Club Scrap Card Sketch

This card was created for the May Card Sketch Challenge at Club Scrap. Sketch is below. All supplies used are from Club Scrap. Kits used include Surf’s Up, Down to Earth, County Fair, Mirror Mirror and Natural Resources. Fiber is from Refresh and the stamp is from Lotus Pond. Stamp panel was created with the Foam Stamping technique from Technique Junkies current newsletter. Edges inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink.With the exception of the card base which was in a GTG kit, all pieces are from POPs or scraps. No 12x12 or 8.5x11 piece of cardstock was harmed in the making of this card.

Squirrely Foam Stamping – Part Deux

I made a second card from the offcuts of the one posted below. Same foam stamping technique was used. Same kits with the exception of a green panel from Birds of a Feather. Card base is Refresh (although you can’t see it).

Thanks for looking.

Squirrely Challenge – Foam Stamping

Last minute Nellie, here. I’m the last to post my Squirrely Challenge for this week. The challenge from the current issue of Technique Junkies is called Foam Stamping. If you want to know how I did it, you’ll have to subscribe. I had a difficult time with this challenge and I’m not sure I’ll repeat it. One lesson learned this week is not to allow your water-based marking pens to sit untouched for ten years. Most of the pens I have, I purchased in my early days of scrapbooking. They are mostly dry. So I struggled.

We have a few new participants this week so I will give you a link to each and tell you to hop on over to see the wonderful work they have posted. All cardstock is Club Scrap (Refresh, Solstice and Stratosphere), the stamp is from Stampin’ Up, the patterned paper is from my stash, an old pad called Illuminations from ProvoCraft. Butterflies were cut on my Cuttlebug using Spellbinders die and then inked with Distress Ink. Thanks for looking.

Now hop on over to: Squirrely Nancy my sister Chrissie,Cape Cod Julie and Connie.

Baby Jazzercise

Yes, I actually finished a scrapbook layout today. This one dates back to 1993 when five year old Mallory took part in Jazzercise. This layout has been sitting around for years in a half-finished state so in response to a Club Scrap challenge this month, I finally finished it. Thanks for looking.

Win a Caudalie Dream Body Spa in a Bag!

 

Check out my friend Sonja’s Hello Beauty! blog for tips on health and beauty and this wonderful way to prepare your body for more revealing warm-weather clothing. Take a chance at winning this great giveaway.

Grungy Monday – Week Four

 

For this fourth week of Grungy Monday, Linda Ledbetter of Studio L3 has challenged us to use a technique from Tim Holtz, the Master of Distress, applying Distress Ink to the inside his Texture Fades before embossing. Linda’s link provides an educational video. I used Tim’s Post Card Texture Fade on a Club Scrap white panel from Pure & Simple with Wild Honey Distress Ink and then highlighted with Barn Door.

My Beatle song choice this week has a fairly obvious postal theme: P.S. I Love you. First appeared on their 1963 album Please Please Me.

Treasure these few words
‘til we’re together
Keep all my love forever
P.S. I love you

The base panel and winged heart were cut on my Silhouette digital cutter using cardstock from Club Scrap (red from Collections and white from Pure & Simple). The stamps are also all from Club Scrap (Wheel & Sprocket, To You With Love and From the Heart including a few postals from Retreat 2010). I masked the song lyrics and over-stamped with the postal collage envelope. The postal edges were cut with my antique (ha ha) decorative edge scissors. All edges inked with Tea Dye Distress Ink. Stickles used on Winged Heart.

As always, thanks for looking. Your comments mean a lot to me.

Squirrely Faux Artisan Tile Challenge

This week, Young Nancy of Squirrely Art and I issued a challenge to use a Technique Junkies technique called Faux Artisan Tiles. We were also joined by Cape Cod Scrapper Julie. Take a jog over to her blog to see the beautiful faux tile she created. I have also posted this card at the Club Scrap Card Sketch thread. Join us there, if you love a sketch and a challenge.

All supplies from Club Scrap. Club Scrap kits used include Lotus Pond cardstock and Refresh fiber. The tile design was cut on my Silhouette Digital cutter. When I tried to flatten my finished tiles, they did crack a bit but I think it only adds to the aged look. I have heard also of putting them in the freezer for a bit to force the cracking. Maybe I’ll try that next time. This is a cool technique, worth visiting again.

Thanks for looking.

Grungy Monday – Week Three

WOW! Time is flying. This is the third week of Grungy Monday, Linda Ledbetter’s Studio L3 challenge celebrating the techniques of the Lord of Craftdom Tim Holtz. This week we are challenged to use Adirondack Color Wash from Ranger Ink. I have only one color which is Cranberry so that's what I used. 

Continuing with my theme of using songs by the Beatles as my inspiration, this week I am interpreting George Harrison's It's All Too Much from the Yellow Submarine. I am celebrating my birthday this week so I did include some not-so-hidden clues concerning that big event.

The base panel and cake shape were cut on my Silhouette digital cutter using cardstock from Club Scrap (lavender from Written Word and white from Solstice). The clock face stamp is from my stash. The wings were cut and embossed with a Cuttlebug die. The little bicycle shapes are from an old punch. Base panel was sprayed with a combination of Adirondack Cranberry Color wash and various Glimmer Mists and then smooshed with cling wrap. The cake parts were colored with Distress Inks (Spun Sugar, Wild Honey, Chipped Sapphire) and the wings were painted with Gold Paint Dabber. The song lyrics were computer generated. Stickles and Tulip Puffy paint decorate the cake. There's a little bit of bling on the clock, too.

It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around here
All the world is birthday cake,
So take a piece but not too much.

Thanks again for looking.

Grungy Monday – Week 2

Here we are at the second week of Grungy Monday, Linda Ledbetter’s Studio L3 where we are challenged to celebrate the techniques of Tim Holtz. This week we were asked to view a video at Ranger Ink showing a technique involving making your own foam stamp from a steel rule die and then using Matte Medium to stamp an image. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an appropriate steel rule die, so I cut my chosen image on the Silhouette Digital Cutter and used it as a stencil. My results were less than stellar but I decided to work with it. I will try the technique again in the future.

As stated last week, I am using this challenge to create an idea book using songs by the Beatles as my inspiration. This week, I have chosen Across the Universe which appears on several albums, most notably Let It Be. I love the first lyric which says “Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup” (that’s John for you) and interpreted it as you see above.

The base panel, Umbrella man, raindrops and cloud were cut on the Silhouette using cardstock from Club Scrap (Midnight from Jubilee and white from Solstice). The definition text stamp is from Hero Arts. The man on a unicycle was purchased in the dollar bin at Michaels. Stickles and Glossy Accents were applied to the raindrops and cloud. The base page was colored with Distress Inks (Spun Sugar and Tumbled Glass). The song lyrics were computer generated. Oh, by the way, can you believe I cut that complex image of a paper cup BY HAND???

Thank you for looking and for all your kind comments in the past.

Squirrely Embellished Circles

Continuing our weekly challenge, Nancy of Squirrely Art challenged me to use a Technique Junkies technique called Embellished Circles. Ever the multi-tasker, I am also submitting this for the color challenge PDCC #76 at Play Date Cafe. Run over to Nancy’s blog to see the beautiful card she created using this technique.

All supplies from Club Scrap with the exception of the dotted circles from Fiskars. Club Scrap kits used include Refresh card base and panel, Blossom green, Expressions teal and stamps from Wheel & Sprocket. Gear shapes cut on Silhouette. This was a fun technique to use and one I think I will repeat again.

Cupcakes

Card created for April card sketch at Club Scrap based upon Paisley sketch layout card. All supplies used from from Club Scrap Lotus Pond Greetings to Go kit with the exception of the brown cupcakes from Academy and the cupcake wrappers from Retro.

Scalloped squares cut with Spellbinders dies, cupcake components cut on Silhouette. Squares embossed on Cuttlebug. Stickles added to the cupcakes for some sparkle.

More Gesso Espresso

Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to post another card using a background created while playing with this technique, I found another sketch challenge and whipped this card together.

As usual, all cardstock and fibers are from Club Scrap (kits used: Refresh and Castaway). The rubber stamp images are from Crafty Secrets.

If you are coming to my blog from another site, the information on the Gesso Espresso technique is explained in the previous post.

Always looking to do double duty, I am also submitting this card to sketch challenge #109 at Card Patterns. Thank you for looking.

Squirrely Gesso

Squirrely Nancy and I challenged each other to do the technique in March 2011 issue of the Club Scrap Stamp Rap. Kay Williamson called the technique Gesso Espresso and it involved stamping over a base using clear embossing and then covering it with a coating of gesso which was then wiped back off again, leaving a sort of ghost print. The newsletter suggested using cardstock from the Raku kit (which I could not bear to cover) or using acrylic paints to make your own base to cover. This was the choice I made. I used swipes of acrylic paint in Lemon Chiffon, Sage Green and Laguna over Citrus cardstock from Castaway kit. The rubber stamps used were unmounteds, also from the Castaway kit. My mermaid was cut on the Silhouette using Raku teal for the fins and white for the other parts. Those parts were colored with a recipe of Blush Perfect Pearls and Twinkling H2O’s. The card base is from Refresh, the teal vellum is from Sunken Treasure. Magic Mesh is from my stash. I also used Peeled Paint Distress Ink to distress the edges. The text rubber stamp is from Crafty Secrets.

Always searching for a sketch challenge, Chrissie suggested this one from Simon Says Stamp which was designed by Domi.

Thanks for looking.

Grungy Monday – Week One

This is the first week of Linda Ledbetter’s new challenge over at Studio L3. She calls it Grungy Monday and it’s a weekly challenge to take a cue from one of Tim Holtz’s pieces of art. This week, she has challenged us to take our design direction from his Christmas Tag Number Ten from 2008. My sister Chrissie and I are planning to use this weekly challenge to create an interpretation of a favorite song. While she will be all over the charts, I plan to stick with the Beatles, solo and group efforts. This week, my interpretation is of John Lennon’s Watchin’ The Wheels from his last album, Double Fantasy.

All cardstock is from Club Scrap, as usual (Blossom, Wheel & Sprocket). The cloud masks, sunshine, bike and base shape were all cut on my Silhouette. I did the grass by hand. Isn’t that amazing? Rubber stamp text is also from Club Scrap. A homemade Perfect Pearls spray was made by using Distress Re-inker Broken China with Blush Perfect Pearls. The piece was further inked with various colors of Distress Ink from Ranger and Tim Holtz (Spun Sugar, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters. Although it doesn’t show well in this photo, the bike was also heat embossed with Silver Pearl embossing powder over a Club Scrap image from Be Wonderful and then the bike and sunshine were colored with a homemade concoction of Twinkling H2O’s and Perfect Pearls. The sun’s rays were highlighted with Stickles.

In order to also qualify for the weekly challenge #75 from Play Date Cafe, I used Spun Sugar, Broken China Distress Inks and Silver embossing powder on the images. Please excuse the photograph, however, IRL, the silver embossing on the pink bike is charming. Rather than the photo below, my colors are a closer match to the real Monopoly board colors. Using these brighter colors makes my Holtzian work a little more on the side of Jennifer McGuire’s Skittles look.

 

Thanks for looking.