August Challenge: Beach Theme

Wow, where has the summer gone? It seems like school just ended last month! Can I honestly say that I am not excited for school to start again? Yes, I can. During the summer months I feel a bit like a retiree. Only difference is I go back to work, they continue to pursue their pleasures. My Yahoogroup has been doing a series of challenges since May. This month's challenge is to create a card, layout, tag, altered item that has a beach theme. This is my entry.

The peeloffs are from an Ecstacy crafts kit that I ordered from HSN about a year ago. The entire kit is on a nautical theme and is called Maritime Outline Stickers. The company is located in Holland. 

Once I remembered that I had them, I pulled them out and created this card based on a sample from the book. I know you are thinking why the purple card. Well...July's challenge was for a shape card and I never got my card finished and decided to use the base for this challenge. Waste not want not.

I used the Spellbinders Labels 10 for the card base and the Classic Ovals to cut my acetate and the ring for adhering the shells. Yes, that is flower soft as my sand, rocks, etc. I do realize that I put in way too much. I only used about a teaspoon. That stuff really fluffs out.

The sentiment I used is a clear epoxy one from Heidi Swapp. I achieved the effect behind the shells by using different colored pieces of card stock. Prior to affixing the peeloff, I sponged ink onto each piece for a bit of dimension. After cutting out the shell, I used my Marvy markers and a small paint brush to add more color and shading. I used my Sakura glitter pens on a few of them.

This project came together very quickly. The most difficult part was selecting which elements to use. I so love the easel cards. Just don't do what I did on this one and put adhesive on the top part of the card. I salvaged it by using some baby powder to remove the stickiness. lol. This is my prototype anyway. If I did that and was sending it to someone, I would probably cut another piece of paper to stick onto the back of the top.

You probably cannot tell from the photo, but I did spray the card and the base with Glacier Glimmer Mist so there is a nice oceany sparkle to the card. Oceany--did I just add a word to Webster's?

Thanks for stopping in to see what I have been up to during these wanning summer days. I so want them to linger. It is time to start thinking of fall and the unique beauty that it brings.

This is the card taken from a different angle and with the flash. Seems a bit over-exposed to me or maybe how it would look with the sun smiling down on it.

Remember to add a bit of ink to all of your creations. Why? Because it does make a difference. Just ask any of the Copics users.

Through the power of technology you can watch the Vee-dio on this page.

Until then.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

It is so hard to believe that another year has passed. I look down and before I can look up again, time has marched forward. I am thankful to celebrate another year and share it with all of you.

There have been a number of well wishes sent my way and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone. One of my Yahoogroup friends, NJ Debbie, sent this adorable card to me.

A little known secret is that I love Outline  Rubber Stamps and I can only imagine the time it took for Debbie to put this beauty together. I could not keep this treasure to myself and she did give me permission to share. 

Each layer is cut out and layered onto another layer. The second and third levels are raised on foam. I am honored that Debbie took the time to make this for me. The colors are gorgeous.  My picture taking does not do it justice. Everything has been embossed and has a nice textural look to it.

The entire ensemble is just breathtakingly stunning. I think the jewels are the icing on the cake.

Speaking of cake, I have to go and cut the one my son and I made together. It has been an awesome birthday for me. If you get a chance, check out my Youtube Vee-dio that I will post on my birthday scrapping HAUL...thought I would need a U-Haul to get out of there. lol.

As always use color to help bring a bit of joy to your lives. If it is inked in love, it is sure to be a winner just as my Birthday Card is from Debbie.
Until then. 

"7 Today" Card

Happy Birthday, Zachary. Yes, he is no longer my little baby boy. He is definitely becoming my little man. Weeping and sighing. My awesome son turned seven today. In honor of his birthday and his love for animals, I broke out the Dinosaur Tracks Cricut Cart and modeled his card after the one in the book.

As you can see, I took several liberties with the card. Since the T-Rex is his favorite I used that one instead. Did you know that the T-Rex lived during the Cretaceous period?

I cut the brown base card at 12x8 using the Bazzill Chocolate to create a 6x8 card when folded. The lighter Bazzill card was cut at 7 3/4 x 5 1/2. I cut the T-Rex card at 4 1/2.


 
I cut the DCWV Happy Birthday paper at slightly less than 4 1/2" (it needed to fit behind the cut out T-Rex).

The number 7 was cut at 2" out of the Happy Birthday paper and TODAY was cut at 1 inch from Fiskars red cardstock. I decided to use red to mat the 7 and added another mat of Chocolate card.

I used the remaining Happy Birthday paper to place behind TODAY. I then matted it again onto the Chocolate cardstock that I used for the base. I inked all of the letters and the seven with Vintage Photo.

Once I had cut all of my paper to size I inked the tan color in green and saw that the T-Rex looked a bit naked and wanted to use a layer for him. This might be able to be worked out, but I could not do that using the Card and layer icon features together. I eyeballed the piece and decided to cut the layer at 6" and it was a perfect fit!!! I used a sheet of brown leather look paper from Paper Pizzaz (HOTP).
 

 

I glued the layer to the card base and cut off the excess T-Rex. I punched two holes on the left hand side and threaded through the ribbon and tied a knot. Hapharzardly added the words across the bottom of the card. I put two red star brads through the holes in the number 7. Red is his favorite color. I also cut a T-Rex at 4 1/2 inches that I used on the inside of the card along with my message to him.
 
I like how the card turned out and can hardly wait to cut more images. We have been having loads of fun with this cart. The HOTP press animal skin prints is a perfect match with the Bazzill earthtones paper pack. I probably would have added more inking but I was in the middle of a huge digital project, but wanted to create a special handmade card for my son from me. He loved it!!!!
 
As always keep inking and thinking in the name of love.
Until then.

Crop Chocolate On-line Challenge: Altered Item

Ok, this CropChocolate.com challenge sent me running; all over the house that is. The greatest challenge for me on this one was finding something to alter. I went through every room in the house trying to find something. Finally, in my bedroom I stumbled upon a container one of my students gave to me years ago. I thought it was time for a facelift. What do you think?

 

My frugal nature would not let me set aside the unused pieces of Fancy Pants paper from the stepper card and I thought I could give them a new look. After cutting the pieces ( Key Lime Pie and Sweet Spring) to size, I inked them using Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters and Worn Lipstick.

I then added adhesive and randomly stamped using Versafine and the Me and My Big Ideas Sassy-icons stamp.

Love that one. It is currently on loan to me through a stamp swap. Might have to purchase that set.


I then adhered all of the pieces to the box including the top. I used my Crop-a-dile to cut a notch into both pieces (see inked photo above). For a final touch I added a variety of Dew Drops/Skittles using Glossy Accents.

I really think it looks much more inviting and definitely in line with this decade. Of course it was helped along with a bit of ink, in the name of love.

Until then.

Crop Chocolate On Line Challenge: Create A Card

Ok, I think this challenge at CropChocolate.com was created with my name written all over it. I saw a woman named Kay create this card and wanted to try to easily duplicate it. She used a scoreboard for everything. I wanted to use my scoreboard and the Cricut. It is all from two pieces of Fancy Pants paper. Here it is.

Wouldn't this be fantastic at place settings with little gifts enclosed for the attendants? Who knew a stepper card had another life? Check back for step-step-directions.

Once the gift box has been removed the card remains usable for display.

I chose a few sentiments that reflected the occassion. This could have also been stamped with flowers...but when a deadline is approaching, you go with quicker and easier.


Here is a side view of the card.

I had to add a bit of ink to this one, in the name of love of course.


Until then.

Crop Chocolate On Line Challenge: Recycled

CropChocolate.com has been running a marathon online crop this weekend for the Chocolatiers. Whereas I would have loved to enter them all, I had to pick and choose. There was a lot going on in my town this weekend. When I saw the challenge for recycled/repurposed items, I knew I had to enter. Here are the end results for my shaker card.

Front of card

Back of card

 I will write more of how this project came together but for now the inspiration was a package that once housed some Heidi Swapp embellies. I could not force myself to toss them. I knew they would come in handy and they did.

The only ink that was used on this card was from the leftover remnants from the previous three cards featured. I wanted to use it as a scrapbook page border, but used it for this instead.

Keep inking in the Name of Love.

Until then.

The Road to Independence

Hello again. When I created the background for the first card, I had several usable pieces remaining so I decided to turn it into two more cards and a border for a scrapbook page. I had someone ask what do you do with your scraps. I thought hard about it because I rarely have scraps. Any left over paper gets diecut immediately and used on a card later.

Here is the second card I created.

I used some star ribbon that I received as part of a summer/July swap. Isn't it gorgeous? I edged the white and the red mat with a goldleaf pen.

The base star is the chipboard piece that I decorated in the Naked Chipboard Vee-dio. I also edged it with gold leaf. It is ironic that it mimics the pattern on the red star. That was not planned but turned out well. Used a bit of Glossy Accents on the cupcakes.

 

Since the stamps are the same I wanted to change this one a bit so that all three had a different look. I decided to use the Fired Brick Distress Ink on the top, left the middle white and did the bottom with Faded Jeans.
I used the Cut n Dry nibs to be able to get into all of the crevices.

The epoxy sticker is from Creative Imaginations and it is also from the summer swap.

I had so much fun with this paper and deciding how to change up the card to make each one unique. Since I stamped it myself, I could place the elements where ever I chose. I decided to not create a pattern on purpose. This way each card could receive its own special treatment. I took tons of photos so here is another one.

Think about your own road to independence. When what you want is not available, create it yourself. Get out those small stamps that you purchased because collectively they can have a big presence.  Keep thinking and inking in the name of love.

 Until then.