Tag Archives: Sound of Summer

Seahorse by the Sea for RRR July 2023 Blog Hop

Ciao Bella Sound of Summer-Really Reasonable Ribbon-Reneabouquets-Kathy Clement-Kathy by Design-Photo 01

Seahorse by the Sea Easel Card for Really Reasonable Ribbon July 2023 Blog Hop

Hello, Friends!  This beachy blue Seahorse by the Sea Card is my inspiration project for the Really Reasonable Ribbon July 2023 Blog Hop.  Welcome to the hop!  You should be coming here from Gloria’s lovely blog.

This month’s hop is all about the beach. That’s one of my favorite places, and one of my favorite topics for crafting.  So I pulled out some gorgeous Paradise Aqua Seam Binding and Brown Sugar Baker’s Twine to dress up this beachy blue easel card.

Beachy Blues

Because I was working with scraps of my patterned paper, I had to join two panels to create the cover on this 7″ x 5″ card.  To cover up the seam, I adhered a strip of  3/8″ Turquoise Quatrefoil Satin Ribbon to a 1/4″ strip of Scor-Tape.

All these shades of aqua helped to create a wonderful beachy blue vibe for my card.  I added a beautiful board Seahorse, starfish, flat back pearls, and Beautiful Beads from Reneabouquets to finish out the scene.

Dress up the stopper for your beach easel card with some Sea Shell Beautiful Bits and Fine Pearl Glitter Glass.

A Peek Inside

Here’s a peek at the inside of the card.  I love the fact that the Brown Sugar Baker’s Twine can be seen inside the card, too. The pocket doubles as the stopper for the easel mechanism.  You know me and my pockets!  I’m going to find a way to fit at least one in!

In addition to the gift card wallet that’s tucked into the larger pocket, I made a small side pocket that fits a small journal card and tag combo.

On With the Hop!

From here, hop on over to see what paper pretties the lovely Cheryl has prepared for you. Then make sure you pop over to the RRR Blog and answer Bonnie’s Question of the Month.  Your name will be entered into the drawing for a $10 gift certificate to Really Reasonable Ribbon and a free Digital Stamp Set of your choice.

Thanks so much for hopping along with us!

Cheerio,

kathy

Beach Window Twisted Easel Shaker Card

Ciao Bella Sound of Summer Beach Window Twisted Easel Card Amazing Paper Grace Snip It Grid Calendar Die by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Beach Window Twisted Easel Shaker Card for Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Friends!  What do you see out the beach window of this Twisted Easel Shaker Card?  Seagulls soaring high in the sky?  Pelicans diving into the waves?  Or maybe there’s a school of dolphins frolicking not too far from the shore.  Whatever you can imagine, you can see through the panes of my beach window card.  Even though I have not been able to “see” the sea in a long time, my imagination can take me there, and I can enjoy the beautiful coastline that I love so much.

I’ve paired up some luxurious ribbons from the July Ribbon Club Assortment with Ciao Bella’s delightful “Sound of Summer” and Spellbinders Amazing Paper Grace Calendar/Grid Die to create this magical beach scene.  Capri Blue Double Faced Satin Ribbon and Blue Variegated Shell Print Satin Ribbon match the blues in this paper collection perfectly.

TIP: Die cut burlap stars then string as a banner across the top of the window.  Silver shell charms add just a touch of sparkle.

TIP: Die cut flowers from your designer paper scraps for perfectly coordinated florals.

TIP: Alter Reneabouquets Starfish Beauty Board with Little Birdie Crafts Silver Metallic Wax. Then tuck them in with the floral cascade.  This adds a soft shimmer and texture.

A Peek Inside

This style of card is designed to serve primarily as a decorative piece.  But I did manage to add a simple pocket.

TIP: Cluster real shells, flowers, and banner flags together on the pocket flap.  Then dangle a silver seahorse charm from a mini clothespin to create a beachy vignette.

TIP: Don’t be afraid to fold a large image in half.  This 8″ x 5 1/2″ journal card converts into a lovely mini folio.  Add a fussy cut image and decorative key in the corner.  This is the image you see peeking out when the card is opened for display.

Line the inside of the folio with cream cardstock.  You can write a message here, or add photos.

I hope you enjoyed looking through my beach house window with me today.  There is something very calming and relaxing about working with these shades of blue.  If you’d like to see other projects made with the Sound of Summer collection, please click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Beach Shaker Card and Altered Bottle

Ciao Bella Sound of Summer Shaker Card Folio and Altered Bottle by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Ciao Bella Sound of Summer Beach Shaker Card and Altered Bottle

Hello, Friends!  If you’re longing for the sound of surf hitting sand, then today’s Summer Beach Shaker Card and Altered Bottle is just what the doctor ordered!  My clever son turned another little apothecary bottle on his lathe.  He’s experimenting with his carving tools, and added some neat details to the face and back of this cherry wood bottle.  The moment I saw it, I imagined an old bottle washed up on the shore.  Thus, I dubbed it, “The Castaway.”  Peter was kind enough to let me alter it into the vision I had in my head. Then I just had to make a card to go with it.  And here we are.

The Castaway

I’m always a little nervous about altering these apothecary bottles because they are so beautiful in their natural state.  Peter works with primarily reclaimed wood.  Lots of it is really old, salvaged from falling down barns, estate sales, fallen trees, etc.  The goal when altering these bottles is to let the beauty of the wood shine through while creating a vignette that tells a story.

Sometimes a tag is all it takes.  Fill a little glass vial with beach sand, a real shark’s tooth and itty bitty shell.  Tap a copper starfish charm with Speckled Egg Paint to age it.  Then cluster up some Spanish moss, sequins and beads to add texture and shimmer.  Add a feather, some burlap string and BAM!  You’ve got a miniature beach on your hands.

Highlight the bottle edges with more paint.  Then tap the carved areas with gold mica gel to add a little shimmer.  Burlap trim adds the perfect rustic touch.

The neat wood piece at the bottom of the bottle is something I picked up after a storm.  I love it clustered up with some little shells and beads.  Create a sandy beach with Distress Embossing Powder.  I’m not gonna lie…this was fun!

The Shaker Card

Since I already had my Ciao Bella Sound of Summer collection out on the desk, I decided to go ahead and make a card to keep The Castaway company.  This is a 5″ x 7″ top fold card with a 1/2″ spine.   The shaker box is a Reneabouquets Shell Frame that I altered with Shabby Ivory Embossing Enamel.  It’s hard to see in the photo, but there are little flecks of gold that shimmer like the sun on water.

To keep with the shell theme, I added a vintage ribbon slide.  This came in a big box of buttons that our son and his wife gave me for my birthday one year.  It looks to be carved from Mother of Pearl or Abalone.   The delicate carved edges are simply elegant.  Striped ribbon mimics the sails on the little boats.

A Peek Inside

I had as much fun designing the inside of this box pocket card as I did the outside.

This little flap feature opens to reveal a gorgeous seaside view.  It also has a little tea bag pocket.

The box pocket is a “two for one” creation.  Three small folios fit into the little pocket on top, while a bookmark, seashell spoon, cookie, chocolate, and magnet fit into the larger space.

These little folios are a great spot to write secret messages or quotes.  They are also great for tiny photos or gift cards.

Here’s a closer look at the magnet, bookmark and spoon.

If you’re interested in purchasing either The Castaway or the Shaker Card, you can find them in my ETSY shop.

To see more projects made with Ciao Bella Sound of Summer, Click HERE.

Thanks for sharing a cuppa with me this Saturday morning!  I hope you find time to make something beautiful today.  Creativity is good for the body and good for the soul!

Thanks for stoppign by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Spellbinders June 2020 Club Kits Blog Hop

The winner of my $25 gift card is Isabel.  I’ve contacted her to let her know she has won.  Thanks for hopping! 

Ciao Bella Sound of Summer Beach Card with Spellbinders Amazing Paper Grace Snip it Grid Die by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

Spellbinders June 2020 Club Kits Blog Hop: Amazing Paper Grace DOM

Hello, Friends!  Welcome to the Spellbinders June 2020 Club Kits Blog Hop!  You should be coming here from  Jill’s  lovely blog.  This month I’m sharing a beach themed card made with the Amazing Paper Grace A2 Snip It Grid and Calendar Creator Die Set.  There is so much to love about this versatile Die of the Month!

I’ve paired it up with Ciao Bella’s Sound of Summer paper collection to create a 5″ x 7″ shabby chic beach themed card.  The grid and fishtail banner are such wonderful layering elements that I can see myself using them all the time.

Cut two layers of the grid die: one from patterned paper and one from cream cardstock.  Then glue the layers together so that they are slightly offset.  This creates wonderful depth and dimension in the background and almost gives the feeling of looking through a window pane. Cut 3 fishtail banners and mat them on kraft cardstock.  Then layer them in both horizontally and vertically on your card.   This set also comes with alphabet letters in a lovely font.  Die cut these to spell out “beach” on the tag cluster.  It’s these small details that  make a card really special.

The Flowers

Look at these beautiful flowers!  What a treat to be able to die cut perfectly matched flowers from designer paper scraps.  I’ve layered these up, added buttons to the centers and lightly distressed them by brushing Gathered Twigs DI on the petals.  Then spatter the entire card front with a bit of diluted white acrylic paint to resemble salt spray.  Scrumptious!

A Peek Inside

Create a gallery wall inside the card!  First, fussy cut small squares of patterned paper.  Next, mat them on folded cardstock. Place magnets between the paper layers to hold the flaps shut.

Add a photo, hidden journaling or a personal note inside each flap.

Tuck a bookmark and blank sentiment panel in the large pocket.  It’s also a great space for photos or a gift card.

Spellbinders $50 Gift Card Giveaway

To celebrate this release, Spellbinders is giving away a $50 gift certificate to 3 lucky blog readers – selected from the comments on their blog. Hop along for additional chances to win. Giveaway closes on Sunday, June 28th, 11:59 pm EDT. The winner will be announced in the blog hop post the following Tuesday. The winner is responsible for shipping cost, duties and taxes.

My $25 Gift Card Giveaway

I’ll also be drawing a winner from the comments made on my blog post.  The winner will  receive a $25 Spellbinders gift certificate. Please comment on my blog post to be eligible. The randomly chosen winner will contact Spellbinders at socialmedia@spellbinders.us by 7/5/2020 .  Please write Spellbinders June 2020 Blog Hop Winner from Kathy Clement’s  Blog in the subject line.  I’ll contact the winner via e-mail and post the name at the top of this post on .

Please note, store credit (gift certificate) cannot be applied to Club Subscriptions. Store credit can be applied to shop past Club products, Club extras and regular releases.

On with the Hop!

Click on these links to visit all the blog’s in the June Hop.

Spellbinders Blog

Tina Smith

Nichol Spohr

Carrie Rhoades

Jackie Pasko

Marie Heiderscheit

Jill Hilliard

Kathy Clement

Jennifer Snyder

Bibi Cameron

Virginia Lu

Laurie Willison

Joy Baldwin

Ilina Crouse

Now hop on over and see what Jennifer has prepared for you.  Then don’t forget to hop over to the Spellbinders blog and leave a comment there to be entered into the $50 prize drawing!

Subscribe to Spellbinders Club Kits HERE.  Subscribe to Amazing Paper Grace Die of the Month Club HERE.

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and inspiration that you can use in your next crafty adventure.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. You will find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for hopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Ciao Bella Sound of Summer Hanging Mini Album

Ciao Bella Sounds of Summer Hanging Mini Album with Reneabouquets Beautiful Board and Eileen Hull Pocket Notebook Die by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design Photo 01

                                         Ciao Bella Sound of Summer Hanging Mini Album                                                            with Reneabouquets Beautiful Board and Eileen Hull Pocket Notebook Insert

Hello, Friends!  Let’s start our day with a Ciao Bella Sound of Summer beach themed project!  As you all know, I just adore the ocean and coastal colors.  Since we haven’t been able to visit the NC shore yet this year, I just had to get my beach vibes from playing with paper.  So I pulled out The Sounds of Summer paper collection, some beachy Reneabouquets Bouquets Beautiful board, flowers, beach embellishments and ribbon.  Time to turn on the old thinking cap and imagine something unique and worthy of these paper pretties!

After some serious thinking and experimenting, I came up with the idea for a hanging mini album.  This unusual design does triple duty: beach home decor, mini journal and photo folio all in one!  How fun is that?  The heavy cardstock hanging pocket measures 5 3/4″ x 7 3/4″ x 1″.  It’s just big enough to hold this beach diary made with Eileen Hull’s Pocket Notebook Die.  This was a pretty involved project, so there’s no tutorial, but we’ll take a closer look at each of the elements in this post.

Reneabouquets: Trinkets and  Beautiful Board Seahorse and Starfish

The inspiration for this project came from Reneabouquets Beautiful Board and Trinkets. Beautiful Board is a unique surface.  (Read more about it HERE.)  It’s lovely straight out of the package.  But it also takes to mixed media products like a duck takes to water.  First, cover the Seahorse and Starfish with a nice layer of Versamark Embossing Ink.  Then sprinkle on some Seth Apter Vintage Patina, Ancient Amber and Rust Baked Textures.  Heat emboss from the underside to prevent the powders from blowing away. It’s like embossing alchemy to see the powders blend and create the baked on enamel finish.

TIP:  You can add more embossing ink and more Baked Textures in layers to get just the look you want.

The Mermaid

The  next step is to alter the Mermaid Trinkets from Renea’s shop.

  • First, paint the Baroque Metal Frame with Speckled Egg Distress Paint.  Let it dry for a minute, then gently tap a black archival ink pad on the raised oval edge of the Baroque Metal Frame.
  • Next, stamp the metal frame onto a scrap of designer paper. Wipe the frame clean with a baby wipe to remove any excess ink.
  • Now cut around the inside of the stamped image.  It should fit neatly inside the  frame.
  • Then paint the Baroque Metal Frame with Speckled Egg Distress Paint.  Let it dry for a minute, then gently wipe away with a damp paper towel or baby wipe to reveal the details.  Repeat this process with the mermaid trinket.
  • Next, adhere the cut out oval inside the frame.  Then adhere the mermaid inside the frame using a strong metal adhesive.  The adhesive will likely ooze out the sides.  This is not a problem as you can fill the bottom half of the frame with Minnie Pearls Prills to resemble bubbles in the water.

Now set everything aside to dry while you make the hanger pocket base.

Creating the Hanger Pocket Base

  • Score a 5 3/4″ x 12″ panel of cardstock on the long side at 7 3/4″ and 8 3/4″.  This leaves you with a 3 1/4″ flap and 1″ spine on the bottom of the base.
  • Line the back of the hanger with a panel of designer paper.
  • Die cut the Amazing Paper Grace Snip It Grid from cream cardstock and adhere  to resemble a window pane.
  • Die cut a burlap with the fishtail banner die from the same set.  Cut in two pieces and adhere as seen in the photo.
  • Now score two  3″ x 3 1/8″ panels of scrap paper at 1″ and 2″ to form gussets for the pocket.  Adhere to the sides of the pocket flap and the hanger card base.  Decorate as seen in the photo.
Creating the Pocket Notebook

Die cut the Eileen Hull Notebook base from mat board or heavy chipboard.  Then wrap it with designer paper.  Fold to form the journal.  Stitch canvas scraps and back with Scor-tape. Then wrap the spine to cover any cracks in the paper.

Wrap the spine with elastic and attach a dangle charm.

The cover of the journal is flat so that it will fit inside the hanger pocket. BV=ut I did add a little pocket and tag feature to liven it up.

Line the inside covers with designer paper.  Then create 3 signatures to tuck underneath the elastic bands.  Decorate the signatures with cut apart features from Ciao Bella Sound of Summer papers and more Reneabouquets Starfish.  This is what the Beautiful Board looks like with absolutely nothing done to it.  Pretty, right?

Each of the 4 signatures has five folded parchment folios inside the covers.

This gives you 10 double sided pages inside each signature.  That’s plenty of room to journal, add photos or sketch.

This would also make a wonderful guest book for a beach house! When the pages are filled up, simply slip them out from under the elastic bands and slip new pages in.  Easy peasy!

On the Flip Side

Folks, you know me…I hate to let a good surface go to waste.  So I created a simple photo folio on the back side of the hanger.  Simply score a 12″ x 7 1/2″ piece of designer paper at 1″ and 5 1/2″.  Then fold to form a folio with a spine on the right.  Adhere a length of burlap string to the back side, then adhere to the hanger pocket base.  Create a pocket for the right hand side and tuck in some 4″ x 6″ journal cards.  Add gussets to the 1″ flap on the left and fold to form a side pocket for more journal cards.  This is a great place to add family photos and memories of a beach trip.

Now decorate the pocket with your prepared flowers and embellishments. Finally, I suspended the whole rig from a Melissa Frances vintage hanger and adhered the Mermaid Trinket.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this hanging mini album creation.  I think it could be a great conversation piece, a functional guest book,  and a fun way to document beach memories.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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