W-o-w Butterfly

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, it's an honor to have you here and I really do appreciate all your comments.

The card I'm sharing today is created using another of my favorite styles, a waterfall and the w-o-w in the post title refers to another of my favorites, white-on-white. Did you guess?

The card is a personal gift from me to someone who doesn't necessarily know how much I'm thankful for everything she does.

Challenges...
July Linky at DL.ART
TT #136 Thank you at DL.ART
#80 AG w/ optional shaped card at 613 Avenue Create
#78 AG at Pumpkin Spice
#27 AG at Crafting From The Heart

Hugs,
Em

Variation on a theme

Hi everyone,

The card I'm sharing with you today is a variation on my recent theme of butterflies and embossing. You can see a couple of the previous cards HERE and HERE. Today's is, perhaps a little unbelievably, the first stepper card I've created in YEARS! So much so that I had to remind myself how to create it, and in doing so I followed THIS great tutorial from Christina at Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls. Thanks Christina!

I've created it in two subtly different shades of purple, with snippets of the slightly lighter shade used for the smaller panels and the small punched butterflies. The design is completed with a small gold peel off sentiment and I really hope that the recipient loves it as much as I do :)

Challenges I'm hoping to enter...
June Linky @ DL.ART
Snippets Playground Week 129 @ Pixie's Crafty Workshop
#153 Super scraps Saturday @ Hiding In My Craft Room
#9 Monochromatic @ Butterfly Challenge
You Gotta Have Friends @ Simon Says

Hugs,
Em

Thanks and another butterfly k-card

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today, I'm honored to have you here. If it's your first visit please do make yourself at home. Remember that the Creative Em first birthday giveaway is open until the end of the month :)

Before I get to today's card I must say THANK YOU to Diana at DL.ART and Naomi, Lisa and the DT at Creative Bug. Having not won anything before in the bloggy world, I've been very lucky twice since my last post. The first win was from a mini blog hop that Diana and her friend Carrie ran. The second was that this card placed in the top three of the last challenge at Creative Bug and I'm now proudly displaying their badge. THANKS LADIES!!!

The card I'm sharing today is another I've created with my current favorite dies, the freebie butterfly, the lace border and the scalloped rectangle. I LOVE all three and also the swirl embossing folder I've used and I'm really pleased with how the card looks. I've created it in the K-card style and the client who commissioned it received it this morning and loves it too :)

Challenges...
June linky @DL.ART
Something with wings @ Open Minded Crafting
M is for monochromatic @ ABC Challenges
Anything goes @Through The Craft Room Door
Challenge #20 @ Scribble and Scrap

Hugs,
Em

Teacher gift

Hi everyone,

The project I'm sharing with you today is another commission for Vickie and will be given alongside the Teacher appreciation cards she commissioned from me last month, (the other two are still works in progress). This is a photo heavy post, but I wanted to share every element with you.

To create the concertina album-like gift, I've used the same elements that were in the card, with a couple of additions. The more obvious is the lettering, which is a FREE template from Craftville, 4inchCap2. When you print from the site you'll need to change the margins to zero and the page orientation to portrait. Yep, I didn't the first time. Oops! The other addition is the copper ink I've sponged around the edges of the letters and die cut rectangles.

On the other side of the S, I've added a panel for the child to write their message...

The cover has the same peel off sentiment I used for the cards...

Last but not least, the box lid, showing more inked edges too...

I'm really, really pleased with the way the finished project looks and I hope both client and recipient will be equally as happy. I'll share the other two, where I've used different colors, with you when they are complete :)

Challenges...
May Linky at DL.ART
June challenge - Summer at Just Inspirational Challenges
Yours, mine or ours at Die Cut Divas
Anything goes at 4 Crafty Chicks
June - Anything goes at Sisters of Craft

Hugs,
Em

Birthday butterfly K-card

Hi everyone,

This card has been created for another commission and I've just realized that this card is the first K-card I've created all year. Wow! If you're not familiar with K-cards, they are another style of pop-out cards and use two pieces of card to create the base. I'll be happy to do a tutorial for you, so if you'd like me to, just leave a comment asking.

For this card I've layered white and metallic blue card for both the main element and the lace layers, which have been cut using the Cottage Cutz Fancy Floral Lace border die. Once again I've used the scalloped rectangle from Spellbinders and the freebie butterfly die for the main element. I'm sure by now you know I LOVE that flutterby? The embossing folder I've used is a Cuttlebug, I think, although I'm not sure.

This first pic shows the card in progress and I love how the blue shows through the detail of the butterfly's wings...

Here's the completed card...

I'm entering the card into the following challenges...
#73 Anything goes w/ optional twist use metal at 613 Avenue Create
Challenge 18 Anything goes at Crafty Girls Challenges
May linky at DL.ART
#19 Always anything goes at Scribble and Scrap
#58 Anything goes at Sister Act Card Challenge

More soon,
Hugs,
Em

Another CAS card

Hi everyone,

Following on from yesterday's CAS sketch card I'm sharing another CAS design with you today. This one was inspired by and will be entered into a challenge at a new-to-me blog, Butterfly Challenge.

To create it I've dug into my stash and found some doilies that were a freebie gift some time ago with a magazine. The butterflies have been punched from a ripped doily using the Martha Stewart punch and the design has been completed with a gold peel-off sentiment. I'm really pleased with the look of the card and hope you are too.

I'm entering the card into the following challenges...
#7 Butterfly + Doily at Butterfly Challenge
#38 Off the edge at Addicted to CAS
#71 Anything goes at 613 Avenue Create
#132 Anything Feminine at DL.ART
May linky at DL.ART

Hugs,
Em

Box Arm Card

Hi everyone,

Today I'm sharing a new-to-me style of card that is easy to construct, but looks stunning, at least I think it does! I found the instructions over at Emma's blog Lady & the Stamp. The tutorial for the Box Arm Card is the top one listed on the right side of Emma's blog and can be downloaded. Thanks Emma!

Purple is one of my favorite colors and I love the way the three tones I've used for the card work together. The larger butterfly was created using a die that was a freebie in a magazine last year and I've once again used the butterfly punch from Martha Stewart for the smaller ones. The design has been completed by adding a peel-off sentiment and some teardrop gems that have long been in my stash.

This pic shows the card laid flat...

This one with the arms extended...

I love the style and there are so many ways to decorate it and I can see a lot more of them being created in the future. Thanks again for the tutorial Emma!

I'm entering the creation into the following challenges...
HIMCR04NSD - Use a critter at Hiding in My Craft Room
Challenge #70 Anything goes with OPTIONAL twist BA DA BLING at 613 Avenue Create
May Linky Challenge at DL.ART
Colour challenge at "Less is more"

Hugs,
Em

Popcorn gift box

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by, it's great to be back again now I've got my creative mojo back! The creation I'm sharing today will accompany the card I shared with you yesterday, if you missed it, you can see it HERE. Instead of using white this time around, I decided on purple, because I think they compliment each other well. I hope you agree?

I've created the box using the Sweet Things embossing board from Crafter's Companion and the tag for the lid and flowers are all from another of their boards, Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats. That is the same board I used for the flowers on the card, but I forgot to name the board used yesterday. Oops! The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch and it's one of my favorite crafty tools.

To complete the tag I've added a matching eyelet and a gold peel off sentiment. The flowers have been blinged up with some self adhesive gems from my stash. I'm really happy with how the finished creation looks and as the name of the board suggests, it will soon be filled with some sweet treats, though not popcorn.

I'm entering the creation into the following challenges...
HIMCR04NSD - Use a critter at Hiding in My Craft Room
HIMCR05NSD - Thank you! at Hiding in My Craft Room
Challenge #70 Anything goes with OPTIONAL twist BA DA BLING at 613 Avenue Create
May Linky Challenge at DL.ART

I'll be back later in the week with yet more crafty goodness.

Hugs,
Em

Treble birthday

Hi everyone,

In my post on Monday, I mentioned that one of my clients, Gayle, had commissioned a lot of cards from me. I'm now able to reveal the first three of them! Yay!

Firstly, for Sophia, who loves playing frisbee. Gayle asked if I could add one to the card, but I took that one step further and created the card as a frisbee! It's an easel card, but I forgot to take a photo of it open. Oops! It was Sophia's birthday a few days ago, so belated birthday wishes go to her from me today.

Next up is a card for Lesley, Gayle's Mom, who celebrates her 70th birthday today. The style of card is one that you'll recognize from some of my recent posts, because it's a current favorite of mine. Happy birthday Lesley!

Last for today but by no means least, is quirky card for Adam, Gayle's nephew who also celebrates his birthday today. Gayle mentioned that he is a computer geek, so, it immediately gave me the idea for his card. It's another easel card and this time I did remember to take a photo of it open! Happy birthday Adam!

I'd love to know what you think of all of the designs, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Hugs,

Em

Card in a box

Hi everyone,

I'm so sorry that I've not posted as often as I said I would, it's only been a temporary slip and I'm back on track now, I promise.

Recently there seems to have been an "explosion" of card in a box creations around the bloggy world, and so I thought I'd better get on trend and quick! Most tutorials or explanations I've seen describing this technique involve using two struts within the box. However, I thought that looked a little fiddly for me. I was thinking of a way around it, when I came across the perfect solution from Carole at Extreme Cards and Papercraft.

In her post Card in a Box Valentine Carole not only describes how using a band of card inside will solve the problem, she has also very kindly given a cutting file/PDF template for the box. To create my card in a box I used the dimensions she gives in the post, instead of printing and cutting the template, but even doing it this way it was SO easy! Thanks so much Carole!

I used a corner rounder punch to shape the flaps and the back panel, though the edges of that are hidden by the butterfly's wings. To decorate the box I cut pieces of thin pink and white pattered paper that are 1/4" smaller than the panels (2-1/2" x 2-3/4") and rounded two of the corners before adding them to the panels using double sided tape. The die cuts are all from the Dovecrafts "Garden Party" range and I've used a wet glue to stick the pieces together and adhere them to the inner band, the back and the panels. Even though the embellishments spill over the edge of the box, it does fold flat and will fit in an envelope easily. 

This is my first card in a box and I can see me creating many more. I'd love to know what you think so please do leave a comment. Thanks!

Hugs,

Em

January Giveaway

Hi everyone,

To celebrate the Creative Em Facebook page reaching 100 likes, I'm running a giveaway on the page. To enter, please click HERE and follow the instructions. It will close next Monday, February 3, at 1PM CST (GMT -6).

This is the card that will be given away and the photo doesn't really do it justice. It's beautiful.

Good luck!

Hugs,
Em

2013 ~ A year in review part 1

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by today. I know we're already very nearly half way through January, EEK, but before we get even deeper into this "new" year, I wanted to revisit some of my favorite posts from 2013. I hope you enjoy looking back as much as I have. To see the original post, you can either click the linked name of the post or the pics.

My first creative post here on the new site was Pretty minis. Each of the cards created and showcased in the post are only 3"x3" square and are are great way to use up some of the many, many crafty "scraps" that are left when creating bigger cards.

Another post in which I shared more of these cuties was More minis. They are all SO cute and I'll be creating more of these babies soon :)

Another favorite design style for me last year and another that I'll be doing a lot more of this, is white on white. The first card in this style that I shared with you was the Lace butterfly white on white.

I LOVE the simple beauty of this style and it wasn't long before I shared another very similar creation with you in More lovely lace. For this one I changed it up a little by adding some subtly colored gems.

I'd love to know what you think, so please leave a comment, either on this post, or on the originals. Thank you!

Hugs,
Em

More white on white

Hi everyone,

Today I'm sharing what is possibly my last white on white card for a little while. With fall fast approaching, I'm thinking the colors of the season will feature in some designs in the next week or so.

Hugs,
Em

More lovely lace

Hi everyone,

Following on from yesterday's post, I've today created another similar card, using the same main elements and dies. The only changes from yesterday is the addition of a little glitter in the lace, which unfortunately hasn't come out on the photo. I've also added some punched butterflies to the side, using a Martha Stewart punch.

I LOVE the new lace die and will be using it on a lot of my cards.

Hugs,
Em

Lace butterfly white on white

Hi everyone,

Here's the card that I created this morning, my first since the middle of July! I love the simple elegance of white on white cards and I'm really pleased with the way this one looks. I hope you like it too!

The lace edges have been created using the Cottage Cutz Elites - Fancy Floral Lace Border. The embossed panel behind the butterfly was created using the Cuttlebug Dawny folder, both purchased from Sunrise Crafts. They only arrived in the mail this morning and I couldn't wait to play with them!

The other dies used were scalloped rectangles, I think from Spellbinders, and the butterfly was a freebie I got with a magazine earlier this year.

The sentiment has been added using a gold peel off and the gems are small self adhesive clear ones. I've added the lace border and butterfly using a tape runner and the other panels have all been layered with foam dimensionals.

I have started working on another white on white card, which I'll complete and share with y'all tomorrow.

Hugs