Neutrals with a Pop!

I was inspired tonight to make a couple of projects for a co-worker. Actually, for the woman who's job I am taking over, because she got a promotion. Good for her! (Good for me :) !)

After a kind of tiring day, it was so fun to spend some time relaxing and creating. Aaah. I'll post some specifics about these two projects, but I won't go into too much detail, since there are a lot of components. Let me know if you need more information.

For the card, I decided to go with a lot of layers, dimension, embellishments and just plain size. This card is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square. I have a total of 12 layers of card stock/dsp (including the inside). I used 10 silver brads, 1 mini library clip and 2 pieces of ribbon. On the card front, there are 3 layers that are popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals, too. Good thing I don't have to slide this little guy into an envelope!

The colors I used here were inspired from a Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge (CC243). The challenge was to use neutral tones for card stock, and add a monochromatic color scheme with inks and embellishments. Here I've used Going Gray, Basic Black and Whisper White as my neutrals. I added color with Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red and Regal Rose Classic Inks, and Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon.

This stamp set is retired: Live Like You Mean It. The DSP I used here is also retired. It was one of the Hostess items in last year's catalog.



This photo frame is a project I've made before. I just love the simplicity of it.

Here's what you need: 3 6" x 6" squares of ds DSP (double-sided Designer Series Paper), scoring blade, Slot Punch, narrow ribbon (I used 1/4" grosgrain), 1/16" Punch, 12 Brads.
The steps are simple.
1. Score the squares on both diagonals, then fold the points to the center. Fold each point back out again so it meets the folded edge.
2. Using the Slot Punch, snip out a bit from 2 (opposite) sides of all 3 panels.
3. Thread the ribbon through the holes, so that it runs on the inside of the folded panels. (You should be able to see it, like in the photo.)
4. Hold the ribbon and DSP carefully as you punch small holes and insert the brads. The brads will hold the frames to the ribbon, so that you can hang your frame up easily.

The great thing about this project (besides that it is super easy and quick) is that you don't have to tape or otherwise stick your photos down. You can simply slip the photos under the folded edges of the DSP, and they will hold in place just fine. Switch them out whenever you like. This frame is a great size for school pictures.