Birthday Girl

Yoo hoo! It's Monday, my friends! And that means MojoMonday. I look forward to making my Mojo card because it makes Monday something other than the start of another loooong week. I won't hold you captive with pointless prattle (since some of you are still recovering from yesterday's protracted post). So let's just dive straight in, shall we?

My sketch is, of course, from Mojo Monday #259 and the colours are from The Ribbon Girl's Sept Colour Challenge: "Pink and Green". For inspiration, I stuck my pointy nose into The Shabby Tea Room #132: "Pretty Party" and for embellishments and such I grabbed some stuff from Catch The Bugs's Sept Bingo Challenge: "Tearing, Stitching & Buttons". Also, swing by Totally Stampalicious Girlie B'day Celebration for a special little girl's party and WhoopsieDaisy Challenge for all things Girly!















Putting it all together, I made this birthday card for a colleague's 5 year old daughter who wants to be a fairy when she grows up!

The papers are from Papermania's "Rose Garden" 6x6 pad. Plenty of stitching, as always and I ripped a strip of stripy paper to make a layer. 

The fairy stamp is from Sarah Williams "Fairies of the Season" set. I coloured her with my SN markers. 

Twine, buttons and some flowers. The sentiment is from Personal Impressions Double Sayings.

And pop dots to give the little fairy a lift!

Here's the inside - more ripping and tearing and stitching. Bit too much action for a 5-year old?!

That's all from me today, folks! Thanks for taking a peek. Have a great day and I'll see y'all real soon!

Beijinhos!


Blogged to:
Kit Kat and 

Toy Tote and a toot

Ooooh, have I been busy! Wait till you see what I made this afternoon.

Hello, my crafty cronies. So, I've been noodling with this idea for Mynette's Technique Tuesday challenge. This month she's kindly given us a lesson on how to make faux leather using masking tape and all we have to do is make something of it.  Just like the quick-witted Winnie the Pooh, I thought and I thought and all I could say was "Oh bother!"...until today. A trip to the Body Shop ended with a few freebie sachets of Shea Body Butter being shoved into my shopping bag.  I don't fancy smothering stuff that smell like food on my skin (makes me hungry) but I know someone who takes pleasure in smelling like a tropical fruit punch. Some free chocolate smoothie body cream is right up her alley. A nice receptacle and gift voucher will make it a wonderful gift.

After shopping, I headed straight to my craft corner and a couple of hours or so later I emerged with this toy tote, thanks to Mynette's tutorial and some inspiration from Top Tip's Tuesday #85: "Recycle It". Since I'm sort of pleased with the way it turned out...for the most part,  I'm also linking up this project over at Anything but a Card #2: "Texture", Pile It On #38: "It's A Stitch Up!" and Simon Says Stamp & Show: "Tape It Up!". There's also a how-to pictorial if you decide to make your own toy tote.

Here's my toy-tote. It is 4-1/4" at the base and stands 6-1/4" tall. The front and back panels are faux leather.  

The straps are made of ribbon.

The bag is 3/4" thick and can comfortably hold 6 sachet of  body butter and a gift voucher. I couldn't help but stitch all the panels. Just keeping it real, folks!

On the front I have a tag; the behind is plain.

Here's a close-up of the faux leather. The masking tape and Snowflake EP offer plenty of interesting texture. A very tactile tote!  For the tag, I used Spellbinder dies and the sentiment is by Waltzing Mouse Stamps. 

Quite a roomy tote. Will also hold a
bar of two of real chocolate.

So what have I recycled? These 2 items: crochet thread from a trunkful of threads, yarn, needles, bobbins etc that I inherited from Conan's great-aunt when she passed away 5 years ago and a roll of painter's masking tape that Conan bought last month but never used because someone left it out in the rain and it got all wrinkly. Personally, I wouldn't recommend intentionally leaving your husband's toys out in the rain, unless of course you felt compelled to subtly inform him that cutting copper wires with your ribbon scissors is oh so wrong. It's great when you can communicate this frankly with your spouse!

On to the pic-toot-orial:

Cut 2 pieces of CS in kraft / tan measuring 6-1/4"  x 4-1/4" each.

On the 4-1/4" side measure and mark 3/8" in from both ends.  Draw a straight line down to the bottom end as shown above and cut off  both these portions and ...   

... the rectangle now measures 3-1/2" on top and 4-1/4" at the bottom. 

Repeat with the other piece and you should have 2 pieces as above. 

For the base of the tote: cut a piece of CS measuring 4-1/4" x 1-1/4". Score 1/4" on both long ends, leaving a central panel of 3/4".  

For the sides of the tote: cut a piece of CS measuring 6-3/4" x 1-1/4". Score 1/4" on both long ends, leaving a central panel of 3/4". On one end, score 1/2" in from edge, as shown above. Cut and score another piece of CS in exactly the same way.

To create tabs to hold the base, cut and remove the shaded area (as shown above) from the side pieces, where you made the 1/2" score. This will leave a  1/2" tab on both pieces of CS.

Next, I worked on the body panels of the tote - the faux leather  for front & back. I followed Mynette's tutorial.

First I applied Memento Dessert Sand - direct to paper (panel on left) . The I applied Memento Rich Cocoa, also direct to paper (panel on right). 

With an applicator I rubbed TH's Vintage Photo all over (left). I repeated the process until I was happy with the blend and depth of colour (right). So pleased was I with the colour-blend that I went fix myself a G&T to celebrate. Shockingly,  when I came back the panels were too dry for the embossing powder to stick. Great! 

Didn't want to mess up my Versamark pad to I dabbed  some refill all over the panels before...

... dumping the Snowflake EP all over the panels and heat-setting them. Here is the end result. 

Now to assemble the base of the tote. I layered the side and base panels with chocolate CS and stitched with the old crochet thread. Next I adhered the side panels to the body panel of the tote, followed by the base panel, in all cases keeping the glue tabs on the outside, i,e, over the body panel as shown above.  This will keep inside of the tote free of joints.

Then I adhered faux leather panel, which I had also given a dose of stitching.

Repeat the process on the other side. 

Lastly, cut 2 pieces of ribbon, each 10" long, and attach to the top of the top tote (about 1/2" in from the edge) with brads.  I've used 4 black brads, i.e 2 on each side. 

Close-up of the faux-leather.

Here's a list of the main ingredients:

Faux leather: 
Materials: Masking tape, PVC glue
Inks: Memento Dessert Sand and Rich Cocoa, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Embossing: Sticky Fingers Snowflake EP, Versamark Refill, heat tool

Tote:
Materials: CS in tan and chocolate; Crochet thread for stitching
Handle: Ribbon, Brads
Tag: Spellbinders Beaded Ovals S4-294; Classic Ovals LG  S4-110; WMS Say It Loud stamp set; Memento Rich Cocoa.

I know this project sounds complicated but trust me, it really isn't. It's just a tad fiddly because of the faux leather work. If you choose to use patterned paper, you can churn 'em out in no time.  My measurements for this tote are based on the size of the Body Shop sachets with about 1/2" wriggle room and can easily be adapted for any size. If you have any questions, drop me a line.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again real soon!

Beijinhos!


PS: Don't forget to swing by Make It Monday #108 for this week's spectacular show and tell!



Blogged to:
Martini Bianco on ice and 

Halloween mini album + toot

Welcome to my first Halloween project this year, folks. It all started from a conversation I had with my sister about the good ol' days... growing up without a care in the world. Old photos were dug up and there was plenty of shocked gasping and the occasional shrieking. Oh yes, it was like watching Nightmare on Elm Street only this time the actors were not in make-up! If you grew up in the 70s and spent your teenage years in the 80s you know exact what I mean. From the garish bell bottoms in big bold colours of the 70s to even bigger, bolder hair and make-up of the 80s - life was one never-ending Halloween party immortalised in too many fading Technicolor Kodak moments. When my sister said we should have walked about with paper bags over our heads, I only had this to say: "Wouldn't fit. We had big hair!"

Once we got over our screech-fest, I decided to make a mini album, with a few choice photos that speak volumes, not only about a by-gone era when looking like a circus clown was considered haute-couture but of a time when life was perfectly uncomplicated.

For this project, I sought inspiration from Tuesday Morning Sketches #163 (twist: Welcome Fall. I'm using fall colours and event), Colour Throwdown #209, Robin's Fetish #124: More Than One Fold, My Time to Craft #188: More Than One Fold, Top Tip Tuesday#85: Recycle It! (I'm using a button from my MIL's old cardigan - I'll ask for permission later!), Perfect Sentiment #49: Fall & Baker's Twine, Paper Play Challenge #37: Fancy Fold,  Creative Belli #152: Fall/Autumn and Pile It On #37: Patterned Papers.

Here's my project.... and if you're looking for those pix, you'll be sorely disappointed. We're not ready to step out of that closet... not just yet!

This project measures 4-1/2" x 3-1/4". The patterned papers are by Memory Box "Nightfall". As in the sketch, I've marked the quadrants with ribbons and filled it with stamping and die-cuts. The jack-o-lantern dies are by Spellbinders. In the lower left quadrant, I stamped the crows on the music bars. There's my MIL's button in the middle - wonder if she'll notice it! 

 My pumpkins are resting on foam tape. There are several folds here and they open up ....

On the first flip: space for photos. I especially like the lyrics ... "What goes bump in the night "

Flip open one more fold - again space for photos and journalling.

Open up the last fold - and there's all the  matts on this mini-album. I've added some ribbon to tuck in tags etc. I haven't decided yet. I like these papers. Rich fall colours, great for grown-up halloween projects.

Although this is not an easel card, you could, if you wanted to stand it up like one, using the old witch's head as a stopper.  Unlike an easel card, there are no complicated cuts & folds on this one.. 
Here's a tip for you: see that bit of white foam tape showing near the witches hat? Use black foam tape if you have it. If not, take a fine-tip black marker and colour in the bit that shows. The foam tape will disappear into the background.  

Another view from the top. 

The sentiment was in the way of my ribbon, so I cut a couple of slits and threaded the ribbon through.  Used some baker's twine on the button.

Here it is all folded up. Because of the quarter inch "spine"  all layers fold down neatly.

Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Memory Box "Nightfall" 6x6
Die: Spellbinders Shapeabilities Jack-o-Lanterns  S4-281
Stamp: WMS Hocus Pocus
Inks: Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate; Tim Holtz Distress Inks Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo and Black Soot. 

And here's the "toot" for the base card:

Start with a piece of CS measuring 4-1/2" x 12", score and fold at 3-1/4" ; 6-5/8" ; 10" and 10-1/4".

Cut another piece of CS in same colour: 2-1/2" x 4-1/2".

I punched the bottom edge of the full-sized flap. This will be the first fold on the inside. With the punched border it will be a hair shorter and makes for a neater fold. 

I also punched the bottom edge of the smaller piece of CS ...

... and applied tape on the top edge.

Next, fold up the card base and  adhere this piece to the front flap, which is the short flap on the base card, making sure to line up the punched edge to the fold. 

This will give you a card front that is the same size as the base, when all folded up. 

Here's what it looks like all unfolded: two punched borders and a quarter inch spine on the top fold. I inked the edges and went ahead with layering and decorating. 

Thanks for dropping in. I hope you have fun with this project. It doesn't hold a ton of photos but you can easily squeeze in 5 with some room for journalling.

See you at my next post!

Beijinhos!


P.S. And swing by Make It Monday #107 for more stunning projects.


Orange cupcake, coffee and