Thursday, May 31, 2018

Authentique Accolade Collection - Scraps to Masculine Cards

a Country Craft Creations Design Team share

Well my friends I think this just about does it for the scraps from Authentique's Accolade collection  I have some stickers left and a few papers I'm saving for other masculine/graduation projects as time goes on.  I did want to leave you with a little inspiration for some guy cards since I know many of you struggle for ideas, as I do, for the guys in your life.


I made a total of 7 cards for you using up the scraps and stickers from the collection.  All cards are on a Kraft card base, 4" x 5 1/2".  Here I've fussy cut the hot air balloon and added some accents with thin black twine.  I used a sentiment stamp to tie it all together.


Inside was left pretty simple with just the fussy cut camera and some lined paper to write my greeting on.  I did ink all around the edges, inside and out with an espresso colored ink.


I wanted to give you some food for thought on the video (link at the bottom of the blog post).  I used two Distress Oxide inks and one regular Distress ink to color up the Accolade paper.  I moved the inks around using Tattered Angels Glimmermist in Dazzling Diamonds. 


Keep in mind when you're working with your papers you can always change up the colors by the use of mists and inks.  I love how these papers took to the blues.  A great guy card.  The stickers were from my stash.  They've been hanging around for eons just waiting for me to pluck them out and glue them down.  I'm not much of a packaged sticker person but after seeing how cute these cards turned out I'm thinking I may look at them a little closer when I see them in the close out bins.


I wanted to share one more card on the blog post and you can check out the video for the other four examples of using your scraps. In the 12x12" papers I had two of these flying pigs.  OMG aren't they adorable?  There's just something about a flying pig.  I knew I had to do a couple 'over the hill' cards for a birthday I'm belated on and one that's just around the corner.  I know both of the guy recipients are going to get a laugh out of them.  


I used those super cheap alpha stamps that you can get in the close out bins, I have several of them in my crafty stamp drawers.  The fonts are funky and fit perfectly with the little pig.  

Check out the video for a short how I did it with the Oxide inks and other examples to spur your imagination creating your own masculine cards from scraps.  Happy crafting and thanks so much for joining me today.  I know time is precious and you just don't realize how much I appreciate you all for sharing a little of your time with me!


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Friday, May 25, 2018

Authentique Accolade - Scraps to Tiny Boxes

A Country Craft Creations Design Team Project Share

I'm back again with another share using the Authentique Accolade collection. I'm still using up my scraps.  I was sending out some Happy Mail to a friend and ran across a box another crafty friend had sent me years ago.  In it she'd included all these fun Tiny Boxes.  I wrote and asked if I could make a pattern and share what she'd sent me using my scraps.  Well being the sweetheart she is she said yes of course.  These original boxes were from Manuela, you probably know her on YouTube as Bunny Bow, please check her channel out and say hello.



You could use up any scraps of paper you had left as long at they were close to 8" in length.  The possibilities are endless.  Here's one I used with the Autograph paper and a buckle closure.  The ones I received had some great brad closures with an easy elastic band but for the life of me I can't find where I put my elastic cording, it's here very safely tucked away, so safely I can't find it, please tell me you have the same problem?? 


This is a super quick project, you can whip these little boxes out in no time.  This one closes with magnets.  I had wanted to use small velcro circles but I'm thinking I used them all up because they were no where to be found either.


Because they have a gusseted side they expand to hold a lot of little surprises inside.  

Check out my video for a step-by-step walk through tutorial of how to put these little guys together using up lots of your scraps.  Thanks for stopping by!


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Thursday, May 24, 2018

Spritzing and Spraying with Tattered Angels Glimmermists

a Canvas Corp Brands CREW project

My project is being featured on the Canvas Corp Brands - The Creative Studio Blog today.  I'd so love it if you'd pop on over there and give me some love.  I had so much fun just playing and creating with the Tattered Angels Glimmermists.  Do you have some of them sitting on your shelves just crying for attention?  If so find them and start creating today, you'll be so glad you did!


Since I was really running low on Sympathy cards I choose to do a lot of those, you'll see them all on Video 2.  If you love watching the process check out Video 1 (links below) where I'll share step-by-step the whole process of making gorgeous backgrounds for your cards.  I also tried very hard to have one layer cards so they easily could go through the mail with no additional postage or worry of being snagged before arriving at their destination.  This is a much harder process for me than you might think.  I guess I like textures and bumps and bows and whatnot, but I succeeded on the majority.

Join me on the Canvas Corp Blog for the whole story and on the videos for the how to's and end results.  Thanks everyone, I so appreciate you all stopping by to see what I've made.



Supplies include Tattered Angels – Glimmer Mists;  Glimmer Glam in Twinkle Toes and Rustic Canvas Home Basics – Cards/Envelopes- Note Cards in WhiteShip to Shore – Signs on Ivory  Ken Oliver Water-Media Greeting Cards
Supplies from my stash include Canson Cold Press Watercolor paper,  embossing powders, embossing folders, dies, stamps, Big Shot, Score Board, bone folder
Follow Canvas Corp Brands StoreBlog and Facebook Collective Group (this is a group you must request to join, but boy is it worth it!!!)Canvas Home Basics at Facebook and Instagram.
7gypsies at Facebook and Instagram.Tattered Angels on Facebook and Instagram.
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Friday, May 18, 2018

Authentique's Accolade Masculine Mini

A Country Craft Creations Design Team Project

Oh I have a fun project to share with you today.  I've spoken often about how much harder it is for me, and many of you, to make masculine projects.  Part of the problem is finding nice masculine type collections to work with.  Well today I've flipped Authentique's Accolade collection from the normal 'A' side designs we usually pick first to work with to the 'B' sides.  This is the side that normally compliments the primary designs.  The flip side of the Authentique Accolade collection is a wonderful collection of brown and beige very masculine looking papers.  I loved them and that's what I've used today for my mini.  


My mini is 8" square with a 3" spine allowing for 7 1/2" square pages, of which there are 5 full pages with the 6th split into 3 smaller flips, which I'll share in just a bit.  I've used 1/2" gussets between the pages which allows the book to lay nicely (see the photo below). 


I opted not to do a full blown tutorial for this mini since the main construction is so similar to many of my other tutorials you can check them out on my YouTube Playlists Page.  You might want to start with the How Do I Do That Playlist and branch out from there.  But as always, with anything I create, I'm always here to answer any questions or help solve any snags you may have in your creative process.  Never hesitate to drop me an email with questions, comments or concerns. And on that same line I love it when you share what you've made tailored after something I've shared!


I supplemented the main collection papers with Authentique Spectrum II and Artisan in Brown and Kraft.  Here's a two page spread with two different closures.  I was hoping to get the look of a belt on the right hand side.


Something I do often and really love the look is to cluster groupings of stickers and cut outs from the paper to create tuck in areas for photos or tags. 


This is where I split the hinge to make 3 small flaps.  This gives lot more movement and interest to your mini's.  I used a 2" circle punch to make the finger pulls for the inside mats.


A smaller pocket left open at the side creates a great slip in for the narrower mats and a huge area for a large mat or photo.  Since the pages measure 7.5" square there is lots of space for photos up to 7" square.  I only allowed for three of the pages to have large side pockets.  Since there is ample room within the page design to save lots of large photos I thought three kept the bulk down.


The keys on the tag shown here are also the keys I used to decorate the spine.  By fussy cutting these two keys and adding the one from the sticker sheet I have a fun element for the outside.  Snipping the top part of the keys and interlacing and gluing them gives the appearance of keys together.  I added a good layer of Glossy Accents.  The hanger is simply a very thin piece of Artisan brown paper twisted in the middle, looped around the keys and tucked under the canvas.  The secret is making sure you securely glue everything down.  I use my trusty Art Glitter glue, available in the store.


The spine is sticky back canvas Glimmermisted in browns.  I haven't used this before so was unsure how strong the sticky back was so chose to add a good layer of Art Glitter glue.


There's lots more to share with you so please pop on over to my video and watch the walk through of each page.  Thanks for joining me and have fun crafty day.  Be sure and check out the Authentique paper collections at Country Craft Creations.


Here's some ideas using the scraps for Graduation cards - 


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