When Gigi had her 6th birthday, she wanted a costume party.
Given that I love my fellow humankind and didn't want to inflict any more pressure on the parents of the attendees, I suggested we have a hat party - which turned out to be a good compromise.
I wanted to make her invitations in the shape of a top hat, but I couldn't find any templates online. I decided I would just make one myself, and this is really easy to do if you have a computer and access to clip art. I did a search for top hat and had literally dozens of options. I picked the one I wanted and put it into Photoshop Elements, where I basically turned it into an outline of a silhouette and increased its size. Then I printed it on cardstock (remember, it was just an outline by that point) and cut it out!
It was like buttah.
(I highly recommend this in the future - it's much easier than what it sounds.)
A few months ago I decided to submit my template to Stamper's Sampler for their Tempting Template feature, and they published it in their DEC/JAN 2010 issue. (I found this out while flipping through the issue in line at Joann's - my first thought was one of outrage that someone else had submitted my idea... and then I saw my name beneath and immediately felt vindicated... and rather full of myself. It took everything I had to keep from sending Gigi down the line with the magazine to announce, "Lookit - My mama made that!" Hee-hee!)
The submission deadline for cards made using this template was January 15th, but unfortunately, I missed it. I decided I would finish my card anyway and possibly submit it at a later date or to another publication. And here it is:
SUPPLIES:
- Hero Arts stamps CL272, CL383, S5101
- Ranger Distress, VersaFine, Memento inks
- Copic markers
- Zucker feather
- Making Memories straight pin
- Stickles
- Paper Studio lace
- generic cord
- Prima flower
- Autumn Leaves button
- Ranger Perfect Pearls
- Cuttlebug embossing folder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut out three hats from the template for front, back of front, and back.
- Using a Tim Holtz inking tool, blend Distress inks across the front piece. Finish by buffing it with a damp baby wipe.
- Ink your polka dot background with Distress ink, then randomly remove some of the ink with a baby wipe. Now stamp your card front.
- Dry emboss above the hat's brim and lightly sand to remove some of the color from the raised bits.
- Stamp sentiment.
- OPTIONAL: Although you can't see it in the photograph, I spritzed my lace with some homemade "glimmer mist." (See recipe below.)
- Wrap lace around card front and adhere on back of front (I used tape).
- Adhere card front's back to conceal the taped ribbon.
- Score the back piece in a horizontal line about 3/4" from the top and put adhesive ABOVE the scored line and attach to card front. (Prime the card open by bending the back of the card along the scored line so that it angles away from the card front.
- Stamp three butterflies, color with Copic markers, apply Stickles to the spots.
- Cut out and color the edges with a black brush pen, then assemble your 3-D butterfly. (Watch Hero Arts video.)
- Attach two snips of cord for the two antennae.
- Adhere feather, pin, flower, button, and butterfly (in that order).
Although I have a few bottles of Glimmer Mist, I've quit buying it because it's criminal to pay $7 for what is basically water and Perfect Pearls! You get the exact same affect (as far as I can tell) with the homemade version below. You are limited only by the Perfect Pearl colors in your collection, and if you do the math, I think you'll find it makes more sense to buy a variety of the Perfect Pearls. (I bought both my Mini-Misters and my Perfect Pearls with 40% off coupons, so my savings were even greater! The Mini-Mister came out to about 65 cents, and it's reusable. The scoop of PP cost about a dime (if that much. That sure beats the tar out of $7!)
You can make as much or as little of each spray as you need, it keeps indefinitely, and it takes a lot less space to store if you use the Mini-Misters. This one's a no-brainer and requires no skill at all to create, so give it a shot!
INGREDIENTS: Perfect Pearls, water, Ranger Mini-Mister*
- Fill the Mini-Mister with water up to the "r" at the end of the printed word "Mini-Mister."
- Insert about 1/8 teaspoon Perfect Pearl powder into the Mini-Mister (add more or less to taste).
- Put the cap on the Mini-Mister and shake well.
- Always shake before using in the future.