Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Swinging Together ~ Scrapping Stamper Reveal

Shannon gave us two sketches to choose from this month. I created a layout with a flowering dogwood tree earlier this year, so decided to go a different direction from the tree. I've been wanting to extend an element on out of a photo for a while, and this photo worked perfectly. Grace is pushing Maria on our wooden swing set back in North Carolina. The set is not in the photo, so I extended the swing chains and recreated the wooden structure. I told my wonderful engineer husband that I felt like I was doing an engineering project creating the swing set - LOL!

My title was inspired by the Bird is the Word "Together" Challenge.
 

Here is the fabulous October Scrapping Stamper Sketch that I chose to work with:


Be sure to head over to The Scrapping Stamper to see Shannon's other great sketch for October and to see the inspiring layouts created by her DT!!

Techniques:

Chain: I purchased some chain from the jewelry department at JoAnn's and applied the blue alcohol ink with a fine paintbrush. I mixed a couple colors of alcohol ink on my craft mat to get a color that would match the blue chain in the photo. I cut small pieces of glue dots to adhere the chain to the page. The chain eyelets were formed with craft wire wrapped once around a round tip plier and then twisted. I made the two pieces and then cut part of the twisted section off with wire cutters so they would be the same length.

Swing set: This was a fairly simple project. I located a photo of a swing set similar to the one this swing had hung from and recreated it in a wood-like paper. I cut strips of the paper and inked the edges before assembling my swing set. I alcohol inked the screw brads before adding to strategic spots.

Butterflies: These little butterflies started out as simple punched cut-outs. I brushed coordinating stickles across the wings, and Black Diamond Stickles over the bodies. When dry, I curled the wings over a round bar to add dimension. Such sweet little butterflies for pennies.

Title Letters: These letters were plain white. First I took the letters for my title and stuck them down on my non-stick craft mat. I rubbed distress ink over them then painted a thin later of stickles.  When dry the adhesive backed letters peel right off of the mat, and are ready to apply  to my project. This is a great way to get sparkly letters that coordinate perfectly without the cost of expensive glitter letters or attempting to cut glitter paper, which can be a challenge and may not be just the right color.

Paper:
Bo Bunny Fusion ~ Tangerine, Free Spirit, Mesmerize, Love Me Tender
Pixie Press Memories ~ Crackle Mustard
Letters

Embellishments:
Chain ~ Stash
Screw Brads ~ Stash

Technique Products:
Ranger Alcohol ink
Tombo ~ ABT N15
Zig Textile Marker ~ Brown
Stickles
Distress Ink

Tools:
Martha Steward Circle Cutter
Martha Stewart ~ Ruler
Fiskars Softgrip Craft Knife
Fiskars 14 in Self-Healing Rotating Mat

I'm participating with this LO in the Cuttin' Up with class Show and Tell

Thanks for stopping by. I treasure your comments! 

~ Blessings ~

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

You and Me

For the past several years we've made our annual trek to Knoebels Phall Phun Phest. Last year, our daughter, Elizabeth, came with us. My sister, Terry, likes to ride the Fandango, but it's a bit much for the rest of us. (I can't do spinning rides - bummer) It was so much fun for Terry to have a flying companion!!

I like the challenge of designing layouts around several challenges. This page incorporates the Layout Friday Challenge over at Bo Bunny ~ dimension, Bird is the Word ~ "You and Me," along with the sketch from Punky Scraps.

Here is my layout:


I've been wanting to touch base with my distressed/funky style and complete a
challenge over at Punky Scraps, and am finally joining in on their fun by
using this fabulous challenge sketch by their talented Marie:

Techniques:

Dimensional Ribbon: The Pink Punch ribbon was a little brighter than the pink in the photo, so I toned it down by using a sponge applicator to rub Pumice Stone Distress Ink onto the ribbon. When dry I randomly twisted and scrunched the ribbon across the page and used mini staples to secure it to the page.

Dimensional Border: I went to my stash to find beads and wire jewelry findings. I used alcohol ink to color the wire pieces and alter the color on the flower eyelet blending the inks to get pink and dark teal. I adhered the pieces by stitching through them into a variety of patterns that I randomly created with my piercing tool. I also used my handy dandy Big Bite to set the snaps.

Chipboard: One of the things I enjoy about the Naked Chipboard, is that I can alter it to go with any layout. Here I painted it pink, then sprayed the back of the punchinella with temporary adhesive and stuck it to the chipboard, which I then painted with brown metallic paint. In removing the punchinella from the larger chipboard it peeled off some of the paint down to the raw chipboard. (I had made a mistake and put a couple extra coats of pink paint on the larger chipboard, making it softer and easier to "damage.") This was a happy mistake that I liked since I was going for a distressed look. I took my piercing tool to the arrow pieces and exposed portions of raw chipboard on these pieces as well.

Punchinella Texture: I cut a 12 inch length of the round punchinella and adhered it across my page with temporary adhesive and used a creamy yellow paint to add this distressed texture to my LO. I did not paint all the way to the edge so the dots would fade out in a distressed kind of way.

Funky Title: To go with the distressed look, I wanted a bold and funky title. I simply used a pencil to sketch out the title on my layout. I used two shades of copics markers to color the letters. Since I only have 6 copics, the color wasn't quite right, so I went over the letters with a teal Prismacolor pencil and blending pencil giving them just the right color. One of our daughter's enjoys art and discovered the Moo Eraser. It erases pencil marks without any damage to the paper. If you like to sketch things out on your layouts, and have trouble removing the tell tale signs, this is a product you will want to try. They are available in art supply stores.

Misting: I had fun misting and ink dropping on this page. For the larger drops I removed the sprayer from the bottle and flicked ink from the bottom of the sprayer onto the layout. Thanks Amanda for sharing the ink flicking technique with me!

Paper
Bo Bunny Et Cetera ~ Geography
Bo Bunny Time Piece Collection ~ Note Worthy Journal Card

Embellishments
Bo Bunny ~ Double Dot Ribbon ~ Pink Punch
Bo Bunny ~ Double Dot Chipboard ~ Bare Naked
Beads and Ribbon Slide ~ stash

Technique Products
Copic Sketch markers ~ B34 Manganese Blue, B 37 Antwerp Blue
Prismacolor Pencils and Blending Pencil
Punchinella ~ Squares - a gift from my scrappy friend, Mandy
Punchinella ~ Round - a gift from my scrappy friend, Robin
Zig Millennium 05 ~ Pure Blue
Zig Writer ~ Pure Blue
DMC Embroidery Floss #3808
Glimmer Mist ~ Turquoise Blue
Smooch Spritz ~ Log Cabin
DecoArt Acrylic Paint ~ Buttercream
DecoArt Dazzling Metallics ~ Renaissance Brown
Making Memories Scrapbook Colors ~ Fresh Anthology Deep Coral
Ranger Alcohol Ink ~ Snow Cap, Pink Sherbet, Denim, Pool
Ranger Distress Ink ~ Pumice Stone

Tools
Idea-ology ~ Mini Stapler and Staples
Crop-A-Dile II ~ Big Bite
In Stitch'z Piercing tool and mat
Tonic Studios Scissors
Fiskars ~ Softgrip Craft Knife
Fiskars ~ Self Healing Rotating Mat
Moo Eraser

I've also entered this layout in the following:
Scrapbook Sisters Challenge#6 - Shapes - Using circles ~ Photo, Journal spot, paint strip, snaps (November 6)

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Saturday, October 15, 2011

18 Years Later ~ ScrapFIT Reveal for Workout #54

I just knew when I came across this old photo of the girls with their cousin, Connie, I had to take a current shot and scrap them together. ScrapFIT Workout #54 was a perfect fit for these photos.

Numbers, numbers, and more numbers! Let's see a layout or card with lots and lots of numbers. Can you use them in your title? Can you add them as an embellishment? Can you stamp them? YES you can do all of those and more! Show us how your numbers add up!

Here is my example for you. I even used the numbers zero and one along with the negatives from the zeros to create my flowers:

I hope you are inspired to join us for this fun Workout!!

The winner of this Workout will receive this fabulous prize from The Paper Bakery Kit Club:

Be sure to head on over to ScrapFIT to be inspired by the work of our fabulous DT!

Techniques:

Masking
This paper came with a sticker sheet that had flowers in two sizes that coordinate with the flowers on the paper. I stuck them on the paper and spritzed glimmer mist over them as a mask. I used a few drops of Un-Du adhesive remover to get them off without damaging the page or the stickers. The funny think is that I blotted with a paper towel and since the stickers were shiny, the glimmer mist wiped right off, so I'll be able to use the stickers on another page.

Flowers
I looked through my fonts to find 0's and 1's that looked similar to flower petals, and cut out bunches of them on my Gazelle. The o's were placed on a larger circle of kraft and once adhered, I trimmed around the petals. The ones and negatives from the zeros where inked then adhered to a small circle of kraft then shaped and curled, then a rhinestone placed in the center of each.

Stitching
Because the girls were so young in the older photo, and down the road it might be hard to remember who each one is in the photo, I drew lines connecting the girls between the photos and hand stitched the lines to write the girls' names on.

Supplies:

Paper:
Simple Stories - 100 Days of Summer ~ 100% Summer Fun
Simple Stories - 100 Days of Summer ~ Flash Cards
Simple Stories - 100 Days of Summer ~ Sweet Memories
Simple Stories - 100 Days of Summer ~ Cardstock Stickers Fundamentals
Simple Stories - 100 Days of Summer ~ Cardstock Stickers Expressions
Kraft Paper ~ Stash

Embellishments:
Scrap-Friendzy Kit ~ Pom Pom Lace
Darice ~ Jute
Rhinestones ~ Stash
Stickers ~ Stash

Technique Items:
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist ~ Simply Khaki
Tombo ABT #993
Zig Millennium 05 ~ Pure Black
Ranger Distress Ink ~ Pine Needles, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade
Ranger Alcohol Ink ~ Terra Cotta
DMC Thread ~ Stash
Black Thread ~ Stash

Tools:
Fiskars ~ Softgrip Craft Knife
Fiskars ~ Self-healing Mat
Gazelle
EK Success Punch
Sewing Machine

Thanks for stopping by. I treasure your comments!

~ Blessings ~

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Share the Future Together ~ ScrapFIT Workout #53 Reveal

It's reveal day at ScrapFIT for workout #53 The Journaling Goes Round and Round.

It's important to add journaling to our layouts so generations after us will know the details and feelings of the pictures. For this Workout I want your journaling to "go around" the outside of something. It can go around the outside of your page, around your photo or even around an embellishment. Show us how you journal around!

For this challenge, I created from Joseph and Rachels engagement photo shoot. This is Rachel's favorite photo taken that day.

I was so excited to see this challenge, since I enjoy journaling around things. Like many of you, I'm not a huge fan of my own hand writing, but it doesn't seem to bother me so much when I write around things in a small hand. I wrote out the love verses from 1 Corinthians 13 around the heart. I actually fit most of them in before running out of room. I tucked the reference into the bottom inside of the heart. To do this, I traced the heart onto my layout in light pencil, marking my photo placement. I used this line to write my journaling, then erased the line before adhering the heart.

Click on photo and then click again to view close-up.

I hope you have been inspired to join us at ScrapFIT for this fabulous journaling workout!! Once you complete your project go here to link it up. You'll want to see the fabulous projects created by our design team posted at ScrapFIT as well.

The lucky winner of Workout #53 will receive this lovely kit by The Paper Bakery Kit Club:


The Paper Bakery is offering a special discount to ScrapFIT followers this month. See the Workout #53 description at ScrapFIT for details. Be sure to drop by The Paper Bakery to see their gorgeous kits, full of wonderful goodies!!

Techniques:
Cardboard Heart:
I was inspired to create this heart by the wonderful work of Marilyn Rivera. First I drew a heart on a large scrap of card stock, then took a piece of cardboard box to size and stripped the front layer off. I used the heart template I drew to cut out the cardboard shape, then spritzed it with an acid neutralizing spray front and back. I used three shades of distress ink to get the color and shading I desired for this particular LO. Finally I wrapped some red DMC embroidery floss around the top right part of the heart in a repeated V shape for some added texture.

Masking:
Before masking, I spritzed the area with some mist for some extra visual texture. I recently purchased several stencils. The shape on the right side of the heart was created by rubbing distress ink over a portion of one of the stencils. I then added some rhinestones for some extra bling.

Embossing Metal/Alcohol Ink
This technique can be done with colored or plain aluminum sheet metal. Cut the desired shape with some old scissors (I have a pair of old kitchen shears I reserve for my sheet metal so I don't dull my good scissors.) You can also cut a shape with a die cut machine like a Big Shot. Once you get your shape cut, place it in an embossing folder and run it through the machine again to emboss. If you don't have access to embossing folders/machine. You could also free hand emboss your metal. I chose three alcohol inks to get the colors I wanted for my layout, and used a felt applicator and dabbed it on until I got the texture I was looking for. The longer you dab at alcohol ink, the smaller the "blotches" become. They are quite large at first, but as the ink starts to dry some they become smaller and smaller. It might take a couple of minutes, so be patient if you want smaller separations between your colors.

Altered Chipboard:
The chipboard swirl was coated with a very thick coat of white puffy paint. After applying the puffy paint, you really need to set it aside for at least an hour. Then use a heat tool to make the paint bubble and puff up. Once it cools down a bit, you can paint it in the color of your choice. I mixed a couple different metalic paints together for this swirl. If you have a variety of paint colors, you only need to purchase puffy paint in white, and perhaps black.

Altered Brad Flower:
The pink flower was a white brad that I painted with metalic paint. The clear rhinestone in the center was altered with alcohol ink. The rhinestones attached to the chipboard swirl and masked area were also colored with alcohol ink. No need to purchase rhinestones in a bunch of colors if you have alcohol ink. I've even mixed drops of different alcohol inks on my craft mat to get the shade I'm looking for.

Altered Tissue Tape/Paper
I cut a rectangle of chipboard to place behind my embossed metal and covered it with tissue tape. To get the desired color, I rubbed it with distress ink. The tissue tape has a shiny texture, so I rubbed it with some paper towel after inking to remove any excess ink so it wouldn't smear onto other parts of my LO as I was working on it. I don't need to do that when working with regular paper/cardstock. The little hearts, title letters/word blocks started out as a scrap of of the MME paper that I cut the postage images from. I just took plain sections of that scrap and rubbed them with several colors of distress ink until I got the desired look, then printed my word blocks and cut the letters and shapes. I had some coordinating paper that would have worked, but I didn't want to cut into it for the little pieces that I needed for this layout. (Yes, I use my distress inks a lot and own all the colors including the gorgeous new fall limited edition ink pads.)

Stitching:
I got away from hand stitching on this page and went with a couple rows of straight machine stitching around the border of the page.

Paper:
Cosmo Cricket ~ Fleuriste - Flora Bella
MME Lost and Found ~ Portobella Road "Family" First Class

Embellishments:
Idea-ology ~ Mini Paper Clips
Deluxe Designs ~ Freeze Frames - Natural Wood
Darice ~ Rhinestones
Creative Imaginations ~ Love Bird Metal Flower Brads
Idea-ology ~ Swivel Clasps

Technique Products:
Ranger Distress Ink ~ multiple colors
Ranger Alcohol Ink ~ multiple colors
Tombo ABT ~ N15
Zig Millennium 05 ~ Pure Violet
Moo Eraser
Recollections Stamp ~ Script
Idea-ology Tissue Tape ~ Sketch Pad
Jacquard Lumiere ~ Metallic Acrylic Paints - multiple colors
Delta Stencil Magic ~ Elegant Fleur-De-Lis
DecoArt Paint ~ Dazzling Metallics - Renaissance Brown
TPC Studio ~ Clearly Better Ink - Chocolate
Smooch Spritz ~ Log Cabin
DMC # 902
Walnut Hollow Colored Metal ~ Light Blue Aluminum

Tools:
Boss Kut Gazelle
Font ~ Pieces of Eight - from the internet
Big Shot
Darice Embossing Folder
Make It Acid Free Spray

I've entered this in the Bird is the Word "Share" Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by. I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~