Tuesday, August 30, 2011



Wow! Another post. Can you believe it? Today's card was made for the Tuesday Sketch Challenge with a Twist at Peachy Keen Stamps. The sketch is pictured below, and the twist is to use buttons somewhere on the project.


I created this cute Mickey Mouse themed card using the Patty Cake Jr stamp. This time Patty Cake is a Mousekateer wishing that special someone a "Happy Birthday".

I stamped Patty Cake Jr from Peachy Keen Stamps on Cryogen white cardstock and colored the image using Copic Markers, E00 - E13 - E15 - R20. Then, I cut out the image and set it aside. For the dress I decided to do a little paper piecing. So, I stamped a second image onto the polka dot cardstock and cut out the dress and bow. I inked the edges of the dress and bow with Distress Ink and attached them to the colored image. I used the tiny Mickey Mouse punch to make a button embellishment for her dress.


Next, I assembled the panels of the card front using solid red and black cardstock. The large mouse heads were cut with the Cricut, embossed with the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder and layered onto the card front. Patty Cake was attached to the card front with foam squares to give her a little dimension.

I used the Tim Holtz Mini Rosette Die to make the rosette from polka dot cardstock. A red and white print cardstock from Stampin' Up! was used for the Scallop Circle layer. Happy Birthday was printed on white cardstock using the computer and punched out with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch to make the top layer. This was attached to a larger black circle for contrast. I added small red buttons to create the mouse head image on the top of the rosette and finished it off with a tiny bow.

 


I made a dimensional border strip along the bottom of the card using the same printed papers cut with the the rosette die. A large and small strip was layered, fan folded and attached to the card with glue. I added black ribbon to the layered strip for contrast. Once the fan folded strip was in place I attached the the rosette to the card front.


Supplies for this Project

Patty Cake Jr (PK-401) from Peachy Keen Stamps.
Black 6" Square Card (Folded)
Red Cardstock - 5" X 5 3/8"
Black Cardstock - 4 3/4" X 5 1/4" 
4" Red  Mouse Head
3 3/4" White Mouse Head
1 1/4" White Circle
1 3/8" Black Circle
Polka Dot Cardstock - Dress, Bow, One Large & One Small Rosette Strip
Red Print Cardsock from Stampin' Up! - Scallop Circle & Large Rosette Strip
Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Copic Markers
Red Buttons - 1 large and 2 small
1/8" Black Ribbon
Swiss Dots Embossing Folder
Tim Holtz Mini Rosette Die
Tiny Mickey Mouse Punch
Circle Punches - 1 1/4" & 1 3/8"
Cuttlebug & Cricut

I am really enjoying making these wonderful rosettes. I hope you are inspired to make one for your next card. And don't forget how versatile the Patty Cake stamp is. So far she has been a rabbit and a Mousekateer. You'll want to be here in September for my Guest Designer week with Peachy Keen Stamps. I promise you, you'll see her again. Wishing everyone a creative week of card making! - Jane, the Polka Dot Gypsy.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Fun "Fifty with Wings" Card

Hi Everyone! I am so sorry to have disappeared over the past couple of months. Summertime is a very busy time for my husband and me. We like to travel to local fairs, festivals, races and concerts. And to add to our busy summer we decided to build a house. Something we said we would never do. But we jumped right in. Besides visiting our future home and taking lots of pictures for our “New Home” scrapbook, I’ve been designing a new stamp room. I’ve spent long hours visiting blogs and websites looking for ideas. Then, we head to auctions, garage sales and consignment shops trying to find the perfect pieces to make my room a fun place to create in. I have a lot of stamp room ideas that I will be sharing with you on my blog. But I want to keep them all a secret until the house is finished and I start moving my treasures in. My vision for my stamp room is to have everything work in such a way that I can create projects quickly and share them with you here at Polka Dot Gypsy.


Today I’m excited to share with you this card for the Color Me Creative Challenge Group featuring an image with “wings”.  I love this color combo and use it a lot. It reminds me of the fifties. So, I made a card for everyone turning 50 this year. May your fiftieth be filled with lots of fun filled memories.

Digital Image
Fairy Emma from The Paper Shelter.

Paper
Stampin’ Up, October Afternoon and DCWV

Tools & Supplies
Computer & Printer
1 3/8” Circle Punch & Scallop Circle Punch
Scor-Buddy
Cricut
Cuttlebug
Sizzix “Vine” Die
Nestabilities Oval Die
Mini Rosette Sizzlit Die from Tim Holtz
Pearl Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels
Broken China Distress Ink.
Copic Markers E00, E11, E33, E53, E29, R20, R22, R24, R27, BG10, BG13, BG18, Y11, Y17, YR20 and YR14.

Instructions for Creating “Fifty with Wings” Card

Step One – Cutting
Cut paper as described below except for the white oval. After the pieces have been cut set them aside to be assembled later.
(C-1) 6” Square Card
(C-2) 5 ¾” Square Dark Mat
(C-3) 5 ½” Square Print Background
(C-4) 2 ¼” X 5 ½ Striped Side Panel
(O-1) 5” Dark Oval
(O-2) 4 ¾” Red Oval
(0-3) 4 ½” White Oval (Cut after image is printed on 8 ½” X 11” cardstock)
(V-1) Green Vine (Cut with the Sizzix die)
(R-1) Red Polka Dot Rosette Strip (Cut from the Mini Rosette Sizzlit)
(R-2) White Scallop Circle
(R-3) 1 ½” Dark Circle
(R-4) Two 1 3/8” Light Circles
(R-5) Number “50” (Cut with Cricut)

Step Two – Print, Cut and Color the Digital Image
Print the digital image on white cardstock and color with Copics. Digital images are so versatile. They can be resized, flipped and layered with other images to make a complete scene. For this project I filled the 8 ½” X 11” cardstock with multiple images, leaving a generous amount of space between each image. The Nestabilities Oval die was used to cut the image, centered within the oval. Once the image is colored and cut, set aside.

Step Three – Create the Rosette
I used the Tim Holtz Mini Rosette Sizzlit strip and followed his instructions found here. The rosette went together very quickly and easy. Once the rosette strip has been cut and folded, layer the rosette as follows: R4 – R1 – R2 – R3 – R4 – R5 – R6. Set the rosette aside. The “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” greeting was printed out on cardstock from my computer and punched out using the 1 3/8” Circle Punch.



Step Four – Layer the Card and Oval Sections
Layer card: C1 – C2 – C3 – C4
Layer Oval: O1 – O2 – O3

Step Five – Assemble Completed Sections
Assemble all the completed sections: card base, oval, rosette and vine. Attach the vine to the left edge of card and the layered oval to the right edge. Let the vine wrap over the top of the lower portion of the oval. Attach the rosette to the upper left area of the card. Embellish as desired. I added three pearls to add a little interest.



I hope you enjoy this card and will join me again for more fun projects. And if you have a stamp room tip for organization or ways to create cards quickly, please feel free to share them in the comments section. I always appreciate and enjoy reading your comments.

Don’t forget! During the week of September 19th – 23rd I will be a Guest Designer for Peachy Keen Stamps. I hope you will join me during the whole week because I am going to have a new card or project to share with you every day. And at the end of the week I will have a Peachy Keen Stamp set to give away to some lucky crafter. And it could be you! Thank you for joining me today on my paper journey – Jane, the Polka Dot Gypsy!