Doodling to Get a Finished Look

I have had Anna Griffin's Nifty Nested Layers in the stash for some time, and this week I was inspired to get them out by a challenge on the Friends Who Love Anna Griffin Facebook group.  At first, I struggled with how to use this blue and cream with my stash of blue and cream.   So, I got on Pinterest and searched the color combo.  I found an oriental rug with the light blue, and cream and pops of dark navy.  So, I had my color inspiration, but I needed to tie everything together.  

I got out a Copic marker and a Cricut fine tip marker and began to doodle with them to finish the page.  I made straight lines around the edge of the doily to get the look of embroidery.  I then used the Copic marker around the edge of a cream flower.  I added some pearl embellishments, Anna Griffin butterflies and a bird, and a title cut with the Cricut.

Some other tips I used to make this page more polished:  I cut the inside of the back ground paper out and carefully centered the motif inside the Nifty Nested layer doily.  I also matted the photo in blue and gold to draw the eye to it.  To keep the title from getting lost, I use metallic blue and cream.

Border Die Does Double Duty for Lace with Anna Griffin

If you are like me, you love when you find more than one way to use a die!  Today, I am sharing a lace doily I made with an Anna Griffin border die and some fussy cutting.  Here's how to get the look:

1. Cut a piece of white or cream card stock 5" x 12 and fold it in half length wise.
2. Carefully tape the border die to the card stock, making sure the straight line of the die falls just outside the lengthwise fold.  This will create a mirrored image when the die is cut.
   
3. Carefully remove the paper and the paper chads, and unfold the border strip.
4. Carefully cut the die where indicated by the photo to create a row of hearts (see the pencil shading below).  I love that not only can I make a new motif, but it has hearts!
   
5. Cut 3 heart strips following steps 1-4 above.
6. Using glue dots, overlap the heart strips matching the leaf motifs.  Then back with contrasting paper and fussy cut.
   

Take Your Rosettes Up a Notch

I am addicted to easel cards and LOVE anything Anna Griffin!  This week I pulled out an Anna kit and made a card.  I wanted a bit of red on this beautiful yellow Anna Griffin Card and added the dramatic metallic oval center. It is Anna Griffin metallic paper embossed with an Anna Griffin folder.  It felt a bit heavy alone, so I pulled out a rosette I made a while ago and added it.  I am a bit of a rosette addict, so I share how I made this fun look!

Using a clear ruler, white card stock and a red marker.  Draw red lines equal distance part along the length of the card stock.  Tape the paper to the die cut and run it through the die machine.  Glue the rosette and allow it to dry or cool.  I hold mine rosette in place while gluing using a Creative Memories circle cutter.  Then cut the rosette in half to place it behind the motif.  Below you can see a blue one I made too!  

Play with your markers to see which ones you like best.  This blue one was made with a Cricut medium tip marker.  The smaller striped  red one (left) below was also made with a Cricut Marker and the larger red stripe was made with a Copic marker (right).  This style of rosette is also fabulous for a Fourth of July project!

Use Your Cricut for a Die!

I love all things Anna Griffin, but cannot buy all I want.  One of the items I didn't purchase when it first came out was the compendium dies.  However, I have seen the fabulous cards that people are making and I do want them! I noticed that one of the dies, looked like some images from Cricut Elegant Edges, so I pulled out my Cricut and the scoring wheels and tried some knock offs.  If you are a perfectionist, you won't like these, as the scoring wheel goes beyond the corners.  
Paper and die cuts are Anna Griffin.  Cricut Cartridge is Elegant edges, with an oval welded to the shape.  Anna's die has a more beautiful shape in my opinion and I noticed they are being released in the next HSN show!

Blue and White Thank You Card with Anna Griffin and Cricut

I am playing with my Anna's Lovely Layered Cards 2, Cricut Markers, and Copic Markers today to make a beautiful card.  I added some Queen and Co. blue pearls, a bit of grosgrain ribbon, an Anna Griffin Sentiment and bow.  

I am so happy with this and though I am low on blue patterned paper, I feel I only need a Cricut, Anna Griffin Cricut Cartridges and a few markers to make something beautiful!

Supplies
Anna's Lovely Layered Cards 2
Anna Griffin bow
Anna Griffin Sentiment
Queen and Co. Pearls
Cricut Fine point Blue marker
Copic Marker B21 Baby Blue
Copic Marker B34 Manganese Blue
Copic Marker B39 Prussian Blue
Cricut Gold Marker Medium
Cricut Fine Point Glitter Gold Marker

I am Not a Stamper

I have been paper crafting for 20 years and over those years, I have amassed a stash that includes just about every type of paper crafting supply and tool out there.  For many years, I also collected stamps and stamping supplies, but in the last several years I have finally realized I am not a stamper.  So, this week when I saw the Simon Says Stamp blog video on Heat Embossing with Copic Coloring I was tempted again to pull out stamps and give it a try.  
But wait, I am not a stamper and my stamp collection had nothing like the beautiful floral image in Yana's video.  So that got me thinking...what if I could make that image with Anna Griffin images and my Cricut?  So, this is my take on this technique, using my Cricut, Cricut pens, Anna Griffin supplies and Cricut cartridges. 

Here is how to get the same results below. 

Directions
Use the Cricut file shared on the Cricut Community board, or create your own using the Cricut  Phrases Cartridge inverted rectangle and the floral spray from Anna's Lace Cards and Embellishments Cartridge.  Chose the drawn image.  Attach any drawn images to the cut shape and draw and cut the image using the Cricut.  For this first step, use the Cricut Lavender marker.  You are just getting an outline for coloring.  DO NOT UNLOAD YOU MAT!  Carefully, remove the drawn and cut image from the mat without removing the negative shape from the mat (see photo above).  

Using the Anna Griffin Violet Chamelon Marker and the Copic Violet Marker, color in the drawn image.  Now carefully add it back to the mat being sure that your drawn image matches the image on the screen (see photo above).  SWAP THE LAVENDAR MARKER FOP THE CRICUT GEL TIP GLITTER PEN and hit the Cricut button on your machine, so that the image is redrawn on top of the coloring.  WATCH THE MACHINE AND HIT PAUSE AS SOON AS THE IMAGE FINISHES REDRAWING AND BEFORE IT TRIES TO RECUT THE MOTIF!  Now eject the mat and cancel the cut.  Below you can see the gold on top of the colored image.  Photos just don't do this technique justice!  And I cannot believe how well the patterned paper in my stash matched with the Cricut image!

Cut your title.  I ungrouped this font and then welded it and at some point it lost it's name, but I realized later that Anna has a Cricut font I wish I had used instead, called Anna's Fancy Lettering!  Cut the corners using a die.  I used Heartfelt Creations Fleur Border Die set, because I don't have any Anna corner dies, but her's will work well!  Glue the title at an angle to fill the white space in the inverted rectangle.  I used Anna Griffin Glitter stickers for this project, but you can cut your own with Anna's Cricut cartridges instead.  

Supplies
Anna Griffin Patterned paper (12 x 12 paper)
Anna Griffin Perfect Pallette Chameleon Violet Marker
Anna Griffin Lace Cards and Embellishments Cricut Cartridge
Anna Griffin Glitter Stickers 
Copic Violet V09
Heartfelt Creations Fleur Borders and Pocket Dies (corners)
Cricut Ultra Fine Point Lavender Pen 
Cricut Gel Tip 0.8 Glitter Pen
Cricut Phrase Cartridge Inverted Rectangle (Purple and White center motif)
Cream or White Card Stock
Dark Purple Card Stock
Light Purple Card Stock
Font unknown

How to use Busy Patterned Paper for a Stunning Look

I have had Anna Griffin's Cream and Black patterned paper for awhile, but have struggled to figure out how to use it in a page.  When I saw Anna Griffin's blog post for using Gate Fold dies, I started to think about using it in a card. Then I recalled that sometimes the best rosettes are made with patterned paper and decided to use them on the arch pattern.  I lined my rosette die up with the pattern and using Anna's Magnetic plate was able to cut this so accurately!  I love the pattern created by making this rosette from patterned paper and the lacy look it adds!

I cut the gatefold in black metallic paper, and cut the inside pieces with some Anna Griffin black and cream patterned paper.  With all the sentiments from Anna Griffin Card kits I have, turns out I am out of sympathy sentiments.  So, I use Anna Griffin Lovely Layered Cards 2 Cricut and Anna's Elegant Embellishments Cartridges to print and cut my sentiments.  

The border detail is from one of Anna's Card Kits.  I am so addicted to these little strips!  They are the perfect die to add a finishing touch to a card or page!  In fact, I think that I would order them if they were sold alone!  I also cut some of the patterned stripe paper to make a belly band for the card, added some organza ribbon over it and put the rosette on the top with the sentiment in the center.  I off to make my first dimensional envelope to mail this, wish me luck!