Tag Archives: cards with minimal stamping

Fall Harvest Creativity Kit Part Two

Polly’s Paper Studio Fall Harvest Creativity Kit Part Two: Teal and Brown Maple Leaf

Hello, Friends!  Today I’m going to tell you a little story.  When I was in first grade we had art class once a week.  I loved art class. I loved to doodle with my Crayolas on paper, I loved making cards, I loved everything that had to do with color and design.  The little two room schoolhouse I attended in rural Vermont was graced with an ancient sugar maple tree of massive proportions, and one fine fall day, our teacher had us carry our chairs and art supplies out onto the lawn so we could draw the tree for art class.  I was having a wonderful time coloring my leaves in shades of orange, red and gold…and purple!  Because, folks, I saw purple leaves in there amidst the more traditionally colored ones.  My teacher was walking by, checking on our progress, and when she saw my colorful tree, she chastened me loudly for having added purple leaves to its branches.  “Everyone knows that maple leaves are NOT purple,” she chided.  Of course the whole class sniggered at my idiocy, and I kind of lost interest in art class after that humiliating event.  This story has a happy ending, though, as I  have rediscovered my love for color and design, as you all well know.  And today, in memory of that early childhood event, I’ve made another card with Polly’s Paper Fall Harvest Creativity Kit…and I’ve made it in shades of teal and brown….just because I can!

Kathy by Design for Polly's Paper Studio

Kathy by Design for Polly’s Paper Studio

I used a 5″ x 7″ kraft card base for this pretty little thing.  After running the base through an embossing folder, I lightly inked the surface with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The teal layer has a scalloped punch edge, and is topped with pretty designer paper found in the Fall Creativity Kit.  Another designer paper from the kit was die cut, matted onto teal cardstock and adhered with foam dots.  A little doily, a stamped tag, die cut leaves and hydrangea blossoms are clustered at the base, while a die cut acorn is perched atop .

Fall Creativity Kit Polly 02I used luxurious Blue/Gold/Ivory Plaid ribbon to tie a big poufy bow that was topped with ivory burlap string and a teal button.  The sweet vintage image of a child sitting in a little chair prompted the story I told at the beginning of the post.

Fall Creativity Kit Polly 03The inside of the card uses more pretty paper from the kit and a stamped sentiment.

I have to confess, I feel very happy to be making a fall card with teal hydrangea blossoms.  It may not happen in the world of nature, but in the world of art and imagination, it’s perfectly appropriate!  If you’d like to purchase this lovely autumn card, it’s available in my ETSY shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Retro Ladies Christmas Cards

Polly’s Paper Retro Ladies Christmas Cards: Christmas in July Post

Hello, Friends!

It’s Christmas in July at Kathy by Design!  I know it seems odd to be sharing Christmas projects in the middle of a heat wave, but you’ll thank me in December when all your cards and hand made gifts are neatly packaged up and you can sit back, relax and pat yourself on the back for having been clever enough to get a head start on things.  (You’re welcome!) Today I have 3 totally adorable Retro Ladies Christmas cards to share with you.  They are from Polly’s Paper Etsy, and I fell in love with them right away.  I think you will agree:

Kathy by Design/Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies trioThese take me right back to my childhood.  My mom always wore an A-line dress with a big pleated skirt.  If she went shopping, she put on her hat and gloves.  Everyone did!  Our small town had one main street, all decked out with Christmas lights from Thanksgiving to New Year.  The shops stayed open late (til 9!!) and everyone bustled about under the soft light getting their holiday shopping done.  It was magical!

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Rosette 01Each 5×7 top fold card has a slightly different embellishment.  But they all are dolled up with a Christmas Ticket collage, also from Polly’s.  You could print these large enough to be a focal on a card, but I printed them small to use as an embellishment.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Rosette 03This stylish Retro Lady was touched with a bit of Art Institute Glitter Glue and white glitter.  She needed a big old red rosette to mimic her candy cane stripe pleated skirt. I also topped my mini jingle bells with glue and glitter.  The candy cane ribbon was in my stash of Christmas ribbons.  I’m not even sure where it came from, but it was perfect for this project.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Rosette 04The papers are retired Stampin’ Up.  The stamped sentiment is from them as well.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Poinsettia 03Poinsettias dusted with Viva Decor White 3-D Stamp paint are keeping this Retro lady company while she decorates the tree.  The metallic gold string is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Poinsettia 01Matting the designer paper layers helps to anchor the card. And I used a red paper clip as an ornament hanger for my little jingle bells.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Poinsettia 04Finishing the inside of a card is easy.  Just bring elements from the outside of your card (the papers) to the inside and you’ll have a design that really works.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Banner 01I sewed a banner at the top of this card and added a row of ruffled ribbon on the base.  It makes me think of a Christmas tree skirt.

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Banner 02I looped some metallic string on the top of my Christmas ticket, just for fun!

Pollys Paper Christmas Ladies Banner 03Did you notice that this card is built on a black cardstock base?  I wouldn’t normally use black on a Christmas card, but I really liked the way it grounded these bright, retro colors and designs.

So, have you started your Christmas cards yet?  If you’re looking for inspiration, you might want to check out the holiday digital collage selection at Polly’s.  She has so many adorable vintage images in all kinds of holiday themes.  Grab a cold glass of iced tea and take a peek!

I’ll be sharing more Christmas ideas throughout the month of July, and I feel a little giveaway coming on…so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

These cards are available for purchase in my ETSY shop.

 

Sew Vintage

 

Crafy Secrets Sew Vintage 01a

Hello, Friends!

You know how inspiration seems to strike when you are cleaning up your crafty space?  Well, I was tidying up the other day and ran across some fabulous scraps from Crafty Secrets.  I was sorting them into categories (yeah, I’m a little OCD) when I suddenly saw several pieces from the Sew Decorative CD that I thought would make a great card. Next thing I knew, I was knee deep in creativity mode, and this Sew Vintage Birthday Card was sitting on my desk.  Ta da!

Kathy by Design/Crafy Secrets Sew Vintage 02I really love the papers and ephemera on the Sew Decorative CD.  The soft pink doilies and floral measuring tape that I placed on top of my banners make me feel a little bit giddy!  And just look at the flapper paper in the background, the one where she’s admiring herself in the mirror…isn’t it fabby?  That’s from Creating with Vintage Illustrations.  I love her! Crafy Secrets Sew Vintage 01I found a fun party girl in a champagne glass (from the Girlfriends Creative Scraps) and I added her to the mix.  Sheer polka dot ribbon from my stash was the perfect accessory.  I topped it with a touch of bright green organza to pull out the greens in the card.  The pearl and rhinestone gem that tops the bow is an old earring of mine.  Sadly, it’s mate was lost in the shuffle of life, but it’s been given a new purpose on this fun card.

Crafy Secrets Sew Vintage 03The inside of this card is ready to party, too!  These papers are from the Creating with Vintage Illustrations CD. And I might have a scrap or an element or two from Creating with Vintage Patterns and Typography!  The rosette is an ephemera bit from one of those CD’s, but for the life of me, I can’t remember which one!)  I know I say this all the time, but if you are on a budget, or don’t have a lot of space for crafty goodies in your home, these CD’s are worth their weight in gold.  You just pop them into your CD, open the file you want to use and print.  Or you can get fancy and layer things up digitally….but they are very user friendly either way.

Crafy Secrets Sew Vintage 04I added a pocket flap to the bottom panel of the card so that a little gift card can slip right in there.  And, I stamped some sentiments on the background paper.  Easy, peasy!

The whole point of this post is to remind you to clean your craft area!  NOT!!!  Hahahaha!  No, the point is to remind you that little bits and pieces can be combined to make something beautiful.  Life is like that, too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

This item is available for purchase in my ETSY shop.

Ready for Father’s Day?

Hello, Friends!

I thought I’d pop in real quick today and share a few cards that I just finished making with some great images and papers from Crafty Secrets.  I can’t believe that Father’s Day is just a couple weeks away…the 3rd weekend in June here in the states.  Are you ready for Father’s Day?  I think I am now that these cute cards are made.

Kathy by Design/Best Father in the WorldThis first card uses digital papers and images from the fabulous Barber Shop Kit.  I love this dandy dad on his high wheel bicycle.  I combined him with  papers from the collection and used the Best Father in the World digital for the sentiment.  Some of my accent pieces are from the Creating with Typography CD.

Best Father in the World 03I have a little tip to share with you that I think you will find helpful.  I used my craft knife to cut the window portion of the Barber Shop image out.  Somewhere I read that if you use a glass mat when you are cutting with a craft knife, it will cut like butter.  True fact, folks!  It is also important to have a sharp blade in your knife, as even a slightly dull blade will tear the paper edges.

After I cut the window in the image, I inked the inside edges with Vintage Photo Ink, and then inserted my sentiment, using foam adhesive to pop it up even more.  I backed everything with a page from a vintage book.  I used Natural Jute Ribbon topped with red twill to form a belly band on the card.  The side ribbon is made with Topaz Stitched Satin Ribbon topped with more of the red twill.

Best Father in the World 04I used the same papers on the inside of the card, and created a pocket for my greeting.  You can tuck a gift card in here, or baseball tickets , or a gift certificate, too.  The greeting is from the Father Digital download.

Crafty Secrets Father's Day Frogs 01Y’all know I have a special love of frogs, so when I saw this cute froggie family on the Father Digital Download, I had to make it up into a card.  This reminds me of when our 5 kids were small.  They would wait eagerly for Dale to get home from work and then tackle him, playing a silly game they called Juvenile Jitsu.  Not Jujitsu, mind you…and that made the game even funnier!  I added a little sentiment ticket from the download. I just love how easy they make it to add a sentiment to a card.   The green plaid paper is from our Thanksgiving Digital Kit. The other papers and ephemera here are all from the Vintage Typography and Vintage Illustrations CD.

Crafty Secrets Father's Day Frogs 04Here’s the inside of the card.  I used the greeting from the Father Digital download, a scrap of paper from the green plaid I used on the front, and the rulers from the Typography CD.

King of the Road 02This might be my favorite image from the Father Digital Download.  I super love this steampunk doggie!  I paired him with fabulous papers from the Barber Shop Kit, and then added some burlap and fun bits and bobs from my stash.  The wonderful sentiment is from the Father download, too.  I just sized it to fit my card and then treated it with UTEE to make it look like an epoxy sticker.  My bow is made with Navy Center Stitch Burlap and Brown Twill.  I added Glossy Accents to the driving goggles.  This card just makes me grin from ear to ear!

King of the Road 04I created another pocket on the inside, and then slipped a sentiment ticket inside.  This one is printed much larger.  I love that versatility with digital images.  You have infinite options for sizing an image!  The background paper (isn’t it fabby?) is from the Typography CD.

I think I’m ready for Father’s Day now, but it makes me just a little bit sad because I was having so much fun with the Father Digital Download.  But the good news is, these images would be great for masculine birthday cards, get well cards, or even anniversary cards!  Hooray!

If you’re interested in purchasing one of these cards, you can find them in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

 

Polly’s Paper Dream Team

Polly’s Paper Dream Team Announcement and Loads of Masculine Cards!

Polly's Paper Dream Team Blog BadgeHello, Friends!  What a great day you’ve chosen to visit!  Remember a few weeks ago when I told you that I would be designing for my good friend, Ginny Nemchak, owner of Polly’s Paper Etsy Shop?  Well, now I have another teammate!  Ginny is making the official announcement on her blog, Polly’s Paper Studio that the fabulous Sheila Rumney and I will both be playing with paper on Polly’s Paper Dream Team.  We’re all super excited about it!  Here’s a little blurb for you to read.

Polly's Paper Dream TeamYou’ll want to visit Ginny’s BLOG today, as she is doing a little giveaway to celebrate! And I know how much you all love giveaways!

I got busy yesterday afternoon with the new Masculine Variety Card Creativity Kit.  Before I knew it, I had made 8 fabby cards with this kit.  I’m telling you people, these creativity kits are like potato chips…you just can’t stop at one!  LOL  Here’s a peeky at the kit:

Masculine Variety Card Creativity Kit Polly's Paper EtsyThere is a load of fun to be had here…as you will see!

Dear Old Dad Masculine Creativity KitWith Father’s Day right around the corner, I thought I’d make a little Father’s Day card.  Most of these supplies are from the kit.  I just added a little twine, a couple of brads, basic cardstock and some stamping.  The bows even come pre-tied!

Golf Card 01 Masculine Creativity KitGolfing is always a winning theme for masculine cards!  I did add the ribbon to this card…the kit comes with 4 pre-tied ribbons, and since I made 8 cards, I had to dig into my ribbon stash and use this great Midnight Waves ribbon.  It provided just the right amount of texture and contrast.

Golf Card 02 Mascuiline Creativity KitThis is a great birthday card for a golfer.  The only item I added here is the button!

Hunting Card Masculine Creativity KitI thought at first that these guys were carrying rifles and going hunting!  But no, they are golfing, too!  I love the mix of papers that Ginny puts in these kits.  I added a few brads, some natural burlap string and a little stitching here.

Airplane Card Masculine Creative KitI love the colors in this card, and I think I actually had this book when I was growing up.  It belonged to my brothers, and it was all dogeared.  So how fun to find the image in the kit!

Sailboat Card 02 Masculine Creativity KitIf your fella loves the water, this peaceful sailboat get well card is a great option.  I did add ribbon here…my new ribbon crush, Canvas Color Band Ribbon in Parrot Green.

Sailboat Card 01 Masculine Creativity KitAnother beautiful nautical image graces the front of this birthday card.

Men on Moon Masculine Creativity KitAnd, I saved my favorite for last!  This trio of Dapper Dans riding a moonbeam sailboat…well that just makes me grin from ear to ear!  I did add some brads and a paper clip…but everything else came in the kit.

Phew!  That’s a whole lotta masculine cards!  You can see why I jumped at the chance to be on Polly’s Paper Dream Team, can’t you?

If you’re interested in any of these cards, you can find them in my ETSY shop.  If you’d like to purchase your own creativity kit, you can find one HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...