What's
Inside the Spring 2010 Issue of Paper Creations™ |
From the Editor
For those of us living in colder regions of the country, the arrival of spring is cause for celebratory anticipation. Soon there will be no more worries about water pipes freezing when the temperature dips into the low teens (or below 0 degrees). The constant mess that wet, icy boots make on our floors, or the daily cleanup required after we lug in piles of wood to feed our fireplaces and stoves that keep our homes warm and toasty will be of little concern. The cold, dark, and gray days will soon be gone, giving way to blue skies and frothy pink and white blooms dotting our landscapes. These changes are not earth shattering to be sure, but just the thought of warmer weather is enough to make one smile.
So, in anticipation of spring’s arrival, we have filled the pages in this issue of Paper Creations with springtime treats. From bunnies, birds, and babies to flowers, friends, and special finds, we have gathered a collection of wonderful projects from many talented designers.
And, while we’re in a state of anticipation…anticipate this – an exciting opportunity to win one of five absolutely spectacular gift baskets worth $400 each, compliments of Bazzill Basics. For a chance to win, see our contests page. Drawings will be held February 15, 2010.
Enjoy!,
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Spring 2010 Issue |
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It's a Spring Thing |
It’s a Spring Thing
Bunny, lambkin, and blossoms galore gather together to create this delightful collection of springtime cards.
Eggs Ala Bunny
Wrapping a card in pretty ribbon is always a nice finishing touch. Consider taking it one step further as designer Michelle Woerner chose to do by creating a jeweled stickpin of coordinating colored beads and pearls.
Happy Easter
Markers are a great tool to use to both soften and add dimension to a black ink stamped image. On the card featured here, a soft blue coloring outlines the bunny and also fills in the small tuft of grass he’s resting on. Sometimes it’s the small details that can easily make a good card into an extra special one.
Spring Fling
Pstel pink and blue, vibrant yellow and green, and every color in between; embossed, scalloped, stitched, buttoned, and bowed; each element harmoniously blends together to create this charming, yet eclectic mix of Easter and spring cards.
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A Tisket, A Tasket
Cheerful dotted and houndstooth patterned papers transform this little basket into a charming Easter centerpiece, while simple paper strips, rickrack bands, and dots quickly dress up plain foam eggs.
Tickled Pink
Although this sugary sweet baby card is definitely all girl, “tickled pink” applies to the arrival of bouncing little boys, too. Simply change the color cardstock from pink to your favorite color blue. |
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Congratulations Baby
How cute are these? A bubbly baby (complete with a rubber ducky) and a darling buggy (sprinkled with hearts) are paired with cheery dots, buttons, and bows.
Congratulations Card
Muted peach and cocoa brown cardstock sets the tone for this nostalgic baby carriage stamped image encircled with a scalloped edge circle. A simple “Congratulations” sentiment is enhanced with a tiny white and brown polka dot ribbon and a small gold heart charm.
Baby Boy Buggy Card
Softly muted polka dots, crisp white cardstock, and silver brads and a button lend contemporary flair to this vintage baby carriage mini stamp.
Twinkle, Twinkle
Pink or blue, butterflies or stars, it makes no difference. Welcoming a new baby into the world couldn’t get any sweeter than offering this tender sentiment to the wee one: “Twinkle, twinkle little star, do you know how loved you are?”
Sleepy Sighs and Lullabies
One of the most tender moments a parent can experience is rocking a child to sleep with a lullaby. The card featured here captures those memories with both words and imagery. |
Congratulations Baby |
Sweet Baby Boy Card
A tiny chipboard star is attached by a silk thread to a jeweled moon, lighting up this sweet baby boy card and exemplifying simplicity at its best
Welcome Baby
Give the next baby to enter your life a star welcome with this handcrafted card. Foam dots were used to add dimension to the layered die-cut stars and sentiment label.
Baby Critters
A sweet, puffed-up lamb shyly whispers “Celebrate” on the arrival of your new baby.
Simply Charming Cards
Elegance personified. When simplicity and high style cards are required, select only the best quality embellishments available. These beautifully rendered metal elements are exquisitely detailed and in flawless good taste.
Pretty Posie Nosegay
Delight your springtime birthday friend with this sweet posie nosegay card. To add an extra special touch, gently spritz the felt wrap with a hint of your favorite floral scent.
Sweetness of Friendship
Both in style and color, the classic design of the vase cutout sets the tone for the friendship card featured here. A gold floral vine design was cut away on one side, then Flower Soft was applied to enhance some of the flowers, adding dimension. Keeping things clean and uncluttered, a clear sticker was chosen for the sentiment. |
Felt Flower Thank You |
Felt Flower Thank You
Clean and crisp, this sweet thank-you card makes the most of embossed dotted Swiss cardstock and ribbon.
Floral Congratulations
Springtime fresh, this cheery congratulations card combines buttery yellow patterned paper and cream cardstock with bright blue, puffed-up flowers. Soft pink photo corners and pale green rickrack provide added dimension.
A Cause for Celebration
Whimsical patterned papers in spirited designs and colors add a festive energy to these stunning celebratory cards. Gold edging, dots of glitter and carefully placed rhinestones create an extra special sparkle.
Birthday Songbirds
The beauty of this striking collection of birthday cards is not only the colorful patterned papers and the fact that each takes only a few minutes to make, but that all were created from one sheet of patterned paper. Simply select a patterned paper that features multiple images, like the K&Company Designer Paper Pad “Urban Rhapsody” used here. Then, plan your card dimensions, cut out, stamp, and embellish as desired. A diagram has been provided for ease in placement and cutting.
Happy Birthday Tag
This cheerful tag does double duty as a birthday gift topper and card in both sentiment and imagery.
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Happy Birthday
Markers are available in just about every color imaginable and are a super easy way to color in a stamped image to closely match or coordinate with a corresponding patterned paper or cardstock.
Mini Happy Birthday
Sometimes, big things come in small packages. This mini card might be small in stature, but it’s big on color and charm!
Rhinestone Happy Birthday
Elegant in its simplicity, a single rhinestone accents a Happy Birthday sentiment and is all that is needed to make this “one jewel of a card.”
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Special Blend
Embossed dotted strips are playful companions to this charmingly brewed card and gift enclosure. Raspberry, chocolate, and cream cardstocks are the perfect choices for creating this special blend of thoughtful card giving.
For You
A pretty floral and striped companion print dressed in true springtime colors is neatly tied up with pink velvet ribbon and crowned with a jeweled silk flower.
Tea for Two
Stunningly accented with vibrant teal cardstock and embellishments, these stylish black-and-white polka dot cards can easily be accessorized with any color desired.
Best Friends Forever
Sprinkled with glitter and kissed by a yellow button sun, this strawberry and floral greeting card is super quick and easy to make.
A Little Birdie Told Me
Get out your pens and fine-point scissors – it’s time to color and cut out! Then simply select any patterned papers desired and add a greeting. These happy little birds are ready to celebrate any occasion. |
A Little Birdie Told Me |
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Hidden in a Tulip
Elegance personified. When simplicity and high style cards are required, select only the best quality embellishments available. These beautifully rendered metal elements are exquisitely detailed and in flawless good taste.
Birthday Girl Card and Tag
Instead of making a pyramid card as the sheet was originally intended, I turned the Free Download from Crafts U Print into an expanded pyramid card and several gift tags. I used every inch of the sheet, including the leftover border sections of the card front (the portion that would have become a Z-fold). With careful cutting, the scraps make great little gift tags as shown. You can print the Free Download sheet as many times as you want to make dozens of cards or tags, use the pieces for scrapbook layouts, place cards or invitations – the possibilities are endless.
Rethink and Reuse
It’s a dilemma: What should we do with all of those leftover cardstock and paper scraps, how should we store them, how small a scrap is worth keeping? Minimalists toss out all but the largest pieces, the rest of us justify our packrat tendencies by promising ourselves we’ll put every bit to good use – someday. Ah, the elusive “someday” – that time when we’ll spill out what we’ve hoarded and actually make something.
I save my scraps in three boxes. One contains the tiny pieces earmarked for mosaics or collage, another holds only solid color pieces large enough for mini tags, bookmarks or card fronts, the third is where I keep “special” papers (handmade, fancy finishes, embossed, and so on). The layers get deep in these boxes and the only way to know what I have is to dump out the contents and look through the stash. As I look through the papers, I get inspiration from what I find. I pull out bits and pieces to use, and feel pleased that I saved such treasures. It’s akin to an archaeological dig. I can see my own history buried in the layers – the era when I was using a lot of black and navy, the season when everything was speckled, or pinks ruled…(Packrats are now chuckling at the shared image, while minimalists stopped reading after the first paragraph).
Last week, I decided it would be fun to take a new approach. NO SCRAPS would go into the boxes at all. I would, instead, immediately put them to use. I wanted to make a batch of tags, but you could use the same approach to make medallions for card fronts (skip the hole and the cord) or hang your tags on cards and treat them as removable ornaments.
Bamboo Tile Beaded Necklace and Key Chains
Transform the ordinary into the extraordinary! Bamboo wooden beads team up with scraps of patterned paper and take on an entirely different look. Add an elegant bead or two and attach to cotton cording. That’s all you need to do to create these stunning one-of-a-kind necklaces and key chains…a super idea for stylish gift giving
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