Shabby Chic Tag - Stamping on Utility Fabrics

Shabby Chic Tag with Fabric Stamping

Not being a seamstress, I was until recently, largely ignorant of the fabulous section at JoAnn's known as "utility fabrics." Don't let this rather mundane and undeserving name fool you, because "utility" fabric houses the wonders of ticking, burlap, aida cloth, and buckram.

A feast of neutrals and ready to stamp and die cut fabrics is what you'll find. I chose some buckram and die cut a butterfly from it. I like the stiffness of this fabric and the fun things you can do like dye it, mist it and wet and scrunch it into fun flowers. The second fabric is somewhere between a burlap and a muslin. I'm sure someone out there would know the proper term, but I've come to call it "burlin". The kraft color is very vestile like a burlap, but smooth and flexible like a muslin.

Stazon ink  was used to stamp the Butterfly Die Cut with a script background and the "So Happy" sentiment.  I also liked the look of inking the edges of the craft lace.

The ribbon is seam binding I dyed in the left over dye from the ecru doily you see under the butterfly. I love that its just a light pink with a few burned spots. I think I'll be using up lots of extra dye like this in the future. It is always good to have a nice stock of vintage ribbon to draw from.

Curtsey Boutique White Shipping Tags	Curtsey Boutique Raspberry Tea Dyed Doilies	Crafters Lace
Melissa Frances Retired Papers	Stampin' UP! Butterfly Die	Buckram
StazOn Ink

InLinkz.com

Have a great day,

CarrieAnne

Boy Scout Digital Freebie

I think we've slain the computer problem beast, but its found an ally in horrible weather. No chance to photo my current projects and share them with you.  But I can share with you some more digital images!

Vintage Boy Scout Manual Cover

I recently found this very well loved copy of a Boy Scout Manual from 1921. I bought it for my older brother as a "thinking of you" gift. He is an Eagle Scout, amazing single father and one of the best people I know. He was and is an ideal big brother and thought he would enjoy having this in his collection.

Did you know the old boy scout manuals were chock full of ads and illustrations? I had no idea. Here is a fun one for "official scout uniforms". I'm going to scan a bunch of the images before mailing the manual off to him and share them here on the blog. Does that make this just as much my gift gift as well as his?

I've provided the original rich toned sepia and a version in black and white and army green. What a fun digital stamp the vignette of the boy cooking would be.  As always feel free to use for S4H, CU, PU so long as you link back to the blog.

Vintage Boy Scout Uniform Ad - Original Sepia

Vintage Boy Scout Uniform Ad - Black and White

Vintage Boy Scout Uniform Ad Army Green

Here is the Journaling Card I came up with using this image and one more of a scout chopping wood.

Serendipitous Scrapper Father & Son Camp Out Journaling Card Freebie

I have so much vintage ephemera, catalogs and fashion magazines and have gotten more and more involved in digital design this year. Are there images that you would like to see more of? Sewing and fashion items seem to draw the most views, but I am open to requests as well :)

Do a good turn daily,

CarrieAnne

Sweet Baby Journaling Card and Digital Freebie

I've been experiencing some frustrating computer challenges over the last week. The kind that make you want to tear your hair out and scream "Why Me?" in cave-mannish angst.

I do have one more fabric stamping project to share with you - hopefully tomorrow if my offering to the computer gods has sated their fury.

Until than I thought I would share this journaling card. The image of the baby on the scale is from a 1904 McCalls Magazine. I've supplied it just in case you wanted to use it by itself.

Journaling Card Freebie - Sweet Baby

Vintage McCalls Baby on Scale Ad Image

As always you may use these images for S4H, CU, or PU so long as you link back to the blog.

Have a great day,

CarrieAnne

Stamping Fabric Covered Brads and Vintage Baby Digital Freebie

Stamping Fabric Covered Buttons

Day 2 here of stamping on fabric. Today I experimented with my I-Top and creating fabric covered brads embellished with my stamps.

There are a myriad of "how to use your I-top" tutorials so I thought adding one more would be silly. Here is a link to Imaginisce's video education series

What I learned about making stamped brads.

1. On an embellishing difficulty scale of 1 to 10, I'd rank these a 2.

2. Stamp your image first on scrap fabric to see how it looks before committing to quality fabric.

3. Be sure that if you are using a focal image and not an all around pattern that the image is centered.

4. Stamp with dark inks.

5. Use patterns that are scaled down and not to busy.

6. If you are using a thin muslin or burlap "double layer" a small piece under the focal image so no metal shows through.

I'm happy with my bowl full of embellishments that will be easily used up on cards, tags and layouts.

I-Top	Brad Daddies - Medium	Brad Daddies - Small
Kitchen Classics - Crafty Secrets	Halloween Fun - Crafty Secrets	Stampin' UP! Ink

InLinkz.com

In appreciation for your "hanging out with me" this week, I cleaned up the following image of a baby in a primitive "Johnny Jump Up" in an old toy catalog.  As always the image can be used for SH, CU, or PU if you link back to the blog.

Vintage Baby Image via the Serendipitous Scrapper

Here's what I did with it.

Stay Calm and Hang On Vintage Digital Freebie

Have a lovely day,

CarrieAnne

Stamped Ribbon Tutorial

Stamped Ribbon Tutorial

My poor stamps are quite neglected so I've decided to dust them off and try something new with them. All this week I'll be showing projects and tutorials featuring fabric and stamping. First up - creating your own stamped ribbon. I've seen a ton of beautiful examples on Pinterest and Etsy so I thought I do a few experiments to see what I could come up with.  I had no desire to spend $$$ figuring out how to do this so I just used what I already had.

SUPPLIES

Fabric scraps

Ink

Stamps

Scissors

Step 1: Find fabrics in your stash that have a neutral background. 

Step 2: Cut a slit of your desired ribbon width. I cut about an inch or 2. 

Step 3: RIP!!!! (this is my favorite part)

NOTE: I discovered recently that fabric has a grain. (Stop laughing! I've never claimed to have any decent knowledge regarding sewing) Tear with the grain for a  basically straight line.

Step 4: Select Stamps and Ink and stamp away.

Step 5: Trim off crazy long strings.

Step 6: Package cutely!

Here's a few I came up with:

One color of ink, one stamp.

One color of ink, multiple stamps.

Multiple colors of ink, multiple stamps.

Stamping on shiny fabric and embellishing

 I burned the edges on this last one because the fraying was too crazy

I've already used some of mine on packaging for the shop and on cards. If neatness and straight lines are important to you, I suggest ironing before stamping. I decided to be a free spirit and not let it bother me today :)

Medium Polka Dot Embossed 5 x 7.5 Kraft Bags Curtsey Boutique

InLinkz.com

Have a great day,

CarrieAnne

Vintage Typewriter Digital Freebie

Curtsey Boutique Typewriter Journaling Card Digital Freebie

I've been playing around in my vintage catalogs again. I came across this Martel typewriter image and turned it into a fun 3x4 embellishment. I think I'll use it on a card or in my Project Life layouts. If you just want the typewriter,  its below.

It is amazing a typewriter once cost only $8.98, even if my inner historian knows that was a lot of money at the turn of the century.

As always, you may use these images for CU, PU, or Scrap for Hire, so long as you link back to the blog.

Vintage Typewriter Digital Freebie via the Curtsey Boutique

Have a lovely weekend,

CarrieAnne

Peek-A-Boo Embellished Covered Notebooks and Back to School Digital Freebie

Curtsey Boutique Little Red Wagon
Covered Notebook

 A few months ago I was stalking Heidi Swapp's blog. I like that her projects are always quick and doable with what you most likely have in your stash. She showcased quick and easy notebooks on this blog post here: http://www.heidiswapp.com/quick-fun-notebook/

A  great video tutorial on how to make the super cute peek - a- boo inside here: http://www.mycraftchannel.com/Shows/Create-to-Remember/Note-Books/

I've been scheming of a way to do one ever since. Que back to school crazyness and the need for a teacher gift. Here's what I came up with. The secret to the inside embellishment is using a punch (any punch will do) to punch a few sheets of paper. Than lay those sheets down as a template, trace and line the punch up - rinse and repeat until all the punching is do. So cute!

All of the embellishments, but the pleated red ribbon are in the "Little Red Wagon" Kit. 

I've also included a digital freebie below that you are welcome to use for SH, PU, or CU if you link back to the blog.

Embellish Creatively,

CarrieAnne

Curtsey Boutique School Memories
Vintage Digital Freebie

Core Cards Creative Frenzy

 If you follow my blog, you know I'm a cardstock addict - predating my days working with Couture Cardstock, but the addiction reached full blown dependency following it. Here are a few of my favorite cards that I've submitted for the Core'dinations Card Design Team Call.

"Batty Boo" Shaped Card

Dance Like No One is Watching Card
Published in March, 2012 Cricut Magazine

Love Cafe Shaped Card
Published in August, 2011 Cricut Magazine

I'm also reposting this picture of my 3-D strawberries with the video link to the tutorial as I've had a few requests to bump it up the list so people don't have to search so much for it.

3-D Chocolate Covered Strawberry Boxes Tutorial

Video Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLPLwrWNf7k

Embellish Creatively

CarrieAnne

Curtsey Boutique's Little Red Wagon Kit

Curtsey Boutique Little Red Wagon Kit

 Kids aren't the only ones who need a stash of new school supplies. Our first kit "Little Red Wagon" is now available in the shop here: Little Red Wagon Kit

Remember this kit full of Curtsey Boutique exclusives and great supply basics is only available in limited quantities.

Included:

BAGS
3 Plain Medium Kraft Bags
2 Polka Dot Embossed Kraft Bags
3 Paper Bag Pockets with Red Stitching
3 Medium Glassine Bags
2 Notebook Paper Embossed Glassine Bags

TAGS
1 Tiny Tag with yellow star embellishment
1 Stamped Large Pennant Luggage Tag
1 Plain Large Pennant Luggage Tag
1 Stamped Medium Luggage Tag
2 Plain Medium Luggage Tags
1 Stamped White Luggage Tag
3 Plain White Luggage Tags
1 Embellished and Sewn Blue Luggage Tag
2 Plain Blue Luggage Tags
1 Journaling Card - 7 Gypsies

DOILIES
3 Large Doilies
3 hand dyed blue doilies (4 inches)

CURTSEY BOUTIQUE EXCLUSIVE EMBELLISHMENTS
2 Thank You Bracket Stickers
6 School Themed Flash Cards
1 School Themed Bingo Card
3 Felt Flowers (blue, ecru, yellow)
3 Felt Leaves
1 Pattern Paper Bracket Die Cut
1 Retro Recess Fabric Die Cut
2 Beaded Stick Pins
Ecru Cardstock Bow
Blue Cardstock Bow

1 Chipboard and Cardstock Little Red Wagon Die Cut
1 each Capital Letters (A,B,C)
1 each Lower case Letters (a,b,c)
1 Felt and Fabric Star with hand sewn button
1 Large Yellow Paper Rosette
3 Hand stamped Raffle Tickets
3 Yellow Ledger Paper Jewelry Tags
2 Cherry Pattern Paper Label Die Cuts
3 Chevron Pennant Flags
3 Cork Apple Die Cuts
2 Felt and Pattern Paper Apple Embellishments (apple of my eye & sweet)
2 Alphabet Letter Pattern Paper Strips (6 inches)
5 Pattern Paper Pennants

MINI ALBUMS (Chipboard Covers covered in Cardstock with Cardstock Pages)
1 Light Blue
1 Dark Blue

LABELS
10 Grid Labels
10 Notebook Paper Labels

TRIM & Pins
Red Bakers Twine (2 yards)
Blue Bakers Twine (2 yards)
Brown Seam Binding (2 yards)
1 Vintage Clothes Pin
2 Mini black Clothes Pins

LIBRARY Cards
3 Half Sized White
3 Full Sized Green

Check back later in the week for project ideas and samples.

Embellish Creatively,

CarrieAnne