New Sentiments at We Are 3

There's new sentiments in the We Are 3 Etsy shop - today I'm using My Thoughts.  I am using the gorgeous Bokeh Blends for the background.   

The flowers are a sticker outline from Elizabeth Craft Designs - with the flowers glittered.

Romance and Funky Cakes

Elizabeth Craft's Funky Cakes are another great embellishment for wedding cards.  These same-sex "toppers" finish off the cakes for wedding well wishes.

Saying it with Heart

I've had same-sex wedding cards on my to-do list for the past several months.  My hours always seem to be dedicated to other projects.

But now I have an order for wedding and engagement cards - so I made a few pieces.  All kinds of inspiration out there for wedding cards - but not so much for engagement....rather struggling there.

I always enjoy when my weekend project coincidentally coincides with Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge theme....this week's theme is Anything Goes with a Twist - the Twist being hearts.  Because I'm in a hurry to complete this order by the first of the week, the heart cards work out great.  I know these cards are popular - certainly not my original idea.  I was most inspired by Corinne's Cards and The Card Chalet.  Here is a sneak peek of what my weekend is consisting of...

Christmas Collection

Happy Spring! It's an exciting time of year! Tomorrow's temps expected to be in the 90s! So what better time than to dig into your scraps and begin some Christmas cards?!? Here are a few I recently made while trying to whittle down my scrap pile.

Hello, St. Patrick - You Rock!

Kind of modern, funky card today.  St. Patrick's Day card - I used Classic Glitter cardstock from the Robin's Nest, as well as tags and images from Graphic 45's Place in Time Collection.

Scraps to Treasures - Happy Birthday Blog Hop

Hi Everyone,

It's great to be back with all of you this Saturday for another Scraps to Treasures Blog Hop. Today's hop features many more timeless projects using scraps with one major theme - birthdays! And make sure you hit all the blogs, because Robin has a giveaway! One lucky follower will receive a Scrappy Goodie Mix! It will have several different scrappy items with a value of about $20!!! To be entered for this awesome Blog Candy you MUST leave a comment on EACH blog in the hop. If you become a new follower you will earn an added entry. Please leave a comment that you became a follower.

If you are passionate about stamping or scrapbooking, and love the play with scraps, Click here to join us for next month's hop - the hop on September 21 will feature altered items.

It has been my mission for months now to use only scraps in my projects. And I'm proud to say, I've been fairly successful. Made one group of cards with a new paper pack - but everything else is coming from scraps - with my pile FINALLY, albeit slowly, dwindling down. All the images in my cards today are left over from Graphic 45 Place in Time projects. Since I had lots left over with birthday images, I made more than one card.

Have a great weekend, and we'll see you right back here next month for the Altered-Items Blog Hop.

Your next stop is Paula.  Here is the entire line up in case you become lost.

Robin S. - http://scrapandchat.blogspot.com/ 
Pam - http://www.scrappletree.com/
Camille - http://shortonideasaz.blogspot.com/
Paula - http://preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com/
Lissa Marie - www.somanycrafts.com
Lucy - http://love2createitall.com/
Lynda - http://memoriesintyme.blogspot.com/

Snowflake Owl - 2 Cute Ink

I fell in love with the free digital stamp 2 Cute Ink was sharing this weekend -  Owl Doodle shared in Saturday's post.   I shared my card on the 2 Cute Ink Facebook Page, and Heidi the artist asked if I would use the same technique with some of her new digital stamps.  You know me...anything to be able to showcase my work!  

So Heidi sent me her latest digital stamp - Snowflake Owl - and as soon as I saw it, I saw cool, ice blue!

Here is my card - and step-by-step instructions below!  If you find yourself using this technique with digital stamps, please send me a link to your page in my comments....would love to see what you do!

Supplies Used

• Snowflake Owl - Digital Stamp (2 Cute Ink)
• White Cardstock - 1 sheet for cutting owl, 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" for card base
• Robin's Egg Blue Classic Glitter Cardstock (The Robin's Nest)
• Double-Sided Adhesive (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
• Glitter - Glitter Ritz (Elizabeth Craft Designs) 
• Real Teal
• Robin's Egg Blue
• Ice Blue
• Sky Blue
• Mystique
• Cool Highlights
• Warm Highlits
• Border Punch - Apron Lace (Fiskars)

Two-sided Adhesive - on white cardstock - on cutting mat

Instructions

I just purchased a Sizzix eClip to replace my Cricut machine.  For those of you with Cricuts and Sure Cuts a Lot, the steps are almost identical.  You will only need to play with your pressure and/or blade depth on the Cricut.

First I placed a 6" x 6" piece of double-sided adhesive on a piece of white cardstock - leaving the protective cover on the top.

On the electronic cutter, Trace the digital stamp image.  Break apart the image.  I moved the solid owl image to its own layer.  So my screen looked like this:   

To cut, I set the Pressure to 3.  This cuts through the protective covering of the adhesive....but not through the cardstock.

Carefully remove protective covering over outline only

Next, I "hid" the layer with the detailed image, and displayed the solid owl image.  I set the cutter to cut two times - with a Pressure of 6.  This will cut through both the adhesive and cardstock.  See completed cut image to the right (excuse the messy glitter-catcher cardstock beneath).  You can see the detail cuts on the image's protective covering.

Cover with glitter; brush off excess

Using tweezers, I peel off the protective covering for the areas I want to glitter in each color.  I like to begin with the outline.  The way 2 Cut Ink's images are designed, it provides a nice "outline" as such.  I begin with glittering the outline...which makes it easier to find all the detailed pieces.  

I complete those same steps for each different glitter color.  You can see, once the outline is glittered, the rest of the pieces are easy to see.  Use tweezers to remove the pieces you want for each color.  You can see by the pics, that I am generous when covering with glitter.  All excess goes back in the jar, so no need to be skimpy.  For each color, remove protective covering, cover with glitter, brush off excess.  Repeat.

Generously cover with glitter

Rub off excess glitter (rub hard to get a smooth look

Shake off excess glitter

The next time I use this image, I will probably make the owl's belly white - my snowflakes aren't showing well with the little variance in blue colors.  With a white belly, blue snowflakes would really stand out (live and learn).

For this particular card, I did not resize the image.  However, the snowflakes were too small to cut easily, so I did enlarge them...then used the same technique to glitter.

A 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of Robin's Egg Blue Classic Glitter cardstock provides the card front.  I used a border punch on both sides of a strip of Robin's Egg Blue Classic Glitter cardstock, ran it through the Xyron (upside down), and covered it with a combination of Cool and Warm Highlight glitter to provide a blue on blue effect.

I popped up the owl....and glued on glittered snowflakes.

If this inspires you to use this technique, please leave me your link in the comments....I would enjoy seeing your creation.  Keep an eye on 2 Cute Ink - I'm looking forward to more creations (I see Sea Creatures in my future!)

Baby Girl's Dew-Drop Mobile - The Robin's Nest

Hi Everyone,

I feel like a giddy teenager every time I get to play with new products and my card turns out to be fun to make!  

Special Delivery Girl is another amazing new release.  I know you all can't do without both Special Delivery Girl and Special Delivery Boy.  Details?  For Baby Girl - Pink Swirl Paper, Pink Roses on Green Cardstock, Rose Vellum, Special Delivery Cardstock, Embellies, Stickers, More Stickers, Tags, Banner, and even Babies! 

This month, we are also featuring Diamond Dew Drops and partnering with Timeless Twine.  Be sure to visit each day this month, as the design team has once again outdone themselves and are bringing you projects that will take your creativity to the sky. Enjoy! 

For my project, I made a pop-out baby card.  

This crib card is a great way to welcome the new baby - to really surprise Mom & Dad, make the inside of the card a replica of Baby's Nursery.  Decorating this paper nursery is so much fun....I have here a "mirror" and "portrait" from Special Delivery stickers - but you can add shelves and windows.  Design the crib to be a replica of Baby's crib.  But beware!  You will have so much fun making this nursery, it might just take you nine months to make the card!  

A list of supplies and detailed instructions are provided below.

Supplies Used

• Pink Swirl Paper
• Pink Roses on Green Cardstock
• Kiwi Glitter Sorbet Cardstock
• White Cardstock
• Special Girl - Sweet Girl Stickers
• Special Girls - Little Friends - Baby Girls
• Delicate Asters Dies (Heartfelt Creations)
• Glitter - Lilac Pink (glitter Ritz)
• Timeless Twin - Bubble Gum Pink & White
• Jade Diamond Dew Drops

Instructions

As you can see, the card front is pretty standard.  The card itself (finished size - 5-1/2" x 5-1/2") is made from Pink Swirl Paper - with pink inside.  The card front is covered with white cardstock, then layered with Pink Swirl and Pink Roses on Green.  The Sweet Girl sticker (matted with white) is popped up - embellished with a baby on the lower left corner.  

Glittered Delicate Asters embellish the card as well - with Bubble Gum Pink & White Twine Flower Centers.  To make the flower centers, wrap twine in a continuous circle on a large glue dot - then transfer to the flower.  The flowers are accented with Kiwi Sorbet leaves and twine hanging from the flowers.  The card front was finished off with a Diamond Dew Drop border.

Now for the fun!  The card inside!  Note as you are making the card, you will first complete "flat" parts inside - then outside, then embellish the inside, then finish off the outside.  Remember to add the "bulky" items last to make it easier to add all other items.

So, I began by "wallpapering" the room - adding a 4-1/2" x 11" layer of Pink Roses on Green Cardstock - leaving the top and bottom "molding" in pink.   

I created a cutting file to cut the crib on my Cricut.  I used Sure Cuts a Lot - but this is an easy file to create using Cricut Craft Room - or to even cut with a craft knife.  Here is a picture of my workspace for cutting the file.

For the bumper pad, I used strips of Pink Swirl and Pink Roses on Green glued back to back.  I cut strips the length of each section of the crib - 3/4" high.  I glued the bumper pad at the bottom of the inside of the crib - pink side showing out - roses in.  

To add the crib to the card to pop out properly, put adhesive along the top and bottom edges of the two sides at the crib opening.  I like to use red tape for its strength.  Fold the crib in half.  Take the tape covering off ONE side and position your crib with edges right at the center of the card.  Close the card top to adhere to the crib.  Open the card....take the tape covering off the other side of the crib; close the card again. 

Voila!  Pop-out crib!

Now for the mobile!  Cut four strings of twine - generous (several inches) in length (easier to cut off later).  Using small glue dots, glue two Diamond Dew Drops together - with twine in between.  I find it easier to get the Dew Drops on there - then trim off any extra twine.  Do this for each of the twine strings.  

Cut four 1/4" wide strips of cardstock -  1-1/2" long.  Fold strips in half.  Place red tape on the back of each strip.  

Take the red tape covering off Strip #1.  Lay the twine near the end of the strip.  Take the red tape covering off Strip #2 - glue JUST ONE HALF of these two strip together - with the twine in between.  Now do the same for  the other end of Strip #2 and Strip #3 - then Strip #3 with Strip #4.  You will finish up doing the same thing for Strip #4 and Strip #1 - BUT FIRST add a generous length of string right at the intersection where  all the strips meet in the middle.  Make sure all the strips are securely glued together to hold that middle string.  

Trim the end strings at the TOP - and the center string at the BOTTOM. 

To fasten the mobile to the wall - Cut a strip of cardstock 1/4" x 2-1/2".  Fold in half - also fold each end out approximately 3/8".  Place red tape on the back.  Take the tape covering off and glue the top string of the mobile in between the two sides of the string right at the middle fold.  The end flaps are then glued to the card wall above the crib. 

 Hard part's finished!  Now have fun decorating the room.  I chose a couple of the Special Girl - Sweet Girl stickers.  One ornate oval that to me looks like a mirror - and one of a sweet girl "portrait - matted in black to offset the "mirror."  Some more Delicate Asters, Diamond Dew Drops across the "moldings", and big Bubble Gum Pink & White Twine bow at the head of the crib.  I finished the room off with a baby blanket (included in the Baby Girls package), a teddy bear, and a baby doll from the Baby Girls package.  While this card is a bit time intensive - it is the perfect card for a baby shower. Can't be at the baby shower - make the card 12" x 12" - and the new Mommy will know for sure she is in your thoughts.

This post is bittersweet - as this is my last design post for The Robin's Nest - for now at least.  Perhaps when my life slows down again, I'll be back.  :D  But I do want to thank Rachel for having me share what I enjoy for the past six months, Terri for being an amazing and supportive team leader, and all the designers for sharing your ideas and assistance....I felt privileged to be included in a group of such talented crafters!  But continue to play with Robin's Nest products, I will - so watch The Robin's Nest Facebook page - I'll share any new ideas I have!  Thanks, All!