pop-up dies Elizabeth Craft Designs is known for.

Frankly, I love to make flat cards because I mail them and I get tired of having to pay extra to mail thick cards.

Here’s the card I created ….

This one uses the the new Flower Cuties Peel-Off stickers, the Thank You die, Glitter Dots and Silk Microfine Glitter from Elizabeth Craft Designs; cardstock from American Crafts; vellum paper from Stampin’ Up and Copic markers.

I started by covering the Peel-Offs in Silk Microfine Glitter and then coloring them with Copic markers.

I created the card base and attached the vellum (I hid the adhesive behind the images.) I added a torn piece of cardstock for grass.

Then I cut out each piece and applied them to the card.

I took one of the extra ladybugs and used dimensional foam adhesive to attach it on top of the one the little girl is holding. The second one I placed on the inside of the card.

Then I added Glitter Dots to the antennae, floral ankles and flower pot. I think they add a cute touch.

Finally, I cut the sentiment out of cardstock with a die. I think she turned out pretty cute … what do you think?

 

Sharing a Chicken Card

My cousins came to Michigan to attend the Great Lakes Mega Meet with me this year. Although they are technically my dad’s cousins, we are close in age and have so much in common that our time together is always way too short.

This was their first time visiting my house and meeting all of my chickens. I was, of course, excited to show off my babies. Robin picked up on my love of chickens (like anyone could miss it, I know), and she sent me a beautiful thank-you card the other day.

I do not receive cards very often, probably because I rarely send them out, so it was exciting to get one from her. And, it is so perfect … I just wanted to share it.

She colored it with Copics and then used Glossy Accents on the waddles and combs.

You can read more of how she created this card on her blog, here.

And, if you would like to see Becky’s work, click here. She is a true artist. I am so jealous of her coloring abilities!

Shimmery Recipe Box

I am on the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog today sharing step-by-step directions for creating this recipe box with Shimmer Sheetz, embossing folders, alcohol ink, stickers, glitter and Copic markers.

Check it out!

An Elegant Easter Card

I have been wanting to color these eggs for years … and I finally did!

I love how this card turned out. It is so sparkly and elegant.

Head over to the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog to see how I made it.

Chicken Tags

This month’s challenge at Scrap It Girl is to create a project using tags, bags or tags and bags.

I decided to create a card with a new stamp — well, new to me — that a friend gave me.

I used a tag die from QuicKutz to cut out the tags. I inked them and added sticker words (Elizabeth Craft Designs) to them. I attached them with dimensional foam to make them stand out a bit.

Now, it is your turn. Create a project using tags, bags or tags and bags. Take  a photo and post it here.

You could win this package of gifts …

Good luck!