Pretty Poppies!

Hi, again! It's Poppy time at Chocolate Baroque! With the new release of the Pretty Poppies set, you have some absolutely beautiful stamps to play with, and it's a hard choice as to which one to use first! Just get them all inky! Here's some tags and a bookmark made using the poppy stamps in this set. Enjoy!

 Thanks for dropping by!

The Cameo and Dusky Damask

Welcome, friends!  I know I've said this before, but my husband says I should have been born in Victorian times, but only so I could wear the hats, gowns and jewels! I just love the images from that era! They are so romantic!

This “Cameo” image is from Chocolate Baroque, and is just beautiful! I wanted to make it a pretty simple card, but as usual, the more I work at it, the more ends up on it, and it turns into something that looks like I spent hours on! This little lady was discontinued, and I can't think of why, because she's so beautiful! 

I am posting this card because I used a large background stamp from the brand new stamp set, Dusky Damask, from Chocolate Baroque on the inside.  Below is a look at this new set, and you can click on the picture to go to the Chocolate Baroque website for more information, or to order it.

I stamped the image in Memento black ink of white cardstock.  The Tim Holtz Distressed ink, Vintage Photo, and Antique Linen was used to “age” the woman. Just the tiniest bit of lightest pink was placed on her cheeks, using chalk. I used Spellbinders Small Ovals to cut her out, and glued a string of off-white pearls around the cut edges.






















The white card base is 10” x 6” tall, and score in half to make a 5” x 6” card, with a side opening. The tan patterned paper is from DCWV cardstock stack called “Linen Closet”. It has an embossed leaf design, and parts of the leaves are shiny, as you can see in the photo. It was cut to 3” x 5”, with rounded top corners, before attaching it to the top of the card base. I cut another white panel to 5” x 6”, and embossed the Marianne plate at the top about 1/8” below the top edge. Using a craft knife, I cut out the “windows”, and around the top of the “fan”. The bottom corners were rounded and this piece was centered over the tan and white card base, after applying the lace and trim. The lace and trim were cut to 6” long, with ends folded over to the back of the white “fan” piece and taped down (or use ribbon adhesive strip).

Next, I die cut one of the 2 ½” wide Floral Ovals out of black cardstock, and placed tan pearls around the border as shown. I cut one of the largest Floral Ovals in white, and placed small tan pearls at the “directional” points shown. I used Scor-Tape in 1/8” wide to attach the ¼” wide black gimp trim to the white oval, just inside the pierced dot area. Dimensional adhesives were used on the back of this oval to attach it to the front of the card, on the lower two-thirds. The Cameo was centered on the black floral oval and glued flat, then this was mounted with dimensional adhesives to the center of the white floral oval. Large tan pearls were placed at the bases of each scallop in the top of the “fan” and small tan pearls at the points of each arch below that.

The flowers and leaves were punched from a scrap of the tan embossed patterned paper and the black cardstock. They were assembled with glue after shaping them with an embossing stylus and foam pad. A tiny butterfly was used as an accent.

The inside of the card was stamped in the Distressed Vintage Photo ink using one of the larger background stamps from the Chocolate Baroque set, Dusky Damask. I used a small sponge dauber for the edges in the same ink, and added a little of the Antique Linen on the edges.

I really enjoyed making this card, and I’m sure you will too!  The supplies needed to make it are listed below!

Chocolate Baroque stamp sets – Dusky Damask

    Stampin’ Up – white and black cardstock, Flower punch
    DCWV Linen Closet pad – tan embossed patterned cardstock
    Memento black ink

Tim Holtz distressed inkpads – Antique Linen and Vintage Photo

Spellbinders dies – Small Ovals, Floral Ovals

Anja style embossing stencil – fan

Wright’s fused pearls strand

Zva pearls – small and large, tan

6” Large “Victorian” lace, cut to fit (5”)

    6 ½” tan trim from stash
    Punch Bunch – small flower and leaf punches
    EKSuccess – flower punch
    Craft glue that dries clear, sponge dimensional adhesives,
          tape runner or tape strip
    Embossing pad and stylus
    Scor-Pal
    Die cutter
    Scissors

Poppy Seeds

 Good morning!  I hope you are doing well!  Here's a bright and colorful card to cheer anyone!  A friend gave me the white oval and white butterfly diecuts, and the poppy red was really striking against the white and dark green.  This poppy stamp is from Chocolate Baroque's set called Flora & Fauna.  If you click on the name, it will take you directly to that location on Chocolate Baroque's website.  The complete set is just beautiful, and I can't wait to use each and every flower and butterfly!  I don't know what it is about poppies, but they are irresistable to me!  Copic markers were used to color the flowers.

You can see a little of the sparkle and shine on the flowers in this photo.  I used Copic's At You Spica glitter pens to add it.  The red swirled background paper is from a DCWV spring stack.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit, and I look forward to seeing you again! 

New Chocolate Baroque Stamps! Amazing!

Chocolate Baroque continues to amaze many people with the new stamps they are producing!  I'd like to share some of my projects made with some of the new stamps, and I'd appreciate your comments at the bottom of the post.  Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

These are from the Sunny Sunflowers set. 

I stamped the images on white cardstock, with Only Orange ink from Stampin' Up.  The shading was done with Copic markers.  The background is from a summer stack of paper, and I used two embossing folders on the white panels.  Pearl brads completed the centers.  The bottom border was a die cut given to me by a friend, and the word, "Happy" is from the Chocolate Baroque Artistic Expressions set.  I don't have any sentiment stamps from Chocolate B yet, so I used one from my collection.  I love the patterned background paper, so I cut a thin strip 1/4" wide, and wove it through the eyelets on the border strip.   

More to come...

May 2010 Heartfelt Creations Blog Hop

Good morning! Welcome to the May 2012 Heartfelt Creations Alumni Team Blog Hop! I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. There are seven of us "Alumni" playing in the Hop this month - it's a busy time for many, with summer starting, kids getting out of school, vacations, etc. What plans do you have?


The Hop started at 8am EST today and closes Friday, June 1st at midnight - one fortunate person will be chosen at random from all of the blog comments to win a $25 gift certificate to shop at Heartfelt Creations! We will all try to announce winner on our blogs by noon on Saturday, June 2nd. The winner just needs to email Emma Lou at emmalou@heartfeltcreations.us with "winner of May Alumni Hop" in subject line. Good luck!


Prior to dropping by here, you may have come from Tesa's wonderful blog. Below is the blog order, just in case you were derailed, sidetracked, rerouted or detoured. (I didn't know there were that many words to say the same thing! lol But then, that's American English)

http://craftieodamae.blogspot.com/ Olga

http://selmasstampingcorner.blogspot.com/ Selma

http://tesasscrap.blogspot.com Tesa

http://clarespaperworks.blogspot.com Clare <---------YOU ARE HERE!

http://toddandlisacreations.blogspot.com Lisa

http://stampingdownsouth.blogspot.com Marsha

http://paynehollercards.blogspot.com Linda

Here is my May creation, and I wanted it to be bright and cheery to reflect Spring and the coming bright summer. I didn't know until I was linking Lisa's blog to mine, that she and I, out of all the different stamps available, chose the same set to use! Great minds!

Something cheery - This cardstock was just the thing when I saw it!

I found little spools of this sparkly ribbon at Joann's, in several bright colors

This card was very easy to make. The supply list follows the directions.

Cut the base of the card from the striped cardstock, which has a white backing. I used an 8" x 8" pad, used the complete width of the cardstock, and trimmed 2" off one end to make the card 6" tall. I folded it in half the 8" x 8" way making the completed card base 6" tall by 4" wide. I used a corner punch on the corners.

Using the Spellbinders die set Labels 10, I cut a large one from white cardstock, and one the next size smaller in the yellow patterned paper. Adhere together, yellow on top of white, centering. Use dimensionals to apply this to the main card base, centering both directions.

Using the largest of the two stamps in the set HCPC 3325 Daisy Patch Bouquet PreCut Set, stamp one in Memento black ink on white cardstock. Color with the Copics listed below, or your preferred markers. Fussy-cut the image out, including three of the stems on the very outside of the image. Apply this to the center of the raised Label with dimensionals, then glue seed beads to match striped cardstock to flower centers, using white glue that dries clear. I tied a bow using my Bow-Easy, and adhered it centered over the flower stems with ribbon adhesive. Let dry, and your card is ready to cheer someone up!

Supplies:

• Heartfelt Creations HCPC 3325 Daisy Patch Bouquet PreCut Set
• Spellbinders Labels 10
• DCWV Glitter Stack, 8" x 8"
• Stampin' Up white cardstock
• Copic markers YR12, Y13, Y19, G09, YG06, YG03
• American Crafts Glitter Ribbon in Cabbage
• Seed beads from stash
• "Peacock" corner punch - Fiskars
• white glue that dries clear
• dimensionals

Next on the blog hop is the talented Lisa! I hope you've enjoyed your visit, and I know you'll love the rest of your blogging trip! I've enjoyed having you, and don't forget to leave a comment on each blog so that you are entered into the drawing - we also just love to read your comments! Check back here or any of the other blogs on Saturday to see if you're the lucky one with the $25 gift certificate to Heartfelt Creations! Have a great day!

The Haberdashery


I love little shops like this, that are so cozy and warm when you walk in. There's a little dog to greet you, whose favorite place to chew on his bone is under the Elephant Ear Philadendron. Everything is in it's place, and there's always a "Special" going on. Today it's scissor sharpening! Only $5 per pair!

The stucco on the front of the building even has a "lacey" look and feel to it .
This effect was made by using a lace stamp from the Chocolate Baroque set Lace Fragments.

The Store Front - complete with pins in the
pin cushion! With thimble flower pots,
and a scissor easel, tape measure
for a hours of operation sign, lace
wallpaper, and buttons for flower centers.

The hours of operation sign is hanging on the door, and at
closing time, the proprietor will turn the sign around. Here's the
"Special of the day!" I love that blue striped wainscoat wallpaper.

For the window and door, I used one of the
Spellbinders plastic containers that
some dies came in. The door knob is a brad.
There's a stool right there by the window,
if you'd like a seat.
Please note the wallpaper border,
and be aware of the exit, just in case...

Bone-chewing in the shade,
but still wary and on guard.

A place to write your note to the recipient

Hello! I had so much fun working with this scissor stamp from Chocolate Baroque's Haberdashery set! A positioning tool called a Thing-a-ma-jig was how I lined up all the scissor stamps to create the circle. I used Memento ink in black. A complete list of supplies and instructions on how to make this card follows the pictures.  Black and pink go so well together! Supplies -   Chocolate Baroque Haberdashery stamp set - longer scissors stamp Chocolate Baroque Artistic Expressions set - "Love" Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Circle dies Spellbinders Grand Circle dies Spellbinders Fancy Labels dies Flower, leaves and Cheery Lynn Lace Butterfly diecuts given to me by a friend Copic markers - R81 Rose Pink, R85 Rose Red, RV13 Tender Pink, C1 Cool Gray No. 1, C3 Cool Gray No. 3, Stampin' Up markers - Pretty in Pink, Going Gray, Black, Cardstock - Stampin' Up - Pretty in Pink, Rose Pink, Black and White Pink 1" satin ribbon from stash Adhesive pearls from Zva Pop-dots or adhesive squares, 1/8" thick Memento inkpad in black Sponge dauber Tacky glue of choice Cut one Rose Pink Grand Scalloped Circle using the 3rd largest die. Score and fold a sheet of the Pretty in Pink cardstock in half, then using removable tape such as Painters Tape, position the next largest Scalloped Circle die with the scalloped edge just on the edge with the opposite side hanging beyond the edge of the folded cardstock. Sponge edges of scallops with black ink. Find the center of a sheet of 8 ½” X 11” white cardstock and mark with a pencil. Using the Thing-a-ma-jig, position point of long scissor stamp from the Haberdashery set, on the center spot and stamp in Memento black ink. Continue to stamp the scissors around in a circle with the scissor point on the center dot, and the beautiful edging on the handle just touching. You may not have enough space to stamp one more to complete the circle, but that’s OK – you will use the “Love” label to cover it. Color and shade the scissors as desired. Using the Circle die that just fits inside the 3rd largest scalloped die used above on the Rose Pink cardstock, center the die on the scissors, and cut out. Glue “scissor” piece to the Rose Pink cardstock, then that to the Pretty in Pink piece, offsetting the bottom edge scallops. Trace around the outside edge of the Fancy Label die in black cardstock, and cut out. Stamp “Love” word from Chocolate Baroque Artistic Expressions set on white cardstock using SU’s Going Gray inkpad. Shade and color in using the Copic markers. Cut out using the Fancy Label die from white cardstock, centering over the word “Love”. Using Pop-dots or dimensional, adhere the “Love” label diecut over the space not filled in with a scissor stamp on the white circle. Position leaves at the center and left of the label, then apply bow (tied with a Bow-easy), using strong adhesive. Place flower over edge of label and leaves. Place pearls in place, and add the butterfly diecut. Decorate inside as desired. I hope you'll have fun making this for yourself or someone you love! I think it would be pretty with a sunflower or daisy in the center. I'm off to try it! All my best, Clare

Springtime in Tennessee

Springtime in Tennessee is a beautiful time of the year, and it probably is all over the world during this season.  My family and I took a walk through our neighborhood, and I was able to get some great photos of the flora "around these parts" as they say.  Now that the blooms are gone, and replaced with so many different shades of green, I wanted to go back and remember the sights and smells of just a short time ago.  Enjoy!

Daffodils in my backyard flower box.

White tulip in my backyard flower box

Tulips at Buschart Gardens in May

Hydrangea in my front yard

 Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoyed this short Spring floral parade!  Now, on with the cardmaking and crafting!  Tomorrow is my 33rd anniversary, and I need to make a card!  Have a great day!

Imagine A Butterfly Cage

Hello, everyone! These two new stamp sets have really inspired me, and they're right up my alley, too! I love the old fashionedness of the dressform shown here - it reminds me of the old hoopskirts from, as they say here in the USA, "back in the day." Originally, I had thought, and did, put a little yellow bird in the cage, but then I happened to find some printed butterfly images that were 3-D, and I thought it looked better than the birdie. I love to sew, and I love birds, so this was so apropos.

The original with a yellow bird.

My husband has told me many times that I should have been born in the Victorian era, because I love the jewelry and clothing from that era. I've never actually used a dressform to make a dress, but maybe I should.

I've put the directions on how to make this card below. I've used Chocolate Baroque's newest stamp sets, Haberdashery and Lace Fragments. I also added the word 'Imagine' from the Chocolate Baroque stamp set Artistic Expressions, which is what you have to do on this card! :) The background was stamped with the large lace flower in the Lace Fragments set, and colored in with Prismacolor pencils, and I love the way they came out, subtly in the background. The flowers were made from scraps from different punches, and I used Flower Soft in the center of the yellow ones. Two dressmaker pins, a green button, and some eyelash trim finished off the embellishments.The complete directions are below.

Silver embossing powder was used on the scissors stamped with Versamark ink.

Dress Form Birdcage

Supplies –

Stamps from Chocolate Baroque Haberdashery, Baroque Lace, and Artistic Expressions
Coloring medium of choice (I used Prismacolor Pencils)
Versafine Onyx and Versamark inkpads, gray and peach inkpads
Silver embossing powder and heat gun
Hobby knife
Printed butterflies from purchased sheet
White, Silver, yellow, peach and green cardstock
Dry embossing strip, your choice
One green button

With butterfly instead of yellow bird

Eyelash string
2 dressmaker straight pins
Fiskars 'Stitch' border punch
1/8” high pop-up dots
3-D flowers of choice

Directions –

Cut white cardstock to 6” high by 9” wide, then score in half to make base card 6” high by 4 ½” wide.Dry emboss decorative strip on right side of front of card (opening from the right).Stamp the lacy flower from the Baroque Lace stamp set in various places on front of card, but not over embossing, using the gray inkpad.Color images in with pencils, using peach, yellow and green.

Stamp the word “Imagine,” from the Artistic Expressions set onto white cardstock, using the black inkpad.Cut word out leaving a 1 ½” border all around, then use the stitch border punch to make border.Using a small sponge dauber, dab or rub peach ink onto word piece below the word and on the edges.Glue to card as shown.Thread the eyelash string through the holes in the green button and tie into a small bow, then glue to the bottom left corner of the sentiment piece.While glue is still tacky, push two dressmaker pins, crossed, under the button with ball tips on top.

Scissors – Stamp scissors from the Haberdashery stamp set, using Versamark inkpad onto silver cardstock, and sprinkle with silver embossing powder.Heat set.Fussy-cut around outline of scissors, and apply pop-up dots to back.Set aside.

Dress form birdcage – Using the dress form stamp from the Haberdashery stamp set, stamp it twice on white cardstock using the Versafine Onyx inkpad.Cut one out on just the very outside lines, and adhere in the center on lacy flower stamped area.Shade the second one with gray pencil, and fussy-cut out completely, including between the bars of the cage, using hobby knife.Apply small pieces of pop-up dots to the back.

Cut printed butterflies from sheet, and arrange a larger one along with some flowers to the center of the “birdcage” part of the first image that was adhered to the card.Apply scissors horizontally on top of card, having points towards the left, to make it appear that the cage is hanging from the shears.Place the second birdcage over the first, matching all edges, and the scissors should appear to come out of the armholes of the dress form.The butterfly should “appear” to be hovering in the center of the birdcage.Apply flowers with glue, and the small butterflies with pop dots.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope your day is sunny, bright and happy!

He Is Risen!

I'm sorry to be so late in blogging about this, but maybe I was saving the "best for last"?  lol  The shoulder I had fixed three times has been a bit achy, and I haven't been on the computer for a few days.  A lot's been happening around here - too much to mention!  Here is a card I had so much enjoyment in making. 

Add caption

Chocolate Baroque has outdone themselves with the Lace Fragments and Easter Traditions stamp sets!  They are "must-haves"!!!  I thoroughly enjoyed using these stamps, and the detail is extremely fine and delicate - just like the real thing!   The complete directions follow the photos.

A closeup of the dimension the elements have in this card, and the detail of the roses.

This shows the intricate detail of this fan lace stamp.  It looks so realistic! 

He Is Risen

Supplies –

 Chocolate Baroque stamp sets –

           Artistic Expressions – “Joy”
           Lace Fragments
           Easter Traditions – small cross, “He is risen”

 Embossing folder

     White cardstock, cut to 5” x 11”
     Gray cardstock
     Purple inkpad, I used Stampin’ Ups Baroque Burgundy
     Gray inkpad, I used Stampin’ Ups Going Gray
     Scoring board
     Small & medium white pearls
     3 – ¾” purple roses from stash
     Diecut leaves from a friend, unknown die
     5” white gimp trim, with ends sealed with glue
     Dimensionals
     Scissors
     Spellbinders Cross Collection dies
     Diecutter (I used a Cuttlebug)
     EK Success “Daisy Scallop” edge punch
     Copic marker BV08 Blue Violet

 Directions –

Score and fold the white cardstock piece, at the 5 ½” mark lengthwise.  Position the embossing folder at the center of one side of the cardstock, towards the fold; run through die cutter to emboss.  On a scrap piece of 3 ½” white cardstock, stamp the 1” wide lace that looks like fans, from the Lace Fragments set.  Use the gray inkpad.  On the front of the card base, below the embossed emblem, about 1 1/4” above the opening edge, stamp using this same stamp and inkpad, across the 5” width, with the straight side of the “lace” on the bottom (fans up).  At the top of the card, above the embossing, stamp the open lace in gray.  Across the bottom front of the card base, below the stamped lace strip, use the border punch to create the flower pattern.  Adhere the white gimp onto the card base between the stamped lace image and the punched border.  Use the purple inkpad and the word “joy” from the Artistic Expressions set, and stamp it in the top left corner of the embossed image in square.  Use dimensionals to adhere the 3 ½” long piece of “fan lace” parallel to the same on the bottom, about ½ way up card.   Trace around the cross die from the Spellbinders die set, Cross Collection, on the gray cardstock and cut out with scissors.  Sponge edges with gray ink.  Use a piece of white scrap paper, and die cut a cross using this same die.  Use dimensional to adhere the white cross centered in the gray cross.  On white scrap paper, stamp in purple, the small cross stamp from the Chocolate Baroque set, Easter Traditions.  Fussy cut cross out with scissors.  Use dimensional to attached this cross in the center of the white cross.   Double-up the dimensional on the back of the gray cross and position in the top right corner of the card, with part of the cross’ circle over the end of the stamped lace strip.  Use the Copic marker BV08 Blue Violet to color five of the medium-sized pearls.  Place on the ends of each cross beam, and in the center of the small cross.  Using the smaller pearls, place one in each cross section of the stamped lace on top and bottom, across the bottom of the fan with “He is risen” across it, and the punched border.