Thursday, July 31, 2014

Envelope #212

July 31, 2014

P is for . . .  Panda--one of my favorite animals.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Envelope #211

July 30, 2014

Come on--who doesn't like owls? More importantly, who doesn't like a purple owl?


Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Envelope #210

July 29, 2014

N is for Navy--as in the color and the military.

Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #15--Ball Caps (Project 30)


Dr Russ (side 1)
Dr Russ (side 2)

For this challenge, we were required to embellish something. In a previous Iron Craft Challenge in 2011, I used a fabric airbrush machine to create some t-shirts and tank tops. I decided to dust off the machine to embellish some ball caps for my twin nephews' birthday in August.

I airbrushed the backgrounds and decided to embellish yet some more.  I had been given some Sharpie Oil Based fabric markers as a gift so I decided to try them out to see how well they worked. I started with basic Trucker Style hats (my nephews are turning 14).

I penciled in the lettering with a white chalk pencil and went to town. Of course, I had to practice on a hat for myself--they can't be the only ones looking NYC Urban Cool.

Hat for Holden
Hat for Sam
Although, I got a little sloppy, I am very happy with the way the hats turned out. I don't know if my nephews will actually wear them (the live in Maryland) but at least they will have something to hang in their room.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Envelope #209

July 28, 2014



Returning to Alphabet Envelopes

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Friday, July 25, 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Monday, July 21, 2014

Envelope #202

July 21, 2014

Project #29--Happy Birthday Ticket Holder


In a previous post, I shared with you the ticket holder that I made for my friend's Mother Day surprise. For this week, I needed to make a different ticket holder for a Birthday surprise for a different friend.

I have started to really start to appreciated these new script style cards.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Envelope #200

July 19, 2014

YEAH! I made it to 200!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Envelope #196

July 15, 2014

Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #14-Natural Wrapping (Project 28)


For this challenge, we were asked to complete a project based on Nature--using natural elements as products or inspiration. This is a project that I had percolating for quite a while. I have been tossing around the idea of making "packing tape" wrapping accessories.

There have been plenty of ideas using washi tape and gift wrapping. I wanted to do a variation on that theme.

Step One--wrap the box. I decided to use materials that were readily available so I decided to use simple brown craft paper. I could have painted it as I did in previous examples (here) but I decided to leave it plain. 
Plain brown paper wrapping
Step Two-- Use a belly band for decoration. I forgot to take a picture of the plain belly band. But in the picture below, it is the brown decorative paper with the ferns.

Step Three--Make the Packing Tape accessory. I took cheap packing tape and placed dried flowers on the underside (sticky side) of the tape. In this case, I alternated dried ferns with dried orange and yellow flowers. I then turned to tape right side up (sticky side down) and placed it on top of the decorative paper (belly band).
Belly band with
flower tape

Belly band detail
Step Four--wrap the belly band around the package and tape in place.

Package with belly band
Step Five--add final decorative touches. In this case, I added raffia in a contrasting color.
Final product.
Not content with what I had, I decided to make another belly band. With the brown decorative paper and the dried ferns, I was afraid that there wasn't enough contrast to highlight the floral packing tape. In this case, I simply used a piece of white butcher paper as the decorative paper.

White belly band
with floral packing tape

Final product in white.


Monday, July 14, 2014

Project #27--Goodbye Card--Part 2


Another tradition on the Broadway stage is the singing of "Happy Trails" to cast members that leave the show. In support of that tradition, I made this card. Similar to yesterday's card, it is backed with card stock so that there are several surfaces for people to write.

Envelope #195

July 14, 2014

Project #25--Goodbye Card

Card with paper liner

I realized that I have been deficient in posting about my weekly projects. Therefore, I will have some catch up posts to remedy that problem.

The first project is a card for someone that was leaving the theater for another show. I have share some of these projects before but this one is a little different. This is a 5" square card. Originally it would have been lined with a paper liner in which a salutation or a note could be written. The problem that I was having was that people were wanting to write on the left had side of the card when it was opened. Many times, people would poke their pen through the paper and it would appear on the front side of the card.

With this particular card, I knew that I was going to need a lot of space for people to sign so I had to remedy that situation. The solution was to take a coordinating piece of card stock to back up the card cutout (orange card stock below). Then I would attach a paper liner that would cover the added card stock.

Card with additional card stock
 This solution allowed there to be three sides of white liner for which people could write.

Opened card (two writing surfaces)
If more writing space was needed, the right side of the liner could be turned to show a third side and a blank side of the card stock.
Third and fourth writing surfaces
In a pinch, the back side of the card could also be used.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Friday, July 11, 2014

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Monday, July 7, 2014

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Friday, July 4, 2014

Envelope #185

July 4, 2014

I post this envelope as New York City celebrates U.S. Independence Day with fireworks in all boroughs of New York City. Happy Fourth of July everyone and thanks for following.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Envelope #182

July 1, 2014

Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #13-Star Card (Project 26)


For this challenge, we were tasked with making something using stars or stripes or both in celebration of Independence Day in the United States. This wasn't the project that I had originally designed but life and work got in the way so I went for simple.

The only problem is that simple wasn't simple. I had a difficult time getting the proportions correct in relationship of the center star to the outer star. And I still don't think that I have it centered correctly.

The background paper is a hand marbled paper with gold metallic inks so it really pops against the black card. I don't know what occasion that I will use this for but I am sure that I can come up with an appropriate celebration.