Poinsettia Tag for Festive Friday #24

Hi folks. I've been following my dear blog friend, Geri at Paper Wishes, for quiet a while now. She is a spectacularly talented artist and a down right beautiful soul. Her designs always blow me away, and I've been loving the places she visits in Blogdom.

Her designs for Festive Fridays Challenge Blog are some of my favorites, and I decided to give it a try myself, especially since this week's FFC24 inspiration photo is ripe with potential, and features one of my favorite color schemes.

 

My contribution is an eight inch tall tag. This composition is a bit more Rococo than my usual fare, but I kind of like it. Here are the ways I think this card gibes with the photo:

1. Many different colors of white with gold enhancement.

2. Organic twisted "lines" that run through the image.

3. Round white and gold balls.

4. Glitter here and there.

5. Both have a fair amount of depth. (The picture below was taken with side lighting to capture the feeling of depth that really doesn't show too well in the picture above.)

The poinsettia dies from Spellbinders, and the "merry" die from Papertrey are some of my favorites. (By the way, don't you just love the gold paper the word is cut from; it's wall paper from the 1940s backed with heavy stock.)  I really like the ribbon at the top and think it goes, BUT, I sure don't like the bow it makes. Do you have any suggestions for a better topper that won't cover up the tag?

Can't thank you enough for visiting. I'll be visiting your place soon!

Papertrey's 7th Birthday Bash - Timer Challenge - Love In My Heart

If you like a great birthday party with lots of fabulous gifts, head right over to Papertrey's 7th birthday party that is lasting for the first fifteen days of February. Talk about partying!!! There are lots of activities, prizes, and hints about upcoming events this year. You can join the party here.

My small participation in all the frivolities, is this card for today's challenge - 7 supplies in 17 minutes. (Just reading the posts, is like reading a newspaper cover to cover - only more fun.)  Folks seem to be doing fabulous work, given the constraints. It not quite as easy as it sounds at first!

Love in my Heart

I think I came in at seven supplies.

PTI cardstock - black, white, pure poppy, & raspberry fizz.

PTI dies - Limitless Layers: 2 1/4" Hearts Die Collection (2 of them) & Framed Love.

If I had to count the die cutting machine or scissors, I'm two over. Now off to continue looking at your great creations! Thanks for visiting.

Anything But a Card Challenge - RRR#88 - Second post

If you're here, chances are you've come from Really Reasonable Ribbon's 88th Challenge  - Anything But a Card. 

My contributions to the challenge are postcards, but they are made of fabric and other embellishments that are sewn on. I fused cotton fabrics, using 'Heat 'n Bond' onto a material called "Timtex", a VERY stiff Pellon like material, developed for use in the brim of hats. (My design was inspired by a tag in Basic Grey's beautiful 'Lily Kate' line from years ago.)

Using hand and machine sewing, the design was worked on top of the card. It was a blast figuring out how the different flowers could be formed. Below is a map of ribbons and trims used.

As you can see, there are quite a few heart shaped elements (one of my favorites), and I challenged myself to make the largest flower with heart-shaped petals. 

 Each open petal is a length of narrow ribbon with the ends brought together with the same side facing up, side by side. (The tip of the pedal will not lie flat at this stage.) Attach the two cut ends down next to one another where the center of the flower will be. Grab the tip of the petal and rotate the top side of ribbon to face the card's surface. Still holding the petal tip, move towards the flower center until you like the shape. and tack the tip down to the surface.

The ric-rac flower is formed by using a thread to draw the valley points together. Other embellishments include glass, brass, and shell beads, buttons, ladder yarn, and invisible thread.

Thanks so much for coming by to visit, and please leave me a comment. I would particularly like to know if my instructions for the large flower are clear, and if making one, is something you might try.

See you at your place soon!

Anything But a Card Challenge - RRR#88

Over at Really Reasonable Ribbon they are having a challenge to make 'anything but a card' using ribbons and trims. (Since my couch made from ribbons is out at the dry cleaners at the moment, I decided to share one of my smaller projects.) This heart seems timely with Valentine's Day close at hand.

 I fell in love with fabric postcards the first time I was given one by a friend. The postcard is basically a fabric sandwich with a stiff filling. This makes it very easy to embellish to the hilt, while having a 'canvas' that doesn't collapse under the weight.

A narrow red trim covers the boundary between the two background fabrics. (My trim wobbles a bit since I chose to sew it on, rather than use glue.)

 

The leaves and other bits of greenery are made from 7mm (about 1/4") silk ribbon. Any very soft narrow ribbon can be used for ribbon embroidery; it just needs to go on a needle and be able to be pulled through the fabric 'sandwich'. Sequins, beads of glass and brass, invisible thread, and embroidery floss, finish off the composition.

For more fun, visit Really Reasonable Ribbon's blog to see what their designers, and other folks, have made. If you enjoyed seeing a fabric postcard, please leave a comment. I'd love to share more, if there is an interest. (OK. More than just the ones I shared for this challenge.)

P.S. If you like fabric postcards with a holiday theme, you might enjoy my Easter egg cards here.