OCC: World Card Making Day

Hiya!

If you're a paper crafter, you probably know that today is World Card Making Day! This week at Our Creative Corner, we're celebrating with a challenge that emphasizes the world part of the festivities. 

This week, we want you to get inspired by a country (other than your own) for your paper craft.

My inspiration this week? I've used the flag of Japan as an jumping point for my hand-made holiday Christmas card. I just couldn't get the image out of my head. 

I really love this little red brad berries/green holly leaves combo from Making Memories. They go together so well and I love how they finish off the top of the "ornament" (its actually a tag die from Papertrey Ink that works beautifully as an ornament).

Join us this week. Find some inspiration in another country and submit your paper craft project. And to get you started, check out what the other designers have put together this week in a trip around the world!

Linda Coughlin
Lori Rider
Wendy Janson
Vicki Burdick
Sharon Wheet
Jen Rzasa
Kristen Tierney
Anne Marie Hile
Marjie Kemper
Tui Nathan

OCC: Numbers

Happy Saturday!


This week on Our Creative Corner, Sharon is challenging us to use numbers in our design. A few weeks ago, I made this card  for a Paper Craft Magazine. When I cut out the 4 on the card, I had this cut out that I held onto with the thought that I could use it again. So this week, I am incorporating it into this week's challenge.


I opted to make a tag this time - something I am totally into right now thanks to all the handmade Christmas cards and tags I'm working on right now!

I love this way to incorporate a button and twine to secure the ribbon at the top. 

Here's a tip for you, when I stitch on a card, I put a little dab of Glossy Accents on the back before I trim off the excess to keep my stitches in place.

Play along with us this week on Our Creative Corner. Make a paper craft incorporating a number somehow into your design and to get some inspiration, check out what the other OCC designers have put together this week!

Linda Coughlin
Lori Rider
Wendy Janson
Vicki Burdick
Sharon Wheet
Jen Rzasa
Kristen Tierney
Anne Marie Hile
Marjie Kemper
Tui Nathan

Technique Practice: Resist

So I'm taking Jennifer McGuire's Inspiration Showcase class and haven't had the time throughout the week to really watch the videos so I caught up on Friday night and have really become quite inspired!

Here's my tag which incorporates some of her ideas and techniques.

I started by stamping the Old Letter Writing text on a piece of white card stock. I then inked up a large background stamp with embossing ink, stamped over the top of the writing and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I did have to do it a few times because the embossed pattern didn't turn out very well  the first few times.

I then started rubbing Tim Holtz Distress Ink with my distress tool. I wanted to do a rainbow effect so I added color in small strips - blending and incorporating color to fade from one to another. I then cut it into a tag shape. I used some Walnut Stain Distress Ink on the edges.

I then embossed a piece of vellum with an embossing folder and had originally intended to stamp the sentiment on that behind the butterflies but the pattern of the tag made it hard to see the sentiment. So I trimmed another banner in the same size and put the dotted vellum piece behind the smooth one. Love it!

I diecut the butterflies, folded them a bit for some more dimension and then used a little bit of Glossy Accents in the center to mount them together. I used two very small bits of foam dots to adhere the pink butterfly to the vellum sentiment banner.

I finished it off with a silver eyelet and some white satin ribbon.

The resist technique here is really great for creating layers and dimension with stamping. I will continue to work it into my projects going forward. It does add time and steps to a project but it is SO worth the effort.

Hope you have a great week ahead!
Holly

Reject Blog Hop: Kid's Happy Birthday

Into every life a little rain must fall, right?

I made 4 cards for Paper Craft's latest call for submission and none of them got accepted so I am happy to contribute my favorite reject to Amber's Reject Blog Hop. Thanks Amber!

I love this card. I was sad when the Paper Craft people didn't love it for the ABC & 123 category. 

I printed a 4 that I liked, trimmed it out with my craft knife and used it as a template for the 4 cutout for the window. I really wanted it to be the focus of the card and looked to find a typeface that was bold enough to stand up on its own. I chose Algerian. Paper I used is from My Mind's Eye Lime Twist line.

My boo-hooing is over. Now on to another day of paper crafting. There are more calls (and a holiday craft fair - yikes!) to get ready for!

OCC: Not Big on Pink

Morning paper crafting friends!

Its Saturday so that means there's a new challenge to get your hands working on this week. This time, Sharon is hosting and she LOVES pink. She's challenging us to make something pretty by using blue as the main color, using pink as an accent. Throw in a texture like ribbon or fabric and a metal element like a brad or charm and you've got yourself an OCC Not Big on Pink project!

So join us this week on Our Creative Corner. Make something pretty using blue with a touch of pink! Check out what the other OCC designers have put together this week!

Linda Coughlin
Lori Rider
Wendy Janson
Vicki Burdick
Sharon Wheet
Jen Rzasa
Kristen Tierney
Anne Marie Hile
Marjie Kemper
Tui Nathan

OCC: Wonderful Windows

Welcome to another wonderful Saturday. This week on Our Creative Corner, I'm hosting again and this week it's all about windows.

I am in love with Stella and Rose papers from My Mind's Eye and I just can't resist them. This week I'm attending a baby shower for my friend Heather who is expecting her first baby (a boy!) and so this week's card is for her. She's decorating her nursery with a cute nautical theme so I wanted to try to incorporate it into her card. I found these cute little Pebbles felt embellishments and was excited when I found one with a boat!

I wanted the little boat to stand out so I decided against using a patterned paper inside the card. With such a busy pattern on the front, I think the white really helps make the boat the focal point. It also gave me a chance to adhere the banner with the sentiment pop up - something I've been wanting to do but waiting for a good reason to do it. This is perfect! As Cath from Moxie Fab World would say, "Check it"!

And I just bought a pair of pinking shears (finally) so I used them here for an added bit-o-interest on the top and bottom of the card.

So take a spin with us this week. Do something to give your creativity. Play along with us this week at Our Creative Corner and use this week's window challenge as your inspiration See what the other talented OCC designers have whipped up this week:

Linda Coughlin
Lori Rider
Wendy Janson
Vicki Burdick
Sharon Wheet
Jen Rzasa
Kristen Tierney
Anne Marie Hile
Marjie Kemper
Tui Nathan

Have a great week!

Holly

OCC: Stamp Happy

So this week is my very first week hosting the challenge blog at Our Creative Corner and I couldn't be more excited! Getting to be a part of a group that is looking for new ways to challenge papercrafters is a real treat. I'm a firm believer that a challenge is the best way to improve your skills. The OCC blog has certainly has its fair share of challenges in the past that have forced some real creativity. All I can say is hang on! Looking ahead to the next few months, there won't be any shortage of thought-pushing challenges in the near future.

I actually struggled a bit coming up with a card after I chose this week's theme - stamping on printed or designer paper -  but I am thrilled with the outcome. It took some thinking. It took some practice. It took some time. But in the end, I'm happy to share with you my card.

I started with a new set of papers from Echo Park that I just love. The Dots and Stripes pads are perfect for a project like this. They offer two pads in different colors, Metropolitan (using more manly colors like black, blue, grey) and the one I've used here - Candy Shoppe (using more girly colors like pink, yellow and orange)

With the same patterns on all the colors, it makes it really easy to mix and match.

I cut the strips to the size I wanted. and adhered them to a piece of cardstock. Then with Post-it notes, I masked all three strips separately and stamped my image (I put the stamps together on one single large acrylic block so I could stamp each color once.) Then I peeled away each Post-it, inking my stamps with the appropriate color, stamping then covering it back up and moving onto the next color. It took a few tries but I think the effort was worth the outcome. I added a stitch, distressed the edges and smiled.

I inked the twine a little to keep it from being pure white and raspberry. I added the tag with my sentiment and a cute little flower resin brad. I'm de-fin-ately doing this again. This is a perfect handmade card template to start a new set with!

So challenge yourself this week. Do something to stretch your creativity. Play along with us this week at Our Creative Corner and use this week's challenge as your inspiration and don't forget to check out the other DT blogs to see how they've stamped on patterned paper for their projects!

Linda Coughlin
Lori Rider
Wendy Janson
Vicki Burdick
Sharon Wheet
Jen Rzasa
Kristen Tierney
Anne Marie Hile
Marjie Kemper
Tui Nathan

Have a great weekend!
Holly