Posts from — March 2010

So besides creating scrapbook pages, my all-time FAVE thing to make has got to be cards. And NOT clean and simple “minimalistic” cards, mind you. I’m talkin’ cards with lots and lots of layers and embelishments. Serious-amounts-of-extra-postage-needed-to-mail CARDS!

The best time to make cards? When you have a work surface piled high with left-over scraps from a scrapbook page or other paper project. Afterall, why put stuff away to only drag it all back out again? Yeah, I know. Right?

 “Sugar and Spice” card by Nancy Burke. Materials used: La Di Da collection- paper pad (PP809) die cuts (DC311), colour rub ons (RB848), pearls (SB788), embellishment pack (EM909). Other: buttons, string.  

One little note about the above card and several of my other pages and projects you maye have seen here and there:

 I love the look of adding a little something to “finish” off the edges of my papers. Whether it is a bit of sewing, inking, sanding, or, as in the above photo- ”edge distressing”. To create this look, there are specific tools out there to “distress your edges” (sounds like something that will need surgery or a good therapist to fix when you’re older, but I digress). But before these handy dandy little tools came along, there was a no-cost method to achieve the same look. Simply open your scissors slightly and run your paper edge along the far inside edge of the deep “V” where the scissor blades meet. Easy peasy! Instant distress.

Here is another card I did using the Shaken Not Stirred collection from January’s release:

“Just Because” card by Nancy Burke. Materials used: Shaken Not Stirred collection- Daniel (P468); paper pad (PP808); embellishment pack (EM908); acrylic stamp (CS906); rhinestones (SB777). Other: large silk red and white flowers, black crocheted trim, gingham ribbon, sewing machine, thread. 

Thanks for looking!

This collection makes me so happy just to look at it- I love the bright pinks and purple with that punch of lime green! Such a yummy color combination!

“The One” by Nancy Burke. Materials used: La Di Da collection papers-  Tweet (P467) (front and back), Hop (P477) (back), Sing (P475) (front and back); die-cut elements ( DC318); coloured rub ons (RB848); alpha stickers (AS211); chipboard alpha (CB109); rhinestones (RS407); Fozz felt (SB911). Other: scallop scissors, sewing machine, thread.  

The photos on the above page are of our new puppy, Ellie Bear. She is a mini Aussie Shepherd. I had a hard time getting photos of her becasue she is a little stinker with an insane amount of energy and is always bouncing off the walls! After much affort and a tummy full of treats (for Ellie) I finally got “the one” good photo.      

I created the above “faux” ribbon by applying rubons to a strip of white cardstock and sewing along the edges. I added tiny rhinestones for each of the flower centers for a bit of *sparkle*.

I love that the sticker alphas fit perfectly over the chipboard alphas- an easy way to create dimension so that the letters really “pop” off the page. A few more rhinestones on the fozz felt and title finish off the page nicely.   

Thanks for looking!

So anyone who knows me, knows I am notorious for doing things last minute. I was dubbed ”Night Before Nancy” by one of my earliest scrapbook product manufacturers I worked for because of my insane ability to not only get projects done with only one day’s notice, but because I also wait til the night before something is due before I usually start it. I can crank out projects under the gun with the best of them, but because of this, and my thinking that a single day is plenty of time, I procrastinate terribly! So I was given the task of doing last Saturday’s sketch. Well, I waited til the last minute, and since things get published in Australia time, which is something like 16 hours ahead of me here in Idaho, USA, I did not get my page done and sent off in time. (Ali knows I am terrible with the time zone difference thing- my brain just does not get the concept).

So here is my saturday sketch. Or rather, LAST saturday’s sketch:

 ”Friends” by Nancy Burke. Materials used: Peachy Keen collection papers- Neat (P491) (back), Nifty (P492) (back), Kosher (P493) (front and back);  embellishment pack (EM912); rub ons (RB852); ink (IP702); freebie page from Q3 Magazine. Other: corner rounder, embroidered lace trim. 

I cut the  “leaf sprig” and “friends” title from the freebie page and adhered them to my layout. I then cut pearl leaf sections from the pearl embellishment pack and added them to my leaves for extra dimension and texture.

Thanks for looking!

“When I use my alphabet stickers, I cut out the entire letter (still on the sticky backing) to position where I want the title or letters to go and I found I had a pile of left over outlines.  So rather than throw them away, why not use them as a frame to stamp inside of and custom make your own title!”

“Select the letter you need and stick it onto a piece of cardstock.  Choose a KC stamp pad and stamp inside the outline”.

“Remove the outline and while the letter is still wet, sprinkle with embossing powder. Use heat gun to set the image”.

“Repeat the process over and over for the letters you require”.

“I used a selection of the beautiful new Kaisercraft inks to stamp with and when I embossed the image I was chuffed with how bright the letters became!  I used my custom made title in the layout below, but you could use the same process for anything…cards…btp items….or alternatively use the left over outlines of your die cut sheets or punch your own designs as I also did with the butterflies”.

rainbows by Nikki Antonello – Papers from – Shaken not stirred, Peachy Keen, Lilac Avenue, Off Shore, Garden Arabesque & La Di Da, Kaisercraft Ink Pads – Lipstick, Sweet Potato, Corn, Spice, Antique Blue, Lilac & Hot Pink, Wooden Flourish SB721, Rhinestones and Type Alpha rubons RB821.

Okay, I know, hokey title for a post, but I am trying to be creative here!

Out of all the BTP projects I have done, this one is my fave! I keep saying that every time I make something new, don’t I? Anywho, it was really fun making this project! This could be made a million and one different ways to match any decor, which is what I LOVE LOVE LOVE about all of KaiserCraft’s BTP items. 

“Devonshire Clock” by Nancy Burke. Materials used: Devonshire collection papers- Guinevere (P480) (front and back), Victorian Rose (P479) (front), Wild Violets (P481) (front), Magnolia (P483) (front); round clock BTP (SB2072); ink (IP708); paint (KC032); paper flower (F6622); pearls (SB713).

I love that the clock comes with a front and back piece with cut-outs cut from the front piece to easily showcase any papers sandwiched in between. This feature makes it so easy to put the clock together in a creative way without alot of fussy cut work. 

I painted the edges of the base pieces with brown paint and allowed them to dry thouroughly. I also painted the numbers with brown paint and when they were dry, I used a clear gloss spray sealer for a bit of shine. I backed the front piece of the clock with the various patterned papers from the Devonshire collection and covered the front piece as well with a more neutral patterned paper from the collection. This combination of the light background and dark numbers really allows the numbers to “pop” and be seen easily from across the room for those late night scrapping sessions when my eyes are really tired! I lightly sanded and inked the outside edge of the clock with brown ink for a bit of definition.

Thanks for looking!