bright and beautiful creations: Cathi O'Neill

Showing posts with label Cathi O'Neill. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Gilded Joy Christmas Card by Cathi O'Neill

Cathi here with another gilded quick and simple card using a product that I have only recently discovered, but that can make your cards look rich and luxurious: Gilding Flakes! These multi colored flakes of gilding metals give an amazing sheen to anything they are used on. You can use glue and stamps to make stamped images colored in the metals or you can do what I did and use an adhesive sheet to make an entire metallic background.

Here I am holding onto a 5" x 5" square adhesive sheet, piling the gorgeous gilding flakes onto the surface.

Use your fingers to smooth in the flakes onto the entire sheet and then you can use a stamp scrubber foam to get rid of any excess and buff it to a gorgeous sheen.

Next I took the gorgeous Wrapped In Joy: Poinsettia Lullaby embossing folder and embossed the gorgeous pattern into my gilding flake sheet.

I added a simple sentiment using the center die from the Fleur-de-Frame Nesting Die. I used the die as a stencil as well and inked through it with Walnut Ink Distress Stain and my Sponge Dauber.

I've added some subtle gesso highlights to help the embossed patterns stand out, stamped a sentiment on my label added a golden bow.

Another quick and simple card with an amazing luxurious look!!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you will share any work you do with these gorgeous dies and folders on our Facebook page!!

Couture Creations products used:

CO723592 Wrapped In Joy: Poinsettia Lullaby

CO723050 Nesting Dies: Fleur-de-Frame

CO723061 - Sponge Daubers

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Silver and Gold by Cathi O'Neill

Today I wanted to share two quick and simple cards featuring the Couture Creations Wrapped in Joy embossing folders and silver and gold gilding waxes. The folders are so perfect on their own, I didn't really didn't need to add very much at all to make my cards elegant and luxurious!!

For the red card I embossed the Wrapped in Joy Cardinal Kisses 5x7 embossing folder. I used gilding wax in gold to highlight the gorgeous design and added a gorgeous gold bow and some crochet lace.

For the navy card I chose the whimsical Reindeer Games A2 Embossing Folder and highlighted the embossed surfaces with silver gilding wax. I finished off the card with some gorgeous silver pleated trim and some white pearls. Simple and elegant.

I hope you like my cards, and hope to see you sharing your work on the Couture Creations Facebook page!!!

Couture Creations products used

CO723589 -Cardinal Kisses 5x7 Embossing Folder

CO723601 - Reindeer Silhouette A2 Embossing Folder

CO721961 - 12mm Foam Mounting Tape

CO721965 - 18mm Double Sided Tape

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Autumn Beauty by Cathi O'Neill

It is Autumn here in Ireland, and since we don't have major changes between our seasons (never gets really hot or really cold here) we don't get those amazing trees full of bright colors! I did spot a few colorful leaves (mostly on the ground!) in a local park and brought my oldest daughter Aine along for a little photo shoot! I featured the gorgeous All Occasions Endless Embossing Folder for my layout, absolutely perfect for an Autumn layout!

For my layout I chose several shades of Autumn colors Core'dinations papers and embossed them.

Using my Couture Creations Sanding Block, I sanded the papers revealing the core, and with extra embossed paper, fussy cut some autumn leaves.

Finally, I also used the Sophia Oscar die to cut some flourishes out of cork! I love the earthy look and texture it has!

To put the layout together I first did some "splatting" with Peeled Paint Distress Stain and Walnut Stain Distress Stain. I added some subtle stamping using my Visible Image Bronte Border script stamp. To build up the layout, I layered the three embossed paper, adhering them to the layout with 18mm Double Sided Tape. To give the photo extra dimension I lifted it up with 12mm Foam Mounting Tape.

I added two Core'dinations tags, then started building up an embellishment cluster using my fussy cut leaves, some twine and the gorgeous cork flourishes!

I added some chevron and heart confetti which I primed with gesso and inked with chalk ink. I added brown stitching around the border. The final touch was the title "Autumn Beauty".

I hope you like my Autumn layout this month, and hope to see you sharing your work on the Couture Creations Facebook page!!!

Don't forget to enter our Facebook giveaway

Couture Creations products used

CO723294 - All Occasions Endless Embossing Folder
CO723475 - Sophia Oscar Die
CO723060 - Sanding Block

CO721961 - 12mm Foam Mounting Tape

CO721965 - 18mm Double Sided Tape

Monday, October 7, 2013

Boo Halloween Wreath by Cathi O'Neill

Cathi here with a cute little banner to add to your Halloween decor, featuring Couture Creations Fantasia Doily Dies.

I started with gorgeous black lustre cardstock for my doilies. The Fantasia Dazzling Doily Die has a great repeating design which if you look at it the right way, kinda reminded me of skulls or devils heads, lol, giving me the idea to make this banner using the doily!

I next cut out the larger Ivy Doily Die in Orange Treasures Cardstock.

I had some large inkable alphabet letters perfect for my banner in my stash, so I got out my handy Couture Creations Sponge Daubers and inked them up with distress Ink.

I layered the orange Ivy Doily diecuts on top of the black Fantasia Dazzling Doily diecuts using Couture Creations 12mm Foam Mounting Tape.

Finally I added the alphabet letters onto the banner, used some gorgeous orange seam binding through the doilies and added it to my seasonal wreath on my front door. I added a cute spider and some cobwebs and we are ready for Halloween now!!!

Couture Creations products used

CO723225 - Fantasia Collection Dazzling Doily Die
CO723222 - Fantasia Doily Die: Ivy Set

CO723061 - Sponge Daubers

CO721961 - 12mm Foam Mounting Tape

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Dance by Cathi O'Neill

All she wants to do is dance!! I have that Don Henley 80s song running through my head now!! My daughter is addicted to ballet, and as she goes up grades, her teacher has encouraged her. She wants to be a professional dancer and it is great to see her so passionate about something. It is a competitive world but if she is serious about this, we will be here to help her along. (Though the idea of long distances travelled for all of this is something I wouldn't mind not having to do lol!!)

This layout showcases some of the new Sophia dies along with a doily die and folder. I just love the amazing flourishes in the Sophia line. I chose to use the Lanvin die and the Stella die, cutting them out in white cardstock and misting them with Shimmerz sprays.

I used the Fresh and Fun Magical Embossing folder for my background paper for the fussy cut image of my daugher, cutting it out in Core'dinations Whitewash cardstock. I used the Couture Creations Sanding Block to bring up the pattern.

I next took the Fantasia Collection Dazzling Doily Die and cut it out of white cardstock again. I cut it in half and inked it with Walnut Stain Distress Ink using the Couture Creations Sponge Daubers.

I then started layering the papers for the layout, putting down the embossing folder first and the lace, tucking the doilies underneath and arranging the flourish die cuts on top... I then took my fussy cut photo of my daughter and lifted it up on 12mm Foam Mounting Tape.