Summer Dress

Today I finished up this darling little dress that I made using the tutorial from living with punks.

Susan did such a fantastic job creating her picture tutorial that I had this dress done in no time at all.

I made it using fabric that a co-worker had given me a couple years back.

I had no idea what I would ever make with it as the print is so 

large but I just loved the coloring in it so I held onto it.

When I saw Susan's tutorial I knew immediately that this was the fabric I would use.

Perfect for a summer dress for a 2 year old!

If you would like to make one yourself here is the direct link: 

http://www.livingwithpunks.com/2010/08/tutorial-ella-dress-with-free-pattern.html.

A first for me, I made my own seam binding.

It took me longer to make the binding than it did to finish the whole rest of the dress.

By the looks of my crooked sewing line, it appears I need a little practice sewing it on!

I think my favorite part of the dress is the ruffled neckline.

I love the top stitching at the waist line.

It gives the finished dress a high end look.

The bow is super cute, isn't it?  

I angled the ends of the ties which wasn't called for in the tutorial.

On the next dress I create, I will make the tails about 5 inches longer than what the tutorial calls for.

On Susan's finished dress she tied her tails in a loose knot rather than a bow 

so that is probably why mine are so short.

Thank you Susan! 

I couldn't be happier with this little number!

Until next time, 

Sweet Hearts Revisited!

This is my second card for TSTR challenge this week which is Sweet Hearts.

I am soooooo very pleased with the finished result.

Ain't she pretty?

I am in love with the crochet edging I did on the vintage valentine image!

This close up shots show the detail a little better.

I just adore the crochet flowers so decided to make a rosette and add it to my creation.

My main background paper is covered in the prettiest little pink and green

butterflies so I had to add some of my own for dimension.

I cut them on my expression, distressed the edges, painted them with sparkly nail polish

and glued on some little pink pearls.

 

This card was very time consuming to make but

I think the end results were worth the effort.  

As usual, I am running behind so gotta run!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Until next time, 

Sweet Heart

TSTR's challenge this week is Sweet Hearts.

... please create a card or project using HEARTS and any additional inspiration from the photo -- colors of pink, green, brown & neutral, doilies, polka dots, flowers, lace, ribbons ... OR ALL!

I wanted my card to be soft and feminine and I think I have accomplished that.

I had intented my card to be pink but, when printing out my paper for the background frame

of the scrollwork, it came out looking more of a mute shade of purple.

As I am low on ink for my printer I went with that color.

Once I had finished my layout it looked rather void of color so I added some lavender lace

I had in my stash and lightly dusted the white ribbon rosettes with a lavender chalk ink.

It's a shame it doesn't show up better in the pictures but, the background paper and the ribbon

I used have a glittery effect. The card is so much prettier in person.

Thanks for taking a peek today!

Until next time, 

Winter Wonderland

Just sneaking in under the wire to post my submission to this weeks

Shabby Tea Room challenge.

Cathy chose the most beautiful winter scene as an inspiration photo

and asked that we create a project with a winter theme.

Isn't it just so lovely and peaceful?

If winter looked like this all the time I wouldn't mind it at all.

I was inspired by the beautiful colors of the photo

and made my card to reflect them.

Again, the pictures are not the best.  I must have moved this card around to

every room in the house trying to get decent lighting and these are

the best I could come up with.

I started off by using Penny Duncan's Nestie snowflake file.  Just love it! 

I then used another of her Nesties to make a backdrop for the

snowflake which is mounted with pop dots.

Satin ribbon was run through some slits I added to the Nestie.

I then mounted it all to some wonderful digital snowflake paper and then

again to digital newsprint. I zigzag stitched around the snowflake paper

in the exact shade of blue as the papers and ribbon.

I just fell in love with this trim when I saw it at Joann's. It kind of reminded

me of snow and icicles so I added it to my card along the bottom after

running some blue satin ribbon through the top part.

I added some pins and some of my homemade roses in a shade

that matches the red in the little vintage girls photo.

Then to finish it off I added a ticket with the saying "Warm and Cozy Winter Wishes".

It was secured with hemp twine and a button.

Almost forgot! I wanted some sparkle so before mounting everything, I brushed

my blue Nestie with sparkly fingernail polish. I came out awesome.

I sure hope the sparkle shows up in the above picture.

I have found so many uses for this new shade of nail polish.

I believe it is made by Wet and Wild.

I had fun with this challenge and am quite please with my card.

Hope you enjoyed viewing it also.

I am entering my creation in the

Tuesday Throwdown: Distressing challenge.

Before I go, I would like to thank the DT at TSTR for the honorable mention

on the card I created for last weeks challenge. Just thrilling to be mentioned

with the same group of ladies who's work I admire so much each week!

Until next time, 

You've got the cutest little baby face!

Today I have created a card for the Shabby Tea Room challenge "White and Bright".

I adore the inspiration photo as my favorite color is yellow.

We are asked to create a card/project using white and/or cream and one other color.

I kept with the inspiration photo colors using cream and yellow to make my card.

I really like the way this card finished up.

I used a couple techniques I had never tried before, first being the gathered satin ribbon.

I like the soft, feminine look it gives.

The next "new to me" technique was the kiss stamping of the background.

I will be using it again but hope I get better at it.

Next I tried my hand at wrapping the circle I cut for the picture frame in satin ribbon.

I love this look!  It gives texture and dimension without overpowering the picture.

To add more dimension, I used foam strips to raise the frame and also behind the layer

with the lace added.  To bad the camera makes the card look so flat as it is actually quite lofty.

Some dry embossing, pearls and inked edges finished it up nicely.

It's all ready to send to my nephew, Randy.

The picture is of his beautiful baby girl, Ava Belle.

Randy is in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii (poor kid).

Ava was born while he was in boot camp.

He has only seen her twice since her birth, once when he finished camp

and then right before he was shipped out.

Randy calls almost every day and speaks with Ava from his video phone.

It is so amazing to watch her respond to him. 

There is no doubt that, although they are far so far apart, she knows who her daddy is.

She is always mesmerized by his voice and doesn't take her eyes off the phone.

And lastly, here is the full picture that I used for my card.

Ava's maternal grandmother is a beginning photographer and she made these hats to use in her studio.

Okay, I lied!  Here are a couple more pix of our beautiful baby girl.

Thank's for taking a peek today!

Hope you liked the card and didn't mind my rambling about Ava.

'Sketch This'!

Good morning! 

It has been a long while since my last post. 

Just couldn't find the spare time during December to get into the craft room and play but today I made time!

I love following sketches and this week at The Shabby Tea Room there is a great one posted by host Pattie Goldman.

Here is my interpretation of the sketch.

I love the color combination of pink and green, it's just so fresh looking.

I was debating whether or not to distress my papers but in the end decided to go for the crisp, clean edges.

I had fun playing along this week and I hope you have enjoyed
taking a peek at my card.

Cause and Effect

Good day everyone!

This week I am the guest designer at The Shabby Tea Room.

The Week #37 challenge is "Pick a Cause"...create a card or project in honor of your favorite cause/charity.

Boy did I have a hard time choosing just one as 

I have several that are near and dear to my heart.

Organ Donation (Mom received a kidney after being on dialysis for 3 years), 

The American Heart Association (This year Dad had two open heart surgeries within 3 months of each other),

Diabetes Awareness (runs on both sides of my family and I was diagnosed in May),

and the list goes on.

In the end, I chose to make a card to promote pet adoption.

At work I see many animals that are turned into the city kennels for one reason or another.  Maybe they are lost with no identification tags, the owners found that their pet was more than they could handle or they were abused and removed from their owners.
Whatever the reason, these souls deserve a second chance at finding a loving home.

With so many to choose from, why not consider checking out your

local shelter/kennel for your next pet.

Also, don't forget to have your dog or cat spayed or neutered!

Now, without further ado, here is my creation.

"Second hand animals make first class pets"

As I am new to making cards, I like to try different techniques with each one I create.

This particular one is a frame card.  I really love the dimension that it has but

unfortunately it does not show up well when photographed.

The background is recessed, the dogs were then added with pop dots, as was the banner

at the top and then the roses were adhered to the frame.

In person it actually looks like a mini shadow box.

  It may be hard to see but, the cat has his legs/paws wrapped around the dogs shoulders.

I just loved the picture and thought it was perfect for this card.

Kind of like the cat is saying "We're all in this together".

I adore the soft watercolor look of the papers I used.

They are from Raspberry Road.

The roses are all handmade by me to match the colors of the papers.

I dyed them using Marvy LePlume markers and hairspray.

I really love making the roses and watching them come to "life" with each

layer of petals that are added.

Well, that's all for now!

Until next time, 

Autumn Greetings

Just a short posting as I am running behind today with all that

I have to do before going into work this afternoon.

This week at The Shabby Tea Room this photo was provided as inspiration for our creations.

The colors are just lovely and can imagine the smell of the freshly baked cakes.

I decided to use the colors as I already have my Thanksgiving cards made and mailed.

This card will be sent to a distant relative along with some snapshots

taken at a recent family gathering.

Again, I am having difficulty with my photography.

I made myself a light box but I think I chose the wrong bulbs for my lamps.

I must have taken 20 pictures and they all came out with a yellow hue.

Going to have to do a little more research into the light sources to use.

That's all for now.

Until next time, 

Lavender and Lace

This weeks challenge at the Shabby Tea Room is Lavender and Lace.

We were to make a card using the following photograph as inspiration.

Pretty, pretty, pretty!

I must say I am a little disappointed in my card. 

Well, not so much in the card itself but rather in the way it photographed.

You can bearly see the embossing the white cardstock and it seem really flat.

It is a gloomy, overcast day here and I took my card outside

so I could get enough lighting but I still don't think it was bright enough.

I made the card to give to my daughter.

She is flying the nest today.  As I type, they are unloading the moving

truck at her new place. She is staying in the same town and only moving about

3 miles from our home but it may as well be 3000 as far as I am concerned. :(

I wanted to give her one last "momism" to remember.

I will place it in one of her boxes that she still needs

to transport so she can find it as she is unpacking.

I used some vintage lace that my mother had given me ages ago.

The retro flowers were punch from various papers and given a coating

of some glitter fingernail polish that I found and just love.

It give the paper some body and just the right amount of glimmer.

Gotta run!  Time to go to work!

Until next time!

Craftily Yours,

Becky Jo

85th Birthday Card

Yesterday was my great aunts 85th birthday party. I quickly made this card up and therefore not a lot of embellishments.  It was a little out of the ordinary for me but I had decided I needed to broaden my horizons and use some vivid colors instead of the soft pastels that I normally prefer.  I must say I do quite like the effect.

For dimension, the numbers were adhered with pop dots and I added the metal brad shapes to all four corners. Originally the background behind the numbers was left white as I wanted the numbers to "pop".  It turned out to be very lack-luster to say the least. As I had already adhered the cardstock down and couldn't remove it, I typed up a bunch of birthday related sayings in Inkscape, printed it onto acetate, and tranfered the image to the cardstock. I was happy with the results as the numbers are still predominate. I love using the acetate transfer technique. It saved this card from going into the trash bin and starting over. 

That's it for now.

 Until next time,