Vintage Thank You

I've been busy again with more cards for challenge sketches.  I just love to play along with the challenges, they always give me inspiration and a jumping off point, so to speak, for making a card or a layout.  They are also a great way to build up your card box when you don't have an occasion to send a card now.  It seems that I always need a card when I have not time to make one!  On to the sketch!  Here it is:

I like this sketch for its easy adaptablilty.  It is really a "plug and play" kind of card!  The first thing I thought about when I saw it was what kind of paper or design do I want to put in the wide panel at the bottom?  I remembered the Vintage Springtime papers that I had from Stampin' Up! (from the Occations Mini, only available for a few more days!).  I used one of the blue florals and then pulled the rest of my colors from there.  Here are my basic layer dimentions:
Layer 1: 8 x 5 1/2", scored and folded in half at 4 1/4"
Layer 2: 4 1/8 x 5 3/8"
Layer 3: 4 1/8" x 2 1/2"

 

I cut Layer 2 from Very Vanilla and stamped it with the large hydrangea flower from the Because I Care stamp set in Marina Mist.  I "stamped off" three times to get a very faint image.  Next, I backed the third layer with two strips of the vanilla punched with the islet border punch.  The ribbon and bow are Crumb Cake 3/8" taffeta ribbon, and for the wrinkled effect on the bow, I pulled one of the strands from each tail and scrunched it up until I was satisfied with it's "scrunchy"ness.  Here's a close up:

 To finished it off, I added three of the large pearl jewels, a the sentiment stamped from the same set on vanilla, layered on a scallop circle punch and sponged all of the vanilla pieces with the Marina Mist.  I also included a vanilla panel inside with the hydrangea faintly stamped in the upper and lower corners as well.  How would you interpret this sketch?

 See the inside panel?  Adding a little surprise inside gives any card that something special.  Try it on your next project!  Thanks for stopping by!

the sweetest thing Sunday Sketch Challenge 110

Hi folks!  Well, its been quite a while since I posted, my apologies!  I have been consumed over the past few days with printer problems!  I purchased a wide format printer so that I could print 12x12 layouts at home for my digital and hybrid projects.  The first few pages came out great!  Wonderful color, borderless, nice weight paper.  I was very pleased.  However, I attempted to print a few pages last Friday, and everything I printed got "stuck" during the last inch of printing.  Long story short, after an hour on the phone "trouble shooting" with HP, they are sending me a new printer. 
In the mean time I did manage to make one card project for the sweetest thing Sunday Sketch Challenge.  I often visit this blog, but this is the first time I've "played along".  I was so frustrated and heartbroken looking at the ruined scrapbook pages, wasted time, wasted paper and wasted ink, on my scrap table, that I decided to use some of the "trash" for my card.  So I guess you could say this is sort of a hybrid project.  Here is the sketch:

It's a pretty simple sketch, three main layers, plus the base.  That is the way I kept my card, pretty simple.  Everything is Stampin' Up! except the patterned pieces.  That is what I cut out of my ruined page.  It comes from a Sweet Shoppe Designs Vintage set that I was able to snag free with purchase a few weeks ago.  I pulled all the colors out of this paper.  The base layer is Early Espresso cut 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4".  Next is a 5 1/4" x 4 1/8" of  Rose Red that I ran through the Big Shot and embossed with the Tulips embossing folder. The Vintage layer is a 3 3/4" square.  Since that layer was already "distressed" from being pulled out of the printer, I also scruffed up the edges with my sanding blocks.  Next, I cut a small rectangle 2 1/4" by 2" of Very Vanilla and sponged the edge with Marina Mist.  This is one of my favorite blues!!  It is hard to see, but there is a stripe of it running through the vintage paper!

I stamped a bird from the Punch Potpourri hostess stamp set on the vanilla, and then again on a scrap to punch out and layer on top.  I sponged the wing with Marina Mist and then also sponged the leaf and branch with Certainly Celery and Early Espresso.  The bird has a tiny little pearl eye.  The sentiment is stamped from the Because I Care set, also a hostess set in the catalog, punched out with the small oval punch and the layered on a scalloped oval punch out in Marina Mist.  The small rectangle and the ovals are all raised up with dimensionals.  Pretty simple and quick.  The main layer could easily be replaced with Soft Suede or Crumb Cake for a masculine card.  I know this one wont be in my studio long!  Time to send it to someone special.  Thanks for stopping by! 

Digital Tuesday Challenge - Button up!

I think this is the first time I've played along with this particular challenge, but I needed some inspiration and found it while I was browsing one of my favorite blogs, Free Digital Stamps.  You will find a link to this blog on my side bar.  It is a great place to go for digi-freebies!  The theme of this challenge is "button up" and it requires that you use any buttons and anything digital.  Here is my card:

On an A2 card base in SU Crushed Curry, I stamped a bunch of buttons in the background in Rose Red craft ink, and then embossed them with clear embossing powder and my heat tool.   The sunbonnet girl on the bobbin with needle and thread (perfect for the Button theme!) is a digital stamp from my stash that I found on the Free Digital Stamps blog (link on right sidebar).  It is no longer free, but you can find it  here on Bugaboo Stamps for sale.  First I printed out two copies of this stamp.  I cut the scalloped rectangle using the Scalloped Square Clearz Die on the Big Shot, then I cut it again, placing the scalloped edge in the square to make it the dimensions of the rectangle I wanted, centering the girl.  For the second image, I cut out just the bonnet with my paper snips.  I colored her, and the extra bonnet, with my Copics.  I layered the extra bonnet over-top the first, popping it out with dimensionals to give it extra interest.  I used my ribbon punch and threaded the 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Rose Red through the side of the rectangle to mimic the bonnet.  I sponged the edge of the rectangle with some more Rose Red.  Finally, I added a button from the button bouquet collection in pink with a mini glue dot, now she's all buttoned-up!  I like her!  Let me know what you think!

Toon Art Scrapbook page

Happy Wednesday!  I hope everyone's week has been going well so far and you are ready to get over the hump!  Here is a little something I did yesterday to help you out. 

My brother sent me the photos in black and white that he created using his iPhone, of all things!  Yep, there's an ap for that!  It is called Toon Paint and he says you can create them in black and white or colored.  I just love the very clownish way the black and white photos looked.  I knew I had to do something with them, so I designed a page that paired them with their photo originals. 
I designed this page using the My Digital Studio platform and tools, however, some of the components are from a few other sources.   I was able to load the "foreign" components and embellishments into MDS so that I could take advantage of its speed and ease of use, and was also able to manipulate them with the MDS tools, such as the punches.   I hope you enjoy it!

Unicorn redeux, again...Stamping 411 Sketch 195

Since yesterday's post of the redone Unicorn birthday card, I did decide to give it another go, again.  I just wasn't happy with either of yesterday's cards.   For inspiration today I decided to turn to the Sketch Challenge on one of my favorite blogs, Stamping 411.  It is a great no hassle place to view some great cards and also get tips and tutorials, even on the  most basic stamping techniques.  Anyway, here is there sketch for the week.  

 

It's got a LOT going on, and not one of my favorite sketches to date, but I was committed to make a card for it.  Honestly, it's been a while since I posted anything with them, so I was happy for the excuse!  Like I need one :)   Here is my card:

Like I said, it's got a LOT going on!  I used the same dimensions listed in the challenge post.  My base color is Orchid Opulence, a retired SU color, but still one of my favorites!  I combined it with a layer of Rich Razzelberry cut to 5-3/8 x 4-1/8, then the Whisper white layer of 5-1/4 x4.  I roller stamped the white with versamark and then embossed with Iridescent Ice powder (I love that stuff).  It gave it just enough glitz.  The smaller layers were also cut with the same dimensions as the challenge card.  I ran the larger of the two through the Elegant Lines embossing folder on the big shot and stamped the other piece of white with the little bitty stamps from the Pony Party set.  Here is a close up of the sentiment, which I moved to the other side.  It is stamped with Rich Razzelberry that I marker-ed on, then punched out with the Jewelry Punch.  They are tied to the wide grossgrain, also in Razzelberry, with the linen thread and twine.  

Finally, a close up of our magical horse, again stamped with the Tuxedo Black by Memento and colored with the same copic shades as the previous one.  I skipped all the dazzling diamonds this time (I know, can you believe it!)  I just thought that the other one was TOO blingy, if there is such a thing!

I enjoyed playing with this set, but I think it is back on the shelf for a while and off to something different for a while!  Too much of a good thing, well, you know the rest!  Thanks for reading!  Leave me a comment, especially if you are playing along with 411, I'd love to see what your interpretation of that sketch is!  Until next time...

A Birthday Card and a Haircut, too!

Megan had a birthday party to go to today for one of her friends.  Of coarse, I had to make a card for her.  I was really excited to make this card because I planned to use a stamp set that was new, never used, still unmounted, and perfect for a young girl.  After thinking about images on the set and what patterned papers I had available, I was ready to start putting it all together.  Well, as luck would have it, I got started late and fell behind.  I was able to finish the card in time, and had a few minutes left over to decorate the gift bag and tissue paper to match, however, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the finished product, nor did I have time to photograph it before it was time to leave for the party.  So, I decided to give it a second try. 

In the meantime, our almost 17th month old was in desperate need of a haircut.  So I gave him one.  That's an art form, right?  Here he is after the cut.  I think I did pretty well, if I do say so myself, but I am exhausted from the stress of the sudden movements and worrying that I am going to cut an ear off!

I stamped the horse image from the Pony Party stamp set with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then colored it in with Copic markers C1, C3, C7, V6, R32, R11, RV29 (these colors match the SU Rich Razzelberry, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo) and outlined it with W1 for some depth.  Here is a close up of the horse before I cut it out:

The base is Night of Navy with a layer of Bashful Blue.  I tried to create the appearance of the unicorn flying through the clouds with silver lining.  I used Staz-on Opaq Cloud White, with a scallop circle and scallop oval masks, tipped with Encore metallic silver.  Then I covered it all with clear embossing powder to give it some glimmer and dimension.  I think I fell a little short.  The "clouds" just look gray.  I am not totally satisfied with this attempt, either, but I'm done for the day!  I {may} try again tomorrow.  (I'll post a pick if I do!)  Anyway, for the background I used a wheel stamp inked with Versamark and the stamping around guide.  That is one of the things on my list of things I thought I would never need, but can't live without!  It makes using wheel stamps so much easier.  I added bling with Dazzling Diamonds and then again with two crystal brads.  Finally I spritzed the whole thing with some pearlized spray.  The sentiment is stamped in Black Staz-on on Whisper white, with  more versamarked wheel stamped in the background.

My seven year old daughter loves it.  I'd love to hear what you think!

Rags to Riches: an embroidery project!

I recently saw a few photos on one of my favorite sites for machine embroidery patterns.  It was of a denim jean skirt with a ribbon trimmed hem.  Now, one of my biggest pet peeves is that my daughter grows out of the length of her jeans way before she grows out of the waistline.  I thought to myself, "I can do that!"  So here is my attempt:

After I took out the seams, I embroidered a few designs on the front and the back of the skirt.  One thing I learned, my embroidery machine DOES NOT like stretch denim!  But I persevered and finished it.  I also learned that the ribbons need to go side by side to lay right, no overlapping!  Megan loved it, and I do, too!  I just can't help it, it's too stinkin' cute!  Tell me what you think!  Thanks for stopping by.

The second post! A project: digital scrapbook page

As promised, I am back to show you what I've been up to.  I have most recently been spending most of my time working with digital scrapbooking.  I was very hesitant to get involved with this style of scrapbooking for a few reasons.  First, I enjoy the process of manipulating paper and putting it all together, that I thought I would miss out on this aspect of scrapbooking by doing it on the computer.  However,  the biggest reason was that I was simply scared of my computer.  I thought it was going to be WAY too complicated for me to figure out.  However, when Stampin' Up! was having their Black Friday sale last year, their digital scrapbooking software was on sale for half off.  Even though I was hesitant, I just couldn't pass up that offer!  Well, I bought it, and it still sat on the shelf for weeks before I decided it was time to open and install it.  Even then, after I had it on my computer, I didn't use it.  One day, I just took a few deep breaths, and decided to watch a brief tutorial of an overview of the software.  That was all it took, I was hooked!   I am in love with digi-scrapping!  I can get so much done in a very little time, or spend hours on a page.  The best part is that I can work on a page for how ever long I have, then save my work and come back to it with out having to clean up a huge mess, or worry about which kid will get a hold of it and add their own special "touches", if you know what I mean!  I had virtually given up on scrap booking altogether because I don't have a space where I can leave a layout out until the pages is done.  Now I don't have to!  Love it!

Alright, enough yammerin'!  Here are some of the pages I have created:

These two pages were creating using a template that comes with the software and literally took me about 20 minutes start to finish! These cuties are Jae-sun, and some of his friends from our play group.

This one of my favorite pages!  I felt so accomplished when I had finished it.  The photos are pretty old, but great images, none the less.

Some more oldie but goodie photos, long overdue for a great lay out.  This is just a small sampling of what I was able to accomplish with this VERY user friendly software.  Let me know if you want to know how to get your own copy!  Thanks for stopping by!

The First Post (no pressre)

SO, after many words of encouragement from a few friends, I have decided to take the plunge and start a blog!  I can just hear my husband sighing in the background.  Something else for me to do in my "spare time" that I always complain about not having enough of.  Well, it is true that there need to be 27 hours in a day so I can accomplish what I would like, but I think it is time to start keeping track of all the crafty things that I am able to finish.  So, therefore, this is my first post in my first blog.  Don't expect greatness! At least not yet.

I am sorry that I don't have a new project to show you this post, but I promise to {try} to get something up here soon.  I intend to showcase all of my creative outlets on this blog.  There will be paper-crafting projects including cards, scrapbook pages and 3D projects.  I also enjoy needle crafts and sewing as well as the culinary arts.  You will see them all!  I hope you enjoy what you find and feel free comment, especially when something inspires you!