A Gentlemens' Study Christmas

I love the Anna Griffin Gentlemens' Study paper and thought it would be perfect for a Christmas page!  I used Anna's border stickers and an old Anna Griffin journaling die cut.  I made a 2020 circle and cut it with the Cricut and placed it on top of Anna's journaling die.  I was inspired to add the black by the paisley in Anna's paper and love the pop it gives to the border sticker!  The red and gold doily is Little Yellow Bicycle and has been in my stash for a long time!

 

Christmas Bells Page with Anna Griffin and Cricut

I have had the Anna's Christmas Cards and Embellishments Cartridge for awhile, but am just getting around to using it and I can't get over how beautiful this page looks!  I used all Anna Griffin paper except for the grey and white card stock.  The French Horn is Stampin' Up, the Flute is Creative Embellishements.  The rosette and printed dies are also Anna Griffin.  I used some scrap ribbon to matt the photo as my ribbon stash is out growning it's storage.  

I am going to enter this in the BittenByTheBug Challenge from December 7, 2020.  I managed to include the Thing 1 and Thing 2 Challenge, and maybe Thing 3.  I was confused by Thing 3.  

 

My Own Paper Project Runway with Anna Griffin

I am posting another of my paper dresses made to fit a Barbie size mannequin.  This one is made with Anna Griffin's Fan dies. The photo above and below are of the front view.

 I scored the top layer of the skirt, and trimmed it at the top, to make it fit the dress form.  The top layer is made with 3 fans.  The bottom layer is made with 4 fan layers.  I added some iridescent sequin flowers, pink pearls, and iridescent round sequins.  A rolled paper rose, a bit of ribbon, and a stamped white flower.  For the base skirt I used Anna's Scoring Wheel Tricks Cricut Cartridge.  I removed the scoring lines from the cut circle and used a 12 x 12 piece of paper.  I hand cut the white paper lining to the front and back bodice lining.  I used some liquid glue and my glue gun on this project.  Below is the back view.

Faux Folk Art with Cricut and Copic Markers

 

I have been obsessing over folk art painting on Pinterest this week and have been wanting to try this look with my Cricut.  So, last night I gave it a try and hope you like my results as much as I do.  

Here is the inspiration folk art piece and the link.

I started with Cricut and cut a dark blue folk art image from the Paper Lace 2 Cartridge.  I cut the light blue doily from Anna's Spendid Soirees and hit most of the cuts except the outside row.  The sentiment is also Anna Griffin.  I cut a plain white circle to back up the folk art cut.  The dark blue leaves are cut from card stock.  I used Copic markers, and a white colored pencil to color and then finished off with some Stickles, and The Robin's Nest Dew Drops.  

To color the flowers and get them they way I wanted I used my Cricut Bright pad.  I placed the dark blue on the bottom, placed the white paper on top and taped it using some low tack tape.  Then I colored with the Copics and went a little outside the lines.  I flipped this over when done coloring, so that the blue was on top and the white on the bottom.  

The borders are created with SU border punches.  And the light blue strip at the bottom with the blue pattern was made with an SU stamp set.  I borrowed this stamp years ago at a crop and had this piece in my scrap stash.

Copics used BV00, V09m V04, B21, B32, B34, and B66. 

Have Your Own Color Challenge

I am a serious paper crafter, but sometimes I miss the rhythm and the soothing quality of crochet.  So, this weekend I wanted to crochet on some Anna Griffin.  I started with the Anna Griffin Nifty Nested Layers. This was another very generous AG kit.  So, I was looking for a way to make a new look with the Nifty Nested Layer, and decided to use crochet.  I learned this technique years ago from Lolly Chops, and you actually do a blanket stitch first and then crochet around the blanket stitch.  I used a fringe yarn, because I love the look. 

After the crochet, I took a look through my other Anna Griffin products and found the flocked paper base, the die cut lace, the foil paper in the border of the lace paper, the journaling die, and even a border sticker.  I could not get over that border sticker and how it pulled the whole page together!  It was the only border sticker in that pack I thought I would never use.  I saw it and thought of those 70's kitchens with the yellow counters and appliances.  It is a beautiful if color, you just have to use it sparingly!

So, I would like to encourage you to get out that yellow trim, or photo and scrap it with some beautiful blue and brown and Anna Griffin!  Just keep the yellow to a minimum, make blue your main color, then brown and yellow last.  It's that old addage, Gallon, Quart, Pint proportion rule applied.

Thanksgiving Page

 

Another page, I created long ago, but never added the photo to.  I am getting more pages done with the virus concerns.  I have no file to share, sorry. The leaves are from Storybook Cricut cartridge. Thanksgiving is from Cricut Close to My Heart Artiste.

The Girls

 

I have been doing a lot of paper crafting lately and it is saving my sanity!  I am on a mission to use my stash and some of the new tools I have like this Anna Griffin Die set.  So, tonight I am using the Scrap Our Stash August 2020 sketch and bingo to get a page done. 

Below is the Challenge sketch.  I flipped it on it's side for my page and used the Anna Griffin dies for my circle motifs.

 

Old School with Fabric Repurpose in a Page

I am using this summer to catch up on unfinished pages and projects.  I made this page over a year ago and didn't finish it until tonight.  I added the photo of "Pink," my son and Grandpa.  I had some fun repurposing some fabric on this page, and cut up the front placket of an old blouse and there is even a scrap of the lace from my wedding dress lace too!  My die cut is the elephant border and I had it so long, I don't know who made it!

I used a Heidi Swap stamp "Remember," dew drops from the Robin's Nest, Green rose and "Pink" by Anna Griffin.  I am entering this in Cut it Up Challenge #207 Old School.  Thanks Cut it Up, for helping me finish a page with a challenge!

Designing with Cricut DS

 I often pull up my Cricut Design Space for laying out and designing a scrap book page before I start.  Or I create a page in DS, I have started without the Cricut, just to see how big a title I might need.  Here is a page design and finished page.  Above is my finished page, and below is the DS pre-planned page.  

Want to make your own?  Here is the Cricut DS file.

Circle in a Square with Amazing Paper Grace

 

I am circle obsessed, so when I saw this Amazing Paper Grace die I knew I wanted to try it on a scrapbook page as a circle!  And I am using those Dimensional doily dies in a new way here to make a bow in the corner of my circle.

Supplies
Anna Griffin Toile paper

Amazing Paper Grace Timeless Grace Die

Enchantment Tall Flip and Gatefold Card 

Anna Griffin card kit boarder strips

Anna Griffin gold swirls

Basic Grey letters

K and Company Journaling die cut

Sizzix Embossing Folders (letter r and a)

buttons

paper flowers

glue dots

Blue cardstock

Ivory cardstock

Blue ink

Stained Glass Window Card with Amazing Paper Grace

A few years ago, I had a chance to visit La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.  I will forever remember the emotional and spiritual experience the colors of the windows had on me!  So, today I am sharing a card inspired with those windows using Amazing Paper Graces Heart Melange Dies, Anna Griffin Chameleon Markers and a Cricut File to help separate the colors.  The sentiments are also Anna Griffin!  

When I colored this window, I used the lightest shades at the outside of the window, and the more intense colors inside.  I use the Amazing Paper Grace Softly Spoken Die for the portion under the window.  It was a bit too small for my card, so I sliced it in half and just allowed a bit of space between the two halves.  You will notice the Cricut File has two circles for coloring.  I like to have one for practice when I try a new window with so many colors.

Miniature Wedding Dress with Amazing paper Grace

Perhaps it's my fashion design background, but I have always had a fondness for 3 D paper dresses in miniature.  I have attempted a few, but I think this one is my best and I owe it all to Becca at Amazing Paper Grace for making these dies.  Once I received them I saw that the Heart Melange die looked very much like a bodice piece for a princess line dress!  Since all the dies in this collection make a circle when joined, I knew I could also use them for the skirt. For the skirt I chose the Timeless Grace Die.

Want to make your own Amazing Paper Grace lace dress?  Here is how:

Supplies:
Plastic Dress form (Amazon)
Amazing Paper Grace Heart Melange Die
Amazing Paper Grace Timeless Grace Die

Anna Griffin Scoring Wheel Tricks Cricut  Cartridge (optional)

White Card Stock

Quick Drying glue

Glue gun (I like low temp)

Glue Gun stick

White ribbon 1/4"

Instructions:
Construct the Bodice:

Cut the skirt lace with the APG Timeless Grace die.  I cut two layers of card stock at a time, to make this a quick process.  Check out Becca's video on folding and gluing, you will be combining the motifs in the same manner as Becca did, just using the numbers you want for the fullness of you skirt. 

1. Cut one APG Heart Melange Die for the front bodice in white card stock.  Create the solid bodice lining for the front by placing the APG Heart Melange Die on white paper and tracing the outside of the die.  Trim traced image with hand scissors. Add small pieces to cover the die splices (usually used for combining as directed for a floral motif) as show above.
2. Cut one APG Timeless Grace Die for the Back Bodice in white card stock.Create the solid bodice lining for the back by placing the Timeless Grace cut die on back of the dress form and cutting off the bottom point so that the bodice stops at dress form waist. 
3. 
   
   
   Glue the back Bodice lining on the Dress form using a low temp glue gun.

   
4. Glue the Front bodice onto the dress form, overlapping the back bodice, and glue with liquid glue.  I chose to leave a cut out in the side of my bodice as I know this is a current fashion trend.
   
5.  Cut the skirt using Anna's Scoring Wheel Trick's Drapery Fold #M64DFDF8 Cricut Image at 11 1/2" Scale.  Do NOT use the Scoring wheel lines, I detached them and then cut the image.  Wrap around the dress form and decide how full you want skirt.  Trim the circle as needed.  My skirt looked like this after trimming.  If you use the same dress form and scale I did, you will NOT trim anything away from the center circle as this fits the dress form well.  If you don't have this cartridge, just cut your own circle 11 1/2" or 12", cut a straight line to the center and cut a small circle with a 1 1/4" in the middle.  Wrap around the dress form and decide how full you want your skirt.
   
   
   
6. Cut 7 motifs for the first layer if your skirt is like mine.  You could stop here, and still have a beautiful dress with just a peplum and bodice of lace.
   
7. Glue the first layer, and then Cover the waist with some 1/4" white ribbon gluing the raw edge underneath using the glue gun.  This will hide any gaps at the waist.  Gluing the waistband at this time will prevent the lace from being crushed in the second and third layers.
8. I cut three layers, for the second layer use 13 die motifs and 26 motifs in the third layer.  The use of more motifs, gives the skirt the flared and ruffled effect.  I love this because it looks as if the dress form is twirling and dancing!  Below you can see the dress with just one layer of the dies.  It also looks beautiful this way too!

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!

Try a Challenge for Inspiration!

I am keeping busy crafting while we all self quarantine.  Creating makes me happy, and I often play music or listen to audio books while crafting.  Not only do the music and books keep me happy too, but all this keeps me from watching the news incessantly and worrying too much!  

Challenges often provide inspiration for me when crafting.  I love them because they often stretch my skills to use an item I had not considered something I need to make something beautiful.  I saw the Anna Griffin Trelliage dies and decided that these were an item I was unable to stretch my craft budget to include.  This week the Friends of Anna Griffin Facebook group hosted a challenge to use the AG Trelliage dies, and posted that it was in the AG Pop Up Cricut Cartridge.  I own this one, so I thought I would give it a try.

I welded two of the arches and made a central frame.   Then I sliced another arch and made a border.  I printed and cut the flowers.  I made the title with a computer font and added a journaling die from K&Company.  This files is in the Cricut Community group, but I can't figure out how to share it here.  

Supplies

Anna Griffin Gold Foil Paper Pad Patterned Paper (Blue background)
Anna Griffin Vintage Butterfly Cricut Cartridge
Anna Griffin Pop Up Card Cricut Cartridge
Anna Griffin Green Bow
K&COMPANY Blue Awning Journal Pad Die cut
K&COMPANY Addison Specialty Paper Pack (Light Blue paper in title and behind cream die cut)
Blue Card Stock 
Cream Card Stock
Gold pearl card stock (planters)
Skin toned card stock (planter back layer)
Diskus Std Bold Computer font

Creating Makes Joy!

I am a grade school librarian and like many school employees I am finding myself at home for some extended e-learning and spring break.  We are all stressing about this pandemic and keeping ourselves and loved one's safe.  I know how happy creating makes me so I have been making an effort every day to create something. 

I had pulled some rose window coloring sheets to share with my students along with some color wheel coloring inspirational photos for our St. Patrick's day library maker space.  Since I couldn't use this with the students, I decided to pull out my Anna Griffin Perfect Pallette Chameleon Makers and try it myself.  This is the first time they have been used!  I realized quickly I needed to pre-plan which color markers to use in which order.  So I pulled 12 markers and used them in a rainbow order.  I filled in some of the areas with black to really make the colors pop and to give the look of a stained glass window.  I found the coloring page here.  It is the Rose window in the French Basillique Saine-Denis. I found ideas for the color wheel here.

Supplies

Anna Griffin Perfect Pallette Chameleon Markers

Rose Window Coloring Sheet

Anna Griffin Pocket Embellishment Card stock Diecuts 

Anna Griffin Corner Pocket Embellishments

Anna Griffin Frame Die cut

Anna Griffin Planner Embellishments

Anna Griffin Card Kit

Anna Griffin Rosette

Copic Black Marker

Pop Dots