Hibiscus Sunset

Hi all, I have been working on some quilling projects for the first of the month and also this card for the May Fred She Said blog hop!

Welcome to our "Here Comes Summer FRED SHE SAID" blog hop!!! If you just happened to drop by my blog and you are not aware of this wonderful event taking place, please go back to the "FRED SHE SAID" blog here  and start your hop!

Please, we would love it if you commented on our posts.

Along the way, you will see a special CODE WORD. Collect them all up! Once you reach the end of the blog hop (which will be the "Fred She Said" Challenge blog), follow the instructions to make your entry and your name will go in for a draw for a $20 Gift Certificate for the Fred She Said Store!

My "Fred She Said" creation above is my "Summer Fun" inspiration. Summer vacation to the Caribbean and my favorite beach, 7 Mile Beach on Grand Cayman! I was in the tropical mind set and had to make tropical flowers for my card, so the hibiscus!

The hibiscus flowers that adorn the sponged Caribbean sunset are made from the Fred She Said Lovely Blossoms Decoupage Set.  I printed the pink blossom sheet out on a peach text weight paper and then again on a red vellum.  I cut each flower out and then cut the individual petal from the blossom. Then the petals were shaped with a ball stylus to give them dimension. Next I punched a snowflake for the base of the flower and reassembled the petals on it for a hibiscus bloom.  The center of the hibiscus was made from a 5/8" red quilling strip that was fringed along one side just short of 1/2 of the strip.  Then it was quilled as a fringe flower would be and fanned out.  I added some gold and red flocking for the pollen and then some red beads to the tips for some reserved bling.

Next I added some punched leaves to finish off the flowers.  The sunset panel is popped up with dimensional foam tape and set off angle from the base layer of inked edged tropical DP.  Eyelets, twine, cotton twill bow and the sentiment of "Celebrate" finished off the card.  These hibiscus flowers were fun and easy to make with the Lovely Blossom digi set, just print the colored blossoms on your paper and color of choice, cut out and add the stamen! 

My special code word is:  SUMMER

Here is a list of the blog hoppers in case you lose your way:

*FRED SHE SAID blog http://fred-she-said.blogspot.com/

*SONYA http://www.appelquilling.blogspot.com/  That's ME your HERE!

*MARIA http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/

*SHELLEY http://jaspere-jaspereslittlecorner.blogspot.com/

*MICHELLE http://www.inspirationblooms.blogspot.com/

*CAROL L. http://www.bycarolivy.blogspot.com/

*DARSIE B. http://www.craftingwithdarsie.blogspot.com/

*JUDY http://scrampalot.blogspot.com/

*CAROL H. http://chocolatecraftsandbearsohmy.blogspot.com/

*LORA http://www.lorascards.blogspot.com/

*DEANNE http://a-scrapaddict.blogspot.com/

*FRED SHE SAID CHALLENGE BLOG http://fss-challenge.blogspot.com/

This blog hop will run from today, MAY 21st until MAY 27. On the 28th, the winner will be announced on the "Fred She Said" blog http://fred-she-said.blogspot.com/ .

Thank-you for taking the time to play along. Now, to continue the blog hop, please visit MARIA, HERE to see her awesome Summer Fred She Said creation!!!

When you are finished hopping, why not check out the Fred She Said Store!

Hope you have fun and are inspiried to create on the Blog Hop!!! I'd love to see what you create with your Fred, share your link to your creations in the comments section for this post!  Off to dream of beautiful blue water, palm trees and a beautiful sunset on Grand Caymen!

Shalom,

Sonya

Quilling Tole

Hi, all.  Do you ever have one of those days where you think that you can't win for losing?  Well, I think that I am having one of those years!  Saturday evening I was getting ready for bed and my chest started hurting.  I have been having a few bouts of this but they wouldn't last long and while concerning, they were tolerable and so I wasn't too concerned.  This time it wasn't.  I knew something was very wrong.  My husband took me to the ER and the results were a mild heart attack and a heart cath and stint was prescribed.  They found a 90% blockage and three others that could be managed with diet and meds.  I have never had heart problems and this was such a shock.  After another stay in ICU I am home again and getting adjusted to the new medication and reality check that  life is different now. I thank the Lord that he again healed and has given me more time to be with my family and friends.Come Monday I am to start back with the exercise program! Yea! You never know, so take care of yourselves!!!! Now, back to the fun stuff, I have another of the projects that I did for Custom Quilling I call quilling tole.

I call it this because it reminds me of the tole painting that I used to do.  These way cool graduated strips in the kit give a shaded look to the coils and depending upon if you roll them from the dark end or the light end it gives a different look.  I chose a Norwegian tole design to reproduce and used coils, loops, teardrops and tight rolls to mimic the painting strokes and designs and the graduated strips provided the shading. I will frame this piece in a gold frame with a matt. Check out this month's kit, newsletter and the other great things for quilling and paper art at the Custom Quilling site here.  I'd love to see what you create, link your projects in the comments section! 

I have another project to show you.  My oldest daughter had taken an interest in card making and I helped her a bit to make a card for her mother-in-law for mother's day.  This is actually her third card, but she didn't get a picture of the first two.  The open roses are punched from coffee filter and painted with Twinkling H2O's.  She chose the design, papers and made the flowers. I think she did a great job and she was happy with the results. So off to sit at my craft table for a bit and finish up a project that I started before all the drama! Back later.

Shalom,
Sonya
Comments welcome as always, I love to hear from you!

Cherry Blossom Emma

Hi all, time does get away from you!  I have been busy on some projects and didn't realize that I hadn't posted since the 1st.  So here is the other promised project using the cherry blossoms.  I had wanted to do a card with these beautiful little flowers and when Tracey created Cherry Blossoms Emma it was a perfect match.  I had originally made this card for a Just Rite Stampers challenge, so sad I didn't win.  I think because it didn't have the required stamps on the front of the card, I put them on the inside and they were not the main focus.  But I thought that they were perfect for the paper lanterns on the inside, so that is where I put them. 

The front has two panels that mimic a Japanese screen that were made by embossing the image in gold EP and edged with 24kt gold leaf pen.  I printed out a pre-colored Cherry Blossom Emma  and painted her sash, trim and flowers on the kimono with Twinkling H2O's to give it some shimmer like silk.  Then I added gold gel pen to outline the flowers and some Stickles  for sparkle.  The image looks a bit washed as I took the picture to late in the day and the sun isn't favorable to show the rich colors and sparkle, the colors are so bold and pretty IRL. The close up picture is a bit better and gives you an idea, but still does not show the shimmer and deep colors.

The cherry blossoms were done in the same way as the calendar page and I added a gold die cut vase and black bow to them.  Emma is popped up on Nestie layers to finish the front of the card.  The inside of the card features paper lanterns that are circle and oval Nestie die cuts that I ran through my crimper for texture.  The paper that was used is the Cherry Blossoms paper pack that has 33 different shades of this great design.  I traced the edges of the cherry blossoms on the DP with a gold gel pen to make it look like washi paper and then added Stickles for sparkle.

As you can see the Just Rite Stamp was used in the center of the large lantern.  I used a border from one of the new floral sets Plant a Little Love and then used my NTR fonts to make the center sentiment.  I had fun making this springy Asian inspired card and hope you like it too! Tracey has a cute new Stawberry Emma release and that are really cute, check it out here. Tomorrow I will be back with a quilling project using graduated color strips.  Until then,

Shalom,

Sonya

Thanks for the very encouraging comments, I love to hear from you!  Share what you have made by putting a link to your creations with your comment!

Cherry Blossom June Calendar Page

Hi all!  It is the first if the month at time to show you the projects that I made for the Custom Quilling Newsletter.  First the next installment of the quilled and floral punch calendar, Cherry Blossoms for June.  This flower is one that I fell in love with when I took the floral punch class last year and I have been saving it to do until now.  The blossoms and buds are punched out of coffee filter paper and water colored with Twinkling H2O's, shaped, layered and adhered to a wire branch.  I added some Stickles to the stamens for interest.  I inked the background with a pretty sky blue that makes those pink blossoms pop.  So pop on over to Custom Quilling and check out the newsletter to see the other project that have been made by Sue and I with the May kit.  Denise also has the punches needed to make these beautiful cherry blossoms and the other floral punch flowers shown on my blog. 

Check back to see another of the DT projects that I created with the kit, I call "Quilled Tole".  Plus a card made with cherry these blossoms.

Shalom,
Sonya
Comments are always welcome and very much appreciated! Link your creations in the comments section below.