Get Your Free On!

Happy Friday! 

How would you like a gloriously free printable (for personal use) that can be used for Project Life, scrapbooking layouts, cards, gifts or whatever other crafty goodness you can dream up?

Today marks the debut of Winnie & Walter to the world even if it is a tiny debut!  Winnie & Walter will be a small online boutique offering products designed by my talented friend Julie Mogford and I.  We are offering up a free printable (for personal use) on our blogs along with a little inspiration on how we used it.  This is to be the first of many printables in the future.

We have a whole lot of goodness coming soon so to keep in the loop about Winnie & Walter, please follow this blog and/or Julie's blog!

Now on to the free Live Laugh Love printable:

Like us on Facebook to receive the Live Laugh Love printable for FREE (personal use only)!

Tip: If you wish to adjust the colors of the printables I recommend using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.  In Photoshop Elements under Enhance pick Adjust Color and then Adjust Hue/Saturation.  You can use the bars to adjust the hue, saturation and lightness as you desire.  For more information you can check out this simple tutorial: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp?g=4&seed_id=22398

What to see what I created with the Live Laugh Love printable?   Here are few cards for your viewing pleasure:

Card No. 1

Today is actually my grandfather's 90th birthday.  For the occasion I made this card to celebrate such a momentous occasion.  I used the dot journaling card and today banner from the Live Laugh Love printable with the Spencer's Card Kit, grey polka dot journaling card from the Clementine Core Kit and a 4x6 woodgrain journaling card by Studio Calico along with number dies from Papertrey Ink.  I pulled out the sewing machine and went to town.  The last element was a tin pin from October Afternoon.

Card No. 2

This card features the burst journaling card from Live Laugh Love.  It is a mix of things from Studio Calico (like the tag from Spencer's Card Kit and the journaling card under the burst journaling card) along with patterned paper from the 6x6 paper pad from the brand new Finnley collection by Glitz Design.  I found this collection really fun to play with along with the printables.  I also used the happy die from Papertrey Ink which I cut from the Soho Garden 6x6 paper pad.

Card No. 3

This card highlights the hello circle which I cut from the burst journaling card of the Live Laugh Love printable from Card No. 2 (I oh so cleverly covered up that section so you can't tell there is a hole where the hello circle should be).  I added it to a geotag journaling card from Studio Calico and a fun and funky piece of patterned paper from the Soho Garden 6x6 paper pad.  I notched the panel with a circle punch and added some ever useful black and white twine.

Card No. 4

The notebook journaling card was the beginning piece of this card (I punched a hole through each of the navy circles and cut along the lines to give the notebook edge a bit more interest) which I built upon using other bits from the Live Laugh Love printable along with a journaling card from Studio Calico I cut up into arrows.  I added a sticker from Dear Lizzy's Lucky Charm Accent & Phrase Sticker onto the tag along with a tag from Anna Griffin under the laugh printable.  The patterned paper is again from the Finnley 6x6 paper pad.  The last touch were wood veneer hearts by Studio Calico.

Card No. 5

I tried to put quite a few of the elements from the Live Laugh Love printable on this one.  The only elements not from the printable are the grey label from Anna Griffin, doily and the ombre patterned paper also from the Finnley 6x6 paper pad. 

There you have my offerings to inspire you with the new and free Live Laugh Love printable.   Make sure to download it and head on over to Julie's blog to see what she has done with the Live Laugh Love printable. 

We would be over the moon to see how you used them so feel free to comment with a link!

Happy creating,
Shay.

Supplies:
live laugh love printable, Winnie & Walter
Spencer's Card Kit, Studio Calico
Cardstock: solar white, Neenah White; white woodgrain, Studio Calico; corrugated navy, stash
Patterned paper: Finnley 6x6 paper pad, Glitz Design; Soho Garden 6x6 paper pad, American Crafts
Dies: By the Numbers Die Collection and Wonderful Words: Hello die, Papertrey Ink; circle nestabilities, Spellbinders
Other: Cuttlebug, Provo Craft; journaling card from Clementine Project Life Core Kit, Becky Higgins; journaling cards, Studio Calico; sewing machine, Brother; tin pin from Boarding Pass collection, October Afternoon; accent & phrase stickers from Lucky Charm collection, Dear Lizzy/American Crafts; doily, Studio Calico; heart wood veneer, Studio Calico; labels, Anna Griffin; tiny attacher, Tim Holtz; white tag, Studio Calico; washi tape; black and white baker's twine, Whisker Graphics; 3/4" and 1" circle punches, Stampin' Up; Crop-A-Dile Chorner Chomper, We R Memory Keepers; dimensional adhesive

Dear Mama Elephant

Dear Mama Elephant:

How do you do it?  How do you make such cleverly designed stamp sets that are nearly impossible not to covet?  My bank account does not thank you one bit.  I do though.  How could I not?  You have an adorable typewriter that works for men and women which I used to make a simple birthday card for my younger (don't ask by how much) cousin who plans on becoming a writer.  Perfect?  Yes, indeed Type It was.  You can even just stamp it right on your cardstock with the little separate sheet of paper without losing one iota of its beauty.  I also love the little typed sentiments...happy b-day. and to you. are just right.   Let us not forget the ever useful, Trifecta because I certainly have not!  I reach for that baby when I want some filler without it being fussy and still trendy.

Any success of my card I contribute to your designs:

I am looking forward to inking up more of your stamps and adding to my growing collection (again angering my bank account).  Should you like to give me special sneaks of upcoming releases for a very biased reaction, don't hesitate to ask.  I am on it!

A fan,
Shay.

Supplies:
Stamps: Type It and Trifecetta, Mama Elephant
Ink: weather vane, Jenni Bowlin for Ranger; raspberry fizz, Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: white, Georgia Pacific; raspberry fizz, Papertrey Ink
Patterned paper: Soleil 6x6 paper pad, Basic Grey
Other: sequins, Studio Calico; pearls, The Paper Studio; doily

Dear Sassafras

Dear sassafras aka Tim and Beck:

How I love your unique designs full of vintage touches, quirkiness, humor and flamboyant color combinations.  I find your products beautiful, intriguing and fun to use (I don't like to play favorites, but Sunshine Broadcast is one of my all time most beloved collections *ever*).  Case in point, Soleil which you designed in collaboration with Basic Grey last year (it happens to be on sale on Basic Grey's website right now).  I love it.  I love it even more today than I did when I first saw it displayed on my computed screen on Basic Grey's blog when they unveiled their Summer CHA 2012 collections.  And I love that I can mix in a stamped flower I had sitting on my work table from a previous doomed card to create something wholly new for my friend's birthday.  I decided to let myself be free as your designs foster creative adventures.

Here's my card which was delightful to make, although I am not sure it does your designs justice:

I plan to use Soleil all over the place and if I could I would wallpaper my room in your paper.  That isn't much of a hyperbole....as I type it I am considering whether I could wallpaper a wall of my room with your paper, but I hate to wallpaper...the preparation, the glue that doesn't quite work or works too well, the air bubbles, arms raised for long moments above the head and most of all the thought of in the future when I may want to/have to change things removing said wallpaper.  Will you be disappointed if I don't wallpaper my room with your paper?  Instead I may just place your papers in frames to hang on the wall.

You are awesome.  I hope to see many more of your designs in the future (please!!!!), but until then I will be (not at all like a crazy person) fervently admiring (soon in frames) and occasionally even using my vintage sassafras stash.

A fan,
Shay.

By the way, if you want a chance to win some free art products including stamps this weekend, check out my Paper Wings Productions' Design Team Blog Hop post HERE.

Supplies:
Stamp: Funky Florals (limited edition), Papertrey Ink
Ink: harvest gold, Papertrey Ink; bubble gum, orange soda, stone wash, Hero Arts Shadow Ink
Cardstock: white, Georgia Pacific; piece of cardstock previously sprayed with mists
Patterned paper: Soleil 6x6 paper pad, Basic Grey
Other: tag sale #3 die collection, Papertrey Ink; Cuttlebug, Provo Craft; element stickers and title stickers from Soleil collection, Basic Grey; doily; dimensional adhesive; Inkssentials ink blending tool, Ranger

Papertrey Ink's April 2013 Blog Hop: Tilted

Welcome, welcome, welcome!  A bit a redundant, but I think I made you feel welcome, right?  I am so happy to have you visit today for my take on April 2013 Papertrey Ink Blog Hop's theme:

I know that there will be amazing projects featured by you.  Here is what I cooked up:

Card No. 1

First up this handy dandy card using the new Handy Hardware set which is perfect for masculine birthdays, congratulations, encouragement, forgiveness, thank you and father's day.  The inspiration for this card came from the over-the-top-talented Betsy Veldman from this card HERE (see the second card down with the saw?  Yes, that's the one...see the resemblance?).  I stamped planks of wood using Background Basics: Woodgrain on kraft then cut them into 1/2 inch strips, inked the edges and installed them at an angle upon my card.  An even easier version of this card could be made using the Background Basics: Farm & Barn, but unfortunately I don't own that set yet.  Perhaps you do though?  It would be worth a try.  I could also see this done in a weathered wood color scheme.  I love you woodgrain...4ever.

Card No. 2

For my next card I went a different more colorful and feminine route.  I love flowers, but strangely I don't use them all that much.  I could not resist the new Happiness in Bloom set with it's bold and fun florals and then the teardrop border.  Even before I received this stamp set I had designed the card which is very similar in design to the bottom right hand card on the inspiration picture by the always inspirational Maile Belles.  I used Distress Inks with the stamp set to create my border of flowers.  I did a bit of a watercolor effect as Distress Ink fills in better and blends better when sprayed with water.  I also masked off the largest flower so it is in the foreground.  I filled in some of the areas with watered down ink and a paint brush.  For added dimension I used a gray Copic marker around the flowers.  I cut around the bottom of the flowers and added the leaves.  The background was stamped repeatedly in navy.  I have a big crush on navy at the moment.  With dimensional adhesive I adhered the flower section to the card base. 

Card No. 3

Then I did another card...clean, simple and graphic this go around.  Diagonal stripes stamped asymmetrically on the top of the card using Background Basics: Super Stripes and finished off with Wonderful Words: Hello die cut from both POW! glitter paper and from a coaster for dimension.  Hello indeed!

Card No. 4

  

I used the negative block from the POW! glitter paper for the focal point of my last card.  The word was cut out of the paper at an angle.  Behind the glitter paper I stamped the hello from the Wonderful Words: Hello mini stamp set in raspberry fizz.  I adhered the POW! glitter paper using dimensional adhesive and voila it is one dy-no-mite card.

That's it from me.  Thank you so very much for stopping by and I hope to you come visit again soon! 

Happy hopping,

Shay.

Supplies:

Stamps: Background Basics: Woodgrain, Handy Hardware, Happiness in Bloom, Background Basics: Super Stripes and Wonderful Words: Hello, Papertrey Ink

Inks: soft stone, dark chocolate, limeade ice, aqua mist and raspberry fizz, Papertrey Ink; charcoal and navy shadow ink, Hero Arts; wild honey, dried marigold, worn lipstick, picked raspberry, fired brick, shabby shutters and mowed lawn, Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger

Cardstock: stamper's select white and kraft, Papertrey Ink

Specialty Paper: POW! glitter paper in jade, American Crafts

Die: Wonderful Word: Hello, Papertrey Ink

Other: coasters, Papertrey Ink; Cool Gray No. 00 (C00) marker, Copic; ink blending tool and foam, Inkssentials by Ranger; Cuttlebug, Provo Craft



Make It Monday No. 106: Two-Toned Stamped Flowers

Happy Friday (or Saturday)!

Tonight I bring you a card I made for my mom's birthday this week.  She's in love with aquas and turquoises right now so that dictated the monochromatic color scheme.  I was inspired by Make It Monday No. 106: Two-Toned Stamped Flowers by Melissa Phillips (isn't she amazing?  If you haven't seen her work I highly recommend spending some time over at her blog) although I used two colors very similar to each other: tumbled glass (pale aqua) and broken china (turquoise/teal) that blended much more than in the example by Melissa Phillips.

What I did:

1. I colored in solid peony from Pretty Peonies (unfortunately no longer available) with the tumbled glass Distress Marker and then came back in with broken china Distress Marker only coloring in about half the stamp.  I misted the image lightly with water before stamping the flower 3 times.  I over stamped the outline peony with broken china Distress Ink.
2. I pleated a strip of pattern paper.  I cut out the bracket tab from Fabulous Frames Die Collection from white cardstock and stamped the sentiment from Mini Blooms (love, love this font!) in broken china.  I adhered that down and then adhered the pleated pattern paper (I used Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive which worked fabulously) over it.
3. I drew a frame around the top part of the card using my broken china Distress Marker.
4. My peonies needed some leaves so used the leafy Lovely Layers die from the Lovely Layers Die Collection to cut from vellum twice.  I folded them over and then attached them to the cluster of peonies.
5. I added some sparkle to the peonies with Stickles.
6. I adhered two stripes of the pattern paper onto the right and left sides of a 4.25 x 5.5 inch white card base and added my flower panel over that using dimensional adhesive. 

Voila!  Thankfully, my mom liked the card.  And maybe you will too.  Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit.

Oh and if you are interested I will be blogging at The Aviary Monday (a mixed media project) and also on Monday I am introducing my brand new (my first!) blog feature that I may be a tiny bit excited about.

Until Monday,
Shay.

Supplies:
Stamps: Pretty Peonies (limited edition and no longer available) and Mini Blooms, Papertrey Ink
Inks: broken china, Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Papertrey Ink; vellum
Patterned Paper: Shoreline 6x6 paper pad, American Crafts
Markers: broken china and tumbled glass, Tim Holtz Distress Markers by Ranger
Dies: Fabulous Frames Die Collection and Lovely Layer Die Collection, Papertrey Ink
Other: star dust Stickles, Ranger; dimensional adhesive; Cuttlebug, Provo Craft; Quick-Dry Adhesive, Scotch

Mosaic Birthday Card

Dear Reader,

Over the Thanksgiving break I watched a lot of Youtube videos with my mom (my sister reluctantly and not so happily watched some too).  She is over the moon for them and also fell in love with Lawn Fawn, October Afternoon and Betsy Veldman (I think they are all pretty swell too).  She also really liked Laura Craigie's Finally Friday videos for Two Peas in a Bucket.  One such card was the inspiration for the card I made.  To see Laura Craigie's card go HERE.

My aunt's favorite color is kelly green, but she also loves red so that was the genesis of this card.  I remembered the mosaic square tile technique Laura Craigie used and decided to give it a whirl for this card.  Having punched or cut out squares a lot in the past, her technique did indeed save a lot of time and effort.

I picked out patterned paper from Crate Paper's Story Teller collection (love this collection!)...perfect colors and patterns for this card.

I will tell you a secret.  I wrapped a border of red washi around my panel of squares because of some issues with how the edges looked (they were a bit unsightly).  Like Julia Child said, no one needs to know what happened in the kitchen...or studio in this instance.

Another issue arose when I tried to stamp upon the today sticker label from the phrase stickers from the Story Teller collection...the surface did not like my inks and it became an issue so I had to find some layers to add on top to cover up the stamping fiasco.

The red grid sticker came from my much used State Fair Die Cut Stickers from the State Fair collection by Studio Calico.  The other die cuts all come from the Sidewalks Flower Sack by October Afternoon.  I sure hope they bring Flower Sacks back because they are awesome!

Last touch was the trio of pearls to create the butterfly's body.  The whole panel was then adhered to a white cardbase.

More detail:

Inside:

Thank you so much for visiting!

Happy creating,
Shay.

Supplies:
Today Square Mosaic Birthday Card
stamp: happy birthday from In & Out: Birthday, Papertrey Ink
ink: seed packet, Jenni Bowlin for Ranger
Cardstock: solar white, Neenah Paper
Patterned Paper: from Story Teller collection, Crate Paper
Other: red grid label sticker, State Fair collection by Studio Calico; today sticker label, Story Teller collection by Crate Paper; die cuts, Sidewalks collection by October Afternoon; pearls, The Paper Studio; washi tape