Bonjour from Paris

                                                                     

     

Hello everyone,
Lately I have been making cards using silhouettes, which I really love, as I think they add an elegant touch to any card.  The silhouettes I use come from different sources.  I have two silhouette dies from Marianne Designs, and have silhouette images from Dover Pictura.  For the Bonjour cards, I used silhouette stickers from Dazzles which work beautifully.  I call these cards Bonjour because the Kaisercraft papers are from a collection by the same name.  Those of you that know me well know I am very much taken with Paris and all French themes, especially if it's vintage and/or Victorian.  I hope you like these cards as much as I enjoyed making them, and I don't think these will be the last, as I am also working on a series of silhouette cards using the Secret Garden papers by Graphic 45.

Enjoy, and I appreciate your feedback....
                                                      

 

 

 

Girls' Night Out

                                                       

Hello everyone,
I hope you are all enjoying this Memorial Day weekend, although not everyone has Monday off.  A few weeks ago I came across some online photos of Origami dresses that I thought were very cute and eyecatching.  I decided to try making some to use on cards, as I figured these would make great cards for birthdays, Mother's Day, or even just to send to a girlfriend (thus the title "Girls' Night Out").  I practiced (and practiced) on ordinary paper before using the Chiyogami Yuzen paper, which is considered the high end of Origami papers.  For those who are not aware, Chiyogami prints are patterned from designs used for kimonos, thus they can be quite elaborate.  The paper is beautiful with gold accents, and has a feel of tissue material.  As you can see, these papers make the dresses come to life!                                                        
                                                  

I learned how to make two dress styles.  The full skirt with the little cap sleeves was the first, and is relatively simple to learn.  These are cute and look like dresses little girls wore in the 50's and early 60's.           
                                              

The second style is definitely a more contemporary and sophisticated style of dress, and with the Chiyogami paper, looks like a cocktail dress LOL!  This was a more complicated dress to make, but with everything, all it takes is patience and practice. 
                                               

I gave the above card to my sister, as she favored blue over the reds

                                             
                                                 

Although bright colors tend to showcase the dresses, I tried pastel colors and they work just as nicely.  The above card went to my mother.

                                                 

One of my coworkers fell in love with this card, and later she told me she might keep it instead of sending it to a friend LOL!  I can't ask for higher praise....!

                                            
These little dresses make charming cards and I hope you decide to try making some for yourself, as they will make unforgettable cards for whoever receives one!              
                             

                               

 

 

 

 

 

Place in TIme Calendar

                                                        

January

Hello everyone!
I can't believe my last post was in March, but between work and recuperating from shingles, I feel like I hardly have time to do all the paper things I love.  It's ironic, but I have been busy the last few weeks with all kinds of ideas.  My Muse has been a busy lady lately.... I just need to find time to post what I've been working on LOL!

Anyway... let's talk about Mother's Day.... I hope all of you who are mothers - and those of you with mothers - had a nice day.  My mother lives in Puerto Rico, so I don't remember the last Mother's Day I actually spent with her.  Distance does make the heart grow fonder, and this year I wanted to make something very special for her.  I had been thinking for some time now of using the Place in Time papers from Graphic 45 to make an easel calendar.  I used the papers from the 8 x 8 pack, although the rectangular calendar on each page is from the 12 x 12 set. I worked on it every moment I could and managed to complete it in time to send for Mother's Day.  I showed it to Melody Winston, a dear friend of mine that works at Stamp Asylum (in Plano, Texas), and she loved everything about it.  Melody is quite a mixed-media artist herself, so this was high praise coming from her. I am happy to say my mother was delighted with the calendar when she opened it.

Sometime on my agenda for later this year is to make one for my sister Anabel.... and the beat goes on and on and on.... Enjoy the photos, and I would appreciate your feedback!

Thank you for looking and have a nice evening!
                                                             

February is for love, kisses, and chocolates!

 

                                      

March is for St Patrick and kite flying

(this is my mother's birth month)

                                   
                                        

April is for showers

(my sister Anabel's birth month)

 

                                          

May is for flowers and Mother's Day

                                            

June is for brides and Father's Day

 

 

July is for the 4th!

 

 

August is for summer sun

(my birth month!)

 

 

September is for back to School and Autumn leaves

 

 

October is for Halloween and little black cats!

 

 

November is for Thamksgiving and turkey!

 

 

December

(the most wonderful time of the year!)

 

 

 

Curtain Call (Part I)

                                                              

Hello everyone.... I was on a roll this past weekend making several cards using the Curtain Call collection papers from Graphic 45.  This series has been discontinued, so I consider myself very fortunate I was able to find so many papers.  I admire Gloris Stengel's paper designs very much, so I was inspired by her.  I have a long way to go before reaching her level, but all in all I think these cards came out nicely. 

                                         The inside of each card was also decorated                                        

I call these first four cards Part I because I plan to later make more.  There is so much to do with this collection!  I focused on the Harlem Renaissance jazz musicians and dancing for these cards, but the Silent Screen is also represented, so I will later be adding this element to my cards. 

I just love the style and flair of this image, and it makes me feel like dancing LOL!

                                          
                                           

I love Paris and everything French, so this is my personal favorite. The die cut of the Eiffel Tower is from La-La Crafts, and it works great, as the image easily pops out.

                                                                   

The great Satchmo

 

                                         

I hope you like these cards and I always welcome hearing your feedback.

With Easter just around the corner, now I have to get busy making Easter themed cards (as I'm sure most of you are doing).

Mail Art

                                                             

Not just another new day, but here we are in a new month.  We have St Patrick's Day and Easter this month, so lots of ideas and inspiration for cards!  This time I want to showcase three cards I made that were inspired by an article from the February issue of Craft Stamper, a British publication.  I didn't have the stamps used in the article, but I managed to improvised, and I think they came out quite nicely. 

                                            

I love coloring Magnolias and makin cards using Tilda, but it's nice to have a change of pace to explore other ideas and techniques.

                                     
Happy Everything!

Tilda Angel Heart

                                          
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!  The above card is the Valentine I made for my mother, which I'm happy to say she loves!  You might recognize that the Tilda I used is from the 2012 Nativity collection, so I had to improvise to make her Valentine themed.  I colored Tilda with Copics, and one of these days I'm going to remember to note down all the colors I used LOL! The background collage design is by Moonlight Journey. I accented the card with gold foil corners, gold and pink glitter stars, and applied Diamond Stickle glitter to Tilda's gossamer wrap.

I hope you like Angel Heart and I welcome your comments and feedback.

Hugs & Kisses from Tilda

Hello everyone.... are you all getting ready for Valentine's Day next week?  I have finished all my heart cards for this year, so now I'm planning for Easter and Spring!  I want to first thank everyone who left feedback on the Tilda collage card I posted last week..... I didn't think I would see the day when so many wonderful and kind comments were posted for one of my cards... I am touched and I thank you one and all.

My card for today is called Hugs & Kisses... I made this for my sister Anabel and she receive dit today, thus the reason I am now posting it.  She liked it very much, and I hope all of you do too.  The background Victorian floral print is from Moonlight Journey, and this is one of 8 different designs that come as a digital pack.  They have a grear variety of collage sheets, so check them out.  The ivory trim is from K & C Company.  Tilda was colored with Copic markers, and I added a touch of Diamond Stickle glitter to the hearts she is holding.  I then added several tiny adhesive pillow hearts from K & C Company. 

This was the first Valentine card I made this year.  As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback.  Have a nice evening!