Matryoshka Doll Cards

One of my favorite parts of teaching my first grade daughter geography this year was how we were able to "travel" to so many amazing and interesting countries.  Russia was no exception!  When I saw this matryoshka doll stamp set (Happy Place by CTMH), I thought of my daughter and our "trip" to Russia...but also how mothers are like daughters...and how daughters are like grandmothers, and how we all interact as women in both our biological and our spiritual families...sort of like these nesting dolls!

Here's what the entire stamp set looks like--it has cute family-oriented sentiments, too.

I am over the moon excited about a new purchase I made--a Cuttlebug!  It is an embossing/die-cutting machine that I saved up for and bought with my Michael's coupon yesterday.  Yes!  Yesterday!  It did not take long to crack open that box and give my new dotted embossing folder (another purchase yesterday) a try!  After I ran the cardstock through the machine, I simply sanded down the raised pattern with a fine-gauge sandpaper block (SU) and the white core shows through!  This is true with all CTMH cardstock--it all has a white core (unlike SU's or Michael's cardstock...I like both for different reasons).  Even the kids got involved this morning--my son and daughters all had to give it a try before we started school today!  Very fun!

I must say that the color scheme for these cards and even some of the card patterns were directly inspired/CASE'd from these beauties made by Karen Pedersen.  I had fun paper-piecing many of the matryoshka dolls using patterned paper from the Jubilee paper pack (CTMH) and ruby or Indian corn blue cardstock.  For those I did not paper-piece, I simply colored in using CTMH's coordinating watercolor pencils.  I honestly love how BOTH techniques turned out!

Supplies used: Happy Place stamp set (March SOTM by CTMH), Jubilee paper pack ((CTMH) which includes the Indian Corn Blue cardstock), black ink, scalloped scissors (Michaels), Ruby cardstock (CTMH), ruby chevron ribbon (CTMH), 4" paper doily (Michaels), red baker's twine (SU), random assorted buttons, watercolor pencils (CTMH), dotted embossing folder (Cuttlebug), watercolor pencils (CTMH), fine-tipped scissors, 3D foam tape, red adhesive dots (for cheeks in first card pictured, Michaels)

I will have to post more about how to make these fabulous bows--they are actually not tied like a traditional bow and they always come out looking perfect!  Learned it from Karen Pedersen's blog--I will try to post a link!  In the video (at 3:20), you will see her tie the bow with waxy flax, but I used baker's twine for the same effect and just strung it through a button to tie it off.  Love!

Karen has also posted a wonderful embossing technique tutorial here.  I plan to use the inking technique with my embossing folders soon, and plan to purchase a few more folders from CTMH this month...hello, can we say CHEVRON?!!

If you want to join in the embossing craze, here is a link to a killer deal for a Cuttlebug (I paid just a few bucks more at Michael's with a coupon).

I also put together a "like mother, like daughter" one-page layout using these beautiful matryoshka dolls!  I will post that later when I find the perfect 5x7 picture of me with my girls!