Happy Birthday with Buttons Galore and More

This month Buttons Galore & More sponsored the Designer Craft Connection challenge.  I, along with many other of the designers in the group, received a fun assortment of buttons to design with.  I've got a few more projects waiting to be completed.  My project is a black, white & silver themed "elegant" birthday card.  Be sure to follow the DCC link to see all of the other Buttons Galore & More projects to inspire your creativity!  - Cindi

Materials:

Buttons Galore and More Haberdashery Black & White Mix, Black Pleated Ribbon
Score, Fold, Create! by Diana Crick, Penny Wessenauer and Friends
Scor-Pal® scoring tool
The Robin's Nest papers - "Classified," black cardstock, "Damask Black & White"
Beacon Adhesives Zip Dry™Paper Glue
Clearsnap® ColorBox® silver pigment brush pad
Elmer's Designer Masking Tape - Primary Designs
ScraPerfect Perfect Crafting Pouch
JudiKins Happy Birthday Copperplate stamp 
Black inkpad
Westcott® Titanium Trim Air Trimmer, Titanium Non-Stick Scissors
Paper Wishes Silver metallic foil tape by Amaco
Impress Art brass stamping hammer, steel stamping block, Flourish I and Flourish G stamps
Earth Safe Finishes Generation Green black acrylic paint

Instructions: 

Create focal button flower embellishment by arranging layers of buttons from the Buttons Galore and More Haberdashery Black & White Mix.  Begin on a black cardstock square base and build upward, using Beacon Zip Dry paper glue.








Cut black cardstock, Damask paper and Classified paper following measurements in instructions for Flexy Fold Card in Score, Fold, Create! book.  Score front pieces as indicated in instructions using Scor-Pal.








Ink edges of all white papers with silver ColorBox® inkpad.  Pat with Perfect Crafting Pouch to dry ink immediately.

Assemble card following instructions, add Elmer's damask masking tape as an accent along top edge of right front flap, and along bottom inside edge of all pieces of card as shown.










Stamp JudiKins Happy Birthday verse onto white paper with black inkpad.  Trim, ink edges with silver ink and pat dry with Perfect Crafting Pouch.









Use Impress Art stamps to stamp alternating pattern on silver foil tape.  Apply black paint to stamped areas, wipe to remove excess.  This will enhance your stamped areas.


Assemble card following instructions from book.  For front right folding panel, mount strip of Black Pleated ribbon beneath damask tape.  Mount button flower to left edge of right flap.
Mount stamped metal foil strip over center of ribbon.

Mount verse and accent papers on inside of card as shown, adding strip of stamped foil tape vertically on left edge of verse. 

Feather Tree & Paper Birds

This feather tree with shimmering paper birds was a project originally created last year for my Cindi's Simple Solutions column for the When Creativity Knocks Creative Journal - but I think it would fit right in with the holiday decorating trends I've been spotting this year in the magazines so I'm sharing it again here.

The tree itself came together in less than a half hour.    Based on a decoration my sons made at school several years ago, the simple little birds add a touch of nature along with a bit of sparkle.  

Materials:

Krylon Silver Leafing Pen
Bamboo skewer
Wooden spool
White feathers approximately 4-5” long
The Robin's Nest Calamity Jane patterned paper
Scissors
Glue gun & glue sticks
JudiKins Diamond Glaze and Quicksilver Roxs 
White thread
 

Use the silver leafing pen to color the bamboo skewer and spool.   Hot glue the skewer to center of the spool for base of tree. 




Begin at the bottom of the tree with the largest feathers and hot glue 5 evenly spaced around the bottom of the tree.   Continue upward reducing the size of the feathers slightly by trimming them with scissors.

 








Cut 7 small (approximately 1”) basic side view bird images from patterned paper.    Cut 7 rectangles from patterned paper approximately 1” x 1 1/2”. 

Accordion fold the rectangles at approximately 1/8” intervals.

Cut small slit horizontally in center wing area of each bird.   Slip through folded paper, bend upward and hot glue together to create wings.

Apply Diamond Glaze to back (white) side of birds.  While wet, coat with Quicksilver Roxs.  The chunkier texture of Roxs adds great texture and shine to catch the light on your little birds.

Hot glue white thread loops to back of wings on birds.  Hang from tree.

Cut approximately 5” circle from patterned paper.  Apply thin line of Diamond Glaze around top outside edge and sprinkle with Roxs.  Hot glue spool to center. - Happy Holiday Crafting! - Cindi

Holiday Shopping List - The Stylish Way

The countdown to the holidays is on - and for many people the real mad rush of shopping kicks in this week as we approach the infamous "Black Friday" day after Thanksgiving.    This year, I decided that instead of bringing a piece of notebook paper with my holiday shopping list - I'd create a small, purse sized notebook that I could keep my list in, tuck receipts or coupons into, etc.  I can even use it from one year to the next until it's filled.   When I whip out this list, I'm hoping this festive little book will make me stop and reflect on the true joy of giving - or at least remind me that soon enough I'll be back in my studio busily creating, which is much less stressful than shopping to me personally, when the holidays are over!  


Materials:

Darice 3" x 4" notebook 
Theresa Collins Noel Collection patterned papers and chipboard embellishments 
Spellbinders™ Grand Calibur® & Spellbinders™ Shapeabilities® Poinsettia set
Red cardstock
JudiKins Diamond Glaze
Clearsnap ColorBox Archival Dye Cat's Eye inkpad - Red Devil
The Robin's Nest "Champagne" Dew Drops embellishments
ScraPerfect The Best Glue Ever
1/2" Gold Organza ribbon
Westcott Craft Titanium Bonded Non-Stick Scissors

Instructions: 

Following manufacturer instructions, cut and emboss poinsettia using Grand Calibur® & Spellbinders™ Shapeabilities® Poinsettia set.   Apply thin coat of JudiKins Diamond Glaze to each layer of petals before assembling flower. 

Determine how you'd like to layer the papers for cover and back of book.  The assortment of designs in the Theresa Collins Noel Collection all coordinate well so the hardest part is deciding which ones you want to use from the great assortment... Ink edges of all pieces with Clearsnap Red Devil inkpad.   Mount with Best Glue Ever.  Let dry.

Dovetail cut one end of gold organza ribbon, mount to bottom front of book, approximatley 1/2" from bottom edge, with dovetail extending slightly off edge.  Wrap around to back of book and mount.  

Mount chipboard "GIFTS" embellishment over gold ribbon.






Arrange poinsettia in bottom left front corner of book.  Mount, extending off book, and remove outer petals. 

Use JudiKins Diamond Glaze to mount gold Dew Drops embellishments as center of poinsettia, and layer over "GIFTS" chipboard embellishment.  Let dry.

Happy shopping and may you all take a moment to reflect on the joy of giving this season! - Cindi