Polished to Perfection

JustRite Friday Challenge #1 -For My Love Bug

We have started a new feature on the JustRite Blog today.  Every Friday on the JustRite Blog we will be hosting a challenge.  This week's challenge is to create a project using JustRite Font.  For my project I decided to break out my new Martha Stewart Lady Bug edger punch and Lady Bug Corner Punch to create this fun card.

The new Martha Stewart Punches now come with instructions for the dimensions you can create using the edger and corners in combination. Here are the dimensions that you will need to cut your paper to in order to get a complete edger image and a corner image that lines up:

3.25 in/8.25 cm, 5 in/12.7 cm, 6.75 in/17.15 cm, 8.5/21.59 cm, 10.25 in/26.04 cm, 12 in.

Which means you can create mats with any combination of these numbers.  My mat was 3.25 x 5 inches.

 
To create my lady bug border, I used my Copic Black Marker (100) to color in the lady bug legs and heads.  To easily create the lady bugs spots, I used my Marvy  5/8"punch (orange) to punch circles. Then I cut them in half and glued them to the backside of the lady bugs.

When completed I had this fun mat layer to build my card on:

  
To color in my Yellow Gerber Daisy.  I stamped the my Gerber Daisy center from the My Garden Stamp Set with Memento Tuxedo Black on Neenah Paper Classic Crest Solar White and colored my entire Daisy using Y00.  

Next I added shading on each petal using Y11.     

 

On Image 3 - I am showing you multiply stages of coloring.  After shading with Y11 I added a slightly narrow shade of YR23 over the Y11. Then I used my Pale Yellow (Y11) to blend the petals.

In image 4 you can see the blending in process. To pick up excess color and white highlights I used my colorless blender- 0.

To color in the center of the Gerber Flower I laid in E97 and then shaded with E37 & E47.

 

These are the colors I used to color my Yellow Gerber Daisy. I also used Black 100 to color my Lady Bugs.

 
For the sentiment on my card.  I used 25 point Curlz Uppercase Font on my smallest Horizontal Stamper.  I used Lady Bug Red Memento ink and die cut the image with Classic Scallop Rectangle Die 2 and distressed the edges with Ranger Fired Brick Distress ink.  Then I mounted my sentiment on the largest of the Spellbinders Fancy Tag Dies.  Can't wait to see what you create with JustRite Font.  Please upload your projects to Mr.Linky on the JustRite Blog. Goodluck to Everyone!!  The winner of the font challenge will win a $50.00 Gift Certificate to the JustRite Website!!

Ingredients: JustRite Stampers- JB 090705 My Garden, 3 1/4 Stamper, 25 pt Curlz Font, Horizontal Stamper, Spellbinders dies:Shapeabilities- Largest Fancy Tag, Nestabillities,Classic Scallop Rectangle Die 2, Copic Markers: Y00,Y11,YR23,E37,E47, E97,0, Martha Stewart: Lady Bug Edger & Corner Punch, Kaiser Rhinestones, World Win DoubleMates-Graceful Geranium,INK: Tsukeniko Memento Lady Bug Red, Ranger Distress Ink -Fired Brick

Happy Valentine's Day - the Red & White Version

Here is one more design for this stamp in a more traditional Red, White and Black version. For this version I increased my card size from 5 1/2" square to a 6" square so that I could add one more layering of matting.  I thought it would be interesting for you to see the two versions of this card and how strikingly different the cards look from just making a few changes.  Here is a photo of both cards together:

For the red version I used my scalloped circle nestabilities to double cut my red mat.  To do this cut the largest circle and then place a smaller circle inside the original die cut ( you may use removeable tape to hold the die in place)  This creates a red scalloped circle frame which I placed over the large black scalloped circle. To simplify the card I colored the heart in this version with my R29 Copic Marker.

For the directions for the Black and White Card visit yesterday's post.  I can't decide which version I like best.  I would love to know which version you like better - just leave a comment on this post!!

Black & White Happy Valentine's Day

As I was designing Valentine's Day Projects this month, I realized that I didn't own a single stamp that simple said Happy Valentine's Day. So yesterday I found this beautiful stamp from Inkadinkadoo 97467-O and you all know how I love swirls and flourishes....so it kept calling my name from the store shelve. I decided that I wanted to make a simple black and white card.  I used a pre-embossed floral card from Die Cuts with a View which I cut the front embossed image off the card and lightly scuffed it with a graphite black brillance ink pad to highlight the dry embossing.  Then I went back and scuffed the edges of the card a second time with a little heavier hand to create a slightly darker edge for the embossed mat.  By darken the edges I added more dimension to the card. I then placed it on a new black 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" card.

Next I stamped the Happy Valentine's Day image on Luster White Paper and using an exacto knife I cut out the stamped heart image and backed it with red.  I used my scalloped circle nestibilities to cut out the stamped image and then cut a larger scalloped circle from black and dry embossed it with the Cuttlebug A2 Textile Embossing Folder.   This was so simple yet so elegant...a perfect card for your Mom, Sister or Husband.

Create a Love Notes mailbox from paper

Angela found this great template on Splitcoast Stampers.  We have been searching everywhere to find out where everyone is getting the larger metal colored mailboxes, in the search Angela found this great template from Brenda Quintana (aka Qbee) on Splitcoast Stampers just click on the link. A special thanks to Brenda for sharing your template with everyone!!! Angela arrived with her mailbox started but asked me to jazz it up a bit so- I modified the mailbox by adding a chipboard layer to the flag and the front of the mailbox.  I used a cuttlebug A2 embossing folder to dry emboss both sides of the flag and the interior of the front of the mailbox.  The paper is from Diecuts with A Views Spring Pack 2007.  The pink and White Polka Dot Ribbon is from Creative Impressions and the Shimmer letters are from Making Memories...they were originally silver - I colored them pink with my Copic Sketch Markers. You won't believe how much money I have saved in gas, time and supplies through the miracle of Copic.  No more trips to the craft store to find the perfect color embellishment and I am really getting much more out of my supplies!! Thanks Angela for letting me play with your mailbox...hope you had fun playing with my Outlines Rubber Stamps.

When Angela arrived for a playdate with this mailbox - I was thrilled since I had just made my Cupid treat bags.  She asked me to Jazz it up...which I did and look how sweet it looks with the Cupid Corn Treat bags inside...With these 2 projects you could be the coolest mom on the block!!

Here's the interior view with the candy isn't it sweet!!

This is the kind of mail - I wish was in my real mailbox!!  I think I will try to make my mailbox with chipboard reinforcement in the box...I am not sure if there will be too much tension from the chipboard for the adhesive to hold it in place. I let you know!! Thanks for stoppin' by!!

Outlines Rubber Stamp's Cupid Corn Valentine Treat Bags

For those of you who love Candy Corn ...you will be very excited to hear that it isn't just for Halloween any more...it is now made in white, pink and red and called Cupid Corn.  You can find it at Walmart or in some grocery store chains.  For those of you who need a great idea for your children's Valentine's Day Party ...this might be it!! 

If you have been reading my blog for months - you know how much I love projects that use up scraps and this project is ideal...since it uses tiny pieces of paper.  If you are not familiar with Outlines Rubber Stamps you should visit their site they have tons of tutorials and projects available on their website.  I love their stamps because you can do so much with them.

These treat bags were made with their Valentine's Day Frames.  I stamped these on Luster White Paper using Adriondack Pitch black ink and then colored in the images using my Copic Markers.  I like to 3-D these frames so I stamped the C363 I Love you image a second time onto the pink floral paper from Pebbles Inc and used foam pop ups to pop the framed I Love You.

For this treat bag Iused C288 Be Mine and popped up the outside frame...using narrow foam strips.

Here I added Rhinestones from KaiserCrafts to the C248 Kisses frame and decide not to 3-d the topper...but I did stamp the image 3 times on different papers to get this design.

This treat bag is C419 XOXO. This frame had several coloring possibilities but I decided to color in both the inner and outer circle designs.  To individualize each treat ...you can now switch the frames from each stamp set around to create mutiple designs.  This is a perfect project for the whole family to participate in.

Happy Heart Print Day Card

As I was designing my Sweetheart Boxes yesterday...my mom insisted that my pink elephant was just too cute to decorate a kids box of candy...So here is it in a card version.  Don't you just hate it when your Mother is right!!  ( just kidding mom!!)

Say I Love You With a Giant Hershey Chocolate Bar

 

When I think 0f Valentine's Day I of course think of Chocolate and what better way to Say I Love You then a giant Hershey's chocolate bar!!  This week I was on a mission to really use a whole clear stamp set and to get the most out of it.  To create this giant candy bar wrapper I used the Heart Frame and the I Love You Script from my Inkadinkado Love Letter Set.  I thought the heart frame would be stunning surrounded with the delicate flowers from my Pottery Garden Peg stamps from Rubberstamp Tapestry.  First I stamped and embossed in Rich Red embossing powder (Ranger) the heart and script.  Then I stamped the greenery using bamboo versacolor all around the heart and the outside edge of my white cardstock. Remember when using your peg stamps to stamp your image twice before reinking, this will give your flowers more depth.  Next I stamped the larger flower from this set using rocket red brillance Ink. The small flowers were stamped using purple brillance ink.  Here is a closeup of the stamped image:

The red cardstock is crimson red from WorldWin Papers.   To embellish the end of the candy bar I selected a vintage button from my collection. The red white polka dot ribbon is from Creative Impressions and the love charm is favor accent (these can be found in the wedding section of Walmart or Michaels- they come in 20 or 50 in a package and are great little add ons to Valentines and Wedding Projects.  The gorgeous paper with all the bling is from Best Creations GP027. Here is a closeup view of my vintage buttons, the paper and my charm:

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Using the same layout I also made a Valentine's Day Card.   For this version I stamped my larger flower in purple around the heart frame and in purple and red around the outside of the mat.  Here I was able to allow the heart image to have a little more breathing room since I wasn't restrained by the shape of my candy bar.  (PS- this is the longest time I have ever had an uneaten candy bar in my studio!!)

To add a little bling to my card I used these cute gem embellishments which were original just clear...I used my Copic R59 red marker to quickly change my centers from diamonds to Rubies!! Gotta love your Copics- It so nice to make what I have in my stash work instantly - without having to return to the store to find the perfect embellishment!!

Thanks for visiting!!!