Thursday, December 16, 2010

Santa Layout

For the last few years (or more) the LSS owner has Santa (her husband) come to the store. Customers' kids get their pictures taken with Santa for free. We also have a layout kit available for purchase, which I design. In the past I've chosen the papers I would use, but this year the owner asked me to use specific ones that were ordered for a class that had fallen through. I don't think I would have chosen those papers on my own, but it turned out all right.

The ornament was cut using a Sizzix die and embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folders. A brayer was used with the Ranger Ink "Peeled Paint" distress ink to color the raised pattern green. The ornament was the December Make & Take that I designed specifically to go with the Santa layout, although it is separate and can be used for any Christmas layout or card.

The Christmas tree was cut with an Ellison die. It was dressed up with Stickles and rhinestones. The star on top was a sticker.

The label and insert were from the Tim Holtz Alterations dies (the insert is a magnetic die that fits into the other). It's the Ornamental label die.

The "dear Santa" was from a long Sizzlit Advent Calendar die, and the 2010 was from a Cuttlebug alphabet.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

November Make & Take


Yes, I skipped October. I did a Halloween tag for the month of October, but I can't tell you most of what went on it (all items found in the LSS' crop room), and it wasn't my favorite project, anyway. I might scan and upload it later, but probably not.

For November's Make and Take I decided to do a fall themed journal spot. I used Studio G stamps for the pumpkin and Indian corn, an EK Success punch for the flower just under the stamped pumpkin, and the medallion was made with the new Sizzlit Tim Holtz Alterations Paper Rosette die. The folded journal base/background is an Accu-cut die that is actually supposed to be a mini-album cover. There are three holes for binding the cover and pages together, but I just filled the outside holes with two brads and covered the middle hole with the Indian corn.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

September's Make and Take


Okay, I'm slow. This was September's Make & Take project, and I'm only just now uploading it. Life has just been really hectic.

I wanted a theme that anyone could use, not just families with kids in school, so I went for a generic home theme. The pocket was cut with an Accu-Cut die (so was the little house), and the tab on the photo mat (which goes into the pocket) was a punch (I think it's made by McGill, but I can't swear to it). The embossing folder is Cuttlebug. I'm not sure who makes the stamps or the scallop punch. They were in the LSS crop room.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Christmas, a little early

I have to admit that I'm one of the first to gripe when I see Christmas stuff displayed before Halloween, but I've been working on some older photos, and did a 4 page Christmas layout. Shown above are the first two pages, which is all I've got scanned so far.

The stamped heart and stocking are by Imaginations. I colored the stamped designs with Copic markers and glitzed with Stickles. I'm sorry, but I have no clue who manufactured the holly and plaid papers. If I figure it out, I'll post a correction. The bracket shaped background was cut using the Lacy Labels cartridge, and tweaked in my Gypsy to make the shadow mat behind. I think the letters might be from the Plantain Schoolbook cartridge, but I'm not sure of that, either.

The basic design of this layout was scraplifted. It's not the same theme, papers, or embellishments, but a layout on display at the LSS sort of screamed "use me like a sketch!" The LSS layout used a scalloped circle instead of a bracket, but it's a definite scraplift. The layout is essentially the same.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

2 Make and Takes for August


This month I designed two Make & Takes for the LSS.

The main Make & Take that ran through most of the month was this beach card. I used the View Maker "Beautiful Day" stamp set by Art Gone Wild, a Sizzix wave embossing folder, a QuicKutz die (shell), chalks, and the frame was made using the Gypsy and Cricut.


The second Make & Take was for the 10th Anniversary of the LSS. They were having a page contest for "Why I Scrapbook," so the Make & Take was designed to coordinate with the scrapper page kit. I used a Sizzix die, but I folded my cardstock before cutting, and put the fold just inside the cut line so that I got an actual small file folder. Otherwise the die would have only cut a file folder shape, but not an actual file folder. I hope that makes sense. There is another Sizzix file folder die that does fold into an actual file folder, but it was far too tiny for this project. I trimmed off the extra tab that I got from cutting the folded cardstock. The scissors were cut with a Cuttlebug die. The title & banner were made using my Gypsy and Cricut (Carousel and Country Life cartridges, with a little welding). The banner is supposed to have 6 flags, so I cut off the last flag with good old scissors. I used a cartridge for the "SCRAP" letters on the banner but don't remember which cartridge it was. Sorry I didn't keep better track.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Baby Photo Canvas Projects



I'm sorry the above photos are a bit blurry. Hopefully you at least get an idea of what they look like.

I did these quite awhile ago for a New Mom's class project, but I've apparently never uploaded them. I came across them while decluttering some scrapping stuff. I have no idea anymore what papers I used. The things hanging below each canvas are chipboard cuts that were painted and covered partly with paper. They already had a hole punched in them, since they were hanging on a short keychain when I got them.

The projects were inspired by Quick Quotes canvases.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Link to another cool mini album

Yes, I know that I need to get busy and work on my own projects, but till I have something to show, here's a link to another cool mini album. This link was posted on Two Peas, so if you've seen this already, I apologize. I'm just in a beachy mood.

Florida Beach mini album by Tanya

I want to emphasize that this mini album and the Halloween mini that I posted a link for a few days ago were NOT done by me. Neither do I know the individuals who made them. I am just admiring their work.

Hopefully all the time I've spent lately looking at mini albums will help me to get busy and make one of my own to post.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I Decorated My Cricut


The above photo is of the back of the machine. The one below is the front.



I had some vinyl from another project, so I decided to use it to decorate my Cricut Expression. It reflects my love of nature. I used the Home Decor cartridge to do this. After I cut and placed the vinyl, I glued red rhinestones for berries to the dark green vinyl branches. The word "memories" came from the Cricut Lite Bloom cartridge, and the word "hugs" came from the Cricut Lite Lacy Labels. I used the Gypsy font for the rest. The phrase itself is entirely my own.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Link to awesome Halloween mini-album

I've been scrapping, but till I get my layouts scanned, I don't have any pictures today. However, I do have something else for you.

Thanks to frequenting the Two Peas in a Bucket General Scrapping Message Board, someone brought my attention to an absolutely incredible and creative Halloween mini-album. I'm posting the link here, because it is amazing work! No, I don't know the person who made it. Her You Tube name is Follow the Paper Trail. It has spookier, creepier papers and embellishments than I would be inclined to use, but her art in this mini-album is really awesome! The techniques she used could easily be adapted to any mini-album theme. (She also has a video on how to make a Paper Bag mini-album, which I think I will watch next.) Here is the link to her Halloween mini-album video on YouTube:

Spooky Paper Bag mini-album

I'm definitely going to have to take a look at some of her other videos, although I have to admit that watching stuff like this makes me feel totally inadequate as a scrapbooker--sort of like a little kid who thinks "That's what I want to be when I grow up!"

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Zoo Layout

The LSS near me has a Wednesday layout each week. One of the employees or design team members designs a layout using specific papers & embellishments, and the store has the papers & embellishments up front for the customers to buy if they want to do the layout. When they buy the papers, the customers get a color copy of the layout. There is a new layout with different papers each week.

One week the Wednesday layout used this 3 Bugs in a Rug "Animal Stackers" collection. The layout was fairly cute, but I couldn't get it to work for the zoo photos I wanted to use with it. I used some of the same papers, and the same twill ribbon as the original design, but I used a couple of different papers from the collection and redid the layout design to suit my photos and my taste. I also created a unique title for it, working designs cut from the papers into the simple digital die-cut title. I was very happy with how the title turned out.

Scraplifted elements: background paper was the same as well as the elephant cut out, zebra twill ribbon underneath the elephant, and the placement of the elephant/twill as well as the positioning of the lower right photo on the left hand page. The rest was my own creation, and I used different papers and pieces from the collection for the photo mat and to embellish the page. I also used more photos.

I think my version turned out much cuter than the original, but it doesn't hurt that the little guy in the photos adds a lot of the cuteness. I'm not saying who he is, just that he is special to me. My own children are too big to be cute.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Virginia Beach Layout

I have been trying to use my stash before buying anything new. Consequently, I don't know who made the charms, nor can I identify the paper. It's all a bit older. The charms were purchased a very long time ago, and the paper is at least 2 to 3 years old.

One thing I've noticed about beach paper is that the color scheme varies from year to year. Depending on the beach, the color of the ocean may or may not match the current beach paper colors. I actually had a hard time finding papers at the LSS or in my stash that went well with these particular photos.

The title was a combination. I created the cursive Virginia using the Windsong font. I used a Sizzix die that had the word "Beach" on it. The Virginia state outline was from a dingbat font that had all the US states. Simple and easy. My kind of scrapping.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

July Make & Take #2 Great Outdoors tag


Often the LSS only has one Make & Take during any given month. However, since July 4th was the theme of the project after GASC, which holiday comes early in the month, I designed an additional Make & Take to run the rest of the month.

The tag is an Accu-Cut die, the trees and sun are Sizzix dies from long ago. The moose was done with a McGill punch (also older), and the circle opening in the tag was cut with a Coluzzle template and knife.

The stamp in the center of the circle (the Great Outdoors words) was a Studio G stamp from a long time ago, too. Yes, it's another "blast from the past" up to this point.

The stamp that forms a circle of worms & ladybugs around the Great Outdoors stamp is from the Boys 3D Simple Circles stamp set by Art Gone Wild. This is a stamp vendor that I found at GASC, and I really loved their stamps!

The texture on the tag is one of the Tim Holtz embossing folders (wood & brick pattern set).

Thursday, July 15, 2010

July Make & Take #1 Patriotic Tag


After GASC, I did up a small patriotic tag for a Make & Take at the LSS.

The stamp is a Studio G stamp that I found at AC Moore awhile back. I really love that stamp! I can't say that about most of my Studio G collection.

I have no clue who made the navy paper with white stars. It was something left over from a Make & Take that was at least 4 years ago. In fact, the red tag, navy/star paper, and the fibers were all from those leftovers, so I have no clue on who made the fibers either.

The punch that I used on the bottom of the tag was a Marvy Uchida punch from a long time ago, too. It's one of my own punches. The LSS had an almost identical punch, but theirs was slightly too wide to fit the bottom of the tag, which I thought was a bit weird. Perhaps theirs was made by another company.

I had found the pre-cut tags, rectangles of the navy/star paper, and the fibers in the cupboard at the LSS and decided to "recycle" them by using them in a totally different tag. I have to admit, it was a bit of a challenge to find a way to revise the original tag into something quite different.

Everything used for this tag is basically old, old, old stuff, except for the stamp. It's a good example of how old stuff from our stash can still be used.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

4th of July card


I needed a card for the 4th of July. I decided to use my Cricut for most of it, just out of laziness, so I used the Independence Day cartridge. The two stamped images at the bottom are Studio G stamps I found at AC Moore at least a year ago. The embossed background is the script Cuttlebug folder.

I don't know if you can see this in the scan, but I used metallic rub-on to give the liberty bell a metallic bronze appearance. It's a really, really old product from my stash. I have no idea who makes it.

Friday, June 25, 2010

GASC, plus the layout info

I promised to post the materials I used for the GASC layout shown in in my post from earlier today:

The patterned papers that I used were the Adorn-It line by Carolee's Creations, Bazzill Basics cardstock (Heidi color), Accu-Cut die (large label shaped black cardstock), Sizzix die (flourish), Cuttlebug die and embossing folder (butterfly-I used a different folder than the ones that come with the butterfly, though, a brocade pattern also by Cuttlebug), Bazzill Basics white paper flowers, Kaiser Scrapbooking lavender pearls, and a white scroll patterned sheer ribbon.

GASC had a lot more stamp vendors than I remember there being in past years. I'm addicted to stamps as much as to scrap supplies/tools, so I was delighted. Heartfelt Creations, a stamp vendor, had designed stamps that coordinate with Nestabilities--a very smart idea that proved to be a hot seller. Since I have quite a few Nestabilities, I came away from there with 5 sets of the coordinating stamps. They also had some amazing punches at the same booth. The punch would do borders, circles, ovals, squares, and rectangles--just one punch. You didn't have to cut the paper to any particular size, either. It was a very well engineered design. However, I'm not using my punches very often, and I was running out of money by then, so I didn't buy any of them, although they had lovely designs. And they were also selling quite well, I think.

Another of my favorite vendors was Art Gone Wild. They had very cute stamps that were well suited to some really fun cards. I will have to do some cardmaking soon, because I spent quite a bit at their booth, too.

I got a few fun templates, at another booth, and I got some of Darcie's clip art CD's and one of Darcie's stamp sets.

And I found a Bow Easy. It's a handy little tool that helps you to make bows for cards and layouts. I haven't found anyone locally that carries it, but I now own one.

I actually passed by the Stampers Anonymous booth--where they have all things Tim Holtz. I just have so much TH stuff, though, that I didn't linger there, even though they do have some wonderful things.

It's always a little sad when you see that some vendors have hardly anyone stop by their booth. I know they paid a lot of money to have the booth, and I wonder if they will make enough to even cover their costs. Then there were others that did a brisk business the entire time.

As for our Make & Take--the crown journal spot, we got a late start because one of the stamps just did not want to work with the chalk ink. That was really weird because I used the chalk ink to stamp the original one used on the layout itself. After several unsuccessful attempts to make the sample, I finally just had to run home and get one of my CTMH inkpads. Unfortunately, it's a color that I don't have a re-inker for, so if it runs out before the end of the day tomorrow, we'll have to substitute a darker color. I'll be spending the morning staffing the table tomorrow. I refuse to do any more shopping.

GASC is a lot of fun, but it's also very tiring. I'm sure husbands will never believe this, but it's hard work to spend money, LOL!

"If the Crown Fits" Layout for GASC



It's time for the Great American Scrapbook Convention, and I'll be there!

Each year the scrapbook store where I design the Make & Take projects has some kind of a table at Great American Scrapbook Convention (GASC) for a little Make & Take. This year we are doing things slightly different, since we will be at the table of Joanna Campbell Slan, author of scrapbook murder mysteries. She is teaching journaling classes at the Convention. She also taught a journaling class at the LSS two nights ago. Because her special focus is on writing, our Make & Take this year is a journal spot, which is stamped by combining two different stamps using the masking technique, and embellished with rhinestones.

Last year we also had a layout at the store for customers to see how the Make & Take project could be used on a layout. This year we are doing the same, along with complete instructions, and the store has all the papers and supplies for the customers to buy, so they can go right ahead and make the layout immediately.

Someone else designed last year's layout after I had designed the Make & Take, but this year I designed the layout, too, so I can post it here. I am getting ready to leave for GASC, so I don't have time to post the materials list, but I will post later all of the items that I used to make the above layout.

However, I wanted those who visit my blog to be the first to see the layout. I hope you enjoy it!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Masculine Pioneer Trek layout using Cricut cartridges

Being a fairly new Cricut owner (less than a month at this point), the number of cartridges I have is somewhat limited. I still have a teenage boy at home, but I also have grandkids. They're usually more fun to do scrapbook pages of than my teen, so naturally my first cartridges that I bought were with grandkiddie layouts in mind.

However, I do also occasionally scrapbook my other children. Since I have mostly boys, I realized that masculine Cricut cartridges seemed in rather short supply, especially among the few that I had. However, I had bought the Pooh and Friends and Paper Doll Dress Up cartridges, and they actually had some promising possibilities for this pioneer layout. A friend also had given me the Pooh font, which has a wooden board font option.

Winnie-the-Pooh and Paper Dolls may not seem like the first cartridges you'd grab for a masculine layout, but they did quite well in this case.

The real journaling has not been added yet, so I typed a note or two on the scanned images. The third page of the layout has a wagon wheel tag peeking above from behind the wood frame. That is a pull-out tag. The wagon wheel was cut with an Accu-Cut die. The shading of the die-cuts was done with chalks.

This layout is a fairly simple one, but simplicity fit the theme.

While most of my layouts are two page spreads, if I have a lot of really good photos that I want to include, I will occasionally make a four page layout as I did here.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

File Folder Purse Stationary Set



We needed an inexpensive gift for a pair of twin teen girls. I had picked up some matching file folders, notebooks, note cards, and self-stick notes (circular) at Michaels awhile back, but hadn't done anything with them, so I decided they would make a nice little gift if I could dress it up a bit. The file folder was used for the purse. I used a Tim Holtz "On the Edge" Alterations die to cut the purse top. The rest was just cutting, scoring, and gluing. Although I'd seen altered file folders, and stationary sets, I couldn't find any project on the internet that was quite what I wanted, so I had to make it up as I went along. I'm happy with how the project turned out, though. The notebook can be removed, the notecards are in a pocket under the self-stick notes, and it closes with velcro. I used a Stampin' Up slot punch to make the holes for the ribbon handle. I wanted to dress up the inside and outside a bit more, but I ran out of time.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Friendship card


A friend of mine is moving this week. She's the only one who has consistently wanted to scrapbook with me, as well as shop for scrapping stuff. I'm going to miss her, of course. I made a simple card to give her as a farewell.

The little girls were a Penny Black stamp from years ago. The flower pot & flowers were Stampin' Up stamps. Inside the card I used another SU stamp that said, "Little by little, Day by day, Friends and flowers Grow that way." The butterflies are a punch that is part of the Tonic punch system (it's a way of lining it up and punching to make a border) that I found at Great American Scrapbook Convention a few years back.

Like I said, it's a pretty simple card, but it was made for a very special friend.

Monday, May 31, 2010

June 2010 Make & Take: card for a dad

This is the June Make & Take that I designed for the LSS, only it was started a little early. I did the kits up for the crop that was on Friday night, so the store had it to give out for the Memorial Day weekend.

There is no sentiment inside, so it can be used either for Father's Day or for a Dad's birthday card. People can stamp or write what they want inside it.

The background embossing folder was from the Sizzix "Hello Friend" set. The two embossed rectangles were cut out after embossing a quarter sheet of cardstock with a Tim Holtz embossing folder (the one that goes with the Bingo embossing folder). Yes, there was a lot of waste that way, but I wanted people to see a different way to use it. I'm not sure who the stamp set was by. The stamp was from a Father's Day set that I bought at the LSS two or three years ago at least.

Enjoy!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Mothers' Day card


The owner of the LSS asked me to do a Mothers' Day card for a special Mothers' Day tea party and book signing at the store. She handed me the papers. It's pathetic, but I actually have no idea who makes the papers or flowers. I was in a BIG hurry to get the kits done since I was to pick up my son by a certain time (despite my trying to rush, I was still late). I didn't even check to see who the paper manufacturer was.

The center label was cut with one of the Alterations dies. The stamp was a Studio G stamp that I found at AC Moore. I used chalk ink on the edges.

The flower center was supposed to be a brad painted with Smooch enamel, but even after 24 hours, the brads hadn't all dried all the way (despite the label claiming that it's fast drying), so the LSS owner substituted a jeweled brad instead. (And no, I don't know who makes those, either.)

Friday, May 14, 2010

2010 May Make & Take


I used an old Sizzix die for the tag background, a new Tim Holtz Alterations die (Styled Labels) for the darker blue background behind the stamped circle, a Cuttlebug die for the tiny tags, a Prima stamp for the circle, and an Inkadinkadoo script background stamp on the large tag base. I used a chalk ink on the edges. The Alterations die did extend out on the sides of the tag base, so I just trimmed off the edges. It's a simple and quick project.

Between the LSS and AC Moore, I have found and bought 12 of the new Alterations dies. Most of them are very versatile, so they will probably be showing up in a lot of my future projects. It was during my search for the Alterations dies that I also found the Prima stamp at AC Moore. I got the Inkadinkadoo stamp at Michaels. I bought all the items with 40% off coupons, with the exception of the Prima stamp which was only $1.99 anyway. Gotta love those coupons if you can find something worth buying!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

April 2010 Make and Take

This little tag and pocket are the Make & Take that I designed for the LSS at the beginning of the month. Of course, the idea of using a punch at the top of a pocket is not new. I'm sure it's been done many times before. I noticed that a class project at the LSS used a Martha Stewart punch at the top of a tag pocket, and I liked how the teacher had used it. However, I made my pocket by hand from start to finish rather than using a die-cut. A tutorial follows in the next post down on this blog.

The stamp was from one of the Studio G clear dollar stamp sets I bought at Michaels, AC Moore, or JoAnn's a year or two ago. I think the flower punch is by EK Success. I punched three layers, creased each petal in half from flower center to outer edge of the petal, put a brad through the center of the three layered flowers, and bent the petals of the two top layers upward for dimension.

The tag is from a Sizzix die. The embossing on both the pocket and the tag was done with two Sizzix folders that came in the Baby Set #3 (Sizzix Textured Impressions). I positioned my pocket and tag on the embossing folders in a way that used only the parts of the folders that I wanted to use. One folder had writing which I did not want to emboss on my pocket, and the other had gifts and baby shoes that I also did not want to be embossed on my tag. Pictures that show the process and what the tag looks like outside the pocket will be posted another day.

Martha Stewart tag pocket tutorial Part 1

Begin with a rectangular piece of cardstock cut to size shown in the photo below.
Click on each photo for a larger image. Directions are printed on each photo. Once you bring up the enlarged image, it may revert to one that fits in the window, but you can click on it to get a closer view.



The pocket piece in the above photo is
not really skewed weird like it looks.
It's just the angle of the photo that
makes it look like it's not cut straight.


Tutorial is continued in the next post down.


MS Pocket Tutorial Part 2











Although the pocket is made by hand instead of done with an electronic cutter, it really doesn't take very long.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Get Well Shaker Card

I am a sucker for embossing folders, as you can probably tell if you've looked through my blog. When I found some new Sizzix embossing folders at AC Moore, I couldn't resist. The one I used for this shaker card is from the Sizzix Textured Impressions Wedding Set. I simply used detail scissors to cut out the inside, which I didn't want since it had the following text: "Wishing you all the best on your very special day." I needed a get well card for a dear friend who was seriously ill in the hospital, so the embossed text really didn't fit. I loved the design of the folder, just didn't need the saying inside. Once I cut out the inside text section, I applied clear transparency behind it. I attached the "get well soon" (from a Cuttlebug die set) onto the front of the transparency. Then I put poster tape on the back, all around the opening (but where it wouldn't show), added the usual stuff for making a shaker card, and attached the card base. I embossed a few of the punched flowers, layered small Prima flowers on top of the punched flowers, and that was it.

My friend was too drugged to enjoy it (she nearly died), but her mom liked it. My friend is much, much better now, but I just hadn't gotten around to getting the picture off my camera till today.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Clarification and disclaimer

I received a recent notice of a comment someone wanted to post on my blog. It appears that the individual thinks I have something to do with Provo Craft.

I do not have any affiliation with them. I don't even know anyone who works for them.

I have tools and stamps from a variety of companies. I have no particular loyalty to any one company. If I like a product, I buy it, especially if I can get it on sale. If I use it in a project on my blog, I tell what I use, simply as a matter of courtesy.

Yes, I have a lot of Cuttlebug and Sizzix dies and embossing folders. I happen to like them, so I use them on my projects that I have posted here. I also happen to use a lot of Close to my Heart stamps, but I'm not a rep for them either.

I have received some kind words about my projects, which I usually post. However, if someone wants to post a comment that is about a subject which I have not mentioned on my blog, I will not publish the comment. My blog is simply for sharing my papercrafting projects, just as others have shared their talents with me.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Birthday Card

The above is the card when it is closed. Below is how it looks when you pull the top tag up. The bottom tag also slides down out of the bottom at the same time, too.
This very cool technique was found both on YouTube and SplitcoastStampers. It's made with plastic from a grocery bag, so it's one way of recycling those bags instead of sending more plastic to the landfill.

The link for the YouTube video is: Slider Card by Dawn on YouTube

The link for the SplitcoastStampers tutorial is: Slider Card by Beate Johns

The stamps are all by Close to my Heart except for the butterfly, which is one of the Studio G clear stamps from the dollar bins at Michaels.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

March 2010 Make & Take


This simple card was made with Cuttlebug cutting & embossing sets: Friends Forever (embossed card front) and Everyday Greetings (cursive "hello"). The butterfly is also a Cuttlebug die (a really old one). The parentheses are a punch by EK Success. Chalk was used to accent.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentine Make and Take


This is the Make and Take that I designed for the LSS near me. It has been going for about 3 weeks now. The stamped Bingo board is actually a combination of stamps. I took a Prima Bingo stamp and carefully cut off the word Bingo. (I kept that part in case I ever want a regular Bingo board later.) Then I used alphabet stamps to spell the word ADORE. I put them all onto one acrylic block, so the stamping went pretty fast. The stamped watermark at the top and bottom of the tag are a Studio G stamp. I used the Fiskars Apron Lace border punch, and threaded ribbon through the punched edge to lace up the center to form a sleeve for the tag. Cuttlebug embossing folders were used on both the sides of the sleeve and also to emboss the punched heart (Fiskars punch). After putting the brads through the punched (EK) flower centers, I dabbed the brads with red Stickles. The tag base is an Accu-cut design. The sleeve was just a straight piece of cardstock folded to fit around the tag. It was folded before the edges were punched.

Happy Valentines Day!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Sisters layout


This one is pretty simple. It's a page about my sister and me. I forgot to check the brand names of the paper before gluing it to the cardstock. The font for the title is Windsong. The font for the text is University Times Roman.

So far all three layouts I've done for the challenge have been made using only items from my stash.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Delaware Seashore layout

Materials used: CTMH stamp and versamark ink to stamp the background cardstock; Cuttlebug and Sizzix dies, Martha Stewart punch (title mat), Sizzlit wave border die, Sizzix wave embossing folder (title background), and I used the Grasshopper font.

The shell above the upper left photo is for a pull-out tag, which has my hidden journaling. The journaling on the other shells was done by printing first on cardstock, then lining up the die as best I could. It took several tries, and I wasted almost an entire sheet of cardstock, but it did finally work.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Basketball layout


Above is shown the finished layout, the background paper being the one I stamped (previous post). I used Close to My Heart stamps to create the "patterned paper" background, a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the letters and photo mat, and Karen Foster stickers. The blue weathered paper on the right side and at the lower left corner is called Blueberry Pie by the Paper Loft. If you click on the above layout image, you can see a slightly larger version.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

2-step Stamping: Creating a multi-colored background with stamps


Above: Step 1 is to set up two acrylic blocks, one block for
each color you wish to use, with different stamps on
each block, spaced so they will "fit" within each other.
See additional instructions in my blog post below.

Above: Step 2 is to stamp one color, then stamp the other color
right overtop. If you set up your blocks right, they'll fit perfectly.

Below: Step 3 is to use a sea sponge and a stamp pad to sponge
and swipe additional color on, so there isn't so much white.




What do you do when you don't have the right paper, or the right colors to go with your photos?

Make your own! Today I wanted to work on a basketball layout, but the papers I had just didn't look right with my pictures. However, I had a couple of basketball stamp sets by Close to my Heart. I don't know if they even still sell them (I'm not a rep), but one was "Nothing but Net" and the other was called "Shootin' Hoops."

I wanted my paper to be two colors, not just one, so I set up two 4x6 inch clear acrylic blocks. One block had the stamps for the first color (Autumn Terracotta) and the other had the stamps for the second color (Outdoor Denim). They had to line up, but since the blocks were clear, that wasn't difficult. I just had to hold one above the other. They couldn't touch, since they would stick, and boy, would they be hard to pry apart! (Yup, I did it once--I was more careful after that.)

After I stamped each color, I used a sea sponge to dab specks of more blue so it wouldn't be so white in the background, and I swiped the ink pad on the outside edges of the 12x12 cardstock, too.

This kind of thing is one reason I'm such a slow scrapper. It's not that my pages are phenomenal, but I often end up making either my paper or my embellishments (or both).

Sunday, January 31, 2010

A page a day in February

I belong to a message board that is having a challenge: 28 pages for February. I haven't done a page a day since I started scrapping, but I'm going to try for this one and see if I can't get back to doing more of my favorite hobby again. We also have to post photos of our layouts, so I'm going to try to post at least a few of them here. Most of what has been shown here has been cards or mini projects I've done rather than my layouts.

Don't expect them to be masterpieces. In order for me to do that many, they'll have to be simple. We'll see how it goes and if I can keep up. Even if I do manage it, I won't be posting every day because I typically do two page layouts, or one layout for every two days IF I keep up. The rules also allow for a person to do several layouts one day, but none for several days. As long as the total is 28 pages by Feb. 28th, the challenge has been met.

Get ready, get set......

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Valentine Card


I was kind of playing around with ideas for a simple Make & Take. This one was simple enough, but wasn't as nice as the one I hope the LSS owner approves. I'll post that one later. The Stickles on it isn't dry enough to scan yet.

The border punch is Martha Stewart, and the embossed parts are Cuttlebug. The two little side hearts are just cutouts from a project I did on my cutter. They were left over, so I used them. I lined the inside of the card with red so the border punch would show better.

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