Paper Piecing Possibilities

 

Every once in awhile, I get into a paper piecing state of mind. I love the unique look that it gives and the flexibility it offers.

Here is a fun owl card that was made using brown and green embossed Bazzill card stock. It works so well with the Cosmo Cricket tree paper too!



 

My die-cutter of choice when paper piecing is the Sizzix.  It's nice to utilize a tiny piece of paper and to be able to cut through multiple layers at a time.

I also enjoy finding other crafters that can make one-of-a-kind paper piecing embellishments for me!  This special Alice in Wonderland card was made using the handmade die-cut from another Etsy selller, Kott Kreations.

This unique embellishment is completely pieced and penned by hand.  I wouldn't have had the time (or patience...or know-how) to do it myself.  This can be a little more expensive than doing it yourself, but it's a nice treat once in awhile and makes for an AMAZING card!

Here is another card in which I enlisted the help of a fellow Etsy crafter to make the paper pieced die-cut for me.  This darling owl was handmade by Lisa's Handmade Cards.  Her listing just grabbed me one night and I thought of all the potential in this terrific embellishment!

Whether you make it yourself, or seek out the help of "professionals", consider experimenting with paper piecing.  There are so many unique crafting possibilities in your future!

Two Little Monkeys, Jumping in a Box

I really like this picture (I think the charm of my lovely, lovely son picking his nose and his cousin covering his eyes when I brought out the camera really reveals their personalities) and had lots of fun with this layout. 

These boys are very colorful characters and I wanted to capture that with a bright layout.  I used lots of paper from the Recollections Monkeying Around line that I picked up from Michaels.

 

I was in a mood to embellish, so that's just what I did! 

I added some stitching around the round "patches" of paper and the little monkeys chipboard title.  I also added lots of hand-sewn buttons and some brads.  The picture is framed with a happy Daisy D's rub-on.

EGGciting Stuff!

We had a special Easter this year, celebrating a week late, due to allergies.  It sure wasn't any less special, however (and the bonus is that we found LOTS of discounted goodies, since we bought after the holidays....hmmm....maybe Christmas in January this year? 

Te, he).

The cousins had a blast looking for eggs in Nana and Papa's yard (note to self: next year, count the eggs before you hide them.  Nana and Papa will probably be finding eggs well into the Fall).

I loved using all the new Little Yellow Bicycle Fresh Print Clothesline paper on these layouts.  The colors are FABULOUS and have the Vintage feel that I love so much.  I hand cut the tape measure here out of the back of the grey base card stock. 

The picture above was made by adding a white frame in Photoshop and then printing one 5x7 and one 4x6 and then layering them.

I used lots of fun embellishments on this page, from felt K & Company to rhinestones.  These layouts feel so much like Spring and I have them up on our refrigerator as we speak.  I love walking by them.  :)

24 Hour 65% Off Scrapbook Liquidation!

I want to liquidate the rest of my inventory this month, so I'm holding a 24 hour sale.


65% off ALL SCRAPBOOK INVENTORY!

http://www.gensscrapbookkitchen.com/

Enter discount code: 24hoursale

at checkout for the discount (prices listed on the site right now are retail costs).
-sale excludes handmade items and grab bags

Additional Bonus:


*FREE GOODY BAG WITH ALL PURCHASES OVER $25 (after discount)
*FREE U.S. SHIPPING ON ALL OVERS OVER $100 (after discount ~ shipping will be refunded after checkout)

Whatever is left after the sale will be sold on Craig's List this weekend, so please stock up on the goodies while they last!

Thanks so much and happy shopping!

Genevieve
Gen's Scrapbook Kitchen
http://www.gensscrapbookkitchen.com/

Spring Clean and Simple

What I loved about fashion in high school carries over to what I enjoy about crafting, now that I'm 30:

You can be whatever you feel like today.

I used to love dressing in Vintage, modern, costume & even goth (sorry).  The same interests (mostly) apply to my craft style.  I love Vintage and part of my heart will always be with the 1950s kitschy retro, but sometimes I like to play with modern, sleek designs as well.

Spring makes me feel refreshed (at least until the allergies attack and I hide under my bed for a week).  This week's collection of handmade cards are all about simple, yet colorful design.

You can stop by and see all of this week's new pieces (and my new store banner!) at my Etsy shop.

Interview with Karin from Intertwingle

It's always such a joy to find an amazing crafter and then have the opportunity to chat with them for a bit.  Karin from Interwingle has some of the most intricate pop-up designs and I am so excited to share her world with you!

Here's what Karin has to say about her art:

How long have you been making pop-up cards?


I think it has been about 5 years. I have not fully utilized the medium or been more formally a pop-up creator until the last 2 years. I dabbled in pop-ups over my lifetime, in graphic arts school I created a pop-up business card, that was a while ago ;).

What is your favorite piece?

I think my favorite pop-up is usually the one I am working on. Right now I love my Gross Love card. The was true labor. There are 5 layers that come together to create the image you see.

Where do you get your inspiration? How do you come up with ideas for new cards?

I wish I knew my inspirations. Lots of times it isn't anything earth shattering. I may be inspired by an upcoming holiday or event. I love making Valentine's cards. Back to my Gross Love card, that has a more interesting inspiration story. I friend of mine lost her 7-year battle with Breast Cancer about a month before Valentine's Day. Her parents are simply bizarre, I won't elaborate further, but to the surprise of all of her friends her parents informed us that they donated her body to science. Her body was actually donated to the college where she took gross anatomy, her professor still works there, he taught her and is now going to be "studying" her. Now don't get me wrong I think it is a noble thing to donate your body to science but this just seemed weird and it seemed she would have rather been donated to a place were they study cancer, not muscles (it is a physical/occupational therapy school) and well, she didn't donate her own body.

I couldn't stop thinking of her on a dissection table and I needed to replace that image in my mind. There were no calling hours no casket at the funeral she was just gone. She was a very loving creative soul. I made this card to honor her. I made the bones more realistic and used a heart shape for to represent her heart. I made the heart the deep red because even though her body may be gone the love and laughter she poured into the world is what will last, it is what all her friends still feel and I prefer to think of her body as clean and white as if shrouded and at rest somehow. This card is what emerged out of all those swirling thoughts.

What is the most unusual request or custom order you've ever received?

People usually order my cards as-is aside from color changes from time to time.

Have you ever used these paper cutting techniques in any other type of craft?

I do paper cutting of all kinds and have applied them to all sorts of crafts. I make lamps and lampshades that are completely fashioned from paper. The cut paper is beautiful with light shining through it. I create window valances, again it is lovely with the sun shining through. My cut paper designs were recently featured with 10 other artists in a book published by Lark Books called Paper Cuts: 35 Inventive Projects. I am starting to dapple in applying my cut paper designs to clay creations.

What are some designs that you'd like to attempt in the future?
 
I consider myself a multi-media artist and I want my work to reflect that more. I have a degree in graphic arts as well as a studio art degree in painting and ceramics. I am always interested in new art/craft mediums and I'd like to extend my work beyond cards. I'd like my etsy shop to reflect that as well. Having a 1-year-old limits the time I have to work but I can't seem to tear myself away from him so the "future" may be farther away than I think! Having him in my life has been absolutely amazing. I would love to create a pop-up book for him. I am working on getting back to painting and I am exploring ways to merge paper cutting and painting to create thought provoking and beautiful images. As stated above I am also experimenting with oven-bake clay to bring some of my designs to life in different manifestations.