Hello! I’ve been quiet on the blogging front in the past couple of weeks and I decided that’s how it’s going to stay for the time being. While I’m be no means abandoning my passion for paper crafting, blogging is what needs to be put on a backburner. See, it’s just so much work I can’t justify doing so often any more. I think at least half of my blog visitors have blogs themselves so you know what I mean. Perhaps it’s easier, quicker for some people but for me making a card + putting it up on the blog is half a day’s worth.
So I’m going to downsize to an extent I’m comfortable with. I’m still aiming at posting several times a month but nothing like what you got used to in the last years. My family, my own choices and my comfort should always come first. I found myself trying to deliver for every reader of mine, any request put before me, etc. While I value your keen interest and it’s humbling to know that you want more from me, it’s easy to forget that this blog is for my own enjoyment, for ME. And I should be there for my kiddos and my husband first, and not at the desk typing away every day.
Thanks for understanding!

That being said, I hinted on Instagram a few days ago that I’m reviving a neglected feature on my blog with a new installment, and it’s Design Infused!
The reason I left it unloved for so long was that I foolishly thought I’d spin it off as a video feature. Nope. NADA. Me and videos just don’t go together, sorry folks. Not now. It’s SO much work that it makes my head spin just thinking about it… I honestly don’t know how the others do it, sharing a new video every other day and then still claiming to have a life, but maybe I’m just especially challenged by this particular medium.

So if you will forgive me for reverting back to the old scheme of things, here’s today’s inspiration and my spin on it.

What is Design Infused series about?
I take a design piece that inspires me (be it stationery, clothing, packaging, etc.), and translate it into a custom paper-craft design, using predominantly stamps and ink. I take great joy in letting what I see around, influence my designs, and I want to show you how easy it is. I collect the inspiration in my Pinterest board especially created for this purpose, and pick a piece from the lot for each installment of this feature.

Here’s a better view of the inspiration, a watercolour poster from Wildfield Paper Co. (see it HERE). I’ve seen cards with floral design arranged around the central sentiment many times before, and don’t ask me why I waited this long to recreate one myself… Once I saw that poster I knew this is the one to kick start my mojo.

I reached for one of my very favourites of this year, a Summer Garden stamp set by Mama Elephant / Simon Says Stamp. I needed a line art design that I could filled with watercolour, one that is freehand, whimsical and charming. I was also looking for a stamp that would remind me of the purple leaves in the poster which I’m especially fond of, plus of course a great script font, and that one set ticked all the boxes.

I started by choosing the perfect spot for the sentiment, and so I stamped it first. Then I chose a semi-light brown of Frayed Burlap Distress Ink to arrange the flowers and leaves around the card.
When working on creating a larger scene with smaller stamps, start from the largest designs (placing them at strategic places) and then add the fillers.

I watercoloured the scene with Derwent Inktense pencils and an aquabrush (water pen). I know I said it before, they’re pretty incredible. They may not give you the smoothness of paint but their blending abilities are superb, they’re so easy to use and they come in fantastic colours.

I added white accents to the leaves and flowers, with Copic Opaque White Brush Applicator. This stuff is gold! Although it’s best to stick to straight-ish lines when using the applicator - you can see a messy job in places where I was trying to create dots or dabs rather than strokes 😛

I hope it tickles 🙂

I’m excited to bring you another installment of Design Infused today!! (formerly Design Inspired, my apologies for the confusion - everything should stay put from now on, lol) In the series I’m aiming to translate my latest design inspirations into projects using the supplies I have on hand. I hope today proves fun 🙂

As soon as I saw the latest Waltzingmouse stamp release (and later on, Claire’s genius of a project), I knew that I will be making my own dream catcher myself. In a card form… Upon a quick Google search, I stumbled upon this gorgeous stationery card which has the truly swoon-worthy colour combination and the mojo kicked right in.

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Now, Claire offers digital cut files to make your own dream catcher & which coordinate beautifully with the newly released Fine Feathers and Funky Feathers stamp sets, but I wanted to see if I can make something with the dies in my stash. It figures that I can as well 🙂

I designed two cards, with the colours mirrored since I couldn’t settle down for either alone. I also made the coordinating envies with inserts (this time I did use a Silhouette cut file for this purpose). The cards combine stamping (with Funky Feathers) and die cutting, and for the latter I put to work my MFT and PTI dies. I even played clever clogs, and utilized the circles leftover from cutting the PTI Clock Face die, as pieces of my dream catcher. LOL

The cardstock that I used, has a fantastic honeycomb texture. It’s a piece of my big haul from Doggett (a local paper manufacturer) from a little while ago and I will be using it a lot on my upcoming stationery designs. I wish I could capture this texture, but I’m still learning my new camera and some things still come hard… 🙂
I hope you liked it, see you again soon enough, for another Design Infused project!

 

I’m so happy to finally launch one of the new blog features today! The first one out of many fantastic things that I’ve got up my sleeve… if only time allowed me put it all into action soon enough!
The series I’m launching with this post is called Design Inspired, and that’s where I’ll be showing you my latest design non-card inspirations and how I translate them into projects using stamps and ink. Sounds like fun?

The inspiration for today comes from this amazing, Mexican-style wedding invitations that I found originally on Pinterest, which in turn led me to this cool website.

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You have to go check all of the designs out, in the source post! I gasped when I saw them, my folksy side is in utter delight 🙂 Aren’t they GOR-JUSS?? I was even more excited when it dawned on me that I could achieve a very similar effect with my beloved Folk Art Medallion stamp set from Waltzingmouse. That’s when I told myself “right, girl… I think it’s a perfect time for your first Design Inspired post!”
Wink.
So… here’s what I made.

I took a solid border piece stamp from Folk Art Medallion for the quickest result, but I could also create the same pattern using smaller bits and by doing so, I’d be able to mix various colours, like on the other stationery items. Here I only added a touch of dark brown, by cutting out the tiny circles for the flower centers and adhering them on top of the stamped design.
I used Say It Loud (also Waltzingmouse) for the sentiment, and experimented with Fancy Flourishes, Scallops & Dots for the dotty lines.
Finally, I selectively inked one of the border stamps from Heirloom Patterns, for the aqua horizontal dividers.

The Envelope was created using Kreate-A-Lope, plus I did the liner with its help. I traced the top half (flap) and the center of the template on a piece of white paper, cut it out and trimmed any excess necessary. Then the tips of the flaps were rounded with the punch and I decorated the insert by stamping a tile design with the Folk Art Medallion set.

Voila! Isn’t it lovely? 🙂
I hope you liked it and that you’re looking forward to another installment of Design Inspired. Cheers!