Easy Valentines

As a designer, I like to create many different styles of art, from the simple to more involved Mixed Media.  This time around, with Valentine's Day coming soon,  I decided to create some easy Valentine cards with minimal stamping involved.  Here they are:

As you can see, I only used one stamp between the two cards!  For the first card, I used some small pieces of Creative Impressions Celery Leafy Vine to create a Valentine Garden.  I used Matte medium to adhere the pieces to an oval piece of white card stock which was die cut.  There is a slightly larger black oval layer behind it.  Besides stamping "Be Mine", the only thing left to do was adhere some Metallic Red Country Hearts for the "flowers", adhere the piece to a patterned paper layer and then to a white card.  Voila!  An easy card to make.   I think kids would even enjoy making these cards!

The second card may not have any hearts on it, but Creative Impressions Love You and Hugs and Kisses Twill Expressions say it all! Combine them with a flower made from the Celery Leafy Vine and the Medium Felt Blossoms and Leaves, Button and Yellow Twine and you have a card with a flower for your friends and family included!

Hope you like these cards.  There is still plenty of time to  gather up the materials and make a few (or more)!  Have fun!

Happy Valentine's Day from Creative Impressions!

Susan

MARDI GRAS!

Hello Everyone!  This year Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine's Day, so guess what day Tuesday, the 13th is, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras!  Has anyone thought how much fun it would be to create some fun cards to send out "just because" to friends and family?  I sure did.  Here they are:

I love Creative Impressions embellishments joined with Graphic 45 papers!  I still have a stash of G45's Midnight Masquerade paper that I wanted to use just for this theme.  Love the combination.  Of course, I thought the embellishments that really "made" these two cards were the Velvet Shimmer Ribbons 70971 Orange and 70978 Lavender  and especially these wonderful Yellow 90602 Fleur-di-Lis paper fasteners/brads!  Don't they make you immediately think of New Orleans and Fat Tuesday?

Here are some close ups for detail:

For this first card, I created a border using one of my border punches and a matching shade of orange cardstock.  I then layered on one of the G45 papers in the collection after first wrapping Creative Impressions Orange Velvet Shimmer Ribbon around each side edge.  Then I punched three holes on each side with a paper awl and inserted the Yellow Fleur-di-Lis brads.  What a difference!  I cut out some masks separately from the paper and used foam tape to adhere them to a black panel.  I could not resist adding some Orange Stickles to the bottom border as well.  Here is the card without the brads:

See what I mean?  It is still pretty but it really "pops" with the addition of the brads!

Of course, I think some feathers coming out from behind the masks would have really added some "punch", however, I am allergic to feathers, so alas....disappointing.

Now for some detail on the second card:

I cut an extra of the costumed character from another panel as well as the larger flowers and adhered them over the top of the bottom images using foam tape.  I used some Orange and Purple (Starry Night)  Stickles to accentuate the mask and part of the pattern of the clothes.  Matches the beautiful Creative Impressions Purple Velvet Shimmer ribbon well!  I added some White Pearls from Creative Impressions to the flower centers and, after wrapping the panel on the left side with the ribbon, I adhered all to a second G45 panel and finally to the card.

Hope you have enjoyed these Mardi Gras themed cards.  Hope they make you think of New Orleans and maybe even Brazil and Carnival!  Party on!

Susan

Celebrate Winter!

Hello everyone!  For my first post of 2018, I would like to feature a gorgeous Winter Ballerina Doll created by a very talented artist, Michelle Bodensteiner.

Isn't she amazing!  The doll is actually made from Character Constructions stamps, but what actually brought her to life were the embellishments!  Here is a closer look:

Michelle has used Creative Impressions White Felt Snowflakes beautifully and added lovely Pearl Snowflake Paper Fasteners (brads) over the top of the Felt Snowflakes.    Some of the smaller felt snowflakes have teal color Metallic Mini Rounds placed in the centers.  If you look at the doll's hat, her leg and the top of her bodice, you will see wonderful clear Star Bling.  There is even a piece of White Cotton Rickrack used for the dolls belt.   The turquoise Metallic Mini Rounds have also found their way onto her skirt!  Lastly, she has a lovely pearl necklace created with our White Pearls.

I must say, although this is a gorgeous doll on it's own, it really stands out with t he addition of Creative Impressions embellishments!  Take some time to see all the detail! It will amaze you!

Thanks for sharing your creation with us, Michelle!

Susan

LOVE Makes the World Go 'Round

Anyone else beginning to think about Valentine's Day?  After all the last minute press to get out my Christmas cards, I look forward to getting a nice head start on valentines!

Not much technique this time.  A simple globe die cut, some alphabet stamps and a felt die cut "Love" from Creative Impressions Heart Felt Assortment are layered onto a simple 6 x 6 card.

My word for the year is "simplicity" and, in keeping with that, a simple valentine.

Life is Good Snowflake Tag

Happy New Year everyone!  We've made it through Christmas and bring it on 2018!!  I've begun the New Year by creating this sparkly cold winter pocket tag card.  Creative Impressions makes a variety of snow flake embellishments that layer beautifully to mimic the magic of fresh snow.  I love sending personalized birthday greetings to friends who have winter birthdays!

Hope you enjoy this tutorial.

I used masking tape to join two #8 manila shipping tags.

I folded them together and and adhered them with another line of masking tape.

I painted the tag front with gesso.  While the gesso was still wet, I pressed Creative Impressions Felt Snowflakes onto the tag.  Cream or white is best.

Now a layer of DecoArt Media Crackle paint.  Best to let this dry naturally to get a nice fine crackled surface.

I thinned a pea sized dot of Cerulean Blue DecoArt Media acrylic paint two pea dots of Ranger Multi Medium Matte.  I dry brushed this over the surface of the tag and felt snowflakes.

I layered up a mixture of Felt Snowflakes, Shimmer Snowflakes, and Snowflake Paper Fasteners.  I didn't use everything I prepared and I'll have some extras for another tag or a starting element for a new card.  I keep a "starter basket" of thing like this to get me going on new projects.

Arrange snowflakes on the tag in a random, snowflake falling fashion.  I added some silver glass glitter on the brads later for more sparkle.

Sweet message ribbons tied at the top add to the cold blue winter feel.

I sealed the bottom of the two tags, leaving the right side open for a gift card.

Creative Impressions silver frame over a rubon completes the birthday message.

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I'm a summer girl but appreciate these cold days when I want to stay inside and just create.  I've found a new way to organize all my Creative Impressions embellishments that I'll share on an upcoming blog post.  Stay warm, friends, and create art!!