From Our Home to Yours

Today I'm sharing a 'Director's Cut' card from my Craftsy class.  I made this as an additional example, but discussion of the card ended up being cut from the finished class due to time constraints.

This was for Lesson 3, which is all about using your scissors and cutting knife.

I started out with this paper from October Afternoon:



Those great quilted star shapes were fussy cut and then I added some extra dimension using my cutting knife.



A bit of stitching, some wood veneer stars and a great sentiment from Neat & Tangled's Winter Wishes set finished this one off.

Don't forget about the big Neat & Tangled giveaway I'm hosting, check out the details on this post.

Stitched Medallion

One of the topics I cover in my new Craftsy class is stitching.  I really enjoy stitching on cards, and I love that you can often create something totally different that you couldn't do otherwise.

In this card I'm using the same stamp that I use for my Craftsy class, but with a totally different spin.  For my class card I added stitching within the design/frame of the medallion.

Here, I'm stitching within the outlines of the medallion.  What is really cool about this is that it's a design you couldn't repeat using say Copics or some other coloring medium because the threads overlap and are interwoven.



At the same time, this is not an overly complicated stitched design either.  Definitely one that works for a stitching beginner.

To finish it off and really make the medallion pop, I added a bit of soft gray coloring just around the medallion with my lightest gray Copic.

If you didn't see my post from yesterday, please make sure you scroll down and check it out.  I've got a 50% off code for my Craftsy class as well as a big giveaway.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are having a great week!

Craftsy Class is Live! Class discount and a giveaway

I'm so excited to announce that my Craftsy class, Fresh Eyes on your Cardmaking Supplies, is now live!

If you've followed me for a while you know that I love techniques, and that's exactly what this class is about, lots of great techniques as well as a new way to look at your supplies for lines, shapes, patterns that allow you to create something really different.  Here's a link to the video preview of the class:

http://www.craftsy.com/video/course?courseId=10298

To celebrate, I have a 50% off class link for all of you:

http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MiriamPrantner_10298_h

I'd also love your help in getting the word out about the class, so I've got a $75 Neat & Tangled gift card as a giveaway!

To enter to win the gift card, do one (or more) of the following, leaving a separate comment for each item that you complete:

1) Sign up for the class and leave a comment with your username
2) Share about the class on your blog, leave a link to your blog post in a comment
3) Share about the class on Facebook and leave the url of your post in a comment
4) Share about the class on IG and leave the link to your post in a comment
5) Pin the class and leave a link to your pin in a comment
6) Tweet about the class and leave a link  with your tweet in a comment
7) Convince a friend to take the class with you and share their username

NOTE:  Craftsy does weigh how people sign up for class, so please be sure to use the link provided above so that I get credit when you sign up for the class.

I will leave the giveaway open through next Tuesday and announce a winner Wednesday.  Good luck and thanks for helping!

Papertrey March Blog Hop Challenge

It's been ages since I participated in the PTI blog hop, but I just loved this month's inspiration....you know I love stitching on my projects.



I pulled out my new Peonies on Parade stamp set, using the silhouette flower and a few leaves.  The images were stamped with Grout Gray ink on Grout Gray cardstock, then I proceeded to stitch.  I used a cream embroidery floss (three strands) on the flower, but then decided that it was a little too subtle, so in order to bump up the contrast I added a bit of shading within the flower.  This was carried through to the leaves as well.

I decided I wanted to have a stronger contrast with the background, so went in and added shading around the flower.



The sentiment is from the Choose Joy set.

I didn't have any cardstock that matched the floss I used on the leaves, so I just made my own, coloring some white card stock with a Copic marker.

Note:  I really love how this turned out, but if I had planned it out as opposed to the fly by the seat of my pants process I generally use, I would have added all the shading ahead of time as I had to be very careful with my Copics.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Thank You Hydrangeas

I really love this month's Pin-sights inspiration board from Ellen Hutson, so I figured I would play along, plus it gave me the excuse to ink up my new Mondo Hydrangeas set.



The hydrangeas were inked and clear embossed on some watercolor paper, and then colored with some distress markers and a water brush.  For the flower centers, I used the gold from my Kuretake Gansai watercolors.

The sentiment is from Ellen Hutson's Fancy Thanks set.  After I stamped it, I felt like it was a little bit off balance.  As a fix I used my Zig Emboss Writer to add a little tail to the beginning of you.  Super easy to do and you couldn't tell until I told you, right?



A couple mats frame the central piece and since they only show on the left and right (as opposed to a full mat) I think those accentuate the height of the panel as well.

Super quick post today, we're still in the thick of Spring Break.  Lots done though, including the taxes (hooray!!!), easter shopping (yippee!!!) and some pretty good playdates.  Hope your week is going well!

*Affiliate links below

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Mondo Hydrangea

Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps, Fancy Thanks by Julie Ebersole

Ranger Distress Marker, Evergreen Bough

Ranger Distress Marker, Stormy Sky

Ranger Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer/Fine Brush Nib

VersaMark Ink Pad

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, Gold

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, Clear

Canson XL Watercolor Paper Pad 9x12

Kuretake Gansai Tambi, 36 Color Set

Scotch Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape

Maple Leaves in the Spring

When I designed the Maple Leaves Journaling Card set and die, I was definitely thinking about Fall, but with Spring in the air, I thought I would revisit them to show how versatile they are.

For my first card, I'm highlighting the stamp set.  I first stamped the image on some white cardstock, and then colored in the background with some Copic markers.

Then I pulled out an older BasicGrey 6x6 pad, Vivienne, and selected four green/yellow-green papers to use to piece the leaves.  I added a bit of shading/coloring to each of the pieced leaves using Copics.



The sentiment is from the Neat & Tangled's Life is Beautiful stamp set.



This next card highlights the die.  It was cut from watercolor paper, and then colored with Distress Markers, actually just two of them, one for the green and one for the blue, and a water brush.  After the initial layer of color on the leaves, I went in and added some highlights with the marker which weren't blended out for some extra texture and to keep some of the color very rich and vibrant.



The Maple Leaves die is a really unique one, which has a combination of cuts and debossing.  When I adhered the die, I left the portions that are cut unadhered, but didn't pop them out like I've done in the past.  It gives the piece a little bit of subtle dimension, but it's still nice and flat for mailing.

That's all for me today.  Hope you've gotten some new ideas on how to take your fall themed products for spring!

*Affiliate links below

COPIC Sketch Marker YG09, Lettuce Green

COPIC Sketch Marker YG13, Chartreuse

COPIC Sketch Marker Y13, Lemon Yellow

COPIC Sketch Marker Y18, Lightning Yellow

COPIC Sketch Marker B00, Frost Blue

COPIC Sketch Marker B12, Ice Blue

COPIC Various Ink Refill B05, Process Blue

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

Canson XL Watercolor Paper Pad 9x12

Ranger Distress Marker, Mowed Lawn

Ranger Distress Marker, Evergreen Bough

Ranger Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer/Fine Brush Nib

Coffee Lover's Blog Hop

I thought I would play along with the Coffee Lover's Blog Hop since I haven't yet had a chance to ink up the Perfect Blend set from Neat & Tangled (designed by my sweet friend May).

I kept this very simple.  The coffee cup was inked in Memento and the coffee design was stamped with WPlus9 Coconut Husk ink.

I added a bit of shading to the coffee cup and then fussy cut it.

The papers are from Crate's Craft Market 6x6 pad.  I added a layer of vellum and a bit of stitching to soften things.



The sentiment is also from the Perfect Blend set and I added a few sequins (Dark Chocolate Satin and Pearl Sequin Mix).

Nothing too fancy here, but I like the simplicity of it.

Ok, we're off to Mom's house.  On the docket today, lunch at the Indian buffet and then bouncing for the kids while Mom and I chat.

*Affiliate Links Below

COPIC Sketch Marker W1, Warm Gray No. 1

COPIC Various Ink Refill W3, Warm Gray No. 3

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

All You Need is Love

I've been busy creating this weekend.  I haven't had a lot of time to play along with challenges lately, so I'm hoping to use Spring Break to get myself back in the groove.

This one is for Right At Home's National Craft Month Celebration.

I've got a pile of new items that haven't gotten used yet, so I thought I would pull out one of those items, this great Love die from Paper Smooches.

I used four red/pink colors of cardstock to fill in the letters.



The grid paper was the perfect paper to use for this since I was able to use the grid lines to line up the die cut.

The secondary sentiment is part of a sentiment from an older Mama Elephant set.

Ok, super quick post....I'm off to the attic to find size 6 clothes.....

*Affiliate Links Below

Paper Smooches Wise Dies, Love Word 2

Mama Elephant Clear Stamps, Smitten

Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder, White

VersaMark Ink Pad