'Twas the Day Before Christmas...

And all through Flamingo Scraps, the Flockinstas were working on holiday greetings!

Genie Smith

Erin Reed

Suzanne Pickens

Cheryl Arbo

Special Guest, Cooper Alsabrook

Donna Sullivan

Kathleen Natale

Luann Ostrom

Melissa Williams

Ramona Downing

Tonya Gibbs

Have a safe and happy holiday, from our flock to yours!

Fall cards with Basic Grey Persimmon

Good morning, Flock!  Genie here, and today I have a trio of fall-themed cards using the new Basic Grey Persimmon.

For the first, I used a sheet from the Basic Grey Persimmon 6x6 Paper Pad.  I chalked the edges and added a sticker.  I used a piece from the Basic Grey Persimmon Die Cuts and Transparencies pack for my sentiment, and finished it off with a couple of houses from my Prima Wood Icons Sampler and Jenni Bowlin Vintage Feather Tags.

My next card uses several scraps from the 6x6 Paper Pad, some old bling and letters from my stash, another piece from the Die Cuts & Transparencies pack, and a heart from Fancy Pants Cork Shapes, Hearts and Stars (there are also arrows!).



Finally, I made a cute thank you card, using another sheet of the Persimmon 6x6 paper and some Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  I chalked the edges of the wooden Studio Calico Wood Veneers -- Triangles and added a Maya Road flower from my stash.

Thanks for looking, and I'll see you soon!

"Fast" cards made with 6x6 paper packs

I don't always have 3 hours create cards for everyone.  Don't get me wrong, I love to create cards, but sometimes I like to whip them up fast.  In this instance I did a bunch of cards for a card swap for a new scrap group I went to.  We each brought in 7 similar cards, and got different ones back in return.  Here are my 7 cards.

 I used various 6x6 papers from Prima.  I used my square punch to cut them all out, then arranged them on the kraft cardstock base (6x6 base). I then used the same paper to punch out the flowers, butterfly, clouds, and cut the tag.  I stamped on the sentiment, glued down the squares, created the clusters, and added the buttons.  If you create these like an assembly line they go super fast.

I created these cards with a sketch from Cardmaps (below)

I created a "deluxe" version of the card for the Flamingo Scraps Oct F4 using the same products and sketch, just ramped up.  I used the left over supplies from the F4 kit to create my swap cards.

You can purchase these supplies over at Flamingo Scraps.  There are tons of fun goodies to be found in the warehouse boxes they have on sale right now, so go over and check them out!!

Supplies Used

Patterned Paper - Prima

Flowers - Prima

Tag - other

Ink - Prima

Buttons - other

Punches

Twine

Clip - Prima

Stamp

Use Your Stash Card Challenge

Every once in a while, I run low on cards. It's hard to believe, since I seem to make them in multiples anytime I sit down to create them. We have a bunch of weddings and birthdays this month, so I figured I would make a couple of new cards that aren't for mailing. And, as I always seem to do with my cards, I grabbed a few supplies and challenged myself to create something with them. This month, I chose:

Pink Paislee Resistable Paper

Heidi Swapp Just Dots Paper

Studio Calico Wood Veneer Samplers

Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Primrose and Tropicana Teal

Prima Chalk Ink Edger in Black

Prima Washi Tape Rubber Stamp # 2

Webster's Pages Coral Chevron Lace

Maya Road Trinket Pins in Crystal

Prima Floret Camille

Here's what I came up with!

These are all obviously a little more feminine, but there will be plenty of opportunity to make stuff for the men (and boys) in my life, too! So, there you have it! If there's product in the Flamingo Scraps store that you'd like to see put together on a project, leave me a comment here or on the Facebook page, and I'll see if I can put them together! 

Until next time,

Keep scrappin'! 

Melissa

Quick Assemble Cards!

Happy Christmas in July, Flockinistas! Melissa, here, with a few projects that will tickle your Christmas fancy and get you in the mood for that dreaded task of preparing Christmas cards.

Now, if you're like me, you wait until the absolute last minute and then end up buying cards because you don't want to spend the time making them. Who has time for that? Well, I have three different cards I made, using both of the Christmas kits available in the Big Pink Bird's Bargain Bin this month, and they each assembled in just minutes! Yes, there was a little prep work involved, but each card only contains one "fussy" item (that is an item that has to be die cut, hand cut, or has some kind of extra steps involved because it is more intricate). The rest of it is quick cuts, some inking, some adhesive, and ready to go out the door rather quickly!

Here, let me show you what I'm talking about:

This first set is fairly simple, and a more traditional card, in the sense of the stamping and the layout, but I really love how it turned out. It uses elements from both the traditional and the brights kits, some white lace ribbon (ask Suzanne about this if you're interested in it) that I soaked with a red Glimmer Mist (available via special order), a bit of green embroidery floss, ink (including Prima chalk ink in Rose Bud, available either as a set or individually via special order), and a layer of gold Stickles under a layer of yellow Stickles for the star. The stamped portion and it's mat are pop dotted off the card to give it some dimension, but it's still flat enough for a standard rate stamp. I considered my "fussy" item on this card to be two small things: the lace (because it had to dry, though the actual dying process took just moments) and the Stickled star (because I had to build up layers of Stickles to get the desired effect). All in all, I assembled five cards in about 5-6 minutes after prep work (the bow on the floss took a little extra time, but it's oh-so-cute!).

The card base for this card is 5.5"x4". The top pattern is 3.75"x3" with the bottom pattern measuring 3.75"x2.25". The mat for the stamped portion measures 4" tall, and is wide enough to give a .25" matting on either side. 

This second design uses the traditional kit only, and uses another ornament that I colored with Prima inks used like watercolors. Basically I dipped a brush in water, blotted the ink pad onto a craft mat, and picked the color up on the brush to paint the ornament with it. Because of this, my ornaments are stamped in Staz-On ink in black, so the colors won't run. I used some Stickles in Holly and glitter pens to bring more life to the ornament, and used some silver pipe cleaners that I had on hand from a previous craft project. I used my Silhouette to cut my borders, since to hand punch with my border punch would've taken longer (though not much... I've done it by hand before in the past). My "fussy" part on this project should be obvious: the ornament, which I stamped, then painted, colored, and Stickled. Once it was dry, I fussy cut it from the paper and pop dotted it to the card. All in all, I assembled five cards in about four-and-a-half to five minutes after prep work. 

The card base for this card is 5.5"x4". The top pattern is 3.75"x2" with the bottom pattern measuring 3.75"x3". The punched border is a .75" width (at the widest part).

My third card, and probably my most favorite, uses the brights kit only. It's a pretty simple design, but I really love it! It may seem like the simplest of all of the cards, but a bit of time went into the poinsettias. I used a Spellbinders Poinsettia die that *is* available for special order for those who love it as much as I do (one of my favorite die purchases of all time, other than my Silhouette), and it is more time consuming than I expected it to be, but that's mostly because I was unfamiliar with how the die actually worked when I started. So, basically, you have to run the die through once to cut the paper, and then remove the excess paper, flip over the dies, and run it through again with a self healing spacer (honestly, I just used a piece of extra chipboard and it worked just as well) to do the embossing. I did mine in four different card stocks that I had on hand: three shades of pink and a sheet of red bling, plus the green for the leaves. I curled the petals a little for added dimension and then layered them together in a specific pattern (dark to light, depending on which color was my largest petals). The finishing touches were the button for the poinsettia center, the lace, and the rub on sentiment (which is also part of the kit). The "fussy" part of this card is the poinsettia. The rest of it was fairly easy to put together! Altogether, I assembled four of these cards in less than four minutes after prep work. 

The card base for this card is 5.5"x4". The patterned paper for this card measures 5.25"x2.25"

So, if you've made it this far and don't feel overwhelmed, let me end this by explaining that, save for last year when there just was NOT time, I have assembled 50-100 Christmas cards by hand for the past 5 years or so. I generally spend a weekend on cards, and I keep my designs consistent to what I shared here: simple, with no more than one fussy item that I will prep for 5 minutes, here and there, over the course of a week. I cut all of the papers one day, then I will ink them (if I choose to do so). The next day, I create a little assembly line to put it all together. The nice thing about the assembly line is that you can get the kids involved in helping out, if yours are old enough to handle using the adhesive and sticking things to cards.

And there you have it! I hope you've found some of your Christmas spirit in this post and continue to do so as the month continues.

Until next time!
Keep scrappin',
Melissa

A Mother's Day Card Challenge!

Good morning, Flockinstas! Melissa, here, with your latest installment of scraptacular fun.

I don't know about you, but I'm always trying to find new ways to use products that I may not have ever really tried before. My only hitch is that if I don't make myself a little mini challenge, those products might not ever get used. Enter my personal challenge for this month with supplies from the Flamingo Scraps store!

Supplies pictured:

Heidi Swapp Just Dots paper

Prima Washi Tape Stamp Set # 2

Maya Road Fabric Tape Solids – Eggshell

Maya Road Trinket Pins Hearts & Pearls (pearls only)

Wood Miniature Clothespins

Prima Classic Lavender/Cream Lilies

Green Chalk Ink

Brown Chalk Ink

Also used:

Kraft cardstock base

Heidi Swapp Vintage Chic Handwritten (for the butterfly) 

Xcut Dies Butterflies (available special order from Flamingo Scraps)

Generic Brown Embroidery Floss

I had to prepare a couple of things for this self challenge... first, I had to cut the butterflies with my Cuttlebug and the Xcut Dies. I'd never used this particular brand of dies before (I've not used most of the dies in my collection, to be honest, because I got my Silhouette not long after procuring my Cuttlebug), but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it cut. I highly recommend it and you should contact Suzanne to order one if you were otherwise on the fence about it. I can see myself making many, many cards with this particular set! I also inked the edges of each piece with the brown chalk ink before gluing them together.

Next, I had to prepare the tape. I love that Flamingo Scraps carries both solid white fabric tape (it handles a little differently than the paper version that I've used on previous projects, and I think it takes ink better than my generic masking tape) and Prima Washi Tape Stamp sets, because I would swear that they were made for each other. The tape is slightly narrower than the stamp, and the stamp is super easy to repeat. Here's a look at it up close:

As you could probably tell by the fact that I picked out some kraft card bases, I wanted to make some cards. I decided that I should get a jump on Mother's Day, so picked that as my theme. I tried to use each item in a different way, but that didn't always work out. However, I think I came up with a nice variety to share with you!

For this first one, I really wanted to try using the embroidery floss as a hanger for my greeting. And if you're worried about the pin sticking someone, you can do like I did and snip the tip off with a set of wire cutters and then sand it down a bit to dull it.  I also cut the tape into leaves to put under the flower, as well as using it as a border.

On the next one, I decided I wanted to use the embroidery floss as scallops and have the butterfly look like it was trying to land on the flower. 

For the third one, I scallop punched the back and used only the grid side of the Just Dots paper. I also wanted my flower to come from the other side, so I had to trim down the stem of the flower to accommodate my design. I also poked the pin through the flower and tried to treat it like I would a corsage. I also trimmed the pin down and sanded the edge on it to make it shorter for the same reason as I did the flower, and tied the embroidery floss around the pin.

And this final card, I popped the butterfly off the card with adhesive foam and tied the flower with the embroidery floss. 

So, there you have it! Sometimes limiting your supply list for multiple projects to the same items is the quickest and easiest way to both get them done and find ways to be creative with your supply use. 

Have a fabulous, flocky day!

 

Melissa

Using Scraps

As I've been digging through my Flamingo Scraps goodies recently, I've noticed that the amount of scraps is getting out of control.  Time to do something about it!  

Cards are my favorite way to deal with scraps.  Bits and pieces that are too small for a layout are often perfect for a card.  They're also a great way to use up die-cuts, stickers and other leftover odds and ends.  Back in July 2011, I shared an upcycled gift card holder, featuring a stitched elephant from Prima.  At the time, I didn't use the rest of the critters in the package.  When I unearthed them recently, I knew they'd be great on cards.  

I started with another of the same elephant I used on the gift card holder.  At the bottom of my scraps container was the 'Heaven Sent' die cut.  I was inspired to make a card that looked like a letter.  I pulled scraps from two different Fancy Pants collections to create this card.  

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper and die cuts, Prima elephant

For the next two cards, I used this sketch by The Scrapping Stamper.  Even though it was intended as a layout sketch, it works well as a card sketch too.  I replaced the 4x6 image with one of the animals and put the sentiment where the swirl would be.

 

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned papers, Prima dog

Other: Bazzill cardstock, Fiskars stamp, Clearsnap ink, Sketch by Shannon White

 

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned papers and die-cut, Prima crocodile

Other: Sketch by Shannon White

For the last card, I found a scrap of patterned paper that coordinated nicely with the dog and cut that as my background.  The 'rug' the dog is on is actually a die-cut journaling tag.  I sliced off a piece of it to use for the sentiment, then cut the remaining part into an oval.    

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper and tag, Prima dog

Other: Making Memories rub-on, Clearsnap ink

I still have one brown dog, one crocodile, and one blue dog left. Stay tuned!

2 Years

It's hard to believe, but I have been designing for Flamingo Scraps for two years now!  Time flies when you're having fun!  

In September 2010, I was selected as one of eight members of the Flamingo Scraps Guest Design Team. (Tonya was one of the others).  For my first post, I used this layout to share tips on how to master multiple photo layouts.    

In March 2011, Tonya and I both became permanent members of the Flamingo Scraps Design Team.  My first post was about Crate Paper's new Portrait collection.  I shared how to make a feminine, wedding-themed collection work as a boy page.

One of the things I love the most about Flamingo Scraps is that the Design Team and Guest Design Team members have represented a wide variety of styles and aesthetics.  There's something here for everyone.  I appreciate the freedom I've had to share my work in my own clean and simple style. 

Over the past few weeks, I've been going through my stash of older Flamingo Scraps stuff.  I've found plenty of scraps and bits that date all the way back to my first days with Flamingo Scraps!  It's definitely time to use those and make room for new things.  Today, I'll share a card and a layout made with Flamingo Scraps goodies, circa 2010. 

I love cards for using up scraps.  I found a piece of lightly-patterned green Prima paper that was the perfect size for a card background.  A little more digging and I had a scrap of Prima grid paper that would hold the sentiment.   

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned papers, Stickles
Other: Bazzill cardstock, Fiskars stamps and border punch, Versamark & Clearsnap ink

Here's a layout made with 2010 Flamingo Scraps items.  The background paper is from Fancy Pants, as are the orange, solid green, and green-striped patterned papers.  The leaf patterned paper is from Prima.    

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned papers, Prima patterned paper
Other: Scenic Route stickers, My Sentiments Exactly stamps, Clearsnap ink

I'll share more of my creations using my Flamingo Scraps stash next time!

Scrap Cards

I've been making cards with scraps again, and I know a few weeks back I shared a few projects I've made lately with the Fairy Belle and the Sunkiss papers from Prima.  Today I thought I would share with you the cards I made from the scraps.

I find that making cards with my scraps is so rewarding.  Since I participate in a lot of swaps I usually stuff one of these in the box before I mail it.    What do you do to control the scrap population?

Thanks for stopping in today,

Distress Pens

So I finally got a chance to play with my Distress Markers from Tim Holtz that I purchased from Flamingo Scraps as a pre-order.

These markers are so much fun, they have a watercolor quality - but react a little different than water colors since the colors replace each other rather than contaminate.




The flower on this card is a Prima stamp that I colored with the TH markers on the Ranger stamping paper. Coloring took some getting used to, but I like how the design looks like I colored it with my Copic markers.

I decided to use the image on a card.

From Flamingo Scraps: Ranger: Tim Holtz Distress Markers, Ornamental Die, Distress inks: Tea Dye; Prima: Rose Stamp, Antques Stamp, packaging (So Happy banner); Graphic 45: Bottle Stamps; Webster's Pages: Trims, Misc. Laces; Pink Paislee Packaging, Frame stamp - Soree, Stampendous: Frantage - Shabby Blue.
Other: Tonic Punch: dotted scallop, Cherry Lynn Designs: Doily Die, Studio G: Stamp "Delight in the Little Things", Spellbinders: Label 5, My Mind's Eye: Tea Pot stamp.

I used the packaging from a Pink Paislee stamp set as the background, I also used packaging from the Rose Prima stamp set for the banner that says "So happy". I love upcycling the packaging when I can.

The bottle is from Graphic 45's new stamp Curosity Shoppe Perfume Bottles. I stamped it with Archival Ink on transparency, then warped it with my heat gun to make it look dimensional.

The tea pot was a My Mind's Eye stamp that was embossed with the new Frantage Embossing Enamel, and the cup was actually another stamped image from the tea pot, but I cut it down to make it into a cup.

To create the sign behind the vase I layered a Prima Printery stamp for the words and the Frame from a Pink Paislee - Soree stamp set.

The clock was cut from a piece of scrap paper on my desk. The table cloth was a punch scrap.

Then I added Lace and Trims to the bottom, and stamp that says "Delight in the little things" as the sentiment.

I hope you enjoy this card share today,

Thanks for stopping in,

Sew Cute Card

Wednesday, I received the new Maya Road Sew Cute and Still Sew Cute chipboard pieces from Flamingo Scraps, and I couldn't wait to use them.

Aren't these the cutes little shape? I needed to make a birthday card for a friend and she LOVES dress forms and sewing themed items. Her favorite colors are pink, lavender, and black so I reached into my stash and pulled out the Hollywood Vogue paper from Webster's pages, and whipped out this card. I'm so addicted to making these easel cards. They are super easy and I love how they are easily displayed.

From Flamingo Scraps: Maya Road: Sew Cute Chipboard Pieces, Still Sew Cute Chipboard Pieces, Webster's Pages: Hollywood Vogue - Shine A Light Paper, Tim Holtz: Baroque Die. Other: Trims, Recollections: Roses, Stampendous: Fran-tage, Lace, MFT Doily Die, Sewing Pattern

So, you may be wondering what I did to achieve that awesome rustic look on the sewing machine and the dress form. Well it is embossing enamel called "Fran-tage" from Stampendous and after seeing this demo - "The Big Pink Bird" has decided to carry it. So look for it in the store in the next few days.

Fran-tage Enamel is a unique blend of chunky embossing enamal, glitter and mica. Each color has a multi-colored effect and when melted mimics marble, and granite.

The dress form was embossed with "Shabby Pink" and it is a combo of Pink and White Enamel with gold glitter. I love how the glitter is fused into the embossing enamel and doesn't rub off. The sew machine was embossed with Aged Silver which is a mix of Pewter, Gold and Flat Black.

I can't wait to play with these, and share more awesome techniques. I know I will never run out of this in my stash - EVER!

Thanks for stopping in today,