I'm a Finalist!

Very, very excited!  I made the 1st round finalist list at May Arts Ribbon!  And now I go onto 2nd and final round and I get to create a project and written blog tutorial using some more gorgeous May Arts ribbon which I was able to select.  Here are the 2nd round deets...

 

Round 2:

• For the final round May Arts will provide the finalists with their choice of ribbon to work with to create a final project.
• All finalists are required to create a minimum of either one tutorial or one video, whichever applicable.  Again, please choose a project that best exemplifies your style & talent. 
• Email me at Bethney@mayarts.com with your ribbon request.  There are no yardage restrictions, but please note all requests must first be approved before we ship. 
• When you have completed your project, email me the following.  For Video Submissions:  Post your video tutorial on your own blog.  Then forward me the YouTube link to your video, plus photos of the completed project.  Please also include a brief written introduction to the video.  For Written Submissions:  Post the tutorial on your own blog.  Then forward me the link to your post, along with photos of the completed project.  Please also include a brief written introduction to the tutorial. 
• All photos should be sent as an attachment and in jpeg form.
• Deadline: July 12th, 2013.  All submissions will be posted the week of July 15^th 2013.

 

And here's a sneak peak of what I'll be creating with...

Burlap wired ribbons and burlap string!  Stay tuned for the  completed project in the coming weeks and most of all... please, wish me luck!  

May Arts Ribbon Design Team Call, 2013!

Yes, you did read my title correctly!  May Arts Ribbon IS having a call for new Prima Ribbonistas and it's exciting! 

I first started using and loving May Arts ribbon whenever I became a designer with Core'dinations.  We would have various product swaps and blog hops with them and so I've become well aware of just how fabulous and versatile their ribbon is. Truth be told, I find it difficult using any other brand of ribbon aside from May Arts when I am crafting these days.  Their product is definitely top-notch quality.

Being that I am applying for a position  for this wonderful DT at May Arts, I will be sharing various projects here that I've created along the way, as well as a requested tutorial, all showcasing May Arts ribbon.   I do hope you will be inspired by what you see here and that you'll fall in love with the May Arts brand just as much as I have! 

First up, I wanted to share with you a technique for making a pretty textural ribbon flower that can be used on a variety of projects. I created my ribbon flower by covering panels of cardstock with rows of adhesive backed ribbon and then die cutting and layering a variety of different sized floral shapes from the ribbon panels. 

Here's a list of supplies needed:

• Choice of coordinating ribbon  (I used May Arts Silky Crush ribbon in brown and teal)
• Choice of cardstock (I used Core'dinations Jillian Spots)
• Choice of metal dies (I used Spellbinder's Nestabilities dies, Classic Scalloped Circles)
• Die cutting/Embossing machine (I used my Cuttlebug)
• Xyron 15 Adhesive and Applicator
• Core'dinations Sand It Gadget
• Decorative Brad

Okay, to get started you will want to cut various scraps of light colored cardstock into panels and then cut several strips of the ribbon. You will want to add adhesive to the backs of the ribbons strips.  I have found that the easiest method of doing this is to run ribbon strips through a Xyron Adhesive Applicator. 
 

 

Once you apply the adhesive to the ribbon, you can begin to cover the surface of the cardstock scrap panels, alternating strips of color as I have done, or  you can cover a panel using strips of one color... your choice, as you are the designer!  

Once all the panels are covered entirely with the ribbon strips you can now die cut your desired shapes from the panels using various sizes of dies.  To create my layered flower, I have die cut my shapes using scalloped circles dies from Spellbinder's Nestabilities dies. 

 

 

To give more visual contrast and texture, I have also die cut some embossed cardstock shapes to be layered into my flower as well.  I used a Sand It Gadget, which is a sanding block by Core'dinations, to sand over the embossed dots of the cardstock. 

 

For the next step, you will want to take each die cut shape and crinkle it up in your hands... don't be afraid to crinkle them up tightly... the more crinkle the better!   Now take each piece and flatten them back out, and  you've just created even more lovely texture and dimension to the pieces.
 

 

 To form the flower, simply layer each shape center to center forming a stack from largest to smallest.  You will want to punch a hole in the centers of each and then attach the stack together using a decorative brad.  Before attaching my brad here I also rolled up a small piece of extra ribbon and coiled it around the center punched hole.  Once you attach the brad fluff up the layers to give dimension.

 

 

Now you can have fun embellishing your projects with beautiful ribbon flowers that you've made on your own! 

 

Here's a card that I made and had published not too long ago in the Cricut Cards Idea Book for 2013.  The one features some of my all time favorite May Arts ribbon... 5/8" purple Cotton Stripes, 1.5" yellow Twill Chevron Stripes, 5/8" gray Solid Plaid and gray Suede String!
 

Next up is a scrapbook page that I created using some more 1.5" Twill Chevron Stripes in red as well as some  3/8" red Grosgrain Diagonal Stripes ribbon.  This layout was published in the Cricut Holidays Idea Book for 2012.
 

Up next is a box set that I created... a plain kraft box that's been embellished with paint, patterned paper (Authentique), embossed cardstock (Core'dinations) and ribbon (May Arts).  I also made candle sleeves for each of the 4 individual votives stored in the box.  Each candle sleeve is tied up with some natural Twisted Burlap string from May Arts.  This box is topped off with a piece of lovely 1.5" ivory Sheer Woven Rosettes ribbon.

 

 

  

 

 

I also LOVE how this green Grosgrain Diagonal Stripes ribbon looks as looped hangers for my handmade paper shamrock ornaments...

 

 

 

And last, a tag to share using some gorgeous purple 1.5" Two Tone ribbon paired with some ivory Twill Chevron Stripes ribbon. 

 

 

 

I do hope you've enjoyed this sampling of projects that I've created, all using the beautiful ribbon selections available at May Arts Ribbon!  I also have more projects that can be viewed if you click on the "May Arts Ribbon" tab under my Labels section here on the side-bar of my blog.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I'll be seeing you soon.  :) 

I'm Here!

I really am here!  I know I've been quiet, and I am sorry.  I have really missed blogging, but once again, I will use the same old standby of "Life has simply gotten in the way".  Funny, but I hate when that happens... when I can't seem to find a simple block of time to do what I'd rather be doing in life.  Instead, lately it seems it's been all about the mundane... 8 hours of work (stressful at times), piles of laundry, grocery shopping, and other miscellaneous household chores... you catch my drift! I've been slacking hard in ALL areas that I really want to be doing and improving upon.  I really am craving more creative time for ME! I can't even tell you the last time a sat down and scrapbooked a layout.  So sad... I think about it a lot though.  I'd also like to be trying to improve upon myself... to become a more healthy and fit me.  That's proven to be more difficult than anything these days.  But, I am not giving up on either of these areas.  Summer is here and I am going to make these some very important goals and priorities in the weeks ahead.  I can't give up :) 

About the scrapping, and well crafting as a whole, well... one of my absolute favorite things was to be a designer for Core'dinations Cardstock.  Sadly, my time with them has come to an end as I did not make the new team selections a few weeks back.  I was pretty disappointed and I guess I could say that it kind of also had a little bit to do with why I just dropped off the blog radar for a spell.  But I have realized that all good things must come to an end at some point, and no matter what, I loved every minute of my time with such a fabulous and respectable company.  Sooo no regrets, and back to business as usual! Besides, I still have quite a fabulous stash of Core at my disposal and it's always going to be a favorite ;) 

While I'm here, I also thought I'd share a few more projects that I've designed recently for the Curtsey Boutique!  If you haven't yet checked out CarrieAnne DeLoach's  Etsy shop, the Curtsey Boutique, you must.  It is totally full of the sweetest items to craft with.  First up is this card that I designed using some felt doilies and a printed fabric bow (currently not available) all from the shop. 

 

 

 

Other Products Used

Cricut Expression and Kate's ABCs cartridge.

Cardstock: Core'dinations, Teresa Collins Core Amour collection.

Sand It Gadget: Core'dinations.

Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye.

Bling embellishments: Queen & Co.

Rub-on alphas: American Crafts.

Green stickers: Prima.

Ink: SEI.

Marker: Sharpie.

 

And next up... another card.  This one is perfect for all those Graduations being celebrated this month! 

 

For this card design I used one of my favorite embellishments from Curtsey Boutique... the gorgeous gray tulle fabric and felt shabby chic butterfly!  The blue butterfly stickpin (currently not available), the white seam binding and the graph print starburst sticker are also all from the shop. 

I also used an embossed dot coin envelope which I adhered on the inside card flap.  This is the perfect size for inserted a gift card or folded check/money to give to the Graduate!

 

Other supplies-

Cardstock and Sand It Gadget: Core'dinations.

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye.

Foam tape adhesive: Imaginisce.

Ink: Sei.

Cricut Expression and Fontopia cartridge: Provo Craft.

 

I do have some other design team projects for Curtsey Boutique but I guess I will show them later... that way I can come back a blog again soon!  Anyway, I am excited to be back and I do hope I can make it be a more regular thing.  I do miss hearing from everyone so I promise to be better about visiting you all as well :)  Hope you have an enjoyable weekend... or what's left of it!  Enjoy :)

My CHA Core'dinations Shares!

Hey there!  As I await the results of whether or not I shall remain on the Core'dinations Cardstock Design Team, I thought I would finally share my layouts that were displayed at the Winter CHA Tradeshow in Anaheim back in January.  I previously tried to upload my pictures before but Blogger was being a real bugger that day and wouldn't let me share pix. I really loved what I was able to create for the event so I don't want to miss out on sharing them here on my blog.  Oh, how I wish I had been there... but one day I hope to experience CHA in persona and in full sensory mode, lol! 

This first page I am showing wasn't actually displayed at the Core'dinations booth but rather it was created for a "Core'dinations Scrapbook" which was gifted to Anthony, Core's Creator and Director. 

 

Please click on any of these pictures to view them larger and in more detail. 

Here I used a combination of Black Magic, Whitewash and Vintage Core... all favorite collections!  The diecut design was cut with the Cricut Paper Lace cartridge. 

 

 

 

This is my first page I did for CHA featuring the Core Essentials Pastels collection!  I really liked the end result of the torn edges which were also stitched together to form the background.

 

"Ribbons In the Sky"

 

 

I also included some embellished areas on the cardstock with some vintage embossing powders from Stampendous!  I thought it added the perfect accenting for this... as well as all the wonderful diecutting added using the Cricut Ashlyn's Alphabet cartridge.

 

 

 

Next up... a page with the ever so fabulous Glitter Silk!   This glitter cardstock is all that's needed besides some wonderful photos to make a page SHINE!

 

 

 The canvas leaves and florals are by Prima, and I misted them with pink and green Glimmer Mist sprays.  I punched the bees out from black and yellow Glitter Silk using a Martha Stewart punch and the title was cut out using the Art Nouveau Cricut cartridge. 

 

 

 

And the final page I did was one to feature the Tim Holtz Kraft Core Shattered collection which made it's debut at CHA.  I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Shattered line of Core. It can be used for so much more besides vintage! 

 

 

I used the Teresa Collins Sophisticated Cricut cart to cut out the "Beautiful" and flower cuts.  Also used a flower edge punch of Martha's and some embellishments and twine from Queen & Co. 

 

So there they are and I'm so glad I was finally able to share them.  Core'dinations just makes scrapping so easy and fun... their cardstock quality really is the cream of the crop! 

Hope you'll visit me again soon! 

 

My Core'dinations Creative Frenzy... 2013!

It's that time already!  Where has it all gone?  All along I've been blissfully creating with my beloved Core cardstock and truthfully... I don't EVER want it to end.  But, there is a new Design Team call happening and I need to... I MUST, re-apply.  Like I said, I never want it to end!  Core'dinations cardstock is the first supply I think about or touch when it's time for me to get my craft on, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Seriously, it's that good!

Sooo, here we go... a look at what all I've created lately using many of my favorite Core'dinations collections.

 

This first project came about as wanting to create something special for two of my dear friends who've recently lost their mothers this past year.  I wanted to send them each something, "more than a card"... something that they both could keep around nearby as a token of remembrance.  This is how the embellished Angel Wings ornament came to be. 

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my Angel Mother!",  is a quote from Abraham Lincoln, that I instantly knew needed to be written on these wings.  For this project I used pink cardstock from the Core Essentials Pastels collection as well as Snowflake White Core Essentials.  I must say that Core'dinations is the perfect weight of cardstock to bedazzle with glitter.  The texture of the cardstock creates a perfect surface for holding super chunky glitter like the vintage Diamond Dust glass glitter I've used here. 

 

These wings were die cut using the Cricut Picturesque cartridge.  I distressed the edges of the pink layers a bit before applying the glitter, and the edges of the white layers were inked with a soft gray ink to give them some definition.

 

I only hope these wings of remembrance will serve their purpose and will be well loved in their new homes!

 

Next up is a card that I had so much fun creating... and yess, it is loaded with yummy, gorgeous Core.  I've used Vintage Core, Gemstones, some Core Impressions Basic Grey Ornate collection, David Tutera Celebrate A7 Embossed Floral layers, as well as a smidge of Whitewash and White Smooth texture cardstock... all on one card! 

 

 

I've always loved the look of peacocks!  Their feathers are so majestic.  Sometimes it's all about choosing the perfect Core for a project that you want to be "just right", ya know?!  The Gemstones Core collection with all it's glitz and sheen seems to me to be the ultimate look for creating a design featuring a peacock.  The Gemstones surface even takes well to inks and sprays which is also really cool.  Here I sprayed some gold Perfect Pearls spray from Ranger onto the feathers, giving them an even more intensified color and visual interest.  I used the Cricut Give A Hoot cartridge to cut the body of the peacock from some Whitewash and Basic Grey Ornate Core Impressions for the top layer.  I sanded the embossed texture and then inked the edges of the teal cardstock with a green ink to highlight and add variation.  The feathers were cut using the Sentimentals Cricut cartridge.  For the background layers I used 2 of the floral embossed A7 layers from the David Tutera Celebrate line from Core'dinations.  The magenta piece I used full size, but used the reverse debossed side and layered a dark teal piece on top which was cut down smaller and sanded.  It's always so amazing to me that a project like this card, with the exception of a few embellishments can be created from cardstock only and look SOOO decorative.  I love that about Core'dinations cardstock... no patterned paper neccessary!

 

Here's one more photo of the delicious details... I even dressed it up with some gorgeous May Arts Ribbon! 

 

 

 

 

For my last share, I did some experimenting with Core on a scrapbook page.   See, I've had this nifty little tool to use with my Cricut for some time now, and I finally decided to give it a try. Not sure why I waited so long. It's an Engraving Tip by Chomas Creations and it goes directly into a Cricut machine in place of the Cricut blade holder.  The tip of the engraver is made of a very hard carbide which can engrave, or etch into surfaces such as metal sheets, acrylic, plastic sheets, clear transparencies AND even Core'dinations Cardstock!  The result, is a fabulous, clean etched design onto your cardstock surface.  This tool will NOT cut through your surface, rather "engrave" a fantastic design.  I'll tell you... it works like a dream and I love this tool!  So here is my background that I etched onto a sheet of brown French Roast Core Essentials cardstock with a repeated quadrafoil design.  This design can be found on the Cricut Paper Lace cartridge. 

 

You can see it left a perfect pattern on the surface of the cardstock.  This can now be manipulated, sanded and inked as I have done here on my layout.  I distressed the edges of the piece by sanding a bit more before mounting onto a larger sheet of green cardstock from the Tim Holtz and Ranger Distress collection.  I then replaced the engraving tip with the original Cricut blade and repeated the same pattern on a sheet of green from the Tim Holtz Kraft Core Shattered collection.  I took several of the die cut green quadrafoils and adhered them to the brown cardstock sheet with foam dimensional adhesive directly over the corresponding etched shapes in an alternating pattern. 

 

 

To finish this page I cut out the title using the Cricut Teresa Collin's Sophisticated cartridge, from some brown Shattered cardstock and Smooth textured Kraft.  To add the perfect complimenting details to this cardstock creation, I used a burlap Prima flower, some jute twine, green crinkled May Arts ribbon and a Recollections butterfly button and resist tag.  I really like the results of the engraving technique and I know I will be using this fabulous tool for much, much more.  I think this is easily a tool that any crafter who breathes cardstock would love to have.

 

 

Well I do hope you've enjoyed my little journey of cardstock projects that I've so lovingly shared here with you all!  There is just so much that can be done and accomplished in creating with Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock!  I've loved my time designing with this fabulous brand and I'm sure I've only scratched the surface of what all can be done!

Fun Announcement!

Hi all!  I have such a fun announcement to blurt out today, AND a fun share! 

I am excited that I have been added to the  Design Team of a fabulous little Etsy shop and creative blog... The Curtsey Boutique (Shop and Blog)!  If you are a fan of sweet, vintage and shabby-chic, you really need to check out what all the Curtsey Boutique has in store.  I believe you will fall in love with all the cute hand-crafted elements!  Today the shop's blog featured my very first project and tutorial and I would love for you all to check it out and comment (there and here) to let me know how I did for my very first go of it!  ;)  HERE is the blog post!  I'm not going to go into depth here with the tutorial since it can be seen on the Curtsey blog, but I will share the picture here of the finished card.  Since St. Patty's day is coming up, I went with that theme.  I paired my green up with some lovely "SPRING" yellow!  Anything to set that spring mood of course! ;) 
 

 

 

The elements I used on here from the Curtsey Boutique include the hand-dyed yellow doilies, the seam binding and the green pearlized heart pin.  The green seam binding was originally white but I sprayed it with some wonderful Fairy Green Glimmer Mist!  You can see I also packed this card with loads of wonderful new Core cardstock too...the fabulous NEW Tim Holtz Shattered collection, as well as some beautiful softer shades of yellow and green from the current Graphic 45 Signature Series in Lights!  My die cuts were cut from Cricut cartridges. I used the Paper Lace cart to cut out a heart shape... I used 3 different hearts pieced together to form a clover design.  Then I also used the Teresa Collin's Sophisticated cart to create the banner to house the sentiment which I stamped on with Vintage Photo Tim Holtz Distress ink. 

 

So there you have it... my first design for Curtsey Boutique!  I'm hoping you liked it and that you'll go check out the shop!  There are tons of beautiful goodies in there to spark your creativity!

And, one more thing before I forget to mention... my favorite company to design for is now hosting an open Design Team call!

 

  Yesss... that's right, Core'dinations is having a new designer call and you do not want to miss out on this fabulous opportunity.  Believe me when I say, this is one design team that I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP... like EVER!! So now maybe your chance.  Break out that Core and create in a frenzy!  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the week :)