1/16″ hand held punch

You’ve Got This

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

A simple floral card really speaks to me.  Like so often happens, I had started in a different direction with this project, but it took its own way.  I love how it turned out, but I don’t know if I can make it happen like this again.

2-23

The background stamp came from the same set as the flower and sentiment, You’ve Got This. It is supposed to look a little more water colored, or even just painted.  Well, I believe my water color paper acted a bit more like a resist than intended.  I thought about spritzing it to have the color spread more, but decided to leave it until it was time to color the flower.

The flower and sentiment were both stamped with versamark ink and embossed with copper embossing powder.  With the flower I forgot to use a static resist tool and it was very obvious.  I cleaned it up as well as I could without destroying the image, but it still showed my mess.  The sentiment, I remembered and it is super clean.  I did water color the background of the sentiment, but very lightly.

I painted the flower with sweet sugarplum, blushing bride and old olive.  It turned out really lovely.  The odd messy dots of extra embossing really add to it.  That is what I meant by trying to re-create it somehow.  Accidents aren’t always easy to control a second time.

2-23-1

Either way, it turned out quite lovely.  A sweet inspirational card is wonderful to make, but even better to give away.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Enjoy…

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Yummy, yummy and yummy.  That is what this card is.  It could be the paper, the delicate tag or the precious bit of copper metallic thread.  More likely, the combination of the three. Some simple cards are way more than simple.  I am going to have to get more of this paper for sure.

8-3 (2)

I looked through my stamp stash for a tiny phrase or saying that would be noticed but not distract.  One tiny word from the Endless Birthday Wishes set was just right.  It also helped to make the card truly an all occasion theme.  This project is likely to be reproduced a few times over.  Such a great layout and color scheme.

8-3 (1)

Have a creative day!

Moana

Thank You So Very Much

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Everyone says thank you in their own way.  Me, well I like to do favor boxes or cartons.  A little bit of words along with a special treat.  I always want to give something special and to be honest, the budget won’t often allow that.  Hence my love of paper crafting.  I always have more time than money, so my time can show my gratitude.  It isn’t that people expect, I just enjoy doing it.

6-29

This carton was made with a whole sheet of sahara sand card stock.  I pulled out the trusty simply scored scoring tool and it came together in no time.  I actually made this one while having a lovely chat with my mom and dad.  How wonderful summer can be to me.  I did do my stamping first, because it does bother me when the stamping skips over the score lines. I know, not a real big deal, but it bugs me.  So the stamping first with the Flourishing Phrases large floral image.  I stamped and sponged in crumb cake instead of sahara sand to give a more vintage look.  So adorable.

The tag was cut with from the frame from the Rose Garden Thinlits set.  It it so much fun to put such pretty things together.  The smaller floral image was stamped first, the thank you second and then die cut.  Of course the whole project enjoyed lots of sponging.  I wrapped the top of the carton with gold metallic thread, popped a tricky bow through a bitty hole I punched and topped it all with a large basic pearl.  I refrained from putting those all over the box, I made myself keep it more simple.  So there you go!

6-29 (1)

Have a creative day!

Moana

It’s Your Day!

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday was one of my TA’s birthdays.  Boys turning 14 don’t want a lot of fluff, just cut to the good stuff.  I stopped on the way to school and picked up a large chocolate bar and wrapped in this awesome, retired, water color patterned dsp.  He is also an artist, so I knew he would appreciate the water color theme going on.

3-22

It was so easy to assemble.  I placed tear n’ tape along three sides and wrapped the large candy up.  First I wrapped the paper around fairly tight and sealed it like a flat tube.  Then, I just removed the other strips of tape to flat seal the ends.

I took the scraps of my linen thread and wrapped them around and tied a knot.  I just took my hand painted, and stamped of course, gift tag and looped it through one of the extra strands.  Another simple knot and this lovely package was ready to go.  Sorry I didn’t get a photo of the finished product, but I wasn’t sure just what candy I would be able to get. Stores out in the country don’t always have a large selection.  The way the paper was prepared I could have turned it into a large sour cream container styled  box and been just fine as well.  For the win!

3-22 (1)

Have a creative day!

Moana

Getting Ready for a St. Patrick’s Day Party!

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

It has been a busy few days getting ready for a large youth etiquette dinner.  This one won’t be all about the perfect manners, but more like what do you do when things don’t go quite right.  Those tend to have the best memories anyway.

101_1222

The invitations were pretty darn basic, which was great when I needed to make sixty rather quickly.  The dinner menu was just printed on card stock to coordinate with the invitation. The names of the menu items are in a kind of St. Patrick Day code.  All of the items, from the food to the utensils, are going to be a mystery to the kids.  When they are served what they “ordered” they might end up with odd and end food items and maybe a straw or toothpick to eat with.  After a some laughs and efforts at etiquette, they will be sent through to fill their plates properly and do their best.

101_1223

Part of the table decorations will include these adorable favors with rainbow fish crackers in them.  The stamp comes from a long retired stamp set that went with the ever adorable milk carton bigz die.  I could have made those forever.  I still have it, because I don’t think I can part with it.

It should be an evening filled with good friends and even better laughs.  I can’t wait!

101_1221

Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello and Bonjour!

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Can  Sale-a-bration be any more fun?  How about getting another free stamp set just so you can have it in french?  I saw another awesome demonstrator, Mary Fish, use this set with the bonjour stamp and I knew I wanted it as well.  Isn’t that just how we work?  Well, it was worth it.  I love it!

3-9 (3)

The dsp I am using here is also from a free Sale-a-bration set.  Most of the patterns are floral, hence the wildflower fields title, but not all of them.  These simple stripes are adorable.  I thought I would create two color choices and a gift bag that could go with either one.  It worked out great.

3-9 (1)

I thought for sure the bonjour card would be my favorite, but the birthday boy is also very adorable.  I think the party hat stamp really made it.  You can never have enough birthday cards, especially when I get to share most of them with my mother-in-law.  She is so good about remembering literally everyone’s birthdays.  And she loves sending out special ones much more than a store bought card.  Who wouldn’t?

3-9 (2)

Have a creative day!

Moana

Lovely Amazing You

~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

While sitting next to my youngest daughter, trying to keep her awake to finish homework, I thought I would complete my project for the next day.  Good idea, right?  I pulled two stamp sets I hadn’t used in a while and asked her for a color idea.  She said dark blue, so I went with Night of Navy.  The card began.

Lovely Amazing You

She wasn’t having the best of evenings and her older sister came to the rescue, even though she is out of state attending university.  I do think that technology can interfere with real personal relationships, but this was perfect.  The infamous ‘snapchat’ was just the thing.  The sad faces turned to happy and then on to absolutely silly.  And that is how I chose my sentiment.  Thank you my sweet daughter for being the best big sister ever.

Lovely Amazing You

The brayer was still out from workshop so I let it give me my background on the large polka dot embossing folder.  Kind of artsy looking, even if I didn’t keep it perfectly clean.  I then decided to do a lot of sponging to disguise some of that, can’t hide it all, and also sponged lightly all over the paper.  Nice.

Lovely Amazing You

The little notebook sheet was created with a stamp from the Tap Tap Tap set, offset on some Night of Navy cardstock, raised up on dimensionals and embellished with basic rhinestones.  I even used the 1/16″ hand held punch and punched actual holes over the stamped ones.  Pretty cute.  I finished off the project with a bow of seam binding ribbon and decided I loved it!

Have a creative day!

Moana

No Bones About It

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

No, I don’t have little children, and yes, I did have to have this set.  I actually pegged it for a favorite when the new catalog first came out.  It really isn’t the speed of my card group I teach, but I wanted it for myself.  How cute is it?

No Bones About It

There are four different dinosaurs in the set, all with matching skeletons, some fossil plant looking stamps, some splats and these awesome footprints.  As well as a few super cool sentiments to go along.

No Bones About It

This card was done in mossy meadow and whisper white with no frills.  I embossed the base with the chevron folder and made my layered tag from the tags & labels framelits set.  Plenty of dimensionals for everyone and there you go.  I did accent it a bit with some linen thread using the 1/16″ hand held punch for the knot to show through.

No Bones About It

 

I am going to really enjoy this set a lot, and I mean a lot.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Tiny Thank You

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Spending the morning with my husband took first place today.  So, blogging had to happen later on in the morning.  Works great for me, during the summer that is.

Tiny Thank You

I didn’t know where to start this morning, so I turned to my scrap pile.  You know, those extra bits of paper that are too big to toss and haven’t filed back into the paper files.  Well, there was this piece of bermuda bay measuring 5×6 that was calling to me.  I did the math and ended up using my scoreboard to make this cute little carton.  Simple division is a beautiful thing, did I just say that?  Yup!

Tiny Thank You

This carton is big enough to fill with plenty of treats or even a nail polish or two.  Sometimes it is fun to say thank you in a different way.  I do have a weakness for cute little boxes and bags.

Tiny Thank You

How about the washi tape though!  I did all of my scores first and then got the tape out.  I put it down on an angle leaving about 3/4″ between pieces.  I didn’t measure, just eyeballed it.  From a distance it looks like striped paper with blue stripes over the top.  Fun look.

Banner punches went to work on the adorable sentiment tag.  Using bakers twine was the only thing tiny enough to work well.  All in all, I do love this little guy. Now, who to share it with…

Have a creative day!

Moana

My Dear Friend

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I focused on one image for today’s project.  It initially reminded me of a Japanese maple tree as it starts to change colors.  They are so vibrant.  As I started to paint them I noticed the flowers and the leaves looking different.  I thought it was more of a shrub.  Put your glasses on, right?

My Dear Friend

I put the aqua painter to work here.  I stamped the image in cherry cobbler and brought the color in with just water.  Then I added in old olive and mixed the colors, just as the leaves would be looking.  I decided I wanted the flowers to stand out more, so I darkened the centers to bring out the detail.  I can’t believe I didn’t notice the flowers the first time.

My Dear Friend

Talk about being generous with the basic rhinestones, but I wanted all of the centers to sparkle.  Such a pretty look.  Is it over the top?  Well, if it is for a dear friend, you want it special.  The friend stamp seemed a bit lonely, so I wrote in above it using an old olive stampin’ write marker.  First try even, not bad.

My Dear Friend

There are so many new products used today.  The framelits, the embossing folder, the stamp, and they work together great!  I even got all nostalgic thinking about an old friend that I just don’t get to see anymore.  Guess I know where this one is going!

Have a creative day!

Moana