Looking Sharp! Quick Quotes Special Fold cards

Hello, Alicia with you today.  I have created a couple of shaped cards with die cuts using Quick Quotes double sided card stock.  It is a great weight for the card base but with some flexibility so the card folds properly.  These cards begin with a 6x12 size sheet of card stock as the base.  I chose to use this beautiful water color green from the new Spring Showers collection.

This was the first time I played with my cactus card die set.  It was so much fun with all the cute accessories.  Quick Quotes coordinating papers provide so many options for cutting and accessorizing.  I used a punch to select just the right area to cut the flowers on the front.  I tucked the faux pot I added under the flowers to create a closure.

I cut the cactus twice and used panels from the second cut to decorate the inside.  I layered two cuts of the sentiment to make it pop!  Designing my character cactus was fun, this set came with a variety of eyes and mouths.

I also made the owl version.  I actually owned this die set first and have made a few different owls before this one.  I think this one is the prettiest yet primarily because of the gorgeous papers from the Spring Showers collection.  

The inside owl is so striking using the floral side of the paper.  I used the wing die cut and cut some of the side off to fit on the small owl.  I stamped my sentiment on the blue water color side with  Cool Gray Powder puff chalking ink.  I kept the interior of this card white for a striking contrast for the inside owl.

Quick Quotes Products:

Powder Puff Chalking inks:  Tropical Punch, Capri Blue,  Key Largo, Cool Gray, Jade, and Midnight Confessions 

Spring Showers 100, 102, 103 and 105 (available soon)

Navigator Paper 100

49 Shades of Grey 104

other products:

Cactus and Owl Sizzix fold-a-long dies

Sentiment stamp from Close to My Heart Pair-a-phrase

Scalloped Circle punches from Stampin Up

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Alicia

Hello Sunshine with Tim Holtz embossing folder

Hello Sunshine!  and good morning to you!  This card came together really quick because of the great sketches at Atlantic Hearts Challenge.  I started with the sentiment and decided I wanted to use the Tim Holtz sun ray embossing folder.

 

Here's this week's sketch:

I popped up one cloud to add dimension.

Ingredients:

Tim Holtz/Sizzix Rays embossing folder

Stamplorations Sweet Spring Phrase die

Spellbinders Sunny Days cloud dies

gems and pearls

Quick Quotes Powder Puff Chalking ink  Cool Gray

Quick Quotes papers

yellow shimmer card stock

Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to play along with Atlantic Hearts Challenge!

Alicia

Hello Hippo cards for Dies R Us

Hello, I have made a series of hippo cards.  I was inspired by a local celebrity Fiona the hippo.  I only live a couple of miles from this adorable baby!  She has been quite famous and even has her own show, but if you are not aware of Fiona's story you can check it out here. Isn't she the cutest hippo you have ever seen?

 After a couple of experiments, I came up with a design I liked.  I started with the Frantic Stamper Stitched Rounded Rectangles as a base.  I layered a Tutti Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Circle  before adding the Cheapo Dies Hippo cut from a fine glitter paper.

For embellishments, I added sequins and ribbons.  I also inked all my edges to accentuate the embossing.

I used some new Dies R Us products that aren't dies.  First I used several Distress Oxide ink pads and a few different techniques to create backgrounds.  One of those techniques was inking my mat and spritzing with water and dragging my paper through the ink. I also used the Tutti Designs Poke Tools to poke out pieces and replace them with cuts of a different color.  Adding this detail really gives the hippo some character.

I made a few more cards, the distress backgrounds were so much fun to create.   This first one was the "drag" technique.

For this card I sponged the ink on the paper and spritzed lightly.  I used did this several times to create the pale background.

Here are my first two experimental cards.  On the first one I replaced all the detail cuts with another color of paper.  It was really time consuming so for future hippos, I just replaced the face details with another color.  I also tried a different sentiment  but decided the Hello die was the perfect one.  

Dies R Us Products:

Tutti Designs Scalloped Stitched Nesting Circle

Cheapo Dies Hippo

Tutti Designs Poke Tools

Frantic Stamper Stitched Rounded Rectangles

Karen Burniston Greetings

Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick

Distress Oxide Cracked Pistachio

Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers

Distress Oxide Seedless Preserves

Distress Oxide Hickory Smoke

Distress Oxide Abandoned Coral

Frantic Stamper Life is Good

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Alicia

Please remember, each an every day of the month there's a new inspiration sample shared on the blog by this fabulous design team.  Please be sure to pop in regularly.

Also, don't forget to come join in the fun at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.  There's a new challenge theme offered on the 1st and 15th of each month and one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive a gift voucher prize to the Dies R Us Store.

 For your convenience, all the important Dies R Us links are provided below.

I would like to enter this in the following challenges:

https://tictactoechallenge.com/tttc037-featured-designer-teresa-dewitt-pierce/ until 3/5x

 (sequins, circle, texture)

https://craftaholicsrus.blogspot.ca/2018/02/challenge-9-sequins.html until 3/6x

http://4craftychicks.blogspot.com/2018/03/4-crafty-chicks-392-just-add-sentiment.html until 3/7x

http://cutitupchallenges.blogspot.com/2018/02/challenge-142-anything-goes_23.html until 3/7x

http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/198-anything-goes-sentiment.html until 3/12x

http://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.ca/2018/03/challenge-12-sponsored-by-limited-runs.html until 3/25x

http://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/challenge-46-something-new.html until 3/27 (new hippo die)x

http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/2018/03/dlart-march-2018-linky-challenge.html until 3/31x

Craft room clean up

Good morning, I am still occupied with other things in my life right now.  I did however, do a clean up of my craft room when I returned from vacation last month.  Of course, one has to take pictures when it is "clean" or as clean as it gets, lol!  It has just taken a month to get the pics in a post.  

As soon as you walk in the door to the left is my stamp collection.

Next along that wall is my ink pad and refill collection.  I created my holders out of foam board.  Warning!!! Do NOT use the cheap $1 foam board, it is not as sturdy as the good stuff found at Michael's.  I had to remake the ones on the left, the one on the right is several years old and has not sagged that bad while just as full...the difference was the board.  Yes, the good stuff is more expensive but it takes many hours to make these containers and much better not to have to do the same project twice because of shoddy materials.

My old dog loves to hang out in mom's craft room.

This area is handy to my primary seat.  I have my tool caddy and solid card stocks within reach.  As is my color charts and a notebook of less used thin dies.

Webster relaxing...

My rainbow papers and embellishments.

The primary reason for my clean up was to incorporate the wood shelving that holds my electronics.  One of my printers was not even in my craft room.  Now both my electronic cutters and both my printers have a permanent sturdy home.  It also gave me more table top for designing and preparing my mats for my electronic cutters.

My beads have been relegated to the corner.

I rearranged this top shelf since it used to house one of my printers.

Even during clean up, there is a "collection" area where all the "other" stuff collects.

My die cutting area.  The old Creative Memories binders hold my embossing folders.

I have lined several areas with magnets to hang my most used thin dies.

And we are back to the door.  Thanks for stopping by for my annual clean up and 360 tour.  

Alicia

Quick Quotes Spring Pocket Letter and ATC's

Hello, Alicia here today.  I may have gotten carried away playing with the new 2018 PowderPuff Chalking Inks.  I have stenciled, stamped, distressed and colored with latest colors plus a few others.

First I created a pocket letter to send to my sister.  I wanted to feature the Spring Showers paper with it's gorgeous flowers on the woodgrain background.  I tried to accent the papers with various spring die cuts and embellishments while keeping the continuity of the print.

I began my idea for this project with a template I created from a project during last year's Mini Reserve class.  It served it's purpose very well.  My paper piece turned out super.

I still wanted each piece to be a stand alone work as well.  On this piece I just layered die cuts, ribbons and gems while distressing with inks.

As with any good pocket letter, I have enclosed goodies on the back side for my sister to enjoy.

A close up of some more of the pockets, if you are not familiar, ATC's and pocket letters are 2.5"x3.5".  Pocket letters use baseball card holders.

Illustrated below are two of the techniques I used.  The first row of photos use PowderPuff chalking inks to stamp a word.  The next photos show me using a water brush to color the image.

I also made some individual ATC's with scraps.  I played with several stencils on these projects.  I added washi tape, gems, die cuts, layered stickers and sequins.  I inked all the edges with coordinating PowderPuff Chalking Inks.

I used a couple of  different colors of ink on the feather for the first ATC. I started with Key Largo then I inked just the edges with Tropical Punch. On the second, I did a partial background stenciling to add interest and make the layers pop.

Quick Quotes Products:

Powder Puff Chalking inks:  Tropical Punch, Capri Blue, Purple Rain, Island Orange, Key Largo, Cool Gray, Sandy Shore, Rose Petal

Spring Showers 100 and105

Navigator Paper 100

other products:

dies by Sizzix, Stamplorations

butterflies by Prima

gems and washi tape by Recollections

glitter ribbon by American Crafts

stencils by Kite (Judikins)

stamps from Graphic 45 and others

sequins

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Alicia