Embossed Duct Tape Circle Card

As some of you know I like to experiment. When I saw embossed duct tape used on a project I decided to see if I could cut duct tape out in shapes to emboss. Of course spurring me on was finding a roll of duct tape at a dollar store when I was looking for brushes.

Here is the card I finished today. Let me know what you think.(click on images to enlarge)

I designed the card base in Studio using offset so I could have a pattern surrounding my duct tape shapes. Originally I had wanted to use half circles on the edges but I could not figure out how to do it.

This is the inside of the card. I inked my folders before embossing the duct tape circles. I used pigment inks which I don't seem to have a lot of. Guess I'm going to have to put those on my wish list. The folders used were Swiss Dots,Divine Swirl,Damask,and Paisley. These were the folders I have that I thought would work the best for this project. At first I was going to just go with the Swiss Dots but thought the other folders would give the card a little more character.

I have not yet taken the time to see if I can dye the duct tape with ink or not. Since I goofed and bought gray card stock I decided to leave the duct tape the color it was when I bought it.

I hope I have inspired you and now that I know I can cut duct tape with my Silhouette I'll be using it more often. Especially the pretty pattern and colored duct tape. I can see using it for cards that are going through the mail instead of being delivered in person.

Thank you for stopping by. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again.

You Don't Have To Be Rich To Craft

I blew my craft budget on a new laptop. Which is all right as the laptop will hook up to my cutting machine. Also I will be using it designing and modifying designs to use in my crafting. So that means that I am going to have to use up what I have and come up with creative solutions for using non traditional items.


Having a dollar store as well as a hardware store near by makes things easier. It is surprising what items you can find to use in your crafting. I would take from someone's tool box but I want to live a little longer. LOL! But if you are brave go ahead. I'm sure you can find masking tape,duck tape,washers, etc. there. There may even be a roll of fiberglass mesh tape but if there isn't don't worry it is usually fairly inexpensive at your local hardware store if you don't have a dollar store that carries it.

Next place for supplies may be in your kitchen. Don't throw out those foil lids that come on sour cream,yogurt,etc. Wash them up as you can use a die cut machine like the Big Shot or cutting machine like a Silhouette to cut shapes out of them. If you have someone who has given you canned goods with the canning lids or if you have left over canning lids don't toss those either. By the way at the end of summer when canning season is considered over you can often find the lids on sale.


For the card I'm working on now I am using the design from one side of a foil yogurt lid which I've cut out. A shape from the foil side of a lid which I've cut with my Silhouette and colored. A canning lid which I've also colored. A piece of fiberglass mesh tape which I've cut narrower and heat embossed. A shape cut out of card stock,covered with masking tape,stamped on,and colored with shoe polish. Although I heat embossed a sample with clear embossing enamel after applying the shoe polish I decided to not do that for this card. Then I stamped a border from the Everyday Moments Collection by Teresa Collins.(This was a prize I won from them) I heat embossed and used shoe polish over it.


I know now I have gotten you wondering what in the world did that "Crazy" Myoriah come up with this time. Hopefully I've also intrigued you enough to stick around. I'm off to glue my creation together but don't you go away because you can just scroll down to see.


Drum roll please! Here is my latest creation the result of experimentation. (Click on image to enlarge.)

  

I cut Apollo out by hand from a Greek God yogurt lid. On the lids I was given some lids had Apollo and some Hermes. Don't know if different flavor of yogurt have different gods on the lids or not.  The flower was colored with Butterscotch alcohol ink and Apollo glued in the middle.  The canning lid was colored with alcohol ink and then after the ink sitting for a couple of hours buffed with a cotton ball. (The picture doesn't do it justice but I love the subtle color) Using brown shoe polish and the shoe brush coated with the polish I pounced the brush up and down on the masking tape circle. Any chunks of wax I carefully with a finger smoothed. I let it sit for a few minutes and then gently wiped it with a soft cloth. Some of the black ink came off on the cloth (it may have been because it was dye ink or because it was stamped on masking tape instead of paper or card stock) but I like the faded look.  I decided to tear the excess tape off the circle instead of trimming it with scissors to give it a more aged look. LOL! Besides I need to work on being less of a perfectionist. The mesh on the side is fiberglass mesh tape. At one dollar store I found it and another didn't have it. I cut off the length I wanted and then poured Zing's gold embossing powder on the sticky side. I did have to do a little bit of touch up by stamping in a couple of places with an embossing pad and adding the powder and melting it. I stamped on card stock with embossing ink using the border stamp from Everyday Moments and heat embossed. Then since I still had wax on the shoe brush I went ahead and stroked the brush over the card stock. Buffed with a cloth so it wouldn't be sticky and tore the edges to make it the size I wanted. 


Have I inspired you? What technique are you going to try? Or what unusual item are you going to try to use in a project?


I used 3-1 Beacon Advanced Craft glue. It worked great at adhering things. I was concerned about the canning lid but it is on there tight. I was generous with the glue. Thought I would mention that in case someone was wondering what to use. In no way do I work for the company or get compensation for mentioning the product. Other products will work also but you may have to do some experimenting to find the right one.


Thank you for stopping by. Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again. I'm off to play with silver fabric duct tape I found last night at a dollar store.

Hexagons Always In Style

Some shapes never go out of style and the hexagon is one of them. Maybe because it is such a fun shape to play with. For decades quilters have used the hexagon as part of their design. Grandmother's Garden being one of the quilting patterns that comes to mind.  So where am I going with all of this rambling you may well ask. Moxie Fab World is having right now until July 30th a Hooked On Hexagon Challenge  using hexagons as part of a paper craft project. This has given me the perfect chance to play with hexagons and see what I could come up with.

Normally I don't do much paper piecing but this was a fun challenge. LOL! as well as a challenge to get everything the right size to fit on my pre-made card base. Originally I was going to go the long way and have a foil stem for the flower but after getting everything cut out I ended up going a  different direction.
Here is the card I made. (click on image to enlarge)

The card base is embossed with Divine Swirls. I felt like it needed something and decided to echo the swirls in the paper behind the hexagon frame. The pattern behind the frame is courtesy of ScrapColoring. I found out about this fun online site where you can color patterns on the Silhouette Plus forum.The frame pattern is from the Complete Pattern book and I colored it in Photo Shop. I love how in Studio I can change the scale of papers. I also love how I can match colors in a pattern for solid pieces Not being one to waste paper I decided to glue the hexagon cutouts from the frame on the solid pieces. The small  center hexagons are cut out of foil from  a yogurt container.  I colored the silver side with Wild Plum alcohol ink using a q-tip.   Don't tell anyone but I was awake in the wee hours designing the frame and trying to get the  background paper how I wanted it  It was a little bit of a challenge to get that lovely flower in the center.

For another project I will use the frame part of the file for a stencil. I have lots of ideas for using this frame. I think it would be cute to have photos in each of the hexagon petals. I could especially see this on a scrapbook page.

I would love to hear good or bad what you think of my play with hexagons as I am constantly trying to improve when it comes to card making.

If you wish to see the fabulous entries and I mean fabulous entries hop on over to Moxie Fab World. Also I encourage you to see what you can come up with using hexagons. Especially if like me you haven't really used them in your crafting. O.K. Hip Hop on over the Moxie Fab World using the link below.
 http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/07/hooked-on-hexagons-challenge.html

Thank you for stopping by. I have a shape cut out of a foil lid and a canning lid colored but not sure what direction to take as I have so many ideas. Hopefully I'll have a card ready soon using these elements. I also have some more play I want to do with things that are not normally used for cards.

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again.

Yarn Play Card

There is another Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger which was a two week so if you would like to participate you have until Sunday the 22nd.  The link will be below.

When I saw the trigger image I  immediately thought of yarn and needlework. I thought it would be perfect to do some playing with yarn that I've wanted to do for a couple of months. I also love the colors in the trigger image. Alas the pink background image I colored in Photoshop ended up being more of a mauve when I printed it out. My card base is a deeper aqua and my button is a lighter yellow but still the colors are in the same family. I love this combination of colors.  To me the trigger image looks like 3d squares so that explains the background image I used for my card. O.K. I'll stop my babbling and show you the card I came up with. I would love to hear what you think good or bad. (click image to enlarge)

Here is the inspiration image.

If you are interested in seeing some of the fabulous paper craft projects or even entering here is the link:
http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/07/tuesday-trigger-allegro-con-brio.html

The image is titled allegro con brio. It can mean fast with noise in the music world. Allegro also means with joy. Which is why I decided to go with the yellow button flower. To me it gives the card a spark of joy.  The background image was Wednesday's free sample at Dover Publishing. I colored the black and white image in Photo Shop. Traced it in Studio to cut the outer edge. I love this shape and can see all kinds of possibilities using it. To me it is full of energy and motion.

I have been meaning since before Christmas to play with Heat Bond and yarn. This challenge gave me the chance to try it out. Cameron my faithful cutting machine cut a scrap of  Heat Bond out in the flower shape. I laid strips of yarn over it and using my iron bonded the yarn down. Originally I was going to use different colors of yarn.  After the yarn was bonded with my scissors I carefully trimmed the yarn to the shape. There are some small gaps in the yarn but I actually like the lines in the background showing through. Of course now my brain is swirling with possibilities for future cards using this technique. This would be a great way to use those scraps of ribbon,lace,rick rack,yarn,etc. I used the light paper setting with the paper side up on the mat to cut the Heat bond if you would like to cut out a shape with a Silhouette machine to try this technique.

Thank you for stopping by. I'm off to play with those foil covers that you find on  yogurt,sour cream, etc. If I'm successful I'll be posting a card using one. May even throw in a canning lid since I have some ideas. LOL! Do come back as you never know what I may come up with.

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Wedding Card

I am lucky if I go to a wedding once every five years. Wedding cards are not in my stash for that reason. I do have a couple of cards which in a pinch would work.

However, I have been invited to a wedding next week and wanted to make a wedding specific card. Since the Silhouette  Plus Forum is having a card challenge for this month using  what was once a free birthday cake shape I thought I would make a wedding card.

(Click on image to enlarge)

I deleted the cake decorations and cut off the birthday candle. Then turned the shape into a card. I love how easy it is to turn just about any shape into a card using Studio.

Don't tell anyone but not once but twice I put the card base in the embossing folder wrong. So the card is embossed on the inside. Also I put the ink on the wrong side of the folder. I had wanted the embossed part to be  Pearl blue not the background. That is all right as this is not a traditional wedding so the cake on the card does not have to be traditional.

The bride and groom cake top was free clip art. I did a trace and cut. The base and heart is heat embossed with glitter embossing powder. It doesn't really show up in the photo. I mirrored the clip art so they are also on a plain white cake on the inside.

I had some things I wanted to try with Gesso and heat embossing but decided to go this route. I have other projects I want to do. Also I don't really know the couple all that well.

Thank you for stopping by. Do come back. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again.

Love Poppies

I love poppies and when I saw Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger I just knew I had to enter the challenge. So my entry for the Silhouette Plus Forum was put on hold. Don't worry I'll be entering the challenge before the end of the month.

It is good to have Cath back posting these challenges. I love the inspiration image and hope that you do also. Sunday the 8th is the last day to post on your blog or use the link for Flickr to enter at:

http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/07/tuesday-trigger-pretty-plate-of-poppies.html

Sorry due to technical problems I was not able to post my entry sooner. Here is the trigger image.

I love the combination of the orange,red and pink. As well as the texture of the crepe paper flowers against the shiny plate. The buttons in the middle really make the flowers. I thought of substituting the button for a small rhinestone in my cards but changed my mind. Alas I was unable to duplicate the vibrancy of colors. And the vibrant orange in the pattern  on my cards ended up being washed out when I photographed the cards.

Here is my first card. For the fun of it I decided to do two cards with a couple of differences.

The pattern is from the book "The Complete Pattern Library". I had already colored it in Photo Shop when Cath posted the trigger and thought it would be perfect. I used the 09KutUps font to make the shape card  and the top layer. I offset the top shape to make the middle panel. I filled the shape card in with pink since I don't have any pink cardstock. For some reason the offset  filled with pattern when cut out ended up on one side having a white edge. So I decided to experiment. I took masking tape and covered the offset shape and then inked over it with my Red Gold pigment ink pad. LOL! I am going to see if I can find some wider masking tape now. I like the texture it gave. The card base was heat embossed and I used Recollections glitter embossing powder. I mixed gold Perfect Pearl in water and lightly misted the pattern top piece. It is a little tricky to mist printed images as the ink can smear. I was pleased the way it turned out but alas the photo does not do it justice.

Normally I don't like Studio's patterns but in this case I thought the red orange looked a little like crepe paper. I heat embossed and misted like the previous card.

That is all for now. Thank you for stopping by. Do come back as I have the challenge card pieces cut out for the Silhouette Plus Forum and will be working on the card this week.

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again.

Moxie Fab World Thank You Challenge

It is time for me to dust off my stamps because Moxie Fab World is having a "Stamp-It Cards Week Thank You Challenge" as well as some other Stamp It Card challenges. These challenge end on July 23rd. So get your thinking hat on and join in on the fun. Entries for the thank you challenge can be posted here or you can view what has already been posted if you are in need of inspiration.  For this challenge only requirement is that it is a thank you card and that stamping is the primary technique. For the other challenges check out requirements If you don't have a blog you can still enter using the link to flickr on the Moxie Fab World post. No excuses so get out those stamps and start creating. Whoa! Hold your horses and look at what I created first. LOL! (Click on image to enlarge)

What is so neat about the tab card base is you can use it with a photo and depending on how you put it together even swap out the photo. I created a cutting file for the tabbed card base.  If you don't have a cutting machine you can still make this card but I'm spoiled now with Cameron. This is how the card looks on my work space in Studio.

You can make the card any size you want. The card in the book I found the instructions in used a 4 3/4" x3 1/2 " folded card. The panel 3 3/4"x2 3/4". You will have to adjust the panel size to fit whatever size card you make.

I made my card the tall way but you could make it the short way. You will draw two 3/4" wide rectangles starting 1/2" from side and 1/2" from top and stopping 1/2" from bottom. You will want the top of the rectangle open. So if doing this by hand you will only cut three sides. If cutting on your machine you will need to have the top open. Then you will cut about 1" down across the rectangle so that you will have short tabs. When the card base is cut out you should have two open slots and tabs which lift up. You will tuck the panel into the card base where it should stay. You don't even have to glue it in. I didn't here but I think I will probably get removable Zots to hold the tabs down. That way I can still replace the panel if I wish.

The card base and the panel were rubbed with chalk ink and a foam wedge cosmetic sponge. With the panel I first used one color vertically rubbing with the wedge down the panel all the way across. Then I rubbed horizontally with another color and then diagonally with a third. I tried to stamp with my pink pads directly on the panel but it appears they are both pretty dead. I was able to rub a little bit of pink ink on the cosmetic wedge and rubbed that on the panel in different directions. 

The heart flowers were stamped with Distress ink. I had heat embossed them the first time the same as the center stamp but really didn't like the ragged look I got.The center stamp was stamped with VersaMark ink. Then heat embossed with Eggplant Recollections embossing powder.The center stamp may well be vintage as it was in a box of stamps at a yard sale.  If you don't need the newest stamp yard sales can be a good place to pick up stamps as well as other crafting supplies. Thrift stores may or may not be. Where I live it is outrageous what thrift stores try to sell the rubber stamps for.

I decided since I didn't stamp further down on the panel to go ahead and add something. First I wrapped sheer ribbon around the panel but after a couple of days decided I didn't like it. I played around with bows, ribbon roses, etc. but didn't like anything. Decided to see what I had in my lace stash. Came across a piece of lace with holes in it and decided it would be perfect to weave ribbon in. Unfortunately my dark narrow purple was used up and last time at the store I couldn't find any. So I went for the aqua blue that I had also used as one of the colors on the panel.

That's all folks! I hope I have inspired you to get out those stamps if you have any. As well as to play with ink pads.

Thank you for stopping by. Do come back as I'm working on a cake card for the Sillhouette Plus forum card challenge. I can almost guarantee that it will be different from any card you have ever seen. That is if my experimenting turns out. LOL!

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!