Dannie's Designs

Acetate and Tissue

I am happy to say that I am feeling much better this week.  I still have a lingering cough, but that's nothing compared to how bad I felt last week.  I'm grateful that I'm feeling better because this past Saturday was my downline shoebox swap.  These are my favorite meetings because everybody brings amazing projects and we get to stamp together for a couple of hours.

I thought I'd start this week off by sharing with you the project Mary brought to the shoebox swap.

We used the acetate and tissue technique for this card.  You can find a tutorial for this technique here.  I did one thing different than the tutorial.  Before I put the tissue paper on the back of the acetate, I crumpled it up in a tiny ball and then opened it back up.  This helps add to the look.  Here's a closer look--you can click on the photo for a larger view.

Everywhere the tissue paper is crumpled, the reinker color is darker. 

The trees were stamped using Whisper White craft ink and then embossed.  Even though I used the Embossing Buddy on both sides of the acetate, the embossing powder stuck everywhere.  I think it's because there's so much static cling on the acetate sheets.  Next time I may try rubbing it on both sides with a dryer sheet as well to help get rid of some of the static cling.

I kept the inside of the card pretty simple.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Come to Bethlehem, Winter Post
Paper:  Whisper White, Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Acetate, Tissue Paper
Ink:  Whisper White, Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, reinkers
Accessories:  Crystal Effects, Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy

Flower Bookmark Tutorial

I don't think I say this often enough, but I have the most amazing group of ladies in my downline.  I love getting together with them for our meetings.  We take turns providing projects for the meetings and the projects they come up with are amazing.  Check out these darling bookmarks that Kelly taught us how to make. 

Kelly brought all of the supplies and showed us how to make the one on the left.  I know you're going to ask for a tutorial on how to make these, so I made the one on the right just for you.

Before I start the tutorial, I need to let you all know that my camera STINKS!  I desperately need a new one but it's not in the budget right now.  Please bear with the slightly blurry photos and glare from the flash.  I have bad lighting in my stamp room so I have no choice but to use the flash on my photos.  With that said, however, I still think you'll be able to understand and follow the directions.  Here we go!

Supplies Needed:

• Adhesive: Sticky Strip and Snail
• 10" of Blushing Bride 1/2" Stitched-poly Ribbon
• Cardstock:  Blushing Bride, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron
• Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight
• Punches: 2 3/8" Scallop Circle, Fancy Flower, Blossom Petals, 1/2" Circle
• Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
• Scissors

Step 1:  Punch the Scalloped Circle out of Blushing Bride cardstock and then emboss it using the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.

Step 2:  Stamp the center of the flower image in Daffodil Delight ink on So Saffron cardstock and punch it out using the 1/2" Circle Punch.

Step 3:  Punch the Fancy Flower out of Cherry Cobbler cardstock.

Step 4:  Stamp the petal image five times using Cherry Cobbler ink on Blushing Bride cardstock.  Punch out the petals using the Blossom Petals punch. 

Step 5:  Put a 1" piece of Sticky Strip on the back of the ribbon and adhere it to the Scalloped Circle as shown in the photo above.

Step 6:  Add a small piece of Sticky Strip to the back of the Fancy Flower right below the indent where two of the petals meet.  The Sticky Strip needs to be kept at the TOP.  That way the book page can slide between the Scalloped Circle and the Fancy Flower and stop at that line of Sticky Strip.

Step 7:  See the petal at the bottom? Line that up so it is centered over the ribbon.  Keeping the two petals with the Sticky Strip on them at the TOP (opposite the petal at the bottom), remove the backing off the Sticky Strip and adhere the Fancy Flower to the Scalloped Circle. 

Step 8:  Take the five petals and cut off the points at the base of the petals.  This will help remove some of the bulkiness at the center of the flower.

Step 9:  Add adhesive to the back of each petal and adhere them as shown in the photo above.

Step 10:  Add some adhesive to the back of the flower center and adhere it in place.

Your bookmark is now ready to be used.  Here it is marking a page in one of the Harry Potter books.  You can see that the page slides between the Fancy Flower and the Scalloped Circle and it stops right where that small line of Sticky Strip is.  The ribbon hangs down behind this page and sticks out the bottom of the book.

How's that for a darling project that doesn't take much time to make?  Thank you Kelly and thank you for stopping by!

February Downline Swaps

I don't have a new card to show you today, but I did want to take a quick moment and show you what an incredible group of stampers I have in my downline.  Here are the swaps they made for my February downline meeting.

I love the way Donna used the Sweet Pea stitched felt on her card.  They make the perfect accent or focal image on a card.  It's difficult to see in the photo, but she used the Polka Dot embossing folder on the Whisper White cardstock.

Elaine also used the Polka Dot embossing folder on her adorable card.  I love the way she threaded the ribbon through the "love you much" layer.  This is a great Valentine's Day card.

I love the way Kathleen featured the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set.  So often I reach for a piece of designer series paper to make my cards and I forget that if I get creative (like Kathleen) then I can make my own patterned paper.  She simply stamped the hearts in Whisper White craft ink on Rose Red cardstock.  Very quick and easy.

Isn't that darling?  Every time I look at Kelly's card it makes me think of a lollipop.  I love it!

I love this simple, elegant card made by Mary.  She used the Big Shot heart (from the movers and shapers set) as well as her heart punch for this card.  The three little accents on the card were made using Crystal Effects and glitter.

Mona's gorgeous card was entirely made using the Big Shot.  The Real Red background and the butterfly were both textured using one of the plates from the Texture Plates #4 Kit.  After seeing this card, I definitely need to be using my Big Shot more often.

See what I mean?  I'm so lucky to be part of such a talented group of ladies.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  ~Dannie

Downline Swap cards

I hope you've been enjoying seeing everything we made at my last downline meeting.  Here are the last few projects and swap cards from my group.

This was the project provided by Kathleen.  She is the master of punch art and always comes up with the most creative ways to use our punches and big shot dies.  I love that little bird at the bottom of the card.  Click here to see a wonderful tip Kathleen came up with to line up these stamps.

Here's Donna's swap card.  This is such a simple yet beautiful thank you card.

Elaine made this darling 3 x 6 card.  It's a little difficult to see in the photo, but the So Saffron cardstock was embossed using the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder.

Mona put her Big Shot to good use and cut out all of these beautiful flowers.  All of the different flower layers are popped up on dimensionals.  They're so pretty.  I belong to such a talented group of stampers.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  ~Dannie