A Black Tie Affair? (MFTeaser #2)

This box was a riot to make.

It's for day two of the My Favorite Things teasers &
uses the soon to be released MFT stamp set Dance the Night Away.
Such a great set to play with!

The box is just one of those light wooden paint-able variety. ($1.25!) :o)
It has a lid & bottom (about 2 inches deep) Here's the inside:


Love that quote!

The chandelier was doodled on with pencil & then metallic pen
and stitched in black thread (adding black, silver, gray, & clear beads):



The floor is "tiled":



The tiles (and that sweet dance step pattern) were made by...

A) Drawing vanishing lines on some striped patterned paper with a ruler & very fine black marker

B) Stamping on the dance pattern in black ink & embossing in clear
C) Covering the floor with a light layer of Versamarker & clear embossing powder
D) Shading some areas with gray marker

I love that the foot prints are high-heeled ones (giggle giggle)

The blissful dancer's dress was shaded with gray Prismacolour pencils & Copic markers. I used a paper piercer to score cross-hatched lines in the white for a faux fabric texture & then added Spica glitter over it to make it satin-like. I gave some smoky eyeshadow & a Swarovski crystal bling belt for some glam. ;o)

I used the same fine black pen that made the tile lines
to draw fish net stockings on her:



....and as usual, there's a whack of stitching in general
(knots to hold the silver sequins on & dark gray embroidery thread)

• Dance the Night Away Stamp Set (new from MFT)
  
• Wooden box & lid ($1.25 @ dollar store) & black paint
  
• Perfect Paper Panels, Black Archival ink, clear embossing powder, heat gun
• Copic markers & Prismacolour pencils, Spica glitter pen (clear)
  
• Swarovski Crystals, seed & larger beads, sequins
• Paper piercer, needle & thread (gray & black)
• Patterned Papers: Cosmo Cricket Everafter (gray flowers) and...
  
• Creative Imaginations Narratives #21891 Journal
• Ruler & black pen (to draw tile lines), Versamark (to emboss tiles)

click-able Blogger photos:

Hope you can check out all the inspiration on Kim's Blog at 11:00 AM EST

(with all the MFTeasers linked up & a new featured stamp set each day!)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day!

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MFTeasers! Spring is in the air, Love Birds! ;O)

This card is my first ever MFTeaser card. It's a set that used to be available only as a kit, but soon you can get just the set... It's called Love Birds. :o)

February is going to be the biggest bestest release MFT has ever had. There'll be all kinds of inspiration on Kim's Blog every day at 11:00 AM EST (with direct links to all MFTeasers & a new featured stamp set each day!)

February Guest Designer Contest for My Favorite Things Day 1 of the MFTeasers!

The monthly Guest Designer Challenge gives you the chance to receive next month's UNRELEASED sets (DT sample sets—no packaging or labels, valued at $50-$80) AND be invited to participate in our monthly blog hop, as well as partake in next month’s MFTeasers

Frances and Cindy are your Hosts this month. And the Challenge to you is to THINK SPRING --whatever Spring is to you. This February 2010 Guest Designer Contest thread has all the details.

(For some romantic reason spring reminds me of love and flowers and starry walks on balmy nights...)

(clickable blogger photos:)

• Stamp set from My Favorite Things: Love Birds
• Black & White pigment inks, clear & white embossing powder, heat gun
  
• Copic markers Sakura Glitter pen, Prismacolour pencils
  
• Text paper & Cosmo Cricket dp
• Clear button, paper piercer, embroidery thread, needle, seed beads
• Ribbon from Zellers LOL (coloured with Copic markers)

Hope you have a happy happy day!


P.S. Thank You so much for not gasping in horror at my craft room of shame (or not telling me that you did, heehee) I hope to be migraine free & posting full tutorials in a while. It has to let up eventually, right? ;o)

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Missing with a migraine, Craft room BEFORE pics, & LINKs for Organizing the craft room

Edited to add: Sorry guys. I feel like I was hit by a truck. Migraine's lasted so long... but I will be back with a post by tomorrow evening. Hope you're well. xox

Hey You fabulous crafty people You! SO sorry to be missing the last coupla days. I'm battling the big bad hairy scary migraine beastie. It's been a doozy, but after 30-odd hours of hibernation, it's on its way out the door. :-)

Warning, these candid before pictures of my craft room
may shock your socks right off...

It's sort of comparable to my brain on migraine:
painfully messy!

The tidy (a.k.a non-sloppy) among you, might be relieved to know that it's MUCH better now (3/4 of the way clean) thanks to the inspiration of my lovely friend Dawn's gorgeous newly organized space ... I actually have a floor now (ROFL <---because I can! heeheehee) In fact, recently, my neatnik best bud and I actually fit in here (both at the same time!) and worked for a few hours together with no major injuries at all. (Though she did try to pry something loose from one wee remaining pile and a mini avalanche ensued; she escaped unscathed, luckily!)

My excuses? (ummmm errrrr make that perfectly valid reasons for uncontrollable sloppiness... LOL) I am admittedly chaotic by nature, but not this chaotic! ;o) Being ill for so long, I just haven't had the energy to craft and clean. Plus, I am genetically a Hoardosaurus rex. I could give "depression mentality" a run for it's money... and dress up my hoarding to boot: in nice fancy green words like reuse, recycling, resourcefulness! (it's Reeeee-diculous, you might say, heeheehee ) ;O)

Here's what I'd rather be doing than sleeping...

Organizing the craft room!
(scrap room, stamp room, studio...)

These are a couple links I got together recently; I'll keep adding to this list as I find new organize-y things. And hopefully eventually be able to show the after or my own crafty room--sooner rather than later. ;o)

Most recent additions will be linked at the top of the list:

1. DIY fabric boxes tutorial by Erin (WOW! uses old cardboard boxes)
2. Great craft storage idea: magnetic spice rack by Garett
3. Brilliant affordable paper storage tutorial from Darcy
4. my scraproom wants to be this when it grows up (and I'm sure it wants Jennifer McGuire to stamp in it too! That would ROCK!)
5. My makeshift furniture harbors design envy towards this incredible table
6. Maria's fab craft room organizing posts
7. Craft spaces for small apartments Article by Lish
8. DIY magnetic storage by Brookelynn
9. Sticker gripper tutorial by Natalie (COOL!)
10. Awesome clip it up with page protectors & paper towel holder
11. Scraphappy's DIY clip it up with supply list
12. Martha's best ever craft organization by Laura
13. Paper storage by Patter
14. Hanging clip paper storage (martha)
15. paper storage tips from scrapjazz
16. Uses for 12x12 Iris paper holders (paper plus) Article by Kristine
17. Making-Memories Desktop carousel review by Julia
18. Clip it up review by Stephanie
19. Wall paper magazine holders (martha)
20. Craftzine's Making space for crafting series
21. Thrifty storage ideas from Michele
22. Thread storage (less than $5.00) from BurdaStyle
23. LOTs of Craft room flickr photos
24. Image search results for Craft Room ideas
25. Karen's sensible tips for your craft/sewing room
26. Craft Room & studio ideas (pics)
27. Cathy's great Craftzine interview on making space for crafting
28. Misc. craft room articles
29. Cool paper storage idea by Latisha
    

my old organizing posts:

Misc. storage ideas
Magnetic/dry erase corkboard calendar
Framed stamp storage
Nestabilities corkboard no-hands storage
Punch storage links Ribbon storage & ideas

Hope you're having a great day,

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Paper Garden Projects Romantic Garden Walk--Valentines!

Welcome to the Paper Garden Projects
Romantic Garden Walk!

Keepin' it short today, but hopefully a little sweet....

This card actually uses an Easter set, this Easter bunny clear stamp set
to get double duty from stamps. :o)

The strawberries in the basket are cut from BasicGrey Nook
& Pantry paper, shaded with Copics & glazed with Crystal Lacquer.

Hope you can join us for the

Take a stroll through the blogs of all the Paper Gardeners and
enjoy some "heart-felt" inspiration.

While you visit, subscribe to each Gardener's blog and take note of each designer's name and their Romantic Word in their blog post. Once you finish your garden tour, send an E-mail to custserv@papergardenprojects.com with the list of designers and their Romantic Word.

Everyone who sends the correct list of designers and words will be entered in a random drawing to win a sweet Valentine prize. You need to send an e-mail to the address above; please don't leave your list as a comment. You have until midnight (EST) on January 26 to sent your list.

And the prize? The super cute Penny Black clear stamp set called Every Which Way.

So enjoy the garden tour (feel free to bring along some Valentine treats).
Here is the garden tour guide list:

• Please start with Cathy (if you're not already hopping.) :o)
  
• (Mel--You are here & my word is Chocolate mmmm chocolate!)
• Tracy
• Amber
• Lorelie
• Tangii
• Tricia
  

(Clickable blogger photos, for those who prefer them)

• Easter bunny clear stamp set (basket)
• Cupcake clear stamp set (sentiment)
• BasicGrey 6x6 paper Nook & Pantry
• Neenah Solar Crest white cardstock
• Jet Black Ranger Archival ink
  
• Clear embossing powder
• Copic Markers: E-44 Clay, R-85 Rose Red, RV-11 Pink, YG-23 New Leaf, BG-10 Cool Shadow, R-37 Carmine, Y-15 Cadmium Yellow
• Paper piercer, needle, & thread
• Tombow Monomulti, Crystal Lacquer, Super Red tape
• Ribbon from the "I Want it White" Collection
• Frosted Teal cardstock from the Frosty Fun Collection)
  

Thanks for stopping in!

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Mo Valentine's Hop

What's shakin'?

Welcome to Mo's Dream Team Valentine's Blog Hop!
The talented Kerttu is hosting this month & we're making treat bags
(Well, mine is a box turned bag with the addition of a basket-y handle.) ;o)

The star of the show, of course, is this new delightful sweetie
rendered by the ever marvellous Mo!

Cupid in Love! (Doesn't he look smitten?
Can you hear him sigh with amour?) ;o)

1... Mo's Digital Pencil Dream Team blog hop
2...how to make this Cupid in Love treat bag
3...links to template & digital paper freebies

-1-

Hopping order:

If you're not already on the hop,
please start with: Kerttu who's hosting it! :o)

-Cheryl
-Rach
-Mina
-Mel (you are here)
-Jak has an amazing project for you next
Shell
-Lori
-Suzanne

-2-

• Cupid in Love image from Mo's Digital Pencil
• bag (box) template (freebie linked here ) or below
• ledger digital paper (freebie linked here) or below
• Strathmore 100lb Bristol Vellum paper
• Golden Matte Medium, Clear embossing powder, heat gun
• Copic Markers, Crystal lacquer, Glitzy Glitter
• Cosmo Cricket Everafter kit & black cardstock
• GCD Studios Paris Nights collection (#473 Paris Market)
• Paper piercer, needle, black thread & gold seed beads
• Blue green seed beads & matching embroidery thread
• White Organza ribbon,
• Double-sided tape, Tombow Monomulti
  

Step 1) Clear heat emboss Mo's Digital Pencil Cupid in Love image from an ink jet printer. The digital embossing is made possible by cardstock that I coated lightly with Golden Matte Medium & embossing done with clear embossing powder on wet ink jet printer ink-standard setting.

Notes about this digi embossing method (in case you've never heard me ramble on about it before) ;o)...Matte medium alters the surface & changes the feel of Copic colouring, (like colouring on metallic paper; the ink floats & can be moved around and blended together. It can have a resist effect which may be a fun new technique in itself for random texture effects, but that resist quality can make your image mottled if the application of matte medium is not fairly even...

BUT I love that:

• You get the embossed look with a digital image (yet with such fine beautiful lines)
• You get a cool erase-ability that the matte medium gives.
• There are never any smears on the image (assuming you get the embossing powder on while the ink is still wet. The best way to ensure ink wet enough to emboss is to use a standard setting, print one image at a time on a half sheet of cardstock--a width of 8.5 inches & about 5.5 high goes through the printer faster.)

Step 2) Emboss just the hearts on patterned paper (also using matte medium)

Considerations with Copics on Matte Medium
(and with Printing on it too)

Copics: This digitally-embossed image is coloured with Copic Markers. Please note: " I'm not "technically" sure of the effect of Matte medium on Copics, but I am a sucker for the blend-ability (and floating quality that Matte Medium gives).

I fall back on the fact that the tips are replaceable if the need ever arises. Mine are A-okay so far (and I do this often) but I thought you should be aware of the possibility of clogged Copic nibs.

Printers: Likewise, please realize that the digital embossing on Matte Medium is just something I made up and hence I'm not sure about what effect it might have on your particular brand of printer. I know that Golden makes "Digital Grounds" that go on liquid as well, so perhaps it's okay?

I've been doing this for years & just clean the heads occasionally on my $50.00 Canon MP250-- ink jet printer--it's still printing wonderfully. If you are worried about your expensive printer, but want to try out heat embossed digital images, perhaps you could get an affordable (cheap) ink jet printer for the purpose.

All that said, I wouldn't give up digital heat embossing for all the riches in the world. It prevents smudging and adds such rich depth & fine detail to the line of images.



Step 3) Cut both the patterned heart & the Cupid image out, bending the wings for dimension.



Step 4) Colour the image. Please note-Matte medium will affect the way Copics perform on papers. If you want consistent colour, be sure to coat evenly. They sit on the surface of the medium so you have some erase-ability.

I coloured the little blue-green bit at the bottom of the Cupid to match the paper pieced heart. You could cut it from your paper instead, but I found a mix of Copic markers & Prismacolour pencils made a nice colour match.



Step 5) Add some Glitzy Glitter (glass pieces, SO cool!) to the wings. I glued it on with Diamond Glaze (crystal lacquer)



Step 6) Glue patterned heart to the image & pierce around the outside edge



Step 7) Stitch gold seed beads around the edge of the heart (I think I'm hooked on that, hey?) ;o)



Step 8) Print & cut a second heart (through the magic of digital images this one is printed larger--at 110%--to create a second ruffle underneath the image.



Step 9) Glue the image onto the under ruffle



Step 10) Pierce holes & stitch silver thread for the bow string



Step 11) Adhere Cupid to a mat (This is a beloved scrap of GMC Paris Nights & black cardstock.) It's stitched with blue-green seed beads & the outer edge is coloured with a Copic marker for a faux mat (BG-72 Ice Ocean.) I adore the way Copics shimmer on the GMC.



Step 12) Build the box. This is my mini long note box template with vintage ledger freebie on it (printed on Strathmore 100lb Bristol Vellum)



Step 13) Adhere a strip for the Cosmo Cricket Everafter Kit to more black cardstock.



Step 14) Place the strip under the box (centered) & score to fit around the box.



Step 15) Adhere the strip to the box.



Step 16) Wrap with a piece of ribbon & tie a bow & adhere it.

Step 17) Adhere the image to the front of the box...

Step 18) Add a handle & a little bag of treats.

...et voilà...

(click me if you'd like to see me bigger) ;O)

-3-

for this treat box (or as a note-card with
matching envelopes) is linked up here:

(Please click the photos to go download the template)

Digital ledger paper:

(click to go download it)

-Jak has an amazing project for you next
(You're in for a treat and then some!)

E.T.A: The PDF of this tutorial is here
(with photos, I'm still trying to figure out how to
edit photos out in the PDF writer I have.)

Thank you SO much for hopping by!

P.S. Mo' links:

You can find Cupid in Love here:

You can see all the newest art from Mo here on...


&

There's a great challenge every Thursday on...


(Those ladies are such a talented team!)

And if you haven't joined the Mo's Digital Pencil groups
(on PCP or SNR) then what are ya waitin' for? heehee.
LOTs of inspiration there!

Details on how to join in the fun at Mo's Digital Pencil groups are
written up (with links) at the bottom of this post, in case you'd like to come play! :o)

(click to visit the blog from an email or reader)

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