Sunday, March 20, 2011

CMC Classroom Birthday Celebration Sketch Challenge




Hi all! I’ve been hanging out at the Color Me Creative Classroom this week. CMC Classroom is celebrating it's first birthday with a week full of fun. This card is for the March 15th Sketch Challenge at CMC Classroom. 


This is a pretty simple card to make. So, I’m just going to share with you the details and if there is anything you have questions about, just leave me a comment!

The techniques I've used in this card are machine sewing, distress inked edges, embossing, spiral flowers and Copic markers. My Gypsy Gem for this project is my watering can. I spent a whole evening searching the internet for a digi stamp of a watering can. I knew just what I wanted, but couldn’t find it. I finally gave up and went to Photoshop Elements and created this cute little watering can with a Happy Birthday greeting in honor of CMC Classroom. I’m pretty proud of my first ever “Digi” stamp.

Supply List

Stamps
“Tilda with Ladybug” from Magnolia Stamps
Watering Can Digi Stamp created by the Polka Dot Gypsy

Copics
Face, Hands & Legs – E000, E00, E11 & R20
Hair – Y32, E33 & F57
Dress – G21, G24 & G28
Pinafore & Boots – R00, R20 & R22
Ladybug & Pockets – R22, R24, R27 & W3
Ladybug Face – C1, C3 & C5
Watering Can – R00, R20, R22, G21, G24 & G28

Ink
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
Peeled Paint Distress Ink
Victorian Velvet Distress Ink.

Miscelaneous Supplies
Swiss Dots & Starry Night Embossing Folders
Scallop Circle Nestabilities
Flower Die from Cottage Cutz
Spring Flower Boquet and Scallop Trim Border Punches from Stampin’ Up!
Ribbon & Wire
Sewing Machine, Cricut & Cuttlebug

Cardstock
Red - 6" Square Card
Green - 5 ¾” Square Mat
Marabell Plaid from the Paper Studio - 5 3/8” Square Design Panel
Green - (3) 1 1/8” X 5 3/8” Mat Strip
Red Minidot print from Heidi Grace Designs  - (3) 7/8” X 5 3/8” Main Panel Strip
Green -  3” X 4 7/8” Horizontal Mat Strip with Scallop Trim Border punched along bottom edge
Green Minidot print from Heidi Grace Designs – 2 1/4" X 4 5/8”
Red – 4 1/8” Scallop Circle
Green – 3 ¾” Circle
Cryogen White – 3 ½” Circle embossed with the Starry Night embossing folder
(3) Red Minidot print Flowers cut with the “Flower” die from Cottage Cutz
(3) Tissue paper Scallop Circles embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder
Various Flowers punched with Stampin’ Up! Spring Flower Boquet Punch and Flourishes cut with Cricut.

Basic Card Assembly

Color Tilda and the watering can with Copic markers and set aside.

Make the Spiral Flowers as described in my previous post of March 6. Set flowers aside.

Emboss the Cryogen white circle. Punch along the bottom edge of the green horizontal mat using the Scallop Trim Border punch. Set aside.

Distress all the panel edges with appropriate colors of Distress inks. I did not distress the Cryogen White circle.

Layer the individual panels and sew around the edges.  I did not stitch around the circular panels.

Gypsy Tip
I use double sided adhesive tape to tack pieces together before sewing. Be sure that the adhesive will not be in any area where you will be sewing as this will gum up the sewing machine needle. I don't sew more than 2 pieces of cardstock together at a time. When sewing along the edges I stop at corners with my needle down, lift the presser foot and turn the paper to make my corner. If I am too far away from the edge, but too close to take another stitch before turning, I reduce my stitch length and make one more stitch, stopping with the needle down and then make my turn. Before I resume stitching I adjust my stitch back to the normal length.

Attach the layered panels to the card front. Be sure to attach the ribbon around the horizontal panel before attaching the scallop/circle layers.

Decorate the card with Tilda, watering can, flowers and tisue paper scallop circles. I used pop dots to attach Tilda and the watering can to the card. Wire was used to replace the stamped antennae cut away from the Tilda image. I cut some cardstock swirls with the Cricut and tucked them in the flower grouping to add some color.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing my Sketch Challenge card featuring “Tilda with Ladybug” and my very own watering can image! I’m going to head on back to the party at Color Me Creative Classroom. Have a great week! – Jane, the Polka Dot Gypsy

Sunday, March 6, 2011

PKS Sketch Challenge #46

Some Bunny Loves You!


I have to admit that I am addicted to the Patty Cake Jr stamp. This cute little gingerbread girl has stolen my heart. For the Peachy Keen Sketch Challenge 46 I am using her again, this time as a bunny for Easter. Please read on to find out how I made this cute little card and especially how I made the flowers. Here is this weeks sketch.



Featured Stamp
Peachy Keen Stamp, Patty Cake Jr (PK-401)
Paper
Blue – 6” Card (Folded Size)
(A) Light Green –5 5/8” Square
(B) Medium Green – (2 Each) 2 ½” X 5 ¼”
(C) Bue Print – (2 Each) 2 ¼” X 5”
(D) Medium Green – 4 3/8” X 4 5/8”
(E) White – 4 1/8” X 4 3/8”
(F) Polka Dot – 4” X 4 ¼”
(G) White Scallop Egg
(H) Blue Egg Mat
(I) Check/Text Egg

Various Paper Elements

Image, Bunny Ears and Flowers

All papers from Stampin’ Up!, My Mind’s Eye and G.C.D Studios (Melody Ross).

Supplies

Ribbon
Button
Copic Markers
Flower Mini (1 ¾”) CC-MINI-049 Cottage Cutz Die
Nestabilities Scallop Circle
Quilling Tool
Art Glitter Glue
Cuttlebug
Photoshop
Cricut
SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) Software
Scalloped Eggs SVG File from SVGCuts.com
Sewing Machine

Card Instructions
Step 1 – Stamp and color the gingerbread girl image. Set aside.
Step 2 – Cut out all paper pieces and various elements.
Step 3 – Use Photoshop to create the “Some Bunny Loves You” text along a circular path. Print out the text on the checked paper and cut out the egg with Cricut. (Note: The egg shape is an SVG file used with SCAL software for cutting with the Cricut. The positioning of the text was a matter of printing, cutting and moving the text until the position was correct for the egg.
Step 4 – Assemble the egg pieces (G-H-I). Set aside.


Step 5 – Assemble card panels (B-C) and (D-E-F).
Step 6 – Stitch around the edges of pieces A, both (B-C) panels and the (D-E-F) panel.
Step 5 & 6

Step 7 -  Attach the three stitched panels A and (B-C)  to the card front.
Step 8 – Wrap white ribbon around (D-E-F) panel.
Step 9 – Attach the (D-E-F) panel to the card front.
Step 7, 8 & 9

Step 10 – Attach bunny ears and decorative elements to the gingerbread girl and attach to the card front. Bunny ears were made using basic shapes in SCAL and welding them together before cutting.
Step 11 – Attach the egg to the card front with Pop Dots.
Step 12 – Attach a tissue paper scallop circle and flowers to the egg.
Step 10, 11 & 12

Gypsy Tip – To give flowers some added dimension I like to add scallop circles cut from tissue paper and attach it under the flower grouping. I usually emboss the scallop circles with small dots after they are cut out.
Gypsy Tip – To make the small flowers I used the Mini Flower Die from Cottage Cutz with my Cuttlebug. This cute little flower form Cottage Cutz is perfect for making these tiny dimensional flowers. And the price is a steal for this 1 3/4" flower that can be cut and used flat or made into a dimensional flower using the spiral flower technique. Please note that the 1 3/4" measurement refers to the size of the flat flower. The dimensional flower is only about 1/2" wide.

To make the flowers for this project:.
Cut three cardstock flowers using the Cottage Cutz die with the Cuttlebug.
Beginning at the dot, clip the bridges of the cut flower to make one continuous cut to the center disc.
Starting from the outside edge, wind the spiral flower around the quilling tool to the center.
When the spiral is completely wound to the center disc let the flower relax just a little.
Apply glue on the disc and press the bottom edge of the flower to the disc, holding until glue is dry. I like to use The Art Glitter Glue because it dries very quickly and holds very well. 


Spiral Flower Technique

This was another fun sketch challenge. I hope you have enjoyed this card and will try making the spiral flowers using the Cottage Cutz, Mini Flower die. It really is a fun technique. Have a great week! - Jane, the Polka Dot Gypsy.