Friday 8 November 2013

A modern Tipsy Tree

Both Jules and Sally used this fabulous stamp last Christmas, and being a greedy little piggy-wiggy I just had to have it too. Shame on me though, it just had its very first outing in the 11 months since I bought it :( It just cries out to be paper pieced and you can bling it up, do a modern twist as I did, make it 'country' - endless possibilities:

I made two cards while I was at it, just switching the tree layers round a bit.

I used:

- 5" x 5" square white card blank

- Woodware 'Tipsy Tree' stamp, the trunk was coloured with a Pro Marker and the rest paper pieced using papers from Wild Rose Studio's 'Wintry Christmas' Paper pack

- plain turquoise card, topped with backing and a 'belly band' from the same patterned paper pack

- sentiment was going to be a separate embellishment but in the end I got very brave and stamped it directly onto the finished image - without the aid of a safety net or even a stamp positioner - using a stamp from the 'Tipsy Tree' set plus Memento 'Elderberry' ink pad

- white Josy Rose nail heads

A couple of tips about paper piecing. One I bet you all know is to pop the glue onto the stamped image and not the little scraps you're trying to stick onto it - I use a Quickie Glue pen and learnt this trick from Jules ages ago.

The second tip is really how to cheat a bit. If you look closely at the top card you will see some white showing at the bottom edge of the lowest (purple) layer of the tree. It isn't there now - as soon as I saw the enlarged image I polished me specs and realised there were a few teeny white bots?!?!?!?! showing - so funny, I just left that typo, I meant to say white BITS!! Anyhow, they're easy disguised using a very fine liner to carefully fill in any small gaps - I used my Black Whispers pen which has a very fine nib at one end, or a micron pen such as you use for Zentangling would work well. That's one reason why I generally use a black ink pad when paper piecing.

Oh, and don't even think about using a Pro Marker or similar as it'll just bleed and you won't have a nice crisp line - sigh, another one I found out about the hard way ages ago.

I'd like to enter this into the current Artistic Inspirations Challenge, which is 'Anything Goes/Spots and Stripes'.

Yay, it's Friday and I bet many of you are on the starting blocks to let the weekend begin - have a good one!

Di
x

29 comments:

  1. Sweet image!! It's so fun and whimsical done in the polka-dots Di! :) But like you said, you could use all sorts of different papers to give it a completely different look.

    I do a LOT of paper piecing. Tip I will pass along, run a marker along the cut edges of your pieces before gluing down (use the color of marker that matches your stamped image - usually black). It gives a better finish as you won't see any of the white edges from the cut paper.

    Have a great weekend! Loll xx

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  2. A very cute image Di, no wonder you needed it!

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  3. This is a gorgeous card Di, thanks for the tips, and Loll's tip sounds good too :) Cathy x

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  4. Wow...this is so cute...The tree looks it has been sampling the brandy...hope there is some left for the christmas puddings!

    Great card Di...great patterns and colours too!

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  5. What a cute image this one is Di. Love it. Don't forget to drop my mine for your weekly smile [ and join in if you can]. There is a little quiz on there today too that you might like a go at ;-)
    Hugs,
    A x

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  6. Brilliant fun Christmas card and love those colours.
    luv
    Debby

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  7. Lovely stamp and cards. As you say it has a lot of potential
    Kyla

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  8. Fabulous card Di and thanks for the tips on filling in blanks.
    Hope you have a fabulous weekend.
    Hugs
    Caz x

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  9. Super cards. Love the non traditional colours too.

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  10. Two fab and funky festive cards Di. Love the paper you used and thanks for the paper piecing tips.

    Hugs
    Sarn xxx

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  11. Amazing card
    love it
    have a lovely weekend
    hugs Tamara

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  12. Love the 'tipsy tree' it and 'teeny white bots' cheered me up. Anne x

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  13. That Jules one is such a nuisance making all these fab card with stamps we have to own.. ban her (and Sally) from the playground!!!! LOL. Great card Di! x

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  14. "WOW" This is beautiful, beautiful Stamp embellishments and B/p's lovely colour combo too Di xx

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  15. That is such a perfect stamp for paper piecing, which, would you believe, I've never, ever had a go at!!

    Hugs
    Brenda

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  16. Loving your funky with PURPLE in Christmas trees. They both look fabulous and extra fabby as you have added purple in there!
    Hugs
    x

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  17. I can see why you would want that little tree, it's a beauty. I giggled when I saw her. Thanks for the tip on removing the missed white bits...Seems the older I get, the more of those that show up on my cards. Have a great day!

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  18. Love this image Di looks a bit like me when I've had too much wine!! hope you have a great weekend huggles Sue xxx

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  20. Another beautiful Xmas card. Love the stamp and the paper piecing you have done is fab. A great stamp that will fit modern and traditional Christmas themes. Thank you for the tip too - that will come in handy, have a lovely weekend x

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  21. What a fabulous little tree Di and thanks for all your paper piecing tips too! (Am I the only one who still glues her scraps not the stamped image?! Hangs head in shame!) Vicky x

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  22. Love this tree Di-and it looks fabby in this colourway too :) Beautifully paper pieced,have a lovely weekend,Hugs
    Nessa xxxxx

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  23. Hi Di
    Thought I'd pop by Abd say Hi. See his everyone is.
    Love this card. It's amazing how paper piecing is and the effect it has on an image. I've only started to use it on my future DT cards and didn't know how to do it until a few days ago lol.
    Loving the colors.
    Have a lovely day
    Hugs xx

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  24. I'm drooping a wee bit just like this cute tree is :) I love the layering and polka dots! super cute card!!

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  25. Do you know I bought this set a couple of years ago and never thought to paper piece it, or use it really.
    Love it Di and the colours are great
    and spotty papers are my favorite.
    Fab card.

    Kath x

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  26. Very Nice Miss. Now oft you go and enter these ere challenges:
    http://artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
    Wot is asking for spots and stripes
    And
    http://littlemissmuffetchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
    Seeing dots.

    Hugs Mrs A.

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  27. That soup up there looks delicious! And so does this card for that matter. What fab colours.

    Now, I know you must be in a high state of excitement what with only one more sleep to go. So, stay off the drinkiepoo's tonight, you don't want to miss the bus.

    And, from experience, may I suggest, that in additon to the toolkit, you also supply yourself with a lovely tight white jacket... you know the comfy kind with the arm fastening around the back, and a stun gun. Just sayin'! ;) Have a great time xx

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  28. A delightful tipsy tree and loved your paper piecing too! Well done. Thanks for the pen tip, (and why do we see the bots after we're all set to post the photo? You made me feel better on this one!! LOL) Any tips on keeping the Quickie Glue pen from drying out? I seem to use this once, store it tip down, and when I return - it's dried out. I've stopped buying them. TFS such cute cards and Hugs

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  29. I see you make funny typos, too, Di! It's great that we karack ourselves up, isn't it?!! Your paper-pieced whimsy tree is outstanding! I had heard the outlining tip from Loll, but not the one about gluing on the card, not the bot, so thank you for that!! Hugs, Darnell

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