Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Brutus Monroe Flying by Butterfly

 Hello!  Today's card share is just to fun!!  I haven't made a card in FOR-EV-ER that moves.  Check this out....


I made this interactive card featuring a butterfly from Wings of Lace.  I used a die set from my stash that cuts in the sliding track.  Before putting the card together I ran that panel through the die cut machine with the pierce cover plate.  This cover plate happens to be a favorite of Melissa's! This card was super simple to put together and just has the cutest movement.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Tuesday Morning Sketches #750

 Hello!  Thank you for stopping by.  The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and it's a really easy sketch.  I think you'll like using it.

My card this week features some beautiful flowers and mixed media products from Tonic Studios.


For this card I first colored some white card stock with this beautiful Embellishment Mousse in Lilac Lavender. Once it was dry, which doesn't take very long, I die cut the flowers that is in the Ornate Circular die set.  I also cut out an egg shape (no brand die) and using a stencil in my stash I decorated the egg with the mousse on the top portion of the egg.  The bottom portion I brushed on more mousse and then when it dried, using Lilac Whisper Glitter drops I added lots of dots! 

I also die cut a larger egg in heavy vellum from Papertrey Ink and embossed then using an embossing folder gave it some texture.  The flowers were made from 2 of the same color (mousse), then aubergine craft perfect card stock and then eggplant card stock.  The centers are white pearl Nuvo Drops.

The 'Happy Easter' sentiment is from the Bunny & Egg Tonic Craft Kit.


This picture gives you a better look at the GORGEOUS mousse on the back panel and you can see the brush strokes from the blending brush that I used.

I hope you like this card as much as I do and it inspires you to join us.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Brutus Monroe - Thank You for Being There

 There is something about butterflies that elicits the feeling of new beginnings, ethereal feelings and Spring!  The card I created for my Wednesday share is all this and so much more.  It's soft, it's pretty, it's just lovely....


BRU1055 Butterfly Lace Stamp and Die Bundle
BRU1820 Wings of Lace
BRU7241 Gems - Rose Quartz
BRU1290 Aqua Pigment - Creamy Violet
BRU9952 Aqua Pigment - Creamy Blue
BRU2470 Embossing Powder - Alabaster
BRU2517 Embossing Powder - Icicle
BRU9917 Aqua Splash - Violet
BRU3951 Aqua Splash - Raven

I made a watercolor background that is so dreamy.  Before applying color, I heat embossed the image with icicle embossing powder for a resist technique.  Then applying the Creamy Violet Aqua Pigment to the stamp using a baby wipe, I stamped and then die cut the largest butterfly in the background stamp.  I used Raven Aqua Splash to "paint" in the butterfly body and then added 3 gems in Rose Quartz on the body.  I finished the card with the sentiment heat embossed on black card stock with Alabaster embossing powder.


I absolutely love how this card turned out.  I love Aqua Pigments.  I have always wanted to try these and now I'm hooked.  The Creamy colors that were released this month are Distress Oxide adjacent and so perfect.  I hope Christopher Alan releases more colors!


Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Tuesday Morning Sketches #749

 Hello friends!  Thank you for stopping by, I do appreciate your visit.  The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and it's an easy one.

My card features the Strawberry Patch Aug 2022 Die Kit of the Month from Spellbinders and a sentiment from Close to My Heart that my friend and team mate Patti sent me.


I enjoyed putting this together, the die is so easy to work with and with a few shades of cardstock, the die does all the work.  

I do hope you'll join us at TMS - it's a lot of fun and leave some love for the team.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Brutus Monroe - Envelope Box Card

 Hello friends - thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate your visit.  My card share for this week for Brutus Monroe features many products from the March release.  Can I just say, I am totally enamored by this release.


I made this card using the WRMK 1-2-3 Punchboard.  This was a challenge to figure out and I'm not sure my directions are still quite right.  I went through several proto-types.  But here my basic instructions - please ensure you follow every carpenters golden rule "measure twice - cut once" - I say measure more.

Start with a 7 5/8” square piece of cardstock.  Using the 1-2-3 Envelope Punchboard and following the score mark for a 4” x 5” card size, make the envelope box but do not score on top and bottom.  Then round the corners.  Line up the rounded edge of the top in your paper trimmer at 6 ½” – this will be a little tricky, but I used a ruler lined up at 6 ½ vertically and then bumped the rounded corner up against the metal ruler.  Cut the bottom off and set aside.  Fold on your score lines and burnish.  Cut a strip of card stock at 1 ¾” x 5 1/8 and score at 3/8” on both ends.  Then trim off a hair from each end.  I ultimately cut off 1/8” of each end.  Then adhere this strip to the inside of your envelope box, butting the edge to the back.  Do one side and then the other – this I found the easiest and ensured that the overall card will lay flat.  Then take the bottom piece you cut off earlier and cut off sides and trim to your liking.  Mine measures about 2 ¼ cutting off the rounded corner ¼” inch.  You don’t have to do this, I personally don’t like the corner or rounded corner sticking up in the middle of the envelope.  But, you do you, create your own ending.  I also followed a really old video of Christopher Alan’s for how to use the 1-2-3 Punchboard to create a lining for envelope.  But basically I made the same size as the base and then just trimmed off the sides and the bottom used that for my decorative panel.  I added this before I adhered the inside cross bar and bottom part of the envelope on.  Then decorate as you wish!  I used strips of heavy acetate on the butterflies.  If you want your sentiment to be directly on the card and not a separate element, stamp this first before adhering the bottom to the base.


Ultimately, I think once you get through one, making more will be super easy to do!  I hope my card inspires you to try something new or different or maybe even old.  I know I've had this punchboard for than 10 years and every time I use it I think to myself, why don't I use this more often?!

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Tuesday Morning Sketches #748

 Hello!  I'm back from sunny California.  I was there visiting my kids for a week and it was wonderful.  We enjoyed our time together doing this and that.  Did a birthday celebration for my oldest son.  And I finally had a good Mexican meal!

But now it's back home, catching up at work and my dog is irritated with me but happy to be in his own home and away from the "little girls" which are the ex-husband's chihuahuas.

Anyway, the latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and this one is a great one because it's way open.  Great for building a scene.  My card features dies and a stencil from Tonic Studios.  The little stamps decorating the bowl are really old, from a company called Raisin Boat - I sure do miss them!  And the frame die is from Pink & Main.


I bought the Creative Pastimes die set months ago and used it a few weeks ago on a card that had a yarn ball and knitting needles.  Well the bowl is actually supposed to be a basket, but I stamped on it and then covered it in clear embossing powder so that it looks like a vintage glass bowl.  When I got this set I put the whisk together right away because when I saw the set my mind right to that whisk having a dollop of cream on it.  So this piece has been sitting on my table ever since.  It was time to put it good use!

I do hope you'll join us at TMS.  Be sure to leave the team some love!

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Tuesday Morning Sketches #747

 Hello!  I hope everyone is doing well.  The latest sketch is up at Tuesday Morning Sketches and although this may look a little challenging it's really an easy sketch.  Remember, a shape is just a shape and it takes many forms.  I kept my card true to the sketch but you are the creator of your art.  You make this sketch work for you.

My card features A Walk on the Wildside from Tonic Studios.  Originally this was released earlier this year in a Tonic Craft Kit that you could only get by subscription but Tonic Studios brought it back about a month or so ago for individual purchase.


The die set does have other critters such as a koala bear, sloth and alligator along with plants and flowers.  It's a super cute set.  There is a coordinating stamp set which is where I got the sentiment from.  I just love it!  I embossed it using gold embossing powder.  The leaves are also from Tonic Studios that I picked up on sale.  And I did use Shimmer Splash from Brutus Monroe in Gilded (gold).  Oh the hexagons are from the Christmas Bauble kit and I used a Glitter Marker in Lemon Drizzle to just give the edges a bit of shine.

I do hope you'll join us at TMS and be sure to leave some love for the team!