IHP April Design Team Challenge: Felt

It’s time once again for the i {heart} papers Design Team Challenge, and we’re honored this month to be joined by a special Guest Designer, Karolyn Loncon.

For this challenge we are all using the sumptuously gorgeous 100% wool felt that Kate picked up at CHA this winter. She’s got it in 18 beautiful colors, and let me tell you, this stuff cuts like a dream! The rolled roses (Heliotrope Pink) on this frame were cut with the Scalloped Posie rolled flower die, and the leaves (Moss) were hand-cut.

I started with a dollar wooden frame from Michael’s that I had in my stash. I cut strips of paper from one of the 8x8 Teresa Collins Fabrications pads (which is apparently out of stock at the moment, but any subtly printed paper would do just as well).

Before adhering the paper to the frame, I went over the edges of the frame that would remain exposed with a Copic marker that coordinated with the paper, in this case YG93. My product of choice for this type of paper adhesive is Royal Coat Clear Satin Finish, a decoupage glue. I also used it to adhere the delicate lattice strips that I cut with the Tessatina Border Die. I particularly like the satin finish because it doesn’t show up shiny when it dries in the wrong place (if you know what I mean).

Two tips for cutting with this border die: 1) make sure you use relatively new cutting plates in your machine for best results, and 2) place a little strip of waxed paper between the paper/cardstock and the cutting plate. It provides just the tiniest bit of extra resistance for a cleaner cut, and seems to make the little inside pieces fall out of the lattice more easily. It also peels easily off the back of the finished die-cut piece. The strips produced with this die are 5-1/2” long, but because of the design you cannot tell where I joined them. (I had to do a little fudging on 2 of the corners, but they are hidden by the flowers and leaves –shhhh!.)

As a side note, just in case you didn’t know, the insanely adorable baby in the picture is my little granddaughter, Lilia. My heart swells every time I look at her, and I’m so excited that she’s coming to visit this month! Michigan is just tooooo far away from Grandma Cupcake in Brooklyn!

OK, enough chit-chat! Go see what the rest of the Design Team, including our special Guest Designer did with this yummy felt:

• Guest Designer Karolyn Loncon
• Carolyn (that’s me!)
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

Happy hopping!

Lattice to die for

I went a little die-cut crazy on this one. And punch-drunk. First, I have to say that the color scheme on this card was inspired by a phone conversation the other night with my oldest daughter, who told me she’s decorating her home office/guest room in grey and yellow with a splash of aqua. It started my wheels spinning…

The lattice look is achieved by cutting 4 of the Memory Box Tessatina border die strips and adhering them to a piece of medium grey cardstock. I did this with a foam brush and some decoupage glue. That’s mounted on a layer of yellow, and then onto a dark grey card.

A piece of aqua ruffled lace (very cool stuff – it’s elastic) is attached across the bottom. I die-cut a fancy tag and airbrushed it with my BG23 Copic marker to match the lace. A couple of punched yellow butterflies and a little yellow bling on the tag finishes it off. The greeting is from the Good Friends stamp set by Hero Arts, which I think is going to become one of my favorites. I just love the font and the touching sentiments. The Tessatina die, the lace and the stamp set are all available at i {heart} papers.

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend. I’m doing a lot of cleaning and a little crafting. I really need to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather here!

Just so you know…

This is what’s been keeping me so busy for the last week or so. In my effort to bring in a little extra moolah, and satisfy the collective sweet tooth of my workplace, I’ve been busy in production making chocolate covered Oreo cookies for Easter. I’d show you a picture of my kitchen, but, no. Here’s a picture of my production tray with various pieces in the process of being packaged.

And here’s a composite picture of some of the completed packages.

Most of them are done with a bunny mold and packaged with some pastel jelly beans, but I had a request for something not so blatantly Easter-ish, so I made some with pink floral chocolate transfers. They are very cool – actually colored cocoa butter printed on acetate sheets, and the design transfers onto the melted chocolate as it cools. Here’s a closer shot.

 
Here’s a close-up of one of the bunny packages:I think I am pretty much done with the production part of this, and just need to make up some labels for the backs and finish the packaging. I’m also individually packaging some of them in cello bags so people can throw them in Easter baskets.

And I really wish I could say that I’m sick of Oreos, but damn they are good!