Hey, how cool is it that the Paper and Pixel’s online magazine decided to feature little old ME in their magazine this month??? Pretty Cool I tell ya!!! And how cool is it that that gave me the kick in the rear that I needed to do a THIRD tutorial…..I am getting to be quite the pro at this tutorial stuff, Doh, I take that back, pride cometh before the fall, and heaven knows this is the longest tutorial ever….and I am pressing my luck to get cocky at the beginning – I better wait till I’m finished before I start patting myself on the back, aka, tooting my own horn. Let me get thru this first and actually publish it, and then I may have to celebrate. If I don’t wipe out any pictures, I will be so proud of myself! Here we go…..as you can see, this will be a kind of complicated card that you might choose to make once, and then you will say, never, ever, ever, ever again…..because it’s not exactly a quick card! I just happened to be wearing a vintagey blouse to church one Sunday and when I should have been paying attention to the sermon, it hit me that making a card like it would be the perfect project for being featured in a magazine and all….gee I think the sermon was on pride……okay, anyway – here I go with the tutorial, say a prayer for me…….here comes steppo uno…………………………..
The first thing you want to do here, is to score a 1/2 piece of 8,1/2x 11 cardstock lengthwise at 6″ to make your card front 6″x 4, 1/4. You will need to add a small extension to the back of your card after you finish the front to make the length of the back long enough to match the front. Can I just say that I made this card BEFORE SU came out with their great new scoring tool, or I would not have had to use this lame thing pictured here. Their new scoring tool ROCKS my friends!! But this worked too, when it was all I had. On to the next step….
Using the Established Elegance SU stamp set, stamp the small flower using black Stazon ink in rows up the blouse front. I do this by first stamping one row off the edge of each side. then I stamp one in the middle that will eventually be covered by the button panel, but it just helps me to then eyeball the middle of each side and stamp another row of flowers, so in the end you have 5 rows, the middle one which you will cover up with the button panel, so don’t waste your precious time coloring it, you are already going to spend at least 10 hours making this puppy so spare yourself coloring that middle panel and get moving!! You don’t have all night!! Moving right along…..
From that same stamp set, use the swirl stamp and stamp some crumb cake swirls in the middle of each row of flowers. On to the next step – you are doing fantastic, you only have about 50 more steps to go!! Start thinking of someone REALLY special to give your card to, come on, you cannot go thru this much trouble for just ANYONE!! Next picture please…..
Oh geez I just about had a heart attack cuz this picture got moved way down and I thot I deleted my whole rest of the tutorial but PHEW! Here it is, next step….OH, first the colors I used to color – SU watercolor markers, for flowers, Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze and Marina Mist – for leaves, Pear Pizazz and Lucky Limeaid. I then highlighted each flower with white gel pen. Now this pic to your left now- the button panel – Cut strips of crumb cake cs, 1/2″ by 5,1/2″ and 1,1/2 ” x 5,1/2″. Run them thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice folder. Move on down to the next picture, you are GETTING THERE….hang in, it won’t be much longer now…..do you need to take nourishment? Have you been working for several hours now?????
I cut a piece of Marina Mist cs for layering between the crumb cake strips for my button panel. The measurements for the Marina Mist piece are 1,1/8 x 5,1/2. Come on, you are probably at least half way there, keep on keepin’ on……….
On the top strip of crumb cake for your button panel, turn it over to the back side after running it thru the Big Shot and place two strips the whole length of sticky strip. Do not use any other adhesive as it will not hold. Sticky strip will hold your kid to a wall, so it’s good for this type of heavy duty hold power. Besides, this is your button panel and we don’t want anyone popping their buttons, though I might pop mine if I make it all the way thru this tutorial!! Move on down to the next picture please, you are so done with this one!
Remove the sticky strip one side at a time and take vanilla seam binding and pleat it all the way down the length of your card for the appearance of a pretty ruffle on your vintage blouse. Again, only sticky strip will hold these pleats for the long haul.
I layered my strips as shown in this picture to form my button panel, leaving enough at the bottom to fold under and make a nice edge at the bottom. I took 4 buttons and threaded SU’s narrow organdy ribbon thru them to look like thread, well actually to look like skinny ribbon, cuz it does not look like thread. WHATever….I then attached my buttons with glue dots, several on each button. Looking purdy….huh? DOH, no pride till this is DONE!!
Using crumb cake cs, and the TOP NOTE die from SU, I ran one through the Big Shot. How did we live before the Big Shot? How did we stamp before the Big Shot? Remember those annoying metal plates and dry embossing pen thingeys, and you would want to scream just dry embossing a flower or two? Oh Mr. Big Shot, I surely do love YOU!! Anyway, run one thru. Then adhere it to a piece of Marina Mist cs, and cut carefully around your Top Note form to make a border as shown in the picture. Now FOLD your Top Note piece in half the long way and adhere it with our faithful sticky strip to the top of your blouse. I’m not gonna say it’s lookin’ good, (but it is) I think I AM Jan Tink, that’s what I think!! I like her style! 😉 Moving right along…..
Okay, I know you are exhausted at this point but you are almost there. Take the tiny tag punch from SU, and the Tiny Tag Stamp set, (2 of my favs which I keep right near me at all times) and make a little tag that says, Friends, unless of course you ARE making this for your mom cuz she’s the only one on earth you feel is WORTHY of how long it took you to MAKE this card…and in that case you can use LOVE, or 4YOU, or one of those other stamps in that set….Place a pearl bling at the tip of your tag and adhere it to your blouse. Make yourself a huge honkin’ bow from the vanilla seam binding for the top of your blouse. I used three pieces of seam binding and tied them together in a bow. A bow can never be too big, just remember that. Okay, you are on the HOME STRETCH now, one more push here and you are DONE!!
Finish off the inside of your card by extending the back bottom piece and covering the turned under edge of the button panel. Again I used sticky strip. You can never use too much sticky strip. This card will last longer then the blouse I was wearing that Sunday cuz it has so much sticky strip on it….(that is that Sunday that I designed this card) when I should have been listening to the sermon on pride!! Because now that I am just about done…………
I can feel the cocky attitude coming back because after all, this is a pretty rockin’ little card, don’t you think? And it came out of my own little head, with no help from anyone. And come to think of it, I have also completed my THIRD tutorial here….all by lonesome……can I just be obnoxious and tell you how proud this computer challenged 50+ person feels right now!! ??? I got all the way thru this, and I hope YOU did TOO! I hope you made yourself a sweet vintage blouse, and I hope you have energy for the rest of your day, too!! I know this isn’t one you will be using for a swap card or anything, (unless you really don’t like yourself) but I hope you make one for someone really special, as for me, I decided to make this for someone really special…..and that someone, is ME!! Happy stamping y’all, until next time……keep on stampin’ and don’t stampdream in church, yes, that’s the moral to this story!!
Crystal
September 15, 2011OooOoOooo I love this.. I have to CASE this one. It's gorgeous!!!!
Hugs
Crystal
Carol Dee
September 15, 2011Fabulous card and great job on the tutorial! You are AMAZING. 😉 That card was a lot of work but well worth the effort. Thanks for sharing. Hugs…
Deb
September 15, 2011a very beautiful card and an awesome how to do it….. Not sure I will but you never know….
thanks!
Kristen Conant
September 15, 2011This is absolutely stunning!!!!! Congratulations Karen! You know I am a HUGE fan of yours! You ARE amazing! Thank you for sharing you with all of us!
Carole
September 16, 2011Congratulations Karen. Loved the card and great tutorial. Thanks for sharing.
Patti
September 16, 2011I can see this card took you some time but it is a work of art. Beautiful!
Carol Carriveau
September 16, 2011Wow – beautiful card – thanks for sharing all of the wonderful instructions!
Cherie
September 16, 2011Oh My Gosh! This is so beautiful! Your tutorial is great! Thanks for sharing with us!
Peggy
September 19, 2011Funny the places that we find inspiration! Your card is absolutely a masterpiece that I would not attempt to make even with your really good tutorial, lol!
Vicki Dutcher
September 19, 2011You Go Girl!! Fabulous end result card!!
How have you been — haven't chatted in a while!!
Belinda
September 21, 2011Gorgeous card, and great tutorial. Just love reading your blog. Your comments just crack me up!! Can you tell me how you got the marina mist border around the tiny tags punch? Thanks.