StarLitStudio

crystal bird cards

Prima's Say it in Crystals are self-adhesive designs that are super easy to use.  Last week some family visited and saw these cards, and my aunt told me she 'was floored' at the time it must have taken me to create these bird crystal designs - so to folks outside our crafting world, these elements really step up a card and look incredibly time-consuming.  In reality, it's just peel and stick.

Memory Box Robin's Egg cardstock and old dictionary sheets were used, along with 7gypsies Conservatory paper.  English paper doily and Papertrey Ink sentiment.

I'm going to make a few more of these to have on hand.  To ship these via post I'd place a piece of corrugated cardstock between the crystals and the envelope interior.  

I cleaned out and refilled the bird feeders in the fall and we see and hear the birdies all winter long.  Got a few months to go but I am sure looking forward to seeing the first robin - hope you are enjoying your weekend and best wishes, Cindy

thinking of spring

Thinking of spring here, since we got dumped on with another six inches of snow.  Not complaining though...girlfriends in the northern midwest got hit with the white stuff AND negative temps - we're still in the 20's (Fahrenheit) here in New Jersey and thankful for that.

The Hyacinth Memory Box card base and matching envelope caught my eye today, and I used an old dictionary page and Karen Lockhart's Violet Cupcake...

...and colored with Copic markers.

The die is Spellbinders and the thinking of you sentiment is from A Muse.  Rectangle bling is from Kaiser Craft, and metal embellishment is from the store; lavender crinkle ribbon is May Arts.  Hope you are warm where you are at!

zentangle inchies

Here is the random drawing for the May Arts jute on vintage-style spools:

Here are your random numbers:

6	19	17

Timestamp: 2011-01-14 16:17:22 UTC

I wanted to thank you all for taking the time to post!  One of the highlights of my day was reading your comments - how you are recycling, saving, working hard, improving, and just being.  I love learning, and gleaned some handy tips from you all, and I thank you!

Today's project is doodling.  Okay it is called Zentangles, but I think of them as therapeutic doodling.  Some additional information is available on this Zentangle site.  I was with Sherry Cheever at this past summer's CHA when she spied a booth featuring books on Zentangles, and Sherry said she did something like these during her art courses in college. 

They remind me of henna body art.

I had seen Zentangles (but they were not called anything back then) as a young child in funky coloring books, but never created my own pattern.

The Zentangle designs on these cards were adapted from the book link above.  I liked this book best because it dealt with shading.

I used various Copic Multiliners and one-inch square Inchies in assorted colors.

Zentangles are just repetitive patterns.  A way to make them stand out is to add shadowing (T1 Copic or lighter).  Envelopes are stamped using Ironworks (B Line Designs).  The Square Inchies are a wonderful medium to work on, but also add height, dimension and a bit of weight to these Inchie Notes.

Background paper is Memory Box Licorice, run through a Papertrey Ink impression plate.  Sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.  Thank you for stopping by and best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

giveaway-May Arts

I found the above vintage-style wooden spools, and wound three yards of May Arts jute in various colors onto several.  I have three sets of seven spools to give away - and will have the system pick three names/numbers this Thursday afternoon.

The spools measure about 2" in height, and this colored jute twine is wonderful to wrap gifts with, use with tags, on handmade cards, and so forth.  Wonderful presentation and sensible storage for you.

Please leave a comment on this post - please share if you are doing a New Years' resolution, and if so, what is it?

My focus is lunches and reducing trash this year - I'm using Bento-style lunches for my DH and kids - no more Ziploc bags and no more trash at lunchtime.  Cloth napkins and lunch boxes like Goodbyn and Easy LunchBoxes, and Bento-style lunches:

Silicone cupcake liners serve to keep foods separated.  More info on Bentos here.

One of my son's disabilities is Dyspraxia (fine motor disorder), and having containers that he can open easily is paramount. 

Also, this blog post explains how our family has been using cloth napkins versus paper ones.  It's been a few weeks, and is working so far!

Please comment if time permits - I'd love to hear from you!!

more paper bag cards

Here are a few cards I made from paper bags, following Mish's directions.  I created the card fronts, attaching all elements, then sewed the pocket.

These are two of the holiday thank you's my kids wrote to relatives.  Each card features three inserts - each of my three kids wrote their thank you on an insert.  The finished cards measure 6-1/4" x 4-3/4".  October Afternoon Very Merry papers used; Papertrey Ink stamps; jute twine and large metal rimmed tags.

Here's some others, using 7gypsies Conservatory papers:

These are so much fun to make!  Thank you for stopping by today!

knit happens card

Today's project is a card for a dear friend that is going through a trying time. 

I created the card front on a 4-1/8" x 5-3/8" piece of October Afternoon Clothespins, attached the A Muse sentiment stamped on a Papertrey Ink banner die, the ribbon, then machine stitched the right side only.

The Lockhart Stamp Company's Knit One Purl Two image was stamped onto a piece of white cardstock (Papertrey Ink) then punched out with a 2" circle punch, then adhered to a 2-1/4" metal rimmed tag.

Card base and envelope is Memory Box Dill.  The two crystal topped pins on the left, mimicking the knitting needles, are from Maya Road.  The cute dangling pearl (or purl - lol) is a Bauble.

Hope you are warm on this very cold and snowy day here in NJ.

thank you from the heart

Today's project is a thank you card based on a Melissa Phillips card.

I used a combination of October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker and 7gypsies Conservatory decorative papers; English lace doily, ivory wrinkle ribbon, pretty rosebuds from Zva, and a tiny grapevine heart wreath.

The lace and eyelet trims were purchased online.  The stamps and house die is from Papertrey Ink.  Tag is from Mish's store.  Card base is Memory Box Gourd.

I love this sentiment - perfect for this thank you note!  Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

paper bag tri-pocket card

Today's project is a take-off of Mish Wooderson's Double Pocket Pretties, which features two pockets. 

Today's post will show you how to make a paper bag into a three pocket card, and I'll share some tips and tricks for a professional and finished look.

My dear friend Bevie sent me a double pocket paper bag card with a note in one pocket and candy in the other - the pocket card was done in Bevie's wonderful style and was incredible!  While I was holding Bevie's two pocket card, it got me thinking...could I make one with three pockets?

I have three kids, and for the holidays, today's project was ideal.  I had each child write their thank you note on one of the three inserts, then enclosed all in the paper bag tri-pocket card - one thank you per pocket.  Most of our relatives live far away and took the time and trouble to send gifts to the kids - I know the aunts and uncles will enjoy these!

I am working with these paper bags (1000 for $25).  These bags do not have a gusset, which is my preference, and measure 6-1/4" x 9-1/4". 

To begin, assemble the items you plan to use for the card front.  Cardstock used on this project is 7gypsies Conservatory 8x8.  The First Pocket Cardstock Piece measures 6" x 4-1/4" - round the bottom corners.  Sentiment is Papertrey Ink using their double-ended banner die; ribbon is May Arts crochet ribbon.  The idea here is we are going to eventually sew through all layers for a neat, professional look.

Chop off approx. 1/4" from the top of the bag for a finished top, and fold bag in half, leaving approx. 1/2" from the very top of the bag.

Adhere a 'lining' to the card (bag) front- this measures 6" x 2".

Punch the First Pocket Cardstock Piece twice, equidistant from each other, using a circle punch (1-1/4" diameter).

Add a tiny amount of adhesive at the bottom inside of the First Pocket Cardstock Piece (simply to stablize the layer), and line it up over the lining on the card front.  Using the circle punch, punch through the left card front (photo depicts card upside down for best angle), exposing the half-circle to the card inside.

Adhere all elements to the card front.  I added a strip of corrugated cardboard and the crochet ribbon.  The ribbon is adhered just inside the card front layer. You could wrap it all the way around the outside of the card if you wanted to - this technique just saves yardage and bulk.

The idea here is to finish the card front first, then stitch through all layers, forming the pockets.

A metal rimmed tag with Papertrey sentiment was added.  Note - the tag strings are hanging off of the edge.  These will be machine stitched into place next.

Machine stitch through all layers.  Backstitch at beginning and end for stability.

Trim the banner and tag strings, and round the bottom corners.  A neat, clean and professional look.

For the three pockets, I created three inserts (one thank you per child). Round the bottom corners of these to carry the look from the pocket card, and for ease in guiding them into the pockets.

For a thank you or birthday card I would use one or two of the inserts instead of three.  Tuck a bookmark or simple gift in one pocket; an appropriate sentiment in the second; and a few chocolates (flat ones like Andes), another small gift, or a few paragraphs of a note in the third.  Get clever and have fun!

Inserts measure 5-1/4" x 3-3/4".  I added a 5-1/4" x 3/4" header of Conservatory cardstock to each insert.  The tab at the top adds height, for a total measurement with tab of 5-1/4" x 4-1/2".

Lastly, using the 1-1/4" circle punch again, punch a half-circle in the center of the card opening - equidistant from the two existing ones - at the top, through all layers.  Bingo!  Three pockets!

I do not own this technique nor concept, as it was adpated from Mish's Double Pocket Pretties.

Best wishes in 2011!  Off to run a 5K at the gym tomorrow and heave some weights babyee! wooHOOOO!