Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Learn Something New Every Day 3

Yes, it's been over a month since I posted my last teapot art journal page for Learn Something New Every Day (or as Farley and I had started calling it, Every Week. Perhaps we should change that to Every Month). The prompt for Day Three was to focus on Moving Forward in Life, using our own two feet. I decided this was the perfect prompt to use for a page about my bicycling pursuits. The pages were sprayed with Dylusions and Memory Mist allowing for some Drippage. I then stamped over them with black ink using a new-to-me Hero Arts bicycle stamp set. Not much going on but I figure done is better than not. Thanks for looking in.


Monday, April 29, 2013

His & Hers Online Card Class - Day One

Today is Day One of, yes, another Online Card Class presented by Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner and others. I love these classes. The videos are great as are the handouts. All stampers provide clear instruction and great samples. This class is called His & Hers. It's designed to help us translate clever ideas into card designs for both guys and gals. This first card was created with an old set of stamps which I love but have rarely used. That's my goal with this class. Use my stash. This particular set is called Mindy's Flowers by Autumn Leaves. In Jennifer's sample, she used Prismacolor Pencils to color the image. I don't have those so I used my Inktense pencils and applied a tiny bit of water to blend the colors. 
For the masculine sample, Jennifer used kraft cardstock and white ink. I used my amazing Club Scrap white received at 2010 Retreat and this time, I did use some old Venus colored pencils that I've been hoarding for 36 years. Yes. You read that right. Anyway, I don't think the stamps I chose were adaptive to this technique but I'm content with the results. I do love the look of colored pencils on kraft cardstock and plan to do more of it in the future. Maybe during this class? My little pearls on both cards were made with either Ranger Enamel Accents, Ranger Liquid Pearls or Tulip Pearl Fabric paint. I used all three on different cards and, honestly, don't recall which one is on each card. Hope to stay on top of this class so please return soon. Thanks for visiting. 



Sunday, April 28, 2013

Take Wing

Still posting things from my play day following the recent Stamp Convention in Sacramento. I was so jazzed with all my purchases that I immediately tried to make something with most of the new stamps and tools. This card uses a new Magenta stamp along with a new embossing folder. The sentiment is a dollar stamp from my stash. I used Inktense pencils and Stickles on the embossed image. The birdie was also colored with Inktense pencils. The card base is from Club Scrap. Thanks for looking.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Do Not Try This At Home

This is a digi layout I put together for the April Monthly Sketch Relay over at Club Scrap. When I started it, I did not yet have the paper kit for Get The Picture, the PSL 2013 kit. It took me OVER three weeks to finish this thing. I am not crazy about it but I have invested sooo much time in it that I'm not abandoning it now. I just don't get this digi thing. I figured I would just re-make it with these photos and the kit once it arrived. I still plan to do that but I am posting this digi version in the challenge today. I do like this sketch. Just not happy with my digi results. I attempted to duplicate the look of the fibers using the filmstrips that came in the kit. 

These are photos taken during Mallory's most recent visit home for her birthday. We saw Oz, The Great and Powerful at the IMAX in El Dorado Hills where these photos were taken. Thanks for looking.











Thursday, April 25, 2013

Net of Wonder


 
Still on my Stamp Convention play day. This is a Judikins stamp I have been wanting for years. Finally got my mitts on it. I colored her with Inktense pencils and used Stickles to give her hair a watery look. The panel was sprayed with Blue Martini Memories mist over a new Fish Net stencil, also from Judikins. The sentiment is from Crafty Secrets. The card base is from Club Scrap. Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Club Scrap Spring Chorus Blog Hop

Here we are again on another hopping adventure through Club Scrap-land. If you are hopping along, you have joined me from Anne at Crzymom's Tidbits. Thanks for joining us. This month we are creating projects from the April kit called Spring Chorus. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out. For my first contribution, I created a layout about the goldfinches we feed in our back yard. Since we lost our Cairn terrier two years ago, these birds are our only pets. We love to watch them as they play and squabble over the thistle before and after bathing in our birdbath. 

Now for a little about the layout. My base pages were a plain white cardstock from the Destinations kit. I colored the background using the fern stencil from Spring Chorus with a homemade cocktail of  Faber Castell Gelato in green, Tim Holtz Ranger Shabby Shutters Distress Stain and Tattered Angels Garden Fairy Glimmer Mist. First I sprayed over the stencil to create an overall wash of color. Then I used the wet stencil to make another bolder impression on top of that. Not certain it is visible to those who don't know it's there, but there's a lovely shimmer to the paper. After that dried, I edged the perimeter with Ranger Shabby Shutters Distress Ink. 

In keeping with the latest trend of 6x6 paper pads for all popular paper lines, I created my own 6x6 papers using the digital Spring Chorus kit. I then assembled those pages following a sketch from an Allison Davis class at Scrapbook Generation. In addition, I used the digi graphics from Spring Chorus to make transparencies for both sides of the layout.

Lastly, I used my Silhouette to create a title using a Blackout font which I then filled in with Ranger Scattered Straw and Diamond Stickles to achieve a golden look. A bit of computer-generated journaling, a little birdie cut with the Spellbinders Nested Bird die, Distress Ink on all edges and the layout was complete.


I couldn't stop with just a layout so I also made a quick card. I used Sketch #168 from Operation Write Home to put together a greeting using digi paper and graphics from Spring Chorus along with supplies from additional Club Scrap kits: Stratosphere, Haberdashery, Evergreen and Rhapsody. All edges inked with Distress Ink, as usual.

Thanks so much for looking in here. Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts. I hope you will continue on your merry way to the next stop on this hop to visit Debby at Masculine Inspirations. Have a crafty day!!!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Club Scrap Spring Chorus Blog Hop Sneak Peak

Just a little sneak peak at my contribution to tomorrow's Club Scrap Spring Chorus Blog Hop. Stay tuned. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Ladybug Hug

My friend Farley and I recently joined yet another crafty club. This one is called Stamps of Life and we are just in love with their stamps and, all designed by Stephanie Barnard. This month's set features ladybugs and I was tickled to receive it. Had to make a quick card as soon as possible. I stamped the ladybug image and sentiment onto paper from the Shoreline paper pad by American Crafts. Topped it off with a Stickles-covered heart and, Bob's your uncle. It's done. So darn cute. Looking forward to the next stamp reveal on May 1. Thanks for looking.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Weekly Chronicles - April 14 - 20

Trying valiantly to stay on top of the Weekly Chronicles challenge at Club Scrap. Not always successful but I think the way to approach it if I miss a week or two is to just jump back in with the current week. So here is this week's entry. Digital template from Becky Higgins. Papers are from Spring Chorus from Club Scrap. Thanks for looking.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

More Stencil Play

While at the Stamping Convention last weekend, I saw a card at the Judikins booth which started percolating in my brain. Here is my humble attempt to copy hers. The square elements were cut from a Bristol smooth panel sprayed with Memories Mist in Blue Martini over a Judikins Kite stencil called Chinese Clouds. I then stamped with three different bird stamps, including Meadowlark from Judikins. The mat and vellum panel are from Club Scrap, as is the feather stamp. Card base is from my stash. All edges inked with Distress Ink. I've also posted this in the Stencil challenge over at Paperartistsonline. Thanks for looking. 

Monday, April 15, 2013

Stencil Play

I recently received a RAK stencil from Ruth Ann of West Coast Scrap. I immediately sat down and created a Thank You card for her (which is totally out of my usual routine). It was a play day using all of my new stencils and inks and sprays and this was one of the results. The color of the front panel was obtained from Memories Mist spray and Gelatos on my craft sheet. It was a fun time. The fabulous butterfly is one I cut from my new favorite die purchased at the Original Rubber Stamp Convention on Saturday. The manufacturer is Cheery Lynn and I will really have to restrain myself from buying their entire inventory. It is so detailed and intricate and cuts like buttah!!! Card base and stamped sentiment from Club Scrap as is the stencil. Thanks for looking.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire Museum


The Beverly Hills Supper Club on Route 27 in Southgate, Kentucky, was one of the most luxurious venues of its time. On May 28, 1977, there was a terrible fire resulting in the deaths of 165 people. In my youth, this place loomed large in my history. It was THE place to go for a big night out. Gambling was never legal there but it did flourish for several years. I, personally, only attended one event there, a wedding in 1974. It was, much to my dismay, the one night of my life that I drank and drove. I was young and never did THAT ago. 

But it was a sight to behold up on the hill with that long sweeping driveway. I'm sure I passed it thousands of times during my youth. I actually didn't live in the area at the time of the fire but I was interested in visiting the Museum on my last visit home. Since it was an elegant musical showcase featuring stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Liberace, Steve Martin and Eydie Gorme, I figured this layout would work into Julie's Music to My Ears challenge over at Club Scrap. And, of course, I used Club Scrap's All That Jazz paper for it. The sketch is another one from Double Take, the two year old class I am still struggling to finish. Thanks for looking.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Find Your Happy Every Day

My first attempt at the drippage prompt in the Scrapbooking challenge over at Paperartistsonline was not my favorite as I sprayed the Pure Sunshine over the Vibrant Turquoise Dylusions which resulted in a color that went too green for my taste. 

Make lemonade, though....I kept that piece and am cutting it up for card panels, etc. This is the first card I made with that happy accident, once again using the papers and stamps from my Simon Says Stamp April card kit called Everyday Happy. Thanks for looking.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Drippage Challenge


I created this layout for a scrapbooking challenge over at Paperartistsonline. I can't begin to tell you just how far out of my comfort zone the gals at PAO have lured me. And I am loving it.

The challenge started with a sketch and the prompt to use "drippage" on the layout. So I started with American Crafts white cardstock. Sprayed it with Vibrant Turquoise and Pure Sunshine Dylusions. Made all efforts to get it as drippy as possible. Then I used my paper from the current Simon Says Stamp card kit EveryDay Happy for embellishments, mats, etc. I belong to this card club though I am primarily a scrapbooker. So it is my goal to make at least one layout from the monthly supplies in addition to making cards. Thus, this layout. In addition to making my own little embellies from the kit, I used a product (Recollections wood veneer) that I bought two days ago. THIS is very unusual for me. I normally have to hoard for at least six months. 

Anyway, I am very happy with the layout even though when editing the photos on my computer, I thought Lexi's clothing colors were more aqua. When I got the prints, they were obviously more toward the blues. Oh, well, it's still a nice layout. And I did my best to use the challenge colors but as I type this, I realize I did not use any buttons. I did use butterflies and flowers.

Thanks soooo much for the challenge and, Debbie, for nudging me out of my safe place.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Quarter Century Club

And this card was made for my Precious Angel Mallory who turns 25 today. Difficult to believe that much time has passed since she arrived in my life. All materials are from Club Scrap, mostly the Short Sleeve Pants paper pack. The sentiment was computer generated. The numbers were cut on Silhouette. All pieces inked with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. This card was used as a sample for the Monthly Card Sketch Challenge over at Club Scrap. 

Happy Birthday, Mallory. Love you.

Look Who's Turning Fourteen

Happy Birthday, Lexi!

This card for my niece was made with the April Simon Says Stamp Card kit called Everyday Happy. The numbers were cut on my Silhouette and covered with Stickles. The sentiment was printed on inkjet printer. All papers from the SSS kit. This card will be used as a sample for the monthly Card Sketch I post over at Paperartistsonline. Thanks for looking.