Paper-Paisleys Art Adventures: September 14th Weekly Post

Greetings and Happy Sunday!

Before Summer turns into Autumn, I wanted to share my Summer banner.

This was originally going to be hung from our giant grapevine wreath above our fireplace.

But when we tried to do that, the wreath became unstable enough for us to realize it might not be a good idea to hang anything on it!

I do not know the lifespan of a grapevine wreath, but ours is at least 27 years old because we received it as a housewarming gift and has been hanging there all that time unadorned until this past year when I began making the seasonal banners to hang from it.

So, we have decided to take it down at some point sooner than later, but to definitely not hang anything from it in the meantime. So, my other seasonal banners will probably be hung on Honey's bar area or on the back door we never use (where this one is hanging).

To make the banner, I pulled out my Summer papers and ephemera, so I basically made it with scraps from my stash. I've used four dies on this banner (Spellbinders anchor, Memory Box bubbles, MFT wavy border and Amazon irregular nested rectangles). I was going for a swimming pool look to showcase the letter stickers from my stash. Don't know if I accomplished that but it is an eye-catching look. And it's done, so it is what it is. I am proud that it's symmetrical when it hangs as that was my intention for it.

An old curtain rod came in handy as the hanger.

Use what ya got, right?
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Next up are three more Christmas cards that I made for the Ding Dong theme at Splitcoaststampers:

I love how this one looks. If I were making several of one design, this would qualify.

I began with the sketch (below), but I also wanted to use this My Favorite Things 4-Way Chevron Coverup die (that I've had for years and never used) for my base layer. On that, I adhered a red vellum circle cut with a Spellbinders die. Then some pine branches cut with an Impression Obsession die. I also used an IO jingle bell die set to cut gold mirror card for my bells. I strung some striped baker's twine to hang them. I topped it with an Amazon bow die cut from the mirror card and added some small gold circles from my stash per the sketch. Then I used Versamark to stamp the MFT sentiment on a scrap of green paper and heat-embossed it with white powder, layering on a cut piece of the mirror card.

Fun Fact: The Brits call the gold card "Mirri" card, but there's is supposedly the Rolls Royce of mirror board.

And here is the sketch that I used.
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This is a happy accident card, lol. I used a Stamplorations Doodled Christmas Bells cover die to cut my gold mirror card, thinking I was going to get a clean cut, but NOOOOO. I then realized I should have used my metal adapter plate in the cutting sandwich, but I really liked the embossed impression, so I quickly turned it over and covered the back with double-sided tape so that I was able to adhere the entire thing onto my card base front. I used the cover plate with some red and then champagne-colored glitter card cuts to get the bow and bells, which I layered onto the gold card. I then stamped the See D's sentiment onto a gold paper scrap, first with Versamark, then with Rhubarb Stalk Memento ink. I heat-embossed it with Ranger Red Tinsel embossing powder to give it a little glitter. I cut that with an SU Modern Label punch. I'd added a strip of red and gold washi tape along with my remaining scraps of red ricrac velvet, so I added the sentiment to the washi tape layer and called it done!

And here is the sketch that I used. The bow and bells are my 3 star elements in a little different arrangement.

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For my last card today, I've used some dark red SU card for my base. I cut the Paper Studio designer paper layer with a Spellbinders Distressed Edge die. On a scrap of dark red Junkitz paper I stamped the Carmen Veranda door using Nocturne Versafine Clair ink and layered it on. I had an Amazon wreath die cut in my bits and bobs along with the bow, TH Sizzix holly leaves and red berries. So, I added them all to my scene. The Polkadoodles caroling gnomes are freebie stamps from Creative Stamping Issue 102. I colored them with my Castle Arts colored pencils, fussy cut them and they were ready to be added as the final touch.