Sunday--Challenge Card

Hello All! I worked on a card that works for 3 different challenges.

1. Sketch Saturday: Sketch #112


2. Stamptacular Sunday Challenge: Ice Cream Challenge


3. Split Coast Stampers Color Challenge CC46: Pink Passion and Only Orange

Let me know what you think!

Challenge Cards

Hello All! Today's all about the card challenges I participated in for this week. I'm working on a few more, but here are some that I finished up this morning.

This card uses the sketch from the blog Stamptacular Sunday Challenge. It is a little hard to see in the first picture because the base of the card is Whisper White. Anyway, the card measures 5 1/2 x 5 1/2" and the pattern paper used is from DCWV. I used the Stampin Up! set called Elements of Style.

This next card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge # 109. I followed the sketch for the most part, but I did move where the text/sentiment was placed as I liked it under my image.

Let me know what you think!

Formula Friday # 2--Simple Masculine Card

Hello Everyone! HAPPY FRIDAY! Today's fast formula is for a simple masculine card. When we were getting ready to move I knew that I had to make Birthday cards for a card swap for my stamping group. I needed to make two months worth of cards before I could pack up my scrapping/stamping supplies and let's just say I ran out of creative juices after the more elaborate month's cards. So, I decided to go with an easier card. I started and finished 12 of these cards in less than an hour. A personal best for me and I actually like the final product.

The colors aren't showing up very well, but I used Stampin Up! Dusty Durango, Night of Navy, Soft Suede, and Kraft cardstock and then pattern paper from K & Company and buttons from my stash. Here is the final product from this month's swap.

This is an A2 card. The base is folded at the top. I used Timber Brown StazOn stamp pad. The layer measurements are below.

• Kraft: 3 x 3 3/4"
• Soft Suede: 3 1/4 x 4"
• Night of Navy: 3 1/2 x 4 1/4"
• pattern paper: 4 x 2"

This recipe can work for any theme or stamp set and comes together really quickly. The longest part for me was picking the right colors. I'm not one that usually combines oranges and blues, and I usually stamp my images on white or vanilla, so this was a combination inspired completely by the pattern paper.

What will you create?

Thrifty Thursday--Get the Most From Your Paper

As always, I'm looking for ways to stretch my stamping and scrapping supplies and dollars. Today's tip is sometimes an easy thing to overlook. I don't know about you, but for me, the more layers of paper on my cards the more I like the finished product. The problem can be that there is often a lot of paper underneath other layers of paper that is really wasted. For example, in the card I showed you for the Two Tuesday Challenge # 7, the largest layer or cardstock was 4 1/2" square, and only 1/4" shows around the edges. That equals a lot of paper wasted for the two layers that are hidden. The other problem can be the final weight of the card can cost you additional postage to mail. My suggestion, cut out the center of the bottom layers and use them as scraps for punches or stamping. Some of you have cutting machines and accessories that will allow you to cut perfectly from the center. I don't, so I use an Exacto knife.

Here is my paper saving from Tuesday's card.

Repeated for the next layer as well.

To look from the top, you'd never know the layers aren't full.

Share your thrifty tips with me!

PaperTake Weekly Blog Challenge Card

Second post for today.

I stopped over at PaperTake Weekly's blog and found that this week's challenge is a Garden Theme. I decided that was a perfect excuse to play with my Penny Black stamps. I also practiced my coloring and blending skills with my stamp pads and blender pens. This is the result. Nothing fancy.

I used Baja Breeze and Old Olive cardstock and watercolor paper for the stamped image. I used Making Memories eyelets and Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.

Let the Pictures Tell the Story

It's been a while since I posted pictures of any of my personal scrapbook pages. I typically show you what is going up for sale, but today's post are pages for my own album.

These are photos from a day spent at the Conservatory with my niece, great niece and great nephew (I know! At 35 who would think I'm a great aunt already! Well I am phenomenal :0) but...). We had a wonderful day and I had my husband's macro lens and 35 mm Cannon.

So, here are the layouts.

I used the positive and negative of a chipboard letter "h" and painted them to match the flowers in the photos. I used eyelet metal letter, and triple matted my favorite photos in the bunch.

I didn't journal and I didn't use additional embellishments because I wanted the photos to do the talking for me. The pages are actually some of my favorite, but I wish these photos of them had turned out better so you could see the detail in the flowers.

Two Challange Tuesday # 7

Hello Everyone! Are you ready for our Two Challenge Tuesday? I'm adding a little sweetness to the pot! This is my first challenge with a prize to the winner. Challenge is open until 7/20 when the new challenge is announced.

Your two challenges for this card are:

1. Use the sketch below
2. Use the color scheme below

Here is my sample card. I used all Stampin Up papers, inks, and stamps. The flowers are all from Fifth Avenue Floral, and the sentiment is from Small Script. The colors I used are: Baja Breeze, Blue Bayou, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla.

I stamped the rose in Baja Breeze ink on the background as well as on a piece of watercolor paper. Then I used Blender Pens and the stamp pad to color in the flower.

I added just a touch of glitter to the petals of the rose and cut out a few of the edges of the petals for more depth. Then I placed the cut out rose on pop dots and put it on top of the outline on the background.

What will you do with this challenge?

Monotone Monday

Hello All! What a weekend! BUSY is an understatement! Summer seems to go so quickly and seems to be the busiest time of year for so many. One way that I try to stay calm during the flurry of activities is to take time for scrapping or stamping in my room. It may take me hours to create something, or just a few minutes, but that time always seems to help me refocus on the priorities afterwards.

With the chaos of life in full swing, today's time for playing in my room was pretty limited, so I decided to try using an easier palette of inspiration by limiting the color combinations to think through. Here is the inspiration for today’s card.

Here is my interpretation.

How did I do it?

I used an A2 size. The base layer is Basic Black, alternating with Whisper White in 1/8" increments. The stamp set I used for the sentiment was Short and Sweet. The background stamp is Acanthus by Rubber Stampede, and the chipboard accent is by Maya Road.

I covered the chipboard in black ink, then heat embossed it with Kaleidescope Transparent embossing powder by Stampendous. Then I inked it up again with my embossing pad and added a layer of Detail Black Opaque embossing powder also by Stampendous.

What do you think? What can you come up with?

Sunday Challenge Card

I decided to make my first card based on a sketch challenge over at Sketch Saturday. If you've never checked them out before they have great sketches to help with your creative juices. My photos aren't the best because I'm still using my cell phone to take them. I have to get the camera back from my hubby. When we moved it ended up in his room, and he's not letting go :)

So, here is my card for the challenge.

I used wanted a vintage, shabby look, and I didn't have the lacy trim in the ivory color, so I ended up distressing the white I had with the ink that I used on the papers. I stamped, water colored and used Stickels on the butterflies. I used vintage looking pearl brads to hold the sentiment to the background.

We're having a housewarming party today so I don't know if I'll get any tutorials posted today. I'm also still sorting through all my supplies and hope to have the Blog Candy ready to go this coming week.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Show Me Saturday--Flap Card Tutorial

Today's post is a really simple tutorial for this flap card. This is just a really simple sample, and you can make these in any size, or style and you can obviously make them more elaborate than this sample. I made this one this morning in about 10 minutes (including snapping the photos).

Supplies:

• Cardstock 4 x 12" (to make a larger card, increase the width of your cardstock)
• pattern paper--2 pieces 3 3/4" square
• stamp set desired
• button or other closure (larger brads work great)
• bone folder
• circle template
• embellishments desired
• glue dots & other adhesives

Instructions:

• Score your cardstock on the 12" side at 4 and 8 " and fold for crisp lines
• Use a circle to form the shape of your flap. (I used the bottom of my chalk container)

• Cut the rounded edge of your paper (this will be the front of your card)
  

• Using the same circle template, cut your pattern paper for the flap and adhere both pieces of patter paper to the front of your card. As well as the inside center panel.
• Next, using a glue dot, place the button on the front so that the flap can slip under it but do not place the button on top of the flap so that it seals.

• Decorate the front of the card as desired

• And there you have it!

Like I said, this is a very simple card, but sometimes that's what we need. Thanks for stopping by, and please share with me what your flap cards look like.

Formula Friday #1 Easel Card

Today I'll share with you my first easel card. I've seen many of these cards, but never attempted making them before. This was my first project in my new stamping/scrapping room. Most of the easel cards that I've seen use brads, or bulky flowers or popped pieces as the "stopper" for the card to stand. This card simply uses a few extra layers of paper. The overall finished card size is A2, (4 1/4 x 5 1/2"). Here is the recipe for my card. (I used all Stampin Up! papers and stamps).

Supplies:

• cardstock for base and layers + stamped image cardstock (I used Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, & Rich Razzleberry)
• pattern paper (I used Razzleberry Lemonade DSP)
• coordinating ribbon (I used Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain)
• edge punches (I used Eyelet Border)
• desired embellishments (I used the retired 3 flower punch from Stampin Up! and flat backed pearl minis--not from Stampin Up!)
• desired stamps and stamp pads (Stamps are from Elements of Style and Delight in Life, Stamp pads used: Color Box Yellow Citrus, VersaColor Opera Pink, and Stampin Up! Basic Black and the distressing along the edge of the stamped image was VersaColor Brown).

Instructions:

1. Cut an 8 1/2 x 11" piece of cardstock into two 4 1/4 x 11" ( I used Melon Mambo)
2. Cut one of the pieces from step one in half (4 1/4 to 5 1/2") and set aside--this will become the front of your card
3. Fold the remaining piece from step one in half to make a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card with the fold on the top
4. Fold the front piece in half (fold the bottom of the front towards the top fold). This is the piece to which you will adhere the piece from step 2
5. Lay the folded piece of cardstock with the longest side down on the table, and the fold of the "Short" side pointing towards you.
6. Place adhesive on this "Short" folded side of paper
7. Place the top of cardstock from step 2 on top of the adhesive
8. Decorate the front and inside of your card as desired.
9. Place "Stopper" where you want your card to stand--I used three layers of cardstock stacked. You can choose to use anything you'd like that will lift off the base enough to "Catch" the bottom of the card front.

Variations:
You can make these cards any size that you like. Just remember to fold the base in half and you're only limited by your imagination.

There is a great tutorial also available on SplitCoastStampers (SCS) with a video to watch. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard/

Show me what you come up with and let me know if you have questions!

Thrifty Thursday--Organizing Your Supplies

Hello All! Today's tips are about how to organize your supplies without breaking the bank. Think outside the box when it comes to organizational tools. For example, one of my favorite storage tools is re-purposed Tupperware. The spice carousel works great for embellishments. I keep my frequently used embellishments in these for easy access; brads, flowers, photo anchors, cutting blade refills, buttons, charms, etc. each have their own compartment. I also use the small "Midgets" for tiny things like specialized brads or buttons by theme. The nice thing for me is that I use more of the Tupperware that I had without having to purchase anything. Lots of people sell Tupperware for very little at garage and yard sales. Generally the smaller containers are what you need, and they are even cheaper.

I also utilize plastic mesh baskets in various sizes to organize different items too. I keep my Stampin Up! ribbons and accessories separated from my other items by utilizing these baskets and they are also very inexpensive. A 3-pack of baskets is less than $1 at many discount chains or dollar stores.

Plastic shoe boxes are also another great organizing tool that are very inexpensive. I keep all my Cuttlebug embossing folders and Sizzix dies in these to keep everything together and organized. I use them to also keep themes of embellishments together; Summer, birthday, Easter, Christmas, etc. can be kept in a shoe box and then when I'm working on that theme, I pull out the appropriate shoe box and have all my embellishments handy. I also keep all the flowers, chipboard shapes, and unopened ribbon spools in separate shoe boxes on the shelves in my closet.

There are cheap ways to organize your scrap paper too. I have mine sorted in three bins made by Iris that are often on sale at Michael's craft stores for less that $5.00 each.

I like them because the have a secure closure, and they stack nicely together with grooved bottoms and raised lids that help stabalize them. The three that I utilize for my scrap paper are used--> one for scraps of cardstock, one for scraps of pattern paper, and one for Stampin Up scraps. I pick up new ones as needed and use these not only for scraps of paper but also completed pages that are either waiting to go in my own personal scrapbooks or are waiting to be sold. I have one bin for "in progress" projects to keep all the pieces together. You'll see these on the closet shelves of the post regarding my new scrapbook room.

Do you have any suggestions to share?

New Scrapbook Room

Well, I was able to snap some quick pictures with my cell phone to at least share a little of what my new scrapbooking/stamping space is like for anyone interested. I haven't gotten creative juices flowing to make anything yet, but I'm excited to get started and will certainly be stamping tonight once I'm done posting this message.

Here the room view from the hallway. There are double doors into the room. You can see that Cocoa is clearly comfortable in my new space!

This is the view to the immediate left upon entering the room. Cricut, Sewing Machine and Computer.

This is the first side of the closet moving left to right in the room.

This is the second side of the closet. I love all the varied shelving! It keeps everything easy access.

This is the view of my actual desk.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to better utlize the space (without a lot of cost) I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!