Today . . . I met you for the first time. Reveal for ScrapFIt Challenge #49 Put A Banner On It!

I am so excited! This is my first FITgirl layout. I had so much fun creating this page for my scrapping friend who recently gave birth to a precious and beautiful daughter.

ScrapFIT Challenge #49 ~ Put A Banner On It!

Banners of all kinds have become popular in the scrapbooking world. They can be pre-made or hand made, big or small. You can showcase your title on it or just decorate it to go with your layout. Let's see how you showcase your banner creativity!

Here is my example for you:

Look at the fabulous prize sponsored by Precocious Paper going to the winner of this challenge:

Before I get to the close-ups and details I normally share about my layouts, I have some exciting news!

To celebrate having the honor of being a FITgirl, I'm offering a little RAK this month. If you are already one of my followers, or become one, and complete any of the ScrapFIT challenges or Weekend Warm Ups in August, I'll put your name in the hat for a RAK ~ a dozen of my hand crocheted little flowers (yes, created by me) made of bamboo thread, so they can be dyed with your scrapbooking inks to coordinate with your page.  For each ScrapFIT Challenge/Warm Up you complete your name gets put in the hat. To be eligible:

~ Follow my blog

~ Complete and link your layout on the ScrapFIT blog

~ Leave a comment(s) here on this post telling me which challenge(s) you completed.

Feel free to post my RAK on your blog, but you do not need to in order to be eligible.

I'll be announcing the winner of my RAK on September 1.

I'll be adding a photo of the flowers later on, and if I get enough responses, I just might add on to my RAK, so be sure to check back. 

Techniques:

1) I created the two rose color flowers based on tutorials from the oh so talented Paulien Van de Bosch posted here and here at My Creative Scrapbook. I made some modifications, most notably to the lolipop flower. I cut circles from cardstock using my circle cutter every 1/4 inch from 1 inch to 3 inches and used them as a rough pattern to cut the circles of fabric. I dyed every other fabric circle a deeper shade of rose to give more dimension. As you can see my flower center is simply a dollop of Fabri-Tac topped with microbeads, and to the edges of the petals, I applied Art Institute glue and sprinkled with microfine glitter. 

The center of the petal flower is made of glass pebbles colored with alcohol ink and again adhered with a dollop of Fabri-Tac. I dabbed Fabri-Tac on the edges of each petal one at a time and sprinkled with Diamond Dust.

2) I purchased the crocheted doily at a craft store and used a foam make-up applicator to apply a light touch of rose distress ink to the outside edges. I wanted a delicate look, so I stitched the wispy lace to the back of the doily so that the long wisps would extend out beyond the doily.

3) The Bank Creek chipboard flourish was painted with gesso, then when dry, coated heavily with white puffy paint. On my first try I didn't use enough puffy paint, so ended up scraping it off and starting over again. Let the puffy paint dry at least an hour, then heat it with a heat tool until it starts to puff up like a marshmallow roasted over a fire. I wanted a bit of brown, so kept the heat tool on the puffy paint, until the edges of it turned a slight golden brown. To get the shimmer, I painted the puffed up paint with iridescent medium. I cut the flourish in half to use on both sides of my flowers.

4) I took a clear rhinestone flourishe and applied rose alcohol ink with a very fine tip paint brush. I put a drop or two of alcohol ink on my craft mat, and used my brush to apply the ink to each rhinestone. It's really not as time consuming as it sounds.

5) This isn't really a technique, but I had to point out the two white vintage buttons from my stash. They are kind of on the unattractive side sitting by themselves, but look so pretty on this page! I used wire cutters to remove the shank from the back, then sanded what was left with my Basic Grey files.

6) The journal block was cut from plain white cardstock, then I used a foam pad to rub several colors of Distress ink over it in a circular motion to get the color I needed. Use a craft mat or piece of wax paper and start rubbing on the mat and pull the foam onto the block to avoid square foam marks on your journal block. Distress inks do blend, so you can get such depth and color variations with them. I just experimented on a scrap until I found the combination and order to achieve the color I wanted. Once I colored the block, I used pumice stone distress ink on the edges to give it a little pop against a similarly colored background. 

7) My letters were cut from scraps of the background papers. To darken them and make them sparkle, I used a paint brush to apply stickles. I also applied stickles to the outer, pink portion of the banner flags. This gives the appearance of glitter paper, but is so much easier to cut! Painted on stickles dry much more quickly than thick dots of stickles.

If you plan to complete a banner layout, head on over to Scrap-Friendzy too. I just posted a recipe challenge there using my "Today" layout for an example. Here are the ingredients for the recipe:

Banner

Glitter or stickles (on my flowers)

At least 8 of something (9 flowers)

Something liquid (Puffy Paint, Gesso, Iridescent Medium)

Distress (around the circle and large square mats)

A handmade by you element (rose color flowers)

*** the items in the ( ) are the examples I used in my layout. You can choose anything that fits the ingredient for your page. 

You can create one LO for both of these challenges!

Paper:

My Mind's Eye ~ Laundry Line Stack ~ 4 sheets

Green CS ~ from my stash

White Card Stock scrap ~ from my stash

Embellishments:

Darice ~ 10 inch doily

Creek Bank Creations ~ chipboard flourish ~ 12 x 12 chipboard set - Light and Swirls

White Vintage Buttons ~ from my stash

Queen & Co ~ Pearls ~ Sunflower Yellow

Colorbok ~ Rhinestone Accents Adhesive Flourishes ~ Nocturne

My Mind's Eye Baker's Twine ~ Lime Twist, Out of the Blue "Smile"

Teal Feathers ~ gift from my scrappy friend, Thanks Kelly!

Petaloo Floral Embelishments ~ Chantilly Collection Mixed Blooms x 6 - blue/green

Petaloo Floral Embelishments ~ Velvet Hydrangeas ~ blue

Whispy Lace ~ Hobby Lobby purchase

Technique Products:

Glass Pebbles ~ found in floral department

Martha Stewart ~ Metallic Glass Microbeads ~ Florentine Gold

Floracraft ~ Diamond Dust Twinklets 

Crystal Glitter Ritz ~ MicroFine Glitter ~ Cool Highlight

Liquitex ~ Gesso

Tulip Puffy Paint ~ white

Windsor & Newton ~ Water Colour Iridescent Medium

Ranger Distress Ink ~ Pumice Stone, Victorian Velvet, Tattered Rose, Tumbled Glass, Bundled Sage, Stormy Sky, Pine Needles

Ranger Alcohol Ink ~ Butterscotch

Tulip Puffy Paint ~ white

Ranger Perfect Pearls ~ Plum

Ranger Stickles ~ Patina, Fruit Punch

Y & C Gel Xtreme 0.7 Gel Pen ~ Gold

Crinkle Organza, Ivory ~ from my stash

Art Institute Glue for glitter ~ clear

Fabri-Tac

Tools:

Martha Stewart ~ large circle cutter

Fiskars ~ circle cutter (small)

Darice ~ Decorative Scissors

Tonic Studios ~ Paper Distresser

Scotch Advanced Tape Glider

Darice ~ Heat Tool

Basic Grey ~ Precision File Set

Gazelle to cut Journal block and Title

Font ~ Mauritius Becker ~ from the internet

Now, be sure to head on over to ScrapFIT to take a look at the other DT examples and get inspired to join us in creating a banner LO, card, or project. You have until the end of August to complete an link your project. I can't wait to see YOUR work.

While you're there be sure to check out the Weekend Warm Up challenge to use those border punches and be in the running to be a featured artist at ScrapFIT! You have until this Friday, August 5 to enter your border punch project.

I have entered this in:

Bird is the Word ~ Today Challenge: I enjoy playing here, so when designing my LO, I took a peak at the current challenge words. When I saw the word "Today" I knew it was the perfect title to begin my journaling for this page. "Today . . . I met you for the very first time."

The Shabby Tea Room ~ Week 73 Mix and Match: Photo inspiration and use at least 3 different patterned papers. I used 4 patterned papers and was inspired by the photo's shabby chic style and colors!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I treasure your comments. 

Don't forget to come back and leave a comment each time you link a project for a ScrapFIT challenge in August for a chance to win my hand crocheted flowers. (Please leave a comment even if you're not participating in a challenge. Your feedback is such an encouragement to me.)

~ Blessings ~