Happy Halloween scrap peeps!  I hope you have all been scrapping some fabulous treats!    Here are a few I came up with for this Halloween.  They are all very sweet but with no chance of getting a cavity lol.

I have been hoarding Halloween stickers for a few years...didn't want to waste them on something but at the same time realized they were being wasted by not using them.   So, cricut to the rescue!

I never like to copy an idea nearly identically but when I saw this guy on pinterest, I couldn't resist.

My take on mass produced cards.  Used spellbinders dies to cut the frames on these.  Probably got Popeye forearms from the process, but so worth it!.   The spider is hand drawn but the other details were embellishments I have been hanging onto for awhile.

Well, I hope the great pumpkin is good to you all this year!  Here is my spell for you all:

Sending you witchy wishes and spooks unseen for a very happy Halloween!   EEEEEeeeeheheheheh!

Ok, finally, I am finally going to finally unveil my line of cards featuring images from passionfruitimages.com   I love their tarot card images...all cards of the major arcana are represented in ancient detail and in what looks to me like French script.   For us pagans, we know that the major arcana in the tarot represent aspects in life we cannot avoid:  I call them the fate cards because when they appear, you need to stop, take head, understand and learn how to move on, etc....so, it has been my personal challenge and dream to develop a line of cards by a pagan and for pagans.  I tried to keep these simple in construction, but each one features three cards that when read together will give the recipient insight into your meaning behind the cards.  Also, the colors and embellishments coincide with the tarot message as well.  enjoy!   tell your friends!

Hello scrap peeps!  Finally done sewing for vintage base ball, and I am proud to say my woman's team was 2 and 0 at the Ohio Cup tournament so yeay!!!    Now I am trying to rebuild my card stash so I don't have to be interrupted in the middle of scrapbooking to throw a card together at the last minute.  Here's my method for mass producing awesome cards in a hurry.

 Gather your supplies:

Card forms, corner rounders, sentiments, a few blings, some random decoupage images/die cuts and decorative frames.

Take a pad of ugly double sided papers. Yes, you know you have ugly double sided papers-the stack that was to ugly to do anything with but to good a clearance deal to pass up ;)  Cut your card forms (I base mine on the envelope I cut with my cricut so it's roughly a 6.5x5 inch card.  Easily goes thru the mail with one stamp if you keep the embellishments to a minimum-which you want to do for mass production.

So, cut all your card forms (and now would be a wise time to sign the back). Pile them up and corner round them.  I use a bunch of different styles.  Next layout the decorative framings-I use my Spellbinder nestabilities for these and attach the with spray adhesive so there is no glue gushing out from the details.  Add your images/die cuts inside the frames-glue stick is fine for these unless they have lots of scrolls-sometimes I use my xyron sticker maker.  Stick on the sentiments-these can have a tendancy to blend into the background so once they are placed I run a thin edge of metallic marker around them.  On these I used copper for the aged look. Add a bling dot on the sentiment and poof, you are done.  

Simple right?  Well....here's your tip for the day:   to really give them some artistic "pop", pair black and white or sepia and cream images with wildly bold card forms and neutral frames or monochromatic card forms and bright glittery frames.  The neutrals pull the contrast together easily and will look like you needed a degree in fine art to do these cards.  And of course add party hats!  If you want to see how to make the party hats, send me a message :)

 

Have fun!
xox

Hello scrap peeps!   yes, I know I know, it's been awhile.....yes, I am still working on my cards!  As most of you know, I am involved with historical re-enacting in the form of vintage base ball.  Once summer starts, it really is hard to find time for anything but vintage base ball.  Well, with the season winding down, and the fact that my sewing machine bit it so I can't finish my latest vintage style dress, I am working on replenishing my every day card bin.  In doing so, I have come up with a helpful little tip for ya.

I like to use double sided paper for my everyday cards-saves a lot of time when you need a card on the fly because it's already decorated and you just have to add a sentiment or a doo-dah here and there.  Well, sometimes you get a piece of paper in your stack that has a really cool, vibrant or "loose floating" pattern.  When I say "loose floating"  I am referring to randomly scattered large flowers or clouds or the like.  So, you don't necessarily want to just cut your rectangle card shape from edge to edge, you want to maximize the "loose floating" pattern.  Here's the solution!

On my self healing cutting matt, I have marked here and there the sizes of cards I like to work with.  I took a piece of vellum and cut it to the same markings.  This gives me a window to be able to move around the face of the paper, trace cutting lines and maximize my "floating pattern".  Try it!!   You will love it!!

xoxo
talk to ya shortly!!

hello scrap peeps, Yes I know it's been a while.   With spring comes softball, with softball comes baseball, sewing projects, projects for friends and before I know it, it's nearly summer.  I am proud to say that I won the contest that Passionfruits had for the month of April!  Hooray!!  They loved the peep show box.   Now, I am moving forward with another project featuring some of the images available thru their website.   Stay tuned for updates as the project moves forward.  Lets see what is in the cards for no fear scrapping....(yes, that was a hint ;)

Ok peeps, I have to say I am uber excited to show you my latest thing.  You've all heard me talk about http://www.passionfruitsimages.com/   my new source for awesome vintageness.  Well, if you sign up for thier newsletter, you can enter a contest this month.  Using images from thier repertoire I crafted the Passion Fruits Peep Show as my contest entry:  a French burlesque in a 6x6x1/2 square paper box.  How is this possible you say??  Ok, I'll show you :)  Our story begins with a simple corset...

and the potential that it holds inside it's satin black ribbons and lace...(and yes, a real corset was harmed in the making of this paper one)



Our host for the show wears a monocle made from jewelry pieces.  The greeting, tone on tone with the background paper is flanked by framed portraits of the stars of the show-3D liquid crystal lacquer was used to create the glass in the frames. The bottom displays a poster and invitation to the show. The middle section has a pair of damask covered doors. 

When the top flap opens, it holds a place for a greeting card:

  A key tied to the door allows you access to...

 

 

the spirit of the burlesque....the pussy cat.....Prrrrrrrr.  Having decided you are worthy to enter into the parlor, you pay your price and get your ticket

 









you partake in fine wine and music...

standing in front of the final doors to the staged theater, you marvel at the finally crafted gilded frames surrounding the plush black cat panels.  Finally, it's time for the show....you open the doors..

and the ladies take the stage, emerging from behind thier lacy curtains and dancing in the candle light.  You marvel at their beautiful costumes.  What a show!

The ladies were  printed off in black and white.  They were hand colored with colored pencil and gamsol and enhanced with flocking, glitter glue and liquid pearls.

I cannot tell you the amount of brain work and hand on crafting I put into this in just one blog...so if there are any particular parts you want further explanation on, leave me a comment and I will gladly give you the DL.

In the meantime....

Well, since my brain doesn't work on just one project at a time, let me show you what I did tonight. I have a "wreath" on my side door that I change the decorations on with the season....so with spring, I wanted flowers and bugs.   Gotta have flowers and bugs for spring right?  Well, a few blogs back I showed you how to make the flower hair accessories.  Well, I did the same thing, using spring colored papers and threw in a few butterflies and dragonflies from my sizzix die cutters.  I didn't antique any of the flowers however.  I know I know, you must be saying "Evie??  No antiquing??"  Well, ya know, I wanted everything to be fresh for spring.  Every once in awhile you gotta get a little widdershins on yourself (work backwards for a little excitement ;)   I think it came out good:

Here's an Easter card I want to share with you.  Let me know what you think:



I really wanted to push my own creative envelope, and with the help of some awesome images I purchased from http://www.passionfruitsimages.com/   I was really able to do that with these cards.  The website features vintage images you can purchase and print out to use in your scrap-tastic artistic ways-they have one of a kind images you certainly don't find at Michaels, or even Archivers for that matter.  This card features a lovely lady from the "Vintage Women of the Burlesque" package.   I printed mine out in black and white-basically because I don't have a color printer, and hand colored the images using Gamsol and colored pencils and a little glitter glue for some oomph!   I'll be putting up some more of my bunnies later this week.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Also, check out this website!  Scrappers will love it!!

Ok it's easter card time.  You may have noticed by now that my holiday cards are traditional, not religous in any way.  A wise man once told me never to discuss politics or religion in the company of friends, and not to display either in card making also ;)   That's not to say if you want a religous card I will be happy to make you one, it's just that I'm not a religous person.  So to get to the point, I decided this year to actually make Easter cards.  I have never done Easter cards before so I never realized how horrible tacky the holiday's colors actually are!     I dunno....pink bunnies, yellow chicks and purple dyed eggs are pretty, but on the face of the same card they are likely to burn your retinas out.  So I wanna share with you a secret to break up the tackyness of easter cards or any cards in which you may run into this problem.   I have two words for you:  tone on tone. Yeah that's three words.  Bite me. I make cards.  Yes that's right, it's not only the answer to many interior decorating problems it carries over into any realm you wish to color. You see, wether it's couches, shoes or paper, color really is the universal language.  Whatever your application the same rules apply.  To break up tacky use tone on tone.  Here is a picture of an Easter card in process:

   My traditionall brain says use all the tacky easter colors at the same time.  In response, my retinas said "holy crap that's bright!"

But, by taking out the darkest of the colors and replacing it with a darker pink version of the actual card, the yellow now pops agains a frontal lobe pleasing color transition:

  Now I can add all the glitter bunnies I want and not worry about them going blind :)

ok people, as if adding jewelry to cards wasn't enough.....this weekend I am starting some new techniques with some new homemade do-das and some awesome new images......not gonna say much tho because I believe we all need  a little anticipaion every now and then.  In the meantime, have a look over my blog, tell your friends, and leave a comment or two on it.  If you don't see anything you like yet, you will soon.  Trust me ;)~

Here is a St. Patrick's day card to keep ya busy. The shamrock in the middle is paper I made look like metal.  Wanna know how I did it???

Ok, before we continue the tour of the studio, I want to show you all what I did on a three day trip I had to visit my folks.  Something about feeling like a little girl again really clears the brain.  I'm in the process of expanding my card making horizons, taking the vintage look and pushing it a little further.  So this time, I'm going to show what I came up with and if you wanna know how I did what I did, leave me a comment :)

ok, the studio is done,  huzzah!!!  (yeah, I said huzzah)    Lets begin the tour with the heart of the scrappers' world:  the paper!!  

the fun thing about old bungalows are the wonky nooks and cranies you get in the attic spaces.  This was a closet.  I took the door off.  I had one of those plastic rolling carts.  Took the rollers off and filled the drawers with all my paper pads, papers and scraps.  I also labeled the drawers.  On top of the rolling cart are my good ol', and i do mean old, expandable folders.  One keeps my plain colored scraps in it and the other organizes my plain colored 12x12 and 8 1/2x11.  You notice hanging above it are envelopes.  These are the 12x12 clear plastic envelopes Michael's sells in the scrapbook storage isle.  They are hanging from clear pant/skirt hangers. I have a hanger for each color of the rainbow, the vellum, handmade papers and really special papers.  (It's taken a few extra weeks for me to finish this closet as Meijers doesn't stock many of the hangers at a time, amd Michael;s runs out pretty fast of the folders....needless to say I have been buying every one I can find and depleating the stores' stash lol.  Tucked in against the wall is my color wheel and color chart.  had this since junior highart class but it still works.  Decorating the space above the door are  rolls of vintage crepe paper and the wonderful sign my nieces gave me.  Here's some more photos for a better look:

 

 

 

 

 

 



Studio update.....

ok, back in business.....gave the studio a trial run tonight after stenciling the floors.....made 10 envelopes in 20 minutes-the studio gets an A for efficiency.  Speaking of stenciling the floors....ever wonder how you can use your cricut for home decorating?  Stay tuned for tomorrow night's entry ;)

I'm taking a break from working on finishing the studio to enter the third and final leg of this little journey :)  

So, you got your flower face all dried to a nice, loose cone shape from being pressed wet into the towel.   Now take the flower face and place it upside down on the backside of a mousepad.  Use a rounded, blunt object-I prefer a stylus for dry embossing on a light table.  

Work the rounded end of the stylus into the tips and edges of the flower petals, moving back and forth.  Keep in mind, it's not the pressure you apply that curls the paper, it's the repetitive motion in the same direction that breaks the fibers of the cardstock. So, EASY KILLER!  ;)

When you've done this to all your faces, take a small hole punch or use the tip of your exacto knife to cut a center into each face.   Insert a brad thru the hole in every layer.  Don't set the brad just yet.  If you want to add streamers or ribbons in-between the layers, do it now using clear glue.  Then sandwich them together, open the back end of the brad so it holds them all together and woot woot: vagablooms!    When the glue is dried, flip it over, an, using epoxy, attach a barette clip.   Nice!

Hope you like these.   A great way to use up ugly scraps and leftovers.  xoxo!

Part 2:  Prepare to get messy!   woot woot!


Ok, so you start the vagablooms with punched or die-cut flower shapes.  I also use random shapes that, when piled together also look like flowers.  I hate to be traditional ;)    You want them of varying sizes because when you are done, you will be stacking them on top of each other from biggest on bottom to smallest on top.   Some of them I will run thru an embossing folder for extra texture.   I like to use cream cardstock or the ugliest patterned paper i can find.  This project makes anything look beautiful.   The illusion that makes these "pop" is the layering of textures with complimentary ink colors.  I start with the basic colors of dye based inks and a patterned stamp-yes, even on patterned paper\, and stamp on a pattern.  Then I take pigment based inks and apply them on top of each other with various smearing/smudging methods.   I like using burnt orange with indigos, maroons with dark green-complimentary colors.   The next layer is adding a few shots of pearlized spray inks-easy to make your own, fyi ;)   Or hit them with some pigmented metallic inks.   Now, here's the key:  spray each  flower face with a coat of clear acrylic sealer.  Let them dry.

 

 

When the sealer is dry to the touch, take a folded up towel-you want it really thickly folded.  Set the flower faces on the towel and spray them pretty good with water. 

Don't drown the poor things, you just want to saturate the cardstock fibers so you can press into the middle of each flower face so the petals get pushed up.  

Set these under a lamp and every so often keep pushing in the centers so once the cardstock dries, the fibers will have re-shaped it into  an inverted cone shape.  You can also take the flower face, spritz it a little bit, crumple it up into a ball, unroll it  and them smoosh it into the towel.   Once you get the hang of this procedure you can mass produce these babies for ever.  Tomorrow night, the magic happens!   Stay tuned....

FYI:  This is gonna be a three day blog.     ;)

Part 1:   So here's the thing; I have taken over my family's old homestead.  The house my siblings and I grew up in.  As much as there are memories I wish I didn't have about the place, there are many more that I get to re-live every day just by coming home.  This house has always had my soul I suppose, but never my whole heart. Until now! It has taken me a couple years to get to the point of re-decorating.   The first room I choose to tackle is, of course, the scrap studio :)  priorities huh?  lol.   So, that's where I've been for the last month....holed up in the glorious world of re-decorating.   Well, the room is almost done and at least it is usable now!   I'll give you guys an oldie but a goodie project to try your hand at while I finish the final leg of this journey.   These are very cool, very simple hairpieces.  I got the idea from my other hobby of living history which sucked me into a world ofeverything vintage and somewhat tacky and from the problem of "What the hell do I do with this??" syndrome-you know, when you have a few ugly brads leftover,  some grundgy pieces of glittery  ribbon and a random feather or what not.   What?  You mean not everyone has these things laying around thier house????   lol, Enjoy!

It starts with the Vagablooms.

 

 



Here's some more V-day cards, assembly line style :)

ok, got some pre-made tags cut out of a sheet of do-da paper. I Inked the edges first in a maroon color, then a dark brown and ran black lightly round the edges.  When doing tags like this, don't forget to use a hole punch to punch the hole where you can tie on a bit of  ribbon.  In this case i used rafia, and ran the dark brown ink over it for texture.   I used the tape runner to attach only the end of the tag opposite from the rafia hanger.  This allows the end of the tag with the rafia to stick up and give it some dimension.   I then took some metalic filigree corner stickers and attached them to the tags.   Using a foam dot, I placed on a heart I die cut from sparkly embossed paper that I had inked the edges of also.  Voila, quick and simple :)

Here's a few more I did with some sparkly velvet flowers, die-cut metalic hearts and sentiment stickers: